C H A P T E R 8 |
Using IPMI |
This chapter describes the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) functionality and lists the supported IPMI commands. It includes the following sections:
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is an open-standard hardware management interface specification that defines a specific way for embedded management subsystems to communicate. IPMI information is exchanged through a baseboard management controller (BMC), which is located on a IPMI-compliant hardware component, such as the service processor (SP). Using low-level hardware intelligence instead of the operating system has two main benefits: first, this configuration allows for out-of-band server management, and second, the operating system is not burdened with transporting system status data.
You can manage your server with the IPMI v.1.5/2.0 on your server module or stand-alone server, which runs a daemon to do the following:
Your Sun Blade X6450 server module is IPMI v2.0 compliant. You can access IPMI functionality through the command line with the IPMItool utility either in-band or out-of-band. Additionally, you can generate an IPMI-specific trap from the web interface or manage the server’s IPMI functions from any external management solution that is IPMI v1.5 or v2.0 compliant. For more information about the IPMI v2.0 specification, go to http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm#spec2
IPMItool is a simple command-line interface that is useful for managing IPMI-enabled devices. You can use this utility to perform IPMI functions with a kernel device driver or over a LAN interface. IPMItool enables you to manage system field-replaceable units (FRUs), monitor system health, and monitor and manage system environmentals, independent of the operating system.
Download this tool from http://ipmitool.sourceforge.net/, or locate IPMItool and its related documentation on your server Resource CD.
When IPMItool is installed, it includes a man page. To view it, enter:
If your client machine has a default installation of Solaris 10, you can find a preinstalled version of IPMItool in the following directory:/usr/sfw/bin. The binary file is called ipmitool.
Your server includes a number of IPMI-compliant sensors that measure things such as voltages, temperature ranges, and security latches that detect when the enclosure is opened. For a complete list of sensors, see your platform supplement.
The sensors can activate system fault lights, and register events in the system event log (SEL). To see the system event log from the IPMItool, at the prompt, enter the following command:
ipmitool -H ipaddress of the SP -U root -P password sel list
Depending on where IPMItool is installed from, the -P option might be missing. In such a case, do not type the -P from the previous command, and enter the password when prompted.
TABLE 8-1 lists the supported IPMI 2.0 commands.
For details on individual commands, see the IPMI Intelligent Platform Management Interface Design Specification, v2.0. A copy is available at:
http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm
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