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Intel NetStructure
®
MPCBL0001 Technical Product Specification 153
Serial Over Lan (SOL)
transformation of serial data to and from network packets, and the transmission and reception
of SOL network packets through the Ethernet controller TCO port.
11.2.1 Architectural Components
11.2.1.1 IPMC
As shown in the block diagram in Figure 29, the IPMI controller on the blade provides a UART
interface to the blade’s serial port (COM2). This interface is used by the IPMC firmware to receive
the blade’s serial port data written by BIOS or the operating system or to write date to the blade’s
serial port. The serial port may be connected to either a front panel RJ-45 connector or to the IPMI
controller. Switching of the serial port between front-panel and the IPMC’s UART is automatically
detected by the BIOS.
IPMC also provides a dedicated SMBus connection to the Ethernet controller, whose ports are
connected to the base Ethernet interface.
The KCS interface is used for interaction between IPMC firmware and software executing on the
OS (for example, OpenIPMI or OpenHPI) by sending/receiving IPMI messages, and does not play
a role during SOL communication. The KCS interface, however, may be used for SOL-related
IPMC configuration, as described below.
11.2.1.2 Ethernet Controller
The Ethernet controller provides advanced pass-through mode of operation whereby the controller
allows the external IPMC to communicate over the Ethernet ports using a sideband SMBus port
called a TCO port.
The Ethernet controller is available with the payload power, so the viewing of serial data console
can be visible to a user after the board reaches the M4 state.
11.2.2 BIOS
For Serial Over LAN to work, the latest BIOS release (BIOS P13-0028) is required to control the
serial port switching between COM1 and COM2. The BIOS will switch the serial redirection path
between COM1 and COM2 according to the following table.
Note: x = does not matter
Table 102. Serial Console Redirection over Front Panel and LAN
Setting
Console Redirection
Setting
(From BIOS setup
menu)
SOL Support
(From BIOS
setup menu)
IPMC request
for SOL
(User Initiate)
Front Panel
Redirection
(User Initiate)
SOL
Redirection
1 Disabled x x No No
2 Enabled No x Yes No
3 Enabled Yes No Yes No
4 Enabled Yes Yes No Yes