TECHNICAL NOTES

EMC IPMI Tool

1.0

P/N 300-015-394
REV 02
May, 2016

This Technical Note document contains information on these topics:

EMC IPMI Tool Overview ............................................................................. 2

IPMI tool description .................................................................................. 3
IPMI tool installation .................................................................................. 4
Client network setup .................................................................................. 6
Client IP address configuration................................................................... 7
Access the SP console with the IPMI tool .................................................... 11
WebEx sessions with EMC laptop and Console Access ................................ 14
EMC IPMI Tool Overview

EMC IPMI Tool Overview

This document describes how to use the IPMI tool on a Windows workstation to
access the SP console through serial over LAN on certain EMC storage systems.
Certain storage systems provide console access over Ethernet instead of through the
serial port. The IPMI tool is a network tool similar to ssh or telnet that interfaces with
the BMC chip over an Ethernet connection by using the IPMI protocol.

Note: The BMC only supports the Serial-Over-LAN features of IMPI.

Purpose
This document describes how to:

• Install the IPMItool

• Use the IPMItool
• Configure a Windows workstation to access the storage system
Scope
Use the IPMI tool under the guidance of authorized technical-support personnel. Do
not run unsupported or third party IPMI utilities without approval from your EMC
service representative.

The IPMI tool is a Windows based utility that supports Windows XP, Windows 2000,
Windows Vista, and Windows 7. The tool functions regardless of whether the system
is in service mode, normal mode, or if the SP is rebooting.

Audience
The IPMI tool is intended for storage system administrators, EMC employees, EMC
field partners, EMC and partner service and support personnel, and end users.

Prerequisites
A workstation must meet the following requirements to use the IPMI tool:

• A supported 32-bit or 64-bit Windows operating system

• Windows XP
• Windows 2000
• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• An Ethernet port
• A standard straight-through Ethernet cable
• A hub or switch (for simultaneous access to SP A and SP B)
A workstation must meet the following requirements for remote access to the
console:

• A supported Windows operating system as previously listed.

• Two Ethernet ports, or one Ethernet port and a wireless interface.
• Client network setup provides more information about the setup.

2 IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note

 IPMI tool description

Terminology (optional)
Readers should have general knowledge about the terms listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Terminology
Term Definition
IPMI Intelligent Platform Management Interface. Operates independently of the
operating system, and allows administrators to manage a system
remotely in the absence of an operating system or system management
software.

BMC Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). The intelligent microcontroller

in the IPMI architecture. It manages the interface between the system
management software and the platform hardware.

Admin user This is the BMC console account. It manages and configures the BMC. This
is the only default BMC account.

netsh Network Shell is a Windows command line tool to manipulate the internal
network configurations.

IPMI tool description

IPMI tool is a Windows utility that uses a secure communication channel with the
BMC to access the storage processor (SP) console of supported storage systems. This
utility will require login credentials and an IP address to activate the console.

• Credentials - The username for an IPMI tool command is console, and the
password is the chassis serial number of the system. The serial number for
the system is located on the PSNT tag.
• IP Address - The BMC interface is configured with an EMC private IP address,
reachable only through a direct connection with another computer on the
same private subnet. Configure the client local interface with the EMC private
IP address 128.221.1.250 to establish communication between the client
and the SP.
• This tool does not have a GUI interface. The command prompt is the only way
to use the IPMItool.

IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 3

IPMI tool installation

IPMI tool installation

The IPMI tool utility can be found at https://support.emc.com (registration required)
by searching for “IPMI Tool”.

Figure 1. Example IPMI Tool search result

Complete the following steps to install the IPMI tool on the Windows client:

1. Use Widows Explorer to create a new folder and name it ipmitool.

You will use this folder to hold the files to be extracted.
2. Double-click ipmitool-1.0.zip and specify the location to place the extracted
files.

Figure 2. Specify location

4 IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note

 IPMI tool installation

Figure 3. Locate folder

Figure 4. Select folder

The system displays a message when the IPMI tool successfully extracts the files.

Figure 5. Install successful

IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 5

Client network setup

3. Verify the following files are installed in the ipmitool folder you created.
 cygcrypto-1.0.0.dll
 cyggcc_s-1.dll
 cygwin1.dll
 cygz.dll
 ipmitool.exe

Figure 6. Verify IPMI tool files

Contact your service provider if any files are missing.

Client network setup

There are two troubleshooting scenarios in which to access the SP console:

• Case 1: The storage system administrator is performing troubleshooting

steps.
You will be connecting the Windows client to a network hub or switch on the
same subnet as the storage system to allow simultaneous access to both SPs,
as shown in Figure 7.

6 IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note

 Client IP address configuration

Figure 7. Local user access to the storage system console

If simultaneous access to both SPs is not required, connect the client directly
to the Ethernet service port on one SP.
• Case 2: the storage system administrator is running a WebEx session to allow
remote access to the SPs.
Connect the Windows client as described in Case 1.
Additionally, connect the client to a public network with a second Ethernet
connection, or a wireless connection, as shown in Figure 8. Share the WebEx
session over the public network connection to allow a remote user to access
the private network connection to the storage system.
Note A crossover cable is not required. A standard straight-through
Ethernet capable is sufficient.
Note If the Windows client does not have a second Ethernet port or a
wireless connection, use a USB Ethernet adapter to add a second
port.

Figure 8. Remote user access to the storage system console

Client IP address configuration

The BMC interfaces of the Storage Processors are configured with EMC private IP
addresses: 128.221.1.252 for SP A, and 128.221.1.253 for SP B. These IP addresses
cannot be changed. The client must have an IP address on the 128.221.1.0/24
subnet to access the SP console.
IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 7
Client IP address configuration

Complete the following steps to configure the client IP address:

1. Access the Windows Control Panel.

2. Access the network settings:
a. In Windows 7, select Network and Sharing Center.
b. In all other supported Windows versions, select Network Settings.
3. Identify the interface that is unplugged.

Figure 9. Identify the unplugged network interface

4. Locate the RJ-45 10/100/1000 Ethernet service port on each SP.

Though the location of the service port on the SP will vary depending on the
system type, all systems use the same wrench symbol to mark the service
port.

Figure 10. Wrench symbol indicating the storage system service port

Note If you have trouble locating the SP service port on your system storage
processors, refer to the Hardware Information Guide for your storage system
on support.emc.com for the exact port location.

5. Connect the unplugged interface on the client to the storage system service
port, an Ethernet (RJ-45) 10/100/1000 LAN port.

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 Client IP address configuration
The interface status changes to Connected, as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11. Connected

6. Open a Command Prompt window and use the netsh utility to set the EMC
private IP address 128.221.1.250 on the client:
Note netsh is a Windows command line tool to configure the IP address on the LAN
interface. This utility is available on all supported Windows platforms.
netsh int ip set address <interface name> static <ip address> <netmask> <gw> <gw_metric>

The interface name must match the interface name displayed by the ipconfig
command.
netsh returns a status of OK after completion.

7. Only for the users connected with the EMC corporate network using Cisco
AnyConnect:
Cisco AnyConnect is used to connect with the EMC corporate network. This
software blocks the other interfaces from sending or receiving the packets.
In order to access the SP console, disable the Cisco AnyConnect Driver in
this interface as shown
o Uncheck Cisco AnyConnect Network Access Manager Filter Driver
o Click OK to confirm the changes.

IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 9

Client IP address configuration

Figure 12. Uncheck Cisco AnyConnect Filter Driver

8. Run the ipconfig command from a Command Prompt window to verify the
LAN interface configuration.

Figure 13. Verify LAN interface configuration

10 IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note
 Access the SP console with the IPMI tool

Access the SP console with the IPMI tool

The IPMI tool communicates with the BMC, and redirects the serial console
communications over Ethernet.

From a Command Prompt window, navigate to the folder containing the extracted
IPMI tool files and run the IPMI tool to access the SP console.

A sample command is provided below:

ipmitool.exe -I lanplus -C 3 -U console -P <password> -H <host> sol activate

Where:

• lanplus causes the IPMI tool to use secure communication.

• console is the fixed BMC username
• <password> is the PROD ID/SN value on the storage processor chassis serial
PSNT label.
Refer to Figure 14 for PSNT locations on possible storage processor chassis
types.
• <host> is the BMC IP address
o SP A: 128.221.1.252
o SP B: 128.221.1.253

Figure 14. Possible PSNT locations

IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 11
Access the SP console with the IPMI tool

Locate the chassis serial number on the PSNT label affixed to your system. The PSNT
for your system is located on either a pull out tag on the front or a hanging tag affixed
to the back of the storage processor chassis.
Note If you have trouble locating the PSNT with the PROD ID/SN value on your
system storage processor chassis, refer to the Installation Guide for your
storage system on support.emc.com for the exact tag location.

Figure 15 shows a typical IPMI tool console view. Connect to the SP console, and use
it as a serial console.

• ~ Accesses the IPMI tool help options

• ~ Terminates the IPMI tool session

Figure 15. IPMI tool console view

Figure 16, Figure 17, Figure 18, Figure 19, and Figure 20 depict the IPMI tool display
during storage system storage processor initialization.

Figure 16. SP initialization (1 of 5)

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 Access the SP console with the IPMI tool

Figure 17. SP initialization (2 of 5)

Figure 18. SP initialization (3 of 5)

Figure 19. SP initialization (4 of 5)

IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 13

WebEx sessions with EMC laptop and Console Access

Figure 20. SP initialization (5 of 5)

WebEx sessions with EMC laptop and Console Access

In order to share WebEx session with the EMC internal support team, the user needs
to connect with the EMC network over wireless network using Cisco AnyConnect VPN
agent. The SP console needs to be accessed over the wired network (as described in
the “Client IP Address Configuration" session). Please follow these steps to connect
with the EMC corporate LAN network.

Connect exclusively to the wireless network to avoid automatic switch from wireless
network to wired network. Thus, the wireless network is used to access EMC
corporate LAN and the wired network to access the console of the SP.

Figure 21. Connect exclusively to the wireless network.

14 IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note
 WebEx sessions with EMC laptop and Console Access

Copyright © - EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA.

Published May, 2016

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IPMI Tool 1.0 Technical Note 15