| Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.1 Release Notes
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Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.1 Release Notes
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This document provides general information and system limitations for firmware release 5.20.1 on Sun Fire E6900/E4900/6800/4810/4800/3800 systems. This document supplements, and does not replace, the Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.0 Release Notes (part number 819-5087-10).
This document contains the following topics:
Firmware Documentation for Sun Fire Midrange and Entry-Level Midrange Systems
The following documentation sets are relevant to the 5.20.1 firmware:
- Sun Fire midrange (E6900/E4900/6800/4810/4800/3800) systems
- Sun Fire Midrange Systems Platform Administration Manual
(part number 819-5088-10)
- Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual
(part number 819-5089-10)
- Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.0 Release Notes
(part number 819-5087-10)
- Install.info - A text file included with the firmware that describes the firmware upgrade and downgrade procedures for Sun Fire midrange systems.
For firmware upgrade and downgrade information on entry-level midrange (E2900/V1280/Netra 1280/Netra 1290) systems, refer to the Sun Fire Entry-Level Midrange System Administration Guide.
- Sun Fire entry-level midrange (E2900/V1280/Netra 1280/Netra 1290) systems
- Sun Fire Entry-Level Midrange System Administration Guide
(part number 819-5086-10)
- Sun Fire Entry-Level Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual
(part number 819-5085-10)
- Sun Fire Entry-Level Midrange System Firmware 5.20.0 Release Notes
(part number 819-5084-10)
Features Introduced in 5.20.1
This section provides a brief description of the new features in 5.20.1 for Sun Fire midrange systems.
Support for Limited Dual Domain Operation With UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory Boards
The 5.20.1 release supports dual domain operation in Sun Fire E6900/E4900/6800/4800/4810 systems that contain both UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards and Version 2 Repeater Boards.
Applications running within dual-domain partitions can encounter reduced performance. Performance reduction is more likely in memory-intensive applications. The reduced performance can be visible even on single-board domains and on very lightly loaded domains--regardless of the attributes of the load.
Configuring dual-domain partitions where the partitions contain a mix of UltraSPARC III or UltraSPARC IV CPU/Memory boards along with UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards result in performance reductions for all CPU/Memory boards in those partitions, not merely the UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards.
For maximum performance from UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards, use single domain configurations within each partition. If you need to use dual-domain partitions with UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards, configure the partitions to contain only UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards.
Commands Added or Modified for 5.20.1
The following SC commands were modified in 5.20.1:
- setupplatform - Added dual option, and changed usiv+ option.
- showplatform - Added dual option, and changed usiv+ option.
- setupdomain - Changed the default setting of the mpr-support-enable option: now enabled by default.
- showdomain - Changed the default setting of the mpr-support-enable option: now enabled by default.
General InformationRequirements for Certain Midrange Systems
E6900/E4900 systems and midrange systems with UltraSPARC IV+ CPU/Memory boards and Version 2 Repeater Boards require 5.20.1 firmware as the minimum firmware release and compatible releases of the Solaris 10 or Solaris 9 operating system (when available) as the minimum Solaris releases.
Using UltraSPARC IV+ System Boards in Domains
You can mix system boards in your Sun Fire E6900 or 6800 system configurations. The combinations of system boards affect the domain configurations that you can create. However, if a partition includes any UltraSPARC IV+ system boards, the perfomance of that domain is governed by the variables that configure support for the UltraSPARC IV+ system boards within that partition. If dual domains are enabled with UltraSPARC IV+ system boards in the same partition, the performance of some applications running within those domains can decrease. Single domain performance is not affected. The supported configurations are described in TABLE 1, TABLE 2, and TABLE 3.
The variables that configure support for UltraSPARC IV+ system boards within partitions are usiv+ and dual-domains.
 To Configure UltraSPARC IV+ Domain Support
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Use the setupplatform command to change usiv+ support for Domains A or C
For example,
schostname:A> setupplatform -p usiv+
UltraSPARC IV+ Configuration
----------------------------
Is UltraSPARC IV+ going to be deployed in partition0? [false]: true
Is UltraSPARC IV+ going to be deployed in partition1? [false]: true
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Use the setupplatform command to change dual-domains support for Domains B or D
schostname:A> setupplatform -p dual-domains
Dual Domain Configuration
-------------------------
Will you deploy both domains A and B in partition0? [false]: true
Will you deploy both domains C and D in partition1? [false]: true
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For further information about the setupplatform command, see the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.
