IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), short for Intelligent Platform Management Interface. It was originally an industry standard adopted by the peripheral equipment of an Intel-based enterprise system . IPMI is also an open and free standard, and users can use this standard without paying additional fees.
IPMI can span different operating systems, firmware and hardware platforms, and can intelligently monitor, control and automatically report the operation status of a large number of servers to reduce server system costs.
Development History
In 1998, Intel, DELL, HP, and NEC jointly proposed the IPMI specification, which can remotely control temperature and voltage through the network .
In 2001, IPMI was revised from version 1.0 to version 1.5, adding functions such as PCI Management Bus.
In 2004, Intel released the IPMI 2.0 specification, which is backward compatible with IPMI 1.0 and 1.5 specifications. Added Console Redirection, and can remotely manage servers through Port, Modem, and Lan, and enhanced security, VLAN, and blade server support.
basic knowledge
IPMI is the abbreviation of Intelligent Platform Management Interface (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), which is an industrial standard for managing peripheral devices used in enterprise systems based on Intel structure. Developed by companies such as SuperMicro. Users can use IPMI to monitor the physical health characteristics of the server, such as temperature, voltage, fan working status, power supply status, etc. And more importantly, IPMI is an open and free standard , and users do not need to pay extra fees for using this standard.
Since the IPMI Forum created the IPMI standard in 1998, it has been supported by more than 170 suppliers, which has gradually become a complete hardware including servers and other systems (such as storage devices, networks and communication devices ) . Management specification, the latest version of this standard is IPMI 2.0, which has many improvements on the original basis, including the ability to manage server systems (including remote power on and off) through serial ports, Modem and Lan, etc., and in security, VLAN and blade support improvements.
IPMI provides an intelligent management method for a large number of monitoring, control and automatic reply server operations. This standard is applicable to different server topologies, and Windows, Linux, Solaris, Mac or mixed operating systems. In addition, since IPMI can operate under different attribute values, even if the server itself is not functioning properly, or cannot provide services for any reason, IPMI can still function normally.
working principle
The core of IPMI is a dedicated chip/controller (called server processor or baseboard management controller (BMC) ), which does not depend on the server's processor, BIOS or operating system to work. It can be said to be very independent and is a separate The agentless management subsystem running in the system can start working as long as it has BMC and IPMI firmware, and BMC is usually an independent board installed on the server motherboard , and some server motherboards also provide support for IPMI. The good autonomy of IPMI overcomes the limitations of the previous operating system-based management methods. For example, when the operating system does not respond or is not loaded, it can still perform operations such as switching on and off, and information extraction.
When working, all IPMI functions are completed by sending commands to the BMC. The commands use the instructions specified in the IPMI specification. The BMC receives and records event messages in the system event log and maintains sensor data records describing the sensor conditions in the system . IPMI's new Serial over LAN (SOL) feature is useful when remote access to the system is required. SOL changes the direction of the local serial port during an IPMI session, thereby providing remote access to emergency management services, Windows-specific management consoles, or Linux serial consoles. The BMC does this by redirecting information sent to the serial port over the LAN, providing a standard way of diagnosing and repairing faults with a vendor-independent remote view of the boot, operating system loader, or emergency management console .
The Serial Over LAN (SOL) feature is useful when remote access to the system text console is required. SOL redirects the local serial interface through an IPMI session, allowing remote access to the Emergency Management Console (EMS) Special Administration Console (SAC) for Windows, or access to a LINUX serial console. The step in this process is that the IPMI firmware intercepts the data and then resends the information directed to the serial port over the LAN. This provides a standard way to remotely view BOOT, OS loader or emergency management console to diagnose and fix server related issues regardless of vendor. It allows configuration of various components during the bootstrap phase.
In terms of the security of command transmission, users do not need to worry, IPMI-enhanced authentication (based on secure hash algorithm 1 and based on key hash message authentication) and encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard and Arcfour) functions help to achieve secure remote operation. The support for VLAN provides convenience for setting up and managing a dedicated network, and can be configured on a channel basis.
Generally speaking, BMC has the following functions:
1. Access through the serial port of the system
2. Fault logging and SNMP alert sending
3. Access to System Event Log (SEL) and sensor status
4. Control includes power on and off
5. Support independent of system power or working status
6. Text console redirection for system settings, text-based utilities, and operating system consoles
With IPMI, users can actively monitor the condition of components to ensure that preset thresholds, such as server temperatures, are not exceeded. This helps maintain the uptime of IT resources by avoiding unscheduled power outages. IPMI's predictive failure capabilities also help with IT cycle management. Failure components can be more easily pre-identified by checking the System Event Log (SEL).
Using manufacturers
Pigeon Point Systems provides world-class modular platform management components based on AdvancedTCA (ATCA), AdvancedMC and MicroTCA architectures; and related consulting and design services. More than 200 world-class manufacturers (including Intel, Nokia) have adopted PPS's IPMI board-level management and chassis management solutions.
Reposted from: IPMI_Baidu Encyclopedia