Proper patch installation procedure

[Raynald Boucher]

Good day all,

I've been charged with doing some patch installation and this includes planning for rollback.
I'm stuck on how to recover if the system does not reboot after a patch.

I have searched the forums and read something about using /stand/vwunix.prev in single user mode but the procedure is still unclear to me.
for instance, when and how is vmunix.prev created? it is timestamped Oct 2005 on our development server and I'm pretty sure (but not absolutely) we have patched since then.

Is there a clear document / procedure somewhere that explains all this?
We are running HP-UX 11.11 on an rp3440.

Thanks
Rayb

[TwoProc]

If you don't boot after a patch:

You can try and boot off of the old kernel by changing/fixing your startup command.

Also, you should already have your ignite backup of the root system ready to go - just restore from there if you have to.

Also, I have "dd" copies of all my root drives on my servers ready to go as well. You can merely drop your boot drive in another running box, dd your tape to this drive, and stick it back in the cabinet where it was before and reboot and you'll be back up after fixing/repairing your mirror drive where you want it to be.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi:

When 'mk_kernel(1M)' is run (which occurs too, when you use SAM to build a new kernel), the old version of '/stand/vmunix' is moved to '/stand/vmunix.prev'. Hence you always have a previous, good kernel from which you can boot.

Since a system is ultimately more than just a kernel to get it going, one of the best forms of insurance you can have when patching is a current Ignite 'make_tape_recovery' image.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

You must, must must must do a make_tape_recovery or make_net_recovery before you start.

The holy grail of patching.

http://docs.hp.com/en/5991-4825/index.html

SEP

[Raynald Boucher]

So in summary,

There is no magic, surefire way to recover unless you have some form of system backup ie Kernel patches installed by swinstall will not backup your kernel etc.

So I'll have to review our existing procedures to make sure they are 100%.

Thanks all