Chapter 6. Introducing Tasks and Service Aids
The AIX Diagnostic Package contains programs that are called

Tasks

. Tasks can be
thought of as performing a specific function on a resource; for example, running
diagnostics, or performing a service aid on a resource. This chapter describes the
Tasks available in AIX Diagnostics Version 4.2 and later.
Note: Many of these programs work on all system model architectures. Some
programs are only accessible from Online Diagnostics in Service or
Concurrent mode, while others might be accessible only from Standalone
Diagnostics. Still other programs may only be supported on a particular
system architecture, such as CHRP (Common Hardware Reference Platform).
To perform one of these tasks, use the Task Selection option from the FUNCTION
SELECTION menu.
After a task is selected, a resource menu may be presented showing all resources
supported by the task.
A fast path method is also available to perform a task by using the diag command
and the -T flag. By using the fast path, the user can bypass most of the introductory
menus to access a particular task. The user is presented with a list of resources
available to support the specified task. The fast path tasks are as follows:
Certify – Certifies media
Chkspares – Checks for the availability of spare sectors
Download – Downloads microcode to an adapter or device
Disp_mcode – Displays current level of microcode
Format – Formats media
Identify – Identifies the PCI RAID physical disks
IdentifyRemove – Identifies and removes devices (Hot Plug)
To run these tasks directly from the command line, specify the resource and other
task-unique flags. Use the descriptions in this chapter to understand which flags are
needed for a given task.
Chapter 6. Introducing Tasks and Service Aids 109