DL 380 iLO questions

[JoshIT]

hi, I have a Proliant DL380 G4 running windows 2000 server. There is an iLO port on it and I can connect to the iLO using a browser.

But is there a way I can remotely shut down/restart the OS using iLO when the OS becomes non-responsive otherwise (via remote desktop etc)? I don't have an advance iLO license (if that's what it's called) for accessing a remote GUI session. Do I need this for above mentioned purpose? Just a console session (non GUI) which can help me do this would be more than enough.

Thanks very much.

[NL User]

Do you mean the "Remote serial console" ?

According to this Matrix that is supported: http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/ilo2/index.html

The same with "Virtual Power", supported in Standard Editions.

[David Claypool]

When you are in the iLO web interface you can access 'Virtual Buttons' which include a virtual power button to do power on or power off. An advanced license is not required.

You also can access a command-line interface for iLO through SSH and issue SMASH-CLP compliant commands like

stop /system1

to power off the system, or

start /system1

to power it on. Likewise, an advanced license is not required.

[JoshIT]

thank you for your reply. I see that the virtual power button options do not gracefully shut down/restart the OS though.

Is there anyway I would be able to do a graceful OS shutdown via the iLO? Does the advance license offer this functionality?

[Sangram_1]

Yes Advanced Licence gives the graceful OS shutdown option. This feature is infact more of an OS dependent feature.

Option 1: Install the "ProLiant iLO Advanced and Enhanced System Management Controller Driver", this health driver is required for ilo to work along with the OS to do a graceful shutdown.

Option 2: If the above driver is not installed, then ilo will emulate a physical power button press event on the server (as if you physically pressed the power button on the server) and ask the OS to do a graceful shutdown. Now this is completely OS dependent. Whether or not a graceful shutdown happens depends on what settings you have made in the Operating system for the power button press event.

Also servers have an "Automatic Shutdown" disabling option in the RBSU or BIOS. You can make sure it is disabled for a proper graceful shutdown.

[David Claypool]

Sangram is incorrect. The Advanced license has nothing to do with the drivers.

iLO uses ACPI signalling--exactly the same as the physical power button. Windows 2000 interprets 'momentary press' as a signal to begin shutdown. 'Press and hold' will do a hard shutdown.

Again, this has nothing to do with Advanced license.

[Sangram_1]

David,

For your clarification, I did not mention anywhere in my post that Advanced Licence is related to the Drivers.

The first statement is just an answer to JoshIT's question "Does the advance license offer this functionality?". This is because if you have an advanced licence you get the remote console option and hence the option to do a graceful shutdown.

The two options mentioned below are independent of the first statement. They are just two options available to have graceful shutdown done.

I am attaching the screenshot from the user guide for your reference.

[JoshIT]

Thanks a lot for your replies.

For the DL 380 G5, I couldn't find the "ProLiant iLO Advanced and Enhanced System Management Controller Driver" listed. However I found the "Proliant iLO2 management controller driver". Is it the same?

Anyway I did install this second one. Once it's installed and when I do the "momentary press" option on the virtual power button via iLO, it should ask the OS to initiate a shut down? I did this but nothing happens. So I am wondering whether I should have tried this same thing before installing this driver. And also, once installed is there any way I can uninstall this driver?

Thanks very much.

[JoshIT]

Noting a small correction in my previous post. Though the problem was originally with a DL 380 G4, I only have a DL 360 (no, it's not 380)G5 now to test stuff with. The others are production servers.

So I was looking for an advanced management controller driver for DL 360 G5.

Thanks.

[Sangram_1]

Is it Windows 2000 still? Or a different OS? Also mention 32 bit / 64 bit if different OS.

[Sangram_1]

If you are using Windows 2003 try the drivers below:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&swItem=MTX-d452806af4b64d6580532fdfcd&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

And as posted earlier, check the "power button" configuration in the OS for the server and also make sure the "Automatic Shutdown" option in BIOS is also disabled.

Thanks,
Sangram

[JoshIT]

It's windows 2003 now. I downloaded the driver from the link you gave, but it doesn't install. It says "The software will not be installed on this system because the required hardware is not present in the system or the software/firmware doesn't apply to this system." So I guess this won't work with the DL 360?

The iLO 2 firmware etc is up to date. The power button in the OS is configured to 'shut down'.

Thanks!

[Sangram_1]

Please provide me the following details:

Are you having an Advanced Licence at the moment?

Let me know the exact process you follow to create a shutdown event through iLO.

Thanks !!

[JoshIT]

hi, Thanks for your reply.

Yesterday I went ahead and downloaded an advanced license evaluation and installed the same. So yes, now I do have an advanced license. And once again, it's on a DL 360 G5 running 32 bit windows 2003 server.

However I haven't been able to get/install the advanced management controller driver on this because of the reasons mentioned in my previous post.

Anyway, so I connect to this machine's iLO2 IP address (via https) and under power management, i do the 'momentary press' on the virtual power button. The iLO logs says "power off signal sent to host"..but nothing happens. In the OS's power options, it is set to shut down when the power button is pressed. I couldn't yet check any BIOS settings because the machine is at a remote location. Can I access the BIOS when I restart the machine and have a remote console open via iLO2?

So this is the procedure I follow.
Thanks!!

[Sangram_1]

Yes, you can access the server BIOS (RBSU) through iLO2 remote console.

[JoshIT]

I accessed the BIOS via the remote console, but I don't see an 'automatic shutdown' option at all. There is a 'power button' option there, but that is already enabled.

After the restart, I again did the 'momentary press' option (via iLO web interface) but the server doesn't want to shut down. It just stays up. What else am I missing?

Maybe windows needs the 'press and hold' option to initiate it's ACPI shutdown functionality? Also, now that I do have the advanced license what has changed as far as a remote shutdown of the server (via iLO) is concerned?

Thank you very much.

[Sangram_1]

Doing a press & hold will not perform graceful shutdown. It is like doing a force shutdown when server freezes.

Also Advanced License just gives you an option of remote console (GUI) to perform remote shutdown. It does not change anything as such.

I still feel it is a configuration issue:
Try the following in BIOS (each at a time):
1. Disable ASR and check.
2. Disable Automatic power-on.
3. Disable Power Button also and check.

[JoshIT]

well, I tried everything. Finally it turns out that I need to be logged in to the windows 2003 console for this (momentary press) to work. That's all it takes.

Not sure if it's only applicable to windows 2003 though.

Anyway, thanks a lot for all your help/suggestions.