Apple Xsan v2 User's Guide

Xserve Apple Xserve Diagnostics Users Guide

For Version 3X103

K

Apple, Inc. 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple.

The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the keyboard Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Apple is not responsible for printing or clerical errors.

Apple 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014-2084 408-996-1010 www.apple.com

Apple, the Apple logo, Expos, FireWire, Mac, Macintosh, the Mac logo, Mac OS, and Xserve are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Finder and the FireWire logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

AppleCare, Apple Store, and .Mac are service marks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Intel, Intel Core, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corp. in the U.S. and other countries.

Other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective companies. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products.

Apparatus Claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 4,631,603, 4,577,216, 4,819,098 and 4,907,093 licensed for limited viewing uses only.

Simultaneously published in the United States and Canada.

019-1117/2008-01-01

3

1 Contents

Chapter 1 4 Overview and Requirements 5

Overview of AXD Configurations

6

Requirements

Chapter 2 8 Setup and Installation 8

Setting Up a NetBoot Server

9

Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation

11

Installing AXD EFI Tools

12

Installing AXD Mac OS X Tools

Chapter 3 14 Starting Up AXD Tools 14

Changing the Startup Disk

Chapter 4 20 Using AXD Tools 20

Setting AXD to Host, Client, or Local Mode

22

Using AXD EFI Tools

25

Using AXD Mac OS X Tools

Appendix 31 AXD Tools Test Reference 31

Comparison of Available Tests

32

AXD EFI Tools Tests

36

AXD Mac OS X Tests

1

4

1 Overview and Requirements

Apple Xserve Diagnostics tests your Intel-based Xserve for hardware issues.

Apple Xserve Diagnostics (AXD) runs a customizable set of tests to help you diagnose issues with the following:

Boot ROM

Ethernet controller

Fan

Hard drive

Memory

Power supply

Processor

Sensor

USB ports

Video controller

You can run AXD in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is referred to as

AXD EFI tools

, or in Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server, which is referred to as

AXD Mac OS X tools

.

By running AXD EFI tools, you can diagnose hardware issues that prevent Mac OS X Server from successfully starting up. You can also run tests without interference from Mac OS X Server and test more than 2.5 gigabytes (GB) of memory. However, AXD Mac OS X tools provides an enhanced interface and has more extensive sensor, hard drive, and video controller tests. For a detailed comparison and description of all available tests, see the appendix, AXD Tools Test Reference on page 31.

You can test the Xserve by running AXD tools directly on the Xserve. You can also run AXD tools on a computer that has a network connection to the Xserve and test the Xserve remotely.

Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

5

Note:

This guide describes how to use AXD version 3X103. If youre using a different version of AXD, the instructions in this guide might not work. AXD version 3X103 is included on the

Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics

CD version 10.5. You can find out which version of AXD tools youre running by opening AXD Mac OS X tools and choosing AXD > About Apple Xserve Diagnostics.

Overview of AXD Configurations

You can install and run AXD in a variety of ways, so its important that you choose the method that best suits your needs.

There are several AXD configuration options, each with advantages and disadvantages:

Option Considerations

Host a NetBoot server Advantages:

Dont need to install AXD on an internal volume on the Xserve or on a portable storage device

Can test multiple Xserves using the same AXD install image

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools

You can start up AXD tools without an input device connected to the Xserve (if you have access to the Xserves front panel)

Disadvantages:

Requires a server to host NetBoot service and the AXD install image

Xserve must be on the same subnet as the NetBoot server

Install AXD EFI tools on an internal volume

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools Disadvantages:

Requires physical access to the Xserve

Requires a volume on the Xserve that has 15 megabytes (MB) free and that doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Install AXD EFI tools on a portable storage device

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools

You can use the same portable storage device to test multiple Xserves

Disadvantages:

Requires physical access to the Xserve

Requires a volume on the portable storage device that has 15 MB free and that doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Portable storage device must be physically connected to the Xserve

Start up the AXD EFI tools located on the

Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics

CD

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools

You can use the same CD to test multiple Xserves Disadvantages:

Requires physical access to the Xserve

CD must be inserted in the Xserve

6 Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

Requirements

Before you can run AXD, you must meet general, storage device, and local and remote requirements.

