Specifications

PP 41x/03x 7-1
7 INTELLIGENT PLATFORM MANAGEMENT
INTERFACE
7.1 Introduction
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is an industry-standard environment that
allows centralized monitoring and control of a computer system. The features of the IPMI support
the management of CompactPCI or other systems containing multiple intelligent modules and other
standard features such as sensors for system temperature, fan failure or chassis intrusion. The
IPMI specifications define the protocols used by multiple intelligent devices conforming to these
specifications to communicate with each other, and in some cases with external systems used for
remote monitoring and control. Provision is made in these specifications for non-volatile storage of
inventory, control and status information, and to allow the IPMI subsystem to implement other
system-specific features.
Although the IPMI specifications can be applied to many different types of system, the remainder of
this chapter considers only how they apply to CompactPCI systems containing the PP 41x/03x
board. In addition, the IPMI features of this board would normally be used with System
Management Software, and the specifications and design of this software are beyond the scope of
this manual. For an in-depth discussion of IPMI, the reader is referred to the original IPMI
specifications. At the time of writing, these specifications are available from the World Wide Web,
at the address:
http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/index.htm
In a practical implementation, the features of an IPMI may be used by System Management
Software to implement a complete control and monitoring application. The specifications and
design of this software are beyond the scope of this manual. The System Management Software
will normally be run on the CompactPCI system controller board and in this role the PP 41x/03x
board’s local IPMI subsystem will be termed the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). In this
role the board acts as the interface between the System Management Software and the
CompactPCI system chassis. The BIOS Setup screen for Advanced allows the user to force the
board to act either as a BMC or as a Slave Management Controller (SMC) in any slot.
The remainder of this chapter outlines the functions provided by this board via IPMI, and details
some ways in which these features can be used. For a more complete description of the IPMI
protocols and implementation on Concurrent Technologies’ boards, refer to the document:
“Intelligent Platform Management Interface for Concurrent Technologies Boards”, order code 555
0042.