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Installing Linux, SGI, SUSE LINUX, Turbolinux, and VA Linux Systems now VA Software.

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4.4 Installing Linux The goal of the project to port the Linux kernel to the Itanium platform was to have a single optimized port of the Linux kernel for every Itanium-based machine. The kernel has been available at http://www.kernel.org since early 2000. The development model used to create this new porting of the kernel was the same as used for other Linux development work: Open source developers working together around the world on a cooperative effort to make it available before any other operating system and even before the official release of the processor itself. This is one of the key points of Linux' success, and also of this Itanium 2 port of the kernel. This effort was also possible thanks to many companies and institutions that contributed on this development effort, such as Intel, IBM, HP, Caldera (now SCO Group), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Red Hat, SGI, SUSE LINUX, Turbolinux, and VA Linux Systems (now VA Software). Each company distributed the work among their developers to achieve the best results. The main tasks were: Port the kernel itself Initial port of GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) to IA-64 architecture Port of GAS, emacs, ld, GNUPro toolkit Port of performance, measurement, and analysis tools Intel provided the IA-32 and IA-64 platform specifications and the EFI, and helped on the Apache port. The rest of the work was distributed among the companies involved, and also by private individuals around the world. Linux for IA-64 provides a pure 64-bit kernel but maintains compatibility at the API level with Linux for x86 wherever this is possible. The error messages, the system signal, and the ioctl codes will remain as compatible as possible between the two platforms. Also in this version, as started in the Linux kernel from Version 2.1.126 onwards, developers tried to minimize changes to make the code as platform-independent as possible, while optimizing the platform-specific features to improve performance on Itanium processors. The IA-64 Linux kernel follows the standards defined by Intel and other companies. These include: EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface); see: http://developer.intel.com/technology/efi/ DIG64 (Developers Interface Guide for 64-bit Intel Architecture Servers); see: http://www.dig64.org Chapter 4. Installation 151

Section	Page
Front cover	1
Contents	5
Notices	9
Trademarks	10
Preface	11
The team that wrote this redbook	11
Become a published author	13
Comments welcome	14
Chapter 1. Technical description	15
1.1 Features	16
1.1.1 Comparing the x455 with the x450	16
1.1.2 Features not supported	17
1.2 The x455 base models	18
1.2.1 Front and rear views	18
1.3 System assembly	20
1.4 IBM XA-64 chipset	21
1.4.1 The processor-board assembly	23
1.4.2 The memory-board assembly	27
1.4.3 PCI-X board assembly	31
1.5 Remote Supervisor Adapter	33
1.6 RXE-100 Expansion Enclosure	35
1.7 Multinode scalable partitions	36
1.7.1 RXE-100 connectivity	38
1.7.2 Multinode configuration	39
1.7.3 Integrated I/O function support	40
1.7.4 Error recovery	40
1.8 Redundancy	41
1.9 Light path diagnostics	41
1.10 Extensible Firmware Interface	43
1.10.1 GUID Partition Table disk	45
1.10.2 EFI System Partition	47
1.10.3 EFI and the reduced-legacy concept	48
1.11 Operating system support	49
1.12 Enterprise X-Architecture	49
1.12.1 NUMA architecture	50
Chapter 2. Positioning	53
2.1 Migrating to a 64-bit platform	54
2.2 Scalable system partitioning	55
2.2.1 RXE-100 Expansion Enclosure	56
2.3 Operating system support	56
2.4 Server consolidation	57
2.5 ServerProven®	58
2.6 IBM Datacenter Solution Program	59
2.7 Application solutions	60
2.7.1 Database applications	60
2.7.2 Business logic	62
2.7.3 e-Business and security transactions	64
2.7.4 In-house developed compute-intensive applications	65
2.7.5 Science and technology industries	65
2.8 Why choose x455	66
Chapter 3. Planning	69
3.1 System hardware	70
3.1.1 Processors	70
3.1.2 Memory	71
3.1.3 PCI-X slot configuration	75
3.1.4 Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet controller	78
3.2 Cabling and connectivity	79
3.2.1 SMP Expansion connectivity	81
3.2.2 Remote Expansion Enclosure connectivity	84
3.2.3 Remote Supervisor Adapter connectivity	90
3.2.4 Serial connectivity	92
3.3 Storage considerations	93
3.3.1 xSeries storage solutions	93
3.3.2 Tape backup	98
3.4 Rack installation	99
3.5 Power considerations	101
3.6 Operating system support	101
3.6.1 Clustering	102
3.7 IBM Director support	103
3.8 Solution Assurance Review	104
3.8.1 Trigger Tool	104
3.8.2 Electronic Solution Assurance Review (eSAR)	104
Chapter 4. Installation	105
4.1 Using The Extensible Firmware Interface	106
4.1.1 EFI Firmware Boot Manager	107
4.1.2 The EFI shell	109
4.1.3 Driver Setup	117
4.1.4 Flash update	126
4.1.5 Configuration/Setup utility	132
4.1.6 Diagnostic utility	135
4.1.7 Boot Option Maintenance	136
4.2 Configuring scalable partitions	145
4.2.1 Creating a scalable partition	145
4.2.2 Booting a scalable partition	148
4.2.3 Multiple Monitors	149
4.2.4 Deleting a scalable partition	150
4.3 Installing Windows Server 2003	150
4.3.1 Important information	150
4.3.2 Preparing to install	152
4.3.3 Installation	153
4.3.4 Post-setup phase	158
4.4 Installing Linux	165
4.4.1 Linux IA-64 kernel overview	166
4.4.2 Choosing a Linux distribution	167
4.4.3 Installing SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8.0	170
4.4.4 Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS	174
4.4.5 Linux boot process	176
4.4.6 Information about the installed system	177
4.4.7 Using the serial port for the Linux console	185
4.4.8 RXE-100 Expansion Enclosure	186
4.4.9 Upgrading drivers	187
Chapter 5. Management	189
5.1 IBM Director	190
5.1.1 Scalable Systems Manager	191
5.2 The Remote Supervisor Adapter	191
5.2.1 Connecting via a Web browser	193
5.2.2 Connecting via the ASM interconnect	198
5.2.3 Installing the device driver	199
5.2.4 Configuring the remote control password	200
5.3 Management using the Remote Supervisor Adapter	201
5.3.1 Configuring which alerts to monitor	202
5.3.2 Configuring SNMP	204
5.3.3 Sending alerts directly to IBM Director	205
5.3.4 Creating a test event action plan in IBM Director	207
5.4 Windows System Resource Manager	210
5.4.1 WSRM description	211
5.4.2 WSRM features	212
5.4.3 WSRM in the x455	213
Abbreviations and acronyms	215
Related publications	217
IBM Redbooks	217
Other publications	217
Online resources	218
How to get IBM Redbooks	222
Help from IBM	222
Index	223

