www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, November 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 1

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Console redirection—a key feature of Dell PowerEdge

servers—allows administrators to monitor and

manage PowerEdge servers from a remote location by

redirecting keyboard input and display output through

a serial connection. Various levels of console redirection

exist for graphics and text. The focus of this article is the

remote text-based console redirection process for Dell

PowerEdge servers.

Using console redirection, administrators can remotely

manage servers. Console redirection also helps eliminate

the need for individual monitors and keyboards for each

server. This benefit is particularly useful in high-density

computing installations, such as high-performance comput-

ing clusters, because administrators can monitor multiple

remote consoles from one location. This article explains the

procedures by which administrators can use HyperTerminal

and Telnet terminal emulation to enable console redirec-

tion using a serial port connection and a Serial Over LAN

(SOL) connection.

Implementing console redirectionusing HyperTerminal over a serial connectionThe main purpose of text-based console redirection is to

allow administrators to perform remote preboot text-based

configuration of the server, such as modifying BIOS set-

tings. The following steps explain how to obtain, install,

and configure the proper components to perform suc-

cessful HyperTerminal-based console redirection of Dell

PowerEdge servers.

Step 1: Validate the HyperTerminal version on the

client. Administrators should ensure that the correct ver-

sion of HyperTerminal is installed. Although many of the

Microsoft® Windows® operating systems provide a version

of HyperTerminal as a built-in accessory, that version may

not be the most current. Using an older HyperTerminal

client may cause problems and prevent certain key fea-

tures of console redirection from working as designed.

Dell recommends that administrators download

HyperTerminal Private Edition (HTPE) version 6.3 or

later and install it on the client system that will host

HyperTerminal when using console redirection features

of Dell servers.1 The version of HyperTerminal being used

can be displayed by going to Help>About HyperTerminal

in the main program window of the HyperTerminal

application.

Step 2: Connect the serial cable. Using the

HyperTerminal application for console redirection requires

the connection of a null-modem serial cable between

BY PAUL HOKE

Optimizing Console Redirectionfor Dell PowerEdge Servers Using HyperTerminal and Telnet Clients

Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers allow system administrators to remotely control and con-

figure key settings using a variety of interfaces. This article describes procedures

to configure and operate HyperTerminal and Telnet clients to optimize the console

redirection features available on Dell PowerEdge servers.

Related Categories:

Baseboard management controller (BMC)

Dell OpenManage

Dell PowerEdge servers

Intelligent PlatformManagement Interface (IPMI)

Microsoft Windows

Remote management

Systems management

Visit www.dell.com/powersolutions

for the complete category index.

1 For more information and to download the latest version of HTPE, visit www.hilgraeve.com/htpe.

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, November 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. November 20052

the server serial port and the serial port on the client running

HyperTerminal. COM1 is typically used for the serial connection,

but individual client-server configurations can allow additional serial

ports (for example, COM2).

Step 3: Enter the server BIOS setup screen. The next step is to

configure the server BIOS to enable the console redirection feature.

To do this, administrators should power up the server, and when the

BIOS power-on self-test (POST) messages appear on the screen, they

should press the F2 key to enter the BIOS setup screen. A screen

similar to that shown in Figure 1 should appear.

Step 4: Enable console redirection. To verify that console redirec-

tion is enabled, administrators should move the cursor down to “Con-

sole Redirection” and press the Enter key. A screen similar to the one

shown in Figure 2 should appear. Administrators should then ensure

that the settings are similar to those shown in Figure 2. Some of the

settings may be customized based on user preferences (such as baud

rate), but “Redirection After Boot” must be enabled to connect to an

available serial port. After verifying these settings, administrators can

press the Esc key to exit and return to the main setup screen.

Step 5: Verify the configuration of the COM port. Next, admin-

istrators should verify that the serial port on the server is configured

to use the COM port by selecting “Integrated Devices” in the setup

menu. The key field to configure on this menu is labeled “Serial

Port 1.” Administrators should ensure that the serial port is config-

ured to the COM port. Then, they can press the Esc key to return

to the main setup screen. Pressing the Esc key again will prompt

administrators to save the settings before exiting.

Step 6: Power down the server. Administrators should power

down the server. It should remain powered down until after Hyper-

Terminal has been configured on the client.

Step 7: Configure HyperTerminal on the client. After verify-

ing that the client is running the current version of HyperTerminal,

administrators can start HyperTerminal. HyperTerminal should

prompt for a connection description, and administrators should

supply a descriptive name for the connection. This procedure is

required only once for each new connection. Administrators also

should take the following steps:

1. Verify that the connection has been configured to use COM1.

Select the appropriate COM port to match the serial port con-

figuration. Click the OK button.

2. Configure the settings associated with the COM port. Verify that

“Bits per second” matches the “Failsafe Baud Rate” value

established in the server BIOS setup screen (see Figure 2).

Dell recommends that the other COM port settings be set

similar to those shown in Figure 3.

3. After completing the COM port setup, click the OK button.

This action changes the display to the main HyperTerminal

console screen.

Step 8: Power up

the server. Adminis-

trators should test the

serial connection by

powering up the server.

As the server powers up

and the POST screen

displays, administrators

should see the identi-

cal data through the

HyperTerminal client as

that shown on the server

if everything has been

configured correctly in

Figure 1. Server BIOS setup screen

Figure 2. Console Redirection settings on the BIOS setup screen Figure 3. COM port settings

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, November 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 3

the previous steps. Administrators should now be able to view

and configure the server through HyperTerminal in the pre-OS boot

environment.

Note: After the server video display changes to graphical mode

(that is, Windows), the server screen will no longer be viewable

through HyperTerminal.

Implementing console redirection using HyperTerminal and Telnet over an SOL connectionDell PowerEdge servers can be controlled remotely over a LAN

connection with the same type of control as that of a direct, serial-

based connection. An SOL interface essentially allows serial data

to be sent between a client and a server over an Ethernet net-

work. Administrators have a choice of methods—HyperTerminal

or Telnet—by which to create an SOL connection.

Configuring the server to use HyperTerminal with SOLThe first prerequisite for using SOL for console redirection is to

configure the server.

Step 1: Configure serial port settings in the BIOS. Admin-

istrators should press the F2 key on the server keyboard during

power-up to display the BIOS configuration menu. When the setup

screen appears, they should select “Integrated Devices” on the BIOS

configuration menu. Next, they should press the Enter key to display

the configuration menu (see Figure 4). Administrators should then

select “Serial Port 1” and press the spacebar to change the setting

to “BMC NIC.” This setting enables the integrated network interface

card (NIC) on the server to send serialized data between the client

and server. Finally, administrators can press the Esc key to return

to the main setup screen.

Step 2: Configure console redirection settings. Administrators

should select “Console Redirection” in the main screen and press

the Enter key to bring up the configuration menu. Next, they should

verify the following settings:

• Console Redirection: Serial Port 1 • Failsafe Baud Rate: 19200 • Remote Terminal Type: VT100/VT220 • Redirection After Boot: Enabled

Pressing the Esc key twice restores the setup screen, saves

changes, and exits.

Step 3: Configure IPMI/BMC settings for console redirection.

While the server is powering up during POST, administrators should

press Ctrl+E when the BMC configuration is displayed. This action

brings up the Intelligent Platform Management Interface/baseboard

management controller (IPMI/BMC) setup screen. Administrators

should then ensure that “IPMI Over LAN” is set to “On.”

Step 4: Configure IPMI LAN settings. Next, administrators

should select “IPMI LAN Channel” and press the Enter key to

bring up the configuration menu (see Figure 5). Administrators

should configure the IP address settings of the BMC NIC as desired

for the LAN. For illustrative purposes, the system displayed in

Figure 5 uses a static IP address of 100.100.100.031 and a subnet

mask of 255.255.255.000. Another option is to use a Dynamic Host

Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server if one exists on the subnet

to which the NIC is connected. If using that option, administrators

should ensure that a DHCP server exists on the network. Administra-

tors should then press the Esc key to return to the main screen.

Step 5: Configure BMC user accounts. In the console redi-

rection screen, administrators should select “User Configuration”

and verify the user settings: the administrator account should be

enabled; the administrator username should be “root”; and the

password should be “calvin.” These settings can be customized,

Figure 4. BIOS serial port settings

Figure 5. IPMI LAN configuration settings

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, November 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. November 20054

but this example uses the default settings. Administrators can then

press Esc twice to return to the main screen, save the settings, and

exit the IPMI/BMC configuration.

Installing the BMC SOL proxy componentThe BMC SOL proxy program is provided on the Dell OpenManage™

Systems Management CD that ships with Dell PowerEdge servers.

When installation begins, an InstallShield wizard walks administra-

tors through the setup process. The example scenario in this article

assumes that the SOL proxy is installed on the same system that is

used as the HyperTerminal client.

Note: Administrators should verify that the NIC designated as

“NIC1” on the server is connected to the same LAN as the system

that hosts the SOL proxy. Only NIC1 is used for shared BMC-NIC

connectivity.

When the Select Components screen is displayed, administra-

tors can select “OSA SOL Manager” to install that component. They

should use the default values for the SOL proxy port and session

settings. After installation concludes, administrators must restart the

system on which the SOL proxy component is installed.

Configuring the client to enable HyperTerminal console redirection over an SOL connectionAfter configuring the server and installing the SOL proxy, admin-

istrators must configure the HyperTerminal client that will be used

for console redirection.

Step 1: Create a new connection. Administrators should open

HyperTerminal and create a new connection to be used for console

redirection over the SOL connection. They should ensure that the

“Connect using” setting is “TCP/IP (Winsock)” and not “COM1”

(see Figure 6). After completing this step, administrators can click

the OK button.

Step 2: Set the IP address and port. When the host configura-

tion dialog box is displayed, administrators should set the host IP

address to match the IP address of the system on which the SOL

proxy server is installed. The port should be set to 623.

Step 3: Configure HyperTerminal connection properties. After

the HyperTerminal connection is created, administrators can go to

File>Properties to edit the connection properties. In the solproxy

Properties dialog box, administrators should ensure that the emula-

tion setting matches that of the server—in this example, it would

be set to VT100.

In the ASCII Setup dialog box, administrators should ensure that

the “Wrap lines that exceed terminal width” option is not selected.

Performing console redirection using HyperTerminal with SOLAfter configuring the server, installing the SOL proxy, and con-

figuring the HyperTerminal client, the SOL connection is ready

for use.

Step 1: Establish a HyperTerminal connection with the SOL

proxy. When administrators bring up the connection that was created

in the previous steps, the BMC Management Utility menu (see Figure

7) should appear if everything was configured correctly.

Step 2: Verify SOL connection settings. It is often useful to vali-

date SOL connection settings before attempting console redirection

with the server. Selecting option 2 in the BMC Management Utility

menu—“Configure the Serial-Over-LAN for the Remote Server”—

prompts administrators for the server IP address, username, and

password to use for the connection. The server IP address is the

BMC-NIC IP address that was previously configured as described

in Step 4 of the “Configuring the server to use HyperTerminal with

SOL” section in this article.

Administrators should verify that the baud rate matches the

expected baud rate—in this case, 19200. In addition, administrators Figure 6. Remote console connection settings

Figure 7. HyperTerminal BMC Management Utility menu

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, November 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 5

should verify the minimum required user privileges. Because the

administrator account (“root”) will be used to connect, the user

privileges are sufficient. Finally, administrators can select “Cancel”

to return to the main menu.

Step 3: Activate console redirection and reboot the server.

Administrators should select option 4—“Reboot and Activate

Console Redirection”— from the BMC Management Utility menu

(see Figure 7) to activate console redirection and reboot the server.

After the server powers up, the text-based console redirection output

should be displayed in the HyperTerminal window.

Configuring the client to enable Telnet console redirection over an SOL connectionAs with HyperTerminal, Telnet can also be used on the client for

console redirection of the server.

Step 1: Configure the server and SOL proxy component.

In preparing the Telnet client, administrators should ensure that

the server is configured properly for SOL, that the SOL proxy is

installed, and that the proxy is available on the network to which

the client is connected.

The steps for setting up a Telnet client are identical to those

described in this article for setting up a HyperTerminal client

(see the “Configuring the client to enable HyperTerminal console

redirection over an SOL connection” section in this article) with

one exception: when configuring the Console Redirection settings,

administrators should select “ANSI” for Remote Terminal Type

instead of “VT100/VT220,” and verify that the baud rate is 19200.

The Telnet client should then be ready for connection.

Step 2: Use the Windows Telnet client for console redirection.

On the client, administrators should open a Windows command

prompt and connect to the proxy server over Telnet by entering the

following command:

C:\>telnet 100.100.100.1 623

The IP address specified is the address of the system on which

the SOL proxy component is installed. The port specified is the

port for which the SOL proxy is configured. In this case, the default

port 623 is used for the connection. If a custom port was specified

during the SOL proxy installation, then that port number must be

specified instead of the default port 623.

Step 3: Configure and activate console redirection. After

a Telnet connection has been established with the SOL proxy,

a Telnet BMC Management Utility menu—similar to the one for

the HyperTerminal client—is displayed (see Figure 8). It is often

useful to validate the settings with option 2, but it is not always

necessary. To activate console redirection, administrators should

select option 4, “Reboot and Activate Console Redirection.” After

the server restarts, a screen showing server properties and console

redirection options should appear in the Telnet client.

Centrally managing servers from a single client systemAdministrators can manage Dell PowerEdge servers remotely over

a direct serial connection or an SOL connection. This feature lets

system administrators configure servers remotely from a central

location using a single client system. Following proper configura-

tion, the server can host a text-based console redirection session

with its clients using HyperTerminal or Telnet interfaces.

Paul Hoke is a software engineer for the Dell Enterprise Server Prod-uct Group. He has a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Figure 8. Telnet BMC Management Utility menu

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dell PowerEdge servers:www.dell.com/poweredge

Dell OpenManage:www.dell.com/openmanage

HyperTerminal Private Edition:www.hilgraeve.com/htpe