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X2200 x86 unbootable after kernel patch

I have a system that will not boot. It started this after applying Sun patches in preparation for an Oracle DB upgrade.

How do I do an in place upgrade to U09 without losing data?

Greetingz!
Depends on what your exact error(s) are..."it doesn't boot" isn't really all that descriptive.
Can you boot from a DVD/CD/network and look at the filesystems?
(If you're using DiskSuite/SVM to mirror / and such, hit up my post here on how to read them in when booting off media...)

As for doing an in-place upgrade to Solaris 10 Update 9 w/o losing data...that depends on your definition of "losing data", if you're trying to preserve everything (like all your configs in /etc/ and such), then you're going to need to either restore-from-tape (if you have 'em) or boot off a CD/DVD/network and back it all up first.

I wouldn't suggest doing an in-place upgrade with Solaris unless you have (tested) backups, and a fully working system to start with, and only then I would suggest you go the Live-Upgrade route.

How can one go the Live Upgrade route when the system doesn't boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bax (Post 4259342)

How can one go the Live Upgrade route when the system doesn't boot?

Yeah, you'll see that I said the following;

Quote:

I wouldn't suggest doing an in-place upgrade with Solaris unless you have (tested) backups, and a fully working system to start with, and only then I would suggest you go the Live-Upgrade route.

There isn't a reliable "in-place upgrade with Solaris" unless you go the Live Upgrade route...which you can't because the system doesn't boot...hence my inital point;

Quote:

As for doing an in-place upgrade to Solaris 10 Update 9 w/o losing data...that depends on your definition of "losing data", if you're trying to preserve everything (like all your configs in /etc/ and such), then you're going to need to either restore-from-tape (if you have 'em) or boot off a CD/DVD/network and back it all up first.

All I'm trying to preserve/copy is 2 zones.

Thanks for the follow-up post, I've been wondering how this has been going. :)

Can you get the system to boot into Single User Mode?
If you don't have this system configured to use the "Net Mgmnt" or "Serial Management" (DB9 RS-232) ports for console-access, then you might want to look into that.
That way, you could attempt to boot-up the system, and copy-paste the output you get (wrapped in "Code Tags").

Quote:

[CODE]
Output from a boot-up
[/CODE]

If the system is completly unable to boot itself, then you either have to;
a) Fix the booting problem so you can properly "export" the zones.
or
b) Boot off another media (CD/DVD/Network) and try to copy as much zone-related data as possible.

If you haven't had any luck with the first option, then do the 2nd option. You'll have to grab at least the following;
1) /etc/zones/*.xml
2) A ufsdump (or zfsdump) of all zone-related filesystems. (Check the xml files to be sure)

How to Do Console Redirection on a X2200 (From Sun Doc ID 1019396)
(Just the Solaris-related info)

Quote:

Sun Fire[TM] X2100 M2 / X2200 M2 Server: Configuiring OS Console Redirection [ID 1019396.1]
Modified 09-DEC-2009 Type PROBLEM Migrated ID 239187 Status PUBLISHED

Symptoms
The Sun Fire[TM] X2100 M2 / X2200 M2 Servers require additional configuration changes to be made to correctly set serial output to the serial port COM2. This document highlights BIOS, Solaris[TM], Red Hat[TM] and SuSE[TM] configuration changes needed to complete this configuration.

Resolution
BIOS and Operating System Configuration Changes for Console Redirection for tony to do

Configuration changes to be made in BIOS:
Select the following in order:
1. Select "Advanced"
2. Select "IPMI 2.0 Configuration"
3. Set "External COM Port" to "BMC"

Select the following in order:
1. Select "Advanced"
2. Select "Remote Access Configuration"
3. Set "Remote Access" to "Serial"
4. Set "Serial port number" to "COM2"
5. Set "Serial Port Mode" to "09600 8,n,1"
6. Set "Flow Control" to "Hardware"
7. Set "Post-Boot support" to "Always"
8. Set "Terminal Type" to "vt100"
9. Set "VT-UTF8 Combo Key Support" to "Enabled"

Make sure that all settings for COM1 and COM2 are the same.

Make sure you are connected to the interface COM2, otherwise will not see BIOS and GRUB output.

Configuration changes to be made in Solaris:
As the user root, edit "/boot/grub/menu.lst" with your favourite text editor.
Append the following "console=ttyb" to the kernel boot parameter lines for both Solaris and Solaris failsafe entries.

The line should look similar to the following under the section "Solaris xx/xx":
kernel /platform/i86pc/multiboot -B console=ttyb

The line should look similar to the following under the section "Solaris failsafe":
kernel /boot/multiboot -B console=ttyb kernel/unix -s

As the user root, edit "/kernel/drv/asy.conf" with your favourite text editor.
Add the following entry to the bottom of the file if they do not exist already:
name="asy" parent="isa" reg=1,0x2f8,8 interrupts=3;

As the user root, edit "/boot/solaris/bootenv.rc" with your favourite text editor.
Add the following entry to the bottom of the file if they do not exist already:
setprop console 'ttyb'
setprop ttyb-mode 9600,8,n,1,-

Reboot the platform:
reboot -- -r

Product
Sun Fire X2100 M2 Server
Sun Fire X2200 M2 Server