Emergency Management Services Tools and Settings

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Emergency Management Services Tools and Settings

In this section

  • Emergency Management Services Tools

  • Emergency Management Services Registry Entries

  • Emergency Management Services Group Policy Settings

  • Emergency Management Services WMI Classes

  • Ports Used by Emergency Management Services

  • Related Information

Emergency Management Services is a new technology in Windows Server 2003 that administrators can use to remotely manage and recover servers that are not accessible through an in-band connection.

An in-band connection is a connection between two computers that relies on standard network connectivity, such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet, and on standard remote administration tools, such as Remote Desktop or Telnet. You can use this type of connection to remotely manage computers only if both the local and remote computers are in a functional state and accessible on the network.

Emergency Management Services uses a nonstandard or out-of-band connection, such as a serial port connection, to connect two computers. This arrangement is useful when you are managing a particular computer that cannot access the network or is not fully operational and, as a result, must rely on the other computer for critical management functionality. In order to provide this functionality, Emergency Management Services makes available three tools: console redirection, Special Administration Console (SAC), and !Special Administration Console (!SAC).

Emergency Management Services also supports remotely administered serversthat do not have a locally attached keyboard, video, or mouse (also referred to as headless servers). Emergency Management Services also supports server configurations that have no keyboard controller or video controller, if the system firmware supports this. Using servers that do not have a locally attached keyboard, video or mouse in, for example, a datacenter or similar facility has several benefits. It can result in a significant savings in space, energy consumption, and hardware costs.

Emergency Management Services is only enabled by default if the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) Serial Port Console Redirection (SPCR) table in the system BIOS is set to indicate the out-of-band connecting settings. Otherwise, Emergency Management Services is not enabled by default, but can be enabled at any of the following times:

  • During a new Windows Server 2003 installation (including RIS-based and image-based setups)

  • During a Windows Server 2003 upgrade (for x86-based systems only)

  • After you complete a Windows Server 2003 installation

Emergency Management Services functionality is built into Windows Server 2003. It is not necessary to copy additional files from the Windows Server 2003 installation CD.

Note

  • The SPCR table, found on some computers that are equipped with ACPI-compliant firmware, provides information about how the system firmware and the service processor, if available, use the out-of-band management port. Emergency Management Services uses the information in the SPCR table to ensure a smooth transition between the output of the system firmware and the output of Emergency Management Services.

The purpose of Emergency Management Services is to help you return a server to a state where you can manage it using an in-band connection — the preferred way to manage a server. Unexpected events, however, can interrupt in-band connectivity. For example, a network adapter problem or system instability can cause a server to become unresponsive to management attempts from client computers that use an in-band connection. Because Emergency Management Services does not rely on operating system network drivers, client computers can communicate with servers through the out-of-band port in such situations and can attempt to bring the servers back into service remotely.

Emergency Management Services Tools

The following tools are associated with Emergency Management Services:

  • Console redirection

  • Special Administration Console (SAC)

  • !Special Administration Console (!SAC)

Emergency Management Services console redirection is able to utilize a number of standard Windows features, such as Recovery Console, by redirecting text output from these features through the out-of-band port to a remote computer running terminal emulation software. This can be of vital importance when the remotely managed computer is not accessible, either locally or over the network, and the only means of communicating with the computer is through the out-of-band connection. Emergency Management Services console redirection is only available when the operating system is functioning normally.

SAC and !SAC are tools that are specific to Emergency Management Services. These tools are entirely separate from other Windows tools or features and provide their own functionality. Like Emergency Management Services console redirection, SAC is only available when the operating system is functioning normally. Unlike Emergency Management Services console redirection and SAC, !SAC only becomes available when the system is not functioning normally and SAC itself has failed to load or ceased to operate.

Console Redirection

Category

Windows Server 2003 operating system tool

Version compatibility

Supported on all Windows Server 2003 operating systems

Emergency Management Services console redirection enables you to use a number of standard Windows features, such as Recovery Console, even when the computer that you are managing is not otherwise accessible.

If Emergency Management Services is enabled when Windows Server 2003 starts, the operating system assumes responsibility for console redirection from the firmware. Up to this point, the firmware has provided a certain level of functionality independent of the operating system, and, in a manner similar to Emergency Management Services, has redirected text output through the out-of-band port. (Firmware is defined as software routines and low-level input/output instructions stored in read-only memory [ROM]. Unlike random access memory [RAM], read-only memory stays intact even in the absence of electrical power.)

The following table lists the Windows Server 2003 components and features that support Emergency Management Services console redirection after the operating system starts.

Components That Work With Emergency Management Services Console Redirection

Windows Server 2003 Component or Feature Description

Windows loader forx86-based computers (Ntldr)

The Windows Server 2003 operating system loader. When Ntldr is running, you can remotely view and select the Recovery Console or, on x86-based multiple-boot computers, which operating system to start.

Windows kernel (Ntoskrnl.exe)

The core (also called the kernel) of the Windows Server 2003 operating system. Code that runs as part of the kernel does so in privileged processor mode and therefore has direct access to system data and hardware.

The Windows kernel supports console redirection, which enables you to remotely view system information during normal operation, or remotely view Stop message text when a system problem occurs.

Recovery Console

A command-line environment that you can use to perform advanced troubleshooting and maintenance tasks, such as disabling a driver that you suspect is causing a startup problem.

Command Prompt (Cmd.exe)

A character-mode, command shell user interface that provides an environment for running commands and applications.

Text-mode Setup (including the CD-ROM Setup loader)

The initial portion of the Windows Server 2003 installation process when Setup displays character-mode prompts and status information text. During text-mode Setup, files are copied from the distribution folder to the local hard disk.

Startrom.com at 9600 baud for x86-based computers

Starts the x86-based Remote Installation Services (RIS) process. This file is downloaded and run by the RIS client to initiate the operating system installation procedure. Only special versions of Startrom.com that use 9600 baud support Emergency Management Services console redirection.

RIS includes software services that an administrator can use to set up new client computers remotely, without having to visit each client. The destination clients must support remote booting.

Emergency Management Services does not provide console redirection for the components listed in the following table.

Components That Do Not Work With Support Emergency Management Services Console Redirection

Windows Server 2003 Component Description

The Press Any Key to Boot from CD prompt

This prompt appears when you start your system using the Windows Server 2003 operating system CD.

GUI-mode Setup

Emergency Management Services processes only character-mode input and output. Emergency Management Services cannot display GUI-mode graphics, such as windows and dialog boxes, or redirect mouse input. Using the Special Administration Console (SAC), you can, however, view Setup “channels” that allow you, in turn, to view Setup log files as they are created so that you can monitor the progress of Setup.

Startrom.com at baud rates greater than 9600

Startrom.com supports Emergency Management Services console redirection only at 9600 baud.

Operating system boot menu for Itanium-based computers

For Itanium-based computers, the EFI boot manager (IA64ldr), not the Windows loader, displays the list of operating systems installed on the system. To remotely view and select boot manager menu items on Itanium-based systems, you must enable firmware console redirection.
Remote Management Tasks Supported by Console Redirection during Normal Operation

With Emergency Management Services console redirection, you can perform the following remote management tasks when the operating system is functioning normally.

  • Verify that Windows has started

    When the Windows loader starts, it displays the following message using the out-of-band port:

    Windows is now starting

    The preceding message indicates that the Windows Server 2003 startup process has begun.

    When the Windows kernel initializes, it displays the following prompt by using the out-of-band port, indicating that Emergency Management Services is enabled:

    SAC>

  • Choose an item on the operating system boot menu (for x86-based computers)

    For multiple-boot systems that have Windows Server 2003 installed along with Recovery Console or another Microsoft operating system, Ntldr automatically displays an operating boot menu, both to the local display and to the out-of-band port. By using this operating system boot menu, you can start the Windows Server 2003 operating system or Recovery Console. You also have the option of viewing the Windows Advanced Options Menu by pressing the F8 key. The following is a typical operating system boot menu.

    Please select the operating system to start:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Recovery Console

Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your choice.
Press Enter to choose.
Seconds until highlighted choice will be started automatically:  29

For troubleshooting and advanced startup options for Windows, press F8.

  • Monitor the progress of Windows Server 2003 text-mode Setup

    The text-mode Setup phase displays character-based information, which supports Emergency Management Services console redirection. You can remotely view and respond to text-mode Setup prompts.

  • Monitor the progress of Windows Server 2003 GUI-mode Setup

    Emergency Management Services processes only character-mode input and output. Emergency Management Services cannot display GUI-mode graphics, such as windows and dialog boxes, or redirect mouse input. Using Special Administration Console (SAC), you can, however, view Setup “channels” that allow you, in turn, to view Setup log files as they are created so that you can monitor the progress of Setup.

