Dell PowerEdge LCD Updater (via ipmitool)

draclcdupdater.py

"""
Dell LCD Updater v0.1

Required Packages: python-ipmi

Also requires that ipmitool be installed on your system

Set the user-defined LCD text of most Dell PowerEdge servers generation 9 and above
Maximum string length is 14 characters
Requires that ipmi over lan be enabled in the DRAC of your server

Example usage:
    from draclcdupdater import HostLCDConfig
    myhost = HostLCDConfig("0.0.0.0", "myuser", "mypassword", "lcdtext")

LCD text is updated upon instantiation of HostLCDConfig
LCD text is automatically updated when myhost.lcdstring is updated

Example:
    myhost = HostLCDConfig("0.0.0.0", "myuser", "mypassword", "lcdtext")
    # actual LCD: lcdtext
    myhost.lcdstring = "Hello, World!"
    # actual LCD: Hello, World!


"""
import pyipmi
import pyipmi.interfaces
import itertools


class LCDString(object):
    def __init__(self, initval: str=None):
        self.value = str(initval)

    def __get__(self, obj, objtype):
        return self.value

    def __set__(self, obj, value):
        if len(value) > 14:
            raise AttributeError("LCD String length cannot be more than 14 characters")
        self.value = value
        if isinstance(obj, HostLCDConfig):
            obj._set_lcd_string()


class HostLCDConfig:
    lcdstring = LCDString()

    def __init__(self, host, user, password, lcdstring, port=623):
        self.host = host
        self.user = user
        self.password = password
        self.port = port
        self.lcdstring = lcdstring

    def _set_lcd_string(self):
        interface = pyipmi.interfaces.create_interface('ipmitool', interface_type='lanplus')
        connection = pyipmi.create_connection(interface)
        connection.target = pyipmi.Target(0x0)
        connection.session.set_session_type_rmcp(self.host, port=self.port)
        connection.session.set_auth_type_user(self.user, self.password)
        connection.session.establish()
        retcode = connection.raw_command(
            0,
            0x06,
            [chr(x) for x in itertools.chain([0x58, 193, 0, 1, len(self.lcdstring)], [ord(z) for z in self.lcdstring])]
        )
        retcode2 = connection.raw_command(  # Only works on 9th generation dell servers and older.
            0,
            0x06,
            [chr(x) for x in [0x58, 194, 0]]
        )
        # iDRAC6 and above require you use the front lcd buttons to choose "User String" as default display.
        return retcode == b'\x00'

test_example.py

import time
from draclcdupdater import HostLCDConfig
myhost = HostLCDConfig("127.0.0.1", "root", "root", "myhost") #  Replace with your real ip and login
# Front LCD: "myhost"
time.sleep(1)
myhost.lcdstring = "you can update"
time.sleep(0.4)
myhost.lcdstring = "the lcd text"
time.sleep(0.4)
myhost.lcdstring = "on the fly"
time.sleep(0.4)
myhost.lcdstring = "by setting"
time.sleep(0.4)
myhost.lcdstring = "the variable"
time.sleep(0.4)
myhost.lcdstring = "myhost"

# A wealth of data can be displayed on the LCD screen by changing the text fairly rapidly.
# Most elect for displaying load average, but you can combine it with memory and storage
# usage and simply rotate through each display in a loop with a delay interval.