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EK-K8F6W-RN-B02

April 2000

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Document:	AlphaServer DS20E / AlphaStation DS20E Release Notes
Order Number:	EK-K8F6W-RN
Revision:	B02
Pages:	4
Original Filename:

OCR Text

AlphaServer DS20E / AlphaStation
DS20E
Release Notes
EK-K8F6W-RN. B02
April 2000

This document covers the hardware release notes.
Sections in this document include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Minimum Revision Requirements
False I2C Bus Error
Operating System Notes
SRM Console Notes
Application Development
Installation of Compaq Analyze
RMC Baud Rate

For more information and software or firmware updates, you can access the following Web sites:
General Support
Console Firmware
Operating System Patches
Compaq Analyze
Linux Installation Information

http://www.compaq.com/services
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/readme.html
http://www.support.compaq.com/patches/index.html
http://www.compaq.com/support/
http://www.digital.com/alphaserver/linux/install_guide.html

Minimum Revision Requirements
Tru64 UNIX

OpenVMS

Linux

SRM

AlphaBIOS

Compaq Analyze

V4.0F +
Patch BL13

V7.2-1
or 7.1-2

Redhat
Distribution 5.2

V5.5-9 (EV6)
V5.6-3 (EV67)

V5.70A

Use latest WEBES kit

False I C Bus Error
On power-up, the system displays a false error that is the result of normal bus startup conditions.
You can safely ignore this error.
IIC bus Status (01) error

Operating System Notes
Tru64 UNIX
The following issues apply to systems using the Compaq Tru64 UNIX operating system.
•

The Tru64 UNIX system log may indicate an error reading environmental status.
This is caused by an access conflict on the maintenance bus. This is normal behavior and does
not require any action.

•

System fan failures may log incorrectly.
When system fan 0 or 1 fails, Tru64 UNIX logs the error as an uncorrectable event (682). The
correct entry type should be a correctable event (688). A patch for this problem will be
forthcoming. Check the operating system patches Web site.

•

After a redundant power supply is installed, additional events may log incorrectly.
After a third power supply is installed, error events may not be reported accurately. For
example, a redundant power supply failure might be reported as uncorrectable (682) when it
should be reported as correctable (687).

•

Ignore the “platform not known” error messages on boot.
Version V4.0F of Tru64 UNIX supports DS20E systems. Therefore, you can ignore the
following error messages, which occur on boot.

Platform DS20E not known to Tru64 UNIX V4.0F.
kn600_get_func_supported(): Unrecognized KN600 member_id: 0x8 Forcing
defaults:
Power Management not supported
Server Management not supported
2 PCI busses configured

•

Adaptec devices and the USB are not supported by Tru64 UNIX V4.0F.
Tru64 UNIX V4.0F does not support the integrated Adaptec devices or the USB on the
DS20E. You may get error messages.

OpenVMS
The following issues apply to systems using the Compaq OpenVMS operating system.
•

The OpenVMS operating system does not support the integrated Adaptec devices or the
USB on the DS20E.

•

In DS20E systems with fewer than three power supplies, OpenVMS incorrectly reports a
redundant power supply failure whenever an environmental interrupt occurs.
In DS20E systems with only two power supplies, OpenVMS may incorrectly display an
OPCOM message indicating a redundant power supply failure. This occurs because the
operating system fails to check the power supply present bits to validate an indication of a
power supply failure. The correct analysis for the environmental event can be determined by
examining the environmental event errorlog entry in the system errorlog file.

SRM Console Notes
Console display
The console may list devices not supported on the system.
The USB and the Adaptec controller are listed in the console show config command display,
but they are not supported on the DS20E.

show power command
The SRM show power command produces a false report after reinsertion of a power supply.
Because there is only one signal wire coming from the power supply (DC_OK), the logic
cannot tell if the supply is missing or bad. Therefore, at times, a false error will occur.
In a system with non-redundant power supplies (either PS0 and PS1 or PS0 and PS2),
incorrect status is displayed by the show power command when one power supply is removed,
then reinserted. (This error does not occur with power supplies in PS1 and PS2.)
Example:
>>> show power
PS0 Good
PS1 Good

PS 2 empty

Remove power supply 0 (PS0), then SHOW POWER displays
>>> show power
PS0 Bad
PS1 Good
PS 2 empty

Reinsert PS0 then
>>> show power
PS0 Good
PS1 Good
PS 2 Bad

In this example, PS2 is being falsely reported as bad; it should still display as empty. The same
results occur with PS1 empty instead of PS2.
Fix: To clear this false error, turn the system off then on again. The SRM console will then
recognize a new power supply configuration and report it as good.
If after power cycling, the power supply is still reported by the hardware as bad, replace the
power supply. A faulty power supply will continue to report as bad after power cycling.

Application Development
Application developers for DS20E systems should consult the development section of the
Tru64 UNIX Release Notes. You may also wish to consult the following Web sites.
http://www.unix.digital.com/dtk
http://www.digital.com/fortran/
http://www.digital.com/hpc/software/kap.html

Installation of Compaq Analyze
Compaq Analyze provides critical error event translation and analysis for DS20E systems. If
Compaq Analyze was not installed on your system at the factory, it can be installed after the initial
installation of the operating system. Either you or your Compaq service representative can
perform the installation. If you upgrade your system after installing Compaq Analyze, it is
recommended that you select the “Preserve” option during the upgrade. Otherwise, you will need
to reinstall Compaq Analyze. To download Compaq Analyze from the World Wide Web, click on
the following URL:
http://www.compaq.com/support/
Select the “service tools” link under Downloadable Drivers &Utilities, then click on the “WEBES
Vx.x” link.

RMC Baud Rate
Keep COM1 baud rate at 9600 to enable console callbacks.
The Remote Management Console (RMC) is only supported when the COM1 baud rate is set to
9600 baud (the factory default setting). If you wish to run COM1 at a different baud rate, you
must disable the RMC and then use the set com1_baud command at the SRM console. See
Chapter 10 of the DS20E Reference Guide for information on enabling or disabling the RMC (The
default is enable.) Or see the system labels inside the cabinet.