StrataDOC (Linux Version): Release 6.0.4.0

This document contains supplemental information for ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System, Release 6.0.4.0. It was published on September 31, 2009.

For general release information, see the Release Notes: Stratus ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-11) or the complete set of documentation for ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System, Release 6.0.3.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Release Information

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux™, Release 5.4 is now supported for use with ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System, Release 6.0.4.0.

MINIMUM KERNEL: kernel-smp-2.6.18-164.el5

Minimum Firmware Required for ftSys 6.0.4.0

Please update your firmware levels to the following revisions when running ftSys 6.0.4.0 or above.

CPU BIOS: 3.1.19

BMC: 2.10/1.01/1.24

VTM: 3.3.33

The new BIOS and BMC firmware are available on the ftSys 6.0.4.0 installation CDROM. The new VTM firmware is updated when the lsb-ft-vtm_fw RPM is installed, for systems having a Virtual Technician Module.

For instructions on updating firmware, see the Stratus ftServer System Software: Installation for Linux Systems (R013L) manual. Follow instructions in the "Updating ftServer System Firmware" section of this manual.

Revision Checking for BIOS and BMC Firmware

During an upgrade install.sh will check BIOS and BMC revisions and if not at the minimum revision will exit with comments that an upgrade of the BIOS, BMC, or both is required.

During a clean install or upgrade, ft-retrieveChipsetDumps warns of below-revision firmware for the BIOS and BMC in the /var/log/messages file.

Using a RHEL 5.4 Rescue CD

To boot up from a rescue CD, you will need to add mem=2000M to the boot command.

# boot: linux rescue mem=2000M nmi_watchdog=0 nosoftlockup 
piix.intel_via_libata=1 

Use of Uppermem in grub.conf

Uppermem is now added to grub.conf to advise grub to use the upper memory region, as the ramdisk is now overlapping into the fusion-H memory hole. The 32G will work for any memory size, 32G being the maximum.

Removal of Stratus Disk Scrubber

The disk scrubber goes through the raid1 devices and does a check or repair on them.

The Stratus version consists of two scripts, /opt/ft/sbin/ft-scrubmds and /etc/cron.weekly/lsb-ft-scrubmds, delivered through the lsb-ft-storage RPM.

In RHEL 5.4, Red Hat introduced their own version of a disk scrubber. This version consists of /etc/cron.weekly/99-raid-check and /etc/sysconfig/raid-check.

Since both Stratus and Red Hat versions perform the same function, the Stratus version has been removed.

Note that the Stratus script would normally repair any disk blocks found to be unequal on the disks; whereas the RHEL facility only checks for differences and reports them in /var/log/messages. Tailoring to return to the Stratus default behavior is done in /etc/sysconfig/raid-check, by changing CHECK=check to CHECK=repair.

Adding Stratus RPM Repositoires to the Software Updater Configuration

The following information supersedes the information provided in the Release Notes: Stratus ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-11).

To enable Software Updater to recognize Stratus updates, you must provide an Active Service Network (ASN) siteID and Connection Password to authenticate your access to these updates. You can do this with a text editor, or with the Package Manager application.

		Notes:
		1.	Before you can obtain Red Hat updates, your system must be registered with Red Hat and have entitlement on the Red Hat Network (RHN) server. Enter the command rhn_register to use the Red Hat Desktop interface; or rhn_register --nox to use the command-line interface. See your Red Hat documentation for further information.
		2.	After you have enabled Stratus updates (as explained below), you can use either Software Updater or the yum command. To access the Software Updater, from your Red Hat Desktop, select the following sub-menu item: Applications -> System Tools -> Software Updater. To use the yum command, review its man page. Useful options include: yum clear all yum check-update yum update

If your site has configured the ASN for inbound service connections, then to obtain Stratus updates: (1) enable the two Stratus-provided repositories.

If your site has not chosen to configure the ASN for inbound service connections, to obtain Stratus updates, you must then: (1) enable the two Stratus-provided repositories; and (2) provide the ASN connection information in the ft-updates.conf file.

The next two subsections tell how to perform these two configuration tasks.

Enable the Stratus RPM Repositories

To enable the Stratus-provided repositories, you may either use a text editor to modify the repository description files; or may use the Package Manager application to enable these files.

Enabling the Repo Files with a Text Editor

After you install ftSSS, two Stratus repository description files are available at:

Each of these files contains the line:

enabled=0

Use a text editor (e.g., vim(1) or emacs(1)) to change enabled=0 to enabled=1 in both files. Save this change to each file; do not change any other lines in the files.

Enabling the Repo Files with Package Manager

Applications -> Add/Remove Software

Provide ASN Connection Information

If you have configured the ASN software to accept inbound service connections, the Software Updater will automatically use this ASN configuration information to grant access to Stratus updates. No further action is needed.

If you choose not to configure the ASN software to accept inbound server connections, but you do wish to receive Stratus updates by Internet, then you must still generate an ASN configuration file for your site (a Configssn.ini file); data in this file is used to authenticate your right to access Stratus updates.

See the Stratus Active Service Network Configuration Guide (R072) for information on creating that file and downloading it to your site:

http://stratadoc.stratus.com/linux/6.0.3/r072-02/index.html

In the ActiveService Network Configuration Overview chapter, follow instructions in the section titled: Using the ASM Manager Web Site to Configure ASN Support.

Use data from the Configssn.ini file, as follows:

grep -E 'siteID|pppPassword' Configssn.ini

/etc/yum/pluginconf.d/ft-updates.conf 

Update the line: ft_user = ASN, by replacing "ASN" with the value in the siteID line of the preceding output.

Update the line: ft_password = ASN, by replacing ASN with the value displayed in the pppPassword of the preceding output.

Save changes to this plugin configuration file, and exit the editor. You have now enabled the Stratus repositories, and provided authentication information to permit access to the Stratus updates.