If you want to host AXD on a NetBoot server, additional requirements must be met by the NetBoot server.

General Requirements

To run AXD, you must have the following:

An Intel-based Xserve with Mac OS X Server version 10.5 or later installed

The

Mac OS X Server Install

DVD and

Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics

CD included with the Xserve (both should be version 10.5 or later)

Storage Device Requirements

Depending on whether you want to run AXD EFI tools, AXD Mac OS X tools, or both, you need empty volumes either on the Xserve or on a portable storage device.

If you want to run AXD Mac OS X tools, the storage device must use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme. If youre running only AXD EFI tools on the storage device, you dont need to use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme.

Install AXD Mac OS X tools on an internal volume

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD Mac OS X tools

Dont need physical access to Xserve to run AXD remotely (if you have Apple Remote Desktop)

Disadvantages:

Requires an empty volume on the Xserve with 7 GB free

Must install Mac OS X Server on the empty volume

Install AXD Mac OS X tools on a portable storage device

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD Mac OS X tools

You can use the same portable storage device to test multiple Xserves

Disadvantages:

Requires an empty volume on the portable storage device with 7 GB free

Must install Mac OS X Server on the empty volume

Portable storage device must be physically connected to the Xserve

Option Considerations

Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

7

You can run both AXD tools by having two empty volumes on the same Xserve or portable storage device. You need at least one of the following:

Local and Remote Requirements

To run AXD on your local Xserve, youll need to attach a keyboard, mouse, and display.

To run AXD remotely, you must have the following:

A Macintosh computer with Mac OS X version 10.4.4 or later installed. Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later is recommended. This computer is referred to as the

host computer

.

A network connection or a direct Ethernet connection from the host computer to the Xserve. The Xserve is referred to as the

client Xserve

.

If the client Xserve is going to run AXD EFI tools and use a network connection, the network connection must use a built-in Ethernet port, and not an Ethernet adapter card.

The Xserve must have AXD installed either on an internal volume or on a connected portable storage device; or it must be able to run AXD from a NetBoot server.

The host computer must run AXD Mac OS X tools. The client Xserve can run AXD EFI tools or AXD Mac OS X tools.

If the client Xserve is running AXD Mac OS X tools, you must be able to log in as the

root

account. The root account is a system administrator who has complete access to the Xserve.

If you want to run AXD entirely remotely (for situations where the Xserve is physically inaccessible or if you want to save AXD EFI tools test results), in addition to meeting the network requirements, the Xserve must be able to start up Mac OS X Server.

NetBoot Server Requirements

To host a NetBoot server, your NetBoot server must:

Have Mac OS X Server version 10.4.4 or later installed. Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later is recommended.

Be on the same subnet as the Xserve being tested.

Have 15 MB of hard drive space available for an AXD NetBoot image.

Goal Requirement

Run AXD EFI tools A volume on the Xserve that has at least 15 MB free, but doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Run AXD Mac OS X tools An empty volume on the Xserve with at least 7 GB free

Test multiple Xserves and run AXD EFI tools

A USB 2.0 flash drive, or USB 2.0 or FireWire hard drive with a volume that has at least 15 MB free, but doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Test multiple Xserves and run AXD Mac OS X tools

A USB 2.0 or FireWire hard drive that has an empty volume with at least 7 GB free

2

8

2 Setup and Installation

Before you can run AXD, you must set up your testing environment and install AXD.

Make sure you meet AXD requirements before attempting setup and installation. For more information, see Requirements on page 6.

Setting Up a NetBoot Server Before you set up a NetBoot server, make sure you have an available server that meets the requirements described in NetBoot Server Requirements on page 7.

After you set up a NetBoot server, you install the AXD NetBoot image. Because the AXD NetBoot image is a special image, you cant use System Image Utility to delete the image.

For information about deleting the AXD NetBoot image, see the next section, Deleting the AXD NetBoot Image.

To set up a NetBoot server: 1 Open Server Admin (located in /Applications/Server/).

2 If the server that will host NetBoot isnt listed, click the Add (+) button and choose Add Server. Enter the IP address of the server in the Address field, enter the user name and password of the server administrator in the User Name and Password fields, and then click Connect.

