Configuring System and Network Settings

This chapter provides configuration controls for core BMC system and network settings, including alerts, time synchronization, networking services, and remote logging. These options allow administrators to define event behavior, maintain accurate system reporting, and ensure reliable connectivity between the BMC and external management infrastructure.

Configuring Alerts and Email Policies

This section covers Platform Event Filtering (PEF), alert policy configuration, and email notification settings. These controls allow administrators to define how the BMC responds to hardware and system events, determine where alerts are sent, and ensure that critical notifications reach the appropriate monitoring systems.

Alerts

The Alerts page allows administrators to configure Platform Event Filtering (PEF) and define how the system generates notifications through SNMP or email.

1. PEF table

The PEF table lists all sensor events capable of triggering alerts. Each entry includes:

• No. — Entry index number

• PEF Enable — Indicates whether PEF is enabled for the selected sensor

• Sensor Type — Category of the sensor (Temperature, Voltage, Current, Fan, Physical Security, etc.)

• Sensor Name — The sensor name or identifier

• Assertion Condition — Event conditions that trigger PEF actions

• PEF Actions — Actions performed when the assertion is triggered (e.g., Alert)

To modify a PEF entry, click the pencil icon next to the corresponding row.

2. SNMP trap configuration

SNMP trap settings are located below the PEF table. Available fields:

• LAN Channel — Selects the network interface used for SNMP communication

• SNMP Trap — Choose SNMP version (v1, v2c, or v3)

• Community String — Specifies the SNMP community string (default: public)

Click Save to apply changes.

3. Global PEF configuration

Click the here link above the PEF table to open the global Platform Event Filter configuration window. Options include:

• PEF Enable — Enable or disable global PEF

• Log Event on Filter Action — Log an event whenever a filter action is executed

• PEF Actions — Select one or more actions to perform when a filter triggers:Alert

  • Power Off

  • Reset

  • Power Cycle

  • Graceful Shutdown

  • Diagnostic Interrupt

Click Save to confirm the global settings.

4. Alert destination

Select Alert Policies from the left-side menu to configure alert destinations. For each destination (up to five):

• Select SNMP or Email

• If SNMP: enter destination IP and port (default: 162)

• If Email: enter the recipient email address

• Toggle Enable Alerting to activate or disable the destination

Click Send Test Alert to verify the configuration.

Alert Policies

The Alert Policies page defines how alerts are processed and where they are delivered. Each policy determines the alert destination and the conditions under which alerts are triggered.

1. Policy table fields

• No. — Policy index number

• Group Number — Identifies the alert group the policy belongs to

• Enable — Indicates whether the policy is active

• Action — Specifies how the alert is handled (e.g., always send alert to this destination)

• LAN Channel — Determines the LAN channel used to send alerts

• Destination Selector — Indicates which configured alert destination is used

• Event Specific Alert String — Specifies whether a custom event string is used

• Alert String Key — Reference key for the alert message string

Below the table, the Alert String Key section lists all available string keys used to define custom alert message content.

Alert email settings

The Alert Email page configures SMTP settings for sending alert notifications to designated recipients.

1. Configuration fields

• SMTP Server Domain / IPv4 / IPv6 Address — Address of the SMTP server

• Sender Email Address — Email address used as the sender for outgoing alerts

• SMTP User — Username for SMTP authentication

• SMTP Password — Password for SMTP authentication (hidden during entry)

• SMTP Server Port Number — Port number for SMTP communication (default: 25)

• SMTP SSL/TLS Enable — Enable or disable SSL/TLS encryption

• StartTLS Enable — Enable or disable StartTLS for connection upgrade

• Authentication Method — Select On, Manual, or Off

2.Buttons

• Save — Stores the configuration

• Clear — Resets all fields to default values

Pro Tip: Use encrypted SMTP (SSL/TLS or StartTLS) to secure login credentials and prevent interception of alert traffic.

Setting BMC Date, Time, VLAN

This section describes how to configure the BMC’s system time and VLAN settings. Accurate timekeeping ensures proper event logging and synchronization with external monitoring systems, while VLAN configuration allows administrators to segment BMC network traffic according to organizational network policies.

Date & time

The Date & Time page allows administrators to configure the BMC’s internal clock, including manual time settings, NTP synchronization, and timezone selection.

