Chapter 2 Troubleshooting Overview 2-7
2.3 Diagnostic Tools and When to Use Them
TABLE 2-3 provides a summary of the available diagnostic tools and describes when
to use each tool.
TABLE 2-3 Diagnostic Tools
Diagnostic Tool When or Why to Use the Tool
Power-On Self-Test (POST) Executes automatically at power-on when Stop-d keys are pressed or when the
diag-switch? parameter is set to true. The POST code resides in the boot
PROM and is driven by the POK signal from the power supply. POST tells you
if there is a problem with the system board, the NVRAM, or the DSIMMs. See
Section 3.1 “Power-On Self-Test (POST).”
FORTH Diagnostics Tests functions such as the Ethernet and SCSI interfaces, system memory, and
the diskette drive controller. You must be at the ok prompt (the FORTH
Monitor) to run the FORTH Diagnostics. The FORTH Diagnostics reside in the
boot PROM.
FORTH Monitor Allows input to the system at the boot PROM level. Supports functions such as
changing NVRAM parameters, resetting the system, running diagnostic tests,
displaying system information, and redirecting input and output. See the
OpenBoot Command Reference for more information.
SunDiag System Exerciser Either SunDiag (Solaris 2.4 or earlier) or SunVTS (Solaris 2.5 or later) runs
under the operating system, and display real-time use of the system resources
and peripherals. The SunDiag exerciser tells you if your system is functioning
correctly. If the exerciser fails, run the Power-On Self-Test. If all Power-On Self-
Tests pass, then run SunVTS to identify the problem. For further information,
depending on your operating system, see either the SunDiag User’s Guide or the
SunVTS User’s Guide.
SunVTS Software
(Solaris 2.5 or later only)
If your system does not seem to function correctly, yet it still passes the
firmware-based diagnostics and boots its operating system (Solaris 2.5 or later
only), then you can use SunVTS, the Sun Validation and Test Suite, to run
individual tests. These tests verify the configuration and functionality of most
hardware controllers and devices. You’ll need root or superuser access to run
SunVTS tests. For further information, see the SunVTS User’s Guide.
To Next Page
Loading...
