i350 - enable critical session

[BBapt1]

Hi,

I recently bought an i350 ethernet controller. I would like to enable the "critical manageability session" of the card, but I can't find any documentation that explains how to do that. The only document related to my question is https://www-ssl.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/maintaining-the-ethernet-link-to-the-BMC.pdf# page=7&zoom=auto,70,298 https://www-ssl.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/maintaining-the-ethernet-link-to-the-BMC.pdf# pag… which says to refer to the i350 documentation. I did... but I was not able to find any concrete information in it. Any hint?

Thanks!

[idata]

HI Blepers,

I will further check if there is any documentation that could be of help.rgds,wb

[idata]

Hi Blepers,

Try check on below documentation about the manageability session. http://www.intel.ph/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/specification-updates/ethernet-controller-i350-spec-update.pdf Please do let me know if above info help. rgds,wb

[BBapt1]

Hi wb,

Thanks for the information. Unfortunately the i350 data-sheet and the document you sent me don't contain useful information to activate the critical manageability session. In your document the only related paragraph ("Overriding MAIN_PWR_OK") explains how to keep the critical manageability session once it has been activated, but does not explain how to activate it. Same comment for the official data-sheet (I've tried everything related to the critical session but so far failed to activate it).

Do you have any tool / precise guideline / (ipmi) command line to activate this feature? (Or know somebody that would know how to do that )

Thanks,

Baptiste.

[idata]

Hi Baptiste,

Thank you for the update. I will further check on this.rgds,wb

[BBapt1]

Hi wb,

Do you have any news on that front?

Cheers,

Baptiste.

[idata]

HI Baptiste,

I am still clarifying some information, once I confirm I will update you. thank you for your time.rgds,wb

[idata]

Hi Baptiste,

Good day. Further checking, you need to have an onboard NIC or LOM design which has BMC in order to enable critical session. The BMC can configure the critical session via the sideband interface and prevent the loss of link. Hope this clarified.rgds,wb

[BBapt1]

Hi wb,

Thanks for the clarification. Are you aware of any commercial system that has this option available? Our servers have a BMC, but I don't see any option to prevent the loss of link.

Thanks,

Baptiste.

[idata]

HI Baptiste,

I am sorry I don't have the information about the commercial system. Can you check with your server vendor about the option? rgds,wb

[idata]

HI Baptiste,

Just want to double check if further assistance needed here? please feel free to update me.thanks,wb

[BBapt1]

Hi wb,

We are still looking for a way to activate the critical session feature of the card. So far we haven't found any machine that supports the feature. I'll update the thread if we find an answer to our problem

Thanks,

Baptiste.

[idata]

Hi Baptiste,

Thank you for the update and hope to hear good news from you.rgds,wb