running bios pya0 to configure 5300A raid controller

[Drexter EVans]

After going through the setup of setting bootbios and setting heap, I run the command run bios pya0 and receiving the following messages below. It looks like its going to work but it returns to the chevron/cmos prompt. Any suggestions?
P00>>>run bios pya0

reseting I/O bus

waiting for pya0....to start
waiting for pya0....to start
P00>>

[Uwe Zessin]

The manual mentions the following commands to set up the controller for boot:

P0>>> set HEAP_EXPAND 2MB
P0>>> initialize
P0>>> set BOOTBIOS pya0
P0>>> initialize

It might be possible that the first 2 commands help for the configuration. Make sure you have a supported SRM release.

[Drexter EVans]

I did mention in my post that i had set the bootbios and the heap via the instructions in the manual.

Thanks

[Uwe Zessin]

Oops, sorry. I have missed that.
Can you describe your hardware setup a little bit?

[Veli Körkkö]

Have you attached any disks to said 5300A controller? I would expect such behaviour if there are no disks connected to controller because then there is nothing to configure

If this is a brand new system like a DS25 with an internal scsi shelf and disks there, the internal shelf is probably connected to plain ordinary scsi adapter on system and the 5300A does not any disks therefore.

_veli

[Drexter EVans]

AlphaServer ES40
SRM console :V6.6-19
ARC console : V5.71

slot 2
HP SMARTARRAY 5300A pya0.0.0.2.1

bootbios pya0
heap_expand 2MB

Here is the connection:
on the 5300A port1 has cable going to environmental card from environmental card to backplane of drive cage.
10pin cable from drive cage to environmental card

let me know if you need more info

[Drexter EVans]

I do see the drives flash when i issue the run bios dya0 command but the console prompt returns immediately after.

[Veli Körkkö]

If graphic console, try attaching kbd directly to system since apparently you need to press F8 at right moment and some KVM do not pass F8 correctly...

Check CONSOLE setting in SRM and make sure you are using correct console.

And press F8 at right moment but if 5300A does not see any disks at all, it will not give you chance at all.

Maybe you could temporarily move the scsi cable to a SCSI adapter like KZPCA just to check the shelf and disks are ok then move it back to KZPDC and try also the other channel on the KZPDC.

_veli

[Veli Körkkö]

and btw, check rev of your NILE card. You will need min rev 0B apparently.

_veli

[Galen Tackett]

Can you give us some details about your hardware configuration:

* What model of ES40 are you using?
* What storage enclosure?
* What disk drives?

The SmartArray 5300A is officially supported only on EV68 ES40 systems--see http://h18002.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11540_na/11540_na.HTML

That said, at my last job I was able to use it on the older 500 MHz EV6 ES40 systems. My memory is rusty--this was over a year ago--but read on for what I remember.

I remember that at first I didn't have a supported StorageWorks MSA30 or 4300 enclosure and only had the old "blue brick" drives. ACU-XE could see the controller but (understandably) no drives.

I'm not certain that I was ever able to get ORCA to start up correctly on the EV6 ES40. (ORCA is the name of the utility you get to via "run bios" against this controller.)

That's not to say that the 5300A wouldn't work at all. Eventually I got ahold of a 4300 enclosure with Ultra 320 drives. Using ACU-XE I was then able to configure RAIDsets to my heart's content. (As I said above, my memory isn't quite clear on whether ORCA worked at this point.)

Later I tried the same controller and drives on a EV68 ES40 and I'm certain that both ORCA and ACU-XE worked.