IBM BladeCenter HS22 7870, BladeCenter HS40 8839, BladeCenter HS20 8832, BladeCenter HS20 8843, BladeCenter JS20 8842 Serial over LAN Setup Guide

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BladeCenter

Serial over LAN Setup Guide

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BladeCenter

Serial over LAN Setup Guide

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Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the general information in Appendix A, “Getting help and technical assistance,” on page 51 and Appendix B, “Notices,” on page 53.

Twelfth Edition (November 2009)

US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction ........1

Hardware and firmware requirements ......2

Hardware requirements..........2

Firmware requirements ..........3

Checking firmware versions ........4

Starting the BladeCenter management-module Web

interface ................5

Chapter 2. General configuration ....7

Configuring the global SOL settings for the

BladeCenter unit .............7

Configuring the management module ......9

Installing and configuring SSH for SOL .....11

Enabling SOL for blade servers ........12

Updating and configuring the blade server BIOS . . 13

Chapter 3. Operating system

configuration ............15

Linux configuration ...........15

Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1 configuration . 15

SUSE SLES 8.0 configuration .......19

Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for

Linux operating systems .........21

Microsoft Windows 2003 Standard Edition

configuration ..............22

Chapter 4. Special component

requirements ............25

Configuring the BladeCenter HS22 Type 7870 blade

server ................25

Configuring the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and

HS20 Type 8843 blade servers ........27

HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement ....28

Updating the integrated systems management

processor firmware ...........28

Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller

firmware ..............29

Configuring the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade

server ................29

Updating the Baseboard Management Controller

firmware ..............29

Updating and configuring the BIOS .....30

Configuring the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade

server ................30

Updating the open firmware (BIOS) .....31

Updating the integrated systems management

processor firmware ...........31

Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller

firmware ..............32

Configuring the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch

Module for BladeCenter ..........32

Configuring the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE

Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter ......33

Configuring the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter . 34 Connecting an Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module 35

Chapter 5. Using SOL ........37

Starting an SOL session ..........37

Starting a command-line Telnet connection . . . 38

Establishing a serial connection.......38

Starting a command-line Secure Shell (SSH)

connection..............39

Starting an SOL session from the command-line

interface ..............39

Ending an SOL session ..........40

Monitoring SOL session status ........41

Restarting a blade server through SOL .....43

Mounting and unmounting media for Linux

operating systems ............44

Chapter 6. Troubleshooting SOL....45

Management module indicates that blade server

does not support SOL ...........45

Blade server shows SOL status of Not Ready . . . 46

SOL session opens and drops ........47

Trouble entering SOL commands or receiving

double prompts .............48

Garbage characters in an SOL session......48

Appendix A. Getting help and technical

assistance .............51

Before you call .............51

Using the documentation ..........51

Getting help and information from the World Wide

Web.................52

Software service and support ........52

Hardware service and support ........52

IBM Taiwan product service .........52

Appendix B. Notices .........53

Trademarks ..............53

Important notes .............53

Index ...............55

iv BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 1. Introduction

Serial over LAN (SOL) provides a means to manage servers remotely by using a command-line interface (CLI) over a Telnet or Secure Shell (SSH) connection. SOL is required to manage servers that do not have keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) support, such as the JS20 Type 8842 blade server.

SOL provides console redirection for both BIOS and the blade server operating system. The SOL feature redirects server serial-connection data over a LAN without the need for special cabling. The SOL connection enables blade servers to be managed from any remote location with network access. The advantages of SOL include:

v Remote administration without keyboard, video, or mouse (headless servers) v Reduced cabling and no need for a serial concentrator v Standard Telnet interface that eliminates the need for special client software

The IBM access to the text-console command prompt on each blade server through a SOL connection, enabling the blade servers to be managed from a remote location. This document explains how to update and configure BladeCenter components for SOL operation using the BladeCenter management-module Web interface. You can also perform many configuration procedures using the management-module command-line interface or the simple network management protocol (SNMP). See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about the management-module command-line interface and instructions about how to use it. All BladeCenter unit types, including the BladeCenter T unit, are referred to throughout this document as the BladeCenter unit. Unless stated otherwise, all descriptions and instructions in this document apply to all BladeCenter unit configurations.

BladeCenter®management module command-line interfaces provide

In the BladeCenter environment, the integrated system management processor (ISMP) and network interface controller (NIC) on each blade server routes the serial data from the blade server serial communications port to the network infrastructure of the BladeCenter unit, including an Ethernet-compatible I/O module that supports SOL communication. BladeCenter components are configured for SOL operation through the BladeCenter management module. The management module also acts as a proxy in the network infrastructure to couple a client running a Telnet session with the management module to an SOL session running on a blade server, enabling the Telnet client to interact with the serial port of the blade server over the network. Because all SOL traffic is controlled by and routed through the management module, administrators can segregate the management traffic for the BladeCenter unit from the data traffic of the blade servers.

To start an SOL connection with a blade server, you must first start a Telnet command-line interface session with the management module. When this Telnet command-line interface session is running, you can start a remote-console SOL session with any blade server in the BladeCenter unit that is set up and enabled for SOL operation. You can establish up to 20 separate Web interface, Telnet, serial (advanced management module only), or SSH sessions with a BladeCenter management module. For a BladeCenter unit, this enables you to have 14 simultaneous SOL sessions active (one for each of up to 14 blade servers) with 6 additional command-line interface sessions available for BladeCenter unit

management. For a BladeCenter T unit, this enables you to have 8 simultaneous SOL sessions active (one for each of up to 8 blade servers) with 12 additional command-line interface sessions available for BladeCenter unit management. If security is a concern, you can use Secure Shell (SSH) sessions, or connections made through the serial management port that is available on the advanced management module, to establish secure Telnet command-line interface sessions with the BladeCenter management module before starting an SOL console redirect session with a blade server.

The most recent versions of all BladeCenter documentation is available at http://www.ibm.com/support/.

Hardware and firmware requirements

The BladeCenter unit must be correctly configured before you can use the command-line interface and SOL. This section describes the hardware and software that are required for the command-line interface and SOL.

Hardware requirements

All BladeCenter components, except for the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8678 blade server, are SOL capable. All blade servers must be configured to enable SOL operation. Some of the older BladeCenter components require additional configuration to support SOL operation.

To use the SOL feature, the following hardware is required:

v An SOL-capable blade server.

The BladeCenter HS20 Type 8678 blade server does not support SOL operation. You can use the console command to control a blade server through SOL only on blade server types that support SOL functionality that have the required firmware levels (see Table 1 on page 3).

v An Ethernet I/O module installed in I/O-module bay 1. For systems using

management channel auto discovery (MCAD), SOL can use I/O modules installed in other I/O-module bays (see the BladeCenter Advanced Management Module User's Guide for additional information about MCAD).

The following blade servers have specific requirements for SOL operation:

v For the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and Type 8843 blade servers, and LS20

Type 8850 blade server:

– SOL uses the first network interface, Ethernet 1 (eth1 or Planar Ethernet 1), of

the blade server to communicate. When this network interface attempts to boot through PXE or DHCP, the network interface is reset, causing the current SOL session to be dropped and have a new status of Not Ready. If you require booting through PXE or DHCP, use the second network interface, Ethernet 2 (eth2 or Planar Ethernet 2), of the blade server and install an Ethernet I/O module in I/O-module bay 1.

– For the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server, jumper J28 must be

installed in the correct position. See “HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement” on page 28 for information.

v For the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server, SOL uses the first network

interface, Ethernet 1 (eth1 or Planar Ethernet 1), of the blade server to communicate. When this network interface attempts to use BOOTP, the network interface is reset, causing the current SOL session to be dropped and have a new

2 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

status of Not Ready. If you require BOOTP, use the second network interface, Ethernet 2 (eth2 or Planar Ethernet 2), of the blade server and install an Ethernet I/O module in I/O-module bay 1.

Firmware requirements

Make sure that you are using the latest versions of device drivers, firmware, and BIOS for your blade server, management module, and other BladeCenter components. Go to http://www.ibm.com/support/ for the latest information about upgrading the device drivers, firmware, and BIOS for BladeCenter components. The latest instructions are in the documentation that comes with the updates.

The firmware level of most BladeCenter components supports SOL operation. Some of the older BladeCenter components must have their firmware upgraded to support SOL operation. The following table lists the firmware levels that are required for older BladeCenter components to support SOL operation. If a component is not listed in the table, all firmware levels for that component support SOL operation.

Table 1. Firmware levels required for SOL for older BladeCenter components

Component Firmware level

BladeCenter Management Module 1.08 or later

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8678 blade server No SOL support

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server BIOS 1.03 or later

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server diagnostics 1.02 or later

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server ISMP 1.03 or later

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server Broadcom Ethernet Controller Boot ROM

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server Broadcom Ethernet Controller Firmware

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server Broadcom Ethernet Controller Diagnostic Utility

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server Broadcom Ethernet Controller Linux Device Driver

3.21 or later

2.2 or later

1.06 or later

7.1.22 or later

BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server

IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter 1.04 or later

Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter (4-port switch) See the IBM Support

Note 1: Go to http://www.ibm.com/support/ for the latest information about firmware levels that support SOL.

Web site

Chapter 1. Introduction 3

Checking firmware versions

Complete the following steps to view the firmware levels that are installed in the BladeCenter components:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. In the navigation pane, click Monitors → Firmware VPD.

The Firmware VPD choice identifies the firmware type, build ID, release date, and revision number for the firmware that is installed in each blade server, I/O module, and management module in the BladeCenter unit. The vital product data (VPD) for the firmware in the management modules also includes the file name of the firmware components. (Selecting the Firmware VPD choice takes up to 30 seconds to refresh and display information.)

Important: To avoid problems and to maintain proper system performance, always make sure that the blade server firmware code, service processor code, and diagnostic firmware code levels are consistent for all blade servers within the BladeCenter unit.

Compare the installed firmware version to the information in Table 1 on page 3 and to the firmware information at http://www.ibm.com/support/. If the firmware version installed is at or above the version listed in Table 1 on page 3, your BladeCenter component has the firmware code needed to use the SOL feature. If installed firmware versions do not meet at least the minimum requirements, download the latest firmware code from http://www.ibm.com/ support/ and install it following the firmware update instructions in Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25.

4 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Starting the BladeCenter management-module Web interface

Note: The sample screens that appear in this document might differ slightly from the screens displayed by your system. Screen content varies based on the type of BladeCenter unit that you are using and the firmware versions and options that are installed.

