Users Guide
Configuring the Managed Server BIOS for Serial Console Redirection
It is necessary to connect to the managed server using the iKVM (see Managing Servers With iKVM ) or establish a Remote
Console session from the iDRAC Web interface (see the
iDRAC User’s Guide on dell.com/support/manuals).
Serial communication in the BIOS is OFF by default. To redirect host text console data to Serial over LAN, you must enable console
redirection through COM1. To change the BIOS setting:
1. Boot the managed server.
2. Press <F2> to enter the BIOS setup utility during POST.
3. Scroll down to Serial Communication and press <Enter> . In the pop-up dialog box, the serial communication list displays these
options:
• Off
• On without console redirection
• On with console redirection via COM1
Use the arrow keys to navigate between these options.
4. Ensure that On with console redirection via COM1 is enabled.
5. Enable Redirection After Boot (default value is Disabled). This option enables BIOS console redirection across subsequent
reboots.
6. Save the changes and exit.
The managed server reboots.
Configuring Windows for Serial Console Redirection
There is no configuration necessary for servers running the Microsoft Windows Server versions, starting with Windows Server
2003. Windows receives information from the BIOS, and enable the Special Administration Console (SAC) console one COM1.
Configuring Linux for Server Serial Console Redirection During Boot
The following steps are specific to the Linux GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB). Similar changes are necessary for using a different
boot loader.
NOTE: When you configure the client VT100 emulation window, set the window or application that is displaying the
redirected console to 25 rows x 80 columns to ensure proper text display; otherwise, some text screens may be garbled.
Edit the /etc/grub.conf file as follows:
1. Locate the general setting sections in the file and add the following two new lines:
serial --unit=1 --speed=57600
terminal --timeout=10 serial
2. Append two options to the kernel line:
kernel console=ttyS1,57600
3.
If the /etc/grub.conf contains a splashimage directive, comment it out.
The following example shows the changes described in this procedure.
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making
changes
# to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This
means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to
/, e.g.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=
/dev/sdal
# initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
153