ALOM is an independent system controller providing a command-line interface that controls Sun Fire V series servers including but

not limited to V210 and V240. ALOM enables the administrator to run diagnostics (such as POST) remotely and ca n be configured to send email alerts of hardware failures/warnings or other serv er-related events. Components that ALOM can monitor include, for example, system temperature and voltages, CPUs, disk drives, fans, and power supplies Remote console interface (console command) including remote access to Open Boot . Host monitoring (disks, fans, power, temp, PSU) Host control (commands poweroff, poweron and reset) User configurable delivery of events to ALOM CLI, email, and syslog The normal Unix boot process has these main phases: Basic hardware detection (memory, disk, keyboard, mouse, and the like) and execu ting the firmware system initialization program . In Solaris this is called Boo t PROM phase After you turn on power to the system, the PROM displays system ident ification information and runs self-test diagnostics to verify the system's hard ware and memory. PROM chip contains Forth OpenBoot firmware, and it is executed immediately after you turn on the system. The primary task of the OpenBoot firmw are is to boot the operating system either from a mass storage device or from th e network. OpenBoot contains a program called the monitor that controls the oper ation of the system before the kernel is available. When a system is turned on, the monitor runs a power-on self-test (POST) that checks such things as the hard ware and memory on the system. If no errors are found, the automatic boot proce ss begins. OpenBoot contains a set of instructions that locate and start up the system's boot program and eventually start up the Unix operating system. Locating and running the initial boot program (IPL or bootloader) from a predete rmined location on the disk (MBR in PC). In Solaris the primary boot program, ca lled bootblk, is loaded from its location on the boot device (usually disk) into memory. Locating and starting the Unix kernel. The kernel image file to execute may be d etermined automatically or via input to the bootloader. In Solaris the bootblk p rogram finds and executes the secondary boot program (called ufsboot) from the U nix file system (UFS) and loads it into memory. After the ufsboot program is loa ded, the ufsboot program loads the two-part kernel. The kernel initializes itself and then performs final, high-level hardware check s, loading device drivers and/or kernel modules as required. In Solaris the ker nel initializes itself and begins loading modules, using ufsboot to read the fil es. When the kernel has loaded enough modules to mount the root file system, it unmaps the ufsboot program and continues, using its own resources. The kernel starts the init process, which in turn starts system processes (daemo ns) and initializes all active subsystems. When everything is ready, the system begins accepting user logins. In Solaris kernel starts the Unix operating system , mounts the necessary file systems, and runs /sbin/init to bring the system to the initdefault state specified in /etc/inittab. The kernel creates a user proce ss and starts the /sbin/init process, which starts other processes by reading th e /etc/inittab file. The /sbin/init process starts the run control (rc) scripts, which execute a series of other scripts. These scripts (/sbin/rc*) check and mo unt file systems, start various processes, and perform system maintenance tasks.

LOM is Lights Out Manager used to log on to server through net management port. Lights Out Management (LOM) is Apple's implementation of the remote monitoring a nd management protocol Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) develope d by Intel. The LOM processor is accessed through one or both of the built-in Ethernet ports . Each built-in Ethernet port has two MAC addresses assigned: One is dedicated t o the LOM processor, the other is used by Mac OS X Server. This means there are two MAC addresses accessible by Mac OS X Server, and two dedicated to the LOM pr ocessor

The Lights Out Management (LOM) control module of the Sun Control Station softwa re allows you to perform certain management and monitoring functions remotely on hosts that are compliant with the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IP MI) Version 1.5. This document explains the features and services available thro ugh the Lights Out Management control module. The LOM module implements functionality available within IPMI v1.5. This module enables you to: Power on and power off a host Perform a hardware reset Illuminate a light-emitting diode (LED) on the host for identification and locat ion View the sensor data and system event log (SEL) from the host Retrieve the latest sensor data and the SEL The sensors return the following environmental and status information: Overall board status Board voltages Board temperature (C) Front panel ambient temperature (C) Temperatures (C) of the processors Rotational speed (in rpm) of the fans