Backup to SFTP server on HiPath 4000 V5 1

[jgbmt]

Hi again,

I'd like to archive HiPath 4000 V5 backups to an SFTP in addition to CF backups. I was told that you can use an SFTP server to create robust backup schedules - can someone please provide guidance on this.

Can a bootable image be archived to SFTP? Can the HiPath 4000 V5 boot from SFTP? What are the recommendations on leveraging an SFTP server to archive the HiPath 4000 V5?

Thank you again!!!!

 

[Moriendi]

You can't boot from SFTP. For V5 the bootable backup comes from the CF card.

Problem with SFTP backup is that you need a semi-running 4K to restore the backup. Assistant HBR will create and restore SFTP backups, if you don't have a running Assistant, you can't restore a backup. So they're OK to restore the RMX telephony DB on a running system, but, if it's all off, you're stuffed.

If you still want to do it, configure a backup server in the Assistant Backup/Restore app and add a new backup to the schedule.

 

[jgbmt]

thanks Moriendi!

Could the SFTP backup be used to restore the RMX with all patches onto a replacement HD? Let's say the HD had to be replaced and the new one rebuilt using a Master CF with no patches. Once the basic Unix was up again, could I use HBR to restore the RMX using the SFTP backup so I wouldn't have to repatch the RMX?

 

[Moriendi]

If you make a system backup via SFTP it will take the entire PDS area, which includes the patches. However it needs a working PDS to restore to, ie a working RMX filesystem... you can't restore it to a blank disc. You could restore it to a HD which was bootable but without current DB, i.e your HD which you have created from what you are calling your master CF, but that HD will need to be running the Assistant (so Unixware installed)... so you're going to need the Assistant install files for that blank HD.

 

[jgbmt]

Got it.... one more thing.

Let's say I have a 4K V5.0.37 (or something like that). And I backed up the RMX to SFTP a month ago. I would then have the RMX V5.0.37 in the archive.

Then, the HD gets replaced today and the bootable CF I have is 4K V5.0.0 and I use this to build the new HD. Once the RMX and Unixware is running at 4K V5.0.0, can I use the SFTP I stored a month ago to restore the RMX from V5.0.0 to V5.0.37?

 

[Moriendi]

Sorry, that's the exact same question you already asked but my answer wasn't clear. The answer is "yes" because I previously said "entire PDS".

The SFTP backup allows you to create a system or a data backup. If you make a data backup, it cherry picks the DB files from the PDS area and exports unixware config from the Assistant. With a data backup you can restore your config but the V5.x.x. etc would remain unchanged. If you make a system backup, you get the complete PDS and unixware install files too, which would include all versions etc.

The PDS area is the boot area of the RMX OS, it contains the operating system, the DB, the patches, the loadware for the peripheral cards.. everything for the phones to work. PDS and all the other ancillary areas, pas, gla, cgd, scr etc sit in a (1.3GB from memory?) partition at the start of the HD. The Assistant uses three other partitions, Unix boot, base, installation. If you examined a 4K HD in a partition editor, fdisk etc, you'll see those four partitions...RMX will be first with type unknown/other, then the three Unix partitions. The editor won't see the PDS and other RMX areas because they sit inside that initial unknown partition, but it does see that inital partition. That's why the RMX and Assistant are treated separately, it's two OS's running on the same HD. Processor timeslices between them. If you lose the Assistant partitions, the phones don't care, the RMX will continue to run from PDS. If you remove the HD from a booted 4K, RMX doesn't need a running filesystem and so phones continue to work but Assistant would fail because it (unixware) needs the HD. RMX is very stable, it boots first from PDS and then it will try and boot the unixware once the PDS is loaded. If the unixware partitions are missing, and the Assistant install files are available on the SCR area, it will try to install the Assistant. If it fails it will give up on Assistant but RMX is already loaded and doesn't need Assistant to run, so phones will be working.

Above is true for V5 and earler. From V6 and later, the architecture is different. Same building blocks but put together differently.