Intel
is a registered trademark and
Microsoft
or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Enterprise Linux
™
OpenManage
,
®
®
®
Pentium
,
Windows
,
Xeon
,
®
,
®
are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries.
and/or its affiliates.
Citrix
the United States and/or other countries.
™
Dell
, the Dell logo,
™
EqualLogic
,
®
®
Core
,
and
AMD Opteron
Windows Server
®
®
,
,
Xen
XenServer
Dell Boomi
™
Compellent
,
®
Celeron
are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
™
AMD Phenom
,
®
Internet Explorer
,
®
and
XenMotion
®
VMware
trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries.
,
vMotion
™
Dell Precision
,
™
KACE
,
™
AMD Sempron
and
®
MS-DOS
,
®
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in
®
,
vCenter
IBM
™
FlexAddress
,
®
Windows Vista
,
,
™
Oracle
®
,
vCenter SRM
®
is a registered trademark of International Business Machines
Supported Web Browsers...................................................................................................................................... 19
Types of Licenses.............................................................................................................................................19
License Component State or Condition and Available Operations.................................................................. 20
Managing Licenses Using CMC Web Interface...............................................................................................20
Managing Licenses Using RACADM................................................................................................................20
Licensable Features In CMC............................................................................................................................ 20
Viewing Localized Versions of the CMC Web Interface.........................................................................................22
How to Use this User's Guide................................................................................................................................. 22
Other Documents You May Need........................................................................................................................... 22
Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site.......................................................................................................23
2 Installing and Setting Up CMC................................................................................................ 25
Before You Begin....................................................................................................................................................25
Checklist To Set up Chassis............................................................................................................................. 25
Installing Remote Access Software on a Management Station............................................................................ 26
Installing RACADM on a Linux Management Station...................................................................................... 26
Uninstalling RACADM From a Linux Management Station.............................................................................. 27
Configuring a Web Browser................................................................................................................................... 27
Microsoft Phishing Filter.................................................................................................................................. 28
Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Fetching.......................................................................................................28
Downloading Files From CMC With Internet Explorer......................................................................................28
Enabling Animations In Internet Explorer........................................................................................................ 29
Setting Up Initial Access to CMC............................................................................................................................29
Interfaces and Protocols to Access CMC.............................................................................................................. 32
Launching CMC Using Other Systems Management Tools............................................................................. 34
Downloading and Updating CMC Firmware........................................................................................................... 34
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name...........................................................................................34
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name Using Web Interface..................................................34
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name Using RACADM..........................................................34
Setting Date and Time on CMC...............................................................................................................................34
Setting Date and Time on CMC Using CMC Web Interface.............................................................................35
Setting Date and Time on CMC Using RACADM..............................................................................................35
Configuring LEDs to Identify Components on the Chassis......................................................................................35
Configuring LED Blinking Using CMC Web Interface.......................................................................................35
Configuring LED Blinking Using RACADM........................................................................................................35
About Standby CMC......................................................................................................................................... 36
Active CMC Election Process.......................................................................................................................... 37
Obtaining Health Status of Redundant CMC.................................................................................................... 37
Configuring Front Panel.......................................................................................................................................... 37
Configuring Power Button................................................................................................................................38
Accessing a Server Using KVM....................................................................................................................... 38
3 Logging in to CMC..................................................................................................................... 41
Accessing CMC Web Interface..............................................................................................................................41
Logging Into CMC as a Local User, Active Directory User, or LDAP User............................................................. 41
Logging in to CMC Using a Smart Card...................................................................................................................42
Logging Into CMC Using Single Sign-on.................................................................................................................43
Logging In To CMC Using Serial, Telnet, Or SSH Console......................................................................................43
Accessing CMC Using RACADM............................................................................................................................43
Logging in to CMC Using Public Key Authentication..............................................................................................44
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions..................................................................................................... 45
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions Using CMC Web Interface....................................................45
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions Using RACADM.................................................................... 46
Updating the CMC Firmware...................................................................................................................................46
Updating CMC Firmware Using RACADM........................................................................................................46
Updating CMC Firmware Using Web Interface................................................................................................47
Updating Chassis Infrastructure Firmware Using CMC Web Interface...........................................................47
Updating Chassis Infrastructure Firmware Using RACADM............................................................................48
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware.......................................................................................................................... 48
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware Using RACADM..........................................................................................48
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware Using Web Interface................................................................................. 48
Updating Server Component Firmware.................................................................................................................. 49
Viewing Front Panel Properties..............................................................................................................................61
Viewing KVM Information and Health Status......................................................................................................... 61
Viewing LCD Information and Health......................................................................................................................62
Viewing Information and Health Status of Temperature Sensors..........................................................................62
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings............................................................................................. 63
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings Using CMC Web Interface............................................64
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings Using RACADM.............................................................64
Page 6
Enabling the CMC Network Interface.............................................................................................................. 64
Enabling or Disabling DHCP for the CMC Network Interface Address............................................................65
Enabling or Disabling DHCP for DNS IP Addresses.........................................................................................65
Setting Static DNS IP addresses......................................................................................................................65
Configuring DNS Settings (IPv4 and IPv6)........................................................................................................66
Configuring Auto Negotiation, Duplex Mode, and Network Speed (IPv4 and IPv6)........................................ 66
Setting the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) (IPv4 and IPv6)..................................................................... 66
Setting Up Chassis Group....................................................................................................................................... 70
Adding Members To Chassis Group.................................................................................................................71
Removing a Member from the Leader..............................................................................................................71
Disbanding a Chassis Group............................................................................................................................ 71
Disabling an Individual Member at the Member Chassis................................................................................ 72
Launching the Web page of a Member Chassis or Server.............................................................................. 72
Synchronizing a New Member With Leader Chassis Properties.....................................................................72
Server Inventory for MCM group..................................................................................................................... 73
Saving Server Inventory Report....................................................................................................................... 73
Configuring Multiple CMCs Using RACADM.......................................................................................................... 74
Creating a CMC Configuration File...................................................................................................................75
Modifying iDRAC Network Settings for Individual Server iDRAC.................................................................... 82
Modifying iDRAC Network Settings Using RACADM.......................................................................................82
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings...................................................................................................................83
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings Using RACADM.................................................................................. 83
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings Using Web Interface.......................................................................... 83
Setting First Boot Device........................................................................................................................................ 83
Setting First Boot Device For Multiple Servers Using CMC Web Interface.....................................................84
Page 7
Setting First Boot Device For Individual Server Using CMC Web Interface....................................................84
Setting First Boot Device Using RACADM....................................................................................................... 85
Configuring Server FlexAddress.............................................................................................................................85
8 Configuring CMC To Send Alerts............................................................................................91
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts...................................................................................................................................91
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts Using CMC Web Interface................................................................................. 91
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts Using RACADM.................................................................................................. 91
9 Configuring User Accounts and Privileges...........................................................................97
Types of Users........................................................................................................................................................ 97
Modifying Root User Administrator Account Settings......................................................................................... 101
Configuring Local Users........................................................................................................................................101
Configuring Local Users Using CMC Web Interface......................................................................................101
Configure Local Users Using RACADM..........................................................................................................101
Configuring Active Directory Users......................................................................................................................103
Supported Active Directory Authentication Mechanisms.............................................................................103
Standard Schema Active Directory Overview............................................................................................... 104
Configuring Standard Schema Active Directory............................................................................................105
Extended Schema Active Directory Overview...............................................................................................107
Configuring Extended Schema Active Directory............................................................................................108
Configuring the Generic LDAP Directory to Access CMC............................................................................. 116
Configuring Generic LDAP Directory Service Using CMC Web Interface.....................................................117
Configuring Generic LDAP Directory Service Using RACADM......................................................................118
10 Configuring CMC For Single Sign-On Or Smart Card Login............................................119
Page 8
System Requirements...........................................................................................................................................119
Configuring CMC For Active Directory Schema................................................................................................... 120
Configuring Browser For SSO Login..................................................................................................................... 121
Internet Explorer.............................................................................................................................................121
Mozilla Firefox ............................................................................................................................................... 121
Configuring Browser For Smart Card Login..........................................................................................................121
Configuring CMC SSO Or Smart Card Login For Active Directory Users..............................................................121
Configuring CMC SSO Or Smart Card Login For Active Directory Users Using Web Interface.....................121
Configuring CMC SSO Login Or Smart Card Login For Active Directory Users Using RACADM................... 122
11 Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles..........................................................123
CMC Command Line Console Features.................................................................................................................123
CMC Command Line Interface Commands.................................................................................................... 123
Using Telnet Console With CMC...........................................................................................................................123
Using SSH With CMC..................................................................................................................................... 124
Configuring Linux Minicom.............................................................................................................................127
Connecting to Servers or I/O Module Using Connect Command......................................................................... 128
Configuring the Managed Server BIOS for Serial Console Redirection........................................................ 129
Configuring Windows for Serial Console Redirection....................................................................................129
Configuring Linux for Server Serial Console Redirection During Boot.......................................................... 129
Configuring Linux for Server Serial Console Redirection After Boot.............................................................130
12 Using FlexAddress and FlexAdress Plus Cards............................................................... 133
About FlexAddress................................................................................................................................................133
About FlexAddress Plus................................................................................................................................. 133
Monitoring IOM Health......................................................................................................................................... 143
Configuring Network Settings for IOM................................................................................................................. 144
Configuring Network Settings for IOM Using CMC Web Interface............................................................... 144
Configuring Network Settings for IOM Using RACADM................................................................................ 144
14 Managing and Monitoring Power...................................................................................... 145
AC Redundancy Policy................................................................................................................................... 146
Power Supply Redundancy Policy................................................................................................................. 146
Dynamic Power Supply Engagement................................................................................................................... 146
AC Redundancy..............................................................................................................................................147
Power Supply Redundancy............................................................................................................................ 148
Power Budgeting For Hardware Modules............................................................................................................148
Server Slot Power Priority Settings......................................................................................................................149
Assigning Priority Levels To Servers....................................................................................................................149
Assigning Priority Levels To Servers Using CMC Web Interface.........................................................................150
Assigning Priority Levels To Servers Using RACADM..........................................................................................150
Viewing Power Consumption Status.................................................................................................................... 150
Viewing Power Consumption Status Using CMC Web Interface...................................................................150
Viewing Power Consumption Status Using RACADM....................................................................................150
Viewing Power Budget Status Using CMC Web Interface...................................................................................150
Viewing Power Budget Status Using RACADM.............................................................................................151
Redundancy Status and Overall Power Health.................................................................................................... 151
Power Management After PSU Failure..........................................................................................................151
Power Management After Removing PSU.....................................................................................................151
New Server Engagement Policy.................................................................................................................... 151
Power Supply and Redundancy Policy Changes in System Event Log..........................................................152
Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy....................................................................................................... 153
Power Conservation and Power Budget........................................................................................................153
Maximum Power Conservation Mode............................................................................................................154
Server Power Reduction to Maintain Power Budget.....................................................................................154
110V PSUs AC Operation................................................................................................................................154
External Power Management........................................................................................................................ 154
Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy Using CMC Web Interface......................................................155
Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy Using RACADM...................................................................... 155
Executing Power Control Operations................................................................................................................... 157
Executing Power Control Operations on the Chassis.................................................................................... 157
Executing Power Control Operations on the Chassis Using Web Interface..................................................157
Executing Power Control Operations on the Chassis Using RACADM.......................................................... 157
Executing Power Control Operations on a Server................................................................................................158
Executing Power Control Operations for Multiple Servers Using CMC Web Interface....................................... 158
Executing Power Control Operations on the IOM.................................................................................................158
Executing Power Control Operations on IOM Using CMC Web Interface.....................................................158
Executing Power Control Operations on the IOM Using RACADM................................................................159
Viewing Status of the Storage Components.........................................................................................................161
Viewing the Storage Topology..............................................................................................................................161
Assigning Virtual Adapters To Slots..................................................................................................................... 161
Viewing Controller Properties Using CMC Web Interface................................................................................... 162
Viewing Controller Properties Using RACADM.................................................................................................... 162
Importing or Clearing Foreign Configuration..................................................................................................162
Viewing Physical Disk Properties Using the CMC Web Interface........................................................................162
Viewing Physical Disk Drives Properties Using RACADM................................................................................... 163
Identifying Physical Disks and Virtual Disks.........................................................................................................163
Assigning Global Hot Spares Using CMC Web Interface.....................................................................................163
Assigning Global Hot Spares Using RACADM......................................................................................................163
Viewing Virtual Disk Properties Using CMC Web Interface.................................................................................163
Viewing Virtual Disk Properties Using RACADM..................................................................................................164
Creating Virtual Disk Using CMC Web Interface..................................................................................................164
Applying Virtual Adapter Access Policy To Virtual Disks.....................................................................................164
Modifying Virtual Disk Properties Using CMC Web Interface..............................................................................164
Viewing Enclosure Properties Using CMC Web Interface................................................................................... 165
Downloading SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) File...................................................................170
Page 11
First Steps to Troubleshoot a Remote System......................................................................................................170
Power Troubleshooting..................................................................................................................................170
Using Diagnostic Console.....................................................................................................................................173
Main Menu..................................................................................................................................................... 182
DVD Mapping................................................................................................................................................. 182
IP Summary Menu..........................................................................................................................................183
Front Panel LCD Messages...................................................................................................................................184
LCD Module and Server Status Information.........................................................................................................185
Managing and Recovering a Remote System...................................................................................................... 189
Active Directory....................................................................................................................................................191
FlexAddress and FlexAddressPlus....................................................................................................................... 191
The Dell Chassis Management Controller (CMC) for Dell PowerEdge VRTX is a Systems Management hardware and
software solution for managing the PowerEdge VRTX chassis. The CMC has its own microprocessor and memory and is
powered by the modular chassis into which it is plugged.
