Python IPMI Library

Common errors

• Error. timeout: timed out

  cause The IPMI target (BMC) did not respond within the expected timeframe during session establishment or command execution. This often indicates network issues, an incorrect target IP, or an unresponsive BMC.
  fix Verify the IPMI host IP address and network connectivity. Check if the BMC is powered on and its IPMI services are enabled. Consider increasing the timeout settings if network latency is expected, though this specific error message implies a hard timeout has been reached.

• pyipmi.errors.CompletionCodeError: cc=0xYY desc=Invalid data field in Request

  cause A command was sent with invalid or improperly formatted data for the specific BMC or IPMI version, or the BMC returned a non-success completion code indicating an invalid request.
  fix Consult the IPMI specification and your BMC's specific documentation to ensure the command parameters are correct. Verify the arguments passed to `python-ipmi` methods match the expected format for your target device. Check GitHub issues for similar problems with your specific BMC model.

• ImportError: cannot import name 'pyipmi'

  cause The `python-ipmi` library was not installed correctly or is not accessible in the current Python environment.
  fix Ensure the library is installed with `pip install python-ipmi`. Verify that the Python environment where you are running your script is the same one where the library was installed. If using virtual environments, activate it before running your script.

Warnings

• deprecated Python 2.x support is deprecated. While older documentation mentions Python 3.x support being in beta, the latest PyPI and GitHub README state that Python > 3.6 is currently supported.
  Fix: Ensure your project uses Python 3.6 or newer. Upgrade your Python environment if necessary.
• gotcha Using the 'ipmitool' interface type requires the external `ipmitool` binary to be installed and accessible in the system's PATH. This is not a pure Python solution and introduces an external dependency.
  Fix: If using `pyipmi.interfaces.create_interface('ipmitool')`, ensure `ipmitool` is installed on your system. For a pure Python solution, use the 'rmcp' interface.
• gotcha The library may occasionally hang during `session.establish()` or certain IPMI command calls (e.g., `get_chassis_status()`), especially if the BMC is under heavy load or unresponsive.
  Fix: Implement robust error handling and timeouts around IPMI calls. Consider retries with exponential backoff. If using native RMCP, try switching to the 'ipmitool' backend (with `ipmitool` installed) to see if the issue persists, or test against a BMC simulator to narrow down if it's a library or BMC issue.
• gotcha Installing `python-ipmi` via `conda install python-ipmi` is explicitly warned against in the documentation and will not work.
  Fix: Always use `pip install python-ipmi` for installation, even within a Conda environment.

Install

• pip install python-ipmi PyPI

Imports

• pyipmi

  import pyipmi

  Main library import for core IPMI functionality.
• pyipmi.interfaces

  import pyipmi.interfaces

  Required for creating interface instances like RMCP or ipmitool backend.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to establish an IPMI session using the native RMCP interface and retrieve the device ID. It relies on environment variables for sensitive connection details.

import os
import pyipmi
import pyipmi.interfaces

# Environment variables for IPMI connection details
IPMI_HOST = os.environ.get('IPMI_HOST', '192.168.1.100')
IPMI_USER = os.environ.get('IPMI_USER', 'admin')
IPMI_PASSWORD = os.environ.get('IPMI_PASSWORD', 'password')

interface = None
connection = None
try:
    # Using the native RMCP interface (IPMI over LAN)
    interface = pyipmi.interfaces.create_interface('rmcp')
    
    connection = pyipmi.create_connection(interface)
    connection.target = pyipmi.Target(IPMI_HOST)
    connection.session.set_session_type_rmcp(username=IPMI_USER, password=IPMI_PASSWORD)
    
    print(f"Attempting to establish session to {IPMI_HOST}...")
    connection.session.establish()
    print("Session established successfully.")

    # Get Device ID command
    device_id_response = connection.get_device_id()
    print(f"Device ID: {device_id_response.device_id_string}")
    print(f"Manufacturer ID: {hex(device_id_response.manufacturer_id)}")
    print(f"Product ID: {hex(device_id_response.product_id)}")
    print(f"Firmware Revision: {device_id_response.firmware_revision.major}.{device_id_response.firmware_revision.minor}")

except pyipmi.errors.IpmiError as e:
    print(f"IPMI Error: {e}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An unexpected error occurred: {e}")
finally:
    if connection:
        try:
            connection.session.close()
            print("Session closed.")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error closing session: {e}")