The management-module Web interface is used to perform SOL configuration. The management-module Web interface supports only configuration and monitoring of the command-line interface and SOL and cannot be used to start command-line interface or SOL sessions.

Complete the following steps to start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface:

1. Open a Web browser. In the address or URL field, type the IP address or host

name that is assigned for the management-module remote connection.

The Enter Network Password window opens.

2. Type your user name and password. If you are logging in to the management

module for the first time, you can obtain your user name and password from your system administrator. All login attempts are documented in the event log.

The initial user ID and password for the management module are:

v User ID: USERID (all capital letters)

v Password: PASSW0RD (note the zero, not O, in PASSW0RD)

3. Follow the instructions on the screen. Be sure to set the timeout value that you

want for your Web session.

The BladeCenter management-module Web interface window opens.

Chapter 1. Introduction 5

6 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 2. General configuration

This section provides instructions for configuring the BladeCenter unit to operate using SOL. You must perform the following procedures:

v Make sure that all BladeCenter components and firmware meet the minimum

SOL requirements (see “Hardware and firmware requirements” on page 2).

v Configure the BladeCenter unit for SOL operation (see “Configuring the global

SOL settings for the BladeCenter unit”).

v Configure the management module for SOL operation (see “Configuring the

management module” on page 9).

v If required, configure BladeCenter components for SOL operation (see Chapter 4,

“Special component requirements,” on page 25).

v Update and configure BladeCenter BIOS for SOL operation (see “Updating and

configuring the blade server BIOS” on page 13).

v Configure the operating system that is installed on each blade server to enable

SOL (see Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15).

v If secure SOL sessions over a network are required, install and configure SSH for

SOL (see “Installing and configuring SSH for SOL” on page 11).

v Enable the blade servers for SOL operation (see “Enabling SOL for blade

servers” on page 12).

Perform the SOL configuration that is shared by all BladeCenter components using the management-module Web interface. The management-module Web interface supports only configuration and monitoring of the command-line interface and SOL and cannot be used to start command-line interface or SOL sessions.

You can also perform some SOL configuration using the management-module command-line interface or the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about the management-module command-line interface and instructions for using it.

Configuring the global SOL settings for the BladeCenter unit

Complete the following steps to configure the global SOL settings for the BladeCenter unit:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. In the navigation pane, click Blade Tasks → Serial Over LAN.Inthe

management-module information page that opens make sure that the settings match the following default values or are set to the values that are required by your network configuration. Unless otherwise noted, the default management-module SOL settings provide the best overall SOL performance. (For advanced management modules, click the Serial Over LAN configuration link to access the SOL settings.)

The following illustration shows SOL settings for management modules other than an advanced management module.

The following illustration shows SOL settings for an advanced management module.

Note: For the advanced management module, the SOL VLAN ID and the BSMP IP address range are set on the Blade Tasks → Configuration page (see the

Advanced Management Module User's Guide for information).

The SOL settings and recommended values are:

v Serial Over Lan: Enabled

Use this field to enable or disable SOL globally for the BladeCenter unit. If SOL is enabled globally and if SOL is enabled for a blade server, an SOL session can be established with that blade server. If SOL is disabled globally, no SOL sessions can be established with any blade servers in the BladeCenter unit.

v SOL VLAN ID (management modules other than the advanced management

module)

8 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

– For all switch modules other than the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit

Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter, the SOL VLAN ID must be set to 4095 (default value).

– For the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM

BladeCenter the SOL VLAN ID is set as follows:

- For Cisco IOS releases earlier than 12.1(22)EA6a, the SOL VLAN ID can be

set to any value between 3 and 1001: it cannot be set to the default value of

4095.

- For Cisco IOS release 12.1(22)EA6a and later, the SOL VLAN ID is set to a default value of 4095. If desired, you can still set your own defined VLAN ID.

Note: If your blade server has a Broadcom Ethernet controller and you want to use an SOL VLAN ID of 4095 for the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module, upgrade to the latest versions of blade server Broadcom Ethernet Controller firmware (minimum level supported is 1.20.14).

If you set the SOL VLAN ID to a custom value, write it down for later use during the configuration process.

v BSMP IP Address Range: x.x.x.x (management modules other than the

advanced management module)

This is a mandatory field where x.x.x.x is the base IP address for blade servers that is used for internal communication inside the BladeCenter unit. The IP address that SOL uses to communicate with the blade system management processor (BSMP) of each blade server is based on the IP address that is set in this field. For example, if the value that you enter is 10.1.1.1, the blade server in blade bay 1 will have IP address 10.1.1.1, the blade server in blade bay 2 will have IP address 10.1.1.2, and so on.

v Accumulate timeout: 25 (default value is 5 for management modules other than

the advanced management module and 150 for the advanced management module)

v Send threshold: 250

v Retry count: 3

v Retry interval: 2500 (default value is 250)

Do not attempt to enable or disable SOL on any of the blade servers that are listed in the Serial Over LAN Status section.

Configuring the management module

Before you configure the management module for SOL operation, review the following information:

v Make sure that the management-module external network interface (eth0)

configuration is valid for your production network. This configuration can be obtained from a DHCP server or set statically.

v For management module types other than the advanced management module,

the management-module internal network interface (eth1) and the Ethernet I/O module configuration can be different from that of the management-module external network interface (eth0); however, the management-module internal network interface (eth1) and the Ethernet I/O module configuration must be in the same subnet. The management-module internal interface (eth1) is exposed to the external network through the management module, so it must not conflict

Chapter 2. General configuration 9

with any other addresses on your production network. If you use a configuration for the Ethernet I/O module that is not valid for your production network, you will not be able to update the firmware or manage your Ethernet I/O module through a Web interface.

v Telnet sessions with the BladeCenter management module do not have a timeout

value set by default. If no timeout value is set, Telnet sessions will remain active indefinitely. See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about configuring the Telnet session timeout value for the management module.

v The SOL blade system management processor (BSMP) address range can include

any valid IP addresses that do not conflict with any of the IP addresses of the blade servers. The BSMP address range is used for internal communication between the blade server and the I/O module and is not exposed to the external network.

Complete the following steps to update the management-module firmware and configure the management module to enable SOL:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter management module

firmware:

a. Download the latest management-module firmware from

http://www.ibm.com/support/.

b. Update the management-module firmware, following the instructions that

come with the update file that you downloaded.

3. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

4. Complete the following steps to enable SOL for the management module:

a. For management module types other than the advanced management

module, complete the following steps to configure the internal network interface (eth1) settings:

1) In the navigation pane, click MM Control → Network Interfaces.

2) Scroll to the Internal Ethernet Interface (eth1) section.

3) Make sure that Interface is set to Enabled.

4) Set the Static IP Configuration fields to the values that are required for

your physical network. The values must be in the following formats:

v IP address: x.x.x.x

v Subnet mask: x.x.x.x

v Gateway address: x.x.x.x

The static IP configuration values specify valid IP addresses of the form x.x.x.x, where each x is a number from 0 to 255.

5) Click Save; then, click OK or Yes to confirm. Do not restart the

management module.

b. Complete the following steps to configure the Ethernet I/O module

network settings:

Note: If you are using management channel auto discovery (MCAD), replace references to I/O-module bay 1 in the following procedure with the I/O module bay number that is actually being used (see the BladeCenter Advanced Management Module User's Guide for additional information about MCAD).

10 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

1) In the navigation pane, click I/O Module Tasks → Configuration.

2) Scroll to the Bay 1 (Ethernet SM)* section.

3) Set the values in the New Static IP Configuration fields, if they are not

already correct as listed in the Current IP Configuration section. The values must be in the following formats:

v IP address: x.x.x.x

v Subnet mask: x.x.x.x

v Gateway address: x.x.x.x

The static IP configuration values specify valid IP addresses of the form x.x.x.x, where each x is a number from 0 to 255.

4) If you changed any values, click Save.

5. Complete the following steps to restart the management module. Restarting the

management module ends the current BladeCenter management-module Web interface session.

a. In the navigation pane, click MM Control → Restart MM.

b. Click Restart.

c. Click OK to confirm.

d. Click Yes to restart the management module and end the session.

Installing and configuring SSH for SOL

Complete the following steps to install and configure Secure Shell Server (SSH) for SOL:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. If you have not previously installed a security key file, complete the following

steps. Otherwise, go to step 3.

a. In the navigation pane, click MM Control → Security.

b. Download the latest version of the SSH security key file from

http://www.ibm.com/support/. Navigate to the Install SSL/SSH section and click BladeCenter firmware update.

c. Click Browse and select the file that was downloaded in step 2b.

d. Click Install SSL/SSH.

e. Scroll to the Install SSL/SSH section and click Configure and enable.

3. Complete the following steps to generate the SSH Server Private Key:

a. In the navigation pane, click MM Control → Security.

b. Scroll to the SSH Server Key Management section and click Generate SSH

Server Private Key.

c. Click OK to confirm.

4. Complete the following steps to enable SSH:

a. Scroll to the Secure Shell (SSH) Server section.

b. Select Enabled for the SSH Server option; then, click Save.

c. Click OK to confirm.

5. Complete the following steps to restart the management module. Restarting the

management module ends the current BladeCenter management-module Web interface session.

a. In the navigation pane, click MM Control → Restart MM.

b. Click Restart.

Chapter 2. General configuration 11

c. Click OK to confirm.

d. Click Yes to restart the management module and end the session.

You can now use an SSH client to start a secure Telnet session with the management module and secure SOL sessions with the blade servers.

Enabling SOL for blade servers

SOL must be enabled both globally for the BladeCenter unit (see “Configuring the global SOL settings for the BladeCenter unit” on page 7) and individually for each blade server where you plan to start an SOL session.

Note: Make sure that console redirection is enabled for your blade server, with port 2 (COM 2) specified as the remote console port. Remote console configuration information for the HS20 Type 8832, HS20 Type 8843, and HS40 Type 8839 blade servers is in Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25. See the Installation and User's Guide for your blade server for information about configuring blade server BIOS settings such as console redirection.

Complete the following steps to enable SOL for a blade server:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. Complete the following steps to enable SOL on the blade servers:

a. In the navigation pane, click Blade Tasks → Serial Over LAN; then, scroll to

the Serial Over LAN Status section.

b. Select each blade server that will have SOL enabled; then, click or select

Enable Serial Over LAN. (For advanced management modules, you will also need to click Perform Action.) Selecting the check box at the top of the status table selects all blade servers. The SOL column of the table will show a status of Enabled for each of the blade servers that was selected. The SOL Session column of the table indicates a status of Not Ready for each of the blade servers that was selected.

c. To disable SOL for a blade server, select each blade server that will have

SOL disabled; then, click or select Disable Serial Over LAN. (For advanced management modules, you will also need to click Perform Action.) Selecting the check box at the top of the status table selects all blade servers. The SOL column of the table will show a status of Disabled for each of the blade servers that was selected.

