Connect to the serial console of a System p compute node

Access the serial console of a System p compute node from the command line.

Note: The serial console must be enabled before connecting to the serial console of a System p compute node. Refer to Enable serial console support for IBM Flex System p260 and p460 compute nodes.

Before you begin

In order for serial console to work properly with System p® nodes, the following requirements must be met:
  • The conserver daemon must be running on management node. To check whether the conserver daemon is running, run the following command:
     # service conserver status
    conserver (pid XXXXX) is running...
  • The hardware server daemon (hdwr_svr) running on management node must be connected to the compute node's FSP and must be established.
    • To check whether this connection exists, the state must be set to LINE UP. Run the following command:
      # lshwconn node-name
      node-name: sp=primary,ipadd=FSP-IP-address,alt_ipadd=unavailable,state=LINE UP
    • If the hdwr_svr process loses the connection, you can reconnect it using the following commands:
      # rmhwconn node-name
      # mkhwconn node-name -t
      where node-name is the name of the node.
  • The compute node must be powered on. To check whether node is powered on, the node's state must be set to on. Run the following command:
     # rpower node-name state
    node-name: on

Procedure

  1. Log in to the IBM Spectrum Cluster Foundation Community Edition management node.
  2. Connect to serial console of the compute node by running the rcons command:
    # rcons node-name
    If you see no output, you can press the ENTER key to see the output.
  3. The rcons command displays a different serial console output that depends on the state of the compute node:
    • If the node is booting up but has not loaded the operating system, the ouput is related to server firmware information, such as diagnostic tests and device information.
    • If the node is provisioning, the output is related to installation information.
    • If the operating system is booting up, the output is related to kernel boot information. For example:
      # rcons node-name
      [Enter `^Ec?' for help]
      
      	Elapsed time since release of system processors: 31 mins 21 secs
      
      	System has 256 Mbytes in RMA
      	Config file read, 4096 bytes
      	Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux!
      	Hit <TAB> for boot options
      	Welcome to yaboot version 1.3.14 (Red Hat 1.3.14-39.el6)
      	Enter "help" to get some basic usage information
      	boot: linux
      	Please wait, loading kernel...
      	   Elf64 kernel loaded...
      	Loading ramdisk...
      	...
    • If the operating system booting is finished, the output is the operating system login prompt.
      # rcons node-name
      	[Enter `^Ec?' for help]
      
      	Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 6.3 (Santiago)
      	Kernel 2.6.32-279.el6.ppc64 on an ppc64
      
      	node login: root
      	Password: