HP Integrity rx2800 i2 console access with iLo

[AchieveFin]

Boy could I use some help.  We have an HP Integrity rx2800 i2 machine (running HP-UX).  We also have a T620 iLo.  It is my understanding that I can get console access to the Integrity through the iLo.  I have not been able to do this.  I'm thinking it has something to do with the configuration of the iLo. 

The iLo is connected to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse through a KVA.  I'm pretty sure I'm on the iLo.  I get a Thin Client screen which shows a few icons on it.  I double click the one that is labelled rx2800i2 and a terminal type screen shows up.  It seems to be label as TeemTalkCE.  I would expect this to be the console to the Integrity, however when I press the Enter key nothing happens.  I'm thinking I don't have the correct configuration for the serial connection from the iLo to the Integrity.  (There is a 9 pin cable running from the |o|o| connector on the back of the iLo to the |o|o| connector on the back of the Integrity.)  The bottom of the TeemTalk screen shows Online and VT100.  If I go to Settings -> Serial... in the drop down, I see it set up as 9600 baud, 8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit, No Flow Control, and a Terminal Rate of 9600.  I'm guessing these settings are not correct, but I don't really know.

Can anyone help me get access to my console?  I would really appreciate it.

[Torsten.]

HP-UX can only have a single console, either serial (ILO) or VGA.

During boot stop at UEFI shell and use conconfig command to configure. Set serial to primary.

[AchieveFin]

But if I don't have a console, how can I stop at UEFI shell?  How can I even see when I'm at the point to stop at UEFI shell?  The way I see it is I have no way of communicating to the HP-UX except through SSL.

(What is the UEFI shell?)

[Torsten.]

During boot you see a message like this on serial connection AND VGA:

Note, menu interfaces might only display on the primary console device.
The current primary console device is:
Serial PcieRoot(0x30304352)/Pci(0x1C,0x5)/Pci(0x0,0x5)
The primary console can be changed via the 'conconfig' UEFI shell command.

Press:  ENTER  -  Start boot entry execution
        B / b  -  Launch Boot Manager (menu interface)
        D / d  -  Launch Device Manager (menu interface)
        M / m  -  Launch Boot Maintenance Manager (menu interface)
        S / s  -  Launch UEFI Shell (command line interface)
        I / i  -  Launch iLO Setup Tool (command line interface)

Note the console!

Press "s" to go to shell, then run "conconfig".

[Bill Hassell]

Some clarifications...

-- TeemTalkCE is an obscure terminal emulator that runs on Compaq thin-client boxes -- nothing to do with iLO or consoles unless you have time to tinker...

-- The KVM (Keyboard, Video, Keyboard) connection to the rx2660 is one of 3 ways to communicate with the server. The iLO uses either KVM or serial with serial being the most common.

-- There is a serial console port (9 pin) which also talks to the rx2660 iLO, but you must have the correct RS-232 cable or a simple crossover or null-modem adapter to adapt the cable you have (if necessary). There are literally hundreds of 9pin cables and you'll have a 50:50 chance that it is wrong. Use the null-modem adapter to swap transmit/receive. You connect the serial cable to a real laptop with a serial port or a USB-to-serial converter.

-- Finally, there is a LAN console port which is the by far the most useful connection. But you have to set the IP address,etc for the LAN port. This is not the OS port, but a separate computer (iLO) that talks to the hardware. There is a separate LAN port on the back for the rx2660 labeled MP port (MP = Management Port). HP started using the term iLO for x86 servers such as the Proliant and the term has become common usage in x86 hardware products.

See the service manual starting at page 65:

http://h20628.www2.hp.com/km-ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c01163996-13.pdf

If you are knowledgeable about the thin client, you might be able to get something working, but I would suggest using either a real (dumb) terminal with a serial port or a laptop with the PuTTY terminal emulator. Then pick the method in the manual to use for a LAN console connection. Once the MP (iLO) is working, you'll never choose KVM or serial again.

[AchieveFin]

Hi Bill,

That was very informative.

