DecServer 90M - Flash RAM Protected

[Terry Yeomans]

I am trying to upgrade the firmware on a DecServer 90M from v2.0 using the following command:
INIT FROM ETHER UPDATE FLASH DELAY 0
The response I get is:
Local -738- Flash RAM write protected
I can't find anything in help or on the web.
Any ideas ?
Regards Terry Yeomans

[EdgarZamora]

This is just a stab in the dark. Did you try the complete command?

INIT FROM ETHER IMAGE imagename UPDATE FLASH DELAY 0


Good luck.

[Terry Yeomans]

Edgar,
Tried that but no change thankyou.
I have also done a factory reset.
The funny thing is that if I change a port setting and init the server, it does remember the changes made, so it is writing to flash memory. When I rebooted, I could see that it was loading from flash.
Regards Terry.

[Hoff]

Do you know that your DECserver 90M has flash RAM? Not all do.

I'd expect "INITIALIZE FROM ETHERNET IMAGE MNENG2 (or 3, or 4) UPDATE FLASHRAM DELAY 0", too; to have the name of the file involved.

MNENG2 was for the 1MB flash variant, MNENG3 was the 2MB variant, and 4 was for the 90M+ and its 4MB. MNENG2 was reportedly compressed to fit, and takes a while to unpack and boot.

Flash on the DECserver 700 had a mechanical write-protect switch. I don't know that there is a switch or a command on the DECserver 90M -- I find zilch for the DECserver 90M for this area, though I did find one reference to "set flash ram to write enable". Which I'm guessing was a cut-and-paste reference to the 700.

(I know you indicated you checked the help, but was the help that you checked the stuff out on the DECserver? At the Ctrl/B Ctrl/B console prompt, some of these beasts had a H command. This in addition to what is available at the Local> prompt once the software is running.)

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs

[EdgarZamora]

I don't know if this will work on a 90M. Try pressing CTRL-B CTRL-B while the ts is booting up. Hopefully you will get a >>> prompt. Try >>> B/U imagename

Good luck.

[Terry Yeomans]

Hoff,
Yes it has 1Mb flash.
Edgar,
I saw this in the manual, so I will have a go. I've just got to get a screen set up !
Regards Terry Yeomans.

[EdgarZamora]

I managed to scrounge up a DS90M. I opened it up to check the flash ram and didn't find any write protect switch or anything like that. I put it on the network and was able to update the flash ram using the init command. I didn't see a B/U command from the >>> prompt.

Local>
Local> init from ether image mneng2 update flash delay 0
Local -901- Initializing DECserver 90M 08-00-2B-B0-4D-28 FW V 4.1 HW 4.0

Local -960- Available Memory 4 Mbytes
Local -969- Requesting Specified Software: MNENG2
Local -953- [IP] Attempting to locate load host [ETHERNET]
Local -955- [IP] Host 10.10.200.4 located [ETHERNET]
Local -903- [IP] Loading from host 10.10.200.4 [ETHERNET]
Local -904- Image load complete
Local -909- Requesting software update of Flash RAM
(This can take a minute or two, be patient)

Local - Flash RAM update complete

Local - Software initialization complete

Sorry Terry, it worked for me. My one last suggestion to you is to start from factory reset. Good luck.

[Colin Butcher]

Hello,

I think you'll find that configuration changes are held in NVRAM, not the load image FlashRAM.

What output do you get from the DECserver's console port (usually port 1 of 8) during the power-up sequence?

Here's what I get with my DECserver 90M (4MB) - see attached text file.

It might be that you're trying to save an image file that's too big for the available FlashRAM. Which image are you trying to save and which kit did it come from?

Cheers, Colin (www.xdelta.co.uk).

[Jon Stanley]

It would appear that your 90M has an issue with the mneng2 image. When you try to upgrade the flash, does the 90M have the new image running? What is the version of code being written to flash? If the download fails, then you will not see the new code in the box and the flash will not be upgraded.

BTW, the boot takes about 5 minutes with alternating rows of LEDs flashing, correct?

You can issue the command SHOW MEM and see the flash and the version and size. If it is not listed, you may not have a working flash memory.

Thanks, Jon

[Terry Yeomans]

When I issue the command, all I get back is the error, it does not initialize the server. I can only suspect that their is a problem with NVRAM. As this server is on a maintenance contract, I have requested a replacement.
Thanks for all of your help.
Regards Terry Yeomans.

[Adrian Graham_1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Terry,

I know it's now July but I've just been through this myself, and since this is the only reference found on the web it may be helpful to others!

Either the image in Flash is corrupt and can't update itself or the Flash module itself is physically broken. Once I'd remembered the CTRL/B CTRL/B trick all I had to do was boot over ethernet to load a new version of MNENG2.SYS from the DNAS 2.6 package:

b eth:mneng2

Once the server had initialised I tried updating the flash again:

init from ether image mneng2 update flash delay 0

This rebooted as expected but failed to update the flash module and subsequent 'show mem' commands cause a bugcheck, so in my case the flash module is broken.

Hope that helps somebody :)

A

[Terry Yeomans]

Thanks everybody for replies. In this case a replacement server did the trick, but will keep in mind other hints.
Regards Terry.