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Setting up a new HMC don't forget about BMC

By Norman Owens posted Sat July 30, 2022 08:23 PM

  

Are you getting the alert "Update HMC to inband BMC credentials" when you login to your new HMC console?

Well, there is an extra step to configure the BMC.

What is the BMC?  Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is based on the OpenBMC standard.  It allows you to monitor your HMC for platform events and it also provides several management functions like providing console access with “Serial over LAN” and KVM. 

Here are the steps we used to set up the BMC and get rid of that BMC credentials alert

  1. Login to the HMC console as hscroot

        
      2. You will need to configure a new IP address specifically for the BMC console access

 

  1. You have the option to configure a shared port with the BMC and the public HMC. For the shared port setup you will use the network port listed as 0 on the back of the HMC.  We are using port 0 for our private HMC network.  So, we decided to use the port listed as M on the back of the HMC.  Hopefully, you have already done the patching for the port that you will be using.  If not, make sure to do that before going to the next step.

         

 

  1. Go to: Console Management -- > Console Settings -- > Change BMC/IPMI Network Settings

The M port is a dedicated port specifically for the BMC.  You have the option to use STATIC or DHCP for the IP address.  We chose to use STATIC.

 

      

  1. After entering the IP, Subnet mask and Gateway for the STATIC configuration, hit OK.

 

  1. The next step is to login to the BMC console as root and create a user account for the BMC Console Inbound Communication. In your browser go to:    https:// < mybmc ip>

 

  1. Be aware!!!: If you mistype the password too many times you will lock the BMC root account and then you will have to physically login to the HMC on a console that is connected to the HMC in order to reset the BMC settings back to default.  This is painful.  And I know because this happened on one of my new HMCs.                                                                                                                                                        

 

  1. You will be prompted to change your password.

 

  1. Go here to create a new user: Access control -- > Local users -- > Add user

 

  1. We created a user called bmc but you can name the user whatever you’d like. Make sure to set privilege to Administrator and Account status to enabled.  And select Add user.

 

 


    11. Logout of the BMC Console

 

  1. On the HMC console go to: Console Management -- > Console Settings -- > Console Inbound Communication Credentials

 

  1. Enter your bmc user and password and click Set Credentials

 

  1. If your credentials are accepted you are done


Hopefully this has been helpful.  Enjoy your new HMC!

 

These links provide more details and the steps for setting up the BMC that I highlighted above.

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6483593

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6454865

This link provides the steps that you will need to follow in case you lock the root account or can’t login with the default password during initial setup.  I want to give a shout-out to Rick from IBM Power Systems Hardware Support for helping us get the settings reset after some mystery person locked the root account on our 2nd HMC.  Fun times!

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6550862

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Christian Sonnemans
Sat December 03, 2022 05:02 AM

Hello Norman,
Thanks for this artikel, good and clear story.
Maybe I can ask you a question?
We are using both the Power based HMC's CR1 an CR2.
And we like to know if it is possible to connect a Open Power based 9006-12P LC921 to the HMC's ?
We liked to install a vio server first on the 9006-12p and have it under contol of at least one of the HMC's both running V9 latest release.

Thanks in advance.
Greeting Christian Sonnemans