btcreate error/problem

[Paul_504]

Erich

Do you think it could have anything to do with updates or limits caused by PK4 though. Currently all our systems are on PK4, and we've tried on a number of systems to create a bootable tape without any success. If I recall correctly, they all seem to fail with the same error.

Paul

[Erich Wimmer]

Paul,
I have tried it also with patchkit 4 installed and it works. Btcreate is populating the mfs filesystem (25 mb default size) and if it becomes full it may lead to problems during boot from tape (hangs etc.), but not at the place you described (jumping to bootstrap code) and with halt code. Also in this case you should get errors during btcreate (file system full). I have no idea what else can lead to your error.
Check if you have the latest firmware installed and if your tape device is meeting the requirements
(http://h30097.www3.hp.com/docs/base_doc/DOCUMENTATION/V51A_HTML/ARH9FDTE/TITLE.HTM, chapter 9.10) and the restrictions described in "man btcreate. If you call the HP support hotline, I'm sure someone in our supportchannel can help.
Erich.

[Aaron Biver_2 · Accepted solution]

Paul,

We have just noticed this with the newer PK5 which is still under development. However, we did not know it was reproducible with PK4.

The basic problem is that btcreate is creating a kernel that is too big for the SRM firmware to boot. There is a firmware limitation of 32 MB on the size of the bootable kernel.

To solve this, you need a smaller kernel. If you recall, when you ran btcreate, it asked you for a kernel config file, and then it built a tape-bootable kernel according to that config file.

You apparently had previously built your kernel with all options included. This makes for a big kernel.

If you rebuild with no options (mandatory is the default), or just select the few that you feel you need, you should be able to boot. Remember, this is a bootable tape kernel, most likely used to restore your filesystem after a disaster. Most people don't need the options like "IP tunnelling" or "IP over ATM" in this type of kernel.

To change the options built into your kernel, just run doconfig again (without the "-c" options"). When you are done run btcreate again and point it to the kerenl config file name you just created.

A fix for btcreate is in the works for PK5 so customers would never see this (or so we thought).

If you still have trouble after applying this workaround, let us know.

[Paul_504]

I just want to say thank you to everyone for their input. Aaron, I'd reconfigured the kernel, built it, ran btcreate and with the stripped down kernel the boot worked perfectly.

Thank you for any and all help given. I truly appreciate it.

Paul