How to reset HP iLO Lights-Out User and Password Settings with IPMItool

Warning:

Do NOT follow guides that suggest to make a DOS boot disk, this is over complicated.

Use the ipmitool which ships with most Unix based operating systems. I tested on SmartOS and Ubuntu Linux. Use a live boot disk if you must.

1. Run ipmitool user list to list all users installed on the iLO.
2. Choose a user ID from the list and run ipmitool user set password [ID].
3. Last, make sure the user is enabled with ipmitool user enable [ID].

Here is a complete set of commands I used to reset user ID 6:

[root@1c-c1-de-f0-ad-36 /opt]# ipmitool user list
ID  Name             Callin  Link Auth  IPMI Msg   Channel Priv Limit
2   ROUSER           true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
3   USERID           true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
4   OEM              true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
5   Operator         true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
6   admin            true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
... truncated ...
15  admin            true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)
16  OEM              true    false      false      Unknown (0x00)

[root@1c-c1-de-f0-ad-36 /opt]# ipmitool user set password 6 mynew-password

[root@1c-c1-de-f0-ad-36 /opt]# ipmitool user enable 6

Next I logged into the web GUI and cleaned up this crazy list of users. You may also need to change the privileges on a user ID to grant admin level access. Run ipmitool user for a list of possible sub-commands.

After I finished poking around with the web GUI, I decided to learn a bit more about IPMI and the ipmitool command.

I figured out how to get sensor information over the LAN using this command:

sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin sensor

I was even able to log into the server OS via Serial-over-LAN (SOL) using this command:

sudo ipmitool -I lanplus -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin sol activate

Serial-over-LAN completely resolves the need for a complicated JAVA/KVM (keyboard video mouse) setup, I was able to reboot the server and watch the machine POST over the serial connection! Now you don't need to shell out $229+ on an Advanced 1 yr single server Licence for HP Lights-Out 100i (LO100i)!

I uploaded a video showing Serial-Over-LAN with IPMItools to an HP Proliant DL160 G6 running SmartOS.

Update:

Documenting a few other useful commands for myself here.

Power on and off the server chassis:

sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin chassis power status
sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin chassis power on
sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin chassis power soft
sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin chassis power off
sudo ipmitool -I lan -H guy-ilo.foxhop.net -U admin chassis power cycle

Update:

Apparently after you know the ILO username and password you may also use SSH to connect and manage the server:

ssh admin@guy-ilo.foxhop.net
admin@guile-ilo.foxhop.net's password:

Lights-Out 100 Management
Copyright 2005-2007 ServerEngines Corporation
Copyright 2006-2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

/./-> help
Root Directory

/./-> show
    /./
    Targets
        system1
        map1

    Properties

    Verbs
        cd
        version
        exit
        show
        help

/./-> cd system1
/./system1/-> show
    /./system1/
    Targets
        oemhp_sensors
        oemhp_frus
        console1
        led1

    Properties
        name=DL180(Aspen)    _R
        enabledstate=enabled

    Verbs
        cd
        version
        exit
        show
        reset
        start
        stop
        help

You can even trigger the server OS to stop change run levels or mess with chassis power for more extreme measures.

/./system1/-> stop
System1 stopped.

Update:

I run FreeNAS on an HP DL180 G6 and just replaced my p410 controller with an LSI SAS9220-8i (IBM M1015) flashed to IT mode. The stock cables are long enough. I did not have issues with fans running at high RPM.

(I did the same replacement on an HP DL160 G6 running SmartOS and it didn't have a high fan RPM issues either)