How to set up Linux/Intel system to allow remote boot

[Steven E. Protter]

Here is the current scenario:
I have a Linux Server farm in the US.
I am not currently in the US, I am in Israel.
I would like to be able to travel and have full control of my server farm, no matter where I am.

My main server died and went completely off line. I would like to boot it from here. I can't because I don't have the hardware.

I have Intel GB NIC cards and think I might be able to use them to remotely boot them with a program called: proboot.exe

The Intel Doc says I shold be able to use it to remotely boot the server (Dell SC class poweredge). But not how.

Anyone know how to do that? Please let me know.

I'd be interested in other possible solutions. Some kind of pci card that could boot the machine as well. Or something I could put to control power. I just need to be able to power cycle the box without physically touching it.


Here is an alternate thread that has gotten no responses.
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=822169

The servers only cost $600 and I'd like a solution that is reliable and lets me pick and choose which server I boot.

KVM seems to freeze when the box does but if there is a solution there, let me know.

Bunny for a solution. I need a link to the product.

Regards,

SEP

[Steven E. Protter]

This seems to be what I might be looking for.

http://www.dataprobe.com/power/iboot.html

Thoughts,alternatives....

SEP

[NiCK_76]

Hi SEP,

Did you managed HP server? For HP server, I think Remote Insight Lights is good solution.
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/riloe2/index.html

The DRAC for Dell server.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/drac4/1.1/en/UG/racugc4.htm?c=us&l=en&s=gen&cs

NiCK

[Vitaly Karasik_1]

In fact, remote management is built-in in all modern servers [even entry-level] from HP/IBM/DELL.

As for now, there is even IPMI standart http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/.

[Vernon Brown_4]

Hi SEP
I probably don't understand the problem, but why couldn't you simply ssh to the box and run the command:

shutdown -r now

??

[Vernon Brown_4]

Oops; Ok I see. You need to boot a server that's off line ! Sorry .

[Steven E. Protter]

Seems the Intel card can't do it on its own.

DRAC is supported on some but not all Dell Servers. Dell's website has made it quite impossible to make an online inquiry. I will have to call them upon my return to the US.

Found this link, it seems the most affordable.

http://www.wti.com/power.htm

Thanks. More ideas appreciated.

SEP

[Sergejs Svitnevs]

Check out the following link:
http://www.sinetica.co.uk/netswitch.htm

Regards,
Sergejs

[Steven E. Protter]

Last link was very interesting. The only possible problem I can see is that the uk is 220 volt power.

SEP

[Sergejs Svitnevs]

another solution:
http://www.servepath.com/servers/rpc.htm

Regards,
Sergejs

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Another one
http://www.servertech.com/

Wim

[Dave Falloon · Accepted solution]

Check out xCat ( http://www.xcat.org/ ), they have a lot of different solutions to the problem of how to admin machines remotely, from console redirection, to remote power setup.

I used to work for a startup ( shoe string budget ) we used a networked powerbar:

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=AP7900

And set the bios to restart the machine if the power came back on. We had console redirected to another machine and had its console redirected to another machine and so on, as a really cheap monitoring system. It wasn't super robust but it worked well enough for my purposes. Typical scenario, late night kernel panic:

start three ssh sessions: one to the server that snmp monitor is reporting as down ( only watched web with snmp ), one session into the machine monitoring the down machine and one into the power bar. The first times out, the second works, you tail the log coming in on /dev/ttys0, see the kernel panic, on the powerbar you flip the switch on its outlet, then watch the console ( bios redirected out serial port as well ) if the machine starts booting you're good to go, if not, assume its on fire and get down there right away.

Worked well, and it was cheap.

--Dave

[Steven E. Protter]

I am investigating. The APC power bar is particularly insteresting. Point assignment will be soon.

SEP

[Florian Heigl (new acc)]

Take care to safely firewall the power bar, they're very tempting to the wrong people ;)

[Olivier Drouin]

it this proliant servers ? if so, use rIlo

[Steven E. Protter]

Dell.

[Dave Falloon]

You definately need to firewall your powerbar, it should not have a routable internet address, and because they use a web interface you will want a host that is on the internal network to have an ssh daemon listening, ie. port forward port 22 from the firewall to your admin box. When you connect to the admin box make sure to port forward a local port like this:

ssh user@public.hostname.tld -L80:powerbaripaddress:80

note: to open port 80 locally you need to be root, and if the device uses https you'll need port 443 instead/aswell.

That will open a pipe from your local machines port 80 right into the powerbars web server. To access it, aim your browser at http://localhost ( or https I can't remember ) just like any other ssh port forward.

We had sketched out a way to run two power bars, each machine had a redundant power supply so we would just plug in to both power bars that way if one PB shutdown we weren't screwed. Never got to test that as we didn't have the budget for a second power bar, thankfully we never ran into a situation where the PB blew up, but it was a glaring SPoF.

The console redirection, snmp monitoring is really important, you need to know whats going on with the machine, there are also networked console (terminal collector) devices if you don't want to daisy chain serial links to all your machines.

--Dave

[Steven E. Protter]

I am talking that into account Dave.

I have a very reliable Windows 2003 Server that can act as a firewall for this purpose. Access will only be on the local private network.

Seems I'm going to be spending some bucks.

SEP

[Steven E. Protter]

Device purchased. Thread closed.

Bought the APC device. Dave wins the bunny.

SEP