IP changes on a Cisco Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter

[david_cryer]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone out there is using the MDS modules for IBM BladCenters and if so whether you had had any problems changing the IP details through the BladeCenter management interface. I needed to change a subnet mask but since making the change I've lost all IP connectivity to the module and it shows Status: Disabled under the new IP Details.

I've tried resetting the module to factory defaults and whilst this seems to have had some effect (e.g. the fc ports have all gone down) it has given me any IP connectivity or allowed me to set up a new IP address.

Has anyone else seen this and if so, how did you get round it.

Thanks,

David

[Michael Brown]

Hi David,

All management IP configuration should be performed from the IBM Blade Center Management Module (MM). You should not be able to make any changes to the mgmt0 interface from the command line.

If you open a Fabric Manager session, can you connect to the module using either the old or new IP address? If so, the login may have reverted to the default of USERID and PASSW0RD (zero not O).

If the factory restore was performed without the option to 'Preserve new IP' being enabled, the module may have to be replaced since there is no console connection, and if the management module is unable to communicate with it, there is no way to set the desired IP.

What does the MM show for I/O module tasks, under configuration for that slot?

- Mike

[david_cryer]

Hi Mike,

I saw that it doesn't allow you to change any of the IP config through the CLI, hence why I moved on to trying the MM.

Fabric manager can't connect to the module on it's address (I was just correcting the subnet mask) and it is not pingable from anywhere on the network, so it seems to me that the IP path out through the MM isn't working.

I tried the same process on one of our test chassis and the same thing has happened there.

Configuration for that slot looks like this on the MM:

Bay 3 (Fibre SM)*

Current IP Configuration

Configuration method: Static

IP address: 172.20.221.9

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway address: 172.20.221.3

New Static IP Configuration

Status: Disabled

To change the IP configuration for this switch module, fill in the following

fields and click "Save". This will save and enable the new IP configuration.

IP address 172.20.221.9

Subnet mask 255.255.255.224

Gateway address 172.20.221.3

How does the MM communicate with the module (telnet/snmpv1/snmpv3/ssh?) and with what credentials. I'm thinking that there must be something in how we've configured the switches that is breaking this in some way (we've enabled aaa auth for login, removed some default SNMP details, and disabled the telnet server).

There seems to be rather a lack of docs on these modules, is there anywhere to find out more detail on how they all hang together.

Thanks for your interest and help,

David

[david_cryer]

One slight update here, on our live system (where I only tried to update the subnet mask and haven't done a reset to factory defaults) I've managed to get onto the problem switch by connecting via the second MDS module in the chassis.

Looking at the IP configuration all seems to be fine, and there is a fresh ARP cache entry for the default gateway (returning the Management module's MAC address). But I can't ping either the default gateway address or the management module's address.

Now that I can get to both sides of this can anyone suggest how I can get the Management Module and switch happy with each other again, or point me in the direction of some documentation that might help.

Thanks,

David

[Michael Brown]

The MM uses a backplane console (serial) connection to manage the module. That connection should not be affected by AAA like a regular console port would be...but who knows. I do know that if the boot variables, or that serial connection gets confused, the module has to be replaced.

Email me at mikbrown@cisco.com I might have another idea for you to consider.

- Mike