Ghost problems with IBM xSeries 3

[PGNMAN]

I am using the ServerGuide 6.06 CD to setup the drives. The IBM partition is created and I continue through the ServerGuide version of the Win2k installation (which is bad by the way...) NOTE: I also used UpdateXpress CD v1.04 to update my firmware.

I install Win2k Server and a few apps - we are creating a base image for all of our servers - and then I run SYSPREP and image the partition with Ghost. Then we are installing apps onto the new server that has been created from the image to create machines with exchange, web, infrastructure, application.

I create a Ghost image of the partition - not the entire disk, since I am using this image for serveral models (x342, x360, x232)

On the new machine, I boot with the ServerGuide CD and wipe the drives clean and re-initialize the array. I create a RAID1 set for the OS and RAID 5 the rest of the drives (I have tried different combinations of RAID1 & RAID5 to see if this may have been the problem). I then create the system partition and exit ServerGuide. I boot from a network diskette and map a drive to the share with my image. I run Ghost and click Local/Partition/From Image and then create a partition and pull down the image. When I reboot the machine, I get the message &quot;Windows 2000 could not statr because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows 2000 Root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe&quot;

I follow the procedure AGAIN, and put the same Ghost image on top of the same partition I just created, and it starts jsut fine. I have been pestering IBM for 2 months and they have not responded. Any help would be appreciated,

Thank you

Tom Barnett

 

[erdengel]

In response to hariss:

I had the same problem... here is the resolution.

1. Download the correct driver from the Intel site, and extract. When creating the boot disk, add a new driver, and select this one.
2. Open the protocol.ini file from the boot disk as well as the protocol.ini file from the directory where you extracted the files (this would be in the same directory as the .dos file you specified in step 1). Edit the drivername under the [nic] heading in the file on the floppy to be the same as the extracted one.

You can also add additional parameters, such as which interface to use, but even without, you can now boot up, and connect to the ghostcast server.

hope this helps.

 

[hejo]

Hello,
is there jet anyone who has succesfully made a ghost image and restored it an a IBM x345 with Raid 5 on an internal 5i controller? If so, how? We have tried everything from aspi to emm, but nothing worked.

 

[TripWire]

I was having the same problem. Here is how I fixed it. When running the image up I used the -ib option. When load the image I used the -ib -nfs option.

So far no problems.

Dan

 

[4MULA1]

The switch -ib does work on IBM 4Mx array controllers but I have had no success with the 5i controllers. This is really puzzling? Ghost 7.0 doesn't have the -nfs option. Is this switch in a later version? Thanks TripWire.

Question:
I created a Netware Boot Disk that is configured to run at 100 Mbps Full Duplex through configurations lines in the net.cfg file.
I can not force the Windows Boot Disk to run at 100 Mbps Full Duplex through the protocol.ini file. I have tried Speeduplex = 3, Duplex = Full, Speed = 100, etc... The NIC driver is a e1000.dos(Intel). Can anyone assist?

Thanks
4mula1

 

[finbar]

I am trying to ghost my IBM x345 servers but I cannot get a ghost network boot disk to work properly. Has anyone had any success getting a drive mapping boot disk to work? If so how??
Thanks in advance!

 

[finbar]

Erdengel,
What .dos driver did you end up using?

 

[jbyo]

Hello,
I made the change to the logical drive to Write through in Serv raid.
I use gdisk utility to create partitions.
I added the ASPI drivers to the ghost boot disk
I able to drop my image down.
When I go to boot the box it says Missing Operting System.
I have IBM x345 with 5i controller, raid 1, 2 36 gig drives.
Looking for answers for days now
Thanks
James

 

[abbubakir]

Hi,

I have been working for a while (on and off) with DeployCenter and I finally got somewhere today ( after reading this page ).

I downloaded the DeployCenter demo 5.5. I upgraded ServeRaid 4LX card BIOS/firmware to 5.10 level.

Created TCP/IP and standalone floppies.

This is what I edited so that I was able to look at the drive and start dumping the image to a network share:

1. copy smartdrv.exe on first floppy
2. copy mxcdex.exe on first floppy for CD drive usage
3. copy IBMIDECD.SYS on first floppy for CD drive usage
4. copy emm386.exe on first floppy. This help on GUI, and during GUI loadup it will tell you that memory usage has been limited to 32 MB.

5. Edit autoexec.bat - next line to &quot;SET TZ=EST5EDT&quot; add:

smartdrv.exe /x

6: Edit config.sys - this is my standalone floppy config.sys file:

DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
device=emm386.exe noems i=b000-b7ff
dos=umb
files=100
buffers=30
DEVICE = ibmidecd.sys /D:cd1
LASTDRIVE=Z

as you see you can load the CD drive driver and image server from the CD drive.

