SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set 8 Release Notes


SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set 8 (PS8) Issues

The following issues apply to the SunVTStrademark 5.1 PS8 product.

New Features and Tests for This Release

The SunVTS 5.1 PS8 software is compatible with the Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, Solaris 8 2/04, Solaris 9, Solaris 9 9/02, Solaris 9 12/02, Solaris 9 4/03, Solaris 9 8/03, Solaris 9 12/03, Solaris 9 4/04, and Solaris 9 9/04 operating systems. The following new features are added to the SunVTS 5.1 PS8 release.

The following new test was added in this release:

In a future release of SunVTS, some of the existing SunVTS diagnostics might be consolidated into a single test binary. The existing test binaries for such consolidated tests will be removed and a new consolidated binary will be delivered. The likely candidates for consolidation include the following:Optical media tests: cdtest, dvdtest, cddvdrwtest

USB port tests: usbaudiotest, usbkbtest, usbppptest

Serial port tests: sptest, sutest

Parallel port tests: bpptest, ecpptest

The following tests will be discontinued in the next major release of SunVTS:



Note - The SunPCitrademark II Test (sunpci2test) tests both the SunPCi II and SunPCi III cards in SunVTS 5.1 PS2.





Note - All new features, tests, and test enhancements that are released in SunVTS 5.1 PS8 are documented in the SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set 8 Documentation Supplement (817-1403-10) available at: http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/hardware/docs/Software/Diagnostics/index.html



Refer to the SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set 8 Documentation Supplement for details about the new features and tests offered in this release.



Note - The name of the Remote System Control test (rsctest) has been changed to System Service Processor test (ssptest) in SunVTS 5.1 PS1. The reason for this change is that ssptest tests the Advanced Lights-Out Management (ALOM) hardware in addition to both Remote System Control 1.0 and 2.0 hardware.



Online Help Documentation

The online help documentation available with the SunVTS 5.1 software includes a chapter describing the RAM test (ramtest). This test is supported only in SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set 4 (PS4) onward.

SunVTS 5.1 Test Reference Manual Errata

This section lists corrections to errors in the Supported Test Modes tables of the following test chapters in the SunVTS 5.1 Test Reference Manual:

SunVTS 5.1 User's Guide Errata

In Appendix A, SunVTS Window and Dialog Box Reference, Table A-11 indicates the incorrect default value of 0 (zero) for the Max Errors field of the example systest Test Parameter Options dialog box in Figure A-11. The correct default value of the Max Errors field of the systest Test Parameter Options dialog box is 1 (one) as indicated in Figure A-11.

Also in Appendix A, Table A-13 indicates the incorrect default value of 0 (zero) for the Max System Errors field of the example systest Threshold Options dialog box in Figure A-13. The correct default value of the Max System Errors field of the systest Threshold Options dialog box is 1 (one) as indicated in Figure A-13.

Possible Installation Issues

You might encounter an installation problem when you attempt to install SunVTS with an installation program other than the pkgadd command as described in the following subsections.

If SunVTS 5.1 software is installed in the default /opt directory, you cannot install a subsequent SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set release in a different directory on the same system. When this duplicate installation is attempted with pkgadd, the following error message occurs:

pkgadd: ERROR: SUNWvts is already installed at /opt. Cannot create a duplicate installation.

The reason for this error is that the base package revision is the same for both SunVTS 5.1 and any subsequent SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set release. When a SunVTS 5.1 Patch Set release is installed in the default /opt directory which already has SunVTS 5.1 software installed, the installation completes successfully with the following warning message:

This appears to be an attempt to install the same architecture and
 version of a package which is already installed.  This
 installation will attempt to overwrite this package.

Installation Package Dependency Issue for Solaris 8 (RFE ID 4823716)

From SunVTS 5.1, the SunVTS software depends on XML packages that are not included with the Solaris 8 2/02 distribution. For Solaris 9, all of the prerequisite packages are installed with the End User Solaris Software Group as a minimum.



