G'day Alan,

On 03/05/2006, at 1:55am, Levy, Alan wrote:

I would like to create a new sles9 server and then do a conversion but
am not sure about the best way of accomplishing this. Is the
following feasible?

1. Get 29 new mod-9 packs and cp format them
2. Create a new userid with 29 packs in the VM directory.
3. Clone an exising sles9 server (ddr existing server to first new
pack)
4. Bring up server & configure it (different IP address than
production,
different OSA addr, etc)
5. Activate the 28 new packs with yast.
6. Create lvm with the 28 packs
7. Shut down the new server and DDR the production 28 packs to the new
server.
8. Install software needed for the new server.
9. Bring up server and test
10. Shut down production server & change ip & osa addresses of new
server
11. Bring up new server as the new production server.

Check out the vgexport/vgimport process.  This would eliminate 28
DDRs by allowing you to logically detach the LVM VG from your
existing production system and attach it to the new system:

1. Clone an existing SLES 9 server, configure it, install software
2. Shut down application on current production server
3. umount /usr/local
4. vgexport system
5. Shut down current production server
6. Attach 28 LVM volumes to the new guest
7. vgscan
8. vgimport system
9. vgchange -ay
10. mount /usr/local
11. Start application on the new server

I can see two issues with this approach:
1. Not knowing what's under /usr/local, if your application is
installed there you'll be a bit stuck (this is one reason why most
admins *never* install apps and data in the same filesystem).  There
are many ways to get out of this though.
2. You'll be bringing across the old LVM1 metadata from SLES8,
instead of picking up a shiny new LVM2 configuration.  Should not be
an issue though as SLES 9 can talk LVM1, and I think you can update
LVM metadata without having to recreate anything.

It works for me, but see if it fits your needs.  I do it quite a lot
to minimise outage times for data relocations and new filesystem
creations.  With good preparation I imagine you could minimise your
downtime to little more than the duration of the application restart.

Cheers,
Vic Cross

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