Our primary email system is currently two DS20Es running DU 4.0D and
TruCluster 1.5. They are connected to dual-reduntant HSZ70's. They talk
to each other over an internal ethernet. I.e. no memory channel cards in
them.
They've been running great but I want to get them to DU 5.1 and
TruCluster 5.1. I have memory channel cards for them sitting in my
office. Because of that and because of the big differences between
TruCluster 1.5 and TruCluster 5.1 I want to do a full install rather
than an upgrade. I've formulated a rolling install plan (because, of
course, mail can't be down) and am looking for a sanity check on it.
Step one is to remove one of the nodes from the cluster. I'll power that
node down and install the memory channel card (will it work with nothing
on the other end?). Then I'll install DU 5.1 on its internal 9GB hard
drive. I have a 'spare' 9 GB mirror set on the HSZ70s; neither node is
using it today. I'll partition that mirror set into 5 pieces. Next I'll
install TruCluster 5.1 and tell it to use one of the partitions for the
cluster boot disk. I'll use another partition for the cluster root and
one for the quorum disk. The remaining partition will be the cluster
root for the other node. The 5 partitions on a mirror set, btw, worked
great when I set up a new web server recently. I can't go beyond a
2-node cluster with it but if I need to do that I'll just install more
disks.
My hope is that all of the above can be done during working hours and
that it won't affect the other node, which is still pumping mail. Is
that a reasonable assumption?
On "the big day" I'll shutdown the other node, install the memory
channel card and bring it back up as a member of the cluster. Voila,
instant DU5.1 (I _love_ TC5.1). My next hitch is how to 'reattach' the
150GB mail volumes to the new cluster. I would really like to be able to
do it without reformatting them, because a full reload takes forever.
Will advscan do it? Or is DU5.1 going to insist on its own version of
advfs on those drives? The mail volumes are, of course, all on the
HSZ70's.
Anything I've forgotten or overlooked?
--
_______________________________________________________________________
Rick Beebe (203) 785-6416
Manager, Systems & Network Engineering FAX: (203) 785-3978
ITS-Med Production Services Richard.Beebe_at_yale.edu
Yale University School of Medicine
Suite 214, 100 Church Street South, New Haven, CT 06519
_______________________________________________________________________
Received on Thu Apr 19 2001 - 20:23:07 NZST