Overview

Here, the SRCF DRP machines are used as an example.  These machines are from SuperMicro and have one of their versions of screens and interfaces.  Many of our machines have their IPMI interface connected on the network.  Point a browser at https://<node name>-ipmi.pcdsn and a page comes up on which to enter a username and password (contact pcds-it for good values).  After successful login, the IPMI page comes up and shows many capabilities, including:

• a remote interface to the system console
• interacting with system power
• updating the BIOS

IT Utilities For Managing BIOS Code/Settings

(courtesy of Simon Elmir on Feb. 7, 2024)

This approach promises to be significantly faster than the manual approach Ric describes below.

The one we have covers Supermicro servers: "Supermicro Update Manager (SUM)"
https://www.supermicro.com/en/solutions/management-software/supermicro-update-manager

The utility should be available at one of these two paths, depending on which environment you're in:
* PCDS: /cds/sw/package/supermicro/sum_latest_Linux_x86_64/sum
* S3DF: /sdf/group/scs/tools/supermicro/sum_latest_Linux_x86_64/sum

SUM can be run locally on the target server, or it can interact remotely using IPMI credentials. Changes to BIOS settings get applied on next reboot.

Users Guide: https://www.supermicro.com/Bios/sw_download/636/SUM_UserGuide.pdf

Remote Console

The remote console can be run with either a Java plug-in or HTML5 via selection through the 'settings' link on the System tab.  If the Java method gives trouble, switch to HTML5, which is slower but reliably provides readable screens.  Click on the preview panel to bring up the console screen.

...

For BIOS v2.3, the parameters on the Advanced tab that needed restoring were:

• Boot Feature:
  • Restore on AC Power Loss:      Stay Off
  Boot Feature:
  • Power Button Function:            4 Seconds Override
• CPU Configuration:
  • SMT Control:                             Disabled
• PCI... PCIe/PCI/PnP Config.:
  • ... Slot 1 ... Bifurcation:             x8x8
    • (note: "page down"/Up-Arrow to see this)
  :   x8x8
• Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr A:
  • DevCfgMenu:
    • Number of VFs per PF:     8
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr A: DevCfgMenu:
  • • Energy Eff. Enet:               Disabled
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr A: DevCfgMenu:
  • • DCB Protocol:                   Enabled (IEEE Only)
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr A:
  • MBACfgMenu:
    • Legacy Boot Protocol:     PXE
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr A: MBACfgMenu:
  • • Pre-boot Wake On LAN:  Enabled
• Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr B:
  • DevCfgMenu:
    • Number of VFs per PF:     8
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr B: DevCfgMenu:
  • • Energy Eff. Enet:               Disabled
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr B: DevCfgMenu:
  • • DCB Protocol:                   Enabled (IEEE Only)
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr B:
  • MBACfgMenu:
    • Legacy Boot Protocol:    PXE
  Supermicro ... Enet Ctrlr B: MBACfgMenu:
  • • Pre-boot Wake On LAN: Enabled

In addition, the Boot boot options on the Boot tab need to be modified.  Easiest may be to first First go into 'UEFI NETWORK Drive BBS Priorities' (probably need to scroll to the bottom) and move :

• Move the IB option to be last

Next, .  Then go back to the Boot boot options and change rearrange the options to:

1. UEFI USB Key
2. UEFI Hard Disk: RedHat Boot Manager
3. UEFI Network:(B198/D0/F0): UEFI PXE IPv4 Supermicro (First Ethernet Controller)
4. UEFI AP:UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell
5. Set remaining options to

...

1. Disabled

...

Save the changes by going to the Save & Exit tab and selecting 'Save Changes and Reset', which also reboots the machine.

Supermicro Command Line Tool

From demo meeting on Feb. 21, 2024 with the IT team (Simon Elmir presenting)

https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/resources/downloadcenter/smsdownload?category=SUM

Supermicro Update Manager ("sum")

different path on PCDS machines vs S3DF

output current bios settings to file: sudo /sdf/group/scs/tools/supermicro/sum_latest_Linux_x86_64/sum -c GetCurrentBiosCfg --file sdfmilan001.biosCfg.xml

edit the .xml file then use ChangeBiosCfg option to update settings (change is queued up to be applied when server is next rebooted)

There Is a "--tui" option with GetCurrentBiosCfg which brings up a simulation of the usual crash-cart bios configuration utility (F4 to save and exit).  Changes are saved to the .xml option.

Any setting that is removed from the .xml is left unchanged, so can have a minimal .xml file with only settings that need to be changed. see /sdf/group/scs/tools/supermicro for example .xml files.

"-i" option going over ipmi interface (e.g. sdfmilan001-oob, which is the ipmi interface?).  Needs -u "username" and -p "password" arguments

On PCDS machines path is /cds/sw/package/supermicro/sum_latest_Linux_x86_64/sum

GetBiosInfo is another command

UpdateBios is another command (takes a --file option too, I believe)

The is a SUM_UserGuide.pdf here: /cds/sw/package/supermicro/sum_latest_Linux_x86_64/SUM_UserGuide.pdf