C H A P T E R 2 - Accessing the System Controller

By default, serial connections to the SC are enabled and remote connections are disabled. To enable remote connections, use the setupplatform command. For details on the setupplatform command, refer to the command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.

This section describes how to use the following types of connections to access the SC main menu:

Serial Connections

TIP connections

Serial terminal connections

Remote Connections

TELNET

Establishing Serial Connections to the SC

To Initiate a Serial Connection With tip

At the machine prompt, type tip and the serial port to be used for the system controller session.

For example:

machinename% tip port_name

connected

The SC main menu is displayed (see CODE EXAMPLE 2-1).

To Initiate a Serial Connection Using the Serial Port

Connect the system controller serial port to an ASCII terminal.

The SC main menu is displayed (see CODE EXAMPLE 2-1).

Establishing Remote Connections to the SC

Before you attempt to use SSH or TELNET, make sure that the SC has been configured to enable remote connections. For details on configuring the settings for remote connections, refer to the setupplatform command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.

To Initiate a Remote Connection With SSH

Note - The SC provides SSH server functionality only. For security reasons, only connections requested by client software running the SSHv2 protocol are accepted by the SSH server on the SC. See Enabling SSH.

Type the following at the system prompt:

% ssh schostname

where schostname is the system controller host name.

The system controller main menu is displayed (see CODE EXAMPLE 2-1).

Note - When using SSH, you can open a maximum of five connections to the system controller at one time.

If you receive the following message while attempting to open a remote connection with SSH

ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

run the connections command from the platform shell on the main SC to determine whether you have reached the connection limit.

To Initiate a Remote Connection With TELNET

Type the following at the system prompt:

% telnet schostname

Trying xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Connected to schostname.

Escape character is '^]'.

where schostname is the system controller host name.

The system controller main menu is displayed (see CODE EXAMPLE 2-1).

To Bypass the SC Main Menu When Using TELNET

To bypass the SC main menu, use a port number as an additional argument to the telnet command (the port_number argument is not available for ssh). You can make a remote connection to the platform shell, a domain shell (if the specified domain is inactive), or a domain console (if the specified domain is active).

Type the following:

% telnet schostname port_number

where schostname is the system controller host name and the port_number is one of the following:

5000 - Platform Shell

5001 - Domain A

5002 - Domain B

5003 - Domain C

5004 - Domain D

Using the SC Main Menu

This section describes the SC main menu.

To Select Destinations From the SC Main Menu

1. Access the SC main menu by initiating a serial or remote connection to the SC.

The SC main menu is displayed. CODE EXAMPLE 2-1 shows the SC main menu, where schostname is the system controller host name. In this example, the selected destination is the platform shell.

CODE EXAMPLE 2-1 Selecting Destinations
System Controller `schostname': Type 0 for Platform Shell Type 1 for domain A Type 2 for domain B Type 3 for domain C Type 4 for domain D Input: `0` Connected to Platform Shell schostname`:SC`>

2. Choose a destination:

Type 0 to enter the platform shell.

The system controller prompt, schostname:SC>, is displayed for the platform shell of the main system controller. If you have a redundant SC configuration, the spare system controller prompt is schostname:sc>.

Type 1, 2, 3, or 4 to access the appropriate domain.

The system controller prompt for the domain you connected to is displayed. For example, the prompt for domain A is schostname:A>. If the domain is active, you get the domain console. If the domain is inactive, you get the domain shell.

For the definitions of platform shell, domain shell, and domain console, see Chapter 1.

System Controller Navigation

This section describes the navigation procedures summarized in FIGURE 2-1.

FIGURE 2-1 Navigating Among the Platform Shell, the Domain Shell, and Domain Console

Diagram that shows how to neavigate between the platform shell, domain shell, and domain console.

Navigation Diagram Notes

The default escape sequence to move from a domain console to the domain shell (controlled by the setescape command) is the pound sign followed by a period (#.).

