Sun Fire[TM] 3800, 4800, 4810, 6800, E4900, and E6900: Navigating Between Shells on Sun Fire Mid-range Servers [Video]

Asset ID:	1-71-1003150.1
Update Date:	2017-02-02
Keywords:

Solution Type Technical Instruction Sure

Solution 1003150.1 : Sun Fire[TM] 3800, 4800, 4810, 6800, E4900, and E6900: Navigating Between Shells on Sun Fire Mid-range Servers [Video]

Applies to:

Sun Fire E4900 Server - Version Not Applicable and later
Sun Fire E6900 Server - Version Not Applicable and later
Sun Fire 4800 Server - Version Not Applicable and later
Sun Fire 4810 Server - Version Not Applicable and later
Sun Fire 6800 Server - Version Not Applicable and later
All Platforms

Goal

This document details procedures for how to navigate between the various "shells" on a Sun Fire[TM] 3800, 4800, 4810, 6800, E4900, or E6900 Server's System Controller (SC).

Available for this topic, a Video Tutorial; Brief how-to video tutorials that provide step-by-step instructions answering Sun's most frequently asked questions. View the video answer and/or follow the detailed instructions below.
Video - How to navigate SC shells (5:00)

Fix

Sun Fire 3800, 4800, 4810, 6800, E4900, and E6900 System Controller (SC) software contains multiple shells. Each have specific functionality regarding administration of the platform. The shells include:

Domain Console (Solaris[TM] Operating Environment or OpenBoot PROM (OBP))
Domain Shell
Platform Shell

Refer to the above picture for an overview of navigation between the Platform shell, Domain shell and Domain Console (from the Sun Fire Midrange Systems Platform Administration Manual).

Definition of Terms Used in Diagram:

Domain Console: The domain's console device connection (/dev/console). When connected, the user will have one of the following prompts:

OpenBoot Prom (OBP)
console login

Domain Shell: A shell on the system controller with the ability to administer a specific domain on the platform

Platform Shell: A shell on the system controller with the ability to administer the entire platform

escape sequence: A set of keystrokes which trigger the BREAK control character to be sent to the system controller.

Firmware 5.16.X or greater provides the setescape/showescape commands which allow the user to set the escape sequence.
The default escape sequence is #.
Some applications have their own escape sequence; see the application's manual for details. Here are two examples:

Solaris telnet: CONTROL-] (aka. ^])
Solaris tip: ~#

NOTES:

To interrupt a domain running Solaris and bring it to the OpenBoot PROM (OBP) ok prompt, issue the break command from the Domain Shell.

The resume command will result in an ok prompt for the OpenBoot PROM (OBP) if Solaris is not running on the domain. Otherwise, it will result in a console login prompt.
The disconnect command will only return to the Platform Shell if the Domain Shell was obtained via the console command from the Platform Shell. Otherwise it will disconnect the user from the system controller.

To disconnect from the Platform Shell, issue the disconnect command.

If the connection to the system controller is made via the serial port and the user does not issue a disconnect when complete, the session on the serial port will remain open in the state at which the user left it.

For firmware less than 5.16.X, if a sequence of applications which all share the same escape sequence are run to connect to the system controller, the first instance of the application will pick up the BREAK control character sent via the escape sequence. To ensure the correct application instance receives the BREAK control character, an ESCAPE control character must be sent for each additional instance in the sequence. For example, using Solaris telnet:

workstation% telnet admin_workstation 
or
admin_workstation% telnet sunfire_sc0

Type  0  for Platform Shell
Type  1  for domain A console
Type  2  for domain B console
Type  3  for domain C console
Type  4  for domain D console
   
Input: 1 Enter password:

schostname:A> console A

hostname console login: ^]  <- (send telnet  sequence)

telnet> send escape
(If the above step is not taken, the user will be taken to the 
workstation% prompt after running send break  on the next step) 

telnet> send break schostname:A>

References

Sun Fire Midrange Systems Platform Administration Manual (5.20.x version linked here)

Previously Published As 43631

References

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