11.23 from 11.11 errors out of install, system is now in between versions

[Tim Hodapp]

In going from 11i v1 to 11i v2, the install was going fine, but stopped about 45 minutes into the process. The output leading up to the problem is given below

------
NOTE: Saving the current system file at "/stand/system" to
"/stand/system.prev"
NOTE: Dynamic tunable values (if applicable) have been added to
"/stand/system".
NOTE: The template file has been extracted from "/stand/vmunix"
It has been placed in "/stand/system" where it will be used
to build a new kernel.
* Installing fileset "DCE-Core.DCE-CORE-SHLIB,r=B.11.23" (1 of
1793).
* File "/usr/lib/libcma.2" could not be removed. It was renamed
and added to the cleanup file "/var/adm/sw/cleanupfile".
* File "/usr/lib/libdce.2" could not be removed. It was renamed
and added to the cleanup file "/var/adm/sw/cleanupfile".
* Installing fileset "OS-Core.C-KRN,r=B.11.23" (2 of 1793).
* Installing fileset "OS-Core.KERN2-RUN,r=B.11.23" (3 of 1793).
* Installing fileset "OS-Core.KERN-RUN,r=B.11.23" (4 of 1793).
* Installing fileset "OS-Core.CORE2-KRN,r=B.11.23" (5 of 1793).
/var/tmp/BAAa16299/catalog/OS-Core.2/CORE2-KRN/postinstall[259]: ((8*NPROC+2048)+VX_NCSIZE): The specified number is not valid for this command.
ERROR: The "postinstall" script for "OS-Core.CORE2-KRN" failed (exit
code "1"). The script location was
"/var/tmp/BAAa16299/catalog/OS-Core.2/CORE2-KRN/postinstall".
* This script had errors and the execution of this fileset
cannot proceed until the problem is fixed. Check the above
output from the script for further details.
NOTE: The Install Phase has suspended. Check the above output for
reasons.


* Aborting the Install Phase.
---------

Now, if I try to start over, it fails out before any installation takes place. That output is below.


---------
# /usr/sbin/update-ux -s /cdrom HPUX11i-OE


======= Fri Mar 10 15:34:11 EST 2006 BEGIN update-ux


NOTE: Progress of the software installation can be monitored more closely
by opening another window and entering the command:
'tail -f /var/adm/sw/swagent.log'
NOTE: All output that scrolls by on the screen is logged to
'/var/adm/sw/update-ux.log'
* Obtaining some information from the source depot.
* Copying an SD agent from the source depot
* Installing update-ux from the source depot
Current update-ux version: 11.11.95
Source depot update-ux version: 11.11.95
* Installing and running Pre-Update scripts
Executing pre-update script DOWNDATE_CHECK.001
Executing pre-update script update_ok.001
ERROR: Could not validate the viability of updating from B.11.11:HPUX11i-OE
HPUX11i-OE to HPUX11i-OE.
ERROR: Pre-Update script update_ok.001 failed.
NOTE: One or more errors encountered. Take appropriate corrective action
and re-run update-ux to complete the update.

======= Fri Mar 10 15:36:06 EST 2006 END update-ux
---------


We are using the December 2005 11iV2 software on dvd.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Tim,

update-ux doesn't work very well. Thats a fact.

Many of the veterans recommend in favor of a cold install. It solves several issues other than update-ux being unreliable, gives you a clean start.

Of course you have to install your applications anew, but this is a good thing. What a lot of people don't realize is that if you say installed Oracle on 11.11, a version that was never certified on 11.23, there is no guarantee that the oracle will work after upgrade anyway.

Cold install. That's the ticket.

SEP

[Pete Randall]

Tim,

This is a classic example of why the usual advice is not to update but cold install instead. Do you really need to update? Is your data contained in separate volume groups that could be re-imported once the install completes. Do you have a thorough list of site specific configuation file modifications (/etc/hosts, /etc/passwd, /etc/rc.config.d/hp*conf, etc., etc., etc.)?


Pete

[Tim Hodapp]

Here's part of the problem -- rather than having Dev and Prod environments the same, they went ahead and installed .23 on prod, and .11 on dev. Now they want both envs the same (as they should), but they didn't think of that when they put development into service. Now we're stuck upgrading the OS because they've already got everything installed and running on .11 .

I'm told by support that this is a known issue that has not been fixed.

This client is el cheapo and doesn't want to pay for extra backups/restores which would result from a cold install.

[Kent Ostby]

PROBLEM:
errors in OS-Core.CORE2-KRN fileset postinstall script when
typeset -i gets a literal value returned from query_systemfile() in
control_utils.



If you can reinstall your old 11.11 (i.e. from a IGNITE backup) and change your system parm values to be constants instead of including formulas, you'll probably take care of this issue.

[Peter Godron]

Tim,
I would have also advised cold install.
Are you working from the latest update guides (March '06)?

See "Installing and Updating" section at http://docs.hp.com/en/hpux11iv2.html
You may have start fixing stuff by hand such as your /var/tmp/BAAa16299/catalog/OS-Core.2/CORE2-KRN/postinstall error on line 259
Not a route I would advise.

Explain to the user that the cold install would be quicker and safer, hence cheaper.

[Tim Hodapp]

A cold install would require a reinstall of applications though, correct?

This is the first of 3 systems that are slated for this same upgrade. I'd prefer to not have this problem again, but reinstalling all apps is really not an option.

Any ideas for workarounds?