Restore system from tape

[yyghp]

I used one tape to backup the whole system by using the following command:

# make_tape_recovery -x inc_entire=vg00 -v -a /dev/rmt/1mn

Now, I am going to restore the whole system with this tape, where i can find the detail steps ?
Do I need to connect to GSP with console ?
And any risk for this action ?

Thanks!

[Rodney Hills]

Check out the following document-
http://docs.hp.com/hpux/pdf/B2355-90834.pdf

In general you will boot your system and specify the tape as the install media. The install utility can use the tape to rebuild your entire vg00 (except for mirror disks).

HTH

-- Rod Hills

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi,

Since you didn't use -I (interactive) on the command line, you'll have to live with the original layout beyond just having to interrupt the boot & direct it to the tape drive.
You should always use:
make_tape_recovery -Ivx inc_entire=vg00 -
so that you *can* change things if need be.
And YES you need to be on the console to redirect the boot path.
Risk is you get what you got on the tape - use -I

Rgds,
Jeff

[yyghp]

Before doing this(restoring the whole system from tape), what thing do you suggest I do to limit risks ?

Thanks!

[Patrick Wallek]

Jeff, my friend, that's not exactly true. If you don't use the -I option, after you boot from the tape you will get a prompt where you can interrupt the process so you can interact with the install. I don't remember the exact message but I think it is something like "Press any key within 10 seconds to interact with the install".

Now as far as risks go, you've got the make_tape_recovery tape, so that is a good start. Other risks -- Make sure you backup the rest of the data on your system. If you have other VGs they should be imported. Also create map files for your other VGs just in case they don't get imported so that you can import them manually if you need to. You can do this with the vgexport command.

# vgexport -m vg??.map -p -v -s /dev/vg??

Replace the ?? with the appropriate VG name/number.

Other risks -- we might be able to answer better if we knew what you are hoping to accomplish by rebuilding your system from tape.

[Jeff Schussele]

I'm not sure what you mean by "risks".
At the time you restore you haven't even reached single user level - so there's no way users could be impacted. Hell you've already knocked 'em off by rebooting.
Just be aware that you're taking a time travel trip here - you are going back to the moment in time when that tape was created - not literally - just all the files will be at that point in time.
I guess you *could* call that a risk....
But by definition a restore is a significant change...

Rgds,
Jeff

[Jeff Schussele]

My friend Patrick,

You're showing your superior SA skills here.
If you *don't* use -I, then you get no menu to change any of the parms of the org setup - like LV sizes, names, IPs, etc. You have to "live" with the *exact* setup of the system at the time the tape was made.
You obviously keep your systems so well you never "blow one up" or have to adjust adjust sizes of / , /stand , or pri swap.

Cheers from your friend,
Jeff (How's the weather in TX? Any twisters yet this season?)

[generic_1]

It does not hurt to have two tapes or a rotation uncase #1 goes bad :). That is a risk. -l is awsome when you have expand any of the three contiguous filesystems at the begining of the disk.

[Patrick Wallek]

Hmmm...Apparently I wasn't clear with my point.

If you don't use the '-I' option to make_tape_recovery you CAN still get to the menu to make changes.

From the make_tape_recovery man page:

-I - Cause the system recovery process to be interactive when booting from the tape. BY DEFAULT, WHEN THE SYSTEMS BOOTS FROM TEH RECOVERY TAPE IT WILL GIVE YOU 10 SECONDS TO INTERRUPT THE AUTOMATIC RECOVERY PROCESS IN ORDER TO INTERACTIVELY MAKE MODIFICATIONS.

Yes, the '-I' option guarantees that you will get to the menu (and not have to worry about the ^&%*$( 10 seconds prompts (I invariably miss those!) but you CAN still get to the menu.

I always try to use the '-I' but I have forgotten and still been able to make changes.

By the way, Jeff, thanks for the compliment.

[Dani Seely]

Hello eh!
When restoring from an Ignite backup, your system will need to be rebooted and you will need to break out of the auto-boot sequence and then specify your tape media as the boot device.

It is important to note, though, that out of experience, some files do not get restored, for instance, /etc/defaultrouter. I don't know if it's me or what, but I have had the "opportunity" to perform quite a few Ignite restores, and every time the defaultrouter file has not been restored. If you have this configured on your systems, be sure and check/create it after you restore.

Good luck!