Diagnostics Tools

C H A P T E R 3

Diagnostics Tools

This chapter contains information about diagnostic tools that you can use to determine the status of the Sun Blade X6240 server module and components.

This chapter contains the following topics:

Service Processor ILOM

System Status LEDs

BIOS POST

Hardware Debug Tool (HDT)

Pc-Check Diagnostics Overview

3.1 Service Processor ILOM

The following component information is available through the service processor (SP) Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM).

Viewing replaceable component information

Viewing sensors and LED indicators

Viewing indicators (LEDs) and controlling the Locate LED

Managing alerts

Viewing and clearing the system event log

See the Sun Integrated Lights Out Manager 2.0 User’s Guide (820-1188), for more information.

3.2 System Status LEDs

The Sun Blade X6240 server module has external and internal system status LEDs.

3.2.1 External Status Indicator LEDs

FIGURE 3-1 shows the locations of the external status indicator LEDs.

FIGURE 3-1 External LED Locations

Figure showing external LED locations on the server front panel

Refer to TABLE 3-1 for descriptions of the LED behavior.

TABLE 3-1 Front Panel LED Functions
LED Name	Description
Locate button/LED	This LED helps you to identify which system in the rack you are working on in a rack full of servers. Push and release this button to make the Locate LED blink for 30 minutes. Hold down the button for 5 seconds to initiate a “push-to-test” mode that illuminates all other LEDs both inside and outside the chassis for 15 seconds.
Ready-to-Remove LED	The server module is ready to be removed from the chassis. This LED is switched on by the service processor when the server module main power is off.
Service Action Required LED	This LED has three states: Off: Normal operation. Slow Blinking: A new (unacknowledged) event requiring a service action has been detected. On: The event has been acknowledged, but the problem still requires attention.
Power LED	This LED has three states: Off: Server main power and standby power are off. Standby Blinking: Standby power is on, but main power is off. Slow Blinking: POST or diagnostics are running. On: Server is in main power mode with power supplied to all components.
Hard Disk Drive Status LEDs	The hard disk drives have three LEDs. The order listed below is when the server module is installed in the chassis: Power: Fast blink means normal disk activity, slow blink means RAID activity, and off means power is off or no disk activity. Service Action Required: System has detected a hard disk fault. This LED is controlled by the service processor. Ready-to-Remove: On indicates that the disk is ready to be removed (hot-swapped). Off indicates that the disk is operating normally.

3.2.2 Internal Status Indicator LEDs

These servers have internal status indicator LEDs for the DIMM slots and the CPUs.

When the board is removed from the chassis, you can press a fault indicator button to view the location of the DIMM or CPU that has failed.

FIGURE 3-2 Fault Indicator Button

Figure showing fault indicator button and internal LEDs

See TABLE 3-2 for internal LED behavior.

TABLE 3-2 Internal LED Functions
LED Name	Description
DIMM Fault LED (The ejector levers on the DIMM slots are the LEDs.)	This LED has two states: Off: DIMM is operating properly. Lit (amber): The system has detected a fault with the DIMM.
CPU Fault LED (on motherboard)	This LED has two states: Off: CPU is operating properly. Lit (amber): The system has detected a fault with the CPU.

3.3 BIOS POST

The system BIOS provides a rudimentary power-on self-test (POST). The basic devices required for the server to operate are checked, memory is tested, the attached disks are probed and enumerated, and the two dual-gigabit Ethernet controllers are initialized.

The progress of the self-test is indicated by a series of POST codes. Refer to Appendix B for information on BIOS POST codes.

These codes are displayed at the bottom right corner of the system’s VGA screen (once the self-test has progressed far enough to initialize the video monitor). However, the codes are displayed as the self-test runs, and they scroll off the screen too quickly to be read. An alternate method of displaying the POST codes is to redirect the output of the console to a serial port (see Redirecting Console Output).

The message BMC Responding is displayed at the end of the POST.

3.3.1 How BIOS POST Memory Testing Works

The BIOS POST memory testing is performed as follows:

1. The first megabyte of DRAM is tested by the BIOS before the BIOS code is shadowed (that is, copied from ROM to DRAM).

2. Once executing out of DRAM, the BIOS performs a simple memory test
(a write/read of every location with the pattern 55aa55aa).

3. The BIOS polls the memory controllers for both correctable and uncorrectable memory errors and logs those errors into the service processor.

3.3.2 Redirecting Console Output

Use these instructions to access the service processor and redirect the console output so that the BIOS POST codes can be read.

1. Connect a dongle cable to the server module universal connector port (UCP). See FIGURE 1-2.

2. Connect a monitor to the dongle cable video port and a keyboard to a USB port.

3. Power cycle or power on the server.

4. Initialize the BIOS Setup Utility by pressing the F2 key while the system is performing the power-on self-test (POST).

5. When the BIOS Main Menu screen is displayed, select Advanced.

6. When the Advanced Settings screen is displayed, select IPMI 2.0 Configuration.

7. When the IPMI 2.0 Configuration screen is displayed, select the LAN Configuration menu item.

8. Select the IP Address menu item.

The service processor’s IP address is displayed in the following format:
Current IP address in BMC: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Copy the service processor IP address. You will need to insert it into a web browser in the next step.

9. Start a web browser and type the service processor’s IP address in the browser’s URL field.

10. When you are prompted, type a user name and password as follows:

User name: rootPassword: changeme

11. When the ILOM service processor web GUI screen is displayed, click the Remote Control tab.

12. Click the Redirection tab.

13. Set the color depth for the redirection console to either 8 or 16 bits.

14. Click the Start Redirection button.

The Remote Console window appears and prompts you for your user name and password again.

15. When you are prompted, type a user name and password as follows:

User name: rootPassword: changeme

The current POST screen is displayed.

3.4 Hardware Debug Tool (HDT)

The hardware debug tool (HDT) is a diagnostic tool that allows access to all memory spaces and CPU registers of the system.

3.4.1 HDT Functionality

Available functionality includes:

Access to CPU registers and memory spaces

Automated diagnostics

Checking of all HT links for errors at different speeds and widths

Testing of BIOS flash access and BIOS progress

Testing of access to other board components

HDT can be used to:

Check the status and configuration of system

Diagnose the system with the following symptoms:

No video

System hang (any bad HT link will cause this)

BIOS POST failure before video comes up

Note - HDT diagnostics will stop or reset and power cycle the system. Do not use HDT while the operating system is running.

3.4.2 Accessing HDT

You can access HDT through the server module service processor (SP) as follows:

Username: sunservice

Password: changeme

3.4.3 HDT Commands

To query HDT, execute:

# hdtl -q

This command does the following:

Dumps the current system status and configuration.

Power cycles the system and executes the HyperTransport Link test.

Dumps the system status and configuration after another clean start.

Note - On a nonresponsive system, run this command before the system is reset or power cycled.

To log output to the default location (/coredump/debug.log), execute:

# hdt -l -q

To log output to a specified log file, execute:

# hdt -l logfile_name -qa

Where logfile_name is the path and file location.

3.5 Pc-Check Diagnostics Overview

Pc-Check diagnostics can test and detect problems on all motherboard components, drives, ports, and slots. This program can be accessed and executed only from Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM). If you are having a problem with your system, use the diagnostics to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

Normally, if you encounter any hardware-related error message (such as memory errors or hard disk errors) on your srver, you will run one of the following selections from the Pc-Check Diagnostics main menu:

Use Immediate Burn-In Test to run a test script. Sun provides three diagnostic scripts designed to test a full range of system resources.

Use Advanced Diagnostics Test to test a specific hardware component, for example, a CPU or a hard disk.

Other selections on the Diagnostics main menu display information about the system, create disk partitions and display test results.

3.5.1 Accessing Pc-Check Diagnostics

1. Shut down the server.

For instructions, see Powering Off the Server.

2. Start the ILOM and access the web GUI.

See the Sun Integrated Lights Out Manager 2.0 User’s Guide (820-1158) for details.

3. Select Remote Control => Diagnostics => Run Diagnostics on Boot.

4. From the drop-down menu, select Boot to Manual.

5. Power cycle the platform.

The system boots to the Pc-Check main menu, which offers the following selections:

System Information Menu (System Information Menu)

Advanced Diagnostics Tests (Advanced Diagnostics)

Immediate Burn-In Testing (Burn-In Testing)

Deferred Burn-In Testing (Burn-In Testing)

Create Diagnostic Partition (Diagnostic Partition)

Show Results Summary (Show Results Summary)

Print Results Report (Print Results Report)

About PC-CHECK (About Pc-Check)

Exit (Exit)

Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate through the diagnostics software, the Enter key to select a menu item, and the ESC key to exit a menu. Navigation instructions appear at the bottom of each screen.

