What to do when you aren't sure a reboot will work (*on a remote server)

[TwoProc]

OK, Richard ...

I'm done. Out of ideas.
Do everything you possibly can to test and then boot that sucker!!! If it totally crashes from the boot, then they HAVE to let you go fix it!
:-)

Where's the box? Maybe it's near me and I can just go fix it for you.

:-)

[Richard Briggs]

Thanks again. I'm leaving it open just on the off chance someone finds that white paper on the top 50 files to check before reboot... ...i can dream.

[TwoProc]

Just thought of another one, and it wouldn't be hard to do at all.

Make an ignite backup of the server (which can be done remotely over to a tape drive near you). Restore that backup onto one of your own servers locally, and see if it starts up.

This method should work for you very well to see if you really can boot, and if not, why not. You could then proceed to fix each item one at a time, both locally and on the remote server until the local one comes up.

When done, get a new ignite backup and replay the whole scenario. When you've got it working here, and all fixes in place over there - you're bound to be up and working fine on your next reboot at the remote site.

[Richard Briggs]

the server's compressed gzip golden image is 70Gb... I can't find a tape that big... My DDS 4 tapes are only 20 - are you talking about just a boot tape - ? Wouldn't the existing (possibly foobar'd) server's info be duplicated to the ignite tape anyway?

[TwoProc]

Yes, I'm talking about just an ignite boot tape. It should fit comfortably on your DDS tape, however an ignite backup to an ignite network server fits on disk, so you're not limited to a tape drive. Got a 36 Gig hd on an HPUX box somewhere? Make an ignite server out of it, and then ignite that remote server to it. Then you can proceed with my recommendation. In your specs of making a boot tape, you can specify just the boot volume, that is, vg00 usually. Most people don't put lot's of other stuff in vg00 normally, this is usually accomplished on other disks and therefore, other vg's. So the size usually is small(ish).

[Richard Briggs]

Sounds good. Thanks for the info.

[TwoProc]

Under the FWIW department:

http://www.circlingcycle.com.au/Unix-sources/HP-UX-check-OAT.pl.txt

It's a script from a forum member (here) who had problems going to customer sites and then not knowing whether or not the systems could stand up to patching, rebooting, etc.

So he wrote a script that checks out a wide variety of issues. I've not run it or tested it. But, its goal at least sound similar to your needs, at least at times. Sadly, I snagged the link, but not the guy who posted it's name, and he didn't have it in the script itself (which I was kinda counting on). So, I hate this, but I lost the original poster's name.

[Richard Briggs]

wow... i'm kinda scared to let that beast run -- hafta look into it... but thanks! !