Specifications

QSSC-S4R Technical Product Specification BIOS Role in Server Management
221
x <Esc> followed by a two-second pause must be interpreted as a single escape.
x <Esc> followed within two seconds by one or more characters that do not form a sequence described in this
specification must be interpreted as <Esc> plus the character or characters, not as an escape sequence.
The escape sequence in the following table is an input sequence. This means it is sent to the BIOS from the remote
terminal.
Table 147. Console Redirection Escape Sequences for Headless Operation
Escape Sequence Description
<Esc>R<Esc>r<Esc>R
This will implement but will default to “disabled”.
Remote Console Reset.
20.2.3 Limitations
x BIOS Console redirection terminates after an EFI-aware OS calls EFI Exit Boot Services. The OS is responsible for
continuing subsequent console redirection.
x BIOS console redirection is a text console. Graphical data, such as a logo, are not redirected.
20.2.4 Interface to Server Management
The serial port settings are available to the BMC via the IBMC‘s integrated Super I/O.
20.3 IPMI Serial Interface
The system provides a communication serial port via the IBMC. A multiplexer within the IBMC, determines if the COM2
external connector is used by the BMC or by the standard serial port of the Super I/O. For information about these
features, see the Intelligent Platform Management Interface Specification, Version 2.0, Chapter 14 for information
about these features.
20.3.1 Channel Access Modes
The BIOS supports the four different channel access modes that are described in Table 6-4 of the Intelligent Platform
Management Interface Specification, Version 2.0.
20.3.2 Interaction with BIOS Console Redirection
BIOS Console Redirection accomplishes the implementation of VT-UTF8 console redirection support in Intel‘s server
BIOS products. This implementation meets the functional requirements set forth in the Microsoft Windows 2003*
WHQL requirements for headless operation of servers. It also maintains a necessary degree of backward compatibility
with existing Intel server BIOS products and meets the architectural requirements of Intel server products in
development.
The server BIOS has a console that interacts with a display and keyboard combination. The BIOS instantiates sources
and sinks of input / output data in the form of BIOS Setup screens, Boot Manager screens, Power -on Self Test (POST)
informational messages, and hot-key / escape sequence action requests.
Output is displayed locally at the computer on video display devices. This is limited to video displays in the text or
graphics mode. Local input may come from a USB keyboard. Mouse support is not available.
The use of serial port console redirection allows a single serial cable to be used for each server system. The serial
cables from a number of servers can be connected to a serial concentrator or to a switch. This allows access to each
individual server system. The system administrator can remotely switch from one server to another to manage large
numbers of servers.
Through the redirection capabilities of the BMC on QSSC-S4R, the serial port UART input / output stream can be
further redirected and sent over a platform LAN device as a packetized serial byte stream. This BMC function is called
Serial over LAN (SOL). It further optimizes space requirements and server management capability.
Additional features are available if Console Redirection is enabled on the same COM port as the Channel Access serial
port, and if the Channel Access Mode is set to either Always Active or Pre-boot.
BIOS console redirection supports an extra control escape sequence to force the COM port to the BMC. After this
command is sent, the COM2 port attaches to the BMC Channel Access serial port and Super I/O COM2 data is
ignored. This feature allows a remote user to monitor the status of POST using the standard BIOS console redirection