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Created by Ben White
Created on Mar 6, 2024

SOS/OOB++ via lifecycle controller hosted VNC redirection.

This idea was imported from Canny. Originally created by: Daniel Lotterman. The current owner is: Unassigned.

The Equinix Metal SOS/OOB works by using SSH as an authentication mux and transport medium for connecting a Metal platform user to a virtual serial port that is redirected to by the chassis underlying lifecycle controller (iDRAc, IPMI, iLO etc), and it's great. There is a painful limitation that it requires that correct serial port settings to be configured by the customer's side, and access is limited to things that can be rendered by serial I/O. Modern lifecycle controllers, (iDRAC and IPMI specifically), also expose a VNC server that exposes traditional keyboard, video and mouse control to the guest OS. Having access to a KVM driven by VNC would open up a number of operator workflows that are currently impossible or out of reach. The idea here is to take the current SSH authentication / mux and extend it with a port redirection, where that port redirection includes a VNC framebuffer going by to the iDRAC/IPMI hosted VNC endpoint, allowing direct control of the iDRAC/IPMI KVM via VNC from the end user, wrapped in an SSH channel.
  • Admin
    Ben White
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    Mar 6, 2024

    This comment was imported from Canny. Originally created by: Daniel Lotterman with 0 likes.

    I should note, this wont fix the lack of real CDROM for many BYO install paths, but it could be a critical component in addressing that pain.

  • +7