Hang on Alphaserver DS20E

[mahesh arora]

we had a system working without PAK. we by mistake applied openvms license pak for other alpha server and when we restarted the server we are getting following messages and sytem is unable to come up. what is the way to get system to original status.


Below is the serial console capture.After which we are getting the
blue screen & nothing happens.The same problem is experienced while
booting with cd.

initializing GCT/FRU at 1d4000
Testing the System
Testing the Memory
Testing the Disks (read only)
Testing ei* devices.
System Temperature is 34 degrees C

COMPAQ AlphaServer DS20E 666 MHz Console V5.8-10, Aug 21 2000 16:20:33
P00>>>
P00>>>show console
console serial
P00>>>boot dka0
(boot dka0.0.0.7.1 -flags 0)
block 0 of dka0.0.0.7.1 is a valid boot block
reading 1134 blocks from dka0.0.0.7.1
bootstrap code read in
base = 200000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 8dc00
initializing HWRPB at 2000
initializing page table at 3ff58000
initializing machine state
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code

%SYSBOOT-W-FIRMREV, Firmware rev. 5.8 is below the recommended minimum of 6.5.
Please update your firmware to the recommended revision,
which can be found on the firmware CD labeled:
alpha systems firmware update 6.5.



OpenVMS (TM) Alpha Operating System, Version V7.3-2

(c) Copyright 1976-2003 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


%DECnet-I-LOADED, network base image loaded, version = 05.10.00


%DECnet-W-NOOPEN, could not open SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSEXE]NET$CONFIG.DAT


%PKA0, Copyright (c) 1998 IntraServer Technology Inc. PKW V2.1.21 ROM V2.0
%PKA0, SCSI Chip is SYM53C895, Operating mode is LVD Ultra2 SCSI
%SMP-I-SECMSG, CPU #01 message: P01>>>START
%SMP-I-CPUTRN, CPU #01 has joined the active set.
%STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at 21-AUG-2008 20:25:21.31

%EIA0, Twisted-Pair mode set by console

%EIA0, Half Duplex 10BaseT connection selected

[DECxchange]

Hello,
Us that all that comes out? Anything after that? So far everything looks OK, what is it doing after that?

When you first power on your server, does it boot automatically, or do you get the console prompt, >>>? And then type b for boot?

What type of alphaserver is the other one? It's possible that evern though you accidentally loaded the other Alpha's PAK, it would still work. Are you in a VMScluster environment?

[DECxchange]

I see you stated that this is a serial console capture, but then you go on to say taht you get a blue screen. So that implies that you have a graphics adapter on the system. You can check to verify whether you are on a serial or graphics console at the console prompt, before bootup, that is,

>>> show console

It's also possible that you are plugged into the wrong serial port for the console port. It's also possible that you have a loose cable connecting the monitor to the Alpha. If you are getting nothing after the text you have included, try plugging in to the other serial port and see if you are getting any output.

You can press the halt switch and do a show console.

[mahesh arora]

the above message is from server in console mode. we do have graphic card but in order to capture we are using serial console.

nothing happens after this in console mode. but in graphic mode. we get messages till scsi controller recognizing disks , after that screen changes to blue screen ( not screen of death of MS ) with cursor blinking on left top corner and at bottom of the screen the display is " OPENVMS OPERATOR CONSOLE " and system goes to wait state and after few minutes num lock key stops responding.

we tried via local help using sysboot by set startup_p1 "min" . we managed to get $ prompt and could login with user name " system" and password which we set before PAK was applied. we manged to remove license but it still boots to above hang state in normal mode.
thanking you in advance.

[DECxchange]

Is EIA0 your only network adapter? Is your network cable plugged into the DS20E? This looks like it is stuck trying to do something with the network. Does it hang for a while at the above EIA0 message and then continue, or does it sit there forever?

[Hoff]

What you're seeing here could be explained by a connection into the wrong COM port; that you're connected to COM2 and not the COM1 console port. If you're not plugged into the COM1 serial port, things can get weird quickly with the console -- and for a discussion of the console environment variable and for the SRM serial and graphics displays, see here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/995

You'll want to update your SRM console. There are various descriptions around of updating your firmware, including

http://64.223.189.234/node/385

Also (once you get the basic startup sorted out) load your core license PAKs. There are various descriptions around for getting your core license product authorization keys (PAKs) registered and loaded, including this one:

http://64.223.189.234/node/259

Given that there is no mention of which of the many graphics controller is installed here, there is a listing of graphics devices that are known to work with OpenVMS Alpha here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/46

I'd get the RMC configured and working here, too, and get a terminal server or other such configured to allow remote (network) console access into this AlphaServer DS20E box.

