Managing a node remotely by using the Service Processor
The Service Processor (SP) is a remote management device that enables you to access, monitor, and troubleshoot a node remotely.
The SP provides the following capabilities:
- The SP enables you to access a node remotely to diagnose, shut down, power-cycle, or reboot the node, regardless of the state of the node controller.
The SP is powered by a standby voltage, which is available as long as the node has input power to at least one of its power supplies.
You can log in to the SP by using a Secure Shell client application from an administration host. You can then use the SP CLI to monitor and troubleshoot the node remotely. In addition, you can use the SP to access the serial console and run Data ONTAP commands remotely.
You can access the SP from the serial console or access the serial console from the SP. The SP allows you to open both an SP CLI session and a separate console session simultaneously.
For instance, when a temperature sensor becomes critically high or low, Data ONTAP triggers the SP to shut down the motherboard gracefully. The serial console becomes unresponsive, but you can still press Ctrl-G on the console to access the SP CLI. You can then use the system power on orsystem power cycle command from the SP to power on or power-cycle the node.
- The SP monitors environmental sensors and logs events to help you take timely and effective service actions.
The SP monitors the node temperatures, voltages, currents, and fan speeds. When an environmental sensor has reached an abnormal condition, the SP logs the abnormal readings, notifies Data ONTAP of the issue, and sends alerts and "down system" notifications as necessary through an AutoSupport message, regardless of whether the node can send AutoSupport messages.
Other than generating these messages on behalf of a node that is down and attaching additional diagnostic information to AutoSupport messages, the SP has no effect on the AutoSupport functionality. The AutoSupport configuration settings and message content behavior are inherited from Data ONTAP.
Note: The SP does not rely on the system node autosupport modify command's -transport parameter setting to send notifications. The SP uses the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP).If SNMP is enabled for the SP, the SP generates SNMP traps to configured trap hosts for all "down system" events.
The SP also logs events such as boot progress, Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) changes, Data ONTAP-generated events, and SP command history.
- The SP has a nonvolatile memory buffer that stores up to 4,000 events in a system event log (SEL) to help you diagnose issues.
The SEL stores each audit log entry as an audit event. It is stored in onboard flash memory on the SP. The event list from the SEL is automatically sent by the SP to specified recipients through an AutoSupport message.
The SEL contains the following data:- Hardware events detected by the SP—for example, sensor status about power supplies, voltage, or other components
- Errors detected by the SP—for example, a communication error, a fan failure, or a memory or CPU error
- Critical software events sent to the SP by the node—for example, a panic, a communication failure, a boot failure, or a user-triggered "down system" as a result of issuing the SP system reset or system power cycle command
- The SP monitors the serial console regardless of whether administrators are logged in or connected to the console.
When messages are sent to the console, the SP stores them in the console log. The console log persists as long as the SP has power from either of the node power supplies. Because the SP operates with standby power, it remains available even when the node is power-cycled or turned off.
- Hardware-assisted takeover is available if the SP is configured.
For more information about hardware-assisted takeover, see the Clustered Data ONTAP High-Availability Configuration Guide.