3 Click the disclosure triangle for the server that will host NetBoot.

4 If NetBoot isnt listed, select the server and click Settings. In the Services pane, select NetBoot and then click Save.

5 Select NetBoot, click Settings, and then click General.

6 In the network interface list, select the Enable checkboxes for the interfaces that you want to serve the AXD NetBoot images over.

If multiple network interfaces are listed, its likely that only one of the interfaces is on the same subnet as your Xserve. If youre not sure which interface is on the same

Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 9

subnet, open Network Utility (located in /Applications/Utilities/) on your NetBoot server and your Xserve. In the Info pane, choose different network interfaces on the NetBoot server and your Xserve and compare the IP Address fields. Usually, computers are on the same subnet if their IP addresses start with same few numbers (for example, they both start with 192.168.2).

7 In the volume list, select the Images and Client Data checkboxes for the volume that will store the AXD NetBoot image.

The volume must have at least 15 MB free.

8 Click Save.

9 In the Finder, navigate to the AppleXserveDiagnostics folder on the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD, and then open AppleXserveDiagnosticsNetBoot.pkg.

10 Follow the onscreen instructions to install the AXD NetBoot package.

11 In Server Admin, select NetBoot, and then click Images.

12 If the AXD NetBoot image has the same index (listed in the Index column) as another image, deselect the Enable checkbox for the conflicting image.

13 Click Start NetBoot.

Deleting the AXD NetBoot Image You cant use System Image Utility to delete the AXD NetBoot image. Instead, you must delete the AXD NetBoot image in the NetBoot image folder, which is located at:

/Volumes/volumename/Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP#

Replace volumename with the name of the volume that youre installing the AXD NetBoot image onto. The number (#) varies depending on whether youre using several NetBoot volumes. If youre using only one NetBoot volume, the AXD NetBoot image is located in NetBootSP0. If youre using several NetBoot volumes, the AXD NetBoot image may be located in another folder (for example, NetBootSP1, NetBootSP4, or NetBootSP11).

To delete the AXD NetBoot image: m Open the Finder and delete AXD.nbi from the NetBoot image folder.

Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation To set up an internal volume or portable storage device for AXD tool installation, you must have at least 15 MB of available space for AXD EFI tools or at least 7 GB of available space for AXD Mac OS X tools. These requirements are described in detail in Storage Device Requirements on page 6.

10 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation

If youre installing AXD Mac OS X tools on one of the volumes, the storage device should use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme. To view the storage devices partition scheme, open Disk Utility, and select the storage device. Make sure you select the storage device and not a volume within the storage device. At the bottom of the Disk Utility window, Partition Scheme should say GUID Partition Table.

You cant use these instructions on any storage device that is currently in use. If you want to create empty volumes on a storage device thats currently running Mac OS X Server, youll need to run Disk Utility from the Mac OS X installation DVD or run Disk Utility while your Xserve is connected to another computer and is in target disk mode. Both of these methods erase the contents of your Xserves hard drive and require you to reinstall and reconfigure Mac OS X Server.

To create empty storage device volumes and correctly format them: 1 Open Disk Utility (located in /Applications/Utilities/).

Make sure you open Disk Utility on a computer with Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server version 10.5 or later installed.

2 Select the storage device that you want to set up.

Make sure you select a storage device, and not volumes within the storage device. Volumes within a storage device are indented one level.

3 Click the Partition tab.

4 If the partition scheme of the storage device is not GUID Partition Table and youre going to install AXD Mac OS X tools, choose something besides Current in the Volume Scheme pop-up menu, then click Options, select GUID Partition Table, and click OK.

Changing the volume scheme erases all data on the storage device.

5 Review the partition sizes and adjust them to meet AXD tools storage requirements.

6 Click Partition.

WARNING: The following instructions could erase all data on your storage device. Back up critical data before performing the following instructions.

To do this Do this

Display a partitions size Click the partition and review the Size field.

Set the size of the partition Edit the Size field.

Create more partitions Select a partition and click the Add (+) button.

Delete partitions Select it and click the Delete () button.

Name a partition Select it and enter a name in the Name field. Because this name is used when selecting which volume to start up Mac OS X in, choose a name that identifies the volume as being used for AXD tools. You cant rename old partitions.

Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 11

Installing AXD EFI Tools Before you install AXD EFI tools, make sure that your storage device has a volume that has at least 15 MB available, but doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed. For more information, see Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation on page 9.

To perform these instructions, youll need the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD version 10.5 or later included with the Xserve. You can also download the latest Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD image from www.apple.com/support.

If youre performing this task to install AXD EFI tools on an internal volume on the Xserve, youll need administrator access to the Xserve. If youre performing this task to install AXD EFI tools on a portable storage device, you can use any computer that you have administrator access to.

If you want to connect a host computer directly to the Xserve, and the host computer doesnt provide DHCP service on the port used to directly connect to the Xserve, youll need to create a file on the Xserve that assigns an IP address to the Xserve. However, if the host computer provides DHCP service, dont create this file. For information about how to find out if a computer is providing DHCP service, see Network Services Administration at:

www.apple.com/server/documentation

To install AXD EFI tools: 1 Insert the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD.

If you have a disc image of the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD, double-click the .dmg file to mount the disc image.

2 Open AppleXserveDiagnosticsEFI.pkg (located on the CD, in /AppleXserveDiagnostics/).

3 Follow the onscreen instructions, and at the Select Destination step, choose a volume that has at least 15 MB of space available and that doesnt have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed.

4 If youre prompted to authenticate, authenticate as a user with administrator privileges.

5 If you want to connect a host computer directly to the Xserve and the host computer doesnt provide DHCP service on the port used to directly connect to the Xserve, do the following:

a Open TextEdit (located in /Applications/). b In the body of a new file, enter an IP address thats not in use by the host computer.

For example, enter: 123.123.123.123

If TextEdit doesnt open with a new blank file, choose File > New.

12 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation

c Choose Format > Make Plain Text. d Choose File > Save As. e Name the file axd_set_ip_address, and then change the location of the file to the

volume with AXD EFI tools installed. f Select If no extension is provided, use .txt, and then click Save.

Installing AXD Mac OS X Tools Before you install AXD Mac OS X tools, make sure that your storage device uses the GUID Partition Table partition scheme and that it has an empty volume with 7 GB of available space. For more information, see Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation on page 9.

To perform these instructions, youll need the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD version 10.5 or later included with the Xserve. You can also download the latest Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics disc image from www.apple.com/support.

If youre performing this task to install AXD Mac OS X tools on an internal volume on the Xserve, youll need administrator access to the Xserve. If youre performing this task to install AXD Mac OS X tools on a portable storage device, you can use any computer that you have administrator access to.

Installing AXD Mac OS X tools involves three major steps: Install Mac OS X Server with minimal options selected Copy AXD Mac OS X tools from the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD to

/Applications/ Configure Mac OS X Server

By dedicating a minimal installation of Mac OS X Server for use with AXD Mac OS X tools, you reduce the risk of server processes interrupting AXD testing.

To install AXD Mac OS X tools: 1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install DVD.

2 Open the Install Mac OS X Server application, click Restart, and authenticate, if requested.

The computer restarts and opens the Mac OS X Server Installer.

3 Continue through the Installer until you reach the Select Destination step.

4 Select a volume thats at least 7 GB. If the volume isnt empty, click Options, select Erase and Install, and then click OK. Click Continue.

5 In Installation Type, click Customize, deselect all checkboxes, and then click Install.

If the volume is very close to 7 GB in size, the Installer might automatically load the Customize list.

Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 13

When the Installer finishes installing Mac OS X Server, the computer restarts and the Mac OS X Server setup assistant opens.

6 In the Server Configuration step of the setup assistant, select Advanced.

7 Continue through the setup assistant and enter information as requested. Dont enable any services.

When you finish entering information in the setup assistant, the login window appears.

8 Log in with the user name root and the password of the user you created in the setup assistant.

You must set up and run AXD Mac OS X tools as root. Otherwise, you wont be able to test the Xserve youve installed AXD Mac OS X tools on.

9 Insert the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD.

If you have a disc image of the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD, double-click the .dmg file to mount the disc image.

10 Open the Finder and drag the AXD.app file from /AppleXserveDiagnostics/ on the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD to your /Applications/ folder.

