IPMI

Alteeve Wiki :: IPMI

IPMI is an acronym for Intelligent Platform Management Interface. This is a technology built into many server-grade mainboards, sometimes via an optional add-in card, that allows "out of band" access to a server. This means that, via an IPMI interface, a user can remotely connect to a server regardless of it's power state. Through this interface the user can check the power state of the server plus one or more of it's sensors. The user can initiate a reboot, power off, power on and so forth.

IPMI is used as the basis of numerous OEM remote access technologies. To learn more, please see the wikipedia entry.

IPMI Setup for Remote Access and Fencing

Note: This applies to CentOS 5.x and is copied from another document. It needs serious cleanup.

Install IPMI:

yum install freeipmi.x86_64 freeipmi-bmc-watchdog freeipmi-ipmidetectd OpenIPMI.x86_64 OpenIPMI-libs.x86_64 OpenIPMI-perl.x86_64 OpenIPMI-tools.x86_64
chkconfig ipmi on
/etc/init.d/ipmi start

You can check that IPMI is working now by running:

ipmitool chassis status

System Power         : on
Power Overload       : false
Power Interlock      : inactive
Main Power Fault     : false
Power Control Fault  : false
Power Restore Policy : always-off
Last Power Event     : 
Chassis Intrusion    : inactive
Front-Panel Lockout  : inactive
Drive Fault          : false
Cooling/Fan Fault    : false

Now setup the IPMI BMC.

Node1:

ipmitool -I open lan set 1 macaddr 00:22:15:d6:32:a8
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 ipsrc static
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 ipaddr 10.255.135.12
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 defgw ipaddr 10.255.255.254
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 netmask 255.255.0.0
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 password secret
ipmitool -I open user set password 2 secret
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 snmp iplink
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 access on
ipmitool mc reset cold
sleep 5
ipmitool -I open lan print 1

node2:

ipmitool -I open lan set 1 macaddr 00:22:15:d6:32:a9
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 ipsrc static
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 ipaddr 10.255.135.13
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 defgw ipaddr 10.255.255.254
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 netmask 255.255.0.0
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 password secret
ipmitool -I open user set password 2 secret
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 snmp iplink
ipmitool -I open lan set 1 access on
ipmitool mc reset cold
sleep 5
ipmitool -I open lan print 1

Both should finish showing something like:

Set in Progress         : Set Complete
Auth Type Support       : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
Auth Type Enable        : Callback : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
                        : User     : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
                        : Operator : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
                        : Admin    : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
                        : OEM      : NONE MD2 MD5 PASSWORD 
IP Address Source       : DHCP Address
IP Address              : 10.255.135.12
Subnet Mask             : 255.255.0.0
MAC Address             : 00:22:15:d6:32:a8
SNMP Community String   : iplink
IP Header               : TTL=0x40 Flags=0x40 Precedence=0x00 TOS=0x10
BMC ARP Control         : ARP Responses Enabled, Gratuitous ARP Disabled
Gratituous ARP Intrvl   : 2.0 seconds
Default Gateway IP      : 10.255.255.254
Default Gateway MAC     : 00:00:00:00:00:00
Backup Gateway IP       : 0.0.0.0
Backup Gateway MAC      : 00:00:00:00:00:00
RMCP+ Cipher Suites     : 0,1,2,3,6,7,8
Cipher Suite Priv Max   : uaaaXXaaaXXXXXX
                        :     X=Cipher Suite Unused
                        :     c=CALLBACK
                        :     u=USER
                        :     o=OPERATOR
                        :     a=ADMIN
                        :     O=OEM

Now test access to both machines from a remote workstation in the Interlink office by calling:

digimer@lework:~$ ipmitool -I lan -H 10.255.135.12 -U admin -P secret chassis power status
Chassis Power is on
digimer@lework:~$ ipmitool -I lan -H 10.255.135.13 -U admin -P secret chassis power status
Chassis Power is on

If you don't see: Chassis Power is on for both, something has gone wrong.

Now to reboot or power off a given server, you can call either:

# Reboot node1
ipmitool -I lan -H 10.255.135.12 -U admin -P secret chassis power cycle
# or Power off node2
ipmitool -I lan -H 10.255.135.13 -U admin -P secret chassis power off

Done! That command above also doubles as the fence command

 

Any questions, feedback, advice, complaints or meanderings are welcome.
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