CMC enables an IT administrator to:
•View inventory
•Perform configuration and monitoring tasks
•Remotely turn on and turn off chassis and servers
•Enable alerts for events on servers and components in the server module
•View and manage storage controller and hard disk drives in the VRTX chassis
•Manage the PCIe subsystem in the VRTX chassis
•Provide a one–many management interface to the iDRACs and I/O modules in the chassis
You can configure the PowerEdge VRTX chassis either with a single CMC, or with redundant CMCs. In redundant CMC
configurations, if the primary CMC loses communication with the chassis or the management network, a standby CMC
takes over the chassis management.
CMC provides multiple System Management functions for servers.Power and thermal management are the primary
functions of CMC, which are listed as follows:
•Enclosure-level real-time automatic power and thermal management.
– CMC monitors system power requirements and supports the optional Dynamic Power Supply
Engagement (DPSE) mode. This mode enables CMC to improve power efficiency by setting the power
supplies while the server in standby mode and dynamically managing the load and redundancy
requirements.
– CMC reports real-time power consumption, which includes logging high and low points with a time
stamp.
– CMC supports setting an optional enclosure maximum power limit (System Input Power Cap), which
alerts and takes actions such as limiting the power consumption of servers, and/or preventing the
turning on of new servers to keep the enclosure under the defined maximum power limit.
– CMC monitors and automatically controls the functions of cooling fans and blowers on the basis of
actual ambient and internal temperature measurements.
– CMC provides comprehensive enclosure inventory and status or error reporting.
•CMC provides a mechanism for centralized configuration of the:
– Network and security setting of the Dell PowerEdge VRTX enclosure.
– Power redundancy and power ceiling settings.
– I/O switch and iDRAC network settings.
– First boot device on the server module.
– I/O fabric consistency checks between the I/O module and servers. CMC also disables components, if
necessary, to protect the system hardware.
– User access security.
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– Storage components.
– PCIe slots.
You can configure CMC to send email alerts or SNMP trap alerts for warnings or errors such as temperature, hardware
misconfiguration, power outage, fan speed, and blowers.
Key Features
The CMC features are grouped into management and security features.
Management Features
CMC provides the following management features:
•Redundant CMC environment.
•Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) registration for IPv4 and IPv6.
•Login management and configuration for local users, Active Directory, and LDAP.
•Advanced cooling options such and ECM (Enhanced Cooling Mode) and Fan Offset can be enabled to provide
additional cooling for improved performance.
•Remote system management and monitoring using SNMP, a web interface, KVM, Telnet, or SSH connection.
•Monitoring — Provides access to system information and status of components.
•Access to system event logs — Provides access to the hardware log and chassis log.
•Firmware updates for various chassis components — Enables you to update the firmware for CMC, iDRAC on
servers, chassis infrastructure, and chassis storage.
•Firmware update of server components such as BIOS, network controllers, storage controllers, and so on
across multiple servers in the chassis using Lifecycle Controller.
•Dell OpenManage software integration — Enables you to launch the CMC web interface from Dell OpenManage
Server Administrator or OpenManage Essentials (OME) 1.2.
•CMC alert — Alerts you about potential managed node issues through Remote syslog email message or SNMP
trap.
•Remote power management — Provides remote power management functions, such as turn off and reset of any
chassis component, from a management console.
•Power usage reporting.
•Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption — Provides secure remote system management through the web
interface.
•Launch point for the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) web interface.
•Support for WS-Management.
•FlexAddress feature — Replaces the factory-assigned World Wide Name/Media Access Control (WWN/MAC)
IDs with chassis-assigned WWN/MAC IDs for a particular slot, an optional upgrade.
•Graphical display of chassis component status and health.
•Support for single and multi-slot servers.
•LCD iDRAC configuration wizard supports for iDRAC network configuration.
•iDRAC single sign-on.
•Network time protocol (NTP) support.
•Enhanced server summary, power reporting, and power control pages.
•Forced CMC failover and virtual reseat of servers.
•Multi-chassis management, allows up to eight other chassis to be visible from the lead chassis.
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•Configure storage components on the chassis.
•Map PCIe slots to the servers and their identification.
Security Features
The CMC provides the following security features:
•Password-level security management — Prevents unauthorized access to a remote system.
•Centralized user authentication through:
– Active Directory using Standard Schema or an Extended Schema (optional).
– Hardware-stored user IDs and passwords.
•Role-based authority — Enables an administrator to configure specific privileges for each user.
•User ID and password configuration through the web interface. Web interface supports 128-bit SSL 3.0
encryption and 40-bit SSL 3.0 encryption (for countries where 128-bit is not acceptable).
NOTE: Telnet does not support SSL encryption.
•Configurable IP ports (if applicable).
•Login failure limits per IP address, with login blocking from the IP address when the limit is exceeded.
•Configurable session auto time out, and more than one simultaneous sessions.
•Limited IP address range for clients connecting to CMC.
•Secure Shell (SSH), which uses an encrypted layer for higher security.
•Single Sign-on, Two-Factor Authentication, and Public Key Authentication.
Chassis Overview
The figure here shows a view of the CMC connectors.
ItemIndicator, Button, or Connector
1Status/identification indicator (CMC 1)
2Power indicator (CMC 1)
15
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ItemIndicator, Button, or Connector
3CMC connector ports (2)
4Power indicator (CMC 2)
5Status/identification indicator (CMC 2)
A Back Panel view of the chassis is given here with a table that lists the parts and devices available in the CMC.
ItemIndicator, Button, or Connector
1PCIe expansion card slots low-profile (5)
2PCIe expansion card slots full height (3)
3CMC GB Ethernet port (CMC-2)
4CMC GB Ethernet port (CMC-1)
5Serial Connector
6Blower modules (4)
7I/O module ports
8PSU 4
9PSU 3
16
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ItemIndicator, Button, or Connector
10PSU 1
11PSU 2
A Front Panel view of the chassis is given here with a table that lists the parts and devices available in the CMC.
Figure 1. Front-Panel Features And Indicators—3.5 Inch Hard Disk Drive Chassis
Item Indicator, Button, or ConnectorDescription
1USB connectors (2)Allows a keyboard and mouse to be connected to the system.
2LCD panelProvides system information and status, and error messages to indicate
when the system is operating correctly or when the system needs attention.
3LCD menu scroll buttons (4)Moves the cursor in one-step increments.
4Selection ("check") buttonSelects and saves an item on the LCD screen and moves to the next screen.
5Enclosure power-on indicator,
power button
6Hard disk drives (HDD)
The power-on indicator glows when the enclosure power is on. The power
button controls the PSU output to the system.
2.5 inch hard
drive enclosure
Up to twenty five 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard disk
drives.
17
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Item Indicator, Button, or ConnectorDescription
3.5 inch hard
drive enclosure
7Information tagA slide-out label panel which allows you to record system information such
as Service Tag, NIC, MAC address, the system's electrical rating, and
Worldwide Regulatory Agency marks.
8Optical drive (optional)One optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW drive.
9VentsVents for the temperature sensor.
NOTE: To make sure about proper cooling, verify that the vents are not
blocked.
10Video connectorAllows a monitor to be connected to the system.
11Server modulesUp to four PowerEdge M520 or M620 server modules specifically configured
for the enclosure.
Up to twelve 3.5 inch hot-swappable hard disk
drives.
Supported Remote Access Connections
The following table lists the supported Remote Access Controllers.
Table 1. Supported Remote Access Connections
ConnectionFeatures
CMC Network Interface ports
•GB port: Dedicated network interface for the CMC web interface.
•DHCP support.
•SNMP traps and e-mail event notification.
•Network interface for the iDRAC and I/O Modules (IOMs).
•Support for Telnet/SSH command console and RACADM CLI commands
including system boot, reset, power-on, and shutdown commands.
Serial port
•Support for serial console and RACADM CLI commands including system
boot, reset, power-on, and shutdown commands.
•Support for binary interchange for applications specifically designed to
communicate with a binary protocol to a particular type of IOM.
•Serial port can be connected internally to the serial console of a server, or
I/O module, using the connect (or racadm connect) command.
•Provides access only to the active CMC.
Supported Platforms
CMC supports modular servers designed for the PowerEdge VRTX platform. For information about compatibility with
CMC, see the documentation for your device.
For the latest supported platforms, see the
VRTX Release Notes
18
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Dell Chassis Management Controller (CMC) Version 1.00 for Dell PowerEdge
Page 19
Supported Web Browsers
For the latest information about supported web browsers, see the
1.00 for Dell PowerEdge VRTX Release Notes
located at dell.com/support/manuals.
Dell Chassis Management Controller (CMC) Version
Managing Licenses
The CMC features are available based on the license (CMC Express or CMC Enterprise) purchased. Only licensed
features are available in the interfaces that allow you to configure or use CMC. For example, CMC Web interface,
RACADM, WS-MAN, and so on. CMC license management and firmware update functionality is always available
through CMC Web interface and RACADM.
Types of Licenses
The types of licenses offered are:
•30 day evaluation and extension — The license expires after 30 days that can be extended for 30 days.
Evaluation licenses are duration-based, and the timer runs when power is applied to the system.
•Perpetual — The license is bound to the service tag and is permanent.
Acquiring Licenses
Use any of the following methods to acquire the licenses:
•E-mail — License is attached to an e-mail that is sent after requesting it from the technical support center.
•Self-service portal — A link to the Self-Service Portal is available from CMC. Click this link to open the licensing
Self-Service Portal on the internet from where you can purchase licenses. For more information, see the online
help for the self-service portal page.
•Point-of-sale — License is acquired while placing the order for a system.
License Operations
Before you perform the license management tasks, make sure to acquire the licenses. For more information, see the
Overview and Feature Guide available at support.dell.com.
NOTE: If you have purchased a system with all the licenses pre-installed, then license management is not required.
You can perform the following licensing operations using CMC, RACADM, and WS-MAN for one-to-one license
management, and Dell License Manager for one-to-many license management:
•View — View the current license information.
•Import — After acquiring the license, store the license in a local storage and import it into CMC using one of the
supported interfaces. The license is imported if it passes the validation checks.
NOTE: For a few features, a CMC restart may be required to enable the features.
•Export — Export the installed license into an external storage device back up or to reinstall it after a service part
is replaced. The file name and format of the exported license is <EntitlementID>.xml
•Delete — Delete the license that is assigned to a component if the component is missing. After the license is
deleted, it is not stored in CMC and the base product functions are enabled.
•Replace — Replace the license to extend an evaluation license, change a license type such as an evaluation
license with a purchased license, or extend an expired license.
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•An evaluation license may be replaced with an upgraded evaluation license or with a purchased license.
•A purchased license may be replaced with an updated license or with an upgraded license.
•Learn More — Learn more about an installed license, or the licenses available for a component installed in the
server.
NOTE: For the Learn More option to display the correct page, make sure that *.dell.com is added to the list
of Trusted Sites in the Security Settings. For more information, see the Internet Explorer help
documentation.
License Component State or Condition and Available Operations
The following table provides the list of license operations available based on the license state or condition.
Table 1. License Operations Based on State and Condition
License/Component
state or condition
Non-administrator
login
Active licenseYesYesYesYesYes
Expired licenseNoYesYesYesYes
License installed but
component missing
ImportExportDeleteReplaceLearn More
YesNoNoNoYes
NoYesYesNoYes
Managing Licenses Using CMC Web Interface
To manage the licenses using the CMC Web interface, go to Chassis Overivew → StupChassis Overview → Setup →
Licenses.
Before importing a license, make sure to store a valid license file on the local system or on a network share that is
accessible from the CMC. The license is either embedded, or sent through an email from the Self-Service Web Portal, or
from the License Key Management tool.
The Licensing page displays the licenses that are associated to devices, or the licenses that are installed, but the device
is not present in the system. For more information about importing, exporting, deleting, or replacing a license, see the
Online Help
.
Managing Licenses Using RACADM
To manage licenses using the RACADM commands, use the following license subcommand.
racadm license <license command type>
For more information about the RACADM commands, see the
RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
available at dell.com/support/Manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX
Licensable Features In CMC
A list of CMC features that are enabled on the basis of your license is given here in the table.
Feature
CMC NetworkYesYes
20
ExpressEnterpriseNotes
Page 21
CMC Serial PortYesYes
Active Directory and LDAP NoYes
Slot and Function
Assignment (PCIe and
Virtual Adapters)
RACADM (SSH, Local, and
Remote)
WS-MANYesYes
SNMPYesYes
TelnetYesYes
SSHYesYes
Web-based InterfaceYesYes
Email AlertsYesYes
LCD DeploymentYesYes
Extended iDRAC
Management
Enclosure Restore and
Backup
Server Module Firmware
Update
Remote SyslogNoYes
Directory ServicesNo*Yes*For non-default directory service setting, only Reset
iDRAC Single Sign-OnNoYes
Two-Factor Authentication NoYes
PK AuthenticationNoYes
Remote File ShareYesYes
Slot Resource
Management
Enclosure level power
capping
Dynamic Power Supply
Engagement
Multi-chassis management NoYes
Advanced ConfigurationNoYes
FlexAddress EnablementNo*Yes*For non-default FlexAddress settings, only Restore Default is
PCIe Adapter MappingYesYes*A maximum of two PCIe Adapters can be assigned per
NoYes
YesYes
YesYes
NoYes
NoYes
Directory Services is allowed with an Express license. Reset
Directory Services will set the Directory services to factory
default.
NoYes
No*Yes*For non-default power cap setting, only Restore Power Cap
is allowed with an Express license. Restore Power Cap will
reset the Power Cap settings to factory default.
No*Yes*For non-default DPSE settings, only Restore DPSE is allowed
with an Express license. Restore DPSE will reset the DPSE to
factory default.
allowed with Express license. Restore Default will reset the
FlexAddress settings to the factory default.
Server with Express License.
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Virtual Adapter to Slot
Mapping
Virtual Adapter to Slot
UnMapping
Server cloningNoYes
One-to-many Server
Firware Update
One-to-many configuration
for iDRAC
No*Yes*For non-default mapping of Virtual Adapters, only Default
mapping is allowed with an Express license. Restore Default
will change virtual adapter mapping to factory default.
YesYes
NoYes
NoYes
Viewing Localized Versions of the CMC Web Interface
To view localized versions of the CMC web interface, read through your web browser's documentations.
