Performing a giveback

Types of giveback operations

You can perform the following types of giveback operations from the takeover node:

Normal giveback
Giveback and terminate processes
Forced giveback

Initiating normal giveback

To initiate normal giveback, complete the following step.

Step	Action
1	Enter the following command on the command line of the takeover node: `cf giveback` Note If the giveback fails, there might be a process running that prevents giveback. You can wait and repeat the command, or you can follow the steps outlined in Terminating processes to initiate giveback. After a giveback, the takeover node's ability to take over its partner automatically is not reenabled until the partner reboots successfully. If the partner fails to reboot, you can enter the `cf takeover` command to initiate a takeover of the partner manually.

Step

Action

Enter the following command on the command line of the takeover node:

cf giveback

Note
If the giveback fails, there might be a process running that prevents giveback. You can wait and repeat the command, or you can follow the steps outlined in Terminating processes to initiate giveback.

After a giveback, the takeover node's ability to take over its partner automatically is not reenabled until the partner reboots successfully. If the partner fails to reboot, you can enter the cf takeover command to initiate a takeover of the partner manually.

Terminating processes to initiate giveback

Some storage system processes prevent a giveback from being completed. If this happens, you can either wait for the process to be complete, or you can terminate the process early to initiate a giveback operation.

Processes that can prevent giveback

The cf giveback command does not succeed if any of the following events are taking place on the emulated node at the same time:

Dump and restore processes
Outstanding CIFS sessions
RAID disk additions
Volume creation (traditional volume or FlexVol^TM volume)
Aggregate creation
Disk ownership assignment
Disks being added to a volume (vol add)
Snapshot^TM copy creation, deletion, or renaming
Quota initialization
Advanced mode repair operations, such as wafliron
Storage system panics
Backup dump and restore operations
SnapMirror® transfers (if the partner is a SnapMirror destination)
SnapVault^TM restorations
Disk sanitization operations

Terminating the process and initiating a giveback

To terminate a process early and initiate giveback to the failed node, complete the following step.

Step	Action
1	On the takeover node, enter the following command: cf giveback -f Note If you invoke `cf giveback -f` and it fails, the takeover node panics. After the takeover node recovers, you can attempt the `giveback -f` command again. If you cannot successfully perform a giveback using the `-f` option, you must force giveback using the `forcegiveback` command. See Forcing giveback.

Step

Action

On the takeover node, enter the following command:

cf giveback -f

Note
If you invoke cf giveback -f and it fails, the takeover node panics. After the takeover node recovers, you can attempt the giveback -f command again. If you cannot successfully perform a giveback using the -f option, you must force giveback using the forcegiveback command. See Forcing giveback.

Forcing giveback

The takeover node might detect an error condition on the failed node that typically prevents a complete giveback, such as data not being flushed from NVRAM to the failed node's disks.

To force the takeover node to give back the resources of the failed node even if the takeover node detects an error that typically prevents a complete giveback, complete the following step.

Step	Action
1	On the takeover node, enter the following command: cf forcegiveback Attention Use `cf forcegiveback` only when you cannot get `cf giveback` to succeed. When you use this command, you risk losing any data committed to NVRAM but not to disk.

What happens when a giveback is interrupted

If the takeover node experiences a failure or a power outage during the giveback process, the giveback process stops and the takeover node returns to takeover mode when the failure is repaired or the power is restored.