Note: The blade server SOL status periodically updates itself automatically; however, you can refresh the window for an immediate display of updated status.

3. Complete the following steps to power-on or restart the blade servers on which

SOL was enabled:

a. In the navigation pane, click Blade Tasks → Power/Restart.

b. Select each blade server on which SOL was enabled; then, click either

Power On Blade or Restart Blade, depending on the current status of the blade servers.

c. Click OK twice to confirm.

4. Complete the following steps to check the SOL status of the blade servers (see

“Monitoring SOL session status” on page 41 for more information):

12 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

a. In the navigation pane, click Blade Tasks → Serial Over LAN; then, scroll to

the Serial Over LAN Status section.

b. Make sure that the SOL Session column of the table shows a status of

Ready. For the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server, if the SOL Session column does not show a status of Ready, make sure that the J28 jumper on the blade server is in the correct position. See “HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement” on page 28 for information.

Updating and configuring the blade server BIOS

Note: If you update the blade server BIOS using UpdateXpress, the blade server will maintain any BIOS settings that might have been set previously using the Configuration/Setup Utility program; the blade server will not revert to the BIOS default settings when you use UpdateXpress.

Complete the following steps to update and configure the blade server BIOS to enable SOL. Some blade servers have special BIOS update and configuration requirements that are in Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25.

1. Complete the following steps to update the blade server BIOS:

a. Download the latest version of BIOS for your blade server type from

http://www.ibm.com/support/.

b. Update the blade server BIOS, following the instructions that come with the

update file that you downloaded.

2. Complete the following steps to configure the blade server BIOS settings:

a. Restart the blade server and press F1 when prompted to start the

Configuration/Setup Utility program.

b. Select Devices and I/O Ports; then, make sure that the values are set as

follows:

v Serial Port A: Auto-configure

v Serial Port B: Auto-configure

c. Select Remote Console Redirection; then, make sure that the values are set

as follows:

v Remote Console Active: Enabled

v Remote Console COM Port: COM 2

v Remote Console Baud Rate: 19200

v Remote Console Data Bits:8

v Remote Console Parity: None

v Remote Console Stop Bits:1

v Remote Console Text Emulation: ANSI

v Remote Console Keyboard Emulation: ANSI

v Remote Console Active After Boot: Enabled

v Remote Console Flow Control: Hardware

d. Press Esc twice to exit the Remote Console Redirection and Devices and

I/O Ports sections of the Configuration/Setup Utility program.

Note: For older blade servers, do not use Planar Ethernet 1 for PXE/DHCP

or BOOTP booting or installation. See “Hardware and firmware requirements” on page 2 for information.

Chapter 2. General configuration 13

e. If your blade server does not support PXE/BOOTP booting or installation

and SOL on Planar Ethernet 1 at the same time, select Start Options; then, set the following values:

v Planar Ethernet PXE/DHCP to Planar Ethernet 2

v Run PXE only on selected Planar NIC to Enabled

f. Press Esc to exit the Start Options section of the Configuration/Setup Utility

program.

g. Select Save Settings; then, press Enter.

h. Press Enter to confirm.

i. Select Exit Setup; then, press Enter.

j. Make sure that Yes, exit the Setup Utility is selected; then, press Enter.

14 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 3. Operating system configuration

This section provides instructions for configuring your operating system for SOL operation, including any required installation of device drivers. It includes the following instructions:

v “Linux configuration”

– “Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1 configuration”

– “SUSE SLES 8.0 configuration” on page 19

– “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems”

on page 21

v “Microsoft Windows 2003 Standard Edition configuration” on page 22

Linux configuration

Complete one of the following procedures to enable SOL sessions for your Linux operating system. You must be logged in as a root user to perform these procedures. For SOL operation, you must also configure the Linux operating system to expose the Linux initialization (booting) process. This enables users to log in to the Linux console using an SOL session and directs Linux output to the serial console. See the documentation for your specific Linux operating-system type for information and instructions.

Note: You do not have to configure the Linux operating system when using a BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server; however, you still must install the Ethernet controller device drivers (see “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems” on page 21).

Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1 configuration

Note: This procedure is based on a default installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1. The file names, structures, and commands might be different for other versions of Red Hat Linux.

Complete the following steps to configure the general Linux parameters for SOL operation when using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1 operating system.

Note: Hardware flow control prevents character loss during communication over a serial connection. You must enable it when using a Linux operating system.

1. Add the following line to the end of the # Run gettys in standard runlevels

section of the /etc/inittab file. This enables hardware flow control and enables users to log in through the SOL console.

7:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h ttyS1 19200 vt102

2. Add the following line at the bottom of the /etc/securetty file to enable a user

to log in as the root user through the SOL console:

ttyS1

LILO configuration

If you are using LILO, complete the following steps:

1. Complete the following steps to modify the /etc/lilo.conf file:

a. Add the following text to the end of the first default=linux line:

-Monitor

b. Comment out the map=/boot/map line by adding a # at the beginning of this

line.

c. Comment out the message=/boot/message line by adding a # at the

beginning of this line.

d. Add the following line before the first image=... line:

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

e. Add the following text to the end of the first label=linux line:

-Monitor

f. Add the following line to the first image=... section. This enables SOL.

append="console=ttyS1,19200n8 console=tty1"

g. Add the following lines between the two image=... sections:

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp

label=linux-Interact initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img read-only root=/dev/hda6 append="console=tty1 console=ttyS1,19200n8 "

The following samples show examples of the original content of the /etc/lilo.conf file and the content of this file after modification.

Original /etc/lilo.conf contents

prompt

timeout=50

default=linux

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

install=/boot/boot.b

message=/boot/message

linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp

label=linux

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

read-only

root=/dev/hda6

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12

label=linux-up

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12.img

read-only

root=/dev/hda6

16 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Modified /etc/lilo.conf contents

prompt

timeout=50

default=linux-Monitor

boot=/dev/hda

#map=/boot/map

install=/boot/boot.b

#message=/boot/message

linear

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp

label=linux-Monitor

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

read-only

root=/dev/hda6

append="console=ttyS1,19200n8 console=tty1"

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp

label=linux-Interact

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

read-only

root=/dev/hda6

append="console=tty1 console=ttyS1,19200n8 "

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12

label=linux-up

initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.12.img

read-only

root=/dev/hda6

2. Type lilo and then press Enter to store and activate the LILO configuration.

When the Linux operating system starts, a LILO boot: prompt is displayed instead of the graphical user interface. Pressing Tab while at this prompt will install all of the boot options that are listed. To load the operating system in interactive mode, type linux-Interact and then press Enter.

GRUB configuration

If you are using GRUB, complete the following steps to modify the /boot/grub/grub.conf file:

1. Comment out the splashimage=... line by adding a # at the beginning of this

line.

2. Add the following line before the first title=... line:

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

3. Append the following text to the first title=... line:

SOL Monitor

Chapter 3. Operating system configuration 17

4. Append the following text to the kernel/... line of the first title=... section:

console=ttyS1,19200 console=tty1

5. Add the following lines between the two title=... sections:

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL title Red Hat Linux (2.4.9-e.12smp) SOL Interactive

root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp ro root=/dev/hda6 console=tty1

console=ttyS1,19200

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

Note: The entry beginning with kernel /vmlinuz... is shown with a line break after console=tty1. In your file, the entire entry must all be on one line.

The following samples show examples of the original content of the /boot/grub/grub.conf file and the content of this file after modification.

Original /boot/grub/grub.conf contents

#grub.conf generated by anaconda

# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file

# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that

# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.

# root (hd0,0)

# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda6

# initrd /initrd-version.img

#boot=/dev/hda

default=0

timeout=10

splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES (2.4.9-e.12smp)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp ro root=/dev/hda6

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES-up (2.4.9-e.12)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12 ro root=/dev/hda6

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12.img

18 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Modified /boot/grub/grub.conf contents

#grub.conf generated by anaconda

# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file

# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that

# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.

# root (hd0,0)

# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda6

# initrd /initrd-version.img

#boot=/dev/hda

default=0

timeout=10

# splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES (2.4.9-e.12smp) SOL Monitor

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp ro root=/dev/hda6 console=ttyS1,19200 console=tty1

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL

title Red Hat Linux (2.4.9-e.12smp) SOL Interactive

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12smp ro root=/dev/hda6 console=tty1 console=ttyS1,19200

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12smp.img

title Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES-up (2.4.9-e.12)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.12 ro root=/dev/hda6

initrd /initrd-2.4.9-e.12.img

You must reboot the Linux operating system after completing these procedures for the changes to take effect and to enable SOL. You must also install device drivers for your Ethernet controller (see “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems” on page 21).

SUSE SLES 8.0 configuration

Note: This procedure is based on a default installation of SUSE SLES 8.0. The file names, structures, and commands might be different for other versions of SUSE Linux.

Complete the following steps to configure the general Linux parameters for SOL operation when using the SUSE SLES 8.0 operating system.

Note: Hardware flow control prevents character loss during communication over a serial connection. You must enable it when using a Linux operating system.

1. Add the following line to the end of the # getty-programs for the normal runlevels section of the /etc/inittab file. This enables hardware flow control

and enables users to log in through the SOL console.

7:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h ttyS1 19200 vt102

Chapter 3. Operating system configuration 19

2. Add the following line after the tty6 line at the bottom of the /etc/securetty

file to enable a user to log in as the root user through the SOL console:

ttyS1

3. Complete the following steps to modify the /boot/grub/menu.lst file:

a. Comment out the gfxmenu... line by adding a # at the beginning of the

line.

b. Add the following line before the first title... line:

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

c. Add the following text to the end of the first title... line:

SOL Monitor

d. Add the following text to the end of the kernel... line of the first title...

section:

console=ttyS1,19200 console=tty1

e. Add the following lines between the first two title... sections:

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL title linux SOL Interactive

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 acpi=oldboot vga=791

console=tty1 console=ttyS1,19200

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd

Note: The entry beginning with kernel (hd0,1) is shown with a line break after vga=791. In your file, the entire entry must all be on one line.

The following samples show the original content of the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and the content of this file after modification.

Original /boot/grub/menu.lst contents Notes

gfxmanu (hd0,1)/boot/message

color white/blue black/light-gray

default 0

timeout 8

title linux

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 acpi=oldboot vga=791

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd

title floppy

root

chainloader +1

title failsafe

kernal (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz.shipped root=/dev/hda2 ide=nodma apm=off vga=normal nosmp

disableapic maxcpus=0 3

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.shipped

Note 1: The entry beginning with kernel (hd0,1) is shown with a line break after nosmp. In your file, the entire entry must all be on one line.

20 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Modified /boot/grub/menu.lst contents Notes

#gfxmanu (hd0,1)/boot/message

color white/blue black/light-gray

default 0

timeout 8

# This will allow you to only Monitor the OS boot via SOL

title linux SOL Monitor

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 acpi=oldboot vga=791 console=ttyS1,19200 console=tty1

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd

# This will allow you to Interact with the OS boot via SOL

title linux SOL Interactive

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 acpi=oldboot vga=791 console=tty1 console=ttyS1,19200

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd

title floppy

root

chainloader +1

title failsafe

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz.shipped root=/dev/hda2 ide=nodma apm=off vga=normal nosmp

disableapic maxcpus=0 3

initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd.shipped

Note 1: The entry beginning with kernel (hd0,1) is shown with a line break after nosmp. In your file, the entire entry must all be on one line.

Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems

If you are using a Linux operating system, complete the following steps to install the device driver for your Ethernet controller. Before performing these steps, make sure that you are logged in as a root user, that the development tools packages have already been installed, and that the kernel source package or cross-compile utilities have already been installed.

1. Obtain the latest version of the Ethernet controller device-driver source package for your blade server type from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server Ethernet controller device drivers, following the instructions that come with the device-driver source package that you downloaded.

3. Configure the network interfaces for the Linux operating system. See the documentation for your operating system for information and instructions.

Chapter 3. Operating system configuration 21

Microsoft Windows 2003 Standard Edition configuration

Note: This procedure is based on a default installation of the Microsoft Windows 2003 operating system.

Complete the following steps to configure the Windows 2003 operating system for SOL operation. You must be logged in as a user with administrator access to perform this procedure.

1. Complete the following steps to determine which boot entry ID to modify:

a. Type bootcfg at a Windows command prompt; then press Enter to display

the current boot options for your system.

b. In the Boot Entries section, locate the Boot entry ID for the section with an

OS friendly name of Windows Server 2003, Standard. Write down the Boot entry ID that appears above this line for use in the next step.

2. To enable the Microsoft Windows Emergency Management System (EMS), at a

Windows command prompt, type bootcfg /EMS ON /PORT COM2 /BAUD 19200 /ID boot_id where boot_id is the boot entry ID from step 1b; then, press Enter.

3. Complete the following steps to verify that the EMS console is redirected to the

COM2 serial port: a. Type bootcfg at a Windows command prompt; then, press Enter to display

the current boot options for your system.

b. Verify the following changes to the bootcfg settings:

v In the Boot Loader Settings section, make sure that redirect is set to

COM2 and that redirectbaudrate is set to 19200.

v In the Boot Entries section, make sure that the OS Load Options: line has

/redirect appended to the end of it.

The following samples show examples of the original bootcfg program output and the output after modification.

Original bootcfg program output

Boot Loader Settings

----------------------------

timeout: 30

default: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

Boot Entries

----------------

Boot entry ID: 1

OS Friendly Name: Windows Server 2003, Standard

Path: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

OS Load Options: /fastdetect

22 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Modified bootcfg program output

Boot Loader Settings

----------------------------

timeout: 30

default: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

redirect: COM2

redirectbaudrate: 19200

Boot Entries

----------------

Boot entry ID: 1

OS Friendly Name: Windows Server 2003, Standard

Path: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

OS Load Options: /fastdetect /redirect

You must reboot the Windows 2003 operating system after completing this procedure for the changes to take effect and to enable SOL.

Note: For SOL to operate, you might need to uninstall the COM2 device from the Windows device manager. See the documentation that comes with your operating system for instructions.

Chapter 3. Operating system configuration 23

24 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 4. Special component requirements

Most BladeCenter components are pre-configured for SOL operation. Some BladeCenter components must be configured to support SOL operation. This section provides instructions for configuring BladeCenter components for SOL operation. It also provides information that is needed when connecting certain components for SOL operation. Use this information in addition to the information in Chapter 2, “General configuration,” on page 7 and Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15. This section is divided into the following subsections:

Special blade server configuration requirements:

v “Configuring the BladeCenter HS22 Type 7870 blade server”

v “Configuring the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and HS20 Type 8843 blade

servers” on page 27

v “Configuring the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server” on page 29

v “Configuring the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server” on page 30

Special I/O-module configuration and connection requirements:

v “Configuring the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter” on

page 32

v “Configuring the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM

BladeCenter” on page 33

v “Configuring the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for

the IBM BladeCenter” on page 34

v “Connecting an Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module” on page 35

Configuring the BladeCenter HS22 Type 7870 blade server

Complete the following steps to configure the HS22 Type 7870 blade server for SOL operation. See the IBM BladeCenter HS22 Type 7870 Installation and User’s Guide for additional information relating to these steps.

1. Obtain the latest versions of HS22 Type 7870 blade server firmware from

http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the HS22 Type 7870 blade server firmware, following the instructions

that come with the update file that you downloaded. The HS22 Type 7870 blade server has multiple firmware images. Make sure that you restart the blade server after updating each firmware image.

3. Make sure that you have configured the BladeCenter unit and the operating

system for SOL operation, following the instructions in Chapter 2, “General configuration,” on page 7 and Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15.

4. Restart the blade server and immediately give the blade server control of the

BladeCenter unit shared keyboard, video, and mouse ports.

v If you are managing the blade server by using the BladeCenter system

console, press the KVM select button on the blade server.

v If you are managing the blade server from a remote location, see the IBM

BladeCenter Management Module User ’s Guide or IBM BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information and

instructions.

5. When the prompt Press <F1> Setup is displayed, press F1. If you have set an

administrator password, you must type the administrator password to access the full Setup-utility menu. If you do not type the administrator password, a limited Setup-utility menu is available.

6. Select System Settings and then press Enter.

7. Select Devices and I/O Ports and then press Enter.

8. Select Console Redirection Settings and then press Enter.

9. From the Console Redirection Settings menu:

a. If you are using a serial breakout cable with a BladeCenter H unit or a

BladeCenter S unit, set COM Port 1 to Enable; otherwise, set it to Disable.

b. Set COM Port 2 to Enable.

c. Set Remote Console to Enable.

d. Set Legacy Option ROM Display to COM Port 2.

e. Set the following COM2 Settings:

1) Make sure that the Baud Rate is set to 115200.

Note: The settings for Data Bits, Parity, and Stop Bits are static and cannot be changed.

2) Set Terminal Emulation to ANSI (default) or VT100, depending on

your system configuration.

3) Set Active After Boot to Enable.

4) Set Flow Control to Hardware.

26 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

10. Press Esc four times; then, press Y, when prompted, to save settings and

restart the blade server.

After the blade server has restarted, you can establish an SOL session to it using the advanced management module CLI. See “Starting an SOL session” on page 37 for information and instructions.

Configuring the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and HS20 Type 8843 blade servers

Note: If an SOL session for the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 or Type 8843 blade server displays only a flashing cursor in a blank screen, this indicates an interruption in the flow of serial data. Press Ctrl+q to resume serial data flow.

The following sections describe the SOL configuration that is required for the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and Type 8843 blade servers. You must perform the following procedures:

v “HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement” on page 28 (Type 8832 blade server

only)

v “Updating and configuring the blade server BIOS” on page 13

v “Updating the integrated systems management processor firmware” on page 28

v “Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware” on page 29

v “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems” on

page 21

Chapter 4. Special component requirements 27

HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement

For SOL operation with the HS20 Type 8832 blade server, jumper J28 on the blade server must be installed on pins 2 and 3. This is the default jumper position that directs SOL data to I/O-module bay 1 in the BladeCenter unit.

I/O-module bay

SOL select

(J28)

2 - 3

I/O-module

bay 1

12345678 O F F

3 2 1

1 - 2

I/O-module

bay 2

Updating the integrated systems management processor firmware

Note: Make sure that the blade server BIOS is upgraded and configured before you update the integrated systems management processor firmware (see “Updating and configuring the blade server BIOS” on page 13).

Complete the following procedure to update the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 or Type 8843 blade server integrated systems management processor (ISMP) firmware. No configuration is required for the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 or Type 8843 blade server ISMP to enable SOL.

Attention: Do not change the BladeCenter media tray owner by pressing the button on the front of the blade server or through the BladeCenter management-module Web interface while the ISMP firmware update is in progress. This will interrupt the update procedure and might damage the blade server.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 or Type 8843 blade server ISMP firmware:

1. Download the latest version of ISMP firmware for your blade server type from

http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server ISMP firmware, following the instructions that come

with the update file that you downloaded. To update the blade server ISMP firmware click Blade Tasks → Firmware Update in the BladeCenter management-module Web interface or use an update diskette.

28 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware

The Broadcom Ethernet controller on the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 and Type 8843 blade servers has the following requirements for SOL operation:

v An SOL capable Ethernet I/O module must be installed in I/O module bay 1 of

the BladeCenter unit (see “Hardware and firmware requirements” on page 2).

v For the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 blade server, the SOL jumper J28 must be

placed on pins 2 and 3. This is the default jumper position. See “HS20 Type 8832 SOL jumper placement” on page 28.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter HS20 Type 8832 or Type 8843 blade server Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware. You do not have to configure the Broadcom Ethernet Controllers to enable SOL.

1. Download the latest version of Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware for your

blade server type from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware, following the

instructions that come with the update file that you downloaded. To update the blade server Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware, use an update diskette or use the Broadcom Ethernet controller diagnostic utility, depending on the operating system that is installed on your blade server.

Configuring the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server

The following sections describe the SOL configuration that is required for the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server. You must perform the following procedures:

v “Updating the Baseboard Management Controller firmware”

v “Updating and configuring the BIOS” on page 30

v “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems” on

page 21

Updating the Baseboard Management Controller firmware

No configuration is required for the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server BMC to enable SOL.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server BMC firmware:

1. Download the latest version of BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server BMC

firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server BMC firmware, following the instructions that come

with the update images that you downloaded. To update the blade server BMC firmware, use an update diskette.

Chapter 4. Special component requirements 29

Updating and configuring the BIOS

Important: The BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server BMC firmware must be updated before you update the BIOS firmware.

