Running Onboard Administrator for the first time

Setting up a c-Class enclosure using the Onboard Administrator is simplified by using the Insight Display first time installation wizard, followed by use of the Onboard Administrator GUI First Time Wizard or Onboard Administrator CLI to complete the reset of the enclosure settings.

The Onboard Administrator modules, server blade iLO management processors and many interconnect modules default to DHCP for their management IP address. If the user has DHCP and connects the Onboard Administrator management port to the DHCP server, then the Onboard Administrator modules, all iLO, and interconnect modules supporting and configured to use the Onboard Administrator internal management network will all automatically obtain DHCP addresses from the user DHCP server.

If you do not have a DHCP server for assigning IP addresses to management processors, you must configure each Onboard Administrator IP address and then all the individual device and interconnect module management IP addresses by using one of the following methods:

  • Recommended Practice – configure each Onboard Administrator with a static IP address using the Insight Display. Then log into the Onboard Administrator GUI and use the First Time Setup Wizard or log into the Onboard Administrator CLI and configure and enable Enclosure Bay IP Addresses (EBIPA) for Device Bays and Interconnect Bays. Enabling EBIPA for a bay will allow that server or interconnect module to be replaced and the new module will automatically obtain the previously configured IP address for that bay.
  • Alternatively configure each device and interconnect module for static IP manually. For ProLiant server blades, you must connect to each server blade from SUV port (using the SUV cable included with each enclosure) and configure the iLO IP address manually during POST by pressing F8 to access the iLO Option ROM settings. For the interconnect modules with management processors that can use the Onboard Administrator management network, access and configure their IP address using either an external serial console port or the Onboard Administrator CLI serial connection to that bay. After changing the interconnect module IP address manually, the switch may require power cycling to use the new setting.

    HP BladeSystem 35894 Running Onboard Administrator for the first time

    IMPORTANT: Do not configure the IP address for any Onboard Administrator in the 169.254.x.x range.

The initial credentials to log into a new Onboard Administrator module are printed on a label on each module. The user is Administrator and the password is unique to each module. This password must be captured by the installer and communicated to the remote Administrator for the first remote login to the Onboard Administrator GUI or Onboard Administrator CLI.

The enclosure settings can be configured manually or uploaded from a configuration script or file. The web GUI offers a First Time Setup Wizard. The CLI can be accessed from the Onboard Administrator serial port, Ethernet management port, service port, or by using the Enclosure KVM – Onboard Administrator CLI button.

An alternative to manual configuration is to upload an enclosure configuration file to the active Onboard Administrator using either the GUI or CLI with an HTTP, FTP or TFTP network location for the configuration file, or use the GUI, CLI or Insight Display to upload a configuration file from a USB key drive plugged into the active Onboard Administrator USB port.

The recommended practice to create an enclosure configuration file is to use the GUI, CLI, or Insight Display USB Key Menu to save the existing configuration to a file. The saved configuration file is a set of CLI text commands for each configuration item. The Onboard Administrator will not save user passwords when it saves a configuration file. The user can edit the configuration file and insert the password commands for each user account – or use the Administrator local account to individually update all user passwords after restoring a previously saved enclosure configuration file.

If the enclosure contains redundant Onboard Administrator modules, the remaining Onboard Administrator updates the new Onboard Administrator with all the settings.

Running Onboard Administrator for the first time