vPars Monitor and partition database

vPars Monitor and partition database

With or without vPars, the firmware loads and launches ISL or EFI. In a server without vPars, from ISL or EFI, the loader hpux or hpux.efi loads the kernel /stand/vmunix:

PA-RISC

ISL> hpux /stand/vmunix

Integrity

HPUX> boot vmunix

However, in a server with vPars, from the loader (hpux or hpux.efi) loads the vPars Monitor (/stand/vpmon):

PA-RISC

ISL> hpux /stand/vpmon

Integrity

HPUX> boot vpmon

Single User Mode

On a vPars server, you can boot a virtual partition into single-user mode either at the monitor prompt or at the shell prompt of a running partition.

For example, if we wanted to boot node2 into single user mode:

From MON> From the monitor prompt, specify the -is option as an argument to vparload.

MON> vparload -p node2 -o "-is"

From the shell prompt of another virtual partition, specify the -o option with the vparboot command:

node1# vparboot -p node2 -o "-is"

NOTE: To boot a virtual partition, the partition must be in the down state. If the partition is in the hung state, perform the following before executing the vparboot:

Turn off autoboot for the target partition:

node1# vparmodify -p node2 -B manual

Attempt to reset the target partition with the -t option (soft reset):

node1# vparreset -p node2 -t

If it still appears to be hung, reset it with the -h option (hard reset):

node1# vparreset -p node2 -h

Continue verifying the state until vparstatus shows that node2 is in the down state:

node1# vparstatus -p node2 -v | grep -E "Name|State" Name: node2 State: down

After you have entered into single-user mode and if you want to turn autoboot back on, the command is:

node1# vparmodify -p node2 -B auto

Maintenance Mode

When troubleshooting LVM, you may need to enter into maintenance mode using the -lm option. For more information on maintenance mode, see the book "Managing Systems and Workgroups."

On a vPars server, you specify the -lm option but as an argument to either the monitor vparload command or as a -o option to the shell vparboot command.

For example, if the partition node2 is down, to boot node2 into maintenance mode:

From MON> From the monitor prompt:

MON> vparload -p node2 -o "-lm"

From shell prompt From the running partition node1:

node1# vparboot -p node2 -o "-lm"

Overriding Quorum

In LVM, when the root disk is mirrored, the server can only activate the root volume group, which contains the OS instance, when the majority of the physical volumes in a root volume group are present at boot time. This is called establishing a quorum. Sometimes, you may want to boot an OS instance regardless of whether a quorum is established. You can override the quorum requirement by using the -lq option. For more information on quorums, see the book "Managing Systems and Workgroups."

On a vPars server, you can execute either of the following:

From MON> From the monitor prompt, to boot node2 overriding the quorum requirement:

MON> vparload -p node2 -o "-lq"

From shell prompt From the running virtual partition node1, to boot node2 overriding the quorum requirement:

node1# vparboot -p node2 -o "-lq"

From the running virtual partition node1, to modify node2 to override the quorum requirement when booting:

node1# vparmodify -p vpar1 -o "-lq"

In a vpar server, the mkboot command is not useful as the quorum override is handled by the vPars Monitor database. The AUTO file is no read when a vpar is booting. The only time the AUTO file is read, is when the server or nPar is booting, just before loading the vPar Monitor.

NOTE: Specifying the boot options from the command line only affects the current boot. On a non-vPars server, to have a server permanently boot with the -lq option, you would put "hpux -lq" in the LIF AUTO file. On a vPars server, to have a partition boot with the -lq option, you would simulate the AUTO file usage by entering the -lq option into the partition database. See “Simulating the AUTO File on a Virtual Partition” in vPars Manual.