RHEL-6 (3) KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P3 (DMIDECODE)

RHEL-6 (3)

              KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P3

Under "KNOW YOUR SYSTEM"

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P1

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P2

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P3 (dmidecode)

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P4 (Network)

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P5 (CD/DVD-ROM)

RHEL-6 KNOW YOUR SYSTEM-P6 (USB)

How to know about all hardware info of my system in one go?

How to find Server Manufacturer, Model Number, Serial Number?

How to find Processor Information?

How to find Memory information?

How to find Internal Expansion slots information?

How to find the BIOS version?

What is the maximum RAM size supported by the system?

How much RAm system is using?

How to find the available memory slots for expansion?

How to find the serial number without using dmidecode?

Biosdecode

DMIDECODE:

dmidecode is a tool for dumping a computer's DMI (some say SMBIOS ) table contents in a human-readable format. This table contains a description of the system's hardware components, as well as other useful pieces of information.

Dmidecode does not scan system hardware; it only reports what is told by BIOS to it.

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) generates a standard framework for managing and tracking components in a desktop, notebook or server components, by abstracting these components from the software that manages them. Modern mother boards are compatible with this standard. For a lay user it means that the BIOS settings can be watched from your OS. DMI standards are published by Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) into desktop-management standards. They also provide a related standard named SMBIOS (System Management BIOS).

Remember 2 things “--strings" (-s) and “--type" (-t) with dmidecode.

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode --help

Usage: dmidecode [OPTIONS]

Options are:

 -d, --dev-mem FILE     Read memory from device FILE (default: /dev/mem)

 -h, --help             Display this help text and exit

 -q, --quiet            Less verbose output

 -s, --string KEYWORD   Only display the value of the given DMI string

 -t, --type TYPE        Only display the entries of given type

 -u, --dump             Do not decode the entries

     --dump-bin FILE    Dump the DMI data to a binary file

     --from-dump FILE   Read the DMI data from a binary file

 -V, --version          Display the version and exit

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode --t

dmidecode: option '--type' requires an argument

Type number or keyword expected

Valid type keywords are:

  bios

  system

  baseboard

  chassis

  processor

  memory

  cache

  connector

  slot

These are available keywords for type.

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode --string

dmidecode: option '--string' requires an argument

String keyword expected

Valid string keywords are:

  bios-vendor

  bios-version

  bios-release-date

  system-manufacturer

  system-product-name

  system-version

  system-serial-number

  system-uuid

  baseboard-manufacturer

  baseboard-product-name

  baseboard-version

  baseboard-serial-number

  baseboard-asset-tag

  chassis-manufacturer

  chassis-type

  chassis-version

  chassis-serial-number

  chassis-asset-tag

  processor-family

  processor-manufacturer

  processor-version

  processor-frequency

These are available keywords for Strings.

FOR TYPES, we can…

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t bios

# dmidecode 2.11

SMBIOS 2.4 present.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes

BIOS Information

        Vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD

        Version: 6.00

        Release Date: 06/02/2011

        Address: 0xEA170

        Runtime Size: 89744 bytes

        ROM Size: 64 kB

        Characteristics:

                ISA is supported

================O/P REMOVED=============================

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t system

# dmidecode 2.11

SMBIOS 2.4 present.

Handle 0x0001, DMI type 1, 27 bytes

System Information

        Manufacturer: VMware, Inc.

        Product Name: VMware Virtual Platform

        Version: None

        Serial Number: VMware-56 4e 38 07 df 5e f7 ea-a3 e5 e9 9f 50 90 4f 22

        UUID: 564D380D-DF5E-F1EA-A3E5-E99F09804E36

        Wake-up Type: Power Switch

        SKU Number: Not Specified

================O/P REMOVED=============================

Similarly we can find the HW info regarding….

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t baseboard

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t chassis

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t processor

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t memory

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t cache

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t connector

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t slot

We can also use it by type no.

