Here's a recent discussion about these beasts: https://securityledger.com/2014/06/ipmis-inconvenient-truth-a-conversation-with-dan-farmer/ https://securityledg

Here's a recent discussion about these beasts: https://securityledger.com/2014/06/ipmis-inconvenient-truth-a-conversation-with-dan-farmer/ https://securityledger.com/2014/06/ipmis-inconvenient-truth-... IPMI is one of the foundations of what iLO/iDRAC n that do for a living. They are really useful - I've used them countless times to do updates and so on from afar. It's a bloody long drive from say South Somerset to say Hull in Yorkshire to pick up the pieces from breaking a boot loader. Instead I can mount a boot .ISO locally and after a while a remote box is running an installer or repair image. However, ideally put them on their own VLAN to protect your stuff from them and do only allow access from the outside via a VPN. Never port forward to one directly or IPv6 allow direct inward access.