Sun Ultra 20 Workstation User Guide

This chapter assists you with using the Diagnostics section of the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation Supplemental CD that is packaged with your system. Diagnostic output is accessible on systems that are running supported Linux or Solaris operating systems. If you are having specific problems with your system, use the Pc-Check Diagnostics software to diagnose and solve these issues.

The following sections are included in this chapter:

• Section 3.1, Pc-Check Diagnostics Overview
• Section 3.2, System Information Menu
• Section 3.3, Advanced Diagnostics
• Section 3.4, Immediate Burn-In Testing
• Section 3.5, Deferred Burn-In Testing
• Section 3.6, Create Diagnostic Partition
• Section 3.7, Show Results Summary
• Section 3.8, Print Results Report
• Section 3.9, About Pc-Check
• Section 3.10, Exit to DOS

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3.1 Pc-Check Diagnostics Overview

Sun Ultra 20 Workstation diagnostics are contained in the DOS-based Pc-Check utility. This program can only be accessed and executed from the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation Supplemental CD. Pc-Check was designed to detect and test all motherboard components, ports and slots.

If you encounter any hardware-related error message (such as memory errors or hard disk errors) on your Sun Ultra 20 Workstation, run one of the following:

• Advanced Diagnostics Test: A specific hardware component test
• Immediate Burn-in Test: A Sun-supplied Sun Ultra 20 diagnositic script

The following steps show how to access these test options from the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation Supplemental CD.

To access the Pc-Check Diagnostics main menu:

1. Insert the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation Supplemental CD into your DVD drive and reboot the system.

The system boots to the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation Supplemental CD main menu.

2. Type 1 to run the Hardware Diagnostics Software.

The system information loads, and the Diagnostics main menu opens and the following menu options are displayed:

• System Information Menu
• Advanced Diagnostics Tests
• Immediate Burn-in Testing
• Deferred Burn-in Testing
• Create Diagnostic Partition
• Show Results Summary
• Print Results Report
• About PC-CHECK
• Exit to DOS

To run a specific hardware component test, select "Advanced Diagnostics Test".

To run one of the Sun-supplied test scripts, select "Immediate Burn-in Testing".

All navigation is performed by the arrow keys located on keyboard, the Enter key to select a menu selection, and the ESC key to exit a menu (or submenu). Navigation instructions are shown at the bottom of each screen.

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

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3.2 System Information Menu

TABLE 3-1 describes each option in the System Information menu.

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3.3 Advanced Diagnostics

TABLE 3-2 gives the name and a brief description of each option in the Advanced Diagnostics Tests Menu.

3.3.1 Hard Disk Testing

To test the hard disk:

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

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

3. From the Select Drive menu, choose the hard disk you are testing.

The Hard Disk Diagnostics window opens, showing both the information for the hard disk you selected and the Hard Disk Tests menu.

The Hard Disk Tests menu displays 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
• View Error Log
• Utilities Menu
• Exit

The Media Test options include the Read Test, the Read Verify Test, the Non-Destructive Write Test, and the Destructive Write Test. These tests are relevant to testing the media associated with the hard drive hardware, such as the physical disk.

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

The Device Test options include the Mechanics Stress Test and the Internal Cache Test. These tests are relevant to testing nonmedia-related devices associated with the hard drive hardware, such as the head and internal cache.

As well as choosing any of these tests, you can also define several parameters of the test.

You can change the parameters within the Test Settings option. Your options within Test Settings include the following:

• Media Test Settings

Enables you to select 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

Enables you to select the test time durations of the devices and the test level.

• Number of Retries

Enables you to select the number of times to retry testing a device before terminating the test.

• Maximum Errors

Enables you to select the number of errors allowed before terminating the test.

• Check SMART First

SMART stands for Smart Monitoring Analysis Reporting Test. SMART enabled drives provide predictive failure analysis and diagnostic information.

• HPA Protection

HPA stands for Host Protected Area.

• Exit

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3.4 Immediate Burn-In Testing

The Immediate Burn-In Testing option enables you to run burn-in test scripts on your workstation. Three scripts were created for testing your system:

• quick.tst - This script performs a non-detailed test of all hardware components, including those components that require user input, as well as a more in-depth memory test. The user must interact with the Pc-Check software to progress through these interactive tests. These interactive tests cannot be run unattended and do not contain any "timeout" facilities. The interactive tests will wait until the user provides the correct input.
• noinput.tst - This script is used as a first triage of any hardware related problems or issues. The script performs a non-detailed test of most hardware components, excluding those components that require user input (keyboard, mouse, sound, video). This test does not require user input.
• full.tst - This script performs the most detailed and comprehensive test on all hardware components, including those components which require user input. This script contains a more in-depth memory test than quick.tst, as well as external port tests (which may require loopback connectors). The user must interact with the test utility to progress through these interactive tests.

