IPMI is a management interface built into the server's hardware and firmware. It works independently of the operating system, which is what makes it useful precisely when the usual means of access have stopped working.
This article describes what you can do once you are in the interface. For how access is provided and how to open it, see What is IPMI (IP-KVM) and how do I connect to it?
The interface differs by hardware vendor
We use servers from several manufacturers, and each has its own management interface with its own name and layout. The functions are the same; the menu labels are not.
| Vendor | Interface is called |
|---|---|
| Supermicro | IPMI, with the console as iKVM |
| Dell | iDRAC, with the console as Virtual Console |
| Lenovo | XClarity Controller (XCC); on older servers, IMM |
| ASRock Rack, MSI and others | BMC, usually with a layout close to Supermicro's |
So use the descriptions below as a guide to what to look for rather than as exact paths. If you cannot find a function on your server, open a ticket and we will point you to it.
Power control
Look for a section named Power, Power Control or Server Power Actions, usually under remote control or server management. The available operations are:
- Power on — switch the server on.
- Graceful shutdown — signals the operating system to shut down properly. Use this normally.
- Immediate power off (sometimes "hard" or "forced") — cuts the power at once, without waiting for the operating system. Only when the server does not respond to a graceful shutdown: an abrupt stop can leave data unwritten.
- Reset — a hardware reset, equivalent to the reset button.
The remote console
This is the function you will use most. Depending on the vendor it is called iKVM/HTML5, Virtual Console, Remote Console or simply KVM, and modern versions run in the browser without additional software.
The console gives you the server's screen and keyboard at hardware level, so you can:
- see the boot process and any errors during it;
- enter the BIOS/UEFI;
- reach the boot menu and the bootloader;
- fix a network or firewall configuration that has locked you out over SSH or RDP.
A fast, stable internet connection helps: the console transmits the screen image, so a poor connection makes it uncomfortable to work with.
Hardware monitoring
Sensor data — temperatures, fan speeds, voltages — is under a section named Server Health, System Health, Hardware or similar. Worth checking if the server is behaving oddly: an overheating component or a failed fan shows up here before it shows up as a crash.
If a reading looks wrong, open a ticket with our Technical Support department rather than trying to interpret it yourself — we can see the same data and know the expected values for your hardware.
Installing an operating system from your own image
Virtual media lets you mount an ISO image and boot the server from it. The available methods differ considerably between vendors and generations, and some require network access from the management interface. If you plan to install from your own image, open a ticket first and tell us which image you want to use — we will tell you the workable method for your server, or mount it for you.
Worth knowing
This is access at hardware level, below the operating system, and it is entirely possible to make a server unbootable from it — by changing the boot order or BIOS settings. Change only what you understand, and note the original value before changing it.
If something does not behave as described, open a ticket from your client area and tell us which server it concerns — we will look at it with the interface for that particular machine in mind.
