vgexport

[Emilio Brusa]

Hi everyone.
I have a va7400 in a rp8400 in direct attach and the hp services goin to implement a swith SAN.

I need to backup the volumen groups before the implementation with the vgexport.
but i believe the vgexport delete remove my vg´s coniguration.
¿ Its correct ?...Exists any way the export the vg configuration.
thanks

[Rajeev Shukla]

Hi,
If you have a look at man pages of vgexport, yes you'll find that vgexport removes the volume group configuration and deletes the VG (including from lvmtab file). But there exixts other options, -p option which when used does not delete the configuration. So you have 2 options to backup the VG.
1. Create a map file for a VG (say vg01)
vgexport -v -p -s -m vg01.map vg01
(by using -s option, which shared mode, you need not worry about the device file changes).

2. Backup the VG using vgcfgbackup (have a look at man pages)
vgcfgbackup -v /dev/vg01

Cheers
Rajeev

[Emilio Brusa]

Rajeev thanks:

Then vgfbackup and vgexport with the option -s is the same. ? vgexport alone -s is only a option for cluster enviroment or not?
Im confused and with that because the hpux is in 7x24 and I can not make tests of it

[Rajeev Shukla]

Ok the best option in your case is to take the backup of VG using map files.

And let me explain -s option. Yes it is used for cluster but you can use it for non cluster machines too.
The best thing with this is, when you import the VG, you dont have to keep track of device files, becuase when you implement SAN i am sure all your disk device files will change. So below is the method i would suggest you to go with.
1. Create map files of all VG which are in va7400 using -s options as i said before.
2. Stop all application on that server and export all VG with out -p option (to delete the VG configuration, because you want to rebuild the configuration after the system is part of SAN and device files have changed)
3. Shutdown the system and connect the switches etc..or build your SAN.
4. Power up the system and make sure all SAN devices are up, system can see va7400, run ioscan to confirm.
5. import all VG using the map files you created with -s option.
6. activate the VG and mount them and start your aplications.

[T. M. Louah]

The output vg.X.map is a text file and its first line will have a unique identifier.

per vgexport manpages:

-s Sharable option, Series 800 only.
When the -s option is specified, -p, -v, and -m options must also be specified. A mapfile is created that can be used to create volume group entries on other systems in the high availability cluster (with the vgimport command).

Happy new year all,
T+

[Emilio Brusa]

MMM...
Maybe this is obvius question, but if -s option is only 800 series how can i know if my machine is 800 series?

I have a rp8400 and n4000

thanks a lot
E.

[Uday_S_Ankolekar · Accepted solution]

Type "model" command and it will show you as 9000/800.

Your server rp8400 is sure a 800 series!

-USA