Supported Management Console Applications
CMC supports integration with Dell OpenManage Console. For more information, see the OpenManage Console
documentation available at dell.com/support/manuals.
How to Use this User's Guide
The contents of this User's Guide enable you to perform the tasks by using:
•The Web interface: Only the task-related information is given here. For information about the fields and options,
see the
CMC for Dell PowerEdge VRTX Online Help
•The RACADM commands: The RACADM command or the object that you must use is provided here. For more
information about a RACADM command, see the
RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
that you can open from the Web interface.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX
Other Documents You May Need
To access the documents from the Dell Support site. Along with this Reference Guide, you can access the following
guides available at dell.com/support/manuals.
•The
VRTX CMC Online Help
Help on the CMC web interface.
•The
Chassis Management Controller Version 1.0 for Dell PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference
Guide
provides information about using the VRTX–related RACADM features.
•The
Dell Chassis Management Controller (CMC) for Dell PowerEdge VRTX Version 1.00 Release Notes
last-minute updates to the system or documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for
experienced users or technicians.
Shared PERC 8 card and managing the storage subsystem. This document is available online at dell.com/
storagecontrollermanuals.
provides information about using the Web interface. To access the Online Help, click
provides
provides information about installation,
provides information about installing and using
provides information about obtaining and using Dell Update Packages
provides information about deploying the
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•Dell systems management application documentation provides information about installing and using the
systems management software.
The following system documents provide more information about the system in which VRTX CMC is installed:
•The safety instructions that came with your system provide important safety and regulatory information. For
additional regulatory information, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/
regulatory_compliance. Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.
•The
Dell PowerEdge VRTX Getting Started Guide
features, setting up your system, and technical specifications.
•The setup placemat shipped with your system provides information about the initial system setup and
configuration.
•The server module's
how to troubleshoot the server module and install or replace the server module's components. This document is
available online at dell.com/poweredgemanuals.
•The rack documentation included with your rack solution describes how to install your system into a rack, if
required.
•For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this document, see the Glossary at dell.com/support/
manuals.
•Systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements, installation, and basic
operation of the software.
•Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to configure and install
these options.
•Any media that ships with your system that provides documentation and tools for configuring and managing your
system, including those pertaining to the operating system, system management software, system updates, and
system components that you purchased with your system. For more information on the system, scan the Quick
Resource Locator (QRL) available on your system and the system setup placemat that shipped with your system.
Download the QRL application from your mobile platform to enable the application on your mobile device.
Owner's Manual
provides information about the server module's features and describes
shipped with your system provides an overview of system
Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software, and/or documentation.
Always read the updates first, because they often supersede information in other documents.
Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site
To access the documents from Dell Support site:
1. Go to dell.com/support/manuals.
2. In the Tell us about your Dell system section, under No, select Choose from a list of all Dell products and click
Continue.
3. In the Select your product type section, click Software and Security.
4. In the Choose your Dell Software section, click the required link from the following:
– Client System Management
– Enterprise System Management
– Remote Enterprise System Management
– Serviceability Tools
5. To view the document, click the required product version.
23
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NOTE: You can also directly access the documents using the following links:
•For Enterprise System Management documents — dell.com/openmanagemanuals
•For Remote Enterprise System Management documents — dell.com/esmmanuals
•For Client System Management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient
•For OpenManage Connections Enterprise systems management documents — dell.com/
OMConnectionsEnterpriseSystemsManagement
•For OpenManage Connections Client systems management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient
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2
Installing and Setting Up CMC
This section provides information about how to install your CMC hardware, establish access to CMC, configure your
management environment to use CMC, and guides you through the tasks for configuring a CMC:
•Set up initial access to CMC.
•Access CMC through a network.
•Add and configure CMC users.
•Update CMC firmware.
For more information about installing and setting up redundant CMC environments, see Understanding Redundant CMC
Environment.
Before You Begin
Before setting up your CMC environment, download the latest version of CMC firmware for PowerEdge VRTX from
dell.com/support/.
Also, make sure that you have the
your system.
Installing CMC Hardware
Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation
DVD that was included with
CMC is pre-installed on your chassis and hence no installation is required. You can install a second CMC to run as a
standby to the active CMC.
Checklist To Set up Chassis
The following tasks enable you to accurately setup the chassis:
1. CMC and the management station, where you use your browser, must be on the same network, which is called the
management network. Connect an Ethernet network cable from the CMC active port to the management network.
2. Install the I/O module in the chassis and connect the network cable to the chassis.
3. Insert the servers in the chassis.
4. Connect the chassis to the power source.
5. Press the power button, or turn on the chassis from the CMC web interface after completing the task in step 7.
NOTE: Do not turn on the servers.
6. Using the LCD panel, navigate to the IP Summary and click on the Check button to select. Use the IP address for
the CMC in the management system browser (IE, Chrome, or Mozilla). To set up DHCP for CMC, use LCD panel to,
click Main Menu → Settings → Network Settings .
7. Connect to the CMC IP address by using a web browser by typing the default username (root) and password
(calvin).
8. Provide each iDRAC with an IP address in the CMC web interface, and enable the LAN and IPMI interface.
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NOTE: iDRAC LAN interface on some servers are disabled by default. This information can be found on the
CMC web interface under Server Overview → Setup. This might be an advanced license option; in which
case you must use the SetUp feature for each server).
9. Provide the IO module with an IP address in the CMC web interface. You can get the IP address by clicking I/O
Module Overview, and then clicking Setup.
10. Connect to each iDRAC through the Web browser and provide final configuration of iDRAC. The default user name
is root and password is calvin.
11. Connect to the I/O module by using the web browser and provide final configuration of the IO module.
12. Turn on the servers and install the operating system.
Basic CMC Network Connection
For the highest degree of redundancy, connect each available CMC to your management network.
Installing Remote Access Software on a Management Station
You can access CMC from a management station using remote access software, such as Telnet, Secure Shell (SSH), or
serial console utilities provided on your operating system or using the web interface.
To use remote RACADM from your management station, install remote RACADM using the
Tools and Documentation
components:
•DVD root — Contains the Dell Systems Build and Update Utility.
•SYSMGMT — Contains the systems management software products including Dell OpenManage Server
Administrator.
•Docs — Contains documentation for systems, systems management software products, peripherals, and RAID
controllers.
•SERVICE — Contains the tools required to configure your system, and delivers the latest diagnostics and Delloptimized drivers for your system.
DVD that is available with your system. This DVD includes the following Dell OpenManage
Dell Systems Management
For information about installing Dell OpenManage software components, see the
Security User's Guide
the Dell DRAC Tools from support.dell.com.
available on the DVD or at dell.com/support/manuals. You can also download the latest version of
Dell OpenManage Installation and
Installing RACADM on a Linux Management Station
1.Log in as root to the system running a supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
operating system where you want to install the managed system components.
2.Insert the
3.To mount the DVD to a required location, use the mount command or a similar command.
4.Navigate to the SYSMGMT/ManagementStation/linux/rac directory. To install the RAC software, type the following
command:
rpm -ivh *.rpm
5.For help about the RACADM command, type racadm help after you run the previous commands. For more
information about RACADM, see the
Line Reference Guide
26
Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD
NOTE: On the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 operating system, DVDs are auto-mounted with the -noexec mount option. This option does not allow you to run any executable from the DVD. You need to mount the
DVD-ROM manually, and then run the commands.
into the DVD drive.
Chassis Management Controller for Dell PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command
.
Page 27
NOTE: When using the RACADM remote capability, you must have the 'write' permission on the folders where
you are using the RACADM subcommands, involving the file operations. For example, racadm getconfig
-f <file name>.
Uninstalling RACADM From a Linux Management Station
1.Log in as root to the system where you want to uninstall the management station features.
2.Run the following rpm query command to determine which version of the DRAC tools is installed:
rpm -qa | grep mgmtst-racadm
3.Verify the package version to be uninstalled and uninstall the feature by using the rpm -e rpm -qa | grep
mgmtst-racadm command.
Configuring a Web Browser
You can configure and manage CMC, servers, and modules installed in the chassis through a web browser. See the
“Supported Browsers" section in the
The CMC and the management station where you use your browser must be on the same network, which is called the
management network
highly secure network.
NOTE: Make sure that the security measures on the management network such as firewalls and proxy servers, do
not prevent your web browser from accessing the CMC.
Some browser features can interfere with connectivity or performance, especially if the management network does not
have a route to the Internet. If your management station is running on a Windows operating system, some Internet
Explorer settings can interfere with connectivity, even though you use a command line interface to access the
management network.
. On the basis of your security requirements, the management network can be an isolated and
Dell Systems Software Support Matrix
at dell.com/support/manuals.
NOTE: To address security issues, Microsoft Internet Explorer strictly monitors the time on its cookie management.
To support this, the time on your computer that runs Internet Explorer must be synchronized with the time on the
CMC.
Proxy Server
To browse through a proxy server that does not have access to the management network, you can add the management
network addresses to the exception list of the browser. This instructs the browser to bypass the proxy server while
accessing the management network.
Internet Explorer
To edit the exception list in Internet Explorer:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools → Internet Options → Connections .
3.In the Local Area Network (LAN) settings section, click LAN Settings.
4.In the Proxy server section, select the Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or
VPN connections) option, and then click Advanced.
5.In the Exceptions section, add the addresses for CMCs and iDRACs on the management network to the semicolonseparated list. You can use DNS names and wildcards in your entries.
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Mozilla FireFox
To edit the exception list in Mozilla Firefox version 19.0:
1.Start Mozilla Firefox.
2.Click Tools → Options (for systems running on Windows), or click Edit → Preferences (for systems running on
Linux).
3.Click Advanced, and then click the Network tab.
4.Click Settings.
5.Select Manual Proxy Configuration.
6.In the No Proxy for field, type the addresses for CMCs and iDRACs on the management network to the commaseparated list. You can use DNS names and wildcards in your entries.
Microsoft Phishing Filter
If the Microsoft Phishing Filter is enabled in Internet Explorer on your management system, and your CMC does not have
Internet access, accessing CMC may be delayed by a few seconds. This delay can happen if you are using the browser
or another interface such as remote RACADM. To disable the phishing filter:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools → Phishing Filter, and then click Phishing Filter Settings.
3.Select the Disable Phishing Filter option and click OK.
Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Fetching
If your CMC has no access to the Internet, disable the certificate revocation list (CRL) fetching feature in Internet
Explorer. This feature tests whether a server such as the CMC web server uses a certificate that is on a list of revoked
certificates retrieved from the Internet. If the Internet is inaccessible, this feature can cause delays of several seconds
when you access the CMC using the browser or with a command line interface such as remote RACADM.
To disable CRL fetching:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools → Internet Options, and then click Advanced.
3.Go to the Security section, clear the Check for publisher’s certificate revocation option, and then click OK.
Downloading Files From CMC With Internet Explorer
When you use Internet Explorer to download files from the CMC, you may experience problems when the Do not save
encrypted pages to disk option is not enabled.
To enable the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools → Internet Options → Advanced .
3.In the Security section, select the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option.
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Enabling Animations In Internet Explorer
When transferring files to and from the web interface, a file transfer icon spins to show transfer activity. While using
Internet explorer, you have to configure the browser to play animations.
To configure Internet Explorer to play animations:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools → Internet Options → Advanced .
3.Go to the Multimedia section, and then select the Play animations in web pages option.
Setting Up Initial Access to CMC
To remotely manage the CMC, connect the CMC to your management network, and then configure the CMC network
settings.
NOTE: To manage the PowerEdge VRTX solution, it must be connected to your management network.
For information about configuring CMC network settings, see Configuring Initial CMC Network. This initial configuration
assigns the TCP/IP networking parameters that enable access to CMC.
CMC and iDRAC on each server and the network management ports for the switch I/O module are connected to a
common internal network in the PowerEdge VRTX chassis. This allows the management network to be isolated from the
server data network. It is important to separate this traffic for uninterrupted access to chassis management.
CMC is connected to the management network. All external access to CMC and iDRACs is achieved through CMC.
Access to the managed servers, conversely, is accomplished through network connections to the I/O module (IOM). This
allows the application network to be isolated from the management network.
It is recommended to isolate chassis management from the data network. Due to the potential of traffic on the data
network, the management interfaces on the internal management network can be saturated by traffic intended for
servers. This results in CMC and iDRAC communication delays. These delays may cause unpredictable chassis
behavior, such as CMC displaying iDRAC as offline even when it is up and running, which in turn causes other unwanted
behavior. If physically isolating the management network is impractical, the other option is to separate CMC and iDRAC
traffic to a separate VLAN. CMC and individual iDRAC network interfaces can be configured to use a VLAN.
Configuring Initial CMC Network
NOTE: Changing your CMC Network settings may disconnect your current network connection.
You can perform the initial network configuration of CMC before or after CMC has an IP address. If you configure CMC’s
initial network settings before you have an IP address, you can use either of the following interfaces:
•The LCD panel on the front of the chassis
•Dell CMC serial console
If you configure initial network settings after the CMC has an IP address, you can use any of the following interfaces:
•Command line interfaces (CLIs) such as a serial console, Telnet, SSH, or the Dell CMC console.
•Remote RACADM
•CMC web interface
•LCD Panel interface
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CMC supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing modes. The configuration settings for IPv4 and IPv6 are independent of
each other.
Configuring CMC Network Using LCD Panel Interface
Configuring CMC Using Quick Setup (DHCP)
NOTE: You can customize the orientation of an LCD display (for rack or tower mode) by keeping the up-down
buttons pressed for two seconds. Alternately, you can also use the right-left buttons. For more information about
the buttons available on a CMC LCD panel, see LCD Navigation.
To set up a network using the LCD panel interface:s
1. Press the chassis power button to turn on the chassis. The LCD panel displays a series of initialization screens as
then turns on.
2. On the Main Menu panel, select Settings.
3. On the LCD Language panel, select the language by using the arrow buttons, and then press the center button. The
Main Menu panel is displayed.
