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Asset ID: 1-77-1000062.1
Update Date:2011-02-17
Keywords:

Solution Type  Sun Alert Sure

Solution  1000062.1 :   Sun Fire Midrange Server Time Jumps When SC Accumulates Extended Uptime  


Related Items
  • Sun Fire E6900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 6800 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 3800 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire E4900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Netra 1280 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 4800 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire E2900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire V1280 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 4810 Server
  •  
  • Sun Netra 1290 Server
  •  
Related Categories
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Sun Alert>Criteria Category>Availability
  •  
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Sun Alert>Release Phase>Resolved
  •  

PreviouslyPublishedAs
200078


Bug Id
<SUNBUG: 6567546>

Date of Workaround Release
28-JUN-2007

Date of Resolved Release
14-SEP-2007

Impact

On certain Sun Fire systems, a System Controller (SC) running ScApp versions 5.18.X, 5.19.X or 5.20.X. with extended uptime may experience an abrupt clock change. The changes have been seen where the clock jumps forward to 828 days, or where the clock becomes unstable upon reaching 828 days. The forward jump has been seen jumping 60 days forward to 828 days. This clock change can affect the domain time, database applications, customer data, or any other clock related operations.


Contributing Factors

This issue can occur on the following platforms:

SPARC Platform

  • Sun Fire 3800/4800/4810/6800/E2900/E4900/E6900/V1280 Servers
  • Netra 1280/1290 Servers

with a System Controller (SC) running ScApp versions 5.18.X, 5.19.X or 5.20.X.

Note: Any system properly patched for Daylight Saving Time (DST) required a SC reboot in 2007, and the system would not be at risk for this issue until uptime accumulates. (See also DST SunAlert 102617).

To determine both the ScApp version and SC uptime, the following command can be run on the SC:

    sc0:SC> showsc
    SC: SSC0
    Main System Controller
    SC Failover: enabled but not active.
    Clock failover enabled.
    SC date: Wed Jun 27 13:34:37 GMT-04:00 2007
    SC uptime: 82 days 22 hours 56 minutes 57 seconds
    ScApp version: 5.20.3 Build_0
    RTOS version: 46

Symptoms

This issue may occur after extended SC uptime, at which time the system controller time and the domain time may change abruptly.

Error messages will differ depending on how the system is configured, and whether the message is from the SC or from a domain. One example of error message is the following (may be from /var/adm/messages or to the console):

    Feb  2 17:33:52 domain-a xntpd[975]:
    [ID 261039 daemon.error] time error
    X.X is way too large (set clock manually)

Workaround

If uptime is less than 575 days:

1. Add these lines to the /etc/system file for all domains to disable the domains from getting their time from the SC:

    set tod_broken=1
    set dosynctodr=0

2. Enable NTP on the domain, and SNTP on the system controller. Refer to the appropriate Solaris Systems Administration Guide for your Solaris Release, and the appropriate Platform Administration Guide for your ScApp Release.

3. Reboot the system controllers.

4. Reboot the domain at next available maintenance window prior to reaching 575 Days uptime on the system controller.

If uptime is greater than 575 days:

1. Add these lines to the /etc/system file for all domains to disable the domains from getting their time from the SC:

    set tod_broken=1
    set dosynctodr=0

2. Manually disable the running domain from getting it's time from the SC. Either reboot the domain with the /etc/system changes listed in step 1, or run the script below. The following script can be invoked as "root" on the running domain to change the value of "tod_broken" and "dosynctodr" in the running domain's kernel:

    #!/bin/sh
    #
    # Set tod_broken and dosynctodr
    #
    echo "tod_broken ?W 1" | adb -w -k /dev/ksyms /dev/mem
    echo "dosynctodr ?W 0" | adb -w -k /dev/ksyms /dev/mem
    #
    # exit 0

3. Enable NTP on the domain, and SNTP on the system controller. Refer to the appropriate Solaris Systems Administration Guide for your Solaris Release, and the appropriate Platform Administration Guide for your ScApp Release.

4. Reboot the system Controllers

(see "Contributing Factors" for determination of uptime on the SC).

Note: The domain will still get it's initial time from the SC on boot even with the /etc/system setting. This functionality cannot be fully disabled.

If the domain experiences this issue and the domain time has already changed, a reboot of the SC will be necessary. The time will also need to be adjusted manually on both the domain and SC. A reboot of the affected domain may also be necessary.


Resolution

This issue is addressed in the following release:

SPARC Platform

  • ScApp version 5.20.7 or later (as delivered in patch 114527-08 or later)

for the following systems:

  • Sun Fire 3800/4800/4810/6800/E2900/E4900/E6900/V1280 Servers
  • Netra 1280/1290 Servers


Modification History
Date: 01-AUG-2007
  • Updated Impact and Relief/Workaround sections

Date: 14-SEP-2007
  • Updated Resolution section
  • State: Resolved


Product
Sun Fire 3800 Server
Sun Fire 4800 Server
Sun Fire 4810 Server
Sun Fire 6800 Server
Sun Fire E6900 Server
Sun Fire E2900 Server
Sun Fire V1280 Server
Sun Fire E4900 Server
Sun Netra 1290 Server
Netra 1280 Server

References

<SUNPATCH: 114527-08>

Previously Published As
102986
Internal Comments


For a more complete discussion of how the SC and domain clocks work on these systems see:



70173 Sun Fire[tm] 3800-6800: How do the clocks work?



http://sunsolve/search/document.do?assetkey=1-9-70173-1



(requires a Contract login)



6585200 is a duplicate BugID


Internal Contributor/submitter
[email protected]

Internal Eng Business Unit Group
SSG ES (Enterprise Systems)

Internal Eng Responsible Engineer
[email protected]

Internal Services Knowledge Engineer
[email protected]

Internal Escalation ID
1-21925917, 1-22000752

Internal Resolution Patches
114527-08

Internal Sun Alert Kasp Legacy ID
102986

Internal Sun Alert & FAB Admin Info
Critical Category: Availability ==> Pervasive, Availability ==> Severe
Significant Change Date: 2007-06-28, 2007-09-14
Avoidance: Patch, Workaround
Responsible Manager: [email protected]
Original Admin Info: [WF 28-Jun-2007, dave m: review complete, send to publish]
[WF 27-Jun-2007, dave m: draft created, sending for review]

Product_uuid
29d05214-0a18-11d6-92b2-a111614865b5|Sun Fire 3800 Server
29d3a694-0a18-11d6-92da-df959df44cdd|Sun Fire 4800 Server
29d6f808-0a18-11d6-8aa8-943929fbbdd8|Sun Fire 4810 Server
29da7938-0a18-11d6-8a41-9ed1ad6d6779|Sun Fire 6800 Server
4fe39727-0599-11d8-84cb-080020a9ed93|Sun Fire E6900 Server
63ff680d-0598-11d8-84cb-080020a9ed93|Sun Fire E2900 Server
6a74b2f9-bbd8-4b2c-870d-b6b73d6e224f|Sun Fire V1280 Server
bed24aa9-0598-11d8-84cb-080020a9ed93|Sun Fire E4900 Server
cdced657-cb1f-11da-857a-080020a9ed93|Netra 1290 Server
e41a7084-3dbf-472d-918b-efb50dcbc220|Netra 1280 Server

References

SUNPATCH:114527-08

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