booting with alternate disk

[Ashish Tripathi]

Hi Admins,
I am trying to boot with the alternate root disk which is mirrored to the Root disk.When both the disks are present system boots fine with alternate disk as primary boot disk (setboot -p "error activating root volume group"
"I/O error while reading VGDA"
and it reboots again.
I followed the steps below to mirror the root disk
pvcreate -f -B /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0 vgextend /dev/vg00 /dev/dsk/c0t1d0
mkboot /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0
mkboot -a "hpux -lq (;0)/stand/vmunix)" /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol1
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol2
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol3
.
.
.
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol8
lvlnboot -b /dev/vg00/lvol1
lvlnboot -s /dev/vg00/lvol2
lvlnboot -d /dev/vg00/lvol2
lvlnboot -r /dev/vg00/lvol3

[Christopher McCray_1]

Hello,

#setboot -a

Hope this helps
Chris

[Helen French]

Hi Ashish:

The setboot with -a option is for specifying the alternate boot disk.

Also check and see if you can interrupt the boot process and boot from ISL> hpux -lq

HTH,
Shiju

[S.K. Chan]

Check for quorum option in boot string (in your primary disk), you did it for the mirrored disk but did you do the same for the primary disk ?

# lifcp /dev/rdsk/:AUTO -
===> Check content of AUTO file.

Also I noticed your syntax ..

mkboot -a "hpux -lq (;0)/stand/vmunix)" /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0

The extra ")", I assume it's typo ..
actually this would suffice..

mkboot -a "hpux -lq" /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi Ashish,

There are few commands to verify that the mirror disk is ok.

1. lvlnboot
make sure both the disks are shown as bootable.
2. lifls disk
Make sure both the disks show the same output.
3. lifcp disk:auto -
Make sure it lists out the AUTO string properly
4. pvdisplay disk
Make sure lvol1 is the first logical volume. To be on safer side, I specify the alternate disk while creating the mirrors like
lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol1 alt_disk
5. There is a syntax error in your mkboot command. There is one unnecessary ")".

-Sri

[Ashish Tripathi]

Chris,
I tried to boot at ISL prompt using hpux -lq (after searching for boot disk using SEA)even then I received the same error.

[Helen French]

Hi Ashish =))

I would test the following:

1) As there is an I/O error, check for a disk hardware failure ! Check the disk with 'dd' command.

2) After making mirror copy of boot disk, check it with lvlnboot -v command.

3) Check and see whether I can boot in LVM maintenance mode.

4) Booting with only the primary disk. This way you can clarify the problem is with the disk and not with quorum check

HTH,
Shiju

[Ashish Tripathi]

All,
the extra ")" was type in the mail.I have verified boot string with lifcp and it was "hpux -lq (;0)/stand/vmunix"
I am trying to boot from ISL prompt so I don't think setboot was necessary.
The main error message is "There is I/O error reading VGDA"
Syetem boots from alternate disk when I make it primary using setboot.

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

What's lvlnboot -v gives you..?

Both the disks must be listed for root , boot and swap definitions.

-USA..

[Ashish Tripathi]

yes...it did show both the disk as bootable and lvol1,lvol2 and lvol3 were on both of the disks.

[Helen French · Accepted solution]

Hi Ashish:

Another thing: The I/O error reading VGDA will be displayed sometimes by the command 'vgchange' during startup and will fail activating the VG if the mirror lvols are not fully synchronized after a system crash.

In this case, you need to apply the latest LVM cumulative patch to the system. Which OS are you running ? For 11.11 it is - PHKL_25778.

HTH,
Shiju

[Ashish Tripathi]

System boots in LVM maintenance mode with just root mirror disk present but gives an error like "unable to open /dev/vg00/lvol1 err number 6"

[Ashish Tripathi]

Shiju,
yes..I am running 11.11.Let me apply this patch then try all this excercise all over again.
Thanks.

[S.K. Chan]

I would recommend re-doing your mirroring.. this is the process I used and works all the time..

Mirroring Process
-----------------
o Assuming c1t2d0 is primary disk and c2t2d0 is the disk to be mirrored.
o Assuming (lvol1=/stand;lvol2=primary swap;lvol3=2ndary swap;lvol4=/;lvol5=/hfs/d1)

# swlist -l bundle| grep -i mirror
=> Make sure you have MirrorUX installed
# pvcreate -f -B /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
# mkboot -l /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
=> Create boot track (place boot utilities in boot area), -l means treat device as LVM disk.
# mkboot -a "hpux -lq" /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
=> Add AUTO file in boot LIF area, "lq" option is to bypass quorum check.
=> Repeat for primary disk (c1t2d0) as well.
# lifcp /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0:AUTO -
=> Check content of AUTO file. Repeat for primary disk (c1t2d0).
# vgextend /dev/vg00 /dev/dsk/c2t2d0
=> Adding disk to root VG.
# pvdisplay -v /dev/dsk/c2t2d0
=> Note of the order of LVs (assuming it's lvol1,lvol2,lvol3,lvol4 & lvol5)
# lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg00/lvol1 /dev/dsk/c2t2d0
=> Repeat for lvol2->lvol5
# lvlnboot -r /dev/vg00/lvol4 /dev/vg00
# lvlnboot -b /dev/vg00/lvol1 /dev/vg00
# lvlnboot -s /dev/vg00/lvol2 /dev/vg00
# lvlnboot -d /dev/vg00/lvol2 /dev/vg00
=> Update BDRA (root, boot, swap and dump)
# lvlnboot -v
=> Check to make sure both disks are listed for root, boot and swap definition.
# setboot
=> Display boot path.
# setboot -a 0/0/2/0.2.0
=> Change alternate boot path to mirrored disk.
# shutdown -r -y 0
=> Interrupt upon bootup and select alt path to boot from in order to test.

Installing ODE (Offline Diagnostics)
------------------------------------
# ll /usr/sbin/diag/lif/updatediaglif
=> Make sure the file exist.
# lifls -l /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
=> List content of LIF dir (should have ISL,AUTO,HPUX,PAD,LABEL).
# mkboot -b /usr/sbin/diag/lif/updatediaglif -p ISL -p AUTO -p HPUX -p PAD -p LABEL /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
=> Install ODE LIF files while "protecting" the existing LIF files.
=> Use updatediaglif2 for 11.0 64-bit.
# lifls -l /dev/rdsk/c2t2d0
=> Should now see the additional LIF files.

[Helen French]

Hi Ashish:

One more thing: I have experienced this problem with the alternate disk on 10.20 systems, if the sequence of setting boot,swap and root changed ! Also if you have not properly followed the correct syntax/ sequences.

Check the lvol order in root VG with vgdisplay -v and pvdisplay -v. If there are some problems, then reduce the mirror with lvreduce -m 0.

HTH,
Shiju

[Ashish Tripathi]

Thanks Shiju,
Once I applied the PHKL_25778 patch,took out the primary boot disk and booted with the alternate,everything went fine.....Just wondering why this Patch is not integrated with the 11.11 Patch Bundle.
Thanks to all who replied.

[Helen French]

Hi Ashish:

I am glad that it worked. I think this patch was included in the March bundle.

HTH,
Shiju

NB: how's life there ? where is Manu ?

[Ashish Tripathi]

Shiju,
Life is cool.U can mail me at "tri_ashu@hotmail.com" OR give me u'rs e-mail.
Ashish