System Overview
1-2 AlphaServer 1000A Rackmount Owner’s Guide
This system is intended for the following types of uses:
•
As an applications server, running relational databases, electronic mail,
communications, or other applications
•
As a print server, providing common printing resources to PCs and other systems in a
LAN
•
As a file server, providing disk storage to PCs and other systems in a LAN
•
As a compute server, displaying the output of applications you run remotely on the
server
Supported Operating Systems
This system supports the following operating systems:
•
Windows NT
•
OpenVMS Alpha
•
Digital UNIX
While the operating system is running, it controls the system, which is in program mode.
When the operating system is not running, a second mode, console mode, allows you to
control system management functions, described in the next section.
System Console Firmware
You perform many of the tasks for managing and configuring your server system in
console mode, where the system is controlled by the console subsystem, rather than the
operating system.
The console subsystem, located in read-only memory (ROM) on the system board,
contains special software, called firmware, that interacts directly with hardware
components and facilitates interaction between the system hardware and the operating
system.
Because the system is designed to support multiple operating systems, it offers two
separate interfaces to the console subsystem. The Windows NT operating system is
supported by the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) console. The OpenVMS Alpha and
Digital UNIX operating systems are supported by the Alpha System Reference Manual
(SRM) console. Regardless of the operating system you use, you need to access both
consoles, depending on the particular task.
Console Firmware Tasks
The console firmware allows you to perform the tasks listed in Table 1-1 through either
the ARC or the SRM console.
