Running Diagnostics

C H A P T E R 4

Running Diagnostics

The Pc-Check diagnostics software detects and tests motherboard components, ports, slots, and installed components on the Sun Ultra 24 workstation. Pc-Check is included on the Sun Ultra 24 workstation Tools and Drivers DVD.

If you encounter a hardware-related error message (such as a memory error or hard disk error) on your Sun Ultra 24 workstation, run one of the following tests:

Advanced Diagnostics Test: Specific hardware component tests

Immediate Burn In Test: Sun-supplied diagnostic scripts for the Sun Ultra 24 workstation

The following sections describe how to start and use the diagnostics.

Understanding the Diagnostic Partition

Starting Pc-Check Diagnostics

System Information Menu

Advanced Diagnostics

Immediate Burn In Testing

Deferred Burn In Testing

Create Diagnostic Partition

Show Results Summary

Print Results Report

About Pc-Check

Exit to DOS

Understanding the Diagnostic Partition

A diagnostic partition is required for the test scripts to write their log files. Without a diagnostic partition, the only output is the display on the diagnostic screens.

The diagnostic partition is preinstalled on the Sun Ultra 24 workstation. You do not need to reinstall the diagnostic partition unless you removed it.

If you removed the diagnostic partition, you can re-create it using the Create Diagnostic Partition option on the Tools and Drivers DVD. See Create Diagnostic Partition for instructions.

Starting Pc-Check Diagnostics

Prerequisites

Your workstation must be running a Sun-supported Linux or Solaris OS. Refer to the Sun Ultra 24 Workstation Operating System Installation Guide for a list of supported operating systems.

You must access and execute Pc-Check from the Sun Ultra 24 workstation Tools and Drivers DVD.

To Access the Pc-Check Diagnostics Main Menu

1. Insert the Sun Ultra 24 workstation Tools and Drivers DVD into your DVD drive and reboot the system.

The system boots to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation Tools and Drivers DVD main menu.

2. Type 1 to run the Hardware Diagnostics Software.

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

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

The entries in the Diagnostics main menu are described in the following sections.

To test a specific hardware component, choose Advanced Diagnostics Test.

To run one of the Sun-supplied test scripts, choose Immediate Burn In Testing.

Navigation instructions are shown at the bottom of each screen.

Use the keyboard’s arrow keys to navigate through menus.

Press the Enter key to choose a menu option.

Press the Escape key to exit a menu (or submenu).

System Information Menu

TABLE 4-1 describes each option in the System Information menu.

TABLE 4-1 System Information Menu Options
Option	Description
System Overview	Includes basic information about your system, motherboard, BIOS, processor, memory cache, drives, video, modem, network, buses, and ports.
Hardware ID Image menu	Enables you to create a document showing information about your system, including comparisons between the updates and the newest versions of your system. XML is the format used to create and display this information, though you can also choose a text format (.txt) as well.
System Management Information	Provides information obtained from the system about the BIOS type, system, motherboard, enclosure, processors, memory modules, cache, slots, system event log, memory array, memory devices, memory device mapped addresses, and system boot.
PCI Bus Information	Includes details about specific devices from `pci-config` space within the system, similar to the System Management Information section.
IDE Bus Information	Shows the master-slave devices on the primary and secondary IDE controllers.
PCMCIA/CardBus Info	Not relevant to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Interrupt Vectors	Details and lists device interrupt vector information.
IRQ Information	Shows hardware interrupt assignments.
Device Drivers	Shows device drivers loaded under Open DOS.
APM Information	Tests the Advanced Power Management (APM) capabilities of the system. You can choose to change the power state, view the power status, indicate CPU usage, get a PM event, or change the interface mode.
I/O Port Browser	Shows the I/O port assignment for the hardware devices on the system.
Memory Browser	Enables you to view the mapped memory for the entire system.
Sector Browser	Reads sector information from the hard disks and DVD disks sector by sector.
CPU Frequency Monitor	Tests the processor speed.
CMOS RAM Utilities	Shows the CMOS settings of the system.
SCSI Utilities	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Text File Editor	Opens a text editor.
Start-Up Options	Enables you to set up options for diagnostics testing.

Advanced Diagnostics

TABLE 4-2 gives the name and a brief description of each option in the Advanced Diagnostics Tests menu.

