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Monitoring and Alert Management

Dell™ Remote Access Controller 5 Firmware Version 1.40 User's Guide

  Configuring Platform Events

  Frequently Asked Questions

This section explains how to monitor the DRAC 5 and procedures to configure your system and the DRAC 5 to receive alerts.

Configuring the Managed System to Capture the Last Crash Screen

Before the DRAC 5 can capture the last crash screen, you must configure the managed system with the following prerequisites.

1. Install the managed system software. For more information about installing the managed system software, see the Server Administrator User's Guide.
   
   
2. Run a supported Microsoft® Windows® operating system with the Windows "automatically reboot" feature deselected in the Windows Startup and Recovery Settings.
   
   
3. Enable the Last Crash Screen (disabled by default).
   
   

To enable using local RACADM, open a command prompt and type the following commands:

racadm config -g cfgRacTuning -o cfgRacTuneAsrEnable 1

4. Enable the Auto Recovery timer and set the Auto Recovery action to Reset, Power Off, or Power Cycle. To configure the Auto Recovery timer, you must use Server Administrator or IT Assistant.
   
   

For information about how to configure the Auto Recovery timer, see the Server Administrator User's Guide. To ensure that the last crash screen can be captured, the Auto Recovery timer must be set to 60 seconds or greater. The default setting is 480 seconds.

The last crash screen is not available when the Auto Recovery action is set to Shutdown or Power Cycle if the managed system is powered off.

Disabling the Windows Automatic Reboot Option

To ensure that the DRAC 5 Web-based interface last crash screen feature works properly, disable the Automatic Reboot option on managed systems running the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server operating systems.

Disabling the Automatic Reboot Option in Windows Server 2003

1. Open the Windows Control Panel and double-click the System icon.
   
   
2. Click the Advanced tab.
   
   
3. Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.
   
   
4. Deselect the Automatically Reboot check box.
   
   
5. Click OK twice.
   
   

Disabling the Automatic Reboot Option in Windows 2000 Server

1. Open the Windows Control Panel and double-click the System icon.
   
   
2. Click the Advanced tab.
   
   
3. Click the Startup and Recovery... button.
   
   
4. Deselect the Automatically Reboot check box.
   
   

Configuring Platform Events

Platform event configuration provides a mechanism for configuring the remote access device to perform selected actions on certain event messages. These actions include reboot, power cycle, power off, and triggering an alert (Platform Events Trap [PET] and/or e-mail).

The filterable Platform Events include the following:

• Fan Probe Failure
  
  
• Battery Probe Warning
  
  
• Battery Probe Failure
  
  
• Discrete Voltage Probe Failure
  
  
• Temperature Probe Warning
  
  
• Temperature Probe Failure
  
  
• Chassis Intrusion Detected
  
  
• Redundancy Degraded
  
  
• Redundancy Lost
  
  
• Processor Warning
  
  
• Processor Failure
  
  
• Processor Absent
  
  
• PS/VRM/D2D Warning
  
  
• PS/VRM/D2D Failure
  
  
• Power Supply Absent
  
  
• Hardware Log Failure
  
  
• Automatic System Recovery
  
  

When a platform event occurs (for example, a fan probe failure), a system event is generated and recorded in the System Event Log (SEL). If this event matches a platform event filter (PEF) in the Platform Event Filters list in the Web-based interface and you have configured this filter to generate an alert (PET or e-mail), then a PET or e-mail alert is sent to a set of one or more configured destinations.

If the same platform event filter is also configured to perform an action (such as rebooting the system), the action is performed.

Configuring Platform Event Filters (PEF)

Configure your platform event filters before you configure the platform event traps or e-mail alert settings.

Configuring PEF Using the Web User Interface

1. Log in to the remote system using a supported Web browser. See "Accessing the Web-Based Interface".
   
   
2. Click the Alert Management tab and then click Platform Events.
   
   
3. Enable global alerts.
   
   
   1. Click Alert Management and select Platform Events.
      
      
   2. Select the Enable Platform Event Filter Alert check box.
      
      
4. Under Platform Events Filters Configuration, select the Enable Platform Event Filter alerts check box and then click Apply Changes.
   
