We have looked at three critical problems with our system:
Recovering a corrupt boot header including a missing ISL
Recovering from having no bootable kernel
Recovering from a missing critical boot file: /stand/rootconf
As we have seen, any of these problems can render a system unusable. By using the feature of the Recovery media, we can make repairs that mean we do not need to reinstall the operating system. Please don't think the Recovery media will solve all your problems. Once you are familiar with your own capabilities and the capabilities of the Recovery media, you will have a good idea what can and can't be fixed. A good administrator will know when enough is enough . A reinstall of the operating system isn't bad as long as you have good, consistent, recent backups . Don't forget the power and ease-of-use that the make_nettape_recovery commands offer!
This chapter paid particular attention to a system configured with an LVM-based root disk. If your system is using VxVM for the root disk, I suggest that you refer to Chapter 7, Disks and Volumes: Veritas Volume Manager, where we discuss topics such as a maintenance mode boot under VxVM.