Itanium VMS Creating Bootable Systen Disk Backup

[MikeFowler]

We are currently configuring an Itanium Integrity Server Rx2660 with VMS V8.3-1H. We are in the later stages of development and are at the point where we need to backup the system. We purchased 2 new HP SCSI 36GB SAS Single Port Hard drives. This exactly matches are current system disk. There are 8 hot swap ports, the disk display as DKA100: to DKA800:. I have always used VMS "$Backup/image/verify" to create a bootable backup in the past. This is not sufficient with the Itanium VMS box. There appears to be another step required in order to make a disk bootable. Does anyone know the specific procedure required when using the VMS' Backup utility to create a Bootable System disk?

[Heinz W Genhart · Accepted solution]

Hi Mike

After doing the image Backup do the following

$ boot :== $sys$system:sys$setboot
$ boot -s -f new-systemdisk:
don't forget the : after the device name

This will correct the mapping within the gpt

After this you should verify the boot environment with

$ @sys$startup:boot_options
use menu option 5 to validate the boot options and to fix them if required

Regards

Geni

[Hein van den Heuvel]

>> "$Backup/image/verify" to create a bootable backup in the past. This is not sufficient with the Itanium VMS box.

It should be good enough.
Did you try?
What went wrong?
Error messages / exact commands used?
Maybe you use /NOINIT?

OpenVMS backup on IA64 knows how to deal with the EFI stuff on the drives.

Anyway, you may want to check out the $ SET BOOT command, if you have problems.

Hoff has some good note at his HoffmanLabs
site ( http://64.223.189.234/ ) but he currently has network issues. Google has cached some.

In this forum here see also:

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1306246

Cheers,
Hein.

[MikeFowler]

Thanks for the quick response. Your answers were right on the mark. I was able to create a bootable system backup disk on itanium. For purposes of providing a procedure for those who follow, here it is:
$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$! Overview of commands entered
$
$ mou DKA800: /for
$ backup/image/init/ver/ignore=inter
From: DKA100:
To: DKA800:

$ boot :== $sys$system:sys$setboot
$ boot -s -f DKA800:

$ @sys$startup:boot_options
! Options I used (in order)
!
option: 2 ! Display current boot devices
option: 1 ! Add a boot entry (DKA800:)
! Answer appropriate questions
option: 5 ! Validate boot record
! my device - DKA800:
exit
$!
$! After successful validation of boot record
$! Next, shutdown reset the machine, and
$! try booting from the new backup disk.
$!
$! (See attachment for example of commands)
$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hoff]

BACKUP /IMAGE is bootable. Been there, done that.

There are cases that have wrinkles, such as trying to replicate the DVD (which uses El Torito) or using an old (pre-V8) BACKUP.

Queue the usual hazard warnings around the (mistaken) belief that /IGNORE=INTERLOCK provides an on-line BACKUP here, too. That's caused problems for various folks.

[The Brit]

Hi Mike.

I am dealing with Itanium Blades (OpenVMS 8.3-1H1). I use BACKUP/IMAGE quite a lot, and my normal procedure is;

Init/sys TEMP (not really necessary)
Mount/For
Backup/Image
Dismount
@boot_options
Opt 1
(answer questions)
... if response is that paths have been successfully added, ...
Opt 2 (eyeball them)
Exit

Done.

Dave.

[MikeFowler]

Thanks Dave, You seem correct, an image backup, followed by the @boot_options (option 2 to add a new boot device) are all that is required to create a bootable disk.

To respond to the previous entry, regarding that only the backup/image is required for a bootable disk. This is not true on our itanium. I am using the Backup Utility with the /IMAGE switch, and this is not enough to make the device bootable. You must perform either the boot_options command procedure or the sys$setboot task or both to make it bootable.

My Backup Version:
Save set: BACKUP.BAC
Date: 20-FEB-2009 09:17:25.92
Operating sys: hp OpenVMS I64 version V8.3
BACKUP version: V8.3-1H1
CPU ID register: 80000000
Block size: 32256
Group size: 10
Buffer count: 915

Thanks Again for the help.

[Hoff]

Mike, by way of introduction, I'm the original author of the sys$setboot stuff, and that same code is also underneath BACKUP /IMAGE.

If you're going out into the boot options stuff to add a boot entry, that's entirely unrelated to BACKUP /IMAGE.

[MikeFowler]

Last comment on the Backup/image.

Previously on VAX and Alpha the Backup/image of a bootable system disk was all required to make a bootable system disk. However, on our Itanium when I performed an Image/Backup of our system disk, I was unable to boot from this backup. It failed. I had to run the boot_options in order to make the disk boot through the Itanium Console Interface.

I am not clear why this is the case, but it is.

[Ian Miller.]

Mike, I think the backup is restored with a new UID and therefore you have to re-do the boot menu.