HSG80: what kind of serial cable? +host software to view controllers config

[Adam Garsha]

I am having a hard time tracking down a serial cable that will let me take a peak at the controllers configuration directly.

Questions:
1.) Do you connect the serial cable (looks like an RJ45 jack) directly to the controller or do you connect to the connector labeled "RS232" (I assume "RS232" but it hasn't been working so I am asking).

2.) Does it require a straight-through 2,3,5 cable (or for some strange reason) does it take a null/cross-over serial cable? Do you know the part number or know the appropriate pin-outs for the serial cable? Should off-the-shelf straight through DB9-to-RJ45 work?

3.) Is there software that I can install on a Tru64 5.1B host (that is connected to the HSG80's via fabric) to get CLI access to the controllers?

4.) Similarly, for HSZ70's, is there a tool that an Tru64 4.0F host can use to talk over SCSI to get CLI access to the controllers? I seem to remember there being something, but I can't remember what it was. I don't care about GUI, just want CLI.

[Uwe Zessin · Accepted solution]

1) You need to connect to the maintenance port of the HSG controller module.

2) I'll attach a pinout.

3) It is called "HSZTERM", but is unsupported these days. The problem is that it does not interlock with other agents (SWCC, HSG element manager, SCS, CLI) that can talk to the controller at the same time. This can **FREEZE** the controller.

4) The pin-out is the same and you can use "HSZTERM", too.

[Uwe Zessin]

2) Sorry, pressed the wrong button at the wrong time :-(
Here is the attachment.

[Adam Garsha]

Thanks,

Is the maintenance port the RJ45-looking port that is actually on the controller itself (each controller looks like it has such a port). If it is, does it matter which one I connect to?

-OR-

Is the maintenance port the port labeled "RS232" next to where all the SCSI cables are and above both the controllers.

[Uwe Zessin]

It is the RJ45 "lookalike", but it is called "RJ11". Each HSG80 controller module has a maintenance port. Normally, you can connect to any one port. That controller becomes the "THIS_CONTROLLER" - the other one it the, well, "OTHER_CONTROLLER".

e.g.
> show this_controller
> show other_controller

Works the same way on a dual-controller HSZ70.

[Mark Poeschl_2]

RJ45 and RJ11 aren't actually complete lookalikes. RJ45 is an 8 pin connector and as Uwe's picture shows RJ11 is 6 pins. Most of the ready-made DB9 adapters you find nowadays are for RJ45.

FYI, the path command for 'HSZTERM' is:

/usr/lbin/hsxterm5 -b x -t y -l z

where x, y, and z are the bus, target, and lun of any device on the HSx array that the server can see. It's perfectly safe to use if you know you don't have any background management agents or applications running.

[Uwe Zessin]

I think this advisory also applies to HSZTERM:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=PSD_OS040322_CW01&printver=true

[PDP-Fan]

The cable is relatively simple to make yourself. All you need is a RJ11 (6pin) cable and a DB9 (PC serial) female connector. You can use a cable from a telephone or modem. Cut off one RJ11 connector and solder the DB9 to that end.

RJ11       DB9

3+4   ->  5     
5       ->   3
2       ->   2

3 and 4 are the two center pins of the RJ11 and they both go to ground (5 at DB9), the two pins left and right from the ground are RECV_DATA and TX_DATA.