hdd upgrade

[sachin malesha]

we have purchased 18GB hdd. these are to be placed in boxes already having 9GB disks with
OS installed. i want to make the 18GB disk as
boot disk & install the OS in it. copy some filesystems from the existing 9GBhdd and remove it from the box. i don't want to go thro the process of taking backup and restoring it back. any alternative suggestions. thanks in advance
sachin
bangalore
india

[John Palmer]

There was a post with relevant replies on this subject yesterday with the title 'mirroring', have a look at that.

It's most likely that you will have to reinstall your OS on the 18Gb disk.

[Devbinder Singh Marway]

Have you got enough space to have 18gig and 9 gig disks. if so you can install os on 18 gig in new volume gorup once done, you can then mount the old 9 gig disk to a temporary area and copy the user specific files . I would not copy all the files.

also as John suggested select SEARCH and search for mirroring / LVM adding new disk. There a quite a few posts regarding this .

laters

[R.Suresh]

Hi,

1.Disconnect the 9gb disk.
2.Install O.S on the New disk.
3. connect & Import the 9gb disk in a new volume
4. copy your data from this to the new
filesystems.
5.export the vg with the 9gb harddisk

importing the 9gb hard disk to new vg

#mkdir /dev/vg0?
#mknod /dev/vg0?/group c 64 0x0?000

# vgimport /dev/vg0? /dev/dsk/<9gb disk>
#vgchange -a y /dev/vg0?
#mkdir /old

#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol1 /old/stand
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol3 /old
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol4 /old/home
.
.

copy your required datas from /old
to the new disk.

#vgexport /dev/vg0?


Thanks & Regards
R.Suresh
r_sures@yahoo.com

[R.Suresh]

Hi,

1.Disconnect the 9gb disk.
2.Install O.S on the New disk.
3. connect & Import the 9gb disk in a new volume
4. copy your data from this to the new
filesystems.
5.export the vg with the 9gb harddisk

importing the 9gb hard disk to new vg

#mkdir /dev/vg0?
#mknod /dev/vg0?/group c 64 0x0?000

# vgimport /dev/vg0? /dev/dsk/<9gb disk>
#vgchange -a y /dev/vg0?
#mkdir /old

#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol1 /old/stand
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol3 /old
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol4 /old/home
.
.

copy your required datas from /old
to the new disk.

#vgexport /dev/vg0?


Thanks & Regards
R.Suresh
r_sures@yahoo.com

[R.Suresh]

Hi,

1.Disconnect the 9gb disk.
2.Install O.S on the New disk.
3. connect & Import the 9gb disk in a new volume
4. copy your data from this to the new
filesystems.
5.export the vg with the 9gb harddisk

importing the 9gb hard disk to new vg

#mkdir /dev/vg0?
#mknod /dev/vg0?/group c 64 0x0?000

# vgimport /dev/vg0? /dev/dsk/<9gb disk>
#vgchange -a y /dev/vg0?
#mkdir /old

#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol1 /old/stand
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol3 /old
#mount /dev/vg0?/lvol4 /old/home
.
.

copy your required datas from /old
to the new disk.

#vgexport /dev/vg0?


Thanks & Regards
R.Suresh
r_sures@yahoo.com

[Dave Wherry]

As John said this has been covered several times in the forums (maybe we need a FAQ section).
I disagree with reinstalling the operating system on the new disks. If you do a cold install you will have to redo any localization/customization you have done. Use the make_recovery method.
Create a make_recovery tape.
Shutdown the system and install the new disks.
Interupt the boot and boot of off the make_recovery tape and load the operating system onto one of the new disks. All your localization/customization will still be there.
It is much easier and would take maybe 3 to 4 hours.

[Manju Kampli]

does these 9GB disks are root disks IF 'yes' use make_recovery to backup the root volume group and install the 18GB disks and restore make_recovery backup on to these.

If you want to replace non root disks, do you have mirror-UX on your system. If 'yes', add these 18GB disks to volume group, mirror the logical volume, once it is complete, split the mirror and remove the disks.

If you do not have mirror disk, you may have to do some kind of disk to disk copy using cpio OR fbackup.

Point to be noted: if the existing VOLUME group has smaller PEs per PV which does not euals OR more than 18GB, then you will not be able to add 18GB in the same Volume group. for this creating a new volume group is the only solution.
The default is 1024 Pes per PV with 4MB as PE size. It means only 4GB disks can be added. since you have already have 9GB disks, the Volume group could have been created for accomadating upto 9GB disks. check with vgdisplay command and see "Max PEs per PV"

[Timothy Czarnik]

Sachin,

If you only have vg00 on the disk you want to replace, do the make_recovery method. This requires that you install Ignite-UX on the server, but its very painless.

1) make_recovery -A -v -C -d /dev/rmt/#m (dds drive on the system)

(Its a good idea to actually do this process twice, with 2 different tapes in case of physical tape damage)

2) shutdown server
3) replace old hdd with new hdd
4) boot from make_recovery tape
5) let recovery process run unhindered
6) go out and drink something

If you want to modify filesystem sizes, you can interupt the tape boot and get to a menu (much like the HP-UX install menu) to modify FS sizes or change HFS filesystems to VxFS filesystems (along with a myriad of other things).

If ALL you are doing is swapping a small disk with a bigger one, use make_recovery. Don't let it become a huge project!

-Tim