Oracle ILOM Connection Options

Before you can access Oracle ILOM, you must cable the server for a remote network management connection or a local serial management connection. You have the following options for establishing a management connection to the server service processor.

Management Connection Management Port Description

Dedicated Local Management Connection

SER MGT

  • The SER MGT port on the chassis provides a secure local serial connection to the Oracle ILOM command-line interface using a serial terminal or terminal emulator.

  • This connection is useful when a local console is the only way to access and diagnose system failures, or when you need to modify the pre-configured Oracle ILOM network properties prior to establishing a LAN connection.

Dedicated Network Management Connection

NET MGT

  • The NET MGT port on the chassis is a dedicated in-band Ethernet port that securely segregates management traffic away from the host. By attaching an active LAN connection to the network management port (NET MGT), you can log in to Oracle ILOM through the web or through an SSH connection from a remote system on the network.

  • To maintain the most reliable and secure environment for Oracle ILOM, the dedicated network management port on the server must always be connected to an internal trusted network or dedicated secure management/private network.

Shared Sideband Network Management Connection

NET0–NET3

Note: The number of ports varies depending on the server model.

  • You can optionally connect to Oracle ILOM and manage the server remotely through one of the NET ports on the chassis by configuring a sideband management connection to Oracle ILOM. This eliminates the need to support two separate network connections for host and management traffic. However, this approach might: (1) potentially decrease the connection performance to Oracle ILOM, and (2) potentially create security risks if Oracle ILOM traffic is transmitted over an untrusted network.

  • To configure Oracle ILOM to transmit management traffic through a sideband management connection, you must change the default management port value from MGMT to one of the data ports on the server, NET N, where N is the port number (for example, 0, 1, 2, or 3) depending on how your server is equipped.

  • To establish a remote sideband management connection to Oracle ILOM, see Configuring SP Sideband Management or refer to Sideband Network Management Connection in the Oracle ILOM Administrator's Guide for Configuration and Maintenance Firmware Release 5.0 at Systems Management Documentation.

Host-to-ILOM Interconnect

Internal

A communication channel known as the Host-to-ILOM Interconnect enables communication between the host OS and Oracle ILOM without the use of the network management port. The Host-to-ILOM Interconnect is particularly useful when you want to perform these Oracle ILOM tasks locally:

  • All server management functions in Oracle ILOM that you typically perform from the command line, web, or IPMI interfaces through the network management (NET MGT) connection on the server.

  • All data transfers, such as firmware upgrades, to Oracle ILOM that you typically perform from the host over a Keyboard Controller Style (KCS) interface using IPMI flash tools. For these types of server management environments, the Host-to-ILOM Interconnect can provide a more reliable and potentially faster data transfer rate than traditional KCS interfaces.

  • All server monitoring and fault detection operations that you typically perform from the host operating system through the use of Oracle enabled software tools and agents installed on the server.

    Note: The Host-to-ILOM Interconnect is also known as the Dedicated Interconnect SP Management Connection. Use this name when searching for it in the Oracle ILOM documentation.

  • To enable the Host-to-ILOM Interconnect, refer to one of the following: