zfs discuss - Aug 2010 - Root pool on boot drive lost on another machine because of devids

I have a USB flash drive which boots up my opensolaris install. What happens is
that whenever I move to a different machine,
the root pool is lost because the devids don''t match with
what''s in /etc/zfs/zpool.cache and the system just can''t find
the rpool.

Now, if I boot into a livecd, import that rpool, mount the FS temporarily and
remove /etc/zfs/zpool.cache, and reboot,
the USB drive boots fine. Is there a kernel command line option to recreate
/etc/zfs/zpool.cache on every boot?

Would -s put me into single user mode although it can''t find the rpool?

Appreciate your help!
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org

On 08/21/10 12:53 PM, devsk wrote:
> I have a USB flash drive which boots up my opensolaris install. What
happens is that whenever I move to a different machine,
> the root pool is lost because the devids don''t match with
what''s in /etc/zfs/zpool.cache and the system just can''t find
the rpool.
>
> Now, if I boot into a livecd, import that rpool, mount the FS temporarily
and remove /etc/zfs/zpool.cache, and reboot,
> the USB drive boots fine.
Exporting and re-importing the pool should have the same effect.
> Is there a kernel command line option to recreate /etc/zfs/zpool.cache on
every boot?
>
>    
I don''t think so.
> Would -s put me into single user mode although it can''t find the
rpool?
>
>    
I haven''t tried that, but I doubt it.

-- 
Ian.

> >
> > Now, if I boot into a livecd, import that rpool,
> mount the FS temporarily and remove
> /etc/zfs/zpool.cache, and reboot,
> > the USB drive boots fine.
> 
> Exporting and re-importing the pool should have the
> same effect.
but how do I do that on the boot pool?
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org

> I have a USB flash drive which boots up my
> opensolaris install. What happens is that whenever I
> move to a different machine,
> the root pool is lost because the devids don''t match
> with what''s in /etc/zfs/zpool.cache and the system
> just can''t find the rpool.
See defect 4755 or defect 5484

https://defect.opensolaris.org/bz/show_bug.cgi?id=4755
https://defect.opensolaris.org/bz/show_bug.cgi?id=5484

When I last experimented with booting Solaris
from flash memory sticks I modified scsa2usb
so that it would construct a devid for the usb
flash memory stick,
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org

> > I have a USB flash drive which boots up my
> > opensolaris install. What happens is that whenever
> I
> > move to a different machine,
> > the root pool is lost because the devids don''t
> match
> > with what''s in /etc/zfs/zpool.cache and the system
> > just can''t find the rpool.
> 
> See defect 4755 or defect 5484
> 
> https://defect.opensolaris.org/bz/show_bug.cgi?id=4755
> 
> https://defect.opensolaris.org/bz/show_bug.cgi?id=5484
> 
> 
> When I last experimented with booting Solaris
> from flash memory sticks I modified scsa2usb
> so that it would construct a devid for the usb
> flash memory stick,
Isn''t it as simple as ''read what pool the user specified in
findroot/bootfs commands, zpool export <pool> and zpool import -f
<pool>'' and move on?

If it wasn''t, why would removing /etc/zfs/zpool.cache using a ISO based
livecd make it work every time? I can change controller for this drive freely as
long as I want as long as there is no valid /etc/zfs/zpool.cache file present.

BTW: in my case, its not strictly treated as removable flash drive because I am
accessing the USB flash drive as a physical drive in virtualbox.
So, depending on which SCSI port I add it to, it may or may not boot.
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org

Actually, I figured it has nothing to do with /etc/zfs/zpool.cache. As part of
removing that file within a LiveCD, I was basically importing and exporting the
rpool.
So, the only thing required is an equivalent of ''zpool import -f rpool
&& zpool export rpool''. I wonder why this can''t be
automated.

PS: I understand why grub code may not have ''zpool'' command as
such but it can definitely do the equivalent. Grub does have ZFS specific code.
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org