Complete the following steps to update and configure the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server BIOS to enable SOL:

1. Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade

server BIOS:

a. Download the latest version of BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839 blade server

BIOS from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

b. Update the blade server BIOS, following the instructions that come with the

update images that you downloaded.

2. Complete the following steps to configure the BladeCenter HS40 Type 8839

blade server BIOS settings:

a. Restart the blade server and press F1 when prompted to start the

Configuration/Setup Utility program.

b. Select Devices and I/O Ports; then, make sure that the Serial Ports value is

set to Enabled

c. Select Remote Console Redirection; then, make sure that the values are set

as follows:

Note: For newer versions of HS40 Type 8839 BIOS, the BIOS Redirection Port is set to a fixed value of Serial 2 and cannot be changed.

v BIOS Redirection Port: Serial 2

v Baud Rate: 19.2K

v Flow Control: CTS/RTS

v Terminal Type: VT100+

d. Press Esc twice to exit the Remote Console Redirection and Devices and

I/O Ports sections of the Configuration/Setup Utility program.

e. Press F10.

f. Make sure that OK is selected; then, press Enter.

3. Remove the blade server from the BladeCenter unit and then reinstall it. See

the Installation and User ’s Guide for your blade server for instructions.

Configuring the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server

No manual configuration of the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server open firmware (BIOS) or ISMP is required. This blade server automatically configures itself when you install it in the BladeCenter unit and is automatically reconfigured after you install new software or hardware. The BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server has built-in support for the SOL feature. You must install the Broadcom Ethernet controller device driver after you install the blade server operating system.

You must use the SOL feature to initially install and configure the operating system in the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server. After the operating system has been completely installed and configured, you can use either Telnet or SSH sessions to communicate directly with the blade server operating system.

30 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Note: The Broadcom Ethernet controller on the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server might be unable to communicate for a few seconds while the blade server is restarting. If this occurs, the current SOL session will be terminated; however, the SOL session can be established again after the blade server restarts.

The following sections describe how to set up SOL for the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server. You must perform the following procedures:

v “Updating the open firmware (BIOS)”

v “Updating the integrated systems management processor firmware”

v “Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware” on page 32

v “Installing the Ethernet controller device driver for Linux operating systems” on

page 21

Updating the open firmware (BIOS)

Notes:

1. The Linux operating system must be installed and configured before updating

BIOS.

2. You must be logged in as a root user to perform these procedures.

3. If an SOL session is in progress, it will be terminated when the BladeCenter

JS20 Type 8842 blade server open firmware is updated. The SOL session can be established again after the firmware update is complete.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server open firmware. You do not have to configure the blade server open firmware to enable SOL.

1. Download the latest version of BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server open

firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server open firmware, following the instructions that come

with the update file that you downloaded.

Updating the integrated systems management processor firmware

Attention: Do not change the BladeCenter media tray owner by pressing the button on the front of the blade server or through the BladeCenter management-module Web interface while the integrated systems management processor (ISMP) firmware update is in progress. This will interrupt the update procedure and might damage the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server.

Important: You must update the open firmware (BIOS) on the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server before you update the ISMP firmware.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server ISMP firmware. You do not have to configure the ISMP to enable SOL.

1. Download the latest version of BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server ISMP

firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server ISMP firmware, following the instructions that come

with the update file that you downloaded. To update the blade server ISMP firmware, click Blade Tasks → Firmware Update in the BladeCenter management-module Web interface.

Chapter 4. Special component requirements 31

Updating the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware

Notes:

1. The Linux operating system must be installed and configured before updating

the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware.

2. You must be logged in as a root user to perform these procedures.

The Broadcom Ethernet controller on the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server has the following requirements for SOL operation:

v An SOL capable Ethernet I/O module must be installed in I/O module bay 1 of

the BladeCenter unit (see “Hardware and firmware requirements” on page 2).

v You must not have any other Broadcom Ethernet Controller devices, such as the

BladeCenter Gigabit Ethernet Expansion Card, activated.

v The latest Broadcom Ethernet controller network device driver must be installed

and both Ethernet interfaces (eth0 and eth1) must be configured before you use the Broadcom Ethernet controller diagnostic utility.

Complete the following steps to update the BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware. You do not have to configure the Broadcom Ethernet controllers to enable SOL.

1. Download the latest version of BladeCenter JS20 Type 8842 blade server

Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the blade server Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware, following the

instructions that come with the update file that you downloaded.

After installing the Broadcom Ethernet controller firmware, you must restart the blade server before you can use the SOL feature.

Configuring the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter

Complete the following steps to update the firmware of the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter. No configuration is required for the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter to enable SOL.

Note:

1. You will not be able to perform this procedure if the values for the network

configuration of the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter are not within the same subnet as the BladeCenter management-module network interfaces (eth0 and eth1). See “Configuring the management module” on page 9 for information.

2. If you are using management channel auto discovery (MCAD), replace

references to I/O-module bay 1 in the following procedure with the I/O module bay number that is actually being used (see the BladeCenter Advanced Management Module User's Guide for additional information about MCAD).

1. Obtain the latest version of IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for

BladeCenter firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

3. In the navigation pane, click I/O Module Tasks → Configuration.

4. Scroll to the Current IP Configuration section and make sure that it contains

values that are within the same subnet as the BladeCenter management-module network interfaces (eth0 and eth1). If the values are not

32 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

in the same subnet, you must modify them before you continue. See “Configuring the management module” on page 9 for information.

5. Scroll to the Bay 1 (Ethernet SM)* section; then, click Advanced

Management.

6. Scroll to the Start Telnet/Web Session section; then, click Start Web Session.

This will start a new Web browser session and connect to the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter Web interface.

7. Log in to the IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter Web

interface.

8. Click Maintenance.

9. Click Using Browser.

10. Click Upgrade Firmware/Configuration.

11. Click Browse; then, select the firmware update file that you obtained in step 1.

12. Click Start; then, click Yes to confirm each time you are asked a question.

13. Close the Web browser.

14. Complete the following steps to restart the I/O module:

a. In the navigation pane, click I/O Module Tasks → Admin/Power/Restart.

b. Select your IBM 4-Port Gb Ethernet Switch Module for BladeCenter and

click Restart Module(s) and Run Standard Diagnostics.

c. Click OK to confirm.

Configuring the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter

Complete the following steps to update the firmware of the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter. No configuration is required for the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter to enable SOL.

Notes:

v You will not be able to perform this procedure if the values for the network

configuration of the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter are not within the same subnet as the BladeCenter management-module network interfaces (eth0 and eth1). See “Configuring the management module” on page 9 for information.

v These steps require that an accessible TFTP (Trivial FTP) server is present on

your production network.

1. Obtain the latest version of Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for

IBM BladeCenter firmware from http://www.ibm.com/support/.

2. Update the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module for IBM

BladeCenter firmware, following the instructions that come with the update file that you downloaded. The Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module has multiple firmware images. These images must all be updated, in the correct order. Make sure that you restart the Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 GbE Switch Module after updating each firmware image.

Chapter 4. Special component requirements 33

Configuring the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter

Note: For Cisco IOS release 12.1(22)EA6a and later, the SOL VLAN ID is set to a default value of 4095. If you use the default SOL VLAN ID of 4095, no additional configuration of the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module is required. You need to complete the following procedure if you set a custom SOL VLAN ID.

Complete the following steps to configure the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter. The Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module has built-in support for the SOL feature and does not require a firmware upgrade.

Note:

1. You will not be able to perform this procedure if the values for the network

configuration of the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module are not within the same subnet as the BladeCenter management-module network interfaces (eth0 and eth1). See “Configuring the management module” on page 9 for information.

2. If you are using management channel auto discovery (MCAD), replace

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. In the navigation pane, click I/O Module Tasks → Configuration.

3. Scroll to the Current IP Configuration section and make sure that it contains

values that are within the same subnet as the BladeCenter management-module network interfaces (eth0 and eth1). If the values are not in the same subnet, you must modify them before you continue. See “Configuring the management module” on page 9 for information.

4. Scroll to the Bay 1 (Ethernet SM)* section; then, click Advanced

Management.

5. Scroll to the Start Telnet/Web Session section; then, click Start Telnet Session.

This will start a new Telnet session and connect to the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module Telnet interface.

6. Log in to the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module Telnet

interface.

7. Complete the following steps to activate the VLAN ID for the Cisco Systems

Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module:

a. Type en and then press Enter. b. Type config t and then press Enter. c. Type vlan vlan_id, where vlan_id is the VLAN ID that was set for the

management module (see “Configuring the global SOL settings for the BladeCenter unit” on page 7); then, press Enter.

d. Type state active and then press Enter. e. Type end and then press Enter. f. Type wri and then press Enter.

34 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Attention: To maintain system security, you must remove the SOL VLAN ID from the external ports of the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module.

8. Complete the following steps to remove the SOL VLAN ID from the external

ports of the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module:

a. Type config t and then press Enter. b. Type int gi0/port_number , where port_number is an external port number

from 17 through 20 for the switch module; then, press Enter.

c. Type switchport trunk allowed vlan remove vlan_id, where vlan_id is the

VLAN ID that was set in step 7c on page 34 (4095, by default); then, press Enter.

d. Repeat step 8b and 8c for each external port number from 17 through 20. e. Type end and then press Enter. f. Type wri and then press Enter.

Note: For SOL operation with Cisco IOS releases earlier than 12.1(22)EA6a, the internal interfaces of the Cisco Ethernet Switch Module must be set to trunk mode. Trunk mode is the default configuration. If SOL sessions do not go into a Ready state and you are using Cisco IOS releases earlier than

12.1(22)EA6a, perform the procedure in step 9 to configure trunk mode.

9. Complete the following steps to configure the internal interfaces of the Cisco

Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for trunk mode:

a. Type config t and then press Enter. b. Type int gi0/port_number , where port_number is an external port number

from 1 through 14 for the switch module; then, press Enter.

c. Type switchport mode trunk and then, press Enter.

d. Repeat step 9b and 9c for each external port number from 1 through 14. e. Type exit and then press Enter. f. Type int gi0/port_number , where port_number is an external port number

from 1 through 16 for the switch module; then, press Enter.

g. Type sw trunk allow vlan add vlan_id, where vlan_id is the VLAN ID

that was set in step 7c on page 34; then, press Enter.

h. Repeat step 9f and 9g for each external port number from 1 through 16. i. Type end and then press Enter. j. Type wri and then press Enter.

10. Type exit and then press Enter to close the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit

Ethernet Switch Module Telnet interface session.

