Before we can add IPMI items to Zabbix, we should test the IPMI access. By default, IPMI uses UDP port 623, so make sure it is not blocked by a firewall. Check whether your Zabbix server has the ipmitool package installed—if not, install it, and then execute the following:

$ ipmitool -U zabbix -H <IP address of the IPMI host> -I lanplus -L user sdr
Password:  

Provide the password that you set in the IPMI configuration. We are using user-level access, as specified by the -L user flag, so that administrative privileges should not be required for the Zabbix IPMI user. The -I lanplus flag instructs ipmitool to use the IPMI v2.0 LAN interface, and the sensor command queries the host for the available sensors. If your device has IPMI running on a non-default port, you can specify the port with the -p flag.

The output will contain a bunch of sensors, possibly including the following:

BB +5.0V         | 4.97 Volts        | ok 
Baseboard Temp   | 23 degrees C      | ok 
System Fan 2     | 3267 RPM          | ok 
Power Unit Stat  | 0x00              | ok 

That looks like useful data, so let's try to monitor the fan's RPM in Zabbix. Do the following in the frontend:

1. Navigate to Configuration | Hosts. To keep things organized, let's create a new host for our IPMI monitoring—click on Create host, and then enter the following values:

• • Name: IPMI host.
  • Groups: Click on Select and choose Linux servers, or type it in the Groups box and select the group when it shows up.
  • IPMI interfaces: Click on the Add control and enter the IPMI address, and then click on Remove next to Agent interfaces.

2. Switch to the IPMI tab, and enter the following values:

• • IPMI username: Enter the username used for IPMI access
  • IPMI password: Enter the password you set for IPMI access

If you set a long IPMI password, you will see an error that the max allowed password field is 20 characters, as shown in the following screenshot. This is normal, as the maximum password length for IPMI v2.0 is 20 characters:

3. If you have a different configuration for IPMI, such as a different privilege level or port, set them appropriately. When done, click on the Add button at the bottom.

For this host, we reused the Linux servers group—feel free to add it in a separate group.