/dev/ipmi0 does not exist Dell R710 SLES 11 SP2

SUSE Product Topics SLES Configure-Administer
1

Hey guys,

I have been searching and searching and searching and haven’t been successful in finding the solution to this problem of trying to get ipmitool to work which is dependent on /dev/ipmi0 to exist which it doesn’t unfortunately. Here’s some information that I think would be helpful:

# service ipmi status
ipmi_msghandler module loaded.
ipmi_si module loaded.
ipmi_devintf module loaded.
/dev/ipmi0 does not exist.

# ./srvadmin-services.sh status
dell_rbu (module) is running
ipmi driver is stopped
dsm_sa_datamgrd (pid 30636) is running
dsm_sa_eventmgrd (pid 30757) is running
dsm_sa_snmpd (pid 30816) is running
dsm_om_shrsvcd (pid 30894) is running
dsm_om_connsvcd (pid 30919 30918) is running

ipmi message handler version 39.2
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480521] IPMI System Interface driver.
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480523] ipmi_si: probing via hardcoded address
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480524] ipmi_si: Adding hardcoded-specified kcs state machine
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480526] ipmi_si: Trying hardcoded-specified kcs state machine at i/o address 0xca2, slave address 0x0, irq 0
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480532] ipmi_si: Interface detection failed

# service ipmi restart
Stopping all ipmi drivers:                                                                        done
Starting ipmi drivers:                                                                            done

# zypper se ipmi
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...

S | Name             | Summary                           | Type     
--+------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------
i | OpenIPMI         | OpenIPMI                          | package  
  | OpenIPMI-devel   | OpenIPMI  - Development libraries | package  
i | ipmitool         | Utility for IPMI Control          | package  
  | ipmitool         | Utility for IPMI Control          | srcpackage
  | libipmi0         | IPMI library for iDRAC update     | package  
i | slessp1-ipmitool | Recommended update for ipmitool   | patch    
i | slessp2-ipmitool | Recommended update for ipmitool   | patch

# zypper se srvadmin
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...

S | Name                          | Summary                                                         | Type  
--+-------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+--------
i | srvadmin-all                  | Meta package for installing all Server Administrator features-> | package
i | srvadmin-argtable2            | A library for parsing GNU style command line arguments, 7.2.0   | package
i | srvadmin-base                 | Meta package for installing the Server Agent, 7.2.0             | package
  | srvadmin-cm                   | OpenManage Inventory Collector, 7.2.0                           | package
i | srvadmin-deng                 | Data Engine, 7.2.0                                              | package
i | srvadmin-deng-snmp            | Data Engine SNMP, 7.2.0                                         | package
i | srvadmin-hapi                 | Hardware Abstraction Programming Interface, 7.2.0               | package
i | srvadmin-idrac                | Meta rpm for iDRAC components, 7.2.0                            | package
i | srvadmin-idrac-ivmcli         | Modular Server Virtual Media CLI Utils, 1.0.0                   | package
i | srvadmin-idrac-snmp           | iDRAC SNMP components, 7.2.0                                    | package
i | srvadmin-idrac-vmcli          | Monolithic Server Virtual Media CLI Utils, 1.0.0                | package
  | srvadmin-idrac7               | Meta rpm for iDRAC components, 7.2.0                            | package
i | srvadmin-idracadm             | iDRAC6 Command Interface, 7.2.0                                 | package
  | srvadmin-idracadm7            | iDRAC7 Command Interface, 7.2.0                                 | package
i | srvadmin-isvc                 | Instrumentation Services, 7.2.0                                 | package
i | srvadmin-isvc-snmp            | Disney SNMP, 7.2.0                                              | package
i | srvadmin-itunnelprovider      | Integrated Tunnel Provider, 1.3.0                               | package
i | srvadmin-jre                  | Oracle Java Runtime Environment, 1.7.0_07                       | package
i | srvadmin-omacore              | Server Administrator CLI, 7.2.0                                 | package
i | srvadmin-omacs                | Server Administrator OMACS, 7.2.0                               | package
i | srvadmin-omcommon             | Server Administrator Common Framework, 7.2.0                    | package
i | srvadmin-omilcore             | Server Administrator Install Core, 7.2.0                        | package
i | srvadmin-ominst               | Server Administrator Core, 7.2.0                                | package
i | srvadmin-oslog                | OSLogging control, 7.2.0                                        | package
i | srvadmin-rac-components       | Remote Access Card Data Populator, 7.2.0                        | package
i | srvadmin-rac4                 | Meta rpm for RAC4 components, 7.1.0                             | package
i | srvadmin-rac4-populator       | Remote Access Card Data Populator, 7.1.0                        | package
i | srvadmin-rac5                 | Meta rpm for RAC5 components, 7.2.0                             | package
i | srvadmin-racadm4              | RAC Command Interface, 7.1.0                                    | package
i | srvadmin-racadm5              | RAC5 Command Interface, 7.1.0                                   | package
i | srvadmin-racdrsc              | RAC Integration Layer, 7.2.0                                    | package
i | srvadmin-racsvc               | Remote Access Card Managed Node, 7.1.0                          | package
i | srvadmin-realssd              | RealSSD package for storage management, 7.2.0                   | package
i | srvadmin-server-cli           | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator cli comp-> | package
i | srvadmin-server-snmp          | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator snmp com-> | package
i | srvadmin-smcommon             | Storage Management common files for GUI and CLI, 4.2.0          | package
i | srvadmin-smweb                | Storage Management package for GUI component, 4.2.0             | package
i | srvadmin-standardAgent        | Meta package for installing the Standard Server Agent, 7.2.0    | package
i | srvadmin-storage              | Storage Management accessors package, 4.2.0                     | package
i | srvadmin-storage-cli          | Storage Management CLI component, 4.2.0                         | package
i | srvadmin-storage-snmp         | Storage Management SNMP component, 4.2.0                        | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices      | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator Storage -> | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices-cli  | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator storage -> | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices-snmp | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator storage -> | package
i | srvadmin-storelib             | StoreLib package for storage management, 7.2.0                  | package
i | srvadmin-storelib-sysfs       | System Utilities Package/Libsysfs for LSI storage libraries, -> | package
i | srvadmin-sysfsutils           | Storage Management System Utilities Package / Libsysfs, 1.3.0   | package
i | srvadmin-tomcat               | Apache Tomcat Webserver, 7.0.23                                 | package
i | srvadmin-webserver            | Meta package for installing the Server Administrator Web Serv-> | package
i | srvadmin-xmlsup               | Server Administrator XML Support SDK, 7.2.0                     | package

# lsmod | grep ipmi
ipmi_devintf           17509  0
ipmi_si                53294  0
ipmi_msghandler        49895  2 ipmi_devintf,ipmi_si
# lsmod | grep ipmi
ipmi_devintf           17509  0
ipmi_si                53294  0
ipmi_msghandler        49895  2 ipmi_devintf,ipmi_si

TLDR: How do i get /dev/ipmi0 to exist

Let me know if there’s any further information I can provide.

Thanks

2

random0munky wrote:
[color=blue]

I have been searching and searching and searching and haven’t been
successful in finding the solution to this problem of trying to get
ipmitool to work which is dependent on /dev/ipmi0 to exist which it
doesn’t unfortunately. Here’s some information that I think would be
helpful:

Code:

service ipmi status

ipmi_msghandler module loaded.
ipmi_si module loaded.
ipmi_devintf module loaded.
/dev/ipmi0 does not exist.

./srvadmin-services.sh status

dell_rbu (module) is running
ipmi driver is stopped
dsm_sa_datamgrd (pid 30636) is running
dsm_sa_eventmgrd (pid 30757) is running
dsm_sa_snmpd (pid 30816) is running
dsm_om_shrsvcd (pid 30894) is running
dsm_om_connsvcd (pid 30919 30918) is running

ipmi message handler version 39.2
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480521] IPMI System Interface driver.
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480523] ipmi_si: probing via hardcoded address
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480524] ipmi_si: Adding
hardcoded-specified kcs state machine
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480526] ipmi_si: Trying
hardcoded-specified kcs state machine at i/o address 0xca2, slave address 0x0, irq 0
May 29 13:36:13 # kernel: [11369545.480532] ipmi_si: Interface detection failed

service ipmi restart

Stopping all ipmi drivers:
done
Starting ipmi drivers:
done

zypper se ipmi

Loading repository data…
Reading installed packages…

S | Name | Summary | Type
–±-----------------±----------------------------------±----------
i | OpenIPMI | OpenIPMI | package
| OpenIPMI-devel | OpenIPMI - Development libraries | package
i | ipmitool | Utility for IPMI Control | package
| ipmitool | Utility for IPMI Control | srcpackage
| libipmi0 | IPMI library for iDRAC update | package
i | slessp1-ipmitool | Recommended update for ipmitool | patch
i | slessp2-ipmitool | Recommended update for ipmitool | patch

zypper se srvadmin

Loading repository data…
Reading installed packages…

S | Name | Summary
| Type

–±------------------------------±----------------------------------------------------------------±-------
i | srvadmin-all | Meta package for installing all
Server Administrator features-> | package
i | srvadmin-argtable2 | A library for parsing GNU style
command line arguments, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-base | Meta package for installing the
Server Agent, 7.2.0 | package
| srvadmin-cm | OpenManage Inventory Collector, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-deng | Data Engine, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-deng-snmp | Data Engine SNMP, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-hapi | Hardware Abstraction Programming
Interface, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-idrac | Meta rpm for iDRAC components,
7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-idrac-ivmcli | Modular Server Virtual Media CLI
Utils, 1.0.0 | package
i | srvadmin-idrac-snmp | iDRAC SNMP components, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-idrac-vmcli | Monolithic Server Virtual Media CLI
Utils, 1.0.0 | package
| srvadmin-idrac7 | Meta rpm for iDRAC components, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-idracadm | iDRAC6 Command Interface, 7.2.0
| package
| srvadmin-idracadm7 | iDRAC7 Command Interface, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-isvc | Instrumentation Services, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-isvc-snmp | Disney SNMP, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-itunnelprovider | Integrated Tunnel Provider, 1.3.0
| package
i | srvadmin-jre | Oracle Java Runtime Environment,
1.7.0_07 | package
i | srvadmin-omacore | Server Administrator CLI, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-omacs | Server Administrator OMACS, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-omcommon | Server Administrator Common
Framework, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-omilcore | Server Administrator Install Core,
7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-ominst | Server Administrator Core, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-oslog | OSLogging control, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-rac-components | Remote Access Card Data Populator,
7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-rac4 | Meta rpm for RAC4 components, 7.1.0
| package
i | srvadmin-rac4-populator | Remote Access Card Data Populator,
7.1.0 | package
i | srvadmin-rac5 | Meta rpm for RAC5 components, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-racadm4 | RAC Command Interface, 7.1.0
| package
i | srvadmin-racadm5 | RAC5 Command Interface, 7.1.0
| package
i | srvadmin-racdrsc | RAC Integration Layer, 7.2.0
| package
i | srvadmin-racsvc | Remote Access Card Managed Node,
7.1.0 | package
i | srvadmin-realssd | RealSSD package for storage
management, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-server-cli | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator cli comp-> | package
i | srvadmin-server-snmp | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator snmp com-> | package
i | srvadmin-smcommon | Storage Management common files for
GUI and CLI, 4.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-smweb | Storage Management package for GUI
component, 4.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-standardAgent | Meta package for installing the
Standard Server Agent, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-storage | Storage Management accessors
package, 4.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-storage-cli | Storage Management CLI component,
4.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-storage-snmp | Storage Management SNMP component,
4.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator Storage → | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices-cli | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator storage → | package
i | srvadmin-storageservices-snmp | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator storage → | package
i | srvadmin-storelib | StoreLib package for storage
management, 7.2.0 | package
i | srvadmin-storelib-sysfs | System Utilities Package/Libsysfs
for LSI storage libraries, → | package
i | srvadmin-sysfsutils | Storage Management System Utilities
Package / Libsysfs, 1.3.0 | package
i | srvadmin-tomcat | Apache Tomcat Webserver, 7.0.23
| package
i | srvadmin-webserver | Meta package for installing the
Server Administrator Web Serv-> | package
i | srvadmin-xmlsup | Server Administrator XML Support
SDK, 7.2.0 | package

lsmod | grep ipmi

ipmi_devintf 17509 0
ipmi_si 53294 0
ipmi_msghandler 49895 2 ipmi_devintf,ipmi_si

lsmod | grep ipmi

ipmi_devintf 17509 0
ipmi_si 53294 0
ipmi_msghandler 49895 2 ipmi_devintf,ipmi_si

TLDR: How do i get /dev/ipmi0 to exist

Let me know if there’s any further information I can provide.[/color]

Firstly for others watching this thread please note this issue has also
been posted to the Dell Community Support Forums @
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/servers/f/177/p/19509948/20379839.aspx

Does the server boot through UEFI? Dell have an Installation Instructions
and Important Information document for PowerEdge Systems running SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 11[1] and page 14 includes the following issue and
resolution:

–begin–
IPMI May Not Start On Systems That Boot Through UEFI

Description
The IPMI kernel modules might fail to load on systems that boot through
UEFI. As a consequence, services that depend on IPMI may be affected.

