Digital Equipment DIGITAL Ultimate Workstation 533 User manual

AlphaServer 1200
DIGITAL Ultimate Workstation 533
Service Manual PRELIMINARY
Order Number: EK–1200A–SV. A01
This manual is for anyone who services an
AlphaServer/AlphaStation system. It includes troubleshooting
information, configuration rules, and instructions for removal and
replacement of field-replaceable units.
Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts

First Printing, November 1997
Digital Equipment Corporation makes no representations that the use of its products in the
manner described in this publication will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do
the descriptions contained in this publication imply the granting of licenses to make, use, or
sell equipment or software in accordance with the description.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be
construed as a commitment by Digital Equipment Corporation.
Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in
this document.
The software, if any, described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used
or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. No responsibility is assumed for
the use or reliability of software or equipment that is not supplied by Digital Equipment
Corporation or its affiliated companies.
Copyright 1997 by Digital Equipment Corporation. All rights reserved.
The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: AlphaGeneration,
AlphaServer, OpenVMS, StorageWorks, VAX, the AlphaGeneration logo, and the DIGITAL
logo.
The following are third-party trademarks: Lifestyle 28.8 DATA/FAX Modem is a trademark
of Motorola, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries, licensed
exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd. U.S. Robotics and Sportster are registered
trademarks of U.S. Robotics. Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
FCC Notice: The equipment described in this manual generates, uses, and may emit radio
frequency energy. The equipment has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for
a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide
reasonable protection against such radio frequency interference. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area may cause interference, in which case the user at his own expense will be
required to take whatever measures are required to correct the interference.
Shielded Cables: If shielded cables have been supplied or specified, they must be used on the
system in order to maintain international regulatory compliance.
Warning! This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.
Achtung! Dieses ist ein Gerät der Funkstörgrenzwertklasse A. In Wohnbereichen können bei
Betrieb dieses Gerätes Rundfunkstörungen auftreten, in welchen Fällen der Benutzer für
entsprechende Gegenmaßnahmen verantwortlich ist.
Avertissement! Cet appareil est un appareil de Classe A. Dans un environnement résidentiel,
cet appareil peut provoquer des brouillages radioélectriques. Dans ce cas, il peut être demandé
à l'utilisateur de prendre les mesures appropriées.

iii
Contents
Preface
…………………………………………………………….………………x
Chapter 1 Overview
1.1 1200 System ............................................................................................1-2
1.2 Control Panel and Drives .........................................................................1-4
1.3 System Consoles......................................................................................1-6
1.4 System Architecture.................................................................................1-8
1.5 CPU Types ............................................................................................1-10
1.6 Memory.................................................................................................1-12
1.7 Memory Addressing...............................................................................1-14
1.8 System Motherboard..............................................................................1-16
1.8.1 System Bus (Backplane) .................................................................1-18
1.8.2 System Bus to PCI Bus Bridge........................................................1-20
1.8.3 PCI I/O Subsystem..........................................................................1-22
1.8.4 Remote Control Logic.....................................................................1-24
1.8.5 Power Control Logic.......................................................................1-26
1.9 Power Circuit and Cover Interlock.........................................................1-28
1.10 Power Supply.........................................................................................1-30
1.11 Power Up/Down Sequence.....................................................................1-32
1.12 Maintenance Bus (I2C Bus)....................................................................1-34
1.13 StorageWorks ........................................................................................1-36
Chapter 2 Power-Up
2.1 Control Panel...........................................................................................2-2
2.2 Power-Up Sequence.................................................................................2-4
2.3 SROM Power-Up Test Flow ....................................................................2-8
2.4 SROM Errors Reported..........................................................................2-11
2.5 XSROM Power-Up Test Flow................................................................2-12
2.6 XSROM Errors Reported.......................................................................2-15
2.7 Console Power-Up Tests........................................................................2-16
2.8 Console Device Determination ..............................................................2-18
2.9 Console Power-Up Display....................................................................2-20
2.10 Fail-Safe Loader....................................................................................2-24
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
3.1 Troubleshooting with LEDs.....................................................................3-2

