IPMI Setup for Intel SCB2 Motherboard

Doug White <dwhite@freebsd.org>

These are recommended settings for the Intel SCB2 (and similar) motherboard for optimal use under FreeBSD, with full console redirection from BIOS and from loader(8), and enabling remote control over LAN (optional). Only the "Setup Utilities" section should be required; the IPMI commands can be used for automated reconfiguration if desired.

This configuration assumes that the machine will be connected to a (secure) LAN and that the serial console will be connected to a console server or similar device, and not a modem. This means that you do not plan on using the built-in modem paging capabilities and/or PPP or Direct mode IPMI sessions to the BMC (from a tool such as Intel Direct Platform Control).

Some of the items give the data bytes for equivalent IPMI commands. Use with caution!

Setup Utilities

BIOS Settings

Change Serial Port2 to COM1 settings

Address 3F8, IRQ 4
This makes the onboard RJ45 ports COM1 and thus the default serial console.

You can disable Serial Port1 if it isn't present on your system (i.e., SR1200 chassis)
Put "-h" in /boot.config to make FreeBSD use the serial console by default. See Handbook section 16.5 ("Setting Up the Serial Console") for details.

Change BIOS console redirection settings (under Server / Console Redirection)

Enable serial console redirection
Serial port: COM1 3F8 IRQ 4
Baud Rate

9600 if using default FreeBSD speeds
Whatever you like if you have built new boot1/2/loader with BOOT_COMCONSOLE_SPEED set (I've rebuilt it to use 115200)

Flow Control

Whatever your hardware supports

System Setup Utility (SSU) Settings

Platform Event Manager

Configure EMP

Access Mode to "Disabled"

Configure PEP

Disable PEP (unchecked)

Configure LAN (optional, if LAN IPMI access desired)

set static IP or DHCP
Disable LAN alerts
Access Mode to "Always available"
Must set SNMP trap string if enabled

IPMI Commands

Set Channel Access for Channel #1 (serial) -- 0x20

Same effect as changing the SSU settings above for EMP
Platform Event Filtering off
Disable access mode (always shunt to SYSTEM [BIOS & host])

These can be configured in SSU. 'Shared' channel access mode can't, but I don't think we want to use it on this system.

Set Serial Mux -- 0x2

Updates Enabled
set to SYSTEM

Set Serial Config --

Modepage 8 -- 0x11 0x7

Enable switch keys

disable autodetect

disable reset keys