When you select the Immediate Burn-in Testing menu option, the Continuous Burn-in Testing window displays. The screen includes the list of options shown in TABLE 3-3 for running the tests. When a quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst script is loaded, the defaults indicated in the third column are automatically loaded.

To load one of the scripts available to test the devices on your system, do the following:

From the main menu, choose Immediate Burn-in Testing.

The top portion of the window lists the options described in TABLE 3-3, and the bottom portion of the window lists the following Burn-in menu options:

• Load Burn-in Script

Enter one of the following:

• quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst
• If you created and saved your own script, enter d:\testname.tst

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

• Save Burn-in Script

To save a burn-in script that you created, enter d:\testname.tst

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

• Change Options

Opens the Burn-in Options menu, which enables you to modify the various options listed in TABLE 3-3 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.

• Perform Burn-in Tests

Starts to run the currently loaded burn-in test script.

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3.5 Deferred Burn-In Testing

You can use the Deferred Burn-in Testing option to create and save your own scripts to run at a later time.

From the main menu, choose Deferred Burn-in Testing.

The top portion of the window lists the options described in TABLE 3-3, and the bottom portion of the window lists the following Burn-in menu options:

• Load Burn-in Script

Enter one of the following:

• quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst
• If you created and saved your own script, enter d:\testname.tst

Where testname is the name that you created.

• Save Burn-in Script

To save a burn-in script that you created, enter d:\testname.tst

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

• Change Options

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

• Select Tests

Opens a listing of all of the possible types of tests available for you to run for the currently loaded test script.

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3.6 Create Diagnostic Partition

The diagnostic partition is preinstalled on the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation. You need to reinstall the diagnostic partition only if you reformatted your hard drive. Using the Erase Primary Boot Hard Disk utility on the Supplemental CD preserves the diagnostic partition.

The Create Diagnostic Partition option installs a diagnostic partition on the first bootable disk seen by the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation. The first bootable disk is on the primary/master SATA device.

The following sections explain how to create and access the diagnostic partition on the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation:

• Section 3.6.1, Removing Existing Partitions From a Hard Disk
• Section 3.6.2, Adding a Diagnostic Partition to the First Bootable Disk
• Section 3.6.3, Creating a Log File on the Diagnostic Partition
• Section 3.6.4, Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux
• Section 3.6.5, Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the Solaris 10 Operating System
• Section 3.6.6, Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

3.6.1 Removing Existing Partitions From a Hard Disk

The Create Diagnostic Partition option creates a diagnostic partition on a hard disk only if that hard disk is completely free of any partitions. You need to delete any existing partitions from a hard disk if you plan on using the hard disk to create a diagnostic partition on it.

Caution - Removing all hard disk partitions destroys all data on the disk.

There are two ways to remove existing partitions from the hard disk:

• Use the Erase Primary Boot Hard Disk utility (Option 3 on the Supplemental CD main menu).
• Use the following procedure:

1. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

2. Reboot the workstation.

3. From the Supplemental CD main menu, type 4 to exit to DOS.

4. Type fdisk at the command prompt and press the Enter key.

5. Type 4 to select an alternate fixed disk.

The second hard disk as seen from fdisk is the first bootable disk of the system. The first hard disk as seen from fdisk is the bootable Supplemental CD.

Caution - When performing the following tests, be careful not to delete any operating system partitions that you want to keep. Removing hard disk partitions destroys all data on the disk.

6. Type 2 to delete the DOS partition.

7. Type 1 or 2 depending on the type of partition you want to delete.

8. Type the number of the partition you want to delete.

9. Type Y to erase the data and the partition.

10. Repeat Step 6 through Step 9 until all partitions are removed.

11. Press the Esc key to exit, and press any key to reboot the workstation.

3.6.2 Adding a Diagnostic Partition to the First Bootable Disk

Pc-Check can view the only first or second hard disk on the system from the boot loader. The software automatically installs the diagnostic partition on the first bootable disk. To add the diagnostic partition on the first bootable disk:

1. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

2. Reboot the workstation.

3. At the Supplemental CD main menu, type 1 to run Hardware Diagnostics.

4. From the main menu, choose Create Diagnostic Partition.

• If the first bootable disk is clear of partitions, the Sun Microsystems Partitioning Utility window appears. It states: "Your primary hard disk is not partitioned. Would you like to partition it now?"
• Select Yes and press Enter.
• A window appears, stating, "Partitioning complete. Your machine will now be restarted."

• If the first bootable disk is not clear of partitions, a window appears stating that the software is unable to create a hardware diagnostic partition because there are already partitions on the disk.
• If this happens, go to Section 3.6.1, Removing Existing Partitions From a Hard Disk to clear the partitions from the disk.
• Repeat Step 1 through Step 4 of this procedure.

5. Press Enter to reboot your workstation.

3.6.3 Creating a Log File on the Diagnostic Partition

All the scripts that are loadable with the hardware diagnostics software are predefined with logging to the diagnostic partition enabled. The names of log files corresponds to the name of the script. For example, a script named noinput.tst creates a log file named noinput.jrl.

