Upgrading disks on N Class VG00 (ANY INSIGHTS APPRECIATED!!)

[rmueller58]

I am curious what would be the best method of "upsizing" my primary file systems.

I have an N4000 with 4 - 9gb drives that are currently my /dev/vg00

I have two disk trays that house /vg01-vg04

I would like to upgrade my vg00, because of some soon to be dumped on us software upgrades, I will need to add memory, CPU and hence Swap. Swap currently resides on /dev/vg00

I am needing the best method to "do it".

Here is what I am thinking and I'd ask the pros to help me fill in the blanks in my logic.

1. Buy 4each 72gb drives, 2 additional CPUS,+RAM
2. Full Backup
3. Ignite

4. Remove Old Drives
5. Place New Drives
6. Ignite New Drives

Will I need to reinstall the OS prior to igniting?
What would the best ignite look like?
Can I ignite disks if my new disks are larger? or would I have to reinstall from CD?

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

Once you do the ignite and get your new disks installed, then boot from your Ignite tape, and reload your system from that.

It works WONDERFULLY!!! I've done that several times without any problems at all.

[RAC_1]

The steps that you have noted down are right.
Ignite will work on bigger drives.

I would like to inform you about one more way that you may want to have a look at.

Is the root vg mirrored?? If yes, break the mirror, shutdown the system. Replace one disk. Boot and establish the mirror on new (bigger cpacity drive).
Check it for boot. Now boot from it, replace another drive and again mirror onto it.

This procedure will elp, if you do not intend to resize /stand, / and swap. If your concern is about adding more swap after you add RAM, you can create secondary swap and there is no need to touch primary swap.

Even if you do not have mirror-UX software, you can create a static copy of root disk onto bigger disk, then boot from it, replace another drive.

Anil

[Pete Randall]

Rex,

No, there's no need to re-install - that's what Ignite is for. Download and install the latest version of Ignite ( http://www.software.hp.com/products/IUX/index.html ). Run vgexport in preview mode to get map files of your non-root vg's: "vgexport -p -s -m /tmp/vg01map", etc. Then run "make_tape_recovery -a /dev/rmt/0mn -I -v -x inc_entire=vg00". Make two tapes - just in case.

Then, after switching the disks, boot off the recovery tape. Because of the -I switch, you will be in interactive mode and can resize logical volumes as need be, including swap - it's basically the exact same interface as if you were installing from scratch.

Then you can vgimport your other VG's. Run:
mkdir /dev/vg01
mknod /dev/vg01/group c 64 0x010000
vgimport -s -m /tmp/vg01map /dev/vg01

and repeat for vg02 thru vg04.

That should do it.


Pete

[rmueller58]

Thanks Guys..

It'd been the first time I'd used ignite in anything other then emergency recovery.

BTW VG00 is setup in a mirror, and vg01-vg04 are RAID 1, I Won't be touching vg01-vg04. (these are my database volume groups.)

I will assign points.. Just got sell it to the bosses now.

[Zygmunt Krawczyk]

After igniting new disks, you would like to make a mirror. Follow the doc:
"How to create a Mirrored Boot Disk on PA-RISC Systems - Cookbook"
DocId: LVMKBRC00005103
Search the document by docID in your ITRC.

Regards,
Zygmunt

[rmueller58]

thanks!!