Question about Linux HBA driver verion upgrade

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

Gary -
Even though you originally installed with RHEL 3U4 you have at least one kernel present that meets the requirement of the HBA driver. You probably got this through a series of updates.

You have:
2.4.21-50

Which is NEWER than the required minimum of 2.4.21-43.

This is why I suggested that you boot to this kernel, and then attempt the adapter installation with this as the running kernel.


I'm curious - what to you get when you run:
cat /etc/redhat-release
?

Don

[Gary L]

# cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES release 3 (Taroon Update 4)

RHEL 3 update 4. As you know the kernel should be 2.4.21-27. But I have no idea when why there is a SAN linux server was installed the 2.4.21-50 kernel, and boot from it.
It is uncorrect, right?

I have a new question probably need restart a thread, but anyway I wanna ask you first:

Just now, I did the HBA driver version upgrade through HP PSP (SmartStart CD). I just wanna try this way. It doen't work. BUT, after PSP install, this server was automatic rebooted over five times. When the server startup, within 2 min, it was rebooted atuomaticlly. It boot from 2.4.21-27.ELsmp. I changed boot kernel to 2.4.21-27.EL, system didn't auto reboot but loss all SAN disk. lssd show nothing.

Do you know what's happying.

BTW,
I did the PSP installation on two two server, PSP version is 7.70. One is good, another have auto reboot problem.

Sigh!

-G

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

Gary - I would take the rebooting server into single user mode and read the logs.

The reason the non-SMP kernel boots OK but has no SAN disks is likely because it did NOT get modules compiled for it by the driver install, or at least there was no initrd image created for it that has the required drivers.

The 7.70 PSP is quite old. There are likely several "stand alone" releases of the driver that are newer than this PSP that will still work with the kernel you boot with.

As far as why you have a server that has the -50 kernel on it.... only you can answer that one! ;) However - if you can boot to that kernel and it's stable, you may be able to install the current driver and SANSurfer and get on with your life.

[Gary L]

Hi Don

You means, forget kernel 2.4.21-27.ELsmp because of its crash , instead of it, Boot from 2.4.21-27.EL. And I need install the latest version of SANSurfer and HBA driver versoin on this kernel, right?

The reason why I'm using PSP 7.70 is from hp.com it is the latest version of PSP for RHEL 3."psp-7.70.rhel3.linux.en". I download the psp-7.91.rhel4.linux.en v7.91 for RHEL4 in the same time. Do you know where could find the higher version of PSP for RHEL3.

Thanks a lot.

-Gary

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

I would not risk installing the drivers against the 2.4.21-27.EL kernel - but you CAN boot to it and try to see if you can see why this server is reboot.

What I am telling you to consider is booting the the 2.4.21-50 (smp) kernel that you have installed and attempt to load the LATEST drivers that you have against it. It meets the minimum kernel level requirement of the driver and you just might get the driver to install without issue.

I am concerned because you keep jumping back and forth between driver releases - and you may end up with a very messed up server (if you haven't already).

I would NOT look to install older releases of the PSP - there is no point attempting to use that tool simply to get a the Fibre Channel driver. Concentrate on getting the system stable again, the move on toward the next step.

[Gary L]

Stupid machine and Kernel.

Just now, I gave kernel 2.4.21-27.ELsmp the last chance: boot from it see if it has something change, if no then remove it. Do you believe it, so far ELsmp run good, no error, no reboot, SAN devices are all good...

What's going on?

-Gary

[Gary L]

Hi Don

As you know, we have over 10 SAN linux servers, just one has the 2.4.21-50 kernel installation ( I have no idea what's happened on it and by whom ). yes, it meets the min requirments of the HBA driver upgrade. I have already upgraded it complelete to 7.07.05.02. Rest of the SAN server, I think I will give up driver update because the OS version too low and update risk is too high, like above case. Upgrade doen't work but server crashed ( atuo reboot every 2 min).

Thanks for your kindly help.

Have a great day.

-G

[Don Vanco - Linux Ninja]

Gary -
I am not positive, but you may be able to upgrade just ONE of the servers to run the current SANSurfer tool, and then install the SANSurfer agents ONLY on the other hosts - and monitor ALL of them from the one server.

But I appreciate your caution. Be sure to read all the compatibility information before trying to upgrade anything else!

Glad I could help in some way...

[Gary L]

Thanks for your suggestions.
I will check every release note before do the upgrade task.

Thanks again.

[skt_skt]

a HBA driver should not update anyhting on the grub.conf which is meant for kernel install/upgarde. So i would say that is a bogus entry. The driver change might on the same old kernel. (Boot thorough the same old kernel; make the grub.conf acordingly)

Interms of kernel upgrade..We rcently upgraded kernel to kernel-smp-2.4.21-53.EL[Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 3 (Taroon Update 9)]