Using A Text-Based Remote Console; Using The Ilo Virtual Serial Port - NEC iLO 5 User Manual

9. Using a text-based Remote Console

iLO supports a true text-based Remote Console. Video information is obtained from the server,
and the contents of the video memory are sent to the iLO management processor, compressed,
encrypted, and forwarded to the management client application. iLO uses a screen-frame buffer
that sends the characters (including screen positioning information) to text-based client
applications. This method ensures compatibility with standard text-based clients, good
performance, and simplicity. However, you cannot display non-ASCII or graphical information,
and screen positioning information (displayed characters) might be sent out of order.
iLO uses the video adapter DVO port to access video memory directly. This method increases iLO
performance significantly. However, the digital video stream does not contain useful text data,
and text- based client applications such as SSH cannot render this data.

Using the iLO Virtual Serial Port

You can access a text-based console from iLO using a standard license and the iLO Virtual Serial
Port.
The iLO Virtual Serial Port provides a bidirectional data flow with a server serial port. Using the
remote console, you can operate as if a physical serial connection exists on the remote server
serial port.
The iLO Virtual Serial Port is displayed as a text-based console, but the information is rendered
through graphical video data. iLO displays this information through an SSH client when the
server is in a pre- operating-system state, enabling an unlicensed iLO system to observe and
interact with the server during POST.
By using the iLO Virtual Serial Port, the remote user can perform operations such as the
following:
• Interact with the server POST sequence and the operating system boot sequence.
To start the UEFI System Utilities during a Virtual Serial Port session, enter the key
combination ESC+ shift 9 or Esc + (.
• Establish a login session with the operating system, interact with the operating system; and
execute and interact with applications on the operating system.
• For an iLO system running Linux in a graphical format, you can configure getty() on the
server serial port, and then use the iLO Virtual Serial Port to view a login session to the Linux
OS.
• Use the EMS Console through the iLO Virtual Serial Port. EMS is useful for debugging
Windows boot issues and kernel-level issues.
More Information
Configuring Windows for use with the iLO Virtual Serial Port
Configuring Linux to use the iLO Virtual Serial Port
Windows EMS Console with iLO Virtual Serial Port
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