x4200 no boot, no bios

[alliso...@gmail.com]

Hello everyone,

I recently got an old x4200 M2 that i need to get to work. I had some problems with the coin cell, which i replaced, but that was not enough to get it working. I can log in to the SP after having reset the password to default (root/changeme). I have been working on this and looking for information on the net, but nothing helped. I think this might be because some firmware or BIOS corrupt configuration. I searched everywhere for a firmware to download because i have no tech support, but it is impossible.

I would like to know if that would be my only solution or there is something else i could test before giving up.

The only two events i see in the SP logs are:

Entity Presence : ps1.prsnt : Device Present -->> means power source 1 connected
Entity Presence : io.id1.prsnt : Device Present -->> means disk drives connected??

Regards

[Casper H.S. Dik]

The ILOM will give all kinds of information on the webpages.

Have you been able to connect to the ILOM of http?

Casper

[alliso...@gmail.com]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, i can connect to the ILOM of http and console. When i try to start from console i get this:

-> start SYS
Are you sure you want to start /SYS (y/n)? y
start: Failed to start /SYS

and i get these messages in the http log:

root : Set : object = /SYS/power_state : value = on : error
KCS Command : Set ACPI Power State : system power state = 0x0 : device power state = no change : success

[DoN. Nichols]

Hmm ... I've got a X4200 without the /M2 suffix, and my problem
with that was that I could not boot from the DVD-ROM -- with a DVD-ROM
or with a CD-ROM. I wound up booting it from a USB Thumb drive. It
would always *see* the DVD-ROM drive, but it could never transfer data
from/to it -- even from a booted OS.

This may not apply to yours, of course, but it is my experience,
FWIW.

The OS which I installed on it was OpenSXCE -- an open-source
derivative of Solaris 11 from before Oracle shut down the open-source
project.

How much RAM is in the system? If none, I suspect that nothing
but the ILOM will run, which has a different CPU and memory space.

BTW -- IIRC, from the manual, there were ways to reset both the
password (which you have done) and to reset the BIOS to default.

For the M2 flavor they are:

J9 CMOS clear
J12 Password Clear
J13 Force Recovery

The information for the M2 series starts on page 2-56 of the
_Sun Fire X4100/X4100M M2 and X4200 X4200 M2 Servers Service Manual (Sun
part number 819-1157-23 if you need to search for it and download it.

Hmm ... are both power supplies installed and powered? Do they
have a LED on the back indicating problems? Maybe it is only getting
power to the ILOM, and not to the main system board.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
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[alliso...@gmail.com]

> How much RAM is in the system? If none, I suspect that nothing
> but the ILOM will run, which has a different CPU and memory space.

I have 2x2Gb DIMMs for each processor (4Gb each). I checked the slots to be used and they are correctly installed.

> BTW -- IIRC, from the manual, there were ways to reset both the
> password (which you have done) and to reset the BIOS to default.
>
> For the M2 flavor they are:
>
> J9 CMOS clear
> J12 Password Clear
> J13 Force Recovery
>
> The information for the M2 series starts on page 2-56 of the
> _Sun Fire X4100/X4100M M2 and X4200 X4200 M2 Servers Service Manual (Sun
> part number 819-1157-23 if you need to search for it and download it.

I tried doing all those resets when i was trying to reset the ILOM password. I tried again but the system won't boot, it keeps showing the same message.

> Hmm ... are both power supplies installed and powered? Do they
> have a LED on the back indicating problems? Maybe it is only getting
> power to the ILOM, and not to the main system board.

There's only one power source and it is working fine since the 2 green LEDs are on and the amber LED is off. In the server's rear panel, the green state LED is blinking since the system is in standby mode, and the amber warning LED is off.

