PowerCLI and updateipmi

[gmitch64]

I am trying to set the  IPMI/iLO settings for Power Management on a single ESX host which resides in one of our datacenters, and I am encountering some problems. The server is a Dell R610 with an iDRAC 6 Enterprise. I've re-enabled the default DRAC account/password, and every time I try and run the code, I get the following error.

Exception calling "UpdateIpmi" with "1" argument(s): "A specified parameter was not correct.
"
At E:\Work\VMwareScripts\set-OffsiteServers\setOffsiteServers.ps1:49 char:21
+ $hostview.updateipmi <<<< ($ipmiinfo)
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

In the vSphere client window, it's shows 'A specified parameter was not correct', although unhelpfully, it doesn't show anywhere WHICH parameter was not correct.

The code isn't particularly onerous either (fake server names, IPs and accounts follow)

$VMHost = "vmhost1.local"
connect-viserver vcenterserver.local
$hostview = get-vmhost -server "vcenterserver.local" -name $VMHost | % {get-view $_.id}
$ipmiinfo = new-object vmware.vim.hostipmiinfo
$ipmiinfo.bmcipaddress = "192.168.2.2"
$ipmiinfo.bmcmacaddress = "84:2B:2B:47:09:F0"
$ipmiinfo.login = "root"
$ipmiinfo.password = "calvin"
$hostview.updateipmi($ipmiinfo)

Does anyone have any idea what I am doing wrong? This one is stumping me.

vCenter is 5.0.0 build 623373

Host in question is 5.0.0 914586

powercli on my workstation is VMware vSphere PowerCLI 5.0 build 435427.

Graham

[LucD]

Could it be that you are experiencing the same problem as in Update IPMI or ILO information used by DPM

[gmitch64]

Luc,

     I am not sure if that's the issue or not. Our vCenter is virtual; however, migrating the guest didn't make a difference, nor did rebooting the host (we needed to apply some patches anyway). Does the code look like it should work?

[LucD]

Yes, the code looks like it should be from the UpdateIpmi page in the SDK Reference.

Did you check the logs if there are any more clues ?

You should find the method call in there with the parameters as they are seen by vSPhere.

[gmitch64]

I think this is the relavent line from the vCenter log file. Unfortunately, it's not helping me much - which is frustrating.

2013-01-28T14:16:55.071-05:00 [03744 info 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-26338 -- host-845 -- vim.HostSystem.updateIpmi: vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument:
--> Result:
--> (vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument) {
-->    dynamicType = <unset>,
-->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
-->    invalidProperty = <unset>,
-->    msg = "",
--> }
--> Args:
-->
--> Arg ipmiInfo:
--> (vim.host.IpmiInfo) {
-->    dynamicType = <unset>,
-->    bmcIpAddress = "192.168.2.2",
-->    bmcMacAddress = "84:2B:2B:47:09:F0",
-->    login = "root",
-->    password = (not shown),
--> }

[LucD]

Sometimes there is a line before this one that explains what parameter is considered incorrect, but not always.

Is there such a line in this case ?

[gmitch64]

I think this should be everything...

2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] ribcl_ilo3:Bad HTTP response (404)
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxdMoHost::DoBmcCallInt] IPMI/ILO: unable to perform GetMacAddr after 3 retries.
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] (Log recursion level 2) vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument

2013-01-28T14:16:53.170-05:00 [03744 verbose 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxdMoHost::DoPowerOpsInt] IPMI GetMacAddr took 16002000 msec, ret=22 (hex)
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] ribcl_ilo3:Bad HTTP response (404)
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 verbose 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxdMoHost::DoPowerOpsInt] ILO GetMacAddr took 1900000 msec, ret=22 (hex)
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxdMoHost::DoBmcCallInt] IPMI/ILO: unable to perform GetMacAddr after 3 retries.
2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] (Log recursion level 2) vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument

2013-01-28T14:16:55.069-05:00 [03744 error 'Default' opID=f55c8062] Section for VMware VirtualCenter, pid=2496, version=5.0.0, build=build-623373, option=Release
-->
2013-01-28T14:16:55.070-05:00 [03744 info 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-26338 -- host-845 -- vim.HostSystem.updateIpmi -- 52ea4950-dc87-0289-fdfe-e0a7b1015073(520e3f3f-5056-c4a2-3b26-37ce0008b0bd)
2013-01-28T14:16:55.071-05:00 [03744 info 'Default' opID=f55c8062] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-26338 -- host-845 -- vim.HostSystem.updateIpmi: vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument:
--> Result:
--> (vmodl.fault.InvalidArgument) {
-->    dynamicType = <unset>,
-->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
-->    invalidProperty = <unset>,
-->    msg = "",
--> }
--> Args:
-->
--> Arg ipmiInfo:
--> (vim.host.IpmiInfo) {
-->    dynamicType = <unset>,
-->    bmcIpAddress = "172.22.63.27",
-->    bmcMacAddress = "84:2B:2B:47:09:F0",
-->    login = "root",
-->    password = (not shown),
--> }
2013-01-28T14:16:56.731-05:00 [03744 info 'Default' opID=1f577d8f] [VpxLRO] -- BEGIN task-internal-4436 --  -- vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.retrieveContents -- 52e28e1c-9555-54d1-82bd-8a2d592b7489(524d462d-e78f-c38f-79f4-83f859cf8497)
2013-01-28T14:16:56.732-05:00 [03744 info 'Default' opID=1f577d8f] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-internal-4436 --  -- vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.retrieveContents -- 52e28e1c-9555-54d1-82bd-8a2d592b7489(524d462d-e78f-c38f-79f4-83f859cf8497)

[LucD]

The messages seem to indicate that there is a problem with the MAC address or with obtaining the MAC address.

Is the MAC address config on the iLO correct ?

[gmitch64]

Luc,

     I did notice that when I pulled all the log info together. I'm sure the MAC is correct - it's a Dell DRAC card, so I remoted in, and did a cut and paste on the MAC address     84:2B:2B:47:09:F0. The IP address is correct too; I did that the same way. I know the default username and password are correct too, since I used them to connect to the web interface on the card and double check all the info.

Graham

[LucD]

Stupid question, you did enable IPMI on the DRAC ?

[gmitch64]

Never a stupid question Luc - I just remoted in and checked, and it's enabled, so it's not going to be that simple I'm afraid

Graham

[LucD]

I'm afraid that was the last of my ideas at the moment

[gmitch64]

Just an update to close this thread off.

I managed to arrange a maintenance window for this server, and after physically removing power from the server (and the DRAC) card and rebooting, all was well. I did try both a server reboot (which I didn't expect to do anything), and an iDRAC reset, but none of these worked - I had to physically power off the DRAC card.

Graham

[LucD · Accepted solution]

Thanks for letting us know.

It is strange that you actually have to take away the power of the DRAC card to make it "read" the new settings. I would expect a function or call for that. But heck, you got it working, that's what counts