Type   Information

       ----------------------------------------

          0   BIOS

          1   System

          2   Base Board

          3   Chassis

          4   Processor

          5   Memory Controller

          6   Memory Module

          7   Cache

          8   Port Connector

          9   System Slots

         10   On Board Devices

         11   OEM Strings

         12   System Configuration Options

         13   BIOS Language

         14   Group Associations

         15   System Event Log

         16   Physical Memory Array

         17   Memory Device

         18   32-bit Memory Error

         19   Memory Array Mapped Address

         20   Memory Device Mapped Address

         21   Built-in Pointing Device

         22   Portable Battery

         23   System Reset

         24   Hardware Security

         25   System Power Controls

         26   Voltage Probe

         27   Cooling Device

         28   Temperature Probe

         29   Electrical Current Probe

         30   Out-of-band Remote Access

         31   Boot Integrity Services

         32   System Boot

         33   64-bit Memory Error

         34   Management Device

         35   Management Device Component

         36   Management Device Threshold Data

         37   Memory Channel

         38   IPMI Device

         39   Power Supply

Each keyword is equivalent to a list of type numbers:

       Keyword     Types

       ------------------------------

       bios        0, 13

       system      1, 12, 15, 23, 32

       baseboard   2, 10

       chassis     3

       processor   4

       memory      5, 6, 16, 17

       cache       7

       connector   8

       slot        9

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t 0

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t 5

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t 9

We can use “Strings” (-s) for more precise info.

List of strings can be found by,

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode --string

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t system |grep -i serial

Serial Number: VMware-56 4e 38 07 df 5e f7 ea-a3 e5 e9 9f 50 90 4f 22

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -s system-serial-number

VMware-56 4e 38 07 df 5e f7 ea-a3 e5 e9 9f 50 90 4f 22

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -s processor-manufacturer |uniq

GenuineIntel

000000000000

[root@rhel6-server ~]# dmidecode -t processor |grep -i manufacturer |uniq

        Manufacturer: GenuineIntel

        Manufacturer: 000000000000

WHAT IF SOMEHOW I AM UNABLE TO USE “DMIDECODE”………??

Check this………JJJ

[root@rhel6-server ~]# ls -l /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/product_serial

VMware-56 4d 38 0d df 5e f1 ea-a3 e5 e9 9f 09 80 4e 36

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/sys_vendor

VMware, Inc.

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/bios_vendor

Phoenix Technologies LTD

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/board_vendor

Intel Corporation

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/chassis_vendor

No Enclosure

[root@rhel6-server ~]# cat /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id/sys_vendor

VMware, Inc.

BIOSDECODE:

It is a command line utility to parses the BIOS memory and prints information about all structures (or entry points) it knows of. It finds out information about hardware such as:

IPMI Device

Type of memory and speed

Chassis Information

Temperature Probe

Cooling Device

Electrical Current Probe

Processor and Memory Information

Serial numbers

BIOS version

PCI / PCIe Slots and Speed

etc.

Things to consider:

·         biosdecode parses the BIOS memory and prints the information about all structures.

·         Decoding BIOS data is the same as dumping a computer's DMI. The DMI table mainly describes what the system is currently made of.

·         Data provided by biosdecode is not in a human-readable format.

[root@rhel6-server ~]# biosdecode --help

Usage: biosdecode [OPTIONS]

Options are:

 -d, --dev-mem FILE     Read memory from device FILE (default: /dev/mem)

 -h, --help             Display this help text and exit

 -V, --version          Display the version and exit

[root@rhel6-server ~]# biosdecode

# biosdecode 2.11

SMBIOS 2.4 present.

        Structure Table Length: 15494 bytes

        Structure Table Address: 0x000E0010

        Number Of Structures: 364

        Maximum Structure Size: 98 bytes

BIOS32 Service Directory present.

        Revision: 0

        Calling Interface Address: 0x000FD780

ACPI 2.0 present.

        OEM Identifier: PTLTD

        RSD Table 32-bit Address: 0x3FEEECB8

        XSD Table 64-bit Address: 0x000000003FEEEC5C

PNP BIOS 1.0 present.

        Event Notification: Not Supported

        Real Mode 16-bit Code Address: F000:9614

        Real Mode 16-bit Data Address: 0040:0000

        16-bit Protected Mode Code Address: 0x000F9632

        16-bit Protected Mode Data Address: 0x00000400

================O/P REMOVED=============================

Data provided by biosdecode is not in a human-readable format. You need to use dmidecode command for dumping  DMI (SMBIOS) table contents on screen.