How to upgrade Windows Server 2003 R2 to Windows Server 2008 on a computer that includes a Baseboard Management Controller and a root-enumerated IPMI device

This article describes how to upgrade a Windows Server 2003 R2-based computer to Windows Server 2008 in the following scenario:

• You installed the Hardware Management optional component in Windows Server 2003 R2.
• The computer has a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC).
• You installed a root-enumerated Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) device on the computer.
• The system BIOS only supports detecting BMC devices through type 38 in the System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) table.

Notes

• A BMC is a microcontroller that is attached locally to a server. BMCs have sensors that monitor the physical state of the server. And, BMCs have a separate network connection that can communicate over the network, even if the server is offline. You have access to BMC data through the IPMI Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider.
• A root-enumerated device is a child of a system root device.

Why the Microsoft IPMI driver may not load in Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 does not support detecting BMC devices through the SMBIOS table from Microsoft IPMI drivers. The BMC device information that is used by the Microsoft IPMI driver for communication must be described in the ACPI namespace of the system BIOS. If the root-enumerated device is not removed before the upgrade, the Microsoft IPMI driver may not load in Windows Server 2008.

When you can upgrade directly to Windows Server 2008

If you updated the system BIOS to a version that supports BMC detection by using ACPI before you installed the Hardware Management optional component in Windows Server 2003 R2, you do not have to take the actions that are described in this article. You can directly upgrade the computer to Windows Server 2008.

How to upgrade Windows Server 2003 R2 to Windows Server 2008

Before you start the upgrade, you must remove the IPMI device and update the BIOS in Windows Server 2003 R2. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Remove the IPMI device by using one of the following methods, as appropriate for your situation.
   • If you have a Microsoft IPMI device
     
     At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
     Rundll32 ipmisetp,RemoveTheDevice
   • If you have a third-party IPMI device
     
     
     1. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
        devmgmt.msc
     2. In Device Manager, expand System Devices.
     3. Right-click the third-party IPMI device, and then click Uninstall.
2. Update the system BIOS to a version that exposes BMC device information through the ACPI namespace.
3. Restart the computer.
4. Upgrade to Windows Server 2008.

Important If a third-party IPMI device is installed in Windows Server 2008, you must uninstall the IPMI device before you update the system BIOS to a version that supports BMC detection by using ACPI. A restart may be required after the system BIOS is updated.