2200M2 ELOM serial port

The 2200M2 has a 9600 bps serial port that talks to the Lights Out
Mgmt. If you farkle up the IP address; it's the suggested recovery
method.

I wasted several hours trying to accomplish this, to no avail. Of course,
I was fighting with a com program I didn't know, & a USB-serial adapter;
and all the things I've not missed about RS-232.

Does anyone have first-hand experience with this? AFICTell, the
only line the 2200 was asserting was TD!

(There is a back door via the console; but it's hard to find:
F2, then <RET> after "AMD" appears, then Advanced, IPMI, LAN..)



--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

In comp.sys.sun.admin David Lesher <> wrote:
> The 2200M2 has a 9600 bps serial port that talks to the Lights Out
> Mgmt. If you farkle up the IP address; it's the suggested recovery
> method.
>

Default setting is 9600/8N1/no CTS/no XON XOFF.



> I wasted several hours trying to accomplish this, to no avail. Of course,
> I was fighting with a com program I didn't know, & a USB-serial adapter;
> and all the things I've not missed about RS-232.

That never helps. Practise against another server first.

>
> Does anyone have first-hand experience with this? AFICTell, the
> only line the 2200 was asserting was TD!

I have used the serial connection to the LOM quite a few times on mine, no
troubles at all.

I think that as with the x2100, there is a method in the BIOS for changing
the mode of the serial port between working for the ELOM and working as
COM1. The notes I have for the x2100 go like this:

To make use of an on-board serial port you need to set the following
setting in the BIOS.

BIOS--> Advanced--> IPMI2.0 Configuration --> External COM port

Set "External COM port" to "system" instead of the defaut "BMC"

Please note, that in case of any system failure you will have to attach a
keyboard and a monitor to gain access to the system.

Is it possible that your x2200 had been configured to use the port as COM1
rather than ELOM?


>
> (There is a back door via the console; but it's hard to find:
> F2, then <RET> after "AMD" appears, then Advanced, IPMI, LAN..)
>
Didn't know that one. Thanks.


--
Dr Tristram J. Scott
Energy Consultant
| England
| ph (+44 1223) 526 255

(Tristram Scott) writes:

>> I wasted several hours trying to accomplish this, to no avail. Of course,
>> I was fighting with a com program I didn't know, & a USB-serial adapter;
>> and all the things I've not missed about RS-232.

>That never helps. Practise against another server first.

I hauled out a modem and used that as a test object... It worked fine..


>BIOS--> Advanced--> IPMI2.0 Configuration --> External COM port

>Set "External COM port" to "system" instead of the defaut "BMC"

>Please note, that in case of any system failure you will have to attach a
>keyboard and a monitor to gain access to the system.

>Is it possible that your x2200 had been configured to use the port as COM1
>rather than ELOM?

I'm not seeing exactly that in the docs.

Part No. 819-6588-13 October 2007, Revision A
Part No. 819-6596-12 February 2007, Revision A


Changing Serial Output to Display the System Information The BIOS has
two options for serial redirection after the Embedded LOM SP has been
configured:

SP (default). Serial output displays the SP output (SP booting and CLI)
and the system console can be accessed by issuing a CLI command.

System. Serial output displays system information (that is. POST information)

By default, the BIOS is set to redirect its serial output to the SP. If
you would rather not have to issue an SP CLI command to access the BIOS
redirected serial stream, you can change the BIOS configuration option to
make the default serial redirection be from the BIOS rather than the SP.

.....

3. Press F2 to enter the BIOS on the console. 4. Change the following
BIOS option under IPMI 2.0 configuration from SP to System. 5. Press F10
to save


>> (There is a back door via the console; but it's hard to find:
>> F2, then <RET> after "AMD" appears, then Advanced, IPMI, LAN..)
>>
>Didn't know that one. Thanks.

It's mentioned in the ELOM Fine Manual BUT they don't describe the <RET> needed
while the BOIS message is scrolling by; without that, it jumps into grub and runs.


I *think* what's going on is this. The serial method to reach the ELOM
works ONLY when the server is off; when it is on, the main process owns
the serial port. The server was on [fans running].

Is that possible?

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

In comp.sys.sun.admin David Lesher <> wrote:
> (Tristram Scott) writes:
>
>
> I *think* what's going on is this. The serial method to reach the ELOM
> works ONLY when the server is off; when it is on, the main process owns
> the serial port. The server was on [fans running].
>
> Is that possible?
>

It is certainly possible on the x2100 M2, but I am not sure for the X2200
M2. I had a need to use the serial port on our x2100 M2, and had to put in
a call to sun to find out how to configure the machine so this would work.
The default setting in the BIOS is to have the COM port be for the
exclusive use of the ELOM. I have not ever needed to do the same for the
x2200 M2 I have, so I don't have any notes on that.

I am aware that the ELOM is not the same on the x2100 and the x2200
machines, though, so my experience from the x2100 might not be on target
here. There doesn't seem to be any relavent information on SunSolve
either.

