Troubleshooting your bare metal server
The following topics cover common difficulties that you might encounter, and offers some helpful tips.
Why can't I log in to a bare metal server through SSH?
If you can't log in to a server through SSH, it might be caused by one of the following reasons.
- Remote logins through SSH for root are disabled.
- Port not configured for SSH.
- The firewall is blocking SSH traffic.
Remote logins through SSH for root are disabled
Remote logins through SSH for root might be disabled in the SSH configuration (/etc/ssh/sshd_config) of your server. Use the following instructions to enable SSH for root login.
For security reasons, it is recommended that you don't enable root for remote SSH logins. Instead, create a nonroot user for remote SSH login.
- Log in to IPMI console for your server.
- As root, edit the sshd_config file in
/etc/ssh/sshd_config.nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config - Add a line in the Authentication section of the file that says
PermitRootLogin yes. This line might exist and be commented out with a "#". In this example, remove the "#".#LoginGraceTime 2mPermitRootLogin yes#StrictModes yes#MaxAuthTries 6#MaxSessions 10Save the updated/etc/ssh/sshd_configfile. - Restart sshd service on Ubuntu or Debian Linux by using the following command.
sudo systemctl restart ssh.serviceRHEL and CentOS Linux users, run the following command to restart the sshd service:sudo systemctl restart sshd.service
Port not configured for SSH
-
Check that the port number is configured for ssh in the
/etc/ssh/sshd_configfile. -
Check the port number that is configured for SSH in the
/etc/ssh/sshd_configfile. By default, SSH is configured with port 22. However, for security reasons, your administrator might change the port.
Firewall is blocking SSH traffic
SSH port traffic might be blocked by your firewall. For more information, see Allowing SSH and pinging to a public subnet.
Why is my server not responding (server not pinging)?
If you can't access your server, you can use the following prechecks to help get a response.
- Try to access the server through the KVM IPMI console.
- If you can't access the server through the KVM IPMI console, then the ping traffic might be blocked by your firewall or gateway (Vyatta, AT&T, Juniper, FortiGate). Ask your administrator to check the firewall rules. For help with setting up firewall rules, contact support.
Why can't I access IPMI IP through a browser?
- Try to access the IPMI IP through different browser.
- Update your browser and or Java to access IPMI IP.
- If you still have problems, contact support.
Why isn't RDP working?
If you can access your server, but RDP isn't working, it might be caused by one of the following reasons.
RDP traffic is blocked
RDP traffic (port 3389) might be blocked by the Windows firewall, hardware firewall, or gateway (Vyatta, AT&T, Juniper, FortiGate). Check that your firewall allows RDP traffic.
The server has inadequate client access licenses
RDP might not work because of inadequate client access licenses that are installed on the server. For more information, contact support.
The server has pending Windows updates
If your server has pending Windows updates, install the most recent updates, restart the server, and try to access RDP.
Why can't I connect to a server through the public IP?
If you can't connect to a server through the public IP, it might be caused by one of the following reasons.
- Public traffic is blocked by your firewall or gateway (Vyatta, AT&T, Juniper, FortiGate).
- If the firewall isn't an issue, check whether the public gateway IP is configured for the public network card and try pinging the public gateway. For more help, contact support.
- Check whether you can ping IBM Cloud® DNS servers (10.0.80.11, 10.0.80.12), if that they are configured in the public network card.
Why is the internet disconnected?
If your internet is disconnected, it might be caused by one of the following reasons.
- Internet is blocked by a firewall or gateway.
- Public gateway IP configuration.
- No ping from DNS servers.
Internet is blocked by a firewall or gateway
If you can't access the internet, your internet access might be blocked by your firewall or gateway (Vyatta, AT&T, Juniper, FortiGate).
Public gateway IP isn't configured for the network card
If the firewall is not an issue, check whether the public gateway IP is configured for the public network card and try pinging the public gateway. For more help, contact support.
No ping from DNS servers
If you configured DNS servers for the public network card, check whether you can ping IBM Cloud® DNS servers (10.0.80.11 and 10.0.80.12).
If you have Linux servers, add the following entries in the /etc/resolv.conf file:
nameserver 10.0.80.11 and nameserver 10.0.80.12
Why does the portal show that my server is disconnected even though it's running?
If your portal shows that the server is disconnected, but the server is running, it might be your firewall or gateway (Vyatta, AT&T, Juniper, FortiGate).
If your ping traffic is blocked, then the status of your servers shows "disconnected" in the portal. Check that your firewall rules allow ping traffic from IBM Cloud® IP ranges.
Why does my ESXi server show Purple Screen of Diagnostics (PSOD)
If you receive a Purple Screen of Diagnostics (PSOD) on an ESXi server, it might be caused by one of the following reasons.