1bmc-watchdog(8) System Commands bmc-watchdog(8)
2
6 bmc-watchdog - BMC watchdog timer daemon and control utility
7
9 bmc-watchdog command [OPTION...] [COMMAND_OPTIONS...]
10
12 Bmc-watchdog controls a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) watchdog
13 timer. The bmc-watchdog tool typically executes as a cronjob or daemon
14 to manage the watchdog timer. A user must be root in order to run bmc-
15 watchdog.
16 Listed below are bmc-watchdog details, option details, examples, and
18 known issues. For a general introduction to FreeIPMI please see
19 freeipmi(7).
20
22 A BMC watchdog timer is part of the Intelligent Platform Management In‐
23 terface (IPMI) specification and is only available to BMCs that are
24 compliant with IPMI. When a BMC watchdog timer is started, it begins
25 counting down to zero from some positive number of seconds. When the
26 timer hits zero, the timer will execute a pre-configured pre-timeout
27 interrupt and/or timeout action.
28 In order to stop the pre-timeout interrupt or timeout action from being
30 executed, the watchdog timer must be periodically reset back to its
31 initial beginning value.
32 The BMC watchdog timer automatically stops itself when the machine is
34 rebooted. Therefore, when a machine is brought up, the BMC watchdog
35 timer must be setup again before it can be used.
36 Typically, a BMC watchdog timer is used to automatically reset a ma‐
38 chine that has crashed. When the operating system first starts up, the
39 BMC timer is set to its initial countdown value. At periodic intervals,
40 when the operating system is functioning properly, the watchdog timer
41 can be reset by the OS or a userspace program. Thus, the timer never
42 counts down to zero. When the system crashes, the timer cannot be reset
43 by the OS or userspace program. Eventually, the timer will countdown to
44 zero and reset the machine.
45 See EXAMPLES below for examples of how bmc-watchdog is commonly used.
47
49 The following commands are available to bmc-watchdog.
50 -s, --set
52 Set BMC Watchdog Configuration. BMC watchdog timer configuration
53 values can be set using the set command options listed below un‐
54 der SET OPTIONS. If a particular configuration parameter is not
55 specified on the command line, the current configuration of that
56 parameter will not be changed.
57 -g, --get
59 Get BMC Watchdog Configuration and State. The current configura‐
60 tion and state is printed to standard output.
61 -r, --reset
63 Reset BMC Watchdog Timer.
64 -t, --start
66 Start BMC Watchdog Timer. Does nothing if the timer is currently
67 running. Identical to --reset command when the timer is stopped
68 with the exception of the start command options listed below un‐
69 der START OPTIONS.
70 -y, --stop
72 Stop BMC Watchdog Timer. Stops the current timer.
73 -c, --clear
75 Clear BMC Watchdog Configuration. Clears all configuration val‐
76 ues for the watchdog timer, except for timer use, which is kept
77 at its current value.
78 -d, --daemon
80 Run bmc-watchdog as a daemon. Configurable BMC watchdog timer
81 options are listed below under DAEMON OPTIONS. The configuration
82 values are set once, then the daemon will reset the timer at
83 specified periodic intervals. The daemon can be stopped using
84 the --stop command, --clear command, or by setting the
85 stop_timer flag on the --set command.
86
88 The following options are general options for configuring IPMI communi‐
89 cation and executing general tool commands. These options are generic
90 and can be used by any command.
91 -D IPMIDRIVER, --driver-type=IPMIDRIVER
93 Specify the driver type to use instead of doing an auto selec‐
94 tion. The currently available inband drivers are KCS, SSIF,
95 OPENIPMI, SUNBMC, and INTELDCMI.
96 --disable-auto-probe
98 Do not probe in-band IPMI devices for default settings.
99 --driver-address=DRIVER-ADDRESS
101 Specify the in-band driver address to be used instead of the
102 probed value. DRIVER-ADDRESS should be prefixed with "0x" for a
103 hex value and '0' for an octal value.
104 --driver-device=DEVICE
106 Specify the in-band driver device path to be used instead of the
107 probed path.
108 --register-spacing=REGISTER-SPACING
110 Specify the in-band driver register spacing instead of the
111 probed value. Argument is in bytes (i.e. 32bit register spacing
112 = 4)
113 --target-channel-number=CHANNEL-NUMBER
115 Specify the in-band driver target channel number to send IPMI
116 requests to.
117 --target-slave-address=SLAVE-ADDRESS
119 Specify the in-band driver target slave number to send IPMI re‐
120 quests to.