However, there are some LEDs inside the server labeled with voltages values (don't remember those values exactly): 12V, 5V, 3.3A, 3.3V, etc. only the 3.3A LED is on. Also, when i look in the ILOM http page, "System Monitoring -> Sensor Readings" i get all these sensors:

Name, Type, Reading
/SYS/INTSW, Physical Security, Intrusion: None
/SYS/FP/PRSNT, Entity Presence, Present
/SYS/FP/USBFAIL, Entity Fault, Disabled
/SYS/FP/LEDBD/PRSNT, Entity Presence, Present
/SYS/PS1/PRSNT, Entity Presence, Present
/SYS/PS1/VINOK, Power Supply, State Asserted
/SYS/PS1/PWROK, Power Supply, State Asserted
/SYS/SASBP/ID1, Entity Presence, Present
/SYS/MB/T_AMB, Temperature, 24.000 degrees C
/SYS/MB/V_BAT, Voltage, 3.011 Volts
/SYS/MB/V_+3V3STBY, Voltage, 3.218 Volts
/SYS/MB/V_+3V3, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_+5V, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_+12V, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_-12V, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_+2V5, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_+1V5CORE, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/V_+1V2, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/FP/T_AMB, Temperature, 19.000 degrees C
/SYS/PDB/T_AMB, Temperature, 20.000 degrees C
/SYS/SASBP/T_AMB, Temperature, 21.000 degrees C
/SYS/MB/P0/T_CORE, Temperature, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P0/V_VDD, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P0/V_VDDIO, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P0/V_VTT, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P1/T_CORE, Temperature, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P1/V_VDD, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P1/V_VDDIO, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/MB/P1/V_VTT, Voltage, Not Readable
/SYS/FT1/FM1/F0/SPEED, Fan, Not Readable
/SYS/SASBP/F0/SPEED, Fan, Not Readable
/SYS/FT1/FM1/PRSNT, Entity Presence, Present

there can be seen that the "MB/V_" voltage sensors are not readable, except the V_BAT and V_+3V3STBY sensors.

I don't know if all the other voltage sensors should be reading some values in standby mode, or they are only readable when the host is on.

The version information of the server is:

SP Firmware Version: 2.0.2.10
SP Firmware Build Number: 44276
SP Firmware Date: Wed Apr 22 19:12:26 CST 2009
SP Filesystem Version: 0.1.14

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2015-06-12, alliso...@gmail.com <alliso...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> How much RAM is in the system? If none, I suspect that nothing
>> but the ILOM will run, which has a different CPU and memory space.

> I have 2x2Gb DIMMs for each processor (4Gb each). I checked the slots
> to be used and they are correctly installed.

O.K. That should be enough so at least one CPU will run, given
power.

>> BTW -- IIRC, from the manual, there were ways to reset both the
>> password (which you have done) and to reset the BIOS to default.
>>
>> For the M2 flavor they are:
>>
>> J9 CMOS clear
>> J12 Password Clear
>> J13 Force Recovery
>>
>> The information for the M2 series starts on page 2-56 of the
>> _Sun Fire X4100/X4100M M2 and X4200 X4200 M2 Servers Service Manual (Sun
>> part number 819-1157-23 if you need to search for it and download it.

> I tried doing all those resets when i was trying to reset the ILOM
> password.

In what order? I think that normally you should avoid using the
J13 (Force Recovery) unless you have a new firmware patch to install.

> I tried again but the system won't boot, it keeps showing the
> same message.

>> Hmm ... are both power supplies installed and powered? Do they
>> have a LED on the back indicating problems? Maybe it is only getting
>> power to the ILOM, and not to the main system board.

> There's only one power source and it is working fine since the 2 green
> LEDs are on and the amber LED is off. In the server's rear panel, the
> green state LED is blinking since the system is in standby mode, and the
> amber warning LED is off.

O.K. There *is* a socket for a second power supply, is there
not? I have two identical (and interchangeable) power supplies each in
my X4100 M2, X4200, and T2000.

> However, there are some LEDs inside the server labeled with voltages
> values (don't remember those values exactly): 12V, 5V, 3.3A, 3.3V, etc.
> only the 3.3A LED is on. Also, when i look in the ILOM http page,
> "System Monitoring -> Sensor Readings" i get all these sensors:

The 3.3A LED is monitoring the power for the ILOM service
processor.

