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Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

 
Ferdinand Macatangay
Occasional Advisor

Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

Hello,

Anybody knows a diagnostic software in openvms that I can run to test my memory and other hardwares?

Thanks and Regards,
Ferdie
13 REPLIES 13
Andy Bustamante
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

You can try memexer from the console prompt to test memory. For other hardware, see the System Manager's Manual vol 2 at http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/index.html. UETP is included with the operating system. If you're having outages, reviewing the crash dump and error logs may identify issues.

What makes you think you have a memory or hardware error?
If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? Reach me at first_name + "." + last_name at sysmanager net
Hoff
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

Which AlphaStation?
What error(s) or symptom(s)?
Checked the console diagnostics?
Checked the service manual for the AlphaStation?
Ferdinand Macatangay
Occasional Advisor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

How do I go to the console diagnostic? I do not have the Alpha SDK and Firmware Update cd to boot. My srm console dont have the diagnostic commands.
Steven Schweda
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

> How do I go to the console diagnostic?

First, answer the basic questions:

> Which AlphaStation?
> What error(s) or symptom(s)?


> My srm console dont have the diagnostic
> commands.

What leads you to say that?

>>>help
Bob Blunt
Respected Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

Your Alpha goes through the console diagnostics, albeit somewhat limited, when you init the processor. There are some built-in tools within SRM that don't require a separate CD but each system's setup and commands can be different. I've never encountered any true *diagnostic* software for any Alpha system like we had for the VAXen. No stack of floppies, no special bootable CDs or DVDs.

There were two *exerciser* tools, one called DECvet and Qvet that were much more intense than UETP but those were usually only used to test new installations by services for customers under contract. These tools were not generally available. Some of the magic incantations that are possibly processor-specific may be available in the service guide for your system, so you might try to purchase one of those if you're not covered by a maintenance contract.
Ferdinand Macatangay
Occasional Advisor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

i want to run some diagnostic to run on the motherboard because the error is intermittent. the error message on the analyze/sys shows it is a cache problem(as volker helps me to find) but I can not turn on the alpha and wait for it to fault out again because I am trying to troubleshoot the board. there is no diag commands in my srm console. already tried the help command.

Specs:
Openvms 6.1
alphastation 255/300
SRM firmware ver 7
Steven Schweda
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

> SRM firmware ver 7

What does it _really_ say?

> there is no diag commands in my srm
> console. already tried the help command.

And what did you see when you tried it?
Volker Halle
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

Ferdie,

don't spend too much time trying to isolate an intermittent Memory or B-Cache error using diagnostics. This seldom works for intermittent problems...

$ TYPE CLUE$HISTORY will show you the crash history and you can directly see the frequencies of this problem.

If this machine is important, consider to swap both memory and motherboard. Or consider replacement with an emulator (like CHARON-AXP).

Volker.

PS: This is related to the following entry in ITRC:

http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1408470
Hoff
Honored Contributor

Re: Diagnostic tool for alphastation (openvms)

Re-seat memory and PCI boards.

Then (if the error persists) replace the memory.

Then replace the main board.

Then move forward to newer Alpha. Or port to Itanium. Or move to an emulator. Or port off of VMS.

Researching and servicing a fifteen year old AlphaStation 255 hardware running V6.2-1H3 that's also tossing machine check errors is an effort worth less than what it might cost to replace the box or to port the software.

The (repair) value of a fifteen year old server is limited.

A (used) Itanium box regularly show up for US$200 to US$500 from various sources, and vastly newer low-end Alpha boxes tend to be in the same price range and less.

It might well be cheapest to find a junker AlphaStation 255 and start swapping parts wholesale.

Expect to replace any disks that are even a fraction as old as this server.