IPMI and remote console access for dedicated servers
IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) provides out-of-band access to your dedicated server at the hardware level.
UnderHost NOC
Network Operations
IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) is a hardware-level management interface built into most server motherboards. It provides out-of-band access-you can manage the server even when the OS is completely unresponsive, the network is down, or the server is powered off. It's the most powerful recovery tool available for dedicated server customers.
What is IPMI?
IPMI runs on a dedicated microcontroller on the server's motherboard, independent of the main CPU and OS. Through IPMI you can:
- View the server's physical console (video output) via KVM-over-IP
- Power the server on, off, or cycle power even when the OS is frozen
- Access the BIOS/UEFI setup
- Mount a virtual ISO for OS reinstallation
- View hardware sensors (temperature, fan speeds, power consumption)
- Access the server from any location regardless of firewall rules
Accessing IPMI
IPMI access for UnderHost dedicated servers is provided on request. When provisioned, you receive:
- IPMI IP address
- IPMI username and password
Access the IPMI web interface at https://[ipmi-ip-address] from a browser. Depending on the server hardware, the interface may be labeled as iDRAC (Dell), iLO (HP), or IPMI/BMC.
KVM console access typically requires Java (older systems) or an HTML5 browser (newer systems). If the KVM console does not load in Chrome, try Firefox or check if your browser has Java Web Start support.
Common use cases
| Scenario | IPMI solution |
|---|---|
| Server not responding-SSH timeout, ping failing | Open KVM console to see what's happening; check for kernel panic or boot failure |
| Server frozen mid-boot | View console output to see where boot stalled; force reset if needed |
| Need to reinstall OS manually | Mount virtual ISO via IPMI, boot from it, run OS installer |
| Accidentally blocked own IP in firewall | Log in via KVM console, fix firewall rules, restore SSH access |
| GRUB recovery mode needed | Access console, interrupt boot, select recovery option |
KVM over IP
KVM-over-IP (not to be confused with the Linux KVM hypervisor) is the remote console feature within IPMI. It provides a video feed and keyboard/mouse input to the physical server. From the IPMI web interface, launch the KVM Console-you'll see exactly what's on the server's physical display and can interact with it as if you were sitting in front of the machine.
Requesting IPMI access
IPMI is available on most UnderHost dedicated servers. To get your IPMI credentials:
- Open a support ticket via CustomerPanel
- Subject: "IPMI Access Request-[your server hostname or IP]"
- Include your server IP and the reason for access
IPMI credentials are provided for legitimate management needs. The team may provision a temporary IP allowlist if IPMI access needs to be restricted to specific IPs for security.
IPMI access not working?
Contact our NOC team if you need help accessing IPMI or recovering your server.