   
5. Under Platform Event Filters List, double-click a filter that you wish to configure.
   
   
6. In the Set Platform Events page, make the appropriate selections and then click Apply Changes.
   
   

NOTE: Generate Alert must be enabled for an alert to be sent to any valid, configured destination (PET or e-mail).

Configuring PEF Using the RACADM CLI

1. Enable PEF.
   
   

Open a command prompt, type the following command, and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPef -o cfgIpmiPefEnable -i 1 1

where 1 and 1 are the PEF index and the enable/disable selection, respectively.

The PEF index can be a value from 1 through 17. The enable/disable selection can be set to 1 (Enabled) or 0 (Disabled).

For example, to enable PEF with index 5, type the following command:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPef -o cfgIpmiPefEnable -i 5 1

2. Configure your PEF actions.
   
   

At the command prompt, type the following command and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPef -o cfgIpmiPefAction -i 1 <action>

where the <action> values bits are as follows:

• <action> value bit 0 – 1 = enable alert action, 0 = disable alert
  
  
• <action> value bit 1 – 1 = power off; 0 = no power off
  
  
• <action> value bit 2 – 1 = reboot; 0 = no reboot
  
  
• <action> value bit 3 – 1 = power cycle; 0 = no power cycle
  
  

For example, to enable PEF to reboot the system, type the following command:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPef -o cfgIpmiPefAction -i 1 2

where 1 is the PEF index and 2 is the PEF action to reboot.

Configuring PET

Configuring PET Using the Web User Interface

1. Login to the remote system using a supported Web browser. See "Accessing the Web-Based Interface".
   
   
2. Ensure that you followed the procedures in "Configuring PEF Using the Web User Interface".
   
   
3. Configure your PET policy.
   
   
   1. In the Alert Management tab, click Traps Settings.
      
      
   2. Under Destination Configuration Settings, configure the Community String field with the appropriate information and then click Apply Changes.
      
      
4. Configure your PET destination IP address
   
   
   1. In the Destination Number column, click a destination number.
      
      
   2. Ensure that the Enable Destination check box is selected.
      
      
   3. In the Destination IP Address field, type a valid PET destination IP address.
      
      
   4. Click Apply Changes.
      
      
   5. Click Send Test Trap to test the configured alert (if desired).
      
      

NOTE: Your user account must have Test Alerts permission to perform this procedure. See Table 5-4.

6. Repeat step a through step e for any remaining destination numbers.
   
   

Configuring PET Using RACADM CLI

1. Enable your global alerts.
   
   

Open a command prompt, type the following command, and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiLan -o cfgIpmiLanAlertEnable 1

2. Enable PET.
   
   

At the command prompt, type the following commands and press <Enter> after each command:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPet -o cfgIpmiPetAlertEnable -i 1 1

where 1 and 1 are the PET destination index and the enable/disable selection, respectively.

The PET destination index can be a value from 1 through 4. The enable/disable selection can be set to 1 (Enabled) or 0 (Disabled).

For example, to enable PET with index 4, type the following command:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPet -o cfgIpmiPetAlertEnable -i 4 0

3. Configure your PET policy.
   
   

At the command prompt, type the following command and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiPet -o cfgIpmiPetAlertDestIPAddr -i 1 <IP_address>

where 1 is the PET destination index and <IP_address> is the destination IP address of the system that receives the platform event alerts.

4. Configure the Community Name string.
   
   

At the command prompt, type:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiLan -o cfgIpmiPetCommunityName <Name>

Configuring E-Mail Alerts

Configuring E-mail Alerts Using the Web User Interface

1. Login to the remote system using a supported Web browser. See "Accessing the Web-Based Interface".
   
   
2. Ensure that you followed the procedures in "Configuring PEF Using the Web User Interface".
   
   
3. Configure your e-mail alert settings.
   
   
   1. In the Alert Management tab, click Email Alert Settings.
      
      
   2. Under SMTP (Email) Server Address settings, configure the SMTP (Email) Server IP address field with the appropriate information and then click Apply Changes.
      
