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Systems & Data Center · Foundational

Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)

A dedicated microcontroller on a server motherboard that provides out-of-band monitoring and management independent of the OS.

Definition

The BMC monitors sensors, logs hardware events, provides remote console and virtual media, and can power-cycle the server even when the OS is down. It is accessed through a dedicated management port using IPMI, Redfish or a vendor interface such as iDRAC or iLO.

Example

An admin uses the BMC's remote console to reinstall an OS on a server that will not boot.

Exam tip

Place BMC interfaces on an isolated management network and change default credentials.

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