vPar 2.02 to 2.03 upgrade

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello,

I have installed vPar 2.02 on a rp5470. Now, I would like to upgrade this to vPar 2.03. The manual mentions "install" (rather than remove earlier version & then install).

I would like to know whether I should boot with /stand/vmunix, do the "install" of vPar 2.03 on each partition's boot disk & then reboot with the partitions up (/stand/vpmon, etc).

Do I need to do a "swremove" of earlier versions before installing new version?

Also, do I need to backup /stand/vpdb before I do that?

If anyone has done such an upgrade, please share your experience with me.

Thank you.

Nandan

[G. Vrijhoeven]

Hi Nandan,

Check:

http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/T1335-90018/T1335-90018_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/T1335-90018/00/00/29-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/T1335-90018/00/00/29-toc.html&searchterms=upgrade&queryid=20040119-031122


It states:

To update from a previous version of vPars, perform the following:
Shut down all the virtual partitions.

Reboot the server into standalone mode. This consists of the following:


At the MON> prompt, type reboot

If needed, interrupt the boot sequence at the BCH> and boot /stand/vmunix instead of /stand/vpmon. For example:
BCH> bo pri
interact with IPL? y
.
.
.
ISL> hpux /stand/vmunix

Install the new vPars bundle using swinstall. For the appropriate bundle name, see Bundle Names.

Reboot the hard partition:

# shutdown -r

Boot the vPars monitor and the virtual partitions from the disk where you installed the vPars bundle. For example, if we had installed the bundle to the disk at the primary path:
BCH> bo pri
interact with IPL? y
.
.
.
ISL> hpux /stand/vpmon -a
If you have configured your AUTO file in the LIF area to boot the monitor and virtual partitions automatically, then this step will be performed automatically. For more information, see Autobooting the Monitor and All Virtual Partitions.

On each virtual partition, repeat Step 3 to install the new vPars bundle on each boot disk of each virtual partition (you do not need to reboot the hard paritition). Because the boot disk used to boot in standalone mode in Step 2 already has the new vPars bundle (this was installed during Step 3), you can exclude this step for the boot disk at the primary path.

You must install the new vPars bundle on each virtual partition before putting the virtual partitions back into production. Running a mix of older and newer vPars versions within a group of virtual partitions is not supported.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gideon

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello Gideon,

Thank you for the quick response with the information.

Do you have any comments on the following 2 questions -

>>Do I need to do a "swremove" of earlier versions before installing new version?

>>Also, do I need to backup /stand/vpdb before I do that?

Nandan

[G. Vrijhoeven]

Hi again Nadan:

You can update directly only from free product to newer free product or from purchased product to newer purchased product. You cannot update directly from free product to the purchased product.
If you wish to update from the free product to the purchased product, first you need to remove the free product VPARSBASE, and then install the purchased product T1335AC.

To avoid having to recreate your vPars configuration, you can perform the following steps:

Backup the file /stand/vpdb (this file is the vPars partition database)

Remove the free product from all virtual partitions. See Removing the vPars Product.

Install the full product. See Installing vPars Using Ignite-UX or Installing vPars Using Software Distributor.

However, while in standalone mode, at the point where you would normally create the virtual partitions using vparcreate, restore /stand/vpdb.

Then continue with the installation as you normally would.

I hope this will answer your questions.

Gideon

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello Gideon,

Sorry if my first posting did not make it clear. I have installed T1335AC 2.02 (not VPARSBASE).

Based on that what would be your suggestion in response to my two questions.

Thank you.

Nandan

[G. Vrijhoeven · Accepted solution]

Hi again Nadan:

I think the first line:
You can update directly only from free product to newer free product or from purchased product to newer purchased product. You cannot update directly from free product to the purchased product.

answers your question. So no swremove.
The backup of the /stand/vpdb is always a wise thing to do.

Gideon

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello Gideon,

Thank you for the clarification & all the responses.

Nandan

[Ravi_8]

Hi Nandan

assign points to the people who spend their time in clarifying your doubt.

(ITRC rule)

[Alzhy]

Nandan.. from a person who actually uses VPAR:

To upgrade (actually not just to upgrade but to implement a vPar patch) do the following:
0.\ Backup vpdb on the HDD of the "refrence Vpar" that you set up to load VPMON.
1.\ You will need to SHUTDOWN all vPars - normal shutdown (shutdown -hy...)
2.\ On the server's (or nPar's) console, you should be at the MON level, DO a reboot
3.\ Interrupt the bootup (if server/nPar is set autoboot) and drop to ISL.
4.\ Boot up the "reference vPar" or the harddisk of the vPar where you always boot VPMON from. Boot "normally".. ie non-VPAR.. just boot up HPUX w/o VPMON (ISL> hpux)
5.\ Install the Upgrade / PATCH
6.\ Reboot, Interrupt boot, and boot the next vPar's HDD path.. do the same, boot non-Vpar and apply patch/upgrade
7.\ Do the same for the remaining vPars on your system.
8.\ All vPar OS's patched/Upgraded? Then Boot off your reference/primary Vpar and boot start VPMON (ISL>hpux /stand/vpmon).. Then start the Vpars (vparload...)

The most common mistake on vPar environments is that the patches/upgrade are done on the individual vPars w/o patching the root OS where vpmon was started..


HTH.

[Alzhy]

And BTW, you need not remove your existing 2.02 Install..

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello Nelson,

Thank you for your detailed response.

Thanks to Ravi for reminding me to assign points for the replies; its done.

Nandan

[Alzhy]

Nandan,
Judgiing from the question posted, it seems to me you know your vPar well.. MOst people would apply the patch on the vPars themselves while active.. hence leaing the still runnning vpmon in an unpatched state.

Say, any reason for the upgrade to 2.03? I could not find the Release Notes at all? What are the new features or fixes.. 2.02 is already a very stable product IMHO...

[Nandan Bellare]

Hello Nelson,

Sorry for the delay in responding as I actually wanted to complete the V2.02 to V2.03 change.

One of the reasons I could do it was that it was a loan server & I wanted to go with the latest release on that.

In any case the procedures mentioned by the people who posted responses helped.

Thank you.
Nandan