Connectivity

For IMM-based servers, all firmware settings are configured through the IMM.

The ASU can connect to the IMM locally (in-band) through the KCS interface or through the LAN over USB interface. The ASU can also connect remotely over the LAN.

The IMM comes with a LAN over USB interface that can be configured and activated on the running operating system. After you install and configure the corresponding information file, the ASU can be connected to the IMM. The local LAN over USB connection requires authentication. A new set of connectivity parameters are required when the ASU is connected over the LAN.

If the LAN over USB interface was disabled before an ASU command was run, ASU configures and activates it for the ASU connection. After running the command, ASU disables the interface. If the interface was enabled before, it remains enabled without changes so that ASU can keep the LAN over USB interface the same status as before and after the ASU command.

The local connection over the KCS interface does not require authentication and follows the online connecting model and command structure of BIOS-based servers, where no connectivity parameters are required. If you do not specify connectivity parameters, the ASU attempts to connect to the IMM by using the default LAN settings on the LAN over USB interface. If the ASU is unable to connect to the IMM over the LAN, it automatically connects over the KCS interface, provided that the correct IPMI device drivers or mapping layers are installed. For more information about the KCS interface, see the Intelligent Platform Management Interface Specification at http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/ipmi/ipmi-specifications.html

asu show

You can request that the ASU connect locally, exclusively using the KCS interface, which avoids the automated connection over the LAN over USB interface (and the fallback to the KCS interface). If you use the --kcs option, the ASU communicates through the KCS interface only.

In the following example, the ASU attempts to connect through the KCS interface only, without the need for authentication parameters.

asu show --kcs

You can also request that the ASU connect locally, exclusively using the LAN over USB interface, by specifying the --host connectivity option. The ASU does not attempt to fall back to use the KCS interface when this option is specified.

In the following example, the ASU attempts to connect through the LAN over USB interface only by using the default user ID and password account.

asu show

When the ASU runs any command on an IMM-based server, it attempts to connect and automatically configure the LAN over USB interface if it detects that this interface is not configured. The ASU provides a level of automatic and default settings. You can specify to skip the automatic configuration process if you have manually configured the IMM LAN over USB interface by using different settings than those used by the ASU application default settings.

Use the --noimmlancfg option to skip the automatic configuration process if you have manually configured the interface. For example, to show the IMM list of settings and avoid using the automatic configuration process when you attempt to connect through the LAN over USB interface, type the following command:
asu show IMM --noimmlancfg

If the ASU is connecting remotely to the IMM over the LAN, there is no requirement for the remote operating system of the targeted IMM to be online. The ASU can connect to the IMM remotely when the server is connected to power or is using standby power. Both IPv4 and IPv6 are supported remotely by the ASU. Before running the ASU, be sure that the IMM net configuration is correct.

To connect remotely, the --host, --user and --password options are all required. The following example indicates the minimum required parameter when the ASU connects remotely through the LAN to the IMM external port.

asu show --host target_IMM_external_IP_address --user target_IMM_User_ID --password target_IMM_password