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Loading the boot process (image) of AIX

• After POST, the firmware (System Read Only Storage) detects

the 1st bootable device stored in the bootlist. (here it is hdisk0)
• then the bootstrap code (software ROS) System Read Only
Storage i.e. 1st 512 bytes of the hard disk loads to RAM.
• Bootstrap code locates the Boot Logical Volume (BLV = hd5)
from the harddisk
• BLV contains AIX kernel, rc.boot Script, Reduced ODM and
Boot commands.
• Then BLV in the RAM uncompresses and Kernel releases
from it.
• Then AIX Kernel gets control.
• AIX Kernel creates a RAM File System (Rootvg not activated
now).
• kernel starts init process from the BLV.
• init executes rc.boot script from the BLV in the RAM.
• Init with rc.boot 1 configures base devices.

rc.boot 1 in detail

• init process from RAMFS executes rc.boot 1 (if any error

LED=c06)
• restbase command copies ODM from BLV to RAMFS.(success
LED=510, error LED=548)
• cfgmgr -f calls Config_rules ( which are phase=1) and
activates all base devices.
• run command bootinfo -b to check last boot device ( success
LED=511).

Then

• rc.boot 2 activates rootvg from hard disk.

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rc.boot 2 in detail

• rc.boot 2 (LED 551)

• ipl_varyon to activate rootvg ( success LED= 517, error
LED=552,554,556).
• run command fsck -f /dev/hd4 to check whether "/"
unmounted uncleanely in the last shutdown ( error LED=555).

• mount /dev/hd4 (/) to RAMFS (error LED=557 due to

corrupted jfslog..)

• fsck -f /dev/hd2 i.e. "/usr" ( error LED=518).

• mount /dev/hd2 in RAMFS.
• fsck -f /dev/hd9var i.e. check "/var"
• mount /var
• copycore command checks whether dump occured. then copy
dump from primary dump device paging space (/dev/hd6) to
/var/adm/ras/.
• unmount /var
• swapon /dev/hd6 i.e. activate primary paging space.

Now the condition is /dev/hd4 is mounted on / in the RAMFS;

cfgmgr -f configured all base devices . so configuration data has
been written to ODM of RAMFS.

• mergedev is called and copy /dev from RAMFS to disk.

• copy customized ODM from RAMFS to hard disk(at this stage
both ODM from hd5 and hd4 are sync now)
• mount /var.
• Boot messages copy to file on the hard disk (
/var/adm/ras/bootlog) alog -t boot -o to view bootlog

Now / , /usr and /var are mounted in rootvg on the hard disk.
Then
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• Kernel removes RAMFS

• init process start from / in the rootvg

Here completes rc.boot 2, Now the condition is kernel removed

RAMFS and accessing rootvg filesystems from hard disk. init from
BLV replaced by init from hard disk

• in rc.boot 3, init process /etc/inittab file and remaining

devices are configured.

rc.boot 3 in detail

• /etc/init starts and reads /etc/inittab ( LED=553)

• runs /sbin/rc.boot 3
• fsck -f /dev/hd3 i.e. check /tmp.
• mount /tmp
• sysncvg rootvg &; i.e. run syncvg in background and
report stale PPs.
• cfgmgr -P2 i.e. run cfgmgr in phase 2 in normal startup.
(cfgmgr -P3 in service mode)
• All remaining devices are configured now.
• cfgcon configures console ( LED= c31 select console, c32 lft,
c33 tty, c34 file on disk). If CDE mentioned in /etc/inittab we will
get graphical console.
• savebase calls to sync ODM from BLV with / FS (i.e.
/etc/objrepos).
• syncd daemon started. All data from cache memory to disk
saves in every 60 seconds.
• starts errdaemon for error logging.
• LED display turned OFF.
• rm /etc/nologin i.e. if the file is not removed, then login is
not possible.
• If any device are in missed state, (in Cudv chgstatus=3)
display it.
• Display "system initialization completed"
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Then execute next line from /etc/inittab