Troubleshooting Boot Problems

Problem: On an HP Integrity server, HP-UX begins booting but is interrupted with a panic when launching the HP-UX kernel (/stand/vmunix).

Causes: The nPartition ACPI configuration might not be properly set for booting HP-UX. In order to boot the HP-UX operating system an nPartition must have its acpiconfig value set to default.

Actions: At the EFI Shell interface, enter the acpiconfig command with no arguments to list the current ACPI configuration for an nPartition. If the acpiconfig value is set to windows, then HP-UX cannot boot; in this situation you must reconfigure acpiconfig.

To set the ACPI configuration for HP-UX: at the EFI Shell interface enter the acpiconfig default command, and then enter the reset command for the nPartition to reboot with the proper (default) configuration for HP-UX.

Use the help acpiconfig command for more details.

Problem: Not all cells boot to join (rendezvous) an nPartition.

Causes: Some cells may have the use-on-next-boot value set to "n" (do not use), or the cells may have been powered off, or the cells may have booted too late to participate in partition rendezvous, or the cells have failed self-tests and cannot be used, or the cells are incompatible.

Actions: Check the cell use-on-next-boot values and change them to "y" as needed then reboot for reconfig (HP-UX shutdown -R, or Windows shutdown /r). Check cell power (frupower -d -C) and power on any cells as needed, then reboot for reconfig. Check the cell processor and firmware revisions using (parstatus -V -c# where # is the cell number).

As the cells assigned to the nPartition reboot, observe the boot progress from the Virtual Front Panel (VFP) for the nPartition and note any problems the cells have proceeding from one boot state to the next; as needed review chassis logs or event logs using the service processor Show Chassis Logs or Show Event Logs (SL) menu.

Problem: An nPartition takes a long time to boot (over ten minutes).

Causes: One or more cells assigned to the nPartition that have a "y" use-on-next-boot value has not booted to participate in partition rendezvous, thus causing the rest of the cells assigned to the nPartition to wait for ten minutes for the cell to report.

For example, the cell might not be installed, might be powered off, or might have been powered on or reset too late to rendezvous with the other cells.

Actions: You can avoid the delay by performing any of the following actions, as needed. Perform a reboot for reconfig following any changes you make.

Problem: An nPartition does not boot to its system boot environment (BCH or EFI) and instead all cells remain at a boot-is-blocked (BIB) state.

Causes: The nPartition has been reset to the shutdown for reconfig state, or no valid core cell is available to the nPartition.

Actions: If the nPartition was reset to the shutdown for reconfig state, use the BO command from the service processor Command menu to boot the nPartition past boot-is-blocked (to allow it to boot to its system boot environment).

If no valid core cell was available to the nPartition when it booted, check the power for all core cell choices (a cell might be powered off) and power it on if needed.

Also review the chassis logs for the nPartition to search for any core cell problems and failures.