Set up virtual optical storage

This topic provides a high-level overview of the steps used to set up virtual optical storage. The topic also provides links to information that provide specific instructions for setting up virtual optical storage based on what task you want to accomplish.

The following provide a high-level overview of how to set up virtual optical storage for the most common tasks. The exact steps you use to set up virtual optical storage depend on what task you want to accomplish, such as performing a save operation or distributing software.

The specific tasks provide links to instructions for the different tasks that you can perform with virtual optical storage.

The tasks are as follows:

Parent topic: Start of changeVirtual optical storageEnd of change
Related concepts
Consider using virtual optical storage
Related tasks
Preparing to upgrade or replace software using an image catalog
Prepare the central system for virtual images
Distribute software
Install fixes from an image catalog
Backup up your server
Related information
Backup and Recovery

Create virtual optical

  1. Create the image catalog: 
    CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DIR('/MYCATALOGDIRECTORY')
  2. Add the image from physical media or from image files received from another system.

    If you are adding a new blank image, type the following command:

    ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) FROMFILE(*NEW) TOFILE(NEWIMAGEFILE) IMGSIZ(16000)

    Repeat this step for each optical disk needed.

  3. If you do not already have a virtual optical device type 632B, create one and vary it on: 
    CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT)
VRYCFG CFGOBJ(OPTVRT01) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)
  4. Load the image catalog in the virtual device: 
    LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DEV(OPTVRT01)
  5. Initialize the virtual image: 
    INZOPT NEWVOL(MYVOLUMEID) DEV(OPTVRT01) CHECK(*NO) TEXT(MYTEXTDESCRIPTION)

Use virtual images in an image catalog

  1. Create the image catalog: 
    CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DIR('/MYCATALOGDIRECTORY') CRTDIR(*YES)
  2. Add the image from physical media or from image files received from another system.
    • To add images from physical media: 
      ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) FROMDEV(OPTXX) TOFILE(*fromfile)

      Repeat for each optical disk.

    • To add images from an image file: 
      ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) FROMFILE(SLIC_N) TOFILE(*fromfile)

      Repeat this step for each file in your catalog directory. This step assumes your image is already in the image catalog directory.

  3. Create and vary on the virtual device: 
    CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT)
VRYCFG CFGOBJ(OPTVRT01) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)
  4. Load the image catalog in the virtual device 
    LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DEV(OPTVRT01)

Specific tasks

You can perform these tasks with virtual optical storage.

Install or replace software
To install or replace software using virtual optical storage, see Preparing to upgrade or replace software using an image catalog.
Software distribution
To set up virtual optical storage for software distribution, see Prepare the central system for virtual images in the Distribute software topic.
Install fixes
To install fixes with virtual optical storage, see Install fixes from an image catalog.
Perform a save operation
To save to virtual optical storage, see Consider using virtual optical storage in the Backup up your server topic.
Perform a restore operation
To restore from virtual images, see Backup and Recovery.

Install from an image catalog

  1. Create the image catalog: 
    CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DIR('/MYCATALOGDIRECTORY')
  2. Add the image from physical media or from image files received from another system:
    • To add images from physical media: 
      ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) FROMDEV(OPTXX) TOFILE(*fromfile)

      Repeat this step for each optical disk.

    • To add the image from an image file: 
      ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) FROMFILE(SLIC_N) TOFILE(*fromfile)

      Repeat this step for each file in your catalog directory. This step assumes your image is already in the image catalog directory.

  3. Create and vary on the virtual device: 
    CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT) 
VRYCFG CFGOBJ(OPTVRT01) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)
  4. Load the image catalog in the virtual device: 
    LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) DEV(OPTVRT01)
  5. Verify the catalog for upgrade. 
    VFYIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYCATALOG) TYPE(*UPGRADE) SORT(*YES)

    The following are required for the verify operation:

    1. Licensed Internal Code for i5/OS™
    2. Operating System/iSeries
    3. i5/OS - Library QGPL
    4. i5/OS - Library QUSRSYS
  6. Start the installation: 
    PWRDWNSYS OPTION(*IMMED) RESTART(*YES) IPLSRC(*IMGCLG) IMGCLG(AL)

    Refer to Preparing to upgrade or replace software using an image catalog for more information.

Specific tasks

You can perform save and restore operations with virtual optical storage.

Image files *ALWSAV attributes
When the image catalog is in ready status all of the image catalog's images have a *ALWSAV attribute value of *NO. This does not allow the images to be saved by the Save Object (SAV) command or the QsrSave API. When the image catalog is not in ready status all of the image catalog's images have a *ALWSAV attribute value of *YES. This allows the images to be saved.
Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the Code license and disclaimer information.