Glossary |
See access control list (ACL).
The access control list (ACL) contains information about file and folder permissions on your system. Using an ACL enables you to define file or folder permissions for the owner, owner's group, others, and specific users and groups, and default permissions for each of these categories.
A board is considered active when it is in the connected/unconfigured state.
List of boards that are in use in a domain. The pcd(1M) daemon keeps the state of this list.
A domain running operating system (OS) software.
A software engine which is invoked when an error occurs, it then records diagnosis information as part of a FRU's component health status (CHS), which is stored in the FRUID of each component. In some instances an auto-restoration process is started and POST is re-run.
See Automated dynamic reconfiguration (ADR).
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)
In the Sun Fire high-end systems, any of the large main chips in the design, including the UltraSPARC processor and data buffer chips.
A condition that occurs when one of the Sun Fire high-end system ASICs detects a parity error or equivalent fatal system error. Bus arbitration is frozen, so all bus activity stops.
See application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
List of components that have been assigned to a domain by a domain administrator/configurator privileged user. The pcd(1M) daemon keeps the state of this list.
The process by which the SMS daemon, fomd, automatically switches SC control from the main SC to the spare in the event of hardware or software failure on the main.
Automated dynamic reconfiguration (ADR)
The dynamic reconfiguration of system boards accomplished through commands that can be used to automatically assign/unassign, connect/disconnect and configure/unconfigure boards, and obtain board status information. You can run these commands interactively or in shell scripts.
A software feature that identifies hardware errors that affect the availability of a platform and its domains.
automatic system recovery (ASR)
Procedures that restore the system to running all properly configured domains after one or more domains have been rendered inactive due to software or hardware failures or due to unacceptable environmental conditions.
List of available components that can be assigned to a domain by a domain administrator/configurator privileged user. The pcd(1M) daemon keeps the state of this list. setupplatform(1M) updates it.
An ASIC located on the expander board in a Sun Fire high-end system.
Boot bus controller. An ASIC used on the CPU & I/O boards (also system controller boards), that connects the boot bus to the PROM bus and the console bus.
A text file that hpost(1M) reads when it starts up. The blacklist file specifies the Sun Fire high-end system components that are not to be used or configured into the system. Platform and domain blacklist files can be edited using the enablecomponent and disablecomponent commands. The ASR blacklist is created and edited by esmd.
A slow-speed, byte-wide bus controlled by the processor port controller ASICs, used for running diagnostics and boot code. UltraSPARC starts running code from boot bus when it exits reset. In the Sun Fire high-end system, the only component on the boot bus is the BBSRAM.
A 256-Kbyte static RAM attached to each processor PC ASIC. Through the PC, it can be accessed for reading and writing from JTAG or the processor. Boot bus SRAM is downloaded at various times with hpost(1M) and OpenBoot PROM startup code, and provides shared data between the downloaded code and the SC.
An option that provides additional processing resources (CPUs) provided on COD system boards that are installed on Sun Fire high-end systems. You can access the COD CPUs after you purchase the COD right-to-use (RTU) licenses for them.
cacheable address slice map (CASM)
A table in the AXQ that directs cacheable addresses to the correct expander.
See cacheable address slice map (CASM).
The serial number of the centerplane. This number is used only by the COD feature to identify the platform for COD licensing purposes.
A serial number that identifies a Sun Fire high-end system. The chassis serial number is printed on a label located on the front of the system chassis, near the bottom center. This number is used by your service provider to correlate hardware error events and service actions to the appropriate system.
A copy of the state an SC client is in at a specific execution point. Checkpoint data is periodically saved to disk.
A cooperative collection of interconnected computer systems, each running a separate OS image, utilized as a single, unified computing resource.
A customer site IP network that is physically separate from any other networks.
A string identifier that names a particular community. In the context of External Network Monitoring for a Sun Fire high-end system, it is used as the interface group name. See interface group name.
Command synchronization. Commands that work together to control recovery during SC failover. For example, cancelcmdsync, initcmdsync, and savecmdsync.
An ASIC on the Sun Fire high-end system centerplane that handles data arbitration.
