This section discusses which level of PSSP is supported by this manual, when to use this manual, and what other manuals are needed to diagnose PSSP problems.
The book applies only to PSSP Version 3 Release 2 (PSSP 3.2). This book does not supersede previous versions. To display the levels of PSSP installed on all nodes of your SP system, see About this book. If your SP system has mixed levels of PSSP, each version of PSSP has its own PSSP: Diagnosis Guide. Use the proper version of the manual to diagnose problems with a particular node. In order to diagnose problems on a node running a particular level of PSSP, you must use the manual that applies to that level.
Consult this manual for assistance during these administrative efforts:
This manual lists the basic information that you should have available before contacting the IBM Support Center, and how to obtain that information. In addition to the basic information, specific PSSP software subsystems may require you to provide additional data that is specific to the failing subsystem or to the particular problem that you are experiencing. To understand what information is required and how to obtain it, consult both the basic instructions for preparing information for the IBM Support Center, and the diagnostic instructions for the failing PSSP subsystems in Diagnosing PSSP subsystems..
This manual contains diagnostic procedures provided for PSSP software problems and some SP hardware problems. This manual also contains descriptions of available error information, how to retrieve it, and what to look for to analyze the problem. There are also solutions to some commonly encountered problems.
This manual provides instructions for running diagnostic procedures for PSSP software subsystems. These procedures are specific to the individual subsystem or SP hardware device being examined. Consult Diagnosing PSSP subsystems for these instructions.
PSSP provides graphical and command-line facilities to display the current status of system resources and to monitor changes in these resources. This manual introduces these tools and demonstrates how to use them to assess the current status of the SP hardware and software. Using these utilities, you can detect problems at an early stage and react to them before they propagate and magnify.
PSSP 3.2 provides the option of running your RS/6000 SP system with an enhanced level of security. This function removes the dependency PSSP has to internally issue AIX rsh or rcp commands as a root user from a node. When this function is enabled, PSSP does not automatically grant authorization for a root user to issue AIX rsh or rcp commands from a node. If you enable this option, some procedures may not work as documented. For example, to run HACMP an administrator must grant the authorizations for a root user to issue AIX rsh or rcp commands, which PSSP would otherwise grant automatically.
If you have DCE authentication enabled, you cannot run HACWS.
PSSP 3.4 provides the ability to remove the dependency that PSSP has on the AIX rsh and rcp commands issued as root on the control workstation and nodes, by enabling the use of secure remote command and secure remote copy methods. When using the secure remote commands, the Restricted Root Remote commands is also enabled, limiting the use of remote commands to secure remote commands from the control workstation to the nodes. When this function is enabled, PSSP will use the secure remote command methods enabled for all remote command calls, no longer relying on the rsh and rcp commands.
In addition, in PSSP 3.4 you have the ability to set Authorization for AIX Remote Commands to "none" on a system partition or on all system partitions, when secure remote commands are enabled. When this is set, PSSP code will not automatically grant authorization for the root user to issue the AIX rsh and rcp commands for a node or the control workstation to the system partition. Instead, all PSSP remote commands will be run using the secure remote command method enabled in that system partition.
In order to set AIX Authorization for Remote Commands to "none" on any SP system partition, PSSP 3.4 must be installed on all nodes of that partition. If "none" is enabled, certain functions and procedures may not work as documented. See PSSP: Administration Guide for enabling secure remote commands and the "none" option.
The Bibliography lists manuals of general interest for the SP system and PSSP. This section lists those manuals specific to problem detection and problem solving for the SP system and for AIX. This section contains references to manuals not listed in the Bibliography.
These manuals are needed because SP systems allow different levels of PSSP to run on different nodes. Information for previous versions of PSSP and the hardware that they support may be present only in previous versions of this manual. This manual (PSSP 3.2 version) applies only to software currently in PSSP 3.2 and the hardware that PSSP 3.2 supports.
When to use these books:
The information for that hardware will be included in PSSP: Diagnosis and Messages Guide for versions of PSSP that support the hardware.
In most cases, the subsystems that run on nodes with different levels of PSSP use a "backward compatibility" mode. This means that all nodes provide only that level of function available in the lowest version of PSSP on those nodes.
For example, if Group Services (GS) is running on an SP system with four nodes, configured as follows:
GS will essentially run as if PSSP 2.3 was installed on all nodes. Any additional function provided by GS for PSSP 2.4, 3.1, and 3.2 will not be available.
This manual discusses diagnostic procedures for software provided in PSSP 3.2. Diagnostic procedures for software provided in PSSP 3.1 and PSSP 3.1.1 are documented in the appropriate version of PSSP: Diagnosis Guide. Diagnostic procedures for software provided in versions of PSSP before PSSP 3.1 are documented in the appropriate version of PSSP: Diagnosis and Messages Guide. These diagnostic procedures may still be valid when software is running in a "backward compatibility" mode on PSSP 3.2 nodes.
This manual is the companion to this one (PSSP: Diagnosis Guide). The PSSP: Messages Reference provides a list of the specific error messages generated by PSSP 3.2, gives a detailed explanation of the error condition, and gives directions for responding to the error condition.
When to use this manual:
This manual describes the supported configurations of the SP system. This manual also describes how to configure and administer the SP system.
This manual, PSSP: Diagnosis Guide, has many references to sections in PSSP: Administration Guide when describing how to analyze, circumvent, or repair problems.
When to use this manual:
Although this manual is specific to PSSP 2.2, much of the information in this manual is still relevant to later releases of PSSP. This manual gives you insight to the SP hardware and PSSP structure, so that you can understand how problems in one component impact others.
This manual provides specific error avoidance and recovery instructions for items that still exist or are supported in PSSP 3.2, such as:
When to use this manual:
Although this manual is specific to PSSP 2.1, much of the information in this manual is still relevant to later releases of PSSP. This manual provides specific error detection and recovery instructions for items that are still used and supported in PSSP 3.2, such as:
When to use this manual:
Although this manual is specific to PSSP 2.2, much of the information in this manual is still relevant to later releases of PSSP. This manual is needed because it describes the utilities built into the PSSP software that permit you to monitor what is going on in your SP system, how to be alerted when things go wrong, and how to automate the response to specific conditions. Topics include:
When to use this manual:
This manual provides assistance in investigating and resolving AIX operating system problems. Consult this manual when you suspect a problem with the AIX operating system, or when you suspect that an AIX problem is contributing to an SP system problem.
This manual contains the list of three-digit LED/LCD display values for SP nodes. This manual is used when a node reports a three-digit LED/LCD display value, so that the reader can understand its meaning and appropriate action to take in response. SP hardware and PSSP software also issue LED/LCD display values, which are documented in SP-specific LED/LCD values. If the LED/LCD cannot be located there, consult AIX Version 4 Messages Guide and Reference.
This manual lists error messages and recovery actions along with administrative tips and general information. The purpose of this guide is to help programmers and administrators to interpret and to act on error messages and status codes when received.