  • View and respond to Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) prompts

    If the server firmware supports the PXE standard but does not support firmware console redirection, an alternate version of the Startrom.com file provides Emergency Management Services console redirection.

Remote Management Tasks Supported by Console Redirection for Troubleshooting

With Emergency Management Services console redirection, you can perform the following remote management tasks to troubleshoot problems.

  • Use Last Known Good Configuration to troubleshoot problems

    Last Known Good Configuration is a startup option that you can use to troubleshoot when a driver or application installation problem prevents a computer from starting in normal mode. By using Last Known Good Configuration, you can recover from a problem by reversing the driver and registry changes that were made since you last started Windows Server 2003. You can access Last Known Good Configuration from the Windows Advanced Options Menu. The Windows Advanced Options Menu can be displayed by pressing F8 during system startup or at the operating system boot menu, if available.

  • Use Recovery Console to troubleshoot problems

    Recovery Console is a command-line environment that you can use to remotely perform advanced troubleshooting operations, such as manually replacing system files. You can use Recovery Console by installing it on your computer and then selecting it from the operating system boot menu. You can also start it from the Windows Server 2003 installation CD.

Sacdrv.sys: Special Administration Console

Category

Windows Server 2003 operating system tool

Version compatibility

Supported on all Windows Server 2003 operating systems

Special Administration Console (SAC) is the primary Emergency Management Services command-line environment. You can access this console through an out-of-band remote management port, such as a COM port or the redirection port specified by the hardware platform, by using terminal software that supports VT-UTF8, or VT100. SAC is a kernel-mode component.

Note

  • Command-line functionality for Emergency Management Services requires mutual dependence across three components: Sacdrv.sys, Sacsvr.dll, and Sacsess.exe. The SAC driver provides the core channel functionality (as well as basic SAC> prompt features), while the SAC service and the SAC session register with the SAC driver to complete the functional loop. The service is responsible for responding to SAC driver requests to start sessions, and the session is responsible for creating a new SAC channel and routing STDIO between the channel and its child Cmd.exe process. At the same time, it is important to note that Sacdrv.sys was designed to allow Special Administration Console to continue to operate successfully, even if the system is in a state where Sacsvr.dll and Sacsess.exe cannot operate.

SAC is available early in the startup process, and you can use it to manage the server during normal system operation, Safe Mode, and the GUI phase of Windows Server 2003 Setup. When Emergency Management Services is enabled, SAC is always active as long as the kernel is running. SAC is a separate environment from the Windows Server 2003 command prompt (Cmd.exe). You can remotely monitor the status of a server or troubleshoot problems by using terminal software on a remote computer to access SAC.

Remote Management Tasks Supported by SAC during Normal Operation

You can use SAC to perform the following remote tasks when the operating system is functioning normally:

  • Gather server information, such as computer name and IP address.

  • Obtain a list of the services and applications that are running on the computer.

  • Restart or shut down a server as part of planned maintenance.

  • Change the system time and date.

Remote Management Tasks Supported by SAC for Troubleshooting

You can use SAC to perform the following troubleshooting tasks:

  • Raise or lower the priority of a process, or end a process that is consuming excessive processor time or other system resources. By establishing an out-of-band connection to SAC, you can continue to manage a server even when low system resources have caused it to become unresponsive to management tools that rely on an in-band connection.

  • Restart or shut down a server that has stopped responding to in-band commands and tools.

  • View or change TCP/IP networking information for a server to resolve issues, such as problems caused by a duplicate IP address.

  • Maintain communication with a server during network outages. For example, you might want to verify that a connectivity issue is caused by a problem that affects the primary network rather than a problem with the server hardware or a driver.

  • Generate a list of drivers for diagnostic purposes.

  • View Setup logs to determine the cause of a problem that prevents Windows Server 2003 installation from completing.

Note

  • Use of SAC is not safeguarded by password and logon requirements. You must secure physical access to computers running Emergency Management Services by placing appropriate restrictions on all connecting terminals.
Using SAC

SAC is an operating system component that runs in kernel mode and displays the following prompt when you establish an out-of-band connection to a computer that is running Emergency Management Services:

SAC>

In addition to providing a variety of commands that support remote management, SAC provides access to the Windows command prompt and to Setup logs. When you use SAC, you can create multiple user sessions or channels and switch among them so that you can use SAC commands while concurrently running command-line commands or viewing Setup logs.

