ray@vantage.UUCP (Ray Liere) (10/03/89)
We have an HP9000/540 running HP-UX #5.21.
The utility that allows one to make a recovery system (mkrs) does not work
under 5.21, and I am to come up with some ways to enable us to recover from
some catastrophe that, for example, wipes the disk clean. Upgrading to 5.3
(which fixes mkrs) is not an option that I have.
I see 2 possibilities, and possibly a 3rd?:
1. make (a few) image copies of the disk (we have the 132Mb 7914 with internal
cartridge tape unit and one controller, so I can press the lever and get
a disk image onto tape -- unfortunately, as I understand it, the copy is
made without error checking)
2. plan on re-installing 5.21 from scratch (the "Read Me First" says that the
tapes are for install or update)
3. "trick" HP-UX into allowing me to backup the part of HP-UX that is not
in files (and therefore not put onto normal backup tapes)
This 3rd option is the one I especially wish to solicit your opinion on.
I remember way back when (1984?) hearing that it was possible. Does anyone know
the details? I recall that one somehow got the non-file portion of HP-UX into
a (large) file and then backed it up in the normal manner. It is not clear
to me how one would do this. And it is definitely not clear to me how
to then install this file on a bare disk (since there would be no operating
system ... chicken and egg situation ...).
Any insights/warnings/advice/... on ANY of the above options would be very
much appreciated.
Ray Liere
Vantage Consulting and Research Corporation
voice: (503)657-7294
uucp: uunet!nwnexus!vantage!ray
-or-
hplabs!hpfcla!hpubvwa!hpupora!vantage!ray
Internet: vantage!ray@nwnexus.WA.COMoscarh@hpdml93.HP.COM (Oscar Herrera) (10/05/89)
make (a few) image copies of the disk (we have the 132Mb 7914 with internal
cartridge tape unit and one controller, so I can press the lever and get
--> a disk image onto tape -- unfortunately, as I understand it, the copy is
--> made without error checking)
I AM NOT SURE IF YOUR REV OF HPUX DOES THIS, BUT A WAY OF VERIFYING A
1/4 INCH TAPE, NOT FOR CONTENT BUT FOR DATA READABILITY, IS TO LOAD IT INTO THE
TAPE DRIVE AND THEN UNLOADING IT WITH tcio
tcio -ur /dev/tape
NOT RUNNING tcio WITH THE V OPTION FORCES A DATA VERIFY OPERATION
BEFORE UNLOADING.rclark@speclab.bgp-usgs.gov (Roger N. Clark) (10/06/89)
I suggest your option 1: > 1. make (a few) image copies of the disk (we have the 132Mb 7914 with internal > cartridge tape unit and one controller, so I can press the lever and get > a disk image onto tape -- unfortunately, as I understand it, the copy is > made without error checking) I have never had a problem with a tape once it is properly written. I suggest making 3 disk images of the system disk, and putting them in three different localities (like take one home, mail a second to your mother, etc). We had a catastrophe on our 540 recently. I has changing things around (changing system disks), made a disk image backup, something happened (still not sure what) and tried to restore. Unfortunately, the disk image backup I just made never was written properly (it apparently failed after a few blocks, but I had left the room and came back 2 hours later and didn't notice an error--the tape was mostly blank). No real problem, I just went to the previous backup image, restored it, and then had to update and redo what I thought I had completed. The only really annoying thing is those cartridge tapes are so slow. So make a couple of disk image backups of the system disk every 6 months or so (more often if you do a lot of changes to your sys disk).
dunlap@apl-em.UUCP (John Dunlap) (10/07/89)
There is a new (post 5.21, pre 5.3) version of /bin/sh that allows the mkrs tape to work. In addition, Segment 10 and segment 41 of the kernel have patched versions to correct some bugs in 5.21. Another pointer: when copying one system disk to another using oscp and "cpio -p" you must rootmark the destination disk and osmark its operating system. John Dunlap dunlap@apl-em.apl.washington.edu
rer@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Rob Robason) (10/13/89)
> This 3rd option is the one I especially wish to solicit your opinion on. > I remember way back when (1984?) hearing that it was possible. Does > anyone know the details? I recall that one somehow got the non-file > portion of HP-UX into a (large) file and then backed it up in the normal > manner. It is not clear to me how one would do this. And it is > definitely not clear to me how to then install this file on a bare disk > (since there would be no operating system ... chicken and egg situation > ...). It's been a few years, but there was a command, oscp(1m), or something like that, that allowed archiving the BOOT area (I assume that's what you're talking about) to a normal file. I've forgotten the syntax, but the Reference or Sys Admin manual should cover it. Sorry I don't remember more. Rob Robason