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AIX Version 4 Files Reference

image.data File

Purpose

Contains information on the image installed during the Base Operating System installation process.

Description

The image.data file contains information describing the image installed during the BOS installation process. This information includes the sizes, names, maps, and mount points of logical volumes and file systems in the root volume group. The mkszfile command generates the image.data file. It is not recommended that the user modify the file. Changing the value of one field without correctly modifying any related fields can result in a failed installation and a corrupted backup image. The only exception to this recommendation is the SHRINK field, which the user may modify to instruct the BOS installation routines to create the file systems as specified in the image.data file or to create the file systems only as large as is required to contain all the data in the file system.

The BOS installation process also takes input from the image.data file regarding defaults for the machine being installed. Any default values in the image.data file will override values obtained when the BOS installation queries the hardware topology and existing root volume group. The image.data file resides in the / directory.

Note: The image.data file replaces the .fs.size file used in release 3.2.

The image.data file is arranged in stanza format. Each stanza contains one or more fields. These stanzas include the following:

image_data Stanza

IMAGE_TYPE Identifies the format of the image. Examples include backup file format (bff) and tar format.
DATE_TIME Contains the date and time that the image was taken.
UNAME_INFO Identifies the system and system level data was taken from.
PRODUCT_TAPE Specifies whether the image is a product image or a mksysb image. The possible field values are yes or no.
USERVG_LIST Lists the user volume groups defined in the system.
Note: The PRODUCT_TAPE and USERVG_LIST fields are only present for the ROOTVG volume group.

logical_volume_policy Stanza

SHRINK Instructs BOS install routines to create the file systems as they are specified in the image.data file or create the smallest file systems required to contain all the data in the file system. The field value specified can be yes (shrink file systems) or no (use image.data file specifications).
EXACT_FIT The field value specified can be yes or no. If yes is specified, the disk information listed in the source_disk_data stanza must match the actual disks found on the target machine during installation.

ils_data Stanza

LANG Sets the language used by the BOS Install program.

source_disk_data Stanza

Note: The image.data file contains one source_disk_data stanza for each disk in the root volume group.
HDISKNAME Supplies the names of the disks in the root volume group.
LOCATION Supplies the locations of the disks in the root volume group.
SIZE_MB Supplies the size, in MB, of the disks in the root volume group.

vg_data Stanza

Note: The image.data file can contain only one vg_data stanza.
VGNAME Specifies the volume group name.
PPSIZE Specifies the size of the physical partition for the volume group.
VARYON Activates the volume group and all associated logical volumes so that the volume group is available for use. The field value can be yes or no.
VG_SOURCE_DISK_LIST Lists the disks in the volume group.

lv_data Stanza

Note: The image.data file contains one lv_data stanza for each logical volume created on the system.
VOLUME_GROUP Specifies the logical volume group name. Volume group names must be unique systemwide and can range from 1 to 15 characters.
LV_SOURCE_DISK_LIST Lists the disks in the logical volume.
LV_IDENTIFIER Contains the identifier of the logical volume.
LOGICAL_VOLUME Contains the name of the logical volume.
PERMISSIONS Sets the access permissions. The field value can be read/write or read only.
VG_STAT Indicates the state of the volume group. If the volume group is activated with the varyonvg command, the value of the VG_STAT field is either active/complete or active/partial. An active/complete field value indicates that all physical volumes are active, while an active/partial field value indicates that all physical volumes are not active. If the volume group is not activated with the varonvg command, the VG_STAT field value is inactive.
TYPE Describes the logical volume type.
MAX_LPS Sets the maximum number of logical partitions within the logical volume.
COPIES Specifies the number of physical partitions created for each logical partition during the allocation process.
LPS Specifies the number of logical partitions currently in the logical volume.
STALE_PPs Specifies the number of physical partitions in the logical volume that are not current.
INTER_POLICY Specifies the inter-physical allocation policy. The field value can be minimum or maximum.
INTRA_POLICY Specifies the intra-physical allocation policy. The possible field values are either middle, center, or edge.
MOUNT_POINT Specifies the file-system mount point for the logical volume, if applicable.
MIRROR_WRITE_CONSISTENCY Specifies mirror-write consistency state. The field value can be off or on.
LV_SEPARATE_PV Specifies a yes or no field value for strict allocation. A yes value for strict allocation states that no copies for a logical partition are allocated on the same physical volume. A no value for strict allocation (nonstrict) states that at least one occurrence of two physical partitions belong to the same logical partition.
LV_STATE Describes the state of the logical volume. An Opened/stale value indicates the logical volume is open but contains physical partitions that are not current. An Open/syncd value indicates the logical volume is open and its physical partitions are current, or synchronized. A Closed value indicates the logical volume has not been opened.
WRITE_VERIFY Specifies the field value of the write verify state as on or off.
PP_SIZE Provides the size physical partition.
SCHED_POLICY Specifies a sequential or parallel scheduling policy.
PP Specifies the number of physical partitions currently in the logical volume.
BB_POLICY Specifies the bad block relocation policy.
RELOCATABLE Indicates whether the partitions can be relocated if a reorganization of partition allocation takes place. The field value can be yes or no.
UPPER_BOUND Specifies the maximum number of physical volumes for allocation.
LABEL Specifies the label field for the logical volume.
MAPFILE Provides the full path name to a map file to be used in creating the logical volume.
LV_MIN_LPs Specifies the minimum size of the logical volume to use when shrinking the logical volume.
STRIPE_WIDTH Specifies the number of physical volumes being striped across.
STRIPE_SIZE Specifies the number of bytes per stripe. The field value must be a power of two, between 4K and 128K; for example, 4K, 8K, 16K, 32K, 64K, or 128K.

fs_data Stanza

FS_NAME Specifies the mount point of the file system.
FS_SIZE Supplies the size, in 512-byte blocks, of the file system.
FS_MIN_SIZE Specifies the minimum size required to contain the files of the file system. This size is used when the SHRINK field in the logical_volume_policy stanza has a field value of yes.
FS_LV Provides the logical volume name. The name must contain the /dev/ prefix. An example of an appropriate name is /dev/hd4.
FS_FS Specifies the fragmentation size of the system. This value is optional.
FS_NBPI Specifies the number of bytes per inode. This value is optional.
FS_COMPRESS Designates whether the file system should be compressed or not. The field value can be LZ, which compresses the file system, or the no field value.
FS_BF Enables the file system for files greater than 2 GB. The possible values are true or false.
FS_AGSIZE Specifies the allocation group size. The possible values are 8, 16, 32, or 64. The allocation group size is specified in units of megabytes.

post_install_data Stanza

BOSINST_FILE Provides the full path name of a file or command to execute after BOS install completes.

post_restvg Stanza

RESTVG_FILE Specifies the full path name of the file or command to execute after the restvg process completes.
Note: The post_install_data stanza exists for the ROOTVG volume group and the post_restvg stanza is present for other volume groups.

Implementation Specifics

This file is part of System Backup and BOS Install Utilites.

Related Information

The mkszfile command, mkfs command, mklv command, and lslv command.

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