[Beowulf] Intel motherboard BMC

Thu Jun 21 07:23:49 PDT 2018

https://www.thomas-krenn.com/de/wiki/Redfish

For what it is worth, the source code shows the BMC card is running the
lighthttpd web server
The configuration file contains
## where to send error-messages to
server.errorlog             = "/tmp/httpd/lighttpd_error.log"
server.breakagelog          = "/tmp/httpd/cgi_stderr.log"

Goodness knows how you would find these log files on a BMC card though.

On 21 June 2018 at 16:16, John Hearns <hearnsj at googlemail.com> wrote:

> Jorg, this is probably veering very off topic.
> Intel make available the source code for those BMC cards - which surprised
> me.
> I saw Redfish mentioned https://www.supermicro.com/solutions/Redfish.cfm
> Maybe the Redfish standard makes the cards behave differently to old-style
> BMC cards
>
>
> On 21 June 2018 at 15:59, Jörg Saßmannshausen <
> sassy-work at sassy.formativ.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> interesting idea, but how does it work when the IP address has not been
>> set
>> yet?
>>
>> Regarding hostname/IP for the GUI: see my email to Chris.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Jörg
>>
>> Am Donnerstag, 21. Juni 2018, 12:55:07 BST schrieben Sie:
>> > It is worth saying that Intel have an excellent free to download tool
>> > called syscfg which lets you set BIOS and IPMI from the command line
>> > To get BIOS settings the same on all nodes on a cluster you just cget
>> the
>> > correct settings on one node, copy this file to all nodes,
>> > syscfg then reboot. Simples.
>> >
>> > https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26971/Save-and-Res
>> tore-System-Conf
>> > iguration-Utility-syscfg-
>> >
>> >
>> > Regarding your web server problem, is your DHCP server giving the
>> correct
>> > hostnames to the IPMI cards when they request an address?
>> > I do not see how that could matter, but maybe?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 21 June 2018 at 12:29, Jörg Saßmannshausen <
>> sassy-work at sassy.formativ.net
>> > > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Hi John,
>> > >
>> > > further the last email: I am using the onboard interface for the
>> BMC/IPMI
>> > > (shared link) so there is only one physical network cable between the
>> > > switch
>> > > and the compute node.
>> > >
>> > > Regarding PXE boot: I don't want to boot over IB. Right now I even
>> don't
>> > > have
>> > > an IB network. I was just wondering whether for some reason at one
>> stage
>> > > of
>> > > the boot process the kernel recognises the IB card and then tries to
>> boot
>> > > from
>> > > there and shuts off the other NIC which could explain that behaviour.
>> > > However, even disabling it in the BIOS did not solve the problem.
>> > >
>> > > I guess I will need to do some debugging here but without some good
>> ideas
>> > > I am
>> > > a bit stuck as I already have tried the usual suspects.
>> > >
>> > > All the best
>> > >
>> > > Jörg
>> > >
>> > > Am Donnerstag, 21. Juni 2018, 12:02:40 BST schrieb John Hearns via
>> Beowulf:
>> > > > Hello Jorg. As you know I have worked a lot with Supermicro
>> machines.
>> > > > I also installed Intel machines for Greenwich University, so I have
>> > > > experience of setting up IPMI on them.
>> > > > I will take time to try to understand your problem!
>> > > > Also Intel provides excellent documentation for all its products.
>> > > > Really.
>> > > > But you must get the correct part number and search for it.
>> > > > I really recommend finding the BMC manual, as I recall that made
>> things
>> > > > a
>> > > > lot clearer.
>> > > >
>> > > > One quick question - are you using the on-board ethernet interface
>> for
>> > >
>> > > IPMI
>> > >
>> > > > or are you using the additional hardware module which has its own
>> > >
>> > > ethernet
>> > >
>> > > > port?
>> > > >
>> > > > > It also has a InfiniBand card which does allow booting from it.
>> > > >
>> > > > You can PXE boot over a Mellanox Infiniband card. As you probably
>> know
>> > >
>> > > this
>> > >
>> > > > involves installing extra firmware on the card.
>> > > > In my last job we had an IB only cluster, so booting over IB had to
>> > > > work!
>> > > > I guess you do nto need to flash the card, but to be honest running
>> the
>> > > > utility is not scary. You just have to get the exact firmware for
>> your
>> > >
>> > > card.
>> > >
>> > > > On 21 June 2018 at 11:20, Tony Brian Albers <tba at kb.dk> wrote:
>> > > > > Does the BMC itself know its own hostname?
>> > > > >
>> > > > > /tony
>> > > > >
>> > > > > On 21/06/18 11:13, Jörg Saßmannshausen wrote:
>> > > > > > Dear all,
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I got a bit of a confusing situation with the BMC of some Intel
>> > > > >
>> > > > > motherboards
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > which we recently purchased and I am not quite sure what to
>> make out
>> > >
>> > > of
>> > >
>> > > > > it.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > We have install a generic user via the IPMI commands on the
>> compute
>> > > > >
>> > > > > nodes and
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > I can access the BMC remotely, again via the IPMI command like
>> this:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > $ ipmitool -H node105-bmc -U username -P xxx power status
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > This is working, Also, this works:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > $ ipmitool -H 10.0.1.105 -U username -P xxx power status
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > A nslookup of node105-bmc gives the right IP address as well.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > However, if I want to use the GUI for the BMC, i.e. opening my
>> > >
>> > > browser
>> > >
>> > > > > and
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > put:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > https://node105-bmc
