VPAR collapse / removal

[Jakes Louw]

Due to S/W constraints (new VPAR software not available for RP8420) when we upgrade from RP8400, I'm working on a method to "collape" or de-configure a pair of VPARs back to normal server.
The s/w, apps, and disks on the redundant VPAR will need to be made visible on the remaining VPAR, which will then become a "normal" unpartitioned server.

Here are my steps :

- check kernel params and drivers on redundant VPAR and apply appropriate changes to target VPAR
- check any patch differences and apply on target VPAR where applicable
- check installed S/W base (swlist, other) on redundant VPAR and pre-install on target VPAR where possible
- Identify FSTAB entries on redundant VPAR and build new FSTAB on target VPAR, saved as FSTAB.NEW
- create new FS mount-points for new FSTAB on target VPAR
- do full backups at OS and DB levels
- Perform VGEXPORTS on redundant VPAR, FTP mapfiles to target VPAR
- do ioscan on redundant VPAR, FTP result to target VPAR for I/O path checks later
- check users on redundant VPAR and create where possible: create USERADD file for execution later for other cases
- reboot server in normal mode (/stand/vmunix)
- run IOSCAN and check against saved file above
- VGIMPORT using map files created above
- activate new VGs
- check LVOLs all syncd and available on new VGs
- move /etc/fstab to fstab.old and move pre-created fstab.new into place
- mount filesystems
- start DB and app
- perform functional tests

Can the forum just check my logic.
I'm running MC/SG packages on the target VPAR: is there likely to be any impact (the server when normalised will have the same hostname as the target VPAR). The redundant VPAR has been checked, and apart from Omniback/DP5.1 and Oracle RMAN, we predict no problems from the hostname change (I hope!).

[Stanimir]

I thing your steps are right at all, but it
depends of how much and which DBs and apps
you were running before the upgrade. Sometime is simply not to "collapse", but
to reinstall all. It is more clearly, I think.

Regards,Stan

[Jakes Louw]

Hi Stan,

Yes, you are right, a nice clean reinstall and re-import or recreation of all data would have been nice. Sadly, no chance of that. This server is "live", and critical to our revenue income.