Cloning or installing 3 new servers

[Johnny Damtoft]

Hi all,

Currently we have 3 productions servers, up and running. 1x Oracle, 1x SAP, 1x SAS.

I need to install 3 new HP-UX servers, with the exact same software as the 3 servers, that is already running.

All os the above is running MCOE with the full appl goodies (glance, mirrordisk, onlinejfs etc)

The current hardware of the 3 servers is:
Oracle: rx7640
SAP: rx7620
SAS: rx7620

The new hardware:
Oracle: rx7640
SAP: rx7640
SAS: rx7640

The new hardware may have newer NIC and HBA's.

Now, here is a few of my thoughts.

1. The "quick-and-dirty":
Can i detach the harddrive that is a mirror of the "primary-path", from the old-production servers, and simply insert them into the new ones.
- rename the hostname, and change the IP, hosts etc.

Would this be an option? If yes/no please specify.


2. The more correct way:
Take an Ignite backup of the 3 old servers, restore the data on the new servers - all done via network.
- again change the hostname, IP etc.

Would this be an option? Better than option 1? Please specify.


3. The looooooooooong time consuming CD/DVD installation:
You guessed it. Using the old CD/DVD medias to install the 3 new servers, with the exact same software version, as the old servers.
- I know that this will work, but i rather not go this way.

My reason for not choosing option 3., is that i have to install HPUX 11.0, upgrade to 11.11 and again upgrade to 11.23 - including all the applications, hardware enablements, support+ patches, and standalone patches - in the correct order for this to be an EXACT match.


I have been giving option 1 and 2 some serious thought, for the past few days - and not i'm looking for your guys input on this matter.


Let me know what you think, what is possible, what is the best-practise way, and have you done something similar ??


--
Johnny Damtoft

[Torsten.]

Hi Johnny,

you wrote

"My reason for not choosing option 3., is that i have to install HPUX 11.0, upgrade to 11.11 and again upgrade to 11.23"


Your new servers are rx7640 - this model only runs HP-UX 11.23 or 11.31.

I would simply install a current version of 11.23. You don't need all the old stuff.


Not sure what release (date?) is running on your rx7620's, but maybe it is too old to support the rx7640 in case of cloning.

[YAQUB_1]

The best practices you install HP-UX OS through CD/DVD...

Because, when you install through Ignite backup a new system that time you jest install as a image copy on your existing system.

Always system guy, we are think same model means end-to-end system H/W also same. You have inform your Oracle server modem rx7640, can you cross check your new & existing system H/W I mean processor, I/O card bus speed also same?

I jest give you one example, almost one year ago I have do same jobs in my office DR site, I jest take Ignite backup DC site six servers (rp8420, rp4440 & rp3440) & I do successfully installed, after install I jest check system information that time I see â print_manifestâ all the information in my DC existing system then I communicate with HP backline support team, they are suggest me new install OS (11.23) all servers through DVD. Because my system serial number, H/W path all information my existing DC system.

So, my personal opinion you install OS all systems through CD/DVD...

[Johnny Damtoft]

I'm sorry, i was missinformed regarding the software installed on the server.

I'm not told that the server was initially installed with 11.23.

Check the attached swlist.txt for an "swlist" command on the server.

-- Johnny

[Torsten.]

All of the software is from september 2006 - some components (e.g. the online diagnostics) are already in status unsupported!

i would prefer to install the latest release to be up-to-date!

[Johnny Damtoft]

I'm installing for a pharma company, and our internal quality department, is not allowing us to install the latest release due to system-integrity.

I rather install the latest release aswell, but the client is not letting me.. :/

[Torsten.]

In this case you need to install the old and/or unsupported stuff ... :-(

IMHO to have the same unsupported stuff on each system is also a consistent status ...

Example:

http://docs.hp.com/en/diag/stm/stm_upd.htm

[Matti_Kurkela]

For your "quick-and-dirty" option 1:
Your OS version would allow you to use the DRD (Dynamic Root Disk) utility. It's essentially a vg00 cloning software for HP-UX.

It's available for free from software.hp.com.
It allows you to make an inactive copy of your current vg00, mount it to a separate path under /var so you can make changes to it if you wish, then unmount it, move the disks to the new hardware and boot. I've been using it to clone 11.23 on several BL860c blade servers. It's much simpler and faster than reinstalling from scratch, and guarantees that the machines are 100% identical (apart from your explicit changes).

Both your options 1 and 2 would require that your old rx7620s be configured to support rx7640 hardware (i.e. HWenable patches OK, and kernel configured to have all the drivers needed for booting a rx7640).

MK

[V. Nyga]

Hi,

maybe you can verify esayly if it will work:
Check the swlist of rx7640 and both rx7620.
If it's the same it should be possible to clone the disk (well a 'dd' should do that VERY easyly).
If you've a different swlist at the newer rx7640, you'll have to check the differences and decide if you make a new installation.
Well, ignite will last a litte bit longer - I would do this way if I need this several times - the advantage of ignite is, that you can specify ip and hostname during ignite, so you don't have the problem of redefining these!
For example: set up all new servers like this one rx7640!
Another point of ignite is: normally you only make an ignite of the boot disk.

With 'dd' you can copy everything!

HTH
Volkmar