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Note - The usiv+ and dual-domains options can be changed only while all domains in the affected partitions are off. For information about using the setkeyswitch command to power domains on and off, see the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.
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To Display the Status of UltraSPARC IV+ Domain Support
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Use the showplatform -p usiv+ and showplatform -p dual-domains commands
For example,
schostname:A> showplatform -p usiv+
UltraSPARC IV+ is supported in partition 0
UltraSPARC IV+ is supported in partition 1
schostname:A> showplatform -p dual-domains
Both domains A and B are enabled in partition 0
Both domains C and D are enabled in partition 1
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Domain configuration options are illustrated in TABLE 1:
TABLE 1 System Board Combinations in Sun Fire E6900 or 6800 System Domain
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dual-domain Variable
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usiv+
Variable
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Domain A
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Domain B
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Domain C
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Domain D
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = true
part1=false
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
USIV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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part0 = true
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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part0 = true
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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part0 = false
part1 = true
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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part0 = false
part1 = false
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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Similar considerations apply when configuring domains in Sun Fire E4900 or 4800 systems. However, since these systems support a single domain per partition, the dual domain variable is not applicable. See TABLE 2:
TABLE 2 System Board Combinations in Sun Fire E4900 or 4800 System (Dual Partition) Domains
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dual-domain Variable
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usiv+
Variable
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Domain A
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Domain C
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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The single-partition case allows for only one active domain containing UltraSPARC IV+ system boards, domain A. See TABLE 3:
TABLE 3 System Board Combinations in a Sun Fire E4900 or 4800 System (Single Partition) Domain
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dual-domain Variable
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usiv+ Variable
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Domain A
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Domain B
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part0 = true
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part0 = true
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(reduced performance)
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part0 = true
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part0 = false
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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US III+
US IV
(full performance)
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part0 = false
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part0 = true or false
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US III+
US IV
US IV+
(full performance)
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Not Supported
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Known Limitations for Sun Fire Midrange Systems
This section describes only those bugs with potentially significant impact that have not been documented in the Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.0 Release Notes
(part number 819-5087-10). The README file lists all bugs that have been fixed, including those seen only internally at Sun.
prtdiag Still Shows the System Board After the Board Was DR'ed Out of the Domain (CR ID 6298989)
After a board with an UltraSPARC IV+ processor has been unconfigured out of the domain using DR, prtdiag still shows the board as being present in the domain. Issuing the psrinfo command correctly shows that the board is no longer present in that domain.
Workaround: This has been fixed in the Solaris 10 1/06 release. If you are running the Solaris 10 3/05 release, Solaris 9, or Solaris 8 on the domain, you must install a patch for your version of the Solaris OS.
- Solaris 10 3/05: Install patch 118822-23 (minimum release)
- Solaris 9: Install patch 117124-11
- Solaris 8: Install patch 111335-32
These patches are available at http://sunsolve.sun.com.
Memory Page Retirement Support Should be Enabled by Default (CR ID 6411108)
To ensure that the benefit of this feature is made available to the largest number of customers, this feature is now enabled by default. However, if your system has 5.20.0 firmware installed, the installation of 5.20.1 firmware does not change the current setting of the memory page retirement feature. In that case, if the current setting of the feature is disabled, the feature will remain disabled.
To enable this feature, use the setupdomain command with the
mpr-support-enable parameter. For further information, see the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual (part number 819-5089-10).
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Note - The changed mpr-support-enable setting takes effect after the next sequence of the setkeyswitch off and setkeyswitch on commands.
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setupplatform should ask for Partition Mode first (CR ID 6429408)
When changing a system's configuration from a single partition to a dual partition with dual domains, it is possible to omit the dual partition step in the setupplatform dialog because the dual domain step occurs in the dialog before the dual partition step. If you issue the setupplatform command once only, you do not encounter the step in the dialog that allows you to configure domains C and D.
Workaround: Issue the setupplatform command twice. After the partition is set to dual (during the first pass through the setupplatform dialog) the setupplatform dialog asks (during the second pass through the setupplatform dialog) about domains C and D.
As an alternative, you can issue the command-line form of the setupplatform command, using the -p option, in this order:
# setupplatform -p partition
# setupplatform -p dual-domains
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| Sun Fire Midrange Systems Firmware 5.20.1 Release Notes
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819-6577-10
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Copyright © 2006, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.