Booting BL860cI2 via VLAN to Ignite Server

[placitasmd]

I am trying to boot a BL860cI2 Blade from an Ignite Server. I have configured a dbprofile with what I believe to be all the necessary info. The profile has the same info that I have used to successfully boot an rx4640 from the same Ignite server. When I try and boot the BL860cI2 I get a "PXE-E18: Server Response Timeout" message. The Blade is on a different subnet than the Ignite Server, but that was also the case when I loaded the rx4640. Ignite server is on a 181 subnet, rx4640 was on a 45 subnet, and the BL860 is on a 16 subnet. Any thoughts?

The C7K enclosure that has the BL860cI2 has Cisco 3020 switches confiugred with VLANs. I can ping the ILO on the blade from the Ignite server just fine, and am using the 1st NIC on the BL860c.

[rick jones]

While it likely isn't related to the errors you are seeing, you do I trust have the correct HP-UX 11i bits on the Ignite server for the BL860c i2 yes?

If I had access to the Ignite server, I would be inclined to take a packet trace on it to see if the requests from the client even make it to the server.

If all else fails, you could I suspect try an install via vMedia on the BL860c i2's MP/iLO.

FWIW, the iLO leaves the C7000 enclosure via the OA, and will only transit through your C3020's if you have the OA connected through them. So, pinging the OA does not in and of itself say much about connectivity through the 3020s.

Given that the BL860c i2 will have 8 core interfaces, even thought chances are good that the "001" interface will be correct, you might try cycling through the other 7 if you haven't already.

Also, it would be nice if you could expand a bit on your subnetting and your dbprofile settings.

[Emil Velez]

You need to make sure you have the latest version of ignite with the right drivers for that broadcomm Flex 10 lan card.

This is a known issue that is solved.

The boot helper on the same subnet as the system you want to boot needs the latest ignite version.

[rick jones]

"So, pinging the OA " - that should be "So, pinging the OA or iLO..."

[placitasmd]

The version of Ignite I am using is C.7.10.472. Suspected this is not an issue since I never even start to boot.

I was going to install via physical media, but concerned that when I need to restore later, I will still have the same boot issue.

I am only seeing 4 core lan interfaces, and have tried all 4.

With Itanium servers I believe I do not need to have a boot helper on the same subnet. At least that was the case when I booted the rx4640 from subnet 45 from the Ignite server on subnet 181. Not the case with PA servers.

I am not onsite, so I do not have access to the dbprofile. Basically it is:

â sip 130.256.181.181
â cip 130.256.16.166
â gip 130.256.16.254
â m 255.255.255.0
â b /opt/ignite/boot/nbp.efi

I was informed of a document detailing a network problem that may resolve this issue. The document ID is: emr_na-c02118851 and can be found on ITRC. I will make the changes recommended in this doc next week and see if it resolves the problem.

[rick jones]

Re 4 vs 8 - indeed a mistake on my part, I was thinking about a BL870c i2 at the time.

[placitasmd]

The doc I reference did not help solve the problem. It appears to be an issue with the settings on the Cisco Interconnect switch.

[Shane Seymour · Accepted solution]

Please keep in mind that the traffic from the network boot (indeed all traffic up until HP-UX comes up on the final boot) will not have any traffic tagged for the VLAN.

If you have a default VLAN for untagged traffic (that perhaps does not route anywhere or requires different network settings) all of the traffic will go onto that VLAN.

I'm assuming here that you haven't associated all of the traffic from that switch port to a single VLAN regardless of if it's tagged or untagged.

[Shane Seymour]

BTW also see:

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01942571/c01942571.pdf

page 58-59 in the section titled "Using Virtual LANs Properly for Ignite-UX".

[placitasmd]

VLANs were not assigned properly to the built-in NICs. Once they were assisgned, system booted just fine over LAN.