Administrator's Guide

then press <Return/Enter> to select.
HW Path Device File Description
----------------------------------------------------------
[ 0/4/1/0.0x6.0x0 /dev/rmt/c6t6dOBEST HP_SDLT600 ]
4. Select the tape drive that contains the recovery image tape, then press Enter to start the
installation of the recovery image from the chosen tape drive.
Notes on cloning systems
Ignite-UX offers two main options for replicating (cloning) systems. The more flexible and complex
golden image method makes use of make_sys_image to create an archive of the source system,
followed by manually modifying configuration files to meet your needs. A much simpler (but less
flexible approach) uses make_[tape|net]_recovery. The pros and cons of each are described
here.
In each case, the source system that is used must contain software that is compatible with all clients.
This means that the version of HP-UX, patches, drivers, etc., must be sufficient for all systems
involved. This often requires installing a superset of software and drivers onto the source system
that will be used on all potential clients.
Using the make_sys_image method
Using the golden image method of creating an archive with make_sys_image and then modifying
Ignite-UX configuration files to reference the archive is very flexible, but somewhat time consuming.
The end result gives you:
• The ability to install systems from network or media from either an Ignite-UX server or local
clients.
• The ability to customize the process and tune it to accommodate many different situations.
• A "clean" system: log files and most remnants specific to the source system are removed.
• A rebuilt kernel containing just the drivers needed by the client’s hardware.
• The ability to install additional software or patches on top of the system archive from an SD
depot. This reduces the need to recreate the archive and enables you to add support for new
hardware that requires new patches or drivers without making a new archive.
See Chapter 11: “Golden images”, for more information.
Using the make_[tape|net]_recovery method
The make_[tape|net]_recovery tools are designed to reproduce a system exactly the way
it was at the time the snapshot was taken. These tools try to accommodate cloning in various ways:
• You can change hostname and networking information.
• You can make changes to disks and file systems during the recovery.
• You can detect hardware model changes and rebuild the kernel.
However, their attempt to reproduce a system exactly may be undesirable:
• The disk layout is saved "as-is" from the original system and does not have flexible logic to
accommodate disks of varying sizes or locations.
• Hardware instance numbers for devices that exist at the same paths between systems have
the instance numbers preserved from the original system. This can cause non-contiguous
assignments in instance numbers, which is usually only a cosmetic problem.
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