SX2000 Superdome AUTOBOOT timer

[CharlesK]

Got an SX2000 Superdome hosting a number of nPars all running HPUX. When we reset/reboot a partition and get to the EFI menu showing the PRI/ALT/HAA paths the customer has "found out" that if you interrupt the autoboot simply to "speed up" the boot process by manually selecting a boot path e.g. press return on the PRI path, this fails to load the HPUX kernel with a "Load Failed" message..! This will take you to the EFI "Shell>" from which you "exit", returning to the EFI menu and try EAXCTLY the same action i.e. select to boot from the PRI path... This subsequently requests to boot from THE SAME path works..!
If you let the system AUTOBOOT (with the default 10 second boot timer) all is well and works as expected.
It would appear that pre-empting the AUTOBOOT causes the boot loader to fail to load a perfectly good and accessible boot image.
I have tried changing the boot timer (AUTOBOOT 2 = 2secs) and this has revealed that 2, 3, 4 and 5 secs are not "long" enough for the boot loader to "find" the boot image...
I am now trying 6+ seconds and will let you know...
I was wondering if anyone in this forum had experienced this and had:
a) a viable explanation..?!?!
b) a fix/firmware update to resolve this..?

Mucho-ta...

[Torsten.]

Are the disks on SAN?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

It would seem that something in the path between the nPar and the disk itself isn't fully initialized yet... How are your disks connected?

[CharlesK]

Disks are SAN boot on XP24000 via 4/256 switches, all zoned in and working and accessible...
The HBA is a dual-FC, dual-LAN AD194A (driver = 1.09 firmware = 4.00.090)
Is there a timing issues with the FC driver/firmware..?

BTW : 6, 7 and 8 seconds don't work either..!

[Torsten.]

Please connect to MP and run sysrev and post.

[CharlesK]

Formatting may be a bit off...


[mp-SD-CC] MP:CM> sysrev

Supported firmware-updateable entity combination: Recipe 8.7f


| Cab 0 | Cab 1 | Cab 8 | Cab 9 |
---------+-----------------+-----------------+----------------+----------------|
MP | 026.003.001 | | | |
ED | 026.005.000 | | | |
CLU | 025.001.001 | 025.001.001 | | |
PM | 022.001.002 | 022.001.002 | | |
RPM0 | 002.002.000 | 002.002.000 | | |
RPM1 | 002.002.000 | 002.002.000 | | |
RPM2 | 002.002.000 | 002.002.000 | | |
OSP | 000.011.000 | 000.011.000 | | |

Key: * - Not at the highest entity revision supported by this combination.

Please type to continue, Q to quit, or S to stream: s

| Active | Inactive | Active | Inactive |
Cab,Slot | SYS FW | SYS FW | PDHC | PDHC |
---------+-----------------+-----------------+----------------+----------------|
0, 0 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 1 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 2 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 3 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 4 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 5 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 6 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
0, 7 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 0 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 1 | | | | |
1, 2 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 3 | | | | |
1, 4 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 5 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 6 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |
1, 7 | 009.048.000 i | 009.048.000 i | 023.003.040 | 023.003.040 |

Key: * - Not at the highest entity revision supported by this combination.
p - PDC_FW; i - IPF_FW.


| CELL LPM | CELL JTAG | CELL PDH |
Cab,Slot | FPGA | FPGA | FPGA |
---------+-----------------+-----------------+----------------|
0, 0 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 1 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 2 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 3 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 4 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 5 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 6 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
0, 7 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 0 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 1 | | | |
1, 2 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 3 | | | |
1, 4 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 5 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 6 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |
1, 7 | 001.000.001 | 001.001.000 | 001.005.001 |

Key: * - Not at the highest entity revision supported by this combination.


I/O LPM | | | | |
Bay,Chass| Cab 0 | Cab 1 | Cab 8 | Cab 9 |
---------+-----------------+-----------------+----------------+----------------|
0, 1 | 001.006.000 i | 001.006.000 i | | |
0, 3 | 001.006.000 i | 001.006.000 i | | |
1, 1 | 001.006.000 i | 001.006.000 i | | |
1, 3 | 001.006.000 i | 001.006.000 i | | |
2, 1 | | | | |
2, 3 | | | | |
3, 1 | | | | |
3, 3 | | | | |

Key: * - Not at the highest entity revision supported by this combination.
i - IO_LPM; e - IO_LPM_E.

[mp-SD-CC] MP:CM>

...

[Torsten.]

card and server FW are up to date, so switch and array must be inspected ... there must be a timing problem.
BTW, assigning 0pts usually means - your help isn't needed or appreciated ...

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Are the ports on the switch set to auto? It might be a bit far-fetched, but I've seen cases where auto-negotiation took a while.