Re: AIX 4.3.3 System Restore Failure

From: Chris Graham [WarpSpeed] (chrisg_at_warpspeed.com.au)
Date: 09/30/03 

Date: 29 Sep 2003 16:33:49 -0700

steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk (Steve Nottingham) wrote in message news:<42862645.0309290240.3a4bcee2@posting.google.com>...
> chrisg@warpspeed.com.au (Chris Graham [WarpSpeed]) wrote in message news:<ac231360.0309282157.67968e41@posting.google.com>...
> > Michael W Ryder <mwryder@_earthlink_.net> wrote in message news:<5JLdb.7320$RW4.5362@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > > Chris Graham [WarpSpeed] wrote:
> > > > Hi All,
> > > >
> > > > I have been testnig the backup/restore process for AIX 4.3.3 on a
> > > > 43P-140.
> > > >
> > > > I have used SMIT to make a backup tape to a 4mm SCSI tape.
> > > >
> > > > I thought that this was a bootable tape. Is it?
> > > >
> > > > When I get the box to boot from the tape, it reads the tape, does
> > > > a lot of disk access and eventually hangs with the display showing a
> > > > code of 605.
> > > >
> > > > I had a real hard time finding a list of all of the status codes.
> > > >
> > > > I still have no idea as to what a code of 605 (or any other for
> > > > that matter) means. Is there a list somewhere?
> > > >
> > > > I was hoping to have a tape on hand that will allow me to totally
> > > > restore the system should the disk fail and be blank to start with.
> > > >
> > > > Or am I missing something?
> > > >
> > >
> > > The smit backup just copies the selected files to the tape. You would
> > > then use restore to recover any files you needed. To make a bootable
> > > backup tape you have to use mksysb command. You probably should make
> > > the mksysb tape without your data files (unmount the directories) and
> > > have your daily backup tape only include your data and programs.
> >
> > I believe that that is what I did.
> >
> > A good thought about the boot tape without files? But do I need it if
> > I've got the original CD media?
> >
> > At this point in time, I'm only playing with this box, and (trying to)
> > gain an understanding of how the backup procedures work (or don't!)
> > :-)
> >
> > Once I press this box into real use, then I'll depend upon the
> > backups.
> >
> > So now is the time to get it right.
>
> 605 means it failed to config network boot device ! For a full list of
> codes: http://www.rootvg.net/ledlist.htm

See below.
 
> If you are using smit to backup, then the tape will be a mksysb tape,
> to create one wihout using smit, issue "mksysb -i /dev/rmt0".

Perfect answer. Thank You! I think that SMIT added in a -v for good measure. :-)

> Try setting the bootlist to the tape e.g. bootlist -m normal rmt0.
> Then shutdown and reboot the box and it should boot off the tape.

So I don't need to use the SMS/BIOS setup to achieve this?

Thanks again!

-Chris

Relevant Pages

  • Re: bootable depot tape
    ... > In the make_medialif manpage example 9, making of a bootable depot tape is ... My intention is to go a little further, to append a x.tar.gz file ... > the boot tape. ... Get IgniteUX from the Application CD or from the WEB: ...
    (comp.sys.hp.hpux)
  • Re: Backup question
    ... Tapes are a good solution if you do a *lot* of backups - the cost per GB ... If you are willing to buy tape drives from eBay and the like, though, ...
    (alt.computer.security)
  • Re: Backup Strategy
    ... I will use norton ghost to take images of the two servers. ... backups took off site monthly. ... > probably buy 4 large external HDD for the price of one quality tape drive. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Resilient VMS server config
    ... > not require huge amounts of disk space. ... > volumes provided by the SAN. ... There is NO loss of availablity** Do online backups of your database to a backup ... Maintenance stuff - like doing the actual backup to tape... ...
    (comp.os.vms)
  • Re: Backup solution question
    ... Tape is my preferred method, ... We usually spec three of these devices at 3x the available server ... We do full backups every night, ... >> enclosures are a low cost way of rotating Hard drives to provide ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)