bmctools 0.1.3

A collection of tools for interacting with Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs)

BMCTools

A Python library and CLI for managing Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs) across multiple vendors. Supports Redfish, IPMI, and RACADM protocols with automatic manufacturer detection and vendor-specific extensions.

Features

• Multi-Protocol Support: Redfish API, IPMI (via ipmitool), and RACADM (Dell)
• Automatic Manufacturer Detection: Connects to the BMC, identifies the vendor, and loads the correct implementation
• Vendor-Specific Implementations:
  • Dell iDRAC: Full boot management, PXE setup, NIC discovery, user roles, local access control
  • ASUS: Boot order staging via FutureState endpoint, TPM management, firmware updates
  • Supermicro: Boot order and boot option queries
• Boot Management: Get/set boot order, list boot options, search by MAC address or alias
• PXE Automation: Enable PXE on a NIC by MAC address, set boot order, and reboot - all in one command
• Firmware Updates: Upload BIOS and BMC firmware via Redfish
• Multiple Output Formats: JSON, pretty JSON, table, and plain text
• Environment Variable Support: Configure connections via env vars for scripting

Installation

From PyPI

pip install bmctools

From Source

git clone https://github.com/jessebutryn/bmctools.git
cd bmctools
pip install -e .

Requirements

• Python 3.9+
• requests
• ipmitool (optional, for IPMI commands)
• racadm (optional, for Dell RACADM commands)

Quick Start

CLI Usage

# Set connection details via environment variables
export BMC_HOST=10.10.10.10
export BMC_USERNAME=admin
export BMC_PASSWORD=password

# Get boot order
bmctools redfish boot get-order

# Or pass connection details inline
bmctools -i 10.10.10.10 -u admin -p password redfish boot get-order

# Force a specific manufacturer (skip auto-detection)
bmctools -m dell redfish dell get-nics

Python Library Usage

from bmctools.redfish.redfish import Redfish

# Auto-detects manufacturer and loads appropriate implementation
rf = Redfish('10.10.10.10', 'admin', 'password', verify_ssl=False)
print(f"Manufacturer: {rf.manufacturer}")
print(f"System ID: {rf.system_id}")

# Get boot order
boot_order = rf.get_boot_order()

# Find a boot option by MAC address
option = rf.get_boot_option_by_mac('04:32:01:D8:C0:B0')

# Set boot order (must include ALL boot options)
rf.set_boot_order(["Boot0003", "Boot0001", "Boot0000", "Boot0002"])

Global Options

Option	Env Variable	Description
-i, --ip, --host	BMC_HOST	BMC IP address or hostname
-u, --username	BMC_USERNAME	BMC username
-p, --password	BMC_PASSWORD	BMC password
-m, --manufacturer	BMC_MANUFACTURER	Force manufacturer: asus, dell, supermicro
-k, --insecure	BMC_INSECURE	Disable SSL verification
-o, --output		Output format: json, json-pretty, table, text
-v, --verbose		Enable verbose output
-d, --debug		Enable debug mode (show stack traces)
--no-color	NO_COLOR	Disable colored output
--version		Show version

CLI Command Reference

Redfish Boot Management

bmctools redfish boot <command>

Command	Description
get-order [--staged]	Get current boot order. --staged shows pending order (ASUS).
set-order -o ORDER	Set boot order. Comma-separated list (e.g., Boot0003,Boot0001,Boot0000).
set-order --order-file FILE	Set boot order from a file (one entry per line).
list-options [--no-cache]	List all available boot options.
find-by-mac -m MAC [--type TYPE]	Find boot option by MAC address. Optional type filter (e.g., PXE).
find-by-alias -a ALIAS	Find boot option by display name or alias.
get-pending	Get pending boot order (ASUS FutureState endpoint).

Examples:

# Get current boot order
bmctools redfish boot get-order

# List all boot options with details
bmctools redfish boot list-options -o json-pretty

# Find the PXE boot option for a specific NIC
bmctools redfish boot find-by-mac -m 04:32:01:D8:C0:B0 --type PXE

# Set a new boot order
bmctools redfish boot set-order -o "Boot0003,Boot0001,Boot0000,Boot0002"

Redfish Firmware Management

bmctools redfish firmware <command>

Command	Description
inventory	Get firmware inventory (BIOS, BMC versions, etc.)
status	Get update service status
update-bios -f FILE	Update BIOS firmware from a local file
update-bmc -f FILE [--no-preserve-config]	Update BMC firmware. Preserves config by default.

Redfish System Management

bmctools redfish system <command>

Command	Description
reset [--type TYPE]	Reset/reboot the system. Types: GracefulRestart, ForceRestart, ForceOff, On, etc.
reset-types	List supported reset types for this system
info	Get system information (manufacturer, system ID, IP)

Redfish TPM Management (ASUS)

bmctools redfish tpm <command>

Command	Description
set-state --state Enabled|Disabled	Set TPM state

Dell-Specific Commands

bmctools redfish dell <command>

NIC Discovery

Command	Description
get-nics	List all NICs with MAC addresses, speed, and status
get-nic-attrs -m MAC	Get OEM network attributes for a specific NIC

Example:

# List all NICs and their MAC addresses
bmctools redfish dell get-nics -o json-pretty

# Get detailed attributes for a specific NIC
bmctools redfish dell get-nic-attrs -m 04:32:01:D8:C0:B0

PXE Boot Setup

Command	Description
setup-pxe-boot -m MAC [--protocol PROTO] [--no-reboot]	Enable PXE on a NIC and set it first in boot order. Handles the full workflow automatically.
enable-pxe -m MAC [--protocol PROTO]	Enable PXE on a NIC via BIOS Settings (stages only, requires reboot).
boot-first-by-mac -m MAC [--type TYPE]	Move a boot option to the front of the boot order by MAC address.

The setup-pxe-boot command is the recommended way to configure PXE boot. It handles two scenarios automatically:

Scenario 1: PXE already enabled on the NIC

• Moves the PXE boot option to the front of the boot order
• No reboot required
• Returns boot_order_set: true

Scenario 2: PXE not yet enabled

• Configures a BIOS PxeDev slot for the NIC
• Sets one-time boot to PXE
• Reboots the system (unless --no-reboot)
• Returns boot_order_set: false - run boot-first-by-mac after reboot to make permanent

Example automation workflow:

# Step 1: Enable PXE and reboot if needed
result=$(bmctools redfish dell setup-pxe-boot -m 04:32:01:D8:C0:B0)

# Step 2: Check if boot order still needs to be set
boot_order_set=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.boot_order_set')
if [ "$boot_order_set" = "false" ]; then
    # Wait for reboot to complete, then set permanent boot order
    sleep 300
    bmctools redfish dell boot-first-by-mac -m 04:32:01:D8:C0:B0 --type PXE
fi

Protocol options: IPv4 (default), IPv6, IPv4andIPv6

Boot Options

Command	Description
get-boot-options [--no-cache]	Get all Dell boot options
onetime-boot --source SOURCE	Set one-time boot source (Pxe, Cd, Hdd, BiosSetup, None)

iDRAC Administration

Command	Description
create-role --name NAME --privileges PRIVS	Create an iDRAC user role with a privilege bitmask
local-access --enable|--disable	Toggle local iDRAC access

IPMI Commands

Requires ipmitool to be installed on the system.

bmctools ipmi <group> <command>

Power Management

Command	Description
ipmi power status	Get power status
ipmi power on	Power on the system
ipmi power off	Power off the system
ipmi power reset	Hard reset the system

BMC Management

Command	Description
ipmi bmc reset-warm	Warm reset the BMC
ipmi bmc reset-cold	Cold reset the BMC

System Event Log

Command	Description
ipmi sel list [--elist] [--raw] [--age AGE]	List system event log. --age filters (e.g., 7d, 24h).

Serial Over LAN

Command	Description
ipmi sol deactivate	Deactivate SOL session
ipmi sol looptest [--loops N]	Run SOL loopback test

Raw Commands

Command	Description
ipmi raw COMMAND	Execute a raw IPMI command

RACADM Commands (Dell)

Requires racadm to be installed on the system.

bmctools racadm <group> <command>

Command	Description
get ENDPOINT [--format]	Get configuration from an endpoint
set ENDPOINT [--args ARGS]	Set configuration on an endpoint
storage get ENDPOINT	Get storage configuration
storage check-vdisk [--format]	Check virtual disk status
job view -j JOB_ID	View job details
job status -j JOB_ID	Get job status
job wait -j JOB_ID [--timeout SECS]	Wait for job completion (default timeout: 300s)

Shorthand Aliases

These aliases map to the full commands for convenience:

Alias	Equivalent Command
bmctools get_boot_order	bmctools redfish boot get-order
bmctools set_boot_order	bmctools redfish boot set-order
bmctools get_boot_options	bmctools redfish boot list-options
bmctools reboot	bmctools redfish system reset
bmctools update_bios	bmctools redfish firmware update-bios
bmctools update_bmc	bmctools redfish firmware update-bmc
bmctools power_on	bmctools ipmi power on
bmctools power_off	bmctools ipmi power off
bmctools power_status	bmctools ipmi power status

Python Library Reference

Redfish Client

from bmctools.redfish.redfish import Redfish

rf = Redfish(ip, username, password, verify_ssl=False, manufacturer=None)

The manufacturer parameter is optional. If not provided, it is auto-detected from the Redfish API. Valid values: asus, dell, supermicro.

Common Methods (All Manufacturers)

rf.get_boot_order()                                    # -> list of boot option refs
rf.get_boot_options(nocache=False)                     # -> list of boot option dicts
rf.get_boot_option_by_mac(mac, type=None, nocache=False)  # -> boot option dict
rf.get_boot_option_by_alias(alias, nocache=False)      # -> boot option dict
rf.set_boot_order(["Boot0003", "Boot0001", ...])       # must include ALL options
rf.reset_system(reset_type=None)                       # GracefulRestart by default
rf.get_supported_reset_types()                         # -> dict with 'types' list
rf.get_firmware_inventory()                            # -> firmware version dict
rf.get_update_service_info()                           # -> update service status
rf.update_bmc_firmware(path, preserve_config=True)     # -> update status dict
rf.update_bios_firmware(path)                          # -> update status dict

Dell-Specific Methods

Access via rf.manufacturer_class:

dell = rf.manufacturer_class

# NIC discovery
dell.get_network_interfaces()              # -> list of EthernetInterface dicts
dell.get_nic_attributes('04:32:01:D8:C0:B0')  # -> OEM attributes dict

# PXE setup
dell.setup_pxe_boot(mac, protocol='IPv4', reboot=True)  # -> result with boot_order_set flag
dell.enable_nic_pxe(mac, protocol='IPv4')                # -> stages BIOS PxeDev setting
dell.set_boot_first_by_mac(mac, boot_type='PXE')         # -> moves option to front

# Boot management
dell.set_next_onetime_boot('Pxe')          # one-time boot override

# iDRAC administration
dell.create_user_group(name, privileges)   # create iDRAC role
dell.toggle_local_idrac_access(disable)    # toggle local access (inverted semantics)

ASUS-Specific Methods

asus = rf.manufacturer_class

asus.get_pending_boot_order()              # -> pending order from FutureState endpoint
asus.set_trusted_module_state('Enabled')   # TPM management

Direct API Access

For operations not covered by the high-level interface:

rf = Redfish('10.10.10.10', 'admin', 'password')

# Raw HTTP methods
response = rf.api.get('/redfish/v1/Systems')
response = rf.api.post('/redfish/v1/...', data={...})
response = rf.api.patch('/redfish/v1/...', data={...}, headers={...})
response = rf.api.delete('/redfish/v1/...')

# File uploads
rf.api.post_file('/redfish/v1/UpdateService/upload', '/path/to/firmware.bin')
rf.api.post_multipart('/redfish/v1/UpdateService/upload', '/path/to/firmware.bin', params)

IPMI Client

from bmctools.ipmi.ipmitool import IpmiTool

ipmi = IpmiTool('10.10.10.10', 'admin', 'password')
ipmi.power_status()       # -> power status string
ipmi.power_on()
ipmi.power_off()
ipmi.power_reset()
ipmi.bmc_reset_warm()
ipmi.bmc_reset_cold()
ipmi.sel_list(elist=False, raw=False, age='7d')
ipmi.sol_deactivate()
ipmi.ipmitool_command('raw 0x06 0x01')  # arbitrary ipmitool command

RACADM Client

from bmctools.racadm.racadm import Racadm

racadm = Racadm('10.10.10.10', 'admin', 'password')
racadm.get('BIOS.SysProfileSettings')
racadm.set('BIOS.SysProfileSettings', arguments=['SysProfile=Custom'])
racadm.check_vdisk()
racadm.jobqueue_view(job_id)
racadm.jobqueue_status(job_id)
racadm.jobqueue_wait(job_id)

Architecture

Manufacturer Detection Flow

Redfish.__init__()
  -> GET /redfish/v1/Systems          (find system ID)
  -> GET /redfish/v1/Systems/{id}     (read Manufacturer field)
  -> instantiate_manufacturer_class() (load DellFish, AsusFish, or SMCFish)

All high-level Redfish methods delegate to the manufacturer-specific class. You can also access the manufacturer class directly via rf.manufacturer_class for vendor-specific operations.

Vendor Implementation Details

Feature	Dell	ASUS	Supermicro
Boot order get/set	System + Settings endpoint	FutureState (SD) with ETag	Systems/1
Boot option search by MAC	RelatedItem link traversal	UEFI device path parsing	Not implemented
Firmware updates	Not yet implemented	Multipart upload	Not yet implemented
PXE management	BIOS PxeDev attributes	N/A	N/A
NIC discovery	EthernetInterfaces	N/A	N/A
TPM management	N/A	OEM endpoint with ETag	N/A

Caching

Boot options are cached after the first retrieval to minimize API calls. Use nocache=True to force a fresh query:

options = rf.get_boot_options()             # cached
options = rf.get_boot_options(nocache=True)  # fresh query

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	General error
2	Connection error
3	Feature not implemented for this manufacturer
4	Invalid arguments
5	File not found
6	Operation timeout

Development

Docker Build

make build    # Build the Docker image
make shell    # Launch a shell in the container

The Docker build uses --platform linux/amd64 for compatibility with vendor tools.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Author

Jesse Butryn

• GitHub: @jessebutryn