Field Notice: PRP-2 Stops Booting Due to Read Error on 256M PCMCIA Flash

August 12, 2004

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Products Affected

Product	Top Assembly		Printed Circuit Assembly	Comments
	Part #	Rev.	Part #
MEM-12KRP-FD256M=	800-25159-01	A0	SM9FLAPC256	Smart Modular

Problem Description

Performance Route Processor (PRP-2) stops auto booting processes due to a read error on the PCMCIA 256M flash device.

Background

When a PRP-2 is set to auto boot, using config register at 0x2102, the PRP-2 will load the boot image from bootflash and come up at a Router(boot) prompt.

The effected PCMCIA flash disks have a 15 digit date code with last four digits matching M501. Only 256M PCMCIA flash with this date code are effected.

The image below provides an example of the effected PCMCIA flash date code.

Problem Symptoms

This error only occurs during a power cycle or reload of the system.

Note: In most cases the PRP2 will be able to read the contents of the disk at a Rommon prompt and can boot the IOS images properly, if done manually by the operator.

Note: Example Error Output:

Router#rel 
Proceed with reload? [confirm]y 
System Bootstrap, Version 12.0(20040128:214555) [assafb-PRP1P_20040101 1.8dev(2.83)] DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE 
Copyright (c) 1994-2004 by cisco Systems, Inc. 

DRAM DIMM Slot 1: 1024M found, Slot 2: Empty 
MPC7457 platform with 1048576 Kbytes of main memory 

open: read error...requested 0x4 bytes, got 0xffffffff 
trouble reading device magic number 
boot: cannot open device "disk0:" 
boot: cannot determine first executable file name on device "disk0:" 
...

Workaround/Solution

Customers can replace effected 256M Smart Modular PCMCIA flash with M501 date codes, by requesting new replacements through return materials authorization (RMA) . The Advance Replace Field Notice (ARFN) RMA failure code must be used on the RMA.

Customers can perform a manual boot process using effected flash to sucessfully complete IOS boot. The manual PCMCIA boot process is available on the Observing System Startup and Performing a Basic Configuration page on Cisco.com.

Note: Cisco will provide customers with an Umpire process to ease replacement of the effected flash within the next few weeks. This field notice will be updated when the Umpire replacement program becomes available.

Physical Replacement of Parts

For instructions on how to replace the flash disk on a PRP-2, go to the Removing and Installing a Flash Disk on the PRP documentation on Cisco.com.

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

• Open a service request on Cisco.com
• By email
• By telephone

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