rx2660 with raid controller - create clone without using ignite

[ferrell.scott]

As far as I could tell the problem I am trying to resolve has not been entered into this forum.
We are required to create a backup of our primary boot disk on our two (HP) server systems. We have had no difficulty in the past (using dd command on rx4640 servers); however, recently we have purchased rx2660 servers with RAID controller. We can create 2 RAID0 disks and clone from the primary disk to the backup disk but we cannot get the backup disk to boot regardless of what we try (remove primary disk, move backup disk to primary disk location, etc.). We were told that we can use Ignite to create a golden image of the primary disk on another server; however, we must account for the possibility of both servers losing their primary disk (power surge perhaps) which would eliminate Ignite as a backup.
What I need to know is whether we can create a bootable backup disk using the RAID controller and how. There must be a way we can remove the file that tells the system which disk to use and remake that file pointing to our new system disk. Also, if that is not possible or perhaps this is easier... how do we make the rx2660 become SCSI controlled instead of RAID controlled? Is it as simple as removing the RAID controller card?
We have spent a lot of time attempting backups and fixing mistakes caused by attempts to resolve this issue. In the future, we plan on purchasing HP servers with SCSI controllers!
Thank you in advance,
Scott

[Dennis Handly]

I would assume you could use dd and another disk?
You could also use mirroring but I guess that may defeat the purpose of the RAID.
Have you looked into DRD?

[Torsten.]

What kind of RAID controller do you have?

(smartarray P400 or default built-in 8 port SAS)

[ferrell.scott]

We used to use DRD before DD to clone on the rx4640 servers; however, we found that DD worked more consistently and easily.
The RAID controller is SmartArray P400.
My preference is to make this rx2660 server into a SCSI controlled RAID if possible.
Thanks,
Scott

[rick jones]

How about Ignite to create the golden image which you install onto a second set of discs you store in some nice secure place?

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

To "downgrade" the controller simply connect the cables back to the systemboard. Your data on the disks cannot be read by this controller, so take a backup if you need.

Just reverse the steps:

http://docs.hp.com/en/AD397-9001A/index.html

and also see

http://docs.hp.com/en/J6369-90071/index.html

[ferrell.scott]

Great! It appears all I have to do is reroute the cables from the P400 RAID controller back to the system board, as you said.
How do I create a backup disk of the RAID0 disk currently controlled by the RAID controller that can be read by the system board?
Thanks!
Scott

[Torsten.]

Each cable is for 4 disks.

You can delete any RAID on a set of 4 disks and connected the cable to the other controller. Now you can use LVM mirroring or DRD to "clone" the disk. If this is done, remove anything that points to the remaining cable (disk set) and swap the second cable to the other controller.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

With raid 1 set up, you can simply remove and replace one of the two disks in the raid set.

The removed disk is a system clone. Then you give the raid set time to rebuild and can do it again.

Its almost a backup method.

Ignite lets you make system changes at recovery time, a key feature.

SEP

[ferrell.scott]

Things are not going well.
Call rx2660 server with RAID controller - A
Call rx2660 server with SCSI controller - B
The disks in both servers A & B are type SAS.
I verified the RAIDs were deleted on A. We removed the RAID controller card and battery from A. I built up a disk on A. I cloned (using dd) on A. I removed the built up disk from slot0 and moved the cloned disk from slot1 to slot0. I added a boot entry and selected to boot from slot0. I received errors.
I tried this twice... once using disks from A then using disks from B.
Now, I am in the process of building a disk on B. Next, I will clone on B and try to boot from the clone.
Why isn't this working? Do I need to remove the RAID controller firmware? Do I need to update the SCSI controller firmware?
Thanks,
Scott

[ferrell.scott]

Attempt 2: I cloned from built-up disk that I discussed in last thread in server B. I removed the built-up disk and moved the cloned disk from slot1 to slot0. I created a boot entry and selected to boot from the cloned disk; however, the disk failed with errors at the same point, followed by a system crash. It appears the problem I'm having is not (completely) RAID controller related. What is different between the rx4640 and rx2660 servers that I can use dd to clone on the rx4640 servers but not the rx2660 servers?!
Thanks,
Scott

[sujit kumar singh]

hi Ferrel,

is this due to then the dd relation with the SAS HDDs?!

On serverB,
let
/dev/dsk/c0t0d0 -- Original disk from which the OS boots OK.
/dev/dsk/c0t1d0 --- disk on whcih you create the clone.

once from a good OS boot disk prepare a clone using dd.

after that do a vgcfgrstore of the existing disk on that Disk.
#vgcfgrestore -n vg00 /dev/rdsk/c0t1d0

set the boot path for this disk and try booting from this disk keeping in this location only.

If successful then try changing the slot and try to boot.


