IBM Automatic Server Restart (ASR) Driver for Linux version 1.01 CONTENTS -------- 1.0 Overview 2.0 Change History 3.0 ASR Device Driver Installation Instructions for Red Hat 4.0 ASR Device Driver Installation Instructions for SuSE 5.0 ASR User Space Monitor (/sbin/asrtask) 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 7.0 Trademarks and Notices 8.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview ------------- This README.TXT file is associated with the following 2 RPM files: - ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm - ibmasr-x.xx-y.src.rpm where x.xx is the version and y is the build of the rpm that you are installing. These RPM files will build and install Linux device drivers and/or support software for the following IBM hardware: - Automatic Server Restart (ASR) which is built onto the planar board of the x205, x220, x225 and x305 models of xSeries servers Only the "boxed set" versions of Linux are supported. See Sections 3 and 4 for details. 2.0 Change History ------------------- 2.1 Driver version 1.01 Updated driver to work with new systems that have ASR capabilities. Created a user space moitoring task. See section 5.0 for further information. 2.0 Driver version 1.00 Initial Release. 3.0 ASR Device Driver Installation Instructions for Red Hat -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Supported versions: 1) Red Hat, version 7.2 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.7-10 2.4.7-10smp 2) Red Hat, version 7.3 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.18-3 2.4.18-3smp 3) Red Hat Advanced Server, version 2.1 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.9-e.3 2.4.9-e.3smp 2.4.9-e.8 Summit kernel. See Retain tip H176211 for important information about configuring the summit kernel sources. 3.2 Red Hat Kernel source configuration Note: Normally the kernel sources will be properly configured if you installed them during your initial Linux installation. If you installed the kernel sources later or if you see errors such as "Kernel version mismatch" or "unresolved symbol errors" then verify that you have the kernel sources installed like this: rpm -qa | grep kernel Sample result (NOTE: Results will vary with different kernel versions): kernel-headers-2.4.2-2 kernel-source-2.4.2-2 kernel-smp-2.4.2-2 kernel-2.4.2-2 Make sure that kernel-headers and kernel-source rpm packages are present and that they match your kernel version number. If the packages are missing or incorrect install the correct packages before proceeding. Once you have the appropriate kernel sources installed you will need to configure them. Execute the following commands: cd /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build make mrproper Execute one of the following commands based on your hardware configuration (again, the exact file names may vary): cp -f configs/kernel-2.4.2-i586.config arch/i386/defconfig cp -f configs/kernel-2.4.2-i586-smp.config arch/i386/defconfig cp -f configs/kernel-2.4.2-i686-enterprise.config arch/i386/defconfig Verify that the kernel Makefile EXTRAVERSION information matches the version that you are running with respect to smp support. make oldconfig make dep 3.3 Distributions without precompiled ASR kernel modules already installed or when upgrading to a newer RPM This version of ibmasr installs all of the necessary files in a single pass. The system that the source rpm file is to be run on must have Linux development/build capability with the Linux kernel source installed and properly configured for your hardware. The binary rpm file (ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm) contains open source code for the IBM Automatic Server Restart device driver for Linux. The file is designed for installation using the Red Hat RPM "build" system. Executing the RPM utility against ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm will build and install Linux drivers that are customized for the Linux kernel version of the machine running the RPM utility. This process also generates a binary rpm file that can be installed on any machine running the same Linux kernel and having the same hardware configuration. The following steps must be executed in order to build and install the Linux ASR driver. NOTE: If this is an upgrade to an existing Automatic Server Restart driver or if the driver failed to build properly the first time, then the previously installed driver packages must first be removed. Depending upon your system's configuration, you may see messages about missing files when running the "rpm -e" commands. You may safely ignore those messages. Type the following command at a shell prompt to remove the old driver source and binaries: rpm -e ibmasr To install the source rpm on Redhat version 6.2, execute the following commands: ln -s /usr/src/linux /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build rpm -ivh ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm where x.xx is the build number of the source RPM that you are installing. To install the binary rpm on Redhat versions later than 6.2, execute the following command: rpm -ivh ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm where x.xx is the build number of the binary RPM that you are installing. This RPM will uncompress and untar the archive into the /usr/local/ibmasr directory, compile the software, copy the driver, shared library, and all configuration files to their appropriate locations, clean up (remove files that are no longer required) and load the device driver. The driver will be configured to start at boot-time, and to stop at reboot or shutdown. 3.5 Un-installing the ibmasm RPMS. To uninstall the binary rpm, execute the following command: rpm -e ibmasr RPM will unload the driver, and remove all ibmasr-related files from your system. It is recommended that you uninstall the driver with -e before installing a new version, rather than upgrading with RPM's upgrade (-U) switch. 3.6 Utility Programs. There are two useful utility programs installed by the RPM. ibmspup is a small script that loads ibmasr.o (the Automatic Server Restart device driver). The ibmspup script creates /dev/ibmasr which is the device file for the ASR hardware. Note that this module will not load if your system does not have the supported hardware. ibmspdown unloads the module. You must have root priveledges to run these utilities. 4.0 System Management Device Driver Installation Instructions for SuSE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1 Supported versions: 1) SuSE, version 8.0 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.18-4GB 2.4.18-64GB-SMP 2) SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, version 7 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.7-4GB 2.4.7-64GB-SMP 4) SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, version 8 - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.19-4GB 2.4.19-64GB-SMP 5) SuSE, version 8.1 If you get the following error: "couldn't find the kernel version the module was compiled for" then the kernel-supplied driver need to be updated. Remove the kernel-supplied driver as follows: rm /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/char/ibmasr/* Then proceed as outlined in section 4.3. - Specific kernel versions tested 2.4.19-4GB 2.4.19-64GB-SMP 4.3 Distributions without precompiled ASM kernel modules or when uprading to a newer RPM. The kernel source needs to be configured. If you see errors such as "Kernel version mismatch" or "unresolved symbol errors" then configure the kernel sources. The system that the source rpm file is to be run on must have Linux development/build capability with the Linux kernel source installed and properly configured for your hardware. After installing the kernel-source RPM configure the kernel sources by executing the following commands: cd /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build cp -f /boot/vmlinuz.version.h \ /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include/linux/version.h cp -f /boot/vmlinuz.config \ /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/.config make cloneconfig make dep make menuconfig When menuconfig completes the menuconfig Main Menu will appear. From the Main Menu select exit and then save the new kernel configuration. On SuSE version 7.2, create the modversions.h file needed by the ibmasm build process by executing the following command: make all This version of ibmasr installs all of the necessary files in a single pass. The binary rpm file (ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm) contains open source code for the IBM Automatic Server Restart device driver for Linux. The file is designed for installation using the Red Hat RPM "build" system. Executing the RPM utility against ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm will build and install Linux driver that is customized for the Linux kernel version of the machine running the RPM utility. This process also generates a binary rpm file that can be installed on any machine running the same Linux kernel and having the same hardware configuration. The following steps must be executed in order to build and install the Linux ASR driver. NOTE: If this is an upgrade to an existing Automatic Server Restart driver, then the previously installed driver packages must first be removed. Depending upon your system's configuration, you may see messages about missing files when running the "rpm -e" commands. You may safely ignore those messages. Type the following command at a shell prompt to remove the old driver source and binaries: rpm -e ibmasm To install the source rpm for SuSE, execute the following command: rpm -ivh ibmasr-x.xx-y.i386.rpm where x.xx is the version of the RPM that you are installing. 4.5 Un-installing the ibmasr RPM. To uninstall the binary rpm, execute the following command: rpm -e ibmasr RPM will unload the driver, and remove all ibmasr-related files from your system. It is recommended that you uninstall the driver with -e before installing a new version, rather than upgrading with RPM's upgrade (-U) switch. 4.6 Utility Programs. There are two useful utility programs installed by the RPM. ibmspup is a small script that loads ibmasr.o (the ASR device driver). The ibmspup script creates /dev/ibmasm which is the device file for the Automatic Server Restart hardware. Note that this modules will not load if your system does not have the supported hardware. ibmspdown unloads the modules. You must have root priveledges to run these utilities. 5.0 ASR User Space Monitor (/sbin/asrtask) --------------------------------------- 5.0 When the ibmasr rpm is installed a user space application is also installed in the /sbin directory and executed (asrtask). This task is a keep alive task between the kernel driver (ibmasr) and user space. We have found that on some combination/configutrations of distributions, server models and kernel versions that some panics generated from user space will not cause the ASR device driver to reboot the system even though user space is hung. Therfore we have added this user space monitor. This application can be terminated via normal Linux termination methods however user space will no longer be monitored. Also if the asrtask is terminated in an unconventional manner such that asrtask cannot clean up on exit the system may be rebooted. If this is the case the device driver will log a message in /var/log/messages leaving a history of the cause of the reboot. 6.0 WEB Sites and Support Phone Number --------------------------------------- 6.1 IBM Support Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/support 6.2 IBM Marketing eServer xSeries Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/eserver/xseries 6.3 If you have any questions about this update, or problems applying the update go to the following Help Center World Telephone Numbers URL: http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/YAST-3P2QYL.html 7.0 Trademarks and Notices --------------------------- The following terms are trademarks of the Red Hat Corporation in the United States or other countries or both: Red Hat The following terms are trademarks of SuSE, Inc. in the United States and SuSE AG in Germany or other countries: SuSE The following terms are trademarks of Linus Torvalds in the United States or other countries or both: Linux 8.0 Disclaimer --------------- 8.1 THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. 8.2 Note to Government Users Documentation related to restricted rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corporation.