Solaris

Dear Solaris Experts,

I need to clone a Solaris 10 x86 system using a ufsdump backup from the following source & target servers:

Code:

Sun Fire x2200 M2 with Quad Core Processor
# /usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/prtdiag 
System Configuration: Sun Microsystems Sun Fire X2200 M2 with Quad Core Processr
BIOS Configuration: Sun Microsystems S39_3D12 10/06/2008
# uname -a
SunOS old 5.10 Generic_139556-08 i86pc i386 i86pc
 
to 
 
Dell Precision WorkStation 390
# /usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/prtdiag 
System Configuration: Dell Inc. Precision Workstation 390
BIOS Configuration: Dell Inc. 2.3.0 05/01/2007
# uname -a
SunOS 5.10 Generic_139556-08 i86pc i386 i86pc

Unfortunately, Solaris kept rebooting (failed to boot) from the restored primary disk (both / & /export/home) even though Grub menu appeared. As a result, I have embarked on the path of upgrading path using the same Solaris 10 Installation Disk (5/09) DVD but failed due to not able to mount / (c0t0d0s0), swap and /export/home (c0t0d0s7).

The source Sun Fire x2200 had two mirrored disks but I am restoring the backups to a single harddisk. Any idea on what step has been missed or that it is not possible to go down this path altogether.

I have tried a number of different reinstallations & restores but have not had much luck still.

Many thanks,

George

I see your post and find it disappointing that you still have no replies. I haven't tried to reply before because I am an expert on SPARC solaris and I have only played around in the Solaris x86 world. I have no production experience in the Solaris x86 world. However, Oracle/Sun have always prided themselves on the few operational differences between their SPARC and x86 product so maybe I can write something useful.

MODERATOR'S PLEASE NOTE THAT WE REALLY NEED YOUR Solaris x86 EXPERT TO PASS COMMENT ON WHAT FOLLOWS BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE RUBBISH IN THE X86 WORLD. I WILL INSERT A (??) WHEN I'M NOT SURE.

Okay, all that said here goes..........

To move platforms like this is a fairly major engineering job. My normal approach on SPARC is to boot from cdrom media, configure my hard drives, make filesystems of appropriate size and restore my ufsdumps from tape or, more often, a remote nfs mount.

When that's done there are a number of things that must be fixed before attempting to reboot. These are:-

1. The bootblock, the content of which varies with the hardware platform. Need to write out the correct one. (??) But here you use grub??

2. Check the /etc/system file (??) suits the platform.

3. Check the /etc/vfstab file (??) suits the platform and devices paths.

4. Remake all device paths (eg. /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s1). The device paths represent the only connection between software and the actual hardware. If the O/S tries to mount /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s1 and the disk is not on the end of it you are stuffed. Therefore, you remove the devices and remake them all......


Having booted from CD mount your harddisk root filesystem under /a (??)

Code:

rm -f /a/dev/rdsk/c*
rm -f /a/dev/dsk/c*
rm -f /a/dev/cfg/c*
devfsadm -r /a -p /a/etc/path_to_inst

(??)

Now double check /etc/vfstab looks right now that you have new devices.
Use the format (??) command to see what device names your disks are on and ensure /etc/vfstab is correct for this platform. When you are sure take the system down.

Now all the devices are new make sure that you tell Solaris to reconfigure the whole thing by using the -r switch the FIRST time you boot.

Code:

 
boot -r

(??)

You could even use boot -rv (??) to get a verbose boot to see exactly what goes on.

The -r switch will warn Solaris that a reconfigure is needed. go make a coffee and let Solaris sort everything out.

Right, that's all. We need comments asap from Solaris x86 experts whether they see rubbish written above. Positive comments if you can't see anything wrong will increase confidence.

No guarantees given.

The supported way to clone servers is through flash archives. Unlike ufsdump, this method will take care of various differences found between the source and target machines.

Hi Hicksd8 & Jilliagre,

Thank you very much for lending a hand even though your experience is not on Solaris 10 x86 platform. Nevertheless, it is the effort that is appreciated.

Looks like the flash archives is a recent Solaris 10 built-in functionalities that offers a much cleaner solution that I am still digesting and exploring its functionalities currently.

There is an indirect question that I would like to ask, which is related to mounting NFS drive on single-user mode after having booted up from Solaris 10 installation disk with the following steps:

( i ) GRUB => e => e => cdrom -s
( ii ) 1. Solaris Interactive install ,or 6. Single User Mode.

What is the difference between the 2 single-user mode through menu 1 / 6? I have found that menu 6. provide a READONLY environment that does not allow the creation of file / folder. Both single-user modes (1. or 6.) is very restrictive on the services (no NFS client mount through svcadm) available, compared to the one available from a fully fledged OS multi-user mode.

The target cloned Solaris 10 system is locate in a remote area so that a shared backup / archive will need to be exported over NFS, to avoid the trouble of having to mount an external USB device to the back of it.

Many thanks again,

George

I saw your latest post and, again, hoped that someone with Solaris x86 expertise would reply. They haven't so this is an answer from the SPARC world which I believe still applies to x86.

When you boot single user (as in a recovery situation) the reason you can't mount a remotely served nfs volume is the lack of a network interface (which only comes up in multi-user mode).

Once you.....

Code:

ifconfig <interface name> plumb

followed by

Code:

ifconfig <interface name> <ipaddr/netmask/etc>

Followed by

Code:

ifconfig <interface name> up

you should be able to ping the remote nfs server.

Once you can ping a mount of the remote volume you need (containing ufsdump or flar file) should work.

Hope that helps.

What makes you feel my experience is not with Solaris 10 on the x86 platform (too) ?
Not that recent and definitely predating Solaris 10. Flash archives appeared with Solaris 8 2/04 (Feb 2004) A read-only / is to be expected from a CD-ROM boot. Solaris 10 CD isn't a full live distribution but mostly designed to install, upgrade or fix the OS. However, nothing should prevent you from manually mounting NFS shares. The nfs client service isn't required.

Hi Hicksd8,

You were spot on once again even though I did have to add a default router with the following command, to access the remote NFS server, before successfully mounting its filesystem in Solaris 10 x86 DVD boot single-user mode:

route add default <IP-Address>

Thank every much for helping me out once more,

George

---------- Post updated at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous update was at 11:39 PM ----------

Hi Jilliagre,

Please accept my apology for in advertently classifying your experience in SPARC camp, by taking the shortcut of updating Hicksd8 & yourself in the same post.

You are right once again that flash archives was included starting from Solaris 8 2/04 (Feb 2004). I started using Solaris 2.6-7 SPARC decades ago and have come back to Solaris 10 (SPARC & x86) only in the last few years.

I have successfully mounted NFS from Solaris 10 DVD boot single-user mode using the instruction provided by Hicksd8.

Thanks for the clarification,

George