An interrupt of the SC processor initiated by a signal from either or both DARB ASIC on the Sun Fire high-end system centerplane. DARB asserts this interrupt signal in response to three kinds of events: Dstops, Recordstops, and non-error requests for attention initiated by domain processors writing to a system register in the AXQ ASIC.
See domain configuration unit (DCU).
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
See dual inline memory module (DIMM).
See domain stop.
A collection of disks within a hardware peripheral. The disk array provides access to each of its housed disks through one or two Fibre Channel modules.
A controller that resides on the host system and has one or two Fibre Channel modules.
A Fibre Channel module that can be connected to a disk array controller that is serviced by a driver pair; for example, soc/pln for SSAs.
A set of one or more system boards that acts as a separate system capable of booting the OS and running independently of any other domains. A machine environment capable of running its own OS. There are up to 18 domains available on the Sun Fire high-end system. Domains that share a system are characteristically independent of each other.
domain configuration unit (DCU)
A unit of hardware that can be assigned to a single domain. Domains are configured from DCUs. CPU/Memory, PCI I/O, hsPCI I/O, and hsPCI+ I/O are DCUs. csb, exb boards, and the SC are not.
Domain name assigned using addtag (1M).
An uncorrectable hardware error that immediately terminates the affected domain.
See dynamic reconfiguration (DR).
See dynamic RAM(DRAM).
The file used to record the drift (or frequency error) value computed by xntpd. The most common name is ntp.drift.
Dynamic System Domain. See domain.
dual inline memory module (DIMM)
A small printed circuit card containing memory chips and some support logic.
The ability to logically attach and detach system boards to and from the operating system without causing machine downtime. DR can be used in conjunction with hot-swap, which is the process of physically removing or inserting a system board. You can use DR to add a new system board, reinstall a repaired system board, or modify the domain configuration on the Sun Fire system.
Hardware memory chips that require periodic rewriting to retain their contents. This process is called "refresh." In a Sun Fire high-end system, DRAM is used only on main memory SIMMs and on the control boards.
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory.
Systems have a large number of sensors that monitor temperature, voltage, and current. The SC daemons esmd and dsmd poll devices in a timely manner and make the environmental data available. The SC shuts down various components to prevent damage.
A unique number assigned to each Ethernet network adapter. It is a 48-bit number maintained by the IEEE. Hardware vendors obtain blocks of numbers that they can build into their cards. See also, MAC address.
An 8-Mbyte synchronous static RAM second-level cache local to each processor module. Used for both code and data. This is a direct-mapped cache.
A network that requires a physical cable to connect a node to the network. In the context of a Sun Fire high-end system, it is the set of networks connected to the RJ45 jacks located on the front of each Sun Fire high-end system. See external network interface.
One of the RJ45 jacks located on the front of each Sun Fire high-end System Controller.
An optical link connection (OLC) module on a disk array controller that can be connected to a disk array port.
Centerplane in the Sun Fire high-end system.
Flash programmable read-only memory.
Field replaceable unit identification
See global domain configuration descriptor (GDCD).
global domain configuration descriptor (GDCD)
The description of the single configuration that hpost(1M) chooses. It is part of the structure handed off to OpenBoot PROM.
See instant access CPUs.
Interruption of the normal Solaris OS indicator, readable from the SC. Absence of heartbeat updates for a running Solaris system usually indicates a Solaris hang.
Host POST is the POST code that is executed by the SC. Typically this code is sourced from the SC local disk.
Hot-Pluggable Unit. A hardware component that can be isolated from a running system such that it can be cleanly removed from the system or added to the system without damaging any hardware or software.
See HPCI.
There are 18 network interfaces (NICs) on each SC. These are connected in a point-to-point fashion to NICs located on each of the expander I/O slots on the Sun Fire high-end system. All of these point-to-point links are collectively called the I1 network.
Inter-IC Bus. This two-wire bus is used throughout various systems to run LEDs, set system clock resources, read thermcal information, and so on.
An internal network between the two system controllers consisting of two NICs per system controller. It is not a private network, and it is entirely separate from the I1 network.
Identification PROM. Contains information specific to the Sun Fire high-end system internal machine, such as machine type, manufacturing date, Ethernet address, serial number, and host ID.
Unlicensed COD CPUs on COD system boards installed in Sun Fire high-end systems. You can access up to a maximum of eight COD CPUs for immediate use while you are purchasing the COD right-to-use (RTU) licenses for the COD CPUs. Also referred to as headroom.
A group of network interfaces that attach to the same community.
A string identifier that names a particular interface group. In the context of External Network Monitoring for Sun Fire high-end system, it is the name associated with a particular community.
A system call that performs a variety of control functions on devices and STREAMS. For non-STREAMS, the functions performed by this call are device-specific control functions.
A communication medium over which nodes communicate at the link layer. The link layer is the layer immediately below IPv4/IPv6. Examples include Ethernets (simple or bridged) or ATM networks.
Internet Protocol version 6. IPv6 increases the address space from 32 to 128 bits. It is backwards compatible with IPv4.
Input-Output Static Random-Access Memory.
IP Network Multipathing. Solaris software that provides load spreading and failover for multiple network interface cards connected to the same IP link, for example, Ethernet.
A serial scan interface specified by IEEE standard 1149.1. The name comes from Joint Test Action Group, which initially designed it.
An extension of JTAG, developed by Sun Microsystems Inc., which adds a control line to signal that board and ring addresses are being shifted on the serial data line. Often referred to simply as JTAG.
An interactive kernel debugger with a user interface. For more information, refer to the kadb(1M) Solaris man page.
Worldwide unique serial number assigned to a network interface. IEEE controls the distribution of MAC addresses. See also Ethernet address.
See Mbox.
Message-passing mechanism between SMS software on the SC and OpenBoot PROM and the Solaris OS on the domain.
A disk abstraction that provides access to an underlying group of two physical paths to a disk.
A network abstraction that provides access to an underlying group of two physical paths to a network.
Network adapter which is either internal or a separate card that serves as an interface to an IP link.
Network Time Protocol. Supports synchronization of Solaris time with the time service provided by a remote host.
See network interface card (NIC).
Network Information Service Plus. A secure, hierarchical network naming service.
Describes the state of a board (DCU) that is not assigned to any domain.
See network time protocol (NTP).
Non-volatile read-only memory.
See OpenBoot PROM.
A layer of software that takes control of the configured Sun Fire high-end system from hpost(1M), builds some data structures in memory, and boots the operating system. IEEE 1275-compliant OpenBoot PROM.
A set of two alternate paths that provide access to the same device or set of devices.
The electrical path from the host to a disk or network.
See power-on self-test (POST).
A test performed by hpost(1M). This program takes uninitialized Sun Fire high-end system hardware and probes and tests its components, configures what seems worthwhile into a coherent initialized system, and hands it off to OpenBoot PROM. In the Sun Fire high-end system POST is implemented in a hierarchical manner with the following components: lpost, spost, and hpost.
Programmable Read Only Memory.
Reliability, availability, serviceability, and security.
Reverse Address Resolution Protocol.
See Record Stop.
A correctable data transmission error.
See BBC.
System controller. The Nordica board that assists in monitoring or controlling the system.
System Management Services software. The software that runs on the Sun Fire high-end system SC and provides control/monitoring functions for the Sun Fire high-end system platform.
Simple Network Management Protocol.
When both SCs think they are the main SC.
See static RAM (SRAM).
Memory chips that retain their contents as long as power is maintained.
For next-generation Sun Fire servers, there are five types of system boards, four of which can be found in the Sun Fire high-end system. The system boards are the system board, the I/O board, the WCI board, the Sun Fire high-end system PCI controller board, and the Sun Fire high-end system compact PCI controller board.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
The process of moving the SC/Domain communications tunnel from one I/O board to another in a domain. Typically occurring when the I/O board with the tunnel is being dynamically reconfigured out.
The UltraSPARC processor is the processor module used in the Sun Fire high-end system.
The SC provides a virtual keyswitch for each domain which controls the bringup process for each domain. The setkeyswitch(1M) command controls the position of the virtual keyswitch for each domain. Possible positions are: on, off, standby, diag, and secure.
eXternally Initiated Reset. Sends a "soft" reset to the CPU in a domain. It does not reboot the domain. After receiving the reset, the CPU drops to the OpenBoot PROM prompt.
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