Huawei server setup

This page contains information for selected Huawei servers: XH620 and RH2288H.

Documentation and software

XH620 V3 server

RH2288H V3 server

  • RH2288H_User_Guide.

  • RH2288H_Software_downloads are at the bottom of the RH2288H page Technical Support section. The latest software (topmost on the list) Version and Patch Number should be used. The software includes drivers for supported OSes, and BIOS and iBMC firmware updates.

X6800 chassis

Rack cabinet requirements from the X6800_White_paper:

  • The depth of an X6800 chassis is 898 mm, and therefore the cabinet depth must be no less than 1200 mm.

SUMMARY: How to manage a Huawei server

This is a summary of the steps required to configure a factory default Huawei server so that it becomes manageable.

The most important steps are to reconfigure the BIOS and the iBMC management processor. The sections below provide full details.

Assumptions:

  • Your server as well as management networks use a DHCP server to manage IP addresses.

The following steps must be taken in numerical order:

  1. Attach a console screen and keyboard and boot the server into BIOS Setup mode (press DEL).

  2. Remove the useless BIOS setup (supervisor) password installed by Huawei.

  3. Read the server’s port 1 Ethernet MAC address.

  4. Go into the iBMC Configuration menu and read the iBMC Ethernet MAC address.

    • Configure the iBMC Ethernet for DHCP IP address assignment (a static IP address is the factory default).

    • For a X6800 chassis only: Configure the Aggregation chassis management Ethernet port.

  5. In BIOS Setup press F10 to save the changes and exit to reset the server.

  6. Connect Ethernet cables to the server port 1 and the iBMC Mgmt ports.

    • For a X6800 chassis only: Connect an Ethernet cable to the chassis management Aggregation Ethernet port in stead of the server’s Mgmt port.

  7. Configure your network’s DHCP server with the MAC addresses learned in steps 3 and 4.

    • Make sure that the iBMC responds to network ping packets.

  8. Use the Huawei uMate tool (from the FusionServer_tools web page) to reconfigure BIOS settings as required (uMate works through the iBMC).

    • It is a good idea to update also the BIOS and iBMC firmware.

    • Note: The uMate is unable to set all required BIOS parameters, so some parameters may have to be set manually in the BIOS Setup.

  9. Reboot the server and perform a PXE network installation of operating system.

Booting and BIOS configuration

A boot menu will be presented:

  • F5 to select keyboard: Only US English and French are available!

  • DEL to enter BIOS setup

  • F11 to Boot Manager

  • F12 to PXE boot

The server like RH2288H will first spend some time configuring storage connected to the LSI MegaRAID controller, then proceed with the booting.

BIOS keyboard layout

Using F5 at startup, the BIOS can configured to accept one of the following national keyboard layouts:

  • US English, French.

In order to enter the BIOS setup initially, you have to type the default password: Huawei12#$

However, this won’t work with many national keyboards because the characters # and $ will be placed on different keys.

The trick for national keyboards is to type this default password as:

  • Huawei12(shift)3(shift)4

For newer servers such as XH321 V5 the Administrator password is: Admin@9000

The trick for national keyboards is to type this default password with (shift)2 for “@” as:

  • Admin(shift)2(un-shift)9000

Since BIOS thinks the keyboard uses a US layout, this will work correctly.

Configure BIOS settings

Press DELETE to enter the BIOS setup. The (silly) Huawei password Huawei12#$ is required to enter BIOS setup! Press F9 to set defaults, F10 to Save and Exit.

Consider changing the defaults:

  • Go to the Security submenu and select Clear supervisor password (see below).

  • Go to the Boot submenu and select appropriate boot devices, for example:

    • Boot Type = Legacy Boot Type.

    • Go to the Boot Type Order submenu and select appropriate boot order:

      • PXE, CD, Hard Disk (use F5/F6 to move down/up).

  • Go to the Advanced submenu:

    • In Intel RC Group:

      • Go to Advanced Power Management Configuration and set Power Policy Select to Performance for HPC computing. Notice: Setting this will (unexpectedly) reset other unrelated parameters such as Hyper-Threading!

      • Go to Processor Configuration. Set Hyper-Threading to Disabled for HPC computing.

