make_tape_recover vs. make_net_recover

[John Jimenez]

In the past I have always had dds tape drives locally on the servers. I now have a couple of RP7420's running HP/UX 11.23, with no internal tape drives. I have a MSL5030 LTO1 tape library that uses Data Protector via SAN, but have never did this on anything other then DDS in the past. Can I put in a LTO tape directly into the tape drive of the library and run the make_tape_recover command or should I use make_net_recover? I have never used make_net_recover befor. Does anyone give me the standard syntax for make_net_recover? Thank you in advance.

[Torsten.]

This is your starting point for all ignite related questions:

http://docs.hp.com/en/IUX/

And of course, this forum. ;-)

You can still backup your servers, but you need one tape for each system. You need to load it manually to the lib, because DP can't handle ignite backups. If you backup to a SAN based tape, you need to boot from an install media (DVD) prior to restore from SAN. But backup/restore are very, very fast.

A ignite server is basically the same, but archives are stored on disk instead of tape now. You should setup the server and connect all clients together to a single subnet using their built-in interfaces for easier restoring.

A lot of pros and cons for both methods.

For all options see man make_net_recovery

[John Jimenez]

Thank you Torsten. I was unable to access that link. I will try again later.

[John Jimenez]

I read the link, but I also noticed that some admins are making one with their DVD writers I have the following one installed on mine _NEC DVD+RW ND-2100AD.
on the forumn someone metioned using a DVD which I did not think of before by doing a make_sys_image command. Does anyone have a preference on which is better? Like I had mentioned I have been taking make_tape_recovers monthly for years, but luckily have never needed to restore. Since I have never restored, changing backup methods does not matter.

[IT_2007]

use this syntax.

/opt/ignite/bin/make_net_recovery -A -v -d

which will take vg00 to be backedup with default tape drive or if you know you can specify /dev/rmt/cxtyd0BESTn for tape drive

[Geoff Wild]

Why not just ignite to disk, then run a OS backup on your ignite server?

This is what I do - then from cron on the individual servers:

/opt/ignite/bin/make_net_recovery -v -x exclude=/var/opt/perf/datafiles -x inc_entire=vg00 -s IGNITESERVER >/usr/local/logs/net_ignite_log.`date +%y%m%d` 2>&1

where IGNITESERVER is the hostname of your ignite server.

Rgds...Geoff

[John Jimenez]

Thanks Srini,
I am going to try the command out and will let you know how it goes.

Geoff,
I used to only always have 1 server so doing it on a tape is not big deal. Now I have 3 servers (2 w/out DDS drive). Would you still suggest that I back up to disk instead of tape? Also, I have always used tape, so I am a little confused on doing it to disk. Except for my local 18 gig or 36 gig internals (vg00) rest of disks are on a SAN. Is it harder are easier to restore from disk if I ever need to? You mentioned ignite server. Does this have to be a seperate UNIX server? or can it be one of these 3?

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

You will have to use make_net_recovery.

I suggest you do it to an NFS mount point so the LTO tape library can access it to back up the archives to tape.

You will not, even with an HP Storage works array be able to boot your servers off the tape device on the SAN. Deep in the information on the drive, you will find confirmation that it does not comply with Ignite guidelines. This is what I found out a few years ago when I wanted to do the same thing.

At the time my company invested in a SCSI Ultrium drive per server to continue with make_tape_recovery.

Things may have changed with newer Ignite versions, but I have my doubts and no means to test it now.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

You will have to use make_net_recovery.

I suggest you do it to an NFS mount point so the LTO tape library can access it to back up the archives to tape.

You will not, even with an HP Storage works array be able to boot your servers off the tape device on the SAN. Deep in the information on the drive, you will find confirmation that it does not comply with Ignite guidelines. This is what I found out a few years ago when I wanted to do the same thing.

At the time my company invested in a SCSI Ultrium drive per server to continue with make_tape_recovery.

Things may have changed with newer Ignite versions, but I have my doubts and no means to test it now.

make_net_recovery works almost exactly the same as make_tape_recovery except instead of a tape, it mounts a writeble nfs mount point and writes its archives there. The archives will fit nicely on allocated space of a EMC or EVA disk array, though the NFS mount point may need to be managed and re-exported by an Ignite server to permit boots. Not sure about this last part.

The recovery process is similar, though the client machine must be booted off built in NIC cards, not an add in. In the USA, I set up a private server network on the built in cards with an old cisco switch to make keep this network traffic which can be huge off he regular Corporate LAN.

SEP

[Bill Hassell]

The make_net_recovery command is not a standalone program. You'll have to setup an Ignite network server. Without this server setup, there is no way to cold boot from the image you saved. Also, to boot from an Ignite server requires that the server be on the same subnet. Otherwise, you'll need a 'helper' system or a bootable CD that can get enough of an OS running to choose a different network for the boot process.

make_net_recovery requires a lot more steps to get started, and because of network considerations, it's imperative to test your setup. You'll need an Ignite server plus a test system to make sure the process steps work. You don't want any surprises when you actually need the net recovery image.

