IPMI is a special remote management chip built into select SuperMicro motherboards (typically indicated by the letter "F" after the dash in motherboard model numbers). IPMI is used by many different manufacturers, and in this article we will go over the basics of SuperMicro's implementation. For a more indepth look at IPMI and its functions, keep an eye out for future videos and articles.
Connecting IPMI to the network has two available options:
- There is a dedicated IPMI ethernet port located above two USB ports. This port should be used to isolate IPMI access to the local network.
- IPMI can also be accessed via the first ethernet port.
After connecting the port to the network, IPMI is accessible. The remote management features can be accessed in one of two ways, either via a web browser by simply typing in the IPMI IP address or through SuperMicro's IPMIView application which can be downloaded here.
IPMI offers a lot of useful tools to remotely manage your ABMX server. Here is a quick overview of some of the more valuable features:
- KVM Remote Access - This feature let's you remotely access the video, keyboard, and mouse of the system. It is similar to remote desktop software, however this works without an operating system. This is a very useful feature since it allows you to access the BIOS, RAID controller, and watch the boot-up sequence.
- Hardware monitors - The hardware monitors vary motherboard to motherboard, however in general this feature lets you view the temperatures and fan speeds of the system. This provides some quick insight to how well the system is being kepts at acceptable levels
- Remote device mounting - This feature is less known and less used. You can remotely mount optical drives, USB drives, or even ISO images for live booting or remote installation. This makes server setup very easy, since you don't need to be next to the hardware to install the operating system or perform diagnostics.
These plus many more features provide you power over managing your server without having to descend into the depths of your datacenter or server room. The IPMIView application allows you to scan the network for IPMI devices, store the server's local IP address, and label them. This makes management of your servers very simple.
More detailed information can be found on SuperMicro's IPMI page, https://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/IPMI.cfm. Also, keep an eye out for more indepth videos and tutorials on IPMI from the ABMX Support Team.
Feel free to contact us with questions regarding IPMI on your ABMX server.