TABLE 4-2 Advanced Diagnostics Tests Menu Options
Option	Description
Processor	Details information about the processor and includes a Processor Tests menu to test the processor on the system.
Memory	Details information about the memory and includes a Memory Tests menu to test the memory on the system. Also lists each type of memory in the system, such as system, cache, or video memory.
Motherboard	Details information about the motherboard and includes a Motherboard Tests menu to test the motherboard on the system.
Diskettes	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Hard Disks	Details information about the hard disk and includes a Hard Disk Tests menu to test hard disks on the system. Refer to Hard Drive Testing, for detailed information about testing hard disks and script information.
CD-ROM/DVD	Includes a CD-ROM/DVD menu to test DVD devices on the system.
ATAPI Devices	N/A
Serial Ports	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Parallel Ports	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Modems	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
ATA	Includes an ATA test menu.
USB	Details information about the USB devices on the system and includes a USB Tests menu to test the USB.
FireWire	Details information about FireWire devices and includes a FireWire tests menu.
Network	Performs network register controller tests.
Keyboard	Includes a Keyboard Test menu with options for performing different tests on the keyboard.
Mouse	Details information about the mouse and includes a menu to test the mouse on the system.
Joystick	Provides details information about a third-party joystick (not available from Sun) and includes a menu to test the joystick.
Audio	Details information about the audio devices on the system and includes an Audio Tests menu to test audio device information. A PCI audio card is required to run this test.
Video	Details information about the video card. Initially, the monitor might flicker, but then it displays a Video Test Options menu that enables you to perform various video tests.
Printers	Not applicable to the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.
Firmware - ACPI	Details information about Advanced Configurable Power Interface (ACPI) and includes an ACPI Tests menu to test ACPI.

Hard Drive Testing

To Test the Hard Drive

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

The Advanced Diagnostics menu appears.

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

The Select Drive menu appears.

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 Hard Disk Tests perform diagnostics on both the media and the device. The media diagnostic options are 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 HD hardware, such as the physical disk.

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

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

If errors occur during diagnostic testing, the errors are written to the error log. You can examine the error log using the View Error Log option.

As well as choosing any of these tests, you can also define several test parameters. You can change the parameters within the Test Settings option. TABLE 4-3 gives the options within Test Settings.

TABLE 4-3 Parameters for the HD Tests
Option	Description
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	Exits the menu.

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. You 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 you provide the correct input.

noinput.tst - This script is used as a 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 might require loopback connectors). You must interact with the test utility to progress through these interactive tests.

Tip - Each of these scripts tests the operating status of your entire system. If you want to test only a certain percentage of your system’s hard drives, see Hard Drive Testing for information about how to change the test options.

When you select the Immediate Burn In Testing menu option, the Continuous Burn In Testing window appears. The window includes the list of options shown in TABLE 4-4 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.

TABLE 4-4 Continuous Burn In Testing Options
Option	Default - General	Default Using `quick.tst, noinput.tst,` or `full.tst` Script	All Possible Choices
Pass Control	Overall Time	Overall Passes	Individual Passes, Overall Passes, or Overall Time
Duration	01:00	1	Type any number to choose the time duration of the test
Script File	N/A	quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst	quick.tst, noiniput.tst, or full.tst
Report File	None	None	User-defined
Journal File	None	`D:\noinput.jrl,` `D:\quick.jrl,` or `D:\full.jrl`	User-defined
Journal Options	Failed Tests	All Tests, Absent Devices, and Test Summary	Failed Tests, All Tests, Absent Devices, and Test Summary
Pause on Error	N	N	Y or N
Screen Display	Control Panel	Control Panel	Control Panel or Running Tests
POST Card	N	N	Y or N
Beep Codes	N	N	Y or N
Maximum Fails	Disabled	Disabled	1-9999

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

From the main menu, choose Immediate Burn In Testing.

The top portion of the window lists the options described in TABLE 4-4, and the bottom portion of the window lists the following Burn In testing menu options:

Load Burn In Script

Type one of the following:

quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst

If you created and saved your own script, type d:\testname.tst

testname The name of the script that you created.

Save Burn In Script

To save a Burn In script that you created, type d:\testname.tst

testname 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 4-4 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.

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 4-4, and the bottom portion of the window lists the following Burn In menu options:

Load Burn In Script

Type one of the following:

quick.tst, noinput.tst, or full.tst

If you created and saved your own script, type d:\testname.tst

testname The name that you created.

Save Burn In Script

To save a Burn In script that you created, type d:\testname.tst

testname 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 4-4 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.

Create Diagnostic Partition

The diagnostic partition is preinstalled on the Sun Ultra 24 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 Tools and Drivers DVD preserves the diagnostic partition (see the Sun Ultra 24 Workstation Operating System Installation Guide).

The Create Diagnostic Partition option installs a diagnostic partition on the first bootable disk seen by the workstation. The first bootable disk is on the primary or master storage (for example, SATA) device.

