This document explains how to back up and restore SP nodes for reinstallation with Sysback. It applies to in-service versions of Sysback and any supported AIX level.
sysback -f rmtX -h $cws -N $net -T $cpu -k $krn vg1 vg2
spmon -p off node1
Open a tty with the GUI or with the command.
See Appendix A for the manual netboot process.
spmon -key secure node1
spmon -p on node1
spmon -key service node1
NOTE: If the menu is not displayed, press the Enter key.
MAIN MENU 1. Select BOOT (Startup) Device 2. Select Language for these Menus 3. Send Test Transmission (PING) 4. Exit Main Menu and Start System (BOOT)
Type the number for your selection and then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
SELECT BOOT (STARTUP) DEVICE Select the device to BOOT (Startup) this machine. WARNING: If you are using Token-Ring, selection of an incorrect data rate can result in total disruption of the Token-Ring network. "==>" Shows the selected BOOT (startup) device 1. Use Default Boot (Startup) Device 2. Ethernet: Slot 0/1, 15-pin connector 3. Ethernet: Slot 0/1, BNC connector (1-pin) 4. Ethernet: Slot 0/4, 15-pin connector Page 1 of 2 88. Next Page of Select BOOT (Startup) Device Menu 99. Return to Main MenuType the number for your selection and then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
SET OR CHANGE NETWORK ADDRESSES Select an address to change Currently selected BOOT (startup) device is: Ethernet: Slot 0/1, BNC connector (1-pin) Hardware address .............................. 02608C2D4BDF 1. Client address 009.019.173.027 (address of this machine) 2. BOOTP server address 009.019.173.023 (address of the remote machine you boot from) 3. Gateway address 000.000.000.000 (Optional, required if gateway used) 97. Return to Select BOOT (Startup) Device Menu (Saves addresses) 99. Return to Main Menu (Saves addresses)Type the number for your selection, then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
SEND TEST TRANSMISSION (PING) A test to see if the machine at the origin address can communicate, thru the network, with the machine at the destination address. Currently selected BOOT (startup) device is: Ethernet: Slot 0/1, BNC connector (1-pin) Hardware address ............................ 02608C2D4BDF Select an address to change or select "4" to begin the test. 1. Origin address 009.019.173.027 2. Destination address 009.019.173.023 3. Gateway address 000.000.000.000 (Optional, required if gateway used) 4. START PING TEST 99. Return to Main MenuType the number for your selection, then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
A successful test will display the following:
TEST TRANSMISSION (PING) RESULTS SUCCESSFUL TEST. Transmission sent and received. 97. Return to Send Test Transmission screen. 99. Return to Main MenuType the number for your selection, then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
STARTING SYSTEM (BOOT) To get a NORMAL boot, turn the key on your system unit to "NORMAL" and press "ENTER" to continue booting. 99. Return to Main MenuType the number for your selection, then press Enter. (Use the Backspace key to correct errors.)
spmon -key service node1
spmon -open node1
spmon -p on node1
spmon -open node1
DO YOU WANT TO UPDATE FLASH FROM LINE S2 [y/n] ? n
spmon -open node1
1 Display Configuration 2 Multiboot 3 Utilities 4 Select Language ===>
1 Display Configuration 2 Multiboot 3 Utilities 4 Select Language ===>
RS/6000 Firmware Version WIL97072 (c) Copyright IBM Corp. 1996 All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Multiboot 1 Select Software 2 Software Default 3 Install From 4 Select Boot Devices 5 OK Prompt 6 Multiboot Startup===>
Install Operating System Device Number Device Name 1 SCSI 4512 MB Harddisk id=0 ( Integrated ) 2 SCSI 4512 MB Harddisk id=1 ( Integrated ) 3 Ethernet ( Integrated ) 4 None ===>
The SP may be configured in many ways, using thin, wide or high nodes. Each frame may also have an optional high-speed switch for very fast network data transfer between nodes. The nodes are independent machines, each with its own operating system installed. The nodes do not have a diskette drive or front panel key switch or LED, and in basic configurations, external devices are not attached.
Sysback is particularly useful on the SP for its ability to back up and restore over a network and to perform network installs from a network-attached tape drive or disk image files. This enables nodes to be backed up and even reinstalled from a tape drive or disk image file located on another node, the control workstation, or any other host on the network with which the node can communicate.
When one performs a backup or restore from the control workstation, the data will be transferred across the Ethernet (default) network interface. This high amount of data transfer may impact other applications that communicate over the same network. If a high-speed switch is installed in a frame and the backup or restore is performed from one node to another node in the same frame, the network is generally not impacted due to its very high throughput rate.
Any backup or restore operation performed with Sysback on the SP is identical to any backup or restore performed over a local-area network. The Sysback installation process on an SP is identical to network installs on other types of hosts, except that the nodes to be installed do not have a system console directly attached. It is therefore necessary to use the PSSP software, provided on the control workstation, to assist in a network boot operation.
In most SP configurations, the nodes do not have tape drives, so the Sysback network installation process is the primary means of system recovery. Although the system backups can be performed over the high-performance switch (HPS), a network installation is limited to a Sysback-supported network (Ethernet, token-ring or FDDI).
The spbootins and setup_server commands, provided with the PSSP software, may be used to "customize" a node. When this occurs, however, the node will begin pointing to the PSSP network boot image, rather than the Sysback network boot image. If you wish to perform another, later Sysback network boot of the same node, you will need to reconfigure the network boot client using the Sysback option Add or Change a Network Boot Client. Likewise, if after performing a Sysback network boot, you wish to perform a PSSP "customize / install", you must again use the spbootins and setup_server commands.
PSSP software, provided for the control workstation, modifies the control workstation's AIX device configuration database to add an entry for the node_number in the parallel cluster. For the control workstation, this number is set to zero (0).
Since this information is added to the device configuration database by the PSSP, and not AIX, Sysback is unable to recreate this information when it rebuilds the device configuration database at the end of the system installation of the control workstation. After the system installation, the command /usr/lpp/ssp/bin/install_cw must be executed on the control workstation. Running the install_cw program will restore the ODM device configuration specific to the SP control workstation.
As with the control workstation, Sysback is unable to recover the node-specific AIX device configuration that PSSP applies to the nodes (SP and CSS attributes). Therefore, additional steps must be taken to recover this information for the node using commands provided with the PSSP software.
NOTE: Make sure the node is set to disk in the SDR during the Sysback installation, since Sysback will be completing the installation process and not the PSSP code.
After the node is installed from the Sysback backup, you must perform the following steps to reconfigure the node-specific device configuration information:
spbootins -r customize-l ## is the node number. This will set the node to customize mode.
splstdata -bThis confirms that the node is set to customize mode.
rm -f /etc/niminfo
lslpp -h ssp.basic
export NIM_CUSTOM=sysback
/usr/lpp/ssp/install/bin/pssp_scriptIf this file does not exist on the node, you can copy it from the /SPDATA/SYS1/INSTALL/PSSP/PSSP_SCRIPT file on the control workstation.
It is important to remember that you must boot from the same AIX-version operating system that you will be installing. Therefore, if you plan to install from a tape drive attached to the control workstation, the control workstation must either have the same level of operating system installed as the node you are installing, or you must use a different server to perform the network boot. After booting from the correct level of operating system, you may select a different server on the network from which to retrieve the backup data.
[ Doc Ref: 92783321814224 Publish Date: Oct. 17, 2000 4FAX Ref: 4396 ]