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > in the URL, I get the loging page When I enter my login
>> credentials
>> > > > > > then,
>> > > > > > which are the same as above, I have a problem to log in *IF* I
>> am
>> > >
>> > > using
>> > >
>> > > > > the
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > hostname as address but not *IF* I am using the IP address.
>> Just to
>> > >
>> > > add
>> > >
>> > > > > to the
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > confusion more, on one node the hostname was working.
>> > > > > > With problems I mean the browser tells me my login credentials
>> are
>> > >
>> > > wrong
>> > >
>> > > > > which
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > does not happen when I am using the IP address.
>> > > > > > Also, I can only use https and not http and for now I got the
>> > > > > > generic
>> > > > >
>> > > > > self
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > signed certificates. I want to change them at one point but
>> right
>> > > > > > now
>> > > > >
>> > > > > that is
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > more on the bottom of my to-do list.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I find that really odd and I am not quite sure what is going on
>> > > > > > here.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > With all
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > the Supermicro kit I once had I never had these issues before.
>> I was
>> > > > >
>> > > > > able to
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > log in regardless of using the hostname or IP address.
>> > > > > > So clearly Intel does something here Supermicro did not (at the
>> > >
>> > > time).
>> > >
>> > > > > > The boards in question are Intel S2600BPB ones.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Has anybody seen this before?
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I got a second issue with these boards. I usually do the normal
>> > >
>> > > PXE/NFS
>> > >
>> > > > > boot
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > and the setup is working well for the other, older Supermicro
>> > >
>> > > machines.
>> > >
>> > > > > > However, with the new Intel ones, this is crashing.
>> > > > > > The procedure is you are selecting in the boot-menu you want to
>> do a
>> > >
>> > > PXE
>> > >
>> > > > > boot
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > and not boot from the local hard drive.
>> > > > > > It then boots the initramfs which seems to be fine. From what I
>> can
>> > >
>> > > see,
>> > >
>> > > > > both
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > during the boot process and from the log files of the
>> DHCP-server,
>> > >
>> > > it is
>> > >
>> > > > > > getting the right IP address.
>> > > > > > However, when the initramfs hands over to the kernel, it crashes
>> > >
>> > > with:
>> > > > > > kernel panic! attempt to kill init
>> > > > > > and you literally have to pull the plug on the machine, i.e. a
>> hard
>> > > > >
>> > > > > reset.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > The only time I have seen that was when I did not specify the
>> NIC
>> > > > > > and
>> > > > >
>> > > > > when I
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > had two NICs, it somehow decided to use the other one. I fixed
>> that
>> > > > >
>> > > > > problem by
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > defining the interface in the boot-arguments and also the
>> second NIC
>> > >
>> > > is
>> > >
>> > > > > not
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > connected anyway. It also has a InfiniBand card which does allow
>> > >
>> > > booting
>> > >
>> > > > > from
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > it. Again, it is not connected so in theory it should not
>> matter.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I am stuck here. I am using a 4.x kernel for the PXE boot, so a
>> > >
>> > > fairly
>> > >
>> > > > > recent
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > one. As I said, it works for the older machines but not for the
>> > > > > > newer
>> > > > >
>> > > > > ones.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > >   I upgraded the whole PXE/NFS boot and that is not working too.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Does anybody have any ideas here?
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Sorry for asking 2 questions in one email but as they are
>> related I
>> > >
>> > > hope
>> > >
>> > > > > that
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > is ok.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > All the best from a sunny London
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Jörg
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > _______________________________________________
>> > > > > > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org sponsored by Penguin
>> > >
>> > > Computing
>> > >
>> > > > > > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit
>> > > > >
>> > > > > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > --
>> > > > > Tony Albers
>> > > > > Systems administrator, IT-development
>> > > > > Royal Danish Library, Victor Albecks Vej 1, 8000 Aarhus C,
>> Denmark.
>> > > > > Tel: +45 2566 2383 / +45 8946 2316
>> > > > > _______________________________________________
>> > > > > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org sponsored by Penguin
>> > >
>> > > Computing
>> > >
>> > > > > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit
>> > > > > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org sponsored by Penguin Computing
>> To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit
>> http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
>>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.beowulf.org/pipermail/beowulf/attachments/20180621/000369f2/attachment-0001.html>