Nathan wrote:
> Tom wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> We have some new AIX rackmounts, and the one I am stuck on is a model
>> 520. This this has this ASMI stuff, which so far seems useless to me.
>> When the power is on you can't get the ASMI interface via the terminal
>> port, and to get the web interface you have to boot your laptop to
>> it's provate network via the HMC# ports, and the interface is pretty
>> useless.
>
>
> Yes, until you experince a critical problem that is solved by making a
> change here (albeit rare), it will be useless for you to mess around in
> the GUI ASMI menu. Think of it as a fancy Service Processor menu. Once
> you boot the system it disappears.
>
>> My problem is I have no idea how to get this thing to boot off the AIX
>> 5.2 installation media and none of the AIX or Model 520 doc which I
>> have tells me how to do it.
>>
>> Can someone either tell me how or point me to the correct
>> documentation? I have never had this sort of problem breaking an AIX
>> machine boot (F5 or 5) but this one won't give me a raw console to do
>> that.
>
>
> I've never used a p5 system without an HMC, so I'm not really sure.
> However it may take some time for it to realize there is no HMC attached
> and adjust itself appropriately. Does it hang on an LED code?
>
>> We currently have it connected to a Cisco console server and when the
>> machine is off this gives me the ASMI interface which has no pathway
>> into a raw console the way the HP pre boot IPL does - at least I can't
>> see it. When the machine's power comes up this gets cut off and the
>> console server port is frozen.
>
>
> How long did you wait? Just like the old Service Processor days, the
> ASMI menu cuts out once IPL begins. After that it's just a regular old
> serial port just as you would expect. I don't know what happens next
> though on an HMC-less machine though. How long did you wait? I wouldn't
> be suprized if it took 15 minutes or longer for a slow boot before you
> get to the SMS menu or OS initialization. Again, do you have any LED
> messages or indications of a failure?
>
>> So, to sum up, I need a raw console on this machine and have no idea
>> how to get there. I tried the front Rj45 port, nothing, the rear HMC
>> ports, nada, the rear terminal ports ---> zilcho......
>>
>> I've worked on all sorts of vedor UNIX hardware and have never been so
>> dead in the water clueless as to how to make a piece of machinery
>> simply boot or boot into OS install media.
>
>
> Yes, you pretty much have to read some documentation, especially if you
> are doing something unusual like not using an HMC.
>
>> Any clues appreciated. Sorry to be so long winded.
>>
>>
>> thanks,
>>
>> Tom

You know, I suspected that once the ASMI stuff cuts out that the port
becomes a regular terminal port, but no matter how long I wait nothing
seems to come up. This machine apparently DOES have an HMC. I can't
find anything in the doc on how to work the LED panel buttons, but after
blinking several long codes during the come up phase it eventually says
HMC 0 on this panel. There is also an RJ45 connector on this front HMC
panel but I do not know if it's TERM accessible (seems not) or I need
some IBM software on my laptop to communicate with it.... or some
hardware device.

I have downloaded a huge Redbook on i5 but can't find a similar huge P5
book. I did manage to find a smallish operating manual for p5 but is
heavy on schematics and lite on working the LED's or how to get it to
boot. It mentions SMS menus and all of that older stuff I'm used to but
nothing seems to come up once that ASMI menu cuts out. Perhaps I need
more patience. I dunno.

I don't see any error codes (or what looks like errors) and the
Exclamation point LED is not lit.