SAC Commands

The following table lists the commands that are available in the SAC environment. The commands are not case-sensitive. For some commands, you will have to specify a process identifier (PID)number. You can obtain PID numbers by using the t command, which causes SAC to list active processes and the PIDs that are assigned to them.

Table 10.11   SAC Commands

SAC Command Description

? or help

Lists the available SAC commands.

ch

Lists all available channels. See Table 10.12 for a complete list of channel management commands.

cmd

Creates a Windows command prompt channel once logon credentials are validated.

Crashdump

Manually generates a Stop message and forces a memory dump file to be created.

D

Dumps the current kernel log.

f

Switches the information output of the tlist command between showing processes only or showing both processes and threads.

I

Configures IP parameters by providing network number, IP address, and subnet information using the following format.

<network#><iPaddress><subnet>

If no parameters are passed, this command lists IP information.

noteNote
Please note that the IP address will be restored to the original value when the server is rebooted and any changes made by using this command will be lost.

id

Displays computer identification information.

k <PID>

Ends the process specified by its process ID (PID).

l < PID>

Lowers the priority of a process (and any associated child processes) to the lowest possible level.

lock

Locks access to command prompt channels.

m < PID> <MB-allow>

Limits the memory usage of a process (and any child processes) to the specified number of megabytes.

p

Causes tlist command output to pause after displaying one screen of information.

r < PID>

Raises the priority of a process and any associated child processes by one level.

restart

Restarts the computer immediately.

s

Displays the current date (using 24-hour clock format) if you provide no parameters.

Sets the system time if you provide the date and, optionally, the time in the following format:

mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm

shutdown

Shuts down the computer.

t

Lists the processes and threads that are currently running. The output is referred to as a task list or tlist.

Note

  • The SAC prompt (SAC>) might not immediately appear after a connection is established to a remote server running Emergency Management Services. If the SAC prompt does not appear, Press ENTER several times until the prompt does appear.
SAC Channels

SAC supports three types of channels: SAC, Windows command prompt, and Setup logs.

SAC Channel

The SAC channel, which is always active, is assigned a channel name of SAC and a channel number of 0 (zero).

Windows Command Prompt Channels

The Special Administration Console Helper service (Sacsvr) is a user-mode service that you can use to create command prompt channels when you type the cmd command from the SAC prompt. To use a Windows command prompt channel, you must log on to the server with administrative credentials. You must log on separately to each command prompt session. SAC assigns a name of “Cmd000x” to all command prompt channels, where x represents the next available channel number.

When using a Windows command prompt channel, you can run text-based tools as though you were logged on locally. These tools include command-shell commands, such as dir, and text-based console programs, such as the boot configuration tool (Bootcfg.exe).

As with other services, the Special Administration Console Helper service requires initialization time when Windows Server 2003 starts. Therefore, command prompt channels might not be immediately available, and you might have to wait until the operating system startup process is nearly complete.

Note

  • The Windows command prompt might not be available or might become unavailable if system resources become low. In these situations, you can typically continue to manage the server by using SAC.
Setup Log Channels

You can access the Setup log channels only during the GUI-mode phase of Windows Server 2003 Setup. By viewing the following Setup log files, which contain the same information, you can monitor the installation process or diagnose problems that might cause Setup to stop or pause. These files are created automatically.

  • Setuplog.txt. Provides information about files copied to your system by Windows Setup.

  • Setupact.log. Provides information about actions performed by Windows Setup.

  • Setuperr.log. Provides Setup-related warning and error information.

The following text shows output that is generated by the SAC ch command during the GUI-mode phase of Windows Server 2003 Setup.

SAC>ch
Channel List

(Use "ch -?" for information on using channels)

# Status  Channel Name
0 (AV)    SAC
1 (AR)    setuplog.txt
2 (AR)    setupact.log
3 (AR)    setuperr.log
SAC Channel Commands

You can create and switch among up to ten concurrent channels. The following table provides a list of channel commands.

SAC Channel Commands

Channel Command Description

ch

Lists all channels.

ch -si <#>

Switches to a channel by number. Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

ch -sn <name>

Switches to a channel by name. Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

ch -ci <#>

Closes a channel by number. Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

ch -cn <name>

Closes a channel by name. Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

ESC followed by TAB

Cycles through the available channels. Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

ESC then TAB followed by 0

Returns to channel 0 (the SAC channel). Press ENTER to confirm your channel selection.

