vxdctl enable problem

[Kevin (Gonzo) Bushman]

System - old superdome/SD32000/PA-RISC
O/S - 11.11
vxvm version 3.5

I'm trying to load the libraries for a NetApp for this system connected via fibre (2GB HBA). About the fourth step is to enable vxdctl. When I try to, I get:

vxvm:vxconfigd: ERROR: enable failed: Error in disk group configuration copies
Rootdg disk group has no configuration copies; transactions are disabled.
vxvm:vxdctl: ERROR: enable failed: Error in disk group configuration copies

I've tried restarting vxconfigd with -k and resetting the DB as well (vxconfigd -k -r reset -d) and then running vxinstall (among many other things to try and fix this). vxinstall then says no disks were found in array OTHER_DISKS and says no actions were taked and then exits. Well, of course there's no disks! I'm trying to get the set up so I can ADD some disks... (All my current disks are set up via LVM.)

What am I missing? Any suggestions?

Points will be given for any help given.

-Gonzo

[chris huys_4 · Accepted solution]

Hi Kevin,

On vxvm 3.5, its still needed to have a rootdg diskgroup defined even if the system is booted from lvm bootdisks. A "rootdg" condition that disappeared with vxvm 4.1 and higher vxvm versions, but this higher versions are only available from hp-ux 11.23 and higher.

The normal way to "install the rootdg" is with vxinstall.

And its best if the rootdg disk is located on one of the "internal disks" of the system.

I dont know how many internal disks that the system has. But suppose it has 3, 2 for the mirrored lvm bootdisks and 1 for a lvm datadisk, then my plan would be to move the data of the lvmdatadisk to become a vxvm rootdg "datadisk". f.e. through removing the lvm mirrorbootdisk , use that disk as "rootdg disk", create the volumes with the same size as the logical volumes of the 3th lvm datadisk, create filesystems on it, and then copy the contents of the lvm datadisk contents to the vxvm rootdg disk and then "vgexport/dd if=/dev/null bs=/dev/rdsk//pvcreate /dev/rdsk/" the lvmdatadisk so that it can become the new lvm mirrorbootdisk.

Offcourse if there only is 2 internal disks, serving as mirrored lvmbootdisk then maybe its better to go vxvm all the way and reinstall the system from vxvm bootdisks..

For installation of the rootdg disk in the first scenario, i.e. when there are 3 internal disks, use the "custom installation option" of vxinstall to be able to select the disk that should be "rootdg'd" .

Greetz,
Chris

[Kevin (Gonzo) Bushman]

Chris - Thanks for the reply. _IF_ I understand you correctly, I need to have at least one disk to put in the rootdg. To give you a bit more about the system, I only have 2 boot disks, mirrored with LVM. However, as this is an old system that has been in production for many years, it is also currently connected to a VA (which is the real cause of my problem here - I'm trying to move the data OFF the VA to the NA), meaning that I could create a new disk on the VA and put that disk in rootdg. That way I won't have to mess with my current boot disks and will have the needed disk in rootdg so that I can then activate (enable) vxvm.

Sorry I didn't explain about the VA being attached. I can see now that it would have made a difference! What was throwing me is that while I understand that the version of vxvm I'm installing is 3.5, my new systems have version 5 and I didn't have this problem there. That is, I could enable vxvm there without any didks. So I didn't see why I shouldn't be able to here on my old systems either.

In any event, I'll try creating a new disk on the VA, attaching that to this system (development for now, I'll do the prod nPar later), and then running vxinstall again. Only this time I'll let it add the new disk and see how it goes from there.

Thanks! I'll give you more points if this works!

-Gonzo

[chris huys_4]

Hi Gonzo,

> _IF_ I understand you correctly, I need to
> have at least one disk to put in the rootdg.
Thats correct.

> it is also currently connected to a VA
I checked the hcl for hp-ux 11.11 now. Some VA's do need a asl, some not. (And indeed netapp has also some diskarrays mentioned in the hcl) So euhm.. good luck. ;)

Greetz,
Chris

[Kevin (Gonzo) Bushman]

Chris - Apprecieate your help. Got the thing working. Just created a (test) 10G LUN on the NetApp from this system. (Yeah!). The ASL was needed. That's what I was having issues with originally.

Anyway, all looks good. For now anyway.

Points given.

-G