1. Ilo Remote Console Not Working
2. Hp Ilo Remote Console Port

I have a HP ProLiant Microserver Gen9. It has HP ILO version 4, but the Java based Remote Console doesn't work reliably and I can't use it after the POST screen in the free version of ILO (asks me to buy an ILO Advanced license). So I want to use the serial console instead to get a login on the server.

What do I have to do on an Ubuntu system to get all phases (POST, BIOS configuration, GRUB's output, the eventual login prompt) of the boot process in a serial console via the server's ILO network port? How do I connect to it?

nh2

The HP Lights-Out Console (HPLOCONS) provides the full iLO Integrated Remote Console (IRC) experience directly from your Windows desktop without going through the iLO web-based user interface. With the HP Lights-Out Console (sometimes called the Stand-Alone Remote Console) you can access your server’s remote console with one click of the mouse.

nh2

• With the convenience of full remote capability via your browser or mobile device, HPE iLO Advanced enables your servers to do more for your business in less time. Designed for the enterprise environment, the HPE iLO Advanced license unlocks all the management features needed to securely configure, optimize, and support the servers that.
• May 23, 2014  Dear spiceheads, Just trying to figure something out with connecting to remote HP servers using iLO. I can connect to iLO homepage through a web browser and change stuff around, when I try to connect to the remote console using java or something else it just sits there saying connecting and then times out.

ILO Advanced license. Ideal for the enterprise environment, this license provides key features like integrated remote console, virtual media, directory integration, and iLO Federation to improve speed, scale, and simplicity. Re: Using HP iLO without license for POST monitoring only Hello albertwt, ILO management without license has limited or disabled features like remote console, virtual media.

3 Answers

The ILO port on the HP server by default asks for an IP via DHCP. So you just need to plug it into a network that has a DHCP server running. It will announce itself with a host name like ILOCZ12345678 which should make it easier to find in your router's DHCP lease table, or in e.g. journalctl/syslog if you run a DHCP server (e.g. isc-dhcp-server) on a system like Ubuntu.

After you've found the IP (say 1.2.3.4), you can connect to ILO's GUI interface via https://1.2.3.4. But that's not what we're looking for, we want the serial console. So instead, use ILO's SSH interface: ssh Administrator@1.2.3.4. The default password is on the little paper tag that comes with the Microserver.

Note this also works when the server is shut down as long as it has a power cable stuck into it (that is the point of ILO).

In there, type ? to see all options. Excerpt:

We choose VSP to get the serial port; TEXTCONS would probably also be nice, but you'd have to buy the Advanced ILO license to use it.

Now, once we do that, with a running system, it just hangs at

That's because by default, Ubuntu (I'm using 16.04 here) doesn't make a login prompt available via the serial port. We'll change that later. First we reboot to see that the BIOS config already works.

Seeing it boot via the serial port

In another ILO ssh session, reboot using:

After some waiting time, you'll notice that the session in which VSP is running has cleared its screen.

Then appears:

That's the POST screen. Wait a bit and see:

If you want to configure the BIOS, now is your time: This screen appears only for 1 second or so. The F* keys typically don't work, they need to be escaped: You literally have to press the ESC key and then the number/symbol as it says above. E.g. ESC and then 5 is for F5.

Now, without further settings, we get silence at the serial port, because as mentioned above, neither GRUB2 nor the Ubuntu login terminals output by default to the serial port in 16.04.

So we configure the server (now via SSH) to use the serial port.

Making GRUB2 use the serial port

I follwed the instructions at https://www.hiroom2.com/2016/06/06/ubuntu-16-04-grub2-and-linux-with-serial-console/ changing /etc/default/grub as described (- means comment out the line with #, + means add the line):

The timeout of 10 seconds is set because the serial connection redraws the screen extremely slowly, and we want enough time to be able to cancel the timeout by pressing e.g. key-down in GRUB.

After changing the file as described, run sudo update-grub, and reboot.

You should now see in your VSP session the following after the POST screen:

We ignore this (if you know how to get rid of this, please comment). After a shor time, this appears:

Aug 16, 2015  Synaptics Touchpad on Windows 10 Hello. I've recently upgraded to windows 10 and my Synaptics Touchpad lost its scrolling and tap-to-click features. The driver is a version 9.x, but when I try to update drivers, says it's the most current. I tried downloading newer drivers from Synaptics and Lenovo, but they didn't work at all. Dear everyone, I have just installed fresh copy of Windows 10 and when I tried to install some drivers I was quite surprised that there are no win. Lenovo touchpad driver windows 10. Lenovo Global Support Home. Synaptics touchpad driver windows 10 lenovo free download - Synaptics Touchpad Driver, Synaptics Touchpad driver 7.2.5.0.zip, Synaptics TouchPad Driver 7.5.4.0.zip, and many more programs.

That's a normal GRUB screen, and you can move the * pointer with the up and down keys.

Making the Ubuntu login use the serial port

The following bits are inspired by http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/serial-console.html

Now edit /etc/systemd/system/serial-getty@ttyS1.service:

Change the line

to

We especially care to set the mode vt100-nav -- I found that the login doesn't appear without this change.

I'm not sure why we have to use ttyS1 here while in GRUB we configured ttyS0 -- but it doesn't work for me to use S0 here. If somebody knows why, please comment.

Start the tty via:

Ilo Remote Console Not Working

You should now see a login prompt in your VSP session. Make this happen automatically at boot using:

And reboot. You should now see all the output in VSP, from POST to GRUB2 to the login prompt.

nh2nh2

Use textcons from the ILO ssh interface. This may require the ILO Advanced license, but at the same time, there's a very low barrier to obtaining one.

Most organizations aren't interested in making the virtual serial port work because it's time consuming.

Google for an ILO license
or obtain a demo license from HP
or just pay $25 for an ILO key from Amazon

ewwhiteewwhite

In RHEL7 'error: terminal `serial' isn't found' is due to the fact that Anaconda does not place a 'serial' device driver in the RAM image. It is possible to rebuild the RAM disk with the missing driver but Grub seems to function sufficiently without it.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged hp-proliantubuntu-16.04serialilo or ask your own question.

I have the HP iLO Advanced 3 year warranty that is expiring in 7 months. I wanted to know is it worth staying with the advanced pacakge, or can I do the same exact thing with the free version of iLO.

Please advise. Thanks!

ewwhite

Hp Ilo Remote Console Port

2 Answers

This site has a table with the differences: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/servers/ilo/licenses.html

You can't do the same thing with free however its a onetime purchase, warranty is just for support.

Jim BJim B

Don't do anything. You've entered an ILO license key, so your server and ILO will continue operating with the ILO Advanced functionality. The warranty is just paper support.

To answer your question, though, the main difference between the ILO Advanced and unlicensed ILO is that the Advanced license can use remote console and remote media functions. That feature is limited in the free edition.

ewwhiteewwhite

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged hphp-proliantilo or ask your own question.