Question about Linux HBA driver verion upgrade

[Gary L]

Additional input:

/lib/modules]# ll
total 24
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 Jul 24 2007 .
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root 4096 Feb 17 2005 ..
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Feb 1 13:46 2.4.21-27.EL
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Feb 1 13:46 2.4.21-27.ELsmp
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jul 24 2007 2.4.21-50.EL
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jul 24 2007 2.4.21-50.ELsmp

no HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img and HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.EL.img entries there.

The kernel boot throug below entry
title HP-2.4.21-27.ELsmp
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img

/boot folder no System.map-HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp informations.

[Gary L]

Sorry I forgot paste a important entry in /boot. It's

System.map -> System.map-2.4.21-50.ELsmp

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

The issue is that there is no "Option 5" to boot from! grub counts from ZERO - your last available kernel appears to be 4!!!

When it is booting select one of the other kernels and it should boot OK - and then go in and fix your error.

Again - I am sot sure that the initrd images with the HP in the filename are the correct ones - but at least fixing the "default=5" will get you booting again so you can test some more....

[Gary L]

Hi Don

I think the default = 5 is correct, you could re-count
...
#default=1 # commented out by Proliant HBA install script
default=5
fallback=1
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
(Entry 0)
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES (2.4.21-50.EL)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-50.EL ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-50.EL.img

(Entry 1)
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES (2.4.21-50.ELsmp)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-50.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-50.ELsmp.img

(Entry 2)
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES (2.4.21-27.ELsmp)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img

(Entry 3)
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES-up (2.4.21-27.EL)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.EL ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /initrd-2.4.21-27.EL.img

(Entry 4)
# This entry (no. 4) added by Proliant HBA install script
# in package cpq_cciss-2.4.64-6.rhel3
title HP-2.4.21-27.EL
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.EL ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.EL.img

(Entry 5)
# This entry (no. 5) added by Proliant HBA install script
# in package cpq_cciss-2.4.64-6.rhel3
title HP-2.4.21-27.ELsmp
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img

System boot from this entry, past is boot from 1. As you know boot from 1 is ok, boot from 5 stop at above part.

In /boot, System.map -> System.map-2.4.21-50.ELsmp It is old .50 not the new HP-initrd.

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

Sorry - I did mis-count (because the form of this forum doesn't let you see the entire thread when you reply).

An am confused why you're not booting to the "latest" installed kernel, but that is your choice. Have you validated that this kernel is supported by the driver? Sorry I don't have a point of reference and I don't have any 2.4 systems any more...


Anyway -

I would:
re-make the sym link for system.map, and point it to System.map-2.4.21-27.ELsmp

I would edit entry #5 (hit "e" in the boot menu for the kernel, in the menu that follows you can move to the line that calls the initrd image, hit "e" again and edit it (remove the HP-) then hit "b" to boot with that edit. Note that this does not fix it permanently - you'll have to make the same edit once the system is booted.

To overstate the obvious - it sounds like that "HP" initrd image is bogus. The only way to make sure you have a valid one may be to build it manually, forcing in the modules you require....

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

Also note - the /lib/modules tree will not necessarily reflect every "named" initrd with a unique sub-directory - only the actual kernels installed. You can have numerous initrd's for a single kernel, and the whole idea behind the grub menu process is that you can "pair" a kernel with an initrd image as you required....

Likewise with system.map - one per kernel works just fine.

[Gary L]

Hi Don

Our OS of SAN linux servers are all RHEL ES 3 update 4 ( yes, pretty old ) so the kernel is 2.4.21-27.ELsmp.
I'm not quite sure your means "An am confused why you're not booting to the "latest" installed kernel" Your mentioned latest verson is it entry 1: 2.4.21-50? Yes, I boot system for it no problem, but this kernel NO update HBA driver info.

As you know Actually the grub.conf file modified by the HBA driver install script ( you could see the remarks on entry 4 5 and default = 0.
When I ran the ./INSTALL for update the HBA driver version, this script did below items:
1. made two new img files HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.EL.img and HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img

2. Modified the /boot/grub/grub.conf
a. commented the default=0,
b. add the last two entries 4 and 5 and
c. change the default=5.

Unfortunately, this install script has some bugs, the system cold not startup. probably I need manually do something, like chang he img file's name?

Our server is HP Prolant Blade Bl20p g3. Two FC A6828A Qlogic cards. I download the new HBA driver version 7.07.05.08 for hp.com, ran the command "./install" That'all do i miss some parts? Would you please list your steps when you update your HBA driver couple weeks ago.

Thanks

-G

[Gary L]

Hi Don

All steps that what i am doing on HBA driver upgrade are:

1. # cat /proc/scsi/qla2300/0
QLogic PCI to Fibre Channel Host Adapter for QLA2312 :
Firmware version: 3.03.11, Driver version 7.05.00p8-fo.
SAN admin recommend versoin is 7.07.05.02 or later.

2. Plan to upgrade the HBA driver version, down the hp_qla2x00-2007-10-05 from http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/sanworks/softwaredrivers/multipathoptions/qlogicv70.html ( our Linux server verison are all RHEL ES 3 udpate 4).
It include:
fibreutils-2.4-1.linux.i386.rpm hp_qla2x00-7.07.05.08-1.src.rpm hp_qla2x00src-8.01.07.25-1.linux.rpm set_parm2.24
fibreutils-2.4-1.linux.ia64.rpm hp_qla2x00-8.01.07.25-1.src.rpm install set_parm2.26
fibreutils-2.4-1.linux.x86_64.rpm hp_qla2x00src-7.07.05.08-1.linux.rpm revision_notes

3. uploaded them onto SAN server

4. # ./install

5. reboot server

6. stop at
...
mounting root filesystem
mount: error 2 mounting ext3
pivotroot: pivot_root )/sysroot, /sysroot/initrd ) failed:2
umount initrd/proc failed:2
Freeing unused kernel memory: 228k freed
Kernel Panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

7. through check found: install script changed grub.conf let system boot from
title HP-2.4.21-27.ELsmp
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg00/lv00
initrd /HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img

and added two new img files in /boot, HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.EL.img and HP-initrd-2.4.21-27.ELsmp.img.

Do i loss some steps?

-G

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

According to the release notes, the minimum required release is RHEL 3 Update 8. Does this kernel that you're trying to make work correlate to RHEL 3 U8 or U9??

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=315739&swItem=co-54962-1&prodNameId=315741&swEnvOID=1080&swLang=8&taskId=135&mode=4&idx=0

According to the RHEL 3 Update 8 release notes it included kernel-2.4.21-43.EL

I would encourage you to:
1) reboot to the -50 kernel
2) attempt to install the driver against that kernel

IMO - you are installing on an unsupported kernel. From what I can see the only changes with the U8 kernel (wrt FC support) was the addition of "disk_dump" function - but there are other notes about FC HBAs as well....
http://mirror.centos.org/centos/3/docs/release-notes/as-x86/RELEASE-NOTES-U8-x86-en.html

Don

[Gary L]

Hi Don

I think I lost a important part. This version of HBA driver only support RHEL 3 update 8 and later. Our current OS version are all update 4, lower then its min requirement. I think, that's the reason why my upgrade failure.
So, either upgrade all of them to update 8 or forget it. UPgrade HBA driver just a recommend.

Anyway, Thanks a lot.

Have a great day.

-Gary