C H A P T E R  4

Common ALOM Tasks

Once you have logged in to ALOM as admin and specified the admin password, you might want to perform some common administrative tasks:


Connecting to ALOM

Here are several ways to connect to ALOM:


Logging In To ALOM Accounts

Ensure that you have established your hardware connections to the ALOM ports you plan to use. On your server, the Ethernet port is labeled NET MGT. The serial port is labeled SERIAL MGT. Refer to your server's installation guide for more information about these ports and how to connect devices to them.

When you connect to ALOM through the serial management port for the first time, you are automatically connected as the admin account. This account has full (cuar) permissions. Before you can continue using ALOM, you need to specify a password for this account. After you specify the password, you can continue using ALOM. The next time you log in, you must specify the password. When you are logged in as admin, you can add new users and specify passwords and permissions for them.

On platforms that support DHCP enabled-by-default you can connect to the network management port prior to connecting to the serial management port. In this case, there is an extra layer of security to ensure the SC is secure-by-default. You only are allowed to connect with a Secure Shell (ssh) session, and you must provide a system-specific predetermined password. This is described in Default DHCP Connection. Once the default password is provided and you are allowed to continue, you then need to specify a new password for the admin account.

See Permission Levels, useradd, userpassword, and userperm for more information about this process.


procedure icon  To Log In To ALOM

All users (admin and other users) employ the following procedure to log in to ALOM.

1. Connect to ALOM.

See Connecting to ALOM.

2. If you connect to ALOM through the Serial MGT port, when the connection is established, type #. (Hash-Period) to escape from the system console. If you connect to ALOM through the NET MGT port, skip to step 3.

3. Type in your ALOM login name and password.

Your password is not echoed to the screen; instead, the host server displays an asterisk (*) for each character that you type. After you successfully log in, ALOM displays its command prompt:


sc> 

You can now use ALOM commands or switch to the system console. See Overview of the ALOM Command Shell and Serial Management Port.

The ALOM event log records login information. If more than five login failures occur within five minutes, ALOM generates a critical event. See showlogs.

Related Information


Resetting ALOM

Resetting ALOM reboots the ALOM software. You might have to reset ALOM after you have changed settings on ALOM, for example, specifying a new value for certain variables such as for netsc_ipaddr.


procedure icon  To reset ALOM

single-step bulletAt the sc> prompt, type the resetsc command.

Refer to resetsc.


Switching Between the System Console and ALOM



Note - The #. (Hash-Period) character sequence is the default escape character sequence for ALOM. If desired, you can change the first character in the escape sequence by using the sc_escapechars variable. For example, sc> setsc sc_escapechars a. See sc_escapechars for more information.




Redirecting the System Console From ALOM to Other Devices

When you first start to apply power to the host server, ALOM is initially configured to display the system console output. The SER MGT port is shown on the host server as virtual-console.


Displaying Your ALOM Version

The showsc command displays information about the ALOM software configuration.

For example, to display the ALOM version, type the following at the sc> prompt:


sc> showsc version 
Advanced Lights Out Manager CMT v1.2 

For more details, see To Use the showsc Command.


Controlling the Locator LED

Use ALOM commands to turn the Locator LED on and off, and to check the state of the LED.


Powering On and Off the Host Server

There are several ways to power the host server on and off from the sc> prompt.

A graceful reset enables the Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS) to shut down. If (instead) you type the poweroff command without typing the poweron command, ALOM powers the host server down to standby mode. Refer to powercycle or poweroff.

This resets the host server immediately, even if the Solaris OS fails or hangs for any reason. Note that this is not a graceful shutdown, and work might be lost.


Resetting the Host Server

There are four ways to reset the host server from the sc> prompt:

A graceful reset enables the Solaris OS to shut down. If (instead) you type the poweroff command without typing the poweron command, ALOM powers the host server down to standby mode. Refer to powercycle.


Viewing Environmental Information About the Server

This section discusses displaying and monitoring the server's environmental status.