    • Go to PXE configuration to write down the on-board Ethernet MAC address. Also verify the PXE enabled/disabled settings. Note: On the XH620 V3 server, the Ethernet MAC address seems to be defined by the small mini-board containing the LAN ports at the server’s front.

    • Go to IPMI iBMC configuration to update the iBMC management controller configuration:

      • Write down the iBMC Ethernet MAC address.

      • Set Restore on AC Power Loss to Last state.

      • Verify the Set iBMC services which actually means the SSH login service (enabled by default).

      • In iBMC Configuration configure:

        • The iBMC network port iBMC&NCSI Select is set to Dedicated by default. Select the appropriate value for your installation:

          • Dedicated: Use the server’s front port.

          • Aggregation: Use the X6800 chassis consolidated management port (cannot be selected with Auto).

          • Shared-LOM: Share the server’s Ethernet port.

          • Auto: If you select this option, the iBMC automatically selects a network port as the iBMC management network port based on the connection status of optional network ports. You need to specify optional network ports by selecting check boxes. If multiple network ports are connected, the iBMC selects a network port as the iBMC management network port based on the following priority: dedicated network port > LOM network port > PCIe extern port. The aggregation network port cannot be automatically selected.

        • You may change the iBMC password. (Note: special characters will be used - remember that BIOS uses US keyboard layout!)

        • Set the IPv4/IPv6 IP Source configuration for DHCP.

    • In Misc configuration you should set Wake on LAN to enabled.

Missing BIOS configuration items

The following desired BIOS settings are unavailable (as of BIOS V350):

  • Keyboard NUMLOCK = Enabled/Disabled

  • There does not seem to be any way to display the iBMC Event Log within the BIOS setup. In stead you may use the iBMC GUI, or the command ipmitool sel elist in Linux.

BIOS settings for Intel OmniPath network adapter

If you install an Intel OmniPath network adapter, there is an Intel recommendation (BIOS dependent) to set the PCIe bus speed to Gen2, see our OmniPath page. The default BIOS setting may be that the PCIe speed is set to Auto (may vary with BIOS). For a PCIe Gen3 x16 adapter the PCIe bus speed should be 8 GT/s, whereas Gen2 speed would only be 5 GT/s. Please verify your adapter’s speed.

In the Huawei BIOS configure this in the Advanced->Intel RC Group->IIO Config -> IIO1:

  • Select the correct PCIe slot, it may be the Port3A x16 port.

  • Set the link speed to Auto.

Optimized BIOS settings

Download the manual Intel® Omni-Path Performance Tuning User Guide. See Chapter 2.0 BIOS Settings about recommended settings, which are likely important for any type of network fabric.

For the Huawei server BIOS configuration please first perform the above standard configurations for HPC servers. Then go to the Advanced->Intel RC Group and configure:

  • Advanced Power Management Configuration:

    • EIST Support (Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology) = Enabled.

    • Turbo Mode = Enabled.

    • CPU C-State = Enabled.

    • Processor C3 report = Disabled.

    • Processor C6 report = Enabled.

  • IIO Configuration:

    • IIO1 Configuration:

      • All ports: Link Speed = Auto

      • All ports: PCI-E Port Max Payload Size = Auto

      • IOU Non-posted Prefetch = Disabled (available with BIOS V350 or later).

    • Intel VT for Directed I/O (VT-d) = Disabled.

  • QPI Configuration:

    • Snoop Mode Select = HomeSnoop+OSB (improved memory bandwidth)

  • Memory Configuration: Numa (NUMA Optimized) = Enabled.

To save the settings and reboot:

  • Press F10 Save and Exit.

BIOS password protection

Many BIOS functions are password protected, making normal server operation quite cumbersome. For example, PXE booting is only permitted after typing the BIOS password!

Huawei servers seem to have a factory default BIOS as well as iBMC password which is printed on a label on top of the chassis:

Huawei12#$

which you can easily find by this Google search or with some effort look up in the system User Guide. system In the BIOS setup you should select Clear supervisor password in order to disable this annoying password.

iBMC network configuration

Go to the XH620_Documentation page and find the document entitled X6800 Server Node V100R003 iBMC User Guide, this contains the full iBMC documentation.

