Rebuilding workstation - new OS disc

[MarkSyder]

Hi everybody.

I'm currently in the process of rebuilding some workstations. I've completed four out of six. This has released 2 x 9 Gb discs.

The two remaining workstations currently have only a 36 Gb disc each. This disc is used for operating system, application software, and user information. I intend using the two spare 9 Gb discs to contain the operating system so the users will have more space for their data to grow (and because I believe OS should be on a dedicated disc).

I'm just planning how to go about this and would appreciate input from anyone who's done this in the past. My plan at present is as follows:

1. Copy application software and user data filesystems to tape.

2. Take an ignite backup of the operating system filesystems.

3. Put a 9 Gb disc in.

4. Perform an ignite recovery to the 9 Gb disc, amending the sizes of filesystems where necessary.

This is where I suspect there may be a stumbling block. The 36 Gb disc that is currently in each workstation is vg00 - I want vg00 to be the operating system disc. If I perform the ignite recovery as outlined, will I now have two vg00s?

Assuming I can reconfigure the 36 Gb disc as vg01, the final stage will be to set up the application software and user data filesystems and restore from tape.

Any advice appreciated, but please wait patiently for your points: I won't be given access to this workstation till next week.

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

[Pete Randall · Accepted solution]

Mark,

After you've installed the OS onto the new disk, run "pvcreate -f" against the 36 Gb disk - that will take care of any existing LVM structures and you can then create it as vg01.


Pete

[MarkSyder]

Thanks Pete.

I've just had a look at the manual page for pvcreate and I think I've been given a 10-point answer within minutes of asking the question!

I'll confirm that once I've done the job.

Mark

[Devender Khatana]

Hi Mark,

Even when you have recovered vg00 in 9 gb Disk you can import vg in 36 GB with different vg name. vgimport do not import VG with same VG name as was original VG name.
This means vg00 can always be imported as vg01.

Still as you would like to eliminate the OS partitions in the 36 GB disk. It will be a better idea to recreate VG. or atleast file systems if you do not intend to change earlier VG parameters.

Another way of moving OS is to mirror OS part to 9GB and remove from 36GB. But for this you should have mirror UX & your existing OS partitions should not exceed 9GB in toal.

Choice is yours.

HTH,
Devender

[MarkSyder]

I'm part way through and have reached a problem.

I didn't have a spare tape drive to do the ignite backup so I did a make_net_recovery. That was successful. I then put the new disc in the WS and rebooted from ignite. Ignite now insists that it wants to install the OS on the old 36Gb disc. I can't see any way of persuading it to install to the 9Gb disc.

Any ignite experts out there who can help?

Mark

[MarkSyder]

I think we're getting somewhere - on the WS console it only gave me the option to recover to the old disc, but the GUI on the ignite server allows me to select a disc.

Recovery is now underway and points will be given on completion.

Mark

[MarkSyder]

That went surprisingly smoothly. It's the first time I've ever rebuilt a box from an ignite backup, but I'll have no fear next time (which should be next week!).

If only Data Protector were as user friendly as ignite ;-)

Mark