Each PCU ( Power Cooling Unit) contains a NiMH battery. An optimal battery contains sufficient charge to clear any uncommitted writes held in the cache in the event of lost power. The battery is not a FRU and can only be replaced by replacing the PCU. The estimated production life of the battery is rated at 2 years, at which time it needs to be replaced. In order to maintain efficacy, the battery must periodically ( every 4 weeks) be drained and recharged. This drain is monitored by the T3 to determine if the drain time is greater than 6 minutes (A healthy battery will have a hold time between 6 and 20 minutes). Once the battery falls below the minimum threshold, the T3 will flag the battery as being in a low condition and the PCU should be replaced as soon as possible. Each of the batteries will drain and recharge sequentially. In a partner group, each PCU will drain and recharge in tandem. The cache is protected by putting the T3 in write-through mode during the drain portion only. A refresh will take up to 12 hours per battery.

To avoid a refresh cycle from occuring during peak activity periods, the battery scheduler daemon can be reconfigured by editing the /etc/schd.conf file on the T3.

From the management host's /var/tmp directory, ftp to the T3-master, log in as root and "get" the /etc/schd.conf file. Then, edit the schd.conf file to reflect the desired refresh start time or interval using the following procedure:

1. cd /var/tmp

$ /var/tmp:

2. ftp T3-master

Connected to T3-master.

220 129.147.43.44 pSOSystem FTP server (NUPPC/2.0.0-G) ready.

Name (T3-master:root):

331 Password required for root.

Password:

230 User root logged in.

3. ftp> cd /etc

250 CWD command successful.

4. ftp> get schd.conf

200 PORT command successful.

150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for schd.conf (39 bytes).

226 Transfer complete.

local: schd.conf remote: schd.conf

41 bytes received in 0.028 seconds (1.45 Kbytes/s)

5. Now edit the file from a window on the management host.

Syntax for the file is:

BAT_BEG MM-DD-YYYY,hh-mm-ss (where this is the start time to initiate a refresh cycle on a particular day)

BAT_CYC 28 (where this is the number of days between refresh cycles. )

Caution-The battery service life is dependent on a battery refresh cycle of 28 days. Don't alter this value unless instructed to do so by Sun.

Note: Use the date command to check the date on the T3. If the date is not correct, fix the date on the T3 before setting the battery schedule. See Infodoc 24715 for assistance in changing the date.

So for our purposes:

$ vi /var/tmp/schd.conf

--------------------------- File begins

BAT_BEG 11-16-2000,01-00-00

BAT_CYC 28

--------------------------- File ends

6. From the T3 unit ftp session "put" the schd.conf file.

ftp> put schd.conf

200 PORT command successful.

150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for schd.conf (39 bytes).

226 Transfer complete.

local: schd.conf remote: schd.conf

41 bytes received in 0.028 seconds (1.45 Kbytes/s)

ftp> bye

7. The T3 is now ready to start the refresh cycle. First check that the PCU is optimal on the T3 unit.

T3-master:/:<2> refresh -s (As long as no refresh is in progress proceed to the next step.)

No battery refreshing Task is currently running.

T3-master:/:<2>refresh -i

T3-master:/:<2>refresh -s

PCU1 PCU2

-----------------------------------------------------------------

U1 Normal Normal

U2 Normal Normal

Current Time Sun Nov 16 16:26:51 2000

Last Refresh Fri Oct 01 13:30:50 2000

Next Refresh Fri Nov 30 01:00:00 2000

• mike.monahan@central