11 If youre setting up a client Xserve, open the Finder, select your /Applications/ folder, click the Gear button, and choose New Folder. Name the folder AXDClient.

Client Xserves are remotely controlled by host computers.

12 Open System Preferences (located in /Applications/). Change the following options in System Preferences panes:

If you cant change settings in System Preferences, click the lock button and authenticate.

After installing the AXD Mac OS X tools, you must log in as root to run AXD tools to test your own Xserve. If you dont log in as root, AXD Mac OS X tools enters host mode and waits for a connection to a client Xserve to control.

System Preferences pane Recommended configuration

Accounts Select the System Administrator account, and click Login Items. Click Add (+), select /Applications/AXD.app, and click Add.

CDs & DVDs In all pop-up menus, choose Ignore.

Desktop & Screen Saver In the Screen Saver pane, drag the Start screen saver slider to Never.

Energy Saver In the Sleep pane, drag both sliders to Never, and deselect Put hard disk(s) to sleep when possible.

Expos and Spaces In the Expos pane, in all pop-up menus, choose . In the Spaces pane, deselect Enable Spaces.

Software Update In the Scheduled Check pane, deselect Check for updates.

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14

3 Starting Up AXD Tools

This chapter describes several methods that let you change the startup disk to the volume with AXD tools installed.

Before you start up AXD tools, make sure youve properly installed and configured the tools. For more information, see Chapter 2, Setup and Installation, on page 8.

Changing the Startup Disk If you want to test a client Xserve remotely, youll need to first start up AXD tools on the host computer, and then start up AXD tools on the client Xserve.

To start up AXD tools, set the startup volume of the Xserve to the volume or disk image containing AXD tools. If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your Xserve, you can change the startup disk in Startup Disk System Preferences. Otherwise, you can temporarily change the startup disk by pressing and holding one of several keys when starting up the Xserve:

Startup Disk System Preferences can start up only AXD Mac OS X tools. Pressing the Option key at startup lets you start up either AXD EFI tools or AXD Mac OS X tools.

The Xserve becomes unavailable whenever you use AXD. Before starting tests, alert your users that the server will be unavailable.

Goal Press and hold this key at Xserve startup

Choose the AXD tools volume before starting up Mac OS X

Option

Start up the AXD EFI tools located on the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD

D (make sure the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD is inserted)

Start up using the AXD EFI tools disk image from a NetBoot server

F1 or a specific combination of the Xserves front panel buttons

Chapter 3 Starting Up AXD Tools 15

Changing the Startup Disk in System Preferences If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your Xserve, you can use System Preferences to change the startup disk. The list of startup volumes includes internal volumes and connected portable storage device volumes.

When you change the startup disk in System Preferences, you cant select a startup disk with AXD EFI tools installed. To change the startup disk to the volume with AXD EFI tools installed, change the startup disk at startup. For more information, see Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup on page 16.

To change the startup disk in System Preferences: 1 Open System Preferences on the Xserve, and then select Startup Disk.

2 If the lock icon is locked, click it, and then authenticate as a system administrator.

3 Select the startup disk with the AXD tools and click Restart.

After youre done using AXD tools, change the startup disk back to the volume you were previously using.

Changing the Startup Disk Using the Command-Line Interface If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your Xserve, you can use the command-line interface to change its startup disk. You can use the command-line interface to start up from internal volumes and connected portable storage device volumes.

You can also change the startup disk of a remote server using the command-line interface. Remote login must be enabled on the remote server (enabled by default). You can enable remote login in the Sharing pane of System Preferences.

When you change the startup disk using the command-line interface, you cant select a startup disk with AXD EFI tools installed. To change the startup disk to the volume with AXD EFI tools installed, change the startup disk at startup. For more information, see Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup on page 16.

Youll need to be able authenticate as the root account to change the startup disk in the command-line interface.

Note: The Terminal commands described in this task are case-sensitive and must be entered as shown.

To change the startup disk using the command-line interface: 1 Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/).

2 If you want to connect to a remote server, enter the following in the Terminal window, and authenticate when requested:

ssh username@serveraddress

16 Chapter 3 Starting Up AXD Tools

Replace username with the short name of a user who can authenticate as the root account on the server. Replace serveraddress with the URL, IP address, or host name of the server.