Note - The additional XML packages are available on the Solaris 8 HW 12/02 through Solaris 8 2/04 Software Supplement CD-ROMs and not on the Solaris 8 2/02 Software Supplement CD-ROM. Although SunVTS 5.1 installation is supported on Solaris 8 2/02, the XML packages are not included in the Solaris 8 2/02 distribution.



You may install SunVTS 5.1 on Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW
5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, or Solaris 8 2/04. If you choose to install SunVTS 5.1 or later on any of these releases, you must separately install the required XML packages (SUNWlxml[32-bit] and SUNWlxmlx[64-bit]) from either the Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, or Solaris 8 2/04 Software Supplement CD-ROM.



Note - SunVTS 4.6, which is delivered on the Solaris 8 2/02 Software Supplement CD-ROM, does not have the XML packages dependency and is supported on Solaris 8 2/02. SunVTS 5.1 is also supported on Solaris 8 2/02 if the XML packages are installed from the Solaris 8 HW 12/02 through Solaris 8 2/04 Software Supplement CD-ROM.



For Solaris 8 releases:

  1. Install the minimum End User Solaris Software Group.

  2. Install the XML packages SUNWlxml(32 bit) and SUNWlxmlx(64 bit) from either the Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, or Solaris 8 2/04 Software Supplement CD-ROM.



    Note - These XML packages are not available in the Solaris 8 2/02 distribution.



  3. Install SUNWzlib(32 bit) and SUNWzlibx(64 bit) packages from the Entire Solaris Software Group from either the Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW
    5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, or Solaris 8 2/04 Software CD-ROM.



    Note - The XML packages depend on the SUNWzlib(32 bit) and SUNWzlibx(64 bit) packages which are not part of the End User Solaris Software Group for Solaris 8
    2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, or Solaris 8 2/04.



  4. Install the optional SUNWcpc(x)/SUNWcpcu(x) packages only if you want to enable displaying certain performance counters for certain CPU and memory tests. Otherwise, these packages need not be installed.

    The SUNWcpc(x)/SUNWcpcu(x) packages are included in the Entire Solaris Software Group for Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, and Solaris 8 2/04. These packages are not included in the End User Solaris Software Group for Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 8 HW 12/02, Solaris 8 HW 5/03, Solaris 8 HW 7/03, nor Solaris 8 2/04.

To install SunVTS for Solaris 9 and later releases:

  1. Install the End User Solaris Software Group (or any software group).

    The XML packages (SUNWlxml[32-bit] and SUNWlxmlx[64-bit]) and the SUNWzlib packages (SUNWzlib[32 bit] and SUNWzlibx[64 bit]) are part of the End User Solaris Software Group (and Entire Solaris Software Groups) for Solaris 9 releases.

  2. Install the optional SUNWcpc(x)/SUNWcpcu(x) packages only if you want to enable displaying certain performance counters for certain CPU and memory tests. Otherwise, these packages need not be installed.

    The SUNWcpc(x)/SUNWcpcu(x) packages are part of the Entire Solaris Software Group and not the End User Solaris Software Group.

Installation Issue:
32-bit Only Systems and Web Start 2.0 (Bug ID 4257539)

Web Start 2.0 may not install SunVTS on systems that do not have the Solaris 64-bit environment installed. Web Start 2.0 removes the SunVTS 32-bit packages when the SunVTS 64-bit packages cause the installation to suspend.

Workaround: Use the pkgadd command to install the 32-bit SunVTS packages as described in the SunVTS 5.1 User's Guide.

Installation Issue:
Security and Web Start 2.0 (Bug ID 4362563)

When you install SunVTS using Web Start 2.0, you are not prompted to enable the Sun Enterprise Authentication Mechanismtrademark (SEAM) Kerberos v5, SunVTS security feature. The installation defaults in a way that installs SunVTS without this high level of security. If you do not want the high-level security, there is no problem.

Workaround: To enable the high-level SEAM security, use the pkgadd command to install SunVTS packages as described in the SunVTS 5.1 User's Guide.

