Sun/Oracle servers give access to different CLIs to manage hardware settings and the console.

In this case, we’ll have a look at two common CLIs found in most servers: ILOM and ALOM.

ILOM is a newer CLI, it supports a wider range of commands and it doesn’t require a reset to the Service Processor to commit changes. ALOM, which is found on “older” servers, on the contrary is simplier and user friendlier. A little example is console access: on ILOM you have to type:

-> start /SP/console

while on ALOM you just use this command:

sc> console

When operating with ILOMs, you have the chance to switch to the ALOM CLI (through backwards compatibility), which is not a commonly known fact.

Why would you do that? Well, one reason is because Oracle Support personnel happen to instruct you to run ALOM commands on servers with ILOM.

They do not even tell you how to do that.

So, let’s roll and see how:

Login to the SP as root user, as usual.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX login: root
Password:
Waiting for daemons to initialize…

Daemons ready

Integrated Lights Out Manager

Version 2.0.4.n

Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Use is subject to license terms.

Warning: password is set to factory default.

We have to create an administrative account (whatever name is fine, but we’ll stick with the standard admin user) and assign the CLI mode to alom.

-> create /SP/users/admin role=Administrator cli_mode=alom
Creating user…
Enter new password: ********
Enter new password again: ********
Created /SP/users/admin

If the user admin with the Administrator role already exists, you need only to change the CLI mode and (optional) reset its password.

-> create /SP/users/admin role=Administrator cli_mode=alom
create: /SP/users/admin already exists
Create failed

-> set /SP/users/admin cli_mode=alomSet ‘cli_mode’ to ‘alom’
Set ‘cli_mode’ to ‘alom’

-> set /SP/users/admin password
Enter new password: ********
Enter new password again: ********

Now you can login again to the ILOM, this time use the admin account:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX login: admin
Password:
Waiting for daemons to initialize…

Daemons ready

Sun(TM) Integrated Lights Out Manager

Version 2.0.4.X

Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Use is subject to license terms.

sc>

The sc> prompt indicates you are using the ALOM shell, and you can use most of its commands.