Install my 10Gb card a month before using, this ok?

[diskdiddler]

For the sake of not pulling my server apart in a month or two once I assemble it, can I put a 10Gb mellanox card in my server, leave it idle and switch to it later?


I will be building a new machine in about 3 or 4 weeks after thorough testing, I intend to restore my existing config on the new machine and keep using it (HP N54L microserver, 1 Nic)

The new machine will have I think 4 Nic and obviously 5 with the fibre card in it.

Once activated, I’d like to switch the existing Nic from being data to ipmi (I assume bios needs adjusting or specifically port 1, I’ll figure that out)


How do I change the fibre card to become 192.168.0.9 instead of the old one? And all the jails and networking, working fine? Is it quite complicated or fairly easy?

 

[Chris Moore]

For the sake of not pulling my server apart in a month or two once I assemble it, can I put a 10Gb mellanox card in my server, leave it idle and switch to it later?

Yes.

I will be building a new machine in about 3 or 4 weeks after thorough testing, I intend to restore my existing config on the new machine and keep using it

You might need to access the system from the console after to configure the IP address.

Once activated, I’d like to switch the existing Nic from being data to ipmi (I assume bios needs adjusting or specifically port 1, I’ll figure that out)

Depends on the system board. My Supermicro systems have a dedicated IPMI port. I run a regular RJ-45 connection to that and my 10Gb card has SFP+ with a DAC cable to it. Zero problems with that configuration. FreeNAS basically ignores any interface that is not configured.

How do I change the fibre card to become 192.168.0.9 instead of the old one?

I had to access the console (I was able to do that remotely via IPMI) to change the IP address settings on from one NIC to the other and the WEB GUI interface was down while I did. IPMI was never down as it runs on a separate NIC on my system.

And all the jails and networking, working fine?

It took a reboot before the jails would come up on the 10Gb NIC.

Is it quite complicated or fairly easy?

I found it easy to make the switch.

 

[diskdiddler]

Well that's about exactly what I needed to know, I think I just need to unplug a cat 6 and move it to another port, then plug in the fibre.

Does ipmi use dhcp? I can just plug it in and find it on my network?

 

[Chris Moore]

Does ipmi use dhcp?

By default, if I recall correctly, but that may depend on the board vendor. Is your system Supermicro? Did you get it new or used? I got two of my Supermicro boards used and they had static IP configurations in the IPMI from the previous owner and I had to connect a monitor and keyboard to those to change them.

I can just plug it in and find it on my network?

The most recent two I got were factory fresh and they were DHCP, and I was able to see what IP address they got by looking in my router and then just use a web browser to go to that address. I changed them to be static so they would always come up at the same IP address, but that is just a preference of mine. On those two new boards, I never needed to connect a monitor to them the first time. It has been pretty easy.

 

[diskdiddler]

Yeah it's a new 8 core denverton Supermicro. Should arrive on Monday, fly home Thursday.


Hope it's ok .Thanks Chris.