An apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling the internal state of a computer system, in particular, a computer server. The computer system includes one or more subsystems. These subsystems provide one or more management signals at a system management slot. The computer system also includes an I/O bus slot coupled to an I/O bus of the computer system. A system management agent is coupled to both the system management slot and the I/O bus slot. The system management agent includes a processor and a memory system coupled to the processor. The system management agent also includes a communications interface coupled to the processor and the memory system.