Cisco C880 M5 Configuration Manual page 9

An overview of the relationship between IPMI and the management software
stack is shown in the following figure:
Figure 1: IPMI in the management software stack (source: IPMI specification)
IPMI, IPMB and ICMB
The IPMI initiative resulted in three central standards:
IPMI: Intelligent Platform Management Interface Specification
l
describes the higher-level architecture, the current commands, event formats, data
packets and properties that are used in IPMI-based systems.
IPMB: Intelligent Platform Management Bus
l
is an I
between various modules in a common housing.
IPMB can also be used as a standardized interface for remote management modules.
ICMB: Intelligent Chassis Management Bus
l
(Not currently implemented in the remote management environment.)
provides a standardized interface for exchange of platform management
information and for control across systems. ICMB is designed in such a way that it
can be implemented with a device that is connected to the IPMB.
IPMI implementation
The core element of an IPMI implementation is the Baseboard Management Controller
(BMC).
Cisco C880 M5 Configuration Guide
2
C based (write only) bus, which provides a standardized connection
2.1 Technical Background
9