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FATAL BOOT ERROR: Can’t load stage 3

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Operating Systems SCO FATAL BOOT ERROR: Can’t load stage 3
# 1  
Old 06-25-2015
HP FATAL BOOT ERROR: Can’t load stage 3
I'm under huge pressure to recover data from an old server that only gets booted very infrequently. The data on it is urgently required - isn't always??!
..
Server is an HP DL380G5 which is running SCO Unixware 7.11
..
It has 3 partitions in a RAID 5 Configuration: 1 of 10GB (I assume it boots off this one) and then 1 of 400GB and the last one is about 150GB. All partitions are marked OK.
The error on booting is “FATAL BOOT ERROR: Can't load stage 3”.
It does not have a FD drive only a CDROM drive.
..
I downloaded an ISO CD image from the SCO support site labelled UnixWare-7.1.4-June2008 ISO Image. In the hope that this will give me access to the OS where I could use my scripting skills to check for issues e.g. mount drives, run a fsck etc.
..
And I am able to boot off that but end up in a basic BCP - /stand - (which includes boot and unix files ) ... but from this point I'm not sure how to use it and therefore I'm not sure where to go from there ....
I would be very, very grateful for some quick step-by-step assistance for recovering the system - what to check for etc
Thanks in advance!!!
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Unixware - can't load stage 3 error resolution.pdf (170.4 KB) 
# 2  
Old 06-25-2015
The contents of /stand should look like. This is a 7.1.4 system using a single SATA disk.
Code:
total 10980                                                            
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys            1053 May 11  2004 bfs.blm      
-rw-r--r--    1 root     sys             143 Jun 24 18:38 boot         
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys            1869 May 13  2008 bootmsgs     
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys           10116 May 11  2004 dcmp.blm     
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys            2071 May 11  2004 hd.blm       
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys            3486 May 11  2004 help.txt     
-rw-r--r--    1 root     sys             940 Jun 26 09:45 license      
-rw-r--r--    1 root     sys              22 Jun 26 09:45 license.sp   
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys           11468 May 11  2004 logo.img     
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys            5664 May 11  2004 platform.blm 
-rw-r--r--    1 root     sys           17809 Jun 26 09:52 resmgr       
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root          17617 Jun 26 09:45 resmgr.sav   
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys             913 May 11  2004 smallfs.blm  
-r--r--r--    1 root     sys           10900 May 11  2004 stage3.blm   
-rwxr--r--    1 root     root        2766800 Jun 24 19:20 unix         
-rwxr--r--    1 root     sys         2766780 Jun 24 19:10 unix.old     
#

I am surprised that you were able to mount the RAID system as the list of HBA's on the original cd is quite short, or did you have to load it from a separate CD.
This User Gave Thanks to jgt For This Post:
BernP
# 3  
Old 06-26-2015
I think I have confused you with the way my original post was worded;
In my post, when I said "I am able to boot off that <meaning the CD I downloaded> but end up in a basic BCP - /stand - (which includes boot and unix files)" what I meant was that I end up on the CD itself with its BCP (/stand). The basic one you listed). Nothing is mounted at this point. All I have is a [boot] prompt.
So now I am unsure how to boot to a basic version of Unix and then from there how to (1) mount the RAID system and then (2) from there proceed with troubleshooting and (3) recovery.
..
It may be that the best way forward is for me to run an UPGRADE process on the system (it is SUPPOSEDLY on version 7.1.1) to upgrade it to 7.1.4.
I have downloaded <UW714+_ISL_1.0.0Ds.iso> which I could use for this purpose.
Please advise?
# 4  
Old 06-26-2015
714+ is designed for use with VMware, not as a standalone system. Use the 714 cut 2 cd.
The Emergency boot Cd is specific to an installation.
Installing 714 on the system may result in all the file systems being formatted.
I suggest you do the following, which is still high risk.
Download the supplementary HBA cd. I am assuming that the HPSAS driver is required.
Make a note of, or save the current RAID configuration.
Remove all the drives from the system, and carefully mark which slot they came from.
Acquire a single disk, install it, and create a new RAID0 configuration.
Install 7.1.4, and in this process create the same file system names as on the original. The actual size of the file systems does not matter.
Create an emergency boot cd, or download and install Microlite Edge (microlite.com) and create their recovery CD.
Remove the single hard drive and replace with the RAID5 configuration.
Boot from the newly made recovery cd, and run fsck on the root file system and the stand file system.
This User Gave Thanks to jgt For This Post:
BernP
# 5  
Old 06-27-2015
Many thanks for your great advice! I truly appreciate it.
..
One thing I would value your response to the following potential question which I may be asked:
- The process of upgrading from 7.1.1 to 7.1.4 is well documented
- Many companies across the world would have followed this process
- And presumably their data file systems did not get over-written or recreated (albeit they probably had a backup!)
- Why do you think that this is such high-risk in this case?
Not that I doubt your advice but just that I will most probably get asked this question by my client when I ask them to acquire a new disk
# 6  
Old 06-27-2015
I just read the Unixware 714 getting started guide.
An upgrade install is possible. But, it installs using pkgadd. You must be able to boot the 711 system in order to do the upgrade. This procedure is different to the Openserver 5 upgrade installation procedure, where you boot from the newer version CD and select the upgrade install.
For the fresh install (of 714), there does not appear to be an option to preserve non root file systems that are on disk 0. So if your RAID5 system is configured as a single logical drive with multiple partitions, you do not have secondary drives.
The RAID controller supports both SAS and SATA drives, although not mixed. I have not checked to see if a standard 2.5in SATA drive will fit in the carrier, or whether you have to purchase an HP drive.
http://sco.com/support/docs/unixware...t/getstart.pdf
Last edited by jgt; 06-27-2015 at 08:50 AM.. Reason: add link
# 7  
Old 06-27-2015
I am so grateful for all your efforts and for your extremely valuable advice. Mostly I am blown away that you used your precious time to actually read the getting started guide just to assist me. THANK YOU jgt! I salute you Sir.
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