By the way, did you also try the other option of attaching a keyboard,
mouse and monitor? Obviously not much use if you are not located near the
machine.


--
Dr Tristram J. Scott
Energy Consultant

>> I *think* what's going on is this. The serial method to reach the ELOM
>> works ONLY when the server is off; when it is on, the main process owns
>> the serial port. The server was on [fans running].
>>
>> Is that possible?
>>

>It is certainly possible on the x2100 M2, but I am not sure for the X2200
>M2. I had a need to use the serial port on our x2100 M2, and had to put in
>a call to sun to find out how to configure the machine so this would work.
>The default setting in the BIOS is to have the COM port be for the
>exclusive use of the ELOM. I have not ever needed to do the same for the
>x2200 M2 I have, so I don't have any notes on that.

I failed on talking to it in "no fans" mode; but I'm still testing...

>There doesn't seem to be any relavent information on SunSolve
>either.

I think I need a keyboard macro for that phrase.... No one seems to
have a clue re: our ELOM failures.

>By the way, did you also try the other option of attaching a keyboard,
>mouse and monitor? Obviously not much use if you are not located near the
>machine.

That's how I solved the immediate issue of resetting the IP, once I found
the secret to get to the setup menu.

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

(I'm giving up for now on the serial port; I can talk to other
devices OK so I think my serial term works OK.)

But I went to upgrade to the latest flash and ended up with more confusion.

I grabbed the tools_driver 2.2.0 ISO, opened it, found two images and no
useful help; finally found a mention elsewhere that you need one of them,
depending on if you have a .5M or a 1M flash chip.

I can't see how you can tell; the Download page say you need Motherboard
PN:375-3560-01 or later for the 3D15; but the ELOM says the server board
is PN 26S39MA0001; with current BIOS being S39_3B26.

I guessed that 323_3B27 was the right one; installed it with the ELOM GUI
tool, and the ELOM showed it was now upgraded to 3.23. Great.

But the Server Board BIOS is still S39_3B26. Huh?



(Then we get into the ELOM JAVA swamp... The ELOM needs JAVA too new for
my laptop, but I have temporary use of an IntelMac, and thought I'd
try it. Alas, when I try and start the pushed applet; it opens a text
edit box with XML instead of Java Web Start. Now to figure out how to
straighten THAT out.)






--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

I'm going downhill here. I flashed the BIOS to 3B27, and while ELOM is
still working, the server is dead. Note that per the ELOM, the BIOS is
still at 3B26...

When you power up, the fans spin, lights blink, but the USB and video
ports are dead, and the machine does nothing.

Flash older BIOS versions -- no change.


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

In article <ha0snd$4p8$>,
David Lesher <> wrote:
>When you power up, the fans spin, lights blink, but the USB and video
>ports are dead, and the machine does nothing.

WAG, pull the power cables from your power supplies and try a
cold boot.

Also open the enclosure and confirm the P/N on the mainboard
if you don't have Sun's yellow/gold system spec sheets handy
which break out the parts shipped in your system.

John

(John D Groenveld) writes:

>In article <ha0snd$4p8$>,
>David Lesher <> wrote:
>>When you power up, the fans spin, lights blink, but the USB and video
>>ports are dead, and the machine does nothing.

>WAG, pull the power cables from your power supplies and try a
>cold boot.

Tried that 3-4 times...

>Also open the enclosure and confirm the P/N on the mainboard
>if you don't have Sun's yellow/gold system spec sheets handy
>which break out the parts shipped in your system.

How will I know what I'm looking for?


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On 2009-10-01, David Lesher <> wrote:
> (John D Groenveld) writes:
>
>>In article <ha0snd$4p8$>,
>>David Lesher <> wrote:
>>>When you power up, the fans spin, lights blink, but the USB and video
>>>ports are dead, and the machine does nothing.
>
>>WAG, pull the power cables from your power supplies and try a
>>cold boot.
>
> Tried that 3-4 times...
>
>>Also open the enclosure and confirm the P/N on the mainboard
>>if you don't have Sun's yellow/gold system spec sheets handy
>>which break out the parts shipped in your system.
>
> How will I know what I'm looking for?

Well ... based on the Sun Blade 1000 and Sun Blade 2000, there
should be a barcode label somewhere inconvenient on the system board (PC
people call it the Motherboard.) (On these two SB systems, it is hidden
by PCI cards which may or may not be installed). It will include both
the bar code and a human-readable number. The first seven digits of the
number will match one of the two numbers you are looking for -- but
there will be more digits as well, which turn the part number into a
serial number for the board.

Be prepared with a small LED flashlight to help in the search.
On the CPU modules for the SB-[12]000, the barcode label is gold
colored, but on the system boards, it is white, so I don't know what to
expect in your system.

Hopefully, you have not totally locked yourself out from an
ability to change the firmware in flash.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Email: <> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
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