From 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Linus Torvalds Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 15:20:36 -0700 Subject: Linux-2.6.12-rc2 Initial git repository build. I'm not bothering with the full history, even though we have it. We can create a separate "historical" git archive of that later if we want to, and in the meantime it's about 3.2GB when imported into git - space that would just make the early git days unnecessarily complicated, when we don't have a lot of good infrastructure for it. Let it rip! --- Documentation/IPMI.txt | 534 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 534 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation/IPMI.txt (limited to 'Documentation/IPMI.txt') diff --git a/Documentation/IPMI.txt b/Documentation/IPMI.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..90d10e708ca3 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/IPMI.txt @@ -0,0 +1,534 @@ + + The Linux IPMI Driver + --------------------- + Corey Minyard + + + +The Intelligent Platform Management Interface, or IPMI, is a +standard for controlling intelligent devices that monitor a system. +It provides for dynamic discovery of sensors in the system and the +ability to monitor the sensors and be informed when the sensor's +values change or go outside certain boundaries. It also has a +standardized database for field-replacable units (FRUs) and a watchdog +timer. + +To use this, you need an interface to an IPMI controller in your +system (called a Baseboard Management Controller, or BMC) and +management software that can use the IPMI system. + +This document describes how to use the IPMI driver for Linux. If you +are not familiar with IPMI itself, see the web site at +http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/index.htm. IPMI is a big +subject and I can't cover it all here! + +Configuration +------------- + +The LinuxIPMI driver is modular, which means you have to pick several +things to have it work right depending on your hardware. Most of +these are available in the 'Character Devices' menu. + +No matter what, you must pick 'IPMI top-level message handler' to use +IPMI. What you do beyond that depends on your needs and hardware. + +The message handler does not provide any user-level interfaces. +Kernel code (like the watchdog) can still use it. If you need access +from userland, you need to select 'Device interface for IPMI' if you +want access through a device driver. Another interface is also +available, you may select 'IPMI sockets' in the 'Networking Support' +main menu. This provides a socket interface to IPMI. You may select +both of these at the same time, they will both work together. + +The driver interface depends on your hardware. If you have a board +with a standard interface (These will generally be either "KCS", +"SMIC", or "BT", consult your hardware manual), choose the 'IPMI SI +handler' option. A driver also exists for direct I2C access to the +IPMI management controller. Some boards support this, but it is +unknown if it will work on every board. For this, choose 'IPMI SMBus +handler', but be ready to try to do some figuring to see if it will +work. + +There is also a KCS-only driver interface supplied, but it is +depracated in favor of the SI interface. + +You should generally enable ACPI on your system, as systems with IPMI +should have ACPI tables describing them. + +If you have a standard interface and the board manufacturer has done +their job correctly, the IPMI controller should be automatically +detect (via ACPI or SMBIOS tables) and should just work. Sadly, many +boards do not have this information. The driver attempts standard +defaults, but they may not work. If you fall into this situation, you +need to read the section below named 'The SI Driver' on how to +hand-configure your system. + +IPMI defines a standard watchdog timer. You can enable this with the +'IPMI Watchdog Timer' config option. If you compile the driver into +the kernel, then via a kernel command-line option you can have the +watchdog timer start as soon as it intitializes. It also have a lot +of other options, see the 'Watchdog' section below for more details. +Note that you can also have the watchdog continue to run if it is +closed (by default it is disabled on close). Go into the 'Watchdog +Cards' menu, enable 'Watchdog Timer Support', and enable the option +'Disable watchdog shutdown on close'. + + +Basic Design +------------ + +The Linux IPMI driver is designed to be very modular and flexible, you +only need to take the pieces you need and you can use it in many +different ways. Because of that, it's broken into many chunks of +code. These chunks are: + +ipmi_msghandler - This is the central piece of software for the IPMI +system. It handles all messages, message timing, and responses. The +IPMI users tie into this, and the IPMI physical interfaces (called +System Management Interfaces, or SMIs) also tie in here. This +provides the kernelland interface for IPMI, but does not provide an +interface for use by application processes. + +ipmi_devintf - This provides a userland IOCTL interface for the IPMI +driver, each open file for this device ties in to the message handler +as an IPMI user. + +ipmi_si - A driver for various system interfaces. This supports +KCS, SMIC, and may support BT in the future. Unless you have your own +custom interface, you probably need to use this. + +ipmi_smb - A driver for accessing BMCs on the SMBus. It uses the +I2C kernel driver's SMBus interfaces to send and receive IPMI messages +over the SMBus. + +af_ipmi - A network socket interface to IPMI. This doesn't take up +a character device in your system. + +Note that the KCS-only interface ahs been removed. + +Much documentation for the interface is in the include files. The +IPMI include files are: + +net/af_ipmi.h - Contains the socket interface. + +linux/ipmi.h - Contains the user interface and IOCTL interface for IPMI. + +linux/ipmi_smi.h - Contains the interface for system management interfaces +(things that interface to IPMI controllers) to use. + +linux/ipmi_msgdefs.h - General definitions for base IPMI messaging. + + +Addressing +---------- + +The IPMI addressing works much like IP addresses, you have an overlay +to handle the different address types. The overlay is: + + struct ipmi_addr + { + int addr_type; + short channel; + char data[IPMI_MAX_ADDR_SIZE]; + }; + +The addr_type determines what the address really is. The driver +currently understands two different types of addresses. + +"System Interface" addresses are defined as: + + struct ipmi_system_interface_addr + { + int addr_type; + short channel; + }; + +and the type is IPMI_SYSTEM_INTERFACE_ADDR_TYPE. This is used for talking +straight to the BMC on the current card. The channel must be +IPMI_BMC_CHANNEL. + +Messages that are destined to go out on the IPMB bus use the +IPMI_IPMB_ADDR_TYPE address type. The format is + + struct ipmi_ipmb_addr + { + int addr_type; + short channel; + unsigned char slave_addr; + unsigned char lun; + }; + +The "channel" here is generally zero, but some devices support more +than one channel, it corresponds to the channel as defined in the IPMI +spec. + + +Messages +-------- + +Messages are defined as: + +struct ipmi_msg +{ + unsigned char netfn; + unsigned char lun; + unsigned char cmd; + unsigned char *data; + int data_len; +}; + +The driver takes care of adding/stripping the header information. The +data portion is just the data to be send (do NOT put addressing info +here) or the response. Note that the completion code of a response is +the first item in "data", it is not stripped out because that is how +all the messages are defined in the spec (and thus makes counting the +offsets a little easier :-). + +When using the IOCTL interface from userland, you must provide a block +of data for "data", fill it, and set data_len to the length of the +block of data, even when receiving messages. Otherwise the driver +will have no place to put the message. + +Messages coming up from the message handler in kernelland will come in +as: + + struct ipmi_recv_msg + { + struct list_head link; + + /* The type of message as defined in the "Receive Types" + defines above. */ + int recv_type; + + ipmi_user_t *user; + struct ipmi_addr addr; + long msgid; + struct ipmi_msg msg; + + /* Call this when done with the message. It will presumably free + the message and do any other necessary cleanup. */ + void (*done)(struct ipmi_recv_msg *msg); + + /* Place-holder for the data, don't make any assumptions about + the size or existence of this, since it may change. */ + unsigned char msg_data[IPMI_MAX_MSG_LENGTH]; + }; + +You should look at the receive type and handle the message +appropriately. + + +The Upper Layer Interface (Message Handler) +------------------------------------------- + +The upper layer of the interface provides the users with a consistent +view of the IPMI interfaces. It allows multiple SMI interfaces to be +addressed (because some boards actually have multiple BMCs on them) +and the user should not have to care what type of SMI is below them. + + +Creating the User + +To user the message handler, you must first create a user using +ipmi_create_user. The interface number specifies which SMI you want +to connect to, and you must supply callback functions to be called +when data comes in. The callback function can run at interrupt level, +so be careful using the callbacks. This also allows to you pass in a +piece of data, the handler_data, that will be passed back to you on +all calls. + +Once you are done, call ipmi_destroy_user() to get rid of the user. + +From userland, opening the device automatically creates a user, and +closing the device automatically destroys the user. + + +Messaging + +To send a message from kernel-land, the ipmi_request() call does +pretty much all message handling. Most of the parameter are +self-explanatory. However, it takes a "msgid" parameter. This is NOT +the sequence number of messages. It is simply a long value that is +passed back when the response for the message is returned. You may +use it for anything you like. + +Responses come back in the function pointed to by the ipmi_recv_hndl +field of the "handler" that you passed in to ipmi_create_user(). +Remember again, these may be running at interrupt level. Remember to +look at the receive type, too. + +From userland, you fill out an ipmi_req_t structure and use the +IPMICTL_SEND_COMMAND ioctl. For incoming stuff, you can use select() +or poll() to wait for messages to come in. However, you cannot use +read() to get them, you must call the IPMICTL_RECEIVE_MSG with the +ipmi_recv_t structure to actually get the message. Remember that you +must supply a pointer to a block of data in the msg.data field, and +you must fill in the msg.data_len field with the size of the data. +This gives the receiver a place to actually put the message. + +If the message cannot fit into the data you