Configuring an I/O module

You can configure a BladeCenter I/O module using the management module Web interface.

Note: The I/O-module configuration pages vary by I/O-module type. Each page displays only those settings that apply to the I/O module that is installed; therefore, some steps in the following procedure might not apply to your I/O module.

Most I/O-module configuration is performed through the management interface that is provided by each I/O module. Before you can access this management environment through a Web browser, some I/O modules must have their communications parameters set up through the management-module Web interface or through the management-module command-line interface.

This section has general instructions for configuring I/O-module communications parameters by using the management-module Web interface. See the Installation Guide for your I/O module for specific configuration information. Instructions for configuring the I/O module by using the management-module command-line interface are in the BladeCenter Management Module Command-Line Interface Reference Guide.

To configure the I/O module for external communication by using the management-module Web Interface, complete the following steps:

  1. Log on to the management module as described in Connecting to the management module. The management-module window opens.
  2. From the I/O Module Tasks menu, click Configuration.
  3. In the I/O Module Configuration section, click the bay number that corresponds to the location of the I/O module that you are configuring. The applicable bay number is displayed at the bottom of the window, followed by other related I/O-module information, including the IP address. The I/O-module information is divided into two sections: Current IP Configuration and New Static IP Configuration.
  4. In the IP address field in the New Static IP Configuration section, type the new IP address of the I/O module; then, click Save. You can set up the IP address for the Gigabit Ethernet switch module in either of two ways:
    • Use the default IP address
    • Obtain a valid, unique IP address from your system administrator
    Note: The IP address of the I/O module must be on the same subnet as the management module. The management module does not check for invalid IP addresses.
  5. Click Advanced Management and make sure that the following switch-module features are enabled:
    • External ports
    • External management over all ports
    • Preserve new IP configuration on all resets

      The default setting is Disabled for these features. If these features are not already enabled, change the setting to Enabled; then, click Save.

    Note: See the Installation and User’s Guide for your BladeCenter unit for additional information about enabling external management over all ports.
  6. For I/O modules that support Network Address Translation (NAT) table, click Network Protocol Configuration. The first column of the NAT table contains links that you can use to configure the protocol values. The maximum number of protocols is 10. Five protocols are predefined; for example, the first protocol is always hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and the second protocol is always Telnet.

    You can activate or modify the Network Protocol settings on this page of the management-module interface by clicking one of the following buttons:

    • To activate all of the values in the NAT table, click Activate.
    • To immediately reset all of the values in the NAT table to their defaults, click Reset to defaults.

You can now start a Web-interface session, a Telnet session, or a Secure Shell (SSH) session to the I/O module to perform additional configuration. See the documentation for your I/O module for information.

Parent topic: Using the management-module Web interface