Hp INTEGRITY RX1620, INTEGRITY RX2600, INTEGRITY RX4640 Recovering Windows Server 2003
Recovering Windows Server 2003 on HP Integrity Servers
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Last Known Good Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Safe Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Add safe mode to the EFI boot option menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Recovery Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Launch from the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Launch from the HP Reinstallation DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Recovery Console Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Setup Repair and Parallel Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Automatic System Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Back up an ASR set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Recover from an ASR set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
ResQMe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
1
Overview
HP Integrity servers running Microsoft® Windows ServerTM 2003 for Itanium-based Systems provide
several options to help you restore the state, data, and configuration of the OS in the event of a problem.
Table 1 lists all available Windows recovery features according to the recommended order of use:
Feature Function Availability
Last Known Good
Configuration
Safe Mode Use this startup option to load a core set of drivers and
Recovery Console Use this console to control services, access data, format
Setup Repair Repair the current OS installation.
Parallel Installation Install a copy of the OS on another partition or volume
Backup Back up data before you troubleshoot problems, attempt
Automated System Recovery ASR offers one-step restoration of the OS, system state,
Use this startup option to reverse the most recent driver
and registry changes since you last started the OS.
services in order to troubleshoot problems.
drives, and perform other administrative tasks.
on the same hard disk. You can then boot from the
parallel installation to restore files that may have been
corrupted in the primary installation.
workarounds, or apply updates, and restore the data if
the troubleshooting fails.
and hardware configuration. ASR has two parts:
• ASR backup backs up the system state data, system
services, and all disks associated with the OS on to a
target device. It also creates a floppy disk that
contains information about the backup, the disk
configurations, and how to accomplish a restore.
• ASR restore reads the disk configurations from the
floppy disk and restores all of the disk signatures,
volumes, and partitions on the disks required to start
your system. ASR then installs a simple installation of
Windows and starts to restore from the backup.
Built-in
Built-in
Requires the Microsoft
Windows Server
2003 Enterprise
Edition CD or the HP
Reinstallation DVD.
Built-in
Requires the Microsoft
Windows Server
2003 Enterprise
Edition with SP1 CD,
a USB floppy device,
and a backup target
device such as a DAT
drive or hard disk.
Reinstallation The HP Reinstallation DVD contains an image of the OS
along with HP software such as drivers, management
applications, and system utilities. Boot from this DVD
and select the reinstallation option to restore the system
to factory condition. This option copies the OS image
onto the disk—overwriting all existing data—installs the
HP drivers and utilities, and edits the registry entries.
Shipped with all
factory-installed HP
Integrity servers.
2
FAQ
Q: Is Automatic System Recovery supported by Windows on Integrity servers?
A: Yes. With Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition with SP1 for Itanium-based systems (Slipstream)
To run on Integrity servers, Automatic System Recovery (ASR) requires the Microsoft Windows Server
2003 with SP1 “slipstream” CD, a USB floppy drive, and either a tape drive or a hard disk as the
backup destination. Any compatible storage medium of sufficient size may serve as a backup
destination, but HP has not tested all such configurations and therefore cannot recommend other
devices at this time. See “Automatic System Recovery” on page 14 for more information.
Previously, ASR was not supported by Windows on Integrity servers because Windows Server 2003
for Itanium-based systems supported IDE/ATA but not USB floppy drives whereas HP Integrity servers
supported USB but not IDE/ATA floppy drives. HP and Microsoft introduced support for USB floppy
drives to the OS in Service Pack 1 (SP1). With the release of SP1 as slipstream media (in which SP1
is integrated into the core OS), Windows on Integrity supports USB floppy drives and, as a result,
Automatic System Recovery. HP has tested ASR on Windows Server 2003 with SP1 on Integrity
servers equipped with a USB floppy drive, a tape drive and a hard disk as backup destinations.
Q: Is Recovery Console supported by Windows on Integrity servers?
A: Yes.
To run on Integrity severs, Recovery Console requires the use of either the Microsoft Windows Server
2003 OS Release-to-Manufacturing (RTM) CD or the HP Reinstallation DVD. See “Recovery Console”
on page 8 for detailed instructions.
Q: Are the Setup Repair and Parallel Install features available for Windows on Integrity servers?
A: Yes.
To run on Integrity severs, the Setup Repair and Parallel Installation features requires the use of either
the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 OS Release-to-Manufacturing (RTM) CD or the HP Reinstallation
DVD. See “Setup Repair and Parallel Installation” on page 12 for detailed instructions.
Q: Is Remote Installation Service (RIS) supported by Windows on Integrity servers?
A: Yes. With Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based systems.
To run on Integrity severs, RIS requires a Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE)-capable network
adapter installed in the server. In addition, you must have Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and Active Directory Service (ADS) available on the network.
See the Microsoft KB article 325862: How To Use Remote Installation Service to Install Windows
Server 2003 on Remote Computers at http://support.microsoft.com/?kb=325862 for instructions.
See also the HP Smart Setup Guide at http://docs.hp.com/en/windows.html.
Q: What third-party recovery tools are available for Windows on Integrity servers?
A: HP DataProtector is a tested recovery solution. HP is also testing the Veritas Storage Foundation
suite. Other products, such as Aurema ARMTech, CA BrightSTOR ARCServe, Legato Networker 7,
and SoftLink FastCopy are backed by their vendors but HP has not tested them.
