NEC Express5800 320La, User Manual

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1-24 System Overview
Baseboard Management Controllers (BMC)
Server management is concentrated in the Baseboard Management Controllers (BMC).
The BMCs and associated circuitry are powered from a 5Vdc standby voltage, which
remains active when system power is switched off, but the ac power source is still on
and connected.
The BMC supports the Management Workstation Application (MWA), which allows
remote server management via a modem, LAN, or direct connection to a manager
system. Events monitored by the manager system include over-temperature and over-
voltage conditions, fan failure, or chassis intrusion.
Information on the Management Workstation Application (MWA) in the ESMPRO
Suite User’s Guide on the ESMPRO CD-ROM.
One major function of the BMC is to autonomously monitor system management
events, and log their occurrence in the nonvolatile System Event Log (SEL). The events
being monitored include overtemperature and overvoltage conditions, fan failure, or
chassis intrusion. To enable accurate monitoring, the BMC maintains the nonvolatile
Sensor Data Record (SDR), from which sensor information can be retrieved. The BMC
provides an ISA host interface to SDR sensor information, so that software running on
the server can poll and retrieve the server's current status.
The BMC performs the following:
!
Monitors server board temperature and voltage
!
Monitors processor presence and controls Fault Resilient Boot (FRB)
!
Detects and indicates baseboard fan failure
!
Manages the SEL interface
!
Manages the SDR Repository interface
!
Monitors the SDR/SEL timestamp clock
!
Monitors the system management watchdog timer
!
Monitors the periodic SMI timer
!
Monitors the event receiver
!
Controls secure mode, including video blanking, diskette write-protect monitoring,
and front panel lock/unlock initiation
!
Controls Wake On LAN via Magic Packet support.
External Device Connectors
The external device I/O connectors located on the I/O panel board (see Figure 1-15)
provide support for two USB ports that support a mouse and a keyboard, two serial port
connectors, and a VGA monitor port.