The IPMI interface is a very useful tool in the setup, configuring and troubleshooting of your server and its processes. IPMI gives you access to the server’s local console over a separate network connection which allows you to work on the server without it needing a public network connection. Processes like loading operating systems, setting up networking configurations and other processes become possible from miles away thanks to the IPMI interface. The Supermicro IPMI panel may vary a bit from version to version and motherboard to motherboard but in most cases, the location of tools will be in the same, you may just see different wording or slightly changed interfaces.
Once logged into the Supermicro IPMI interface you will be brought to the main system screen. Here you will see information listed near the top that can include firmware and BIOS version information, configured IP addresses and hardware addresses. You will get a snapshot of the current console image and have basic power options underneath the snapshot.
The Event Log and Sensor Readings options can be found by hovering your mouse over the “Server Health” option and choosing the necessary option. The Sensor Reading option will give you an active look into the readings of items like current hardware temperatures and voltages as well as fan RPM. The Event Log will give you a breakdown of system events with a timestamp history. Each event will list the sensor information and a brief description of the event. In most cases you will see things like shutdowns and boots here but this log can also be used to see preemptive hardware failure. For example, RAM errors will also be seen in this event log if the system encounters correctable or uncorrectable hardware errors.
The next tab we’ll head over to is the Remote Control tab. Here is where you can access the specific type of console you would like for your session. The IPMI console selections you can choose between are Console Redirection (Java console) and iKVM/HTML5. If using the Java console in some cases you may need to add a security exception from the Security tab within the Java Control Panel or Java will prevent access to the IPMI console.
The next selection we’ll cover is the Virtual Media tab, and within it specifically the CD-ROM Image selection. Here is where you can mount an ISO onto the IPMI configuration’s virtual USB interface from a network file share. If you are on a Hivelocity server your IPMI interface will not be able to access public shares for security purposes but Hivelocity does have its own ISO share at each datacenter. If you need a specific ISO mounted on the server simply let us know and we’ll gladly get the ISO mounted. If you have a custom ISO you need mounted we can also temporarily add it to our share for you to use. If you are using an IPMI connection that does have access to public shares you will want to format the information similarly to the image below.
Finally, we’ll cover adding an ISO from your local machine via IPMI. You will first need to open the console for this and then select Virtual Media >> Virtual Storage from the top left of the console.
A box will pop up for the Virtual Storage selection. From the dropdown select “ISO” and then click “Open Image” to browse your local computer for the ISO you wish to mount on the virtual USB.
Once you’ve found and selected your ISO click the “Plug In” option to mount it to the virtual USB and you’re done! Now when you’ll see the virtual USB selection from the boot menu when powering up the server. As a note, while the network share option will keep the ISO mounted until you unmount it via the Virtual Media interface, if you mount an ISO from the console the ISO will only stay mounted if the console session is left open. Closing the console will remove the mounted ISO.
If you have any issues or questions you are always welcome to call, open a live chat or submit a ticket via the MyVelocity panel for further assistance. Hivelocity support staff are standing by 24/7/365 and will gladly assist you further.