Service Processor (GSP or MP)




	NOTE: The service processor in HP servers is sometimes called the Management Processor (MP) and sometimes the Guardian Service Processor (GSP). Regardless of the name, the service processor in these servers provides approximately the same features and performs essentially the same role. Throughout this document the term "service processor" refers to both the MP and GSP service processors.

The service processor is a service and console subsystem on the following servers:

N4000
all L-Class
A-Class (the A400 and A500)
Superdome systems
rp2400, rp2450
rp5400, rp5430, rp5450, rp5470
rp7400, rp7410
rp8400
all new servers introduced starting with the N-Class

The GSP console driver, the software component of the GSP, provides the following features on HP-UX:

Local console port: provides system console while HP-UX is running.
Remote session port: establishes an HP-UX login session on the remote console.
Local session port: establishes an HP-UX login session on the local console.
Internal console port: supports firmware upgrade and diagnostics on GSP.
UPS port: establishes a communication channel between the UPS daemon and UPS.

SAM provides configuration support (that is, modem and UPS connections) over the GSP serial ports. The insf(1M) and mksf(1M) commands create device files for the GSP serial ports.

The following commands have been changed to provide additional support for the GSP console:

ttytype can determine the ID of the terminal connected to the local console port.
stty supports the status query and reset function of the GSP.

The GSP console driver is based on the existing built-in serial port driver (asio0). Every serial port on the GSP adheres strictly to the termio feature set; these features are described in the termio(7) and modem(7) manpages.

GSP Logging Capabilities

The introduction of GSP to the above platforms dramatically changes the way chassis operations and diagnostic evaluations are performed on a running system.

The new subsystem requires HP-UX to provide more information than was provided on previous platforms. HP-UX will continue to output the same chassis-codes and forward-progress indicators that have been provided in previous releases. On the above and subsequent systems, however, the codes are displayed on the Virtual Front Panel (VFP) of the system. Most of the existing four-hex digit chassis codes are enclosed in GSP-specific encoding.

The GSP subsystem interprets various forms of logging information from both firmware and software. Several new software events are now logged, including:

"Boot Complete" indicator
Timestamp
Periodic heartbeat, with:
- timeout value (a time-limit within which another event must be logged before the system is declared "dead")
- activity level indicating system usage
Minimal LED control

In addition to existing four-hex digit chassis codes, the following information is sent with each event:

Alert level
CPU number




	NOTE: The GSP will not store codes of alert level 0 after PDC's “boot complete” code. All incoming codes will display on the VFP, but level 0's will not be stored for later retrieval. This is so the log won't fill up with heartbeat entries. `PDC_CHASSIS`, the old firmware call for old-style, four-hex digit chassis codes, always produces codes of alert level 0. In order to create new-style chassis codes, the `PAT_` call for `CHASSIS` must be used.

Service Processor (GSP or MP)

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

» Index

GSP Logging Capabilities