Accessing the SPARC System Console (ALOM)

“How do I access the OpenBoot prompt on my SPARC system?”  or, “How do I access the system console on my SPARC system?”  

I address these questions in chapter 3 of my new book, “Solaris 11 System Administration.”   For a complete discussion, pick up a copy of my book, because you really need to understand the entire poweron and bootup process if you have access to the console.  Here are a few pages from chapter 3 answering the above questions.  The method you use is hardware dependendent, so make sure you understand which type of server you are trying to access.

SPARC System Console

Depending on the type of system you have, the console connection could vary. Some servers have a graphics card and keyboard connected to them. Although it’s not recommended, the system console can be redirected to the graphics frame buffer. You cannot use a local graphics monitor to perform initial system installation, nor can you use a local graphics monitor to view POST messages. In most data centers, the console is connected to either the serial management (SER MGT) port or the network management (NET MGT) port on the server. Modern SPARC servers have a connection labeled “SER MGT” or “NET MGT,” which is an RJ-45 connection, and the console is connected to this port. When the system is powered on, and if a keyboard is not detected, the console defaults to this port. This port provides access to the system console, also called the system control facility. The system control facility enables you to remotely manage and administer your server.

Depending on the SPARC hardware, the connection to the system control facility will differ. All T1000 and T2000 servers use the ALOM. The T3, T4, T5xx, and T6xxx series servers use Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM). The M-series Enterprise servers use the eXtended System Control Facility (XSCF). All three system control facilities are different from one another, and I recommend that you refer to the documentation for your specific server. For the examples used in this book, I’ll be covering ALOM and ILOM.

For more information on using ALOM, refer to “Advanced Lights Out Management (ALOM) CMT v1.4 Guide,” part number 819-7991-10, available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com.

For more information on ILOM, refer to “Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager 3.1 Documentation,” part number E24707-01, available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com. These documents are located in the “Systems Management and Diagnostics” section.

For more information on using XSCF, refer to “SPARC Enterprise M3000/M4000/M5000/M8000/M9000 Servers XSCF User’s Guide,” part number E25381-01, and the XSCF Reference Manual for the hardware platform with which you are working. These documents are available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com. These documents are located in the “SPARC Enterprise Servers” documentation section.

ALOM and the System Controller

The T1000 and T2000 series SPARC servers come preconfigured to allow input and output only by means of the ALOM system controller. The system controller’s circuitry runs independently of the server, using the server’s standby power. Therefore, ALOM firmware and software continue to function when the server OS goes offline or when the server is powered off. The ALOM system controller is accessed through either the SER MGT port or the NET MGT port.

Accessing the ALOM system console through the SER MGT port is the default configuration on most systems. Connect an ASCII terminal using a null modem serial cable with an RJ45 connector to the SER MGT port. The default configuration is:

• 9600 BAUD
• 8 bits
• No parity
• 1 stop bit
• No handshaking (set hardware flow control to none)

By default, the NET MGT port is configured to retrieve its IP address and other network configuration information using a local Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server and allows connections using the Secure Shell (SSH). Most system administrators use the NET MGT port for connecting to the system console. This port can be configured to accept connections from a telnet client or SSH clients, but not both.

The network configuration for the NET MGT port can be modified by connecting to the NET MGT port using either an SSH or telnet client (or connecting to the SER MGT port) and modifying the network configuration manually on the system controller. The IP address for connecting to the NET MGT port is a unique IP address separate from the main server IP address. Refer to the documentation that came with your server or refer to the “Sun Advanced Lights Out Manager (ALOM) Administration Guide” for more information. This document is available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com. See the “SPARC Enterprise Servers” documentation section.

When you have successfully connected to the system controller through either the SER MGT or the NET MGT port, you’ll see the ALOM login prompt:

Sun(tm) Advanced Lights Out Manager CMT v1.7.3

Please login:

Enter the login name and you’ll be prompted to enter a password.

Please Enter password:

The login and password is set up by the system administrator the first time the ALOM console is accessed.

After you enter the correct password, the system controller command prompt is displayed as follows:

sc>

From the system controller prompt, access the console by typing

sc> console

The OpenBoot prompt will appear as follows:

ok

At any time, you can switch back to the system controller prompt from the OpenBoot prompt by typing the pound key (#) followed by the period (.) as follows:

ok #.

Note

When typing # at the OpenBoot prompt, characters are not echoed to the screen.

