SuperMicro IPMI Issue

Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
3,861
Anyone here use SuperMicro IPMI? I scored a slightly used X7SPE-HF motherboard/D510 combo and cannot get IPMI to work on the silly thing. It's enabled in the BIOS, all the jumpers are where they should be. This motherboard uses a shared LAN connection for IPMI, I've tried both NICs without success, making sure to remove power to fully initialize the IPMI/BMC before trying again. The thing never gets a DHCP address and I can't set a static IP on it from the BIOS, you apparently have to do that from the IPMI configuration utility or the web interface which would require it to be connected to the network. When I check the LAN configuration settings in the BIOS it always shows "Channel Number Status:Wrong Channel Number" and I can't figure out what this means. I'm assuming it's bad, usually things that are wrong are bad. Anyway, I've exhausted my google-fu on this one, I'm sure I'm missing something blatantly obvious.....

Any ideas??
 
Anyone here use SuperMicro IPMI? I scored a slightly used X7SPE-HF motherboard/D510 combo and cannot get IPMI to work on the silly thing. It's enabled in the BIOS, all the jumpers are where they should be. This motherboard uses a shared LAN connection for IPMI, I've tried both NICs without success, making sure to remove power to fully initialize the IPMI/BMC before trying again. The thing never gets a DHCP address and I can't set a static IP on it from the BIOS, you apparently have to do that from the IPMI configuration utility or the web interface which would require it to be connected to the network. When I check the LAN configuration settings in the BIOS it always shows "Channel Number Status:Wrong Channel Number" and I can't figure out what this means. I'm assuming it's bad, usually things that are wrong are bad. Anyway, I've exhausted my google-fu on this one, I'm sure I'm missing something blatantly obvious.....

Any ideas??

Don't you have to setup a ip for it ? with some, you have to setup a ip that you connect to,

Just a assumption tho, because thats how dell hp & Asus & IBM are..
 
It is configured to use DHCP already. Both of the embedded NICs are plugged into the network. I have tried setting the BIOS option to static, but when I do that it doesn't give me an option to configure the IP.
 
If you have Linux on the system, you can use ipmitool to talk with the module and see if it's reporting any issues.
 
Well, I don't have anything on the system at the moment. I've been trying to get Astaro, Endian, pfSense installed on it and all of them fail half-way through. I've been using my trusty USB DVD-ROM drive for the installs so I thought maybe it was taking a crap. Seeing as how there is no IDE on the motherboard and I have zero SATA DVD-ROM drives at the moment, I thought I'd use the IPMI ISO pass-through and see if that would work. BUT I can't seem to get that silly thing working either! :(
 
Set LAN Configuration
Set this feature to configure the IPMI LAN adapter with a network address.
Channel Number - Enter the channel number for the SET LAN Config command. This is initially set to [1]. Press "+" or "-" on your keyboard to change
the Channel Number.
Channel Number Status - This feature returns the channel status for the
Channel Number selected above: "Channel Number is OK" or "Wrong Channel
Number".
IP Address Source - This feature selects whether the IP address, Subnet
Mask and Gateway Address are automatically assigned by the network's DHCP
server (Dynamic Host and Configuration Protocol) or manually entered by the
user (Static). If Static is selected, the IP Address, Subnet Mask and Gateway
Address must be manually entered below. If DHCP is selected, the next three
items will be configured automatically and will be grayed out. The options are
Static and DHCP.
IP Address - Enter the IP address for this machine. This should be in decimal
and in dotted quad form (i.e., 192.168.10.253). The value of each three-digit
number separated by dots should not exceed 255.
Subnet Mask - Subnet masks tell the network which subnet this machine belongs
to. The value of each three-digit number separated by dots should not exceed
255 (i.e., 255.255.255.0).

page 4-17

http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/ATOM/ICH9/X7SPE.cfm?typ=H&IPMI=Y
 
Yes, I have read the manual and seen the steps mentioned in SuperMicro's support forums. HOWEVER, there is no place in the BIOS that lets you actually change the channel number. Seriously.
 
I thought there was a page for the IPMI card towards the end of the bios, like right before exit.. Im trying to remember, I have a box w/ the card, i just never use it..
 
I know. I've setup BMC/IPMI/DRAC/iLO for dozens of servers and never had issue with it before. This one is making me pull what's left of my hair out. . . . .
 
Hadn't gotten that far yet. Was trying to exhaust all other options before doing that. If you read SuperMicro's manuals and their downloads page they put "DON'T EVER UPGRADE THE BIOS EVER NEVER EVER" in giant red letters all over the place. I couldn't find any mention of bugs or other issues with the BIOS or IPMI firmware on their forums or the internets so I figured I would do that as a last resort, if I can't get anything to install on it. Trying straight Ubuntu from a USB flash drive now....
 
Nah, not yet. I figured I would do that tomorrow when I'm screwing around with other stuff.

On a side note. I figured out what my issue was with getting an OS installed on the damn thing. One of the old 40mm fans I installed in the case is a POS. I removed that fan and it will complete an install of Ubuntu. Now to try Sophos/Astaro UTM9 Beta....
 
I hate the fan controllers, just because if a connecter isnt used, ESX complains about it...
 
Serves me right for using crap I've had sitting in a box for 7 years. Oh, well, would still like to get IPMI working though. Would be nice to try out different firewall/UTM distributions without having to leave the comfort of my sofa....

Will drop a note to SuperMicro tomorrow.
 
Serves me right for using crap I've had sitting in a box for 7 years. Oh, well, would still like to get IPMI working though. Would be nice to try out different firewall/UTM distributions without having to leave the comfort of my sofa....

Will drop a note to SuperMicro tomorrow.

Not that you ever leave the comfort of your sofa besides to slip and shower
 
BTW I have a IPMI Card in my box. It's a separate one and it just works. Maybe thats why you scored it slightly used
 
BTW I have a IPMI Card in my box. It's a separate one and it just works. Maybe thats why you scored it slightly used

It's in integrated one....I was the one that originally used it. :D

It spent it's life plugged into an APC 750....doubt something cooked on the mobo. When I first got the board I played with the IPMI briefly...was just disappointed with the bland features of it so never used it.

Capt. Bea....you try a BIOS flash yet?
 
I have not flashed the BIOS yet. I got it up and running with UTM9 and am working from home this morning so I'm hesitant to do any flashing yet. May give that a whirl tonight after I hit the gym. :)
 
I have not flashed the BIOS yet. I got it up and running with UTM9 and am working from home this morning so I'm hesitant to do any flashing yet. May give that a whirl tonight after I hit the gym. :)

I suggested that yesterday :D

What you building btw ? Pics ? Info ? How you like that thing ?
 
I feel your pain. I have an issue connecting to the kvm portion of my ipmi. I emailed supermicro support but they never got back to me so I have just been dealing with it.
 
To be honest, their support sucks. I had a board which had failed, and they basically emailed me calling me dumb each step of the way...
 
When Supermicro IPMI works it is nice. When it doesn't work it is a pain to try and get it to work.
I have a mobo with a dedicate ipmi slot and it won't post when a IPMI card is plugged into it. Tried several different ones thinking the IPMI card was bad. Eventually one of them worked for a month, then the mobo stopped posting again.
 
Yea I hear you. Mine at least works to power up and down the machine just the damn kvm portion doesn't. I always get this connection refused message when I try to connect.
 
Yea I hear you. Mine at least works to power up and down the machine just the damn kvm portion doesn't. I always get this connection refused message when I try to connect.

sounds like the browser problems ?

I had same issue with my dell R415, but remembered in the training, that browsers can cause this, if a feature is not turned on or you don't allow it etc etc. Once i allowed it and installed the plug in, POOF worked 100%

Same with them Ip web cam's now a days...
 
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