BL20p-G3 with defective iLO

[PDP-Fan]

We have 2 BL20p-G3 with the following problem:

With all standard switch settings, the blades do not work, they can't be powered up.
If the "iLO security override" switch is enabled, the blade can be powered up und works fine... except that the iLO is not working.
There is no iLO text during BIOS selftest and also the firmware maintenace CD reports that iLO hardware is not installed.

Question:
Is there a way to revive the iLO? Is there a trick to put a new firmware into the iLO ROM through some sort of backdoor?

Christian

[Gary Benavides Meza]

Try updating the BIOS and the NIC firmware. If that doesn't work try a different NIC if possible or replace it. Despite the fact that the iLO chip is located on the motherboard, the network signals are routed through the NIC mezzanine. Replacing the mezzanine might restored the iLO functionality.

[PDP-Fan]

I don't think it is the NIC. I just changed the Mainboard and now it works again... with the old NIC and all the other components.

The problem came after a firmware upgrade. I think something went wrong during the iLO upgrade. That made the iLO unusable and the server only works if the iLO secur. override switch is enabled.

This is already the second blade with exactly the same problem and I would like to find a way to make the iLO work again. So I'm looking for some kind of backdoor to re-program the iLO flash ROM. Maybe a diagnostic connector of some kind...

[Cederberg]

Probably what was wrong is that the server is old and when you flash the nvram it gets corrupted. Just the way it is.

We have had this problem on many BL20p G2 and G3

and even when the ILO is just resetting it can happen...

[PDP-Fan]

It seems to be a general problem with this type of blade... HP should offer a cheap replacement in such a case. It looks like a design problem.

Before I throw away the boards, I will try this... I remove the iLO flash chip from a working board, make a copy of it and put that into one if the defective boards. Will see if works again.

Does someone have experience with the iLO serial port? Could the firmware be fixed with help of that?