RS/6000 43P-140 hangs on boot

Hi.

When booting AIX on this machine, everything stops after the screen
"Starting Software -- please wait" has appeared. The small display shows
518, which I am told is "Remote mount of the root and /usr file systems
failed during network boot".
Removing the network and SCSI cables does not change anything.

The problem is what to do. I can't find a way to put this machine in servo
mode, to try a new installation. The only key-hole I find appears to unlock
the lid only.

It was rebooted in the first place because it was impossible to open any
terminal windows -- without any error message, it just did not happen.

Any help much appreciated!

Bjørn Tore Elvedal

Hello,

The recommended way is:

User Action: You will need to log on to the server or to another client
with superclient privliges to go to the following activities:

- Verify that the type field for the / (root) and /usr file systems is
correct in the client's /etc/filesystem file. To do this, run the
following command:

pg /export/root/ClientHostName/etc/filesystems

Make sure that the / (root) and /usr stanzas contain a line that reads
type=bootfs. If the type field is correct is incorrect, use a text
editor to correct it.

The 43P doesn't have a service key. Just switch power on and when
the icons appear on the screen press F1. Depending on the firmware
level you have either a menu appears where you can select the boot
device or you have to put the service floppy into the floppy drive.

If you have a GXT120P graphics adapter you also need a floppy with
the driver to boot from CD-ROM.

If you still have problems let me know.

cheers
Rainer

--
Rainer Freis - Systemadministrator

santix software GmbH Max-Planck-Str. 7
D-85716 Unterschleissheim

Phone: (+49) 89 321506-24
Fax : (+49) 89 321506-99

You don't know what real time-critical software is until
you're responsible for the paychecks of a battalion of
heavily armed Marines. (somebody in alt.sysadmin.recovery)

In article <71php2$2te$1...@readme.online.no>,

Youyr information is incomplete. 518 on the LED also means that a disk
based filesystem failed to mount. You need to boot from CDROM and repair
the rootvg filesystem(s) that are having problems. You can boot from CDROM
by pressing the F2 key after the keyboard icon has been displayed, which
will then present an interface for selecting the boot device.

Assuming you have a serial terminal attached to SerialPort 1, reboot the
43P. When the RS/6000 splash screen comes up, and the words start appearing
across the bottom, hit the "1" key after the word "keyboard" appears. This
will boot you
into SMS where you can select your boot device, thus enabling you to install
the machine from tape or CD.

Matt

Bjørn Tore Elvedal wrote:

To resolve an led 518 hang, you will most likely have to boot the machine
into service mode from either a mksysb or sysback tape, or an AIX
installation CD. How to get to service:

IF you have a graphics console (and the diskette containing the device
drivers for the GXT120P graphics adapter if your running AIX 4.2.1 or
lower), then you will need to insert the CD (and diskette if applicable)
then
power-cycle the machine. When you see the keyboard icon, press the
F5 key. The machine should boot from CD or tape.

IF you have an ASCII console (IBM 3151, 3153, etc), then instead of icons
you will see "RS6000" fill the screen and at the bottom, when the word
"keyboard" appears, press the '5' key (not the keypad, but on the keyboard
top row). This will boot the machine into service.

In either case, after you select the console and language, you will get
to a menu with 3 options. Select option 3 to start a maintenance mode
for system recovery, then select option 1 to access root volume group.
After a warning message, you will have a listing of the disks on which
volume groups exist. Select the first, and a listing of the logical volumes
in the volume group which that disk is a member of will be presented.

If you do not see "hd5" and/or "hd4" in the listing, hit 99 and select the
next disk listed. If you see "hd5" in the listing, select the second option
at the bottom of the screen to "access this volume group and start a shell
before mounting filesystems." The root volume group will be imported, then
you will bein a "simple" shell. From there, run
fsck /dev/hd4
fsck /dev/hd2
fsck /dev/hd9var
fsck /dev/hd3
logform /dev/hd8
Destroy /dev/hd8? Y
mount /dev/hd4 /mnt
mv /mnt/etc/filesystems /mnt/etc/filesystems.save
cp /etc/filesystems /mnt/etc/filesystems
umount /mnt
exit

If the exit doesn't mount all the root filesystems, then you should probably
just reinstall by booting back into service from the CD, and selecting the
appropriate option. If you need to save the non-root data and filesystems,
try a preservation install first.

Hope this helps.

--
My opinions are completely my own. As for my heart and soul,
I'm not so sure....but my ass definately belongs to the IRS.
Bjørn Tore Elvedal wrote in message <71php2$2te$1...@readme.online.no>...