SAC returns channel status information in the following format:

<Channel #> <Two-character status> <Channel name>

The following illustrates output generated by the SAC ch command:

SAC>ch
Channel List

(Use "ch -?" for information on using channels)

# Status  Channel Name
0 (AV)    SAC
1 (AV)    Cmd0001
2 (AV)    Cmd0002

To switch from SAC (Channel 0) to the next available channel (Channel 1), press ESC followed by TAB, and then press ENTER. To return to SAC, press ESC followed by TAB, type 0, and then press ENTER.

The following table describes the information provided by the two-character channel status code.

SAC Channel Status Information

Status Code (AB) Description

A (First Character)

Indicates channel status.

A = Active Channel, I = Inactive Channel

B (Second Character)

Channel terminal emulation type.

V = VT-UTF8, R = Raw (no emulation)

Note

  • Although you can create and use multiple channels to manage a computer running Windows Server 2003, you can only access a single channel at a time. Therefore, access to SAC by multiple users is not possible.

!Special Administration Console (resides in Ntoskrnl.exe)

Category

Windows Server 2003 operating system tool

Version compatibility

Supported on all Windows Server 2003 operating systems

The !Special Administration Console (!SAC) is an auxiliary Emergency Management Services command-line environment that is hosted on Windows Server 2003. It also accepts input and sends output through the out-of-band port. !SAC is a separate entity from both SAC and Windows Server 2003 family command-line environments. After a specific failure point is reached, Emergency Management Services components determine when the shift should be made from SAC to !SAC. !SAC becomes available automatically if SAC fails to load or is not functioning.

!SAC provides a subset of SAC commands that you can use to restore system functionality during a failure. Its two primary functions are:

  • To redirect Stop error message text.

  • To restart the computer if SAC becomes unavailable.

Using !SAC

!SAC provides a command-line environment that you can use if a computer running Windows Server 2003 stops responding or SAC has failed to load or ceased to operate.

When !SAC becomes available, the following prompt appears:

!SAC>

The !SAC prompt might be preceded by a Stop message that contains information about the problem that caused the error condition to occur.

!SAC Commands

The following table lists available !SAC commands.

!SAC Commands

!SAC Command Description

? or help

Lists available commands.

D

Displays all log entries (screen pauses at each page of information).

Id

Displays computer identification information.

Restart

Restarts the computer.

Like SAC, it is not possible for multiple users to access !SAC simultaneously.

Note

  • The !SAC prompt might not immediately appear after you establish a connection to a remote server running Emergency Management Services. If the !SAC> prompt does not appear, press ENTER several times until it does appear.

Preventing Automatic Restarts after a Stop Message

An Automatically reboot setting in Control Panel controls whether your system restarts after a Stop message occurs. This option is enabled by default. It causes your computer to restart after a Stop message instead of enabling !SAC. To use !SAC after a Stop message occurs, you must disable the Automatically reboot setting. This setting might be important for troubleshooting, depending on the nature of the problem (for example, the computer is repeatedly failing after restart), because it gives you time to remotely view and record Stop message text for later reference while searching through technical resources, such as Microsoft Knowledge Base articles. In most cases, however, the Automatically reboot setting is preferred for computers in remote locations.

Emergency Management Services Registry Entries

The registry entries in this section are associated with Emergency Management Services.

The information here provided is a reference for use in troubleshooting or verifying that the required settings are applied. It is recommended that you do not directly edit the registry unless there is no other alternative. Modifications to the registry are not validated by the registry editor or by Windows before they are applied, and as a result, incorrect values can be stored. This can result in unrecoverable errors in the system. When possible, use Group Policy or other Windows tools, such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC), to accomplish tasks rather than editing the registry directly. If you must edit the registry, use extreme caution.

For more information about the Emergency Management Services registry entries, see the Registry Reference for Windows Server 2003.

The following registry entries govern core Emergency Management Services Special Administration Console functionality, which includes the SAC command set as well as virtual channel support.

ComputerName

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Gets computer name for computer information.

DisableCmdSessions

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacDrv\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Prevents the cmd command from starting a SAC session.

PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Gets processor architecture for computer information.

Start

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Write

Function: Forces the SAC service attribute to automatic if the mode is manual.

SystemSetupInProgress

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Setup\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Determines if Setup is in progress. If Setup is in progress, then session locking is disabled – there is no password for the administrator during GUI mode Setup

The following registry entries govern Cmd.exe functionality by means of a SAC channel. That is, the session implements a SAC channel and routes Cmd.exe I/O to the channel so that it can be accessed by means of remote users.