The server’s factory default is for the iBMC to connect to the Dedicated port on the server cabinet (label: Mgmt). You can connect a network cable to that port.

The factory default iBMC network uses a fixed IP address. The factory default static IP address of each iBMC is 172.31.1.128 + slot-number, where slot-number=1..8. The netmask is 255.255.255.0.

You may change the IP configuration to DHCP, provided you have configured the iBMC’s MAC-address in your DHCP server. This is described above under BIOS configuration. Alternatively, from the Linux OS you can configure the iBMC to use DHCP:

ipmitool lan set 1 ipsrc dhcp

If you want to use the X6800 chassis consolidated management port (label: Mgmt on the chassis “ears”), you have to change the iBMC configuration. This is described above under BIOS configuration.

Alternatively, connect a cable temporarily to the Dedicated port so that the iBMC connects to the network and uses DHCP. Now you can use SSH to login to the iBMC IP address as user root with the (silly) Huawei password.

Read the iBMC User Guide sections:

  • Setting the Network Port Mode (netmode)

  • Setting the active port (activeport)

Query the iBMC network port mode:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -d ipinfo

Change the iBMC port configuration:

ipmcset -d netmode -v 1
ipmcset -d activeport -v 3

If you have many nodes to configure, this is a very time-consuming process. You can reconfigure many iBMC’s using a script ibmc_consolidated_port.sh, it requires the command sshpass to be installed with this RPM:

yum install sshpass

iBMC security warning

If the iBMC is connected to a network (see above), anyone with access to login using SSH or the web GUI (port 443) as the default user root and the default Huawei password can take over the iBMC controller and thereby control the server remotely! This is documented in the system User Guide section Accessing the CLI of the iBMC Management Software.

It is strongly recommended to:

  • Make sure the iBMC network is completely private with no possibility of any unauthorized access by SSH.

  • Change the default iBMC password (see above).

Obviously, Huawei ought to configure random iBMC passwords from the factory and print them on labels attached to the servers.

SSH login to iBMC

The integrated management module (referred to as the iMana) is a control unit used to manage servers. When the iBMC network interface has been configured correctly, it is possible to login to the iBMC CLI using SSH.

Note: If you have several SSH authentication key files ($HOME/.ssh/id_*) they will be tried in turn, and since the iBMC accepts a maximum of 3 login attempts, SSH logins may fail with the error:

Received disconnect from 10.x.x.x port 22:2: Too many authentication failures

Workaround: Specify only 1 of the keys to the SSH command, for example:

ssh -i $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa <iBMC_hostname>

iBMC operation

See the HUAWEI Server iMana_200_User_Guide which explains iBMC GUI and CLI operations.

For example, iBMC and BIOS upgrades can be performed using the iBMC CLI interface via SSH login. The guide instructions in 3.4.11 Upgrading the Software (upgrade) are:

iBMC:/->ipmcset -d upgrade -v /tmp/*.hpm [option]
option: 0: Do not restart the iMana.
You need to upload the upgrade files to the tmp directory on the target server over file transmit tool (just as SFTP), and then upgrade the iMana software in CLI mode.

Display the iBMC LAN configuration:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -d ipinfo
EthGroup ID           :  1
Net Mode              :  Manual
Net Type              :  Dedicated
IPv4 Information      :
IP Mode               :  dhcp
IP Address            :  10.5.135.94
Subnet Mask           :  255.255.0.0
Default Gateway       :  scp
MAC Address           :  20:3d:b2:20:bf:e5
...

Modify the LAN configuration to Manual and Aggregated:

ipmcset -d netmode -v 1
ipmcset -d activeport -v 3

where the modes are:

  • 1: manual

  • 2: adaptive

and the network ports are:

  • 0: indicates dedicated network port

  • 1: indicates LOM

  • 2: indicates PCIe extern port

  • 3: indicates aggregation network port

IRC: iBMC remote console

In the iBMC web page you can start a system console as a Java client.