4. Select Settings, and then select Network Settings. On the Network Settings panel, when you are asked to select
either quickly set up the CMC by using a DHCP, or set up by the advanced setup mode, use the arrow keys and
select any one of the following:
– Quick Setup (DHCP)
– Advanced Setup
5. If you select Quick Setup (DHCP), the panel displays the following message.
About to get DHCP addresses. Ensure CMC network cable is connected.
Press the center button, and then wait for few minutes. The panel displays the Please Wait message, and then
CMC IP number is displayed on the IP Summary panel.
CMC IP4: <IP number>
Press the center button, and then press the center button. The Main Menu panel is displayed.
Configuring CMC Using Advanced Setup
1. On the Network Settings panel, if you select Advanced Setup, the following message is displayed to ask you
whether or not you want to configure a CMC.
Configure CMC?
2. To configure your CMC by using advanced setup properties, click the center button. Go to step 4. Else, to configure
your iDRAC, go to step 14.
3. If you are asked to select an appropriate network speed, select a network speed (Auto (1Gb), 10Mb, or 100Mb)
using appropriate buttons.
For effective network throughput, the network speed setting must match your network configuration. Setting the
network speed lower than the speed of your network configuration increases bandwidth consumption and slows
down the network communication. Determine whether or not your network supports the above network speeds
and set it accordingly. If the network configuration does not match any of these values, it is recommended to
select the Auto (1 Gb) option, or refer to your network equipment manufacturer's user documentation.
4. To select Auto (1Gb), press the center button, and press the center button again. Go to step 7. Else, if you select
10Mb, or 100Mb, go to step 5.
5. On the Duplex panel, to select the duplex mode (Full or Half) that matches the network environment, press the
center button, and then press the center button.
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NOTE: The network speed and duplex mode settings are not available if Auto Negotiation is set to On, or if
1000MB (1Gbps) is selected. If auto negotiation is turned on for one device but not the other, the device that is
using auto negotiation can determine the network speed of the other device, but not the duplex mode. In this
case, half duplex is selected as the duplex mode during auto negotiation. Such a duplex mismatch results in a
slow network connection.
6. On the Protocol panel, select an Internet Protocol (IPv4 Only, IPv6 Only, or Both) that you want to use for CMC,
press the center button, and then press the center button.
7. If you select IPv4 or Both, go to step 9 or 10 on the basis of whether you select DHCP or Static mode. Else, if you
select IPv6, go to step 11 later in this procedure.
8. On the Mode panel, select the mode in which the CMC must obtain the NIC IP addresses. If you select DHCP, CMC
retrieves IP configuration (IP address, mask, and gateway) automatically from a DHCP server on your network.
CMC is assigned a unique IP address that is allotted on your network. If you select DHCP, press the center button,
and then press the center again. The Configure iDRAC panel is displayed. Go to step 12 later in this procedure.
9. If you select Static, enter the IP address, gateway, and subnet mask by following the instructions on the LCD panel.
The IP information that you entered is displayed. Press the center button, and then press the center button again.
The CMC Configuration screen lists the Static IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway settings you entered. Check
the settings for accuracy. To correct a setting, press appropriate buttons. Press the center button, and then press
the center button. The Register DNS? panel is displayed.
10. To register, enter the DNS IP address, and then press the center button. Go to step 12 and select whether or not
you want to configure an iDRAC.
11. If you do not select to register, go to step 12.
12. Indicate whether or not you want to configure iDRAC:
– No: Go to step 17 later in this procedure.
– Yes: Press the center button.
You can also configure iDRAC from the CMC web interface.
13. On the Protocol panel, Select the IP type (IPv4, IPv6, or both) that you want to use for the servers. If you select IPv4
or Both, select DHCP or Static and go to step 14. Else, if you select IPv6, go to step 17 later in this procedure.
Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP)
StaticIf you select Static, manually enter the IP address, gateway, and subnet mask
iDRAC retrieves IP configuration (IP address, mask, and gateway)
automatically from a DHCP server on your network. The iDRAC is assigned a
unique IP address allotted over your network. Press the center button, and
then go to step 16 of this procedure.
by following the instructions on the LCD screen.
If you have selected the Static option, press the center button, and then do the
following:
a. The following message asks you whether or not you want to
automatically increment by using the IP of Slot–1.
IPs will auto-increment by slot number.
Click the center button. The following message asks you to enter the
slot–1 IP number.
Enter slot 1 (starting) IP
Enter the slot–1 IP number, and then press the center button.
b. Set the Subnet mask, and then press the center button.
c. Set the gateway, and then press the center button.
d. The Network Summary screen lists the Static IP Address, Subnet Mask,
and Gateway settings you entered. Check the settings for accuracy. To
correct a setting, press appropriate buttons, and then press the center
button.
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e. When you have confirmed the accuracy of the settings you entered, go
to step 10.
14. Select Enable or Disable to indicate whether or not you want to enable IPMI over LAN. Press the center button to
continue.
15. On the iDRAC Configuration panel, the following message is displayed.
Apply settings to installed servers?
To apply all iDRAC network settings to the installed servers, select Yes , and then press the center button. Else,
select No and press the center button and go to step 17 later in this procedure.
16. On the next iDRAC Configuration panel, the following message is displayed.
Auto-Apply settings to newly-inserted servers?
To apply all iDRAC network settings to the newly installed servers, select Yes and press the center button. When a
new server is inserted in the chassis, the LCD prompts you whether or not to automatically deploy the server using
the previously-configured network settings policies. If you do not want to apply the iDRAC network settings to
newly-installed servers, select No and press the center button. When a new server is inserted in the chassis, the
iDRAC network settings do not get configured.
17. On the iDRAC Configuration panel, the following message is displayed.
Apply All Enclosure Settings?
To apply all enclosure settings, select Yes and press the center button. Else, select No and press the center button.
18. On the IP Summary panel, review the IP addresses you provided to make sure the addresses are correct. To
correct a setting, press the Back button, and then press the center key to return to the screen for that setting. After
correcting an IP address, press the center button.
When you have confirmed that the settings you entered are accurate, press the center button, and then press the
center button. The Main Menu panel id displayed.
CMC and iDRACs are now available on the network. You can access the CMC on the assigned IP address using the
Web interface or CLIs such as a serial console, Telnet, and SSH.
Interfaces and Protocols to Access CMC
After you have configured the CMC network settings, you can remotely access CMC using various interfaces. The
following table lists the interfaces that you can use to remotely access CMC.
NOTE: Because Telnet is not as secure as the other interfaces, it is disabled by default. Enable Telnet by using
web, SSH, or remote RACADM.
NOTE: Using more than one interface at the same time may generate unexpected results.
Table 2. CMC Interfaces
InterfaceDescription
Web interfaceProvides remote access to CMC using a graphical user interface. The Web
interface is built into the CMC firmware and is accessed through the NIC interface
from a supported web browser on the management station.
For a list of supported Web browsers, see the “Supported Browsers” section in
the
Remote RACADM command line
interface
32
Dell System Software Support Matrix
Use this command line utility to manage CMC and its components. You can use
remote or firmware RACADM:
•Remote RACADM is a client utility that runs on a management station. It
uses the out-of-band network interface to run RACADM commands on the
at dell.com/support/manuals.
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InterfaceDescription
managed system and uses the HTTPs channel. The –r option runs the
RACADM command over a network.
•Firmware RACADM is accessible by logging in to CMC using SSH or
Telnet. You can run the firmware RACADM commands without specifying
the CMC IP, user name, or password. After you enter the RACADM
prompt, you can directly run the commands without the racadm prefix.
Chassis LCD PanelUse the LCD on the front panel to:
•View alerts, CMC IP or MAC address, user programmable strings.
•Set DHCP.
•Configure CMC static IP settings.
TelnetProvides command line access to CMC through the network. The RACADM
command line interface and the connectcommand, which is used to connect to
the serial console of a server or IO module, are available from the CMC command
line.
NOTE: Telnet is not a secure protocol and is disabled by default. Telnet
transmits all data, including passwords in plain text. When transmitting
sensitive information, use the SSH interface.
SSHUse SSH to run RACADM commands. It provides the same capabilities as the
Telnet console using an encrypted transport layer for higher security. The SSH
service is enabled by default on CMC and can be disabled.
WS-MANThe WSMAN Services is based on the Web Services for Management (WSMAN)
protocol to perform one-to-many systems management tasks. You must use WSMAN client such as WinRM client (Windows) or the OpenWSMAN client (Linux) to
use the LC-Remote Services functionality. You can also use Power Shell and
Python script the WS-MAN interface.
WSMAN is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)–based protocol used for
systems management. CMC uses WS–Management to convey Distributed
Management Task Force (DMTF) Common Information Model (CIM)–based
management information. The CIM information defines the semantics and
information types that can be modified in a managed system.
The CMC WS-MAN implementation uses SSL on port 443 for transport security,
and supports basic authentication. The data available through WS-Management is
provided by CMC instrumentation interface mapped to the DMTF profiles and
extension profiles.
For more information, see:
•MOFs and Profiles — delltechcenter.com/page/DCIM.Library
Web services interfaces can be utilized by leveraging client infrastructure, such
as Windows WinRM and Powershell CLI, open source utilities like WSMANCLI,
and application programming environments like Microsoft .NET.
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InterfaceDescription
For client connection using Microsoft WinRM, the minimum required version is 2.0.
For more information, refer to the Microsoft article, <support.microsoft.com/kb/
968929>.
NOTE: The default values of CMC user name and password are root and calvin respectively.
Launching CMC Using Other Systems Management Tools
You can also launch CMC from the Dell Server Administrator or Dell OpenManage Essentials.
To access CMC interface using Dell Server Administrator, launch Server Administrator on your management station. In
the left pane of the Server Administrator home page, click System → Main System Chassis → Remote Access
Controller. For more information, see the
Dell Server Administrator User’s Guide
at dell.com/support/manuals.
Downloading and Updating CMC Firmware
To download the CMC firmware, see Downloading CMC Firmware.
To update the CMC firmware, see Updating CMC Firmware.
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name
You can set the chassis location in a data center and the chassis name to identify the chassis on the network (default
name is Dell Rack System). For example, an SNMP query on the chassis name returns the name you configure.
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name Using Web Interface
To set the chassis location and chassis name using the CMC web interface:
1.In the left pane, go to Chassis Overview, and then click Setup .
2.On the General Chassis Settings page, type the location properties and the chassis name. For more information
about setting chassis properties, see the
NOTE: The Chassis Location field is optional. It is recommended to use the Data Center, Aisle, Rack, and Rack
Slot fields to indicate the physical location of the chassis.
3.Click Apply. The settings are saved.
CMC Online Help
.
Setting Chassis Physical Location and Chassis Name Using RACADM
To set the chassis name, location, date, and time by using the command line interface, see the setsysinfo and
setchassisname commands. For more information, see the
RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX
Setting Date and Time on CMC
You can manually set the date and time, or you can synchronize the date and time with a Network Time Protocol (NTP)
server.
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Setting Date and Time on CMC Using CMC Web Interface
To set the date and time on CMC:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Setup → Date/Time .
2.To synchronize the date and time with a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, on the Date/Time page, select Enable
NTP
and specify up to three NTP servers. To manually set the date and time, clear the Enable NTP option, and then
edit the Date and Time fields.
3.Select the Time Zone from the drop-down menu, and then click Apply.
Setting Date and Time on CMC Using RACADM
To set the date and time using the command line interface, see the config command and cfgRemoteHosts database
property group sections in the
Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference
Configuring LEDs to Identify Components on the Chassis
You can enable the LEDs of components (chassis, servers, physical disk drives, virtual disks, and I/O Modules) to blink
so that you can identify the component on the chassis.
NOTE: To modify these settings, you must have the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege.
Configuring LED Blinking Using CMC Web Interface
To enable blinking for one, multiple, or all component LEDs:
•In the left pane, go to any of the following pages:
NOTE: Only physical disk drives and virtual disks can be selected on this page.
To enable blinking of a component LED, select the Select/Deselect All option corresponding to the physical disk drive or
virtual disk, and then click Blink. To disable blinking of a component LED, clear the Select/Deselect All option
corresponding to the LED, and then click Unblink.
Configuring LED Blinking Using RACADM
Open a serial/Telnet/SSH text console to CMC, log in, and type:
racadm setled -m <module> [-l <ledState>], where <module> specifies the module whose LED you
want to configure. Configuration options:
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•server-n where n = 1-4
•switch-1
•cmc-active
and <ledState> specifies whether or not the LED should blink. Configuration options:
•0 — not blinking (default)
•1 — blinking
racadm raid <operation> <component FQDD>, where the
FQDD is for the component's physical disk drive and virtual disk.
operation
value is blink or unblink, and the
Configuring CMC Properties
You can configure CMC properties such as power budgeting, network settings, users, and SNMP and email alerts using
the web interface or RACADM commands.
Understanding Redundant CMC Environment
You can install a standby CMC that takes over if your active CMC stops functioning. The redundant CMC may be preinstalled or can be installed later. To make sure full redundancy or best performance, it is important that the CMC
network is properly cabled.
Failovers can occur when you:
•Run the RACADM cmcchangeover command. See the cmcchangeover command section in the
Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
support/manuals.
•Run the RACADM racreset command on the active CMC. See the racreset command section in the
available at dell.com/
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
dell.com/support/manuals..
•Reset the active CMC from web interface. See the Reset CMC option for Power Control Operations that is
described in Executing Power Control Operations.
•Remove the network cable from the active CMC.
•Remove the active CMC from the chassis.
•Initiate a CMC firmware flash on the active CMC.
•Have an active CMC that is no longer functional.
NOTE: In the event of a CMC failover, all iDRAC connections and all active CMC sessions are logged off.
Users with logged-off sessions must reconnect to the new active CMC.
Chassis
available at
About Standby CMC
The standby CMC is identical to and is maintained as a mirror of the active CMC. The active and standby CMCs must
both be installed with the same firmware revision. If the firmware revisions differ, the system reports as “redundancy
degraded”.
The standby CMC assumes the same settings and properties of the active CMC. You must maintain the same firmware
version on both the CMCs, but you do not have to duplicate configuration settings on the standby CMC.
