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Spotlight on Solaris
Spotlight On: Solaris x86
I continue to receive questions about Solaris
x86,
the version of Solaris used on x86/x64-based
systems. For those of you that don't know,
there are
two versions of Solaris - one for SPARC-based
systems and another for x86/64-based systems.
For
the benefit of everyone, I'll use this
opportunity to
address some of the questions I've been
receiving.
I assume the reason that these Solaris x86
questions
keep coming up is that although many system
administrators have experience on the SPARC and
Ultra SPARC hardware platforms, many do not have
experience running Solaris on x86/x64-based
systems. All of the Sun servers and desktops
found
in the industry typically run Sun Microsystems'
SPARC-
based Solaris and many businesses simple
don't use
the x86/x64 version. Many system administrators
taking the Solaris 10 exam have been
"blind-sided"
and failed the exam because they were not
prepared
to answer questions pertaining to Solaris
x86. While
some of you don't really care to know about
x86/x64-
based Solaris, it is now a requirement on the
Solaris
10 certification exams. You need to
understand both
versions of Solaris- SPARC and x86/x64 if you
want
to become certified.
Back in the September 2006 issue, I addressed
the
following questions about Solaris on
x86/x64-based
systems:
1. Do the exams cover new x86 features in
Solaris 10
1/06 such as GNU GRand Unified Bootloader - GRUB
(the new bootloader)?
2. Explain how Solaris x86 device names are
different
than device names on a Sun system.
3. The x86 memory requirements have changed in
the Solaris 10 1/06 release. When asked to
select
the correct requirements for installing
Solaris 10 on
the x86 platform - which do I choose? The old
(pre
1/06) requirements, or the most current
requirements?
I have received so many Solaris x86/x64
questions
that it will take a few articles to cover
them all. In
this article, I'll cover the following
questions which
pertain to topics that you must know
for the
Solaris certification exam:
1. What are the functions of the BIOS on an
x86/x64-based system?
2. What is the Device Configuration Assistant
(DCA)?
3. Booting the Solaris OS with GRUB
4. What can you do if your x86/x64-based
system
won't boot and the CDROM is not bootable in the
drive's BIOS?
5. What is PXE?
6. What is the Solaris Installation Check
Tool?
Click here to read
the answers to these questions.
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It's time to get personal; or rather it is
time to begin personalizing your
the Detective. This month we launch two new
features that enable you to begin your
customization. The first new feature is the
bookmarking utility. You will now
have the
ability to
save specific locations in the
the Detective that you find beneficial for
fast access.
We have also enhanced your personal
settings. Now, in a single location, you
can update your contact information, change
your password, create a nickname for the
community, and manage your web-based
testing and certifications.
Next week you will have the ability to
upload, view, retrieve, and manage your own
documents from the portal. You might
consider storing some of your configuration
files, Visio drawings, policies & procedures,
and the like. You can view them remotely and
even share access with others that may share
your support responsibilities.
Please share your feedback with us so we
can continue our quest to provide you the
most relevant tools and information possible.
To all of those who have taken the time to
provide suggestions - Thank You!
Warm Regards,
Paul Violassi
CEO, SoftTech Solutions
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| What's New? |
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Give the new bookmarking utility a
try! Once you have logged in to the portal
and have navigated to a text page, you will
notice an icon of a book with a check mark.
Click this icon and you will be able to
bookmark this location. After you have added
your first bookmark, you will be able to see
all of your bookmarked pages anytime you
click the book icon.
The next time you log in to the portal you
will now have the ability to access your
bookmarks from a link at the very top of the
page next to the "Welcome" banner. Please use
this new feature and let us know what you
think!
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| Ask Al |
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Question #1
I often see device paths in the system logs
referring to a faulty peripheral. How can I
interpret these device paths and isolate the
faulty component?
Answer:
Sun's device mapping strategies for the
different workstation and server
architectures allow the Operating System and
firmware to communicate with the different
components. Each component has a unique
Physical Device Path. The device drivers are
included in the path. Many times error
messages, system logs and system status
commands display devices according to their
device paths. It is important to be able to
relate the Physical Device Path to an actual
physical slot location so the faulty device
can be correctly identified.
Click here to read the rest of this
answer...
Question #2
I'm having problems with the Fibre Hard Disk
Drives in my Sun Fire V490. I cannot isolate
the problem to a specific component. Can you
give me some general troubleshooting tips?
Answer:
The Sun Fire V490 contains a standard Fibre
Channel (FC) Backplane that accomodates up to
two FC-AL Hard Disk Drives. An on-board FC-AL
controller integrated into the System Board
controls the loop.
FC-AL Loop or Hard Disk Drive failure
typically manifests itself as a disk drive
read, write, or parity error. The Hard Disk
Drive that is indicated by the fault message
an/or LED fault should be replaced.
If an internal FC-AL Hard Disk Drive does not
respond to commands, fails to boot, or the
FC-AL loop fails to initialize OpenBoot
Diagnostics tests that pertain to the Hard
Disk storage subsystem, follow the next
procedure to help isolate the fault.
Click here to read the rest
of this
answer...
Do you have a question you'd like to see
answered in
a future issue of eKnowledge? Email Allen at:
askal@stsolutions.com
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| Update Your Info |
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Now might be a good time to do some spring
cleaning - change your
password and while you're at it, update your
personal information. Once you log in to the
portal, click on "personal settings" at the
top of the page next to the "Welcome" banner.
The "settings" landing page now has mini-tabs
that enable you to update your settings more
easily and faster than before:
Change Password - you might
consider doing this every quarter or so.
Contact Information - we often send
out tools and other tokens of our
appreciation so please take a moment to
update your contact information. We do not
lend, sell or donate any of your contact
information. It is 100% confidential.
Community Preference - here you can
manage your alias in the "Community" section
of the portal.
Personal Trainer - This section
helps you manage your current hardware and
software certifications from SoftTech Solutions.
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| Training Courses |
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SoftTech has just added an assortment of
web-based training courses to the Personal
Trainer. The Personal Trainer is your source
for web-based training classes for both Sun
hardware repair and Solaris Administration
that suits your
individual needs. We offer:
1. Web-based Training - Work through
the courses at your own pace to develop an
overall understanding of the material.
2. Web-based Training with Hands-on
Labs - For hardware training, nothing
beats hands-on labs for troubleshooting and
FRU removal exercises. You have the option to
fly in for classes at SoftTech or to one of
our affiliated partners for one or two day
Labs to ensure system mastery.
3. Classroom Training - Registration
is now open for the hardware training
program in Troy, Michigan in the month of
May.
Click
here for more details.
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