Can't get Supermicro Java iKVM to work

[Glorious1]

I guess Supermicro has a couple of ways to get into an IPMI remote console. The option Remote Control > iKVM/HTML5 is by far the easiest and slickest, but it doesn't have the option for Virtual Media > Virtual Storage that I have used to upload a FreeNAS OS. The way that has worked in the past is Remote Control > Console Redirection > Launch Console, which should launch a Java console that does have the virtual storage option.

Now I can't get it to work. Here's what happens:
1. Click on Launch Console.
2. A file 'launch.jnlp' is downloaded, which on a mac I have to right click to open it with Java Web Start. It in turn opens:
3. ATEN Java iKVM Viewer, which asks: Do you want to continue? The connection to this website is untrusted. The certificate is not valid and cannot be used to verify the identity of this website.
4. I click Continue --> "Connection Failed".

Here's what I've tried, based on others' experiences.
1. In increasing order of disruption:
Maintenance > iKVM Reset
Maintenance > iFactory Default
Maintenance > Unit Reset
2. In Java settings, added IPMI URL to exception site list for security
4. In Java settings, I tried to weaken some security settings that looked like they might be related.
5. As the original cert was expired, I created a new private key and self-signed cert for IPMI using SuperMicro's instructions and uploaded at Configuration > SSL Certification. These were accepted by the IPMI and then by my browser, after I convinced it to get past the self-signing.

But it made no difference in starting the iKVM. Help please! The Supermicro firmware is v. 3.72, May 10 2018.

 

[JohnDigital]

Its kind of a nightmare getting this to work properly for some reason, ive had the same issues with linux. Ive ended up resorting to the windows version, but my goto now is the android version.

 

[Glorious1]

Windows and Android versions of what, exactly? I have on iPhone an app called IPMIView, and it seems to work fine, but clicking on the KVM icon I don't see any media/storage options.

 

[QonoS]

IPMIView for Windows should work. See here: https://www.supermicro.com/SwDownload/SwSelect_Free.aspx?cat=IPMI

 

[Glorious1]

I updated the firmware as suggested, from 3.72 to 3.88. Now, after I click continue, the ATEN viewer just quits, don't even get the "Connection Failed" message. I did try dialing back the security settings in Java. Some of the changes prevented anything from happening, so I had to revert those.

And to make matters worse, the firmware upgrade has completely borked my script that regulates fan speed in response to drive and CPU temps. It's like they changed all the IPMItool raw commands, but I doubt it.

 

[Spearfoot]

I updated the firmware as suggested, from 3.72 to 3.88. Now, after I click continue, the ATEN viewer just quits, don't even get the "Connection Failed" message. I did try dialing back the security settings in Java. Some of the changes prevented anything from happening, so I had to revert those.

I've gone 'round and 'round with Supermicro's IPMIView over the years... Sheesh!

If you have Java installed on your Windows PC, try this:

• Uninstall IPMIView
• Uninstall Java
• Re-install IPMIView

This is what I had to do recently to get the latest version (2.19) of IPMIView to work. IPMIView comes with its own bundled JRE, and I think it was fighting with my Java installation. Or not. Who knows? It's Java, right?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Why don't you mount an ISO via SMB?

 

[Glorious1]

Why don't you mount an ISO via SMB?

Thanks. That may well be possible in theory. But I don’t have Windows, I don’t have any SMB shares, and don’t really want one. I’m just trying to get something to work that used to work, and in all the attempts I’m laying waste to my system.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You definitely don't need Windows. I have not tried to share from the Mac, because you need to enable SMB1 and I did not want to invest the time to find out if/how I can do that. A small FreeBSD or Linux VM with Samba is not that difficult to setup for these occasions. VirtualBox for the Mac is free. There's probably even a ready made Vagrant box with Samba.

 

[Etorix]

My FritzBOX fibre modem can share through SMB the content of a drive attached to its USB port. Just to say that, if you look hard enough, you may already have a SMB-capable device at home and not have to bother setting up a VM.

 

[CaspianITG]

So the certificate update does not work for iKVM for some reason. But I have a fix that worked for me. First you have to go to your java configuration. On windows click start and type: Java. Configure java will pop up. Then click "Advanced". The disable: Check for signed code certifcate revocation checks on: Do Not Check.

Click Apply.

When the error message pops up:

Click "More Information"

Click: View Certificate Details

View certificate validity year:

Now set your system clock in windows to the year 2013.

Retry console connection now and it should work.

 

[Jailer]

Or just use ipmiview for windows.