Troubleshooting a hung x86 Oracle Solaris system can be a difficult process because the root cause of the problem might be masked by false error indications from another part of the system. Therefore, it is important that you carefully examine all the information sources available to you before you attempt any remedy. Also, it is helpful to know the type of hang the system is experiencing. This hang state information is especially important to Oracle Service personnel, when you contact them.
A system "soft hang" can be characterized by any of the following symptoms:
Usability or performance of the system gradually decreases.
New attempts to access the system fail.
Some parts of the system appear to stop responding.
Some soft hangs might dissipate on their own, while others will require that the system be interrupted to gather information. A soft hang responds to a break signal that is sent through the system console.
A system "hard hang" leaves the system unresponsive to a system break sequence. You know that a system is in a hard hang state when you attempt all the soft hang remedies with no success.
See Troubleshoot a Hung System.
A system might not actually be hung due to another condition causing the system to appear to be hung. For example, a network or network share problem, or a power or boot issue could be the cause. For information on how to eliminate conditions that may give the appearance of a system hang, go to My Oracle Support at https://support.oracle.com, and refer to the Knowledge Article Doc ID 1012991.1.