Supermicro fan control, IPMIUTIL or FEEIPMI?

[dmax]

Hi,
I recently built a NAS with super micros motherboard X10SL7-F. Chassi is Fractal design define r4. that is qite big.
The problem I encountered is that fans either at full speed or hopping rate (4 sec at 300-400 RPM, then at full speed for 4 sec............).
This can not be set anywhere on the motherboard / IPMI / BIOS. I cant find any inteligent fan control for low noise chassi fans in size as mine.
In IPMI, I see that the motherboard detects low speed fans that I have inserted and get warning at 347 rpm.
I can set the max speed in IPMI but then fans goes at full speed and it sounds pretty much from my 4pcs -140 mm fans. It feels like the NAS soon will fly away .
Temperature of the CPU is cool (<40C). Disks are not activated.

I got an answer from support that there are third-party IPMIUTIL where users can change it, even fan speeds and thresholds. Then I found online that there are also FREEIPMI that is similar to ipmiutil.

Is there anyone who has used IPMIUTIL or freeipmi?
Please tell me how it worked and how to install it in freenas/ on supermicro board.

Thank you!

 

[jyavenard]

The reason you see the fans going at a hopping rate is because the BMC has a threshold limit for the fans at 600rpm.
If the fans go below 600rpm, it considers that there's a fault and will spin them back at full speed.

So you need to reduce that lower threshold. You can do this with freeipmi
Be warned though, that you must use freeipmi 1.3.4 or later with this supermicro board.

So do something like:

ipmi-sensors-config --filename=ipmi.config --checkout

modify the ipmi.config file with the various threshold you need; make sure that the lower value is set to less that what your fans can run at: say 300rpm
and set all the other lower values to be even less (140rpm etc..)

then do:

ipmi-sensors-config --filename=ipmi.config --commit

now you can run your fans with the "default" setting. That is at lowest speed until the CPU or PCH jumps too high.

To install freeipmi; create a port jail.
then log into your freenas box.
do:

sudo jls

check which is the ports jails
then do:

sudo jexec [N]

where [N] is the jail number

then type:

pkg install freeipmi

that will install freeipmi; and you can run it after that.

 

[dmax]

The reason you see the fans going at a hopping rate is because the BMC has a threshold limit for the fans at 600rpm.
If the fans go below 600rpm, it considers that there's a fault and will spin them back at full speed.

So you need to reduce that lower threshold. You can do this with freeipmi
Be warned though, that you must use freeipmi 1.3.4 or later with this supermicro board.

So do something like:

modify the ipmi.config file with the various threshold you need; make sure that the lower value is set to less that what your fans can run at: say 300rpm
and set all the other lower values to be even less (140rpm etc..)

then do:



now you can run your fans with the "default" setting. That is at lowest speed until the CPU or PCH jumps too high.

To install freeipmi; create a port jail.
then log into your freenas box.
do:



check which is the ports jails
then do:



where [N] is the jail number

then type:


that will install freeipmi; and you can run it after that.

ok,
Shall I download freeipmi and store it on USB stick?
"To install freeipmi; create a port jail." - sorry Im new with that. Please explain how to do jail in steps

Thank you for quick response!!!

 

[jyavenard]

all you need is freenas web interface. access it , click on the jails icon at the top

select add jails
in type select portjail
press ok

after a while you'll get your jail.

check freenas documentation; it's all in there

 

[dmax]

Thak you juavenard!

'll read it tonight.
B.R.

 

[freenas4n00b]

I have this same setup and same problem!!
Thanks juavenard, i will try this tonight!

 

[dmax]

Ooo nooo!
It take tooooooooooo much time!
freenas is not for usual humans!
It will be Microfoft Server instead!:(

 

[jyavenard]

this has nothing to do with what type of OS you run.

It's up to your motherboard and the BMC controller.

This is a server motherboard, it expects fans to do their job properly.. A tad conservative at that I admit.

In any case; modifying the IPMI threshold is trivial.

 

[dmax]

Yes, it is probably trivial to do this in comand line- if you used to do it before :).
I m windows user. I f you use windows you dont need to read any manuals.
I have tryed whit freenas manual, but it not helped.
Command line is from 70s.:)
If i learn it i will forget it for the next time i will need to do this or similar things again.

If you/ or someone here have a time please do shoort instruction for these steps in guides part of forum. I think many will appreciate if it is documented in forum.
1) installation for jail and freeipmi or ipmiutil. (what commands, what happends, whare it downloads from, whare it saves, how user know that it isntalled corectly)
2) how to start freeipmi or ipmiutil. (from freenas GUI or from another PC by typing IP adress....,commands, wheare to find these commands..)

Thank you!
B.R.

 

[jyavenard]

it would probably be easier if you at least tried *and* read the information provided to you in this very own thread.

my very first post here contained the exact steps to follow and commands to type short of how to install a port jail.

As for how to install a port jail, googling: freenas how to add a port jail would have seen the very first answer link to:
http://doc.freenas.org/index.php/Adding_Jails

 

[dmax]

Absolutly, I have read it (10 times

you write:

sudo jls​

check which is the ports jails
then do:

sudo jexec [N]​

where [N] is the jail number

then type:

pkg install freeipmi​

that will install freeipmi; and you can run it after that.


Wheare shall i write "sudo jls" in google, ? .
As I said earlier Im new with freenas

 

[DrKK]

Oh boy.

