Stable storage contains the boot path information along with
other critical file system parameters in a minimum area of 96 bytes
of high-reliability memory. The storage maintains the critical parameters
even if the storage card is removed from the backplane. After the
initial memory controller is initialized, the processor-dependent
code (PDC) accesses stable storage to determine the boot device
and console selection process.
The stable storage contents are allocated as shown in
Figure C-1 Stable Storage Contents.
Figure C-1 Stable Storage Contents
NOTE: Byte addresses are numbered beginning with 0. For example,
0 is the first byte, 1 is the second.
Decimal byte address 0 contains the status of the autoboot
and autosearch flags. The byte contains two hexadecimal values.
The first two binary digits of the first value show the flag status
as either ON (1) or OFF (0). Byte 7, obtained by reading decimal
address 4, contains the logical module index.
The console path and alternate paths are stored in the same
format as the primary boot path. Unlike the primary boot path, the
first byte of the first word of the console and alternate boot paths
is set to hex 00. The autoboot and autosearch flags are not stored
with these paths.To read one word (4 bytes) of stable storage, use the
ISL command READSS:
ISL> READSS xReturn
or
ISL> READSSReturn
Input SS address: 4
Address 4 contains 0x00000200
Appendix C Reading Stable Storage and Nonvolatile Memory