Issues installing HP-UX 11i on a Visualize c3700

[Unxmaal]

I've tried and failed many attempts to install versions of HP-UX 11i newer than the 2000 release. 

When booting from CD, I get a system panic with the message

"WARNING: To avoid compromising data integrity, do not run HP-UX.11i (11.11) version 1.0 on this machine. It is not supported. Please call HP hardware support for details about the program to upgrade your PA8700 version 2.2 system processor to enable the HP-UX 11i operating system."

I have been unable to find more than a single reference to this error, with no proposed solutions.

Interestingly, SAM reports my CPU Version is "2.0 PA8700".

Is this something solved in a firmware patch? 

[support_s]

System recommended content:

1. HP-UX 11i Version 1 Installation and Update Guide, June 2004

If the above information is helpful, then please click on "Thumbs Up/Kudo" icon.

Thank you for being a HPE community member.

[Duncan Edmonstone]

So the link to the install/update guide gets you in the right direction. At the top of p50 you will see the following:

C3700 and J6700 Workstations Need Processor Board UpgradeC3700 and J6700 workstations currently support HP-UX 11.0 but require PA-8700 processor board upgrades (to version 2.3) to support HP-UX 11i v1. Contact your HP Customer Engineer for more details.

(although frustratingly the table on p52 contradicts this and suggests that FW version 2.0 is good enough! Typical old HP documentation!)

Now there's no point in contacting HP or HPE for this now as support is long gone, so they are not going to give you a process to do this or the PDC firmware to do it with. However I do see one possibility. Have a read of the following thread:

https://community.hpe.com/t5/HP-UX-General/Getting-a-C3700-to-run-hpux-11i/td-p/2715353#.YgIkGerP2Uk

One of the commenters on that thread suggests that the firmware update is right there on the install CD?

[Unxmaal]

Thanks for your suggestions!

I've searched all over and haven't found any patch that definitively upgrades this machine to v 2.3. I've checked the 4 11i install sets I have for a patch with this cability and didn't see anything that appeared to be a match.

I found at least 2 patches that list that they update the PDC firmware, but on apply, swinstall reports they're already installed.

I did confirm (via ISL) that the version is still 2.0. 

Since the original docs have vaporized, do you or anyone else have any idea of the patch filename or number?

Thanks!

[Duncan Edmonstone]

What OS do you currently have on the system, as that will influence the patch that needs to be installed (of course we are assuming the upgrade is available as a patch). The only firmware patches I can see for the C3700 are:

PHSS_25982 - for HP-UX11.00
PHSS_25983 - for HP-UX11.11

It's not clear what PDC version actually gets installed if you install those.

[Unxmaal]

I'm currently on 11.00, from the December 2000 release. 

I tried installing PHSS_25982 again. It declined, saying it was already installed, so I suggested it reinstall itself. It did so, but on reboot the PDC version remained 2.2 .

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] on a Visualize c3700

   I don't know what that is.  I have an HP C3700 workstation, which
says "hp workstation c3700" on its front.  Are we looking at the same
type system?

> [...] HP-UX 11i newer than the 2000 release.

   I don't know the release date of the OS on mine, but, around here:

dy# uname -a
HP-UX dy B.11.11 U 9000/785 2012616114 unlimited-user license

> I did confirm (via ISL) that the version is still 2.0.

   _Which_ "the version"?  As usual, showing actual actions (commands)
with their actual results (reports, error messages, ...) can be more
helpful than vague descriptions or interpretations.  Copy+paste is your
friend.

   For example, around here (serial console):

[...]
Processor is starting auto boot process.

To discontinue, press any key within 10 seconds.

Boot terminated.


----- Main Menu -------------------------------------------------------------

      Command                           Description
      -------                           -----------
      BOot [PRI|ALT|<path>]             Boot from specified path
      PAth [PRI|ALT|CON|KEY [<path>]]   Display or modify a path
      SEArch [DIsplay|[[IPL] [<path>]]] Search for boot devices

      COnfiguration [<command>]         Access Configuration menu/commands
      INformation [<command>]           Access Information menu/commands
      SERvice [<command>]               Access Service menu/commands
[...]
Main Menu: Enter command > in

----- Information Menu ------------------------------------------------------

      Command                           Description
      -------                           -----------
      ALL                               Display all system information
      BootINfo                          Display boot-related information
      CAche                             Display cache information
      ChipRevisions                     Display revisions of VLSI and firmware
      CoProcessor                       Display coprocessor information
      FwrVersion                        Display firmware version
[...]
Information Menu: Enter command > FwrVersion
FIRMWARE INFORMATION

  Firmware Version:           2.0

   4136   
[...]
Information Menu: Enter command > ChipRevisions

CHIP REVISIONS

              Module        Revision
        ------------------- --------
        System Board        0
        PA 8700-8700 CPU    2.3
        Mem/IO Controller   2.1
[...]

   As I read that, the "Firmware Version" is "2.0", but the "Revision"
of the "PA 8700-8700 CPU" is "2.3".  I know nothing, but your error
message:

      [...] Please call HP hardware support for details about the
      program to upgrade your PA8700 version 2.2 system processor to
      enable the HP-UX 11i operating system.

suggests to me an old-hardware problem ("your PA8700 version 2.2 system
processor"), not an old-firmware problem.  ("processor" and "firmware"
are spelled differently for a reason?)

