[rescue] [a.merz at swissonline.ch: SSP for Cray CS6400]

[Skeezics Boondoggle]

On Wed, 10 Aug 2005, Tim Kirby wrote:

> Ethan wrote:
> > Did the CS6400 use a JTAG card instead of the 2nd ethernet? The only thing
> > different about a J series system SWS (Sun workstation) is it has a 2nd
> > ethernet card.
> 
> It wasn't an SWS. The JTAG card was plugged in to the heart of the 6400
> and provided all the control/boot download. No JTAG, no system.

I've read, possibly in private email(?) or some docs/notes I have in a box
somewhere(?), about a procedure for getting the CS6400 to boot without the
JTAG interface up; essentially, you can get the machine to auto-boot but
only in a fixed configuration, and you obviously can't
capture/monitor/control anything until the Ethernet comes up and the cvcd
switches to it.

That is, you're basically flying blind until Solaris boots, so if anything
goes wrong you'd still have to track down the card+cable to diagnose and
fix things.  But in a pinch, y'know, like if you have only 1 SSP and
multiple CS6400s... :-)  And I think you have to have a certain late-rev
control board in order to safely attach/detach the JTAG cable while the
machine is running, without it acting like a big "BREAK" and halting
things.  Heh.

If I can find these notes, I'll post 'em or forward 'em to the original 
requester...

-- Chris