Simple (Ha!) Ignite usage query

[malc_p]

Hi all - please be gentle with me but I am new to Ignite (and not really an HP-UX sysadmin, I just seem to have inherited the role, I'm just a DBA really)...

We're converting our old HP-UX 11i HP9000/Infomix database system to run on a Virtual server on an Itanium host and have most of the i's dotted and t's crossed, it's all working tickety-boo.

Now we need to set up disaster recovery to be able to take nightly backups to tape which will be kept off-site so in the event of The Bomb falling on HQ we can take those tapes and plug them into a machine at a DR provider's site and get the company back up and running toute-suite.

A consultant has recommended to us that we build this around the following strategy:

• Ad-hoc "Ignite" backup to tape of the host Itanium box, renewed in the event of patching etc.
• Ad-hoc container export (srp -export) of the HP9000 containers, renewed in the event of config changes
• Nightly fbackups in the containers of the apps to be recovered
• Nightly database backups

The last three stages are easy and especially the last two, which we've done for ages with repeatable success. The srp exports are fine, too, we've tried and tested them. I do, however, need to really get to grips with Ignite-UX. The manuals are a maze of seemingly conflicting sections (e.g. in the Admin Guide, Chapter 14: "Recovery image creation is described in Chapter 15: Recovery" but then Chapter 15 says: "If you wish to create recovery image media, see Chapter 14". Er?)

The manuals etc seem mostly based around networks and server/client examples. I can't really undertand the server/client focus because in our case, there is no server or client relationship. Just the single machine we need to back up and the single one we're going to load the tape onto in the event of a disaster. Again, the "Recovery" chapter gives a matrix in which it states, for "make_tape_recovery/Creation Interface" we can use either:

• Client Command Line
• Ignite-UX Server GUI
• Client TUI

Hold on; is the 'primary' machine the Client, or Server, or Both? There seems to be a contextual confusion here I'm not resolving.

Essentially, what do I do to create an Ignite tape on the 'primary' machine that I can just load up on the 'DR' machine and get a recovered machine? (and why - worked examples?)

Many thanks and sorry for being a dork, or not understanding something that is incredibly simple even for a four-year-old.

Malc

P.S. This thread has been moevd from HP-UX > System Administration to Ignite. - Hp Forum Moderator

[Matti_Kurkela]

For the purpose you stated (single server, local tape drive available) the make_tape_recovery command is what you want. Any fancy UIs just confuse the issue - read "man make_tape_recovery".

If the no-rewind device for your tape drive is not /dev/rmt/0mn, you may need the -a option for make_tape_recovery to specify a different device.

You will most certainly want the "-x inc_entire=vg00" option to specify that the whole of vg00 is included in the backup tape, not just the minimum recovery set.

If you're usinc ACLs on vg00, you will need HP-UX 11.31 and options "-m pax -E". (If using an older HP-UX version, make a script that will rebuild any required ACLs and store it in some known location. Perhaps even have it run automatically at boot time.)

At your option, you can use "-D tape_volume_name", "-d tag_string" and/or "-t tape_title_string" options to store a meaningful custom identifier on your tapes. The tape title string will be displayed on the system console during a restore.

This is probably all the options you might need in your use case.

"Recovery images" are mainly for more advanced recovery scenarios, which need the Ignite-UX server - which you apparently don't have and won't need. The Ignite-UX documentation used to be good, but I guess it has suffered a bit of "bit rot" over the years.

[malc_p]

Thanks, all - worked for me as described.