NOTE: For information about installing a CMC, see the
firmware on your standby CMC, see Updating Firmware.
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VRTX Owner’s Manual
. For instructions about installing CMC
Page 37
CMC Failsafe Mode
Similar to the failover protection offered by the redundant CMC, the PowerEdge VRTX enclosure enables the fail-safe
mode to protect the servers and I/O module from not functioning. The fail-safe mode is enabled when a CMC is not in
control of the chassis. During the CMC failover period, or during a single CMC management loss:
•You cannot turn on the newly installed servers.
•You cannot remotely access existing servers.
•Server performance reduces to limit power consumption until management of the CMC is restored.
The following are some of the conditions that can result in CMC management loss:
•CMC removal — Chassis management resumes after replacing CMC, or after failover to standby CMC.
•CMC network cable removal or network connection loss — Chassis management resumes after the chassis fails
over to the standby CMC. Network failover is only enabled in redundant CMC mode.
•CMC reset — Chassis management resumes after CMC reboots or chassis fails over to the standby CMC.
•CMC failover command issued — Chassis management resumes after the chassis fails over to the standby CMC.
•CMC firmware update — Chassis management resumes after CMC reboots or chassis fails over to the standby
CMC. It is recommended that you update the standby CMC first so that there is only one failover event.
•CMC error detection and correction — Chassis management resumes after CMC resets or chassis fails over to
the standby CMC.
NOTE: You can configure the enclosure either with a single CMC or with redundant CMCs. In redundant
CMC configurations, if the primary CMC loses communication with the enclosure or the management
network, the standby CMC takes over the chassis management.
Active CMC Election Process
There is no difference between the two CMC slots; that is, slot does not indictate precedence. Instead, CMC that is
installed or started first, assumes the role of an active CMC. If AC power is applied with two CMCs installed, CMC
installed in CMC chassis slot 1 normally assumes the active role. The active CMC is indicated by a blue LED.
If two CMCs are inserted into a chassis that is already turned on, automatic active- or standby negotiation can take upto
two minutes. Normal chassis operation resumes when the negotiation is complete.
Obtaining Health Status of Redundant CMC
You can view the health status of the standby CMC in the web interface. For more information about accessing CMC
health status in the web interface, see Viewing Chassis Information and Monitoring Chassis and Component Health.
Configuring Front Panel
You can configure the following:
•Power button
•LCD
•DVD drive
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Configuring Power Button
To configure the chassis power button:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Front Panel → Setup.
2.On the Front Panel Configuration page, under the Power Button Configuration section, select the Disable Chassis
Power Button
The chassis power button is disabled.
option, and then click Apply.
Configuring LCD
1.In the left pane, clickChassis Overview → Front Panel → Setup .
2.On the Configuration page, under the LCD Configuration section:
– Select the Lock Control Panel LCD option to disable any configuration that you can perform using the LCD
interface.
– From the LCD Language drop-down menu, select the required language.
– From the LCD Orientation drop-down menu, select the required mode — Tower Mode or Rack Mode.
NOTE: When you configure the chassis by using the LCD wizard, if you select the Auto-Apply settings to newly
inserted servers
using a basic license. If you do not want the function to take effect, either ignore the message displayed on
the LCD, which will automatically disappear; or, press the Do not accept button on the LCD, and then push the
center button.
3.Click Apply.
option, you cannot disable the Auto-Apply settings to newly inserted servers function by
Accessing a Server Using KVM
To map the server to the KVM and enable accessing the server remote console through the KVM interface, you can use
the CMC web interface, RACADM, or the LCD interface.
Mapping a Server to KVM Using CMC Web Interface
Make sure the KVM console is connected to the chassis.
To map a server to a KVM:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Front Panel → Setup .
2.On the Front Panel Configuration page, under the KVM Configuration section, from the KVM Mapped list, select the
slot that must be mapped to a KVM, and then click
Mapping the Server to KVM Using LCD
Make sure the KVM console is connected to the chassis.
To map the server to the KVM using the LCD — From the Main Menu screen on the LCD, go to KVM Mapping, select the
server that must be mapped, and then press OK.
Apply.
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Mapping a Server to a DVD Drive
To map the server to the chassis DVD drive:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Front Panel → Setup .
2.On the Front Panel Configuration page, under the DVD Drive Configuration section:
From the DVD Mapped drop-down menu, select one of the servers. Select the servers for which chassis DVD drive
access is required.
3.Click Apply.
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Logging in to CMC
You can log in to CMC as a CMC local user, as a Microsoft Active Directory user, or as an LDAP user. The default user
name and password is root and calvin respectively. You can also log in using Single Sign-On or a Smart Card.
Accessing CMC Web Interface
Before you log in to CMC using the web interface, make sure that you have configured a supported web browser
(Internet Explorer or Firefox) and the user account is created with the required privileges.
NOTE: If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, connect using a proxy, and if you see the error The XML page cannot be displayed, you must disable the proxy to continue.
To access the CMC web interface:
1.Open a web browser supported on your system.
For the latest information on supported web browsers, see the
dell.com/support/manuals.
2.In the Address field, type the following URL, and then press <Enter>:
– To access CMC using IPv4 address: https://<CMC IP address>
If the default HTTPS port number (port 443) was changed, type: https://<CMC IP
address>:<port number>
– To access CMC using IPv6 address: https://[<CMC IP address>]
If the default HTTPS port number (port 443) was changed, type: https://[<CMC IP address>]:<port number>, where
is the HTTPS port number.
The CMC Login page appears.
<CMC IP address>
Dell Systems Software Support Matrix
is the IP address for CMC and
<port number>
located at
3
NOTE: While using IPv6, you must enclose the CMC IP address in parenthesis ([ ]).
Logging Into CMC as a Local User, Active Directory User, or LDAP
User
To log in to CMC, you must have a CMC account with the Log In to CMC privilege. The default CMC user name is root,
and the password is calvin. The root account is the default administrative account that ships with CMC.
NOTE: For added security, it is strongly recommended that you change the default password of the root account
during initial setup.
CMC does not support extended ASCII characters, such as ß, å, é, ü, or other characters used primarily in non-English
languages.
To log in as a local user, Active Directory user, or LDAP user.
1.In the Username field, type your user name:
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– CMC user name: <user name>
– Active Directory user name: <domain>\<user name>, <domain>/<user name> or <user>@<domain>.
– LDAP user name: <user name>
NOTE: This field is case-sensitive.
2.In the Password field, type the user password.
NOTE: For Active Directory user, the Username field is case-sensitive.
3.Optionally, select a session timeout. This is the duration for which you can stay logged in with no activity before you
are automatically logged out. The default value is the Web Service Idle Timeout.
4.Click OK.
You are logged into CMC with the required user privileges.
You cannot log in to the Web interface with different user names in multiple browser windows on a single
workstation.
Logging in to CMC Using a Smart Card
To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License. You can log in to CMC using a smart card. Smart cards provide
Two Factor Authentication (TFA) that provide two-layers of security:
•Physical smart card device.
•Secret code such as a password or PIN.
Users must verify their credentials using the smart card and the PIN.
NOTE: You cannot use the IP address to log in to CMC using the Smart Card login. Kerberos validates your
credentials based on the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
Before you log in as an Active Directory user using a Smart Card, make sure to:
•Upload a Trusted Certificate Authority (CA) certificate (CA-signed Active Directory certificate) to CMC
•Configure the DNS server.
•Enable Active Directory login.
•Enable Smart Card login.
To log in to CMC as an Active Directory user using a smart card:
1.Log in to CMC using the link https://<cmcname.domain-name>.
The CMC Login page is displayed asking you to insert a smart card.
NOTE: If you changed the default HTTPS port number (port 80), access the CMC web page using
<cmcname.domain-name>:<port number>, where cmcname is the CMC host name for CMC,
name
is the domain name, and
2.Insert the smart card and click Login.
The PIN dialog box is displayed.
3.Type the PIN and click Submit.
NOTE: If the smart card user is present in Active Directory, an Active Directory password is not required. Else,
you have to log in by using an appropriate username and password.
port number
is the HTTPS port number.
domain-
You are logged in to CMC with your Active Directory credentials.
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Logging Into CMC Using Single Sign-on
When Single Sign-On (SSO) is enabled, you can log in to CMC without providing your domain user authentication
credentials, such as user name and password. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
NOTE: You cannot use the IP address to log in to the SSO. Kerberos validates your credentials against the Fully
Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
Before logging in to CMC using SSO, make sure that:
•You have logged in to your system using a valid Active Directory user account.
•Single Sign-On option is enabled during the Active Directory configuration.
To log in to CMC using SSO:
1.Log in to the client system using your network account.
2.Access the CMC web interface by using: https://<cmcname.domain-name>
For example, cmc-6G2WXF1.cmcad.lab,, where cmc-6G2WXF1 is the cmc-name and cmcad.lab is the domain
name.
NOTE: If you have changed the default HTTPS port number (port 80), access the CMC web interface using
<cmcname.domain-name>:<port number>, where the
domain-name is the domain name, and port number is the HTTPS port number.
CMC logs you in, using the Kerberos credentials that were cached by your browser when you logged in using your
valid Active Directory account. If the login is unsuccessful, the browser is redirected to the normal CMC login page.
cmcname
is the CMC host name for CMC,
NOTE: If you are not logged in to the Active Directory domain and are using a browser other than Internet
Explorer, the login is unsuccessful and the browser displays a only blank page.
Logging In To CMC Using Serial, Telnet, Or SSH Console
You can log in to CMC through a serial, Telnet, or SSH connection.
After you configure your management station terminal emulator software and managed node BIOS, perform the
following tasks to log in to CMC:
1.Connect to CMC using your management station terminal emulation software.
2.Type your CMC user name and password, and then press <Enter>.
You are logged in to CMC.
Accessing CMC Using RACADM
RACADM provides a set of commands that allow you to configure and manage CMC through a text-based interface.
RACADM can be accessed using a Telnet/SSH or serial connection, using the Dell CMC console on the KVM, or
remotely using the RACADM command line interface installed on a management station.
The RACADM interface is classified as:
•Remote RACADM — Allows you to run RACADM commands on a management station with the -r option and the
DNS name or IP address of the CMC.
NOTE: Remote RACADM is included on the
is installed on a management station.
Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD
and
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•Firmware RACADM — Allows you to log in to the CMC using Telnet, SSH, or a serial connection. With firmware
RACADM, you can the RACADM implementation that is part of the CMC firmware.
You can use remote RACADM commands in scripts to configure multiple CMCs. You cannot run the scripts directly on
the CMC web interface, because CMC does not support it.
For more information about RACADM, see the
Line Reference Guide
For more information about configuring multiple CMCs, see Configuring Multiple CMCs Using RACADM.
.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command
Logging in to CMC Using Public Key Authentication
You can log in to the CMC over SSH without typing a password. You can also send a single RACADM command as a
command line argument to the SSH application. The command line options behave similar to the remote RACADM,
because the session ends after the command is completed.
Before logging in to CMC over SSH, make sure that the public keys are uploaded. To use this feature, you must have an
Enterprise License.
For example:
•Logging in: ssh service@<domain> or ssh service@<IP_address>, where IP_address is the CMC
IP address.
•Sending RACADM commands: ssh service@<domain> racadm getversion and ssh
service@<domain> racadm getsel
When you log in using the service account, if a passphrase was set up when creating the public or private key pair, you
may be prompted to enter that passphrase again. If the passphrase is used with the keys, client systems running
Windows and Linux provide methods to automates the method. On client systems running Windows, you can use the
Pageant application. It runs in the background and makes entering the passphrase transparent. For client systems
running Linux, you can use the ssh agent. For setting up and using either of these applications, see their product
documentation.
Multiple CMC Sessions
A list of multiple CMC sessions that are possible by using the various interfaces is given here.
Table 3. Multiple CMC Sessions
InterfaceNumber of Sessions
CMC web interface4
RACADM4
Telnet4
SSH4
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4
Updating Firmware
You can update firmware for:
•CMC — active and standby
•Chassis infrastructure
•I/O Module
•iDRAC7
You can update firmware for the following server components:
•iDRAC
•BIOS
•Lifecycle Controller
•32–bit diagnostics
•Operating System Drivers Pack
•Network Interface Controllers
•RAID controllers
Downloading CMC Firmware
Before beginning the firmware update, download the latest firmware version from support.dell.com, and save it to your
local system.
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions
You can view the currently installed firmware versions using the CMC web interface or RACADM.
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions Using CMC Web Interface
In the CMC web interface, go to any of the following pages to view the current firmware versions:
•Chassis Overview → Update
•Chassis Overview → Chassis Controller → Update
•Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Server Component Update
The Firmware Update page displays the current version of the firmware for each listed component and allows you to
update the firmware to the latest version.
If the chassis contains an earlier generation server, whose iDRAC is in recovery mode or if CMC detects that iDRAC has
corrupted firmware, then the earlier generation iDRAC is also listed on the Firmware Update page.
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Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions Using RACADM
To view the IP information for iDRAC and CMC, and the CMC service- or asset tag using RACADM, run the racadm getsysinfo sub-command. For more information about other RACADM commands, see the
Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
.
Chassis Management
Updating the CMC Firmware
You can update the CMC firmware using web interface or RACADM. The firmware update, by default, retains the current
CMC settings. During the update process, you can reset CMC configuration settings back to the factory-default settings.
NOTE: To update firmware on CMC, you must have the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege.
If a Web user interface session is used to update system component firmware, the Idle Timeout (0, 60–10800) setting
must be set to a higher value to accommodate the file transfer time. In some cases, the firmware file transfer time may
be as high as 30 minutes. To set the idle timeout value, see Configuring Services.
During CMC firmware updates, it is normal for some or all of the fan units in the chassis to rotate at 100% speed.
If you have redundant CMCs installed in the chassis, it is recommended to update both the CMCs to the same firmware
version, at the same time, with a single operation. If CMCs have different firmware and a failover occurs, unexpected
results may occur.
