Linux = HP-UX Tools

[Krishna Prasad]

We have a need to put Linux on a intel platform to run an application.

I need to know what software is available for Linux (SuSe?) that will give the same functionality as my HP-UX servers.

1. LVM/On-Line JFS - must be able to extend any filesystem on-line. I understand that the boot filesystem or /stand my be the exception to this but this is ok.

2. Ignite for Linux? I need a bootable image for DR reasons.

3. Dual-Home/APA - We use APA on our HP-UX machines any dual home functionality will do.

Thanks in Advance,

Ron

[Kodjo Agbenu · Accepted solution]

Hello Ron,

All these are good questions.

1. LVM/Online JFS : to use LVM and journaled filesystem with online resizing capabilities, "SuSE" is a good choice, as they developed LVM and Reiserfs, and they have made these functionalities available in their products for 2 or 3 years.

According to the kernel loaded from LVM volume, I have heard that the latest version of LILO (linux loader) supports these features, but I'm not sure. In all cases, after the kernel is loaded from non-journaled filesystem on native partition, it will be able to deal with LVM and Reiserfs.

2. I would suggest Mindi and Mondo Rescue tools, as it seems to be the most valuable disaster recovery solution with Linux. For more information on these tools, have a look at :
http://www.microwerks.net/~hugo

However, if you just want DR on individual partitions just like Symantec Ghost, you can use Partimage (http://www.partimage.org). Note that Partimage does not need a reboot to create image (that is a stupid behaviour of Symantec Ghost).

3. Linux implements some failover capabilities.

=> Disk failover :

With Hp-ux, the LVM layer recognizes alternate paths. Moreover, Mirror/UX and LVM stripping functionalities help setting up software RAID 0, 1 and 1+0.

With Linux, the MD driver included in the kernel implements RAID 0, 1, 1+0, 4 and 5. Moreover, volumes on separate physical disks connected to separate physical scsi or ide interfaces can be mixed up to provide security without impact on performances.

=> LAN failover

With Hp-ux, the APA product is used to increase LAN bandwidth and LAN card failover.

With Linux, the same functionality can be reached using the "Bonding" driver. I don't know how to configure this, but your favorite Linux consultant will be happy to do this for you.


To summarize your questions : "will Linux do the job just like Hp-ux does ?"
The answer is definitely "yes, it will. Sometimes, it will act the same way as Hp-ux. Sometimes, it will act differently. But most of the time, it will be free...".

Good luck.

Kodjo

[Krishna Prasad]

Am I missing something with Suse version of LVM?

It doesn't seem to work the way I would like it to.

It seems to do partioning more then LVM.

It limits me to 4 primary partions.

I would like to create an Operating System that looked close to my HP-UX layout.

/ 140 MB
/stand or /boot in linux 85MB
/var 1 GB
/usr 1 GB
/tmp 512 MB
/opt 650 MB
/home 20 MB
swap space 1.5 GB

It seems Linux is only letting me have 4 partions per drive.

I hope I am missing something.

Ron

[Mark Fenton]

You're running into the DOS'ish conventions that yet afflict Linux.

You can have more than four partitions, it's just that only four can be "primary" partitions, the rest are "extended". ((don't ask me what the difference is, I never did figure that part out.........))

[I_M]

Talking about "something like APA" on linux,
it is called "bonding".

On 2.4.18 kernel, the bonding driver IS in.

For more information, read Documentation/networking/boniding.txt.

Intel also has been released the driver for what they call "AFT" on Linux.
It is only for Intel 8255x chip card.

Regards,

[Wodisch]

Hello Ron,

about #2: Read the documentation on how to build your own "DemoLinux" CDROM at www.demolinux.org and *burn* your configuration onto a bootable CDROM. In case of trouble your can then restore with (as they claim) only three mouse-clicks..

HTH,
Wodisch

[Krishna Prasad]

New problem....

I liked what I say with mondo www.microwerks.net/~hugo but....it doesn't work that well with Suse.

I get an error when compiling -> no such file newt.h.

The documention mentions that it has had problems with Suse.

The partimage.org link no longer exists.
The demolinx.org looks like it is an CD image to run off of instead of backing up and restoring my image to disk?

Any other suggestions for an Ignite like software?

[Kelli Ward]

For a number of linux applications and utilities you can browse:
http://www.linux.org/apps/
They may have what you are looking for and other interesting packages as well.
Good luck
Kel

[Jeffrey Wong]

Sorry, this isn't really a reply to the initial question, but one of the replies about the 4 partition limit. On x86's the master partition table only has 4 slots in it, hence the limit of 4 primary partitions. The work around for that limit was to set up an extended partition. This puts a pointer in a primary partition slot to another partition table. I don't remember what the limits on the secondary partition table was. With respect to DOS, many versions are even more limited. Some versions of DOS only recognizes a single primary partition and assumes that any other partition in the table are extended partition pointers!

[Christoph Rothe_3]

As I have brought some Linux systems with alternate path / multipath in production, I can say:

Do not use the MD device for alternate pathing! It will do a failover. Once. If you want another failover you must re-enable it manually.

If you have no problem building your complete system out of logical volumes (ok /boot may be an exception as it is not needed when the system is up and running), you should consider using a version of LVM containing Stefan Baders patch for multipathing.

Unfortunately I don't know where to find it, but SuSE 8.1,8.2 and SuSE Enterprise Server 8 have it in their LVMs. You then activate the functionality via the command pvpath.

Also a workaround for the MD problem can be found here:

http://groups.google.de/groups?q=%2Blinux+%2Blvm+%2Bmultipath+%2Bpatch+%2Bsuse&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=20030214162722.GB11209%40marowsky-bree.de.lucky.linux.kernel&rnum=2

HTH,

Christoph