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Date:      Thu, 28 Jul 2005 12:33:45 +0200
From:      Marian Hettwer <MH@kernel32.de>
To:        peceka <peceka@gmail.com>
Cc:        freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: IBM x346 and IPMI (BMC)
Message-ID:  <42E8B489.8080700@kernel32.de>
In-Reply-To: <f0f70e5e0507280004528de2ba@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <f0f70e5e0507280004528de2ba@mail.gmail.com>

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Hi there,

peceka wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> has anyone used IPMI (BMC) with x346 and FreeBSD successful?
> Today i've configured with bmc_cfg.exe all BMC options and when server
> is in DOS mode i can log in to it and reboot it. But when FBSD stand
> up connection to BMC is lost.
> In IBM help desk some technicans told me: "BMC works only on linux and
> windows because on BSD IBM can't earn money". But i don't belive it,
> i've searched google for IPMI for FBSD and found two projects:
> 1. http://sourceforge.net/projects/ipmi-bsd/ - but it stopped in July 18, 2002.
> 2. http://www.gnu.org/software/freeipmi/ - it looks like it stopped in
> 2004-10-25.
> 
> Or mabye there are some other project? If anybody of you uses IPMI on
> FBSD please share your knowledge.
>
Sorry, I can't help you with IPMI on FreeBSD, but ...

> Or mabye there is something else which can help me if system hangs to
> reboot machine.
> 
Of course there are other methods of accessing the box if it has a problem.
Take an old fashioned console server. Deactivate the IPMI stuff in your 
xSeries and search in the BIOS for redirecting the BIOS to serial Port.
Actually you can do everything with a good console server from remote 
(I'd suggest cyclades console servers).
Additionally you can connect a Power Switch to the console server on one 
side and on the other the xSeries to this manageble power strip.
I used the cyclades console server + cyclades power strip and can do an 
easy ssh to the serial port of the server. If the server crashes _hard_ 
I can do a CTRL+p on the console and get a power management menu.
Then I just say Power Off and Power On and off the server goes :)

So... why IPMI ?

hope that helps a bit ;)
- Marian



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