Unable to Recover Firmware from Preboot Menu with TFTP Error "Retry count exceeded"

Asset ID:	1-72-1584579.1
Update Date:	2017-11-20
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1584579.1 : Unable to Recover Firmware from Preboot Menu with TFTP Error "Retry count exceeded"

Applies to:

Sun Blade X6275 M2 Server Module - Version All Versions and later
Sun Server X3-2L
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

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The Service Processor (SP) may boot into the preboot menu every time it tries to boot due to corruption:

<DIAGS> PHY #0 R/W Test ... PASSED
<DIAGS> PHY #0 Link Status ... PASSED
<DIAGS> ETHERNET PHY #0, Internal Loopback Test ... PASSED

<DIAGS> USB 1.1 Test ... PASSED
<DIAGS>Access to BIOS Flash ... PASSED
<DIAGS> Testing PowerCPLD version ... PASSED
checking for abnormal reboots: 0:0.
abnormal reboot found -- too long, ignore
Booting linux in 3 seconds...
Un-Protect Flash Bank # 1
flctrl: Recovery U-Boot (r57416) at 0x10040000 is valid (min. r41288).
Trying primary image...
Trying to boot package at ffffffff
No valid package header at ffffffff (package structure problem)

ILOM Pre-boot Menu
------------------
Type "h" and [Enter] for a list of commands, or "?" [Enter] for
command-line key bindings. Type "h cmd" for summary of 'cmd' command.

Warning: SP will warm-reset after 300 seconds of idle time.
Set 'bootretry' to -1 to disable the time-out.
Service mode enabled; check_physical_presence = 'no ;mfgmode'.

Trying to recover the SP gives TFTP failure, even though the TFTP host is alive.

Preboot> net ping X.X.X.X
Using faradaynic#0 device
host X.X.X.X is alive
Preboot>
Preboot> net flash X.X.X.X tftpboot/ILOM-3_0_10_12_d_r74119-Sun_Blade_X6275M2.flash
Using faradaynic#0 device
host X.X.X.X is alive
Downloading ILOM image to scratch RAM (load_addr = 0x2000000)...
Using faradaynic#0 device
TFTP from server X.X.X.X; our IP address is X.X.X.X; sending through gateway X.X.X.X
Filename 'tftpboot/ILOM-3_0_10_12_d_r74119-Sun_Blade_X6275M2.flash'.
Load address: 0x2000000
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Retry count exceeded; starting again
pbmenu: TFTP failed.
Preboot>
Preboot> net flash X.X.X.X tftpboot/ILOM-3_0_10_12_d_r74119-Sun_Blade_X6275M2.flash
Using faradaynic#0 device
host X.X.X.X is alive
Downloading ILOM image to scratch RAM (load_addr = 0x2000000)...
Using faradaynic#0 device
TFTP from server X.X.X.X; our IP address is X.X.X.X; sending through gateway X.X.X.X
Filename 'tftpboot/ILOM-3_0_10_12_d_r74119-Sun_Blade_X6275M2.flash'.
Load address: 0x2000000
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Retry count exceeded; starting again
pbmenu: TFTP failed.

Cause

It is possible for some inconsistencies with the TFTP transfer to be observed.
The ILOM preboot keept requesting the flash file, and the server keept sending the file, but the preboot does not seem to aknowledge it (kept sending the file 'request').

Solution

This is resolved by restoring factory defaults from the preboot menu ( "unconfig all") followed by "reset cold" (from preboot).

After the steps have been implemented it should be possible for the SP to successfully access the ILOM .flash file. It should take at most 3 retries for the TFTP transfer to work and the recovery procedure to be resumed.

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