Virtual Folders; Web-Based Or Scriptable Virtual Media - HP AB500A - Integrated Lights-Out Advanced Technology Brief

ROM, upgrade device drivers, deploy an OS from network drives, create an emergency repair
diskette, and perform disaster recovery of failed operating systems, among other tasks.
The iLO processor uses a client-server model to perform virtual media functions. It streams the virtual
media data across a live network connection between the remote management console and the host
server. The virtual media Java applet provides the data to iLO as it is requested.
The first-generation iLO management processor contains a USB device controller that the host OS
views as a physical USB device plugged into the server. Under the control of iLO firmware, a virtual
USB device can be remotely "inserted" into the host server. When the virtual media is inserted, the
server OS activates the appropriate USB device support. Because iLO uses standard, built-in USB
drivers, the iLO virtual media devices are available to host operating systems that support USB,
without additional HP drivers running on the server.
is extended to support USB virtual devices. Because of the BIOS extensions and the OS support, the
iLO virtual media is always available.
The iLO 2 management processor builds on first-generation iLO by embedding a complete USB host
controller. The host controller and iLO 2 firmware operate in a manner similar to iLO, but with
improved support for the simultaneous use of multiple virtual media devices. The first-generation iLO
USB device controller required USB composite devices to support multiple devices in use
simultaneously. This method had a disadvantage: composite mode was not supported by all
operating systems. The iLO 2 host controller makes it possible to use multiple devices simultaneously
without using composite mode.

Virtual folders

Using virtual folder technology in iLO 2, administrators can copy files from client file systems to
remote servers using simple "drag and drop" techniques. The iLO 2 virtual folder emulates a USB
device, and creates a media image of the selected folder or directory. After creating a virtual image
of the folder or directory, the server connects to the created image as a USB storage device, enabling
administrators to browse to the server and transfer the files from the iLO 2-generated image to any
location on the server.
The Virtual Folder feature is only available within the Integrated Remote Console. The virtual folder is
compatible with FAT16 file systems (Windows and Linux), can contain a maximum of one gigabyte of
data, is mounted as read-only, and is non-bootable.

Web-based or scriptable virtual media

Customers can store floppy, CD, and DVD image files on a web server and have iLO 2 access them
over a web browser using HTTP/HTTPS protocols. Administrators can use an XML script or a
command-line interface over telnet/SSH to send the URL of the image file to iLO 2.
Using this method, the administrator does not need to open either the Virtual Media Java applet or the
Integrated Remote Console Active-X control. If the client is connected across a wide-area network link
to the target server, this technology provides virtual media with higher performance if the Virtual
Media web server is located on a network segment close to the target server.
4 Different operating systems provide varying levels of USB support which can affect iLO virtual media functions.
For additional information, see the iLO User Guide at
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/ilo/documentation.html.
See the HP Integrated Lights-Out Management Processor Scripting and Command Line Resource Guide
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available at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00294268/c00294268.pdf.
4 Additionally, the system BIOS of the host server
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