Using Ignite to restore a vpar - both as a vpar and on a non-partitioned server

[S.Rider]

I have a new SuperDome with 1 nPartition containing 3 vPars. We also added an expansion cabinet to another superdome with the same setup (1 hard partition containing 3 virtual partitions).
This is our first local adventure into the world of vpars.
We currently cut weekly Ignite tapes for all the other non-partitioned servers. I would like to do the same for these vpar'ed servers.
Is it possible to cut a single ignite tape that I could use to both (1) restore that single vpar to the partioned superdome here at work without affecting the other vpars on that server (2) restore that single vpar to a new non-partitioned server at a disaster site ?
We figure we'd have to massage the boot parms depending on which type of server we were restoring on, but we are hoping to cut a single tape that would be useable for both.
Is this possible ?

[S.Rider]

All the vpars have their own tape drive.

[Pete Randall · Accepted solution]

Jay,

Ignite doesn't play well with vpars - at least not the tape version - something about the kernel being wrong. The suggestion is to use make_net_recovery instead. Personally I don't see how a network solution helps is a DR situation and have asked the Ignite folks to work on getting make_tape_recovery to work with vpars but no such luck yet.


Pete

[Anthony Lennan]

Hi Jay / Pete,

I played around with recovering vpars using Ignite and I tried both make_tape_recovery and make_net_recovery methods.

As Pete pointed out, make_tape_recovery has issues with vpars and I couldn't get it to work successfully (from memory I think I managed to recover the first partition but then couldn't setup any other vpars). That was using vpar version 2.02. Since then I have read that make_tape_recovery is supported from v2.03 onwards. I haven't tried it this version but I'm not optimistic about it working.

make_net_recovery on the other hand works like a charm.

Cheers,
Anthony

[Anthony Lennan]

Hi Jay,

I had a bit of a read and it appears that make_tape_recovery is supported now but its still not ideal. The downside is that you have to effectively do a cold install for each partition.

In regards to recovering your systems in a DR situation I would look at setting up your backup cell server as your Ignite server as its normally the first one you would recover. You can then use it to push out your make_net_recovery images.

It may be worth having a read of this whitepaper as it discusses the possible methods for setting up and recovering vpars:
http://docs.hp.com/en/5760/vPars_DVD_TAPE_NET_Usage.docs.pdf

Cheers,
Anthony

[S.Rider]

Anthony, yeah I saw that. "Recoveries using make-tape-recovery tapes must be done outside of the vpars environment". Gonna be kinda tough doing that if there's other vpars up and running on this server. 8-(

I think I might end up creating a "make_tape_recovery" that wil get sent offsite and used for DR purposes. And trying to get them to agree here to set up an Ignite-Server and doing make_net_recovery's to it.

[Pete Randall]

Jay,

It sounds like probably the best solution is to setup a non-vpars Ignite server and do make_net_recovery's to it - and back it up with make_tape_recovery. That way you can recover the Ignite server and then use it to re-build all your vpars.

I guess I'll have to go tell the boss I need to buy another server!


Pete