About IPMI configuration
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (or IPMI) provides management and monitoring capabilities independently of the host system's CPU, firmware, and operating system. You can configure the IPMI sub-system for your appliances. You can use the remote management port, located on the rear panel of the appliance, to connect to the IPMI sub-system.
The following figure shows the remote management port (or the IPMI port) on the rear panel of a 5270 Appliance:
The IPMI is beneficial after an unexpected power outage shuts down the connected system. In case the appliance is not accessible after the power is restored, you can use a laptop or desktop computer to access the appliance remotely by using a network connection to the hardware rather than to an operating system or login shell. This enables you to control and monitor the appliance even if it is powered down, unresponsive, or without any operating system.
The following diagram illustrates how IPMI works:
The following are some of the main uses of IPMI:
Manage an appliance that is powered off or unresponsive. Using the IPMI, you can power on, power off, or restart the appliance from a remote location.
Provide out-of-band management and help manage situations where local physical access to the appliance is not possible or preferred like branch offices and remote data centers.
Access the Appliance Shell Menu remotely using IPMI if regular network interface is not possible.
Reimage the appliance from the IPMI interface by using ISO redirection.
Monitor hardware health of the appliance from a remote location.
Avoid messy cabling and hardware like keyboard, monitor, and mouse (KVM) solutions to access the appliance.
Required to elevate to an unrestricted shell for support when in lockdown mode.