Technical data

An Overview of nPartition Boot and Reset
Boot Process for nPartitions, Cells, and HP-UX
HP System Partitions Guide: Administration for nPartitions, rev 5.1 168
— If any cells with a “y” use-on-next-boot setting do not
report to rendezvous, then ten minutes after rendezvous
began the cells that have not reported become inactive
cells, and all other reporting cells complete rendezvous
and are active.
The inactive cells’ resources are not available to be used
by the nPartition, although the cells still are assigned to
the nPartition.
6. Boot Console Handler (BCH)
The BCH interface provides the main method for interacting with an
nPartition during its boot process.
BCH runs on top of PDC, and it provides menus for getting
nPartition status, for configuring nPartition boot settings, and for
booting HP-UX and rebooting the nPartition.
One processor on the nPartition’s core cell runs BCH and all other
processors in the nPartition are idle while the BCH interface is
available.
An nPartition can immediately proceed past BCH to boot HP-UX
when the nPartition’s boot paths are set and boot actions for the
paths are configured to automatically boot.
7. Initial System Loader (ISL) and Secondary System
Loader (hpux)
In most situations you do not need to use the ISL and hpux
interfaces.
However, when using the BCH interface’s BOOT command you can
select to stop at the ISL prompt to perform more detailed booting
tasks.
For example, you can use the ISL interface to boot HP-UX in
single-user or LVM-maintenance mode, or to boot an HP-UX kernel
other than /stand/vmunix.
8. HP-UX Operating System
The HP-UX operating system boots on an nPartition after ISL and
the Secondary System Loader (hpux) specify which kernel is to be
booted.
By default, on HP-UX boot disks, the AUTO file specifies that the
/stand/vmunix kernel is booted.