My hpux server is dead

[Liadi]

Hi all.
I tried to install a driver to quad nic port card (A5506B) after that the server built a new kernel and revooted.
It didn't recover from that reboot, I can't even get in as single user.
I tried to run /stand/vmunix.prev but didn't succeed either.
Please help me, what can I do?

[Mark Grant]

It would be useful to know at what point the machine stops booting or what errors it gets when trying to load the kernel.

It would be also very gratifying to know if you have an ignite backup of the machine.

[Liadi]

The machine has those 2 lines of reading the kernel, and then when it moves to the other screen. BANG it restart all over again, no error messages, nothing.
And no I don't have a backup.

[Mark Grant]

Did you get the same problem when you tried to boot of the saved kernel? You should be able to boot off the backup kernel that was made when the new one was built-

While you are trying to resolve this question, see if you can make an ignite backup of another similar machine if you have one. This might make re-installing easier if it gets to that.

[Zeev Schultz]

Two possible ways:

1)For some reason (lack of patches, bad install etc) the new kernel isn't good. So the old kernel (.prev) should work unless it
has its problems as well. Try to disconnect all external I/O (exc. for system disk if external) , including network/scsi/fibre cards and boot to single user (with no quorum)

2)physical problem with boot device - disk, if you have a mirror try to boot it.Anyway, before autoboot starts, push any key to stop it in the Boot Menue. Then run "search ipl" to check for bootable devices. If nothing is found - there was a problem with boot sector
and if after "search" nothing is found - disk got detached. If this is hot-swap disk , try to reset it (in-out manner).

3)And the rest...make_recovery tape to recover.

Zeev

[KapilRaj]

Can u try with hpux -lm /stand/vmunix.prev from ISL and try going into LVM maintanance mode ?

from ISL u can list if there are any old copies of kernel by "hpux -ll" command

try to boot with any of those kernels !

Kaps

[Liadi]

Thank you all but nothing is working.
Is there something like recovery cd?

[Elmar P. Kolkman]

Have you tried to remove the quad nic port card before booting from your vmunix.prev kernel?

As for the recovery CD: you could try the install CD's and run a recovery shell from those.

[doug mielke]

It could be that in the process you relinked the kernel twice, resulting in 2 bad kernel copies.

If you only relinked once, then prev should work, unless the hardware (NIC) is causing problems. I'd remove it as my next step.

[Todd McDaniel_1]

Liadi,

Are you able to get to the interupt screen? If so then you can get into maintenance mode.

>hpux -lm ... I believe is the command line.

Once there you should be able to repair your problem.