bootmode


Use the bootmode command to control the behavior of the host server's firmware while the host server is initializing or after you reset the server.

The bootmode setting overrides the server's OpenBoot PROM diagnostics diag-switch?, post-trigger, and obdiag-trigger settings immediately after the next server reset. If ALOM does not detect a server reset within 10 minutes, ALOM ignores the command and then clears the bootmode setting and returns to normal.

The bootmode reset_nvram command option sets the OpenBoot NVRAM (nonvolatile read-only memory) variables to default settings. The diag-switch? default does not take effect until the next server reset. This is because OpenBoot has previously taken a snapshot of the diag node of the system. This snapshot consists of keyswitch position, diag-switch? value, and bootmode diag/skip_diag overrides. Once the diag node is set, it remains in effect until the next server reset.

If diag-switch? is set to true, OpenBoot uses the default diag-device as the boot device.

If diag-switch? is set to false, OpenBoot uses the default boot-device as the boot device.

How to Use the bootmode Command

Note: You must have r level user permission to use this command.

All bootmode command options require that you reset the host server within 10 minutes after issuing the command. If you do not issue the poweroff and poweron commands or the reset command within 10 minutes, the host server ignores the bootmode command and changes the bootmode setting back to normal.

  1. At the sc> prompt, type the following command:

    sc>
    bootmode option(s)

    where option(s) is the desired option(s), if any (skip_diag, diag, reset_nvram, normal, or bootscript = "string").
  2. Type either poweroff and then poweron (preferred), or reset.

For example:

sc> bootmode skip_diag

sc> poweroff

Are you sure you want to power off the system [y/n]? y

SC Alert: Host system has shut down.

sc> poweron

For example:

sc> bootmode reset_nvram

sc> reset

If you use the bootmode diag option, POST (power-on self test) runs after the next reset, regardless of the OpenBoot PROM post-trigger setting. OpenBoot diagnostics tests also run after the next reset, regardless of the obdiag-trigger setting (provided that the OpenBoot PROM diag-script setting is not set to none).

Command Options

If you use the bootmode command without specifying any option, ALOM displays the currently selected boot mode and the time when it will expire.

sc> bootmode [skip_diag, diag, reset_nvram, normal, bootscript="string"]

The bootmode command uses the following options.
Option Description
skip_diag Forces the server to skip diagnostics. After you issue the bootmode skip_diag command, you must issue the poweroff and poweron commands within 10 minutes.
diag Forces the server to run full POST (power-on self-test) diagnostics. After you issue the bootmode diag command, you must issue the poweroff and poweron commands within 10 minutes.
reset_nvram Resets all of the parameters in the host server's OpenBoot PROM NVRAM (nonvolatile read-only memory) settings to the factory default values. You must reset the server within 10 minutes.
normal Results in a normal boot. The server runs low-level diagnostics. After you issue bootmode normal, you must reset the server.

bootscript = "string"

Controls the host server OpenBoot PROM firmware method of booting. It does not affect the current bootmode setting.  string can be up to 64 bytes in length.

You can specify a bootmode setting and set the bootscript within the same command. For example:

sc> bootmode reset_nvram bootscript = "setenv diag-switch? true"

SC Alert: SC set bootmode to reset_nvram, will expire 20030305211833

SC Alert: SC set bootscript to "setenv diag-switch? true"

After the server resets and OpenBoot PROM reads the values stored in the bootscript, it sets the OpenBoot PROM variable diag-switch? to the user requested value of true.

Note: If you set bootmode bootscript = "",  ALOM sets the bootscript to empty.

To view the bootmode settings, type the following command:

sc> bootmode

Bootmode: reset_nvram
Expires WED MAR 05 21:18:33 2003
bootscript="setenv diag-switch? true"


ALOM shell commands

Redirecting the system console from ALOM to other devices

reset

Types of ALOM commands