3
Last Known Good Configuration
A successful Windows startup includes an initial phase, a boot loader phase, a kernel phase, and a
logon phase. If a problem occurs during any of these phases, Windows may not start correctly. It may
fail to respond (hang) or display an error message. If the startup problem occurs immediately after you
make a change to the server (for example, after you install a new driver), try to start the server using the
Last Known Good Configuration (LKG) feature.
Using Last Known Good Configuration, you can recover from problems such as a newly added driver
that may be incorrect for your hardware. This feature does not solve problems caused by corrupted or
missing drivers or files.
To start the server with the Last Known Good Configuration:
1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart, and then click OK.
2. When prompted to choose the instance of Windows to boot, press F8 (GUI console) or Esc 8 (head-
less server console). To enter Esc 8, press and release the Esc key and then press and release the 8
key within 2 seconds.
3. Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration, and then press Enter.
4. If you are running other operating systems on the server, select Microsoft Windows Server 2003 from
the list, and then press Enter.
If you were able to start your server using LKG, the last change that you made to the server (for example,
the installation of a driver) may be the cause of the startup problem. To recover from the problem, either
remove or update the driver or program, and then test Windows for correct startup.
Examine the system logs for information on why previous boot failed. Right-click My Computer, select
Manage, and click on Event Viewer to see Application, Security, and System logs.
Note
When you select LKG, only the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet registry settings are restored. All other
registry keys are untouched, so if failure is related to application files or registry entries, this feature will
not help.
4
Safe Mode
When you start the server in Safe mode, Windows loads a minimal set of drivers and services. Use Safe
mode when you have to identify and resolve problems that are caused by faulty drivers, programs, or
services that start automatically. If the servers starts in Safe mode but not in normal mode, the system
may have a conflict with the hardware settings or the resources. There may be incompatibilities with
programs, services, or drivers, or there may be registry damage. In Safe mode, you can disable or
remove a program, service, or device driver that prevents the server from starting.
To start the server in Safe mode:
1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart, and then click OK.
2. When prompted to select the operating system to start, press F8 (GUI console) or Esc 8 (headless
console).
3. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press Enter.
4. If you are running other operating systems on the server, select Microsoft Windows Server 2003 from
the list, and then press Enter.
If the server does not start in safe mode, try starting it with the Recovery Console (see “Recovery
Console” on page 8). If you still cannot start the computer, look for possible hardware problems, such as
defective devices, installation problems, cabling problems, or connector problems. Remove any newly
added hardware, and then restart the server.
If the server does start in safe mode, use the following tools to troubleshoot the problem:
• Use Event Viewer: The event logs in Event Viewer may help you identify and diagnose the cause of
the startup problem. To launch the Event Viewer, click Start > Administrative Tools >Event Viewer. In
the Event Viewer, click the System log or the Application log to view the events recorded in the logs.
• Use System Information: The System Information tool displays a comprehensive view of the
computer's hardware, the system components, and the software environment. Use this tool to help
identify possible problem devices and device conflicts. To launch System Information, click Start >
Run > Open: msinfo32, and then click OK. Look for problem devices or device conflicts.
• View the Safe Mode Boot Log File: This log file is located in the %SystemRoot% folder (by default, this
is the Windows folder). The log file lists devices and services that load (and do not load) when you
start the computer in Safe mode. You can use a text editor to open and view the log file. Use the list
of drivers and services that did not load at startup to help identify the possible cause of the startup
problem.
• Use Device Manager: Device Manager displays a graphical view of the hardware that is installed on
your computer. Use this tool to resolve any possible device conflicts or to identify incompatible
devices that may be the cause of the startup problem. To launch Device Manager, click Start > rightclick My Computer > Manage. Expand System Tools and then select Device Manager.
If you identify a problem device, driver, or service, disable the device, uninstall the driver, or stop the
service and then restart the server in normal mode. Contact the component manufacturer for support.
5
Add safe mode to the EFI boot option menu
When you are troubleshooting a startup problem, you may need to return to the safe mode several times
before the problem is identified and solved. Each time you enter safe mode, you must hit the F8 key or
the Esc 8 keys at precisely the right time during boot. Unless you have the hand-to-eye co-ordination of a
gamer, you may find it easier to add a boot entry for startup options and select this entry at boot time.
On HP Integrity servers, the firmware is based on the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification.
EFI stores boot options in non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), a storage medium that can be
edited, but retains its state even after you power off the server. You can edit boot options in EFI NVRAM
using two tools provided by Windows Server 2003: bootcfg and nvrboot.
Using bootcfg
The bootcfg command lets you edit boot options while the OS is running. You can use bootcfg to add,
delete, and change the values of all valid boot options. You can also use bootcfg commands in a script
or batch file to set boot options or to reset them after you replace or upgrade an operating system.
To add two safe modes — minimal and network — to the EFI boot option menu using bootcfg:
1. At the command prompt, type the following command:
c:\>bootcfg
The command displays the following output:
Boot Options
------------
Timeout: 20
Default:
\Device\HarddiskDmVolumes\PhysicalDmVolumes\BlockVolume1\WINDOWS
CurrentBootEntryID: 1
Boot Entries
------------
Boot entry ID: 1
OS Friendly Name: Windows Server 2003, Enterprise
OsLoadOptions: /redirect
BootFilePath:
\Device\HarddiskVolume1\EFI\Microsoft\WINNT50\ia64ldr.efi
OsFilePath:
\Device\HarddiskDmVolumes\PhysicalDmVolumes\BlockVolume1\WINDOWS
Boot entry ID: 2
OS Friendly Name: Internal Bootable DVD
Boot entry ID: 3
OS Friendly Name: EFI Shell [Built-in]
6
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