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Running CHARON-AXP for Linux

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Use the following symbolic link to run different models of CHARON-AXP:

Link name

Emulator to run

as400

AlphaServer 400

as800

AlphaServer 800

as1000

AlphaServer 1000

as1000a

AlphaServer 1000A

as2000

AlphaServer 2000

as2100

AlphaServer 2100

as4000

AlphaServer 4000

as4100

AlphaServer 4100

ds10

AlphaServer DS10

ds10l

AlphaServer DS10L

ds15

AlphaServer DS15

ds20

AlphaServer DS20

ds25

AlphaServer DS25

es40

AlphaServer ES40

es45

AlphaServer ES45

gs80

AlphaServer GS80

gs160

AlphaServer GS160

gs320

AlphaServer GS320

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Running CHARON-AXP emulators

It is possible to run one or several instances of CHARON-AXP at the same time if your license allows it.

For multiple instances, please use only absolute paths and unique names to all the files referenced in the configuration file of each CHARON-AXP instance (log, toy clock, rom files and all the other data such as disk images (Exception: clustering) - all these objects to be discussed later in this document). Also, hardware devices (e.g., CD-ROM) may be used by only one instance at a time (not shared).

For example:

...

set session log="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.log"
set rom container="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.bin"
set toy container="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.dat"

load KZPBA PKA scsi_id = 7
set PKA container[0]="/CharonInstances/1st_es40_boot_disk.vdisk"

... 

Please refer to the next chapters for more details concerning CHARON-AXP configuration details.

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Running from the console

Copy the configuration template from "/opt/charon/cfg/" directory to some local file and set the correct privileges to that file to be able to edit it:

$ cp /opt/charon/cfg/es40.cfg.template my_es40.cfg
$ chmod 644 my_es40.cfg

Now let's execute CHARON using this template configuration file:

$ es40 my_es40.cfg

You will see normal HP Alpha test sequence, followed by prompt sign (">>>"):

initializing ...

polling for units on kzpba0, slot 2, bus 0, hose 1 ...
pka0.0.0.2.1 PKA0 Q-Logic/ISP PCI SCSI HBA

... enter console

CHARON-AXP/ES40 for Linux (AlphaServer ES40 6/667), Version 4.7.17101
(C) 2009-2015 STROMASYS SA.
All rights reserved.

P00>>>

The next stage can be either installation of new HP Alpha/VMS system using a distribution provided by HP or transfer of data from some existing HP Alpha system. These possibilities will be discussed in details in next chapters.

If for some reason CHARON-AXP refuses to start please look for files with .log extension (CHARON-AXP log files) located in the directory from which CHARON-AXP starts, open them with an editing tool and analyze their content. In most cases those files contain very helpful information on what may possibly gone wrong.

To exit from CHARON-AXP emulator use the following methods:

ConfigurationHow to exit
No changes to the template configuration file

Type "power off" in CHARON console

Enable "F6" button in configuration file to trigger exit from CHARON:

#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# Uncomment to allow 'F6' to terminate the running emulator.
#
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------

set OPA0 stop_on = F6

Press "F6"


(warning) Please note that before stopping CHARON-AXP, one must shutdown the operating system running in CHARON-AXP.

The total number of devices (both controllers and units, including disks) displayed by CHARON SRM console is limited to 48. Note that it does not affect the actual number of configured devices provided to CHARON guest OS.


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Running as system service (daemon)

It is possible to run CHARON-AXP as a daemon. In this case the CHARON-AXP process will be detached from its parent process and from the terminal window in which it runs.

Follow the description below to establish and run CHARON-AXP as a daemon:

Installation and start of CHARON-AXP service


  1. Copy the sample script "/opt/charon/bin/charon" ( "/opt/charon/bin/charon.service" for Fedora Core Linux ) to your home directory (Red Hat Linux) or to "/usr/lib/systemd/system/" directory (Fedora Core), for example:

    Red Hat Linux

    $ cp /opt/charon/bin/charon /my_services/es40_service
    $ chmod 755 /my_services/es40_service

    Fedora Core

    $ cp /opt/charon/bin/charon.service /usr/lib/systemd/system/es40.service
    $ chmod 755 /usr/lib/systemd/system/es40.service

  2. Edit the renamed file to replace sample values of the following parameters, for example:

    Red Hat Linux

    exec="/opt/charon/bin/es40"
    prog="my_es40"
    config="/my_services/es40-service.cfg"

    Fedora Core

    ExecStart=/opt/charon/bin/es40 -d /my_services/es40-service.cfg
    WorkingDirectory=/my_services

    (warning) "my_es40" is a service name in the example above

              

  3. Create and edit the configuration file ( "/my_services/es40-service.cfg" in the examples above ) the way it was described before and make sure that the following pre-requisites are met:
    • OPA0 must be configured as virtual port or physical console, not as operator console, for example:

      load virtual_serial_line OPA0 port=10003
      #load operator_console OPA0

    • Use only absolute paths to log, toy clock, nvram files and all the other data such as disk images etc. The names of the references files must be unique too, for example

      ...

      set session log="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.log"
      set rom container="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.bin"
      set toy container="/CharonInstances/1st_es40.dat"

      set PKA container[0]="/CharonInstances/1st_es40_boot_disk.vdisk"

      ...

    • Make sure the same physical devices are not used by other CHARON-AXP daemons, same for the OPA0 console port number.


Once the configuration file is ready run the following commands (from the examples above) to install and start CHARON-AXP as daemon:

Red Hat Linux

# ln -sf /my_services/es40_service /etc/init.d/es40_service
# chkconfig es40_service on
# service es40_service start

Fedora Core

# systemctl enable es40.service
# systemctl start es40.service

Note that a certain delay may appear in finding network license by Sentinel Run-time on CHARON-AXP host system startup. So if the CHARON-AXP service is starting automatically on a host system, it may report "License not found" error and exit.

This problem can be avoided by specifying "license_key_lookup_retry" parameter in the following way:

set session license_key_lookup_retry = "N [, T]"

where:

  • N - Number of retries looking for license key (or keys)
  • T - Time between retries in seconds. If not specified 60 seconds is used

Example:

set session license_key_lookup_retry = 5

In this example if the license key is not found during initial scan, CHARON-AXP will do 5 more attempts waiting 60 seconds between them.

See General Settings section for more details.


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Stopping CHARON-AXP service

To stop a CHARON-AXP daemon use the following command, for example:

Red Hat Linux

# service es40_service stop

Fedora Core

# systemctl stop es40

(warning) Please note that before stopping CHARON-AXP service, one must shutdown the operating system running in CHARON-AXP. 

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Removing CHARON-AXP service

To remove a CHARON-AXP daemon use the following commands, for example:

Red Hat Linux

# chkconfig es40_service off
# chkconfig --del es40_service
# rm -f /etc/init.d/es40_service

Fedora Core

# systemctl disable es40.service
# rm -f /usr/lib/systemd/system/es40.service 

(warning) Please note that before removing a CHARON-AXP service one must shutdown the operating system running in CHARON-AXP and then stop the corresponding CHARON-AXP service. 

(info) Please refer to the next chapters for more details concerning CHARON-AXP configuration details

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