You're saying you don't know how to access a command-line interface? If you are a mouse-click-only Windows user, then you will find FreeNAS very difficult to use effectively, sir.

In answer to your question, you don't type "sudo jls" in the Google search bar...You type it into the FreeBSD/FreeNAS operating system's command line. But in any case, I'm pretty sure that if we have to explain how to do *THAT* for you, then there's very little chance you'll be able to use FreeNAS correctly. You need to do a little bit of reading on Linux/UNIX operating systems before we'll be able to help.

If you are unwilling to read about a new operating system, and learn a few things, from books and/or web sites and/or pdf tutorials, then I am afraid you'll have to stick with Microsoft products. :)

 

[dmax]

DrKK,
thanks for the support man.
Im here to learn me how freenas works, threfore im asking. Sorry for that. I have lerned unix for 7 years ago in tech school.
feels a little rusty right now...

 

[panz]

DrKK,
thanks for the support man.
Im here to learn me how freenas works, threfore im asking. Sorry for that. I have lerned unix for 7 years ago in tech school.
feels a little rusty right now...

You learned UNIX just 7 years ago and can't remember the CLI?

 

[Z300M]

The reason you see the fans going at a hopping rate is because the BMC has a threshold limit for the fans at 600rpm.
If the fans go below 600rpm, it considers that there's a fault and will spin them back at full speed.

So you need to reduce that lower threshold. You can do this with freeipmi
Be warned though, that you must use freeipmi 1.3.4 or later with this supermicro board.

So do something like:

modify the ipmi.config file with the various threshold you need; make sure that the lower value is set to less that what your fans can run at: say 300rpm
and set all the other lower values to be even less (140rpm etc..)

then do:



now you can run your fans with the "default" setting. That is at lowest speed until the CPU or PCH jumps too high.

To install freeipmi; create a port jail.
then log into your freenas box.
do:



check which is the ports jails
then do:



where [N] is the jail number

then type:


that will install freeipmi; and you can run it after that.

I've tried this with my new X10SL7-F

The first thing I get is that it won't let me do sudo anything, but jls on its own works.

Then jexec [N] tells me that I have to use

Code:

jexec [ -u username | -U username ] jail command ... 

so I tried

Code:

jexec -u root 1 pkg install freeipmi

and it responded with

Code:

Updating repository catalogue
No valid repository found.

If I cd to the jail directory and try pkg install freeipmi

I get:

Code:

[root@freenas /mnt/Pool1/FreeIPMI]# pkg install freeipmi
The package management tool is not yet installed on your system.
Do you want to fetch and install it now? [y/N]: y
Bootstrapping pkg please wait
_http._tcp.pkg.FreeBSD.org
pkg: fail to extract pkg-static
[root@freenas /mnt/Pool1/FreeIPMI]# 

Help, please.

 

[jyavenard]

I've tried this with my new X10SL7-F

The first thing I get is that it won't let me do sudo anything, but jls on its own works.

you must be root to do anything.
for sudo to work, you need to check for your user "permit sudo" in that user' settings

If I cd to the jail directory and try pkg install freeipmi

you *certainly* don't want to do that, it would try to install packages on your freeNAS usb stick which is write protected (and doesn't have the available space anyway)

you must switch to the jail first.

 

[dmax]

Supermicro support recommended IPMIUTIL.
If freeipmi will not work for you, try ipmiutil.

My freenas is on now and works as I expected :) (except fans).
Spent several evenings with it.
Interesting experience. Intrigued that FreeNAS is so compact compared to windows.

Found my old dusty UNIX notes :)...
Let's see if I dare experiment with it the next few days ...

One thing with that board. IPMI that is built in on that board has an own LAN port.
BUT, it can be opened against the other two LANs. This is risky! Think about it.

 

[Z300M]

you must be root to do anything.
for sudo to work, you need to check for your user "permit sudo" in that user' settings

I am root.

you *certainly* don't want to do that, it would try to install packages on your freeNAS usb stick which is write protected (and doesn't have the available space anyway)

you must switch to the jail first.

Reading elsewhere, I found the suggested command

Code:

jexec [N] /bin/csh

and that seems to get me into the jail, but then

Code:

pkg install freeipmi

still results in

Code:

Updating repository catalogue
No valid repository found

 

[Z300M]

Supermicro support recommended IPMIUTIL.
If freeipmi will not work for you, try ipmiutil.

My freenas is on now and works as I expected :) (except fans).
Spent several evenings with it.
Interesting experience. Intrigued that FreeNAS is so compact compared to windows.

Found my old dusty UNIX notes :)...
Let's see if I dare experiment with it the next few days ...

One thing with that board. IPMI that is built in on that board has an own LAN port.
BUT, it can be opened against the other two LANs. This is risky! Think about it.

I've tried IPMIUTIL on a Win7 machine and it says it can't find the right driver. And does it allow me to set new fan thresholds?

 

[jyavenard]

Hum... You're right. Seems port jails are broken in 9.2.1.
There is another way

Do
$ cd /usr/ports/sysutils/freeipmi
$ make

Press and validate at all prompts. This will take a little while.

Then install with:
$ make install

Now you can run it. If you have loaded the ipmi kernel module you can use freeipmi as-is, in out of band mode, no need for user/password. If not, check the help on how to set which machine to connect to, the username and password.
To load the ipmi module, the fastest is to exit the jail and type:
$ sudo kldload ipmi

Then go back into The jail and use ipmi-sensors-config to checkout the current configuration, and commit to modify it