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Using the integrated management module

The integrated management module (IMM) is a second generation of the functions that were formerly provided by the baseboard management controller hardware. It combines service processor functions, video controller, and remote presence function in a single chip.

The IMM supports the following basic system management features:

  • Environmental monitor with fan speed control for temperature, voltages, fan failure, and power supply failure.
  • Light path diagnostics LEDs indicators to report errors that occur with fans, power supplies, microprocessor, hard disk drives, and system errors.
  • DIMM error assistance. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) disables a failing DIMM that is detected during POST, and the IMM lights the associated system error LED and the failing DIMM error LED.
  • System event log (SEL).
  • ROM-based IMM firmware flash updates.
  • Auto Boot Failure Recovery (ABR).
  • A virtual media key, which enables remote presence support (remote video, remote keyboard/mouse, and remote storage).
  • Automatic microprocessor disable on failure and restart in a two-microprocessor configuration when one microprocessor signals an internal error.
  • Nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) detection and reporting.
  • Automatic Server Restart (ASR) when POST is not complete or the operating system hangs and the operating system watchdog timer times-out. The IMM might be configured to watch for the operating system watchdog timer and reboot the system after a timeout, if the ASR feature is enabled. Otherwise, the IMM allows the administrator to generate a nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) by pressing an NMI button on the light path diagnostics panel for an operating-system memory dump. ASR is supported by IPMI.
  • Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Specification V2.0 and Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB) support.
  • Invalid system configuration (CNFG) LED support.
  • Serial port redirection over telnet or ssh.
  • Serial over LAN (SOL).
  • Active Energy Manager
  • Query power-supply input power.
  • PECI 2 support.
  • Power/reset control (power-on, hard and soft shutdown, hard and soft reset, schedule power control).
  • Alerts (in-band and out-of-band alerting, PET traps - IPMI style, SNMP, e-mail).
  • Operating-system failure blue screen capture.
  • Command-line interface.
  • Configuration save and restore.
  • PCI configuration data.
  • Boot sequence manipulation.

The IMM also provides the following remote server management capabilities through the OSA SMBridge management utility program:

  • Command-line interface (IPMI Shell):

    The command-line interface provides direct access to server management functions through the IPMI 2.0 protocol. Use the command-line interface to issue commands to control the server power, view system information, and identify the server. You can also save one or more commands as a text file and run the file as a script.

  • Serial over LAN:

    Establish a Serial over LAN (SOL) connection to manage servers from a remote location. You can remotely view and change the UEFI settings, restart the server, identify the server, and perform other management functions. Any standard Telnet client application can access the SOL connection.