Solaris: Not able to access E2900 console

Hi,
I have a scheduled activity to reboot E2900 server. But suddenly I came to know that console ip is not pinging, not connecting via telnet, as it used to connect. I already checked with my onsite person and he changed cable, still no luck. Network person checked his switch, which is showing online. I think, it should have rsc card, but I do not see rscadm inside /usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/. Otherwise I could have done "rscadm resetrsc".

root@ora_prod16:/# uname -a
SunOS ora_prod16 5.10 Generic_120011-14 sun4u sparc SUNW,Netra-T12
root@ora_prod16:/# prtdiag -v | head -3
System Configuration: Sun Microsystems  sun4u Sun Fire E2900
System clock frequency: 150 MHZ
Memory size: 64GB
root@ora_prod16:/# ls -l /usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/
total 232
-r-xr-sr-x   1 root     sys        18888 Jan 24  2007 eeprom
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     sys        18880 Jan 24  2007 fruadm
-rwxr-sr-x   1 root     sys        10024 Jan 24  2007 prtdiag
drwxr-xr-x   2 root     bin          512 Nov  9  2007 sparcv9+vis2
-r-xr-xr-x   1 root     bin        39520 Aug 16  2007 trapstat
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root          40 Nov  9  2007 wrsmconf -> ../../../../platform/sun4u/sbin/wrsmconf
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     sys        27048 Jan 23  2005 wrsmstat

I am really not sure, if E2900 have rsc or sc console.
Can somebody suggest some help on this ?
Regards

There is a serial ilom connection and the network based connection in to the ilom. If you can't telnet in or ssh in to the LAN based connection (we turn off telnet here so try ssh via putty) - make sure your LAN connection is allowed through your firewall if applicable.

I can't yet post URL's - however if you go to docs dot oracle dot com slash

cd/E19102-01/n1280.srvr/817-5233-10/overview.html

There is a link to chapter 3 regarding switching modes as well.

If the LAN method continues not to work then use the old RS232 method to a laptop and you are in.

Yes Vincenix, firewall is already opened. It used to work earlier. Network guy also verified and confirmed that port is coming online. Cable is also changed, so I was suspecting only something from server OS side or server port.
I checked document given by you, but I do not see, if anything can be done to reset lom from OS. I have not take my OS down till now and do not want to reboot server till I get console connection.
Onsite guy is technically not so strong who can connect laptop via serial port.

You may be getting link, however, it may be at the wrong speed. Remember, the SC is 10/100 - perhaps someone has made the switch port auto-negotiate or 1000FULL - Ask your network guy if the port is linked at 100MB. Hopefully your SC is set up with a static IP? If not it could be that it isn't getting the DHCP address you think it should be getting. Unfortunatly w/o the specifics these are the only suggestions I have with the information you have provided.

Console IP is not pingable, earlier it used to ping. It was setup with static ip. Consoles connected to other ports on same switch are working, and there is no change on switch side.
I will try more to check, if there is any option to bounce lom, without reboot of server.
Thanks for trying helping me.

If you have the SUNWlomr and SUNWlomu packages on the server these should give you ILOM access from the running Solaris OS via the "lom" command... I don't see a way these tools allow you to actually reconfigure the ILOM networking. You may end up requiring the seriel connection to troubleshoot this or since you are rebooting anyway init 5 the system then keyswitch it off and on and see if your ILOM comes back (of course you'll be flying blind through the reboot).

---------- Post updated at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous update was at 12:02 PM ----------

If your other consoles work move a working cable to your non-pingable system SC port and see what happens... if it links up at 100MB and your unreachable is suddenly reachable then you may have a DOA port on your switch....

your worst case scenario is the SC card has failed or lost it's network configuration and you'll have to walk the

through the procedure to confirm/correct the SC network configuration via serial port.

I agree with others here.. I'd verify the network switch is not failing the auto-negotiation dance and just lock the port at 10-full (or 100-full, if you're sure the E2900 supports it), and also try your cable into a known-working switch port. I hate to say it, but I suspect it is the case that your SC has failed or lost it's network configuration.

1 Like

Finally I am able to fix the issue. I powered down solaris with "init 5", unplugged cabled, replugged and powered on. It is strange but it worked. I think, it got reset and started responding.
Thanks vincenix and Yeaboem for helping me.

Glad my suggestion on reply #6 worked to init 5 and reset, now get your plan in place to replace that E2900 with a T4-4. We moved a large data-warehouse Oracle DB from a fully loaded E2900 that was getting buried at 100% CPU to a T4-4 and they haven't pushed the T4 over 30% :slight_smile: Cheers!