The Active CMC resets and becomes temporarily unavailable after the firmware has been uploaded successfully. If a
standby CMC is present, the standby and active roles swap. The standby CMC becomes the active CMC. If an update is
applied only to the active CMC, after the reset is complete, the active CMC does not run the updated image, only the
standby CMC has that image. In general, it is highly recommended to maintain identical firmware versions for the active
and standby CMCs.
When the standby CMC has been updated, swap the CMCs’ roles so that the newly updated CMC becomes the active
CMC and the CMC with the earlier firmware becomes the standby. For information about swapping roles, see the
cmcchangeover command section in the
Line Reference Guide
firmware is working properly, before you update the firmware in the second CMC. When both CMCs are updated, you
can use the cmcchangeover command to restore the CMCs to their previous roles. CMC firmware revision 2.x
updates both the primary CMC and the redundant CMC without running the cmcchangeover command.
To avoid disconnecting other users during a reset, notify authorized users who may log in to CMC and check for active
sessions on the Sessions page. To open the Sessions page, click Chassis Overview in the left pane, click Network, and
then click the Sessions.
When transferring files to and from CMC, the file transfer icon spins during the transfer. If your icon is not animated,
make sure that your browser is configured to allow animations. For more information about allowing animations in the
browser, see Allow Animations in Internet Explorer.
. Running this command helps you to verify that the update has succeeded and that the new
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command
Updating CMC Firmware Using RACADM
To update CMC firmware using RACADM, use the fwupdate subcommand. For more information about RACADM
commands, see
46
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
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Updating CMC Firmware Using Web Interface
NOTE: Before you update the CMC firmware, make sure that you turn on the chassis, but turn off all the servers in
the chassis.
To update the CMC firmware using the CMC web interface:
1.In the left pane, go to any of the following pages:
– Chassis Overview → Update
– Chassis Overview → Chassis Controller → Update
2.On the Firmware Update page, in the CMC Firmware section, select the required components under the Update
Targets column for the CMC or CMCs (if standby CMC is present) you want to update, and then click Apply CMC
Update.
3.In the Firmware Image field, enter the path to the firmware image file on the management station or shared
network, or click
vrtx_cmc.bin.
4.Click Begin Firmware Update, and then click Yes. The Firmware Update Progress section provides firmware update
status information. A status indicator displays on the page while the image file is uploaded. File transfer time varies
based on the connection speed. When the internal update process begins, the page automatically refreshes and
the Firmware update timer is displayed.
5.For a standby CMC, when the update is complete, the Update State field displays Done. For an active CMC, during
the final phases of the firmware update process, the browser session and connection with CMC is lost temporaril,y
because the active CMC is not conntcted to the network. You must log in after a few minutes, when the active CMC
has restarted. After CMC resets, the new firmware is displayed on the
Browse to browse through to the file location. The default name of the CMC firmware image file is
Firmware Update page.
NOTE: After the firmware update, delete the files from the web browser cache. For instructions about clearing
the browser cache, see the web browser’s online help.
Additional instructions:
•During a file transfer, do not click the Refresh icon or navigate to another page.
•To cancel the process, select the Cancel File Transfer and Update option. This option is available only during file
transfer.
•The Update State field displays the firmware update status.
NOTE: The update process may take several minutes for CMC.
Updating Chassis Infrastructure Firmware
The chassis infrastructure update operation updates components such as the Main Board and PCIe subsystem
management firmware.
NOTE: To update the chassis infrastructure firmware, make sure the chassis is turned on and the servers are
turned off.
Updating Chassis Infrastructure Firmware Using CMC Web Interface
2.On the Firmware Update page, in the Chassis Infrastructure Firmware section, in the Update Targets column, select
the option, and then click Apply Chassis Infrastructure Firmware.
3.On the Firmware Update page, click Browse, and then select the appropriate chassis infrastructure firmware.
4.Click Begin Firmware Update, and then click Yes.
The Firmware Update Progress section provides firmware update status information. While the image file uploads,
a status indicator displays on the page. File transfer time varies on the basis of connection speed. When the
internal update process begins, the page automatically refreshes and the firmware update timer is displayed.
Additional instructions to follow:
•Do not click the Refresh icon, or navigate to another page during the file transfer.
•The Update State field displays the firmware update status.
When the update is complete, there is a brief loss of connectivity to the main board, because it resets and the new
firmware is displayed on the Firmware Update page.
Updating Chassis Infrastructure Firmware Using RACADM
To update chassis infrastructure firmware using RACADM, use the fwupdate sub-command. For more information
about using the RACADM commands, see the
Line Reference Guide
.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware
You can update firmware for iDRAC7 or later. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
The iDRAC firmware version must be 1.40.40 or later for servers with iDRAC.
The iDRAC (on a server) resets and is temporarily unavailable after a firmware update.
NOTE: To update an iDRAC firmware, the CMC must have an SD card.
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware Using RACADM
You can update the firmware of iDRAC7 by running the fwupdate command. For this, you must have an Enterprise
license. The iDRAC7 version must be 1.40.40 or later. For more information about the commands, see the
Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
.
Updating Server iDRAC Firmware Using Web Interface
You can also update server iDRAC firmware using Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Update . For more
information, see Updating Server Component Firmware.
2.To update the iDRAC7 firmware, in the iDRAC7 Firmware section, click the Update link of the server for which you
want to update the firmware.
The Server Component Update page is displayed. To continue, see Updating Server Component Firmware.
3.In the Firmware Image field, enter the path to the firmware image file on the management station or shared
network, or click Browse to navigate to the file location. The default iDRAC firmware image name is firming.imc.
4.Click Begin Firmware Update, and then click Yes.
The Firmware Update Progress section provides firmware update status information. A progress bar indicates the
status of the upload process. File transfer time varies on the basis of connection speed. When the internal update
process begins, the page automatically refreshes and the firmware update timer is displayed.
NOTE: Additional instructions to follow:
– Do not click the Refresh icon or navigate to another page during the file transfer.
– To cancel the process, click Cancel File Transfer and Update. This option is available only during file
transfer.
– The Update State field displays the firmware update status.
It may take up to 10 minutes to update the iDRAC firmware.
Updating Server Component Firmware
The Lifecycle Controller service is available on each server and is facilitated by iDRAC. You can manage the firmware of
the components and devices on the servers using the Lifecycle Controller service. The Lifecycle Controller uses an
optimization algorithm to update the firmware that efficiently reduces the number of restarts.
Dell Update Packages (DUPs) are used to perform the firmware updates using Lifecycle Controller. The Operating
System Driver Pack component DUP exceeds this limit and must be updated separately using the Extended Storage
feature.
The Lifecycle Controller provides module update support for iDRAC6 and later servers. The iDRAC firmware must be at
version 2.3 or later to update firmware using Lifecycle Controller.
NOTE: Before using the Lifecycle Controller–based update feature, server firmware versions must be updated. You
must also update the CMC firmware before updating the server component firmware modules.
Always update the server component firmware modules in the following order:
•BIOS
•Lifecycle Controller
•iDRAC
To update the server component firmware, using the CMC Web interface, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview →
Update → Server Component Update.
If the server does not support the Lifecycle Controller service, the Component/Device Firmware Inventory section
displays Not Supported. For the latest generation servers, install the Lifecycle Controller firmware and update the iDRAC
firmware to enable the Lifecycle Controller service on the server. For earlier generation servers, this upgrade is not
possible.
Normally, the Lifecycle Controller firmware is installed using an appropriate installation package that is executed on the
server operating system. For supported servers, a special repair or installation package with an .usc file extension is
available. This file enables you to install the Lifecycle Controller firmware through the firmware update facility available
on the native iDRAC Web browser interface.
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You can also install Lifecycle Controller firmware through an appropriate installation package executed on the server
OS. For more information, see the
If Lifecycle Controller service is disabled on the server, the Component/Device Firmware Inventory section displays
Lifecycle Controller may not be enabled.
Dell Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide
.
Enabling Lifecycle Controller
You can enable the Lifecycle Controller service when turning on a server:
•For iDRAC6 servers, on the boot console, press <CTRL><E>, when the following message is displayed.
Press <CTRL-E> for Remote Access Setup within 5 sec.
. Then, on the setup screen, click System Services. Go to the System Setup Main Menu page and click Finish to
save the settings.
•For iDRAC7 servers, on the boot console, to access System Setup, press the <F2> key.
•On the System Setup Main Menu page, go to iDRAC Settings → Lifecycle Controller, click Enabled. Go to the
System Setup Main Menu page and click Finish to save the settings.
Cancelling System Services enables you to cancel all scheduled jobs that are pending and remove them from the queue.
For more information about the Lifecycle Controller and supported server components, and device firmware
management, see:
The Server Component Update page enables you to update various firmware components on the server. To use the
features and functions on this page, you must have:
.
•For CMC: The Server Administrator privilege.
•For iDRAC: The Configure iDRAC privilege and Log in to iDRAC privilege.
In case of insufficient privileges, you can only view the firmware inventory of components and devices on the server.
You cannot select any components or devices for any type of Lifecycle Controller operation on the server.
Filtering Components for Firmware Updates
Information about all the components and devices across all servers is retrieved at one time. To manage this large
amount of information, Lifecycle Controller provides various filtering mechanisms.
NOTE: To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
These filters enable you to:
•Select one or more categories of components or devices for easy viewing.
•Compare firmware versions of components and devices across the server.
•To narrow the category of a particular component or device based on types or models, automatically filter the
selected components and devices.
NOTE: Automatic filtering feature is important while using the Dell Update Package (DUP). The update
programming of a DUP can be based on the type or model of a component or device. The automatic
filtering behavior is designed to minimize the subsequent selection decisions after an initial selection is
made.
Following are some examples where the filtering mechanisms are applied:
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•If the BIOS filter is selected, only the BIOS inventory of all the servers is displayed. If the set of servers consists
of a number of server models, and a server is selected for BIOS update, the automatic filtering logic
automatically removes all the other servers that do not match with the model of the selected server. This makes
sure that the selection of the BIOS firmware update image (DUP) is compatible with the correct model of the
server.
Sometimes, a BIOS firmware update image may be compatible across a number of server models. Such
optimizations are ignored in case this compatibility is no longer true in the future.
•Automatic filtering is important for firmware updates of Network Interface Controllers (NIC) and RAID
Controllers. These device categories have different types and models. Similarly, the firmware update images
(DUP) may be available in optimized forms, where a single DUP may be programmed to update multiple types or
models of devices of a given category.
Filtering Components for Firmware Updates Using CMC Web Interface
To filter the devices:
1.In the left pane, go to Server Overview, and then click Update .
2.On the Server Component Update page, in the Component/Device Update Filter section, select one or more of the
following:
– BIOS
– iDRAC
– Lifecycle Controller
– 32-Bit Diagnostics
– OS Driver Pack
– Network I/F Controller
– RAID Controller
The Firmware Inventory section displays only the associated components or devices across all servers present in
the chassis. After you select an item from the drop-down menu, only the components or devices associated with
the ones in the are list displayed.
After the filtered set of components and devices is displayed in the inventory section, further filtering may occur
when a component or device is selected for update. For example, if the BIOS filter is selected, then the inventory
section displays all the servers with only their BIOS component. If a BIOS component on one of the servers is
selected, the inventory is further filtered to display the servers that match the model name of the selected server.
If a filter is not selected and a selection for update of a component or device is made on the inventory section, then
the filter associated with that selection is automatically enabled. Further filtering may occur where the inventory
section displays all the servers that have a match for the selected component in terms of model, type, or some form
of identity. For example, if a BIOS component on one of the servers is selected for update, the filter is automatically
set to the BIOS and the inventory section displays the servers that match the model name of the selected server.
Filtering Components for Firmware Updates Using RACADM
To filter components for Firmware Updates using RACADM, run the getversion command:
racadm getversion -l [-m <module>] [-f <filter>]
For more information, see the
Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference
Viewing Firmware Inventory
You can view the summary of the firmware versions for all components and devices for all servers currently present in
the chassis along with their status.
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NOTE: To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
Viewing Firmware Inventory Using CMC Web Interface
To view the firmware inventory:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview, and then click Update .
2.On the Server Component Update page, view the firmware inventory details in the Component/Device Firmware
Inventory section. On this page, you can view the following information:
– Servers that currently do not support the Lifecycle Controller service are listed as Not Supported. A
hyperlink is provided to an alternative page, where you can directly update only the iDRAC firmware. This
page supports only iDRAC firmware update and not any other component and device on the server. iDRAC
firmware update is not dependent on the Lifecycle Controller service.
– If the server is listed as Not Ready, it indicates that when the firmware inventory was retrieved, the iDRAC
on the server was still initializing. Wait for the iDRAC to be fully operational, and then refresh the page for
the firmware inventory to be retrieved again.
– If the inventory of components and devices do not reflect what is physically installed on the server, you
must invoke the Lifecycle Controller when the server is in the boot process. This helps to refresh the
internal components and devices information and allows you to verify the currently-installed components
and devices. This occurs when:
* The server iDRAC firmware is updated to newly introduce the Lifecycle Controller functionality to
the server management.
* The new devices are inserted into the server.
To automate this action or the iDRAC Settings Utility (for iDRAC7) provides an option that can be accessed
through the boot console:
1. For iDRAC7 servers, on the boot console, to access System Setup, press <F2>.
2. On the System Setup Main Menu page, click iDRAC Settings → Collect System Inventory on Restart,
select Enabled, go back to the System Setup Main Menu page, and then click Finish to save the
settings.
– Options to perform the various Lifecycle Controller operations such as Update, Rollback, Reinstall, and Job
Deletion are available. Only one type of operation can be performed at a time. Components and devices
that are not supported may be listed as part of the inventory, but do not permit Lifecycle Controller
operations.
The following table displays the component and devices information on the server:
Table 4. Component and Devices Information
FieldDescription
SlotDisplays the slot occupied by the server in the chassis. Slot numbers are sequential IDs, from 1
to 4 (for the four available slots in the chassis), that help to identify the location of the server in
the chassis. When there are less than four servers occupying slots, only those slots populated
by servers are displayed.
NameDisplays the name of the server in each slot.
ModelDisplays the model of the server.