provide, you will get an +EMSGSIZE error and the driver will leave the data in the receive +queue. If you want to get it and have it truncate the message, us +the IPMICTL_RECEIVE_MSG_TRUNC ioctl. + +When you send a command (which is defined by the lowest-order bit of +the netfn per the IPMI spec) on the IPMB bus, the driver will +automatically assign the sequence number to the command and save the +command. If the response is not receive in the IPMI-specified 5 +seconds, it will generate a response automatically saying the command +timed out. If an unsolicited response comes in (if it was after 5 +seconds, for instance), that response will be ignored. + +In kernelland, after you receive a message and are done with it, you +MUST call ipmi_free_recv_msg() on it, or you will leak messages. Note +that you should NEVER mess with the "done" field of a message, that is +required to properly clean up the message. + +Note that when sending, there is an ipmi_request_supply_msgs() call +that lets you supply the smi and receive message. This is useful for +pieces of code that need to work even if the system is out of buffers +(the watchdog timer uses this, for instance). You supply your own +buffer and own free routines. This is not recommended for normal use, +though, since it is tricky to manage your own buffers. + + +Events and Incoming Commands + +The driver takes care of polling for IPMI events and receiving +commands (commands are messages that are not responses, they are +commands that other things on the IPMB bus have sent you). To receive +these, you must register for them, they will not automatically be sent +to you. + +To receive events, you must call ipmi_set_gets_events() and set the +"val" to non-zero. Any events that have been received by the driver +since startup will immediately be delivered to the first user that +registers for events. After that, if multiple users are registered +for events, they will all receive all events that come in. + +For receiving commands, you have to individually register commands you +want to receive. Call ipmi_register_for_cmd() and supply the netfn +and command name for each command you want to receive. Only one user +may be registered for each netfn/cmd, but different users may register +for different commands. + +From userland, equivalent IOCTLs are provided to do these functions. + + +The Lower Layer (SMI) Interface +------------------------------- + +As mentioned before, multiple SMI interfaces may be registered to the +message handler, each of these is assigned an interface number when +they register with the message handler. They are generally assigned +in the order they register, although if an SMI unregisters and then +another one registers, all bets are off. + +The ipmi_smi.h defines the interface for management interfaces, see +that for more details. + + +The SI Driver +------------- + +The SI driver allows up to 4 KCS or SMIC interfaces to be configured +in the system. By default, scan the ACPI tables for interfaces, and +if it doesn't find any the driver will attempt to register one KCS +interface at the spec-specified I/O port 0xca2 without interrupts. +You can change this at module load time (for a module) with: + + modprobe ipmi_si.o type=,.... + ports=,... addrs=,... + irqs=,... trydefaults=[0|1] + regspacings=,,... regsizes=,,... + regshifts=,,... + slave_addrs=,,... + +Each of these except si_trydefaults is a list, the first item for the +first interface, second item for the second interface, etc. + +The si_type may be either "kcs", "smic", or "bt". If you leave it blank, it +defaults to "kcs". + +If you specify si_addrs as non-zero for an interface, the driver will +use the memory address given as the address of the device. This +overrides si_ports. + +If you specify si_ports as non-zero for an interface, the driver will +use the I/O port given as the device address. + +If you specify si_irqs as non-zero for an interface, the driver will +attempt to use the given interrupt for the device. + +si_trydefaults sets whether the standard IPMI interface at 0xca2 and +any interfaces specified by ACPE are tried. By default, the driver +tries it, set this value to zero to turn this off. + +The next three parameters have to do with register layout. The +registers used by the interfaces may not appear at successive +locations and they may not be in 8-bit registers. These parameters +allow the layout of the data in the registers to be more precisely +specified. + +The regspacings parameter give the number of bytes between successive +register start addresses. For instance, if the regspacing is set to 4 +and the start address is 0xca2, then the address for the second +register would be 0xca6. This defaults to 1. + +The regsizes parameter gives the size of a register, in bytes. The +data used by IPMI is 8-bits wide, but it may be inside a larger +register. This parameter allows the read and write type to specified. +It may be 1, 2, 4, or 8. The default is 1. + +Since the register size may be larger than 32 bits, the IPMI data may not +be in the lower 8 bits. The regshifts parameter give the amount to shift +the data to get to the actual IPMI data. + +The slave_addrs specifies the IPMI address of the local BMC. This is +usually 0x20 and the driver defaults to that, but in case it's not, it +can be specified when the driver starts up. + +When compiled into the kernel, the addresses can be specified on the +kernel command line as: + + ipmi_si.type=,... + ipmi_si.ports=,... ipmi_si.addrs=,... + ipmi_si.irqs=,... ipmi_si.trydefaults=[0|1] + ipmi_si.regspacings=,,... + ipmi_si.regsizes=,,... + ipmi_si.regshifts=,,... + ipmi_si.slave_addrs=,,... + +It works the same as the module parameters of the same names. + +By default, the driver will attempt to detect any device specified by +ACPI, and if none of those then a KCS device at the spec-specified +0xca2. If you want to turn this off, set the "trydefaults" option to +false. + +If you have high-res timers compiled into the kernel, the driver will +use them to provide much better performance. Note that if you do not +have high-res timers enabled in the kernel and you don't have +interrupts enabled, the driver will run VERY slowly. Don't blame me, +these interfaces suck. + + +The SMBus Driver +---------------- + +The SMBus driver allows up to 4 SMBus devices to be configured in the +system. By default, the driver will register any SMBus interfaces it finds +in the I2C address range of 0x20 to 0x4f on any adapter. You can change this +at module load time (for a module) with: + + modprobe ipmi_smb.o + addr=,[,,[,...]] + dbg=,... + [defaultprobe=0] [dbg_probe=1] + +The addresses are specified in pairs, the first is the adapter ID and the +second is the I2C address on that adapter. + +The debug flags are bit flags for each BMC found, they are: +IPMI messages: 1, driver state: 2, timing: 4, I2C probe: 8 + +Setting smb_defaultprobe to zero disabled the default probing of SMBus +interfaces at address range 0x20 to 0x4f. This means that only the +BMCs specified on the smb_addr line will be detected. + +Setting smb_dbg_probe to 1 will enable debugging of the probing and +detection process for BMCs on the SMBusses. + +Discovering the IPMI compilant BMC on the SMBus can cause devices +on the I2C bus to fail. The SMBus driver writes a "Get Device ID" IPMI +message as a block write to the I2C bus and waits for a response. +This action can be detrimental to some I2C devices. It is highly recommended +that the known I2c address be given to the SMBus driver in the smb_addr +parameter. The default adrress range will not be used when a smb_addr +parameter is provided. + +When compiled into the kernel, the addresses can be specified on the +kernel command line as: + + ipmb_smb.addr=,[,,[,...]] + ipmi_smb.dbg=,... + ipmi_smb.defaultprobe=0 ipmi_smb.dbg_probe=1 + +These are the same options as on the module command line. + +Note that you might need some I2C changes if CONFIG_IPMI_PANIC_EVENT +is enabled along with this, so the I2C driver knows to run to +completion during sending a panic event. + + +Other Pieces +------------ + +Watchdog +-------- + +A watchdog timer is provided that implements the Linux-standard +watchdog timer interface. It has three module parameters that can be +used to control it: + + modprobe ipmi_watchdog timeout= pretimeout= action= + preaction= preop= start_now=x + nowayout=x + +The timeout is the number of seconds to the action, and the pretimeout +is the amount of seconds before the reset that the pre-timeout panic will +occur (if pretimeout is zero, then pretimeout will not be enabled). Note +that the pretimeout is the time before the final timeout. So if the +timeout is 50 seconds and the pretimeout is 10 seconds, then the pretimeout +will occur in 40 second (10 seconds before the timeout). + +The action may be "reset", "power_cycle", or "power_off", and +specifies what to do when the timer times out, and defaults to +"reset". + +The preaction may be "pre_smi" for an indication through the SMI +interface, "pre_int" for an indication through the SMI with an +interrupts, and "pre_nmi" for a NMI on a preaction. This is how +the driver is informed of the pretimeout. + +The preop may be set to "preop_none" for no operation on a pretimeout, +"preop_panic" to set the preoperation to panic, or "preop_give_data" +to provide data to read from the watchdog device when the pretimeout +occurs. A "pre_nmi" setting CANNOT be used with "preop_give_data" +because you can't do data operations from an NMI. + +When preop is set to "preop_give_data", one byte comes ready to read +on the device when the pretimeout occurs. Select and fasync work on +the device, as well. + +If start_now is set to 1, the watchdog timer will start running as +soon as the driver is loaded. + +If nowayout is set to 1, the watchdog timer will not stop when the +watchdog device is closed. The default value of nowayout is true +if the CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT option is enabled, or false if not. + +When compiled into the kernel, the kernel command line is available +for configuring the watchdog: + + ipmi_watchdog.timeout= ipmi_watchdog.pretimeout= + ipmi_watchdog.action= + ipmi_watchdog.preaction= + ipmi_watchdog.preop= + ipmi_watchdog.start_now=x + ipmi_watchdog.nowayout=x + +The options are the same as the module parameter options. + +The watchdog will panic and start a 120 second reset timeout if it +gets a pre-action. During a panic or a reboot, the watchdog will +start a 120 timer if it is running to make sure the reboot occurs. + +Note that if you use the NMI preaction for the watchdog, you MUST +NOT use nmi watchdog mode 1. If you use the NMI watchdog, you +must use mode 2. + +Once you open the watchdog timer, you must write a 'V' character to the +device to close it, or the timer will not stop. This is a new semantic +for the driver, but makes it consistent with the rest of the watchdog +drivers in Linux. -- cgit v1.2.3