The following sections explain how to create and access the diagnostic partition on the Sun Ultra 24 workstation:

Adding a Diagnostic Partition to the First Bootable Disk

Creating a Log File on the Diagnostic Partition

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the Solaris 10 Operating System

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

Adding a Diagnostic Partition to the First Bootable Disk

From the boot loader, Pc-Check can view only the first or second hard disk on the system. 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 Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

2. Reboot the workstation.

3. At the Tools and Drivers DVD main menu, type 1 to run Hardware Diagnostics.

The Hardware Diagnostics menu appears.

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?”

5. Select Yes and press the Enter key.

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, repeat this procedure after you remove the partitions as described in the Sun Ultra 24 workstation Operating System Installation Guide.

6. Press the Enter key to reboot your workstation.

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 correspond to the name of the script. For example, a script named noinput.tst creates a log file named noinput.jrl.

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

To Create a Log File on the Diagnositc Partition

1. Insert the Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

2. Reboot the workstation.

3. From the Tools and Drivers DVD main menu, choose 1 to run the Hardware Diagnostics software.

The Hardware Diagnostics menu appears.

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:

Type noinput.tst and press the Enter key.

If you are using a test you created yourself, type d:\testname.tst in the Load Burn In Script field. 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 Escape key to exit the Display Results window.

9. Select Exit to DOS and press the Enter key.

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 appears.

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

Perform this procedure to access the diagnostic partition when you are running a Red Hat Linux OS.

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

1. Remove the Tools and Drivers DVD from the DVD drive.

2. Reboot the workstation and start the Red Hat Linux OS.

3. Log in as superuser.

4. To determine whether your diagnostic partition is configured to be mounted, type the following command:

# ls /diagpart

If this command does not list the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the OS was not configured to mount the diagnostic partition. Continue to Step 5.

If the command lists the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the OS 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 Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

6. When the DVD mounts, open a terminal window.

7. Type the following command:

# cd mountpoint/drivers/linux/linux_version

mountpoint The DVD mountpoint

linux_version The version of Linux that you installed. For example:

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

8. Type the following command 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
  Installation Successful

10. Type the following command:

# ls /diagpart

The contents of the diagnostic partition are listed.

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the
Solaris 10 Operating System

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under the Solaris 10 Operating System

1. Remove the Tools and Drivers DVD from the DVD drive.

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

3. Log in as superuser.

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

# ls /diagpart

If this command does not list the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the OS is not configured to mount the diagnostic partition. Continue to Step 5.

If this command lists the log files created by the hardware diagnostics software, then the OS 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 Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

6. When the DVD mounts, open a terminal window.

7. Type the following to change directories:

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/drivers/sx86

8. Type the following command 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

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

If you are running Windows XP on the Sun Ultra 24 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 24 workstation and complete the following procedure.

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

1. Connect the USB diskette drive to any USB port on the Sun Ultra 24 workstation.

2. Insert the Tools and Drivers DVD into the DVD drive.

3. Reboot the workstation.

4. At the Tools and Drivers DVD main menu, type 4 to exit to DOS.

5. To change to the d: drive, enter 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, enter:

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

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

Show Results Summary

The summary lists the tests run and shows the results. Pass, Fail, or N/A (not applicable) appears for each option.

TABLE 4-5 lists all possible options that are available with the Tools and Drivers DVD. Some options might not appear when the Show Results Summary appears if they are not applicable to your workstation’s configuration.

TABLE 4-5 Show Results Summary
Option	Description
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	N/A
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 24 workstation.

Print Results Report

The Print Results Report option enables you to print the results of the diagnosis of your system. Ensure that your workstation is connected to a printer and then type the required information to print the results.

About Pc-Check

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

Exit to DOS

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

Understanding the Diagnostic Partition

Starting Pc-Check Diagnostics

To Access the Pc-Check Diagnostics Main Menu

System Information Menu

Advanced Diagnostics

Hard Drive Testing

To Test the Hard Drive

Immediate Burn In Testing

Deferred Burn In Testing

Create Diagnostic Partition

Adding a Diagnostic Partition to the First Bootable Disk

To Add the Diagnostic Partition on the First Bootable Disk

Creating a Log File on the Diagnostic Partition

To Create a Log File on the Diagnositc Partition

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under Red Hat Linux

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the Solaris 10 Operating System

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under the Solaris 10 Operating System

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

To Access the Diagnostic Partition Under Windows XP

Show Results Summary

Print Results Report

About Pc-Check

Exit to DOS

Accessing the Diagnostic Partition Under the
Solaris 10 Operating System