bootable dvd from make_net_recovery image?

[Doug O'Leary]

Hey;

We have a pending DR test and, naturally, the way we're being forced to do it is not the way it's planned (what could go wrong?)

Basically, I need to create a bootable dvd from one of the images generated via make_net_recovery for a parisc system.

Anyone got any docs on how to go about doing that? I can't be as simple as dd'ing the resulting file to a dvd, could it? (he says hopefully)

Thanks for any input.

Doug

[Pete Randall]

Doug,

Chapter 11 of the "Ignite-UX Administration Guide" discusses how you make your own media:

http://www.docs.hp.com/en/5991-6440/ch11.html


Pete

[Doug O'Leary]

Hey;

Thanks for the link - that covers the steps. Can I use a make_net_recovery image instead of the golden image supplied via make_sys_image?

In other words, can I simply replace the file produced by the make_net_recovery command?

Thanks for any info.

Doug

[Jov]

Hi Doug,

It's something I always wanted to do during my SysAdmin days but never go around trying. There are some docs on the net for doing exactly this for Solaris, but I've not seen a step by step one for HP-UX but have a look at http://docs.hp.com/en/5991-7970/5991-7970.pdf


Jov

[Doug O'Leary]

Hey;

Thanks for the link; unfortunately, that's specific to golden images as well, not the files generated via make_net_recovery.

Thanks, though.

Doug

[Jov]

Hi,

I just courious, do you have to use a CD/DVD?

For the DR test, there might be a better more straight forward way.


Jov

[Doug O'Leary]

>>I just courious, do you have to use a CD/DVD?

Grr; thanks for bringing up my irritant! :)

The general plan is to use one of the HP systems as an ignite server, ignite all the other hps, then move the s/w over to one of the other HPs and ignite the one that used to be the ignite server. Seems easy/simple enough.

The pending DR test, if it can be called that, has one and only one HP. The DR vendor, who shall remain nameless, is suggesting the make_*_recovery zapped to a dvd.

Since we do make_net_recovery's monthly, the *cleanest* solution would be to create a bootable dvd ala make_tape_recovery...

Doug

[Jov]

Hi Doug,

Apologies for bring up your betweent a rock and hard place DR situation, but I am following you, your DR professionals have designed a DR solution with 1 (and only 1) HP-UX server simulating a number of production HP-UX servers?? Tell me I am wrong as does not reflect production reality.

If you must do this, I'll advise to search for a DTS and LTD tape drives and connected it to your DR HP-UX server and use that. With DVD you'll likely to do some post-recovery processing to restore the file permissions as they will be read-only on the DVD media.

Jov

[Bob Ingersoll · Accepted solution]

The tool that you want to use is the make_media_install script located in /opt/ignite/data/scripts/examples.

make_media_install will create a bootable recovery tape or optical disk. Type make_media_install -? to display detailed usage information.

The script uses an image that you created previously using make_net_recovery or make_sys_image.

The following examples use the default /var/opt/ignite/media/pseudo_root "media pseudo-root", a directory tree of all files going onto the tape or optical disk. The default pseudo-root can be overridden with the make_media_install -p switch. Before starting ensure that nothing exists under the pseudo-root path:

rm -r /var/opt/ignite/media/pseudo_root/*

Create an archives directory in the pseudo-root and copy the image into it:

mkdir -p /var/opt/ignite/media/pseudo_root/archives
cp /var/opt/ignite/recovery/archives//2006-08-21,05:00 /var/opt/ignite/media/pseudo_root/archives/B.11.23_archive_PA.gz

Below, make_media_install -r specifies the HP-UX release that will be placed on the bootable medium.

Use make_media_install to create an ISO image and write it to the media. The default output device is /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0:

cd /opt/ignite/data/scripts/examples

./make_media_install â r B.11.23 â a B.11.23_archive_PA.gz â m /var/opt/ignite/media â o64w â f /var/opt/ignite/clients//recovery//system_cfg

If an optical recorder is not installed on the IUX server the last step of make_media_install will fail with the following error:

=== Step 6: Write image file to tape/CD/DVD media ===
+ /opt/ignite/lbin/growisofs -Z /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0=/var/opt/ignite/media/image.iso
:-( unable to open("/dev/rdsk/c0t0d0",O_RDONLY): No such device or address
+ Error 83 /opt/ignite/lbin/growisofs failed.

In this case the error is normal and the ISO image is created. Copy the image.iso file to a system that has an optical recorder and create the disk using the following command:

/opt/ignite/lbin/growisofs -Z /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0=/tmp/image.iso

To create a bootable tape do the following:

cd /opt/ignite/data/scripts/examples

./make_media_install â T â r B.11.11 â a B.11.11_archive_PA.gz â c /dev/rmt/1mn â o64w â f /var/opt/ignite/clients//recovery//system_cfg

Hope this helps.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

I don't view this as a technical problem but rather a procedural problem. How does the DR vendor get to dictate the terms to you? Your firm designed your DR plans; usually it is a very big deal to get those changed and tested after adoption --- and yours is now a big change. This is a situation of the tail wagging the dog. If this DR vendor can't supply the equipment and expertise you need then find one who can. The whole purpose of the DR test is to test your DR plan and if you have to create DR procedures "on the fly", what are you really testing? One of the things that I insist upon when doing DR testing is that the author of the plan be dead. He can be present at the test but only as a ghost. His job is to observe and find out what revisions are needed in the current plan. In your case, the ghost is going to be extremely busy because the plan got thrown out the window.

[Doug O'Leary]

>>How does the DR vendor get to dictate the terms to you?

That's the $64K question. I've only seen one DR test work on UNIX boxes. That was at a major financial institution. They had production equipment in one location and exact copies of it in another. I even wrote a script to copy the oracle archive logs from the production to the DR systems. The DR test was interesting, but successful.

All of the other places I've been involved in DR always want to skimp - setting up a D350 to be the DR server for a V2200. This one's got failure written all over it.

Unfortunately, the admin that was working it just quit (wonder why?) leaving me holding the bag...

Thanks for letting me rant. Bob Ingersoll, thanks for the checklist. I will give it a try.

Doug