3 Enter the following, and authenticate as the root account when requested:

sudo bless -folder /Volumes/volumename/System/Library/CoreServices

-setBoot

Replace volumename with the name of the volume you want to start up from.

When youre done using AXD tools, change the startup disk back to the volume you were using previously.

Changing the Startup Disk Using Apple Remote Desktop If you have Apple Remote Desktop, you can change the startup disk of remote computers to an internal volume or connected portable storage device volume.

For information about using Apple Remote Desktop to set a computers startup disk, see Apple Remote Desktop Administrators Guide, located at:

www.apple.com/server/documentation

Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup If your Xserve has trouble starting up with Mac OS X Server or doesnt have Mac OS X Server installed, you can temporarily change the startup disk by pressing and holding a key while the Xserve is starting up. This method requires that you have a keyboard and mouse attached to the Xserve and that you can restart the Xserve.

If you dont have a keyboard and mouse attached to the Xserve, use the instructions in the next section, Starting Up an AXD EFI Tools NetBoot Image Using the Xserves Front Panel.

If a firmware password is set, you cant temporarily change the startup disk by pressing and holding the D or F1 key. You can temporarily change the startup disk by pressing and holding the Option key, but you must authenticate with the firmware password.

For information about disabling the firmware password, see Disabling the Firmware Password on page 19.

To temporarily change the startup disk at startup: 1 Restart the Xserve.

2 While the Xserve is restarting, press and hold the Option key until a list of volumes appears. If youre asked to authenticate, enter the firmware password and click the Continue (right-arrow) button.

If you have the Admin Tools and Xserve Diagnostics CD inserted, you can start up using AXD EFI tools located on the CD by pressing and holding the D key instead of the Option key.

Chapter 3 Starting Up AXD Tools 17

If you want to start up AXD tools from a NetBoot image hosted on a NetBoot server, press and hold the F1 key instead of the Option key.

Both of these alternatives immediately start up AXD EFI tools and bypass the list of volumes described in the next step.

3 If you displayed the list of volumes instead of immediately starting up AXD tools, select the volume with AXD tools, and then click the arrow button to start up.

The AXD EFI tools volume is listed as AXD EFI 3X103.

After youre done using AXD EFI tools and restart the Xserve, it starts up using the default startup volume.

Starting Up an AXD EFI Tools NetBoot Image Using the Xserves Front Panel You can use the Xserves front panel buttons to start up an AXD EFI tools disk image hosted by a NetBoot server. This technique is useful for situations where your Xserve: Doesnt have a monitor or keyboard attached Doesnt respond to keyboard input Doesnt have Mac OS X Server installed

The Xserve must be on the same subnet as the NetBoot server hosting the AXD EFI tools disk image.

If the Xserves EFI requires a password, you wont be able to start up a NetBoot image using the front panel. Youll need to disable the firmware password before you can use the front panel. To disable the password, you must be able to start up Mac OS X Server on the Xserve.

To use the Xserves front panel to start up an AXD EFI tools NetBoot image: 1 Turn off the Xserve.

2 Press and hold the system identifier button and press the on/standby button.

System identifier button

On/standby button

18 Chapter 3 Starting Up AXD Tools

3 Continue holding the system identifier button until the top row of lights move right to left. Release the system identifier button.

If the two rows of lights on the front panel blink once and the Xserve resumes its startup sequence, a firmware password is enabled. Youll need to disable the password.

For information about disabling the firmware password, see the next section, Disabling the Firmware Password.

4 When you release the system identifier button, the rightmost light in the bottom row should turn on.

5 Press the system identifier button again. The lights in the bottom row should now be moving right to left.

6 Press the button repeatedly until the leftmost light in the bottom row turns on.

Top row of lights blink right to left, then left to right.

Both rows of lights blink once. Disable the firmware password.

Bottom, rightmost light comes on.

Bottom row of lights blink right to left.

Bottom, leftmost light comes on.

Chapter 3 Starting Up AXD Tools 19

7 When the leftmost light is on, press and hold the system identifier button until all the lights in the top row are on. Release the system identifier button.

When you release the button, the Xserve starts up using the AXD EFI tools NetBoot disk image.