   If I had gotten that error message, then I might start shopping
around for some newer antiques.  (But what do I know?)

> Yes this is a firmware upgrade - specifically the PDC (Processor
> Dependent Code). And Yes it must be 2.3 for 11i to load/function
> properly.
>
> Good news is it's available straight off the 11i CD.

   Among the things I don't know is where my HP-UX 11.11 CD-ROM might
be.

[Unxmaal]

The front bezel says 'hp workstation c3700'.

The side panel says 'HP Vizualize Workstations', with a graphic.

Using `echo "selclass qualifier cpu;infolog" | cstm > /tmp/cpuinfo` and viewing the resulting file, I see

Hardware path: 32


Product ID:                CPU          Module Type:              0
Hardware Model:            0x5dc        Software Model:           0x4
Hardware Revision:         0            Software Revision:        0
Hardware ID:               0            Software ID:              2011581617
Boot ID:                   0x2          Software Option:          0x81
Processor Number:          0            Path:                     32
Hard Physical Address:     0xfffffffffffa0000     Soft Physical Address:    0

Slot Number:               8            Software Capability:      0x100000f0
PDC Firmware Revision:        2.0       IODC Revision:            0
Instruction Cache [Kbyte]: 768          Processor Speed:          N/A
Processor State:           N/A
Monarch:                   Yes          Active:                   Yes
Data Cache        [Kbyte]: 1536
Instruction TLB   [entry]: 240          Processor Chip Revisions: 2.2
Data TLB Size     [entry]: 240          2nd Level Cache Size:[KB] N/A
Serial Number:             N/A
(...)
CPU 0

NOTICE:   This workstation will not support HP-UX 11i.  If you have any
          questions about the use of HP-UX 11i, please contact your local
          HP Hardware Support.

              Module        Revision
        ------------------- --------
        System Board        0
        PA 8700-8700 CPU    2.2
        Mem/IO Controller   2.1
        PCI Controller #0   4.0
        PCI Controller #1   4.0
        PCI Controller #4   4.0
        PCI Controller #6   4.0
        PDC                 2.0 (2 MB)
        Micro Controller    1.3
        Disk Board          3
        Power Supply        0

If the CPU's too old, that's ok. I'd just like to get a confirmation of that before giving up on this particular windmill.

[Unxmaal]

he front bezel says 'hp workstation c3700'.

The side panel says 'HP Vizualize Workstations', with a graphic.

Using `echo "selclass qualifier cpu;infolog" | cstm > /tmp/cpuinfo` and viewing the resulting file, I see

Hardware path: 32


Product ID:                CPU          Module Type:              0
Hardware Model:            0x5dc        Software Model:           0x4
Hardware Revision:         0            Software Revision:        0
Hardware ID:               0            Software ID:              2011581617
Boot ID:                   0x2          Software Option:          0x81
Processor Number:          0            Path:                     32
Hard Physical Address:     0xfffffffffffa0000     Soft Physical Address:    0

Slot Number:               8            Software Capability:      0x100000f0
PDC Firmware Revision:        2.0       IODC Revision:            0
Instruction Cache [Kbyte]: 768          Processor Speed:          N/A
Processor State:           N/A
Monarch:                   Yes          Active:                   Yes
Data Cache        [Kbyte]: 1536
Instruction TLB   [entry]: 240          Processor Chip Revisions: 2.2
Data TLB Size     [entry]: 240          2nd Level Cache Size:[KB] N/A
Serial Number:             N/A
(...)
CPU 0

NOTICE:   This workstation will not support HP-UX 11i.  If you have any
          questions about the use of HP-UX 11i, please contact your local
          HP Hardware Support.

              Module        Revision
        ------------------- --------
        System Board        0
        PA 8700-8700 CPU    2.2
        Mem/IO Controller   2.1
        PCI Controller #0   4.0
        PCI Controller #1   4.0
        PCI Controller #4   4.0
        PCI Controller #6   4.0
        PDC                 2.0 (2 MB)
        Micro Controller    1.3
        Disk Board          3
        Power Supply        0

If the CPU's too old, that's ok. I'd just like to get a confirmation of that before giving up on this particular windmill.

[Steven Schweda]

>    Among the things I don't know is where my HP-UX 11.11 CD-ROM might
> be.

   Some diligent searching (or luck) led me to a long-lost pile of five
CD-ROMs:

      HP-UX 11i Version 1
      Foundation Operating Environment
      Core OS
      Install and Recovery
      Version B.11.11
      December 2006
      CD <n> of 5

   "CD 1 of 5" seems to include PHSS_29342:

      https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=pdb_na-PHSS_29342

   Whether it (or its 11.00(?) friend, PHSS_29341, which I don't see
here) does what you need is yet another thing which I don't know.

> It's not clear what PDC version actually gets installed if you install
> those.

   I see nothing informative on that point in the PHSS_29342 kit,
either.

   Researching this stuff might have been easier if HP hadn't broken so
many of the links/redirects to their old docs.

   If you want a copy of anything here, send an e-mail message to sms at
antinode.info.