> Name, Type, Reading

> /SYS/PS1/VINOK, Power Supply, State Asserted
> /SYS/PS1/PWROK, Power Supply, State Asserted

Hmm ... only PS1, no PS2, though there should be both, each with
its own power cord. (But the system should be capable of running on only
one power supply. Have you tried unplugging the power supply, and
perhaps plugging it into the other socket?

[ ... ]

> /SYS/MB/V_BAT, Voltage, 3.011 Volts
> /SYS/MB/V_+3V3STBY, Voltage, 3.218 Volts

That is your 3.3A LED's power for the service processor.

> /SYS/MB/V_+3V3, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_+5V, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_+12V, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_-12V, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_+2V5, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_+1V5CORE, Voltage, Not Readable
> /SYS/MB/V_+1V2, Voltage, Not Readable

Presumably, becasue all of these are turned off.

[ ... ]

> there can be seen that the "MB/V_" voltage sensors are not readable,
> except the V_BAT and V_+3V3STBY sensors.

Right -- because it is in standby.

Have you tried the ballpoint pushbutton to the right of the
green POWER LED to turn on and off the power?

> I don't know if all the other voltage sensors should be reading some
> values in standby mode, or they are only readable when the host is on.

I would think only when it is on.

> The version information of the server is:
>
> SP Firmware Version: 2.0.2.10
> SP Firmware Build Number: 44276
> SP Firmware Date: Wed Apr 22 19:12:26 CST 2009
> SP Filesystem Version: 0.1.14

Not much meaning to me, as I don't have the X4200 M2, so I
probably have

It looks as though I have forgotten the long password I used for
the ILOM on my 4200, so I'll have to reset the password, and
re-configure the IP address again to do this -- and it is too late
tonight.

[alliso...@gmail.com]

Thanks DoN. Nichols for your reply, you have helped me clarify some doubts.

> In what order? I think that normally you should avoid using the
> J13 (Force Recovery) unless you have a new firmware patch to install.

I tried first the Password Clear (J12), and then CMOS clear (J9). After I could lon in to the SP, I tried the Force Recovery (J13) to try to get the BIOS reset. It didn't work.

> Have you tried the ballpoint pushbutton to the right of the
> green POWER LED to turn on and off the power?

That was one of the first things I tried and kept trying, but nothing happened.

> Hmm ... only PS1, no PS2, though there should be both, each with
> its own power cord. (But the system should be capable of running on only
> one power supply. Have you tried unplugging the power supply, and
> perhaps plugging it into the other socket?

Actually there exist PS0 and PS1. I only have one power source, and I tried plugging it into both sockets, none of them worked. The monitor changes from PS1 to PS0 though.

I've been thinking that maybe the server won't boot when only one power source is plugged, but it obviously can keep running when it lacks one. Maybe it needs redundancy at startup. I'm running out of ideas!

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2015-06-15, alliso...@gmail.com <alliso...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks DoN. Nichols for your reply, you have helped me clarify some doubts.
>
>> In what order? I think that normally you should avoid using the
>> J13 (Force Recovery) unless you have a new firmware patch to install.

> I tried first the Password Clear (J12), and then CMOS clear (J9).
> After I could lon in to the SP, I tried the Force Recovery (J13) to try
> to get the BIOS reset. It didn't work.

>> Have you tried the ballpoint pushbutton to the right of the
>> green POWER LED to turn on and off the power?
>
> That was one of the first things I tried and kept trying, but nothing happened.
>
>> Hmm ... only PS1, no PS2, though there should be both, each with
>> its own power cord. (But the system should be capable of running on only
>> one power supply. Have you tried unplugging the power supply, and
>> perhaps plugging it into the other socket?

> Actually there exist PS0 and PS1. I only have one power source, and I
> tried plugging it into both sockets, none of them worked. The monitor
> changes from PS1 to PS0 though.

