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If a host shutdown is required, SCP Import issues a graceful shutdown request to the host operating system. The operating system could reject the graceful shutdown request, which would result in the SCP Import operation failing with SYS051 – “The system could not be shut down within the specified time.”
SCP Import provides options to help control this workflow in the way of three shutdown options; Graceful, Forced, and NoReboot.
Graceful shutdown is the default selection for Shutdown Type of SCP Import. It also has an additional optional parameter called Time to Wait, which is the amount of time SCP Import will wait for the host to shut down before timing out. The default is 5 minutes and the maximum in 1 hour.
Note: The operating system can potentially deny or ignore the graceful shutdown request.
If the SCP Import operation times out with an error stating that it was unable to shut down the host in time, consider the following options:
The Forced shutdown type is an alternative to graceful shutdown. The host server is powered off immediately regardless of the state of the host. Use a forced shutdown only when it is safe to power down the host.
The NoReboot shutdown type tells the SCP Import operation to ignore all automatic power control that SCP typically performs. The system is not powered down (gracefully or forced) automatically; instead, it waits for the user to reset or power on the host. Once either of these actions has occurred, the SCP Import operation begins applying settings.
This workflow affects all settings, even settings that do not necessarily require a reboot. As an example, a template that contains iDRAC only attributes will still wait for a host reboot if the shutdown type of NoReboot is provided.
Note: Starting in iDRAC 7.00.00, if NoReboot shutdown type is selected and the SCP file contains iDRAC, System, or Lifecycle Controller attribute changes, these changes are applied immediately. Changes that require a server reboot (for example, BIOS) are queued up but not applied until the next server reboot.
Important: When the NoReboot shutdown type is provided, a typical SCP Import job is created but the job will stop at 20 percent with a message of Paused, Waiting for Reboot. The operation is signaling that it is done staging and will only apply settings after the host has been rebooted or powered on.
SCP Import is a blocking operation that prevents most other set configuration activities from being performed. This also applies to the NoReboot shutdown type. Because there are pending configuration changes gated behind a power cycle, no other configuration operations are permitted. Other configuration operations are permitted only after the host has been rebooted and the SCP operation is complete.