To test a specific hardware component, select “Advanced Diagnostics Test.” See Advanced Diagnostics for details.

To run a test script, select “Immediate Burn-In Testing.” Sun provides three scripts that include a full test of all possible devices (full.tst), a quick test of devices (quick.tst), and a test that requires no user interaction (noinput.tst). See Performing Immediate Burn-In Testing for details.

To create your own test script, select “Deferred Burn-In Testing.” See Performing Deferred Burn-In Testing for details.

3.6 Pc-Check Menus

The following sections in this chapter describe the menu items and tests in detail.

3.6.1 System Information Menu

Clicking System Information in the Diagnostics main menu causes the System Information menu to appear. Select items in this menu to see detailed information.

TABLE 3-3 describes the selections in the System Information menu.

TABLE 3-3 System Information Menu Options
Option	Description
System Information Menu	Includes basic information about your system, motherboard, BIOS, processor, memory cache, drives, video, modem, network, buses, and ports.
Hardware ID Image Menu	Enables you to create an XML or `.txt` document showing your system’s hardware ID.
System Management Info	Provides information about the BIOS type, system, motherboard, enclosure, processors, memory modules, cache, slots, system event log, memory array, memory devices, memory device mapped addresses, and system boot.
PCI Bus Info	Includes details about specific devices from `pci-config` space within the system, similar to the System Management Information section.
IDE Bus Info	Displays information about the IDE bus.
Interrupt Vectors	Displays a list of interrupt vectors.
IRQ Information	Shows hardware interrupt assignments.
Device Drivers	Shows device drivers loaded under OpenDOS.
APM Information	Enables you to test and configure the Advanced Power Management (APM) capabilities of the system. You can choose to change the power state, view the power status, indicate CPU usage, get a power management event, or change the interface mode.
I/O Port Browser	Shows the I/O port assignment for the hardware devices on the system.
Memory Browser	Enables you to view the mapped memory for the entire system.
Sector Browser	Reads sector information from the hard disks sector by sector.
CPU Frequency Monitor	Tests the processor speed.
CMOS RAM Utilities	Shows the CMOS settings of the system.
Text File Editor	Opens a file editor.
Start-Up Options	Enables you to set up startup options for diagnostics testing.

3.6.2 Advanced Diagnostics

Advanced diagnostics are used to test an individual device on the system. Most of the selections on this menu display information about the corresponding devices, and then offer a menu of testing options. For example, to test CPU 0, you can select Advanced Diagnostics => Processor => CPU0.

Note - If you do not know which device to test, see Burn-In Testing.

TABLE 3-4 gives the name and a brief description of the selections in the Advanced Diagnostics Tests menu.

Note - Some of the tests in TABLE 3-4 might be irrelevant for certain systems. Ignore any that are not relevant to your hardware configuration.

TABLE 3-4 Advanced Diagnostics Test Menu Options
Option	Description
Processor	Displays information about the processors and includes a Processor Tests menu.
Memory	Displays information about the memory, and includes tests for the different types of system memory.
Motherboard	Displays information about the motherboard, and includes a Motherboard Tests menu.
Floppy Disks	Not relevant.
Hard Disks	Displays information about the hard disk and includes a Hard Disk Tests menu. Refer to Hard Disk Testing, for detailed information about scripts and about testing hard disks.
CD-ROM/DVD	Displays a CD-ROM/DVD menu to test DVD devices on the system.
ATAPI Devices	Displays information about devices attached to the IDE controllers on the system other than a DVD or hard disks (for example, zip drives).
ATA	Includes an ATA test menu. Select the parallel ATA driver to test.
USB	Displays information about the USB devices on the system and includes a USB Tests menu.
Network	Performs network register controller tests.
System Stress Test	Exercises and checks the CPU, memory, and hard drive.
Keyboard	Includes a Keyboard Test menu with options for performing different tests on the keyboard.
Mouse	Displays information about the mouse and includes a menu to test the mouse on the system.
Audio	Displays information about the audio devices on the system and includes an Audio Tests menu to test audio device information. A PCI audio card is required to run this test.
Video	Displays information about the video card. Initially, the monitor might flicker, but then it brings up a Video Test Options menu that enables you to perform various video tests.
Firmware -ACPI	Displays information about Advanced Configurable Power Interface (ACPI) and includes an ACPI Tests menu.

3.6.3 Hard Disk Testing

Use these tests to select and test a hard drive. Before starting the test, you can set the parameters using the Test Settings option.

3.6.3.1 To Select and Test a Hard Drive

1. From the main menu, choose Advanced Diagnostics Tests.

2. From the Advanced Diagnostics Tests menu, choose Hard Disks.

3. From the Select Drive menu, choose the hard disk that you need to test.

The Hard Disk Diagnostics dialog opens. It displays information about the selected hard drive and the Hard Disk Tests menu, which includes the following options:

Select Drive

Test Settings

Read Test

Read Verify Test

Non-Destructive Write Test

Destructive Write Test

Mechanics Stress Test

Internal Cache Test

SMART Immediate Test

View Error Log

Utilities Menu

Exit

4. Click Select Drive to select a hard drive to test.

5. Click Test Settings, if desired, to select options for that test.

This enables you to change the following parameters:

Number of Retries

Selects the number of times to retry testing a device before terminating the test.

Maximum Errors

Selects the number of errors allowed before terminating the test.

Check SMART First

Selects Smart Monitoring Analysis Reporting Test (SMART).

HPA Protection

Selects Host Protected Area (HPA) protection.

Media Test Settings

Selects the test time duration, the percentage of the hard disk to test, and the sectors to be tested on the hard disk.

Device Test Settings

Selects the test time durations of the devices and the test level.

6. Select a test to begin execution.

The Read Test, Read Verify Test, the Non-Destructive Write Test, and the Destructive Write Test test the actual media on the physical disk drive.

The Mechanics Stress Test and the Internal Cache Test test non-media-related parts of the hard drive hardware.

Caution - Running the Destructive Write Test destroys any data on the disk.

3.6.4 Burn-In Testing

Burn-In testing enables you to run test scripts and to create new scripts.

The Diagnostics main menu provides two burn-in selections, Immediate Burn-In Testing and Deferred Burn-In Testing.

Immediate Burn-In enables you to run an existing script and to select configuration options.

Deferred Burn-In enables you to create a new script.

Sun provides three ready-made scripts designed to test the general health of the devices on your system. These scripts include:

quick.tst - This script performs a series of tests that require you to interact with the test software. When the tests require a user interaction, the tests stop and do not time out. These tests are faster than the full.tst but they are less thorough. For example, they do not run all the tests associated with a DIMM.

noinput.tst - This script performs a non-detailed test of most hardware components, excluding those components that require user input (keyboard, mouse, sound, and video). This test does not require user input. It is normally the first test performed for hardware-related problems.

full.tst - This script performs a detailed and comprehensive test on all hardware components, including those that require user input. It includes external port tests and requires loopback connectors on COM ports, parallel ports and USB ports. You must interact with the test utility to progress through these interactive tests.

Tip - Each of these scripts tests the operating status of your entire system. To test specific disk drives independently of the rest of the system, use the procedures in Hard Disk Testing.

3.6.4.1 Performing Immediate Burn-In Testing

Use Immediate Burn-In Testing to run test scripts.

1. From the Diagnostics main menu, select Immediate Burn-In Testing.

The screen displays a list of settings shown in TABLE 3-5 and a Burn-In menu.

2. From the Burn-In menu, select Load Burn-In Script.

A text box appears.

3. Type the name of the script you want to run.

quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst

If you have created and saved your own script, type d:\testname.tst

where testname is the name of the script that you have created.

4. To change any of the options, at the bottom of the screen, select Change Options.

This opens the Burn-In Options menu, which enables you to modify the options listed in TABLE 3-5 for the currently loaded test script.

5. Select Perform Burn-In Tests.

The diagnostics software executes the test script as configured.