11. Close the window in which the Telnet session was running.

Connecting an Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module

For SOL to function with an Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module (ICPM), the external port corresponding to the blade server must have an Ethernet cable attached to it with a link to an upstream switch. For example, to support SOL for the blade server in bay 2, you must plug an Ethernet cable into RJ-45 port 2 of the ICPM and have this Ethernet cable connected to an upstream switch.

Chapter 4. Special component requirements 35

36 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 5. Using SOL

The BladeCenter management module command-line interface provides a convenient method for entering commands that manage and monitor BladeCenter components. This section contains the following information about using the command-line interface:

v “Starting an SOL session”

v “Ending an SOL session” on page 40

v “Monitoring SOL session status” on page 41

v “Restarting a blade server through SOL” on page 43

v “Mounting and unmounting media for Linux operating systems” on page 44

See the documentation for your operating system for information about commands that you can enter through an SOL connection.

Starting an SOL session

Start an SOL session from a client computer through the management-module command-line interface by establishing a Telnet connection to the IP address of the management module, by setting up a session with the management module serial port (advanced management module only), or by establishing a Secure Shell (SSH) connection. You can establish up to 20 separate Web interface, Telnet, serial (advanced management module only), or SSH sessions with a BladeCenter management module. For a BladeCenter unit, this enables you to have 14 simultaneous SOL sessions active (one for each of up to 14 blade servers) with 6 additional command-line interface sessions available for BladeCenter unit management. For a BladeCenter T unit, this enables you to have 8 simultaneous SOL sessions active (one for each of up to 8 blade servers) with 12 additional command-line interface sessions available for BladeCenter unit management. See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about the management-module command-line interface.

This section provides the following instructions:

v “Starting a command-line Telnet connection” on page 38

v “Establishing a serial connection” on page 38

v “Starting a command-line Secure Shell (SSH) connection” on page 39

v “Starting an SOL session from the command-line interface” on page 39

Note: When using a Microsoft Windows client to make an SOL connection to a server running a Linux or Unix operating system, you might experience problems such as double command prompts or an inability to issue commands that execute correctly. If this happens, change the terminal emulation software being used on the Windows client to map the Enter key as a carriage return (hex 0x0D) instead of the carriage return and line feed combination. Linux and Unix operating systems require only a carriage return to terminate commands in the CLI.

Starting a command-line Telnet connection

Note: If there is no Telnet or SOL traffic within the timeout interval specified in the management module, the Telnet session and any SOL session associated with this Telnet session will terminate. See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about configuring the Telnet session timeout value.

To log on to the management module using Telnet, complete the following steps:

1. Open a command-line window on the network-management workstation, type

telnet 192.168.70.125, and press Enter. The IP address 192.168.70.125 is the default IP address of the management module; if a new IP address has been assigned to the management module, use that one instead. You can also substitute a valid host name instead of using an IP address.

A command-prompt window opens.

2. At the login prompt, type the management-module user ID. At the password

prompt, type the management-module password. The user ID and password are case sensitive and are the same as those that are used for management-module Web access. The default management-module user name is USERID and the default password is PASSW0RD (note the number zero, not the letter O, in PASSW0RD).

A CLI command prompt is displayed. You can now enter commands for the management module.

Establishing a serial connection

After connecting a serial cable from the advanced management module to the client computer, complete the following steps:

1. Open a terminal session on the client computer, and make sure that the serial

port settings for the client computer match the settings for the serial port on the advanced management module. The default advanced management-module serial port settings are as follows:

v Baud rate: 57600

v Parity: no parity

v Stop bits: 1

2. At the login prompt, type the management-module user ID. At the password

The CLI command prompt is displayed. You can now enter commands for the management module.

38 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Starting a command-line Secure Shell (SSH) connection

To log on to the management module using SSH, complete the following steps:

1. Make sure that the SSH service on the network-management workstation is

enabled. See your operating-system documentation for instructions.

2. Make sure that the SSH server on the BladeCenter management module is

enabled. See the BladeCenter Management Module User’s Guide for instructions.

3. Start a SSH session to the management module using the SSH client of your

choice. For example, if you are using the cygwin client, open a command-line window on the network-management workstation, type ssh -x

192.168.70.125, and press Enter. The IP address 192.168.70.125 is the default IP address of the management module; if a new IP address has been assigned to the management module, use that one instead.

A command-prompt window opens.

4. Type the management-module user ID when prompted. At the password

A CLI command prompt is displayed. You can now enter commands for the management module.

Starting an SOL session from the command-line interface

After an SOL session is started, all commands are sent to the operating system on the blade server specified by the console command until the SOL session is ended, regardless of the persistent command target that was in effect before the SOL session. During an SOL session, no BladeCenter command-line interface commands are valid. If a blade server is restarted while an SOL session is in progress, the SOL session remains in progress while the blade server restarts. Restarting the management module will end all SOL sessions that are running.

The BladeCenter management module automatically stores the previous 8 KB (kilobytes) of serial data that was transmitted by each blade server even when SOL sessions are not active. When an SOL session is established, all of the previous serial data, up to 8 KB, is automatically displayed. If no previous data is available when the SOL session is started, the cursor will remain on the command line until new serial data is transmitted. If a management module fails, all Telnet and SOL sessions are terminated, and their caches are lost, even if failover to a redundant management module is successful.

See the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide for information about configuring a blade server for SOL using the management module command-line interface. See your operating-system documentation for information about commands that you can enter using an SOL command-line interface.

Note: Serial over LAN (SOL) must be enabled for both the BladeCenter unit and the blade server before you can start an SOL session with the blade server. See Chapter 2, “General configuration,” on page 7 and Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25 for information about enabling SOL.

Chapter 5. Using SOL 39

After you start a Telnet or SSH session to the BladeCenter management module (see the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide), you can start an SOL session to any individual blade server that supports SOL using the console command. Because you can start up to 20 separate Web interface, Telnet, serial (advanced management module only), or SSH sessions to the BladeCenter management module, you can have up to 14 simultaneous SOL sessions with blade servers and 6 command-line interface sessions with other BladeCenter components active at the same time. available for BladeCenter unit management. For a BladeCenter T unit, you can have up to 8 simultaneous SOL sessions with blade servers and 12 command-line interface sessions with other BladeCenter T components active at the same time.

To start an SOL session from the command line, type the following command, indicating the target blade server:

console -T system:blade[x]

where x is the blade bay where the blade server assembly is installed. (A blade server that occupies more than one blade bay is identified by the lowest bay number that it occupies.)

For example, to start an SOL connection to the blade server in blade bay 5, type

console -T system:blade[5]

Note: If an SOL session displays only a flashing cursor in a blank screen, this indicates an interruption in the flow of serial data. Press Ctrl+q to resume serial data flow.

Ending an SOL session

To end an SOL session, press Esc followed by an open parenthesis (press Shift and 9 at the same time):

Esc (

When the SOL session ends, the command-line interface returns to the persistent command target that was in effect before the SOL session. If you want to end the Telnet or SSH command-line session, type exit.

Notes:

1. Exiting an SOL session does not stop the flow of serial data.

2. The keys pressed to end an SOL session and return to the management-module

command line interface can be set to another user-defined keystroke sequence. See the BladeCenter Management Module User’s Guide for information.

40 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Monitoring SOL session status

Complete the following steps to monitor SOL session status:

1. Start the BladeCenter management-module Web interface (see “Starting the

BladeCenter management-module Web interface” on page 5).

2. In the navigation pane, click Blade Tasks → Serial Over LAN; then, scroll to the

Serial Over LAN Status section.

The following illustration shows the SOL status page for management modules other than an advanced management module.

For management modules other than the advanced management module, the SOL Session status for each blade server has three possible states:

Not Ready

This status indicates that no SOL session is available between the management module and the blade server. It might indicate that there was an SOL session setup failure that must be investigated.

Ready This status indicates that an SOL session is established between the

management module and the blade server. This SOL session is available to connect to a Telnet session, if one is requested by the user.

Active This status indicates that there is an SOL session between the management

module and the blade server and that this session is currently connected to a Telnet session.

Chapter 5. Using SOL 41

The following illustration shows the SOL status page for an advanced management module.

For advanced management modules, the SOL Session status for each blade server has five possible states:

Unknown

This status indicates that the status of the SOL session is not known. It might indicate that the blade server is still being discovered.

Disabled

This status indicates that SOL is disabled for the blade server.

No session

This status indicates that no SOL session is available between the management module and the blade server. It might indicate that there was an SOL session setup failure that must be investigated.

Ready

This status indicates that an SOL session is established between the management module and the blade server. This SOL session is available to connect to a Telnet session, if one is requested by the user.

Active

This status indicates that there is an SOL session between the management module and the blade server and that this session is currently connected to a Telnet session.

For advanced management modules, click the SOL Status icon for a blade server to see a detailed summary of the condition for that blade server and recommended actions. You can also click the SOL Status Summary link to see the status summary information for all the blader servers managed by the advanced management module.

42 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

If an SOL session closes itself, or if the session indicates that it is active and is not responding, complete the following steps:

1. Disable SOL for the affected blade server (see “Enabling SOL for blade servers”

on page 12).

2. Wait 60 seconds.

3. Re-enable SOL for the blade server (see “Enabling SOL for blade servers” on

page 12).

Problems with SOL sessions can also be due to incorrect BladeCenter configuration, or installation of components or firmware that are not SOL compatible.

Restarting a blade server through SOL

You can restart a blade server during an SOL session by typing a specific key sequence. This makes it possible to restart the blade server without ending the SOL session so that you can use the restart command in the management-module command-line interface.

Type the following key sequence (Esc R Esc r Esc R) to restart a blade server during an SOL session:

1. Press Esc.

2. Type a capital R by pressing Shift and r at the same time.

3. Press Esc.

4. Press r.

5. Press Esc.

6. Type a capital R by pressing Shift and r at the same time.

The blade server that is hosting this SOL session restarts, returning to the SOL session that is already in progress.

Note: The keys pressed to restart a blade server can be set to another user-defined keystroke sequence. See the BladeCenter Management Module User’s Guide for information.

Chapter 5. Using SOL 43

Mounting and unmounting media for Linux operating systems

The following sections describe how to mount and unmount media using the Linux operating system for each blade server type.

For BladeCenter units that do not have a diskette drive, you can mount only optical drive media.

Mounting and unmounting media using Linux

The following section describes how to mount and unmount media using aLinux operating system.

Note: These procedures are based on a default installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1. The file names, structures, and commands might be different for other versions of Red Hat Linux or other types of Linux operating systems.

