BL860c i2 boot problem

[Domen Setar]

Hi Admins,

I have very strange problem on my BL860c i2 server. I have installed OpenVMS V8.4 on it using SAN disk as a system disk. I can see this disk on EFI shell via four path as fs0, fs1, fs2 and fs4. I can boot the system using command: fs0:\EFI\VMS\VMS_LOADER.EFI.

But when the system is booted and I want to configure boot device using sys$manager:boot_options command procedure I get a result:
Device Not Found

So I'm not able to define boot disk.
Any idea what is wrong or how to reset EFI to default settings?

I have appended a screen log of my problem.

Best regards

Domen

[The Brit]

Hi Domen,
These are only suggestions, since I dont have any i2 servers. I am running VMS 8.4 on a bl860c (old) however;

1. When the boot_options script asks for device name, enter "?". Now enter the device name exactly as listed (including the ":") As I said this is just a suggestion which probably wont make any difference, since the script appears to succeed in adding the entry. I am assuming that when you boot back to the "Boot Manager" screen, either the entries are not there, or when you try to boot from them you get the "device not found" message.

2 I am not sure if this applies for Fibre channel disks, however; If you go to the shell, and change to fs0:\EFI\VMS, do you have the normal executables available??, i.e. VMS_SHOW, VMS_BCFG, etc.

If you do, try VMS_SHOW device, and see if it lists your FC disk. If it does, then you can probably set up a boot option at the shell level using

vms_bcfd boot add 1 -fl 0,0 ""

3. You didn't say how you got the OS onto the SAN disk, I assume that you booted the Media CD and installed directly from there.
If this is the case, then

a. boot the CD again.
b. Once you are up, check the devices, and if necessary run "sysman io auto/log"
c. set default to sys$manager, and run Boot_Options from there to create the boot option on $1$dga3:.

then shutdown and reboot to the boot manager.

If you could capture this session and post it, that would be helpful.

thanks

Dave.

[Domen Setar]

Hi Dave,

I already did everything what you suggested without any success. I think that there must be a bug somewhere there.

Regards

Domen

[The Brit]

It is very curious that the node will boot using the the VMS_Loader, but that the Boot_Options Script will not create a valid boot option.

Can you confirm

1. that you did install from CD
2. That you tried creating boot option when booted from the CD.

Q. What Make/Model storage subsystem are you using??

Another suggestion. boot from CD and then Run SetBoot on $1$DGA3.

i.e. $ Set Bootblock $1$dga3: (accept defaults.)

then try recreate boot_option.

Another suggestion. Does your blade have any internal disks?? If you do,

1. boot the cd.
2. Mount the SAN disk (read-only)
3. backup/image from the SAN disk to the Internal disk.
4. dismount internal then
a) run "Set Bootblock "
b) run Boot_Options to create a boot option for booting the internal disk

Dave

[The Brit]

Domen,
just noticed in your attachment,

HP Smart Array P410i Controller (version 3.26) 1 Logical Drive
Currently the controller is in RAID mode.

I dont know if this is the cause of your problem, because I dont know enough about it and I dont have Smart Array Controllers, however, I have seen a lot of conversations in this group about "RAID Mode". It might be worth checking out.

Dave.

[The Brit]

It might need to be in HBA mode. But I cant help you with achieving that!

Sorry

Dave.

[Domen Setar]

I switched to RAID mode because of making RAID0+1 with my local disks. I will try to change this. I now how to do it.
Thank you for a good idea.
I'll inform you about success.

regards

Domen

[Domen Setar]

Hi,

I switched from RAID to HBA mode. No difference, it doesn't work.

[The Brit]

I am out of ideas, however I would suggest that you post this problem on the OpenVMS Forum. There are some pretty smart guys there, and an increasing number are blade-savvy.

Dave.

[Ana M. García Olivencia]

Hi Domen.

I have exactly the same problem. Have you solved it?.

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

Ana