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IPMI / BMC Configuration Guide

BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) configuration defines out-of-band management settings — user accounts, network configuration, and access policies. This guide covers how to set up BMC parameters for a hardware platform.

See the IPMI Plugin Guide for operator-facing documentation on discovery and day-to-day management.

BMC User Configuration

Define BMC user accounts via IPMI parameters in a hardware profile:

  • ipmi/configure/user (boolean) — enable user configuration on the BMC
  • ipmi/configure/username — the username to create
  • ipmi/configure/password — the password for that user
  • ipmi/service-user (boolean) — create a dr-provision service account with a randomly generated password

The actual credentials used by DRP for ongoing BMC access are stored in:

  • ipmi/username — current BMC username
  • ipmi/password — current BMC password

BMC Network Configuration

Enable with ipmi/configure/network. Key decisions:

  • Dedicated vs shared NIC — whether the BMC uses its own port or shares with the host
  • DHCP vs static — configure via ipmi/configure/gateway, ipmi/configure/dns-servers, ipmi/configure/domain
  • Use ipmi/configure/reset-to-factory-use-dhcp-only for factory reset to DHCP

Considerations

  • Redfish support and API paths vary by manufacturer (Dell iDRAC, HPE iLO, Lenovo XCC, Supermicro BMC)
  • BMC firmware version affects available features and API compatibility
  • Default factory credentials should be changed during initial provisioning
  • BMC access is required for power control, console access, and firmware updates