C H A P T E R 5

Accessing the Serv er Blade and Switch Consoles

This chapter contains the following sections:

Section 5.1, Accessing the Server Blade and Switch Consoles

Section 5.2, Exiting From the Switch or Blade Console to the System Controller

Section 5.3, Viewing the Console History on a Server Blade or Switch

Section 5.4, Accessing the Server Blade Consoles Directly Using Telnet

Note - Whenever you are at a switch or blade console, type #. to return to the active System Controller's sc> prompt.

5.1 Accessing the Server Blade and Switch Consoles

Note - You must have c-level user permission on the System Controller to access the console of a server blade or switch. For more information about the user permissions available, see Chapter 3.

To access the console on a server blade, type the following at the System Controller's sc> prompt:

sc> console sn

where n is the number of the slot containing the server blade you want to log into.

To access the console on a switch, type:

sc> console sscn/swt

where n is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the switch whose console you want to access is is in SSC0 or SSC1.

Note - If another user with write-access is already using the blade console you have connected to, your connection will be made "with input disabled". This means that you can view activity on the console but you cannot affect it by typing commands. To find out how to force the other user off the console to gain write access for yourself, see Section 5.1.1, Forcing Another User Off the Console.

5.1.1 Forcing Another User Off the Console

Any user with c-level permissions on the System Controller can access the console on a blade or switch. However, if another user is logged into the console on the server blade that you want to log into, you can force them off it (and yourself onto it) instead.

Note - The number of users with c-level access who can log into the console on a server blade is unlimited. However, only one user at a time can have write access; the rest have read-only access. This means that the other users can observe console activity but they cannot execute any commands.

To force yourself onto a blade console and ensure that write-access passes from any current user to you, type:

sc> console -f sn

where n is the number of the slot containing the server blade you want to log into.

To force yourself onto a switch console and ensure that write-access passes from any current user to you, type:

sc> console -f sscn/swt

where n is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the switch whose console you want to access is is in SSC0 or SSC1.

Note - Of course, any other user with c-level permissions can run this command with the -f option. Therefore, you can have write-access taken away from you in the same way that you can take it away from someone else.

5.1.2 Logging into a Blade Console With Read-only Access

If you do not need write-access to the console (for example, because you are only interested in logging console output), then log into the console specifying the -r option.

For example, to log into the console of the blade in slot 7 with read-only access, you would type:

sc> console -r s7

5.2 Exiting From the Switch or Blade Console to the System Controller

To exit from the switch or blade console and return to the System Controller's sc> prompt, type the `#' character followed immediately by the `.' character.

Wherever you are in the switch's command-line interface or on a blade console, the `#.' escape seq uence will return you to the System Controller's command-line interface.

For example, in the switch console, type the following (but note that the characters are not echoed to the screen):

Console(config)##.

5.3 Viewing the Console History on a Server Blade or Switch

Note - You must have c-level user permission to view the console history of a server blade or switch. For more information about the user permissions available, see Chapter 3.

5.3.1 Viewing Console Information From the Last Time a Server Blade or Switch Booted

To view the information stored in the boot-time buffer of a switch console, type:

sc> consolehistory boot sscn/sc

where n is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the switch whose boot-time console information you want to view is in SSC0 or SSC1.

To view the information stored in the boot-time buffer of a server blade console, type:

sc> consolehistory boot sn

where n is the number of the slot containing the server blade whose boot-time console data you want to view.

The boot-time buffer stores output from the last reset or power-on of the server blade or switch to the point where its operating system was fully initialized and running.

5.3.1.1 Controlling the Number of Lines of Console Information Displayed

Note - If you want to view the entire buffer, include the -v option on the command line after the consolehistory command and before the run or boot option.

By default, the consolehistory command displays the last 20 lines of output stored in the buffer. However, you can use the -b, -g, and -e options on the command line to control the quantity of information returned by this command.

You can specify the number of lines of console information that you want to see:

Counting from the end of the file (-e)
To do this, you need to use the -e n option, where n is the number of lines (from the end) that you want to see.

Counting from the beginning of the file (-b)
To do this, you need to use the -b n option, where n is the number of lines (from the beginning) that you want to see.

You can also have the console information grouped by a specified number of lines. In this case, the display pauses after each group has been displayed. To see the next group, just press any key. To group the information in this way, use the -g n option, where n is the number of lines you want the information to be grouped into. For example, to view the last 50 lines of run-time console information from the server blade in slot 7, and to have the information displayed in groups of 10 lines, you would type:

sc> consolehistory -e 50 -g 10 run s7

5.3.2 Viewing Information From the Run-time Console Buffer

To view the information stored in the run-time buffer of a switch console, type:

sc> consolehistory run sscn/swt

where n is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the switch whose run-time console information you want to view is in SSC0 or SSC1.

To view the information stored in the run-time buffer of a server blade console, type:

sc> consolehistory run sn

where n is the number of the slot containing the server blade whose run-time console data you want to view.

The run-time buffer stores the most recent console output.

You can use the -b, -g, and -e options on the command line to control the quantity of information returned by the consolehistory command (see Section 5.3.1.1, Controlling the Number of Lines of Console Information Displayed).

5.4 Accessing the Server Blade Consoles Directly Using Telnet

It is possible to connect directly to a server blade console using the telnet command. In other words, it is possible to telnet into a blade console without using the console command at the sc> prompt.

To do this you need to set up a telnet connection to the System Controller, but on the command line you need to include a blade-specific IP port number. The range of possible port numbers is 2300 through 2315, where 2300 specifies the blade in slot s0, 2301 specifies the blade in slot s1, and so on (port 2315 specifying the blade in slot 15). When you are connected, the System Controller prompts you for a user name and password before setting up the console connection to the blade.

To telnet directly to a server blade console, type the telnet command followed by the IP address or host name of the System Controller followed by the blade-specific IP port number.

For example, to telnet into the blade in slot s0 on a chassis whose System Controller has the host name b1600_chassis_1, you would type:

% telnet b1600_chassis 2300

Trying 129.156.203.139...

Connected to b1600_chassis.

Escape character is '^]'.

Sun Advanced Lights Out Manager for Blade Servers 1.0 ALOM-B 1.0

username: admin

password: ******

[Connected with input enabled]

Note - Whenever you are at a switch or blade console, type #. to return to the active System Controller's sc> prompt.