IBM Buys Rational for $2.1Billion!

[Paul Iadonisi]

On Fri, 2002-12-06 at 16:39, bscott at ntisys.com wrote:
> On 6 Dec 2002, at 4:22pm, pri.nhlug at iadonisi.to wrote:
> > One side note however is that I did find it very cool to experiment
> > with the built-in always-on (even with the power cord unplugged) serial
> > console ...
> 
>   Okay, I have to ask:  If the system is unplugged, what powers the serial
> command processor and control electronics?  Onboard battery?

  Can't say I'm sure, but I can't imagine how else it would be done. 
It's likely one with more juice than your typical nvram battery,
however.

> > ... that allowed things such as power cycling the machine remotely and
> > much more ...
> 
>   FWIW, these things exist in the x86 world, too.  Compaq's Remote Insight
> stuff even lets you insert "virtual floppy disks" and "virtual CD-ROMs" into
> the system remotely.  (I can't believe I'm saying something positive about
> Compaq.)

  I had heard about Compaq's Remote Insight stuff, but it always struck
me as bandaid pasted onto the usually stupid Intel-isms that make up the
PC world (press F1, or was it F2, no F5...F10?  wait, no, ESC to enter
setup -- and do it after the logo screen disappears but before the code
34HQEC appears in the top left of the screen or the code 3816EHX appears
in the bottom middle of the screen and you hear three beeps -- then pat
the top of your head and rub your belly and you just might be granted
access to the bios ;-)).  Don't know, though, it probably is better than
that, but nothing beats a real boot prompt like Sun's Openprom, DECs
original SRM, or even (can't believe I'm saying this) HP's IPL.
  Being able to set a system to NOT boot automatically and drop right
into a command line to probe devices, boot from alternate devices
(without changing any nvram settings) has saved me a number of times. 
And that's just one of the nice features real firmware.  PCs
traditionally suck at this.

-- 
-Paul Iadonisi
 Senior System Administrator
 Red Hat Certified Engineer / Local Linux Lobbyist
 Ever see a penguin fly?  --  Try Linux.
 GPL all the way: Sell services, don't lease secrets