1. Available configuration fields

• Date / Time — Allows manual adjustment of the BMC system clock.

• Timezone — Select the timezone for timestamp display and event logging.

• NTP Client — Toggle to enable or disable the Network Time Protocol client for automatic time synchronization.

• Primary NTP Server — Specifies the primary NTP server address.

• Secondary NTP Server — Specifies a fallback NTP server.

Click Save to apply the time configuration.

Pro Tip: Always enable NTP synchronization to ensure consistent log timestamps across managed systems.

Managing Network Interfaces

The Network Interfaces section allows administrators to configure IPMI LAN channel settings, IPv4/IPv6 connectivity, hostname information, and remote management access using SOL (Serial Over LAN) or SOL over SSH. These settings define how the BMC communicates with the management network and external monitoring tools.

Network Configuration

The Networks page provides controls for configuring the BMC’s LAN channel parameters.

1. Main Fields

• LAN Channel Select the communication channel used for BMC network access.

• MAC Address Displays the hardware MAC address of the BMC network interface.

• Hostname Defines the hostname assigned to the BMC.

2. IPv4 Network Settings

• Network Interface Select the IPv4 connection type (e.g., Static IP Address, DHCP).

• Gateway Specifies the default IPv4 gateway.

• IP Address / Subnet Mask Used when assigning a static IPv4 address.

• DNS Server Allows entering one or more DNS server IP addresses.

Each protocol (IPv4 / IPv6) provides its own Save button, allowing settings to be applied independently.

3. IPv6 Network Settings

• Network Interface Selects the IPv6 link mode (e.g., Link Disabled, DHCPv6/SLAAC).

• Gateway / Link-local Address Configure the IPv6 gateway and link-local address if applicable.

• DHCPv6 Enables or disables IPv6 automatic configuration.

• IP Address / Prefix Length Assign a static IPv6 address with prefix length.

• DNS Server Add one or more IPv6 DNS server entries.

Click Save to apply IPv6 settings.

VLAN configuration

The VLAN page allows configuration of 802.1Q tagging for the BMC network interface.

1. Configuration fields

• LAN Channel — Select the LAN interface (e.g., Shared NIC (1)) to which the VLAN settings will be applied.

• VLAN Enable — Toggle to activate or deactivate VLAN tagging on the selected interface.

• VLAN ID — Specify the VLAN identification number (range: 1–4094) used for network segmentation.

• VLAN Priority — Set the VLAN priority value (0–7) to determine traffic handling precedence.

Click Save to activate VLAN settings.

Caution: Enabling VLAN tagging with an incorrect VLAN ID may cause the BMC to become unreachable.

Sol & Smash

The SOL & Smash page provides configuration for Serial Over LAN communication and secure SOL access.

1. Serial Over LAN (SOL)

• LAN Channel Select the LAN channel used for SOL communication (e.g., Channel 1).

• Enable SOL for Baseboard Mgmt Toggle to enable or disable the SOL function.

• Baud Rate Select the transmission speed (e.g., 115200 bps).

• Flow Control Choose between None, RTS/CTS, or other supported modes.

• Privilege Level Specifies the access level required for SOL sessions (Administrator, Operator, or User).

Click Save to apply SOL settings.

2. SOL SSH

• SOL SSH Enables or disables SOL access via Secure Shell.

• Port Defines the SSH port used for SOL (default: 2200).

• Timeout (sec.) Sets the session timeout in seconds (0 means no timeout).

Click Save to store the SSH-based SOL configuration.

Managing SNMP, DNS, Syslog

This section describes how to configure SNMP monitoring, Dynamic DNS updates, and Syslog event forwarding through the BMC web interface. These settings help administrators integrate the server into centralized management systems, enable automated hostname resolution, and forward system logs to external collectors for long-term analysis.

Configuration SNMP

The SNMP page allows administrators to enable Simple Network Management Protocol monitoring and define community strings for read-only and read-write access.

• Enable SNMP Toggles the SNMP service on or off.

• Enable SNMP V1/V2C Activates SNMP protocol support for versions v1 and v2c.

• Read-Only Community String Defines the community string used for read-only SNMP queries.

