Chapter 2 Board Hot-Plug Software and Dynamic Reconfiguration

This chapter explains how to use the board hot-plug capability and Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR), where applicable. Hot-plug is a hardware feature that allows the replacement of components while a server is running. However, the system cannot use the new component until the system is rebooted. The Dynamic Reconfiguration software enhancement allows replacement of certain I/O boards without needing to reboot the server.

For command information and examples, see Chapter 1, OpenBoot Commands Chapter 1, OpenBoot Commands Chapter 1, OpenBoot Commands .

The board hot-plug procedures described in this chapter need to be followed by a Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR) restart procedure or by a system reboot.

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Note -

For the Solaris 7 software environment, DR applies to Sun Enterprise type 1, 2, 4, and 5 I/O boards. These boards include the Sbus, Graphics, Sbus+, and Graphics+ I/O boards. I/O boards with slots for PCI cards are not supported.

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Refer to the online Sun Enterprise 6x00, 5x00, 4x00, 3x00 Systems Dynamic Reconfiguration User's Guide for information about preparing your server to use DR, and instructions for performing DR operations. Check with your Sun Sales representative or system engineer for information on the availability of DR for your system.

Disabled System Board

A system board can be disabled (not used by the operating system) in three ways:

• A self-test detects a failure and disables the board.

• The board is disabled manually by using disabled-board-list. For example:

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  ok setenv disabled-board-list 72
  

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The above command disables boards in slots 7 and 2. See Table 1-1 for more information.

• The board was inserted while the operating system was running.

To Swap Out a Disabled Board

1. Verify that system precharge is OK.

   Use the prtdiag command. For more information see "System Configuration and Diagnostic Information".

2. Verify that hot-plug is available.

3. Make sure that the board is disabled (not in use by the operating system and the power light on the target board is off).

4. Remove the disabled board.

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   Caution -

   If the yellow light is lit on the front panel, use prtdiag to determine the cause before installing a new board.

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5. Install a new board.

6. To activate the board:

   • For PCI boards, reboot the system.

   • For other I/O boards, use DR commands.

Activated System Board

The system board is activated when the following three conditions are met:

• The board is in place during system startup.

• The slot has not been disabled by disabled-board-list.

• The board passes self-test.

To swap out an activated board if you are swapping a type three (PCI) board:

1. Halt the system.

2. Power off the system.

3. Remove and replace the board.

4. Reboot the system to activate the board.

To swap out an activated board if your system supports DR:

1. Use the appropriate cfgadm command to unconfigure the board from the system.

   Refer to the Sun Enterprise 6x00, 5x00, 4x00, 3x00 Systems Dynamic Reconfiguration User's Guide for further information regarding this command.

2. Remove and replace the board.

3. To activate the board and reconfigure the board to the system, use DR commands.

Disabling Hardware

By using the configuration-policy command, you can disable

• A component--disables only the failing component

• A board---disables the board if any component on it fails

• A system--stops the system at the POST menu if there is a failure

Examples:

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ok setenv configuration-policy board

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or

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# eeprom "configuration-policy=board"

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To Disable a Defective Board

If you suspect a board is defective and want to request that the system disable the board, perform the following procedure.

1. Isolate the board from the system:

   • For a type three I/O board, use the setenv command at the ok prompt or the eeprom command at the # prompt and then reboot the system.

   • For all other boards, use DR commands.

   In the examples that follow, 3 means slot 3.

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   ok setenv disabled-board-list 3
   

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   or

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   # eeprom "disabled-board-list"=3
   

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2. Remove the defective board and insert a new board.

3. To activate the board:

   • For type 3 (PCI) I/O boards, clear the disabled-board-list, and then reboot the system.

   • For all other boards, use DR commands.

See Table 1-1 for more information.

Alternate Pathing

Alternate Pathing (AP) is a software enhancement that works in conjunction with DR and hot-plug. AP allows you to bypass a disabled disk or network adapter, avoiding unnecessary downtime. For additional information, refer to the Solaris on Sun Enterprise Servers AnswerBook module Sun Enterprise Servers Alternate Pathing User's Guide.