Itanium Familiarization Cookbook?

[Pete Randall]

I've managed to lay my hands on my very first Itanium hardware. Now, what do I do with it and how do I go about it?

My first task is to install 11iV3. I attached a C1099A (serial, I assume) console to the port labeled "console" on the back of the rx3600 and fired it (the rx3600) up. It presented an ILO/MP login, so I logged in and went to console mode. The console has a bunch of gibberish on it, making the legitimate information quite difficult to decipher, though I was able to tell when it was time to interrupt the autoboot. I assume this is because I have to select the proper console type. My "Installation and Update Guide" says to use the EFI menus to select "Boot option maintenance" from the main "Boot Manager Menu".

So, here I am either at the console or the MP. How do I get to these EFI menus?

Is there a cookbook for us died-in-the-wool PA-RISC folk? Something that would lead us down the path to the promised land?


Pete

[Duncan Edmonstone]

Pete,

There's a chapter of the HP-UX Handbook (was the software recovery handbook) which covers this:

Assuming you have full ITRC access you can find it here:

http://www11.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docLocale=en&docId=emr_na-c01037975-2

Or try an ITRC knowledge base search for

hp-ux handbook


HTH

Duncan

[Duncan Edmonstone]

And if you see *real* gobbledegook (as opposed to just messages you can't grok) then its probably your console settings. Integrity systems don't use hp terminal emulation at all any more - use vt100 or ansi

HTH

Duncan

[Pete Randall]

Duncan,

Thanks. That looks very useful, though I'm not sure it will answer my immediate question of "how do I get to the EFI menu?" so I can change the console setting. I'll dig a little deeper to make sure.


Pete

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

Try this doc..

http://www11.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docLocale=en&docId=emr_na-c01002033-3

[Pete Randall]

Uday,

That would be great if I know how to get to the EFI Boot Manger menus that the document is describing.


Pete

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Pete,

It was a hard transition, but I had to go Itanium three years ago.

This doc might be helpful as well.

http://docs.hp.com/en/diag/archive/emr_0702_1131.htm

This document looks good.

http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/diag/ode/ipf_ode_over.htm

I'm not saying EFI is the same as PA-RISC but after you do it a few times, you will see there is something in common. EFI setup for tape and CD-ROM based boot is not hard, actually intuitive.

For setting up tape boot.
http://docs.hp.com/en/5992-3336/ch13s02.html
Setting up DVD boot is very similar.

SEP

[Rita C Workman · Accepted solution]

Are you just sitting at a screen that looks like a command line?

Then try:

>exit hit enter

Rita

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

Pete,
If you have MP console configured for network then I think you can use your laptop as console.

We have several RX servers at remote locations I connect through putty session to use EFI menu.

[Pete Randall]

Either I'm being really stupid and not seeing the obvious, or I'm being really stupid and not asking the right question, so let's try this:

HOW DO I GET TO THE EFI MENU?



I boot the machine, the screen prompts me to log in to the MP. Once in MP, it's life as usual in MP land. How do I get out of there and into EFI?


Pete

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Pete:

I use PuTTY to Telnet into the MP and choose the CO(nsole) mode. You should have 7 seconds by default to see the EFI Shell menu as an option before HP-UX boots. Select what you want.

I'm a novice here too since I have just started to "play" with an rx2660. I didn't find this entirely intuitive, either.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

EFI is pretty much hidden at the same place you used to run the sea command.

Its an option just like hpux.

This doc says how to get to the EFI menu.

http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/diag/ode/ipf_ode_over.htm (dup?)

SEP

[Duncan Edmonstone]

>>HOW DO I GET TO THE EFI MENU?

Maybe we're making this too complex...

Should be same as with PA-RISC:

CTRL-B

Followed by

CO

which takes you to the OS console - which in the case of Integrity before you boot is EFI!

HTH

Duncan

[Pete Randall]

OK, maybe I'm there. Using JRF's suggestion, I waited through the Memory Config, then it started on the CPU, then mentioned something about loading EFI so I hit "any key". Now I've got what might be a menu scrolled across and wrapped around my screen, along with a lot of control characters and junk. It looks like it says:

HP-UX Primary Boot 0/4/1/0
DVD
EFI Shell [Built-in]
Boot Configuration
System Configuration
Security Configuration


Use /\ and \/ to change options. Use Enter to select and option.

There may be more, but I can't tell what's the menu and what's the control characters for the menu.

What do I do from here?


Pete

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi (again) Pete:

> What do I do from here?

