Xscf Overview; Xscf Features - Sun Microsystems Sun SPARC Enterprise M3000 User Manual

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C H A P T E R

XSCF Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the system monitoring and control facility
(eXtended System Control Facility, or XSCF).
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XSCF Features

The XSCF firmware is a system monitoring and control facility consisting of a
dedicated processor (Note 1) that is independent from the system processor. While
input power is supplied to the server, the XSCF constantly monitors the server even
if no domain is active. The XSCF provides an interface between the user and the
server.
The XSCF is the firmware running on the Service Processor in the server. In the rest
of this chapter, although XSCF firmware programs are called XSCF firmware, or
XSCF, they all have the same meaning. The board with the installed XSCF firmware
is called the XSCFU (also referred to as the "XSCF Unit") or Service Processor.
The XSCF uses different functions to achieve high system availability. The XSCF
firmware is a single centralized point for the management of hardware
configuration, control of hardware monitoring, cooling system (fan units), domain
status monitoring, power on and power off of peripheral devices (Note 2), and error
monitoring. The XSCF centrally controls and monitors the server. The XSCF also has
a partitioning function to configure and control domains, and it has a function to
monitor the server through an Ethernet connection so that the user can control the
server remotely. Another function is to report failure information to the system
administrator and a remote control input/output function.
In the SPARC Enterprise™ M3000 server (the M3000 server; the entry-level server)
and the SPARC Enterprise M4000/M5000 (the M4000/M5000 servers; the midrange
servers), a single XSCF Unit is installed in the server. In the SPARC Enterprise
M8000/M9000 servers (the M8000/M9000 servers; the high-end servers), two XSCF
Units are installed in the server and they are duplicated. Also, in the M3000 server,
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