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EK-ALPSV-CL-B01

July 1996

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Document:	AlphaServer 1000/1000A Systems READ THIS FIRST: System-Specific Release Notes
Order Number:	EK-ALPSV-CL
Revision:	B01
Pages:	10
Original Filename:

OCR Text

AlphaServer 1000/1000A Systems
READ THIS FIRST: System-Specific Release Notes
EK-ALPSV-CL. B01
July 1996

All AlphaServer 1000/1000A Systems:
Online Documentation
Your system includes documentation on a CDROM. This online document includes an
easy-to-navigate hypertext version of all the information in the printed Owner's Guide
plus information on upgrading, adding options, and support. You can install the
CDROM files on any personal computer running Microsoft Windows Version 3.1 or
later, Microsoft Windows NT Version 3.1 or later, Windows 95, or a Windows
emulator. The disk on which you install the CDROM files must have approximately four
megabytes of free space available.
To install the online documentation:
1. Insert the CDROM disc into your CDROM drive.
2. From the Windows Program Manager File menu, choose Run.
3. In the Command Line box, type D:\SETUP, where D is the letter of the CDROM drive.
4. Click OK.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Important Note on Firmware
Your system comes with the correct firmware versions already installed. If you should
need to re-install the firmware for any reason, use the latest version of the firmware
available on the Internet:
ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/V3.7

Online Information through Digital FTP Archive
If you are an Internet participant, you can obtain information related to the AlphaServer
1000/1000A systems through the Digital FTP archive:
ftp.digital.com:

/pub/DEC/Alpha/systems/as1000a/docs/

ftp.digital.com:

/pub/DEC/Alpha/systems/as1000/docs/

For access through the Digital World-Wide Web Server:
http://www.service.digital.com/alpha/server/as1000a
http://www.service.digital.com/alpha/server/as1000

Using System Firmware
On AlphaGeneration systems, which are based on the Alpha architecture, control of the
system hardware is provided by a console subsystem. The console subsystem contains
firmware code (software code embedded in the hardware) that offers service functions.
Some of these functions include initializing and testing the hardware, bootstrapping the
system software, and providing a means for the system administrator or a management
application to monitor and control the system.
Because the AlphaServer 1000/1000A systems are designed to support multiple
operating systems, two separate interfaces to the subsystem are offered: a command-line
interface called the SRM console, and a menu interface called the ARC or, on Model
5/xxx systems, AlphaBIOS, console.
Users of the OpenVMS and Digital UNIX operating systems should refer to the
AlphaServer 1000 Owner's Guide or AlphaServer 1000A Owner’s Guide to learn how
to use the SRM console. Users of the Model 5/xxx system should consult the Owner’s
Guide Supplement for updates to this information.
Users of the Windows NT operating system should refer to the Owner’s Guide to learn
how to use the ARC console. Users of the Model 5/xxx system should consult the
Owner’s Guide Supplement for information on the AlphaBIOS console.
When to Switch Consoles

You can perform most console-related tasks from the interface designed to interace with
your operating system. However, the console interfaces are designed so that you can
easily switch between them. You need to switch in the following cases:
•

If you are running the Digital UNIX or Open VMS operating systems and need to
run the EISA Configuration Utility (ECU), switch to the ARC (or AlphaBIOS)
console.

•

If you are running Microsoft Windows NT and want to run system diagnostics with
the test command, switch to the SRM console.

Startup Displays
A startup display scrolls on your monitor or terminal screen during the startup sequence. The
following example shows a sample of the initial startup display, which appears on all systems
regardless of the operating system. (The initial lines, related to copyright and patent
information, remain on-screen for a few seconds only.)
Example: Initial Startup Display
BIOS Emulation V1.15a
Copyright (c) 1993-1995 Digital Equipment Corporation
All Rights Reserved
Patent Pending
initializing keyboard
eb.....ea.e9.e8.e7.e6.e5.e4.e3.e2.e1.e0.
Vn.n-nnnn, built on Oct

1996

at 14:48:51

What follows this display depends on your operating system and the setting of the os_type
environment variable. For systems running the Windows NT operating system (os_type is
set to NT), the initial startup display is followed by another startup test display, shown in the
following example:
Example: Windows NT Startup Display
BIOS Emulation V1.15a
Copyright (c) 1993-1995 Digital Equipment Corporation
All Rights Reserved
Patent Pending
Initializing firmware
Initializing EISA bus 0
Initializing device drives: NCRC810, SWXCR, QLOGIC, KZPSA...OK

For systems running Digital UNIX or OpenVMS, the initial startup display is followed by the
SRM console prompt (>>>). For systems running Windows NT, the Windows NT startup
display is followed by the Windows NT Boot menu (see your AlphaServer 1000 or
AlphaServer 1000A Owner’s Guide) or the AlphaBIOS Boot Menu (see the AlphaServer
1000/1000A Owner’s Guide Supplement for Model 5/xxx systems.)

Configuration Utilities
If you add, remove, or configure EISA or ISA options, you must run the EISA
Configuration Utility (ECU). The ECU is provided on two diskettes with your server
system–a diskette for Digital UNIX and OpenVMS Alpha and a diskette for Microsoft
Windows NT. The AlphaServer 1000 or AlphaServer 1000A Owner's Guide explains
how to run the EISA Configuration Utility.
The ECU does not automatically configure ISA cards. For example, if you add an
option board to the bus, you need to choose the option "Add a board" within the ECU
and select !ISA0000.CFG for the ISA slot. You can then manually configure the board,
which will force the ECU to resolve ISA/EISA resource conflicts. Or, you can examine
the resources used by the EISA cards using "View or edit details" and move those that
conflict with the ISA cards.
Network Drivers
The DC21040 and DE435 Ethernet controllers are not automatically detected during
Windows NT installation. To install the device driver for these adapters, use the diskette
shipped with the option. The version shipped on the Windows NT CDROM may not be
appropriate for your system.
During installation, respond to the prompt asking whether or not to automatically detect
the network card installed by selecting Do Not Detect or Continue as
appropriate. (The choice depends on whether or not you are performing an Express
setup). When the "Add Network Adapter" dialog box is displayed, select Other,
identify either the DC21040 or DE435 controller, and click on OK.
Resetting Environment Variables
Whenever you reset the following SRM environment variables, you must initialize the
firmware to put the new setting into effect:
AlphaServer 1000/1000A

AlphaServer 1000 Only

auto_action

pk*0_fast

console

pk*_host_id

language
os_type
bus_probe_algorithm
To reset SRM environment variables, use the set command and initialize the system
with the init command. For example, to change the device on which power-up output

is displayed from a serial terminal to a graphics monitor, set the console environment variable
to "graphics" and then enter the init command:
>>> show console
console serial
>>> set console graphics
>>> init
.
.
.
>>> show console
console graphics

For more information on environment variables, see the AlphaServer 1000 or 1000A Owner’s
Guide.
General Hardware Installation

1. Unless your system has been configured with an additional SCSI controller, you cannot
install a hard drive in slot 5 (SCSI ID 4), because the CDROM is located at this address.
2. Ensure that your monitor cable is plugged into the correct graphics port if you have an
optional graphics card installed. Plug the cable into the connector of your option card, not
into the connector on the system board. If your system configuration uses integrated
graphics, please refer to your operating system documentation for specific installation
information.
3. Do not install or remove any options without first turning off the system.

AlphaServer 1000 Systems:
Installing Microsoft Windows NT
Please note the following updates to installation information in Chapter 3 of the AlphaServer
1000 Owner's Guide.
In step 6 of the section "Setting Default Environment Variables," if you plan to partition your
hard disk, set the partition number to 2. Otherwise, enter the boot partition number
corresponding to your existing disk and NT configuration.
In step 8 of the section "Partitioning and Formatting Your Hard Disk," the number you
enter depends on the maximum partition size. The number must equal the maximum size
displayed minus 6. For example, if the largest possible value is 500, you would enter
494.
5

AlphaServer 1000A Systems:
Installing Microsoft Windows NT

Please note the following updates to Windows NT installation information in "Preparing
Your Hard disk" in Chapter 3 of the AlphaServer 1000A Owner's Guide.
Step 7: Select "Create System Partition" and press the Enter key. When the list of
available disks appears, select the disk to be prepared and press the Enter key. You
are prompted for the size of the partition.
Step 8: Note that the number you enter depends on the maximum partition size.
The number must equal the maximum size displayed minus 6. For example, if the
largest possible value is 500, you would enter 494.
Step 9: Press the Enter key to format the partition. The system prompts you with a
question: "Do you want to make this the system partition?" Enter "No." Once the
formatting is completed, press the Enter key again.
Step 10: Select "Create System Partition" and press the Enter key. When the list of
available disks appears, select the first disk again and press the Enter key. You are
prompted for the size of the partition.
Step 11: Type 6 after the "Enter size" prompt, then press the Enter key. A 6megabyte partition is created. This partition will be a file allocation table (FAT)
system partition.
Configuration Restrictions
AlphaServer 1000A PCI option slots are categorized as primary (top three slots
11,12,13) and secondary (bottom four slots 1,2,3,4). The following restrictions apply to
installation of PCI options. Please note that these restrictions are subject to updates; for
the latest information on restrictions, refer to the list of supported options on the
AlphaServer 1000A World Wide Web page.
• A DJ-ML200 PCI NVRAM module must be installed in one of the primary PCI slots

(11,12,13 at the top).
• A KZPSA-BB Fast Wide Differential SCSI controller must be installed in one of

the primary slots if you plan to run Windows NT.
• A PB2GA-Jx-Trio64 PCI graphics card must be installed in one of the primary slots.
• A DE500 Ethernet controller should be installed in one of the primary slots.

The following example shows how PCI options that contain a PCI-to-PCI bridge are
represented in the show config display . For each option that contains a PCI-to-PCI
bridge, the bus number increments by 1, and the logical slot numbers start anew at 0.

The system configuration represented in the example contains the following options, with the
PCI-to-PCI bridge options referenced by numbered callouts:
Primary Bus
Physical PCI slot 11: KZPSM option with PCI-to-PCI bridge
Physical PCI slot 12: KZPSM option with PCI-to-PCI bridge
Physical PCI slot 13: —
Secondary Bus
Physical PCI slot 1: —
Physical PCI slot 2: —
Physical PCI slot 3: KZPSM option with PCI-to-PCI bridge
Physical PCI slot 4: NCR810 SCSI controller

Note: The on-board SCSI controller (Qlogic 1020A) is always device pka.
Example: show config Display
>>> show config
Firmware
SRM Console:
V3.1-23
ARC Console:
V4.46
PALcode:
VMS PALcode X5.48-115, OSF PALcode X1.35-84
Serial ROM: V2.8
Processor
DECchip (tm) 21064A-6
MEMORY
32 Meg of System Memory
Bank 0 = 32 Mbytes () Starting at 0x00000000
PCI Bus
Bus 00
Bus 00

Slot 07: Intel

8275EB PCI to Eisa Bridge

Slot 08: Digital PCI to PCI Bridge Chip

Bus 02

Slot 00: ISP1020 SCSI Controller
pka0.7.0.2000.0
dka0.0.0.2000.0
dka500.5.0.2000.0

SCSI Bus ID 7
RZ29B
RRD45

Bus 02 Slot 03: Digital PCI to PCI Bridge Chip
Bus 3
Slot 0
ewa.0.0.0.3000.0 08-00-3C-E6-6B-41
Bus 3
Slot 0
ISP1020 Controller
pkb0.7.0.3001.0

dkb0.0.0.3001.0
dkb100.0.0.3001.0
Bus 02

Slot 04: NCR 810 SCSI Controller
dkc100.1.0.2004.0
dkc200.2.0.2004.0

Bus 00 Slot 11: Digital PCI to PCI Bridge Chip
Bus 04 Slot 0: DEC 21040 Network Controller
ewb0.0.0.4000.0
08-12-2E-C3-04-92
Bus 04 Slot 1: ISP1020 Controller
pkd0.7.0.4001.0

Bus 00 Slot 12: Digital PCI to PCI Bridge Chip
Bus 05 Slot 0: DEC 21040 Network Controller
ewc0.0.0.5000.0
08-24-3D-C6-08-04
Bus 05 Slot 1: ISP1020 Controller
pke0.7.0.5001.0
EISA Bus Modules (installed)
Slot 01: MLX0075 SCSI Controller
dkc0.7.0.2004.0
>>>

Model 5/xxx System Only:
Online Documentation
Your shipment includes supplemental hypertext documentation on a diskette. This
diskette includes all the information in the printed Owner's Guide Supplement, also
included in your shipment. You can install the files on any personal computer running
Microsoft Windows Version 3.1 or later, Microsoft Windows NT Version 3.1 or later,
Windows 95, or a Windows emulator. The disk on which you install the diskette files
must have approximately four megabytes of free space available.
To install the online supplemental documentation:
1. Insert the diskette into your diskette drive.
2. From the Windows Program Manager File menu, choose Run.
3. In the Command Line box, type D:\INSTALL, where D is the letter of the diskette
drive.
4. Click OK.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Using System Firmware
Because the AlphaServer 1000/1000A systems are designed to support multiple
operating systems, two separate interfaces to the console subsystem are offered: a
command-line interface called the SRM console, and a menu interface called the
AlphaBIOS console.
Users of the OpenVMS and Digital UNIX operating systems should refer to the
AlphaServer 1000 Owner's Guide or AlphaServer 1000A Owner’s Guide to learn how
to use the SRM console. See the Owner’s Guide Supplement for updates to this
information.
Users of the Windows NT operating system should refer to the Owner’s Guide
Supplement to learn how to use the AlphaBIOS console. Information in the supplement
supersedes information on the ARC console in the AlphaServer 1000 Owner’s Guide or
AlphaServer 1000A Owner’s Guide.

System Startup
For systems running Digital UNIX or OpenVMS, the initial startup display is
followed by the SRM console prompt (>>>). For systems running Windows NT,
the Windows NT startup display is followed by the AlphaBIOS Boot Menu (see the
AlphaServer 1000/1000A Owner’s Guide Supplement).

© Digital Equipment Corporation 1996. All rights reserved
Alpha, AlphaGeneration, AlphaServer, Digital, OpenVMS, and OpenVMS Alpha are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital UNIX
Version 3.0 is an X/Open UNIX 93 branded product. Microsoft is a registered trademark, and Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT are
trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
S3195