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authorCorey Minyard <minyard@acm.org>2005-06-24 01:01:39 -0400
committerLinus Torvalds <torvalds@ppc970.osdl.org>2005-06-24 03:05:23 -0400
commit845e78a15726f238fe1398b8c07754726cd726a7 (patch)
tree9de5bd95e14c5cd18b8033102fcb80d69e7a6cd0 /Documentation
parentbdd5b29c6bc835dab71148afd5952f9cd278eef1 (diff)
[PATCH] ipmi: doc updates
This cleans up the IPMI documentation to fix some problems and make it more accurate for the current drivers. Signed-off-by: Corey Minyard <minyard@acm.org> Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@osdl.org> Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/IPMI.txt126
1 files changed, 94 insertions, 32 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/IPMI.txt b/Documentation/IPMI.txt
index 90d10e708ca3..2f99fe6299ab 100644
--- a/Documentation/IPMI.txt
+++ b/Documentation/IPMI.txt
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ subject and I can't cover it all here!
25Configuration 25Configuration
26------------- 26-------------
27 27
28The LinuxIPMI driver is modular, which means you have to pick several 28The Linux IPMI driver is modular, which means you have to pick several
29things to have it work right depending on your hardware. Most of 29things to have it work right depending on your hardware. Most of
30these are available in the 'Character Devices' menu. 30these are available in the 'Character Devices' menu then the IPMI
31menu.
31 32
32No matter what, you must pick 'IPMI top-level message handler' to use 33No matter what, you must pick 'IPMI top-level message handler' to use
33IPMI. What you do beyond that depends on your needs and hardware. 34IPMI. What you do beyond that depends on your needs and hardware.
@@ -35,33 +36,30 @@ IPMI. What you do beyond that depends on your needs and hardware.
35The message handler does not provide any user-level interfaces. 36The message handler does not provide any user-level interfaces.
36Kernel code (like the watchdog) can still use it. If you need access 37Kernel code (like the watchdog) can still use it. If you need access
37from userland, you need to select 'Device interface for IPMI' if you 38from userland, you need to select 'Device interface for IPMI' if you
38want access through a device driver. Another interface is also 39want access through a device driver.
39available, you may select 'IPMI sockets' in the 'Networking Support' 40
40main menu. This provides a socket interface to IPMI. You may select 41The driver interface depends on your hardware. If your system
41both of these at the same time, they will both work together. 42properly provides the SMBIOS info for IPMI, the driver will detect it
42 43and just work. If you have a board with a standard interface (These
43The driver interface depends on your hardware. If you have a board 44will generally be either "KCS", "SMIC", or "BT", consult your hardware
44with a standard interface (These will generally be either "KCS", 45manual), choose the 'IPMI SI handler' option. A driver also exists
45"SMIC", or "BT", consult your hardware manual), choose the 'IPMI SI 46for direct I2C access to the IPMI management controller. Some boards
46handler' option. A driver also exists for direct I2C access to the 47support this, but it is unknown if it will work on every board. For
47IPMI management controller. Some boards support this, but it is 48this, choose 'IPMI SMBus handler', but be ready to try to do some
48unknown if it will work on every board. For this, choose 'IPMI SMBus 49figuring to see if it will work on your system if the SMBIOS/APCI
49handler', but be ready to try to do some figuring to see if it will 50information is wrong or not present. It is fairly safe to have both
50work. 51these enabled and let the drivers auto-detect what is present.
51
52There is also a KCS-only driver interface supplied, but it is
53depracated in favor of the SI interface.
54 52
55You should generally enable ACPI on your system, as systems with IPMI 53You should generally enable ACPI on your system, as systems with IPMI
56should have ACPI tables describing them. 54can have ACPI tables describing them.
57 55
58If you have a standard interface and the board manufacturer has done 56If you have a standard interface and the board manufacturer has done
59their job correctly, the IPMI controller should be automatically 57their job correctly, the IPMI controller should be automatically
60detect (via ACPI or SMBIOS tables) and should just work. Sadly, many 58detected (via ACPI or SMBIOS tables) and should just work. Sadly,
61boards do not have this information. The driver attempts standard 59many boards do not have this information. The driver attempts
62defaults, but they may not work. If you fall into this situation, you 60standard defaults, but they may not work. If you fall into this
63need to read the section below named 'The SI Driver' on how to 61situation, you need to read the section below named 'The SI Driver' or
64hand-configure your system. 62"The SMBus Driver" on how to hand-configure your system.
65 63
66IPMI defines a standard watchdog timer. You can enable this with the 64IPMI defines a standard watchdog timer. You can enable this with the
67'IPMI Watchdog Timer' config option. If you compile the driver into 65'IPMI Watchdog Timer' config option. If you compile the driver into
@@ -73,6 +71,18 @@ closed (by default it is disabled on close). Go into the 'Watchdog
73Cards' menu, enable 'Watchdog Timer Support', and enable the option 71Cards' menu, enable 'Watchdog Timer Support', and enable the option
74'Disable watchdog shutdown on close'. 72'Disable watchdog shutdown on close'.
75 73
74IPMI systems can often be powered off using IPMI commands. Select
75'IPMI Poweroff' to do this. The driver will auto-detect if the system
76can be powered off by IPMI. It is safe to enable this even if your
77system doesn't support this option. This works on ATCA systems, the
78Radisys CPI1 card, and any IPMI system that supports standard chassis
79management commands.
80
81If you want the driver to put an event into the event log on a panic,
82enable the 'Generate a panic event to all BMCs on a panic' option. If
83you want the whole panic string put into the event log using OEM
84events, enable the 'Generate OEM events containing the panic string'
85option.
76 86
77Basic Design 87Basic Design
78------------ 88------------
@@ -80,7 +90,7 @@ Basic Design
80The Linux IPMI driver is designed to be very modular and flexible, you 90The Linux IPMI driver is designed to be very modular and flexible, you
81only need to take the pieces you need and you can use it in many 91only need to take the pieces you need and you can use it in many
82different ways. Because of that, it's broken into many chunks of 92different ways. Because of that, it's broken into many chunks of
83code. These chunks are: 93code. These chunks (by module name) are:
84 94
85ipmi_msghandler - This is the central piece of software for the IPMI 95ipmi_msghandler - This is the central piece of software for the IPMI
86system. It handles all messages, message timing, and responses. The 96system. It handles all messages, message timing, and responses. The
@@ -93,18 +103,26 @@ ipmi_devintf - This provides a userland IOCTL interface for the IPMI
93driver, each open file for this device ties in to the message handler 103driver, each open file for this device ties in to the message handler
94as an IPMI user. 104as an IPMI user.
95 105
96ipmi_si - A driver for various system interfaces. This supports 106ipmi_si - A driver for various system interfaces. This supports KCS,
97KCS, SMIC, and may support BT in the future. Unless you have your own 107SMIC, and BT interfaces. Unless you have an SMBus interface or your
98custom interface, you probably need to use this. 108own custom interface, you probably need to use this.
99 109
100ipmi_smb - A driver for accessing BMCs on the SMBus. It uses the 110ipmi_smb - A driver for accessing BMCs on the SMBus. It uses the
101I2C kernel driver's SMBus interfaces to send and receive IPMI messages 111I2C kernel driver's SMBus interfaces to send and receive IPMI messages
102over the SMBus. 112over the SMBus.
103 113
104af_ipmi - A network socket interface to IPMI. This doesn't take up 114ipmi_watchdog - IPMI requires systems to have a very capable watchdog
105a character device in your system. 115timer. This driver implements the standard Linux watchdog timer
116interface on top of the IPMI message handler.
117
118ipmi_poweroff - Some systems support the ability to be turned off via
119IPMI commands.
120
121These are all individually selectable via configuration options.
106 122
107Note that the KCS-only interface ahs been removed. 123Note that the KCS-only interface has been removed. The af_ipmi driver
124is no longer supported and has been removed because it was impossible
125to do 32 bit emulation on 64-bit kernels with it.
108 126
109Much documentation for the interface is in the include files. The 127Much documentation for the interface is in the include files. The
110IPMI include files are: 128IPMI include files are:
@@ -424,7 +442,7 @@ at module load time (for a module) with:
424 modprobe ipmi_smb.o 442 modprobe ipmi_smb.o
425 addr=<adapter1>,<i2caddr1>[,<adapter2>,<i2caddr2>[,...]] 443 addr=<adapter1>,<i2caddr1>[,<adapter2>,<i2caddr2>[,...]]
426 dbg=<flags1>,<flags2>... 444 dbg=<flags1>,<flags2>...
427 [defaultprobe=0] [dbg_probe=1] 445 [defaultprobe=1] [dbg_probe=1]
428 446
429The addresses are specified in pairs, the first is the adapter ID and the 447The addresses are specified in pairs, the first is the adapter ID and the
430second is the I2C address on that adapter. 448second is the I2C address on that adapter.
@@ -532,3 +550,47 @@ Once you open the watchdog timer, you must write a 'V' character to the
532device to close it, or the timer will not stop. This is a new semantic 550device to close it, or the timer will not stop. This is a new semantic
533for the driver, but makes it consistent with the rest of the watchdog 551for the driver, but makes it consistent with the rest of the watchdog
534drivers in Linux. 552drivers in Linux.
553
554
555Panic Timeouts
556--------------
557
558The OpenIPMI driver supports the ability to put semi-custom and custom
559events in the system event log if a panic occurs. if you enable the
560'Generate a panic event to all BMCs on a panic' option, you will get
561one event on a panic in a standard IPMI event format. If you enable
562the 'Generate OEM events containing the panic string' option, you will
563also get a bunch of OEM events holding the panic string.
564
565
566The field settings of the events are:
567* Generator ID: 0x21 (kernel)
568* EvM Rev: 0x03 (this event is formatting in IPMI 1.0 format)
569* Sensor Type: 0x20 (OS critical stop sensor)
570* Sensor #: The first byte of the panic string (0 if no panic string)
571* Event Dir | Event Type: 0x6f (Assertion, sensor-specific event info)
572* Event Data 1: 0xa1 (Runtime stop in OEM bytes 2 and 3)
573* Event data 2: second byte of panic string
574* Event data 3: third byte of panic string
575See the IPMI spec for the details of the event layout. This event is
576always sent to the local management controller. It will handle routing
577the message to the right place
578
579Other OEM events have the following format:
580Record ID (bytes 0-1): Set by the SEL.
581Record type (byte 2): 0xf0 (OEM non-timestamped)
582byte 3: The slave address of the card saving the panic
583byte 4: A sequence number (starting at zero)
584The rest of the bytes (11 bytes) are the panic string. If the panic string
585is longer than 11 bytes, multiple messages will be sent with increasing
586sequence numbers.
587
588Because you cannot send OEM events using the standard interface, this
589function will attempt to find an SEL and add the events there. It
590will first query the capabilities of the local management controller.
591If it has an SEL, then they will be stored in the SEL of the local
592management controller. If not, and the local management controller is
593an event generator, the event receiver from the local management
594controller will be queried and the events sent to the SEL on that
595device. Otherwise, the events go nowhere since there is nowhere to
596send them.