Component/
Device
Displays a description of the component or device on the server. If the column width is too
narrow, the mouse-over tool provides a view of the description.
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FieldDescription
Current VersionDisplays the current version of component or device on the server.
Rollback Version Displays the rollback version of component or device on the server.
Job StatusDisplays the job status of any operations that are scheduled on the server. The job status is
continuously updated dynamically. If a job completion with state completed is detected, then
the firmware versions for the components and devices on that server are automatically
refreshed in case there has been a change of firmware version on any of the components or
devices. An information icon is also presented adjacent to the current state, which provides
additional information about the current job status. This information can be viewed by clicking
or pausing the mouse over the icon.
UpdateClick to select the component or device for firmware update on the server.
Viewing Firmware Inventory Using RACADM
To view firmware inventory using RACADM, use the getversion command:
racadm getversion -l [-m <module>] [-f <filter>]
For more information, see the
Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference
Lifecycle Controller Job Operations
NOTE: To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
You can perform Lifecycle Controller operations such as:
•Re-install
•Rollback
•Update
•Delete Jobs
Only one type of operation can be performed at a time. Components and devices that are not supported may be listed as
part of the inventory, but do not permit Lifecycle Controller operations.
To perform the Lifecycle Controller operations, you must have:
•For CMC: Server Administrator privilege.
•For iDRAC: Configure iDRAC privilege and Log in to iDRAC privilege.
A Lifecycle Controller operation scheduled on a server may take 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The process involves
several server reboots during which the firmware installation is performed, which also includes a firmware verification
stage. You can view the progress of this process using the server console. If there are several components or devices
that need to be updated on a server, you can consolidate all the updates into one scheduled operation thus minimizing
the number of reboots required.
Sometimes, when an operation is in the process of being submitted for scheduling through another session or context,
another operation is attempted. In this case, a confirmation message is displayed indicating the situation and the
operation must not be submitted. Wait for the operation in process to complete and then submit the operation again.
Do not navigate away from the page after an operation is submitted for scheduling. If an attempt is made, a confirmation
message is displayed allowing the intended navigation to be cancelled. Otherwise, the operation is interrupted. An
interruption, especially during an update operation may cause the firmware image file upload to be terminated before
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proper completion. After an operation has been submitted for scheduling, ensure that the confirmation message
indicating that the operation has been successfully scheduled is acknowledged.
Reinstalling Server Component Firmware
You can reinstall the firmware image of the currently installed firmware for selected components or devices across one
or more servers. The firmware image is available within the Lifecycle Controller.
Re-installing Server Component Firmware Using Web Interface
To reinstall a server component firmware:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview → Update.
2.On the Server Component Update page, filter the component or device (optional).
3.In the Current Version column, select the option for the component or device for which you want to reinstall the
firmware.
4.Select one of the following options:
– Reboot Now — Restart the server immediately.
– On Next Reboot — Manually restart the server at a later time.
5.Click Reinstall. The firmware version is reinstalled for the selected component or device.
Rolling Back Server Component Firmware
You can install the firmware image of the previously installed firmware for selected components or devices across one
or more servers. The firmware image is available within the Lifecycle Controller for a rollback operation. The availability
is subject to the version compatibility logic of the Lifecycle Controller. It also assumes the previous update was
facilitated by the Lifecycle Controller.
NOTE: To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
Rolling Back Server Component Firmware Using the CMC Web Interface
To roll back the server component firmware version to an earlier version:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview→ Update.
2.On the Server Component Update page, filter the component or device (optional).
3.In the Rollback Version column, select the option for the component or device for which you want to roll back the
firmware.
4.Select one of the following options:
– Reboot Now — Restart the server immediately.
– On Next Reboot - Manually restart the server at a later time.
5.Click Rollback. The previously installed firmware version is reinstalled for the selected component or device.
Upgrading Server Component Firmware
You can install the next version of the firmware image for selected components or devices across one or more servers.
The firmware image is available within the Lifecycle Controller for a rollback operation. To use this feature, you must
have an Enterprise License.
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NOTE: For iDRAC and Operating System Driver packs firmware update, make sure the Extended Storage feature is
enabled.
It is recommended to clear the job queue before initializing a server component firmware update. A list of all jobs on the
servers is available on the Lifecycle Controller Jobs page. This page enables deletion of single or multiple jobs or
purging of all jobs on the server.
BIOS updates are specific to the model of the server. Sometimes, even though a single Network Interface Controller
(NIC) device is selected for firmware update on a server, the update may get applied to all the NIC devices on the server.
This behavior is inherent in the Lifecycle Controller functionality and particularly the programming contained with the
Dell Update Package (DUP). Currently, Dell Update Packages (DUP) that are less than 48 MB in size are supported.
If the update file image size is greater, the job status indicates that the download has failed. If multiple server
component updates are attempted on a server, the combined size of all the firmware update files may also exceed 48
MB. In such a case, one of the component updates fails as its update file is truncated. To update multiple components
on a server, it is recommended to update the Lifecycle Controller and 32-Bit Diagnostics components together first.
These do not require a server reboot and are relatively quick to complete. The other components can then be updated
together.
All Lifecycle Controller updates are scheduled for immediate execution. However, the system services can delay this
execution sometimes. In such situations, the update fails as a result of the remote share that is hosted by the CMC being
no longer available.
Upgrading Server Component Firmware Using CMC Web Interface
To upgrade the firmware version to the next version:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview, and then click Update.
2.On the Server Component Update page, filter the component or device (optional).
3.In the Update column, select the options of the component or device for which you want to update the firmware to
the next version.
NOTE: Use the <Ctrl> key to select a type of component or device for update across all the applicable servers.
Pressing and holding the <Ctrl> key highlights all the components in yellow. While the <Ctrl> key is pressed
down, select the required component or device by selecting the associated options in the Update column.
Another table is displayed that lists the selected type of component or device and a selector for the firmware image
file. For each type of component, one selector for the firmware image file is displayed.
Few devices such as Network Interface Controllers (NICs) and RAID controllers contain many types and models.
The update selection logic automatically filters the relevant device type or model on the basis of initially selected
devices. The primary reason for this automatic filtering behavior is that only one firmware image file for the
category can be specified.
NOTE: The update size limitation of either a single DUP or combined DUPs can be ignored, if the Extended
Storage feature is installed and enabled. For information about enabling extended storage, see Configuring
CMC Extended Storage Card.
4.Specify the firmware image file for the selected components or devices. This is a Dell Update Package (DUP) file
for Microsoft Windows.
5.Select one of the following options:
– Reboot Now - Restart the server immediately.
– On Next Reboot - Manually restart the server at a later time.
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NOTE: This task is not valid for Lifecycle Controller and 32–bit Diagnostics firmware update. A server restart
operation is performed immediately for these devices.
6.Click Update. The firmware version is updated for the selected component or device.
Deleting Scheduled Server Component Firmware Jobs
NOTE: To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
You can delete jobs scheduled for the selected components and/or devices across one or more servers.
Deleting Scheduled Server Component Firmware Jobs Using the Web Interface
To delete scheduled server component firmware jobs:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview, and then click Update.
2.On the Server Component Update page, filter the component or device (optional).
3.In the Job Status column, if a check box is displayed next to the job status, it implies that a Lifecycle Controller job
is in progress and currently in the indicated state. It can be selected for a job-deletion operation.
4.Click Delete Job. The jobs are deleted for the selected components or devices.
Updating Storage Component Using CMC Web Interface
Make sure the DUPs for the required storage components are downloaded.
To update the storage components:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Storage → Update .
2.On the Storage Component Update page, click Browse, select the DUP that is downloaded earlier, and then click
Upload.
The DUP is uploaded to CMC and the Firmware Update Status page is displayed with the following information:
– Elapsed Time
– Target Components
– Current Firmware Version
– Update State
Recovering iDRAC Firmware Using CMC
iDRAC firmware is typically updated using iDRAC interfaces such as the iDRAC web interface, the SM-CLP command
line interface, or operating system specific update packages downloaded from support.dell.com. For more information,
see the
iDRAC7User’s Guide
Early generations of servers can have corrupted firmware recovered using the new update iDRAC firmware process.
When CMC detects corrupted iDRAC firmware, it lists the server on the Firmware Update page. Complete the tasks
mentioned in the Updating Server iDRAC Firmware.
.
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Viewing Chassis Information and Monitoring
Chassis and Component Health
You can view information and monitor the health of the following:
•Active and standby CMCs
•All severs and individual servers
•IO Module
•Fans
•Power Supply Units (PSUs)
•Temperature sensors
•Hard disk drives
•LCD assembly
•Storage controllers
•PCIe devices
Viewing Chassis and Component Summaries
When you log in to the CMC web interface, the Chassis Health page displays the health of the chassis and its
components. It displays a graphical view of the chassis and its components. It is dynamically updated, and the
component sub-graphic overlays and text hints are automatically changed to reflect the current state.
5
To view the chassis health, click Chassis Overview. The system displays the overall health status of the chassis, active
and standby CMCs, server modules, IO Module (IOM), fans, blowers, power supply units (PSUs), LCD assembly, storage
controller, and PCIe devices. Detailed information about each component is displayed when you click that component.
In addition, the latest events in the CMC Hardware Log are also displayed. For more information, see the
If your chassis is configured as a Group Lead, the Group Health page is displayed after login. It displays the chassis level
information and alerts. All active, critical, and non-critical alerts are displayed.
Online Help
.
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Chassis Graphics
The chassis is represented by the front and back views (the upper and lower images respectively). Servers, DVDs,
HDDs, KVMs, and LCD are shown in the front view and the remaining components are shown in the back view.
Component selection is indicated by a blue cast and is controlled by clicking the image of the required component.
When a component is present in the chassis, an icon of the component type is displayed in the graphics in the position
(slot), where the component has been installed. Empty positions are shown with a charcoal gray background. The
component icon visually indicates the state of the component. Other components display icons that visually represent
the physical component. Pausing the cursor over a component displays a tool tip with additional information about that
component.
Table 5. Server Icon States
IconDescription
A server is present, turned on, and is operating normally.
A server is present, but turned off.
A server is present, but reporting a noncritical error.
A server is present, but reporting a critical error.
A server is not present.
Selected Component Information
Information for the selected component is displayed in three independent sections:
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•Health and Performance, and Properties — Displays the active, critical, and non-critical events as displayed by
the hardware logs and the performance data that vary with time.
•Properties — Displays the component properties that do not vary with time, or that change only infrequently.
•Quick Links — Provides links to navigate to the most frequently accessed pages, and also the most frequently
performed actions. Only links applicable to the selected component are displayed in this section.
Viewing Server Model Name and Service Tag
You can view the model name and service tag of each server instantly using the following steps:
1. In the left pane, click Server Overview. All the servers (SLOT-01 to SLOT-04) appear in the servers list. If a server is
not present in a slot, the corresponding image in the graphic is grayed out.
2. Pause the cursor over the slot name or slot number of a server. A tool tip is displayed with the server’s model name
and service tag (if available).
Viewing Chassis Summary
To view the chassis summary information, in the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Properties → Summary.
The Chassis Summary page is displayed. For more information about this page, see the
Online Help
.
Viewing Chassis Controller Information and Status
To view the chassis controller information and status, in the CMC Web interface, click Chassis Overview →
Chassis Controller.
The Chassis Controller Status page is displayed. For more information, see the
Online Help
.
Viewing Information and Health Status of All Servers
To view the health status of all the servers, do one of the following:
•Click Chassis Overview. The Chassis Health page displays a graphical overview of all the servers installed in the
chassis. Server health status is indicated by the overlay of the server subgraphic. For more information about
the chassis health, see the
•Click Chassis Overview → Server Overview. The Servers Status page provides an overview of the servers in the
chassis. For more information, see the
Online Help
.
Online Help
.
Viewing Information and Health Status of the IOM
To view health status of the IOMs, in the CMC Web interface, do any of the following:
1.Click Chassis Overview .
The Chassis Health page is displayed. The graphics in the left pane displays the rear, front, and side view of the
chassis and contains the health status for the IOM. IOM health status is indicated by the overlay of the IOM subgraphic. Move the cursor over the individual IOM sub-graphic. The text hint provides additional information about
that IOM. Click the IOM sub-graphic to view the IOM information in the right pane.
2.Go to Chassis Overview → I/O Module Overview .
The I/O Module Status page provides an overview of IOM associated with the chassis. For more information, see
the
Online Help
.
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Viewing Information and Health Status of Fans
CMC controls the speed of the chassis fan by increasing or decreasing the fan speed on the basis of system events. You
can run the fan in three modes such as Low, Medium, and High. For more information about configuring a fan, see the
Online Help
To set up the properties of fans by using RACADM commands, type the following command at the CLI interface.
racadm fanoffset [-s <off|low|medium|high>]
.
NOTE: The CMC monitors the temperature sensors in the chassis and automatically adjust the fan speed as
needed. However, you can override to maintain a minimum fan speed by the racadm fanoffset command. When
overriden using this command, the CMC will always run the fan to the selected speed even though the chassis
does not require the fans to run at that speed.
For more information about the RACADM commands, see the
RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
CMC generates an alert and increases the fan speeds when the following events occur:
•CMC ambient temperature threshold is exceeded.
•A fan stops functioning.
•A fan is removed from the chassis.
NOTE: During updates of CMC or iDRAC firmware on a server, some or all of the fan units in the chassis rotates at
100%. This is normal.
To view the health status of fans, in the CMC Web interface, do any of the following:
1.Go to Chassis Overview.
The Chassis Health page is displayed. The lower section of chassis graphics provides the left view of the chassis
and contains the health status of the fans. Fan health status is indicated by the overlay of the fan sub-graphic.
Move the cursor over the fan sub-graphic. The text hint provides additional information about a fan. Click the fan
subgraphic to view the fan information in the right pane.
2.Go to Chassis Overview → Fans.
The Fans Status page provides the status, speed measurements in revolutions per minute (RPMs), and threshold
values of the fans in the chassis. There can be one or more fans.
NOTE: In the event of a communication failure between CMC and the fan unit, CMC cannot obtain or display
the health status for the fan unit.
