intelligent platform management interface (ATCA) (IPMI)

The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is a work platform for network administrators to manage server components such as power supplies and fans, as well as temperatures and voltages. The IPMI interface allows the administrator to receive status messages, send instructions to servers, trigger alarms and perform diagnostics and automatic recovery procedures over the network. A prerequisite is that the servers support IPMI.

IPMI is a widely accepted industry standard that defines how system management data is collected, stored and transmitted. It provides end-to-end remote access capability and is independent of the operating system.

The central IPMI component is the Baseboard Management Controller( BMC) to which the individual dedicated buses are connected. Thus the System Management Bus( SMBus), the I2C bus, the LPC bus and the serial ports. IPMI defines intelligent management buses for messagingacross multiple servers, the Intelligent Platform Management Bus( IPMB) and the Intelligent Chassis Management Bus (ICMB), which are implemented in the SMBus. In addition to administration functions, IPMI supports security-related functions such as authentication and encryption, as well as login and power management with Advanced Configuration and Power Interface( ACPI). IPMI is used in servers, personalcomputers(PCs) and ATCA, among others. Communication takes place via the Remote Management Control Protocol( RMCP).

IPMI is supported by well-known companies in bus and server technology. These include Intel, Hewlett-Packard, NEC and Dell and many more.