Intel server-motherboards have had "Intelligent Platform Management Initiative" features since at least early 1997, when I started working with them. This includes a "baseboard management controller" that handles remote management of motherboard hardware, including CMOS settings, DMI event logs, and health monitoring.
In the new server boards, a serial-console is available that can be used to access the CMOS setup program via serial connection. It's very cool! I am planning to hook my terminal server up to my two new production Intel servers so that I can telnet to the console port to change BIOS settings. If I had the proverbial 'server on the oil rig in the middle of the North Sea', I'd _really_ want this feature.
ACPI would provide remote-powerdown capability-- but access to the CMOS setup in BIOS would _have_ to involve some kind of BIOS console redirection.
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Intel server-motherboards have had "Intelligent Platform Management Initiative" features since at least early 1997, when I started working with them. This includes a "baseboard management controller" that handles remote management of motherboard hardware, including CMOS settings, DMI event logs, and health monitoring.
In the new server boards, a serial-console is available that can be used to access the CMOS setup program via serial connection. It's very cool! I am planning to hook my terminal server up to my two new production Intel servers so that I can telnet to the console port to change BIOS settings. If I had the proverbial 'server on the oil rig in the middle of the North Sea', I'd _really_ want this feature.
ACPI would provide remote-powerdown capability-- but access to the CMOS setup in BIOS would _have_ to involve some kind of BIOS console redirection.