Glossary

auto-diagnosis (AD) engine

A firmware feature that detects and diagnoses hardware errors that affect the availability of a platform and its domains.

Capacity on Demand (COD)

Capacity on Demand (COD) is an option that provides additional processing resources (CPUs) when you need them. These additional CPUs are provided on COD CPU/Memory boards that are installed in your system. You can access the COD CPUs after you purchase the COD right-to-use (RTU) licenses for them. For details on COD, refer to the Sun Fire Midrange Systems Platform Administration Manual

CHS

Component health status. The component maintains information regarding its health, including the diagnosis information generated by the auto-diagnosis (AD) engine.

domain shell

With the domain shell, you have access to system controller commands that you need to perform on a domain. There are up to four domain shells
(A through D). The domain shell prompt is schostname:A> (or B>, C>,
or D>).

domain

A set of one or more system boards that is capable of booting the operating system and running independently of other domains. Domains do not depend on each other and do not interact with each other.

domain console

If the Solaris operating environment or the OpenBoot PROM is running, you can access the domain console. With the domain console, you can have the ok, login, #, or % prompts.

DSA

Digital Signature Algorithm standard, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The digital authentication standard of the U.S. government.

environmental monitoring

All systems have a large number of sensors that monitor temperature, voltage, and current. The system controller polls devices in a timely manner and makes the environmental data available. The system controller will shut down various components to prevent damage.

failover

The switchover of the main system controller to its spare or the system controller clock source to another system controller clock source when a failure occurs in the operation of the main system controller or the clock source.

keyswitch

See virtual domain keyswitch.

partition

A group of Repeater boards, also referred to as a segment, that are used together to provide communication between CPU/Memory boards and I/O assemblies in the same domain.

persistent logging

The storage of certain SC-generated message logs and system errors in the NVRAM of SC V2s (enhanced-memory system controllers).

platform shell

The platform shell enables access to the entire system and provides: configuration control, environmental status, ability to rearrange domains, ability to power on and off power grids, ability to change the system controller password, and other generic system controller functions.

POST

Power-on self-test. This is the program that takes uninitialized system hardware and probes and tests its components, configures what seems worthwhile into a coherent initialized system, and hands it off to the OpenBoot PROM.

RSA

Created by Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman (RSA), it is the most popular form of public-key cryptography.

SSH

A client/server protocol that provides secure access to a shell.

SRAM

Static Random Access Memory. A type of high-speed memory device used for Ecache modules.

system controller

The system controller consists of the System Controller board and the system controller software. The system controller software manages platform and domain resources, monitors and controls the platform and domains, configures domains and the platform, provides access to domain consoles, provides the date and time to the Solaris operating environment, provides the reference clock signal used throughout the system, provides console security, performs domain initialization, provides a mechanism for updating the firmware on the boards installed in the system, and provides an external management interface using SNMP.

System Controller board

A board containing a CPU (central processing unit), which oversees operation of the system and provides clocks and the console bus. The Sun Fire midrange systems support two System Controller boards.

TOD

See virtual time of day (TOD).

 

virtual domain keyswitch

The system controller provides a virtual keyswitch for each domain. The setkeyswitch command controls the position of the virtual keyswitch for each domain.

 

virtual time of day (TOD)

The TOD/NVRAM chip is located on the System Controller board. The system controller provides TOD services for each domain and for the system controller.