iv
3.2 Troubleshooting Power Problems.............................................................3-4
3.3 Running Diagnostics — Test Command ..................................................3-6
3.4 Releasing Secure Mode............................................................................3-7
3.5 Testing an Entire System.........................................................................3-8
3.5.1 Testing Memory..............................................................................3-10
3.5.2 Testing PCI.....................................................................................3-12
3.6 Other Useful Console Commands..........................................................3-14
Chapter 4 Error Logs
4.1 Using Error Logs .....................................................................................4-2
4.1.1 Hard Errors.......................................................................................4-4
4.1.2 Soft Errors ........................................................................................4-4
4.1.3 Error Log Events...............................................................................4-5
4.2 Using DECevent......................................................................................4-6
4.2.1 Translating Event Files .....................................................................4-7
4.2.2 Filtering Events.................................................................................4-8
4.2.3 Selecting Alternative Reports..........................................................4-10
4.3 Error Log Examples and Analysis..........................................................4-11
4.3.1 MCHK 670 CPU-Detected Failure..................................................4-11
4.3.2 MCHK 670 CPU and IOD-Detected Failure....................................4-16
4.3.3 MCHK 670 Read Dirty CPU-Detected Failure................................4-21
4.3.4 MCHK 660 IOD-Detected Failure (System Bus Error)....................4-27
4.3.5 MCHK 660 IOD-Detected Failure (PCI Error)................................4-32
4.3.6 MCHK 630 Correctable CPU Error.................................................4-41
4.3.7 MCHK 620 Correctable Error.........................................................4-44
4.4 Troubleshooting IOD-Detected Errors....................................................4-47
4.4.1 System Bus ECC Error....................................................................4-48
4.4.2 System Bus Nonexistent Address Error...........................................4-49
4.4.3 System Bus Address Parity Error ....................................................4-50
4.4.4 PIO Buffer Overflow Error (PIO_OVFL)........................................4-51
4.4.5 Page Table Entry Invalid Error........................................................4-52
4.4.6 PCI Master Abort............................................................................4-52
4.4.7 PCI System Error............................................................................4-52
4.4.8 PCI Parity Error ..............................................................................4-52
4.4.9 Broken Memory..............................................................................4-53
4.4.10 Command Codes.............................................................................4-55
4.4.11 Node IDs.........................................................................................4-56
4.5 Double Error Halts and Machine Checks While in PAL Mode...............4-57
4.5.1 PALcode Overview.........................................................................4-57
4.5.2 Double Error Halt ...........................................................................4-58
4.5.3 Machine Checks While in PAL.......................................................4-58

v
Chapter 5 Error Registers
5.1 External Interface Status Register - EL_STAT.........................................5-2
5.1.1 External Interface Address Register - EI_ADDR...............................5-6
5.1.2 MC Error Information Register 0 (MC_ERR0 - Offset = 800)..........5-8
5.1.3 MC Error Information Register 1 (MC_ERR1 - Offset = 840)..........5-9
5.1.1 CAP Error Register (CAP_ERR - Offset = 880).............................5-11
5.1.2 PCI Error Status Register 1 (PCI_ERR1 - Offset = 1040)................5-14
Chapter 6 Removal and Replacement
6.1 System Safety..........................................................................................6-1
6.2 FRU List..................................................................................................6-2
6.3 System Exposure .....................................................................................6-6
6.4 CPU Removal and Replacement..............................................................6-8
6.5 CPU Fan Removal and Replacement .....................................................6-10
6.6 Memory Riser Card Removal and Replacement.....................................6-12
6.7 DIMM Removal and Replacement.........................................................6-14
6.8 System Motherboard (54-25147-01) Removal and Replacement............6-16
6.9 PCI/EISA Option Removal and Replacement ........................................6-18
6.10 Power Supply Removal and Replacement..............................................6-20
6.11 Power Harness Removal and Replacement.............................................6-22
6.12 System Fan Removal and Replacement..................................................6-24
6.13 Cover Interlock Removal and Replacement...........................................6-26
6.14 Operator Control Panel Removal and Replacement................................6-28
6.15 CD-ROM Removal and Replacement ....................................................6-30
6.16 Floppy Removal and Replacement.........................................................6-32
6.17 SCSI Disk Removal and Replacement ...................................................6-34
6.18 StorageWorks Backplane Removal and Replacement ............................6-36
6.19 StorageWorks Repeater Removal and Replacement...............................6-38
Appendix A Running Utilities
A.1 Running Utilities from a Graphics Monitor.............................................A-2
A.2 Running Utilities from a Serial Terminal................................................A-3
A.3 Running ECU .........................................................................................A-4
A.4 Updating Firmware with LFU................................................................. A-5
A.4.1 Updating Firmware from the Internal CD-ROM...................................... A-7
A.4.2 Updating Firmware from the Internal Floppy Disk — Creating the
Disketts................................................................................................ A-11
A.4.3 Updating Firmware from the Internal Floppy Disk — Performing the
Update................................................................................................. A-13
A.4.4 Updating Firmware from a Network Device.......................................... A-17
A.4.5 LFU Commands................................................................................... A-21