Match case Limit results 1 per page

Chapter 4. Installation

151

4.4

Installing Linux

The goal of the project to port the Linux kernel to the Itanium platform was to

have a single optimized port of the Linux kernel for every Itanium-based machine.

The kernel has been available at

http://www.kernel.org

since early 2000.

The development model used to create this new porting of the kernel was the

same as used for other Linux development work: Open source developers

working together around the world on a cooperative effort to make it available

before any other operating system and even before the official release of the

processor itself. This is one of the key points of Linux’ success, and also of this

Itanium 2 port of the kernel.

This effort was also possible thanks to many companies and institutions that

contributed on this development effort, such as Intel, IBM, HP, Caldera (now SCO

Group), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Red Hat,

SGI, SUSE LINUX, Turbolinux, and VA Linux Systems (now VA Software).

Each company distributed the work among their developers to achieve the best

results. The main tasks were:

Port the kernel itself

Initial port of GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) to IA-64 architecture

Port of GAS, emacs, ld, GNUPro toolkit

Port of performance, measurement, and analysis tools

Intel provided the IA-32 and IA-64 platform specifications and the EFI, and

helped on the Apache port. The rest of the work was distributed among the

companies involved, and also by private individuals around the world.

Linux for IA-64 provides a pure 64-bit kernel but maintains compatibility at the

API level with Linux for x86 wherever this is possible. The error messages, the

system signal, and the ioctl codes will remain as compatible as possible between

the two platforms. Also in this version, as started in the Linux kernel from Version

2.1.126 onwards, developers tried to minimize changes to make the code as

platform-independent as possible, while optimizing the platform-specific features

to improve performance on Itanium processors.

The IA-64 Linux kernel follows the standards defined by Intel and other

companies. These include:

EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface); see:

http://developer.intel.com/technology/efi/

DIG64 (Developers Interface Guide for 64-bit Intel Architecture Servers); see:

http://www.dig64.org