Supermicro IPMI setup for remote access and power control

Supermicro IPMI setup for remote access and power control

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Supermicro server boards include a separate management chip, the BMC. Even when the OS is frozen or the server is powered off, it lets you control power, see the screen (KVM) and mount ISO images over the network. That feature set is IPMI. Here is how to get connected the first time, plus the commands you will use most.

1. How the LAN port is used

ModeWhat it does
DedicatedUses only the IPMI port (the lone RJ45, usually above the USB ports)
SharedShares the first regular LAN port with the OS
Failover (often the default)Dedicated if a cable is in the IPMI port, otherwise Shared

For a separate management network, cable the dedicated port and use Dedicated mode.

2. Find or set the IPMI IP address

From BIOS: press Del at boot → IPMI → BMC Network Configuration, where you can read the current IP or switch to Static. It defaults to DHCP, so you can also look it up on your router.

From the OS: on Linux with ipmitool installed you can change it from inside the server:

# Show current settings (channel 1)
sudo ipmitool lan print 1

# Set a static IP
sudo ipmitool lan set 1 ipsrc static
sudo ipmitool lan set 1 ipaddr 192.168.1.50
sudo ipmitool lan set 1 netmask 255.255.255.0
sudo ipmitool lan set 1 defgw ipaddr 192.168.1.1

3. Default username and password

  • The username is ADMIN (uppercase).
  • Boards shipped from around 2019 onward have a unique default password printed on a label on the motherboard or chassis (BMC Password).
  • Older boards often use ADMIN as the password too. Change it the moment you log in.
  • Lost it? Reset it from inside the server: find ADMIN’s user ID with sudo ipmitool user list 1 (usually 2), then run sudo ipmitool user set password 2 'NewPassword'.

4. Using the web console

Browse to https://IPMI-address. The certificate warning is expected because it is self-signed; on an internal network you can proceed.

Menu (location varies by firmware)Use it to
Remote Control → iKVM/HTML5See the screen without a monitor, enter BIOS, install an OS
Power ControlPower on, graceful shutdown (Soft), force off, reset
Virtual MediaAttach an ISO from your PC as the server’s optical drive
Sensor / Health Event LogTemperatures, fans, voltages and hardware errors

5. Control it remotely with ipmitool

You can script everything instead of opening the web UI. ipmitool runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

H=192.168.1.50; U=ADMIN; P='password'

ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" chassis power status   # status
ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" chassis power on       # power on
ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" chassis power soft     # graceful shutdown
ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" chassis power cycle    # off, then on
ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" sensor list            # sensor readings
ipmitool -I lanplus -H $H -U $U -P "$P" sel list               # event log

power off is a hard power-off, like holding the power button, and can corrupt data. Use soft for normal shutdowns.

6. Security: never expose it to the internet

  • IPMI has full control of the hardware. Port-forwarding it to the internet is asking for trouble. From outside, connect through a VPN first.
  • Put it on a management VLAN or separate switch away from user traffic where you can.
  • Keep the BMC firmware up to date and disable services you do not use.
  • Always change the default password, and create individual accounts if several people need access.

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