NetApp - SP and BMC (AFF A700s)

You can manage a node remotely using an onboard controller, caller a Service Processor (SP) or Baseboard Management Controller(BMC).  This remote management controller is included in all current platform models.  The controller stays operations regardless of the operating state of the node.

Most AFF, FAS, and Vseries platform have an SP, except for the AFF A700s, which has BMC.

SP

The SP enables to access a node remotely to diagnose, shutdown, power-cycle, or reboot the node, regardless of the state of the node controller. The SP is powered by standby voltage, which is available as long as the node has input power to at least one of its power supplies.

The SP monitors environmental sensors.

The SP logs events such as boot progress, FRU changes, events by Data ONTAP. The AutoSupport configuration settings and message content behavior are inherited from Data ONTAP.

The SP uses SMTP and it has nonvolatile memory buffer that stores up to 4,000 events in a system event log(SEL) to help you diagnose issues.

Ctrl-G to access SP and Ctrl-D and Enter to exit SP

BMC

Baseboard Management Controller(BMC) for AFF A700s woks similar to the Service Processor(SP) and uses many of the same commands.

Configure the BMC network settings, access a node remotely and perform node management tasks such as diagnose, shutdown, power-cycle or reboot the node.

Difference between SP and BMC

Automatic firmware updates are not available.  The BMC can be updated manually.
The BMC reports sensor information to ONTAP via IPMI.
AutoSupport messages are not send by the BMC.

Access the SP and BMC using the SSH.  Network configuration can be automated and access can be given to specific admin hosts

SP> help
date - print date and time
exit - exit from the SP command line interface
events - print system events and event information
help - print command help
priv - show and set user mode
sp - commands to control the SP
system - commands to control the system
version - print SP version

SP> help events
events all - print all system events
events info - print system event log information
events newest - print newest system events
events oldest - print oldest system events
events search - search for and print system events

BMC> system
Usage: system cmd [option]
Support cmd list
help - display this help message
fw - platform firmware related feature
log - log related feature
reset - reset the system
console - connect to the system console
core - dump the system core and reset
power - system power related feature
fru - FRU related feature

BMC> system power help
Usage: system power [option]
Support option list
help: print this help message
cycle: power cycle the system, then on
off: power the system off
on: power the system on
status: system power status

 

With SP API services you can run many SP commands from Data ONTAP


sp status - system service-processor show
system power status - system node power show
version - system service-processor image show



…

system console - system node run-console

On SP we status of various sensor with value under Current, LCR (Lower Critical), LNC (Lower Non-Critical), UNC (Upper Non Critical), UCR (Upper Critical)
Under normal conditions Current value should be between LNC and UNC. If not, then require attention.

Data Disk: Stores data within RAID group of data aggregates.
Mailbox disks: Store the HA-Pair state information necessary to be persistent across reboots. This data includes information about the cluster state, state of the mirrors, whether a shutdown was performed clean. Each node of the HA-pair designates two disks the in first raid group of root aggregate as the mailbox disk.

NSE and Standard disks can be utilized in the same cluster but they should not be mixed in the same HA nodes of the clusters.
Installation Steps:

Initate
Plan and Design - review NetApp Sales Transfer Package sKTP or dKTP, BoM, configBuilder Pdf and word doc.
Install
Test and Validate
Close out
HA interconnect: The internal bridge or external cable that facilitates the pairing of two FAS systems into a High-Availability(HA) pair.
Multipath: Specifically, a single-controller configuration whre the controller has two connections to each stack.  Generally, refers multipath and MPHA
Quad-Path specifically, a single-controller configuration where the controller has four connections to each shelf stack. Generally, refers generically to Quad-Path and Quad-Path HA.
Quad-Path High Availability(HA) An HA pair configuration where each controller has four connections to each shelf stack.
Shelf stack A group of 1-10 disk shelves daisy-chained together by one or more shelf-to-shelf connector cables.
Single Point of Failure(SPOF) Any part of a system or network that, it it fails, will stop the entire system or network from working properly.
FAS 6200 systems uses QSFP SAS cables in the NVRAM card
FAS8080 systems use infiniband cables in ports ib0a and ib0b

 

Bye...