Getting LCD message in HPUX 10.20

[whairst]

We have a number of boxes running HPUX 10.20 that have front-panel LCD displays. Aside from going to the computer itself and looking at it, is there a way to get the message being displayed on the LCD? We're especially interested in things like fan failures (which are shown on the LCD), as they're invisible without standing in front of the machine.

[dedmonst]

What model system? It's an awful long time ago now, but some systems used to send some of these messages to the console as well.

[Vinky_99]

@whairst 

In HP-UX 10.20, there is no built-in command or utility to directly retrieve the LCD messages displayed on the front panel of the system. The LCD messages are typically specific to the server hardware model and are managed by the system's firmware.

[whairst]

I'm looking for messages for B2600 and C3600 systems. Given that the manual said the heartbeat, disk usage, and Ethernet usage indicators only function when certain OSes are loaded, I figured the messages were also from the OS. If they're managed by the firmware, that would explain why I couldn't find them.

[Vinky_99 · Accepted solution]

In the case of HP 9000 B2600 and C3600 systems running HP-UX 10.20, the front-panel LCD messages are indeed managed by the firmware and not directly accessible from the operating system.

The LCD messages on these systems are typically related to hardware status and alerts, such as fan failures, power supply issues, or temperature warnings. These messages are displayed by the system's firmware and are independent of the operating system running on the machine.

To view the specific LCD messages, you would need to physically access the system and check the front-panel display. Unfortunately, there is no remote or software-based method within HP-UX 10.20 to retrieve the current LCD message being displayed.

If you require remote monitoring of hardware status and alerts, you may want to consider using other system management tools or utilities specifically designed for your server model. These tools often provide remote access to hardware health information, including fan failures, temperature warnings, and other critical system status indicators.

[whairst]

Thank you very much for the info. While not what I ideally wanted to hear, it's what I needed.

[Sunitha_Mod]

Hello @whairst, 

Great! 

We are extremely glad to know your concern has been addressed.