Regards
Sujit

[ferrell.scott]

i am away on travel. my program's system administrator attempted your recommendation and this is his response.
we use dd if=/dev/rdsk/c2t0d0 of=/dev/rdsk/c2t1d0 bs=1024k
note, the rdsk. this has worked for us on rx4640 servers.
from co-worker, bob....
I tried the guy's suggestion because it did make sense. The only trouble is if I do it booted with the DVD it doesn't create the device drivers for the drives so no joy. If I do it booted off disk1 (c1t0d0) and run it for disk2 (the clone, c1t1d0) I get the following error message:

root@ifp83d () 13 # /usr/sbin/vgcfgrestore -n vg00 /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0

Configuration info for Physical Volume "/dev/rdsk/c1t1d0" not found
in "/etc/lvmconf/vg00.conf" :
Charactor-special file for PV not supplied on command line, OR
PV did not belong to Volume Group /dev/vg00 when configuration file was created.

[sujit kumar singh]

Hi Scott,
in the last post as maade by you, there seems to be a typo regarding the Devoce files of the disks as you have mentioned with the dd command and that you have made on the vgcfgrestore command.

Also make sure that these steps ypu are doing on the server that is not having the RAID Card.


Regards
Sujit

[ferrell.scott]

The dd command line is an example taken from our procedure manual on the rx4660 where you use c2t0d0 and c2t1d0. On our 2660 it's c1t0d0 and c1t1d0 (c1 is actual, c2 is an example). We are using hostname, ifp83d which has never had a RAID controller in it. Also, the disks we are using have never been in a RAID controlled system.

Scott

[ferrell.scott]

my last post was listed nearly 2 weeks ago. as it appears, the issue with cloning using dd i've encountered is not confined to rx2660 servers with RAID controller as stated in the last few posts... i used a rx2660 server sent to us without a RAID controller but instead with the system board (SCSI) controller.
dd used to work with rx4640 servers. does anyone know why it is not working with rx2660 servers? we are planning on purchasing many more of these servers but if they cannot create a backup disk using dd we may be forced to look elsewhere.
we saw a similar issue like this with sun servers but when we contacted sun they told us to delete some file/directory that allowed a cloned disk to boot as primary while remaking the deleted file/directory. still need help, please!
scott

[ferrell.scott]

lets try this again...

HPUX 11.23 version 2 installed on rx2660 without RAID controller ever installed (controlled by system board SCSI), used dd to clone from primary to secondary disk, tried to boot from cloned disk after placing into primary disk slot and receive error messages below. these are original disk drives sent with server:

HP-UX Boot Loader for IPF -- Revision 2.028

Press Any Key to interrupt Autoboot
\EFI\HPUX\AUTO ==> boot vmunix
Seconds left till autoboot - 0
AUTOBOOTING...> System Memory = 20455 MB
loading section 0
.......................................................... (complete)
loading section 1
.............. (complete)
loading symbol table
loading System Directory (boot.sys) to MFS
....
loading MFSFILES directory (bootfs) to MFS
...............
Launching /stand/vmunix
SIZE: Text:29203K + Data:7013K + BSS:5141K = Total:41358K

Console is on a Serial Device
Booting kernel...


Memory Class Setup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class Physmem Lockmem Swapmem
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
System : 20455 MB 20455 MB 20455 MB
Kernel : 20455 MB 20455 MB 20455 MB
User : 19301 MB 16821 MB 16886 MB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loaded ACPI revision 2.0 tables.
NOTICE: cachefs_link(): File system was registered at index 5.
NOTICE: nfs3_link(): File system was registered at index 8.
NOTICE: mod_fs_reg: Cannot retrieve configured loading phase from KRS for module: cifs. Setting to load at INIT

NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Device/USB/Standard/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.1.3.10.1008.4390.1>
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Keyboard/USB/Boot/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.305.3.100.1008.4390.1>
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Mouse/USB/Standard/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.307.3.10.1008.4390.1>
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Device/USB/Standard/hp/Multibay/0_a1
<2.1.3.10.1008.294.161>
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/MassStorage-SCSI/USB/BulkOnly/hp/Multibay/0_a1
<2.310.3.150.1008.294.161>
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/ScsiControllerAdaptor/USB/BulkOnly/hp/Multibay
<2.1000.3.150.1008.294>
sasd: [ALERT] Driver detected a software downgrade.
sasd: The current driver version is unsupported
sasd: for the Serial SCSI HBA at hw path 0/1/1/0.
sasd: Please install the latest SerialSCSI-00 depot ASAP.
Boot device's HP-UX HW path is: 0/1/1/0.0.0.

Calling function e000000001057400 for Shutdown State 8 type 0x2

Stored message buffer up to panic:
g phase from KRS for module: cifs. Setting to load at INIT

