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Using the integrated management module

This topic provides an overview of the integrated management module II (IMM2) system management features.

The integrated management module II (IMM2) 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.

For more information about IMM2, see the Integrated Management Module II User's Guide at the Integrated Management Module II User’s Guide .

The IMM supports the following basic systems-management features:

  • Active Energy Manager.
  • Alerts (in-band and out-of-band alerting, PET traps - IPMI style, SNMP, email).
  • Auto Boot Failure Recovery (ABR).
  • Automatic microprocessor disable on failure and restart in a multi-microprocessor configuration when one microprocessor signals an internal error. When one of the microprocessors fail, the server will disable the failing microprocessor and restart with the other microprocessors.
    Note
    When one microprocessor fails in a four-microprocessor configuration, two microprocessors will be disabled.
  • 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 rear of the server for an operating-system memory dump. ASR is supported by IPMI.
  • Remote presence support (remote video, remote keyboard/mouse, and remote storage).
  • Boot sequence manipulation.
  • Command-line interface.
  • Configuration save and restore.
  • 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.
  • Environmental monitor with fan speed, temperature, voltages, fan failure, power supply failure, and power backplane failure.
  • First Failure Data Capture (FFDC) support.
  • Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Specification V2.0 and Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB) support.
  • Invalid system configuration (CONFIG) LED support.
  • Light path diagnostics LEDs indicators to report errors that occur with fans, power supplies, microprocessor, hard disk drives, and system errors.
  • Local firmware code flash update
  • Nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) detection, generation, and reporting.
  • Operating-system failure blue screen capture.
  • PCI configuration data.
  • PECI 3 support.
  • Power/reset control (power-on, hard and soft shutdown, hard and soft reset, schedule power control).
  • Query power-supply input power.
  • ROM-based IMM firmware flash updates.
  • Serial over LAN (SOL).
  • Serial port redirection over telnet or ssh.
  • SMI handling
  • System-event log (SEL) - user readable event log.

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.