Alternatively install the Independent Remote Console (IRC) which is a remote control tool developed by Huawei based on the server management software iBMC. The IRC offers the same functions as the Remote Virtual Control function of the iBMC WebUI. With the IRC, you can access and manage the server in real time. The IRC does not depend on the browser or JRE version, but comes with its own JRE environment.

Download IRC Linux package kvm_client_linux.zip from the FusionServer_tools page. Unpack the files to a new directory:

mkdir kvm_client_linux
cd kvm_client_linux
unzip .../kvm_client_linux.zip

The script KVM.sh contains the KVM console JRE application.

iBMC power control

The server power may be controlled using the iBMC CLI:

ipmcset -d powerstate -v <option>
Options are:
  0    Normal Power Off, deactivate FRU
  1    Power on, activate FRU
  2    Forced Power Off, deactivate FRU

To read the power status:

ipmcget -d powerstate

iBMC configuration using IPMI

From the server’s Linux OS, or from a remote Linux server, you can use the ipmitool command to configure the iBMC.

Change the iBMC’s IP configuration to use DHCP:

ipmitool lan set 1 ipsrc dhcp

Display the iBMC LAN configuration:

# ipmitool lan print 1
Set in Progress         : Set Complete
IP Address Source       : DHCP Address
IP Address              : 10.5.135.2
Subnet Mask             : 255.255.0.0
MAC Address             : 20:3d:b2:44:d3:79
SNMP Community String   : TrapAdmin12#$
IP Header               : TTL=0x40 Flags=0x40 Precedence=0x00 TOS=0x10
Default Gateway IP      : 0.0.0.0
802.1q VLAN ID          : Disabled
RMCP+ Cipher Suites     : 0,1,2,3,17
Cipher Suite Priv Max   : XuuaXXXXXXXXXXX
                      :     X=Cipher Suite Unused
                      :     c=CALLBACK
                      :     u=USER
                      :     o=OPERATOR
                      :     a=ADMIN
                      :     O=OEM

You can list the Ethernet MAC address of all iBMCs using pdsh:

pdsh -w <node-list> "ipmitool lan print 1 | grep MAC | awk '{print \$4}'" | sort

Display the IPMI user list, where userid 2 is the root user:

# ipmitool user list 1
ID  Name           Callin  Link Auth  IPMI Msg   Channel Priv Limit
1                    true    true       true       NO ACCESS
2   root             true    true       true       ADMINISTRATOR
3                    true    true       true       NO ACCESS
4                    true    true       true       NO ACCESS
...

Configure our own BMC password for user 2 (root):

ipmitool user set password 2 <some-password>

When the password complexity check function is enabled, the password must meet the following requirements:

  • Must contain 8 to 20 characters.

  • Must contain at least one space or one of the following special characters:

    `~!@#$%^&*()-_=+\|[{}];:'",<.>/?
    
  • Must contain at least two types of the following characters:

    • Letters: a to z

    • Letters: A to Z

    • Digits: 0 to 9

One-Click Info Collect

If iBMC logfiles are requested by Huawei, it is easy to create them on the iBMC front web page:

  • Click the button One-Click Info Collect.

  • The web page will ask you to download the data file dump_info.tar.gz. You can send this file to Huawei.

  • An iBMC pop-up windows says: Please delete the collected data file after you have downloaded it (How??).

Diagnostics information in iBMC dump_info file

Some errors are not logged correctly by the iBMC. You can download the dump_info file from the iBMC web interface One-Click Info Collect menu item. Unpack the dump_info tar-ball file.

Examine the dump_info log files for errors, for example, looking for DIMM errors:

[dump_info]# grep DIMM100 LogDump/maintenance_log
2020-09-27 19:43:39 WARN : SVR-0029020,BIOS, mainboard DIMM100 Failure detected by Memory_CE_Bucket,Suggest to replace mainboard DIMM100.

Firmware upgrades

From the XH620_downloads page get the firmware upgrade document named HUAWEI Rack Server Upgrade Guide (iBMC). Unpack the zip-file to get the PDF document. Also download the iBMC and BIOS upgrade files and unzip them to separate directories (because of a conflicting file version.xml) on your PC (not the server).

The Upgrade Guide (iBMC) instructs the user to log in to the iBMC GUI. Use a web browser and enter the iBMC IP address or hostname. Login to the GUI web page with user name root and password are discussed above.

WARNING:

  • Performing firmware upgrades may require the server to be in a OS shutdown mode, since upgrades are performed through the iBMC interface.

  • It is apparently not possible to update BIOS, for example, while the server is operating.

iBMC IP address

To determine the iBMC IP address, see the server’s boot screen. From Linux you can inquire like this:

service ipmi start
ipmitool lan print 1

which will display the IP address.

There is also some documentation in the Upgrade Guide (iBMC) appendix A.1 Querying the IP Address of the iBMC Management Network Port.

Perform firmware upgrade

Read the Upgrade Guide (iBMC) instructions:

  • In the GUI press System->Firmware Upgrade.

  • In Select Target Version: use Browse to select the iBMC firmware file image.hpm.

  • Press Start Update.

  • An iBMC upgrade may take 5-10 minutes, after which the iBMC (not the server) will be restarted. Do not restart the server or the iBMC manually during the update.

  • After a couple of minutes (when the fans go high) login to the GUI again.

Subsequently upgrade the BIOS:

  • In the GUI press System->Firmware Upgrade.

  • In Select Target Version: use Browse to select the BIOS firmware file biosimage.hpm.

  • Press Start Update.

  • The BIOS upgrade takes about 8 minutes.

  • If the Upgrade Progress shows 0% (not 100%) after completion, the upgrade has failed.

  • Check System->Operation Logs.

  • If the logs say Upgrade (BIOS) with (biosimage.hpm) failed, the Upgrade Guide (iBMC) says:

    • Power off the server (from the console) and then upgrade the BIOS (repeat the above).

  • After the upgrade power on the server from the console or the GUI Power pane.

The manual also says:

  • In the top navigation tree, choose Power.

  • In the left navigation tree, choose Power Control.

  • Select Reset. The server will reboot.

Verify firmware versions:

  • In the GUI go to the Information pane to view iBMC Firmware Version and BIOS Firmware Version.

  • If the firmware updates were not successful, look in the iBMC logs. Then try to repeat the above.

Notice: The iBMC GUI may log you out automatically after a certain time, even if you’re actively using the GUI! Then you have to login again and start over. The timeout value can be configured in the GUI Config->System Settings.

X6800 chassis management

The X6800 chassis containing a number of independent server nodes also has an Hyper Management Module (HMM). However, the chassis HMM module has no GUI interface, but only CLI access through its serial port or the network port.

NOTICE from the X6800_White_paper:

  • The active/standby switchover feature of the X6800 HMMs is not available at present. Therefore, the X6800 comes with only one HMM.

Documentation:

X6800 Management Principles

This section is from the X6800 Server User Guide document.

The X6800 uses the HMM and iBMC to perform node management and out-of-band aggregation management:

  • The X6800 uses the HMM to perform management board hot swap, out-of-band aggregation management, and system power consumption managements.

  • The X6800 uses Huawei proprietary iBMC intelligent management system to implement remote server management. The iBMC complies with IPMI 2.0 specifications and provides reliable hardware monitoring and management.

Management principles of the X6800 are as follows:

  • The iBMC and HMM implement management and monitoring of the X6800. The iBMC on each node implements node management through the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), KVM, or virtual DVD-ROM drive. The HMM implements chassis management, which includes fan management, PSU management, and chassis asset management.

  • The HMM and iBMC implement aggregation management through LAN switches (LSWs). The LSWs provide external GE port, through which users can access the HMM and iBMC to manage the chassis and server nodes.

  • The HMM works with the fan switch boards to implements fan management. The fan switch board provides five independent pulse-width modulation (PWM) control signals to control the fan speed and ten tachometer (TACH) signals to detect the fan speed. Based on the ambient temperature and temperature of the temperature-sensitive components on the boards, the HMM uses Huawei speed adjustment algorithms to determine a proper rotation speed, and then sends it to the fan switch board. The fan switch board receives fan speed signals from the fan modules and reports the fan module status to the HMM.

  • PSU monitoring and management: The HMM provides one inter-integrated circuit (I2C) for managing the PSUs and general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins for detecting the PSU installation status and PwrOk state. The HMM supports queries on PSU output power, PSU installation status, and PSU alarms.

