Serial Console access to T2000 5

[SteveR77]

I've inherited a Sunfire T2000 server from the previous SA but I have no clue how this system has been configured.

In attempting to use serial console to access the system this have proven to be an exercise in sheer frustration.

I have attempted to use minicom from a Linux system using the included cables and adapters supplied from Sun.

I have download the latest version of HyperTerminal for my Windows XP system, configured the USB to serial cable driver and then connected that via the aforementioned RJ45 cable and adapter.

All these efforts have failed which leaves me at a loss.

I thought about a possible issue with the pin configuration with the serial connector but using Sun's included cable, adapter, etc. still fails.

Any direction that can be provided would be greatly appreciated at this point.

For my two cents I don't understand why Sun wouldn't just configure the Network Management port with a default IP that could simply be changed if for no other reason the serial console is antiquated at best.

Best regards,

S. Robertson

 

[Annihilannic]

Are you using 9600,N,8,1 connection settings?

Annihilannic.

 

[SteveR77]

Annihilannic,

Yes, I used 9600,N,8,1 in both minicom and Hyperterminal as well ensure that the modem initialization string was correct as well.

I have been attempting to validate the step I am supposed to be doing against the SUN T2000 Administration Guide and thus far I cannot see where I have done anything incorrectly.

Thank you for your response. I am going to attempt to swap the communication cable out to see if that will resolve this issue.

The only component to this puzzle that will be left after this is the connectors themselves but I could not imagine that the one that Sun includes with their cable would be configured incorrectly.

Thank you once again.

 

[Annihilannic]

Is this the only Sun server you have access to to test the serial console?

I think you can get an Ultra 10 off eBay for next to nothing these days... might be a handy sandpit environment.

I'm not familiar with the T2000... does it (or can it) have a video card in it? If so it might be expecting a keyboard and monitor as a console rather than the serial port. I have only worked with so-called "headless" servers.

Annihilannic.

 

[domburns62]

If the server is up and running, make sure that the eeprom value for console is set to ttya.

#eeprom console=ttya

You can run the eeprom command to see what it is currently set to.

 

[SteveR77]

The SunFire T2000 does not have options for a keyboard or video.


domburns - This server was a test server that was left by the previous system admin so I have no idea how to communicate with it other that to attempt to get the serial console up and running on it. The are other Sun T2000 servers which I will attempt to communicate with via a regular dumb termial interface.

My frustration comes from knowing if this was any other hardware I could have at least reinstalled the OS by now and had everything up and running which is why I HATE working with SUN equipment that no one has documemented.

In any event thank you once again for your assistance.

 

[Annihilannic]

Not to be too evangelistic about it... but serial consoles do have advantages. They have a lowest-common-denominator of hardware requirements, which means that when the rest of the system is in a pretty bad state they usually continue to work, thereby allowing you to continue doing some diagnostics and attempt workarounds yourself (as opposed to, say, counting BIOS beeps on an x86 server that is failing to boot, or similar).

They also provide a convenient alternative for remote access and administration through an ethernet <-> serial terminal concentrator, which can usually also be set up to log console output. This often gives you useful diagnostic information where you might otherwise have none after a server has crashed and rebooted.

Annihilannic.

 

[KenCunningham]

The T2000 console is a bit of a booger. Have you hit (usually) Fn and break enough times for it to wake up?

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[SteveR77]

Annihilannic - You do not need to sell on the advantages of serial ports for trouble shooting. My issue with this Sun box is I don't know the state that it is in and the "simple" task of setting up and verifying communication via a serial port is anything but simple in this case. It use to be cable to system port, cable to terminal and it would just work but in this case it has proven to be more complex than trying to build a Chinese typewriter.


Ken - Thanks for the advice. I have tried the break key and stepping through the baud rates but thus far all has proven futile.


At this point I believe I will attempt to connect to a system in our DR environment and leave the one in the lab to the fate of becoming a system for parts.


Thanks again all and make it a great day.

 

[SteveR77]

Progress - Minicom running on a Dell server connected to the T2000 shows the status as ONLINE but I am still not recieving any data from the serial console.

Thanks once again for your insight and assistance.

 

[SteveR77]

RESOLUTION -

Found an old IBM Thinkpad with Minicom installed, used Cisco blue ribbon RJ45 to serial cable, rebooted the server and the serial console came up.

I am now able to access everything that I need to.

I believe the underlying issue was the new hardware default COM port configuration (COM4) and possible issues with the USB to serial cable I had to use.


CHEERS!!!

 

[KenCunningham]

Steve - thanks for letting us know the resolution - have a star on that basis!

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[SteveR77]

Ken,

It was the least I could do. There is nothing worse than not knowing how something was actually solved.

As an aside if you are the same Ken Cunningham who has been working with MS Access over the years. I'd like to add an additional word of thanks for the knowledge you have help me aquire and leverage.


Thanks again to one and all. Stars all around for you assistance with this.

Make it a great day!

 

[SteveR77]

Ken,

It was the least I could do. There is nothing worse than not knowing how something was actually solved.

As an aside if you are the same Ken Cunningham who has been working with MS Access over the years. I'd like to add an additional word of thanks for the knowledge you have help me aquire and leverage.


Thanks again to one and all. Stars all around for your assistance with this.

Make it a great day!