It has been a while since I have worked with hardware and I am in the process of a scratch install of OpenSuSE 11.3. Before installing the OS, I want to make my server as headless as possible. My goal is to be able to use a Serial Console in the event my OS gets hosed and I need to reinstall and forgo the need of KVM. Since my mini-ATX case does not have any space for me to correctly install a physical Serial port I'm trying to see if it is possible to implement SOL.
Currently I have the cover off of my machine and found an old serial connector and I am able to successfully push the BIOS over serial via null modem. I have seen GRUB messages from the install disk after POST so it seems that so far with a physical serial everything is on track (I have yet to get a full install to see if it works on an OS level, but that is a different matter altogether).
In my research I've seen a lot of mention made to IPMI, however all of the examples I've seen are for Enterprise grade servers like DRAC for Dell and ILO for HP. Given that I can actually redirect my BIOS via Serial it would seem that my server has similar functionality.
I was looking a the following article: http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/using-intel-amt-serial-over-lan-to-the-fullest/
And am trying to determine if my hardware has AMT (Nothing in the BIOS states AMT, but it seems the server has all much of the functionality). I don't know if AMT is even required for SOL.
In short I'm really not sure what I need to implement SOL, or if its even possible. I'd appreciate any help in determining:
- If my hardware can support it
- Best way to implement it so I can utilize the console from power on all the way up to and including logging on to the OS.
Mobo linkage: http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Products/Networking/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=2788
*Note: Im getting IIS errors when searching for BIOS updates for this MOBO, still searching for information about the board.
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-6KIEH-RH
Processor Supported
* Intel® Penryn/Merom/Celeron M500 series processor * Socket P with 533/667/800MHzChipset Description
* Intel® GME965 * Intel® ICH8M System BIOS * PhoenixBIOS on 8Mb flash ROMIntegrated Super I/O Controller
* ITE IT8718F Super I/OProcessor - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU 2000 MHz
Console Redirection:
* Baud Rate [38.4k] * Console type [VT100] * Flow Control [CTS/RTS] * Console Connection [Via modem] * Continiue C.R. after POST: [On]
