[OpenIndiana-discuss] Yikes, completely unexpected bootup problem

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:  Home lan single user zfs storage and nfs server.
        HP xw8600 workstation running build 151_a9

Last night the room where I keep my computers was pretty warm as I
closed things down for the night I decided to shut down the xw8600
which I don't usually do. Its not a terrific heat source but seemed
like anything I could shut down would help the room cool down.

And just so readers don't think this was an unusual sweltering heat up
and start thinking along those lines for cures... it was not unusual
since I am running 4 computers in a small room.  There have been no
reports on any heat up problems so I'm talking about computers at
temperatures well within operating range.

Next day, I discover I cannot get booted up.  The machine goes thru
the usual chain of events but instead of booting on up it ends with a
message like:

`No system disk or disk error... 
replace and strike any key when ready'

My first impulse was to check connections, then boot to bios to see if
any disks were not recognized or if I could see any other indications
of actual hardware problems.

I could see none but don't really have enough experience or skill to
really say it all looked ok.

I can say the discs all appeared in the order I expected.

I have not seen any indications from logs or whatnot giving me any
clues or expectations of a problem.

My setup is using mirrored pools of matched pairs of discs.  The boot
disc and its mirror `should' be able to boot from either one.

So I switched the sata wires so that the mirror would be in the boot
position and tried that.... got the same result.

>From there I started trying to think what I might have done recently
that would end in this result....  The problem is, that the machine
has been up a good while so not so easy to remember everything I've
been doing.

The one thing I came up with as a possible problem creating action was
a very recent install of vbox and the setup of two linux vms.

Installing vbox does fiddle with ethernet addresses and such ... but
its quite a jump to causing a non-bootable situation.

I really don't know how to start debugging this situation and not even
sure what I should be reporting here to give any possible helpful
posters a chance at the problem.

The machine has no cdrom drive as I disconnected them in favor or more
hdd.  So, have not yet booted from a live cd or the like.  I can
either disconnect a non-boot drive and reconnect a cdrom dr or use an
USB. 

Any troubleshooting advice or requests for information would be quite
helpful.