Developer Toolbox:
CSE NPI for Indigo2, Power ChallengeM R8000 and
upgrades
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CUSTOMER SERVICES ENGINEERING
NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION (NPI)
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Title: New Product Information for (TFP):
Power Challenge,
Power Onyx and
Power Onyx Extreme
Information Provided By: Tom Mitchell
$Date: 1995/02/05 22:07:44 $ GMT
$Revision: 1.2 $
Location: A snapshot of all NPI documents sent is in:
csestuff.csd:/user/Knowledge/Archive/NPI
==============================================================================
I. Product Description
This product release is for the TFP/R8000 processor
(IP21 board) on the Power Challenge and Power Onyx
hardware platforms. This hardware requires the IRIX 6.0
Operating System.
The marketing names are Power Challenge, Power Onyx
Extreme and Power Onyx.
The hardware base is the Everest family of chassis.
The Power Supply sub-systems, chassis subsystems , I/O
subsystems, Graphics subsystems and Memory subsystems are
unchanged. This tested and reliable hardware base will
contribute to the quality of this new product.
Key to the performance of these systems beyond the
R8000 processor itself are changes to the OS and
compiler. The kernel now supports 64 bit kernel
and user code. Existing Irix 5.2 user mode binary
objects will continue to run unchanged. User
applications that need to realize the performance
potential of this hardware will need to be ported
to the 64 bit environment.
IRIX 6.0 supports IP21/R8000 based systems: Power
Challenge, Power Onyx, and Power Onyx Extreme. The
porting base for 6.0 is the IRIX 5.2 Operating
system. This porting base bounds the feature set.
The 6.0 OS release has three key enhancements: 64
bit user context, new compilers, X11R6
enhancements. Unchanged are: the filesystem, NFS
and the desktop user interface.
INTERNAL USE ONLY: on dist.wpd are images that can
be loaded on an IP19 based Challenge. These are
for internal use and some third party software
developers. The distribution CD supports IP21
(TFP/R8000) only. Irix 6.0 on IP19 (R4400) based
Challenge systems is not supported.
The major system changes are (eoe release notes list
more):
1. Large maximum memory (16 GB, was 2 GB in 5.x)
2. Faster Floating point performance. can be
achived by applications newly compiled in the 64
bit Mips4 ABI.
3. Kernel object format is ELF (was COFF in 5.X).
4. New 75MHz R8000 processor (IP21 board).
5. New IO4 FlashROM image (version 3.11) that
supports both IP19 (R4400), IP21(R8000) and Reality
Engine Graphics (GE10) on the R8000. Note: No GE10
graphics issues were left at MR. The FlashROM image
on the GE10 is unchanged. The R8000 changes have
been squashed and placed in the IO4 FlashROM. Some
concern and harmless confusion may exist in the
early upgrade video.
II. Dependencies/Compatibility Information
CAUTION: Some of this info lives in multiple
places for the 6.0 Irix OS release. Consult the 6.0
IRIX OS NPI for more authoritative info on software
than this summary. The price book is the final
authority. See the eoe release notes, section 3.2,
"Hardware-Dependent"
IRIX 6.0 running on R8000 (TFP) hardware can
support all user-level binaries that were supported
with IRIX 5.2, including binaries compiled on IRIX
4.0.x. Exceptions to the binary compatibility
support include products that access /proc or
/debug, use kernel data structures, rely on old
defects, or use static libraries instead of shared
libraries. See the eoe release notes (section 3.1)
for some additional exceptions.
All hardware device drivers require porting and
recompiling. This technically limits the feature
set to those devices specificly ported to this
hardware. Previous device driver object files will
not link to the new kernel. Expect only the SGI
devices listed in the price book to load. SGI
drivers from previoul releases not yet ported and
third party drivers not ported will not load.
A. Supported Hardware:
See the price book for the 'authority'.
While HiPPI is supported (not mentioned in release notes).
Maximum Strategy Gen 4 Raid Disk array (HiPPI) is not.
