Logging into bogged down server

[Johan Lithander]

-----Original Message-----
From: redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com
[mailto:redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Harold
Hallikainen
Sent: den 5 april 2006 16:54
To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
Subject: RE: Logging into bogged down server


> On Fri, 2006-03-31 at 20:07 -0800, Harold Hallikainen wrote:
>> For some reason, this email client deletes all the received message 
>> when I reply and then select text instead of html... When I get back 
>> home and restart the FC4 machine, I'll get back on SquirrelMail. 
>> Anyways... I'm STILL trying to ssh into the bogged down server. No 
>> luck yet. I did change the DNS server to send stuff away from this 
>> server in the hopes it would eventuall finish off all those processes 
>> and start accepting my ssh login (to the IP address instead of the 
>> domain). No luck so far. In a couple days I can go hit the reset button.
>>
>> Besides the modifications to configs suggested so far, I'm also 
>> thinking of adding a hardware watchdog timer to the machine so it'll 
>> reset itself should it ever do this again. I've seen a couple 
>> circuits on the web, based on a
>> 555 timer.
>> One of them I found looked like it could be locked up if the machine 
>> crashed during a watchdog reset. Back when I was designing MC6802 
>> based systems, I did a watchdog timer like that and had to drive 100 
>> miles in Kansas to hit the reset switch on a system. Watchdog timers 
>> I design now reset on an edge instead of a level so if the reset line 
>> gets stuck at either level, the watchdog will time out and reset the 
>> system. So, that's my next project!
>
> Useful.  We use remote-controlled power strips.  You can log into the 
> strip (modem or TCP/IP) and power-cycle any of the outlets on it.
> HIGHLY recommended for "dark data centers".
>

When I got back home, I found the video out of the server also frozen. I
didn't see any disk activity. Hit the reset button and all is well. I'll go
ahead and make the suggested config file changes. Meanwhile, any suggestions
on a particular low cost remote controlled (PCP/IP) power strip?

THANKS!

Harold


-- 

FYI: There are server machines which has built in management modules which
shares the eth channels with the CPU board, but works independantly from the
CPU board. The management module can be used power up/down the CPU board
(among other things) using IPMI over LAN (differs between different
manufacturors). Tho, these type of machines is usually quite expensive.

Regs.

/J