C H A P T E R 5 - Setting Up a System Console Device

C H A P T E R 5

Setting Up a System Console Device

This chapter provides information on connecting a system console device to the server. To install the Solaris OS and any application software, you must set up a terminal or other device to access the system console. You can either:

Connect the system to a terminal server

Use an alphanumeric (ASCII) terminal

Establish a TIP connection from another server

Regardless of the method you choose, for initial power-on you must connect the device to the serial management port (SERIAL MGT) on the ALOM system controller card. All of the procedures in the following sections assume that you are setting up a system console device by using the default configuration. After initial power-on, you may use the NET MGT port if you choose. See the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx) for details.

See the appropriate section for the connection method that you want to use:

Accessing the System Console Through a Terminal Server

Accessing the System Console Through an Alphanumeric Terminal

Accessing the System Console Through a TIP Connection

Accessing the System Console Through a Terminal Server

Connecting the Server to a Terminal Server

The serial management port on the Netra 440 server is a data terminal equipment (DTE) port. The pinouts for the serial management port correspond with the pinouts for the RJ-45 ports on the serial interface breakout cable supplied by Cisco for use with the Cisco AS2511-RJ terminal server. If you use a terminal server made by another manufacturer, check that the serial port pinouts of the Netra 440 server match those of the terminal server you plan to use.

If the pinouts for the server serial ports correspond with the pinouts for the RJ-45 ports on the terminal server, you have two connection options:

Connect a serial interface breakout cable directly to the Netra 440 server. See the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx) for details.

Connect a serial interface breakout cable to a patch panel and use the straight-through patch cable (supplied by Sun) to connect the patch panel to the server.

The following illustration shows how to connect a patch cable between a terminal server, patch panel, and the serial management port (SERIAL MGT) on the Netra 440 server.

FIGURE 5-1 Patch Panel Connection Between a Terminal Server and a Netra 440 Server

Figure showing how to connect a terminal server to a patch panel using a straight-through cable, and how to connect the patch panel to the Netra 440 server using a patch cable.

If the pinouts for the serial management port do not correspond with the pinouts for the RJ-45 ports on the terminal server, you need to make a crossover cable that takes each pin on the Netra 440 server serial management port to the corresponding pin in the terminal server's serial port.

TABLE 5-1 shows the crossovers that the cable must perform.

TABLE 5-1 Pin Crossovers for Connecting to a Typical Terminal Server
Netra 440 Serial Management Port (RJ-45 Connector) Pin	Terminal Server Serial Port Pin
Pin 1 (RTS)	Pin 1 (CTS)
Pin 2 (DTR)	Pin 2 (DSR)
Pin 3 (TXD)	Pin 3 (RXD)
Pin 4 (Signal Ground)	Pin 4 (Signal Ground)
Pin 5 (Signal Ground)	Pin 5 (Signal Ground)
Pin 6 (RXD)	Pin 6 (TXD)
Pin 7 (DSR /DCD)	Pin 7 (DTR)
Pin 8 (CTS)	Pin 8 (RTS)

Accessing the System Console Through a Terminal Server

Open a terminal session on the connecting device, and type:

% telnet IP-address-of-terminal-server port-number

For example, for a Netra 440 server connected to port 10000 on a terminal server whose IP address is 192.20.30.10, you would type:

% telnet 192.20.30.10 10000

Note - At this point, all system information is delivered to you by way of the ALOM system controller card and its software. ALOM is the default method for communicating with the Netra 440 server. For detailed information about using ALOM, consult the Advanced Lights Out Manager User's Guide for the Netra 440 Server (817-5481-xx) and the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx), which includes information about reconfiguration options.

Accessing the System Console Through an Alphanumeric Terminal

The following procedure assumes that you are accessing the system console device by connecting an alphanumeric terminal to the serial management port (SERIAL MGT) of the Netra 440 server.

For detailed information about system console options, see the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx).

1. Turn off power to the alphanumeric terminal.

2. Attach one end of the serial cable to the alphanumeric terminal's serial port.

Use an RJ-45 null modem serial cable or an adapter that is appropriate for your device. If you are using a laptop system or a terminal with a DB-9 connector, use an appropriate RJ-45/DB-9 adapter. Connect this cable or adapter to the terminal's serial port connector.

3. Attach the serial cable's RJ-45 connector to the server's serial management port (SERIAL MGT) on the ALOM system controller card.

See Chapter 4 for more information about the various ports.

4. Connect the alphanumeric terminal's AC power cord to an AC connector and turn it on.

5. Set the terminal to receive:

9600 baud

8 bits

No parity

1 stop bit

No handshake protocol

See the documentation accompanying your terminal for information about how to configure it.

Note - At this point, all system information is delivered to you by way of the ALOM system controller card and its software. ALOM is the default method for communicating with the Netra 440 server. For detailed information about using ALOM, refer to the Advanced Lights Out Manager User's Guide for the Netra 440 Server (817-5481-xx) and the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx), which includes information about reconfiguration options.

Accessing the System Console Through a TIP Connection

The following procedure assumes that you are setting up a system console device for the Netra 440 server by connecting the serial port of another Sun system to the serial management port (SERIAL MGT) of the Netra 440 server.

For detailed information about system console options, refer to the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx).

1. Ensure that the Sun system to which you are establishing the TIP connection is powered on and active.

2. Connect the RJ-45 serial cable and RJ45/DB25 adapter.

Use the cable and adapter to connect the other Sun system's ttyb serial port to the Netra 440 server's serial management port (SERIAL MGT). Pinouts, part numbers, and other details about the serial cable and adapter are provided in the Netra 440 Server Service Manual.

3. Ensure that the /etc/remote file on the Sun system contains an entry for hardwire.

Most releases of Solaris OS software shipped since 1992 contain an /etc/remote file with the appropriate hardwire entry. However, if the Sun system is running an older version of Solaris OS software, or if the /etc/remote file has been modified, you might need to edit it. See the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx) for details.

4. In a terminal window on the other Sun system, type:

hostname% tip hardwire

The other Sun system responds by displaying:

connected

The terminal window is now a TIP window directed to the Netra 440 server through the other Sun system's TTYB port. This connection is established and maintained even when the Netra 440 server is completely powered off or just starting up.

Note - Use a terminal tool, not a console tool. Some TIP commands might not work properly in a console tool window.

Note - At this point, all system information is delivered to you by way of the ALOM system controller card and its software. ALOM is the default method for communicating with the Netra 440 server. For detailed information about using ALOM, refer to the Advanced Lights Out Manager User's Guide for the Netra 440 Server (817-5481-xx) and the Netra 440 Server System Administration Guide (817-3884-xx), which includes information about reconfiguration options.