We've recovered SLES 10 SP1 under z/VM 5.2 in a disaster recovery
scenario using FCP. We use a rescue system, either sles 9 or sles 10, to
fix the ailing sles 10's files and make it bootable.
As you're aware, you need a way to edit the files that reference the
old WWPNs. One way to get an ssh session and editor is to use boot the
sles 10 Installation system from the guest's virtual reader and navigate
its prompts to start the Novell-supplied rescue system instead of doing
an install of sles 10:
>>> SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 installation program v2.0.67
Main Menu
1) Settings
2) System Information
3) Kernel Modules (Hardware Drivers)
4) Start Installation or System
5) Verify Installation CD-ROM/DVD
6) Eject CD
7) Exit or Reboot
8) Power off
(you choose 4 - Start Installation or System)
Start Installation or System
1) Start Installation or Update
2) Boot Installed System
3) Start Rescue System
(you choose 3 - Start Rescue System)
Choose the source medium.
1) CD-ROM
2) Network
3) Hard Disk
4) Floppy
You then choose 2) network, and like a sles 10 install you need the
zseries sles10 CD image(s) served from a FTP or NFS server.
The rescue system is on the CD, boots, starts ssh and you can then ssh
in, mount your dasd filesystems.
Since it sounds like the FCP filesystems aren't essential to running,
just change sles10's /etc/fstab to omit mounting your FCP filesystem's,
boot the ailing sles 10 and re-fix fstab and WWPN's from the running
sles 10, mkinitrd, zipl, reboot.
If have a working sles9 or 10 at DR site you could give it access to the
ailing sles 10's dasd and fix the files that way. Using sles 9 it can be
tricky to run sles 10's mkinitrd to make the sles 10 bootable... but
it's been done ;)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Linux on 390 Port [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 1:58 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Recovering a SLES10 SP1 server in a DR scenario
Has anyone been able to successfully recover a SLES 10 SP1 server using
FCP devices in a disaster recovery scenario? Recently, I attempted to do
so and the server failed to boot (either in normal or fail safe modes)
because the FCP devices that are normally attached to the server at my
home site were not available at my DR site. When I IPL'd the server at
the
DR location, the server would find the mainframe 3390 devices that are
mirrored to the DR site via XRC , but failed to find the FCP devices
since
the WWPN of the storage device at the DR site is obviously different
than
the WWPN of the storage device at my home site.
To give a little background on the server, as I mentioned before it is a
SLES 10 SP1 server that runs as a guest of a z/VM 5.2 LPAR. I build the
Linux operating system (/, /usr, /var) on mainframe 3390 mod 3s that are
mirrored to the DR site via XRC. The user data (WebSphere file systems
/opt, /opt/apps, etc...) are mounted on FCP devices and the LUNs are
mirrored to the DR site via HDS TrueCopy.
In SLES 9, when I bring up the server at the DR site, it too would
obviously fail to find the WWPN of the FCP devices, but it would get to
a
place where I can update the WWPN to point to my storage device at my DR
site (where the LUNs are mirrored to). I would then be able to reboot
the
server with the updated WWPN and successfully access all my file systems
and bring up all my applications (i.e. WebSphere, Oracle, etc...).
This obviously does not work the same in SLES 10! As I mentioned
earlier,
SLES 10 fails to boot because it can find the FCP devices since the WWPN
of my home site is not available from my DR site. It boots to a $ prompt
where it is limited to what I can do from the console session.
I spoke to IBM Development about this and they are still looking into
this.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Ashley
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