There could be many reasons why an administrator would want to perform a factory reset of the IPMI/BMC module. Whatever the reason maybe, knowing the different options and its differences is important.
Using ipmitool, we can perform 3 types of resets each with its own implication.
- Reset BMC
- Partial factory reset (IPMI and BMC reset but will preserve Network settings)
- Full factory Default reset (Potential to lose IPMI network settings)
Before you execute any of these commands, note the IP_Addr, Net mask and GW IP_Addr for the IPMI.
ipmitool lan print
Usage note: On VMware ESXi hypervisor, place a leading "/" in front of "ipmitool", for example, "/ipmitool". The executable is located at the top-level root directory.
Check out the KB-8123 for detailed instructions.