ignite, install vs winstall

[boley janowski]

I have a k480, 11.0/64 and for DR scenario test purposes we will be recovering this box to a N4000.

The apparent issue is that the K-class creates a make_recovery tape with install, and there for looks for install inorder to restore the vg00. Where the N4000 looks for winstall inorder to restore the vg00. I am not up to speed with the make_tape_recovery product yet and am not sure this even pertains.

I need to get this winstall file onto the make_recovery tape for my k480, inorder to complete this test.

I have heard that with a k-class make_recovery on a N4000 you can boot to single user mode and tell it to look for the install file on the tape, but that this is not supported/recommended and only works about half the time. (I have a N4000 I maybe able to test with breifly if I have these procedures to create a make_recovery from an N4000)

I would welcome any comments on how to put the winstall on the k-class make_recovery tape (or if this is a feature of the make_tape_recovery), and how to tell a N4000 to look for the install file instead of the winstall file on the make_recovery tape.

Many thanks in addvance!!

[Vincenzo Restuccia]

See http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90704/B2355-90704_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90704/00/00/55-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90704/00/00/55-toc.html&searchterms=make_recovery&queryid=20010511-070211

[Michael Roberts_3]

With make_tape_recovery both the 32bit INSTALL kernel and the 64bit WINSTALL kernel will be included in the lif area of the tape if the system is running a 64bit kernel. This is not the case with make_recovery.

When booting the N4000 off of a tape created with make_tape_recovery it will automatically pick the correct kernel to boot. The secondary loader (hpux) in the lif is sensitive to the hardware it is running on and will load the appropriate kernel for the hardware (INSTALL for 32bit and WINSTALL for 64bit).

This is what happens when you boot the core/install CD too. The boot area of the CD contains INSTALL/WINSTALL/VINSTALL and the correct one is selected at boot time without user interaction.

[boley janowski]

vincenzo, and michael,

I was reading the manual, and it read to me, that if you create a make_recovery from a 64bit O/S, reguardless of the hardware platform that the make_recovery would automatically use the WINSTALL files. Chapter 10, page 143, INSTALL paragraph (last couple of lines on the page). This contradicts what the DR engineers were telling us. (this is what i thought to start off with) do either one of you have any information to the contrary??

[Patrick Wallek]

My advice is Don't trust the DR engineers. I will not name a company (it was NOT HPs DR services though), but I had some bad luck a couple of years ago with a DR engineer from a company telling me that something would work, but when I got there to test, it did not work and I had to get them give me another machine to test.

[boley janowski]

Thanks Patrick,

That is the reason for this series of questions, they are telling me I will run into problems on something I thought I was covered on. Anyway, I'm going to attempt to test my theory (stated above 64bit=WINSTALL reguardless of H/W) I will let you know what I find out.

[Michael Roberts_3 · Accepted solution]

On a system that runs either 32bit or 64bit (like the Kclass) the INSTALL kernel (32bit) is put in the boot area of the tape even if the Kclass is running a 64bit vmunix (this is the behavior for make_recovery).

For make_tape_recovery the behavior was changed to put both the INSTALL and WINSTALL kernels in the boot area of the tape if the system is running a 64bit vmunix and the system is both 32bit and 64bit capable.

I didn't look at the document you are referencing, but I did look at the code and that is how it behaves. The code in question is /opt/ignite/bin/make_medialif which is called by make_recovery to create the boot lif. Niether the -a nor -o options to make_medialif are used.

[boley janowski]

Michael,

I looked through that file, I noticed that it discusses 64bit and states the WINSTALL, where it sets the variable REQUIRED_64WBIT_FILES. It looks like the bitness variable is set to 32 by default, but this is changed by calling getconf HW_CPU_SUPP_BITS, I changed this to getconf KERNEL_BITS which will make the statement true and set bitness=64w which will get the REQUIRED_64WBIT_FILES I want, I will test and let you know for sure. THANKS!!!

[Carlos Fernandez Riera]

Excuse me if what i will say is not correct, because i cant confirm it at this moment, so i am talking on my remebembers.

INSTALL and WINSTALL are the same, they are hardlink. Kernel for 32 and 64 bit are different. But i cant remember now their names. I gess all they are on /opt/ignite/...

Perhaps it is more important to say that K and N are not very similar on their arquitecture, and need differents drivers and/or patches.

So, the test may begin on a full instalation of O.S., forgeting this first step. In fact the most difficult is not recover an O.S, most dificult is recover to all software/data, and get it run.

HTH.

[boley janowski]

Carlos,

Thanks for the comment, I am very much aware of the difference in H/W from a K to an N, but unfortunately an cant doing anything about that now, however I was able to put the WINSTALL files on the tape so I have completed what needs to be done as per the engineer. Thanks to every ones efforts here. We will address the hardware issues when we get there next week.

[boley janowski]

I wanted thank everyone for there help on this issue. The tape worked the systems recovered from a "K" to an "N" with no problems, and were tested to be fully operational.

[Carlos Fernandez Riera]

Thank you by your feedback.
I just pointed other thread to this.

[Andy Torres]

Hey, Boley! What's up, man?

We still can't guarantee we'll get the same class server at our recovery site.

I'd like to avoid having to cut two recovery tapes for each server to accomodate the WINSTALL/INSTALL differences.

How can I cut one make_tape_recovery that will work across the L-, N- or K-class server platforms?

[marc seguin]

- The first thing I would say is : use make_tape_recovery instead of make_recovery !

- Another point : INSTALL and WINSTALL are different files !
Only INSTALLFS and WINSTALLFS are hard linked to the same file.