Advanced Device Configuration > How the OnBoard Manages Communications With Devices > Assigning a Command Template to a New Device

Assigning a Command Template to a New Device
When configuring a new device, the OnBoard administrator should not assign a command template when the device is either of the following two types of devices:
When adding any other kind of new device, the OnBoard administrator needs to do the following:
Find out if the new device and its firmware have been tested and proven to work with the applicable default command template.
If the new device is running untested firmware, test whether the firmware is compatible with the applicable default command template.
If communications cannot be established with the new device using the default command template, use the onbdtemplate utility to create and test a new command template, after making any needed changes to the commands that manage communications between the device and the OnBoard.
See To Find Out if An Existing Command Template Works With a New Device” for how to perform the above-listed steps.
To Find Out if An Existing Command Template Works With a New Device
1.
Check the release notes to see if the device is in the list of tested devices, and if the device is listed, to see if the device’s firmware level is also listed.
a.
Navigate to http://www.cyclades.com/support/downloads and click on the product name “AlterPath OnBoard.”
b.
c.
Locate the table of tested devices and firmware levels and check the new device’s model and firmware level against the list.
2.
Review any application notes that relate to the type of device under
/usr/share/docs/OnBoard/Application_Notes/Service_Processor_Related.
3.
Check for updated application notes at http://www.cyclades.com /support/downloads.php under the product name “AlterPath OnBoard,” and if any are found, review those notes for additional tips about the type of device being configured.
4.
If the device and its firmware level are listed in the release notes as having been tested, assign the device the appropriate device type and the associated default command template for the device type and you are done.
See Default Command Templates for the list of command templates that apply to each type of device. See To Add a Device for how to add a device using the Web Manager.
5.
If the device is listed in the release notes as a tested device, but the firmware version is not the same as the one tested or if the device is not listed at all, do the following steps:
a.
Assign the device the appropriate device type and the associated default command template for the device type.
b.
6.
If the device is an RSA II type device, if you cannot run power commands on the device using the rsa.default template, assign the device the rsa.limited.default template.
7.
If you can run power commands on the device, test the rest of the device management commands that are supported on the device. If they work, you are done.
8.
If you cannot run one or more of the supported commands on the device, attempt to connect to the service processor console.
Note: Even if the power management commands do not work on a new device, you can usually establish a connection to the service processor’s console.
9.
a.
Use ping, telnet, or ssh to verify that you can get to the server.
b.
10.
If you can access the server but still cannot access the service processor’s console, double-check the user name and password you are using against the user name and password that are configured for the device.
11.
Once you have established the connection to the service processor’s console, type the help command, which gives you the syntax you need to use for the commands supported by the service processor.
12.
To Use the onbdtemplate Utility to Create a New Template
Perform this procedure after To Find Out if An Existing Command Template Works With a New Device, if the default templates do not work for a new device. See The onbdtemplate Utility for details about using the onbdtemplate utility, if needed.
1.
2.
Select New from the menu.
3.
The editor brings up a template for a new command template assigning it the name you specified.
4.
Using the syntax supported on the device, perform the following steps to fill in the commands supported by the service processor. Follow the instructions in the template you are editing.
Note: Sensors may not be supported. If any command is not supported, leave it commented out in the template.
5.
Enter the login prompt in the form “login_prompt = login_prompt.”
6.
Enter the password prompt in the form “pass_prompt = pass_prompt.”
7.
Enter the command prompt in the form “cmd_prompt = cmd_prompt.”
8.
Enter the logout command in the form “logout_cmd = logout_cmd.”
9.
Enter the power on command in the form “poweron_cmd = poweron_cmd.”
10.
Enter the power off command in the form “poweroff_cmd = poweroff_cmd.”
11.
Enter the power cycle command in the form “powercycle_cmd = powercycle_cmd.”
12.
Enter the power status command in the form “powerstatus_cmd = powerstatus_cmd.”
13.
14.
Enter the sensors command in the form “sensors_cmd = sensors_cmd.”
15.
16.
17.
18.
Enter the escape sequence used to escape from the console in the form devconsole_esc = devconsole_esc_sequence.”
Caution! You must specify the device console escape sequence to block users who are authorized for device console access from being able to escape to the service processor console whether or not they are authorized.
19.
20.
Enter the saveconf command.
21.
22.
When an administrative user logs in, the new template is automatically added to the /etc/onboard_templates.ini file and is included in the list of command templates that you can assign to a device.
23.
To Use the onbdtemplate Utility to Test a Template
When onbdtemplate is used to test a template, extra debugging information is provided to report on commands sent to and received from the device. See The onbdtemplate Utility for details about using the onbdtemplate utility, if needed.
1.
2.
Select Test from the menu.
3.
A list of templates appears.
4.
A list of configured devices appears.
5.
The editor runs the commands in the specified template and returns debugging information that you can record for making command changes in a new template.
6.
7.
8.

Advanced Device Configuration > How the OnBoard Manages Communications With Devices > Assigning a Command Template to a New Device