Technical data

Boot and Reset Overview for nPartitions
Tools for Managing nPartition Booting
HP System Partitions Guide: Administration for nPartitions—rp7410
EMSP—[e-mail]
129
Tools for Managing nPartition Booting
HP nPartition servers support the following software tools for booting
and resetting nPartitions and for configuring and managing partition
boot settings.
These tools overlap in some of the functionality they provide, but each
has unique capabilities.
The primary tools for managing nPartition booting are shown below.
• Service Processor (GSP or MP)—Using a server complex’s service
processor menus, you can reset partitions, put partitions into a
ready for reconfig state, and TOC the partitions in the complex.
The service processor also provides power on and power off commands
for power cycling server hardware components.
• Virtual Front Panel (VFP)—Each nPartition has its own VFP that
displays current cell and partition boot states and activities.
For each server complex you also can access a system VFP that gives
a live partition boot state and activity status for all nPartitions in the
complex.
• Boot Console Handler (BCH)—Each partition’s BCH interface
provides commands for booting HP-UX, rebooting the partition, and
putting the partition into a ready for reconfig state.
You also can configure boot-related settings and check the partition’s
hardware and boot-setting configurations using BCH menus.
• HP-UX System Loaders (ISL and hpux)—You can use system
loaders to list files that reside on a boot device, such as kernel files in
/stand, and can specify boot arguments to the hpux loader.
You can access the ISL and hpux loaders after issuing the BCH
interface’s BOOT command, when BCH gives you the following option:
Do you wish to stop at the ISL prompt prior to booting?
(y/n)
Replying “y” (yes, do stop at ISL) allows you to interact directly with a
boot device’s Initial System Loader (ISL) and the Secondary System
Loader (hpux).
HP Restricted / DRAFT
DRAFT NOV 2001