An administrator needs to monitor server applications in the company's data center. Which of the following tools would the administrator need to accomplish this objective?

SMS (Short Message Service) is a cellular text messaging protocol and has no capability for monitoring or managing server hardware or applications in a data center.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used to send and relay email between mail servers and cannot query or monitor server hardware status or application health.

IPMI is a standardized hardware management interface that operates through the server's Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), independent of the server's operating system. It allows administrators to monitor critical server metrics such as CPU temperature, power draw, fan speeds, voltage levels, and hardware fault events. This makes IPMI the correct and purpose-built tool for monitoring the operational status of servers and their infrastructure in a data center.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is primarily designed to monitor and manage network infrastructure devices such as routers and switches, and is not the designated protocol for direct server hardware monitoring.