HP Bladesystem c7000 OA null modem cable for password reset

[jacksony]

Hey All,

We have a HP Bladesystem c7000 enclosure with 2 OA units. We are trying to use a cable to connect to it (to do a password reset) but all we see are funny characters. We tried to use the Cisco console cable but same results.

Can anyone advise what type of null modem cable can we use or get to connect to it? Preferably connect to our laptop using USB.

[Murali_V]

Hi, 

You can use a null-modem cable with the minimum connection to an external console is pins 2, 3, and 5.... 

Refer the following support document: HP BladeSystem c-Class Onboard Administrator (OA) - OA Lost Password Recovery: 

http://h200003.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=de&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=1844065&prodTypeId=3709945&objectID=c01115866

Also, refer HP BladeSystem Onboard Administrator Command Line Interface User Guide

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00702815/c00702815.pdf

Refer page number 12 of above Onboard Administrator Command Line Interface User Guide for more informaion. 

Regards, 

Murali Mohan 

[Matti_Kurkela]

"Funny characters" may be caused by wrong serial port communication settings. The OA uses a data transmission rate of 9600 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. This is sometimes displayed in shorthand, like "9600-8N1". These are the most common settings for console-type access, but I've seen other speeds used too: if someone previously used the laptop to connect to a device with different settings, the speed may be set to a non-default value.

The serial port was originally introduced in 1962, so it isn't always exactly Plug-and-Play.

For USB, you need two pieces of cable:

• a USB-to-serial converter (usually looks like just a piece of cable, but it contains some active electronics and usually needs a driver)
• a standard null modem cable.

[jacksony]

Hey All,

We tried to use all sort of cable but could not do any reset on our c7000 blade system using the console cable.

Is the console cable something like R232 to RJ45? Those look like the Cisco console cable? We made a cable something like the cisco console cable (using the pin configurations specified in the manual) but we could not get any output on our screen too.

Can someone give some instructions or link what is this console cable that we can use so we can terminal into OA to do the password reset? What are the 2 ends of this cable suppose to be like and which end connect laptop and which end connect to the OA port?

Many thanks!

[Torsten.]

You need a standard null modem cable and the correct speed settings, "funny characters" usually means wrong speed.

[jacksony]

Hey,

yes, we used 9600 speed, but there is nothing at all.

We used Cisco console cable, and also the recommened pin configuration for RS232 output to RJ45, but it shows nothing.

Can someone advise what to plug to, is it something like Cisco cable?

From there, we actually use a convertor to convert to USB port for our laptop, but it shows nothing.

[Matti_Kurkela]

RJ-45??? The OA module has a regular 9-pin DB-9 serial connector, identical to the one in a PC equipped with a serial port. A regular null-modem cable with female DB-9 connectors at both ends is what you need.

The RJ-45 connector in the OA module is a network interface to the OA, the blade iLOs and the I/O module management access (if applicable): plugging a serial cable into that should not damage things, but will get you nowhere.

Here's a link to the c7000 Enclosure Maintenance and Service Guide: see page 58 for a picture and description of the connectors in the OA module.

h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/action.process/public/psi/manualsDisplay/?sp4ts.oid=1844065&javax.portlet.action=true&spf_p.tpst=psiContentDisplay&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&spf_p.prp_psiContentDisplay=wsrp-interactionState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03275586%257CdocLocale%253Den_US&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

Note: some OA modules apparently don't include the VGA connector.

[Torsten.]

All 4 RJ-45 sockets in the OA area are LAN, only the 9-pin connectors are serial.

So you have the choice:

1) use a serial cable to the active OA

or

2) use the service port of the OA tray with LAN. Get the internal LAN address from the front panel (169.... something), configure your laptop accordingly and after a config reset logon using the credentials written on the botton of the OA chassis.