Can you use an extension cord or an outlet strip with two or
more outlets to feed both power supplies at once? It should work for a
while -- though avoid light gauge wire extension cords. Of course this
does not give you power redundancy, but it shuts up complaints about no
power. I think that you can do this by unplugging the one power supply
module too. :-)

> I've been thinking that maybe the server won't boot when only one
> power source is plugged, but it obviously can keep running when it lacks
>one. Maybe it needs redundancy at startup. I'm running out of ideas!

IIRC, Mine would boot with either power supply alone. Let me go
up and try it.

O.K. It does boot fine with only one power supply plugged into
the wall power, and the other power supply still in the system.

However, some other things come to mind.

1) Once I got the Service Processor configured, I plugged a
USB keyboard and a monitor into the back of the system (or the
front for the USB keyboard -- it doesn't matter), and after a
while waiting, it shortly offers some choices on the screen and
then goes on. The three were "F2", "F8" and I think "F12". If
you select one, it does not act on it for a while, as it
completes other tests. And I think that I had to hit the first
one blind once to configure so it was talkative during POST
instead of just sulking until it started to really boot.

"F2" (IIRC -- I couldn't make notes in time) offers
configuration of the BIOS.

"F8" I forget what it does.

"F12" offers entry to the "BBS" (which IIRC offers the ability
to select the order of boot trial for this one boot cycle.

I never got this working from the net connection to the service
processor, but I likely did something wrong. I was bashing my
way around in this system.

I could *never* boot from (nor read from) the DVD-ROM, but I was
able to boot from a thumb drive configured as a "Live CD" for
OpenSXCE. I could have configured another Solaris system for a
net boot, but I did not try that.

What OS do you intend to run on this system if you get it
behaving?

2) If it can't boot from the configured devices (DVD-ROM and
internal SAS hard drive -- *not* SATA, though the connector is
the same), it proceeds to try to boot from the net.

*But* -- all the time the green power LED on the front is on,
except for a series of blinks of all LEDs as it is transferring control
from the service processor to the BIOS for booting. (Really weird to
someone who is used to the OPENBOOT firmware on SPARC based Suns.)

So -- if you never get the solid green power LED, there is
something else wrong in there -- not your power supplies.

[Bruce Esquibel]

DoN. Nichols <BPdnic...@d-and-d.com> wrote:

> IIRC, Mine would boot with either power supply alone. Let me go
> up and try it.

> O.K. It does boot fine with only one power supply plugged into
> the wall power, and the other power supply still in the system.

You know, the way he wrote the message, I thought he meant he only had one
power module that could either go into PS0 or PS1, he's missing the other
one and was wondering if both were needed to get it to boot.

I mean it doesn't make sense to me either if that is the case since it's
supposed to be able to run off just one, but I didn't see anything in the
manual that said you could or couldn't, so interesting question.

So I think if you want to help him, with the machine off, pull one of the
power supplies physically out, then see it if boots using just one.

Maybe the chassis has an interlock so it won't boot unless both modules are
present, even if one of them is dead or unplugged. Again, doesn't make sense
since they are both hot-swappable.

Or else I misunderstood what he wrote.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2015-06-17, Bruce Esquibel <b...@ripco.com> wrote:
> DoN. Nichols <BPdnic...@d-and-d.com> wrote:
>
>> IIRC, Mine would boot with either power supply alone. Let me go
>> up and try it.
>
>> O.K. It does boot fine with only one power supply plugged into
>> the wall power, and the other power supply still in the system.
>
>
> You know, the way he wrote the message, I thought he meant he only had one
> power module that could either go into PS0 or PS1, he's missing the other
> one and was wondering if both were needed to get it to boot.
>
> I mean it doesn't make sense to me either if that is the case since it's
> supposed to be able to run off just one, but I didn't see anything in the
> manual that said you could or couldn't, so interesting question.
>
> So I think if you want to help him, with the machine off, pull one of the
> power supplies physically out, then see it if boots using just one.

