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Chapter 4. Checkpoints
Checkpoints display on the operator panel as the system goes through powering on
and the initial program load (IPL). This chapter explains the IPL flow of the system and
provides a table that lists checkpoints that you might see in the operator panel.
IPL Flow
The IPL process starts when ac power is connected to the system. The IPL process
has four phases:
v Phase 1: Service Processor Initialization
Phase 1 starts when ac power is connected to the system and ends when OK is
displayed in the operator panel. 8xxx checkpoints, and several 9xxx checkpoints, are
displayed during this phase. Service processor menus are available at the end of this
phase by striking any key on the console keyboard.
v Phase 2: Hardware Initialization by the Service Processor
Phase 2 starts when system power-up is initiated by pressing the power-on button on
the operator panel. 9xxx checkpoints are displayed during this time. 91FF, the last
checkpoint in this phase, indicates the transition to Phase 3 is taking place.
v Phase 3: System Resource Initialization
At Phase 3, a system processor takes over control and continues initializing system
resources. During this phase, checkpoints in the form Exxx are displayed. E105, the
last checkpoint in this phase, indicates that control is being passed to the AIX boot
program. Location codes may also be displayed in the second line of the operator
panel.
v Phase 4: AIX Boot
When AIX starts to boot, checkpoints in the form 0xxx and 2xxx are displayed.
Location codes may also be displayed in the second line of the operator panel. This
phase ends when the AIX login prompt appears on the AIX console.
The following table outlines the IPL phases from power-on to the AIX login prompt,
matching the phases to corresponding operator panel checkpoints for a typical system
boot. Also listed are the approximate boot times for each phase, along with their
dependencies for each phase.
Note: The following table lists the major checkpoints only.
Phase #
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Checkpoints on
Time in phase
Operator Panel
(minutes)
8xxx => OK
Approx. 1
9xxx => 91FF
3 to 6
Exxx => E105
1 to 3
0xxx => blank
2 to 30+
Major contributors to time in phase
Number of I/O drawers
Number of bootable adapters
Number of SSA drives
Number of SCSI drives
Number of Async sessions
83
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