System Startup, Configuration, and Shutdown Reference Manual (32650-90892)

54 Chapter3

System Startup Functions

Activating and Deactivating Autoboot and Autosearch Functions

Activating and Deactivating Autoboot and Autosearch

Functions

Enabling and disabling the autoboot and autosearch ﬂags determines one of four boot

device and console selections for system initialization. Hardware interprets the selections

as follows:

Manual (autoboot off and autosearch off). Ask for the path to the boot device. Use the path

that is indicated. Initialize the path given, and boot from it.

Bootsearch (autoboot off and autosearch on). Search for a boot device. (Devices are

searched from the smallest to the largest physical address on the processor's bus.) If the

boot device has an incorrect data format, search for the next boot device. If no boot device

exists, or all have the incorrect data format, execute manual selection.

Autoboot (autoboot on and autosearch off). Try to boot from the primary boot device

speciﬁed in stable storage. If the boot device does not exist or has an incorrect data format,

execute manual selection. Once booted, execute (performed by ISL) an autoboot ﬁle, which

contains a command sequence, to bring up the operating system without operator

intervention. If the autoboot ﬁle does not exist, prompt the operator for the utility

command.

Autosearch (autoboot on and autosearch on). Try to boot from the boot device path stored

in stable storage. If the boot device does not exist or has an incorrect data format, execute

the boot search selection. Once booted, execute (performed by ISL) an autoboot ﬁle, which

contains an autoboot sequence, to bring up the operating system without operator

intervention. If the autoboot ﬁle does not exist, prompt the operator for the utility

command.

To enable or disable these features, use the AUTOBOOT and AUTOSEARCH commands. Enter

one or both of the commands and the desired setting (ON/OFF) at the ISL prompt. The

system responds with a message indicating the ﬂag status:

ISL> AUTOBOOT ON

Autoboot is ON (enabled).

ISL> AUTOBOOT OFF

Autoboot is OFF (disabled).

ISL> AUTOSEARCH ON

Autosearch is ON (enabled).

ISL> AUTOSEARCH OFF

Autosearch is OFF (disabled).

For more information on the autoboot and autosearch ﬂags, refer to Appendix C , “Reading

Stable Storage and Nonvolatile Memory.”