• Read-Write Community String Defines the community string used for read-write SNMP access.

Click Save to apply all SNMP configuration changes.

Dynamic DNS (DDNS)

The Dynamic DNS page allows the BMC to automatically update DNS records when its IP address changes. This ensures continuous name resolution without requiring manual DNS updates.

Available Setting

• Enable DDNS Toggles Dynamic DNS updates on or off.

Click Save to apply the updated configuration.

Syslog Settings

The Syslog Settings page provides controls for enabling onboard logging, configuring log severity, and forwarding system logs to remote servers.

1. Basic Settings

• Enable Syslog Enables or disables local syslog functionality.

• Syslog Level Selects the minimum severity level to record (e.g., Info, Warning, Error).

• Kernel Log Enables or disables Linux kernel-level logging.

• Kernel Log Level Specifies the severity threshold for kernel logs.

2. Log to Remote Server

• Redirect Syslog to Remote Server Sends BMC logs to an external syslog server.

• Remote Syslog Server Address IPv4 address of the target syslog collector.

• Protocol Selects the transmission protocol (UDP or TCP).

• Remote Facility Defines the facility code used when categorizing syslog messages.

3. Reset to Default

• Reset Restores all syslog parameters back to factory defaults.

4. Configuration File

• Import File Uploads a DBG configuration file containing predefined syslog settings.

• Export File Downloads the current DBG configuration for backup or replication.

Configuring Virtual Media Settings

The iKVM & Virtual Media settings page provides configuration options for remote console access and virtual media functionality. These features allow administrators to remotely control the server, mount installation or diagnostic images, and manage out-of-band operations without physical access to the system.

iKVM & Virtual Media

The iKVM section manages the remote Keyboard-Video-Mouse console.

1. Virtual Media Settings:

• Virtual Media Service Toggle to enable or disable the virtual media function.

• Virtual Media over HTML5 / Java Select the protocol used for virtual media access.

• Port Defines the network port used for virtual media communication (default: 627).

• Instance Count Specifies the number of concurrent virtual media sessions permitted (range: 1–5).

• Session Timeout Sets the inactivity timeout in minutes (0 means no timeout).

After modifying settings, click Save to apply changes.

2. iKVM Settings

• iKVM Service Toggle to enable or disable remote KVM access.

• Session Timeout Specifies the inactivity timeout for iKVM sessions (default: 30 minutes).

• Enabled HTML5 iKVM Viewer Enables access to the HTML5-based KVM viewer.

• Enabled KVM Port Toggle to allow or restrict KVM access over the network.

• KVM Port Specifies the network port for KVM connections (default: 5900).

• VNC Enabled Option to enable VNC (Virtual Network Computing) access.

• VNC Account / New Password Set the credentials required for VNC authentication.

Click Save to apply all updated settings.

Applying Backup, Restore, and Reset

This section provides tools for backing up BMC firmware and BIOS settings, restoring previously saved configurations, and defining how the server behaves when AC power is restored. These functions help administrators maintain configuration consistency and ensure predictable system recovery.

Backup and Restore

The Backup Restore page allows administrators to create and restore backups for BMC firmware (ROM) and BIOS settings.

1. Backup BMC ROM

• Backup Creates a backup file of the current BMC firmware (ROM).

• Status Shows the result of the backup operation (e.g., OK when completed successfully).

2. Backup BIOS Settings

• Backup Saves the system’s current BIOS configuration to a downloadable file for later restoration.

3. Restore BIOS Settings

• Restore File Allows selecting a previously saved BIOS configuration file.

• Restore Applies the selected BIOS configuration back to the system.

This enables fast recovery after configuration changes, firmware updates, or system reset events.

Note: Restoring BIOS settings overwrites the current setup. Ensure the correct backup file is selected before proceeding.

Power Restore Policy

The Power Restore Policy page controls how the system behaves when AC power is restored after a power loss.

1. Power Restore Policies

• Always on The system automatically powers on when AC power returns.

• Always off The system remains powered off when AC power is restored.

• Last state The system returns to its previous power state before the outage (on or off).

2. Saving the Policy

• After selecting the desired policy, click Save settings to apply the configuration.

This function is essential for environments such as data centers or remote deployments where predictable power-on behavior is required.