setboot command question...

[MikeL_4]

We are running HP-UX 11.31, which I just installed eight (8) new servers....

I was checking the setboot command after mirroring the root disk and noticed that on some the Alternate is set on the 'HA Alternate' and others are set on 'Alternate'

Can someone explain why this would be, and what is the correct  one to be set ??

i.e.:

=> setboot -v
Primary bootpath : 0/0/0/2/0/0/0.0x0.0x1010000c0000000 (/dev/rdisk/disk2)
HA Alternate bootpath : 0/0/0/2/0/0/0.0x0.0x1000000c0000000 (/dev/rdisk/disk3)
Alternate bootpath : 0/0/0/3/0/0/0 (LAN Interface)

....

=> setboot -v
Primary bootpath : 1/0/0/2/0/0/0.0x0.0x1010000c0000000 (/dev/rdisk/disk7)
HA Alternate bootpath :
Alternate bootpath : 0/0/0/2/0/0/0.0x0.0x1000000c0000000 (/dev/rdisk/disk4)

.....

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Mike:

The HA path is supported on systems that support hardware partitions.

Regards!

...JRF...

[donna hofmeister]

umm...i have always heard HA Alternate bootpath mentioned in connection to Dynamic Root Disk (DRD) (which is your friend, btw) not partitions.

[Robert_Jewell]

The first I had seen it was back when we got our first rp7410 when 11.11 was still prevalent, so I would tend to say that JRF is correct.  Basically it was an improvement over the PRI and ALT boot options we had.  Adding the HA ALT allows for a mirrored boot disk to be specifcally set in an Autoboot environment, while still allowing a device such as a tape or DVD to be set as the "alternate". A DRD disk could be used for either of course.

Why some of your systems automatically set your secondary boot device to ALT and others to HA Alt, I cannot say (model and firmware variations, perhaps?).  if the other device is a mirrored boot disk, then it should be set to HA ALT by typical standards.

-Bob