- Network Parameters
- Critical OpenBoot PROM Configuration Parameters
- Time and Date
- Host Watchdog, Rocker Switch, and Secure Mode Settings
- Password Management
- Firmware Upgrades
- Error Logging
- Error Analysis
- LED Status and Alarms
- Environment Monitoring and Control
- Console Navigation
- Power Failure and Recovery Behavior
- Precautions for Using the SCC
- System Controller Configuration Backups
- Power Connections for Redundancy and Grounding
- Rackmounting and Improving Serviceability
- References
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Ordering Sun Documents
- Accessing Sun Documentation Online
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Critical OpenBoot PROM Configuration Parameters
On the 1280 server, the factory setting, or default value, for the OpenBoot PROM diag-level parameter is init. When diag-level is set to init, only the system board initialization code is executed. No testing is done, so it passes through POST quickly.
To provide more thorough testing on all of the components, you should set the diag-level parameter to max for the domains, especially when hardware is being replaced or moved, when hardware is suspected of causing system problems, or after an unexpected system or power failure.
You can change the diag-level to max with the following command:
{ok} setenv diag-level max
A diagnostic level of quick provides limited testing, as well as initialization, but you should use a diagnostic level of max when replacing system boards. If extensive testing of the memory is desired, a setting of mem1 or mem2 can be used, as appropriate. Refer to the Sun Fire V1280/Netra 1280 System Administration Guide for definitions of these values.
It is strongly recommended that the diag-level parameter be reset to init after the higher level testing with max, mem1, or mem2 has been completed. Boot times will be longer if diag-level is set to any value other than init. You can reset the diag-level parameter to the default by using the following command at the OpenBoot PROM prompt:
{ok} set-default diag-level
It is also recommended that other OpenBoot PROM configuration parameters be set to the following values:
error-reset-recovery=sync
auto-boot?=true
reboot-on-error=true
diag-switch?=true
use-nvramrc?=false
If the error-reset-recovery parameter is set to sync (the default), the system generates a core file and reboots the system. It might be necessary to set the error-reset-recovery parameter to none for debugging at the OpenBoot PROM level after an Externally Initiated Reset (XIR) or if a red-mode trap has been encountered.
Setting auto-boot to true will cause the system to automatically boot after POST has been executed, which is typically desired in most datacenter environments.
The default value for reboot-on-error is false. If reboot-on-error is set to true, the domain will attempt to recover itself in the event of a hardware error. Because the 1280 server does not have a log host, all of the SC messages are sent directly to the /var/adm/messages file through the mailbox. There is no risk of losing any useful diagnostic messages if reboot-on-error is set to true. Unless debugging the server after a hardware error is desired, you should set reboot-on-error to true to cause an automatic reboot of the server.
Setting the diag-switch parameter to true causes the device names in diag-device to be used as the default for the boot. If diag-switch is set to false, the device names in boot-device will be the default for the boot. Setting diag-switch to true provides additional OpenBoot PROM output during the boot process.
If the use-nvramrc parameter is set to true, OpenBoot PROM executes the script stored in nvramrc. It is important to ensure that the boot device and other aliases stored in the nvramrc are accurate because the system might not boot otherwise. Misspellings or unrecognized commands in nvramrc can cause other errors. It is recommended that the default value of false be used for this parameter.
If you want optional devalias variables, you can set them up in OpenBoot PROM. OpenBoot PROM variables are written to NVCI at the request of OpenBoot PROM when they are set to a value other than the default, as defined in the OpenBoot PROM code. In rare cases, changing too many OpenBoot PROM variables can cause nvramrc overflow. In practice, nvramrc is rarely used, and when used, it rarely exceeds 160 bytes (that is, 2 lines). A selected list of TOD NVRAM and NVCI variables are stored in the SCC. If a configuration value cannot be stored on the SCC because there is not enough space, the user is informed, and the data is omitted from the SCC.
You can use the printenv(1B) command to obtain the default values for all of the OpenBoot PROM parameters, as in the following example:
{9} ok printenv
Variable Value (Default Value)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
nvramrc
diag-level init (init)
reboot-on-error false (false)
interleave-mode optimal (optimal)
interleave-scope within-board (within-board)
error-level max (max)
verbosity-level min (min)
secondary-diag? false (false)
auto-boot-timeout 512 (512)
scsi-initiator-id 7 (7)
powerfail-time 0 (0)
fcode-debug? true (true)
output-device /sgcn (/sgcn)
input-device /sgcn (/sgcn)
load-base 0x4000 0x4000)
boot-command boot (boot)
auto-boot? false (true)
error-reset-recovery sync (sync)
diag-file ()
boot-file ()
device disk diskifp diskglm diskc net (disk diskifp diskglm diskc net)
boot-device disk diskifp diskglm diskc net (disk diskifp diskglm diskc net)
local-mac-address? false (false)
ansi-terminal? true (true)
screen-#columns 80 (80)
screen-#rows 34 (34)
silent-mode? false (false)
use-nvramrc? false (false)
oem-logo ()
oem-logo? false (false)
oem-banner ()
oem-banner? false (false)
security-mode ()
security-password ********
security-#badlogins ()
hardware-revision ()
last-hardware-update ()
#power-cycles ()
diag-switch? false
For instructions on how to back up the information stored in the SC, refer to "System Controller Configuration Backups" on page 24.