Problem with boot/rootvg mirror on 11.23 IPF

[KMRT]

Hi - I need to sort out rootvg mirror on a rx4640 that someone else has set-up...

ioscan reports the 'primary' disk as being;
/dev/dsk/c2t1d0 /dev/rdsk/c2t1d0
/dev/dsk/c2t1d0s1 /dev/rdsk/c2t1d0s1
/dev/dsk/c2t1d0s2 /dev/rdsk/c2t1d0s2
/dev/dsk/c2t1d0s3 /dev/rdsk/c2t1d0s3

but the disk the mirror is on as being;
/dev/dsk/c3t0d0 /dev/rdsk/c3t0d0

The problem we now have is that, whilst the lv's seem to be mirrored okay - I've not been able to set the boot on the secondary disk - it keeps getting upset (which I'm sure is to do with not having the exact same structures on the second disk).

Output from vgdisplay for vg00 shows;
--- Physical volumes ---
PV Name /dev/dsk/c2t1d0s2
PV Status available
Total PE 4228
Free PE 109
Autoswitch on

PV Name /dev/dsk/c3t0d0
PV Status available
Total PE 4238
Free PE 119
Autoswitch on

* From what I've seen in some other threads, the problem is probably the fact that primary disk is using the 's2' area, but the selected disk for the mirror is simply 'the whole disk'.

We cannot make changes to the primary disk now, as customer needs to go live v.soon - BUT - I'm happy to kill/remove the mirror stuff on second disk and recreate from scratch then do test boot, etc.

I think my problem is lack of understanding on how to create the same structures on the 2nd disk as already exist on the primary boot ... any/all help would be much appreciated. (And I'm sorry this was long-winded but hope it gives more info that may help).

Many thanks,
Paul M.

[RAC_1 · Accepted solution]

Check the following procedure. If required, repeat it.
How to Mirror VxVM rootdg on Itanium DocId: IA64KBRC00012173 Updated: 3/2/04 7:31:00 AM

PROBLEM
How do I create a rootdg mirrored boot disk on Itanium systems ?
CONFIGURATION
Itanium Itanium2 ia64 IPF systems running VxVM as root boot disk.
RESOLUTION
========================================
NOTE: Steps MUST be executed in sequential order.
========================================

A) The first step is to determine which drive is the new drive. Use
"ioscan -fnC disk" command or obtain help from an HP Hardware
Engineer (HP-CE) or HP's Response Center. The disk device name
for this process.
-Example /dev/dsk/c3t2d0 (Controller instance 3, SCSI ID 2, Lun 0)


B) Partition the new disk and populate.

1. Use vi to create a partition description file by doing the following:

# vi /tmp/partitionfile

The 3 line entry for 11.22 should look like this:

2
EFI 100MB
HPUX 100%

The 4 line entry for 11.23 should look like this:

3
EFI 500MB
HPUX 100%
HPSP 400MB


2. Use idisk to setup the disk partitioning using the file created above:

# idisk -wf /tmp/partitionfile /dev/rdsk/cXtXdX

NOTE: There will be a prompt with a message saying the operation may be
destructive and asks to continue. Be sure to answer 'yes' for the
operation to be successful. If the prompt is answered with 'y' only,
an error is received along with a message saying "user aborting".


3. Use insf to create the new device files (cXtXdXs1, cXtXdX2 and cXtXdXs3)

# insf -e

4. Use mkboot to format and populate the newly created EFI partition:
(Note this command is done to the whole disk path)

# mkboot -e -l /dev/dsk/cXtXdX

5. Use vxdctl to have VxVM see the new cXtXdXs2 disk:

# vxdctl enable

6. Use vxdisk to confirm that the new disk can be seen by vxvm
and that it is "online invalid":

# vxdisk list

7. Use vxrootmir to mirror the root disk. Make sure to use
the -v option since mirroring volumes takes a long time:
(Note the path must be to sub-partition s2)

# /etc/vx/bin/vxrootmir -v cXtXdXs2

NOTE: With the full version of "VERITAS Volume Manager", you
will be able to mirror all non-root volumes on rootdg.

# vxassist -g rootdg mirror VOL_NAME

8. Use vxprint to verify that all volumes are mirrored:

# vxprint -g rootdg -vp (All vols should have 2 plexes and
ACTIVE)


D) Create a new EFI boot option.


9. Reboot and select the EFI "Boot Option Maint menu" --> "Add a
boot Option", then select the correct disk. Select "EFI" -->
"HPUX" --> "HPUX.efi". Then name the entry to either
"HP-UX Primary boot" or "HP-UX alternate boot".


Selecting the mirror disk. Example,
(Pun1,Lun0) represents SCSI target 1, Lun 0 (cXt1d0):
(Pun2,Lun0) represents SCSI target 2, Lun 0 (cXt2d0):
---------------------------------------------------------------
EFI Boot Maintenance Manager ver 1.10 [14.61]

Add a Boot Option. Select a Volume

IA64_EFI [Acpi(HWP0002,100)/Pci(1|0)/
Scsi(Pun1,Lun0)/HD(Part1,SigB45A0000)
IA64_EFI [Acpi(HWP0002,100)/Pci(1|1)/
Scsi(Pun2,Lun0)/HD(Part1,Sig958B0000)


10. If required select "Change boot order" to manage the boot
order. For example, "HP-UX Primary boot" should be on the
top, followed by the "HP-UX alternate boot" boot option.



E) VERIFY YOUR WORK!!!

11. Manually boot the system using each boot option.

12. Run the following command after booting HP-UX.

# setboot (Verify that both disks are in the bootpath)
# vxprint -g rootdg -pv (All vols should have 2 plexes and
ACTIVE)




Additional Information:
man 1M idisk
man 1M pvcreate
man 1M mkboot
man 1M vgcfgrestore
KBRC00014263, Replace failed mirrored root VxVM disks on Itanium.
KBRC00011156, How to mirror root LVM disks on Itanium.
IA64KBRC00012172, Managing boot options from EFI shell.
IA64KBRC00012174, How to add an EFI boot menu entry using menus
IA64KBRC00012175, How to change disk volume labels from EFI.

[Torsten.]

Hi Paul,

if you are using LVM, this will help:

http://h21007.www2.hp.com/dspp/tech/tech_TechGroupTipDetailPage_IDX/1,2367,10002,00.html#5343

T.

[KMRT]

Wow - thanks guys for the super fast responses. Will give this lot a try when next I've got access to the machine.

[KMRT]

"RTFM" was what was needed!