Category: Uncategorized

How do I configure my Linux server to automatically apply software updates?

You Red Hat Enterprise Linux server may already be configured to automatically apply security and bug fix updates via Red Hat Network. To verify:

grep do_update /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf
service yum-updatesd status

If the output doesn’t show that updates are enabled and yum-updatesd is running, enable automatic updates with the following commands:

cp /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf.`date +%Y%m%d.%H%M%S`
sed -i 's/do_update = no/do_update = yes/g' /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf
sed -i 's/do_download = no/do_download = yes/g' /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf
sed -i 's/do_download_deps = no/do_download_deps = yes/g' /etc/yum/yum-updatesd.conf
service yum-updatesd restart
You will need to reboot to apply any disruptive software updates, such as kernel updates. Automatically updating the kernel may require drivers not provided by Red Hat to be rebuilt.

How do I resolve fax quality issues?

By its very nature, fax is prone to relatively high failure rates. Sometimes faxes may fail entirely, but more often failures occur in the form of “garbled” faxes. Here are a few tips on avoiding these problems:

  • Make sure you’re running the latest supported version of VSIFAX (see Compatibility: Faxing)
  • Make sure you’re using supported modem(s) (see Compatibility: Faxing and Esker’s list of recommended fax hardware)
  • Contact your local and long-distance phone service providers to verify there are no line quality issues to the effected destinations
  • If you have a large number of customers using older fax equipment on the receiving end, it may help to disable advanced features by editing the vsisrv.ini file and adding the following lines to the [DEVICE] section:
Disable-class-20=on
Disable-class-21=on

If you continue to experience quality issues after performing all of the above troubleshooting steps, you may wish to contact Esker technical support.

How do I run a manual data backup in AIX?

Sometimes it is useful to run a manual backup outside of the normal schedule:

The validity of the data backup is determined by the state at which the database was backed up. If your system uses a snapshot-based backup script, the backup can be run at any point in the day — regardless of system activity. If you are not using a snapshot-based backup, you must ensure there are no user or phantom processes running on the system.
To run the backup process in foreground:
  • Log in as root
  • At the root prompt (#), run:
/bin/save
  • When the backup has completed, you will return to the root prompt (#)

 

To run the backup process in background:

  • Log in as root
  • At the root prompt (#), run:
at now
/bin/save
  • Hold Control and d (Ctr-d) to submit the background job
  • Review the /tmp/backup* files to check the backup status

 

How do I troubleshoot tape drive errors on my AIX server?

Most tape drive errors are caused by defective media or dirty read/write heads. Here are a few simple steps that IBM provides to rule out these potential problems:

  1. Run a non-expired cleaning cartridge through the cleaning cycle three times
  2. Place a brand new tape in the drive
  3. Run a manual backup or wait for the next automatic backup to occur
  4. If errors persist, contact IBM for service