Using the Lenovo XClarity Mobile app

Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers a mobile app for Android and iOS devices. You can use the Lenovo XClarity Mobile app to securely monitor physical systems, get real-time status alerts and notifications, and take action on common system level tasks. The app can also connect directly via an enabled USB port to a ThinkSystem server and provide virtual LCD capability.

Learn more: video link Lenovo XClarity Mobile app overview
Using the XClarity Mobile app, you can perform the following activities:
You can also connect your mobile device directly to ThinkSystem servers and then launch the XClarity Mobile app and log in to the server’s baseboard management controller using the same web and CLI credentials. A menu of additional information and actions is available, including:
Tip: After the app is open, you must refresh the app to see the updated status, inventory, events, and jobs.

Prerequisites

Installing and setting up

  1. Download the XClarity Mobile app from iTunes App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).

    Note: Users in China can also download the Android version from Lenovo app store (乐商城), Baidu app store website (百度手机助手) or Tencent app store website (应用宝). After logging in to the website, search for XClarity.
  2. To install the app, follow instructions on the mobile device.

    Important: A mobile OS-level security code to unlock screen access is required to use the XClarity Mobile app. If one is not already set up, you are instructed to set one up during installation.
  3. Click Settings to add or edit connections to multiple XClarity Administrator instances using the automatic discovery or by providing an IP address and user credentials, set a PIN code for the app, change the event and audit log settings, and select your preferred language.

Connecting directly to ThinkSystem servers

Lenovo Think System servers include a front panel USB port that you can use to connect to your mobile device to provide similar capabilities that were available on the LCD system-information display panel on other Lenovo servers.

To manage a ThinkSystem server by directly connecting to server, complete these steps.

  1. Switch the server front panel USB from host to BMC by performing one of the following steps.

    1. From the management controller CLI, run the usbfp command

    2. From the management controller web interface, click BMC Configuration > Network > Front Panel USB Port Management.

    3. Hold the blue ID location LED on the front panel for at least 3 seconds until the light blinks every couple of seconds.

  2. Connect your phone USB cable to the front panel USB port on the ThinkSystem server.

  3. On your mobile device, enable USB tethering.

    1. For iOS, click Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot.

    2. For Android, click Settings > Mobile hotspot and tethering > USB tethering.

  4. On your mobile device, launch the XClarity Mobile app.

  5. If automatic discovery is disabled, click Discovery on the USB Discovery page to connect to the server’s management controller and collect information, including inventory, health, firmware, network configuration, and a list of the latest active events.

Tips:
  • Ensure that you use a high-quality USB cable that supports data and power. Be aware that some cables that are supplied with mobile devices are only for charging purposes.

    Note: To connect to ThinkSystem SD530, you must also use a high-quality micro USB to USB cable or adapter.
  • The USB-attached server must be powered on to report the full set of voltage, temperature, and usage statistics in the summary status cards.

  • If the USB-attached server does not have an external “blue identification” LED/button on the front panel, you must use the management controller web interface or CLI to change the front panel USB port management selection, if needed.

  • Changes made to the management-controller network interface from the XClarity Mobile app take effect immediately without requiring management controller to be restarted. For example, if the IPv4 interface is changed from a static address to DHCP, the interface immediately obtains a DHCP assigned address.

  • On the Newsfeed tab, the “Latest active events” card initially displays up to three active events that are listed on the management controller’s Active Events tab. On the mobile app, if you tap that card, all of the active events are displayed. Note that this is a list of active and resolved events, not a full list of all events.

Using demonstration mode

You can enable Demonstration Mode on the Settings page to populate the XClarity Mobile app with demo data for two XClarity Administrator instances, including racks and chassis. In this mode, you can view the status summary of the XClarity Administrator instances, view detailed status and inventory of devices, and monitor events and alerts. However, management actions, such as powering on and off, are not supported.

Note:
  • You can enable demonstration mode only when there are no connections to actual XClarity Administrator instances.

  • You cannot add connections to actual XClarity Administrator instances while demonstration mode is enabled.

Searching

You can use the Search field to display managed devices with a specific name or status (Critical, Warning, or Normal). For example, if you search for crit, only managed devices in the Critical status and with names that include crit are displayed.

Resolving issues

Installation issues:

Connectivity issues:

Security issues:

Event issues:

Help system issues: