Getting console via ssh in DRAC

Even when you can't connect to the server it is safer to work with command like console via Teraterm then with GUI console. And both DRAC and ILO allow such a mode. In this case you can cut and paste commands from your records or from the Web minimizing possible errors. You can also log everything that you do via Teraterm log facility or some similar method. Don't be blindly chained to GUI console.

Dell default settings of both server BIOS and DRAC allow usage of serial console via ssh.

Here are several links

• How to set up Serial Port Debugging or Console Redirection on Dell PowerEdge 12th Generation Servers - TechCenter Extras - Wiki
• Enable Console Access Via Ssh
• Enterprise Support - Symantec Corp. - How to enable serial port console redirection to the iDRAC6 for The Symantec Messaging Ga
• idrac express ssh console com2 redirect - Systems Management Forum - Servers - Dell Community

I have a dell R710 with the idrac express with versions 1.2 firmware. I can login to the idrac via the web interface. I configured the idrac express according to:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/idrac/idrac12mono/en/ug/pdf/ug.pdf

Page 86 "Configuring iDRAC6 for Viewing Serial Output Remotely Over SSH/Telnet"

I can ssh in to the idrac, I then execute the command according to the manual:

/admin1-> console com2

I get the message:

Connected to Serial Device 2. To end type: ^\

At this point my login is hung, no output and executing the "^\"  does nothing, I have to kill my ssh session.

This is a Red Hat 5.4 Linux machine. I do not care at this point about redirecting the console before boot up so I did not implement Page 90 "Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot"

Cannot find any explanation of the BIOS "redirection after boot enable/disable" setting mentioned on Page 86. I tried both enable and disable, no joy. Can not find good doc on overview and settings on console redirection for the various drac versions, that would be nice.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

===

After further investigation:

I did get console output if I rebooted the system, I could access the bios setup etc.

When the linux kernel is loaded you must perform the steps "Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot". I believe the "redirection after boot enable/disable" setting would be used to disable the use of the tty port so an external device could be connect to it. Would be nice to get a detailed explanation of all these settings. 

NEWS CONTENTS

• 210210 : idrac express ssh console com2 redirect ( 11 Nov 2009 , Dell Community )
• 210210 : SSH using Dells DRAC console ( SSH using Dell's DRAC console, )
• 210210 : How to enable serial port console redirection to the iDRAC6 ( Symantec Corp )
• 210210 : DRAC console redirection over a SSH tunnel MDLog-sysadmin ( Aug 20, 2008 , Comments )

Old News ;-)

idrac express ssh console com2 redirect

11 Nov 2009 | Dell Community

jwsunc

I have a dell R710 with the iDRAC express with versions 1.2 firmware. I can login to the iDRAC via the web interface. I configured the iDRAC express according to:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/idrac/idrac12mono/en/ug/pdf/ug.pdf

Page 86 "Configuring iDRAC6 for Viewing Serial Output Remotely Over SSH/Telnet"

I can ssh in to the idrac, I then execute the command according to the manual:

/admin1-> console com2

I get the message:

Connected to Serial Device 2. To end type: ^\

At this point my login is hung, no output and executing the "^\" does nothing, I have to kill my ssh session.

This is a Red Hat 5.4 Linux machine. I do not care at this point about redirecting the console before boot up so I did not implement Page 90 "Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot"

Cannot find any explanation of the BIOS "redirection after boot enable/disable" setting mentioned on Page 86. I tried both enable and disable, no joy. Can not find good doc on overview and settings on console redirection for the various drac versions, that would be nice.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

====

After further investigation:

I did get console output if I rebooted the system, I could acess the bios setup etc. When the linux kernel is loaded you must perform the steps "Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot". I believe the "redirection after boot enable/disable" setting would be used to disable the use of the tty port so an external device could be connect to it. Would be nice to get a detailed explanation of all these settings.

SSH using Dell's DRAC console

www.redhawk.org

The setup of the DELL DRAC for ssh console access.
This setup shows using DHCP for the DRAC ip address, but it can be hard set as well.

    * Enter setup F2
         1. Cursor down to Serial Communications.
         2. Set the other fields to the following.
                o Serial Communication : On with console Redirection via COM2
                o External Serial Connector : Remote Access Device
                o Failsafe Baud Rate : 57600
                o Remote Terminal Type : VT100/VT200
                o Redirection After Boot: Enabled 

         3. Save and exit.   

Now we should be able to ssh to the console.

 ssh vt-11-c -l root

 root@vt-11-c's password:
 Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11 forwarding.

 Dell Remote Access Controller 5 (DRAC 5)
 Firmware Version 1.20 (Build 07.03.02)

 $   

To get to the console type:

 connect com2

This message flashes...

 Connected to com2. To end type: '^\'

Then you should have the console login.

 Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS release 4 (Nahant Update 5)
 Kernel 2.6.9-55.ELsmp on an x86_64

 vt-11 login:

To escape type 'CTRL' + '\'

 $ 

To change root password on a DRAC from ssh shell

 $ racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -o cfgUserAdminPassword -i 2 NewPasswordHere

Now to do power tasks on the dell type smclp.

 $ smclp
 DRAC5 SM-CLP System Management Shell, version 1.0
 Copyright (c) 2004-2007 Dell, Inc.
 All Rights Reserved

cd system1

/system1

show

/system1:

  Targets:
    logs1

  Properties:
    CreationClassName       = CIM_ComputerSystem
    Name                    = 7B0CZC1
    NameFormat              = other
    Dedicated               = 0
    ResetCapability         = 4
    EnabledState            = 2
    RequestedState          = 12
    EnabledDefault          = 2
    HealthState             = 5
    OperationalStatus       = 2
    Description             = PowerEdge 2970

  Verbs:
    cd
    exit
    help
    reset
    show
    start
    stop
    version

    * To reboot the system type "reset"
    * To power off "stop"
    * To power on "start" 

How to enable serial port console redirection to the iDRAC6

Symantec Corp

It is possible to access the serial console of the Symantec Messaging Gateway, Symantec Traffic Shaper and the Symantec Web Gateway via iDRAC6 SSH interface. The Symantec appliance in question will need to have an iDRAC6 card installed. These steps may work on a previous version of the DRAC, all though, they have not been tested.

With a keyboard and monitor attached to the device reboot the device from the CLI interface. When the device is rebooting complete the steps below.

1. Press F2 during post to enter the BIOS setup.

2. Enter the "Serial Communication" configuration within the BIOS

3. Configure with the settings depicted in the attached screenshot.

4. Exit the BIOS and save the settings.

5. When prompted hit CTRL+R to enter the DRAC configuration during post.

6. Configure the DRAC so that it is accessible from your network and configure a password for the root user.

7. Exit the DRAC configuration and save the settings.

After the device has rebooted using an SSH client complete the steps below:

1. SSH into the DRAC and login with the root user.
2. Execute the commands below:

• racadm config -g cfgSerial -o cfgSerialBaudRate 9600
• racadm config -g cfgSerial -o cfgSerialCom2RedirEnable 1
• racadm config -g cfgSerial -o cfgSerialSshEnable 1
• racadm config -g cfgIpmiSol -o cfgIpmiSolEnable 1
• racadm config -g cfgIpmiSol -o cfgIpmiSolBaudRate 9600

The DRAC should now be configured to access serial console. From the DRAC SSH interface run the command below to access the serial console:

console com2

To return to the DRAC interface and disconnect from the console the default escape sequence is ^\ (CTRL+\).

This will allow the same abilities as physically connecting a terminal emulator to the RS232 port of the device. Console redirection is also enabled from POST so the BIOS and associated controller interfaces available during POST can also be access via the serial console.

DRAC console redirection over a SSH tunnel MDLog-sysadmin

Aug 20, 2008 | Comments

The Dell Remote Access Controller or DRAC is an interface card by Dell which provides out-of-band management. The controller has its own processor, memory, battery, network connection, and access to the system bus. Key features include power management, virtual media access and remote console, all available through a supported web browser. This gives system administrators the ability to configure a machine as if they were sitting at the local console (terminal).

Since the DRAC card has its own IP separated from the one of the host server it is very common to assign for it a private IP; or even if it has a public IP it might be protected by a corporate firewall, making it very simple to connect from the corporate office, but not from outside. In such cases when you need to connect to the DRAC console from outside a solution is to tunnel over SSH your DRAC traffic.

In order for this to work you need to tunnel ports 443 (SSL) and and 5900,5901 (VNC). This can be achieved with openssh with a command like this:

1

ssh -L 443:dracip:443 -L 5900:dracip:5900 -L 5901:dracip:5901 -l user -N ssh_host

or similar from other ssh clients by mapping the respective ports.

If you would forward just 443, this will allow you to use the web interface of the DRAC card (and all its features, like power management, etc), but not the remote console redirection (5900,5901 are needed for the console to work).

After connecting the ssh tunnel you can just open in your local browser https://localhost/ and get the DRAC interface. The console redirection and it will work as expected.

Note: this solution has the limitation that it will work for only one DRAC console. You can tunnel over ssh multiple drac ips on port 443, like for ex: - localhost:443 -> dracip1:443 - localhost:444 -> dracip2:443, etc. but the remote console will require the ports 5900, 59001 and thus only one can work at the same time.

If you are running the DRAC console over a public IP, and you want to reach it from outside directly you will need to open in your firewall connections to the same ports TCP 443, 5900 and 5901.

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