So, it looks like we have a Compaq thin-client box (which I was calling the iLo {or at least I thought it was the iLo}).  This thin client box is connected to the Integrity rx2800 i2 through a serial cable (which I believe was installed by the CE so I'm thinking it is the correct cable).

I plugged a VGA monitor into the video jacks on the back of the rx2800 box.  The monitor shows me the message ; "WARNING: Multiple console output devices are configured.  If this message remains on the screen for more than a few minutes, then this is not the device in use by HP-UX as the console output device. If you would like this device to be the one used b HP-X as the console output device, reboot and use the EFI boot manager or the EFI 'conconfig' command to select this device and deconfigure the others."

Since the message has remained on the screen for 30 minutes, my guess is that the KVM is not the configured console.

That leaves the serial console port (9 pin) and the LAN console port.  I'm not having any luck with either of those.  When I attempt to use Putty to connect to what I believe is the iLo IP address I get the message "Network error: Connection refused".  When I attempt to connect through the thin client and TeemTalkCE (maybe I should be using something else?) I get a blank screen.

I looked on the back of the rx2800 box and I did NOT see an MP port, however I did see an iLo port which looked like a network connector (RJ-45) and there were two green lights light by it.

Do you have any more ideas on what I can do to get a console on this box?

Note: The link to the manual did not work for me.

[Dennis Handly]

>Note: The link to the manual did not work for me.

Worked fine for me just now.

[Bill Hassell]

Attached is a copy of the pdf file.

[Bill Hassell]

So the thinclient was probably setup at one time to be the terminal connection for the rx2800.

One of the most frustrating parts to getting a serial connection going is the dead screen symptom.

Start by making sure the terminal is set to vt100 emulation mode, and that it is set to REMOTE which means that the serial port is now open and ready to talk to the serial port.

Then (most important), to get the console's attention, type ctrl-b (that's Ctrl and the letter b). Control-B will wake up the console interface. There is a possibility that due to old firmware, the iLO is locked up, so you can reset the iLO port with the reset button on the back. Here are various effects is resetting the iLO port:

The iLO 3 physical presence button enables you to reset iLO 3 and gain access
to the system if all iLO passwords are lost. A momentary press causes a soft 
reset of iLO 3 when the button iLO 3 physical presence pinhole button is released. 
The iLO 3 Physical Presence button enables you to reset iLO, enter TPM physical 
presence mode, and enter security override mode.

• A momentary press of the button resets iLO, clears any security override or 
TPM physical presence mode that were initiated by this button, and returns the 
serial port to iLO mode.

• A greater than 4-second and less than 8-second press of the button places 
the system in physical presence mode for up to 15 minutes.

• A greater than 8-second and less than 12-second press of this button places 
iLO into security override mode for up to 15 minutes. Security override mode 
enables you to enter iLO without being challenged for a password enabling you 
to set up users.

• The UID LED blinks once after holding the button for 4 seconds and once after 
holding the button for 8 seconds to help you gauge how long the button press has 
been held.

NOTE: The iLO 3 physical presence pinhole button is located behind the sheet 
metal grill and the circular punch-out in the rear panel

The default login is: Admin and Admin.

KVM:

"If you would like this device to be the one used by HP-X as the console output device, reboot and use the EFI boot manager or the EFI 'conconfig' command to select this device and deconfigure the others."

Do you have a keyboard and mouse connected to the USB ports? Power cycle the box and when the boot menu comes up, use the arrow keys to select the console settings. You can change from serial to KVM and you won't need the serial connection.

iLO LAN port:

The rx2800 is indeed labeled iLO for the LAN port. The iLO connection has been called different things over the years: GSP (Guardian Service Processor) and MP (Maintenance Processor). But it is always the 'real' console, the thing that allows you to see the bootup, self tests and the boot menu.

Here is the correct manual (the rx2660 was the predecessor for the rx2800):

http://h20565.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c03225608&lang=en-us&cc=us

(and attached)

Unfortunately this manual does not have very much informtion about setting the iLO port and it doesn't appear to support the arp/ping method for setting the IP address..