AlphaServer 2100 force reboot/halt through serial console only

[Ike Ike]

Does anyone know how to reboot an apparently hanged alphaserver 2100 with D.Unix 4.0E remotely through ONLY serial console? Also how to reboot remotely AFTER running srlmgr.exe (RCU)? Thanks!

[Mark...]

Hi,
Well, if the boot params are set then "boot" from the >>> should do it.
If not then:
>>>boot -fl a "bootdevice" eg DKA0
should do it.
Mark...

[Ike Ike]

I meant that when the OS just hanged, entered a loop with getty respwaning too often. Before that I could work with the serial console, but now I see nothing in minicom and I can't do a HALT. If I were at the physical keyboard, I would pree the HALT buttton, but how to do that remotely through serial console?

[Mark...]

Hi,
Hmmm seems like I did answer the question you originally asked...
For your second question, if the serial console will not respond the best bet is to get a human to press the halt button for you. Even at a remote site there is probably one hanging around that could do this for you.
Mark...

[Ike Ike]

Hi! maybe my english is not so good, but I did say "reboot", not "boot" and also a "hanged" computer as in "not responsive OS". But anyway... so there isn't any key combination to emulate the "HALT" button through serial?

[Mark...]

Hi
Let me see my english not so good either but a "reboot" would be requested from the OS or if the system crashed then it would attempt to "reboot" if the console params were set correctly. Therefore if you are asking how to halt the system then a "reboot" would not happen because the system has been halted or in a console state and would not "reboot" by itself.
If you are running srlmgr.exe then you would be at console level in which case you would "boot" the system as the system would be in a halted/console state so a "reboot" would not be possible.
Maybe that helps?
The other bit would be - "not as far as I am aware" but maybe someone else can help out?
Mark...

[Pieter 't Hart]

I think the 2100 also had a RMU (remote manegement processor)
you must type some escape character sequence ($$RMU or something) on the serial console to access this.
You should even be able to power off/on the device.

I'll see if I can locate some doc's about this.

[Pieter 't Hart]

I think the 2100 also had a RMU (remote manegement processor)
you must type some escape character sequence ($$RMU or something) on the serial console to access this.
You should even be able to power off/on the device.

maybe you'll find it in this document
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/alphaserver/archive/alpha/systems/as2100/kcrcm_guide.ps

[Pieter 't Hart]

the escape string is rcm

[Mark...]

Hi,
I think that the RMC/RCM function was never released/implemented on the 2100 series machines in the field. It may be mentioned in docs but I have never came across it on the real systems.
Mark...