disaster recovery testing / system re-build

[Mike Tufariello]

Hello all.
I will be conducting a DR test in a few weeks. I will be attempting to build an usable system at a "hot site" that would mimic my current Production system.

I know how to start building the DR system using my ignite tape, which will include my Data Protector configuration and database.

What I am looking for is a check list or "cookbook" of steps to follow after the system has been started from the Ignite tape, to help me build my Production system. I plan on using the same host name and IP address as my Production system.

Thanks,

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Mike:

When the Ignite recovery has finished, you should have a viable vg00.

I keep a set of scripts in my root filesystem that can be quickly tailored to build non-vg00 volume groups and filesystems, by changing physical disk device specifications.

I run these during DR to build volume groups, logical volumes and filesystems which I then populate from backup.

When I have restored all of my non-vg00 data, I reboot. This is a simple way to insure that all application services that rely on structures and data not contained in vg00 are restarted successfully.

A useful piece of documention to remember is your Ignite manifest. It will be loaded during the restoration of vg00 and can be examined in '/var/opt/ignite/recovery/latest/manifest'.

Regards!

...JRF...

[David Bellamy]

Mike attach is a plan we have used before, hope it helps.

[Mike Tufariello]

JRF,
Thanks for the information. Would you be willing to share the scripts that you have written?

David,
I've just printed the document you sent and will take a look at it. Looks like you've done a great job of documenting things.

[Mike Tufariello]

Hi,

So the first question to come to mind;
If /etc gets restored with the Ignite tape, it would follow that /etc/fstab would be restored as well. Wouldn't a simple reboot or mount command bring back the file systems and mount points to the new system?

Thanks,

[David Bellamy · Accepted solution]

Mike they would if the volume groups were already imported, but without the volume groups being there, the mount points will have nothing to mount to.

[Mike Tufariello]

David,
So is that why the first thing you do according to your manual, on page 36, is Create volume groups?

I notice that part of creating the volume groups is adding the lvols and naming them. Do you make sure that the volume groups and lvols, names and sizes match what's already in the restored fstab file?

Thanks

[darrel chen]

when you use "make_tape_recovery" to backup, put "-x" there, which will copy all the file systems you defined there, for more details use "man make_tape_recovery". But be careful, when you do restore, make sure your storage is ready, otherwise your data will be restored in "/"

[David Bellamy]

Yes

[Mike Tufariello]

Darrel,
I checked and am already using the -x option for my Ignite tape. When you say be careful when I restore....
Do you mean be careful when I restore the Ignite tape ?
What do you mean the data will go into / ?
You mean data from the Ignite ?

Thanks

[David Bellamy]

Yes we match whats in the /etc/fstab

[Mike Tufariello]

David,
That helps clear some confusion around fstab, but....

1) When the Ignite tape is restored and it restores /, /stand, /var, /usr, /tmp, /opt. Do I still need to go into SAM and create the vg00 volume group and its lvols ?

2) While reading page 46 of the Restore Filesystems a question occurred. Do you restore /, /stand, /var, /usr, /tmp, /opt and overlay what was restored from the Ignite tape ? Or do you perform a selective restore the file systems not on vg00?

3) I assume you run parallel in the interest of time ?

Thanks again. Your document is very helpful...

[David Bellamy]

Mike the ignite tape will restore vg00 for you, but you must recreate/import the other volume groups and restore the data to them.

[Mike Tufariello]

David,

One more thought occurred to me as I was reviewing my /etc/fstab.

1) My swap application swap is on vgprod1 do I need to re-create this as well?

2) My dump is on vg00 so I assume that will come back with the Ignite tape ?

Thanks again.

[Mike Tufariello]

Thanks to all.