Platform independent management controller

DCMI functionality is extended to platforms of a datacenter by integrating a management controller in each of plural platforms and interfacing the management controllers with a management server through a network. End users interface with platforms of the datacenter using DCMI protocol communications. The management server supports communication with management controllers by receiving DCMI messages and translating the DCMI messages to a text-based protocol for communications with the management controllers. In one embodiment, the management controllers push sensor information for their associated platforms to a sensor cache of the management server so that the management sensor references the cache to respond to DCMI requests for sensor information.