Overview

Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) is a remote server management processor embedded on the system boards of HP ProLiant and Blade servers that allows controlling and monitoring of HP servers from a remote location. HP iLO Management is a powerful tool that provides multiple ways to configure, update, monitor, and run servers remotely.

Information

iLO is a proprietary embedded server management technology by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise which provides out-of-band management facilities. The physical connection is an Ethernet port that can be found on most ProLiant servers and microservers of the 300 and above series. iLO is composed of two basic elements: an embedded iLO Management card and the Management software. 

Features

iLO makes it possible to perform activities on an HP server from a remote location. The iLO card has a separate network connection (and its own IP address) to which one can connect via HTTPS. Possible options are:

• Reset the server (in case the server doesn't respond anymore via the network card)
• Power up the server (possible to do this from a remote location, even if the server is shut down)
• Remote system console (in some cases however an 'Advanced license' may be required for some of the utilities to work)
• Mount remote physical CD/DVD drive or image (virtual media), depending on the license.
• Access the server's Integrated Management Log (IML)
• Can be manipulated remotely through XML-based Remote Insight Board Command Language (RIBCL)
• Full command-line interface support through RS-232 port (shared with the system), though the inability to enter function keys prevents certain operations
• SSH remote network access to iLO card supporting public key authentication, 1024 bit DSA key, at least since iLO 3
• iLO FederationTwo-factor authentication
• Remote Syslog (depends on the license).

iLO provides some other utilities virtual power and a remote console. It is either embedded on the system board or available as a PCI card.

iLO Management Card

• The iLO Management card has its own network connection and IP address to which server administrators can connect via Domain Name System (DNS) / Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or through a separate dedicated management network.
  
  
  
  The iLO port is an Ethernet port, which can be enabled through the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU).
  
  

iLO Web-based console

• iLO provides a remote Web-based console, which can be used to administer the server remotely.
  
  
  
  In this web service, you can find information about system failures, hardware failures, etc.
  
  

This tool is particularly useful to discover issues with failing servers, most of all when these issues are related to Hardware failures. You can find more information about setting up this tool by checking the vendor's official iLO support page HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO 4) - Setting Up iLO.