How do you Upgrade Your vPar Installations?

[Alzhy]

Planning to do a 2.02 to 3.01 on an rp8400 that we are subseqently upgrading to an rp8420. How did you do yours?

My plan is do the following:

1. Save vpar configuration (vparstatus -v, backup /stand/vpdb on each vpar)
2. Record each vPar's BootPath
3. Disable apps startup, disbale cron, vgexport ALL VG's, have only vg00 in /etc/fstab.
4. Have HP do the rp8400 Firmware Upgrade to 6.3
5. Then boot each vPar as an nPar and upgrade vPar software.
6. One all vPars are upgraded, boot to vpmon, and start the vPars.

[D Block 2]

Nelson,


couple of pointers here:

doc ref:
The chapter on 'Managing Virtual Partitions' at the following URL
http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/T1335-90018/T1335-90018.html

you might think about setting your vPars to "manual" boot rather than "Auto".
# vparmodify -p vparsystem -B manual

you might think about watching your boot paths. in particular, when you boot up as an nPar, you might have to re-set the boot string to bringup "/stand/vpmon" not "/stand/vmunix". I think this might have to be done by interrupting the boot and verify the boot-options and paths.

Also, I think "setboot" command is different when bringing up a vPar vs. an nPar. might want to keep on eye on your bootpath settings.







here's a few notes from an HP Webinar I attended last year (so, please review this info with your local HP eng.)

o Upgrade is only supported for:
- VPARBASE A.01 ---> VPARBASE A.02
- T1335AC A.01 ---> T1335AC A.02

o To upgrade from BASE to T1335AC requires
1. BackUp /stand/vpdb
2. Remove VPARBASE A.01
3. Install T1335AC A.02 & related products
4. Restore /stand/vpdb

Detailed procedures is in doc: Installing and Managing HP-UX Virtual Partitions
T1335-90012 - see docs.hp.com


Patching vPars:
o Since the vPars patches include the "monitor" (vpmon), patching is is essentially the same process as upgrading:
- Monitor and ALL vPars must be same version
- Monitor and commands Now Version-aware
- No Need to back up /stand/vpmon

o Peform the following steps:
1. shutdown all vPars
2. Reboot vpmon, then bring up one of the partitions in standalone mode
3. Patch vPars on the system boot disk
4. Reboot Monitor, and the vPars
5. Patch remaining vPars.

[melvyn burnard]

and do the firmware upgrade AFTER upgrading the vpars software

[Paul Torp]

How to upgrade virtual partition software T1335AC?

1)
Shut down all the virtual partitions.

2)
Reboot the server into standalone mode. This consists of the following:


At the MON> prompt, type reboot

If needed, interrupt the boot sequence at the BCH> and boot /stand/vmunix instead of /stand/vpmon. For example:
BCH> bo pri
interact with IPL? y
.
.
.
ISL> hpux /stand/vmunix


3)
Install the new vPars bundle using swinstall. For the appropriate bundle name, see Bundle Names.

4)
Reboot the hard partition:

# shutdown -r

5)
Boot the vPars monitor and the virtual partitions from the disk where you installed the vPars bundle.
For example, if we had installed the bundle to the disk at the primary path:
BCH> bo pri
interact with IPL? y
.
.
ISL> hpux /stand/vpmon -a
If you have configured your AUTO file in the LIF area to boot the monitor and virtual partitions automatically,
then this step will be performed automatically. For more information, see Autobooting the
Monitor and All Virtual Partitions, som jeg legger her:

- faq regarding autoboot

On the 1st vpar (the originale disk that is booted from bch) : dhtoms02:/root #setboot
Primary bootpath : 0/0/0/2/0.6.0
Alternate bootpath :

dhtoms02:/root #ioscan -fnkH 0/0/0/2/0.6.0
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=======================================================================
disk 0 0/0/0/2/0.6.0 sdisk CLAIMED DEVICE HP 36.4GMAS3367NC


dhtoms02:/root #vgdisplay -v vg00
....
--- Physical volumes ---
PV Name /dev/dsk/c0t6d0
PV Status available
Total PE 4340
Free PE 1484
Autoswitch On

PV Name /dev/dsk/c2t6d0
PV Status available
Total PE 4340
Free PE 1484
Autoswitch On

mkboot -a "hpux /stand/vpmon -a" /dev/rdsk/c0t6d0


- End of faq regarding autoboot

On each virtual partition, repeat Step 3 to install the new vPars bundle on each boot disk of each virtual partition
(you do not need to reboot the hard partition). Because the boot disk used to boot in standalone mode in Step 2 already
has the new vPars bundle (this was installed during Step 3), you can exclude this step for the boot disk at the primary path.

[Paul Torp]

...and This keystone was upgraded to 8420.
with so i had to upgrade to 3.01.

[Alzhy]

Paul,

That's pages 105-106 of the "Guide" alright. I am still confused.. Why do I need to boot vpmon after I upgraded my first BootPath (1st vpar boot disk?) and start the other vPars?.. (Referring to repeat step3 an perform... whic means I am upgrading my other vPars while vPmon is already up???)


Would'nt it be cleaner if I boot each vpar's bootdisk as an nPar completely up so each boot disk gets upgraded with the new vPar software?

[D Block 2]

Nelson,
why don't you Assign POINTS, dude!

I see you pose lot's of questions, but don't follow-up on ASSIGNing PTs.. you got your hat! why not help others!

[D Block 2]

there is always a so-called Master-vPar.
the 1st boot vPar, then auto boots the other vPars and syncs the vpmon db.

I would suggest Manually controlling the boot of Master-vPar, then manually booting one-by-one each of the other vPars. each vpar talks to other vpars to "sync" up the vp db.

yea, you can boot any vPar system as an nPar, and that sort of un-supported, but can be done, no-problem. but, if you do this, the vp db gets out of sync, and the setboot paths get out of sync. its your job to make certain that the vp Db gets sync'ed and that the Master vPar is boot'ed 1st. and that the vp db's get sync w/ every vPar node.

[D Block 2]

Nelson,

any further questions ?

[Alzhy]

Thanks all.

My confusion about which procedure to use (mine or p 105-106) started when a support ticket I raised actually has okayed the procedures I enumerated.

After re-reading the guide ..I decided to follow it and the upgrade went fine.