HP-UX

HP-UX Boot Sequence

Boot Sequence: Quick Reference :-

On a server without vPars, a simplified boot sequence is:

1. ISL (Initial System Loader)
2. hpux (secondary system loader)
3. /stand/vmunix (kernel)

Adding vPars adds the monitor layer, so now hpux loads the monitor and then the monitor boots the kernels of the virtual partitions. The boot sequence becomes

1. ISL
2. hpux
3. /stand/vpmon (vPars monitor and partition database)
4. /stand/vmunix (kernels of the virtual partitions)

Boot Sequence: The Details :-

With or without vPars, the firmware loads and launches ISL.

ISL>

In a server without vPars, at the ISL prompt, the secondary system loader hpux loads the kernel /stand/vmunix:

ISL> hpux /stand/vmunix

However, in a server with vPars, at the ISL prompt, the secondary system loader hpux loads the vPars monitor /stand/vpmon:

ISL> hpux /stand/vpmon

The monitor loads the partition database (the default is /stand/vpdb) from the same disk that /stand/vpmon was booted. The monitor internally creates (but does not boot) each virtual partition according to the resource assignments in the partition database.

Next, the vPars monitor runs in interactive mode (when no options to /stand/vpmon are given) with a command line interface.

MON>

To boot a kernel in a virtual partition (that is, to launch a virtual partition), use the monitor command vparload. For example, to launch the virtual partition named ABCxyz:

MON> vparload -p ABCxyz

In this example, the vPars monitor would load the virtual partition ABCxyz and launch the kernel from the boot device specified for ABCxyz.

(The boot device is assigned when the virtual partition is created and is recorded in the monitor database.)

HP-UX is now booted on the virtual partition ABCxyz.

Once a virtual partition is running, you will be at the virtual console of a virtual partition. Subsequent virtual partitions can be booted using the vPars command vparboot at the UNIX shell prompt of ABCxyz.

Boot Sequence Difference between PA-RISC and Integrity Architectures :-

On a server without vPars, a simplified boot sequence is as follows.

PA-RISC Architecture :-

1. ISL(Initial System Loader)
2. hpux(secondary system loader)
3. /stand/vmunix(kernel)

Integrity Architecture (IA64) :-

1. EFI(Extensible Firmware Interface)
2. hpux.efi (HP-UX boot loader)
3. /stand/vmunix

Adding vPars adds the Monitor layer, so now hpux(for Integrity, hpux.efi) loads the Monitor. Then the Monitor boots the kernels of the virtual partitions. The boot sequence becomes the following.

1. ISL or EFI (firmware)

2. hpux or hpux.efi

3. /stand/vpmon (vPars Monitor and partition database)

4. /stand/vmunix (kernels of the virtual partitions)