[John Jimenez]

Hmmm.... because I do not have a server, does that mean that I have to use make_tape_recover to my LTO1 Library over the SAN? When using the make_network_recovery is the ignite server usually a dedicated server? What are the requirements? I currently one RP7410 running 11.11 (which normally uses dds2 and takes quite a long time) and the 2 new ones running 11.23.

[John Jimenez]

a few years ago a consultant said that we could not use the LTO1 tape library/drive over the SAN to make_tape_recover, only dds tape drive. But I just ran it to the first LTO drive and if ran fine and of course way faster then that old dds drive.

make_tape_recovery -x inc_entire=vg00 -a /dev/rmt/0mn

Like I had mentioned I have never had to restore from a make_tape_recovery. is doing it this way accepted? Will I be able to restore from this if I need to?

Thanks again for all your help

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

Hi John,

regarding the restore over SAN:

The firmware of the server is not clever enough to find the tape device inside the SAN and boot from it.

For this reason you need to boot from the install media (DVD) and select the tape device inside the SAN, because the install utility from the media *is* clever enough:

-> Install HP-UX -> select Advanced Installation -> Recovery tape -> GO!

You can also install a current version of ignite on one of your servers and set it up (see the link I gave you earlier). Ignite is able to handle both, 11.11 and 11.23.

http://www.docs.hp.com/en/IUX/download.html

The manual (Ignite-UX Administration Guide: for HP-UX 11.00 and 11i - Edition 23, June 2006):

http://docs.hp.com/en/B2355-90970/index.html

[Bill Hassell]

When is a tape drive not a tape drive? When it is in a SAN... A SAN is nothing like a simple SCSI cable to the tape drive and the processor ROMs are far too small to contain all the specialized code to talk to a storage network. The LTO drive (as you have seen) is just fine for Ignite. What the consultant may have meant was that older computers may not have firmware that knows about LTO drives. Yes, there are a lot of differences between DDS, DLT, LTO, AIT and other tape drives. But your rp's will work OK with SCSI tape drive (for recovery). You may need to get a portable LTO drive just for recovery (and process testing) tasks.

[Michael Steele_2]

Yes you'll have to use make_net_recovery but there are cons to this. For example your ignite server will have to be rebuilt in the event of a disaster before your production servers. Some NICs don't like igniting over a subnet so you'll have to verify this. You can go through a router but you'll need boot helper to do so and that's and additional complication. In short, your adding extra steps to your disaster recovery plans. So its my preference to use tapes unless you're in a server farm. Tapes are uncomplicated and easier to manage. Consider adding a dat drive into your servers and simplifying your duties.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I personally like have a tape on my desk and one in the vault.

[John Jimenez]

Thank you for all that information. I used the make_tape_recovery not the make_net_recovery and it finished okay. Since I have never restored off one, I will use the one with less steps, which is tape. I now have a D.R. system off site (K380, connected via a SCSI not SAN,to a MSL5030 Library, I will have to plan some time to play and see if I can. I will be assigning points in a little while. Are the links that are posted the best links to learn how to do the restore? I will try and see if I can make time this week and next to do the restore on the DR system off site.

[Torsten.]

The link is the latest official manual as mentioned:

The manual (Ignite-UX Administration Guide: for HP-UX 11.00 and 11i - Edition 23, June 2006):

http://docs.hp.com/en/B2355-90970/index.html

[John Jimenez]

Thanks again everyone

[Michael Steele_2]

If you've never used a make_tape_recovery tape then you should find a test machine and do so. You can choose an automatic restore which takes about an hour and one half or interupt the auto restore and make O/S config changes. This is the clone process. And for an off site disaster restore you'll have to use the non-auto restore since some things will be different. The gateway ip for example.

Also you can verify the make_tape_recovery tape with tar and you should include this after every creatation.

mt -t /dev/rmt/0m rew (* verify the tape is rewound
mt -t /dev/rmt/0mn fsf 1 (* move the tape ahead one record and past the boot lif
tar -tvf /dev/rmt/0mn (* list the table of contents

and selective restore of only one file

cd /dir
tar -xvf /dev/rmt/0mn dir/file_to_restore

[John Jimenez]

Micheal,

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. This really helps!!
The D.R. system at the Warehouse is my test system.

[Patrick Wallek]

If you are going to test a make_tape_recovery tpae that was made on your rp7410 or rp7420's on a K380, well.......godd luck.

Those machines are so different that your K380 will probably not come up. It might, but I kind of doubt it.

There is a setting in the Ignite interface, when booting from the tape, somewhere that tells Ignite that you are recovering to different hardware. Make sure you find that and set it. Hopefully it will help.

But still, the K series machines and the rp74x0 machines are very different architecturally, so don't be too surprised if the make_tape_recovery tape doesn't work on the K380.

[John Jimenez]

I have a SCSI MSL5030 off site too. I did a make_tape_recovery on that system and would restore off of that LTO tape.

[Michael Steele_2]

MSL5030 is a tape library and not considered a bootable device. So you'll need and external tape drive on a dedicated SCSI bus in order to boot off of that tape. You'll then have to move that external tape drive around from server to server in order to restore.

[John Jimenez]

So is this probably why the consultant said we had to buy a dds tape drive that was physically connected?