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Dell, HP, Intel and NEC to Further Standardize, Enhance Server Management

Posted on: Thursday, 1 April 2004, 06:00 CST

Dell, HP, Intel Corp. and NEC have announced version 2.0 of the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification, which will continue to improve server management and help reduce costs.

IPMI helps lower the overall costs of server management by enabling customers to save time, maximize IT resources and potentially manage multi-vendor environments in the same way.

The current specification defines common interfaces that allow IT managers to receive status alerts, send instructions to industry- standard servers and run diagnostics over a network versus locally at the server. IPMI 2.0 is designed to extend customers' IT capabilities and further improve remote management by introducing enhanced security, remote access and configuration capabilities, while maintaining compatibility with previous IPMI versions.

Additional features of the new specification include the following.

* New authentication and encryption algorithms - enhances security for remote management access.

* "Serial Over LAN" - supports remote interaction with serial- based applications, BIOS and operating system.

* SMBus System Interface - provides low-pin count connection for low-cost management controllers.

* Firmware Firewall - supports partitioning and protection of management between blades in modular system implementations.

* IPMI "Payloads" - provides infrastructure for Serial Over LAN and OEM value-added redirection capabilities.

* New User Login and configuration options - enable user access- rights and security configuration capabilities to be tailored to the needs of the user's facility,

Adoption of the IPMI standard continues to expand with more than 160 companies across the industry now supporting IPMI as a server management standard.

"IPMI 2.0 is a critical technology that will enable customers to more easily manage multi-vendor server environments with standardized tools and processes - lowering costs and maximizing IT resources," said Neil Hand, director of worldwide marketing in Dell's Enterprise Product Group. "Dell is committed to leading efforts to standardize key systems management technologies, like IPMI, that deliver better value for customers as they build scalable enterprises."

"HP is committed to industry standards as part of its Adaptive Enterprise strategy," said Paul Santeler, vice president, solutions and velocity software business, HP. "HP Integrity systems use IPMI for a foundation of basic enterprise manageability upon which HP adds usability, security and serviceability features for our customers with heterogeneous environments."

"The accelerating adoption of IPMI reflects the industry's commitment to standards-based computing," said Abhi Talwalkar, vice president of Intel's Enterprise Platforms Group, and general manager, Platform Products Group. "Manageability of Intel Xeon and Intel Itanium based server platforms will be enhanced by IPMI 2.0 for better security and remote server control."

"NEC has been shipping IPMI-compliant servers since 1999 because IPMI provides platform independent open manageability with which the common server management software can work," said Kazuhiko Maekawa, general manager, Client and Server Division, NEC. "IPMI 2.0 will accelerate the adoption of IPMI to become a management standard with its enhanced manageability and interoperability features for servers, including modular blade servers."

Copyright Publications & Communications, Inc. Mar 2004

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