4.5 Console Level Preparation

4.5 Console Level Preparation

As part of the planning process for installing either Tru64 UNIX or TruCluster Server, we need to verify that the hardware, firmware, and console variables are set appropriately.

4.5.1 Verify the Hardware

4.5.1.1 Verify the Memory Requirements

In section 4.1 we discussed how we needed at least 192 MB of memory to install and operate Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster Server on one server. Now let's verify that we meet those requirements.

 P00>>> show memory Array #      Size      Base Addr -------   ----------   ---------   0          512 MB     040000000   1         1024 MB     000000000 Total Bad Pages = 0 Total Good Memory = 1536 Mbytes 

Or

 P00>>> show config ... MEMORY Array #      Size      Base Addr -------   ----------   ---------   0         512 MB     040000000   1        1024 MB     000000000 Total Bad Pages = 0 Total Good Memory = 1536 MBytes ... 

4.5.1.2 Verify the Network Hardware

We also need to verify the network hardware and settings.

 P00>>> show config ... PCI Hose 01 ...    Bus 00 Slot 09:   DE600-AA                                          eia0.0.0.9.1   00-50-8B-AE-F3-23 ... 

Given that we know how our network is configured, we make the appropriate network mode changes from Twisted-Pair (the default setting) to 100 MB Full Duplex.

 P00>>>show eia0_mode eia0_mode                    Twisted-Pair 

 P00>>>set eia0_mode fastfd Changing to selected mode. 

 P00>>>show eia0_mode eia0_mode FastFD (Full Duplex) 

For more information on what settings to use for your own network configuration, please refer to your switch or hub manufacturer's reference documentation, the hardware documentation for your AlphaServer system(s), and the hardware documentation for the NIC card that you will be using.

4.5.1.3 Verify the Memory Channel Interconnect Hardware

Finally, if we are using Memory Channel as the cluster interconnect hardware, we need to verify it and its firmware revision.

 P00>>>show config ...        Bus 00 Slot 08: DEC PCI MC                                   mca0.0.0.8.0           Rev: 22, mca0 ... 

This shows that we are using MC2 with firmware revision 0x22 (module revision 34). This satisfies the cluster interconnect hardware requirement and the firmware requirement for MC2.

		Module Revision	>>>show config
• MC1	–	11	11 DEC PCI MC Rev: b, mc0a
• MC1.5	–	14	Slot Option Name Type Rev Name 2 DEC PCI MC 181011 000E mc0 3 DEC PCI MC 181011 000E mc1
• MC2	–	32 or greater	Bus 00 Slot 08: DEC PCI MC mca0.0 0.8.0 Rev: 20, mca0

4.5.2 Verify the Firmware

Although we updated the Alpha Firmware in section 4.3.1, let's verify the updated firmware.

 P00>>> show version version                                V6.1-2 Oct 15 2001 13:36:04 

Or

 P00>>> show config                                                     COMPAQ AlphaServer DS20E 666 MHz SRM Console:           V6.1-2 PALcode:               OpenVMS PALcode V1.93-75, Tru64 UNIX PALcode V1.88-70 ... 

4.5.3 Console Variables

Given that the hardware and firmware are appropriately verified, we need to modify specific console variables to support an installation of Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster Server.

4.5.3.1 Processor-Specific Console Variables

The following is the processor-specific console variables for systems that can be members of a cluster.

System	Console Variable Settings
AlphaServer 800 AlphaServer 1200 AlphaServer 2100/2100A AlphaServer 4000/4100 AlphaServer 4100A	P00>>> set bus_probe_algorithm new
AlphaServer 1000/1000A	P00>>> set bus_probe_algorithm new P00>>> set boot file " "
AlphaServer 8200 AlphaServer 8400	P00>>> set os_type unix P00>>> set console serial

These console settings should be implemented prior to the installation of Tru64 UNIX.

4.5.3.2 General Console Variables

4.5.3.2.1 The boot_osflags Environment Variable

During the installation and configuration of Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster Server, set the boot_osflagsvariable so that if the system should crash, it does not reboot.

 P00>>> set boot_osflags "h" 

After the cluster is built, reset the boot_osflags variable so that the system will automatically boot to multi-user mode after a crash. Remember, one of the themes of TruCluster Server is high availability; therefore, should a cluster member go down for any reason, we would want the cluster member up and a part of the cluster ASAP.

 P00>>> set boot_osflags "a" 

4.5.3.2.2 The boot_reset Environment Variable

Set the boot_reset variable so that when the system boots, it does a system reset first.

 P00>>> set boot_reset on 

4.5.3.2.3 The bootdef_dev Environment Variable

Before installing TruCluster Server, we would want to clear the bootdef_dev variable. This variable is used to specify the device from which to boot the system.

 P00>>> set bootdef_dev " " 

The clu_create and the clu_add_member programs automatically set this variable with the appropriate boot device when the cluster is created or a new cluster member is added.

4.5.3.2.4 The auto_ a ction Environment Variable

During the installation and configuration of Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster Server, set the auto_action variable so that if the system is ever initialized or powered on, it would not automatically start booting.

 P00>>> set auto_action halt 

After the installation is complete, reset the auto_action variable so that when the system is initialized it automatically boots.

 P00>>> set auto_action restart 

4.5.3.2.5 Miscellaneous Console Variables

We include a couple of miscellaneous console variables that we have found useful. We set the os_type variable to indicate the system is a UNIX system.

 P00>>> set os_type UNIX 

If we connect a console to the serial port and plan on a command line interface (CLI) installation of Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster Server, we must also set the console variable to serial.

 P00>>> set console serial P00>>> init