How to get the BMC password for a server
TL;DR - Quick Commands
Web UI
- Go to: argo-workflows-ui -> Workflow Templates -> find and select bmc-password template
- Click Submit → Enter BMC IP address → Click Submit
- Check logs for the generated password
CLI
# Submit workflow
argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password -p ip_address=192.168.1.100
# Check status
argo -n argo-events list
# Get password from logs (replace with actual workflow name)
argo -n argo-events logs <workflow-name>
first line in log is password
# Submit and immediately follow logs
WORKFLOW=$(argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password -p ip_address=192.168.1.100 -o name) && argo -n argo-events logs $WORKFLOW -f
Overview
The BMC Password workflow generates standard BMC passwords for given IP addresses using the Understack workflow system. This workflow retrieves the master secret from a Kubernetes secret and generates a deterministic password based on the BMC IP address.
Prerequisites
- Access to the Argo Workflows cluster
- Valid BMC IP address
- Required secrets (
bmc-master
) must be available in the cluster
Usage
Web UI Usage
-
Run Argo Workflow Template bmc-password
- find and select
bmc-password
workflow template - Click the "Submit" button on the workflow template page
- Fill in the required parameters:
- ip_address: Enter the BMC IP address (e.g.,
192.168.1.100
)
- ip_address: Enter the BMC IP address (e.g.,
- find and select
-
Monitor Execution
- After submission, you'll be redirected to the workflow execution page
- Monitor the progress of your workflow in real-time
- View logs by clicking on the workflow step
-
View Results
- Once the workflow completes successfully, the generated password will be available in the logs
- Navigate to the workflow step and check the container logs for the password output
CLI Usage
Prerequisites for CLI
- Install Argo CLI: Follow the official installation guide
- Configure kubectl access to the cluster
- Ensure you have access to the
argo-events
namespace
Submit Workflow
# Basic usage
argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password \
-p ip_address=<BMC_IP_ADDRESS>
# Example with specific IP
argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password \
-p ip_address=192.168.1.100
# Submit with a custom workflow name
argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password \
-p ip_address=10.0.1.50 \
--name bmc-password-server-01
Monitor Workflow
# List all workflows
argo -n argo-events list
# Get specific workflow status
argo -n argo-events get <workflow-name>
# Follow workflow logs in real-time
argo -n argo-events logs <workflow-name> -f
# Get logs for completed workflow
argo -n argo-events logs <workflow-name>
Example Complete Session
# Submit the workflow
$ argo -n argo-events submit --from workflowtemplate/bmc-password -p ip_address=192.168.1.100
Name: bmc-password-abc123
Namespace: argo-events
ServiceAccount: argo-workflow-sa
Status: Pending
Created: Mon Sep 24 07:30:00 UTC 2025
# Check status
$ argo -n argo-events get bmc-password-abc123
Name: bmc-password-abc123
Namespace: argo-events
ServiceAccount: argo-workflow-sa
Status: Succeeded
Created: Mon Sep 24 07:30:00 UTC 2025
Started: Mon Sep 24 07:30:05 UTC 2025
Finished: Mon Sep 24 07:30:25 UTC 2025
Duration: 20 seconds
# Get the generated password from logs
$ argo -n argo-events logs bmc-password-abc123
bmc-password-abc123-bmc-password-1234567890: s8eso3LbI/bqZ4APxz1n
Parameters
Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
ip_address |
string | Yes | BMC IP address for password generation | 192.168.1.100 |
Output
The workflow outputs the generated BMC password to the container logs. The password is printed as a single line and can be retrieved from the workflow logs.
Example Output: