General Information on NetScaler SDX LOM

General Information on NetScaler SDX LOM

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Article ID: CTX200084

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Description

This article provides general information on Lights Out Management (LOM) on the NetScaler SDX appliance and also about how to configure the NetScaler SDX appliance, initial settings and commands to troubleshoot.

Background

All NetScaler SDX devices are shipped with a LOM. The LOM has a separate CPU, memory and NIC and is designed to provide supervisor functions such as fan control, power supply monitoring, temperature monitoring, and so on. The LOM is controlled by a BMC chip (an ARM-based CPU that is not related to the main Intel-based CPU that runs the NetScaler).  
The LOM firmware is not written by Citrix. It connects to various hardware sensors using a special serial bus called the SMBus (System Management Bus; also known as I2C; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMBus). The BMC/LOM chip is always powered-up and runs the copy of Linux. This functionality is also called as Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

Summary of the LOM Module

The following is a summary of LOM module:
  • It is a device within the NetScaler appliance that has a CPU, a Memory and a network interface.
  • It is segregated from the NetScaler OS and stack.
  • It only shares power (NetScaler appliance does not need to be turned on, just plugged in).
  • It runs a web server that provides console access and reboot functionality among other features.

Initial Configuration

The default username and password for the LOM module is nsroot/nsroot. There is no console access to the LOM module. The following must be taken care:

  • The LOM module will boot with the default IP address of 192.168.1.3.
  • The LOM module will not have a default gateway assigned.
  • There are several ways to log onto the LOM module to perform the initial configuration; the examples are as follows:
    • Change the default IP and set a default gateway.
    • Change the password.
    • Set the time.

How to connect to the LOM module

Complete the following steps:
  1. Use a crossover cable to connect a laptop or other device directly to the LOM interface.
  2. Use a switch in the same broadcast domain as the LOM interface.

User-added image

The following are the initial configurations of LOM module:
  1. Set a static IP on your laptop or workstation of 192.168.1.10 and plug it in one of the following ways:

    • Directly into the LOM interface with a cross over cable

      Or

    • Directly into a switch in the same broadcast domain as the LOM interface.

  2. Enter the IP 192.168.1.3 into your browser; and you should see the LOM logon page.
  3. After the new IP address is configured, access the LOM with the new IP address.

Supported LOM features

There are a lot of features built into the LOM. Currently only the following LOM features are supported:
  • Configuring the LOM IP address, mask and gateway or DHCP.
  • Power cycling the appliance.
  • Using Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) button only when Citrix Technical Support requests.
  • Resetting the LOM device

Troubleshooting the LOM

The following commands are used:

  • Command to print the sensor list
    ipmitool sensor list

  • Command to print the sensor data repository information
    ipmitool sdr list

  • Command to print the sensor event log
    ipmitool sel list

  • Command to print LOM IP and details on SDX (XenServer root)
    ipmitool lan print 1

    Set in Progress         : Set Complete
Auth Type Support       : MD2 MD5 OEM
Auth Type Enable        : Callback : MD2 MD5 OEM
                        : User     : MD2 MD5 OEM
                        : Operator : MD2 MD5 OEM
                        : Admin    : MD2 MD5 OEM
                        : OEM      :
IP Address Source       : Static Address
IP Address              : 10.217.147.231
Subnet Mask             : 255.255.254.0
MAC Address             : 00:25:90:9d:00:8e
SNMP Community String   : AMI
IP Header               : TTL=0x00 Flags=0x00 Precedence=0x00 TOS=0x00
BMC ARP Control         : ARP Responses Enabled, Gratuitous ARP Disabled
Gratituous ARP Intrvl   : 0.0 seconds
Default Gateway IP      : 10.217.146.1
Default Gateway MAC     : 00:00:00:00:00:00
Backup Gateway IP       : 0.0.0.0
Backup Gateway MAC      : 00:00:00:00:00:00
802.1q VLAN ID          : Disabled
802.1q VLAN Priority    : 0
RMCP+ Cipher Suites     : 1,2,3,6,7,8,11,12,0
Cipher Suite Priv Max   : aaaaXXaaaXXaaXX
                        :     X=Cipher Suite Unused
                        :     c=CALLBACK
                        :     u=USER
                        :     o=OPERATOR
                        :     a=ADMIN
                        :     O=OEM

Configuring the LOM port for SDX appliances

To configure the LOM port for SDX appliances (XenServer root), complete the following steps:

  1. Log on to the XenServer as a root user or change user to root (“su –”).

  2. Run the following command to load the ipmi drivers.
    modprobe ipmi_devintf ; modprobe ipmi_si

  3. Run the following command to configure the LOM module.
    ipmitool lan set 1 ipaddr <ip>
    ipmitool lan set 1 netmask <mask>
    ipmitool lan set 1 defgw ipaddr  <ip>

  4. Load the ipmi drivers in dom0.
    sudo modprobe ipmi_devintf
    sudo modprobe ipmi_msghandler
    sudo modprobe ipmi_si

The BMC can be restored to factory defaults including deleting the SSL Certificate and SSL key with the following command.

ipmitool raw 0x30 0x42 
ipmitool mc reset cold

Issue/Introduction

General information regarding the LOM on the Netscaler SDX appliance. What is the LOM, how to configure the device, initial settings and commands to troubleshoot.

Additional Information

CTX226732 - Introduction to Citrix NetScaler SDX

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