Recovery from an LED C31 in AIX 3.1 or 3.2

Contents

About this document
Causes of an LED C31
Summary of the recovery procedure
Procedure

About this document

This document applies to AIX Versions 3.1 or 3.2.

WARNING: Voice support is no longer available for AIX Versions 3.x. Therefore, use of this document is at your own risk. If the directions provided do not solve the problem, then for reasons of time and the integrity of your AIX operating system, the best alternative may be to reinstall AIX.

Causes of an LED C31

An LED C31 during an IPL in AIX 3.1 or 3.2 may be caused by an incorrect console configuration, by a corrupt Object Data Manager (ODM), or by a non-terminal device, such as a modem or printer, plugged into port 1 or 2.

Summary of the recovery procedure

To resolve the LED C31, check for a non-terminal device plugged into port 1 or 2. If that is not the problem, boot up in Service mode and change the console with the chcons command as in the following steps.

Procedure

  1. Check for a non-terminal device plugged into serial port 1 or 2. If there is no such device, go to step 2. If there is one, unplug it or turn it off. Then reboot the machine with the key in Normal position. Do not continue with these steps.

  2. Turn the key to the Service position.

  3. With BOSboot diskettes or tapes of the same version and level as the operating system, boot the system.

    WARNING: If you boot a 3.2 system with 3.1 media, or boot a 3.1
    system with 3.2 media, then you will not be able to use
    the standard scripts (getrootfs or /etc/continue) to
    bring your workstation into full maintenance mode.

    Moreover, performing the scripts on a 3.1 system with
    3.2 boot media may actually remove some files and
    prevent your system from booting successfully in Normal
    mode until missing files (/etc/mount and /etc/umount) are
    replaced on the disk.


    NOTES:
    • For information on BOSboot diskettes, refer to the product documentation.
    • If booting from diskettes, when you see LED c07, insert the next diskette. This may be the optional display extensions diskette (required for AIX 3.2.5) or the display diskette.
    • If you have AIX 3.2.5, used a fddi network install, and selected that option for the install device, you will need the communications extensions diskette. If this diskette is not available, you can build it from another system with fddi installed.

Follow the prompts to the installation/maintenance menu.

  • Choose the maintenance shell, option 5 for AIX 3.1, option 4 for AIX 3.2.

  • Determine the hdisk# to use with the getrootfs or /etc/continue command. If you have only one disk, then hdisk0 is the proper hdisk# to use. If you have more than one disk, do the following:

  • Now access the rootvg volume group by running /etc/continue for AIX 3.1 or getrootfs for AIX 3.2. # is the number of the fixed disk, determined in step 5.

    For AIX 3.1 only, enter: 

       /etc/continue <hdisk#>

    For AIX 3.2 only, enter: 

       getrootfs <hdisk#>

    If you get errors from /etc/continue or getrootfs, do not continue with the rest of this procedure. Correct the problem causing the error.

  • For AIX 3.2.4 or greater, enter the following command: 
       ODMDIR=/dev/objrepos
  • Change the system console with the following command. The change will take effect at the next startup of the system.

    If your console is an hft (6091), enter the following: 

       chcons -a login=enable /dev/hft/0

    If your console is a tty (ibm3151), enter the following: 

       chcons -a login=enable /dev/tty0
  • With the key in Normal position, enter: 
       shutdown -Fr
  • If the system does not stop at LED C31 during reboot, do not continue with these instructions.

    If the system still stops on LED C31 during reboot and you are running AIX 3.1, repeat steps 2-6 and then go to step 11.

    If the system still stops on LED C31 during reboot and you are running AIX 3.2, repeat steps 2-5 and then go to step 12.

  • For AIX 3.1 only, enter the following series of commands, which will remove much of the system's configuration, saving it to a backup directory. 
       mkdir /etc/objrepos/bak
   cp /etc/objrepos/Cu* /etc/objrepos/bak
   cp /etc/objrepos/boot/Cu* /etc/objrepos

    Determine which disk is the boot disk with the lslv command. The boot disk will be shown in the PV1 column of the lslv output. 

       lslv -m hd5

    Save the clean ODM database to the boot logical volume. # is the number of the fixed disk, determined with the previous command. 

       savebase -d /dev/<hdisk#>
    Go to step 13.

  • For AIX 3.2 only, enter the following commands, which will remove much of the system's configuration, saving it to a backup directory. # is the number of the fixed disk, determined in step 5. 
       getrootfs <hdisk#> sh
   mount /dev/hd4 /mnt
   mount /dev/hd2 /usr
   mkdir /mnt/etc/objrepos/bak
   cp /mnt/etc/objrepos/Cu* /mnt/etc/objrepos/bak
   cp /etc/objrepos/Cu* /mnt/etc/objrepos
   /etc/umount all
   exit

    Determine which disk is the boot disk with the lslv command. The boot disk will be shown in the PV1 column of the lslv output. 

       lslv -m hd5

    Save the clean ODM database to the boot logical volume. # is the number of the fixed disk, determined with the previous command. 

       savebase -d /dev/<hdisk#>
    Continue with step 13.

  • Turn the key to Normal position and enter the following command to shut down and reboot: 
       shutdown -Fr
  • If LED C31 still occurs when you reboot your system, then for reasons of time and the integrity of your AIX operating system, the best alternative may be to reinstall AIX.




    [ Doc Ref: 90605198314830     Publish Date: Oct. 16, 2000     4FAX Ref: 1991 ]