This is my network boot floppy autoexec.bat:

@ECHO OFF
@PROMPT $P$G
SET TZ=EST5EDT
smartdrv.exe /x
kicknic
cd net
cnmod
net initialize /dynamic
netbind
tcptsr
tinyrfc
net start basic
net use S: \\ipphones-pdc\images
a:
cdmouse
ECHO.
ECHO Please insert disk 2.
PAUSE
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO ImageCenter 5.5
ECHO Copyright 1994-2002 PowerQuest Corporation.
ECHO All rights reserved.
ECHO.
ECHO Loading. Please wait...
pqimgctr

this is my config.sys network boot floppy file:

DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
device=emm386.exe noems i=b000-b7ff
dos=umb
DEVICE=\NET\IFSHLP.SYS
FILES=100
STACKS=0,0
BUFFERS=30
DEVICE = ibmidecd.sys /D:cd1
LASTDRIVE=Z


I hope this helps

 

[finbar]

Ok guys I seriously need some help.
I cannot get a network boot disk to work with an IBM X345 machine. I have tried all the tips, downloading the driver from IBM etc to no avail.
Can anyone help me?
Maybe make me an image of a working boot disk or something?
Thanks guys,

 

[claxan]

I have a server x350 with ServerRaid 4L with Bios 4.7x the Ghost 7.5 Corp. doesn't work. I need help to create a Ghost Disk.

Can anyone help me or have one a working Ghost Disk for me.

Thanks

Regards Markus

 

[Metcalf]

With so many problems with Ghost, is there a reason why no one has mentioned using IBM Remote Deployment Manager? I haven't used it yet, but it does make images using the clone technology from PowerQuest plus you don't have the issues with the RAID controllers. It is free as long as you are using the xSeries servers.
Just wondered if anyone has ever tried implementing this solution instead...

 

[SpongeBob777]

I've had issues with Ghosting x440, x340, x342, x345, 4500R servers. Basically the symptoms are similar to other posts here - Ghost hangs. I have had some success using ghost from the command line - this is the command I use

ghost -clone,mode=dump,src=1,dst=z:\temp\ghost.gho -sure -ib

to ghost a machine, and

ghost -clone,mode=load,src=z:\temp\ghost.gho,dst=1 -sure -fni

to restore a machine. Note that src=1 & dst=1 are where
1 = disk 1, 2 = disk 2, etc.

I've also ghosted a server where I've removed 1 disk of a raid 1 array, and put in on the (non-raid) internal SCSI controller in another server. Shut the originating server down after removing the disk. Ghost will quite happily image this drive OK. When the disk is put back in the originating server's raid 1 array, the disk will appear as defunct. Put the disk back in the server, start it up (don't change the controller's config on startup) booting from the serveraid CD. Use serveraid manager to read the controller config from the disks. The disk will come back online and start synchronising. Let it synch and then reboot.

I've done this successfully with serveral server types, including both nodes of a 4500R cluster server. This only works on Raid 1 mirrored disks though - tough luck if you have Raid 1E or Raid 5.

 

[markusschweitzer]

Hi,

i also tried to image an xseries 345 with ghost, deploy center and also the IBM RDM tool. With the rdm tool i was able to get the image, but to install and configure this you also need the IBM director, a lot of work.
The only problem is to write the image back to the server, but out of all the ibm tool works with deploy center, you got an pqi file!

With ghost and also deploy center i hadn't any luck. I always got errors while booting from disk.
Have anybody an iso image of an bootdisk?

kind regards
Mark

 

[bikkel]

SOLVED IT !!!

Having IBM xseries 335 servers, with ServeRaid 4LX controllers with Raid1

With Server Bios 1.05 & 1.03 and ServeRaid Bios 4.84 I still had it going, but after server Bios update to 1.06 and ServeRaid Bios update 6.00.11 it stopped working...

Here is my config.sys from a MS6.22US bootdisk;

Device=A:\DOS\himem.sys /testmemff
Device=A:\DOS\EMM386.exe noems x=d000-dfff i=b000-b7ff
Dos=High,umb

DeviceHigh=A:\DOS\Ramdrive.sys 5000 /E

Files=150
Buffers=99
LastDrive=Z

Shell=A:\COMMAND.COM A:\ /P /E:1024

This should do the trick...

