Toptools Remote Control Card
For HP Netserver Products
What is it?
The HP Toptools Remote Control Card allows a network administrator to manage a server – whether the server is up or down, whether the power is on or off – using a Web browser from a desktop or laptop at any time from a remote location.
The card is a 32-bit PCI bus master card which is bundled with the HP Netserver LXr 8000 and is available as an accessory for the LC 3, LH 3, LH 3r and future models which have the industry-standard I2C/IPMB (Intelligent Platform Management Bus) connector.
Connection can be made to the card via either 10BaseT LAN (RJ-45 port) or modem (RS-232 port). The card includes a web-server-on-a-chip that appears on the network as a separate web server – much like a JetDirect print server card in a LaserJet. The administrator points a Web browser at the card to access its Toptools-style interface.
If the system power is down, the board is powered from the included rechargeable battery or an optional AC adapter, which can be powered by the system UPS. The battery, a consumable, has an expected life of two years. When new and fully charged, the battery will operate the card for approximately three hours.
Even if the system NOS is down, the independent microprocessor on the card is still up and controllable via the network and modem ports.
Remote control capabilities include:
- Text and graphics console redirection
- Remote server reset
- Remote power cycle as a means of resetting the server (if the card has power from the optional AC adapter or there is sufficient charge in the battery)
- Graceful shutdown (if the server has the appropriate Toptools agent installed.)
- Remote power on (if the card has power from the optional AC adapter or there is sufficient charge in the battery)
Other features include:
- Selectable online memory diagnostic run by the card independently of the host system – tests the entire server memory in the background with only slight impact on server performance.
- Event notification by paging and/or e-mail
- Access to system event log
- Remote system boot from a flexible disk
- Remote Control Card firmware updates
- A LAN activity LED and a Remote Control Card diagnostic LED
- A copy of Symantec pcANYWHERE32™ is included with drivers – for Windows NT console redirection and file transfer.
There are three levels of security protection:
- Access to the card is controlled by the customer's LAN security scheme
- An encrypted password is required to communicate with the card
- Role-based access capabilities are included in the card's firmware.
What it is not…
- The Remote Control Card will not work with older HP Netserver systems, such as the earlier LC, LH, and LX systems – which do not have the IPMB connector. Use the existing Remote Assistant EISA Card for these systems.
- For E-series and LXr Pro8, use the pcANYWHERE remote console software supplied with the system.
When would I use it?
The Toptools Remote Control Card is for:
- Any server where the system administrator is located across a campus, across town, across the country, or in another country.
- Any server where the system manager needs to be on-call after hours to deal with server downtime.
- Any server which is crashing intermittently due to hardware, opsys, database, or application problems. The Remote Control Card can be easily installed temporarily and set up to page the system manager.
How is it installed and where can I find it?
- LXr 8000 systems: shipped with a bundled HP Toptools Remote Control Card -- plus a battery and a 3-to-4-pin I2C cable (5183-6821; identifiable by the yellow and red connectors.)
- Other compatible systems: order D6028A HP Toptools Remote Control Card. This includes a
5183-6570 battery, a 4-pin I2C cable (5183-6569; red connectors on each end), and a current Navigator CD (L.13 or newer.)
- Order optional D6138A AC Adapter for HP Toptools Remote Control Card (not included with
LXr 8000 or with accessory.) Runs on 100-240V, 50/60Hz; country power cord options are: ABA US, ABB Europe, ABG Australia, ABJ Japan, ABP Switzerland, ABU UK, ACQ South Africa, AKY Chile/Argentina, and AB0 Taiwan.
- Install hardware in the target server and software on the management console.
How do I run it?
- Launch a browser
- or establish a dial-up modem connection using Windows 95 or NT and launch a browser
What are the system requirements?
Requirements for the server to be managed:
- HP Netserver which supports the card, as listed above – with available 32- or 64-bit PCI slot
- 10BaseT connection and/or external modem or connection to RS-232 device
- If the system has a separate NetRAID card or is an LH 3 with embedded NetRAID, the NetRAID firmware must be newer than B.01.03. If necessary, download NetRAID firmware from the Web.
Requirements for the management console:
- Intel Pentium™-based PC
- Super VGA (800x600 with greater than 256 colors) or better video
- LAN connection or modem.
- Operating System: either Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0.
- Browser: either Internet Explorer (version 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or better – downloadable at www.microsoft.com) or Netscape Communicator (version 4.6 or better – downloadable at www.netscape.com)
Rev. 9/21/98