Book excerpt: Get to know the IBM AIX operating system! The topics covered include: - Basics of the AIX operating system; - Virtualization, PowerVM, Virtual I/O Server; - Installation and maintenance of the AIX operating system; - Management of users, disks, and the file system; - Backup and system diagnostics; - Performance tips; - Security features. Operating systems from the UNIX family are known for their high reliability and performance. This is why many companies use such systems to manage key application servers. One of the systems that belongs to this family is AIX, which has gained popularity in recent years due to its significant potential for virtualization as well as the fact that its security configuration meets the strictest security requirements.