H12SSL-I Stuck at "bmc initiating"

[Dick Lee]

Hi All!

A green hand here. I bought an OEM H12SSL-I to set up my first server. It was working fine until some meddling with the bios. Result? It cannot boot up and stays at "bmc initiating" forever! Now, I can't enter bios or ipmi console no matter how I tried. Any advise to make it work again?

 

[i386]

OEM Board?
What does medling with the BIOS mean? Playing with settings or modifying IT with external Tool?

 

[Dick Lee]

just changing some settings, can't remember which ones now.

 

[Dick Lee]

Yes, OEM board. So RMA is impossible.

 

[Dick Lee]

Could it be caused by changing several PCIE devices without switching off the machine?

 

[i386]

Could it be caused by changing several PCIE devices without switching off the machine?

You mean like plug and play?
I wouldn't do that. Even when pcie as a standard supports some sort of it most devices, their drivers, os and the mainboards can't handle it...

 

[Dick Lee]

Not stupid as that, just switching pcie cards after shutting down OS but not PSU.

 

[NablaSquaredG]

Not stupid as that, just switching pcie cards after shutting down OS but not PSU.

Usually not, I do it all the time. But maybe if you haven't taken ESD precautions...

Have you tried booting the board on a table to make sure there are not standoffs at wrong positions causing short circuits?

 

[Dick Lee]

The chance of this is slim, if not none, the server had been working properly.

 

[RolloZ170]

just changing some settings, can't remember which ones now.

unplugg the PSU, remove the CMOS battery. short the battery contacts for a while...

 

[RageBone]

indeed, try a cmos reset.
Also, it is very very weird that you can't access the ipmi, has that always been the case?

 

[Dick Lee]

indeed, try a cmos reset.
Also, it is very very weird that you can't access the ipmi, has that always been the case?

I had done exactly as RolloZ170 suggested but to no avail. Some googling let me know that BMC initiates before bios. Really, the issue is BMC not bios.

 

[RolloZ170]

Some googling let me know that BMC initiates before bios. Really, the issue is BMC not bios.

you switch the PSU on and wait for the BMC heartbeat LED to flash, then press the power button.
if you start the system to early the BIOS waits for the BMC to initialize...
The BIOS want to give the BMC some data, if not responding nothing happens then.
Do you had access to the IPMI WebGui before your manipulations ?

 

[Dick Lee]

No IPMI ip settings are done and I had never accessed the webgui. One strange thing: once I plugged in the power cord and turned on the psu, the cpu fan spun at highspeed immediately. When the server functioned properly, I needed to push the power button to turn on the machine. Any implications?

 

[RolloZ170]

try to reflash the BMC FW.

 

[RageBone]

No IPMI ip settings are done and I had never accessed the webgui. One strange thing: once I plugged in the power cord and turned on the psu, the cpu fan spun at highspeed immediately. When the server functioned properly, I needed to push the power button to turn on the machine. Any implications?

do you even have a BMC Heartbeat?
If not, well, something is seriously wrong.
Hopefully just FW

 

[Dick Lee]

do you even have a BMC Heartbeat?
If not, well, something is seriously wrong.
Hopefully just FW

It beated crazily and that was why I knew it was stuck at "bmc initiating". I know a BMC reflesh should solve the problem but the problem is that I have no access to the console. Any ideas?

 

[RolloZ170]

I know a BMC reflesh should solve the problem but the problem is that I have no access to the console. Any ideas?

USB programmer like ch341a. or buy a preprogrammed chip, and replace the BMC chip.
you need no special equipm.cut one pin row with a side-cutter and bent the chip as long it drops off, clean the pads with solder iron, resolder the new chip.

 

[Dick Lee]

USB programmer like ch341a. or buy a preprogrammed chip, and replace the BMC chip.
you need no special equipm.cut one pin row with a side-cutter and bent the chip as long it drops off, clean the pads with solder iron, resolder the new chip.

I'll take this as the last resort. Is there any other way to reset, reflash BMC? I guess toys like Supermicro IPMI SIMLP-3+ are not usefull in this scenario?

 

[RolloZ170]

Supermicro IPMI SIMLP-3+ are not usefull in this scenario?

even if i would fit (PCI card from 2012) you can flash only the own FW of the card, not the FW of the motherboaard.