How to set the lights-out Administrator password if it is lost

[acartes]

There have been many questions about configuring, deploying, or enabling access to lights-out after the OS is deployed. Often times, the factory credentials are not available. Until now, this required rebooting the host to access RBSU or powering-down to use the iLO security override switch.

Now there is a utility that allows you to do it, provided you run it from the Administrator or root account under the host OS. You can do this without bouncing the server, either.

HP just released a new utility, HPONCFG, for Windows and Linux that allows you to get and set iLO and RILOE II settings from the host-- not the network.

For some quirk of technology, it is not yet on the lights-out download page, but it is on the server support pages under lights out firmware. Go figure.

You can download it here:
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/index.html

Navigate to Firmware - Lights-Out Management then HP Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility

Note: you must run this from Administrator or root account. This provides security.
Note: you must have the driver installed.
Note: you must have iLO 1.41 or later.
Note: you must have RILOE II 1.13 or later (not released quite yet).

It uses RIBCL scripts. You can download sample scripts in the archive "HP Lights-Out XML Scripting Sample" located here:
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/lights-out/us/locate/69_5867.html

Use a script like the attached example to reset the iLO Administrator account using HPONCFG.

[acartes]

HPONCFG is now available on the lights-out download pages:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/lights-out/us/index.html

Locate "HP Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility"

[Ben C_1]

Hi All,

I downloaded the utility and have unpacked it. I would like to reset/view the admin password for a RILOE II. Even after looking at the supporting document, I am still confused as to what I am supposed to do to see/reset the lights out password. Could someone please spell it out for me? Thank you very much!

[acartes]

Ben,
There are a couple questions in your message.

First, RILOE II:
You must have RILOE II 1.13 (or later) to use HPONCFG. 1.13 has not been released yet, but should be available in the next few weeks - say, by July, 2004.
I'll post a message here when it is released.

Second, passwords:
There is no way at all to retrieve a password from a lights-out processor. You can only set a password.
If you use RBSU to "set defaults" then the factory assigned password printed on the RILOE II tag or the iLO chassis tag will be restored. However, there is no way to retrieve these programmatically.

[acartes]

RILOE II firmware 1.13 has just been posted:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/lights-out/us/index.html

It supports the HPONCFG utility.

[Jennifer Auiler_3]

I have spent a significant amount of time trying to get HPONCFG to work. Has anyone had success with this? It would really be helpful if I could make this work-- I have a HUGE number of unconfigured RIBs in our enterprise.
Here's what I have:
ProLiant DL380G3
RILOE II - Firmware 1.13
â sm2user.dll" verified (drivers are loaded)
I'm running the following command:
HPONCFG /f add_user.xml /l log.txt
to access the attached xml script.
I have tried logging in with the local admin account, even with the current RIB password (this rib is already configured, I'm just using it for testing purposes)
This is the error I'm getting:
ERROR: Unable to communicate with the RILOE-II/iLO.
I've also tried on other boxes to make sure it's not the machine.
The only thing I can think of/that I'm not sure about is the RIBCL version (what should it be for HPONCFG?) but I've tried both 2.0 and 1.2 with no luck.
If anyone has any input I would be exceptionally grateful!!

[barnett chan]

Make sure you have the RILOE II Driver installed, not the sm2user.dll. In the latest PSP, it is named "cp004171.exe HP ProLiant Remote Insight Lights-Out II Board Driver for Windows 2000/Server 2003". Hponcfg need to be run on the host server. A better tool to use in your situation may be cpqlocfg. You may integrate this with Insight Manager 7 or HP sim.

[Jennifer Auiler_3]

I am running this on the host server, and it does have the most current PSP loaded.
I can't use cqplocfg on all of the aformentioned machines that I do not have the passwords for, to my understanding. This is why I'm trying to get HPONCFG to work.
Thanks.

[barnett chan]

Your script worked fine.
The hponcfg requires the latest RILOE II Driver 3.2.1 from SmartStart 7.1. The 3.1.1 driver from SS 7.0 will not work. Please download the latest support pack http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/19613.html

Update cp004171.exe.

[Jennifer Auiler_3]

Thanks for the response!! I thought I HAD the latest PSP. I am relieved that I finally got the utility to work, but it is unfortunate that the PSP upgrade requires a reboot. I was trying to avoid rebooting the servers just to configure the RIBs; but at least there's a mechanism for configuring remote RIB's and I'm sure it will be very helpful in the future. Thanks again for the help!!!!!