flashmmsc(1M) flashmmsc(1M)
NAME
flashmmsc - reprogram the MMSC on Origin2000 systems
SYNOPSIS
flashmmsc [-a] [-r rack] [-f imagefile]
flashmmsc -m [-f imagefile]
flashmmsc -d [-l serial-device] [-f imagefile]
DESCRIPTION
flashmmsc allows a user to manage the firmware installed on the multi-
module system controller ("MMSC") of Origin2000 rack systems.
Ordinarily, an MMSC is shipped with firmware pre-installed. The
flashmmsc command is only needed by a customer for upgrades or emergency
repairs of the MMSC firmware.
There are several ways to use the flashmmsc command. In the first form,
the flashmmsc command is assumed to be issued from a terminal that has
access to one of the MMSC's associated with the system. Such a terminal
can access the MMSC itself by first typing the MMSC-escape character,
typically CONTROL-T. In this arrangement, the flashmmsc command will
transfer the new firmware image over the terminal's serial line.
If the -a switch is specified, the flashmmsc command will automatically
initiate the transfer to the MMSC specified by rack, or to the MMSC
directly attached to the terminal's serial line if rack is not specified.
However, older MMSC's may not be capable of handling automatic transfer
initiation. In these cases, it is necessary to invoke flashmmsc with the
-m switch. Next, the MMSC flash command is issued to the desired MMSC by
first typing the MMSC-escape character then the appropriate flash
command. For example, to flash a new firmware image onto rack 2 of a
system that uses CONTROL-T for its MMSC-escape character, the sequence of
events may look like this:
% flashmmsc -m
Ready to transfer new image to full-feature system
controller. To begin the transfer, type your MMSC
escape character (normally CTRL-T) followed by the
command:
rack <rackid> flash
where <rackid> is the identifier for the system
controller you wish to upgrade.
[User types CONTROL-T]
MMSC> rack 2 flash
Waiting for MMSC to initiate transfer...
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flashmmsc(1M) flashmmsc(1M)
The last form of the flashmmsc command is used for disaster recovery if
an MMSC has no firmware loaded at all (this may happen if a previous
flashmmsc command was interrupted by a power failure or unexpected
reset). In this case, it is necessary to attach a null-modem cable from
a serial port on the machine that will be issuing the flashmmsc command
to the "ALTERNATE CONSOLE" port of the MMSC itself. The flashmmsc
command is then issued with the -d switch, to indicate a direct download,
and the -l switch, to specify the serial port that is being used.
OPTIONS
The following switches can be used to alter flashmmsc's behavior:
-a Indicates that an automatically initiated image transfer is to
be performed. This is the default behavior.
-d Indicates that the image is to be transferred directly to the
MMSC's ALTERNATE CONSOLE port over the serial port specified by
the -l option.
-f Specifies the file name of the firmware image to be programmed
into the MMSC. The default is /usr/cpu/firmware/mmscfw.bin.
-l Specifies the file name of the serial device to be used for a
direct (-d) image transfer. The default is /dev/ttyd2. The
serial device must be set up for a 19200 baud transfer rate.
-m Indicates that a manually initiated image transfer (that is,
one in which the MMSC is manually told to accept a new firmware
image) is to be performed.
-r Specifies the rack ID of the MMSC whose firmware is to be
loaded. If not specified, then the MMSC directly attached to
the system console will be selected. This option is ignored
with the -m and d options.
FILES
/usr/cpu/firmware/mmscfw.bin contains the binary image of the firmware
currently installed
WARNINGS
The flashmmsc command is not intended for casual use. If used
incorrectly, it can render a system unbootable. Silicon Graphics
strongly recommends that this command only be used under the supervision
of a support representative.
The flashmmsc command can take as long as 20 minutes to complete,
depending on the speed of the connection between the system and the MMSC.
It is important to avoid resetting the system until the flashmmsc command
has completed. If the system loses power before a flashmmsc command
completes, the MMSC itself may be rendered unusable. In this case it
will be necessary to perform the disaster recovery download (-d option)
mentioned above.
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