Built-in Fujitsu remote server management portal based on iRMC controller
System administrators are often faced with the need to remotely manage servers or workstations. To solve these problems, they usually use the RDP protocol or software that receives information from agents running under the operating system using other protocols. But what to do if access is needed to a server whose operating system is not available? After all, there are many reasons for this: the server is turned off or hung up, the need to change the BIOS settings of the motherboard or additional adapters. To solve these and other similar problems, Fujitsu servers have a separate integrated Remote Management Controller (iRMC) microcontroller.
In modern Fujitsu servers, the fourth generation of this controller is installed (iRMC S4), which provides management and monitoring of all major server components:
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In fact, the iRMC chip is a complete system-on-chip with an integrated processor and even an operating system. Its main purpose is to monitor the status and control of the server. It depends on iRMC how the server will work in a given situation and whether it will work at all.
To better understand the meaning of the above phrase, let's see how the chip itself functions. When powering the board (powering up the server), the first thing to do is initialize and start the iRMC. This microcomputer built into the server is initialized, loads its own real-time operating system, and then loads data about sensors and sensors (SDR - Sensor Data Records) from the special repository. When the server begins to pass POST, and after passing to load the operating system, it is already partially managed by iRMC. It controls the performance of the cooling system (availability and desired fan speed), adjusting their rotational speed depending on the inlet temperature and the health of the cooling system, thereby preventing the server from overheating. Similar control will be exercised throughout the rest of the work time.
Thus, we get, as it were, a separate computer built into the server, which functions independently of the current state of the server. It doesn't matter if the operating system hangs or components such as the processor, hard drives, memory modules, etc. have failed. - in any case, iRMC will retain its efficiency and help identify the cause of the failure, and often correct it. And in fact, for the operation of iRMC, the availability of power is sufficient, and, accordingly, a connected Ethernet cable is possible to be connected to it.
At the same time, on most models of Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers, the basic configuration already has an additional dedicated network port for management (for access to iRMC and server management). In servers where there is no such port, access is provided through one of the server’s normal network ports, and the port can be reserved exclusively for iRMC or used jointly by the iRMC and the operating system.
The easiest way to use the connection to iRMC is to access the web server embedded in it via an Internet browser. It is with the example of this web server that the simplest and most vividly demonstrated is the functionality that iRMC has. But do not forget that this is not the only connection option, besides it, access to iRMC can be obtained via Telnet and SSH protocols, and the ServerView Common Command Interface (SCCI) provides support for configuration scripts.
But back to our web server. Having passed authorization on it, we immediately get to the page with an overview of the system information in the System Information section, which allows you to understand the server status, any problems with it, as well as information about the running operating system, FRU data and server power consumption. In the same section you can get information about the processor and RAM or network ports on the iRMC S4.
An important difference between the iRMC S4 and the previous generation of iRMC S3 was the appearance of the RAID Information section, which allows you to get information about the state and configuration of the disk subsystem:
The next two sections - BIOS and iRMC S4 - allow us to get detailed information about the firmware, perform backup and restore of their settings, as well as update the firmware. Information on active open sessions is also available in the iRMC S4 section. Here you can enter license keys that activate additional functionality, as well as perform some interface settings, including security certificates. The latter are very important in cases where the server is located in a remote data center and is accessed through publicly accessible communication channels.
In the Power Management section, you can get information about the current status of the server (on or off), determine the boot device at the next reboot, manage the server’s power (turn on, turn off, reboot), configure the server’s operation on a schedule, its behavior after power down, and receive information about the status of power supplies. Its functionality complements the Power Consumption section, which allows you to configure server power management policies, limiting its power consumption and performance to given values. Also here you can monitor the server’s power consumption with the ability to get a detailed view of the changes in power consumption over time:
The Sensors section plays a very important role in diagnosing the status and troubleshooting the server: you can check the current status of all system sensors and compare their values ​​with the control ones, and each state has its own color icon that allows you to instantly identify problem areas:
No less important is the Event Log section for diagnostics, which includes two main logs. First of all, the system log (IPMI SEL content), containing information about events occurring with the server. It also reflects information about the threshold values ​​exceeding by any of the sensors. The second log (Internal Event Log) contains information about authorization attempts and the usage history of the iRMC embedded web server itself.
