Ignite-UX backup between different subnets, Urgent! Thanks!

[yyghp]

Hi, I have a server(HostA) installed Ignite-UX server, and I have set it up to backup the other server ( HostB ). But HostA and HostB are in different network.
When I tried to backup HostB in Ignite-UX ( Graphic interface, in fact, i know it will use make_net_recovery ), I got such warning message box:

"HostB" is not on the same subnet with the Ignite-UX server. See the man page for make_boot_tape for information on using the archive you create.

What does it mean ?
I wonder whether Ignite-UX support recovery between different subnets. This is, can I recover HostB via network in this case ? or do I have to make a tape to do the recovery if I need in the future ?
I once to restored the whole system via network, it's faster and more convenient than using tape, but I have no idea about this time, because the servers are in different subnets.
Any one has such experience before to restore the system successfully via different subnets ?
Thanks!

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi,

There shouldn't be any problem to do backup across the subnets.

However, following are the remedies if you are trying to recover the system from another subnet.

1. If it has already a OS on it and if you are trying to upgrade/recover, then simply boot the system from the Ignite/UX server. It will install the files necessary in /stand directory to boot from Ignite/UX server and then you can continue the install from Ignite/Ux server.

2. If it doesnt' have a OS on it but if you want to recover, then

a. Boot it through CD and then point to Ignite/UX. CD should have the same Ignite version as of the Ignite server.
b. Have an ignite helper in the same subnet that can boot the system and point to Ignite server. Look at the ignite documentation on setting up a boot helper.

3. Use of make_tape_recovery tape can avoid the above network issues. However, it is not too reliable.

-Sri

[yyghp]

I have tested backup, it worked fine, but I worry about recovery between subnets...

Thanks!

[Bernhard Mueller]

Hi,

as the servers are in different subnets, what the message means is essentially you cannot boot the recovery client from the ignite server.

So you have several choices:
you can setup a boot helper system (see ignite docs)
you can create a boot tape (make_boot_tape) which will bring up the system and lets you specify the LAN card, the gateway and the IP address it needs to know to reach the ignite server to start recovery.
instead of a boot tape (if you do not have a bootable tape drive) you can create a generic bootable CD which does the same as the boot tape.

Regards,
Bernhard

[yyghp]

hi Sri,

What do you mean "boot the system from the Ignite/UX server" ?
What makes it different that HostB still has O/S or not, if it wants to boot from Ignite server?
As i remember, in the bootup procedure, I need to "press any key" to stop it, and use "boot lan install", it won't use the local system files to start the system then. So, no matter there is an O/S or not, I have to "boot lan install", that is, boot from ignite server, right ?
sorry, i am confused...
Thanks and looking forward to your reply...

[Michael Denney · Accepted solution]

Most HP9000 systems have the ability to boot from another server using bootp protocol. In another words, instead of booting of your hard drive, DAT tape or CD-ROM, you are booting off your network connection. To boot a server utilizing the network, there has to be another server out there on the same subnet providing bootp services. The reason why is beacause the bootp initiation is a broadcast and broadcast does not cross subbets. This is why Instant Ignition is giving the warning message.

Instant Ignition server is designed to provide boot services to clients that need to recovery from disaster. If the Instant Ignition server and the client are not on the same subnet, the Instant Ignition server can not provide boot services.

However, as mentioned above..your simple solution to a valid recovery process is to make a boot tape with make_boot_tape. Booting off the tape made with make_boot_tape will allow your client to contact the Instant Ignition server to perform a full download and recovery of the image you made with make_net_recovery.

[yyghp]

Hi Michael,

do you mean "boot lan install" is that the server can boot from ANY other server(HP-UX,same version) within the same subnet ? The server may not be the ignite server, right ? If so, i don't need to use make_boot_tape to create a tape, because there are another 3 servers in the same subnet of HostB ( which i have the backup files on ignite server HostA ), is that right ?

If HostB is not completely crashed, I mean it still running its O/S well, but I'd like to restore the whole system to the status before change(like applied a lot of patches, upgrade system, etc. ), can I operate on the ignite server ( HostA, different subnet from HostB ) with its graphic interface ( " Action -> Install Client" ) to remotely control the recovery of HostB, without booting HostB using "boot lan install" or tape ?

