Let’s talk about Lights Out ManagementSolved

Yeah, LOM is a lifesaver, until it isn’t. IT admins managing massive data centers swear by it. Servers from Dell, HPE, and others come with built-in LOM solutions like iDRAC and iLO, letting you reboot, reinstall the OS, or monitor hardware health remotely, pretty sweet, right? But then there’s the fun part. I came across an article that pointed out a tiny little issue: security. If someone gains unauthorized access, they can wipe everything remotely. Poof. Just like that, your entire infrastructure is up in the air. So yeah, LOM is powerful, but it’s definitely a double-edged sword.

https://www.bitraser.com/blog/remote-wiping-of-servers-using-lom-technology/

Good point, @josiah. If it isn’t guarded properly, we can’t guarantee the safety of even a safety pin. That’s why proper authentication and access restrictions are essential. IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), the open standard for LOM, has had its fair share of vulnerabilities in the past. If an organisation doesn’t secure it properly, an attacker could exploit default credentials. iDRAC and iLO have certainly improved their security features, but let’s be honest, misconfigurations can still turn them into a liability.

https://www.muutech.com/en/server-monitoring-with-ilo-hp-idrac-dell-and-ipmi-technologies-with-zabbix

I can throw in some benefits if y’all are looking for some. Remote troubleshooting through LOM cuts downtime big time. Imagine a system failure in a data center miles away. Without LOM, you’d have to send someone in. With it, though, you can diagnose and fix the issue in minutes from anywhere. In this fast-paced, tech-driven world, remote management is one of the best ways to tackle problems. Apple had something similar with Xserve:

https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/deployment/dep580cf25bc/web

Anyway, these days, they’re more focused on device management than remote server control. (Oh, it’s our little ‘secret’… 🤫)

I think it’s an interesting shift by Apple. They’ve moved towards managed deployments instead of the traditional server LOM. However, in enterprise environments, LOM remains irreplaceable. It’s the backbone of efficient IT infrastructure, especially with automation and AI-driven monitoring.

For a more detailed look at LOM, check out this blog by Robert Sheldon, published by tekmart, which provides clear insights on the topic:

https://tekmart.co.za/t-blog/what-is-lights-out-management-lom-and-how-does-it-relate-to-dark-data-center

Hey @aitana, it looks like the blog link you posted has the same content as the first article you shared.

Anyway, LOM isn’t just about remote power control, it also integrates with monitoring tools to predict failures before they happen. Data centers using LOM with predictive analytics can prevent downtime instead of just reacting to it.

Oh yeah, never mind then. So, this is what we’ve got so far. On LOM, security has to come first. It’s powerful but a huge risk if misconfigured, so strong access controls, audits, and updates are key. Done right, it streamlines IT management, done wrong, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. The real challenge is balancing convenience and security.

I’m excited to see how AI and automation push LOM forward!