For TELNET connections, the standard escape sequence (CRTL ]), followed by the send break command, is also supported.

Typing the break command from the domain shell of an activated domain suspends the Solaris operating environment and brings you to the OpenBoot PROM ok prompt.

Two steps are required to go from a domain console to the platform shell:

Apply the escape sequence to go to the domain shell.

Type the disconnect command to go to the platform shell.

To Navigate Between The Platform Shell And a Domain

Note - This example shows entering an inactive domain from the platform shell.

Type the following:

schostname:SC> console -d domain_ID

where domain_ID is the domain name.

For example, to go to the domain shell for domain a:

schostname:SC> console -d a

Connected to Domain A

Domain Shell for Domain A

schostname:A>

Note - If the OpenBoot PROM is at the ok prompt or the Solaris operating environment is at the login: prompt, press the Enter key to see the prompt. Otherwise, you will need to wait for output to be generated by POST, the OpenBoot PROM, or the Solaris operating environment. If the domain is hung, there will be no output. However, when a domain displays no output, it does not necessarily mean that the domain is hung.

If you select a domain that is active (from the SC main menu), you get the domain console instead. An active domain is one in which the OpenBoot PROM is running or the domain keyswitch is set to on, diag, or secure.

Type disconnect to return to the platform shell.

To Go From a Domain Console To a Domain Shell

If you choose a domain and that domain is active (the domain keyswitch is set to on, diag, or secure which means you are running the Solaris operating environment, or are in the OpenBoot PROM), you will enter the domain console. To exit the domain console and enter the domain shell, perform the following steps

Type the escape sequence to get to the domain shell prompt.

By default, the escape sequence is #. (the pound sign, followed by a period).

CODE EXAMPLE 2-2 Obtaining a Domain Shell From the Domain Console
ok `#.` schostname`:A`>

To Go From a Domain Shell To a Domain Console

1. If the domain is active, perform the following steps:

a. From the domain shell, type the following:

schostname:D> resume

Note that because the domain is active, you will get a blank line.

b. Press the Return key to get a prompt.

Note - If the domain is not active, (the Solaris operating environment or the OpenBoot PROM is not running), the system controller stays in the domain shell and you will obtain an error.

2. If the domain is inactive, activate and initialize the domain by typing the following in the domain shell:

schostname:A> setkeyswitch on

The domain console is available only when the domain is active. To make the domain active, you must turn the keyswitch on. You will be automatically switched from the domain shell to the domain console.

The domain will go through POST and then the OpenBoot PROM. If the OpenBoot PROM auto-boot? parameter of the setupdomain command is set to true, the Solaris operating environment will boot. For details on the domain parameters, refer to the setupdomain command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.

Terminating Connections to the SC

This section describes how to terminate connections to the system controller.

To Terminate a Serial Connection With `tip`

If you are connected to the System Controller board with the serial port, use the disconnect command to terminate the system controller session then use a tip command to terminate your tip session.

1. At the domain shell or platform shell prompt, type disconnect.

schostname:A> disconnect

Note - When you disconnect from a direct connection to a domain shell, you will see nothing. Press the Return key to obtain the prompt.

2. If you are in a domain shell and are connected from the platform shell, type disconnect again to disconnect from the system controller session.

schostname:SC> disconnect

The SC main menu is displayed.

3. Type ~. to end your tip session (CODE EXAMPLE 2-3).

CODE EXAMPLE 2-3 Ending a `tip` Session
System Controller `schostname': Type 0 for Platform Shell Type 1 for domain A Type 2 for domain B Type 3 for domain C Type 4 for domain D Input: `~.` machinename`%`

The machinename% prompt is displayed.

To Terminate a Remote Connection

If you are connected directly to the domain and not from the platform shell, type the disconnect command at the domain shell prompt.

Your system controller session terminates.

schostname:A> disconnect

Connection closed by foreign host.

machinename%