wake-on-lan, restart, remote BIOS access

[rutherford]

I could only find some ancient threads about Wake On Lan (WOL*) and remote BIOS access. I don't particularly need to get into the BIOS, but I like the idea of the server being fully remote.

 

I know there is hardware out there that is super-duper-remote: like bios level access via IP.

I do have a raspberry PI on my network I can SSH to, and runs WireGuard: so separate access to my LAN is sorted out. I could send that Magic Packet from that box to wake up the server.

 

But: what if the server is just all screwed up and I can't even ping it? I'd like to be able to send a RESET command to the computer (NIC?) that will really hardware-kick-to-the-cranium and get it back online.

 

I suspect this has something to do with a power brown out, or something. I DO have a new UPS plugged in, and also via USB to shut the server down after XX minutes (or maybe battery %?) if power is out, but it seems to be an imperfect setup.

 

Any recent knowledge on hardware I could install to affect this remote support? thanks!

 

Looks like my current motherboard (Asus Strix B-350F Gaming) does support WOL. It says "WOL by PME" in the manual. But I need to enable it in the BIOS. AND record the MAC address of the NIC I'm using, and figure out that WOL magic packet.

 

I'm still looking for other folks who have solved this problem, and how you did it, it's reliability, and any hardware you wish you would have gotten, or are planning on getting.

thanks!

Edited November 6, 2022 by dkerlee

[BRiT]

IPMI is the server management feature you're looking for to do remote BIOS access. If you didn't get a server motherboard then maybe a remote KVM (Keyboard/Video/Mouse) setup over IP would work.

[ConnerVT]

BRIT is correct, IPMI is the integrated solution to all that you ask.

 

WOL really only helps you in one use case - Taking a server which is powered down (or in a sleep/hibernation state) and powering it up to an active state.

 

Even for starting a system which was shut down by a UPS when power goes out, WOL has issues.  For you need make the choice - Keep the UPS running on power after the system shuts down, or switch off the UPS as well?  If you keep the UPS running, the battery still drains as no computer is fully off.  If you turn off the UPS, then the computer won't respond to WOL.

 

Also WOL won't help with hard lock ups - Computer powered but frozen.  So these are issues when remote managing standard desktop hardware as a server.

[rutherford]

Got a PiVPN ordered today and will hook that puppy up along with some more conservative UPS settings via unRaid.

 

 

 

So, just to rehash a couple things you mentioned:

IPMI is what I’m after. That can solve:

power off

system freezes

power off due to UPS (of course provided power is now back and UPS is on!)

Hard lock ups

?

 

I guess I don’t totally understand 

22 hours ago, ConnerVT said:

remote managing standard desktop hardware as a server

I like the KVM through IP idea. But sometimes a keyboard mouse and monitor still won’t be enough! It really just needs a good ol fashion power cycle!

 

How about this badboy?:

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-rack-x470d4u-amd-ryzen-2nd-generation-series-processors/p/N82E16813140023

AMD AM4 Socket Ryzen Series CPUs

4 x DDR4 ECC and non-ECC UDIMM, max. 128GB

6 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s

IPMI 2.0 with KVM and Dedicated LAN (RTL8211E)

2 x GLAN by Intel I210

Edited November 7, 2022 by dkerlee