Remote Wiping of Servers Using Lights Out Management Technology

Written By

Sanjeev Yadav

Updated on

October 19th, 2023

What is Lights Out Management?

LOM (Lights Out Management) technology is a type of Out-of-Band (OOB) management technique that is embedded within servers and other data center infrastructure. It allows system administrators to virtually access, control, and erase servers at physically spread-out locations. It uses a dedicated secondary channel of communication through LOM ports like iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) in HPE ProLiant servers, iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller) in Dell servers, and Remote Supervisor Adapter from IBM. With LOM system administrators can switch the servers on and off, monitor their vital parameters, diagnose issues, take remedial actions, and remotely erase servers if required. It represents a crucial stride towards enhanced security in modern computing.

Understanding vendor-specific LOM (Lights-Out Management) technologies is essential for using them efficiently.

For Example, iDRAC & iLO have different interfaces, designs, and features. Despite these differences, their fundamental purpose remains consistent.

To view the instruction guide for erasing servers with BitRaser using vendor-specific LOM technology, you can read our previous KB’s:

What are the Benefits of LOM?

Utilizing LOM for managing servers offers several benefits to organizations, let’s discuss a few in detail:

Remote Access and Troubleshooting: Using Lights Out Management technology system admins can access the servers from any location ensuring uninterrupted management and troubleshooting without the need of ever stepping in the server room. System admins can monitor critical server hardware parameters like the temperature, battery, fans, CPU, memory, network devices, power supplies, etc. This monitoring helps in the identification and resolution of potential issues before they can cause any disruptions.
Reduced Downtime: LOM removes the need to be physically present in the server room leading to quicker responses, minimized disruptions, and reduced downtime. LOM enables you to diagnose server problems remotely and respond to downtime events. For Example, In the event of a natural disaster heading towards your data center or server room, LOM can help you be prepared way ahead of time and without putting anyone in harm’s way.

Deployment of Tools: Using LOM you can deploy various tools for effectively managing data centers. System admins can configure and dismantle RAID configurations via the LOM console.
Out-of-Band Management: LOM is not dependent on the server’s primary operating system (OS) allowing system admins to manage servers even if the OS is unresponsive. It uses a secondary channel for communicating with the server (LOM Port), ensuring effective management even if the primary communication is disrupted.
Enhancing Server Operations: LOM technology reduces the need for human presence in server rooms, addressing the “humans plus hardware” problem and allowing servers to operate in an optimal environment. It also allows scheduling maintenance tasks, updates, and reboots during lean periods, minimizing its impact on users and customers.

Organizations can transform server operations into an efficient, remote-controlled process by harnessing LOM technology for server management. Organizations can also use the LOM port to remotely perform data erasure using BitRaser Drive Eraser software. Let’s understand the usage for remote wiping of servers.

How to Wipe Servers Remotely with LOM?

Wiping servers remotely with LOM varies according to the server manufacturers like HPE, Dell, Intel, etc. We will give you a basic understanding of the erasure process for wiping data stored on the servers using BitRaser deployed through LOM.

Accessing LOM Interface: You can enter the IP address in your browser and then enter login credentials to access the LOM interface. The login credentials and IP address of the server are assigned when the server is commissioned.
In the below image, you can see the login interface of Dell iDRAC 7 and HPE iLO 5.

HPE iLO Main Interface

Dell iDRAC Main Interface
Connecting With Server: Once connected with the LOM interface, launch the server’s Virtual Console. It acts as a secondary monitor and offers different server control options, like Power On/Off, mounting virtual drives, boot options, etc. However, these options can vary from vendor to vendor.
- Note: The virtual console is Java integrated, and requires the latest version of ‘Java™ Runtime Environment’ to run.

Mounting BitRaser Drive Eraser Software: The Virtual Console gives the user the option to mount a virtual CD/DVD/ISO. You must download the ‘BitRaser ISO’ from your BitRaser Cloud account and mount it on the virtual drive.

Booting With BitRaser: Reboot the server using BitRaser; you are now ready to remotely erase servers using LOM. Once the data erasure process is complete your server data has been erased permanently beyond recovery. The reports & certificates of server erasure are automatically generated and uploaded to your cloud account.

The process of remotely wiping servers is simple and easy to comprehend, making server management more efficient, secure, and streamlined without physical intervention in the data center.

LOM and BitRaser: A Dynamic Duo for Remote Data Erasure

BitRaser Drive Eraser is the perfect tool for erasing servers remotely, securely, and permanently. By coupling the software with LOM technology, organizations can redefine their approach to data erasure. In an era where servers are geographically spread out, BitRaser’s remote data erasure capability, combined with automatic report generation and cloud integration, enables enterprises to maintain control, security, and compliance.

FAQs

What are the benefits of using LOM for managing servers?

Lights Out Management allows system administrators to virtually access, control, and erase servers located at physically spread-out locations. With LOM system administrators can switch the servers on and off, monitor their vital parameters, diagnose issues, take remedial actions, and remotely erase them.

How can organizations remotely wipe servers using LOM and BitRaser?

The organizations can push data erasure through the LOM port. They must first access the LOM interface, connect with the server, mount BitRaser ISO on a virtual drive, and then boot the server with BitRaser. Now the server is ready to be remotely wiped using LOM.

Why is understanding vendor-specific LOM technologies important?

Understanding vendor-specific LOM (Lights-Out Management) technologies is essential for using them efficiently. For Example, iDRAC & iLO have different interfaces, designs, and features. Despite these differences, their fundamental purpose remains consistent.

How does LOM ensure server management if the primary communication is disrupted?

LOM uses a secondary channel (LOM Port) for communicating with the server, ensuring effective management even if the primary communication is disrupted.

About The Author

Sanjeev Yadav

57 posts

Sanjeev is a passionate writer with an engineering background, strong research skills, and unbridled enthusiasm to learn. With a rich experience of 14+ years across industries, he brings a fresh perspective to writing on technology and compliance. He enjoys watching movies and sitcom’s in his free time.

Remote Wiping of Servers Using Lights Out Management Technology

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