Connecting to the chassis HMM via serial port

The chassis rear side has a serial port RJ45 connector on the management module labelled IOIOI. This is the most convenient way to log in to the HMM. Use a USB-to-serial adapter with your PC. Connect a serial port cable with an RJ45 adapter between the PC and the chassis serial port.

Key communication parameters:

Serial Line to connect to: COMn
Speed (baud): 115200
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: None
Flow control: None

This also enables log in to the U-Boot command-line interface (CLI).

Connecting to the chassis HMM via network

Connect a PC to the available chassis Ethernet port (either front or back) with a direct UTP cable. Configure the PC’s IP address appropriately:

  • IP-address 10.10.1.X (example: 10.10.1.2) and netmask 255.0.0.0

Log in to the chassis IP address:

  • SSH to 10.10.1.200 (HMM V1.62 and later).

  • Login: root

  • Password: Huawei12#$ (yes, the publicly known Huawei password!)

Note: If you have several SSH authentication key files ($HOME/.ssh/id_*) they will be tried in turn, and since the iBMC accepts a maximum of 3 login attempts, SSH logins may fail with the error:

Received disconnect from 10.x.x.x port 22:2: Too many authentication failures

Workaround: Specify only 1 of the keys to the SSH command, for example:

ssh -i $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa <iBMC_hostname>

HMM commands

When logged in to the HMM, the on-line help displays help information:

iBMC:/->help
iBMC:/->ipmcget help
iBMC:/->ipmcset help

For example, list the System Event List:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -d sel -v list

Change the root user’s password by:

ipmcset -d password -v root

where the response to Input your password is the publicly known Huawei password Huawei12#$, then select your own password.

Resetting the HMM

If you must reset the HMM, use this command:

ipmcset -d reset

This operation will reboot HMM system, but the servers in the chassis will continue to operate without interruption.

You can reconfigure multiple HMMs using a script similar to the ibmc_consolidated_port.sh discussed above.

Add SSH public key

It is possible to add a SSH user certificate for password-less login, see:

ipmcset -d addpublickey -v <username> <localpath/URL>
Localpath  e.g.: /tmp/key.pub
URL            : protocol://[username:password@]IP[:port]/directory/filename
  The parameters in the URL are described as follows:
      The protocol must be https,sftp,cifs,scp or nfs.
      The URL can contain only letters, digits, and special characters. The directory or file name cannot contain @.
      Use double quotation marks (") to enclose the URL that contains a space or double quotation marks ("). Escape the double quotation marks (") and back slash (\) contained in the URL.
      For example, if you want to enter:
      a b\cd"
      Enter:
      "a b\\cd\""

You should first copy a SSH public-key file to the HMM using SFTP, for example:

# sftp root@<chassis_address>
sftp> put id_rsa.pub /tmp/id_rsa.pub
sftp> quit

Then log in with SSH and add the SSH public-key to the root user (the password must be entered):

iBMC:/->ipmcset -t user -d addpublickey -v root /tmp/id_rsa.pub
Input your password:
Add user public key successfully.

Chassis IP address

When logged into the X6800 chassis iBMC show the MAC address and set the IP address mode to DHCP:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -d ipinfo

Read the chassis iBMC MAC address from the output. The MAC address must be configured in your DHCP server.

Warning: After the following point network contact will be lost to the chassis until it receives a response from a DHCP server on the network!

Now configure the iBMC as a DHCP client:

iBMC:/->ipmcset -d ipmode -v dhcp

Connect the chassis to the network whose DHCP server will offer IP configuration to the X6800 chassis.

Disable login security banner

By default the HMM prints an annoying login security banner at every login:

WARNING! This system is PRIVATE and PROPRIETARY and may only be accessed by authorized users. Unauthorized use of the system is prohibited.
The owner, or its agents, may monitor any activity or communication on the system. The owner, or its agents, may retrieve any information stored within the system.
By accessing and using the system, you are consenting to such monitoring and information retrieval for law enforcement and other purposes.

