What are temperature sensors?

• A. Onboard sensors that report CPU, DIMM, inlet, and outlet temps to BMC for thermal control.
• B. Sensors for measuring room temperature.
• C. Valves that regulate coolant.
• D. Power supply temperature alarms only.

Answer: (A)

Temperature sensors are built into server hardware to monitor the heat levels of critical components and guide cooling. They measure temperatures such as the CPU die, memory DIMMs, and the airflow in and out of the chassis, and report this data to the BMC (Baseboard Management Controller). With this information, the system can adjust cooling—like fan speeds and cooling thresholds—and raise alerts if temperatures approach unsafe levels. This onboard, component-level sensing is what enables precise, proactive thermal management inside the server.

Room temperature sensors, by contrast, monitor the surrounding environment rather than the hardware itself, and valves that regulate coolant are part of the cooling system, not sensors. Power supply temperature alarms exist, but the broader concept of temperature sensors is about the onboard sensors used for real-time thermal control.