Work around
To work around this issue, add the following line to/etc/modprobe.conf
before starting the IPMI service:
options ipmi_si type=“kcs” ports=“0xca8” regspacings=“4”

A fix for this issue will be available in a future SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 11 kernel update.

Cause
This is caused due to a kernel bug that sets the IPMI driver to use the
Block Transfer (BT) interface instead of the KCS interface.
—end—

Of course it’s possible that the above issue has been fixed in a later
version of the kernel and is not your particular issue if using UEFI.

HTH.

[1]
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_electronics/esuprt_software/esuprt_operating_system/novl-suse-lx-entps-srvr-11_User's%20Guide_en-us.pdf

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

3

Oh okay. Since this is a production critical server I’m scheduled to have it in maintenance mode to update firmware and such tomorrow afternoon. What are some of the zypper packages I should be concerned with when I’m updating? I’ll be mainly updating the iDrac firmware.

4

On 31/05/2013 00:14, random0munky wrote:
[color=blue]

Oh okay. Since this is a production critical server I’m scheduled to
have it in maintenance mode to update firmware and such tomorrow
afternoon. What are some of the zypper packages I should be concerned
with when I’m updating? I’ll be mainly updating the iDrac firmware.[/color]

Well the obvious ones are the kernel-* and IPMI-related packages.

The above suggests the server is not fully patched (and your reply to
the thread on the Dell Community Support Forums suggests you’re running
kernel 3.0.42-0.7-default which isn’t the latest)? Please can you post
the outputs from “cat /etc/*release” and “uname -a”.

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

Do you work with SUSE technologies at a university, college or school?
If so, your campus could benefit from joining the Technology Transfer
Partner (TTP) program. See TTP Organization | Micro Focus for more details.

5

[QUOTE=smflood;13833]On 31/05/2013 00:14, random0munky wrote:
[color=blue]

Oh okay. Since this is a production critical server I’m scheduled to
have it in maintenance mode to update firmware and such tomorrow
afternoon. What are some of the zypper packages I should be concerned
with when I’m updating? I’ll be mainly updating the iDrac firmware.[/color]

Well the obvious ones are the kernel-* and IPMI-related packages.

The above suggests the server is not fully patched (and your reply to
the thread on the Dell Community Support Forums suggests you’re running
kernel 3.0.42-0.7-default which isn’t the latest)? Please can you post
the outputs from “cat /etc/*release” and “uname -a”.

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

Do you work with SUSE technologies at a university, college or school?
If so, your campus could benefit from joining the Technology Transfer
Partner (TTP) program. See TTP Organization | Micro Focus for more details.
------------------------------------------------------------------------[/QUOTE]

Thank you smflood for the reply. Absolutely here is the output:

cat /etc/SuSE-release

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11
PATCHLEVEL = 2

uname -a

Linux compusrv2 3.0.42-0.7-default #1 SMP Tue Oct 9 11:58:45 UTC 2012 (a8dc443) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

6

On 31/05/2013 16:44, random0munky wrote:
[color=blue]

Thank you smflood for the reply. Absolutely here is the output:

cat /etc/SuSE-release

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11
PATCHLEVEL = 2

uname -a

Linux compusrv2 3.0.42-0.7-default #1 SMP Tue Oct 9 11:58:45 UTC 2012
(a8dc443) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux[/color]

Okay the above confirms that you are using kernel-default-3.0.42-0.7.3
which was released back on 15 October last year.

I can see from the changelog for kernel-default-3.0.58-0.6.6.1 (not the
latest but it’s a version I have to hand) that there are IPMI-related
fixes listed for 17 October so were made after the version you have.

Since your kernel version would seem to suggest that you haven’t patched
the server since last October I would start by doing that.

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

Do you work with SUSE technologies at a university, college or school?
If so, your campus could benefit from joining the Technology Transfer
Partner (TTP) program. See TTP Organization | Micro Focus for more details.

7

I just realized that a kernel update might create issues with compatibility of the existing hardware and or software installed. Being that’s it’s a production server, I do not feel comfortable without proper testing of the kernel. To be honest, we will be replacing the ipmitool with openmanage and this is mainly to just have everything green in Nagios.

8

Got it!

rmmod ipmi_si && modprobe -v ipmi_si type=“kcs” ports=“0xca8” regspacings=“4”

You can mark as resolved