vi
A.5 Updating Firmware from AlphaBIOS.................................................... A-24
A.6 Upgrading AlphaBIOS.......................................................................... A-25
A.7 Hard Disk Partitioning.......................................................................... A-26
A.7.1 Hard Disk Error Conditions .................................................................. A-26
A.7.2 System Partitions.................................................................................. A-27
A.7.3 How AlphaBIOS Works with System Partitions.................................... A-28
A.8 Using the Halt Button........................................................................... A-29
A.9 Halt Assertion....................................................................................... A-30
Appendix B SRM Console Commands and
Environment Variables
B.1 Summary of SRM Console Commands .................................................. B-2
B.1.1 Summary of SRM Environment Variables.............................................. B-4
B.2 Recording Environment Variables .......................................................... B-6
Appendix C Running Utilities
C.1 RCM Overview....................................................................................... C-2
C.2 First-Time Setup..................................................................................... C-3
C.2.1 Configuring the Modem.......................................................................... C-4
C.2.2 Dialing In and Invoking RCM................................................................. C-5
C.2.3 Using RCM Locally................................................................................ C-6
C.3 RCM Commands.................................................................................... C-7
C.4 Dial-Out Alerts..................................................................................... C-16
C.5 Using the RCM Switchpack.................................................................. C-19
C.6 Troubleshooting Guide ........................................................................ C-23
C.7 Modem Dialog Details.......................................................................... C-26
Index
Examples
2–1 SROM Errors Reported at Power-Up ...........................................................2-11
2–1 XSROM Errors Reported at Power-Up........................................................2-15
2–1 Power-Up Display.......................................................................................2-20
3–1 Test Command Syntax..................................................................................3-6
3–1 Releasing/Reestablishing Secure Mode...........................................................3-7
3–1 Sample Test Command...................................................................................3-8
3–1 Sample Test Memory Command.................................................................3-10
3–1 Sample Test Command for PCI...................................................................3-12
3–1 Show Power...............................................................................................3-14
3–2 Show Memory ............................................................................................3-14
3–3 Show FRU.................................................................................................3-15
4–1 MCHK 670.................................................................................................4-12

