Skip to main content

Configuring Ethernet over USB

Use the information in this topic to control the Ethernet over USB interface used for in-band communication between the server and the XClarity Controller.

Click Network under BMC Configuration to view or modify the XClarity Controller Ethernet over USB settings.

The Ethernet over USB is used for in-band communications to the XClarity Controller. Click the check box to enable or disable the Ethernet over USB interface.
Important
If you disable the Ethernet over USB, you cannot perform an in-band update of the XClarity Controller firmware or server firmware using the Linux or Windows flash utilities.
Select the method that The XClarity Controller uses to assign addresses to the endpoints of the Ethernet over USB interface.
  • Use IPv6 link-local address for Ethernet over USB:

    This method uses IPv6 addresses based off the MAC address that have been allocated to the endpoints of the Ethernet over USB interface. Normally, the IPv6 link local address is generated using the MAC address (RFC 4862) but Windows 2008 and newer 2016 operating systems do not support a static link local IPv6 address on the host end of the interface. Instead the default Windows behavior regenerates random link local addresses while running. If the XClarity Controller Ethernet over USB interface is configured to use the IPv6 link local address mode, various functions that make use of this interface will not work because the XClarity Controller does not know what address Windows has assigned to the interface. If the server is running Windows use one of the other Ethernet over USB address configuration methods, or disable the default Windows behavior by using this command: netsh interface ipv6 set global randomizeidentifiers=disabled
  • Use IPv4 link-local address for Ethernet over USB:

    An IP address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range is assigned to the XClarity Controller and server side of the network.
  • Configure IPv4 setting for Ethernet over USB:

    With this method, it specifies the IP addresses and network mask that are assigned to the XClarity Controller and the server side of the Ethernet over USB interface.
Note
  1. The OS IP configuration settings is not used to set the OS IP address of Ethernet Over USB interface, but is used to notify BMC that OS IP address of Ethernet over USB has changed.

  2. Before you configure three IP settings for Ethernet over USB, you need to manually configure the OS IP address of Ethernet over USB interface in your local operating system.

Mapping of external Ethernet port numbers to Ethernet over USB port numbers is controlled by clicking the Enable external Ethernet to Ethernet over USB port forwarding checkbox and completing the mapping information for ports you wish to have forwarded from the management network interface to the server.