C H A P T E R  5

General Administration

This chapter explains how to perform the following administrative and maintenance procedures:


Powering Off and On the System

To power off the system, you must halt the Solaris operating environment in each domain and power off each domain.

Before you begin this procedure, have the following books available:



Note - If you have a redundant system controller configuration, review Conditions That Affect Your SC Failover Configuration before you power cycle your system.



Powering Off the System

When you power off the system, power off all of the active domains. Then power off the power grid or grids. The last step is to power off the hardware.


procedure icon  To Power Off the System

1. Connect to the appropriate domain shell.

See System Controller Navigation.

2. Type the following from the platform shell to display the status of all domains:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p status
 
Domain    Solaris Nodename    Domain Status            Keyswitch 
--------  ------------------  -----------------------  -----------
A         nodename-a          Active - Solaris         on
B         -                   Powered Off              off
C         -                   Powered Off              off
D         -                   Powered Off              off 
schostname:SC> 
 

3. Complete the following substeps for each active domain.

These substeps include halting the Solaris operating environment in each domain, turning off the domain keyswitch, and disconnecting from the session.

a. Enter the domain console you want to power off.

See To Navigate Between The Platform Shell And a Domain.

b. If the Solaris operating environment is running, log in as superuser and halt the operating environment:

root# init 0
ok

c. You will see the OpenBoot PROM ok prompt when the Solaris operating environment is shut down.

d. From the ok prompt, obtain the domain shell prompt.

i. Press and hold the CTRL key while pressing the ] key to get to the telnet> prompt.

ii. At the telnet> prompt, type send break:

ok CTRL ]
telnet> send break
schostname:A>

The domain shell prompt is displayed.

e. Turn the domain keyswitch to the off position with the setkeyswitch off command:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch off

f. Disconnect from the session by typing the disconnect command:

schostname:A> disconnect

4. Access the platform shell (see To Select Destinations From the SC Main Menu) and power off the power grids to power off the power supplies.

5. Power off the hardware in your system.

Refer to the "Powering Off and On" chapter of the Sun Fire 6800/4810/4800/3800 Systems Service Manual or the Sun Fire E6900/E4900 Systems Service Manual.


procedure icon  To Power On the System

1. Power on the hardware.

Refer to the "Powering Off and On" chapter of the Sun Fire 6800/4810/4800/3800 Systems Service Manual or the Sun Fire E6900/E4900 Systems Service Manual.

2. Access the system controller platform shell.

See To Select Destinations From the SC Main Menu.

3. Power on the power grids.

4. Boot each domain.

a. Access the domain shell for the domain you want to boot.

See To Navigate Between The Platform Shell And a Domain.

b. Boot the domain with the system controller setkeyswitch on command.

schostname:A> setkeyswitch on

This command turns on the domain and boots the Solaris operating environment if the OpenBoot PROM auto-boot? parameter is set to true and the OpenBoot PROM boot-device parameter is set to the proper boot device.

Use the setupdomain command (OBP.auto-boot? parameter), which is run from a domain shell, or the OpenBoot PROM setenv auto-boot? true command to control whether the Solaris operating environment auto boots when you turn the keyswitch on. For more information on the OpenBoot PROM parameters, see the OpenBoot Command Reference Manual included with your Solaris operating environment release.

c. Do one of the following:

At the ok prompt, type the boot command to boot the Solaris operating environment:

ok boot 

After the Solaris operating environment is booted, the login: prompt is displayed.

login:

5. To access and boot another domain, repeat Step 4.


Setting Keyswitch Positions

Each domain has a virtual keyswitch with five positions: off, standby, on, diag, and secure. The setkeyswitch command in the domain shell changes the position of the virtual keyswitch to the specified value. The virtual keyswitch replaces the need for a physical keyswitch for each domain. This command is also available, with limited functionality, in the platform shell.

