Using the SOL Console
While the KVM gives you full graphical control, sometimes all you need is a simple, text-based terminal. The Serial-over-LAN (SOL) console provides exactly that. It redirects the server's serial port output over the network, allowing you to see low-level system messages directly in your browser.
SOL is a lightweight and efficient tool, perfect for monitoring boot processes or debugging issues when a graphical interface isn't available or necessary.
Prerequisites for using SOL
For the SOL console to display any output, you must first configure the server's BIOS/UEFI and its operating system to redirect their console output to the serial port. If this is not done, the SOL window in the BMC will remain blank.
BIOS/UEFI Configuration: You need to enter the BIOS setup during boot and find a setting typically named "Serial Port Console Redirection" or similar. This setting must be enabled. You may also need to configure the baud rate (bits per second), which should match the BMC's setting (commonly 115200).
Operating System Configuration: The OS must also be told to send its console output to the serial port. For example, in Linux, this often involves adding a kernel parameter to the bootloader configuration (e.g.,
console=ttyS0,115200ingrub.conf).
Best Practice: Configure SOL during server setup
It's a best practice to configure serial console redirection in the BIOS and OS during the initial server setup. Trying to enable it remotely on a system that is already having problems can be very difficult.
Launching and using the SOL console
Once the prerequisites are met, accessing the SOL console is simple.
In the sidebar menu, navigate to Operations > SOL console.
A terminal window will open, displaying the live serial output from the host system. The Status should show as Connected.
[Image, EXISTING, Source: 6.7: Screenshot of the Serial over LAN (SOL) console page, showing a blank, connected terminal window.]
When to use SOL instead of KVM
SOL is the ideal tool for specific scenarios where a graphical interface is unnecessary or unavailable:
Monitoring Boot-up: Watch the entire boot sequence in text mode, from BIOS initialization to the OS kernel loading. This is great for spotting exactly where a boot process fails.
Kernel Debugging: If the operating system crashes with a kernel panic, the detailed error messages are often sent to the serial console. SOL allows you to capture these critical messages for analysis.
Accessing Bootloaders: You can interact with bootloaders like GRUB to select different kernels or enter recovery mode.
Low-Bandwidth Environments: Because it's just text, SOL uses very little bandwidth compared to the KVM, making it much more responsive over slow or high-latency network connections.
Troubleshooting SOL issues
Problem: The SOL console is connected, but the screen is blank.
Solution: This is the most common issue and is almost always caused by the server's BIOS or OS not being configured for serial console redirection. Reboot the server, enter the BIOS setup via KVM, and ensure the redirection feature is enabled.
Problem: I can see output, but I can't type anything into the console.
Solution: This can also be a BIOS/OS setting. Some console redirection settings are for output-only. Ensure that the BIOS is configured for full terminal emulation (e.g., "VT100" or "ANSI") and that the OS is running a getty or similar login service on the serial port.
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