One more question is that:
After ignite backup, i can get the image file for the target system ( here is HostB ), like this :
# hostname
HostA
# cd /backups/ignite/recovery/archives/HostB
# ll
total 1541870
-rw------- 1 bin sys 394710733 Jun 23 10:45 2004-06-23,10:37
-rw------- 1 bin sys 394709451 Jun 23 11:16 2004-06-23,11:08

As I remember, I can use this image file(which generated by "make_net_recovery") to generate a tape which exactly the same as the tape generated by "make_tape_recovery", so, what command will be used for this and please give me more details about the procedure...

Thank you very much !!!

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi,

// can I operate on the ignite server ( HostA, different subnet from HostB ) with its graphic interface ( " Action -> Install Client" ) to remotely control the recovery of HostB, without booting HostB using "boot lan install" or tape ?//

Yes. That's exactly what I meant by booting the system from Ignite/UX server. When you chose that option, it will distribute the necessary files into /stand directory of the client,updates teh autofile to use them and then reboots.

I use it to upgrade my servers here. And if you have mirror disks, then it is much easier as you can always try installing the OS on the mirror disk with the boot utilities in /stand of the primary disk. So, in case something is messsed up during the installation, you can boot again from the primary disk pointing to Ignite/UX as long the install process doesn't mess up the primary disk.

-Sri

[Michael Denney]

Hi,

Sridhar answered your first two questions quite well. Here is the solution to your last question. I'm going to re-phrase the question to insure this is what your looking for.

How do I make a self-contained bootable tape from an image already stored on the Instant Ignition server?

Below is the "how to" taken from /opt/ignite/share/docmakenetrec.txt.


:::
Replace "sys1" with your client name and the time/date stamp with the time/date stamp of your recovery image.
:::


How to:

- First, a LIF file must be constructed. It will contain the
Ignite-UX tools and environment, the config files produced for the
recovery archive, and the scripts used during recovery. The LIF is
produced via the make_medialif command.

- Second, the LIF and the archive itself must be written to a tape.


Step 1 - Build the LIF
----------------------

First, use make_medialif to build the LIF file:

cd /var/opt/ignite/clients/sys1/recovery/1999-03-12,09:00
/opt/ignite/bin/make_medialif \
-f system_cfg -f control_cfg -f archive_cfg \
-C "1999-03-12,09:00 sys1 recovery image" \
-l /var/tmp/my_lif -a -r

Replace with the "uname -r" value on the machine where the
archive was created. You can also get this value by looking at
the "release" keyword contained in the system_cfg file.


Now modify the LIF file to set it up for use on the tape:

/opt/ignite/bin/instl_adm -d -F /var/tmp/my_lif > /var/tmp/cfg

Edit the /var/tmp/cfg file and add the following lines to the end of
the file:

control_from_server=FALSE
run_ui=TRUE


OR, if you just want the recovery to proceed without any interaction, make
run_ui FALSE and specify to allow warnings, as in the following:

control_from_server=FALSE
run_ui=FALSE
env_vars += "INST_ALLOW_WARNINGS=10"

Then, issue the following command:

/opt/ignite/bin/instl_adm -F /var/tmp/my_lif -f /var/tmp/cfg


Step 2 - Write the tape
-----------------------

First, figure out which tape device file you can use to write the tape.
The device file must match the tape drive type you will use when
actually recovering the system. For example, a tape created with a
DDS-1/no compression device file will work in any DDS drive. Also, the
tape device file must be the no-rewind type. For the rest of this
example, assume that /dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS1n is a no-rewind DDS-1/no
compression device file.

Now it's just a matter of rewinding the tape, writing out the
LIF, writing out the archive and then rewinding again:

mt -t /dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS1n rew
dd if=/var/tmp/my_lif of=/dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS1n obs=2k
dd if=/var/opt/ignite/recovery/archives/sys1/1999-03-12,09:00
of=/dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS1n obs=10k
mt -t /dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS1n rew

In this example, the archive is retrieved from the standard location on
the Ignite-UX server for this host. If you have chosen to put the
archive elsewhere, refer to that location instead.