- Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) – A micro-controller that’s a central and essential component of any IPMI.
- Intelligent Chassis Management Bus (ICMB) – An interface that allows communication from one chassis to another.
- Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB) – Extends the BMC with management controllers while complying with IPMB communications protocol.
- IPMI Memory – The IPMI’s Sensor Data Record, System Event Log, Field Replaceable Units, and Repository store data.
- Communications Interfaces – These consist of local system interfaces, serial interface, LAN interface, ICMB and PCI Management Bus.
What is IPMI
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is a set of computer interface specifications for an autonomous computer subsystem that provides management and monitoring capabilities independently of the host system’s CPU, firmware (BIOS or UEFI) and operating system.
AKA “Lights out” or “DRAC”
Briefly, IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) is a set of standardized specifications for hardware-based platform management systems making it possible to control and monitor servers centrally. The primary functions of such management systems are to monitor hardware temperatures and power consumption, initiate boot up and shut down, and log all event states of the servers.
IPMI has become an industry standard and was originally developed by Intel in cooperation with Dell, Hewlett Packard, and NEC.