Intel MPCBL0001 manual Bios, Architectural Components, Ethernet Controller

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.

11.2.1Architectural Components

11.2.1.1IPMC

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.

11.2.1.2Ethernet 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.

11.2.2BIOS

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.

Table 102.	Serial Console Redirection over Front Panel and LAN
		Console Redirection	SOL Support	IPMC request	Front Panel	SOL
	Setting	Setting
			(From BIOS	for SOL	Redirection	Redirection
		(From BIOS setup
		menu)	setup menu)	(User Initiate)	(User Initiate)
	1	Disabled	x	x	No	No
	2	Enabled	No	x	Yes	No
	3	Enabled	Yes	No	Yes	No
	4	Enabled	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Note: x = does not matter

Intel NetStructure® MPCBL0001 Technical Product Specification 153