Monitoring, Management & Location Tracking

This configuration is specific to the underlying operating system - it's not affected by AMP code that runs on top of it.

In order to enable serial access, you'll need to make some configuration changes to your server via SSH. Our QA team has tested these steps on an AWMS appliance running our default CentOS 5.3 installation and found that they work as expected.


1: Backup grub and inittab
# cp /boot/grub/grub.conf /boot/grub/grub.conf.orig
# cp /etc/inittab /etc/inittab.orig

2: Edit grub
# vi /boot/grub/grub.conf

**Note - You'll want to disable any splashimages. Splashimages aren't displayed correctly over vt100, and may cause undesired results.

----top of file----
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
title CentOS (2.6.18-128.4.1.el5PAE)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.4.1.el5PAE ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 ide=nodma console=tty0 console=ttyS1,19200n8
initrd /initrd-2.6.18-128.4.1.el5PAE.img
title CentOS-base (2.6.18-128.4.1.el5)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 ide=nodma
initrd /initrd-2.6.18-128.4.1.el5.img
----

3: Edit inittab
# vi /etc/inittab

----scroll to bottom of file----
# Run gettys in standard runlevels
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6

# Run agetty on COM1/ttyS0 and COM2/ttyS1
s0:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -L -f /etc/issueserial 19200 ttyS0 vt100
s1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -L -f /etc/issueserial 19200 ttyS1 vt100

# Run xdm in runlevel 5
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon
----

4: Edit securetty (this allows you to login as root from the serial port)
# vi /etc/securetty

----top of file----
console
ttyS0
ttyS1
vc/1
vc/2
vc/3
vc/4
----

5: Re-read the init or reboot -> basically want OS to reload init
# init q
# pkill agetty

6: Try to connect through serial

Tested on HyperTerminal:
19200 bps
8 databits
No parity
1 stop bit
No flow control


For easier to read instructions, you can view a pdf version from:
http://www.airwave.com/download/docs/64/SerialConsole.pdf

Added instructions to enable BIOS output to serial port

Depending on the Server, you should be able to do the following:
Reboot server
Hit F2(may vary depending on BIOS prompt) to enter Setup
Go to 'Console Redirection'
Set 'Console Redirection' to Serial Port
Set 'Failsafe Baud Rate' to 19200
Set 'Remote Terminal Type' to VT100/VT220
Set 'Redirection After Boot' to enabled