Analyzing "Can't boot/boot fails" on Sun X64 servers

Asset ID:	1-75-1004257.1
Update Date:	2012-07-10
Keywords:

Solution Type Troubleshooting Sure

Solution 1004257.1 : Analyzing "Can't boot/boot fails" on Sun X64 servers

Applies to:

Sun Netra X4450 Server - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
Sun Fire V20z Server - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
Sun Fire V40z Server - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
Sun Netra X4250 Server - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
Sun Blade 6000 System - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
All Platforms

Purpose

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Symptoms:

System will not boot
Boot fails
Can't power up

Purpose/Scope:

The purpose of this document is to address issues you may run in to during the boot process on a Sun X64 server, from the time the system is powered on, until the operating system starts to boot.

Please validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. The steps will provide instructions or a link to a document, for validating the step and taking corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Please do not skip a step.

Troubleshooting Steps

Steps to Follow:

Step 1 - Verify system power

Refer to:
How to check if a Sun X64 server is powered on: <Document: 1002926.1>

If after you have checked for power and find that the system is powered off, refer to:

How to check why the system powered off, on Sun X64 servers: <Document: 1002941.1>

If the system is still powered off or you find any indicator for issues which could have caused the system to power off, please collect all the data as described in the document and proceed with step 6 below to contact Sun Support.

If you checked and the system is powered ON, continue on to the next step.

Step 2 - Check for errors on the system

Refer to:
How to verify platform health on a Sun X64 Server: <Document: 1008409.1>

Step 3 - Verify boot media exists and is bootable

Refer to:
How to verify your boot media exists and is bootable, on a Sun X64 server: <Document: 1005506.1>

Step 4 - Confirm that the OS starts to boot

If you are able to see the boot loader of your system, e.g. GRUB for Sun Solaris or Linux, LiLO for Linux or the MS Windows boot loader, than you have confirmed that the OS is starting to boot

When starting the GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) on a system running Linux or Solaris[TM], and you do not see the GRUB menu for selecting the image to boot, you may have an issue with a corrupted boot archive. In this case please refer to:

Solaris 10 x86 GRUB Boot Error "panic: cannot mount boot archive": <Document: 1018947.1>

You may also find the following useful:

Configuring and Understanding GRUB: <Document: 1005352.1>

Step 5 - Raise a Service request

At this point, if you have validated that each troubleshooting step above is true for your environment, and the issue still exists, further troubleshooting is required. For additional support contact Sun Support.

NOTE: Since you can't boot your server, the amount of data you can gather is limited. For example, if you are running Solaris, you will not be able to complete an explorer data capture.

However, please capture the errors you are getting, using the procedures outlined in:

How to verify platform health on a Sun X64 Server: <Document: 1008409.1>

You may also find the Server Service and Diagnostic Guides helpful:
Oracle Technology Network X86 Server Documentation

Previously Published As 91614

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