ignite image testing

[Edgar_8]

Hi,

I have a primary & secondary N-class servers running UX 11.0, and plan to clean install 11i on both.Before the install
I need to make an ignite image & test that the restore in case of a disaster/rollback. Is it possible to restore an ignite
image of a server on the primary/alternate boot path if its 2 internal disks are mirrored?Plan of action:
1.make_tape_recovery
2.split the mirror of internal disks
3.restore ignite image on alternate boot path
4.check/monitot server

Any feedback/comments and suggestions would be most appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

[Pramod_4]

Yes, you can do it without any problem.

Create an ignite tape.

Boot the system with the ignite tape.

When prompted to choose the type of installaction, select advanced.

From the Ignite Menu, select your alternate disk as the root disk. Ensure that your primary disk is not included in root VG.

Continure with the installation, there will be a warning saying that there is already a boot area and file system on the disk you selected, ensure that the HW path for the disk shown in the warning is for the alternate disk and continue with the installation.

When you install HP-UX 11.i, Include only your primary disk in Vg00 and Keep the mirror intact. Complete the installation and test the OS and App. Mirror your HP-UX when you are happy with HP-UX 11.i installation.

Good Luck,

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Edgar,

I've never tried to test the ignite image on tape in that manner. Here is a sample doc on the steps that i would perform if i want to verify the image on the tape.

http://www1.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docLocale=en_US&docId=200000066374999

The doc id is KBRC00010753

Hope this helps.

Regds

[Patrick Wallek]

Yes, you can select the disk you want to install your make_tape_recovery tape to. HOWEVER, when you do the installation, make_tape_recovery will automatically configure the drive you installed to, to become the primary boot drive.

[Bernhard Mueller]

Edgar,

make sure you use the -I option of make_tape_recovery, so it will stop after boot an present you the itool screens.
There you can exclude your primary boot disk and setup the root vg with the alternate disk only.

If believe it even set the primary boot path to this disk in such a case (which would have the effect that it will be the same as the alternate boot path after recovery).

Regards,
Bernhard

[Steven E. Protter]

Edgar,

I think you have an excellent plan, and are taking advantage of the OS migration.

You will probably need to do an interactive recovery, but you are testing Ignite functionality and it should work for you.

SEP

[Edgar_8]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback,its most appreciated!

[Edgar_8]

Hi,

Can an N-class ignite image be restored on an L/K class?

Thanks

[Scot Bean]

You can make images on one machine model, then install them on another.

Ignite docs call this a "Golden System Image".

See http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90788/B2355-90788_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90788/00/00/35-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90788/00/00/35-toc.html&searchterms=image%7cgolden&queryid=20031024-113329

(this is Chapter 7 of the Ignite manual)

Uses the 'make_sys_image' command. This command creates a 'stripped down', generic image with all of the machine-specific struff stripped out. Your ignite server config scripts have to put some of that configuration stuff back in.

It can be tricky. I think most folks try to line up their images and models. One tip: make your image on the OLDEST model. See if it works igniting to same or newer models.

[Edgar_8]

Hi,

We are next week doing a clean install of HP-UX 11i from 11.0 in the production environment which consists of 2 N-Class
servers. Initial planning was to just make 2 ignite images this week and then do the installation.However the concern is
since we have never tested an ignite image restore on either of the servers that we test the restore in total.
this is to be done by making and image of the secondary server & restoring it on the secondary server. My concerns
are:
- this is production & testing should be done on a test server which we dont have?

So, is it possible to do the following:

1. split the mirror of disks
2. run an ignite image on the alternate disk ( does this mean thay we first must boot from alternate disk & then
run make_tape_recovery ?)
3. boot from tape & restore image on alternate disk
4. boot from primary disk & resyn/re-enable mirror

Any help/guidance would be most appreciated!!