Connect to the server using IPMI
All dedicated servers from Glesys are equipped with IPMI, allowing you to connect to your server's console. It also allows you to reinstall the server yourself from an ISO file.
All dedicated servers from Glesys can be remotely managed via IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface). This is a system that allows access to the server’s screen and keyboard as if you had physical access to the server. It enables you to reinstall the server’s operating system, access the BIOS, and more.
With IPMI, it is also possible to monitor hardware RAID, server temperatures, PSU status, and much more. Additionally, you can turn the server on and off via IPMI.
The IPMI login credentials for the server are included in the email you received from Glesys with the server details. This email contains both an HTTPS address for the server’s IPMI and a link to retrieve the login credentials.
Start by clicking the link to retrieve the login credentials. The link begins with secrets.glesys.com. When the page opens, the credentials are hidden, and you must click View secret to reveal them.
The credentials are now displayed. Make sure to save them in a secure location. They will only be available for 14 days, after which they will be permanently deleted.
To access the server’s IPMI address, you first need to create a VPN with Glesys and connect to it. This is because the IPMI address is an internal IP address that is not accessible via the internet. Instructions on how to create and connect to a VPN can be found in the Virtual Private Network (VPN) chapter.
Once you are connected to the VPN tunnel, click on the link in the email to open the IPMI login page. A warning will appear stating that the connection is not secure, but this is only because the certificate is self-signed. The connection is still encrypted. Click Advanced in the web browser.
In the next dialog box, click Proceed to 10.1.xx.xx (unsafe). In the Firefox browser, this option is instead called Accept the Risk and Continue.
In the next step, you log in to the IPMI interface. The credentials were provided when you clicked the link in the email from Glesys.
You will now arrive at the overview, which looks like the image below.
Console access
There are some minor differences between the IPMI interfaces of X10- and X11-based servers, mainly where to find the different consoles. Apart from the interface differences, currently, the Java-based console doesn't work in X10-based servers.
HTML5-based console
To open the console and remotely control the server—for example, if you have accidentally locked yourself out from SSH or RDP—you click on Remote Control in the menu. Then, click on iKVM/HTML5 and then on the iKVM/HTML5 button. A console window will then open.
To open the console and remotely control the server—for example, if you have accidentally locked yourself out from SSH or RDP—you click on Remote Control in the top menu. Then, click Remote Console in the left-hand menu.
By default, the preferred console is the Java-based one. To switch to the HTML5-based console, click the here link, as shown in the screenshot.
On the next page, select HTML5 and click Save.
You will now return to the previous page. Here, click Launch Console.
If you experience issues with the keyboard, such as not finding the correct special characters, there is a virtual keyboard available via the button just below the console.
Java-based console
There is also a more advanced Java-based console. Among other features, it supports more keyboard layouts and allows mounting ISO files directly from the local computer to the server. The latter is useful to reinstall the server’s operating system.
The X10 dedicated servers do not have a working Java console at the moment. Use the HTML5-based console instead. If you need to reinstall your X10 dedicated server's operating system, contact Glesys support at support@glesys.se.
The Java-based console requires Java Web Start to run. This is included when installing the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) on the computer. The easiest way to download Java is from www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp. Select the version that matches your computer and operating system.
Once Java is installed on the computer, you can start the Java-based console.
You find the Java-based console under Remote Control → Console Redirection. Here, click Launch Console.
The Java-based console is the preferred one in X11-based servers. Click Remote Control in the top menu. Then, click Remote Console in the left-hand menu. It should read "Current interface: JAVA plug-in". If that is the case, click Launch Console. If the currently selected console is the HTML5-based one, click the link (the one that says here) on the page and select JAVA plug-in instead.
A file named launch.jnlp will be downloaded to the computer. This is the file you need to run with Java Web Start to launch the console.
In Microsoft Windows, the file can be started by simply double-clicking it. In Linux and macOS, run it using the following command:
You will now see a warning that the certificate is not valid, which is expected. Click Continue.
Next, you will see another warning dialog stating that the Java application may pose a security risk. Check that the Publisher is Super Micro Computer, Inc and that the Location is the IP address of the server’s IPMI. If this information is correct, tick the box to accept the risk and then click Run.
The console now starts and looks like the image below.
Note that you must download a new launch.jnlp file each time you log in to the IPMI interface. A launch.jnlp file is only valid for a single login session.
Reinstall the server's operating system from an ISO file
See Install/reinstall the server's operating system.
Monitor the server's health
Through the IPMI interface, you can monitor the server's health. Among other things, you can check the server's temperatures, RAID health, and even the individual disks' status. Click on Server Health in the IPMI menu to browse through all the available readings.
The disk information is located under Server Health in the IPMI menu. At the bottom of the sidebar menu, you find Storage Monitoring. Here, you can select either Physical View to see individual disks or Logical View to check the status of the RAID. For example, if you select Physical View and then click more for a specific disk, you can see details such as Error Count, SMART Event, and Media Error.
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