IPMI gives you remote access to your server as though you were sitting in front of a monitor and keyboard connected directly to it. Its console function is also known as IP-KVM.
All our dedicated servers come with IPMI access, and it is available directly in your client area. No request or additional charge is involved — you can open it yourself whenever you need it.
What it is for
IPMI works independently of the operating system, which is what makes it different from SSH or Remote Desktop. It lets you:
- see what is on the server's screen, including the boot process and error messages;
- enter and configure the BIOS/UEFI;
- power the server on, off or reset it at hardware level;
- work with the server when it will not boot, when the network is misconfigured, or when a firewall rule has locked you out;
- install an operating system from your own image.
In short, IPMI is what you use precisely when the usual means of access no longer work — which is why it is worth knowing where to find it before you need it.
How to connect
Open your client area, select the dedicated server in your list of services and use the IPMI function on the server management page. The access details are shown there.
A fast, stable internet connection helps: the console transmits the screen image, so a poor connection makes it uncomfortable to work with.
How access is provided
The IPMI interfaces of our servers are located in an isolated internal network and are not reachable from the internet. When you start a session from your client area, we proxy the connection and grant it to you temporarily; once the session ends, access is closed again.
This arrangement is deliberate. Management interfaces are a frequent target of attacks, and vulnerabilities in them are found regularly. Keeping them off the public internet removes an entire class of risk — for your server and for our infrastructure alike.
For you this means only that IPMI is opened when you need it rather than being permanently exposed. If a session expires while you are still working, simply start a new one from your client area.
If you cannot connect or the console does not behave as expected, open a ticket with our Technical Support department.