For command syntax, examples, descriptions of setkeyswitch parameters, and results when you change the keyswitch setting, see the setkeyswitch command in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.



caution icon

Caution - During the setkeyswitch operation, heed the following precautions:

- Do not power off any boards assigned to the domain.
- Do not reboot the system controller.




procedure icon  To Power On a Domain

1. Access the domain you want to power on.

See System Controller Navigation.

2. Set the keyswitch to on, diag, or secure, using the system controller setkeyswitch command.


Shutting Down Domains

This section describes how to shut down a domain.


procedure icon  To Shut Down a Domain

1. Connect to the domain console of the domain you want to shut down.

See System Controller Navigation.

From the domain console, if the Solaris operating environment is booted you will see the % , #, or login: prompt.

2. If the Solaris operating environment is running, halt the Solaris operating environment from the domain console as superuser.

root# init 0
ok

3. Enter the domain shell from the domain console.

See To Go From a Domain Console To a Domain Shell.

4. In the domain shell, type:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch off

5. If you need to completely power off the system, see Powering Off and On the System.


Assigning and Unassigning Boards

When you assign a board to a domain, the board must be listed in the access control list (ACL) for the domain. It cannot be already assigned to another domain. The ACL is checked only when you assign a board to a domain. If the board is assigned to a domain when the domain is active, the board is not automatically configured to be part of that domain.

TABLE 5-2 Overview of Steps to Unassign a Board From a Domain

To Unassign a Board From a Domain Using DR

To Unassign a Board From a Domain Without Using DR

  1. Use DR to unconfigure the board from the domain. Refer to the Sun Fire Midrange Systems Dynamic Reconfiguration User Guide.
  2. Unassign the board from the domain with the cfgadm -c disconnect -o unassign command.
  1. Halt the Solaris operating environment in the domain.
  2. Turn the keyswitch to standby mode with setkeyswitch standby.
  3. Unassign the board from the domain with the deleteboard command.
  4. Turn on the domain with setkeyswitch on.


procedure icon  To Assign a Board to a Domain



Note - This procedure does not use dynamic reconfiguration (DR).



1. Access the domain shell for the domain to which the board will be assigned.

See To Go From a Domain Console To a Domain Shell and To Go From a Domain Shell To a Domain Console.

2. Type the showboards command with the -a option to find available boards that can be used in the domain.

In the domain shell, the command output lists boards that are in the current domain. You can assign any board that is not yet assigned to a particular domain, but the board must be listed in the access control list (ACL).

CODE EXAMPLE 5-1 showboards -a Example Before Assigning a Board to a Domain
schostname:A> showboards -a
 
Slot     Pwr Component Type                 State      Status     Domain
----     --- --------------                 -----      ------     ------
/N0/SB0  On  CPU Board V3                   Active     Not tested A
/N0/IB6  On  CPU Board V3                   Active     Not tested A

3. Determine if the board is listed in the showboards -a output.

a. Make sure that the board has not been assigned to another domain by running the showboards command in the platform or domain shell.

A board cannot be assigned to the current domain if it belongs to another domain.

b. Verify that the board is listed in the ACL for the domain.

Use the showplatform -p acls command (platform shell) or the
showdomain -p acls command (domain shell).

c. If the board is not listed in the ACL for the desired domain, use the setupplatform -p acls command from the platform shell to add the board to the ACL for the domain.

See To Configure Platform Parameters.

4. Assign the proper board to the desired domain with the addboard command.

The board must be in the Available board state. For example, to assign
CPU/Memory board, sb2, to the current domain, type:

schostname:A> addboard sb2

The new board assignment takes effect when you change the domain keyswitch from an inactive position (off or standby) to an active position (on, diag, or secure) using the system controller setkeyswitch command.

Assigning a board to a domain does not automatically make that board part of an active domain.

5. If the domain is active (the domain is running the Solaris operating environment, the OpenBoot PROM, or POST), complete this step.

a. Obtain the domain shell.

