[mdlug] Remote access "lights out" vis serial port.

[Dan Pritts]

if you have poweredge servers most of them have the option to send
the BIOS output to the serial port.  With some of the older servers
it required a bios update.

The oldest server I'm sure has this is a 2450.  

what i typicallly do is 
 a) set this in the BIOS but tell it not to redirect after boot
 b) tell grub to use a serial console
 c) run a getty on the serial port

I also have separate power controllers so i can reboot a wedged machine.  

To do X over a serial connection you'd need to configure PPP; it makes things
more complicated but it's possible.  

On Fri, Jun 08, 2007 at 09:39:47AM -0400, - wrote:
> I have a group of machines that are not in a place that is easy to get to if
> there is issues and the company does not want to pay for roving techs to
> reboot or watch as the machines boot, or pay for KVM switches.
> 
> So question is.
> Looking for some options to access my dell machines running Red Hat (multi
> versions)  using the serial port.  I know Dell sells some remote management
> cards but the hardware is so old that they do not have cards that will
> work.
> 
> Some "like to haves" would be - Viewing boot up cycle, able to reboot
> machine when nic cards are down,  X-windows over serial,  access to bios
> changes.  I believe anything with low level hardware access most likely is
> not possible via serial port but maybe some one has some ideas.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> VP

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danno
--
dan pritts
danno at umich.edu
734-929-9770