The following instructions show an example of how to create and access a log file on the diagnostic partition for the noinput.tst script:

1. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

2. Reboot the workstation.

3. From the Supplemental CD main menu, choose 1 to run the Hardware Diagnostics software.

4. From the Hardware Diagnostics main menu, choose Immediate Burn-In Testing.

5. Select Load Burn-in Script.

6. Do one of the following actions:

a. Type noinput.tst and press Enter.

b. If you are using a test you created yourself, type d:\testname.tst into the Load Burn-in Script field, where testname is the name of the test you created.

7. Select Perform Burn-in Tests to run the script.

8. When the tests are complete, press the Esc key to exit the Display Results window.

9. Select Exit to DOS and press Enter.

10. At the DOS prompt, type the following:

C:> d: 

11. Type the following to list the contents of the diagnostic partition.

D:> dir

The noinput.jrl log displays.

3.6.4 Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

To access the diagnostic partition when you are running a Red Had Linux operating system:

1. Remove the Supplemental CD from the DVD tray.

2. Reboot the workstation and start the Linux Red Hat operating system.

3. Become superuser.

4. Determine if your diagnostic partition is configured to be mounted by typing the following command:

# ls /diagpart

• If this command fails to list the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the operating system was not configured to mount the diagnostic partition. Continue to Step 5.
• If this command succeeds in listing the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the operating system is configured to mount the diagnostic partition. All users have read access to this partition. Only the superuser has read/write access to this partition. You do not need to continue this procedure.

5. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

6. When the CD is mounted, open up a terminal window.

7. Type the following command:

# cd mountpoint/drivers/linux/linux_version

Where mountpoint is the CD mountpoint and linux_version is the version of Linux that you installed. For example:

# cd /mnt/cdrom/drivers/linux/red_hat

8. Type the following to install the diagnostic partition:

# ./install.sh 

9. Press Enter.

The following lines appear if the diagnostic partition is mounted successfully:

Mounting Diagnostic Partition

Installation Successful

10. Type the following command:

# ls /diagpart 

The contents of the diagnostic partition are listed.

3.6.5 Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the
Solaris 10 Operating System

To access the diagnostic partition when you are running the Solaris 10 Operating System:

1. Remove the Supplemental CD from the DVD tray.

2. Reboot the machine and start the Solaris 10 Operating System.

3. Become superuser.

4. Type the following command to determine if your diagnostic partition is configured to be mounted:

# ls /diagpart 

• If this command fails to list the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software then the operating system is not configured to mount the diagnostic partition. Continue to Step 5.
• If this command succeeds in listing the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the operating system is configured to mount the diagnostic partition. All users have read access to this partition. Only the superuser has read/write access to this partition. You do not need to continue this procedure.

5. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

6. When the CD is mounted, open a terminal window.

7. Type the following:

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/drivers/sx86

8. Type the following to install the diagnostic partition:

# ./install.sh 

9. Press the Enter key.

The following lines appear if the diagnostic partition is mounted successfully:

Mounting Diagnostic Partition

Installing Successful

10. Type the following command to list the contents of the diagnostic partition:

# ls /diagpart

3.6.6 Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

If you are running Windows XP on the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation, you cannot access the diagnostic partition using Windows XP.

The only way to retrieve the contents (log files) on the diagnostic partition is to attach a USB diskette drive to the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation and complete the following procedure:

1. Connect the USB diskette drive to any USB port on the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation.

2. Insert the Supplemental CD into the DVD tray.

3. Reboot the workstation.

4. At the Supplemental CD main menu, type 3 to exit to DOS.

5. Type the following at the DOS command prompt:

C:> d:

6. Copy the log file to the diskette.

For example, to copy a file named noinput.jrl to the diskette, type:

D:> copy d:\noinput.jrl a:\

The journal file is now saved to the diskette in the USB diskette drive.

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3.7 Show Results Summary

The summary lists the tests run and shows the results. Pass, Fail, or N/A is listed for each option.

The following is a complete listing of all possible options that are available with the Supplemental CD. If your own system does not have all of these options, they might not be listed when the Show Results Summary displays.

• 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.

• Multimedia

This section shows the following tests conducted against the multimedia components: Internal Speaker Test, FM Synthesizer Test, PCM Sample Test, CD/DVD Drive Read Test, CD/DVD Transfer (KB/Sec), CD/DVD Transfer Rating, CD/DVD Drive Seek Test, CD/DVD Seek Time (ms), CD/DVD Test Disk Read, and CD/DVD Tray 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 Ultra 20 Workstation.

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3.8 Print Results Report

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

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

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3.9 About Pc-Check

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

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3.10 Exit to DOS

The Exit to DOS option exits Pc-Check and returns you to the DOS prompt.

Sun Ultra 20 Workstation User Guide

819-2146-13

Copyright © 2006, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.