BypassAuthentication

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Services\SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Deliberately disables session authentication.

Who accesses the setting: Administrators

LoadProfilesDisabled

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\Parameters\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Deliberately disables the loading of user profiles upon successful session authentication.

Who accesses the setting: Administrators

Netsvcs

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Svchost

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read/Write

Function: States whether the SAC service is a member of the Netsvcs group. If it is not, it should be added.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

ServiceDll

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\Parameters\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Write/Create

Function: Specifies the location of the SAC service dll binary file.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

TimeOutDisabled

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\Parameters\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Deliberately disables the time-out (auto-session lock) feature.

Who accesses the setting: Administrators

TimeOutInterval

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\Parameters\

Version

Windows Server 2003

Access required: Read

Function: Sets the time-out (auto-session lock) duration

Who accesses the setting: Administrators

The following registry entries enable the Service Control Manager to successfully start the SAC service. The purpose of the SAC service (Special Administration Console Helper service) is to provide a mechanism for the SAC driver (sacdrv.sys) to start user-mode instances of SAC sessions (Sacsess.exe). Note that the Start value is set to offstate (4) when the service exits.

SacSvr

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: Populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

Description

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

DisplayName

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

ErrorControl

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

ImagePath

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting? Service Control Manager

ObjectName

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

Start

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

Type

Registry path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ SacSvr\

Version

Windows Server 2003.

Access required: Read

Function: This value of the SacSvr key populates the SAC service parameters so that the Service Control Manager is properly informed and can start the service correctly.

What accesses the setting: Service Control Manager

Emergency Management Services Group Policy Settings

There are no Group Policy settings associated with Emergency Management Services.

Emergency Management Services WMI Classes

There are no WMI classes associated with Emergency Management Services.

Ports Used by Emergency Management Services

Network Ports

As a technology that uses an out-of-band connection, Emergency Management Services does not directly utilize any network ports.

Serial Ports

Emergency Management Services redirects text output from certain tools and functions through an out-of-band connection, typically a serial port connection. However, this can also be a connection that is defined in the Serial Port Console Redirection (SPCR) table, if this table is supported by the system firmware. If Emergency Management Services is configured to use an SPCR table (including all Itanium-based systems), the following settings are available.

  • Any COM port

  • Any I/O port in memory mapped I/O space

  • Other SPCR table information

  • The serial port EFI console device path (Itanium-based systems only)

Notes

  • The SPCR table is only available on computers with ACPI-compliant firmware. However, not all ACPI-compliant computers provide an SPCR table.

  • The SPCR table is typically enabled if firmware console redirection is enabled or a service processor that supports Emergency Management Services is present. See your system documentation to determine whether your computer supports the SPCR table and whether you need to follow special requirements to enable it.

To find more information about the SPCR table, see MSDN and type the appropriate key words in the “Search for” text box.

Serial ports are also known as COM ports. The following table lists the COM ports used by Emergency Management Services and their settings. In older systems without firmware that supports the SPCR table, the user must configure these ports manually. However, it is important to emphasize that in order to achieve a higher degree of integration between Emergency Management Services and the system in general, it is preferable to define these connections in the SPCR table, if available.

Typical Serial Port Resource Settings

Friendly Name Typical Hexadecimal I/O Address Interrupt Request (IRQ) Value

COM1

Emergency Management Services supports the industry standard 3F8 (this is typically the firmware default or AUTO value for COM1). Values of 2F8, 3F8, On, and Off might also be available.

N/A

COM2

Emergency Management Services supports the industry standard 2F8 (this is typically the firmware default or AUTO value for COM2). Values of 2F8, 3F8, On, and Off might also be available.

N/A

Notes

  • It is important to realize that Emergency Management Services does not use both COM1 and COM2 at the same time. It uses one port or the other. In addition, it can use a nonlegacy serial port address if a developer builds a feature or component that is written to the Emergency Management Services application programming interfaces (APIs) and specifies such an address.

  • The Windows Server 2003 operating system must have exclusive access to the out-of-band port. Instead of requesting input and output operations from the Windows I/O Manager, Emergency Management Services writes information directly to Universal Asynchronous/Receive Transmit (UART) hardware. fallback

The following resource contains additional information that is relevant to this section.

  • For more information about Emergency Management Services, Group Policy and Telnet, click “Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools Help” in Tools and Settings Collection.