Install IPMItool and Use Common BMC Commands: Archived OEM Guide
Archived OEM installation and command reference for Windows, Linux and VMware ESXi. The source mixes IPMItool 1.8.18 downloads, 1.8.11 Linux build screenshots and a 1.8.15-1 ESXi VIB; these are separate legacy examples, not a current supported software bundle. Six English instructional images and nineteen original English figures are retained. Example Windows paths are simplified; the original credential-bearing help screenshot is replaced without sending its password to the image service. No tool, driver, VIB or BMC command was installed or executed while preparing this article.
I. Install and verify IPMItool
1. Windows: remote access from an administrator workstation
The source supplies this archived Windows package for out-of-band management. Obtain and verify an appropriate supported package for the actual OS and server; the source filename alone does not establish support or trust.
Original OEM attachment: IPMIToolWin1.8.18.zip
1) Extract the complete package to the intended directory. The English illustration uses C:\Tools\IPMIToolWin in place of the original personal/Chinese folder path and retains the imbdriver directory, ipmitool.exe and libeay32.dll.
2) Open Command Prompt, then change to the directory containing ipmitool.exe. Use cd /d if changing drives. The illustrated cd command enters the example directory; it does not contact a BMC.
3) Check the executable’s help/version, then separately verify an authorized read-only BMC query if required. The original remote-command screenshot printed No command provided and help, so it did not demonstrate a successful remote connection. Its exposed authentication argument is omitted from the replacement illustration.
ipmitool.exe -h
ipmitool.exe -V
Recreated help illustration using -h and a declared example path; no remote authentication or live output is demonstrated.
2. Windows: local in-band access on the server
Original OEM attachment: IPMIToolWin.zip
1) Review the package instructions and available local IPMI interface/driver before installing anything. The source distinguishes x64 and x86 directories by Windows architecture; that is not a guarantee that this archived driver supports a current OS.
2) The source installer example supplies a destination directory. Its output explicitly detects an existing MSIPMI driver and skips IMBDRV installation before printing Installation Successful; do not read that as proof that a new IMBDRV driver was installed.
install.cmd C:\IMBDRV\Test
3) Local access uses an appropriate supported local interface rather than the remote -H/-I lanplus/-U authentication arguments. The next source figure is help output only; validate an actual permitted query separately.
3. Linux build and local device access
Original OEM attachment: ipmitool-1.8.18.tar.gz.zip
1) Identify the actual archive and release. The download label is 1.8.18, while the tar command and build figures use 1.8.11; inspect the package instead of assuming the names match. A .tar.gz.zip wrapper requires the appropriate archive step before tar can read the inner tarball.
2) For the source’s 1.8.11 tarball example, extract it and enter its actual directory:
tar -xvzf ipmitool-1.8.11.tar.gz
cd ipmitool-1.8.11
3) Run the release’s configuration step with the required build dependencies, and inspect its result. The source output lists lanplus: no. That build cannot provide the later -I lanplus examples; verify a build with the required cryptographic support when IPMI 2.0 LAN access is intended.
./configure
4) Build and, where intended and authorized, install according to that release’s instructions. Compilation and system installation are different operations.
make
make install
5) Local OpenIPMI access also requires a supported kernel interface. The source loads the following modules; inspect the actual distribution/kernel requirements rather than loading an unrelated driver solely because its name appears here.
modprobe ipmi_msghandler
modprobe ipmi_devintf
modprobe ipmi_si
6) The kernel driver directory shown next is a version-specific example for 3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64. A local console is not limited to typing one character at a time; use the available input method and the actual path. Do not reuse a kernel-version path on another system.
7) Inspect the actual device node, illustrated as /dev/ipmi0. Its existence alone does not establish working permissions or communication.
ls /dev
8) A read-only query can verify local access when supported and permitted. The source FRU output is an example from an NF5280M5 system, not information extracted from the current host.
ipmitool fru list
4. VMware ESXi: archived community VIB example
Original OEM attachment: ipmitool_esxi.zip
1) The source uses esxi_ipmitool-1.8.15-1.vib. Confirm support for the exact ESXi release, package and host policy before considering this legacy method. The following commands document the source workflow; they are not a recommendation to install an unverified community package on a current host.
