From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jan 28 12:21:50 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 99C8716A420 for ; Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:21:50 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from constellation.thenetnow.com (thenetnow.com [69.90.69.141]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0340D43D46 for ; Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:21:49 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from hpeel.ody.ca ([216.240.12.2] helo=GRANT) by constellation.thenetnow.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.54) id 1F2p5H-000HHl-O1; Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:21:39 -0500 Message-ID: <007801c62405$66646610$6401a8c0@GRANT> From: "Grant Peel" To: References: <001201c61eaf$28d81e00$6501a8c0@GRANT> <43D4DF7E.2090706@dial.pipex.com> <000a01c620e7$874ea410$6501a8c0@GRANT> <43D63D84.9030801@dial.pipex.com> <00be01c620f7$b585bed0$6501a8c0@GRANT> <43D646DF.6020209@dial.pipex.com> <000c01c621bf$1ccd13f0$6501a8c0@GRANT> <43D797A6.5010606@dial.pipex.com> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:21:40 -0500 Organization: The Net Now Internet MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 Cc: Alex Zbyslaw Subject: Re: Dell DRAC QUestion X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Grant Peel List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:21:50 -0000 Hi all, I have no problems (knock on my wooden head for saying that!), and no issues at the current time, but am sending this email so it will go into the archives and perhaps help someone (maybe me LOL) in the future. I will use lots of keywords below to assist in the search archive process. Disclammer - I am not a writer. :-) Getting Remote Console to work on DRAC cards on Dell PowerEdge servers. Equipment: 1. Dell PowerEdge 750, FreeBSD 4.10 DRAC III/XT -plugged into slot 2 PCI bus. 2. Dell PowerEdge 750, FreeBSD 5.4 DRAC III/XT -plugged into slot 2 PCI bus. 3. Dell PoweEdge 1850, FreeBSD 6.0 DRAC 4/I -plugged into internal dedicated onboard DRAC slot. No (local) keyboards plugged into the machines as they are all in cages at NOC. Machines have DRACs connected to a dedicated port on WAN switch. static IPs assigned, although they do have DHCP client abilities. System BIOS correctly configured to allow DRAC to 'hook' into botting and operating states. This setup slightly different between systems, but well documented in the drac lit. Synopsis: Server administrators should be able to connect to a dead (OS) system and perform maintenance over IP when the system is powered up, or at least plugged in. Problem: No matter what we do it seems we can't connect to our Dell PowerEdge Server's DRAC (Dell Remote Access Cards). Answers: So much simpler than I originally anticipated. On server 1 (Listed above): I removed the flag in the kernel that instructed freebsd to disable the the keyboard if there was not local one plugged in. ( it seems the DRAC (JAva) console is not found until it is called by the browser). Alos, ensure the kernel has AT Keyboard driver and device installed as the XT (DRAC III) uses AT and not USB. The kernel conf now looks like # atkbdc0 controls both the keyboard and the PS/2 mouse device atkbdc0 at isa? port IO_KBD device atkbd0 at atkbdc? irq 1 device psm0 at atkbdc? irq 12 note the absence of the flag: flags="0x1" The fix for FreeBSD 5.x is roughly the same, but the flag may have to be removed from /boot/device.hints and the system rebooted. In short, for the DRAC III need to ensure at keyboard is installed, and not disabled when the boots without a keyboard connected. On server 3: dmesg showed in the broken state, the drac was trying to connect to a ugen driver, it would then immediately disconnect. Someone mentioned that I change what device and driver it connect to and as. see below. Ensured that the USB (v1) drivers were installed. It seems that the system bus supports USBII, but the card itself uses USB. So I added the options usb to the mix in the kernel and recompiled. Worked like a charm. Disableing the other USB drivers was not necessary. Also, to ensure the console keyboard was connected to the USB keyboard on the DRAC when connected to, I added the "unload atkbd" flag to device hints (FBSD 6.0) hint.atkbd.0.flags="0x1", similoar to the flag that would be added to pre6.0 in kernel conf. I can;t definitively say that an extenal local USB or atkbd keyboard will work since I have not had the oppertunity to test yet. Server 2. Worked as is. not quite sure why yet. Although its config at install time was almost identical to server 1. Dell DRAC Dell Remote Access Card Serial Console Remote Controll Setup Installation Install -Grant P.S. Thanks Alex!