Using the ServerManagement section, you can configure automatic server reconfiguration and server restarting (ASR & R - Automatic Server Reconfiguration and Restart) based on Watchdog sensors that monitor the success of the server software download (operating system first), and also enable support of HP SIM software.
The Network Settings section allows you to configure the settings for remote access to the iRMC and the embedded web server. The Alert section allows you to configure the delivery addresses of notifications about problems with the server, for example, when a sensor reads beyond normal values ​​using SMTP Trap and email messages:
In the User Management section, you configure users to access iRMC or configure authorization centers, which can be LDAP servers or single Fujitsu ServerView Suite authorization points.
The Console Redirection section allows you to configure the text console and the BIOS console redirection, and if you have the iRMC Advanced Pack (free of charge included with the blade servers, you need to purchase the others) use the hardware KVM. Here you can also get links to access the text console (SOL) or to access iRMC via the network protocols SSH and Telnet.
The last section of Virtual Media (also available only with the purchase of the iRMC Advanced Pack) allows you to mount CD / DVD, hard disk and floppy disk images to a managed server as if they were its physical devices:
As you probably already noticed, the vast majority of the functions of iRMC are available immediately, in the basic delivery of servers. Accordingly, for their use do not need to purchase any additional devices and licenses. In general, if we consider the basic functionality of the iRMC analogues of leading manufacturers, then the solution from Fujitsu looks the most optimal and balanced. For example, let's compare the basic functionality of Fujitsu iRMC S4 with the functionality of HP iLO 4 Standart and Dell iDRAC Express:
Those. in the considered case, Fujitsu provides the most complete functionality right out of the box, without any additional payments. While Dell, for example, not all servers even have iDRAC Express functionality in the database.
We hope that in this material we were able to talk about some of the new features of Fujitsu servers to those of our customers who did not know about them before. And for the rest of this post can serve as an impetus to further study the functionality of servers.
In modern Fujitsu servers, the fourth generation of this controller is installed (iRMC S4), which provides management and monitoring of all major server components:
')
In fact, the iRMC chip is a complete system-on-chip with an integrated processor and even an operating system. Its main purpose is to monitor the status and control of the server. It depends on iRMC how the server will work in a given situation and whether it will work at all.
To better understand the meaning of the above phrase, let's see how the chip itself functions. When powering the board (powering up the server), the first thing to do is initialize and start the iRMC. This microcomputer built into the server is initialized, loads its own real-time operating system, and then loads data about sensors and sensors (SDR - Sensor Data Records) from the special repository. When the server begins to pass POST, and after passing to load the operating system, it is already partially managed by iRMC. It controls the performance of the cooling system (availability and desired fan speed), adjusting their rotational speed depending on the inlet temperature and the health of the cooling system, thereby preventing the server from overheating. Similar control will be exercised throughout the rest of the work time.
Thus, we get, as it were, a separate computer built into the server, which functions independently of the current state of the server. It doesn't matter if the operating system hangs or components such as the processor, hard drives, memory modules, etc. have failed. - in any case, iRMC will retain its efficiency and help identify the cause of the failure, and often correct it. And in fact, for the operation of iRMC, the availability of power is sufficient, and, accordingly, a connected Ethernet cable is possible to be connected to it.
At the same time, on most models of Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers, the basic configuration already has an additional dedicated network port for management (for access to iRMC and server management). In servers where there is no such port, access is provided through one of the server’s normal network ports, and the port can be reserved exclusively for iRMC or used jointly by the iRMC and the operating system.
