Rolling upgrade V7.3-2 to V8.3 problems

[Jan van den Boogaard]

I will formally contact the local HP support centre, thanx Robert. That seems the most obvious to do now.

To answer the other questions:

$ directory sys$system:setshoshadow/date/size=all

Directory SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]

SETSHOSHADOW.EXE;1 603/604 29-JUN-2006 18:19:09.69

Total of 1 file, 603/604 blocks.
$

so just 1 image luckily.

The HBMM kit is VMS732_HBMM-V0200 from september 2004 which is in the VMS732_UPDATE-V1100 consolidated kit.

And Thomas, a non-rolling upgrade could be more safe, but the concept of rolling upgrade is so nice and tempting: upgrading easily while users can keep on working.
By the way, what you mean by: "Our layered products installations and patch installations are always in batch mode." ?

[Thomas Ritter]

Jan, this link shows how one can batch patches and installs. Some products can only be installed interactively. We run 4 system disks in our four node cluster and one so called common disk. If you have many patches to install the batch approach makes work easy.

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1073507

Here is an example of installing a patch in batch mode. Notice we check to ensure the system account is used.

$ username = f$edit(f$getjpi("","USERNAME"),"COLLAPSE")
$ if username .nes. "SYSTEM"
$ then
$ write sys$output "Use the SYSTEM account."
$ exit 1
$ endif
$ saved_directory = f$environment("DEFAULT")
$ set default kits73:[vms731_ecos]
$ DEFINE/SYS NO_ASK$BACKUP TRUE
$ DEFINE/SYS NO_ASK$REBOOT TRUE
$ DEFINE/JOB ARCHIVE_OLD NO
$!
$ PROD INSTALL VMS731_SHADOWING/PRODUCER=DEC/BASE=AXPVMS-
/VER=V2.0/SAVE_RECOVERY_DATA
$!
$ DEASSIGN/SYS NO_ASK$BACKUP
$ DEASSIGN/SYS NO_ASK$REBOOT
$!
$ set def 'saved_directory'
$ prod show history
$ exit 1

[Jan van den Boogaard]

There was a small bug and a workaround from HP.

Before the upgrade, on the 7.3-2 side, remove the HBMM policies with these kind of commands:
$ set shadow /policy=HBMM=(master=*) /name=DEFAULT /delete

and
$ set shadow /disable=hbmm dsa
$ set shadow /policy=hbmm /delete dsa

Check with $ show log/table=h* that no logicals remain.
Then do a rolling upgrade of the first node to 8.3 and re-define the default policy on 8.3:

$ set shadow /policy=HBMM=(master=*) /name=DEFAULT

Then boot the other nodes from the upgraded system disk.

I tested it, problems solved!

[Jan van den Boogaard]

Thanx for all help.