Using Ignite-UX to Backup a Server's Bootable Image

Ignite-UX can be used to create an installable image of a server to use in the event that a recovery of an entire operating system is needed, especially when it is urgent. It is also useful for cloning a system.

To create a network bootable Ignite-UX image of a server, there needs to be a host server that the image will be saved on and which will be accessible for a network install of that image to another server. To minimize the complexity of the backup and recover process, the Ignite-UX server that stores the backup images should be on the same subnet as the other servers that it will be backing up.

To set up the Ignite-UX server and create a client for recovery:

Install the latest version of Ignite-UX on the backup host server from the OS installation media or downloaded from HP's software repository, if it's not already on the server.

Run the command “ignite” and the following image should appear

Click OK and then click on “Actions” and choose “Add New Client for Recovery”

Enter the name of the new server and choose “remsh” or “ssh” to connect with it

The Ignite client will be created and an icon for it will appear in the window

A network recovery archive can be created from this window, but it's easier to run it from the client server. A single command line can be used to create the archive. The format is:

/opt/ignite/bin/make_net_recovery -s (ignite_server) -a (ignite_ server):(recovery_archives_pathname) -x inc_entire=(root_volume_group)

Example: /opt/ignite/bin/make_net_recovery -s walleye -a walleye:/recovery/dodge -x inc_entire=vg00

Be sure that the file system you use for a recovery depot has enough space to hold the number of images you will be storing there. A single image typically ranges in size between 3GB and 20GB. And it is advisable to keep more than one image stored for each server being backed up.

While the ignite backup is in progress, and afterwards, the progress can be checked through the ignite server gui. The icon for the server being backed up shows a progress bar and the log can be viewed from there, as well.

Using Ignite-UX to Recover an Unbootable Server

If you have created an Ignite-UX image of a server and that server becomes unbootable and needs a complete restore of its operating system from a known good image, a network boot/install can be performed. There are several variables, including OS version and CPU architecture, that require variations in the recovery procedure. A good reference to use for following the correct procedure is the Ignite-UX Administration Guide for HP-UX 11i. But, an example of the basic procedure, as performed on an Itanium server running HP-UX 11iv3, is shown below.

Cycle power on the client server. When it begins to reboot and comes to the EFI Boot Manager menu, choose
“Boot Option Maintenance Menu”:

Select “Add a Boot Option” and then choose the appropriate network interface, determined by the MAC address, by highlighting it and hitting Enter

Enter a description (name that shows in the boot menu), choose “A” for the Boot Option Data Type, enter a brief description for Boot Option Data, and enter “Y” to save changes to NVRAM.

Exit to the Boot Manager Menu and the new boot option will be there. Select it and press Enter to start the LAN install.

If there is difficulty getting a LAN install to start, another way to recover it would be to install a minimal OS to the client server from DVDROM and then performing the boot install from the Ignite-UX server. When installing a minimal OS on the client, make sure that Ignite-UX is installed with it. The version of Ignite-UX installed on the client should match that on the Ignite-UX server.

Using Ignite-UX to Clone an Existing Server

Ignite-UX can be used to create a clone of an existing server. If an Ignite-UX image has been created of one server, it can be installed to a similar server.

From the Ignite-UX Administration Guide

On the Ignite-UX server, if the client to be installed does not currently have a directory in /var/opt/ignite/clients but is up and running, use the Ignite-UX GUI to create that directory using Add New Client for Recovery from the Actions menu.

Copy the CINDEX and recovery directory from a source client to the target client directory. If the target client has previously used make_net_recovery, it will already have a CINDEX file. If the CINDEX file for the client exists, you might want to save a copy and then edit the file to add the desired entries from the source client. The following commands copy the required files. You may specify src_client and target_client using either the MAC address or the client’s hostname, which is a symbolic link to the MAC address:

cd /var/opt/ignite/clients/src_client
find CINDEX recovery cpio -pdvma ../target_client

Give the target client NFS access to the recovery image of the source system. Typically each target client has its own directory on the source system for storing the recovery images and the directory is exported only to the individual client. To do this, log in to the system that holds the recovery image (normally the Ignite-UX server).

For HP-UX 11i v3 systems:

Edit the /etc/dfs/dfstab file on the source client.

Append ,ro=target_client to the -o argument of the source client's line, where target_client is a fully qualified client name.

Run # shareall -F nfs

For HP-UX 11i v1 and 11i v2 systems:

Edit the /etc/exports file on the source client.

Append :target_client to the end of the source client's line, where target_client is the hostname of the target system.

Run # exportfs -av

Boot the target client from the Ignite-UX server using any method you prefer. When you install the system, you can select from the recovery configurations of the source system.

Change the system networking parameters for the client during or after the installation.