Automatically viewing the network switch physical connection between iDRAC & server network ports This technical white paper explains how to reduce cabling errors in data centers and helping the customer catch them by using iDRAC user interfaces. Describes how to visualize physical connectivity between iDRAC and server network ports, and adjacent switches. This can be achieved by using the Connection View feature in iDRAC9 on the 14th generation Dell EMC PowerEdge servers.
Revisions Date Description June 2017 Initial release The information in this publication is provided “as is.” Dell Inc. makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Use, copying, and distribution of any software described in this publication requires an applicable software license. Copyright © June-2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Contents Revisions.............................................................................................................................................................................2 Executive summary.............................................................................................................................................................4 1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................
Executive summary Network cabling is a big issue in data centers, and helping customers identify those cabling issues using iDRAC user interfaces would save us hundreds of hours per year. Using this feature we can remotely check your server’s networking connections. It avoids costly physical dispatch of technicians to remediate wiring errors.
1 Introduction Manually checking and troubleshooting your server's networking connection is a challenge. In data centers, there is always a requirement to visualize physical connectivity between servers and adjacent switches. This feature provides details of the physical mapping of iDRAC & server network ports to the switch. The server network ports include those on PowerEdge LOM, NDC, Mezz cards, PCIe add-in cards, and standard PCIe cards.
2 Feature Methodology On a high-level, this feature is summarized in the following steps and also captured in the architecture diagram: The switches will transmit LLDP traffic on every active port. This traffic contains the following TLV packets encoded in the LLDP payload: - Switch connection ID - Chassis Identifier – this corresponds to a unique identifier for the switch (For example, the switch MAC address).
2.1 Feature constraints 7 This feature does not work if the switch does not send LLDP packets to its connected ports. iDRAC interfaces displays Not Available for switch connection and switch port connection fields. The LLDP may not be implemented in some switches because it is not mandatory. The LLDP is not enabled by default on some switches. So the LLDP has to be enabled for this feature to work on those switches. For example, Cisco switches.
3 Enabling/Disabling Switch Connection View Configuration of connection view capability is exposed as an iDRAC attribute with the following characteristics: Attribute Allowed Values Enable Enabled , Disable d Default Value Enabled Privilege required for viewing Login Privilege required for modifying Login + Configure iDRAC Required License None (that is, unlicensed) The factory-wipe, racresetcfg, System Erase will set this attribute to its default value.
3.2 Enabling Switch Connection View by using RACADM CLI To View connection view capability attribute: racadm get iDRAC. SwitchConnectionView.Enable To modify setting of the connection view capability attribute: racadm set iDRAC. SwitchConnectionView.Enable Enabled Enabling Switch Connection View by using RACADM CLI 3.3 WS-Man 9 To globally enable or disable the Connection View feature, the management application can use the DCIM_iDRACService.
SOAP Request for the GET SwitchConnectionView.1#Enable attribute. SOAP Response for the GET SwitchConnectionView.1#Enable attribute.
Management applications can send the ApplyAttribute request for the following form to set the SwitchConnectionView.1#Enable attribute. SOAP request for the ApplyAttribute method to Set SwitchConnectionView.1#Enable attribute. SOAP Response for the ApplyAttribute method to Set SwitchConnectionView.1#Enable attribute.
3.4 WS-Man: winrm command To GET Connection View Instances winrm g http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wscim/1/cimschema/2/root/dcim/DCIM_SwitchConnectionView?InstanceID=iDRAC.Embedded.1 -u:[USER] p:[PASSWORD] -r:https://[iDRAC_IP_ADDRESS]/wsman -SkipCNcheck -SkipCAcheck -encoding:utf8 -a:basic To Enable Connection view feature winrm i ApplyAttribute http://schemas.dmtf.
4 Switch Connection View for NDC/LOM/PCIe NIC cards The following are scenarios on how the switch connection ID and switch port connection ID fields are filled for server network ports. 4.1 Switch Connection ID Feature disabled Switch Port Connection ID Feature disabled No Link No Link Not Supported Not Supported Not Available Stale Data Not Available Stale Data Valid Data Valid Data Description Connection view feature is disabled. Enable the feature to view connection view data.
Stale data is a last-known valid data. Switch connection and switch port connection fields will show as stale data either in case of the network controller port link is down or when the system is powered off. Refresh operation can be used to clear the stale data (Check refresh operation explained at the end). The screen shot depicts the situation when stale data is displayed and user can pause the pointer over stale data and can see the reason for the display of stale data.
4.2 RACADM Run the following RACADM command to view the connection view data: racadm switchconnection view In case “iDRAC.SwitchConnectionView.Enable” is set to “Disabled”, RACADM does not allow view operation and the following Event and Error Message is displayed: RAC1221: The switch connection details cannot be retrieved because the switch connection view is disabled.
4.3 WS-Man Single instance of the DCIM_SwitchConnectionView class provides SwitchConnectionID and SwitchPortConnectionID properties of iDRAC dedicated port and shared LOM for server. For more information, see the switch Connection Profile 4.0.0 Session 7.1 profile document at http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/systems-management/w/wiki/1906.dcim-library-profile.
SOAP Response for DCIM_SwitchConnectionView Enumeration Management applications can send the GET request for the following form to view the DCIM_SwitchConnectionView class instance by instance.
SOAP Response for GET DCIM_SwitchConnectionView 4.4 WS-Man: winrm command To enumerate Connection View class winrm e http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wscim/1/cimschema/2/root/dcim/DCIM_SwitchConnectionView -u:[USERNAME] -p:[PASSWORD] -r:https://[ iDRAC_IP_ADDRESS]/wsman -SkipCNcheck -SkipCAcheck -encoding:utf-8 -a:basic GET Connection View Instances winrm g http://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/wscim/1/cimschema/2/root/dcim/DCIM_SwitchConnectionView?InstanceID=iDRAC.Embedded.
5 Connection View for iDRAC The following are scenarios on how the switch connection ID and switch port connection ID fields are filled for iDRAC network port. 5.1 Switch Connection ID Feature disabled Switch Port Connection ID Feature disabled No Link No Link Not Available Stale Data Not Available Stale Data Valid Data Valid Data Description Connection view feature is disabled. Enable the feature to view connection view data. iDRAC network port link is down.
5.3 iDRAC GUI To view the iDARC Connection View data, click iDRAC Settings → Overview → Connection View.
6 Refreshing the Connection View status An option to refresh the switch connection ID and switch port connection ID information of all network ports will be provided on iDRAC user interfaces. When this option is used, the iDRAC will clear staled/valid switch connection and switch port connection information and gets latest information of switch connection ID and switch port connection ID, only if the link status is up. 6.1 iDRAC GUI Refreshing iDRAC Connection View status 6.2 RACADM If iDRAC.
Here is an example WS-Man workflow by using SOAP. In this workflow, DCIM_SwitchConnectionService. ServerPortConnectionRefresh() is invoked to refresh the DCIM_SwitchConnectionView instances. Management applications can send the invoke request for the following form to refresh the DCIM_SwitchConnectionView class instances. SOAP Request to invoke DCIM_SwitchConnectionService.ServerPortConnectionRefresh() SOAP Response to invoke DCIM_SwitchConnectionService.ServerPortConnectionRefresh() 6.
7 Connection View Supported Network controllers For a list of supported network controllers for Connection View, see the technical white paper at www.delltechcenter.com/idrac.
