Document ID 	  	Synopsis 	  	Date
ID7047 	  	Resetting NVRAM on a Sun system 	  	7 Oct 2003

Keyword(s):resetting, nvram, netra 20, sun fire, sun blade, sun, systems
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Resetting the NVRAM Back to its Default Settings on a Sun System

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Resetting the NVRAM Back to its Default Settings

NOTE: Before executing the following; it is important & highly recommended,
that you take note (print out) the current NVRAM settings before changing 
these options back to their default settings.

There are two ways of resetting the NVRAM:

1)  At the OK prompt:

        ok  set-defaults                        resets most parameters
        ok  set-default 'parameter'             resets that one parameter
        for example: ok  set-default auto-boot?

2) At boot, the defaults can also be reset. This is helpful when an
improperly created device alias for a monitor has been created and no
display is going to the screen. 

The most common method is to issue L1+n from the keyboard (WYSE) while
powering on the system.  Hold down this key combination until you see video
with a message stating that the NVRAM parameters have been set to their
default values.

On sun keyboards, the "L1" key is replaced with a "STOP" key. Therefore,
issue the key sequence STOP+n simultaneously from the keyboard while
powering on the system.  Hold down this key combination until you see video
with a message stating that the NVRAM parameters have been set to their
default values.

Newer systems (Sun Blade[TM] workstations & Sun Fire[TM] hardware) are
using USB Keyboards and Mice. Unlike the older 8 pin mini-din keyboards,
these systems do not have a "STOP+N" key sequence to reset the OBP/NVRAM
parameters. Instead, a "safe NVRAM" boot mode is available. Remember that
unlike a STOP+N which restores ALL factory NVRAM parameters, the "safe
NVRAM" boot only alters a few parameters and only for that one boot cycle.
The described work around allows booting any USB keyboard type system,
including RSC equipped servers, to the OK prompt and communicating with
these systems via the serial ttya console.

 ==================== Procedure ====================

1. Press the power button to power up the system.

2. Once the maintenance LED starts to flash rapidly, immediately press the
Power button twice (similar to double-clicking a mouse, but leave a short
gap of around 1 second between presses, to have the action reliably
registered.) The actual time when you do the double press of the power
button is the point in POST when the maintenance LED (wrench light) rapidly
flashes.

NOTE:

If you double press too late or too soon, the system will power off. Do not
get confused with the earlier occurrences of the maintenance and OK to
remove LEDs flashing together. This is a part of the system test to make
sure the LEDs are functional.

If you're running POST even in MIN level, it will be several minutes
depending upon your configuration, before the maintenance LED flashes
rapidly.

A screen similar to the following is displayed to indicate that you have
successfully reset the OpenBoot NVRAM configuration variables to their
default values:

 Sun Fire xxx (8 X UltraSPARC-III), Keyboard Present

 OpenBoot x.x, 256 MB memory installed, Serial #xxxxxxxx.

 Ethernet address xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx, Host ID: xxxxxxxx.

 Safe NVRAM mode, the following nvram configuration variables have been
overridden:

 diag-switch? is true
 use-nvramrc? is false
 input-device , output-device are defaulted
 ttya-mode , ttyb-mode are defaulted

These changes are temporary and the original values will be restored after
the next hardware or software reset. Once you are at the OK prompt, it is
at this point you make your changes to the OBP parameters, or use
set-defaults to reset all parameters to factory default settings.

On the Netra[TM] 20 server, the defaults cannot be set by hitting the power
button
twice. The power button does not function in the same way as it does on the
Sun Fire or Sun Blade. The LOM command bootmode will need to be used as
shown below:

 lom> poweroff

 lom> bootmode reset_nvram

 lom> poweron

This will reset the nvram to default values.