Creating a Linux Boot CD for Bare Metal Recovery (4034063)

With a successful DR image taken, the next phase of the DR procedure is the creation of a CD that contains the proper OS and device driver files for the target NVBMR Client to boot this machine when a recovery is required. This required data is included in a Boot Image during the backup of a target NVBMR Client. A CD-creation file entitled "linuxboot.iso" is created and saved on both the target NVBMR Client itself and on the piece of media targeted by the backup. This allows an administrator to select from various different methods to create this CD. Any number of methods can be used to access this data and create this required CD.

The following sections cover two example methods that can be used to accomplish this:

• Creating the CD and Saving it for Future Use
• Creating the CD at the Time of Recovery

Creating the CD and Saving it for Future Use
Performed prior to the need for a recovery, this method allows the administrator to create this required CD from the “linuxboot.iso” file that was saved locally on the target NVBMR Client, and then store this CD for later use. To create the CD using this method, perform the following steps:

Prerequisites
The following items are required to create the CD:

• Writable CD-ROM drive (available locally on the target NVBMR Client)
• One blank, writable CD
• CD-generation software (installed locally on the target NVBMR Client)

Creation Procedure
This procedure can be performed on any machine that has access to a writable CD-ROM drive and the “linuxboot.iso” file.

1. From the target NVBMR Client, insert a blank, writable CD into the drive.
2. Launch the CD-generation software, and access the linuxboot.iso file. This file will reside in the directory named in the Boot Images Directory field of the Backup Options tab for this particular backup job (for example, the default value is /storix/temp). So, if this value was not changed prior to backup, the file will be located in this directory.
3. Using this file, create the CD using the utilities within the CD-generation software.
   Important: As CD-generation softwares vary, no instruction is given here on how to launch or administer their use. For complete instructions on generating a CD using an .iso CD creation file, refer to the relevant software’s documentation.
4. With the CD completed, remove it from the drive and label it appropriately so that it can be easily referenced for future use (for example, assign a label corresponding to something specific about the target NVBMR Client, such as its OS-assigned name).

Creating the CD at the Time of Recovery
With this method, an administrator can create this required CD using data recovered from the actual DR image backup, at the point in time that a recovery is required. To create the CD using this method, perform the following steps:

Prerequisites
The following items are required to create the CD:

• Writable CD-ROM drive (available locally on the target NVBU Server)
• One blank, writable CD
• CD-generation software (installed locally on the target NVBU Server)

Creation Procedure
You must first recover the Boot Image data taken from the backup of the target Linux NVBMR Client.

1. On the NVBU Server, use the NVBU Console to open the NVBU Restore window (via either of the toolbar buttons or by clicking Operations > Restore).
2. On the Selections tab, locate and double-click the NVBU Client that was configured as the Linux NVBMR Client in question.
3. In the list of plug-ins used to back up data on this machine, double-click the Plug-in Live Client for Linux icon to open it.
4. In the list of backup savesets that appears, double-click the backup saveset that contains a backup of the Boot Image data for the target NVBMR Client.
5. When the NVBU Client appears in the tree, double-click it to reveal the data included in the DR image.
6. Locate the linuxboot.iso item, and select it for recovery.
   Important: Only include the linuxboot.iso item in this recovery job. Any other items selected for recovery during this procedure will not be successfully restored.
7. Select the Target Client tab, and then select the NVBU Server as the target for the restore.
8. Leave all other options available on the remaining tabs (Restore Options, Schedule, and Advanced Options) of the NVBU Restore window at their default settings.
9. In the Job Title field, enter a suitable name for the job (for example, something labeling it as the recovery of the linuxboot.iso data), and submit the job. The file will be recovered to …/tmp directory on the NVBU Server (where … represents the NVBU installation directory).
   Important: Recovery of the Boot Image information, regardless of the Linux NVBMR Client it was performed from, creates a CD-creation file entitled “linuxboot.iso” in the …/tmp directory. If Boot Image information is recovered from an additional Linux NVBMR Client using these steps, its “linuxboot.iso” file will be restored and overwrite any file of the same name in this directory without warning. Therefore, Quest Software recommends that you complete this process for a single Linux NVBMR Client, before you try to recover backed up Boot Image information from an additional Linux NVBMR Client.
10. Insert a blank, writable CD into a CD-ROM writer that is accessible to the NVBU Server.
11. Launch the CD-generation software, access the “linuxboot.iso” file that resides in the directory named in Step 9, and create the CD using the necessary utilities within the CD-generation software.
    Note: As CD-generation softwares vary, no instruction is given here on how to launch or administer their use. For complete instructions on generating a CD using an “.iso” CD creation file, refer to the relevant software’s documentation.
12. With the CD completed, remove it from the drive, and label it appropriately. For example, assign a label corresponding to something specific about the target NVBMR Client, such as its OS-assigned name.
    Important: Provided the hardware configuration in the target Linux NVBMR Client does not change, this CD can be saved for future use in booting the client for the recovery of future DR images recorded with this plug-in. However, if new networking hardware is implemented or the device driver files in the client machine change any time, the Boot Image data for the client will need to be backed up again and this procedure will need to be repeated to create a new CD.
    Important: The Boot CD will be unable to load devices for which proper driver files are not incorporated in the Boot Image backup. Quest Software recommends that you test the boot media on the target Linux NVBMR Client for successful loading of all the devices during boot up process.