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Terry Cutler
0

Earlier this year, Lenovo made a small change on their T400 and related platforms.   The Ctrl-P option disappeared when attempting to access the MEBx (Management Engine BIOS Extension screens for Intel Active Management Technology).   If you browse through the Lenovo BIOS update posting, there is a brief mention of this change.

 

The main reason was to improve boot times.   The difference is a few seconds.   All of the Intel AMT functionality is still present.

 

To access the MEBx screen, press F12 during the POST process to access the Boot Menu.

 

access-MEBx-T400.gif

The option "Enter ME Configuration Screens" will access the MEBx.

 

The option "Initiate a Remote Connection" is for the Client Initiated Remote Access (CIRA), more commonly referred to as "Fast Call for Help" - the ability for Intel AMT to make a call home for assistance.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: lenovo, mebx, vpro
Terry Cutler
0

Here are a few quick updates on OEM systems that may help with Intel vPro deployments:

 

  • Intel Centrino Pro systems do support USB one-touch, although experiences may differ. For best results, ensure the system BIOS has Intel AMT and USB enabled for this capability. Below is a screenshot of an HP6910p - with the targeted feature highlighted
    !HP6910p USB enable.gif!


Systems are showing all zero or same UUID across multiples systems in the provisioning console or when accessing the WebUI. This error has appeared on many platforms and is due to an incorrect setting in the MEBx firmware. The system and MEBx UUID should match for each. The UUID is required to uniquely identify the system (hence the name - universally unique identifier). On some platforms, the UUID reported by the MEBx appears valid yet is the same on multiple systems. The following methods can be applied to remedy this situation.


  • Apply the latest BIOS\firmware updates for the target platform. For HP Centrino Pro units - refer to SP36968. For Dell 755 - refer to BIOS A04 or higher. Other OEM vendors may have similar BIOS\firmware updates to address (if not - see next item)
  • Fully unprovision the MEBx. This will reload the system UUID into the MEBx tables.
  • If deploying the SMS add-on, include hotfix 3

Intel vPro systems that are in a setup state (e.g. the pre-shared provisioning keys have been entered into the system), will retain the state if the firmware is updated. This becomes pertinent for Intel AMT 2.1 to 2.2 updates (similarly for systems that support Intel AMT 2.5 to 2.6 upgrades).

If a system is in a setup state for enterprise provisioning, and the hello packet sequence has stopped, the following options are available.


  • An ISV provided agent to restart the hello packet sequence. One example is the Altiris OOB Task Agent.
  • For environments using the Intel Setup and Configuration service (check windows services for "AMTconfig.exe"), the Remote Configuration Tool (RCT.exe) can restart packets on Intel AMT 2.2 and 3.0 systems. The utility is available within the latest Intel SCS download
  • Remove and reapply power to the system. For Intel Centrino Pro systems, powering the system off and unplugging the power cord will suffice. Realize this option is not favorable when multiple systems have been deployed - yet this is viable for lab, staging, and testing environments.

 

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Hope these tidbits help.

 

Well - it's back into the trenches. Until next time

0 Comments Permalink Tags: amt, mebx, centrino_pro, vpro

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