The easiest way to use the connection to iRMC is to access the web server embedded in it via an Internet browser. It is with the example of this web server that the simplest and most vividly demonstrated is the functionality that iRMC has. But do not forget that this is not the only connection option, besides it, access to iRMC can be obtained via Telnet and SSH protocols, and the ServerView Common Command Interface (SCCI) provides support for configuration scripts.
But back to our web server. Having passed authorization on it, we immediately get to the page with an overview of the system information in the System Information section, which allows you to understand the server status, any problems with it, as well as information about the running operating system, FRU data and server power consumption. In the same section you can get information about the processor and RAM or network ports on the iRMC S4.
An important difference between the iRMC S4 and the previous generation of iRMC S3 was the appearance of the RAID Information section, which allows you to get information about the state and configuration of the disk subsystem:
The next two sections - BIOS and iRMC S4 - allow us to get detailed information about the firmware, perform backup and restore of their settings, as well as update the firmware. Information on active open sessions is also available in the iRMC S4 section. Here you can enter license keys that activate additional functionality, as well as perform some interface settings, including security certificates. The latter are very important in cases where the server is located in a remote data center and is accessed through publicly accessible communication channels.
In the Power Management section, you can get information about the current status of the server (on or off), determine the boot device at the next reboot, manage the server’s power (turn on, turn off, reboot), configure the server’s operation on a schedule, its behavior after power down, and receive information about the status of power supplies. Its functionality complements the Power Consumption section, which allows you to configure server power management policies, limiting its power consumption and performance to given values. Also here you can monitor the server’s power consumption with the ability to get a detailed view of the changes in power consumption over time:
The Sensors section plays a very important role in diagnosing the status and troubleshooting the server: you can check the current status of all system sensors and compare their values ​​with the control ones, and each state has its own color icon that allows you to instantly identify problem areas:
No less important is the Event Log section for diagnostics, which includes two main logs. First of all, the system log (IPMI SEL content), containing information about events occurring with the server. It also reflects information about the threshold values ​​exceeding by any of the sensors. The second log (Internal Event Log) contains information about authorization attempts and the usage history of the iRMC embedded web server itself.
Using the ServerManagement section, you can configure automatic server reconfiguration and server restarting (ASR & R - Automatic Server Reconfiguration and Restart) based on Watchdog sensors that monitor the success of the server software download (operating system first), and also enable support of HP SIM software.
The Network Settings section allows you to configure the settings for remote access to the iRMC and the embedded web server. The Alert section allows you to configure the delivery addresses of notifications about problems with the server, for example, when a sensor reads beyond normal values ​​using SMTP Trap and email messages:
In the User Management section, you configure users to access iRMC or configure authorization centers, which can be LDAP servers or single Fujitsu ServerView Suite authorization points.
The Console Redirection section allows you to configure the text console and the BIOS console redirection, and if you have the iRMC Advanced Pack (free of charge included with the blade servers, you need to purchase the others) use the hardware KVM. Here you can also get links to access the text console (SOL) or to access iRMC via the network protocols SSH and Telnet.
The last section of Virtual Media (also available only with the purchase of the iRMC Advanced Pack) allows you to mount CD / DVD, hard disk and floppy disk images to a managed server as if they were its physical devices:
As you probably already noticed, the vast majority of the functions of iRMC are available immediately, in the basic delivery of servers. Accordingly, for their use do not need to purchase any additional devices and licenses. In general, if we consider the basic functionality of the iRMC analogues of leading manufacturers, then the solution from Fujitsu looks the most optimal and balanced. For example, let's compare the basic functionality of Fujitsu iRMC S4 with the functionality of HP iLO 4 Standart and Dell iDRAC Express:
Those. in the considered case, Fujitsu provides the most complete functionality right out of the box, without any additional payments. While Dell, for example, not all servers even have iDRAC Express functionality in the database.
We hope that in this material we were able to talk about some of the new features of Fujitsu servers to those of our customers who did not know about them before. And for the rest of this post can serve as an impetus to further study the functionality of servers.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/229139/
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