I have a problem, whereby i have accidentally removed the path_to_inst file on a Primepower Solaris 8 server.

The system wouldnt boot so i booted miniroot and mounted up the boot disk and created a path_to_inst file with a copy of the header from an identical server and now the machine is booting.

I think that when it recreates the path_to_inst file, it will change the minor numbers of the devices and so then it wont be able to mount the filesystems as it wont be able to see the disk device.

Does this sound right ? Is there any way i can get it to recreate the file identical to what it was before, or is it reinstall time ?

Dave

 

# rm /etc/path_to_inst
# init 0
ok boot -ra
<take defaults to questions>
rebuild path_to_inst: yes

Works on real Sun hardware.

 

From the Answerbook (and path_to_inst man page) it says that it will rebuild the file but probably with different minor numbers for the devices.

Hmm, am doing an init 0 now so i will see how it gets on. I have been frigging around for a while so i will rm the path_to_inst file i created.

Lol @ real Sun hardware. Is that the stuff that melts down at over 35 degrees

[Edited by druddle - 11/14/2002 4:36:38 PM]

 

Is changing the minor numbers a problem? 99% of the time its not. Its only if you are running software thats needs the minor numbers staying the same.

If its that important restore the file from backup. You do have a backup dont you

 

Rewritten (again) to be less lecture like!...

The only time I've come across a problem with changing the
major/minor numbers is when on a clustered system, and only if the
major/minor numbers differ between the systems in the cluster.

[Edited by DrEvil - 11/14/2002 8:05:47 PM]

 

Cheers orbv and Alex for your input.

boot -ra worked a treat second time round(first time i forgot to rm /etc/path_to_inst - doh!).

Wasnt sure if the minor number would make a difference, but it mentioned it in the man page, thats why i had to check.

And as for the backup, no there wasnt one, backups are for girls

Cheers again lads

Dave

 

minor numbers do not matter on a cluster but major normaly do for a few devices like vxio, did, etc.

 

Depends on which HA/cluster you are using, if its a legacy system running Sun HA 1.3, I *think* both minor and major numbers played a part... I could be wrong.

Sorry, my statement was a little sweeping - but it was just a generic comment, not aimed at specific versions/vendors cluster/HA s/w.

 

Solstice HA 1.3, your an old boy then

Disksuite only and no did devices so you must have the same numbers for storage.

 

Orbv - yer cheeky get!

Yep, old as far as Solaris is concerned.. been working on it since circa 1992, well SunOS 4.1 onwards, so Solaris 1 as well - although my memory of SunOS 4.x is rusty to say the least...

Did have some exposure to earier versions of Sun HA prior to v1.3 - but never touched Sun PDB... last Cluster product I was trained on was Sun Cluster 2.2 ... but again haven't used cluster in years, hence the need to know exactly what to keep the same in the path_to_inst has deminished...

When I worked in the O/S group for Sun, one of the problems we used to get regularly was people hacking their path_to_inst and then the HA s/w failing to fail over.. hence my post here... forewarned is fore armed or something similar

Perhaps I should get myself on another Cluster course soon (if I can justify it..)..

Veritas Cluster is something I have never touched - but might get the opportunity soon...

anyway, theres a few documents on http://sunsolve.sun.co.uk/ about this stuff and of course http://www.veritas.com/