PCI Error Handling Product Note 3rd Edition

1 PCI Error Handling Product Note
What is PCI Error Handling?
The PCI Error Handling feature allows an HP-UX system to avoid a Machine Check Abort
(MCA) or a High Priority Machine Check (HPMC), if a PCI error occurs (for example, a parity
error). If a PCI error occurs on a bus without the PCI Error Handling feature installed, an MCA
or an HPMC will occur, then the system will crash.
With the PCI Error Handling feature installed, if a PCI error occurs on a bus containing an I/O
card that supports PCI Error Recovery:
• The corresponding device driver reports the error
• The PCI bus is quarantined to isolate the system from further I/O - preventing the error from
damaging the system
• The olrad command and the Attention Button can be used to online recover, restoring the
slot, card, and driver to a usable state
Accessing and Installing the PCI Error Handling Feature
The PCI Error Handling feature can be accessed and installed on supported systems from the
Software Pack CD-ROM, or the HP Software Depot.
Confirm PCI Error Handling is Supported
1. Review the PCI Error Handling Support Matrix document posted at http://www.docs.hp.com
to confirm if PCI Error Handling is supported with your configuration and system firmware
version.
2. To confirm which system firmware version is installed on your system, or any cell in your
system, use the sysrev command from the management processor Command Menu (CM)
prompt as follows:
MP:CM> sysrev
The sysrev command output on Superdome systems is different from the sysrev command
output on the other systems that support PCI Error Handling.
The sysrev command output on Superdome systems will list the system firmware version
under the SYS FW heading as illustrated in the following example:
MP:CM> sysrev
Utility Subsystem FW Revision Level: 15.22
| Cabinet #0 | Cabinet #1 | Cab #8 | Cab #9 |
-----------------------+-----------------+-----------------+--------+--------+
| SYS FW | PDHC | SYS FW | PDHC | | |
Cell (slot 0) | 3.64 | 15.12 | 3.82 | 15.12 | | |
Cell (slot 1) | 3.82 | 15.12 | 3.66 | 15.12 | | |
Cell (slot 2) | 3.88 | 15.14 | 3.66 | 15.12 | | |
Cell (slot 3) | 3.82 | 15.12 | 3.50 | 15.10 | | |
Cell (slot 4) | 3.82 | 15.12 | 3.86 | 15.14 | | |
Cell (slot 5) | 3.64 | 15.12 | 3.82 | 15.12 | | |
Cell (slot 6) | 3.82 | 15.12 | 3.84 | 15.10 | | |
Cell (slot 7) | 3.88 | 15.14 | 3.82 | 15.12 | | |
What is PCI Error Handling? 7