Intel and Leading Server Vendors Introduce Server Management Hardware Interface

Intelligent Platform Management Interface Complements Intel Wired for Management Initiative

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 17, 1998 -- Intel Corporation today announced a new management specification for Intel Architecture-based servers intended to enhance server management, drive down the total cost of ownership (TCO) and complement Intel's Wired for Management initiative. The specification, called the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), was announced by Intel, Dell, Hewlett-Packard Company, and NEC to provide a standard interface to hardware used for monitoring a server's physical characteristics, such as temperature, voltage, fans, power supplies and chassis.

"This is the first server management specification designed at the hardware level," said Kevin Soelberg, marketing director, Intel's Enterprise Server Group. "Although industry standards such as DMI and SNMP exist for server management software, a common hardware interface is needed to improve server management functionality and compatibility for supporting mission critical applications. HP was the first vendor to support IPMI, with additional review and input from Dell and NEC."

The IPMI specification defines a common interface and message-based protocol for accessing platform management hardware. IPMI is comprised of three specifications: Intelligent Platform Management Interface, Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB) and Intelligent Chassis Management Bus (ICMB). The IPMI specification defines the interface to platform management hardware, the IPMB specification defines the internal Intelligent Platform Management Bus, and the ICMB specification defines the external Intelligent Chassis Management Bus, an external bus for connecting additional IPMI-enabled systems.

IPMI benefits corporate IT users by providing flexible access to platform management information. IPMI-enabled servers monitor and store platform management information in a common format which can be easily accessed by server management software, add-in devices or even directly from other servers.

A management bus (IPMB) allows add-in devices such as Emergency Management Cards to easily access platform management information, even if the processor is down. The IPMB can also be extended externally to the chassis (ICMB) to enable "system-to-system" monitoring. This allows a server to manage another ICMB-connected server even if it has no system management software or the processor is down. Functions such as failure alerting, power control and access to failure logs are supported for systems connected to the ICMB, so multiple servers or peripheral chassis (storage and power supplies) can connect to the ICMB as an alternative to using Emergency Management Cards.

"Enabling an open standard for server-platform instrumentation will provide better overall server-management solutions and decrease the total cost of ownership for our customers, which is a major objective for HP," said Duncan Campbell, general manager, HP's Commercial NetServer Operation. "We not only worked with Intel on the initial IPMI specification, but also introduced the first products based on it."

IPMI benefits server system vendors by allowing differentiated hardware solutions to be implemented quickly and easily. The IPMI interface isolates server management software from hardware, enabling hardware changes to be made without impacting the software. Although IPMI is not tied to a specific operating system or management application, it is complementary to higher level management software interfaces such as the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Desktop Management Interface (DMI), Common Information Model (CIM), and Windows Management Interface (WMI), which facilitates the development of cross platform solutions.

"IPMI saves time and money in terms of development," said Yoshiaki Tsuda, general manager, NEC's Workstations and Servers Division. "We will be able to quickly provide server management software and drivers for new systems using less resources."

Server system vendors will also benefit from the scalability of IPMI. The IPMI specifications can be implemented using "off-the-shelf" microcontrollers, which enables a single platform management architecture to be implemented across a broad range of servers.

"When the industry adopts standards, customers benefit," said Bob Van Steenberg, vice president, Program and Product Management, Dell Server Group. "We're a leader in driving the adoption of industry standards and a leader in their rapid implementation. Using IPMI as one of several enabling technologies, we plan to aggressively implement enhanced remote management capabilities in our products. This direction is a logical extension of our direct relationship with customers and supports our commitment to reduce the customer's cost of managing and owning our products." All three specifications (in version 0.9) are available now for review by vendors.

Contributions to the specifications will be accepted pending consent to the Contributors licensing agreement. The specifications and Contributors license agreement are available at developer.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi. The deadline for review, revisions and final approval of v1.0 is late Q2 1998.

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