IPMI SEL Parsing

[Bruce Mitchell]

On 3/25/2021 15:16, Matt Spinler wrote:
> 
> 
> On 3/25/2021 7:49 AM, rgrs wrote:
>> Hi All, "ipmitool sel list" always shows the records as "Undetermined 
>> system hardware failure". Logging/entry doesn't have the proper 
>> association. How do I add association for log entries and respective 
>> FRUs? Which package creates Logging/entry Hi All,
>>
>> "ipmitool sel list" always shows the records as "Undetermined system 
>> hardware failure".
>> Logging/entry doesn't have the proper association. How do I add 
>> association for log entries and respective FRUs?
>>
>> Which package creates Logging/entry object on sensor events? I don't 
>> see any call to SelAdd in phosphor-hwmon.
> 
> What are the SELs for - threshold alarms, or some other sort of failures?
> 
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Raj
> 

My assumption is that not everyone in the OpenBMC community has
extensive use with IPMI, thus this just to share information.
Sorry to those who already know this information and have been
using it for years.

This is share background as to the history or background of the
IPMI SEL; probably more information than you need.  But I would
rather share 10% too much than be short by 0.1%.

 From Intelligent Platform Management Interface Specification Second 
Generation v2.0
Document Revision 1.1 October 1, 2013

31. System Event Log (SEL) Commands:

The System Event Log is a non-volatile repository for system events and 
certain system configuration information. The device that fields the 
commands to access the SEL is referred to as the System Event Log Device 
or SEL Device.

Event Message information is normally written into the SEL after being 
received by the Event Receiver functionality in the Event Receiver Device.

The SEL Device commands are structured in such a way that the SEL Device 
could actually be separated from the Event Receiver Device. In which 
case it would be the responsibility of the Event Receiver Device to send 
the appropriate ‘Add SEL Entry’ message directly to the SEL Device, or 
to pass the equivalent request through an intermediary.

SEL Entries have a unique ‘Record ID’ field. This field is used for 
retrieving log entries from the SEL. SEL reading can be done in a 
‘random access’ manner. That is, SEL Entries can be read in any order 
assuming that the Record ID is known.

SEL Record IDs 0000h and FFFFh are reserved for functional use and are 
not legal ID values. Record IDs are handles. They are not required to be 
sequential or consecutive. Applications should not assume that SEL 
Record IDs will follow any particular numeric ordering.

SEL Records are kept as an ordered list. That is, appending and deleting 
individual entries does not change the access order of entries that 
precede or follow the point of addition or deletion.

-- 
Bruce