0 sba
0/0 lba
0/0/1/0 rmp3f01
0/0/1/1 rmp3f01
0/0/1/2 asio0
0/0/2/0 UsbOhci
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Device/USB/Standard/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.1.3.10.1008.4390.1>
0/0/2/0.0 UsbMiniBus
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Keyboard/USB/Boot/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.305.3.100.1008.4390.1>
0/0/2/0.0.0 UsbBootKeyboard
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Mouse/USB/Standard/hp/Unknown/0_1
<2.307.3.10.1008.4390.1>
0/0/2/1 UsbOhci
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/Device/USB/Standard/hp/Multibay/0_a1
<2.1.3.10.1008.294.161>
0/0/2/1.0 UsbMiniBus
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/MassStorage-SCSI/USB/BulkOnly/hp/Multibay/0_a1
<2.310.3.150.1008.294.161>
0/0/2/1.0.0 UsbBulkOnlyMS
NOTICE: USB device attached. Identification String:
Devices/ScsiControllerAdaptor/USB/BulkOnly/hp/Multibay
<2.1000.3.150.1008.294>
0/0/2/1.0.16 UsbScsiAdaptor
0/0/2/1.0.16.0 tgt
0/0/2/1.0.16.0.0 sdisk
0/0/2/1.0.16.7 tgt
0/0/2/1.0.16.7.0 sctl
0/0/2/2 UsbEhci
0/0/3/0 gvid_core
0/1 lba
sasd: Claimed HP PCI/PCI-X SAS MPT adapter at hardware path 0/1/1/0
0/1/1/0 sasd
0/1/2/0 igelan
0/1/2/1 igelan
0/2 lba
0/2/1/0 PCItoPCI
0/2/1/0/4/0 iether
0/2/1/0/4/1 iether
0/2/1/0/6/0 iether
0/2/1/0/6/1 iether
0/3 lba
0/4 lba
0/4/1/0 PCItoPCI
fcd: Claimed HP AD194-60001 4Gb Fibre Channel port at hardware path 0/4/1/0/4/0 (FC Port 1 on HBA)
0/4/1/0/4/0 fcd
fcd: Claimed HP AD194-60001 4Gb Fibre Channel port at hardware path 0/4/1/0/4/1 (FC Port 2 on HBA)
0/4/1/0/4/1 fcd
0/4/1/0/6/0 iether
0/4/1/0/6/1 iether
120 processor
121 processor
122 processor
123 processor
250 pdh
250/0 ipmi
250/1 asio0
250/2 acpi_node
sasd: [ALERT] Driver detected a software downgrade.
sasd: The current driver version is unsupported
sasd: for the Serial SCSI HBA at hw path 0/1/1/0.
sasd: Please install the latest SerialSCSI-00 depot ASAP.
0/1/1/0.0.0 sasd_vbus
0/1/1/0.0.0.1 tgt
0/1/1/0.0.0.1.0 sdisk
Boot device's HP-UX HW path is: 0/1/1/0.0.0.1.0

System Console is on the Built-In Serial Interface
igelan0: INITIALIZING HP PCI-X 1000Base-T Dual-port Built-in at hardware path 0/1/2/0
iether2: INITIALIZING HP AB545-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 4-port 1000B-T Adapter at hardware path 0/2/1/0/4/0
iether3: INITIALIZING HP AB545-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 4-port 1000B-T Adapter at hardware path 0/2/1/0/4/1
iether4: INITIALIZING HP AB545-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 4-port 1000B-T Adapter at hardware path 0/2/1/0/6/0
iether5: INITIALIZING HP AB545-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 4-port 1000B-T Adapter at hardware path 0/2/1/0/6/1
iether6: INITIALIZING HP AD194-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 2-port 4Gb FC/2-port 1000B-T Combo Adapter at hardware path 0/4/1/0/6/0
iether7: INITIALIZING HP AD194-60001 PCI/PCI-X 1000Base-T 2-port 4Gb FC/2-port 1000B-T Combo Adapter at hardware path 0/4/1/0/6/1
igelan1: INITIALIZING HP PCI-X 1000Base-T Dual-port Built-in at hardware path 0/1/2/1
PERFMON: Unrecognized Itanium-? processor model [0x0000000000000020, 0x0000000000000001]!
WARNING: ROOT device 0x1f011002 is a non-LVM partition, disallowed on LVM disk.
WARNING: ROOT device 0x1f011002 has been deconfigured (set to 0xffffffff).


-----------------------------------------------------
| |
| SYSTEM HALTING during LVM Configuration |
| |
Non-lvm root on LVM disk
| |
-----------------------------------------------------


System Panic:

panic: LVM: Configuration failure
Stack Trace:
IP Function Name
0xe0000000011a1da0 lv_boothalt+0x110
0xe0000000011a9340 lv_check_boot+0x60
0xe0000000011a9230 lvmconf+0x2f0
0xe0000000011aedd0 im_lvmconf+0x70
0xe0000000015de7d0 DoCalllist+0x3a0
End of Stack Trace

linkstamp: Tue Feb 03 14:16:05 EST 2009
_release_version: @(#) $Revision: vmunix: B11.23_LR FLAVOR=perf Fri Aug 29 22:35:38 PDT 2003 $

sync'ing disks (0 buffers to flush): (0 buffers to flush):
0 buffers not flushed
0 buffers still dirty

*** A system crash has occurred. (See the above messages for details.)
*** The system is now preparing to dump physical memory to disk, for use
*** in debugging the crash.

ERROR: Your system crashed before I/O and dump configuration was complete.
This system does not support a crash dump under these circumstances.
Contact your HP support representative for assistance.


then server resets...
***********************************************************
* ROM Version : 04.04
* ROM Date : 07/15/2008
* BMC Version : 05.23
***********************************************************

please help!
thanks in advance,
scott

[ferrell.scott]

i moved this thread to ircf, hp-ux, system administrators.