B. Unsupported Hardware:
VME card device drivers not supported are:
* VME SCSI (jag)
* VME IKON parallel (ikc)
* Xylogics IPI (xylipi, xyl754, xm)
* Interphase disk driver (dkip), and
* VME IEEE-488 (gpib)
* VME DR-11W emulator
C. Unsupported Gold seal hardware:
Always check with the gold seal vendor. As of this
date no Gold Seal product is known to be supported.
Example:
* Maximum Strategy Gen 4 Raid Disk array is not.
D. Supported Software
No assumptions should be made about any products
not listed in the price book. The price book is
the authority.
For software see the 6.0 IRIX OS NPI document.
With xmosaic:
xmosaic http://www.csd/html_home/irix_6.0.html
or
xmosaic http://www.csd/Products/IRIX/6.0/NPI/6.0.npi
III. Product Numbers (Marketing Codes)
Consult the Pricebook and Quote Configurator.
IV. Training plan
CSD Education Design & Technology (EDT) is organizing
field training for Power Challenge and Power Challenge
upgrades.
The first video presentation has shipped with two errata.
a. IRIX 6.0 is only supported on R8000 Power Challenge systems.
b. The GE10 compatability issues have been SIMPLIFIED.
Current plans are to update this video for more public
consumption.
Service managers have been contacted about the training
plan and have been asked to determine who should
attend. For additional information about training
contact:
dewayne@csd.sgi.com Dewayne Cornelious
3-1519 17L-171 TRAINING TECH TRANSFER
V. Problem Resolution Plan
The problem resolution Plan includes the use of the
mailing list: everest@hampton.sgi.com and the net news
group sgi.csd.everest.at.hampton (both internal to SGI).
A voice mail box is dedicated to TFP issues:
The voice mail box is 3-3835.
Initial sugestions:
Close all upgrade and new system instalation calls
promptly. This notifies the factory that the
system is up and running.
Check back with the customer and verify that the
system is stable. Note that service personal and
service managers can open calls on behalf of the
customer should any issue surface. To open a call
all that is needed is the chassis serial number.
Open a hotline call/case for any kernel panic. Use
'uncompvm -h' to generate a header from the dump
and include that header in the call. Within 48
hours make the core dump machine readable to
SGI Mountain View engineering for inspection and
debugging.
VI. Documentation
Release notes:
On-line release notes are available for internal use. On-line
release notes are loaded on the system manserv.csd.sgi.com in the
directory /manserv/relnotes/6.0. To view:
rlogin manserv.csd -l guest
setenv DISPLAY "$REMOTEHOST":0.0
grelnotes -rpath /manserv/relnotes/6.0 (use the Products pull-down
menu to select).
If you have xmosaic you can see a selected list using this command:
xmosaic http://www.csd/html_home/irix_6.0.html
See this document for instructions on loading xmosaic if you need it:
csestuff.csd:/user/Knowledge/CSE_Business/CSE-Info/info-roadmap
or
inst -f guest@atlas.corp:/usr/dist/net-services/Irix4/xmosaic (Irix 4.0)
or
inst -f guest@atlas.corp:/usr/dist/net-services/Irix5/xmosaic (Irix 5.0)
Manuals:
On-line manuals have been loaded on the system: manserv.csd.sgi.com.
To view:
rlogin manserv.csd -l guest
setenv DISPLAY "$REMOTEHOST":0.0
iiv -l /manserv/Insight/library.6x/insight
A set of printed administrator manuals is included with
new server systems. These manuals make up the
M4-ADMN-6.0 kit, which can also be ordered separately:
Service Manuals:
IP21 Board Upgrade Installation Instructions
(Document Number 108-0122-001)
For internal to SGI users, this document is available
as a PostScript file from:
comrade.wpd.sgi.com:/usr/people/guest/docdist/everest/IP21-TFP/
There are two versions of the same file, one compressed and
the other not: ip21_II.ps.Z and ip21_II.ps.
ip21_II.ps is a plain PostScript file of the
document. Simply lp this file on a PostScript printer.
ip21_II.ps.Z is compressed Postscript. Uncompress, then
lp it on a PostScript printer. The compression ratio is
about 50% so transfers on the SGI wide area net would be
about 50% quicker.
