Replacing Physical Machines, Motherboards, NICs, or RAID Controllers

You replace motherboards, NICs, RAID controllers, and a physical machine (PM) in an everRun Enterprise system while the system is running. You can replace PMs to upgrade a PM or to replace a failed PM. You can replace motherboards, NICs, or RAID controllers. Several types of hardware faults can hang or crash a PM in an everRun Enterprise system, including a failure of the motherboard, CPU, mid-plane, or storage controller. (If you want to recover a failed PM instead of replacing it, see Recovering a Failed Physical Machine.)

You replace the PM or a component using vendor instructions. First, read Physical Machine Hardware Maintenance Restrictions and then replace the hardware using the everRun PM Replace function, which deletes a PM from the everRun system’s database, waits for the repaired/replaced PM to power on, and then images the repaired PM and synchronizes its storage from the running primary PM.

To replace a failed PM, motherboard, NIC, or RAID controller

1. In the everRun Availability Console, click Physical Machines in the left-hand navigation panel.
2. Select the appropriate PM (node0 or node1) and then click Work On, which changes the PM’s Overall State to Maintenance Mode and the Activity state to running (in Maintenance).

3. After the PM shows running (in Maintenance), click Replace ().

   The everRun Enterprise software deletes the PM from the everRun system’s database, and then prompts you to replace the PM or component.

4. Manually power off the old PM.
5. Install the new PM or component. If you are replacing a motherboard, NIC, or RAID controller, do so now. If you are replacing the PM, disconnect and remove it now, and then install the new PM. Check that a monitor and keyboard are connected to it.
6. Reconnect any network cables to their original positions. Check that Ethernet cables are connected from the new PM (or new NIC) to the network or directly to the running (primary) PM, if the two everRun system PMs are in close proximity. One Ethernet cable should connect from the first embedded port on the new PM or from a NIC port if the new PM does not have an embedded port.

7. Manually power on the PM. As the PM powers on, enter the BIOS and set the Optical Drive as the first boot device.

8. Either mount the ISO image or insert the DVD into the PM.

9. At the Welcome screen, select Replace PM, Join system: Initialize data and press Enter.

   Note: If necessary, see Installing Software on the Second PM for reference. Although that topic refers to the "second PM," in this instance, it applies to the replacement PM.
10. When prompted, respond to the Select interface for private Physical Machine connection, and then respond to the prompt Select interface for managing the system (ibiz0).
11. When prompted to configure ibiz0, select Automatic configuration via DHCP or Manual Configuration (Static Address). (The installation software configures priv0 automatically.)
12. When installation is complete, the PM ejects the install DVD (if used) and reboots.

13. As the PM boots up, the everRun Availability Console displays its activity on the Physical Machines page. The Activity column displays the new PM as recovery (in Maintenance) and then running after recovery is complete.

Related Topics

Maintenance Mode

Maintaining Physical Machines

The everRun Availability Console

Physical Machines and Virtual Machines

The Physical Machines Page