vii
4–1 MCHK 670 CPU and IOD-Detected Failure ...............................................4-17
4–1 MCHK 670 Read Dirty Failure...................................................................4-22
4–1 MCHK 660 IOD-Detected Failure (System Bus Error)................................4-28
4–1 MCHK 660 IOD-Detected Failure (PCI Error)............................................4-33
4–1 MCHK 630 Correctable CPU Error.............................................................4-42
4–1 MCHK 620 Correctable Error.....................................................................4-45
4–1 INFO 3 Command ......................................................................................4-59
4–2 INFO 5 Command ......................................................................................4-61
4–3 INFO 8 Command ......................................................................................4-63
6–1 Starting LFU from the SRM Console........................................................... A-5
6–2 Booting LFU from the CD-ROM.................................................................A-6
6–1 Updating Firmware from the Internal CD-ROM...........................................A-7
6–1 Creating Update Diskettes on an OpenVMS System .................................. A-12
6–1 Updating Firmware from the Internal Floppy Disk..................................... A-13
6–2 Selecting AS1200FW to Update Firmware from the Internal Floppy Disk .. A-16
6–1 Updating Firmware from a Network Device .............................................. A-17
6–1 Sample Remote Dial-In Dialog.................................................................... C-5
6–1 Invoking and Leaving RCM Locally............................................................ C-6
6–1 Configuring the Modem for Dial-Out Alerts .............................................. C-16
6–2 Typical RCM Dial-Out Command............................................................. C-17
Figures
1-1 1200 System...................................................................................................1-2
1-2 Cover Interlock Circuit..................................................................................1-3
1-3 Control Panel Assembly................................................................................1-4
1-4 Architecture Diagram....................................................................................1-8
1-5 CPU Module Placement ..............................................................................1-10
1-6 Memory Placement .....................................................................................1-12
1-7 How Memory Addressing Is Calculated.......................................................1-14
1-8 System Motherboard .....................................................................................1-16
1-9 System Bus Block Diagram.........................................................................1-18
1-10 System bus to PCI bus Bridge Block Diagram...........................................1-20
1-11 PCI Block Diagram ...................................................................................1-22
1-12 Remote Control Logic...............................................................................1-24
1-13 Power Control Logic .................................................................................1-26
1-14 Power Circuit Diagram................................................................................1-28
1-15 Back of Power Supply and Location..........................................................1-30
1-16 Power Up/Down Sequence Flowchart.........................................................1-32
1-17 I2C Bus Block Diagram..............................................................................1-34
1-18 StorageWorks Drive Location ....................................................................1-36
2-1 Control Panel and LCD Display ....................................................................2-2
2-2 Power-Up Flow .............................................................................................2-4
2-3 Contents of FEPROMs..................................................................................2-5

viii
2-4 Console Code Critical Path (1200 Block Diagram)........................................2-6
2-5 SROM Power-Up Test Flow.........................................................................2-8
2-6 XSROM Power-Up Flowchart.....................................................................2-12
2-7 Console Device Determination Flowchart ...................................................2-18
3-1 System Motherboard LEDs............................................................................3-2
4-1 Error Detector Placement ..............................................................................4-2
6-1 System FRU Locations..................................................................................6-2
6-2 Exposing the System .....................................................................................6-6
6-3 Removing CPU Module ................................................................................6-8
6-4 Removing CPU Fan.....................................................................................6-10
6-5 Removing Memory Riser Card....................................................................6-12
6-6 Removing A DIMM from a Memory Riser Card ..........................................6-14
6-7 Removing System Motherboard ..................................................................6-16
6-8 Removing PCI/EISA Option........................................................................6-18
6-9 Removing Power Supply.............................................................................6-20
6-10 Removing Power Harness..........................................................................6-22
6-11 Removing System Fan...............................................................................6-24
6-12 Removing Cover Interlocks.......................................................................6-26
6-13 Removing OCP .........................................................................................6-28
6-14 Removing CD_ROM.................................................................................6-30
6-15 Removing Floppy......................................................................................6-32
6-16 Removing StorageWorks Disk...................................................................6-34
6-17 Removing StorageWorks Backplane..........................................................6-36
6-18 Removing StorageWorks Repeater ............................................................6-38
A-1 Running a Utility from a Graphics Monitor .................................................A-2
A-2 Starting LFU from the AlphaBIOS Console.................................................A-5
A-3 AlphaBIOS Setup Screen........................................................................... A-24
A-1 System Partition Not Defined.................................................................... A-28
C-1 RCM Connections ....................................................................................... C-3
C-2 Location of RCM Switchpack on System Board ........................................ C-19
C-3 RCM Switches (Factory Settings) .............................................................. C-20
TablesI
1-1 PCI Motherboard Slot Numbering ................................................................1-23
2-1 Control Panel Display....................................................................................2-3
2-2 SROM Tests................................................................................................2-10
2-3 XSROM Tests.............................................................................................2-13
2-4 Memory Tests .............................................................................................2-14
2-5 IOD Tests....................................................................................................2-16
2-6 PCI Motherboard Tests................................................................................2-17
4-1 Types of Error Log Events ............................................................................4-5
4-2 DECevent Report Formats...........................................................................4-10
4-3 CAP Error Register Data Pattern .................................................................4-47

