Integrated Lights-Out Architecture; Firmware Levels And Upgrades - HP AB500A - Integrated Lights-Out Advanced Technology Brief

Integrated Lights-Out architecture

The iLO architecture consists of an independent firmware-based operating environment and a
management processor. The management processor resides on the system board, using auxiliary
power and operating independently of the host processor and the OS. This independence means that
iLO has the following characteristics:
• Fully operational during a shut-down and reboot of the server because it does not depend on host
server power
• Not dependent on the host processor for operation and does not use any processing cycles of the
host processor
• Autonomous from the server hardware. Any problems occurring with the server hardware are
isolated from the iLO processor
• Available for out-of-band management without assistance from the OS

Firmware levels and upgrades

The firmware can provide two levels of functionality—Standard and Advanced—depending on which
level is enabled with licensing keys.
iLO Standard functionality includes basic system management functions such as the ability to power
on and off the host server remotely, to access server status and diagnostics such as the Integrated
Management Log, and to access system alerts such as SNMP traps. Because ProLiant BL servers are
designed to be managed remotely, iLO Standard Blade Edition offers additional management and
Lights-Out control features that are essential for headless environments. iLO Advanced for
BladeSystem is designed for select environments such as HP BladeSystem or Linux® networks. iLO
Advanced for BladeSystem supports more advanced capabilities such as virtual power control, virtual
media, and other sophisticated security features. It activates the complete suite of remote management
capabilities for ProLiant BL-based environments. The iLO Advanced Pack, on the other hand, provides
the complete suite of remote management capabilities for ProLiant ML-, DL- and SL-based
environments.
Because HP continually upgrades Lights-Out firmware with additional capabilities, and because server
capabilities may differ, administrators should refer to the HP website at
more information. Details are also available by logging in to the iLO or iLO 2 processor, navigating
to the licensing page, and selecting the Help button.
Regardless of the iLO firmware level, administrators can upgrade the firmware by means of a flash
ROM in the management processor. Refer to the iLO User Guide for the most current version of
firmware. Features discussed in this brief require that firmware version as a baseline. The firmware
can be updated in several ways, so administrators can select the method that best suits their data
center environment. After administrators obtain the most recent firmware from the HP website, they
can flash the ROM using one of the following resources:
• iLO web page
• Online ROM Flash Component from the operating system
• Bootable CD-ROM such as the firmware update CD
• Scripting tools such as RIBCL/HPONCFG/CPQLOCFG
• Command-line interface over telnet/SSH
Firmware updates are backward-compatible, meaning the latest firmware supports previous platforms
with a compatible iLO processor; updates also include enhancements and bug fixes.
See the HP Integrated Lights-Out Management Processor Scripting and Command Line Resource Guide,
1
available at http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00294268/c00294268.pdf
www.hp.com/servers/ilo
1 over the network or from the host OS
for
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