| Title: | Windows NT For Alpha AXP |
| Moderator: | TARKIN::LIN EIBER |
| Created: | Mon Sep 27 1993 |
| Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1058 |
| Total number of notes: | 4567 |
I am looking for specific and definitive responses to the following
questions. If these questions can be answered by someone reading this
conference, fine. If these questions are best addressed elsewhere, I would
appreciate directions to the responsible individual.
Thankyou in advance.
If the firmware on a Alpha system is updated, should the ECU (EISA
Configuration Utility) be re-run?, assuming the system was a currently
running system.
If the firmware on a Alpha system is downgraded, should the ECU (EISA
Configuration Utility) be re-run?, assuming the system was a currently
running system.
If the firmware on a Alpha system is updated, should the ISACFG (ISA
Configuration Utility) be re-run?, assuming the system was a currently
running system.
If the firmware on a Alpha system is downgraded, should the ISACFG (ISA
Configuration Utility) be re-run?, assuming the system was a currently
running system.
If the firmware is upgraded or downgraded on an Alpha system, is there
a requirement or advisement, to re-run either the ECU or the ISACFG?
Regards and thanks, Richard Tomkins
P.S. In case anyone was wondering, I now work for CSS and so am getting
back into SBU products, aka, Alpha systems, and my long absence form
SBU or rather long foray in the PCBU, has left me ignorant of a number
of vital Alpha issues.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1054.1 | BIGUN::nessus.cao.dec.com::Mayne | Meanwhile, back on Earth... | Mon Jun 02 1997 17:27 | 10 | |
In general, I've assumed that a firmware change means running the ECU. However, the instructions for a 4100 (which I installed both Windows NT and UNIX on last week) say that the ECU is not required if there are no EISA options installed. You haven't mentioned switching between Windows NT and OpenVMS/Digital UNIX, where the ECU needs to be run as well. I didn't even know there was such a thing as ISACFG. PJDM | |||||
| 1054.2 | More | MAY30::CUMMINS | Tue Jun 03 1997 07:21 | 27 | |
Once ECU/ISACFG have been run, they need not be run again unless:
1. Your EISA/ISA config changes.
2. You swap/upgrade the board which has the embedded NVRAM part used
to store the config data. On 2000/2100, 4000/4100, this is the I/O
board (ESC NVRAM part). On the 1000-series platforms, this is the
system motherboard. Can't speak for other platforms.
3. You clear the NVRAM part via deposit commands or SRM console-based
script (e.g. CLEAR_ARC_NVRAM).
4. You switch between booting NT and one of UNIX/VMS (or vice versa).
E.g. UNIX will appear to hang during boot-up if NT ECU data is in
NVRAM rather than UNIX/VMS ECU data. And it won't necessarily be
obvious why it is hung (serial port, which typically hangs off
Xbus, not configured properly).
Note that even if no EISA options are installed, ECU/ISACFG must be run
at some point (typically, in Manufacturing).
There are some twists, however. For instance, AlphaBIOS, upon seeing a
blank ECU data region in the ESC NVRAM part, will initialize said
region with NT-specific ECU data (assuming an empty EISA bus). Another
example is that the AlphaServer 4000/4100 SRM console will hard-code
UNIX/VMS ECU data in the HWRPB data structure passed to UNIX/VMS during
booting if it finds an empty ECU data region. [Note that SRM will not
auto-update the data region, however, and it will warn the user during
power-up that ECU should be run when it finds a lack of valid ECU data
in the NVRAM part.]
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| 1054.3 | Thanks | KANATA::TOMKINS | Tue Jun 03 1997 09:33 | 4 | |
Thank you both for your input.
I did not ask about the switch between OS's as I am aware of that
aspect of ECU operation, all too aware.
rtt
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