save_config error during make_recovery

[David Child_1]

I am getting an error from save_config when I run a make_recovery -v -A -d /dev/rmt/0m and received the following error:

make_recovery(390): Call to /opt/ignite/bin/save_config failed.

The makrec.log1 reads:
lssf: Must specify a special_file
usage: lssf special_file ...
save_config: error - unknown disk type for , not SCSI or HPFL.
save_config: error - cannot determine root disk

I didn't forget to cut/paste the drive that would normal appear in the line "unknown disk type for , not ...". It just doesn't show up.

I have looked at other similar posts and even found one with the exact same error, but that one didn't have a solution or anything to go on.

Does anyone have an idea?

Thanks,
David

[Satish Y]

Hi,

You should use no-rewind device file "/dev/rmt/0mn" (suffix 'n') instead of "/dev/rmt/0m".

Cheers...
Satish.

[Michael Tully]

Hi David,

At our site we use the make_recovery with this
syntax without any problems:

This is with HP-UX 10.20, although it will still
work with HP-UX 11 but now suggests a slightly
different syntax but still works as 10.20 below.

# make_recovery -ACvd /dev/rmt/0mn

As suggested by Satish you must use the
no-rewind as the tape is generated in two
seperate sections being the bootable image
in the first segment and tar archive of the
rest of vg00

HTH
Michael

[David Child_1]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I know about using the non-rewinding device (I just typed it wrong).

Some added info: The system is running HP-UX 11.0 and vg00 is mirrored.

Thanks,
David

[Lars-Olof Fermvall]

Just a (very) silly follow up question... I have used the rewind device for some years, ans have successfully been able to restore the systems... Have It just been lucky, or does the make_recovery command fix this little error itself?

[Eileen Millen]

Lars-Olaf:
I have been able to recover with a tape written with 0m on UX11, but I also had trouble on a UX10.2 system and could not recover. I think it depends and you have been lucky. If the drive is SCSI ID 0, you don't have to list it. It is only if you are using tape drive with different IDs that you have to put -d /dev/rmt/Xn

[Sarah Plunkett]

Hi David,

ioscan (called by save_config) is showing up something which save_config is not comfortable with. We've seen this before, and I suggest you run :

lvlnboot -v

to show what is in the BDRA. If no information is returned, then there is no info in the BDRA. You will then have to recreate the info with lvlnboot command for the lvols that are in /dev/vg00. (lvol1,lvol2,lvol3 in particular). Once you have completed this, save_config (executed outside of make_recovery) should work ok.

Of course, if lvlnboot -v works, then check the bdf output with what you have in /etc/lvmtab. Are all the entries in this file current and accessible ?

I hope this will start to help you,

[R.M.PANDIAN]

Hi,

One other possibility of this error from save_config is

if the root filesystem "/" is mounted by /dev/root and not with /dev/vg00/lvol3.

"bdf" will show this.

In case it is /dev/root in your systerm currently, then
====================
mv /etc/mnttab /etc/mnttab.bak
mount
======================

check "bdf" to verify it is now /dev/vg00/lvol3.

make_recovery should not report any problem now.

Regards
Pandian

[Dan Bolton]

10 Points for Pandian!

I had a similar error:

"save_config: error - unknown disk type for /dev/vg00/lvol3, not SCSI or HPFL"

After reading your reply I checked the output of bdf and it showed / mounted as /dev/root rather than /dev/vg00/lvol3. Your solution fixed the problem.

Also, thanks to Satish for the no-rewind option suggestion.

Thanks!!
Dan

[Cheryl Griffin · Accepted solution]

save_config errors are often misleading. It makes it look like it's a problem with Ignite, when actually it's an underlying problem with LVM.

I would pursue the lvlnboot:
# lvlnboot -v
# strings /etc/lvmtab
# vgdisplay -v /dev/vg00 |more
# bdf

More than likely you'll find a misconfiguration here.