ix
4-4 System Bus ECC Error Data Pattern............................................................4-48
4-5 System Bus Nonexistent Address Error Troubleshooting.............................4-49
4-6 Address Parity Error Troubleshooting..........................................................4-50
4-7 Cause of PIO_OVFL Error..........................................................................4-51
4-8 ECC Syndrome Bits Table...........................................................................4-54
4-9 Decoding Commands ..................................................................................4-55
4-10 Node IDs...................................................................................................4-56
5-1 External Interface Status Register..................................................................5-4
5-2 Loading and Locking Rules for External Interface Registers.........................5-7
5-3 MC Error Information Register 0...................................................................5-8
5-4 MC Error Information Register 1.................................................................5-10
5-5 CAP Error Register .....................................................................................5-12
5-6 PCI Error Status Register 1..........................................................................5-14
6-1 Field-Replaceable Unit Part Numbers............................................................6-3
A-1 AlphaBIOS Option Key Mapping................................................................ A-3
A-1 File Locations for Creating Update Diskettes on a PC ............................... A-11
A-2 LFU Command Summary.......................................................................... A-21
B-1 Summary of SRM Console Commands........................................................ B-2
B-2 Environment Variable Summary.................................................................. B-4
B-3 Environment Variables Worksheet............................................................... B-6
C-1 RCM Command Summary........................................................................... C-7
C-2 RCM Status Command Fields.................................................................... C-15
C-3 Elements of the Dial-Out String................................................................. C-18
C-4 RCM Troubleshooting ............................................................................... C-23

x
Preface
Intended Audience
This manual is written for the customer service engineer.
Document Structure
This manual uses a structured documentation design. Topics are organized into
small sections for efficient online and printed reference. Each topic begins with an
abastract, followed by an illustration or example, and ends with descriptive text.
This manual has six chapters and three appendixes, as follows:
•Chapter 1, System Overview, introduces the DIGITAL AlphaServer 1200
pedestal and cabinet systems and gives an overview of the system bus modules.
•Chapter 2, Power-Up, provides information on how to interpret the power-up
display on the operator control panel, the console screen, and system LEDs. It
also describes how hardware diagnostics execute when the system is initialized.
•Chapter 3, Troubleshooting, describes troubleshooting during power-up and
booting, as well as the test command.
•Chapter 4, Error Logs, explains how to interpret error logs and how to use
DECevent.
•Chapter 5, Error Registers, describes the error registers used to hold error
information.
•Chapter 6, Removal and Replacement, describes removal and replacement
procedures for field-replaceable units (FRUs).
•Appendix A, Running Utilities, explains how to run utilities such as the EISA
Configuration Utility and RAID Standalone Configuration Utility.
•Appendix B, SRM Console Commands and Environment Variables,
summarizes the commands used to examine and alter the system configuration.
•Appendix C, Operating the System Remotely, describes how to use the remote
console monitor (RCM) to monitor and control the system remotely.

xi
Documentation Titles
Table 1 lists books in AlphaServer 1200 documentation set.
Table 1 AlphaServer 1200 Documentation
Title Order Number
User and Installation Documentation Kit QZ–011AA–GZ
AlphaServer 1200 User’s Guide EK–AS120–UG
AlphaServer1200 Basic Installation Guide EK–AS120–IG
Service Information
AlphaServer 1200 Service Manual EK–AS1200–SV

