IPMI Fan Controller v2

A simpler, more robust fan controller for Dell T710 and compatible servers using IPMI.

What's Different from v1?

• Direct host execution - No Docker networking complications
• Better error recovery - Automatically reconnects on IPMI failures
• Simpler codebase - Easier to debug and modify
• Working web UI - Clean, responsive dashboard
• CLI testing mode - Test without starting the web server

Quick Start

1. Install

cd ~/projects/fan-controller-v2
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

This will:

• Install Python dependencies
• Create systemd service
• Set up config in /etc/ipmi-fan-controller/

2. Configure

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/ipmi-fan-controller/config.json

Set your IPMI credentials:

{
  "host": "192.168.1.100",
  "username": "root",
  "password": "your-password",
  "port": 623
}

3. Start

sudo systemctl start ipmi-fan-controller

Open the web UI at http://your-server:8000

CLI Testing

Test the IPMI connection without the web server:

python3 fan_controller.py 192.168.1.100 root password

This will:

1. Test the connection
2. Show temperatures and fan speeds
3. Try manual fan control (30% → 50% → auto)

Features

Automatic Control

• Adjusts fan speed based on CPU temperature
• Configurable fan curve (temp → speed mapping)
• Panic mode: sets fans to 100% if temp exceeds threshold

Manual Control

• Set any fan speed from 0-100%
• Override automatic control temporarily

Safety Features

• Returns to automatic control on shutdown
• Reconnects automatically if IPMI connection drops
• Panic temperature protection

Configuration Options

{
  "host": "192.168.1.100",        // IPMI IP address
  "username": "root",              // IPMI username
  "password": "secret",            // IPMI password
  "port": 623,                     // IPMI port (default: 623)
  "enabled": false,                // Start automatic control on boot
  "interval": 10,                  // Check interval in seconds
  "min_speed": 10,                 // Minimum fan speed (%)
  "max_speed": 100,                // Maximum fan speed (%)
  "panic_temp": 85,                // Panic mode trigger (°C)
  "panic_speed": 100,              // Panic mode fan speed (%)
  "fan_curve": [                   // Temp (°C) → Speed (%) mapping
    {"temp": 30, "speed": 15},
    {"temp": 40, "speed": 25},
    {"temp": 50, "speed": 40},
    {"temp": 60, "speed": 60},
    {"temp": 70, "speed": 80},
    {"temp": 80, "speed": 100}
  ]
}

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

1. Verify IPMI is enabled in BIOS/iDRAC
2. Test manually: ipmitool -I lanplus -H <ip> -U <user> -P <pass> mc info
3. Check firewall allows port 623

Fans Not Responding

1. Some Dell servers need 3rd party PCIe response disabled
2. Try enabling manual mode first via web UI
3. Check IPMI user has admin privileges

Service Won't Start

# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u ipmi-fan-controller -f

# Check config is valid JSON
sudo python3 -c "import json; json.load(open('/etc/ipmi-fan-controller/config.json'))"

Files

• fan_controller.py - Core IPMI control logic
• web_server.py - FastAPI web interface
• install.sh - Installation script
• requirements.txt - Python dependencies

License

MIT License - Feel free to modify and distribute.