Using the Baseboard Management Controller 5
Intelligent Platform Management Interface
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) defines a set of standardized, message-
based interfaces that monitor system hardware health (fan speed, temperature, voltage, power
supply, etc.), control system components, and store data about important system events in a system
event log (SEL) for later examination. IPMI provides the foundation for remote platform
management.
Baseboard Management Controller
The key component in the IPMI system is the baseboard management controller (BMC), a
microcontroller located in the server’s motherboard. BMC is the “intelligence” within the IPMI
architecture, responsible for monitoring and controlling the system’s manageable devices.
The BMC is connected to the various sensors through the Intelligent Platform Management Bus
(IPMB), a subset of the I2C bus. System software communicates with BMC using a keyboard
controller style (KCS) interface.
BMC Key Features and Functions
Following are the supported features of the BMC:
• IPMI v2.0.
• Out-of-band monitoring and control for server management over LAN.
• Dedicated 10/100 NIC for remote management over a network.
• Information report including main board part number, product name, manufacturer, etc.
• Health status/hardware monitoring report.
• Events log, view, and clear.
• Event notification using chassis LED indicator and Platform Event Trap (PET).
• Platform Event Filtering (PEF) to take selected action for selected events, including non-
masking interrupt (NMI) and system management interrupt (SMI).
• Chassis management including power control and status report, front panel buttons, LED
control, Secure Mode, and Boot Option.
• Watchdog and auto server re-start and recovery.
• Multi-session user and alert destination for LAN channel.
• IPMB connector to enable advanced server management communication with BMC.
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