System Overview 1-1
Chapter 1
System Overview
This chapter introduces the DIGITAL AlphaServer 1200 and the DIGITAL
AlphaStation 1200 systems. These systems are available in cabinets or pedestals.
Pedestal systems contain a maximum of two CPUs, up to 2 Gbytes of memory, and 6
PCI I/O slots or 5 PCI I/O slots and 1 EISA/ISA slot. A single StorageWorks shelf
provides disk storage.
Topics in this chapter include the following:
•1200 Systems
•Control Panel and Drives
•System Consoles
•System Architecture
•CPU Types
•Memory Modules
•Memory Addressing
•System Motherboard
•System Bus Backplane
•System Bus to PCI Bus Bridge
•PCI I/O Subsystem
•Remote Control Monitor
•Power Control Logic
•Power Circuit and Cover Interlock
•Power Supply
•Power Up/Down Sequence
•Maintenance Bus (I2C Bus)
•StorageWorks Drives

1-2
1.1 1200 System
The 1200 system has up to two CPU modules and 2Gbytes of memory. A single
fast wide SCSI StorageWorks shelf provides storage. The system is ready for
the next generation of SCSI drives.
Figure 1-1 1200 System
PKW-0500-97
1
2
3
4
5

System Overview 1-3
The numbered callouts in Figure 1-1 refer to components of the system.
² System card cage, which holds the system motherboard and the CPU, and
memory, and system I/O.
³ PCI/EISA section of the system card cage.
´ Server Control panel assembly, which includes the control panel, the LCD
display, and the floppy drive.
µ CD-ROM drive.
¶ Cooling section containing two fans.
Cover Interlocks
The system has a single cover interlock switch on the top cover.
Figure 1-2 Cover Interlock Circuit
Power Supply
Motherboard DC_ENABLE_L
Cover
Interlock
Cover
Interlock
Switch
OCP
Push button
ON/OFF
J30
J7
J2
Switch
pack
PKW0503-97
NOTE: The cover interlocks must be engaged to enable power-up.
To override the cover interlock, find a suitable object to close the interlock circuit.

1-4
1.2 Control Panel and Drives
The control panel includes the On/Off, Halt, and Reset buttons and an LCD
display.
Figure 1-3 Control Panel Assembly
PKW-0501-97
123
CD ROM
Floppy
OCP Display
OCP display. The OCP display is a 16-character LCD that indicates status
during power-up and self-test. While the operating system is running, the LCD
displays the system type. Its controller is on the XBUS.
CD-ROM drive. The CD-ROM drive is used to load software, firmware, and
updates. Its controller is on PCI1 on the PCI backplane on the system
motherboard.
Floppy disk drive. The floppy drive is used to load software and firmware
updates. The floppy controller is on the XBUS on the PCI backplane on the
system motherboard.
²
On/Off button. Powers the system on or off. When the LED to the right of the
button is lit, the power is on. The On/Off button is connected to the power
supplies through the system interlock and the RCM logic.

System Overview 1-5
³ Halt button. When the halt button is pressed, different results are manifest
depending upon the state of the machine. These states/results follow:
Machine State Result of pressing the Halt button
OpenVMS running/hung Simple halt. The SRM console
runs.
DIGITALUnix running/hung Simple halt. The SRM console runs.
Windows NT running/hung Ignored.
AlphaBIOS running/hung Ignored.
SRM Console running Sets halt assertion flag; the SRM console
continues to run.
SROM (1st 2 secs. of pwr-up) Not seen by the SROM firmware.
XSROM power up Sets halt assertion flag; auto boot ignored
SRM console power-up Sets halt assertion flag; auto boot ignored1
A simple halt causes suspension of a system that is hung or running UNIX or
OpenVMS and drops back to the SRM console.
The halt assertion flag is a set in the TOY NVRAM; it is read
and cleared by the console only during powered up or reset.
When the SRM console finds the halt assertion flag set, the
conditions of the environment variables auto_action =
boot/restart and os_type = NT are ignored; the SRM console
runs and prints the following message:
Halt assertion detected
NVRAM power-up script not executed
AUTO_ACTION=BOOT/RESTART and OS_TYPE=NT ignored, if applicable.
P000>>> Some reasons for using the halt button:
1. The SRM console can be password protected. If the password is forgotten,
the Halt button can be used to regain control of the console. A new
password can then be set. See the AlphaServer 1200 User’s Guide.
2. If the NVRAM power-up script becomes corrupt or is inadvertently
modified incorrectly, it can be bypassed and then edited by using the halt
button. See the AlphaServer 1200 User’s Guide.
Halt functions differ when operating the system remotely; see Appendix A
and C.
´ Reset button. Initializes the system.
1Halt button pressed after the console checks whether to run NVRAM script but before it
checks auto_action results in the NVRAM script running but no operating system is booted.