Complete the following steps if the medium to be mounted is a CD:

1. Make sure that the /mnt/cdrom directory exists on your server. If this

directory does not exist, type mkdir /mnt/cdrom and then press Enter.

2. To mount the CD, type mount /dev/scd0 –t iso9660 –o ro /mnt/cdrom and

then press Enter.

Complete the following steps if the medium to be mounted is a diskette:

1. Make sure that the /mnt/floppy directory exists on your server. If this

directory does not exist, type

mkdir /mnt/floppy

and then press Enter.

2. To mount the diskette, type

mount /dev/sda –o auto /mnt/floppy

and then press Enter.

Complete the following steps to unmount media:

1. Type cd and then press Enter.

2. Type one of the following commands:

v If the medium to be unmounted is a CD, type

umount /mnt/cdrom

and then press Enter.

v If the medium to be unmounted is a diskette, type

umount /mnt/floppy

and then press Enter.

44 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Chapter 6. Troubleshooting SOL

This section contains some troubleshooting hints and tips to assist you in solving problems that you might be experiencing with Serial over LAN operation. Go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/ for the latest information about solving problems with SOL. Information in this section relates to the following topics:

Note: If you are using management channel auto discovery (MCAD), replace references to I/O-module bay 1 in the following procedures with the I/O module bay number that is actually being used (see the BladeCenter Advanced Management Module User's Guide for additional information about MCAD).

v “Management module indicates that blade server does not support SOL”

v “Blade server shows SOL status of Not Ready” on page 46

v “SOL session opens and drops” on page 47

v “Trouble entering SOL commands or receiving double prompts” on page 48

v “Garbage characters in an SOL session” on page 48

Management module indicates that blade server does not support SOL

If the management module SOL configuration page indicates that a blade server does not support SOL, check the following items:

v Make sure that blade server type that you are using supports SOL. For example,

the Type 8678 blade server does not support SOL and this is a normal message for this blade server type.

v The management module has not completed its communication sequence with

each of the blade servers in the BladeCenter unit. This condition commonly occurs immediately after power has been applied to the BladeCenter unit or after an management module reset. Allow 5 minutes after power application or a management module reset to make sure that all blade servers have been scanned.

v Turn off the blade server, remove it from the BladeCenter unit, reinstall it, and

turn it back on.

v Move the blade server to a different blade bay.

v Update the blade server service processor firmware (BMC or ISMP firmware).

Latest firmware is available from http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/. Install the update by following the instructions that come with the update. See the Management Module User's Guide for additional information.

v Try a different management module. If the BladeCenter unit contains a standby

management module, switch control to it and wait 5 minutes for the management module to fully establish communications with all blade servers.

v Update the management module firmware. Latest firmware is available from

http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/. Install the update by following the instructions that come with the update. See the Management Module User's Guide for additional information.

v There might be a problem with the blade server system board.

Blade server shows SOL status of Not Ready

If a blade server with SOL enabled in the management module indicates an SOL status of Not Ready, check the following items:

v Make sure that an Ethernet switch module is installed in I/O-module bay 1. An

Ethernet switch module needs to be installed in I/O module bay 1; pass-thru modules do not support SOL.

v Make sure that the SOL port assignment is set to blade server NIC 1, the default

SOL port assignment that connects to the switch module in bay 1. The Type 8832 blade server provides a jumper to change the SOL port assignment. All blade servers except the HS40 and JS2x blade servers provide a setting in the network controller firmware to change the SOL port assignment. This setting can be changed only when flashing the NIC firmware on the blade server. If SOL traffic has been assigned to NIC 2, then the switch module in I/O-module bay 2 needs to be an Ethernet switch module and additional configuration of this switch module might be required. See Chapter 2, “General configuration,” on page 7, Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15, and Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25 for more information.

v Make sure that SOL is properly set up in the blade server system firmware

(BIOS). Only the JS2x family of blade servers do not require system firmware configuration to enable SOL. See “Updating and configuring the blade server BIOS” on page 13 and Chapter 4, “Special component requirements,” on page 25, for information about setting up blade server BIOS for SOL operation.

Note: A blade server might start slowly or become unresponsive if COM 1 is configured for SOL instead of COM 2.

v Make sure that the SOL IP address range (for the BSMP) is not already in use on

the external network. The default SOL BSMP address range starts at 10.1.1.80 and ends at 10.1.1.93 for all 14 blades in the BladeCenter unit. If any blade servers or other external devices use this range of IP addresses for production traffic, an IP address conflict will occur and SOL traffic might be blocked. The SOL BSMP starting address can be changed using the management module Web interface and any IP address range can be used that is not being used for production traffic.

v If the blade server has an operating system loaded, verify that the Broadcom

NIC drivers are loaded and up to date. A downlevel NIC driver loaded in Linux can cause SOL to go into the Not Ready state.

v Make sure that the blade server is powered up. Some blade servers need to be

powered up for SOL to indicate a status of Ready. It can take up to 60 seconds after some blade servers are powered up for SOL to indicate that they are Ready.

v Make sure that the management module can communicate with the switch

module in I/O-module bay 1. Verify communications by pinging the I/O module from the management module. See the Management Module User's Guide for additional information.

v Make sure that the Ethernet switch module in I/O-module bay 1 is configured

for SOL operation. For most switch modules, the default configuration settings for the management module and the switch module are fine; however, if the switch module in I/O-module bay 1 is a Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter, make sure that it has a firmware level of 12.1(22)EA6a or later. (This is the minimum firmware level that the switch module requires to support a management module default SOL VLAN of 4095.) If the Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module has a firmware level older than 12.1(22)EA6a, then the SOL VLAN must be set to a value

46 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

between 1 and 1001 and the Cisco switch needs to be configured for these setting (see “Configuring the Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for the IBM BladeCenter” on page 34). If the BladeCenter I/O module internal ports are VLAN enabled (‘trunked’ in Cisco terms), then these ports must be configured to pass traffic from the SOL VLAN ID.

v Restart the blade server system management processor (see the Management

Module User's Guide or the Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for instructions). Make sure that the blade server is turned on when

restarting the management processor. After the restart is complete, check the blade server SOL status; if the status indicates Ready, then try to start an SOL session.

v Disable SOL for the blade server; then, re-enable it (see the Management Module

User's Guide or the Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for

instructions). Make sure that the blade server is turned on when disabling and re-enabling SOL. After the disable and re-enable is complete, check the blade server SOL status; if the status indicates Ready, then try to start an SOL session.

v Restart the management module (see the Management Module User's Guide or the

Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for instructions). After

the restart is complete, check the blade server SOL status; if the status indicates Ready, then try to start an SOL session.

v Restart the switch module in I/O-module bay 1 (see the Management Module

User's Guide or the Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for

instructions). After the restart is complete, check the blade server SOL status; if the status indicates Ready, then try to start an SOL session.

v Turn off the blade server, remove it from the BladeCenter unit, reinstall it, and

turn it back on. After doing this, check the blade server SOL status; if the status indicates Ready, then try to start an SOL session.

SOL session opens and drops

If you can open an SOL session with a blade server but it will not remain open, check the following items:

v Make sure that the session timeout has not expired. The management module

has a default timeout value of 120 seconds for command-line interface sessions. This value can be changed to never timeout using the command: telnetcfg –T system:mm[x]–t0(where x is the primary management-module bay number). See the Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for instructions.

v (For HS20 Type 8832, JS20 Type 8842, HS20 Type 8843, and LS20 Type 8850 blade

servers only) SOL traffic shares blade server NIC port 1 with regular Ethernet traffic. Do not try to use SOL on a blade server while attempting to PXE boot it through NIC port 1. Traffic from a network install server running through blade server port 1 can block SOL traffic, which will cause the SOL session to hang.

v Make sure that the latest Broadcom Ethernet driver is installed on the blade

server, especially for blade servers running a Linux operating system.

v Do not type on the keyboard while the blade server is rebooting or the operating

system network drivers are loading; this action has been known to cause an SOL session to drop.

Chapter 6. Troubleshooting SOL 47

Trouble entering SOL commands or receiving double prompts

If you are having trouble entering commands in an SOL session or are receiving double prompts, check the following items:

v Check the keyboard Return key settings for your terminal emulation program.

Make sure that only a line-feed character is sent whenever the Return key is pressed (Telnet works this way by default). The Putty terminal application has a configuration setting for the Return key under Configuration → Connection → Telnet.

v The service processor on older blade servers, including the Type 8832 and Type

8842 blade servers, might block SOL output to a blade server that is running Linux. If this happens, enter Ctrl+q in the SOL session to clear the keystroke buffer.

v Make sure that the operating system that is running on the blade server

supports SOL. See Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15 for instructions.

v Make sure that the operating system that is running on the blade server is set up

correctly for SOL console access (see Chapter 3, “Operating system configuration,” on page 15 for instructions). For example, you must enable the Windows Emergency Management System (EMS) for Windows Server 2003 and redirect it to the COM2 serial port.

Garbage characters in an SOL session

The default character encoding in Linux does not translate many of the characters sent over an SOL session, which might corrupt the BIOS screens display. If you are getting garbage characters while viewing or typing in an SOL session, check the following items:

v Make sure the serial port settings in your terminal emulation program match the

settings specified in the blade server BIOS configuration. Also, make sure that Hardware Flow Control is enabled.

v Try setting the remote console text and keyboard emulation to VT100/220,

instead of ANSI, in blade server BIOS. This might improve character display in SOL sessions. These setting are found in the blade server BIOS, under Devices and I/O Ports → Remote Console Redirection.

v To correct garbage or missing characters when using Gnome Terminal on a

remote computer, complete the following steps:

1. From the Gnome Terminal menu, select Terminal → Set Character Encoding

→ Add or Remove.

2. From the list of available encodings that displays, select Western IBM850;

then, click on the right-arrow button to add this encoding to the list of encodings shown in the menu and click OK.

3. From the Gnome Terminal menu, select Terminal → Set Character Encoding →

Western (IBM850).

Using these settings for the Gnome Terminal should greatly reduce the amount of garbage or missing characters.

v Try a different terminal emulation program. Several programs are available, such

as Telnet, Putty, or Hyperterm.

v Update the blade server service processor firmware (BMC or ISMP firmware).

Latest firmware is available from http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.

48 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Install the update by following the instructions that come with the update. See the Management Module User's Guide for additional information.

v Restart blade server system management processor (see the Management Module

User's Guide or the Management Module Command-line Interface Reference Guide for

instructions).

v Check the external link statistics for the switch module in I/O-module bay 1.

