using storage disks as "tape"

[hpuxhelp]

As I read through the ignite sA guide, there are 2 ways to recover if the catastrophy occurs. My question is instead of using the tape to do recover, can I use one of the storage disks in a sSA array to store the information. and can I boot from it if needed??

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi,

That's where make_net_recovery comes into picture. You can take the image of a system and put it on the ignite server (or any network server).

Yes. You can use that image to recover the system later.

The only glitch involved in recovering the system through network image (make_net_recovery) is booting the client through the ignite server. You will find more details on how to recover the system through make_net_recovery image in the documentation.

-Sri

[hpuxhelp]

If using the storage disks to store the information...how would I go about to do this?
Have you done this yet??

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Yes. make_net_recovery is part of our DR along with make_tape_recovery. make_net_recovery can be automated. However, you can keep tapes off-site so that they can save you in site disasters. However, if you have multiple sites, you can keep the make_net_recovery images of one site in another and you wouldn't need to create tapes.

It's very easy. If you have installed ignite product, run "ignite". It will take you through the basic setup. Once the ignite server is setup, then you add clients and create make_net_recovery images.

During the disasters, you need to boot the client through ignite server and point to the image. There are various methods of booting the client through ignite server.

Once you go through the documentation and the ignite setup, the things will get clear to you.

-Sri

[Pete Randall]

I think this link may provide a cookbook approach that you can use as a guideline.

http://www.software.hp.com/products/IUX/docs/sysadm.html

I would caution, though, that you shouldn't rely entirely on a network solution. Good disaster recovery planning requires you to have offsite storage, as well, so you'll need tape backup in addition.

Pete

[hpuxhelp]

Hi Peter,
thanks for your help. My plan is to have the backup on the storage disk instead of the tape itself ? Is there a way that I achieve this? In addition, I have only 1 HP/UX to test this feature. Can I use it as a server as well as client? as long as I can obtain another IP address for the Ignite /UX server configuaration? Am I correct on this

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

make_net_recovery does what you are saying. Saving system images on the disk storage.

If you have only one system, then there is no point in storing the images on the disks because during the system failures you cannot access the data.

make_tape_recovery is the best option in your case.

There is another solution that you may want to implement if your storage system allows shadow copying (mirroring). Setup a mirror disk on the external storage to your root disk. Take a snap shot of the mirror disk within the disksystem. This way if your lose the OS, you can boot from the shadow copy.

Keep the OS mirrors running. So, in case of local disk failures, the system will still be up and running. The shadow copy will save you in case if anyone corrupts the OS by deleting the files etc.,

however, make_tape_recovery is the simplest solution for you.

-Sri

[Pete Randall]

Since booting from the ignite server will start an install of the recovery image, it would be overwriting itself and I don't think it would work.

Are you saying you only have one server to test with? Or are you saying that you only have one server?

Pete

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

If you have only one server to test, then you can only test "saving the image". You cannot test restoring the image. You will need to have different system (atleast a workstation) to test both save and restore procedures.

-Sri

[John Poff]

Hi,

I saw your post in the other thread. We just followed the cookbook from the Ignite-UX manual to setup our server. The only trick we did was to make a separate mountpoint/filesystem on our Ignite server for the images that Ignite stores.

As Pete mentioned, you'll need to boxes to do the client/server setup.

JP

[Helen French]

There is no point in storing the Ignite image in a disk space on the same system. During a failure, you will not be able to access that data and thus will not help you to rebuild the system. You have to create it with tape by using make_tape_recovery command.

The option of having a root mirror as specified by Sri should a must! That will save a lot of your downtime.

[hpuxhelp]

What if I completely destroyed vg00 and make it as suppose to be a brandnew system? will this work ??? for testing??

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Steven,

The bottom line is to have ignite up and running all the time in order for you to restore a client. The client will boot from the ignite server. If your client is the same as the ignite server, you cannot boot from it as ignite software will not be available.

-Sri

PS: You have assigned enough points already. No more points pls.

[Helen French]

For the last question, if you have a good make_tape_recovery tape and if you lost vg00 completely, then YES. It will restore your system to the original position.

If you are storing the image on a disk on the same system, then NO.

[Brian M Rawlings]

Hi. I don't know if you've had time to read from the links Pete and others have posted for you. They explain a lot about how ignite works, how to restore your system from an image on another server or from a bootable tape image.

Ignite makes this all really easy. The easiest is a tape image, made with make_tape_recovery.

If you make an image tape, and then boot from it on a dev box or one you can play with, you will see that you go through what amounts to the "install" process of HP-UX, with questions about volume sizes and date and time, etc. Then, it just puts the whole VG00 back like it was before the "disaster" (or, in your case, before the test).

This is actually a very useful way to resize VG00 volumes that I find to be too small in the standard HP-UX build (new machines from HP factory). You add any SW needed, patches, etc, then build a make_tape_recovery tape. When you boot from the tape, you get a chance to mess with the volume sizes, so I make them what I want, and then everything gets put back where it goes, except in the bigger volumes.

You really should actually try this, if it is at all possible for you to do so. It is not very difficult, you will gain tremendous insight that we really can't impart to you through this impersonal medium of text. You will also get your first recovery tape made, and maybe even get your VG00 volumes sized right for the first time in their history (unless you've rebuilt them before).

Always, always, have a backup before you try something like this, just in case... and don't do it casually on a production box until you know what you're doing... but find a way to actually do it. You will find it extremely beneficial, fairly easy, and ignite will quickly become your best friend.

From a tape image, reading documentation and man pages, you will be able to quickly do this same trick using an ignite server, and you'll quickly realize all the good ways that this can help you as well.

Good Luck! --bmr

[hpuxhelp]

to All,
thank you so much for taking your value time to answer my questions. Your inputs had helped me so much.
The only limitation that I am currently have is that I only have HP server that is not a production server. Is there a way that I can do to test this using only 1 machine?

[Sridhar Bhaskarla · Accepted solution]

Hi Steven,

If you want to test make_tape_recovery, you can test it on the server. Do the following.

1. Create two make_tape_recovery tapes using the command

/opt/ignite/bin/make_tape_recovery -v -I -x inc_entire=vg00

2. If possible, put another disk on the system and note down the path.

Boot the system through the tape. Stop at the bootadmin prompt. Do a search and boot from the path that says tape (sequential access media).

3. The above tape will require manual interaction. You will get a window similar to the installation window with the CD. Select the boot disk as the new disk that you added. If you want, you can make changes to the filesystems.

4. Let it continue. It will restore the OS on the newdisk and will boot from it. Once you are satisfied with it, reboot the system, change the primary path to your original disk and you will be back in business.

-Sri

[Pete Randall]

Steven,

With only one server, you will not be able to test a network recovery - you will be limited to a tape recovery.

Pete

[hpuxhelp]

I did ioscan on my system, it indicates a tape with DLT7000 model K380 and on 11i. Can I boot it using this type of tape?

[Pete Randall]

Steven,

Yes.

Pete

[Pete Randall]

And Steven, you can give points any time you like. Sri was hinting that you may have been a bit over-generous, but I think it makes up for those who never assign any!

Pete

[hpuxhelp]

thanks all again. I gave out the points as you all deserve it. It was a good overall respond and I learned a great deal from it...