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What is a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) and how do I use it?

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Applies to

  • ONTAP 9
  • Baseboard Management Controller (BMC
  • AFF A700s
  • AFF A800, AFF C800
  • AFF A220 , AFF A150, AFF C190, FAS2750, FAS2720
  • AFF A250, AFF C250, FAS500f
  • AFF A320
  • AFF A400, AFF C400, FAS8700, FAS8300
  • AFF A900, FAS9500

Answer

The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is a remote management device that enables you to access, monitor, and troubleshoot a node remotely.

The key capabilities of the BMC  include the following:

  • Remotely diagnose, shut down, power-cycle, or reboot the node, regardless of the state of the node controller.
  • BMC monitors environmental sensors and logs events to help you take timely and effective service actions.
  • Extends AutoSupport by sending additional system event alerts to ONTAP.
  • The BMC is powered by a standby voltage, which is available as long as the node has input power from at least one of its power supplies.
    • It remains available even when the node is power-cycled or turned off.
    • You can still gather command output from the BMC using the console port and pressing Ctrl+G.
  • The console log itself is not committed to disk, but remains in memory buffer even if the storage system is reinitialized.
    • Due to limited buffer space, the system log will be overwritten on an as-needed basis in order to accommodate the latest events.

Note: Refer to the Docs page   About the Baseboard Management Controller  for more  capabilities

List of common activities
AFF A400, AFF C400, FAS8700, FAS8300 specific
  • For AFF A400, AFF C400, FAS8700, FAS8300 systems, to return to the BMC prompt, you will need to use 'Esc-T' and not 'Ctrl-D', as is typical with SP and BMC
  • To get to the BMC prompt from the console port, use 'Ctrl-G'
AFF A700s specific
  • The BMC prompt on this platform is: admin@BMC01:~$
  • For AFF A700s systems, to return to the BMC prompt, you will need to use 'Esc-T' and not 'Ctrl-D', as is typical with SP and BMC
  • To get to the BMC prompt from the console port, use 'Ctrl-G'

Note: On AFF A700s, AFF A800 and AFF C800, the BMC has its own separate Ethernet interface. It does not share a "wrench" port with the e0M port used by ONTAP.

 

Additional Information

NetApp provides no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or reliability or serviceability of any information or recommendations provided in this publication or with respect to any results that may be obtained by the use of the information or observance of any recommendations provided herein. The information in this document is distributed AS IS and the use of this information or the implementation of any recommendations or techniques herein is a customer's responsibility and depends on the customer's ability to evaluate and integrate them into the customer's operational environment. This document and the information contained herein may be used solely in connection with the NetApp products discussed in this document.