The original question was how to script / automate the remote installation
of firmware to a system which had no console / physical access.
The solution comes in two parts.
It was generally confirmed that there is no avaialble method to script SRM
without access to the console, therefore some kind of remote access to at
least the RCM interface (i.e. a modem on a serial port) would be required.
For installing firmware without a CDROM present, two solutions are given.
The first, from Uwe Lienig, is to use a bootp server in place of the rather
antiquated MOP configuration, and boot via ethernet driver to a server that
contains an image of the firmware cdrom.
The second, which is what I managed to actually implement, is to transfer
the image of the firmware upgrade CDROM via ftp, and clone it as an ISO9660
filesystem onto a local hard drive using mkisofs. An undocumented feature
of the LFU is that it can use any SCSI raw random-access device as the
source
for firmware files, not just the CDROM. Hence dkb300 for example can be
used.
Thanks for the responses.
-----Original Message-----
From: Iain Barker [mailto:ibarker_at_aastra.com]
Sent: Thursday, 27 March, 2003 15:59
To: tru64-unix-managers_at_ornl.gov
Subject: Remote firmware update via LFU ?
Hi,
I am looking for a mechanism to automate the application of Alpha firmware
updates in a 'lights out' environment.
Has anyone devised a way to upgrade firmware without requiring a site visit
to install a floppy/CDROM etc?
We have a number of systems which are remote, without easy console access to
the VGA console. Not all of them have a serial console connected to modem,
hence I am trying to devise a method to automatically run the lfu 'update *
-all' command.
There are some notes in the LFU readme regarding upgrade over Ethernet using
a 'MOP' server. But no details of how to create/host such a service from
another Alpha.
These are all AS4100 Tru64 (4.0f) systems which are installed in pairs,
therefore could one node possibly run as a MOP server and host the firmware
files for remote update of the other node via the ewa interface?
I also found that the 'nvram' script on SRM runs at boot time which could
potentially be a way to script the update and subsequent reboot from disk.
But I am not sure how I can modify the nvram script while Tru64 is
running... and of course console access is unavailable. There is the
'consvar -s' command in Tru64 which allows individual SRM variables to be
modified, but is there an equivalent to allow access to the SRM 'filesystem'
stored in EEPROM ?
There was a previous similar question on the list here, but no
summary/solution posted:
http://www.ornl.gov/cts/archives/mailing-lists/tru64-unix-managers/2000/06/m
sg00345.html
Will summarise any responses.
thanks.
- Iain
Received on Wed Apr 02 2003 - 16:10:01 NZST