Applying Compaq EFS and SCO Patches


Installation Order Summary for SCO, SMP, Patches, EFS, and Agents:

The SCO operating system is particular about the order software is installed and removed. A SCO 5.0.5 or 5.0.4 system should have its software installed in the following order:

  1. SCO (Base Operating System)
  2. SCO SMP (Multiprocessing Support)
  3. SCO Patches (http://www.sco.com/support/toolbox/patch.html)
  4. Compaq EFS (http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/index.html)
  5. Compaq Insight Agents (Optional)

To maintain this order while upgrading SCO Patches or the Compaq EFS, one should remove off the outer layers until you reach the appropriate point where you should install your new software (SCO Patches and/or Compaq EFS).

Applying Compaq EFS and SCO 5.0.5 or 5.0.4 Patches:

  1. Start with a good backup. Make sure your backup will work if you need it.
  2. Make sure your boot and root disks are functional and give you access to your hard drives, tape backup, and the network (if needed to access your backup).
  3. Gather network settings. Some information can be gathered by
    ifconfig -a >/tmp/ifconfig.out; netstat -r >/tmp/netstatr.out; netstat -rn >/tmp/netstatrn.out
    

    Also be sure to look in “netconfig” to gather other settings.

  4. Reboot to single user mode
  5. Verify that you are in single user maintenance mode by running the “who -r” command. On the line returned from “who -r” you should see a piece that says “run-level S” which menas single user mode. If “who -r” returns any other value, then you need to try again until you properly enter single user maintenance mode.
  6. Run “netconfig”
  7. Remove all compaq NIC’s (Remember to write down the network settings before you remove them)
  8. Run “custom”
  9. Remove the Compaq Insight Agents
  10. Remove the Compaq EFS
  11. If necessary, remove the SCO patches (preferrably in the opposite order installed)
  12. Install SCO SMP (for multiprocessing) if needed (SCO SMP must be installed before any SCO patches)
  13. Install the SCO patches in the correct orders given by SCO (note: SCO Patch Order)
  14. Install the Compaq EFS (Any Compaq NIC’s will be detected and configured at this point)
  15. Install the Compaq Insight Agents (optional)

The following is a check list for the above proceedure:

  1. Do not install the new EFS without first removing the old one.
  2. Do not perform this procedure unless you are in Single User Maintenance Mode.
  3. Do not reboot the SCO system while the EFS is uninstalled. You should install the new EFS before you reboot.
  4. SCO requests a reboot after Removing the Compaq EFS and also after applying the SCO patches. Do not reboot until the EFS is added back into SCO.

Note: SCO Patch Order:
Usually the correct order is rs505a first, the other patches in numerical order, then oss600a (Y2K suppliment) is applied last. This order must be verified by reading the SCO documentation that comes with each of the SCO patches. The SCO patch with the latest release date will have the most authority if any two documents conflict.

I have provided the following links directly to SCO documentation for your convenience; however, do not fail to visit http://www.sco.com/support/toolbox/patch.html to make sure there isn’t any updated information available or other patches that I haven’t made mention of here. The links below were last updated 8/10/00.

SCO 5.0.5

  1. rs505a documentation
  2. oss471e documentation
  3. oss497c documentation
  4. oss600a documentation (Y2K Suppliment)

SCO 5.0.4

  1. rs504c documentation
  2. oss469d documentation
  3. oss471e documentation
  4. oss496a documentation
  5. oss601a documentation (Y2K Suppliment)

Compaq EFS and Agents can be found at: http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/index.html
The SCO Minimum Patch Listing can be found at: http://www.sco.com/support/toolbox/patch.html

One additional patch for SCO 5.0.4 that is not mentioned on SCO’s minimum patch listing page is oss496a, the RTC (Real Time Clock) Patch. This patch for SCO 5.0.4 addresses NVRAM corruption, 212 Processor Failure, and time drift throughout the day. This issue is present in SCO 5.0.5, but is taken care of by rs505a. If your system (SCO 5.0.5 or 5.0.4) has been running without this patch, it may be a good idea to patch the system first according to the steps listed above, then clear NVRAM through advanced mode of SCU.


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Useful SCO Reports:

  • hw
  • hwconfig
  • swconfig
  • inspect from Compaq diagnostics
  • copy of /usr/adm/messages
  • Server Health Log
    /etc/cpqutil | tee -a /tmp/health.out
    

    Run the /etc/cpqutil program by using the above command, press #4 for the health log, the screen will flash then will go back to the main menu, exit cpqutil, check the /tmp/health.out file for content.

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