I just buried that system under two T2000 systems and a T5220,
so I'm not sure that I *can* do that now. And lifting them off alone is
a problem, because I'm dealing with a broken arm which has a limited
range of motion, but maybe I can do it. Certainly not tonight. Too
tired, and I am due for exericses to keep the arm from getting worse
before I go to sleep.

> Maybe the chassis has an interlock so it won't boot unless both modules are
> present, even if one of them is dead or unplugged. Again, doesn't make sense
> since they are both hot-swappable.
>
> Or else I misunderstood what he wrote.

I'm not sure. I think that I'll wait until I hear back from
him before trying to do the major move of systems.

But -- it does not make sense that it would not boot with one
power supply out. I think that he has some other problem in the system,
including possibly a cable mis-connected.

Enjoy,
DoN.

[alliso...@gmail.com]

Hello guys,

thanks for your replies! Sorry for my late answer, I had some situations to attend.

About the X4200, my configuration is as Bruce described, sorry if I didn't expain correctly. I only have one power module that can either go into PS0 or PS1. Thanks for clarifying.

Maybe there is a problem with one of the connectors, not supplying certain voltage. About the power source, I can tell that it seems to work ok. The AC green led turns on, and after a while the OK green led turns on, no errors. However, if I plug the power module WITHOUT putting it into the socket (i.e. the power module alone), only the AC green led turns on.

This makes me think that maybe my supposition about the connectors is not correct, since the power module detects it is well connected. Or maybe it just tells me it is into some socket, without knowing if it is well connected or not.

Thanks!

[Bruce Esquibel]

alliso...@gmail.com wrote:

> About the X4200, my configuration is as Bruce described, sorry if I didn't
> expain correctly. I only have one power module that can either go into PS0
> or PS1. Thanks for clarifying.

Yeah, I don't know then, I'm pretty sure it should start up with only one
power module present because they are hot-swappable. So that does imply
it'll run on one module.

In the past there were exceptions, I think the E4500 had slots for 4 power
modules, would boot on 2 in place, but depending on the card configuration,
did need at least 3 present. Having 4 just gave redundancy.

One thing, being you said you were given this thing, did you check to make
sure the CPU's are there? Several years ago I picked up what was supposed to
be "new in the box, but opened" pair (one x4200, one x4100) and although
seemed to be unused, both had parts missing. The x4200 only had a tray fan
and the dvd missing.

The x4100 though, it seemed complete but wouldn't turn on similar to your
situation. After poking around a bit I realized there was no cpu's. Some
bastard found like square peice of plastic, it had the heat shink and strap
around it making it look like they were in place. I don't remember the
configuration but because of that big square copper plate, unless you
actually take them out, you just can't tell.

Might be worth the trouble to take a screw driver to it and check.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

[DoN. Nichols]

The power supply normally supplies only the +3V (to run the
Service Processor), and only when the SP asks for full power (either
from a command to the SC from the serial port, or from pushing the
power-on button on the front) does it switch to power out on all the
other pins. So -- it could be a possible problem in the Service
Processor. (Did you say that you had been able to reset and log into
that?). However, it could be a problem in the connection of the SP to
the motherboard. Have you tried pulling it out and re-seating it? I
seem to remember that at least on mine it is a card in the center back
of the system. (Or -- it could be that the connection to the power
supply which tells it to turn on is defective in that power supply.)

Or -- perhaps there is a configuration parameter in the SP's
ILOM, which prevents the power on.

BTW There are a number of alternative power supplies which can work in
the system. Aside from the X4100 and X4200 (both plain and M2
varieties), you can also use supplies from the T2000, T5220, and a
number of other systems. (I just swapped one power supply from my X4200
to the T5220 which was complaining about one power supply after it ran
for a while. Overtemperature.)

I guess that I could get power to the X4200 and try to boot it
with the one power supply socket empty -- but I don't think that will
show anything. Let me know.

Good Luck,