Disk migration

[wtrepani]

Hello,

I have a project that required me to replace the two mirrored 36G disks on our S8 box with two 146G disks. I am posting my plan and a couple questions at the end. If anyone has any suggestions to make it easier or sees an error, please let me know. Assume all env changes will happen at the OK prompt.

Thanks

1) Using printenv from the OK prompt, ensure the 1st disk is the boot device.
2) Use metadb to verify I have at least two databases on each disk.
3) Use metadetach to break all mirrors to the second disk.
4) [Hot/Cold] swap old disk with new (second disk).
5) Use drvconfig to configure new special device files.
6) Use prtvtoc and fmthard to format the new disk.
7) Modify partition seven to consume all remaining disk.
8) Use metadb to create additional copies of database on new disk.
9) Use metainit to create new metadevices on new disk.
********** Question step***********
10) Reattach new metadevices to mirrors, allow to sync.
***********************************
11) Verify functionality
12) Change env so that 2nd disk is the boot device.
13) Use metadetach to break all mirrors to the first disk.
14) [Hot/Cold] swap old disk with new (first disk).
15) Use drvconfig to configure new special device files.
16) Use prtvtoc and fmthard to format the new disk.
17) Modify partition seven to consume all remaining disk.
18) Use metadb to create additional copies of database on new disk.
19) Use metainit to create new metadevices on new disk.
20) Verify functionality.
21) Change env so that both devices are listed as boot devices.

Questions

Step 10, Can you mirror (slice 7) two metadevices that are not the same size, assuming that the larger does is not utilized beyone what the smaller one's capacity is? When resyncing after the first disk has been replaced, the size of slice 7 will not match up, but the metadevice over slice 7 will consume the entire slice.

Is it possible to mirror soft partitions (on the same disk) that are already mirrored to the other disk. I have three filesystems I would like to mirror for a short time during an application upgrade. These soft partitions are created out of a mirror. I would like all three filesystems to have the same information for about three weeks (and of course, the data will change by the minute), then separate them out to different application environments (ie, kill the soft partition mirror).

Any suggestions, comments, or slaps upside the head would be appreciated...

Thanks

Will

 

[screwloose]

Not being facetious, but with AIX this is SOOOO much easier!

I am learning Solaris after a decision by my company to change platforms. After seeing the steps listed here on disk migrations, it further cements my qualms with Solaris and my impression that it is not functional as a large-scale enterprise OS without costly add-ons like Veritas Volume Manger, etc.

I cannot see how a large environment with 100's of servers can be managed easily using Solaris because of the lack of tools and utilities that are provided as a base AIX install.

 

[wtrepani]

Personally, I disagree with any environment consisting of only one type of server. The environment I work in contains HP, Solaris, AS/400, Vax, SGI, etc. I think an environment should be built to it's purpose. Each OS has it's strong points and weak points. Whereas the process listed above seems complicated, it really is not.

Understand too, that in a large environment, you would make the time (like in any environment) to set it up to be easy to manage as a large environment. If I had more then a couple servers, I would have a management server (included as part of the os) set up, and that would simplify the tasks listed above.

I would bet that many of the shortcomings you find are because of the 'It was easier to do in AIX' statement. I once thought that when getting into an environment that supports multiple platforms. Once that was out of my head, I started realizing that though some individual tasks were easier on some other OS's, as designed each OS and platform was better and worse in it's own way.

Now you want a real challange, start writing system management scripts that will work on multiple versions of multiple platforms. You will be suprized at the likeness of many of these, and also at the uniqueness...