1-6
1.3 System Consoles
There are two console programs: the SRM console and the AlphaBIOS console.
SRM Console Prompt
On systems running the DIGITAL UNIX or OpenVMS operating system, the
following console prompt is displayed after system startup messages are displayed,
or whenever the SRM console is invoked:
P00>>>
NOTE: The console prompt displays only after the entire power-up sequence is
complete. This can take up to several minutes if the memory is very large.
AlphaBIOS Boot Menu
On systems running the Windows NT operating system, the Boot menu is displayed
when the AlphaBIOS console is invoked:
AlphaBIOS 5.32
Please select the operating system to start:
Windows NT Server 4.0
Use and to move the highlight to your choice.
Press Enter to choose.
Press <F2> to enter SETUP
$OSKD6HUYHU
PK-0728C-9
6

)DPLO\

System Overview 1-7
SRM Console
The SRM console is a command-line interface that is used to boot the DIGITAL
UNIX and OpenVMS operating systems. It also provides support for examining and
modifying the system state and configuring and testing the system. The SRM
console can be run from a serial terminal or a graphics monitor.
AlphaBIOS Console
The AlphaBIOS console is a menu-based interface that supports the Microsoft
Windows NT operating system. AlphaBIOS is used to set up operating system
selections, boot Windows NT, and display information about the system
configuration. The EISA Configuration Utility and the RAID Standalone
Configuration Utility are run from the AlphaBIOS console. AlphaBIOS runs on
either a serial or graphics terminal. Windows NT requires a graphics monitor.
Environment Variables
Environment variables are software parameters that define, among other things, the
system configuration. They are used to pass information to different pieces of
software running in the system at various times. The os_type environment variable,
which can be set to VMS, UNIX, or NT, determines which of the two consoles is
used. The SRM console is always brought into memory, but AlphaBIOS is loaded if
os_type is set to NT and the Halt LED is not lit.
Refer to Appendix B of this guide for a list of the environment variables used to
configure a1200 system.
Refer to the AlphaServer 1200 Owner’s Manual for information on setting
environment variables.
Most environment variables are stored in the NVRAM that is placed in a socket on
the system motherboard. Even though the NVRAM can be removed and replaced on
a new system motherboard, it is recommended that you keep a record of the
environment variables for each system that you service. Some environment variable
settings are lost when a module is swapped and must be restored after the new
module is installed. Refer to Appendix B for a convenient worksheet for recording
environment variable settings.

1-8
1.4 System Architecture
Alpha microprocessor chips are used in these systems. The CPU, memory, and
the I/O module(s) are connected to the system motherboard.
Figure 1-4 Architecture Diagram
XBUS
Xceivers
I2C Bus
Interface
Mouse/
Keyboard
Combo I/O:
serial ports
parallel port
floppy cntrl
Real-Time
Clock
BDATA
Xceivers
XBUS
EISA
Bus
PKW0502-97
PCI Bus 1
System Bus
Memory
Pair
CPU
PCI Slot
PCI Slot
PCI Bus 0
System to
PCI Bus
Bridge 0
IOD0
System to
PCI Bus
Bridge 1
IOD1
PCI Slot
PCI Slot
EISA
Bridge
PCI Slot
PCI Slot
EISA Slot
128-Bit Data Bus + 16 ECC and 40-Bit Command/Address Bus
64 Bits
64 Bits
System
Motherboard
Flash
ROM
2MB
NVRAM
8Kx8
Note:When the ISA slot on
PCI Bus 0 is used, the last
PCI slot on PCI Bus 1 is not
available.