The showenvironment command displays a snapshot of the server's environmental status. The information this command can display includes system temperatures, hard disk drive status, power supply and fan status, front panel LED status, voltage and current sensors, and so on.


procedure icon  To Use the showenvironment Command



Note - You do not need user permissions to use this command.



single-step bulletTo use the showenvironment command, at the sc> prompt, type:


sc> showenvironment

The display output differs according to your host server's model and configuration. Some environmental information might not be available when the server is in standby mode. See showenvironment.


Reconfiguring ALOM Diagnostic Parameters

Diagnostic control variables specify how ALOM behaves when it encounters an error on the host server.


procedure icon  To Run the setupsc Script

1. To run the setupsc script, at the sc> prompt type setupsc:


sc> setupsc 

The setup script starts.

2. To exit the script, take one of the following actions:

For example, the script includes the following messages and questions:


sc> setupsc 
Entering interactive script mode. To exit and discard changes to that point, use Ctrl-C or to exit and save changes to that point, use Ctrl- Z.
 
...
 
Do you wish to configure the platform diagnostic parameters [y]? y
Enter the type of reset which will initiate system diagnostic [power-on-reset error-reset]? power-on-reset error-reset
Enter the verbosity level of diagnostic output [normal]? normal
Enter the test coverage level of the system diagnostic [max]? max
Enter the automatic system diagnostic mode [normal]? normal
Should the host continue to boot after error is encountered [n]? y
 
...
 
Your ALOM configuration profile has been successfully completed. To activate your network configuration, please reset the SC.

If desired, you can customize all of the ALOM configuration variables at once by following the interactive questions in the script. Refer to Overview of the ALOM Configuration Variables. To configure only the diagnostic variables, press Return at each prompt until the following prompt is displayed:


Do you wish to configure the platform diagnostic parameters? 

See Diagnostic Control Variables for further details.


Reconfiguring ALOM to Use the Ethernet Port

The ALOM SERIAL MGT port can always be used to communicate with an external terminal or other ASCII device. By default, ALOM is also configured to use the Ethernet network management (NET MGT) port using DHCP to obtain network information and accepting SSH connections. If desired, the ALOM NET MGT port can be reconfigured or disabled.

The NET MGT port accommodates a standard RJ-45 connector.



Note - When you connect a terminal device to the NET MGT port, the server must be connected to a 10-Mbit or 100-Mbit network. ALOM does not support 1-Gbit networks.



To re-configure or disable the NET MGT port, you need to specify values for the network interface variables. See Network Interface Variables.

There are two ways to specify values for these variables:


procedure icon  To Run the setupsc Script

1. To run the setupsc script, at the sc> prompt type setupsc:


sc> setupsc 

The setup script starts.

2. To exit the script, take one of the following actions:

For example, the script includes the following messages and questions:


sc> setupsc 
Entering interactive script mode. To exit and discard changes to that point, use Ctrl-C or to exit and save changes to that point, use Ctrl- Z.
 
Do you wish to configure the enabled interfaces [y]? 
Should the SC network interfaces be enabled [y]?
Should the SC email alerts be enabled [y]?
Do you wish to configure the network interface [y]?
Do you wish to configure the network management interfaces [y]?
Do you wish to configure the SC parameters [y]?
 
Your ALOM configuration profile has been successfully completed. To activate your network configuration, please reset the SC.

If desired, you can customize all of the ALOM configuration variables at once by following the interactive questions in the script. Refer to Overview of the ALOM Configuration Variables. To configure only the network interface variables, press Return at each prompt until the following prompt is displayed:


Do you wish to configure the enabled interfaces? 

See Network Interface Variables for further details.


procedure icon  To Configure the Network Interface Variables

1. At the sc> prompt, type y to confirm that you want to configure the network interface variables.

The setupsc script returns the following prompt:


Should the SC network interface be enabled [y]? 

2. Type y or press Return to enable the network interface, or type n to disable it.

This sets a value for the if_network variable. See if_network.

3. Follow the interactive questions in the script. The script prompts you to set values for the following variables:

4. When you have finished setting up the network interface variables, type Control-Z to save your changes and exit the setupsc script.

If desired, you can finish configuring all of the ALOM configuration variables.

Before you can use your network configuration, you must reset ALOM.


procedure icon  To reset ALOM

single-step bulletAt the sc> prompt, type the resetsc command.

See resetsc.

Using the setsc Command to Set the Network Interface Variables

You can set values for the network interface variables from the sc> prompt using the setsc command. You issue the command once for each variable you would like to configure. For example:


sc> setsc if_network true 
sc> setsc netsc_ipaddr 123.123.123.123 
sc> setsc if_connection ssh

Specify values (or use the default values) for each of the following variables:


Adding ALOM User Accounts

This section describes the procedure for adding ALOM user accounts.



Note - You can add a maximum of 15 unique user accounts to ALOM.




procedure icon  To Add an ALOM User Account

1. At the sc> prompt, type the useradd command, followed by the user name you want to assign to that user.

For example:


sc> useradd joeuser 

See useradd.

2. To assign a password to an account, type the userpassword command followed by the user name you assigned to the account.

For more on the userpassword command, refer to userpassword. ALOM prompts you to specify the password, and to verify the password. Note that ALOM does not echo the password to the screen. For example:


sc> userpassword joeuser 
New password: 
Re-enter new password: 



Note - User passwords have certain restrictions. Make sure that the password you assign observes these restrictions. See Password Restrictions.



3. To assign permissions to an account, type the userperm command followed by the user name you assigned to the account and the permission levels you want that user to have.

For example:


sc> userperm joeuser cr

For further information, see userperm or Permission Levels.

You can also view the permission and password status for a single ALOM user, or view information for all ALOM user accounts.

For example:


sc> usershow joeuser
Username                 Permissions                Password 
joeuser                  --cr                       Assigned

See usershow.

For example:


sc> usershow
Username                 Permissions                Password 
admin                    cuar                       Assigned 
wwilson                  --cr                       none
joeuser                  --cr                       Assigned


Removing ALOM User Accounts

To remove ALOM user accounts, use the userdel command.



Note - You cannot delete the default admin account from ALOM.




procedure icon  To Remove an ALOM User Account From the sc> Prompt

To remove an ALOM user account from the sc> prompt, perform the following step:

single-step bulletAt the sc> prompt, type the userdel command followed by the user name of the account you want to delete.

For example:


sc> userdel joeuser 
Are you sure you want to delete user <joeuser> [y/n]? y
sc> 


Changing the Password on Your Account or Another User's Account

You can change your own password or that of another user by following these steps:


procedure icon  To Change Your ALOM Password

You can change your own ALOM account password from the sc> prompt. You do not need to have any permissions to change your own password.

single-step bulletAt the sc> prompt, type the following command:


sc> password 

When you use this command, ALOM prompts you for your current password. If you enter the password correctly, it prompts you twice to enter the new password. For example:


sc> password
password: Changing password for username
Enter current password: ******
Enter new password: ****** 
Re-enter new password: ****** 
sc>


procedure icon  To Change the ALOM Password for Another User



Note - You must have u level user permission to change another user's password. See userperm.



To change the password for another user's ALOM account:

single-step bulletAt the sc> prompt, use the userpassword command.

See userpassword.


Sending and Receiving Alert Messages

You can customize ALOM to send email alerts to multiple email addresses at the time an event occurs. You can specify at which event level (critical, major, minor) email alerts are sent to each user, and you can send customized event messages as emails to each user.

The ALOM software enables you to send and receive alerts directly or using a script. There are three levels of alerts:



Note - You can configure email alerts for up to eight users. You can configure each email address to receive its own severity level of alert.




procedure icon  To Set Up Email Alerts

1. Ensure that ALOM is set up to use the Ethernet network management port (NET MGT), and that the network interface variables are configured.

See Reconfiguring ALOM to Use the Ethernet Port.

2. Set the if_emailalerts variable to true.

See if_emailalerts

3. Set values for the mgt_mailhost variable to identify one or two mail hosts on the network.

See mgt_mailhost.

4. Set values for the mgt_mailalert variable to specify email addresses and alert levels for each user.

See mgt_mailalert.

Receiving Alerts From ALOM

If you are using the ALOM command shell and are not connected to the host server's console, you will receive alert messages from ALOM when it detects a critical-level or major-level event. This can happen while you are typing ALOM commands. If this happens, press Return and retype the command.

For example:


sc> cons 
SC Alert: SYS_FAN at FT0.F0 has Failed 
sc> console