Using IPMI ASRock

IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) is a dedicated interface for remote administration of a dedicated server.

This guide covers how to use IPMI on the ASRock platform for remote server management.

ASRock IPMI is a built-in board management and monitoring interface (BMC) on servers with ASRock motherboards. It allows you to remotely power on, power off, configure, monitor, update BIOS, and install OS directly from a web browser, even when the system is completely powered off.

Key Features:

• Remote KVM (iKVM): Power on, power off, or reboot the server remotely; redirect screen, keyboard, and mouse over the network.
• Virtual Media: Mount ISO images for remote operating system installation.
• Hardware Monitoring: Diagnostics of server hardware status and monitoring of fans, voltages, and temperatures without physical access to the server.

ASRock IPMI Login and Server Power Management

1. In the browser address bar, enter the IPMI IP address. In the login dialog box that appears, enter the credentials you received along with the IP address in your email after submitting a support ticket → click Sign me in.
   
2. In the left navigation menu, select Power Control.
    Here you can perform the following operations: 
   
   • Power Off — Performs a graceful shutdown of the operating system before powering down the server.
   • Power On — Turns the server on.
   • Power Cycle — Performs a normal reboot by powering off and then powering the server back on.
   • Hard Reset — Performs a forced reboot. Use only if the operating system is unresponsive and a normal reboot is not possible.
   • ACPI Shutdown — Shuts down the server immediately without a graceful operating system shutdown.
     

Connecting to the Server Console

Caution! Remote console access is recommended for advanced users only.

To launch the remote console:

1. In the IPMI interface, open Remote Control.
2. If your firmware supports HTML5 KVM, installing Java is not required.
3. Click Launch H5Viewer if available.
   
4.  Once the console is connected, you will have full access to your server's keyboard, mouse, and display, even if the OS is unavailable. 
   
5.  If H5Viewer is unavailable, click Launch JViewer. 
   
6. To connect to the console, install the latest version of the Java Runtime Environment, if required by your browser or firmware version.
7. To download Java, set the cookie settings on this website to Accept all and click Download Java for Desktops.
   
8.  To launch Java, click Install to agree to the licensing terms. 
   
9.  If Java has successfully launched, the following window will appear → click Close. 
   
10.  You may also see a confirmation window when launching the console. Check the box next to "I accept the risk and want to run this application" → click Run. 
    
11.  After connecting the console via JViewer, you will also have full access to your server's keyboard, mouse, and display, even if the OS is unavailable. 

Mounting an ISO Image

ASRock IPMI allows you to boot the server from an ISO image stored on your local computer.

To mount an ISO image:

1. Log in to the IPMI web interface on the ASRock platform, open Remote Control → click Launch H5Viewer.
   
2.  In the console that launches, click Browse File in the upper-right corner to select the ISO image for your OS. 
   
3.  Click Start Media. 
   
4.  Then reboot the server to boot from the virtual CD-ROM. 

Using the Virtual Keyboard

To use the virtual keyboard in the console, follow these steps:

1. Select Keyboard in the top menu of the server console. The virtual keyboard will appear.
   
2.  Some key combinations cannot be transmitted correctly from your local OS because they are intercepted before reaching the remote session. To send these key combinations, open Send Keys in the remote console menu and select the desired key combination. 
   
3.  Or open Hot Keys in the console menu and click Add Hot Keys to customize the key combination. 
   
4.  Press Insert to confirm the selected key combination. Or click Clear All to cancel the key combination selection. 
   

Common Issues Using ASRock IPMI

Some issues may arise when using ASRock IPMI. Below are the most common issues and possible solutions.

Unable to Connect to the KVM Console

If you receive a connection error or are unable to open the remote console:

• Make sure your browser allows pop-ups.
• Make sure Java is installed if required by your firmware.
• Try using a different supported browser.
• If the problem persists, contact technical support to restart the IPMI management module.

Error 500 Internal Server Error

This error may occur when connecting via HTTP.

1. Use HTTPS instead of HTTP: https://IPMI_IP_ADDRESS.
2. Then log in again.

Java Application Blocked

When using the ASRock IPMI console on your computer for the first time, you may receive a notification about Java Runtime being blocked. This is a security alert from the Java system.

1. Add the IPMI address to the exceptions to allow the console to run normally.
2. To configure Java, run Configure Java: by default, Start → Programs → Java.
   
3.  In Settings, open the Security tab → click Edit Site List... next to the scrollable list. 
   
4.  Click Add → enter your IPMI address in the field, for example, http://IP_IPMI or https://IP_IPMI, where IP_IPMI is the IP address of your IPMI → click OK. 
   
5.  When connecting via the HTTP protocol, a warning will appear → click Continue: 
   
6.  The IPMI address has been added to the exceptions for normal console startup → click OK. 
   

Java will now allow the IPMI console to start normally.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in the online chat in the lower-right corner of the site or create a request to the support service through the ticket system.