      
4. Configure your e-mail alert destination.
   
   
   1. In the Email Alert Number column, click an e-mail alert number.
      
      
   2. Ensure that the Enable Email Alert check box is selected.
      
      
   3. In the Destination Email Address field, type a valid e-mail address.
      
      
   4. In the Email Description field, enter a description (if required).
      
      
   5. Click Apply Changes.
      
      
   6. Click Send Test Email to test the configured e-mail alert (if desired).
      
      

NOTE: Your user account must have Test Alerts permission to perform this procedure. See Table 5-4.

7. Repeat step a through step e for any remaining e-mail alert settings.
   
   
5. Enable global alerts.
   
   
   1. Click Alert Management and select Platform Events.
      
      
   2. Select the Enable Platform Event Filter Alert check box.
      
      

Configuring E-Mail Alerts Using RACADM CLI

1. Enable your global alerts.
   
   

Open a command prompt, type the following command, and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgIpmiLan -o cfgIpmiLanAlertEnable 1

2. Enable e-mail alerts.
   
   

At the command prompt, type the following commands and press <Enter> after each command:

racadm config -g cfgEmailAlert -o cfgEmailAlertEnable -i 1 1

where 1 and 1 are the e-mail destination index and the enable/disable selection, respectively.

The e-mail destination index can be a value from 1 through 4. The enable/disable selection can be set to 1 (Enabled) or 0 (Disabled).

For example, to enable e-mail with index 4, type the following command:

racadm config -g cfgEmailAlert -o cfgEmailAlertEnable -i 4 1

3. Configure your e-mail settings.
   
   

At the command prompt, type the following command and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgEmailAlert -o cfgEmailAlertAddress -i 1 <e-mail_address>

where 1 is the e-mail destination index and <e-mail_address> is the destination e-mail address that receives the platform event alerts.

To configure a custom message, at the command prompt, type the following command and press <Enter>:

racadm config -g cfgEmailAlert -o cfgEmailAlertCustomMsg -i 1 <custom_message>

where 1 is the e-mail destination index and <custom_message> is the custom message.

Testing e-mail Alerting

The RAC e-mail alerting feature allows users to receive e-mail alerts when a critical event occurs on the managed system. The following example shows how to test the e-mail alerting feature to ensure that the RAC can properly send out e-mail alerts across the network.

racadm testemail -i 2

NOTE: Ensure that the SMTP and Email Alert settings are configured before testing the e-mail alerting feature. See "Configuring E-Mail Alerts" for more information.

Testing the RAC SNMP Trap Alert Feature

The RAC SNMP trap alerting feature allows SNMP trap listener configurations to receive traps for system events that occur on the managed system.

The following example shows how a user can test the SNMP trap alert feature of the RAC.

racadm testtrap -i 2

Before you test the RAC SNMP trap alerting feature, ensure that the SNMP and trap settings are configured correctly. See "testtrap" and "testemail" subcommand descriptions to configure these settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the following message displayed:

Remote Access: SNMP Authentication Failure

As part of discovery, IT Assistant attempts to verify the device's get and set community names. In IT Assistant, you have the get community name = public and the set community name = private. By default, the community name for the DRAC 5 agent is public. When IT Assistant sends out a set request, the DRAC 5 agent generates the SNMP authentication error because it will only accept requests from community = public.

You can change the DRAC 5 community name using RACADM.

To see the DRAC 5 community name, use the following command:

racadm getconfig -g cfgOobSnmp

To set the DRAC 5 community name, use the following command:

racadm config -g cfgOobSnmp -o cfgOobSnmpAgentCommunity <community name>

To prevent SNMP authentication traps from being generated, you must enter community names that will be accepted by the agent. Since the DRAC 5 only allows one community name, you must use the same get and set community name for IT Assistant discovery setup.

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