Other:
New Product Information about the MIPSpro Compilers for
IRIX 6.0 is in progress. Check the URL (xmosaic) for
the current version.
xmosaic http://www.csd/html_home/irix_6.0.html
An IRIX 6.0 FAQ can be found at:
csestuff.csd:/user/Knowledge/Products/IRIX/6.0/QNA/6.0.qna
VII. Technical Issues
On system upgrades (from R4400 to R8000), the IO4
FlashPROM must be updated before the new processor
boards are installed. After installing the new
IP21 processor boards the 6.0 Version of the Irix
OS must be installed. Refer to the documentation
supplied with the hardware upgrade kits. See the
"IP21 Board Upgrade Installation Instructions" and
the eoe release notes on the 6.0 CD, appendex A,
for additional information about the IO4. The
"IP21 Board Upgrade Installation Instructions"
document (Document Number 108-0122-001) is
available in Postscript form from the directory
/usr/people/guest/docdist/everest/IP21-TFP on
comrade.wpd.sgi.com. You can rcp either of the two
files. ip21_II.ps is a plain old PostScript file
of the whole doc. Simply lp this file.
ip21_II.ps.Z is compressed Postscript, so
uncompress, then lp it.
When upgrading to R8000 and IRIX 6.0 the OS should
only be loaded on top of IRIX 5.2 (Do not load on
5.1, do not load on 5.3, etc.). This is because
all possible upgrade paths have not been tested in
all permutations. As always back up a system prior
to and after an upgrade.
Loadable device drivers are not supported. See
section 4 of the eoe release notes for issues
regarding loadable device drivers.
IRIX 5.3 MRs after 6.0 so that could cause
confusion since 5.3 can be expected to have bug
fixes and features not available in 6.0.
IRIX 6.0 includes many of the 5.2 patches. See the
EOE release notes section 4, " Known Problems and
Workarounds" for the list of patches.
VIII. Marketing Information
Address marketing issues to:
edr@asd.sgi.com ED REIDENBACH 3-1635 07L-580
SSD - MARKETING
tellep@asd.sgi.com SUSAN TELLEP 3-1834 08U-800
AGD MARKETING
viggy@asd.sgi.com VIGGY MOKKARALA 3-3079 07L-580
SSD - MARKETING
IX. Upgrade Policy
IRIX 6.0 is a hardware specific release. IRIX IRIX
6.0 will not be pushed to the installed base. IRIX
6.0 will be shipped for all Power Challenge systems
along with the IP21 upgrades. Users upgrading from
R4400 based Challenge systems to R8000 Power
Challenge systems may need upgraded versions of
software options. Options not on the original
sales order may not be matched to the chassis
serial number being upgraded. Contact SGI
softrwae distribution to ensure that all software
options purchased by the customer are correct so
future software upgrades and possible bug fix
distributions have a chance of being correct.
X. Known Bugs
No hardware issues are known to exist on the IP21
board at MR.
Graphics performance issues related to the BBCC
chip (on the IP21) exist at MR. The 6.0 MR release
will work correctly with both the old and planed
new revision of the BBCC. It may be possible to go
faster with the chip revision, but that remains to
be seen. Recall that SGI is a Graphics company too,
our goals are very high.
IO4 EPC issue. At MR configurations that could
trigger a recently discovered EPC bug are not
released to general distribution. Graphics systems
with 12 Processors or Server systems with 14 or
more processors might be subject to loss of
ethernet connectivity. These systems run reliably
with an Efast network card (available from SGI).
No known application programs can generate this
problem that was discovered by a factory
diagnostic. This problem is an interaction between
the EPC, very large numbers of processors and low
interleaving of DRAM memory.
The IRIX 6.0 OS and R8000 based IP21 processor
board support much higher memory system capacity
and present much higher bandwidth requirements.
Memory system upgrades at customer sites should be
monitored for third party memory. SGI has no
history of third party memory in this environment
and cannot speculate as to the sutability.