Look for high packet loss or high packet error rates. See the Management Module User's Guide for additional information.

v Try to start an SOL session with another blade server in the BladeCenter unit. If

you see garbage or missing characters with all blade server sessions, then suspect the management module.

v If the blade server supports local KVM, then switch the local command console

to the blade server and type some characters. If you see the same garbage or missing character problem, then the problem is most likely with the management module.

Chapter 6. Troubleshooting SOL 49

50 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Appendix A. Getting help and technical assistance

If you need help, service, or technical assistance or just want more information about IBM products, you will find a wide variety of sources available from IBM to assist you. This section contains information about where to go for additional information about IBM and IBM products, what to do if you experience a problem with your system, and whom to call for service, if it is necessary.

Before you call

Before you call, make sure that you have taken these steps to try to solve the problem yourself:

v Check all cables to make sure that they are connected.

v Check the power switches to make sure that the system and any optional

devices are turned on.

v Use the troubleshooting information in your system documentation, and use the

diagnostic tools that come with your system. Information about diagnostic tools is in the Problem Determination and Service Guide on the IBM Documentation CD that comes with your system.

v Go to the IBM support Web site at http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/ to

check for technical information, hints, tips, and new device drivers or to submit a request for information.

You can solve many problems without outside assistance by following the troubleshooting procedures that IBM provides in the online help or in the documentation that is provided with your IBM product. The documentation that comes with IBM systems also describes the diagnostic tests that you can perform. Most systems, operating systems, and programs come with documentation that contains troubleshooting procedures and explanations of error messages and error codes. If you suspect a software problem, see the documentation for the operating system or program.

Using the documentation

Information about your IBM system and preinstalled software, if any, or optional device is available in the documentation that comes with the product. That documentation can include printed documents, online documents, readme files, and help files. See the troubleshooting information in your system documentation for instructions for using the diagnostic programs. The troubleshooting information or the diagnostic programs might tell you that you need additional or updated device drivers or other software. IBM maintains pages on the World Wide Web where you can get the latest technical information and download device drivers and updates. To access these pages, go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/ and follow the instructions. Also, some documents are available through the IBM Publications Center at http://www.ibm.com/shop/publications/order/.

Getting help and information from the World Wide Web

On the World Wide Web, the IBM Web site has up-to-date information about IBM systems, optional devices, services, and support. The address for IBM System x and xSeries®information is http://www.ibm.com/systems/x/. The address for IBM BladeCenter information is http://www.ibm.com/systems/bladecenter/. The address for IBM IntelliStation

You can find service information for IBM systems and optional devices at http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.

Software service and support

Through IBM Support Line, you can get telephone assistance, for a fee, with usage, configuration, and software problems with System x and xSeries servers, BladeCenter products, IntelliStation workstations, and appliances. For information about which products are supported by Support Line in your country or region, see http://www.ibm.com/services/sl/products/.

For more information about Support Line and other IBM services, see http://www.ibm.com/services/, or see http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/ for support telephone numbers. In the U.S. and Canada, call 1-800-IBM-SERV (1-800-426-7378).

Hardware service and support

You can receive hardware service through your IBM reseller or IBM Services. To locate a reseller authorized by IBM to provide warranty service, go to http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/ and click Find a Business Partner on the right side of the page. For IBM support telephone numbers, see http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/. In the U.S. and Canada, call 1-800-IBM-SERV (1-800-426-7378).

information is http://www.ibm.com/intellistation/.

In the U.S. and Canada, hardware service and support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the U.K., these services are available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

IBM Taiwan product service

IBM Taiwan product service contact information:

IBM Taiwan Corporation 3F, No 7, Song Ren Rd. Taipei, Taiwan Telephone: 0800-016-888

52 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Appendix B. Notices

Trademarks

IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com®are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other IBM trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark symbol ( indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information”at http://www.ibm.com/legal/ copytrade.shtml.

Adobe and PostScript are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Cell Broadband Engine is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., in the United States, other countries, or both and is used under license therefrom.

Intel, Intel Xeon, Itanium, and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc., in the United States, other countries, or both.

®or™

), these symbols

Important notes

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Processor speeds indicate the internal clock speed of the microprocessor; other factors also affect application performance.

CD or DVD drive speed is the variable read rate. Actual speeds vary and are often less than the possible maximum.

When referring to processor storage, real and virtual storage, or channel volume, KB stands for 1024 bytes, MB stands for 1 048 576 bytes, and GB stands for 1 073 741 824 bytes.

When referring to hard disk drive capacity or communications volume, MB stands for 1 000 000 bytes, and GB stands for 1 000 000 000 bytes. Total user-accessible capacity can vary depending on operating environments.

Maximum internal hard disk drive capacities assume the replacement of any standard hard disk drives and population of all hard disk drive bays with the largest currently supported drives available from IBM.

Maximum memory might require replacement of the standard memory with an optional memory module.

IBM makes no representation or warranties regarding non-IBM products and services that are ServerProven

, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. These products are offered and warranted solely by third parties.

IBM makes no representations or warranties with respect to non-IBM products. Support (if any) for the non-IBM products is provided by the third party, not IBM.

Some software might differ from its retail version (if available), and might not include user manuals or all program functionality.

54 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Index

assistance, getting 51

blade server

enable SOL 12 Linux Ethernet driver 21 remote console redirection

settings 13 restart through SOL 43 SOL status 12 update firmware (BIOS) 13

blade server HS20 Type 8832

configure 27 firmware update (Ethernet

controller) 29 firmware update (ISMP) 28 jumper position 28 Linux configuration 15

blade server HS20 Type 8843

configure 27 firmware update (Ethernet

controller) 29 firmware update (ISMP) 28 Linux configuration 15

blade server HS22 Type 7870

configure 25

blade server HS40 Type 8839

configure 29 firmware update (BMC) 29 Linux configuration 15 remote console redirection

settings 30 update firmware (BIOS) 30

blade server JS20 Type 8842

configure 31 firmware update (Ethernet

controller) 32 firmware update (ISMP) 31 update firmware (BIOS) 31

checking firmware 4 Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet

Switch Module configuration 34

command-line interface

starting 37

configuration

special requirements 25

configure

blade server HS20 Type 8832 27 blade server HS20 Type 8843 27 blade server HS22 Type 7870 25 blade server HS40 Type 8839 29 blade server JS20 Type 8842 31 Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit

Ethernet Switch Module 34 global SOL settings 7, 41

configure (continued)

GRUB 17 IBM 4-port Gb Ethernet I/O 32 LILO 16 Linux (HS20 Type 8832 blade

server) 15

Linux (HS20 Type 8843 blade

server) 15

Linux (HS40 Type 8839 blade

server) 15 management module 9 Microsoft Windows 2003 22 Nortel Layer 2-7 GbE I/O 33 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 15 SSH 11 SUSE Linux 19

connect

ICPM 35 Intelligent Copper Pass-thru

Module 35

device driver

blade server (Linux for Ethernet

controller) 21

documentation, latest version 2

Emergency Management System (EMS)

Microsoft Windows 2003 22

enable SOL for blade server 12 ending an SOL session 40

firmware

checking version 4

firmware requirements 3 firmware update

blade server (BIOS) 13 blade server HS20 Type 8832 (Ethernet

controller) 29 blade server HS20 Type 8832

(ISMP) 28 blade server HS20 Type 8843 (Ethernet

controller) 29 blade server HS20 Type 8843

(ISMP) 28 blade server HS40 Type 8839

(BIOS) 30 blade server HS40 Type 8839

(BMC) 29 blade server JS20 Type 8842

(BIOS) 31 blade server JS20 Type 8842 (Ethernet

controller) 32 blade server JS20 Type 8842

(ISMP) 31

firmware update (continued)

management module 10

firmware versions 3

getting help 51 global SOL settings, configure 7, 41 GRUB configuration 17

hardware flow control 15, 19 hardware requirements 2 hardware service and support

IBM reseller 52 IBM Services 52 telephone numbers 52

help, getting 51

IBM 4-port Gb Ethernet I/O

configuration 32 IBM Support Line 52 ICPM connection 35 install, SSH 11 Intelligent Copper Pass-thru Module

connection 35

jumper position

blade server HS20 Type 8832 28

LILO configuration 16 Linux

mounting media 44 unmounting media 44

Linux configuration

HS20 Type 8832 blade server 15 HS20 Type 8843 blade server 15 HS40 Type 8839 blade server 15

Linux driver

blade server Ethernet controller 21

management module

configuration 9 configure SOL 10 enable SOL 11

firmware update 10 management-module firmware 3 management-module Web interface

starting 5

maximum number

SOL sessions 1, 2, 37 Telnet sessions 1, 37

media

mount (Linux) 44 unmount (Linux) 44

Microsoft Windows 2003

configuration 22 Emergency Management System

(EMS) 22

mount media, Linux 44

Nortel Layer 2-7 GbE I/O

configuration 33

notes, important 53

online documentation 2

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

configuration 15

remote console redirection

blade server 13 blade server HS40 Type 8839 30

required

firmware 3 hardware 2

status, SOL for blade server 12 support, web site 51 SUSE Linux configuration 19

telephone numbers

hardware service and support 52 Telnet connection 38 Telnet sessions, maximum allowed 1, 37 trademarks 53 troubleshooting

double prompts in SOL session 48

garbage characters in SOL session 48

missing characters in SOL session 48

no SOL support 45

SOL not ready 46

SOL sessions drop 47

trouble entering SOL commands 48 troubleshooting SOL 45

unmount media, Linux 44 using SOL 37

web site

publication ordering 51

support 51

support line, telephone numbers 52

serial

connection 38 Serial over LAN 1, 40 software service and support 52 SOL 1, 40

blade server restart 43

configure management module 10

enable blade server 12

enable for management module 11

starting

from command line 39 status of blade server 12 troubleshooting 45 using 37

SOL session

ending 40 maximum allowed 1, 2, 37 starting 37, 40

SOL settings, configure global 7, 41 SSH

connection 39 install and configure 11

starting

command-line interface 37 management-module Web interface 5 session using serial 38 session using SSH 39 session using Telnet 38 SOL from command line 39 SOL session 37, 40

56 BladeCenter: Serial over LAN Setup Guide



Part Number: 44R5390

Printed in USA

(1P) P/N: 44R5390

IBM BladeCenter HS22 7870, BladeCenter HS40 8839, BladeCenter HS20 8832, BladeCenter HS20 8843, BladeCenter JS20 8842 Serial over LAN Setup Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual