C H A P T E R 9 |
Intelligent Platform Management Interface |
ILOM supports the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), which enables you to use a command-line interface to monitor and control your server platform, as well as to retrieve information about your server platform.
This chapter includes the following sections:
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is an open industry-standard interface that was designed primarily for out-of-band management of server systems over a number of different types of networks. IPMI functionality includes field-replaceable unit (FRU) inventory reporting, system monitoring, logging of system events, system recovery (including local and remote system resets and power on and power off capabilities), and alerting. IPMI functions independently of the main processor and operating system.
The independent monitoring, logging, and access functions available through IPMI provide a certain amount of manageability that is built into the platform hardware. IPMI also supports systems when there is no system management software available for a particular operating system or when you elect not to install or load the system management software.
ILOM is compliant with IPMI v1.5 and v2.0.
Additional information, including detailed specifications about IPMI, is available at the following sites:
http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm
http://openipmi.sourceforge.net
IPMI defines a specific way for embedded management subsystems to communicate. IPMI information is exchanged through Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs), which are located on IPMI-compliant hardware components. Using low-level hardware intelligence rather than the operating system has two main benefits: first, this configuration enables out-of-band server management, and second, the operating system is not burdened with transporting system status data.
The service processors (SPs) on your server or blades are IPMI v2.0 compliant. You can acess IPMI functionality through the command line using the IPMItool utility either in-band or out-of-band. Additionally, you can generate IPMI-specific traps from the ILOM web interface, or manage the SP’s IPMI functions from any external management solution that is IPMI v1.5 or v2.0 compliant.
IPMItool is an open-source, simple command-line interface (CLI) utility for managing and configuring IPMI-enabled devices. IPMItool can manage the IPMI functions of either the local system or a remote system. You can use the IPMItool utility to perform IPMI functions with a kernel device driver or over a LAN interface. You can download IPMItool from this site:
http://ipmitool.sourceforge.net/
You can do the following with IPMItool:
Detailed information about IPMItool is provided in a man page that is available from this site:
http://ipmitool.sourceforge.net/manpage.html
ILOM supports alerts in the form of IPMI Platform Event Trap (PET) alerts. Alerts provide advance warning of possible system failures. Alert configuration is available from the SP on your server or blade. IPMI PET alerts are supported on all Sun server platforms and modules, with the exception of the Chassis Monitoring Module (CMM).
Each Sun server platform is equipped with a number of IPMI-compliant sensors that measure voltages, temperatures, and other service-related attributes of the system. ILOM automatically polls these sensors and posts any events crossing a threshold to an ILOM event log. In addition, ILOM generates alert messages to one or more alert destinations that you specify with IP address(es). The alert destination specified must support the receipt of IPMI PET messages. If the alert destination does not support IPMI PET messages, the alert recipient will not be able to decode the alert message.
When configuring IPMI PET alerts, you must also specify an alert level, which filters alert messages so that alert recipients only recieve those messages that they are most interested in receiving. ILOM provides five alert levels, with Minor being the lowest alert offered:
For information about managing alert rule configurations, including how to modify an alert rule, disable and alert rule, and generate a test alert, see Manage Alert Rule Configurations Using the ILOM Web Interface and Manage Alert Rule Configurations Using the ILOM CLI.
For a description of ILOM CLI commands for managing alert rule configurations, see CLI Commands for Managing Alert Rule Configurations.
The following are examples of how you can use IPMItool. In the examples, 10.8.136.165 is the IP address of ILOM. The interface can be bmc, lan, or lanplus on Solaris systems; open on Linux systems; and ms on Windows systems. When you use the ipmitool command on a Windows system, you need to add the .exe extension to the ipmitool command (ipmitool.exe). The commands are common to all platforms. However, the output (sensor names, values, thresholds, and so forth) are platform specific.
View a List of Sensors and Their Values |
Note - The above output was shortened. The actual output displays 163 sensors. |
View Details About a Single Sensor |
Power On the Host |
$ ipmitool -H 10.8.136.165 -v -I lanplus -U root -P changeme chassis power on
Power Off the Host |
$ ipmitool -H 10.8.136.165 -v -I lanplus -U root -P changeme chassis power off
Power Cycle the Host |
$ ipmitool -H 10.8.136.165 -v -I lanplus -U root -P changeme chassis power cycle
Shutdown the Host Gracefully |
$ ipmitool -H 10.8.136.165 -v -I lanplus -U root -P changeme chassis power soft
View Manufacturing Information for FRUs |
View the IPMI System Event Log |
Copyright © 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.