HP Integrity rx5670 Windows Integrity nPartition Guide - Page 13

Cell and nPartition boot process, Cell boot phase, nPartition boot phase

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Introduction Getting to know nPartitions rendezvous, and the system boot interface (EFI) has loaded and been displayed through the nPartition console. An operating system may be loaded and run from the system boot interface on an active nPartition. An inactive nPartition is considered to be in the shutdown for reconfig state because all cells assigned to the nPartition either remain at a boot-is-blocked state or are powered off. Cell and nPartition boot process The nPartition boot process on HP Integrity servers involves two phases: Cell boot phase The cell boot phase occurs when cells are powered on or reset. The main activities that occur during the cell boot phase are power-on-self-test activities. During this phase, each cell operates independent of other cells in the complex. Cells do not necessarily proceed through this phase at the same pace, because each cell may have a different amount of hardware to test and discover, or cells might be reset or powered on at different times. The main steps that occur during the cell boot phase are as follows: 1. A cell is powered on or reset, and the cell boot-is-blocked (BIB) flag is set. BIB is a hardware flag on the cell board. When BIB is set, the cell is considered to be inactive. 2. Firmware on the cell performs self-tests and discovery operations on the hardware components of the cell. Operations at this point include processor self-tests, memory tests, I/O discovery, and discovery of interconnecting fabric (connections between the cell and other cells, I/O, and system crossbars). 3. The firmware completes self-tests and discovery, reports the hardware configuration of the cell to the management processor, informs the management processor the cell is "waiting at BIB", and then waits for the cell BIB flag to be cleared. nPartition boot phase After its cells have completed their self-tests, the nPartition is booted. The "nPartition rendezvous" occurs during this phase. Not all cells assigned to the nPartition need to participate in the rendezvous. Only one core-capable cell that has completed its cell boot phase is needed for the nPartition boot phase to begin. By default, all cells assigned to the nPartition that have a "y" use-on-next-boot value are expected to participate in rendezvous. The management processor waits for up to ten minutes for such cells to reach the "waiting at BIB" state. Cells that have a "n" use-on-next-boot value do not participate in rendezvous and remain waiting at BIB. The main steps that occur during the nPartition boot phase are as follows: 1. The management processor provides a copy of the relevant Complex Profile data to the cells assigned to the nPartition. This data includes a copy of the Stable Complex Configuration Data and a copy of the Partition Configuration Data for the nPartition. (The "Complex Profile" represents the configurable aspects of a server complex. The Stable Complex Configuration Data contains complex-wide configuration details and the Partition Configuration Data contains details specific to the nPartition. See the HP System Partitions Guide for more information.) Chapter 1 13

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Introduction
Getting to know nPartitions
Chapter 1
13
rendezvous, and the system boot interface (EFI) has loaded and been
displayed through the nPartition console. An operating system may be
loaded and run from the system boot interface on an active nPartition.
An inactive nPartition is considered to be in the shutdown for reconfig
state because all cells assigned to the nPartition either remain at a
boot-is-blocked state or are powered off.
Cell and nPartition boot process
The nPartition boot process on HP Integrity servers involves two phases:
Cell boot phase
The cell boot phase occurs when cells are powered on or reset. The main activities that
occur during the cell boot phase are power-on-self-test activities. During this phase, each
cell operates independent of other cells in the complex. Cells do not necessarily proceed
through this phase at the same pace, because each cell may have a different amount of
hardware to test and discover, or cells might be reset or powered on at different times.
The main steps that occur during the cell boot phase are as follows:
1. A cell is powered on or reset, and the cell boot-is-blocked (BIB) flag is set. BIB is a
hardware flag on the cell board. When BIB is set, the cell is considered to be inactive.
2.Firmware on the cell performs self-tests and discovery operations on the hardware
components of the cell. Operations at this point include processor self-tests, memory
tests, I/O discovery, and discovery of interconnecting fabric (connections between the
cell and other cells, I/O, and system crossbars).
3.The firmware completes self-tests and discovery, reports the hardware configuration
of the cell to the management processor, informs the management processor the cell
is “waiting at BIB”, and then waits for the cell BIB flag to be cleared.
nPartition boot phase
After its cells have completed their self-tests, the nPartition is booted. The “nPartition
rendezvous” occurs during this phase. Not all cells assigned to the nPartition need to
participate in the rendezvous. Only one core-capable cell that has completed its cell boot
phase is needed for the nPartition boot phase to begin. By default, all cells assigned to
the nPartition that have a “y” use-on-next-boot value are expected to participate in
rendezvous. The management processor waits for up to ten minutes for such cells to
reach the “waiting at BIB” state. Cells that have a “n” use-on-next-boot value do not
participate in rendezvous and remain waiting at BIB. The main steps that occur during
the nPartition boot phase are as follows:
1. The management processor provides a copy of the relevant Complex Profile data to
the cells assigned to the nPartition. This data includes a copy of the Stable Complex
Configuration Data and a copy of the Partition Configuration Data for the nPartition.
(The “Complex Profile” represents the configurable aspects of a server complex. The
Stable Complex Configuration Data contains complex-wide configuration details and
the Partition Configuration Data contains details specific to the nPartition. See the
HP System Partitions Guide
for more information.)