121 -v, --verbose-logging
123 Increase verbosity of logging.
124 -n, --no-logging
126 Turns off all logging done by bmc-watchdog.
127 --config-file=FILE
129 Specify an alternate configuration file.
130 -W WORKAROUNDS, --workaround-flags=WORKAROUNDS
132 Specify workarounds to vendor compliance issues. Multiple work‐
133 arounds can be specified separated by commas. A special command
134 line flag of "none", will indicate no workarounds (may be useful
135 for overriding configured defaults). See WORKAROUNDS below for a
136 list of available workarounds.
137 --debug
139 Turn on debugging.
140 -?, --help
142 Output a help list and exit.
143 --usage
145 Output a usage message and exit.
146 -V, --version
148 Output the program version and exit.
149
151 The following options can be used by the set command to set or clear
152 various BMC watchdog configuration parameters.
153 -u INT, --timer-use=INT
155 Set timer use. The timer use value can be set to one of the fol‐
156 lowing: 1 = BIOS FRB2, 2 = BIOS POST, 3 = OS_LOAD, 4 = SMS OS, 5
157 = OEM.
158 -m INT, --stop-timer=INT
160 Set Stop Timer Flag. A flag value of 0 stops the current BMC
161 watchdog timer. A value of 1 doesn't turn off the current watch‐
162 dog timer.
163 -l INT, --log=INT
165 Set Log Flag. A flag value of 0 turns logging on. A value of 1
166 turns logging off.
167 -a INT, --timeout-action=INT
169 Set timeout action. The timeout action can be set to one of the
170 following: 0 = No action, 1 = Hard Reset, 2 = Power Down, 3 =
171 Power Cycle.
172 -p INT, --pre-timeout-interrupt=INT
174 Set pre-timeout interrupt. The pre timeout interrupt can be set
175 to one of the following: 0 = None, 1 = SMI, 2 = NMI, 3 = Messag‐
176 ing Interrupt.
177 -z SECONDS, --pre-timeout-interval=SECONDS
179 Set pre-timeout interval in seconds.
180 -F, --clear-bios-frb2
182 Clear BIOS FRB2 Timer Use Flag.
183 -P, --clear-bios-post
185 Clear BIOS POST Timer Use Flag.
186 -L, --clear-os-load
188 Clear OS Load Timer Use Flag.
189 -S, --clear-sms-os
191 Clear SMS/OS Timer Use Flag.
192 -O, --clear-oem
194 Clear OEM Timer Use Flag.
195 -i SECONDS, --initial-countdown=SECONDS
197 Set initial countdown in seconds.
198 -w, --start-after-set
200 Start timer after set command if timer is stopped. This is typi‐
201 cally used when bmc-watchdog is used as a cronjob. This can be
202 used to automatically start the timer after it has been set the
203 first time.
204 -x, --reset-after-set
206 Reset timer after set command if timer is running.
207 -j, --start-if-stopped
209 Don't execute set command if timer is stopped, just start timer.
210 -k, --reset-if-running
212 Don't execute set command if timer is running, just reset timer.
213 This is typically used when bmc-watchdog is used as a cronjob.
214 This can be used to reset the timer after it has been initially
215 started.
216
218 The following options can be used by the start command.
219 -G INT, --gratuitous-arp=INT
221 Suspend or don't suspend gratuitous ARPs while the BMC timer is
222 running. A flag value of 1 suspends gratuitous ARPs. A value of
223 0 will not suspend gratuitous ARPs. If this option is not speci‐
224 fied, gratuitous ARPs will not be suspended.
225 -A INT, --arp-response=INT
227 Suspend or don't suspend BMC-generated ARP responses while the
228 BMC timer is running. A flag value of 1 suspends ARP responses.
229 A value of 0 will not suspend ARP responses. If this option is
230 not specified, ARP responses will not be suspended.
231
233 The following options can be used by the daemon command to set the ini‐
234 tial BMC watchdog configuration parameters.
235 -u INT, --timer-use=INT
237 Set timer use. The timer use value can be set to one of the fol‐
238 lowing: 1 = BIOS FRB2, 2 = BIOS POST, 3 = OS_LOAD, 4 = SMS OS, 5
239 = OEM.
240 -l INT, --log=INT
242 Set Log Flag. A flag value of 0 turns logging on. A value of 1
243 turns logging off.
244 -a INT, --timeout-action=INT
246 Set timeout action. The timeout action can be set to one of the
247 following: 0 = No action, 1 = Hard Reset, 2 = Power Down, 3 =
248 Power Cycle.
249 -p INT, --pre-timeout-interrupt=INT
251 Set pre-timeout interrupt. The pre timeout interrupt can be set
252 to one of the following: 0 = None, 1 = SMI, 2 = NMI, 3 = Messag‐
253 ing Interrupt.
