OS Upgrade

[balaji_vvv]

I'm planning on OS upgrade from 11.11 to 11.23 (on a test box first).
I never done HP OS upgrade and im from Sun environment. Is there
any good document i can read before i can start with. I have some basic questions
like
1. We need to break the OS mirror?
2. What about softwares like wbem, disk/mirroring etc? will that get updated itself?
3. Is there any update checklist tool that i can run on the system?

Thanks

[Court Campbell · Accepted solution]

Before I go to far. You will hear that you should not, or might not, wan to do this. I have personally done this more than a handful of times without issue. I will suggest that you read the 11.23 updates notes from docs.hp.com. There are quite a few patches that should be installed and other things that need to be updated. It's all in the doc. After that, you need to install and run update-ux. You can do it from disk or an nfs server. I usually do it from nfs. once done I usually do an swlist and see if there is any 11.11 software still installed, remove it, and then update it to the 11.23 version. I would also suggest doing an ignite before hand, just in case something goes awry.

[Pete Randall]

Is there some particular feature of 11.23 that you need/want? I would consider going to 11.31 rather than 11.23 simply because of the support life. 11.23 EOL is 12/31/2013, same as 11.11. You have to go to 11.31 to get a longer life.

The way to get to 11.31, by the way, is either through a cold install or you will have to update to 11.23 then update to 11.31.


Pete

[balaji_vvv]

I know there is no point of going to V2 instead of v3, but the hardware we have wont support v3 and they just want to use this servers until their life time. The reason we are going for the upgrade is application needs the OS to be in atleast v2.

How do you do NFS install? I dont have any v2 install DVD? is that something i can get from HP if i have support contract?

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

1) Don't call it an upgrade and don't use upgrade-ux. I continue to see reports of failed updates from 11.23 to 11.31
2) Plan a cold install, followed by re-install of applications.
3) Breaking mirrors is okay, if you need to reference coniguration files or system documentation. It creates more work down the road, because you will eventually have to re-mirror.
4) Checklist depends on what your environment. I'd make sure data and configuration files and documentation are backed up.

SEP

[balaji_vvv]

Thanks Steven. So, is that if im not prefering cold install, then update-ux is the only way of upgrading the OS?

I thought i have put the v2 install DVD on the drive and then boot to the DVD and then it may ask for an option weather to do an cold install or upgrade? Is that something im missing?

I see a software (HP-UX Update-UX) on my systems? Is that something i need ot invoke?

[OldSchool]

You didn't mention what type of box this is, so this may not apply, but 11.11 was the last version that will run on some boxes / interface cards (K-class comes to mind)....

check the support matrices and be sure that all your cards are available

[Pete Randall]

Whether you decide to install or upgrade, this is your official guide:

http://docs.hp.com/en/5187-2725/5187-2725.pdf


Pete

[balaji_vvv]

Its Nclass 4k server. Is that i need v2 install dvd if im using update-ux? can i download it from somewhere?

[Court Campbell]

You'll need a software support contract to get 11iv2 cd's or dvd's. The upgrade docs explain both the disk and nfs installs. You actually do the update while you are in 11.11 OS. It runs a bunsh of SW stuff and performs the update. When it is finished you reboot and your done. I's good that you have a test box to mess with.

But make sure you have good ignites, backups, etc. I cannot stress that enough. You never know when Murphy is going to show up and smack you in the face. Also, the update has a few checks and will let you know if the update will not work. One of my longest updates was due to having to re-ignite a box to get enough space in / before I could run update-ux.

[Court Campbell]

I also wanted to comment on the fact that you only seem to have awarded people with salad hats. That is pretty lame IMO. I've done the upgrades, most others only heard stories.

[balaji_vvv]

I'm really happy with HP's make_recovery. While i'm doing analysis, all my systems having OS on 36G drive, which are almost filled up and the upgrade requires more space on the root fs.
I guess the only option for me here is to break the mirror and move /opt /var fs to the 2nd drive?
And about the mirror, hmmm....make_tape_recovery!
Or i need to do an cold install.
Thanks for suggestions.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom again from not so sunny Toledo, Ohio.

I'm really happy with HP's make_recovery. While i'm doing analysis, all my systems having OS on 36G drive, which are almost filled up and the upgrade requires more space on the root fs.

I guess the only option for me here is to break the mirror and move /opt /var fs to the 2nd drive?

No. You can intervene in the Ignite Interface and change file systems sizes and disk layout. This is done during the recovery and there is a prompt.

And about the mirror, hmmm....make_tape_recovery!

I think a Cold install is a better option here, for reasons described above.

Or i need to do an cold install.
Thanks for suggestions.

SEP

[balaji_vvv]

No. You can intervene in the Ignite Interface and change file systems sizes and disk layout. This is done during the recovery and there is a prompt.

Thanks Steven. Do you have any step by step doucment or link explaining how to do this through ignite?
i have this link, but i want to go withignite path as i will have enough downtime.

http://www.symmetricwebsites.com/articles/HP-UX/hpuxDynamicallyExtendSlashAndOrStand.php

[Raj D.]

balaji ww,
Ignite-ux can be used if you have a network ignite server depot, with an 11.23 os image on the igniet box. Then you can boot this box from the ignite server and start the installation. You can customize /opt or /var space if needed.

- Or - You can cold install 11.23 from the OS Media. Here you can customize /opt or /var space if needed.

- Once OS installation is done , Mirror the root disk.
- Create all the users that were there on 11.11
-Tune all the kernel parameters like they were in 11.11 , may be with more or recomended value per 11.23.
- Install patch bundle for 11.23

- Import all the non-vg00 vgs . ( Need map files from old system and import using the map file) Hope you are aware of this step.
- Insall all the applications those were running on the 11.11.
- Install or add in omni backup if it is part of omniback client.
- Add into monitoring if it is configured for OVO monitoring.

- If it is a service gurad node, then you have to add this node into the cluster and to configure the package(s).
- start applications and verify.


Hth,
Raj.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Yea, I got a doc.

See chapter 11.
http://docs.hp.com/en/5187-0103/5187-0103.pdf

See the FAQ
http://docs.hp.com/en/IUX/faq.html

Start the recovery at the console.

You will see a prompt to press a key to stop the recovery and get to the ignite interface.

Choose the file system tab.

Adjust sizes there.

It can get hairy if you have to move a logical volume to another disk, but it is something that can be done.

SEP

[balaji_vvv]

Thanks to both of you. I have seen lot of support threads that i can go with ignite option for extending root (lvol1-3). I guess i will figure tomorrow, i will do that on my test box. But i really appreciate all of your time.

[balaji_vvv]

This worked perfectly, just the way i want to be!. Actually the test server is not mirrored and the OS is at 2 8G disk.

So i'm assuming that if the system is mirrored, i need to break the mirror and remove the mirror disk from vg00 and do the
make recovery tape with interactive option
and reconfigure the root drive with ignite tape and then remirror back.
is this correct.
Thanks

[Pete Randall]

Yes, that's correct. Ignite will do nothing to restore your mirroring configuration so that must be done manually after Ignite finishes.


Pete