[mahesh arora]

we did some work and tried loading system with command boot -fl 0,30000 DISKNAME system goes through following steps and thereafter hangs. ( file attached ).

what is not understandable that we have 2 systems and both were ok when initially booted but without license. both were applied with wrong license and both server are in same hanged stage. we did minimum boot and we could get $ prompt and deleted all license but still we have dead server. please suggest remedy.

[DECxchange]

I notice (see below) you have several SCSI controllers, but only 3 disc drives. Could it be that your system (application) is waiting for a disc drive to spin up and do something? Can you make sure all of your disc drives are connected (cables secure, etc.).

Can you upgrade the firmware to the latest rev? Can you reload all of your licenses on the correct systems as they were originally? Is this the version of VMS you were running before when everything was working?

Are you sure that dka0 is the original boot disc from when things were working?

Basically, try to make sure everything hardware, (application) software, licenses, etc. is back to where it was before your troubles began. Then resubmit the output here.

Include the command
>>> sho config
>>> show *
in your next output.
Thanks.

6Cshow dev
dka0.0.0.7.1 DKA0 COMPAQ BD0728856A HPB2
dka100.1.0.7.1 DKA100 SEAGATE ST3146707LC 0005
dka200.2.0.7.1 DKA200 SEAGATE ST3146707LC 0005
dqa0.0.0.105.0 DQA0 CD-224E 9.5B
dva0.0.0.0.0 DVA0
mke600.6.0.8.0 MKE600 COMPAQ SDT-10000 1.09
eia0.0.0.9.1 EIA0 00-50-8B-AC-04-75
pka0.7.0.7.1 PKA0 SCSI Bus ID 7
pkb0.7.0.8.1 PKB0 SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
pkc0.7.0.6.0 PKC0 SCSI Bus ID 7
pkd0.7.0.106.0 PKD0 SCSI Bus ID 7
pke0.7.0.8.0 PKE0 SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
P00>>>boot -fl 0,30000 dka0
(boot dka0.0.0.7.1 -flags 0,30000)
block 0 of dka0.0.0.7.1 is a valid boot block
reading 1134 blocks from dka0.0.0.7.1
bootstrap code read in
base = 200000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 8dc00
initializing HWRPB at 2000
initializing page table at 3ff58000
initializing machine state
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code

%SYSBOOT-W-FIRMREV, Firmware rev. 5.8 is below the recommended minimum of 6.5.
Please update your firmware to the recommended revision,
which can be found on the firmware CD labeled:
alpha systems firmware update 6.5.

OpenVMS (TM) Alpha Operating System, Version V7.3-2

[mahesh arora]

i have attached show config and show * file along with boot command captured file.

it seems problem lies elsewhere. we managed to procure one more ds20e which was run earlier in unix environment. we did boot " cdrom drive" after setting the date and time system again went to following messages and hung. now i believe it may be the we are not following right steps.

we are at stand still please suggest.

we tried fresh boot system does not reaches to menu selection panel

[Hoff]

Ensure all SCSI buses are correctly terminated.

Ensure you are connected on the COM1 serial port.

Register your core license PAKs per the description in the URL included earlier. Until and unless the PAKs are registered and loaded and the startup is not tossing PAK errors, all bets are off.

If the PAK registration step fails to resolve this, correct the errors related to the system parameter values using a conversational bootstrap sequence. This is brute-force, but some of those parameters definitely need to be changed. While in the conversational startup, I'd also check that the SCSNODE parameter value is one to six alphanumeric characters.

Then report back.

[mahesh arora]

checked all scsi ports. removed all cards from system except graphic card. connected disk to on board scsi connector. we are unable to get os option selection screen .

we have used command :
boot -fl 0,30000 dqa0 ( cd drive )

the last message on screen is before it hangs is " %LOADER-I-INIT, initializing SYS$PKADRIVER.EXE "

we do not reach to the stage where PAK needs to be installed.

is there a sequence to load vms. we have 3 systems and all 3 stopping at same point. once it goes to stop state ctrl c and p also does not work.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

In all but the first example the boot is done using -flags 0,3. Why the 3?
That flag asks the system to load Xdelta but not to take a breakpoint. Have you recently tried a normal, nostop boot (the default) with -fl 0 or 0,0 ?

fwiw,
Hein.

From the documenation...
The following table describes the valid values you can specify when booting with XDELTA:
Value System Response
0 Normal, nonstop boot (default).
1 Begins a conversational boot and then displays the SYSBOOT prompt.
2 Includes XDELTA but does not take the initial breakpoint.
3 Displays the SYSBOOT prompt and includes XDELTA but does not take the initial breakpoint.
6 Includes XDELTA and takes the initial breakpoint.
7 Includes XDELTA, displays the SYSBOOT prompt, and takes the initial breakpoint at system initialization.

[mahesh arora]

we have done boot -fl 0,0 dqa0 also but system hangs at following point:

%SMP-I-SECMSG, CPU #01 message: P01>>>START
%SMP-I-CPUTRN, CPU #01 has joined the active set.
%STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at 21-AUG-2008 20:25:21.31
%EIA0, Twisted-Pair mode set by console
%EIA0, Half Duplex 10BaseT connection selected

we were advised to use " boot -fl 0,30000 dqa0 " to check exact messages status. system hangs at :
%LOADER-I-INIT, initializing SYS$DVDRIVER.EXE
%LOADER-I-INIT, initializing SYS$IIDRIVER.EXE
%LOADER-I-INIT, initializing YS$PKADRIVER.EXE

we have 3 systems and all were used previously in unix environment. is there any set of parameters which needs to change while installing openvms. we have changed os_type to openvms. all 3 system can not have same problem therefore there is a common element in these system we have overlooked to change.

[DECxchange]

For starters, I assume you went ahead and upgraded the firmware to the correct level, since your included output does not show that message anymore?

Looking at your text file, showing the reboot sequence, I see you typed YES in response to Autogen's request to change SYSGEN parameters to allow DECwindows to start. Reboot again, and if it asks you this question, answer NO for now. (BTW, is DECwindows suppose to run for your application?)

Then see if you get the accounting info that normally follows the "login interactive limit" message that typically appears at the end of the reboot.

Then at your terminal, hit carriage return to see if you get a username prompt. If so, try to login and check system functionlaity, show sys, etc.

If you don't get a username prompt, try

boot -fl 0,1 and set startup_p1 to "MIN" (you may have already tried this. Then see if you are able to get a $ prompt. I think you mentioned before that you were able to get a dollar prompt at some point. Then try executing your systartup_vms.com commands one step at a time to see where things are getting hung up.

Not knowing your system, I don't know what it is "suppose" to do when it was working. As I said before, I find it strange that you have 5 SCSI adapters, PKA0, PKB0, PKC0, PKD0, and PKE0, but you only have one disc drive DKB0, and one tape drive, MKE0.

Again, I ask, is the system startup expecting an application to run off a disc drive that is not connected for some reason? Having so many SCSI controllers implies to me that you have several drives that are not connected to your system. Is there a way to verify that you have all of your peripherals connected properly?

Beyone that, it's getting difficult to understand what could be going on without actually being there by the system opr having remote access, and/or seeing what cabling connections there should be on the back. Can you check cabling, etc? Is this DS20E in a cabinet with other disc drives and such?

[idorenyina]

hello guys...saw your posts on hang on Alphaserver DS20E and have been keenly going through it cos i have the same problem as well.

i recently installed an application on  a DS25 server, and i keep having this hang problem

%VMScluster-I-LOADSECDB, loading the cluster security database
%SYSINIT-I- waiting to form or join an OpenVMS Cluster
%EIA0, FastFD mode set by console
%EIA0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EIB0, FastFD mode set by console
%EIB0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EIC0, FastFD mode set by console
%EIC0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EID0, FastFD mode set by console
%EID0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EIE0, FastFD mode set by console
%EIE0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EIF0, FastFD mode set by console
%EIF0, Full Duplex 100BaseTX connection selected
%EWA0, 100mbps_full_duplex mode set by console (EGA0_MODE)
%EWA0, 5703 LOM located in 64-bit, 66-mhz PCI slot
%EWA0, Device type is BCM5703C (UTP) Rev A2 (10020000)
%PKA0, Copyright (c) 1998 IntraServer Technology Inc. PKW V2.1.22 ROM V2.0
%PKA0, SCSI Chip is SYM53C895, Operating mode is LVD Ultra2 SCSI

the system stalls at this point "%PKA0, SCSI Chip is SYM53C895, Operating mode is LVD Ultra2 SCSI"

which is thesame as the problem with the comments on the DS20 server the only diffrence is that this happens when booting occurs in cluster.

please i would love you guys to comment on this its has been giving me a headache for a while now and dont know how to go about it.

thanks

[Steve Reece_3]

There's not been an update on either of these for a while, but could it be that the systems just have insufficient votes to form a cluster on their own?  What are the values of votes and expected votes?

For the original poster, this probably isn't so relevant if they have no licenses on the system to be able to form a cluster.