Multiple Ignite-UX Questions from a fastracked HP Admin

[Alzhy]

I have done most HP-UX Ignite situations and some "unconventional" system propagation, cloning and DR - BUT I still have a few questions that I hope my esteemed ITRC vets can shed some light on:

1. make_sys_image

Can I create a perfectly usable "golden image" on a LIVE system WITHOUT impacting normal access and operation

2. make_net_recovery

Can I recover an make_net_recovery archive to a different server for the purposes of cloning? I know one can create a make_tape_recovery TAPE out of a net_recovery archive but can I restore this to a different server (without modfying the Ignite Server files)?

3. make_net_recovery archives as "Golden Image"

Asking this question again (since the make_net_recovery process invokes make_sys_image)... anyone has a "recipe" to use make_net_recovery archives as a golden image?

Thanks!

[Todd McDaniel_1]

Nelson,

1) make_sys_image actually is a derivation of the make_net_recovery... Yes you can make an image while the box is running and with minimal impact... I think in the interactive mode you can tell it to run at a lower priority..

2) make_net_recovery is designed to do this exactly... However, make sure your CPU architecture is the same... You cant mix PARISC and Itanium based ignite tapes... And it wouldnt hurt for the Hardware to be as similar as possible...

3) by recipie if you mean a script of what to backup I would say all VGs that you have outside VG00 like vg01 and vg02 which may contain /home directories or other filesystems which you have removed from vg00 as I have with /var/opt/perf/datafiles and with /home as well...

However, I have never used this method b/c we have a separate Platform specialist group who formulates these types of images.

[Todd McDaniel_1]

no points here...

I forgot that you can also renice the make_sys_image process to a worse priority to lessen the effect on the system as well.

OR as you kick it off use the "nice" command to lessen the priority as well...So it will pass its properties on to its child procs...

[Alzhy]

Thanks for replay Todd!

1. I never knew there is a TUI (Interactivity) to make_sys_image - never tried it. Last time I did it ona live system with all defaults -- the system was in a state of limbo -- all logged in users did not have access to commands, no one could log in until it's all over.

2. If say I have a make_net_recovery archive of SERVERA... And I create an install client SERVERB, ignite it.. do you mean to say I should be able to pick SERVERB's Archives as part of the installable OS's on the Ignite server? I thought net_recovery archives can only be restored if the client igniting from it is the same hostname as the host that it was created from.

3. You got me wrong here.. say I already have a make_net_recovery archive.. a file (tar/gz format) on the ignite server in /var/opt/ignite/clients/archives/fhp003a/2004-01-09;04:59. Can I copy it and rename it so that it is say /var/opt/ignite/IMAGES/fhp003a_golden.gz AND configure it into the Ignite server's available installable OS's as an Archive option? I recently tried, but in one of the steps .. doing an "archive_impact" on it, the format of the file does not seem to be the same as that created by make_sys_image.

[Todd McDaniel_1]

Regarding #2...

I am not perfectly sure about the hostname and IP address upon the restore... because I have never done it myself... However, with that said I believe you can set the hostname and IP during the restore...

On #3, It says in the manpage that the image is specific to the host it was created from, but I believe you can use it as a golden image for another box...

I think you can get around the problem you are having by restoring the new box as if it were the orignal image and change the /etc/hosts and /etc/rc.config.d/nfsconf

[Dave Johnson_1]

I do not know much about Ignite so please do not beat me up if this comment is obvous,

When I was in one of the Admin classes (a few years ago) we used ignite to setup all the computers in the room for the next class. This was a net recovery from one "Golden" file on the ignite server. We were prompted for IP address and host name we wanted our workstation to be called and the rest was "magic". All 16 computers were setup from the one ignite file on that server.

Is this what you are trying to ask in #2 or am I missing it completely?

-Dave

[Alzhy]

When doing an NETWORK ignite restore OR install, isn't it that you define your client on the Ignite server -- with all its IP address, etc? So if I will restore SERVERA's net_archive on SERVERB.. that would mean momentarily off-lining SERVERA due to a network conflict -- downtime is not acceptable. But bear in mind that just igniting SERVERB as SERVERA will not be possible as the current SERVERA configs at that time will still point to the original server's LANID...

Ignite-UX / HP-UX gurus - whay say you? May ask our Laureates on Olympus for some guidance please...

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,

Dont confuse the two commands:
make_sys_image (Golden Image)
make_net_recovery (System Recovery archive)

A golden image can be installed on any client in the network but a System Recovery Archive can only be installen on the same client where it was created. It is simply not visible for other clients (it is bound to the clients MAC-adress).

It is possible to make a System Recovery Arcive visible for other clients but it needs hacking the Ignite configuration files and, (as I know) it is not documented.

[Alzhy]

Leif, Thanks for the response. And No, I am not confused sire.. precisely by the book that is what is written:

Golden Image (make_sys_image)
I was in a quandary as to how to get a "Golden Image" out of a running system without rendering the reference server unloginnable for the duration of the creation.

Recovery Archives (make_net_recovery)
Also the good book says, it can only be restored on the client on which it was created. But you are right, tweaks on the Ignite servers configuration file CAN allow for restors on a different server BUT you must know what you are doing.

Recovery Archives (make use as GOLDEN IMAGE)
Now this one is what really I am interested in. Is it possible to tweak, morph, engineer the very ARCHIVE file so that I can instal it as an installable "Golden Image"? If I do an archive_impact (remember this preocess?) on it it complains of the format of the file. It seems make_net_recovery's file format is different that that created by make_sys_image.

[Alzhy]

Anyone else could reply to these enquiries?

[Ian Cameron · Accepted solution]

Hi Nelson,

Not sure about 'tweaking' the archive but my 'recipe' for #3 is to use the gui on the server to distribute the image to my client machines but it can also be done from the cmd line. The link I have for the faq is no longer valid but I did find the original email and copied it out to a doc file (attached). I am relieved... I thought I had lost my older documentation except the printed out copy and didn't want to type everything in. The section I am referring to is 11.4 - cloning using make_net_recovery.

I found that the newer documentation does not cover this type of replication/distribution but instead offers something I think is more complex and not required for simple distribution of an image.

Sections 11.5 and 11.6 may also help you with the 'tweaking' of the archives.

Hope it helps,
Ian

[Alzhy]

Bingo IAN... precisely 11.5 is what I was in response to my #2 question.. the "TWEAK" is indeed in that Ignite-UX Faq that you sent..

Lovely...