Paper clip enables resets for disks
May 4, 2009
The HP 3000 was designed for satisfactory remote access, but there are times when the system hardware needs to be in front of you. Such was the case for a system analyst who was adding a disk drive recently to a A-Class HP 3000.
Central to this process is the 3000's Guardian Service Processor (GSP). This portion of the A-Class and N-Class Multifunction IO card gives system managers basic console operations to control the hardware before MPE/iX is booted, as well as providing connectivity to manage the system. Functions supported by the GSP include displaying self-test chassis codes, executing boot commands, and determining installed hardware. (You can also read it as a speedometer for how fact your system is executing.)
The GSP was the answer when Larry Simonsen asked
I need to configure some additional disk drives and I believe reboot the server. The GSP is connected to a IP switch and I have the IP address for it, but it is not responding. I believe I need to enable it from the console. Can this be done from the soft console, using a PC as the console with a console # command?
A paper clip will reset the GSP and enable access, says EchoTech's Craig Lalley.
Lalley added that a GSP reset is an annual maintenance step for him.
I find it is necessary to reset the GSP about once a year. It seems to correlate to when you really need to get access, and you can't get physical access to the box. Good old Murphy's law.
Resource 3000's Stan Sieler (one of the Allegro Consultants) has a fine white paper online about MPE/iX system failure and hang recovery that includes GSP tips.
HP's documentation on resetting the GSP for the 900 Series 3000s, remotely through commands, is still online at the HP Web site.