On a new server, when connecting to the ALOM system controller for the first time using the SER MGT port, there is no default password. When connecting to the system controller using the NET MGT port for the first time, the default password is the last eight digits of the chassis serial number. You must assign a password during the initial system configuration, and the password should be documented in a safe location. If you forget the password, you’ll need to reset the ALOM NVRAM as documented in “Advanced Lights Out Management (ALOM) CMT v1.4 Guide,” part number 819-7991-10, available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com.

The ALOM system controller runs independently of the service regardless of the system power state. As long as AC power is connected to the system and you have a physical connection to either the NET MGT or SER MGT port, you can connect to the system controller at any time. You can then power on the server from the ALOM system controller by typing poweron at the sc> prompt as follows:

sc> poweron

Refer to the “Sun Advanced Lights Out Manager (ALOM) Administration Guide” for more information on the commands that can be issued at the ALOM system controller prompt.

More than one user can access the console, but only one can have write privileges; the others have read-only access. In other words, several users can view the console, but only one user can enter commands. To gain write access to the console, use the –f option as follows:

sc> console –f

Warning: User currently has write permission to this console and forcibly removing them will terminate any current write actions and all work will be lost. Would you like to continue? [y/n]y

Enter #. to return to ALOM.

Answer y when prompted and you’ll take over the console and be granted write access. All other users will have read-only access.

ILOM and the Service Processor

The T3, T4, T5xx, and T6xxx series servers come preconfigured to allow input and output only by means of the ILOM service processor. The ILOM service processor is accessed through either the SER MGT or the NET MGT.

You can access the ILOM service processor through the SER MGT. Connect an ASCII terminal using a null modem serial cable with an RG 45 connector to the SER MGT port. The default configuration is:

▪     9,600 baud

▪     8 bits

▪     No parity

▪     1 stop bit

▪     No handshaking (set hardware flow control to none)

By default, the NET MGT port is configured to retrieve its IP address and other network configuration information using a local DHCP server and allows connections using an SSH client. Most system administrators use the NET MGT port for connecting to the system console. This port can be configured to accept connections from an SSH client or Web browser based network management connection.

The network configuration for the NET MGT port can be modified by connecting to the NET MGT port using an SSH client (or connecting to the SER MGT port) and modifying the network configuration manually on the system controller. The IP address for connecting to the NET MGT port is a unique IP address separate from the main server IP address. Refer to the documentation that came with your server or refer to the “Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM) 3.0: Daily Management—Concepts Guide” (part number E21447-02) for more information.

Connect to the NET MGT port using SSH as follows:

$ ssh root@

When you have successfully connected to the service processor through either the SER MGT or the NET MGT port, you’ll see the ILOM login prompt:

Version 3.0.0.0 r46636

Copyright 2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights reserved.

Use is subject to license terms.

Enter the login name: The default login name is root.

Please login:root

Enter a password: The default password is changeme.

Please Enter password:changeme

The login name and password is set up by the system administrator the first time the ILOM console is accessed. After entering the correct password, the ILOM command prompt is displayed as follows:

->

When you see the -> prompt, you are on the service processor, not the system console. Start the system console as follows:

-> start /SP/console 

Are you sure you want to start /SP/console (y/n)? y

Serial console started. To stop, type #.

The OpenBoot prompt will appear as follows:

ok

At any time, you can switch back to the service processor prompt from the OpenBoot prompt by typing the pound key (#) followed by the period (.) as follows:

ok #.

Note

When typing #. At the OpenBoot prompt, characters are not echoed to the screen.

The ILOM service processor runs independently of the service regardless of the system power state. As long as AC power is connected to the system and you have a physical connection to either the NET MGT or SER MGT port, you can connect to the service processor at any time. You can then turn on power to the server from the ILOM service processor by typing start /SYS at the -> prompt as follows:

-> start /SYS

For more information on the commands that can be issued at the ILOM service processor prompt, refer to “Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager 3.1 Documentation,” part number E24707-01, available at Oracle’s online technical library at http://docs.oracle.com..

More than one user can access the console, but only one can have write privileges; the others have read-only access. In other words, several users can view the console, but only one user can enter commands. To gain write access to the console, use the –force option as follows:

-> start –force /SP/console

The rest of chapter 3 describes:

• Booting a SPARC (and x86) system
• The OpenBoot Environment (acessing OBP, configuring OBP)
• The boot-archive
• The kernel
• The init phase of the boot process
• The Service Mangement Facility (SMF)  – everything from managing SMF to configuring your own services
• Creating SMF manifests and profiles
• System Shutdown
• Configuring syslog and rsyslog