I use PuTTY (with a vt100+ setting) and TELNET to the ILO address. If your server is new, there should be a tag with the MAC address of the MP (something like "MP0017..." where that's the default DNS name and an IP address has been assigned with DHCP (by default). I assume that everything is connected to your network.

Using PuTTY as you standardly would for ssh/telnet connections makes this real easy.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Duncan Edmonstone]

I'm pretty sure the C1099A can emulate vt100 or ansi:

manual is here:

http://docs.hp.com/en/1064/c1099a_terminal_um.pdf

I haven't configured one of those in *years* though - seem to remember much mucking around with function keys...

honestly I think you'd be better to get a laptop and a crossover cable and just go straight into the iLO port (first time you'll have to use the arp ping method described here until you've assigned an IP address). At least then you can just use PuTTY or smilar which should "just work" rather than messing around with that old serial console.

HTH

Duncan

[Pete Randall]

OK, let me rephrase that. I'll first go back to my original entry:

> I have to select the proper console type. My "Installation and Update Guide" says to use the EFI menus to select "Boot option maintenance" from the main "Boot Manager Menu".

The menu I think I'm seeing (described above) doesn't say anything about "Boot option maintenance" or "Boot Manager Menu". It also tells me to use keys that I don't have to change options so how do I even select one of the limited options listed?


Pete

[Duncan Edmonstone]

oops - missed the link to using arp ping method to connect straight to iLO port when you don't know/don't have an IP address for iLO:

http://docs.hp.com/en/5991-6024/ch03s03.html#chdgaffb

HTH

Duncan

[Steven E. Protter]

The putty solution will work. I've done it. Also if you have a Linux workstation, its very useful for connecting to consoles and such.

A serial console can be used to configure the ilo card.

Then you are happening.

SEP

[Torsten.]

Hi Pete,

if you use putty (even with serial connection) you will see the lines highlighted!

HP-UX Primary Boot 0/4/1/0
DVD
EFI Shell [Built-in]
Boot Configuration
System Configuration
Security Configuration

The first entry will boot hp-ux, this path points to the internal SAS controller, e.g.

escsi_ctlr 0 0/4/1/0 sasd CLAIMED INTERFACE HP PC
I/PCI-X SAS MPT Adapter
/dev/sasd0


Once you select the built-in efi shell, you will see the scan followed by the efi prompt.

Some things to play with:

Shell> conconfig

Shell> info all

Shell> bcfg boot dump -v

Shell> map

if you see a "fs0" entry there, go to:

Shell> fs0:

Now go to the loader directory:

fs0:\EFI\HPUX> ls
Directory of: fs0:\EFI\HPUX

04/17/08 07:24p 4,096 .
04/17/08 07:24p 4,096 ..
04/17/08 07:40p 654,025 hpux.efi
04/17/08 07:40p 24,576 nbp.efi
04/17/08 07:40p 12 AUTO
3 File(s) 678,613 bytes
2 Dir(s)


Now try to go into single user mode!

;-)

More questions? Have fun!

[Pete Randall]

OK, finally I'm into install mode with a readable console. Out of the woods, I hope.

All your hints were helpful but Duncan and Jim were the closest to guessing what I actually needed (if only I could have figured out how to ask it) and Rita gets extra points for going above and beyond the *call* of duty (Thanks, Rita!).


Pete

[Torsten.]

Pete, if you want to do a fresh install, I would consider to create a hardware RIAD first. It's sometimes difficult to configure a replaced disk, if you don't have a RAID.
Here is the how-to:

http://docs.hp.com/en/J6369-90071/ch03s01.html

[Pete Randall]

Torsten,

I'm guessing that's probably exactly what I should do. I've got 8 disks and I should probably set up a 4 by 4 mirror.

Being used to LVM mirroring, I never would have guessed that I should do prior to install, though.

Thanks,


Pete

[Torsten.]

Hmm, with the default built-in SAS controller you can only create 2 pairs of mirrored disk + 1 hotspare.
That's it.

If you want more, you need to upgrade your server with a smartarray P400 controller.

But you can use at least 1 pair for the OS and use the other disks with LVM mirrors.

Read this and you will understand why I prefer a hardware RAID for the boot disks:

http://docs.hp.com/en/5992-3385/ch04s08.html#v1446838

With SAS disks it is sometimes even more complicated.

[Torsten.]

Replacement procedure for SAS disks is also here:

http://docs.hp.com/en/J6369-90071/ch04s05.html