HP-UX Virtual Partitions Administrator's Guide (includes A.03.05 and A.04.05)

Boot Sequence: The Details
With or without vPars, the firmware loads and launches ISL or EFI.
IntegrityPA-RISC
Shell> fs0:
fs0:\> \efi\hpux\hpux.efi
ISL>
In a server without vPars, from ISL or EFI, the loader hpux or hpux.efi loads the kernel
/stand/vmunix:
IntegrityPA-RISC
HPUX> boot vmunixISL> hpux /stand/vmunix
However, in a server with vPars, from the loader (hpux or hpux.efi) loads the vPars
Monitor (/stand/vpmon):
IntegrityPA-RISC
HPUX> boot vpmonISL> 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
commandvparload. For example, to launch the virtual partition named uma1:
MON> vparload -p uma1
In this example, the vPars Monitor would load the virtual partition uma1 and launch the kernel
from the boot device specified for uma1. (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 uma1.
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 HP-UX
shell prompt of uma1. For information on how to boot a virtual partition, see “Booting a Virtual
Partition” (page 150).
Virtual Consoles
HP-UX servers have a special terminal or window called a console that allows special control
and displays system error messages.
With vPars, each virtual partition has its own virtual console. On Integrity, the console is virtualized
by firmware (and therefore, there is no vcs driver). On PA-RISC, for each partition, its console
I/O is sent to its vcn (Virtual CoNsole) driver. From the vcn driver, the console I/O is sent to the
Monitor. From the Monitor, the console I/O is sent to the vcs (virtual console slave) driver of the
partition that owns the hardware console port. Finally, the vcs driver sends the console I/O to
the physical hardware console. It is this vcs driver that manages the console I/O to the actual
hardware console port.
Virtual Consoles 33