Cold Startup Hangs on "H iinit" with 5.0.4

[EastTexasUser]

OS: OpenServer 5.0.4c
Machine: Compaq Proliant ML350 1Ghz

Question:
If I power down the server, then it hangs on "H iinit". I have found a work around which is to boot off of my Cactus Software A1 and A2 Airbag diskettes. For some reason I can boot properly when using these diskettes. I get all the way to their restore menu, then I exit the program, remove the disks, do a warm reboot, and everything works fine.

These diskettes are made from the working kernel.

I can only guess the driver causing the problem is "cled" (from Compaq). This is because when the boot up fails, it doesn't make it to this driver. When it's successful, that's the one I see load successfully at the place where it hangs.

Has anyone ever heard of this?

Thanks,
Jill

 

[edfair]

Not with this specific driver, but there is a section in the manual covering the boot issues and the fixes.
You might wnat to make another set of airbags to be safe then a root/boot set and use it to rewrite the failing one. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[stanhubble]

A couple of questions:

Is this a new happening or is it since installation?
Is this the G2 flavor of the ML350?
What is the version of the compaq efs?
Are you running the hot swap drives? and if so which controller are they connected to?

We have around 100 customers with 5.0.5 on ML350's using the LC2 raid controller for drives in the hot-swap cage.
The newer G2 model of the ML350 now comes with the 532 smart controller. If you just have drives on the ad160 controller you may have a jumper set for a "delay mtr start".
Also when all else fails triple check your scsi termination.

 

[EastTexasUser]

Problem fixed!

Thanks to both of you for replying. I had tried to solve this problem some months ago with Compaq, but didn't get very far. So, I sent them an email with the same information I put in my post.

I am quite impressed to have received and answer from them within an hour. Here is the solution:

1. Turn off the power to the machine when it hangs at "h iinit"
2. Turn power back on and enter "defbootstr disable=cled" at the "boot:" prompt. This will allow the OpenServer to start up successfully.
3. Next modify /etc/conf/sdevice.d/cled file and change the following line from
cled Y 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
To
cled N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4. Relink the kernel with "sh /etc/conf/cf.d/link_unix -y"
5. Reboot system with "shutdown -y -g0 -i6" -- the system will boot without hanging.

Thanks again for your assistance!!

Jill

 

[stanhubble]

Just for clarity then:
your boot device ( hard drive ) is not on the controller that the cled driver is trying to initialize?

 

[EastTexasUser]

Nope, apparently not. I thought it was, but I must be wrong.

Jill