Re: [cobalt-users] OS restore on RaQ

[Bruce Timberlake <bruce.timberlake@xxxxxxx>]

John McMaster wrote:
> 
> I have a RaQ in need of rebuild and have downloaded the ISO image to do it.
> However, I have found no instructions on how to accomplish this! I remember
> reading that it involves booting a PC off the CD (ATAPI only? Mine are all
> SCSI) and that the RaQ has to be connected via crossover or dedicated
> hub/switch at 100Mbps. Has this to be connected to the primary LAN port? Is
> that it, then just choose to net boot?? Any pointers to where this info is,
> I have searched Sun and the list archives...

Boot off the CD and directions will appear on the screen... :)

Or, use this -- from a PDF I made for internal use; text cut-and-pasted
here since I can't send a binary to the list, so excuse any formatting
issues:


Sun Cobalt OS Restore Instructions

Welcome to the Sun Cobalt OS Restore CD. This is a self-booting Linux
distribution on a CD. It is designed to restore the software on your Sun
Cobalt server appliance to its original factory fresh condition.

****************************************************************
Warning: Restoring your server appliance will completely erase 
all data stored on the hard drive(s) of the server appliance! 
Please backup all valuable data before proceeding.
****************************************************************

****************************************************************
After successfully restoring your server appliance, please 
immediately install all system software updates for your product 
available on the Sun Cobalt website. For the highest security, 
the updates should be downloaded to a local workstation and 
installed onto your appliance before it is ever connected to a 
public network.

Updates are at http://www.cobalt.com/support/download/
****************************************************************

Equipment Requirements

1. Intel-compatible PC (desktop or laptop):
   - Must have only one IDE (ATAPI) CD-ROM drive
   - Must be able to boot from a CD-ROM (might require BIOS setting
changes)
   - Must have only one of the following Network Interface Cards (NIC):

   Desktop machines (PCI cards):
   - Intel PRO/100+ Server Adapter (PILA8470B)
   - Linksys EtherFast 10/100 LAN Card (LNE100TX)
   - Netgear Fast Ethernet PCI Adapter (FA312TX)
   - 3Com OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet NIC (3CSOHO100-TX)
   - 3Com Fast EtherLink XL PCI NIC (3C905B-TX)

   Laptops (PCMCIA cards):
   - Netgear Fast Ethernet PCMCIA Adapter (FA410TX)
   - 3Com Megahertz 10/100 LAN PC Card (3CCFE574BT)
   - Xircom CreditCard Ethernet 10/100 (CE3B-100BTX)

2. The following connectivity equipment:

   (1) 100Base-T (recommended) or 10Base-T Ethernet hub
   (2) standard Category 5 Ethernet cables

   or

   (1) crossover Category 5 Ethernet cable


Preparation

1. Power off the appliance

2. Boot the restore machine (your PC or laptop) from the OS Restore CD
and accept the License Agreement.

3. If you are using two standard Ethernet cables and a hub:

   a) Connect one standard Ethernet cable from the restore 
      machine NIC to the hub.

   b) Connect the other standard Ethernet cable from the primary 
      Ethernet port on the appliance (usually marked with a Roman 
      numeral "I") to the hub.

   c) Ensure that neither Ethernet cable is connected to an "Uplink"
      port on the hub.

   d) Ensure no other computers are connected to the hub besides the 
      restore machine and the appliance you are restoring.

4. If you are using a crossover Ethernet cable:

   a) directly connect the restore machine NIC to the primary 
      Ethernet port on the appliance.


Initiating Restore for x86-compatible appliances
(Qube 3, RaQ 3, RaQ 4, RaQ XTR, CacheRaQ 4, Control Station)

1. Power up the appliance while holding down the "Select" (S) button.
"Select" is the top button of the two to the right of the arrow buttons.

2. Continue holding down "Select" until "Select Option:" appears on the
LCD display (time for this to appear varies -- on RaQ XTR it might take
as much as 1-2 minutes from power-on).

3. Press and release the "Select" button until "Boot From Net" appears
on the LCD display.

4. Press and release the "Enter" (E) button to begin net booting the
server appliance from the OS Restore Disk. "Enter" is the bottom button
of the two to the right of the arrow buttons.

5. The LCD display shows the "Loading Kernel..." message.

6. For RaQ XTR and Control Station only: "Erase and Rebuild Y N" will
appear on the LCD display. Move the cursor to the "Y" option with the
arrow buttons and press "Enter."


Initiating Restore for MIPS-based appliances
(Qube 1, Qube 2, RaQ 1, RaQ 2, CacheRaQ 2)

1. Power up the appliance while holding down both the left and right
arrow buttons.

2. Continue holding buttons down until "NET BOOTING" appears in the LCD
display.


Monitoring and Shutdown

1. Various messages will appear on the LCD display as the OS Restore
process happens.

2. Wait until "PLEASE SWITCH OFF POWER NOW" appears on the LCD display.
The restore process is now complete.

3. You may safely turn off both the appliance and the restore machine,
and return them to normal service.


****************************************************************
Warning: During the restore process, the server appliance will 
reboot itself at least once. The complete restoration process 
will take 15-20 minutes, possibly longer. The entire process 
must complete without interruption for a successful restoration 
of the server appliance.
****************************************************************


Advanced "Useful" Information

1. There is some additional functionality in the OS Restore CD, which
may be used to troubleshoot problems with a restoration process, or to
at least give you something halfway interesting to watch while the whole
process happens. All these options happen on the restore machine (the PC
or laptop you booted from the OS Restore CD):

- Pressing Alt+F1 will return you to the "main" OS Restore screen, where
the instructions are.

- Pressing Alt+F5 will give you a "login:" prompt and allow you to open
a shell session with the Linux installation on the OSRCD. Use the login
name of 'root' to connect. From here, you have access to some basic
utilities like 'top' and 'ifconfig'

- Pressing Alt+F8 allows you to watch the NFS connections happening
between the restore machine and the appliance.

2. Another way to monitor what's happening, from the appliance side of
the process, is to connect a second PC or laptop, via null modem serial
cable, to the console serial port on the appliance. You then need to run
a terminal emulator (example: HyperTerm on Windows machines), and set
the serial connection speed based on the appliance type. Most products
use the settings: 115200 bps, N-8-1 parity. The exceptions are MIPS
products (Qube 1, Qube 2, RaQ 1, RaQ 2, CacheRaQ 2) and RaQ 3: the
connection speed for these appliances should be 9600 bps, N-8-1 parity.


--
Bruce Timberlake
Sun Cobalt Technology Engineer
Sun Microsystems, Inc.