HPUX 11.11, can you boot from a fiber attached tape drive?

[DonOBrien]

Hi, 

We are working on a DR solution for a rp8420.   We'd like to ignite a make_tape_recovery to a VTL that we have that is replicating to a DR site.    I've connected the VTL to my server but it does not show it in the BCH menu when I do a sea all.  

Main Menu: Enter command or menu > sea all

Searching for potential boot device(s)
This may take several minutes.

To discontinue search, press any key (termination may not be immediate).


                                                                           IODC
   Path#  Device Path (dec)                      Device Type               Rev
   -----  -----------------                      -----------               ----
   P0     0/0/0/1/0.192.168.16.10                LAN Module                6
   P1     0/0/0/2/0.6                            Random access media       4
   P2     0/0/0/2/1.2                            Random access media       4
   P3     0/0/0/3/0.6                            Random access media       4
   P4     0/0/0/3/1.3                            Sequential access media   4
          0/0/8/1/0.0                            Fibre Channel Protocol    14
   P5     1/0/0/1/0.192.168.16.10                LAN Module                6
   P6     1/0/0/2/0.6                            Random access media       4
   P7     1/0/0/2/1.2                            Random access media       4
   P8     1/0/0/3/0.6                            Random access media       4
          1/0/8/1/0.0                            Fibre Channel Protocol    14
   P9     1/0/10/1/1.1                           Sequential access media   2


Main Menu: Enter command or menu >

 It can show me the two DDS4 drives that are scsi attached.    For troubleshooting, I even directly connected a LTO4 drive to the other availble FC port and I do not see that tape drive either.

Before I continue, I have to ask.   Are Fiber Channel Tape drives even possible to appear in a old BCH menu? 

Thanks for your time,

Don O'Brien

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

Probably not possible, but you can boot an install media and start the restore from there, this should also work with fibre attached tapes (tape must be loaded), since a kernel is already running.

-> Install HP-UX -> select Advanced Installation -> Recovery tape -> GO!

[DonOBrien]

Hi Torsten,

You hit the nail on the head.  I was able to boot from the HPUX DVD and from Advanced Installatin, select the "Boot from DVD, restore from tape".    Luckily my fiber attached tape drive was detected (while the three other DDS4 drives were not). 

I proceeded and have restored my make_tape_recovery from the Virtual tape drive.  :D

Thank you so much.

Don

  Hardware Summary:         System Model: 9000/800/rp7410
  +---------------------+----------------+-------------------+ [ Scan Again  ]
  | Disks: 1  ( 33.9GB) |  Floppies: 0   | LAN cards:   4    |
  | CD/DVDs:        1   |  Tapes:    1   | Memory:   20160Mb |
  | Graphics Ports: 0   |  IO Buses: 9   | CPUs:        8    | [ H/W Details ]
  +---------------------+----------------+-------------------+

                       [      Install HP-UX       ]

                       [   Run a Recovery Shell   ]

                       [    Advanced Options      ]


          [  Reboot  ]                              [  Help  ]

 Source Location Options:
   [ * ]  Media only installation
   [   ]  Media with Network enabled (allows use of SD depots)
   [   ]  Ignite-UX server based installation

 User Interface Options:
   [   ]  Guided Installation   (recommended for basic installs)
   [ * ]  Advanced Installation (recommended for disk and filesystem management)
   [   ]  No user interface - use all the defaults and go

                          Media Installation Selection

   This screen provides an option to switch the install source
   from the default CD/DVD to a recovery tape.  This is helpful
   for those systems and for tape devices which do not support
   booting from a tape.


   [   ]  CD/DVD Installation
   [ * ]  Boot from CD/DVD, Recover from Tape

       HW Path           Device File            Description
       ----------------------------------------------------------
     [ 0/0/10/0/0.3.15 /dev/rmt/0m               IBM_ULT3580-TD4           ]