TABLE 3-5 Continuous Burn-In Testing Options
Option	Default - General	Default Using `quick.tst, noinput.tst,` or `full.tst` Script	All Possible Choices
Pass Control	Overall Time	Overall Passes	Individual Passes, Overall Passes, or Overall Time
Duration	01:00	1	Enter any number to choose the time duration of the test
Script File	N/A	quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst	quick.tst, noiniput.tst, or full.tst
Report File	None	None	User defined
Journal File	None	`D:\noinput.jrl,` `D:\quick.jrl,` or `D:\full.jrl`	User defined
Journal Options	Failed Tests	All Tests, Absent Devices, and Test Summary	Failed Tests, All Tests, Absent Devices, and Test Summary
Pause on Error	N	N	Y or N
Screen Display	Control Panel	Control Panel	Control Panel or Running Tests
POST Card	N	N	Y or N
Beep Codes	N	N	Y or N
Maximum Fails	Disabled	Disabled	1-9999

3.6.4.2 Performing Deferred Burn-In Testing

Use Deferred Burn-In Testing to create scripts.

1. From the Diagnostics main menu, select Deferred Burn-In Testing.

The screen displays a list of settings shown in TABLE 3-5 and a Burn-In menu.

2. Use the Burn-In menu to configure the following selections:

Change Options

Opens the Burn-In Options menu, which enables you to modify the options listed in TABLE 3-5 for the currently loaded test script.

Select Tests

Opens a listing of the tests available for your workstation configuration and the currently loaded test script.

3. When you are done, select Save Burn-In Script and type the name for the new script.

Enter d:\testname.tst

Where testname is the name of the script that you have created.

4. To run the newly created script, go to Immediate Burn-In Testing in Performing Immediate Burn-In Testing, and run the script testname.tst.

3.6.5 Diagnostic Partition

A diagnostic partition is required for the test scripts to write their log files. Without a diagnostic partition, the only output is the display on the diagnostic screens.

The diagnostic partition is preinstalled on the . You do not need to reinstall the diagnostic partition unless you have removed it.

To change partitions, see the instructions for your operating system.

If you have RAID, you can use the instructions in the Sun StorageTek RAID Manager Software User's Guide (820-1177) and the Uniform Command-Line Interface User's Guide (820-2145).

3.6.6 Show Results Summary

Selecting Show Results Summary on the Diagnostics main menu displays the tests that have been run and lists the results, which can be Pass, Fail, or N/A.

The following list describes all the tests that are available with the Tools and Drivers DVD. If your system does not have the corresponding option, the results will show as N/A in the Show Results Summary list.

Processor

This section shows the following tests conducted against the processor: Core Processor Tests, AMD 64-Bit Core Tests, Math Co-Processor Tests - Pentium Class FDIV and Pentium Class FIST, MMX Operation, 3DNow! Operation, SSE Instruction Set, SSE2 Instruction Set, and MP Symmetry.

Motherboard

This section shows the following tests conducted against the motherboard: DMA Controller Tests, System Timer Tests, Interrupt Test, Keyboard Controller Tests, PCI Bus Tests, and CMOS RAM/Clock Tests.

Memory, Cache Memory, and Video Memory

This section shows the following tests conducted against the various types of memory: Inversion Test Tree, Progressive Inv. Test, Chaotic Addressing Test, and Block Rotation Test.

Input Device

This section shows the following tests conducted against the input device: Verify Device, Keyboard Repeat, and Keyboard LEDs.

Mouse

This section shows the following tests conducted against the mouse: Buttons, Ballistics, Text Mode Positioning, Text Mode Area Redefine, Graphics Mode Positions, Graphics Area Redefine, and Graphics Cursor Redefine.

Video

This section shows the following tests conducted against the video: Color Purity Test, True Color Test, Alignment Test, LCD Test, and Test Cord Test.

ATAPI Devices

This section shows the following tests conducted against ATAPI devices: Linear Read Test, Non-Destructive Write, and Random Read/Write Test.

Hard Disk

This section shows the following tests conducted against the hard disk: Read Test, Read Verify Test, Non-Destructive Write Test, Destructive Write Test, Mechanics Stress Test, and Internal Cache Test.

USB

This section shows the following tests conducted against the USB: Controller Tests and Functional Tests.

Hardware ID

The compare test is used to determine the machine ID for the system. This test is not available for the Sun .

3.6.7 Print Results Report

The Print Results Report option enables you to print results of the diagnosis of your system.

Ensure that your server is connected to a printer, and then enter the required information to print the results.

3.6.8 About Pc-Check

The About Pc-Check window includes general information about the Pc-Check software, including resident and nonresident components, such as mouse devices.

3.6.9 Exit

The Exit option exits the Pc-Check software and reboots the server module.