See To Go From a Domain Console To a Domain Shell.

b. Shut down the domain by typing the following command:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch standby

By setting the domain keyswitch to standby instead of off, the boards in the domain do not need to be powered on and tested again. Setting the keyswitch to standby also decreases downtime.

c. Turn the domain on by typing the following command:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch on



Note - Rebooting the Solaris operating environment without using the setkeyswitch command does not configure boards that are in the Assigned board state into the active domain.



d. If your environment is not set to boot the Solaris operating environment automatically in the domain after you turned the keyswitch on, boot the operating environment by typing boot at the ok prompt.

ok boot



Note - Setting up whether the Solaris operating environment automatically boots or not when you turn the keyswitch on is done either with the setupdomain command (OBP.auto-boot? parameter), which is run from a domain shell, or with the OpenBoot PROM setenv auto-boot? true command. For more information on the OpenBoot PROM parameters, see the OpenBoot Command Reference Manual included in the Sun Hardware Documentation set for your operating environment release.




procedure icon  To Unassign a Board From a Domain



Note - This procedure does not use dynamic reconfiguration (DR).



Unassign a board from a domain with the deleteboard command. For a complete description of the deleteboard command, see the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.



Note - When you unassign a board from a domain, the domain must not be active. This means it must not be running the Solaris operating environment, the OpenBoot PROM, or POST. The board you are unassigning must be in the Assigned board state.



1. Halt the Solaris operating environment in the domain.

root# init 0
ok

2. Enter the domain shell for the proper domain.

See System Controller Navigation.

3. Turn the domain keyswitch off with setkeyswitch off.

4. Type the showboards command to list the boards assigned to the current domain.

5. Unassign the proper board from the domain with the deleteboard command:

schostname:A> deleteboard sb2

6. Turn on the domain by typing the following commnd:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch on

7. If your environment is not set to automatically boot the Solaris operating environment in the domain, boot the operating environment.

ok boot


Swapping Domain HostID/MAC Addresses

The HostID/MAC Address Swap parameter of the setupplatform command enables you to swap the HostID/MAC address of one domain with that of another. This feature is useful when host-licensed software is tied to a particular domain HostID and MAC address, but you need to run that host-licensed software on another domain. You can swap the domain HostID/MAC address with that of an available domain and then run the host-licensed software on the available domain, without encountering license restrictions tied to the original domain HostID/MAC address.


procedure icon  To Swap the HostID/MAC Address Between Two Domains



Note - If you want to downgrade from release 5.16.0 to an earlier firmware release, you must restore the original domain HostID/MAC address assignments before performing the downgrade. For details, see To Restore the HostID/MAC Address Swapped Between Domains. However, if you have a midrange system that contains boards with UltraSPARC IV CPUs, you cannot downgrade the 5.16.0 firmware to an earlier version because those processors are not supported by earlier firmware releases.



1. From the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> setupplatform -p hostid

The HostID/MAC Address Swap parameters are displayed.

2. Select the domain pair involved in the HostID/MAC address swap.

One of domains selected must be the domain on which the host-licensed software currently runs. The other domain selected must be an available domain on which the host-licensed software is to run. The domains selected must not be active.

For example:

HostID/MAC Address Swap
-----------------------
Domain to swap HostID/MAC address [A,B,C,D]: b
Domain to swap HostID/MAC address with [A,B,C,D]: d
Commit swap? [no]: y

The HostID/MAC addresses of the specified domains are swapped when you commit the swap.