I use ghost.exe and ghost.env from Ghost 2003
and the Novell client 32 client to put the image at my netware server over Pure IP

Good Luck !

 

[hview]

I have several IBM servers using the IBM SERVERAID controllers. I have had no problems creating ghost 7.5 images on the IBM 345 xseries, however, I was not able to create images on my IBM 330 xseries until all of the following (4) confitions were met.

1. The Bios on the server had to be upgraded to 1.05
2. The serveraid 4L Firmware had to be upgraded to 6.10
3. The Dos drivers had to be added to the Ghost boot disk. TO load the drivers on the ghost boot disk. first create a DOS sreveraid diskette from using the dos.img file on the serveraid CD. On the Ghost boot disk Copy IPSRASPI.SYS and IPSRDOS.IDP to a:\. Edit the config.sys file on the Ghost boot disk to add the comand: DEVICE=A:\ipsraspi.sys /f
4. Finally and very important the version of DOS has to be IBM or PC DOS. MS DOS will not work.

 

[Laureon]

Hi,

we had all the same with Ghost and Drive Image
and IBM`s Raid-Controller.
Edit the Start-Disk`s for the Image-Tools.
Problems with Imaging the Service-Partitions.

But now all that`s history. We use Powerquest`s
new Product V2I Protector. You can Image all the
Drive`s in Running-State without the hassle to boot
with Disk etc.
Backup Cluster-Server, Databases etc running...

And the CD`s is bootable and contains a ROM-running
Windows which supports all Drivers for Gigabit-NIC`s
etc.

Have Fun - It`s a great Product to work with fro Imaging
and forget all the Disk Image-Tools with their slow
Speed and &quot;system-off&quot; Procedures.


Reg.
Laureon

 

[SpongeBob777]

The other trick I've discovered is to start Ghost from the command line with the fni switch - ghost.exe -fni

This prevents Ghost hanging when ghosting servers that previously hung. Give it a try!!

 

[w3x]

After you have completed your ghosting issue, please update your system. Below is the link to several CDs that will help you flash your ServeRAID adapter, Tape drives, and system files. They are all free downloads. The GSSC, and your warranties, require that all your systems be kept up to date with the latest BIOS, firmware, and drivers.

http://www.ibm.com/Search?v=11&lang=en&cc=us&q=90p2772

ServeRAID adapter updates. Just select your OS. Remember to update the drivers on the ServeRAID adapter in the OS before updating the firmware and BIOS with the CD.

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4VVNTP

Servers - UpdateXpress CD version 3.01

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-39400

Servers and IntelliStation - Tapetool version 1.7

 

[w3x]

Sorry, I forgot one:

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4ZKPPT

Servers - ServerGuide version 7.0

 

[biercing]

Hi,
Finally I got it!
I use IBM xSeries 235 w/ IBM ServeRAID 5i + 3pcs of 35G disk in a RAID 5 array. I'd like to use Norton Ghost 2003 to make an image of this system and be able to restore it as well.
W2K is installed onto this system and of course I use it's NTFS file system.

I haven't changed the battery backup cache from write back to write through.
I've updated the system (x235) BIOS to version 1.10

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-52690

/IBM eServer xSeries 235 - Flash BIOS update version 1.10 (Windows update package)/
and the ServeRAID adapter's firmware to v 6.10.

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-52893

/23k4667w - IBM ServeRAID BIOS and Firmware version 6.10/
/23k4684w - IBM ServeRAID Support for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP version 6.10/
So the latest both of them.
I've downloaded the latest DOS driver as well (ipsraspi.sys & ipsrdos.idp)

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-39723

/23k4674.exe - IBM ServeRAID Support for DOS version 6.10 /

Then I've copied these DOS drivers for RAID controller onto an MS-DOS boot floppy.

Here you are my config.sys:
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS /testmemff
Device=EMM386.exe noems x=d000-dfff i=b000-b7ff
Dos=High,umb
Files=150
Buffers=99
DEVICE=cd1.SYS /D:banana
DEVICE=A:\ipsraspi.sys /f
LASTDRIVE=Z

and my autoexec.bat:
@echo off
lh smartdrv.exe /x
lh mouse.com
lh MSCDEX.EXE /D:banana /L:R

All of these are still not enough, I had to disable the direct aspi/scsi access in GHOST options, whichafter everything seem to be working well.

autoexec.bat and config.sys came from former suggestions of this forum, I don't know which of the command are really important and honestly I don't wanna find it out

I've already made an image file from the system/boot partition to another one, have already checked the integrity of the disk and the image file as well, but I haven't checked the restore function YET.

Hopefully this helps!