Console Logging Options to Capture Fatal Reset Output for Sun Systems (Doc ID 1008702.1)

Last updated on APRIL 04, 2023

Applies to:

Goal

Purpose of logging.
The purpose of console logging is to capture console messages, which are used to improve the quality and timeliness of problem diagnosis. By default, Fatal Reset details and POST output after a Fatal Reset are directed to serial port A (ttya). Some families of systems incorporate a system controller. A system controller(SC) is a integrated system board running its own operating system that is designed to act as a console and in some systems capture and store console activity. See Below for Implementation by Platform.

In many system interrupts, console data is the only output available. This is because in some failure modes, Solaris [TM] Operating Environment has already terminated and there is no software running in the system that is capable of logging messages to traditional file system locations. For this reason, capturing diagnostic/failure data via serial console logging provides additional diagnostic information and reduces the number of "unexplained system reboots".

Fatal error fatal resets bring a system down extremely fast. Additional components to the failing item often detect the error, but the speed of crash often leaves these "error artifacts"  in component registers. The PROM can subsequently interpret these artifacts by indicating the wrong component as the cause for the reset and may offline a good component as a result. Serial  console logging allows analysis of the Fatal Reset ouput to help ensure that the actual defective FRU is replaced, and not a good component incorrectly reported as failed.

The last section of this document outlines other aids in console logging. Note that there may be other software and hardware vendors with equivalent products. The functionality of these other  products is likely similar to what is discussed below. When selecting a console server, ensure that it supports port buffering and that the buffer size is at least 200K per port. The larger  the buffer size, the less likely that important data is overwritten.

Solution