Ignite tape boot hangs at "Boot IO Dependent Code" line

[Jesse Osby]

HP-UX newbie here...I have an Ignite tape sent to me by a customer that I'm trying to boot from to restore onto a new server.

My tape is found when I run "search" from the boot menu:

IODC
Path# Device Path (dec) Device Path (mnem) Device Type Rev
----- ----------------- ------------------ ----------- ----
P0 0/0/1/0.6 extscsi.6 Sequential access media 1
P1 0/0/2/0.6 intscsia.6 Random access media 1

So, I do "bo p0", but this is all I get:

Main Menu: Enter command or menu > bo p0
Interact with IPL (Y, N, or Cancel)?> y
Booting...
Boot IO Dependent Code (IODC) revision 1

Then it just sits there. I don't see any tape activity. I thought maybe it was just slow, but I've left it sitting there for two days and it's still sitting at that line.

I considered maybe it was a problem with the tape, but I found these commands to list the contents of the files on the Ignite tape:

mt -f /dev/rmt/0mn fsf 1
tar -tvf /dev/rmt/0m

That works just fine...I see files from /stand, etc.

Would a hardware difference cause this? These are not identical machines, but the output of "model" is the same for both: "9000/800/N4000-55"

Thanks in advance!

[Jesse Osby]

FYI, I was thinking this might just be caused by a bad/corrupted tape, too...but I've tried doing "search ipl" at the boot menu, and the box identifies the tape as a valid boot source still, which (as I understand it) indicates the LIF on the tape is valid.

[Henry Fauni]

What is the N4000's PDC version and the type of tape drive you're using? It's possible your current PDC version doesn't supoprt booting from that tape drive. The latest PDC version is 43.43. One thing you can try with your current PDC version is "Boot from CD/DVD, Recover from Tape" scheme. By the way, you don't have to interact with ISL when trying to boot from tape.

[Kris_Knigga · Accepted solution]

Interesting.  I know it can be done, because I've done what you are trying to do with N4000s a number of times in the past.

My top three guesses:

1)  Bad tape.  I know you can read it other ways and what not, but maybe get another tape and try it out.

2)  Bad tape drive.  See #1

3)  Firmware mismatch.  Compare the PDC versions on both machines.

[Jesse Osby]

The new server's PDC version is 43.43.  The system is at a remote location so I can't get the exact tape drive model right now, but in SAM it shows up as "QUANTUM ULTRIUM 3".  I do know it's not an HP drive...just a spare external LTO3 we had lying around.

Unfortunately I don't have CD media for the OS.  I know HP-UX isn't open source, but does HP make ISOs available for free download?  (since it only runs on their hardware, seems they would)

Thanks for the tip on interacting with ISL...I'd just answered yes hoping that it might give me a prompt or two before "locking up" (vs. when I answered no) that might help further illuminate where the problem is occurring.

[Jesse Osby]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that it definitely can be done.

I will eventually try another tape if nothing else pans out, but it will have to be retrieved by the customer from their offsite storage location and then shipped to me, so I want to rule out other possible causes if I can.

The source machine's PDC version is 42.06, and the new machine's is 43.43.

[Kris_Knigga]

I don't believe all tape drives are bootable, but I wouldn't think a 'search ipl' would find a tape in an unbootable drive.  Because of that my money is currently on the PDC version issue, but you may want to try turning on boot debuging just to see if you can learn anything new.

See page 18 (table 2) of this PDF for instructions on how to enable debugging:
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01942633/c01942633.pdf

Oh, and you have to have a support contract to get HP-UX installation media.  If you do, sign up at http://itrc.hp.com/ and look for "Software updates and licensing" under "Download options".

[Jesse Osby]

Thanks again, Kris.  I checked that document you linked, but I don't think I can do that, because I never get to an ISL prompt to be able to key in "hpux -i3 (;0):INSTALL" as it directs.

Would it be possible/advisible to downgrade the PDC version to match the old server?

Unfortunately the customer doesn't have a support contract, so we won't be able to download the CD media.  But they may have the discs - I will check.

[Kris_Knigga]

I've never tried downgrading PDC.  I'd be leery of doing it without HP's input, though, for fear of bricking your N4000.

I have seen a relationship between Ignite and firmware versions in the past.  I suppose it could be possible that the version of Ignite on the other machine doesn't support the 43.43 PDC.  It'd probably be easier to upgrade Ignite than downgrade PDC.

Are you able to boot your N4000 to other media?

[Jesse Osby]

Thanks to all who responded.  I ended up pulling an HP 960 LTO3 drive from another server we have and trying it with that, and I was able to boot from the tape with that drive.  So, it was either a defect in the Quantum LTO3 drive, or it's just incompatible for this purpose.