Fortunately, this security banner can be disabled:

ipmcset -t securitybanner -d state -v disabled

X6800 firmware upgrade

The firmware upgrade Release Notes document describes enhancements, as well as security issue resolved (there are several CVE issues, for example CVE-2016-6898).

The HMM Upgrade Guide describes HMM upgrade impact on system as:

  • Impact on services: None

  • Impact on O&M: No other operation is allowed during the upgrade. You should restart the HMM immediately or later after the upgrade. Services are interrupted during the restart

Points to note:

  • The system user name and password remain unchanged after the HMM upgrade.

  • The active and standby images of the HMM must be upgraded individually.

  • Upgrade the standby image first. After the standby image is upgraded, restart the server and upgrade the original active image.

Firmware upgrade procedure

Quoting the HMM Upgrade Guide, first upgrade the standby HMM image:

  • Verify the firmware versions by:

    iBMC:/->ipmcget -d version
    
  • Copy the firmware image file from a Linux server to the iBMC using SFTP:

    # sftp root@<chassis_address>
    sftp> put /tmp/image.hpm /tmp/image.hpm
    sftp> quit
    

    Windows users may use WinSCP and configure it to use SFTP transfers.

  • Log in and disable logout on timeout:

    ipmcset -d notimeout -v enabled
    
  • Upgrade the HMM software:

    ipmcset -d upgrade -v /tmp/image.hpm
    

After the upgrade is complete, the HMM system automatically restarts.

Important: Log in after the restart and repeat all steps (SFTP, notimeout, upgrade) in order to upgrade the original HMM image.

Power management

To inquire the chassis and node power info:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -t powercapping -d info

To inquire the power supply information:

iBMC:/-> ipmcget -d psuinfo

Chassis health information

To inquire the chassis HMM Alarm Information health info:

iBMC:/->ipmcget -d healthevents

FusionServer tools

In the Support > Product Support > IT > Server > TaiShan web page you may find the FusionServer_tools page. Se documentation files under the Documentation tab.

Under the Downloads tab select the latest Version and Patch Number. Here there will be a list of FusionServer Tools V100R002C00SPC301, for example:

  • FusionServer Tools-uMate-Linux-V128.tar.gz

    In the Linux operating system, for batch inspection, log collection, upgrade firmware, BIOS configuration, BMC configuration, HMM configuration, the power control operation.

uMate tool

The uMate is a Java-based tool used for log collection, firmware upgrade, configuration of BIOS, iBMC, HMM, and System.

The following prerequisites must be installed (this is for CentOS/RHEL):

yum install java-1.8.0-openjdk ipmitool net-snmp-utils python glibc.i686 libXext.i686

If prerequisites are missing, the uMate tool may freeze without any error message.

Unpack the FusionServer Tools-uMate-Linux-Vxxx.tar.gz tar-ball, creating a subdirectory uMate-Linux-V128. Go to this subdirectory and run the uMate GUI or CLI tool:

uMate.sh
uMate_CLI.sh

Remember: For upgrading the BIOS, the server must be rebooted after the BIOS update.

The GUI tool includes a documentation Help window at the ? icon.

In case of errors, look at the log files in the log subdirectory, or temporary files in the work subdirectory.

Issues with uMate

uMate (version V126) has several issues:

  • The GUI window very often appears to be frozen. This occurs on Linux when you use a remote X11 display, for example using SSH login to the server. It often helps to resize or refresh the window in order to update the window contents.

  • A number of performance related BIOS settings are not available in the uMate BIOS Config tool:

    1. QPI Configuration: Snoop Mode Select

    2. IIO Configuration->IIO1 Configuration->Port 3A:

      • Link Speed

      • PCI-E Port Max Payload Size

    3. IIO Configuration->IIO1 Configuration (and IIO2)

      • IOU0, IOU1, IOU2 Non-Posted Prefetch

InfoCollect

FusionServer Tools InfoCollect is used to collect server hardware log files for locating server faults.

However, it is easier to use the iBMC web page One-Click Info Collect as described above.

If you want to collect hardware log(iBMC, iMana, MM board, Switch), please use InfoCollect_BMC_MM_Switch.

Read the FusionServer Tools V2R2 InfoCollect User Guide from the FusionServer_tools page.