Restoring system using make_tape_recovery tape

[Ravindra_]

hi,

I am trying to restore HP-UX 11.23 system using make_tape_recovery tape.
its giving me following warning/errors

ERROR: Tar: blocksize = 0; broken pipe?
ERROR: File: . not found.
ERROR: Could not load scripts from the tape.
ERROR: Missing script "/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_c".

* Executing user specified script:
"/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_l".
ERROR: Could not execute the script:
"/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_l"; not found or not
executable.
* Executing: "/var/adm/sw/products/USB-EHCI/USB-EHCI-KRN/iux_postload".
* Executing: "/var/adm/sw/products/USB-OHCI/USB-OHCI-KRN/iux_postload".
NOTE: tlinstall is searching filesystem - please be patient
NOTE: Successfully completed
* Loading_software: Error


The system doesn't boot up properly.

I have booted the system in single user mode and then went to init 3. I have got erros saying

vgchange: Warning: Couldn't attach to the volume group physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d3":
The path of the physical volume refers to a device that does not
exist, or is not configured into the kernel.

I am also not able to access the tape drive after booting

[Court Campbell]

Your tape may be bad. I learned this the hard way and usually make a few ignite images. I know that doesn't help much.

[Victor Fridyev]

Hi,

Insert the tape into a drive which is connected to another machine and run
mt -f /dev/rmt/whatever rew
Sometimes make_tape_recovery does not rewind tapes.
After that you can perform a small test. Ignite tape consists of two files: the first one is boot-image and the second one is tar (default) or cpio archive. So you can set the tape on the second file by
mt -f dev/rmt/0mn fsf 1
(pay attention on n - norewind in the tape name)

tar tvf /dev/rmt/0m

If the tape is OK, you will see a list of backed up files. If this does not work, you will have to create a new tape.

HTH

[Court Campbell]

Victor,

In response to:

Sometimes make_tape_recovery does not rewind tapes.

I thought that make_tape_recovery never rewound the tape. Hence why it uses a tape device file of /dev/rmt/0mn by default. Am I missing something?

[Ravindra_]

# mt -t /dev/rmt/0m rew
/dev/rmt/0m: Invalid argument

I am not able to rewind the tape

[Court Campbell]

Per the man page for mt, use -f as -t is obsolete:

# mt -f /dev/rmt/0m rew

[Ravindra_]

No difference

# mt -f /dev/rmt/0m rew
/dev/rmt/0m: Invalid argument

[Court Campbell]

can you post the output from

ioscan -funC tape

[Ravindra_]

# ioscan -funC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/5/1/0.5.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
/dev/rmt/c4t5d0BEST /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTn /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTnb

[Court Campbell]

looks as if you do not have the device file /dev/rmt/0mn. That is why you would be seeing it as an invalid argument. Try:

insf -C tape

and then

ioscan -funC tape

and post that output. There are usually 8 device files for any tape device. Not unless the output you posted was cut-off somehow. Here are a list of device files from one of my tape drives.

/dev/rmt/51m
/dev/rmt/51mb
/dev/rmt/51mn
/dev/rmt/51mnb
/dev/rmt/c59t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/c59t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/c59t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/c59t3d0BESTnb

[Ravindra_]

# insf -C tape
insf: Installing special files for stape instance 0 address 0/5/1/0.5.0
# ioscan -funC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/5/1/0.5.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
/dev/rmt/c4t5d0BEST /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTn /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTnb


yes I agree, its starge but /dev/rmt/0m and 0mn etc are missing, how do i recover them?

[Ravindra_]

Also, I have observed that everytime I got
os_arch_post_c
os_arch_post_l are missing while restoring the backup from make_tape_recovery backup.

is it absolutely safe to depend upon make_tape_recovery for system recovery or is there any other backup strategy/product more advisable over this one?

[Court Campbell]

well you could use the mksf command to create the files for the tape. But before that please try this:

rmsf -H 0/5/1/0.5.0
ioscan -fnC tape
insf -C tape
ioscan -funC tape

This will remove the device files for the tape. Then we will rescan the io bus for any tape devices. Then you will recreate the device files. let me know if you see anything different.

[Ravindra_]

I have tried the steps

# rmsf -H 0/5/1/0.5.0
# ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/5/1/0.5.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
# insf -C tape
insf: Installing special files for stape instance 0 address 0/5/1/0.5.0
# ioscan -funC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/5/1/0.5.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
/dev/rmt/c4t5d0BEST /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTn /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BESTnb


but still all of the device files are not there

[Court Campbell]

Not sure why you aren't seeing the device files but if all you want to do is rewind the tape try:

mt -f /dev/rmt/c4t5d0BEST rew

[Ravindra_]

Rewinding the tape isnt my problem but I want to know what could be the reason to
ERROR: Missing script "/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_c".
ERROR: Could not execute the script:
"/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_l"; not found or not
executable.

btw, Rewind works if i choose the diff driver as suggested by you

[Court Campbell]

/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_l is a post load script.

/opt/ignite/data/scripts/os_arch_post_c is a post config script.

I really think that you are getting these errors because of a bad tape or a bad drive. Try a different drive.

[Ravindra_]

I will try with different drive, thanks