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APPENDIX D: Using an Optional Serial Access Unit with the R-Port
D.6 Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Function
D.6.1 B
ACKGROUND
An optional power management feature lets you remotely restart hardware and
power the host computer on and off. You can use this feature if the computer
supports IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface).
D.6.2 H
OST
C
OMPUTER
R
EQUIREMENTS
The host computer must support the IPMI standard version 1.5 to use this option.
Most popular server motherboards now support the IPMI standard. To determine
if your computer supports this IPMI, consult its documentation for more
information.
IPMI lets you configure and control a device on the motherboard called the BMC
(Baseboard Management Controller) using a dedicated serial port. Once the
computer is configured for IPMI management, the serial port on the host
computer is normally reserved by the BIOS solely for that purpose and cannot be
accessed or recognized by the operating system. It is therefore unlikely that a serial
port provided by an add-in card will be able to act as an IPMI port, so you must use
a serial port integrated on the managed computer’s motherboard. If the computer
you are managing only has a single serial port, you must add an additional port (or
ports) via an add-in card if you need a serial port for other purposes (for example,
modem). Enabling IPMI support usually requires enabling options in the host
computer’s BIOS setup software, and the instructions will vary considerably from
model to model. Normally, a password will be created by the BIOS that allows you
to access the IPMI feature; this password is exclusive to the IPMI feature and does
not correspond to a password or account in the host computer’s operating system.
D.6.3 I
F THE
H
OST
C
OMPUTER
D
OES
N
OT
S
UPPORT
IPMI
If the host computer you are managing with the ServSwitch does not support IPMI,
you will need to supply a non-IPMI solution that also works via the serial port and
acts as a power concentrator and a power management device.
Summary of Contents for KV9404A
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