3. Indicate whether you want to swap the HostID/MAC addresses between another pair of domains.

Swap HostIDs/MAC addresses of another pair of Domains? [no]: n

4. To verify the HostID/MAC address swap, type:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p hostid

For example:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p hostid
 
              MAC Address          HostID
              -----------------    --------
Domain A      08:00:20:d8:88:99    80d88899
Domain B      08:00:20:d8:88:9c    80d8889c
Domain C      08:00:20:d8:88:9b    80d8889b
Domain D      08:00:20:d8:88:9a    80d8889a
SSC0          08:00:20:d8:88:9d    80d8889d
SSC1          08:00:20:d8:88:9e    80d8889e
 
System Serial Number: xxxxxxx
Chassis HostID: xxxxxxxx
HostID/MAC address mapping mode: manual

The HostID/MAC address mapping mode setting is manual, which indicates that the HostID/MAC addresses for a domain pair have been swapped.



Note - If you are using a boot server, be sure to configure the boot server to recognize the swapped domain HostID/MAC addresses.




procedure icon  To Restore the HostID/MAC Address Swapped Between Domains



Note - Use this procedure to restore swapped HostID/MAC addresses to their original domains. If you are downgrading from 5.16.0 to an earlier firmware release, you must restore any swapped HostID/MAC addresses to their original domains before performing the downgrade. Refer to the Install.info file for complete downgrade instructions. However, if you have a midrange system that contains boards with UltraSPARC IV CPUs, you cannot downgrade the 5.16.0 firmware to an earlier version because those processors are not supported by earlier firmware releases.



1. From the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> setupplatform -p hostid -m auto

2. Enter y (yes) to restore the HostID/MAC addresses that were swapped between domains:

HostID/MAC Address Swap
-----------------------
Restore automatic HostID/MAC address assignment? [no]: y

3. To verify that the HostID/MAC addresses were restored to the original domains, type:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p hostid

For example:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p hostid
 
              MAC Address          HostID
              -----------------    --------
Domain A      08:00:20:d8:88:99    80d88899
Domain B      08:00:20:d8:88:9a    80d8889a
Domain C      08:00:20:d8:88:9b    80d8889b
Domain D      08:00:20:d8:88:9c    80d8889c
SSC0          08:00:20:d8:88:9d    80d8889d
SSC1          08:00:20:d8:88:9e    80d8889e
 
System Serial Number: xxxxxxx
Chassis HostID: xxxxxxxx
HostID/MAC address mapping mode: automatic

The HostID/MAC address mapping mode setting is automatic, which indicates that the swapped HostID/MAC addresses have been restored to their original domains.



Note - If you are using a boot server, be sure to configure the boot server to recognize the restored HostID/MAC addresses.




Upgrading the Firmware

The flashupdate command updates the firmware in the system controller and the system boards (CPU/Memory boards and I/O assemblies). There is no firmware on the Repeater boards. This command is available in the platform shell only. The source flash image can be on a server or another board of the same type.

For a complete description of this command, including command syntax and examples, see the flashupdate command in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.



Note - Review the README and Install.info files before you upgrade the firmware.



In order to upgrade the firmware from a URL, the firmware must be accessible from an FTP or HTTP URL. Before performing the flashupdate procedure, read the Install.info file and the information in the "Description" section of the flashupdate command in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual. The "Description" section covers:



caution icon

Caution - When you update the firmware on the system controller, update only one system controller at a time, as described in the Install.info file. Do not update both system controllers at the same time.




Saving and Restoring Configurations

This section describes when to use the dumpconfig and restoreconfig commands.



Note - Be sure to save the system configuration whenever you upgrade the firmware. If you use the dumpconfig command to save a system configuration but later upgrade the firmware without saving the system configuration after the latest upgrade, the configuration files are associated with the previous firmware version. If you use the restoreconfig command to restore those configuration files, the restoreconfig operation will fail because the firmware version of the configuration file is not compatible with the upgraded firmware.



Using the dumpconfig Command

Use the dumpconfig command to save platform and domain settings after you:

For an explanation of how to use this command, see Saving the Current Configuration to a Server. For complete command syntax and examples of this command, refer to the dumpconfig command in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.

Using the restoreconfig Command

Use the restoreconfig command to restore platform and domain settings.

For complete command syntax and examples of this command, refer to the restoreconfig command in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.