[j-nsp] issue with internal flash upgrade kit on M7i

Harry Reynolds harry at juniper.net
Wed Feb 8 10:54:28 EST 2006


The altroot/altconfig partitions are normal. While it makes it seem that
the flash is set to be secondary I recall some init magic that results
in whatever media that is actually booted being mounted as /root and
/config, so I think this is normal given that you have booted off the
HD.

I ran a quick test and the flash partitions seem normal.

1. I did a snapshot while booted from flash

2. Rebooted to the hard drive

regress at vpn05> request chassis routing-engine diagnostics compact-flash 
Found following device in system boot messages
ad0: 91MB <SanDisk SDCFB-96> [734/8/32] at ata0-master PIO1
/dev/ad0s1a: FILESYSTEM CLEAN; SKIPPING CHECKS
/dev/ad0s1a: clean, 17050 free (10 frags, 2130 blocks, 0.0%
fragmentation)
-> Reading files from /dev/ad0s1a (/altroot)
/dev/ad0s1e: FILESYSTEM CLEAN; SKIPPING CHECKS
/dev/ad0s1e: clean, 6010 free (10 frags, 750 blocks, 0.2% fragmentation)
-> Reading files from /dev/ad0s1e (/altconfig)
-> Compact flash passed the read test.

I again suggest a support case as this should not have happened, IMO.

One other thing to try is the hidden "as-primary" switch to the snapshot
command. This switch is intended for J-series routers that have both
primary and secondary CF. If you make a backup of your primary flash
using the regular snapshot command, then the backup media can only be
used in the backup CF slot. With the "as-primary" switch the snapshot
lays down the bits needed for the CF to function in the primary slot. As
I recall this magic has to due with device names and the fstab mount
table, but there should be no harm in trying. As always hidden commands
should be used under JTAC guidance. I am not with JTAC. ;)



> -----Original Message-----
> From: juniper-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net 
> [mailto:juniper-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net] On Behalf Of Hahn, Ch
> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 12:28 AM
> To: juniper-nsp at puck.nether.net
> Subject: RE: [j-nsp] issue with internal flash upgrade kit on M7i
> 
> Hello list,
> 
> many thanks for the quick and helpful reponses. I really 
> appreciate it :) There were different suggestions in the 
> mails and I did the following:
> 
> I checked the bootvars:
> 
> root at redhorn% sysctl machdep.bootdevs
> machdep.bootdevs: pcmcia-flash,compact-flash,disk,lan
> root at redhorn% sysctl machdep.nextbootdev
> machdep.nextbootdev: pcmcia-flash
> 
> This looks ok to me, CF is on the second postition and disk 
> on the third, so the router should try the CF before it tries the HD.
> 
> Then I checked the CF with the hidden diag command:
> 
> chh at redhorn> request chassis routing-engine diagnostics 
> compact-flash Found following device in system boot messages
> ad0: 245MB <SanDisk SDCFB-256> [980/16/32] at ata0-master PIO4
> /dev/ad0s1a: FILESYSTEM CLEAN; SKIPPING CHECKS
> /dev/ad0s1a: clean, 91780 free (12 frags, 11471 blocks, 0.0%
> fragmentation)
> - -> Reading files from /dev/ad0s1a (/altroot)
> /dev/ad0s1e: FILESYSTEM CLEAN; SKIPPING CHECKS
> /dev/ad0s1e: clean, 12309 free (13 frags, 1537 blocks, 0.1% 
> fragmentation)
> - -> Reading files from /dev/ad0s1e (/altconfig)
> - -> Compact flash passed the read test.
> 
> This looks also ok to me, but what confuses me is that the CF 
> only has two slices that look like backups (/altroot, 
> /altconfig). So it seems to me there is no bootable system on the CF.
> As I understand it from the imstall instructions that came 
> with the CF, the recommended "request system snapshot 
> partition" should do that and copy the running system on the 
> CF and not only a backup.
> Any ideas or hints?
> 
> thanks in advance,
> Christian
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Harry Reynolds [mailto:harry at juniper.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 4:40 PM
> > To: Hahn, Christian; juniper-nsp at puck.nether.net
> > Subject: RE: [j-nsp] issue with internal flash upgrade kit on M7i
> > 
> > Any chance you can open a support case?  My understanding 
> is that this 
> > should have "just worked". A customer should not need to be messing 
> > with sysctl directly. I assume the flash media is good, 
> given that the 
> > snapshot seemed to work. There is a hidden command to test 
> RE media; 
> > this command is hidden as it may cause issues in production 
> networks, 
> > so you are advised to use such commands under JTAC guidance:
> > 
> > jnpr at foo> request chassis routing-engine diagnostics ?
> > Possible completions:
> >   <[Enter]>            Execute this command
> >   all                  Run all diagnostics
> >   compact-flash        Run compact flash diagnostics
> >   hard-disk            Run hard disk diagnostics
> >   memory               Run memory diagnostics
> >   |                    Pipe through a command
> > 
> > Note that is the media is missing from the boot list you 
> will not be 
> > able to perform diags on it.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > HTHs
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: juniper-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net
> > > [mailto:juniper-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net] On Behalf Of Hahn, Ch
> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 6:34 AM
> > > To: juniper-nsp at puck.nether.net
> > > Subject: [j-nsp] issue with internal flash upgrade kit on M7i
> > > 
> > > Hi list,
> > > 
> > > I've just purchased the media upgrade kit for an M7i and
> > installed the
> > > flash disk internally on the RE. Then I followed the installation 
> > > instructions manual and did a "request systems snapshot partition"
> > > which finished without errors and rebooted the router as
> > described in
> > > the manual.
> > > But the router still boots from the internal HD. Every time
> > I log in I
> > > can see a message that it is running from alternate media device 
> > > /dev/ad1s1a. The internal flash card is shown as ad0 in
> > "show system
> > > boot-messages".
> > > 
> > > I repeated the installation procedure but nothing changes. 
> > > Now I'm a little bit lost and don't know how to tell the
> > router to use
> > > ad0 (internal flash) as boot media. Can anybody give me a 
> hint what 
> > > went wrong or what to do?
> > > 
> > > best regards,
> > > Christian Hahn
> > > 
> > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > > Christian Hahn
> > > 
> > > T-Systems Enterprise Services GmbH
> > > IBU Telco, SSC ENPS PCT10
> > > IP-Technologies
> > > Goslarer Ufer 35, D-10589 Berlin
> > > phone:  +49 (0)30 3497 3164
> > > fax: 	  +49 (0)30 3497 3165
> > > Mobile: +49 (0)170 7641791
> > > E-Mail: hahnc at t-systems.com
> > > WWW: <<http://www.t-systems.com>>
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > juniper-nsp mailing list juniper-nsp at puck.nether.net 
> > > http://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/juniper-nsp
> > > 
> > 
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