After youve run AXD EFI tools and restart, the Xserve starts up using its default startup volume.

Disabling the Firmware Password If a firmware password is enabled, you cant: Start up from an AXD EFI tools NetBoot image using the Xserves front panel Temporarily change the startup volume by pressing and holding F1 or D at startup

If a firmware password is enabled and you try to temporarily change the startup volume by pressing and holding Option at startup, you must authenticate.

To disable the firmware password: 1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install DVD.

2 Open the Install Mac OS X Server application, click Restart, and authenticate, if requested.

The computer restarts and opens the Mac OS X Server Installer.

3 After selecting a language, choose Utilities > Firmware Password Utility.

4 In Firmware Password Utility, click Change.

5 Deselect Require password to change firmware settings, and click OK. Authenticate when asked.

6 Choose Firmware Password Utility > Quit Firmware Password Utility.

7 Choose Mac OS X Installer > Quit Mac OS X Installer. Click Startup Disk, select the startup disk with Mac OS X Server installed, and then click Restart.

Top row of lights come on.

4

20

4 Using AXD Tools

AXD Mac OS X tools and AXD EFI tools have different interfaces and functionality. This chapter describes how to use both AXD tools.

Before you can use AXD tools, make sure youve properly started up the tools. For more information, see Chapter 3, Starting Up AXD Tools, on page 14.

Setting AXD to Host, Client, or Local Mode When AXD tools starts, AXD tools can enter one of three modes depending on whether: Youre opening AXD EFI tools or AXD Mac OS X tools Any of the computers on the same subnet are host computers A host computer is directly connected Youre logged in as root Youre running AXD Mac OS X tools on a computer that isnt an Intel-based Xserve

The following table describes the three modes:

Mode Description Automatically enters mode if

Host The computer searches for Xserves that are on the same subnet and start AXD tools in remote mode. When one is found, the host computer controls the client Xserves AXD tools.

You run AXD Mac OS X tools and either: The computer isnt an Intel-based

Xserve. Youre not logged in as root.

Client The Xserve can be controlled by a host computer.

Youre running AXD EFI tools and a host computer is on the same subnet or is directly connected.

Local The Xserve runs all tests locally. Youre running AXD EFI tools and a host computer isnt on the same subnet and isnt directly connected.

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If youre logged in as root on an Intel-based Xserve, and then you run AXD Mac OS X tools, you can choose which mode to enter.

Remotely Testing a Client Xserve If you want to test a client Xserve, you must first start up AXD tools on the host computer, set it to connect to a client Xserve, and then start up the AXD tools on the client Xserve and set it to be a client of a remote host.

The host computer must run AXD Mac OS X tools. The client Xserve can run AXD EFI tools or AXD Mac OS X tools. The available tests are based on which AXD tools the client Xserve is running.

When you start up AXD EFI tools, the Xserve first looks for a host computer. If it finds a host computer, the Xserve enters client mode. If it doesnt find a host computer, the Xserve enters local mode.

When you start up AXD Mac OS X tools, the Xserve automatically becomes a host computer if either of the following are true: You logged in to Mac OS X with an account that isnt root. You are running AXD Mac OS X tools on a computer that isnt an Intel-based Xserve.

If AXD Mac OS X tools doesnt automatically become a host computer, it asks if it should connect to a client Xserve, be a client of a remote host, or run tests locally.

To remotely test a client Xserve: 1 On the host computer, open AXD Mac OS X tools (located in /Applications/).

2 If the host computer is an Intel-based Xserve and youre logged in as root, when AXD opens, a dialog asks you to choose which mode to enter. Choose Connect to remote Xserve and click OK.

If your computer isnt an Intel-based Xserve, the dialog doesnt appear, and AXD automatically enters host mode.

3 On the client Xserve, change the startup disk to a volume with AXD tools and restart it.

You can also temporarily change the startup disk to either a volume with AXD tools on it or to an AXD tools NetBoot disk image when you start up the Xserve.

For more information about how to change or temporarily change the startup volume, see Chapter 3, Starting Up AXD Tools, on page 14.

4 If youre starting up AXD Mac OS X tools, log in as root, and if AXD doesnt open automatically, open AXD (located in /Applications/). Choose Client of a remote host, and click OK.

5 If youre starting up AXD EFI tools, the Xserve automatically enters client mode.

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There are several ways to determine whether the host computer and client Xserve have established a successful connection: The IP address field in the AXD window on the host computer should match the IP

address assigned to the client Xserve. The name of the AXD window on the host computer is AXD remote log, not AXD

local log. The log area of the client Xserve uses more of the AXD window. The Shut Down,

Restart, and a few other buttons are removed.

Testing the Local Xserve Using AXD EFI Tools To test the local Xserve, make sure none of the computers on the same subnet as the Xserve is running AXD Mac OS X tools in host mode. If a computer on the same subnet is running AXD Mac OS X tools in host mode, the Xserve automatically enters client mode.

To test the local Xserve using AXD EFI tools: m Restart the Xserve and press and hold a key, or use the Xserves front panel buttons to

start up the volume or NetBoot disk image with AXD EFI tools.

For more information about how to temporarily change the startup volume while starting the computer, see Chapter 3, Starting Up AXD Tools, on page 14.

When AXD EFI tools starts up and doesnt find a host computer, it enters local mode.

Testing the Local Xserve Using AXD Mac OS X Tools To test the local Xserve, you must log in as root. If you dont log in as root, AXD Mac OS X tools automatically enters host mode.

To test the local Xserve using AXD Mac OS X tools: 1 Change the startup disk of the Xserve to a volume with AXD Mac OS X tools, restart it,

and log in as root.

2 If AXD Mac OS X tools doesnt open automatically, open it (located in /Applications/).

3 When AXD opens, choose Local from the dialog that appears and click OK.

Using AXD EFI Tools In AXD EFI tools, the test controls and test selections are split across two panes. Regardless of which pane youre looking at, you can do the following: View the test log, test settings, and status Start tests Clear the test log Restart the Xserve

Chapter 4 Using AXD Tools 23

Shut down the Xserve

For information about AXD EFI tools, see the following topics: Customizing AXD EFI Tools Test Settings on page 23 Clearing the Test Log on page 24 Viewing the Hardware Profile on page 24 Shutting Down or Restarting the Xserve on page 24

Customizing AXD EFI Tools Test Settings You can customize AXD test settings in several ways by choosing which tests are run, whether to loop tests, and whether to stop or continue testing when an error occurs.

Test settings and detailed status

Test log

Test

Click these tabs to view the Controls or Test

Selections panes

Test category

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To customize AXD EFI tools test settings: 1 In AXD EFI tools, select the test settings you want.

2 To run the test, click Test.

Clearing the Test Log The test log contains all test messages that have occurred during the current AXD session. If you quit AXD, the log is cleared.

To clear the test log without quitting AXD, click Clear Test Data.

Viewing the Hardware Profile The hardware profile lists all hardware components in the Xserve.

You can view the hardware profile by choosing Hardware Profile > Display Hardware Profile.

Shutting Down or Restarting the Xserve You can shut down or restart the Xserve in AXD EFI tools.

To shut down or restart the Xserve, click Shut Down or Restart.

To do this Do this

Choose which tests are run In the Test Selections pane, do the following: To select a test, select the checkbox next to the test. To select a specific test within a category of tests, click the

disclosure triangle next to the category, and then select individual tests.

To select all tests, click Select All. To remove all tests, click Deselect All.

Loop all selected tests In the Controls pane, do the following: To loop all selected tests a specific number of times, select Loop

# times and replace # with the number of times to loop. To run all tests once, select Loop # times and replace # with the

number 1. To loop all tests for a specific amount of time, select Loop for #

hours and # minutes and replace # with number of hours and minutes to loop. When the specified time is reached, the current loop must complete before the tests stop. For example, if one loop of your test set takes 2 hours to complete, and your specified time is 3 hours, AXD stops testing in 4 hours. (Instead of stopping at 3, it waits for the current test set loop to complete before stopping.)

Change what to do when an error occurs

In the Controls pane, do the following: To stop testing when the first error occurs, select Stop On Error. To continue testing when errors occur, choose Continue On Error.

Chapter 4 Using AXD Tools 25

Using AXD Mac OS X Tools AXD Mac OS X tools changes its look based on whether youre running it locally, as a cl