254 -z SECONDS, --pre-timeout-interval=SECONDS
256 Set pre-timeout interval in seconds.
257 -F, --clear-bios-frb2
259 Clear BIOS FRB2 Timer Use Flag.
260 -P, --clear-bios-post
262 Clear BIOS POST Timer Use Flag.
263 -L, --clear-os-load
265 Clear OS Load Timer Use Flag.
266 -S, --clear-sms-os
268 Clear SMS/OS Timer Use Flag.
269 -O, --clear-oem
271 Clear OEM Timer Use Flag.
272 -i SECONDS, --initial-countdown=SECONDS
274 Set initial countdown in seconds.
275 -G INT, --gratuitous-arp=INT
277 Suspend or don't suspend gratuitous ARPs while the BMC timer is
278 running. A flag value of 1 suspends gratuitous ARPs. A value of
279 0 will not suspend gratuitous ARPs. If this option is not speci‐
280 fied, gratuitous ARPs will not be suspended.
281 -A INT, --arp-response=INT
283 Suspend or don't suspend BMC-generated ARP responses while the
284 BMC timer is running. A flag value of 1 suspends ARP responses.
285 A value of 0 will not suspend ARP responses. If this option is
286 not specified, ARP responses will not be suspended.
287 -e, --reset-period
289 Time interval to wait before resetting timer. The default is 60
290 seconds.
291
293 Errors are logged to syslog.
294
296 With so many different vendors implementing their own IPMI solutions,
297 different vendors may implement their IPMI protocols incorrectly. The
298 following describes a number of workarounds currently available to han‐
299 dle discovered compliance issues. When possible, workarounds have been
300 implemented so they will be transparent to the user. However, some will
301 require the user to specify a workaround be used via the -W option.
302 The hardware listed below may only indicate the hardware that a problem
304 was discovered on. Newer versions of hardware may fix the problems in‐
305 dicated below. Similar machines from vendors may or may not exhibit the
306 same problems. Different vendors may license their firmware from the
307 same IPMI firmware developer, so it may be worthwhile to try work‐
308 arounds listed below even if your motherboard is not listed.
309 If you believe your hardware has an additional compliance issue that
311 needs a workaround to be implemented, please contact the FreeIPMI main‐
312 tainers on <freeipmi-users@gnu.org> or <freeipmi-devel@gnu.org>.
313 assumeio - This workaround flag will assume inband interfaces communi‐
315 cate with system I/O rather than being memory-mapped. This will work
316 around systems that report invalid base addresses. Those hitting this
317 issue may see "device not supported" or "could not find inband device"
318 errors. Issue observed on HP ProLiant DL145 G1.
319 spinpoll - This workaround flag will inform some inband drivers (most
321 notably the KCS driver) to spin while polling rather than putting the
322 process to sleep. This may significantly improve the wall clock running
323 time of tools because an operating system scheduler's granularity may
324 be much larger than the time it takes to perform a single IPMI message
325 transaction. However, by spinning, your system may be performing less
326 useful work by not contexting out the tool for a more useful task.
327 ignorestateflag - This workaround option will ignore the BMC timer
329 state flag (indicating if the timer is running or stopped) when running
330 in daemon mode. On some BMCs, the flag is broken and will never report
331 that a BMC timer is running, even if it is. The workaround will take
332 notice of changes in the countdown seconds to determine if a timer is
333 running or stopped. With this type of implementation, the reset-period
334 must be large enough to ensure minor fluctuations in the countdown will
335 not affect the workaround. Due to the implementation of this work‐
336 around, if another process stops the watchdog timer, it may be de‐
337 tectable. This option is confirmed to work around compliances issues on
338 Sun x4100, x4200, and x4500.
339
341 Setup a bmc-watchdog daemon that resets the machine after 15 minutes
342 (900 seconds) if the OS has crashed:
343 bmc-watchdog -d -u 4 -p 0 -a 1 -i 900
344
346 Upon successful execution, exit status is 0. On error, exit status is
347 1.
348
350 Bmc-watchdog may fail to reset the watchdog timer if it is not sched‐
351 uled properly. It is always recommended that bmc-watchdog be executed
352 with a high scheduling priority.
353 On some machines, the hardware based SMI Handler may disable a proces‐
355 sor after a watchdog timer timeout if the timer use is set to something
356 other than SMS/OS.
357
359 Report bugs to <freeipmi-users@gnu.org> or <freeipmi-devel@gnu.org>.
360
362 Copyright (C) 2007-2015 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
363 Copyright (C) 2004-2007 The Regents of the University of California.
364 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
366 under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
367 Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your
368 option) any later version.
369
371 freeipmi(7)
372 http://www.gnu.org/software/freeipmi/
374bmc-watchdog 1.6.8 2021-05-20 bmc-watchdog(8)