2) The source changes the host software acceptance policy to CommunitySupported. This changes the host’s package trust policy; it is not an obligatory step for every supported IPMI utility installation.
esxcli software acceptance set --level=CommunitySupported
3) The source then installs that VIB from its actual datastore path and checks the installed package list. Replace the example path with the intended verified package location; do not treat a successful package task as proof of working BMC access.
esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/tools/esxi_ipmitool-1.8.15-1.vib
esxcli software vib list | grep ipmitool
4) The package example places its executable in /opt/ipmitool/bin. A symlink is optional and changes /bin; check for an existing command and the host’s persistence/support rules before creating one. This location is package-specific, not a universal path for every 64-bit OS.
ln -s /opt/ipmitool/bin/ipmitool /bin/ipmitool
ipmitool fru list
Alternatively, invoke the installed binary using its actual full path, or change to its directory and use ./ipmitool. The last output is another source FRU example.
cd /opt/ipmitool/bin
./ipmitool fru list
II. Common commands
The templates below use ASCII hyphens. Replace angle-bracket placeholders with actual values before use; brackets and alternatives are notation, not literal shell arguments. Remote examples use -a to request a password privately instead of embedding it in the command line. Local queries need the appropriate local interface and access permissions; remove the remote connection/authentication arguments rather than treating lanplus as a local driver.
The command tables describe both queries and changes. Power off/reset can interrupt the host; BMC reset interrupts management access; LAN changes can disconnect the session; clearing SEL deletes event records; user commands alter access. Choose only the intended operation for the correct system.
1. Host power and BMC reset
| Operation | Command template |
|---|---|
| Read power status | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a power status |
| Power on | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a power on |
| Immediate power off | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a power off |
| Reset host power | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a power reset |
| Warm BMC reset | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a mc reset warm |
| Cold BMC reset | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a mc reset cold |
2. LAN configuration
The source’s dual-socket M3 examples map channel 8 to dedicated and 1 to shared; its M4/M5 examples reverse that mapping. Confirm the actual channel on the actual firmware. The channel is required for lan set; do not assume it is optional everywhere. The source’s static-address sequence concerns manual configuration; DHCP is a separate alternative.
| Operation | Command template |
|---|---|
| Read LAN settings | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan print <CHANNEL> |
| Select static addressing | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan set <CHANNEL> ipsrc static |
| Select DHCP instead | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan set <CHANNEL> ipsrc dhcp |
| Set static IP | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan set <CHANNEL> ipaddr <IP_ADDRESS> |
| Set subnet mask | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan set <CHANNEL> netmask <NETMASK> |
| Set default gateway | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a lan set <CHANNEL> defgw ipaddr <GATEWAY> |
3. Inventory, events and sensors
| Operation | Command template |
|---|---|
| Read FRU inventory | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a fru list |
| Read SEL | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a sel list |
| Clear SEL records | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a sel clear |
| Read SDR | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a sdr |
| Read sensor list | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a sensor list |
Retain any required event evidence before a deliberate SEL clear. Do not publish credentials or SNMP community strings when sharing diagnostic output.
4. BMC users
The source describes user ID 1 as anonymous and ID 2 as ADMIN for its example platforms; actual existing accounts vary. List and identify the intended user slot before any change. Naming a slot alone does not complete all access configuration. Privilege values shown in the source are 2 User, 3 Operator and 4 Administrator; channel-specific permissions still apply.
| Operation | Command template |
|---|---|
| Read user list | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user list <CHANNEL> |
| Set a user slot name | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user set name <USER_ID> <USER_NAME> |
| Set a password explicitly | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user set password <USER_ID> <NEW_PASSWORD> |
| Set channel privilege | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user priv <USER_ID> <PRIVILEGE_LEVEL> <CHANNEL> |
| Enable a user | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user enable <USER_ID> |
| Disable a user | ipmitool -H <BMC_ADDRESS> -I lanplus -U <BMC_USER> -a user disable <USER_ID> |
NEW_PASSWORD is a placeholder, not a supplied secret. Consult the exact binary’s supported password-setting method and keep real values out of saved examples/history. Do not omit the new-password argument on the assumption that every build prompts; versions may clear the password instead. The source shorthand user enable/disable means two separate alternatives, as expanded above.
English primary references and source scope
IPMItool upstream command manual
No corresponding complete English edition of the OEM article or equivalent screenshot set was verified. The upstream English documentation was used to check command meaning and separate local drivers, remote interfaces and help output. Match its details to the installed release; this archived article’s older binaries can differ.