| This spare was not supposed to be shipped from Manufacturing yet.
Can you let me know what the serial number is on the EV56 300 MHz
CPU(s) in question?
There are three 300 MHz CPUs (that will soon be) supported on Rawhide.
Pass 4 EV5 based CPUs (B3002-AB), Pass 1 EV56 based CPUs, and Pass 2
EV56 based CPUs. I can't recall whether the B3004-BA is the Pass1 or
Pass2 EV56 300 MHz CPU. All three CPU types can be mixed and matched -
once officially supported. Official FRS of the EV56-based 300 MHz CPUs
was supposed to be 3/7.
Perhaps the normal process is for spares to make their way out to the
field before products officially FRS? Whatever the case, a patch exists
for V6.2-1H3 and V7.1 OpenVMS to allow it to start the secondaries. The
current problem is that VMS checks CPU types and compatibility fields
to insure all CPUs are of the same type/version. They aren't in this
case. However, DVT and PVT have been done on mixed-CPU systems and VMS
has agreed to issue a patch.
The patch plus new V4.8 SRM console plus new V5.28 AlphaBIOS console
are *required* for official support and are planned to FRS on 2/7.
That leaves us with the question of what we should do in your
particular customer's case. I'll have to get back to you on that..
Notes:
The VMS patch is required to start secondary CPUs.
The V4.8 SRM console is required to disable byte/word on all EV56
300 MHz CPUs.
The V5.28 AlphaBIOS is required for the same reason (byte/word).
If mixed EV5 and EV56 in the same system, the new V4.8 console will
instruct the operator that the primary CPU must be an EV5-based CPU.
This is to resolve an issue with UNIX handling of mixed-type CPUs,
but the 4100/4000 program wants it to apply to all operating systems
since the DVT and PVT were done with EV5 as the primary - to avoid an
order of magnitude larger DVT/PVT effort.
The plan is to ship the consoles and VMS patches via diskette in each
300 MHz CPU shipped (and with systems,at least for the next 8 weeks or
so - until the V3.8 Alpha FW CD is available). And with an accompanying
cover letter. Again, FRS date of this CPU kit is planned for 2/7.
Someone'll get back to you with details about how to handle customers
between now and 2/7.
BC
|
| From: POBOXB::GENT
To: @LAB_STATUS.DIS, @SUPP.DIS
CC:
Subj: AlphaServer 4100 - CPU B3004-BA
Hello All,
********************************************************
*** This is an immediate but short term problem ***
*** All the components will be available by 1/31/97 ***
********************************************************
Some Alphaserver 4100 B3004-BA CPU's have been shipped as spares. This module
was not scheduled to FRS until February 7th. The effects are that VMS will fail
to run SMP because it checks the HWRPB and finds a mismatch in CPU types.
In order to run mixed B3002 and B3004 the console, alphabios and VMS needs
upgrading.
The B3002 is based on the EV5 chip, the B3004-BA is based on the EV5/6 chip.
The Byte/Word capability in the EV5/6 needs to be disabld in order to run mixed
CPU's. The following changes need to be made to the system:
1. The SRM console needs to be upgraded to V4.8
- V4.8 is not schedule to be released until 1/31
2. AlphaBIOS needs to be upgraded to V5.28
- V5.28 is already posted on the web site. I will send a BLITZ announcing
its availability.
3. A VMS patch is required which modifies the handling of the compatibility
fields in the RPB.
4. The FIRST CPU SLOT MUST HAVE A B3002 INSTALLED in a mixed CPU configuration.
If you have a mixed configuration resulting from Field Spares activities, it is
recommended that a request for additional spares be made until all the CPU's
are the same type.
Please note that Unix and Windows NT systems will load and run.
LOCATION OF VMS KIT
-------------------
The TIMA kit is located at BULOVA::PUBLIC2$:[REMEDIAL_KITS].
ALPCPU1601_071.A - Release notes and KITINSTAL.COM procedure
ALPCPU1601_071.B - V6.2 image
ALPCPU1601_071.C - V7.1 image
There are also 2 text files, the Cover Letter and Submission Form. The Cover
Letter and the Release Notes are the same document and go tothe customer. The
Submission Form stays internal with customer support.
LOCATION OF ALHABIOS V5.28
--------------------------
NT Engineering qualification of AlphaBIOS 5.28 is complete. The release
of AlphaBIOS 5.28 is now available from
\\ntnone\rawhide$\postfrs\abios.528. Consult the readme.txt for product
updates and product installation. The web sites have been updated. (I will be
generating a BLITZ today 1/29 referring to this AlphaBIOS availability.)
LOCATION OF SRM V4.8
--------------------
This is NOT YET AVAILABLE. It will be available on 1/31
tg 1/29/97
|
|
The B3004-BA module will initially ship with Pass1 EV56 chips, but
will quickly switch to Pass2 based on component availability. The
patch that Bill referred to in .1 handles mixing EV5, EV56 pass1
and EV56 pass2.
Probably around the same time, the B3004-AA (400MHz) will also phase over
to pass2. The patch also addresses this condition.
The B3004-DA (466MHz) required pass2 for functional reasons, so there
there will never be a pass1/pass2 mixing issue for this CPU.
|