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IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) Function
Background
To offer a more complete remote server control solution, the
DIGITAL KVM VIA IP
offers an optional
power management feature that allows remote hardware restarts and the ability to power the host
computer on and off. You may be able to take advantage of this feature if the host computer you are
managing supports IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface).
Host Computer Requirements
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 is used to 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 motherboard of the managed computer. 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 (i.e. modem). Enabling IPMI support usually requires enabling options in the
host computer’s BIOS setup software, and the instructions will vary considerably from make to make
and model to model. Normally, a password will be created by the BIOS that allows the IPMI feature to
be accessed; this password is exclusive to the IPMI feature and does not correspond to a password or
account in the host computer’s operating system.
If the Host Computer Does Not Support IPMI
If the host computer you are managing with the
Digital KVM via IP
does not support IPMI,
Rextron
offers a non-IPMI solution that also works via serial port and acts as a power concentrator and a
power management device: the 8 Outlet Serial Power Console and Switch. For more information
about this product, visit
www.rextron.com
Activating the IPMI Option
The
Digital KVM via IP
contains the necessary software to use IPMI. To enable this capability, you
must purchase the software option from
Rextron
unless you have purchased a model with the feature
pre-enabled. To verify whether the IPMI feature is enabled on your unit, login to the Web interface as
admin
, click the
Setup/Admin
button at the top of the page, and click
Firmware and flash memory
management
. If
IPMI
is not listed beside
Software Options
(see above) then the IPMI option is not
present and you will have to purchase the software option to use the feature.
To purchase the IPMI option, please email
Rextron
Technical Support at: