wipe entire system

[Chad Scheer]

We have over 1000 D class servers that we need to "format" over the next several weeks. I have read many threads about how not to use mediainit, rather use DD. This is fine, but I need a way to wipe every disk in the system, including the root disk. The people that will be doing this are not technical. I would like the following to happen:
1. Insert tape
2. boot to recovery shell where OS is running in memory.
3. run a script to dd / mediainit all drives.

I am pretty confident that I can add the script to the SYSCMDS file so it is available. I believe I can add the /dev/zero to that file also. Is this something I can accomplish? Can I make the system boot right to the recovery shell instead of having some select launch recovery shell? Can I preload files into memory instead of loading them from that menu? I did see one thread where someone was trying this exact same thing, but I never saw a responce. Any help is appreciated.


Chad....

[Steven E. Protter]

mediainit command.

Check with HP if this is okay, but you could just install the base os and include all avaialble disks. This will leave the system clean and without usable data.

SEP

[Michael Steele_2]

You could probably do this with bootptab and bootp by loading the O/S over the network from a boot server.

'bootp' uses MAC addresses so you'll need to investigate booting within the same subnet or to a remote subnet. Try this link:

http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90685/B2355-90685_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90685/00/00/52-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90685/00/00/52-toc.html&searchterms=bootptab&queryid=20011010-060445

[Frank Slootweg]

See 'my' thread "How/when (not) to use mediainit?" http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x410d57bd90a9d611abdb0090277a778c,00.htm as to why you (very probably) should not use mediainit.

*Why* do you 'need' to *low-level* format these disks?

Why is a high-level format, i.e. newfs(1M), or a dd(1) over-write not sufficient? I.e. what will happen next to these systems?

Will the disks be *thrown away* (i.e. *not* re-used/sold)? If not, mediainit is *not* appropriate.

[Geoff Wild]

You will a temporary password from HP to do this:

How to use ODE to wipe out a disk
Reboot the machine
Insert the support plus media cd
Stop the "boot primary path"

Then find the cdrom drive:

>search

>boot

At the ISL prompt:

ISL>ode

At the ODE prompt:

ODE>diskexpt

You will be prompted for a password, type in:


Commands to use in DISKEXPT:

To see disks: dispmap
Select disk: testdisk #
Then enter:

wrtmt

For range, enter 0/ and the max number displayed
Select 3 for userdefined, then enter 0 to write all zero's

Wait.....a long time............on a K class - about 30 hours for a 9 GB disk.

Do this for all disks.....

[Chad Scheer]

I have read all the threads about mediainit and do not plan on using that. dd is definately the way to go. I have read a little about the ODE, but these server are all over the world and the procedures will be executed by non technical people. I can very easily add stuff to the SYSCMDS file, like my custom script, so it is available from the advanced recovery menu. I put this LIF on a CDRW and boot with no problems. Is there a way that I can force the system to go straight into the shell and bypass the initial install menu? If I can do this, I can modify the .kshrc file to call my own menu.

[Ravi_8]

Hi,

Just swap the root disk with another disk in the same m/c ( but don't reveal this) whenever /anybody boot the m/c it wouldn't boot.

[Steven E. Protter]

Frank's thread showed a problem with my prior post. I have cashed in a number of systems and never bothered with mediainit.

I follow my second recommendation.

I think you've gotten some good advice and might want to consider pointing posts other than mine.

Also, please let us know what you finally do. Curious minds want to know how things turn out.

SEP