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Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

 
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Mike Rightmire
Frequent Advisor

Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

I have five UNIX boxes, one of which is an Ignite server, and the other four which have Ignite installed fully on them. I have successfully created bootable recovery tapes using make_recovery and also successfully made an image using make_sys_image.

I have successfully recovered a machine with the bootable tape and have successfully loaded a machine with the Ignite server using the image, however my question is this. When I have a basic load of HPUX on a system, so that I can use the Ignite server to start an install using the image I have created, it will use the image successfully but leave all of the core OS files as they stood when the system had the basic load on it.

I.E. I can load HPUX 10.20 on a system, leaving the hosts file and passwd file untouched. Then I connect to the machine using the Ignite server and tell it to reload the system using the image. It will complete the load using the image, copying ALL the files from the image to the new system, however it WILL NOT overwrite the passwd file, the hosts file or any of the other "base" system files, thus losing all my user data and such.

Is there a way to start a load from the Ignite server (which, of course, requires the system to be loaded by Ignite to have at least a minimum HPUX load on it) and have EVERYTHING from the image be loaded onto the server without exception, even if it requires overwriting core system files.

In fact, we are 'cheating' and using Ignite as a form of backup (making a system image for each machine, to be used to recover the machine in the case of a failure) and it would be acceptable (if not preferential) to have the entire system's information (system name, IP address, ETC.) copied over to the new machine as well as all of the files (including passwd, hosts, ETC.)

Is there any way to do this completely, or at least partially? Thanks again for all your help and quick responses!
Mike
"If we treated each person we met as if they were carrying an unspeakable burden, we might almost treat each other as we should." Dale Carnegie
6 REPLIES 6
Mike Rightmire
Frequent Advisor

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

Actually, it looks as if I was slightly mistaken. It is not keeping the config information from the initial load, but creating new basic config information and just taking the NON core files from the image. I discovered this by setting up a system and making both a bootable recovery tape AND an image for the system.

When I used the bootable recovery tape, it retained the machine name, the hosts file, the passwd file, the profile file, ETC. - however it did not retain any of the files which (of course) are not backed up using make_recovery.

AFTER reloading the system with the recovery tape (which retained all the above files and information) I reloaded it again using the Ignite server and the Golden image, expecting it to keep the passwd file (ETC.) as well as add the additionally imaged files and directories.

It did not. It reloaded the system, keeping all the of the data directories and files, however it used a default set of the core files (passwd, hosts, profile, ETC.) such that all the users, all the profile settings, all the system configurations (I.E. hosts, ETC.) were all lost (set to default.)

The question remains, however, nearly the same. Is there a way to use make_sys_image to load a system to the absolute identical structure, including the passwd file (users) the hosts, the .rhosts, the .profile, the machine name, ETC.?

Thanks again!
Mike
"If we treated each person we met as if they were carrying an unspeakable burden, we might almost treat each other as we should." Dale Carnegie
Mike Rightmire
Frequent Advisor

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

OK. I did a little deeper research into the manual, and discovered the make_net_recovery is basically the tool I need to use to do what I want (not make_sys_image.) The make_net_recovery will make an image of the system, which can be used via the ignite server, or net booted to, to reload the system the way (I believe) I want it too.

NOW the issue is this, the Ignite server does not have the 'Actions : Create System Recovery Archive', or 'Actions : Add new client for recovery' options as mentioned in the manuals, nor can I find make_net_recovery on the server, or any of the client machines. All of the client machines have a full load of Ignite on them.

I tried using the 'pkg_rec_depot -a -f' command (as recommended by the manual) to create a software depot for Ignite, to verify the installation were correct, however that command would not run either an I could not find it anywhere on any of the machines.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
Mike
"If we treated each person we met as if they were carrying an unspeakable burden, we might almost treat each other as we should." Dale Carnegie
Patrick Wallek
Honored Contributor

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

To launch the Ignite GUI interface, you just use the command 'ignite'. You will then be prompted to set up your server.
marc seguin
Regular Advisor
Solution

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

With the 2 last contributions, i hope i have understood what you want...

And so, the make_net_recovery is the command you need.
(if you don't have the file /opt/ignite/bin/make_net_recovery, i think you need to upgrade your Ignite-UX version because this command wasn't provided with old versions)

But the command make_sys_image could be interesting too. Especially if your Golden Image comes from a basic OS installation, and you want to install additional software when installing new stations.
And in order to keep the network information in your Golden Image, you can use make_sys_image with option "-l 1" (default is 2), so no clean-up among system files is done.
Mike Rightmire
Frequent Advisor

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

Thanks for the repoy. Actually, I am not having any difficulty getting the Ignite GUI to start, and have been using succesfully for ome time. The issue is that the Recovery options do not appear within the Ignite GUI at all, nor can I find the make_net_recovery anywhere on any of the machines.

I am suspicious that the version of Ignite I have needs to be updated, and am attempting to do that, however still having little luck.

Thanks for the imput though.
"If we treated each person we met as if they were carrying an unspeakable burden, we might almost treat each other as we should." Dale Carnegie
Mike Rightmire
Frequent Advisor

Re: Using Golden image to COMPLETELY reload system

Thanks to everyone who helped. The make_net_recovery was missing because I did inherit an outdated version of Ignite. I installed a newer version, and it is there.

I have not yet tried the make_sys_image recommendation, nor the make_net_recovery options however, as this thread has gotten so convoluted, I will try them and start a new thread if necessary.

Thanks again to everyone!
Mike
"If we treated each person we met as if they were carrying an unspeakable burden, we might almost treat each other as we should." Dale Carnegie