Connect to serial console of an x86 compute node

Connect to and access the serial console of an x86 compute node from IBM® Spectrum Cluster Foundation Community Edition.
Note: The serial console must be enabled before connecting to the serial console of an x86 or Lenovo System x node. Refer to Enable serial console support for IBM System x compute nodes.

Before you begin

In order for serial console to work properly with x86 or Lenovo System x 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 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 and the operating system is not loaded, the output 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.
      # rcons node-name
[Enter `^Ec?' for help]

	Preparing transaction from installation source
In progress

Installing libgcc-4.4.6-4.el6.x86_64 (114 KB)
GCC version 4.4 share support library
Packages completed: 1 of 411
Installing setup-2.8.14-16.el6.noarch (650 KB)
A set of system configuration and setup files
Packages completed: 2 of 411
Installing filesystem-2.4.30-3.el6.x86_64 (0 Bytes)
The basic directory layout for a Linux system
Packages completed: 3 of 411
    • If the operating system is booting up, the output is related to kernel boot information. For example:
      # rcons node-name
[Enter `^Ec?' for help]

Initializing cgroup subsys cpuset
Initializing cgroup subsys cpu
Linux version 2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64 (mockbuild@x86-008.build.bos.redhat.com)
 (gcc version 4.4.6 20120305 (Red Hat 4.4.6-4) (GCC) ) #1 SMP Wed Jun 13 
18:24:36 EDT 2012
Command line: ro root=UUID=c074ceca-9739-418b-8e48-a39798f2ca5d rd_NO_LUKS 
rd_NO_LVM LANG=en_US.UTF-8 rd_NO_MD SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 crashkernel=auto 
rd_NO_DM  KEYBOARDTYPE=pc KEYTABLE=us console=ttyS0,19200n8r
KERNEL supported cpus:
  Intel GenuineIntel
  AMD AuthenticAMD
  Centaur CentaurHauls
BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009fc00 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000000009fc00 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000003fff0000 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000003fff0000 - 0000000040000000 (ACPI data)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000fffc0000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
DMI 2.5 present.
SMBIOS version 2.5 @ 0xFFF30
last_pfn = 0x3fff0 max_arch_pfn = 0x400000000
x86 PAT enabled: cpu 0, old 0x7040600070406, new 0x7010600070106
CPU MTRRs all blank - virtualized system.
     ...
    • 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.x86_64 on an x86_64

	node login: root
	Password: