IMM "Shared Mode" on a new TS200

[mikelaverick]

Hi there.

I'm new to lenovo hardware - so please be gentle...

I've  a new levovo thinkserver ts200 tower, one of the features I want to use is the IMM. I naively assumed this would be a dedicate nic on the motherboard as you would find with a HP Proliant...

It looks from the BIOS settings that some kind "shared" mode allows one of the ordinary nics on the motherboard to be the IMM. Is that right or am I barking up the wrong tree? I've tried using DHCP and static address but the IP isn't pingable. Why is that?

I've got on order a virtual media key (there appears to be a wait time for it). I assumed this would merely be a serial number that I would type in to enable the advanced functionality. It now looks like that this key is some kind of physical device that you plug into the motherboard - is that right?

So about the newbie questions - but I wasn't expect the tower to work with this...

Regards

Mike

[mikelaverick]

Any theories?

Just replying to my own thread to keep up at the top of the list in the vain hope someone will see this!!! :-)

It's a very quiet community this isn't it?

Regards

Mike

[bananaman]

Hi mikelaverick, and welcome to the Lenovo User Community!

Sorry it's so quiet here at the moment! I don't use IMM, but maybe this will help (note the TS came after the TD's - I think it is applicable)?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-73133

[mikelaverick]

Hey, ther BananaMan!

Nice to know I'm not the only one in the Levovo community! :-)

Let me intro myself. My name is Mike Laverick and I run the www.rtfm-ed.co.uk site. I'm really into virtualization, and I've written a couple of books on the subject.

I'm building a homelab with 4xLenovo's - runnning both ESX4 and ESX4i. Interesting stuff already come-up is that ESX4i doesn't see the internal RAID controller card of the Lenovo TS200, whereas ESX4 does. It's not the end of the world. Looking for work arounds. But I will have access to NFS/iSCSI system for external storage away. So I might be tempted to remove the disk from two of Lenovo's and mirror up the disks on the others.

Thanks for the link

Regards

Mike

[solar · Accepted solution]

Hi

IMM has two levels. One - Standard - is on all 2nd generation servers from Lenovo (except TS200v on TS200, TD200, RD220, RS210  and RD210). The Premium version is upgradable by the key and comes as standard on some configs of all above models.

Standard versions gives you capability of remotly control server - restart etc., see what is happing, Predictive Failure analysis, and lot more.

Premium version adds Remote Desktop (KVM) independent on OS and adds Virtual media - ability to connect remote DVD-ROM drives and images across network as they would be connected physically to server. You can the boot server, install etc. from remote media.

All you need is browser and Java WebSatrt installed.

The dual socket servers have dedicated management port while single socket as yours TS200 have second ethernet port shared. Meaning it has two IP addresses assigned - one for network and one for management. The IP for managemt works only if you are having also IP adress assigned to Ethernet 1 port. If you do not have ethernet plugged into Port 1 you wont get IP address for managemtn port.

You can find IP adress of remote management in BIOS where you can also setup IP assignment (DHCP, fixed IP).

Then you just type in IP address in browser and you get to management console

[bosclarke]

Solar

That was very helpful.   I was having the same questions about accessing the IMM on my new TS200.

A new question:  I am trying to test the Remote Control feature.  When I click on the Remote Control link, I can see the web browser attempting the Java Webstart, and then dying.    I clicked on the link to Get Jave Webstart and JRE and it said my computer was up to date with the latest Java version.

My laptop is running Win 7 and IE8.   I had to set it to Compatibility Mode to run the IMM web session.

[solar]

there is a security setup from I think IE7 and you have to refer to the manual what kind of security stuff you have to disable in IE setup. I'm using FireFix which seems much easier to access remote console.

[mikelaverick]

I think my woes were merely basic network ones. I've got the IMM working on all of my TS200s...

Just need to fit the widget that allows for remote control... Wish this was a media key rather than a physical device. That creates a lot hassle with maintanance windows, and also there was 10-day leading in time before the thing was delivered from my supplier...

Regards

Mike

[bosclarke]

Is that the TS200 manual you are referring to?

[solar]

You just need to add the IP address of managed server (of IMM) into trusted locations in web browser and have installed latest java