Installation Issue:
The Installation Directory With Web Start 2.0 Is Not User-Definable (Bug ID 4243921)

When you attempt to install SunVTS using Web Start 2.0, you are unable to change the directory where SunVTS is installed. SunVTS will be installed in /opt.

Workaround: Use the pkgadd -a none command to install SunVTS in the directory of your choice as described in the SunVTS 5.1 User's Guide.

Installation Recommendation:
Install and Uninstall Using the Same Program

Use the same tool or utility for installation and removal of the SunVTS software. If you use pkgadd for installation, use pkgrm to uninstall; if you use Web Start for installation, use the Product Registry to uninstall.

Possible Runtime Issues

Using fputest (Bug ID 4994898)

fputest does not appear on sun4m machines due to conflicting shared probe libraries.Workaround: None.

Testing CPUs During Dynamic Reconfiguration (Bug ID 5109778)

If a CPU is taken offline for dynamic reconfiguration after SunVTS is invoked, the SunVTS kernel (vtsk) receives out of date information about the online CPUs. This incorrect information causes the GUI to show "RED" and no message is printed. The run on error option (-r) does not work if this occurs.Workaround: None.

SunVTS Does not Support Processor Sets

If processor sets are defined, you must first delete the processor sets before running SunVTS.

Workaround: None.

Using fwcamtest (Bug ID 5062974)

fwcamtest could hang with the following error message: "Termination of tests could be hung. Deselect tests to bring sunvts to an idle status." If dcamtest is deselected, all records regarding the test are removed. Display of the video does not go away after deselecting and quitting SunVTS. Black video output is seen from the video window.

Using env5test (Bug ID 5066195)

In rare occasions, env5test might hang when SunVTS is stopping. This causes SunVTS to not exit properly.Workaround: There are two workarounds for this problem: 1.) From the SunVTS GUI, deselect the test by unchecking the box next to the test entry. 2.) Choose a fixed number of passes for env5test to run.

Adding Boards With Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR) to Sun Fire 15K Systems (Bug ID 4959606)

On Sun Fire 15K systems, adding new boards with DR might cause some of the processor and memory related tests to perform ineffectively. Specifically, cmttest might fail to recognize the CMT processors on the new board. Similar failures might also occur in l2sramtest, l1dcachetest, dtlbtest, ramtest, bustest, mptest, and fputest.

Workaround: Reboot the system after adding a new board with DR.

pfbtest Fails When Used in the GNOME Desktop Environment (Bug ID 4938281)

pfbtest might fail when performed in the GNOME desktop environment on a Sun XVR-100 graphics accelerator if the test is performed in the default console window.This failure does not occur in the Solaris 8 2/02 and Solaris 8 HW 3/03 operating environments. If this failure occurs, you see an error message similar to the following:

pfb3(pfbtest)            passes: 26 errors: 12

Using ecpptest (Bug ID 4482992)

An ecpp/parallel port driver issue might cause ecpptest to fail. The failure rate is three out of 130 machines; the time to fail is about 10 hours.



Note - This driver issue exists only in Solaris 8 software.



Using sutest and disktest Simultaneously (Bug ID 4858028)

Sun Blade 100 and 150 systems with SunVTS can produce errors when the serial port controller (southbridge) is also handling other traffic as data access from and to the IDE hard disk. With SunVTS simultaneously running sutest and disktest on Sun Blade 100 and 150 systems, you might see sutest report failures.

Workaround: Do not perform sutest and disktest simultaneously.

Using pkginfo -c sunvts Command

The command pkginfo -c sunvts does not produce any output in SunVTS 5.1. This situation correctly implements the -c option of the pkginfo command.

Workaround: Use the following command to receive SunVTS 5.1 package information

# pkginfo -l SUNWvts SUNWvtsx SUNWvtsmn

:

You can also use either of the following commands to receive additional SunVTS 5.1 package information:

# pkginfo | grep vts
# showrev -p | grep vts

Using sutest (Bug ID 4750344)

Performing sutest on a port that is being used as console causes sutest to fail.

Workaround: Do not perform sutest on a port that is being used as a console.