nPartition and console

[Remote Systems Support]

We have an rp7410 using 2 npartitions. Recently, we had the console lock up on one of the partitions. We could not kill the processes attached to it and defaulting it did not resolve the situation. We determined we needed to reboot that partition to free it up - unfortunately - the shutdown hung and we ended up having to power cycle the server to get everything back up - which affected BOTH partitions.

We're trying to determine how to eliminate this single point of failure (the console). Is it possible to use multiple console terminals for an npartitioned environment? I realize that in this case - it wouldn't have helped since once the shutdown hung on the one partition - the power cycle would have been necessary.

[ramkumar]

Hi
This kind of problem we have faced also .
To test my understanding the problem is once you are connected to one of partition console using gsp and after that when ever you are logging into the gsp it will not show the other gsp options and directly go to that particular console in which you previously logged in.

This is a problem of gsp firmware. upgrade the firmware to MP ( the older version of MP is called gsp which generally does not recognise n partitions as an entity) .

[Remote Systems Support]

Actually - we can still see both consoles. That wasn't the issue. The issue was - one of the consoles was completely locked up (non-responsive) which forced the reboot and the subsequent power cycle of the server.

We're just checking to see if multiple physical consoles can be used in a partioned environment.

[Andrew Pearce]

As the previous person suggested, I would ensure that you are on the most current version of the MP. The most recent version of firmware is version 6.4
I have attached a word doc so that you can find out what version of firmware you are on. To do this log onto the gsp them goto commandmode cm and then type sysrev.
Compare the two outputs.

If a console had hung, and then a shutdown had hung, I would still not have powered off the complex (both partitions). I would run a rs command from cm on the mp. (This is like a soft power off for an indivdual partition only). another useful command is the pe command because you can physically power off indivdual elements of the complex. You could have powered off the cell boards on the effected partition as well. Then powered them back on. and reset the partition.

To answer your question about consoles, yes and no. Do you use the lan console? you can configure multiple sessions to log in to the mp. But only one person has control of a console at one time. (you will see that if more than one person tries to access the console on the same partition one person has control and can type. The others are locked out and can only view the console output).
To bump a user off use the keystrokes ctrl + e c f

(holddown ctrl whilst pressing the e key then release both then press the letter c and then the letter f)

I must admit I have never had the situation where a locked console meant that I had to power off the complex, but I think the above will help you if it ever happens again.

Regards
Andrew

[Andrew Pearce]

I forgot to say.

Do not upgrade to version 6.0 or later if you are running VPars A.02.02.

Vpars is software that allows virtual partitions to run. If you dont use vpars don't worry.
If you use vpars, upgrade to a later version of vpars.

Some people get confused about vpars and npars.
Vpars = virtual partitions
Npar = hard partitioning

You can run vpars on npar systems. (ie create virtual partitions under a hard partition). But on a rp7410 with two npars you will not have that much to split up into a vpar.

Andrew