NOTE: The following message is displayed when both the fans are not present in the slots or if a fan is rotating
at a low speed:
Fan <number> is less than the lower critical threshold.
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX
For more information, see the
Online Help
.
Configuring Fans
Fan Offset — A feature to provide increased cooling to the storage and PCIe regions of the chassis. This feature allows
you to increase the airflow delivery to the HDDs, Shared PERC controllers, and PCIe card slots. An example usage of the
Fan Offset is when you use high-power or custom PCIe cards that require more cooling than normal. The Fan Offset
feature has options of Off, Low, Medium, and High. These settings correspond to a fan speed offset (increase) of 20%,
50%, and 100% of the maximum speed respectively. There are also minimum speeds setup for each option, which are
35% for Low, 65% for Medium, and 100% for High.
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Using the Medium Fan Offset setting for example, increases the speed of fans 1–6 by 50% of its maximum speed. The
increase is above the speed already set by the system for cooling on the basis of installed hardware configuration.
With any of the Fan Offset options enabled, the power consumption will be increased. The system will be louder with the
Low offset, noticeably louder with the Medium offset, and significantly louder with the High offset. When the Fan Offset
option is not enabled, the fan speeds will be reduced to the default speeds required for system cooling for the installed
hardware configuration.
To set the offset feature, go to Chassis Overview → Fans → Setup. On the Advanced Fan Configuration page, from the
Value drop-down menu corresponding to Fan Offset, select appropriately.
For more information about the Fan Offset feature, see the
For setting up these features by using RACADM commands, user the following command:
racadm fanoffset [-s <off|low|medium|high>]
Online Help
.
For more information about the fan offset-related RACADM commands, see the
PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
Enhanced Cooling Mode (ECM) — Is a feature in the CMC that allows increased cooling capacity for the servers
installed within the PowerEdge VRTX chassis. Example uses for ECM are operation in a high ambient environment or
using servers with high power (≥120W) CPUs installed. The increased cooling capacity is achieved by allowing the four
chassis blower modules to run at a higher speed. As a result, the system power consumption and noise level may be
increased when ECM is enabled.
When enabled, ECM will only increase the cooling capacity to the server slots within the chassis. It is also important to
note that ECM is not designed to provide increased cooling to the servers at all times. Even with ECM enabled, the
higher blower speeds will only be seen when the increased cooling is needed. Examples of this situation include high
levels of server utilization or stress, and high ambient temperatures.
By default, ECM is off. When ECM is enabled, the blowers have the capability to deliver approximately 20% more airflow
per blade.
To set the ECM mode, go to Chassis Overview → Fans → Setup. On the Advanced Fan Configuration page, from the
Value drop-down menu corresponding to Enhanced Cooling Mode, select appropriately.
For more information about the ECM feature, see the
available at dell.com/support/Manuals.
Online Help
.
Chassis Management Controller for
Viewing Front Panel Properties
To view the front panel properties:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Front Panel.
2.On the Properties page, you can view the following:
– Power Button Properties
– LCD Properties
– KVM Properties
– DVD Drive Properties
Viewing KVM Information and Health Status
To view the health status of the KVMs associated with the chassis, do any of the following:
1.Click Chassis Overview.
The Chassis Health page is displayed. The left pane displays the front view of the chassis and contains the health
status of a KVM. KVM health status is indicated by the overlay of the KVM sub-graphic. Move the pointer over an
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KVM sub-graphic and a corresponding text hint or screen tip is displayed. The text hint provides additional
information about the KVM. Click the KVM sub-graphic to view the KVM information in the right pane.
2.Alternatively, click Chassis Overview → Front Panel.
On the Status page, under the KVM Properties section, you can view the status and properties of a KVM associated
with the chassis. For more information, see the
Online Help
.
Viewing LCD Information and Health
To view the health status of an LCD:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview.
The Chassis Health page is displayed. The left pane displays the front view of the chassis. LCD health status is
indicated by the overlay of the LCD sub-graphic.
2.Move the cursor over the LCD subgraphic. The corresponding text hint or screen tip provides additional information
on the LCD.
3.Click the LCD sub-graphic to view the LCD information in the right pane. For more information, see the
Alternatively, go to Chassis Overview → Front Panel → Properties → Status. On the Status page, under the LCD
Properties, you can view the status of the LCD available on the chassis. For more information, see
Online Help
Online Help
.
.
Viewing Information and Health Status of Temperature Sensors
To view the health status of the temperature sensors:
In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Temperature Sensors .
The Temperature Sensors Status page displays the status and readings of the temperature probes on the entire
chassis (chassis and servers). For more information, see
Online Help
.
NOTE: The temperature probes value cannot be edited. Any change beyond the threshold generates an alert
that causes the fan speed to vary. For example, if the CMC ambient temperature probe exceeds the threshold,
the speed of the fans on the chassis increases.
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6
Configuring CMC
Chassis Management Controller enables you to configure properties, set up users, and alerts to perform remote
management tasks.
Before you begin configuring the CMC, you must first configure the CMC network settings to allow CMC to be managed
remotely. This initial configuration assigns the TCP/IP networking parameters that enable access to the CMC. For more
information, see Setting Up Initial Access to CMC.
You can configure CMC using Web interface or RACADM.
NOTE: When you configure CMC for the first time, you must be logged in as root user to execute RACADM
commands on a remote system. Another user can be created with privileges to configure CMC.
After setting up the CMC and performing the basic configurations, you can do the following:
•Modify the network settings, if required.
•Configure interfaces to access CMC.
•Configure LCD display.
•Setup chassis groups, if required.
•Configure servers, I/O module, or front panel.
•Configure VLAN settings.
•Obtain the required certificates.
•Add and configure CMC users with privileges.
•Configure and enable e-mail alerts and SNMP traps.
•Set the power cap policy, if required.
NOTE: The following characters cannot be used in the property strings of both the CMC interfaces (GUI and CLI):
•&#
•< and > together
•; (semicolon)
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings
The LAN settings, such as community string and SMTP server IP address, affect both the CMC and the external settings
of the chassis.
If you have two CMCs (active and standby) on the chassis that are connected to the network, the standby CMC
automatically assumes the network settings of the active CMC in the event of failover.
When IPv6 is enabled at boot time, three router solicitations are sent after every four seconds. If external network
switches are running the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), the external switch ports may be blocked for more than 12
seconds in which the IPv6 router solicitations are sent. In such cases, there may be a period when IPv6 connectivity is
limited, until router advertisements are gratuitously sent by the IPv6 routers.
NOTE: Changing the CMC network settings may disconnect your current network connection.
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NOTE: You must have Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege to set up CMC network settings.
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings Using CMC Web Interface
To view and modify the CMC LAN network settings using CMC Web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview, and then click Network. The Network Configuration page displays the
current network settings.
2.Modify the general, IPv4, or IPv6 settings as required. For more information, see the
3.Click Apply Changes for each section to apply the settings.
Online Help
Viewing and Modifying CMC Network LAN Settings Using RACADM
To view IPv4 settings, use the following subcommands and objects:
•getniccfg
•getconfig
•cfgCurrentLanNetworking
To view IPv6 settings, use the following subcommands and objects:
•getconfig
•cfgIpv6LanNetworking
To view IPv4 and IPv6 addressing information for the chassis, use the getsysinfo subcommand.
For more information about the subcommands and objects, see the
VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge
Enabling the CMC Network Interface
To enable or disable the CMC network interface for both IPv4 and IPv6, type:
NOTE: The CMC IPv6 addressing is disabled by default.
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By default, for IPv4, the CMC requests and automatically obtains a CMC IP address from the Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) server. You can disable the DHCP feature and specify static CMC IP address, gateway, and subnet
mask.
For an IPv4 network, to disable DHCP and specify static CMC IP address, gateway, and subnet mask, type:
Enabling or Disabling DHCP for the CMC Network Interface Address
When enabled, the CMC’s DHCP for NIC address feature requests and obtains an IP address from the Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server automatically. This feature is enabled by default.
You can disable the DHCP for NIC address feature and specify a static IP address, subnet mask, and gateway. For more
information, see Setting Up Initial Access to CMC.
Enabling or Disabling DHCP for DNS IP Addresses
By default, the CMC’s DHCP for DNS address feature is disabled. When enabled, this feature obtains the primary and
secondary DNS server addresses from the DHCP server. While using this feature, you do not have to configure static
DNS server IP addresses.
To enable the DHCP for DNS address feature and specify the static preferred and alternate DNS server addresses, type:
where <name> is a string of up to 254 alphanumeric characters and hyphens. For example: p45, a-tz-1, r-id-001.
Configuring Auto Negotiation, Duplex Mode, and Network Speed (IPv4 and IPv6)
When enabled, the auto negotiation feature determines whether the CMC automatically sets the duplex mode and
network speed by communicating with the nearest router or switch. By default, auto negotiation feature is enabled.
You can disable auto negotiation and specify the duplex mode and network speed by typing:
where <mtu> is a value between 576–1500 (inclusive; default is 1500).
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NOTE: IPv6 requires a minimum MTU of 1280. If IPv6 is enabled, and cfgNetTuningMtu is set to a lower value,
the CMC uses an MTU of 1280.
Configuring Network Security Settings
You can configure the network security settings for IPv4 only.
Configuring Network Security Settings Using CMC Web Interface
NOTE: To perform the following tasks, you must have the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege.
To configure the network security settings using CMC Web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview, and then click Network . The Network Configuration page is displayed.
2.In the IPv4 Settings section, click Advanced Settings. The Network Security page is displayed.
3.Specify the IP range and IP blocking values. For more information, see the
4.To save your settings, click Apply.
Configuring CMC Network Security Settings Using RACADM
IP filtering compares the IP address of an incoming login to the IP address range that is specified in the following
cfgRacTuning properties:
•cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr
•cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask
Online Help
.
A login from the incoming IP address is allowed only if the following are identical:
•cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask bit-wise and with incoming IP address
•cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask bit-wise and with cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr
Configuring Virtual LAN Tag Properties for CMC
VLANs are used to allow multiple virtual LANs to co-exist on the same physical network cable and to segregate the
network traffic for security or load management purposes. When you enable the VLAN functionality, each network
packet is assigned a VLAN tag.
Configuring VLAN Tag Properties for CMC Using RACADM
1.Enable the VLAN capabilities of the external chassis management network:
You can also remove the CMC VLAN using the following command:
racadm setniccfg -v
Configuring Virtual LAN Tag Properties for CMC Using Web Interface
To configure VLAN for CMC using the CMC Web interface:
1.Go to any of the following pages:
– In the left pane, click Chassis Overview and click Network → VLAN.
– In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview and click Network → VLAN.
The VLAN Tag Settings page is displayed. VLAN tags are chassis properties. They remain with the chassis even
when a component is removed.
2.In the CMC section, enable VLAN for CMC, set the priority and assign the ID. For more information about the fields,
Online Help
see the
3.Click Apply. The VLAN tag settings are saved.
You can also access this page from the Chassis Overview → Servers → Setup → VLAN.
.
Configuring Services
You can configure and enable the following services on CMC:
•CMC serial console — Enable access to CMC using the serial console.
•Web Server — Enable access to CMC web interface. Disabling the web server also disables Remote RACADM.
•SSH — Enable access to CMC through firmware RACADM.
•Telnet — Enable access to CMC through firmware RACADM
•RACADM — Enable access to CMC using RACADM.
•SNMP — Enable CMC to send SNMP traps for events.
•Remote Syslog — Enable CMC to log events to a remote server. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise
license.
CMC includes a web server that is configured to use the industry-standard SSL security protocol to accept and transfer
encrypted data from and to clients over the Internet. The web server includes a Dell self-signed SSL Digital Certificate
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(Server ID), and is responsible for accepting and responding to secure HTTP requests from clients. This service is
required by the web interface and remote RACADM CLI tool for communicating with CMC.
If the web server resets, wait at least one minute for the services to become available again. A web server reset usually
happens as a result of any of the following events:
•Network configuration or network security properties are changed through the CMC web user interface or
RACADM.
•Web server port configuration is changed through the web user interface or RACADM.
•CMC is reset.
•A new SSL server certificate is uploaded.
NOTE: To modify service settings, you must have the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege.
Remote syslog is an additional log target for CMC. After you configure the remote syslog, each new log entry generated
by CMC is forwarded to the respective destinations.
NOTE: Because the network transport for the forwarded log entries is UDP, there is no guaranteed delivery of log
entries, nor is there any feedback to CMC about whether the log entries were received successfully.
Configuring Services Using CMC Web Interface
To configure CMC services using CMC web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview, and then click Network → Services. The Services Management page is
displayed.
2.Configure the following services as required:
– CMC Serial
– Web Server
– SSH
– Telnet
– Remote RACADM
– SNMP
– Remote Syslog
For information about the fields, see the
3.Click Apply, and then update all default time-out and maximum time-out limits.
Online Help
.
Configuring Services Using RACADM
To enable and configure the various services, use the following RACADM objects:
•cfgRacTuning
cfgRacTuneRemoteRacadmEnable
•
For more information about these objects, see the
Command Line Reference Guide
If the firmware on the server does not support a feature, configuring a property related to that feature displays an error.
For example, using RACADM to enable remote syslog on an unsupported iDRAC displays an error message.
Similarly, when displaying the iDRAC properties using the RACADM getconfig command, the property values are
displayed as N/A for an unsupported feature on the server.
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM
You can enable or repair the optional Removable Flash Media for use as an extended non-volatile storage. Some CMC
features depend on extended nonvolatile storage for their operation.
To enable or repair the Removable Flash Media using the CMC web interface:
1.In the left pane, go to Chassis Overview, and then click Chassis Controller → Flash Media.
2.On the Removable Flash Media page, from the drop-down menu, select one of the following as appropriate:
– Repair active controller media
– Stop using flash media for storing chassis data
For more information about these options, see the
3.Click Apply to apply the selected option.
If two CMCs are present in the chassis, both CMCs (active and standby) must contain flash media; else, the
Extended Storage functionality will be degraded unless both the active and standby CMCs contain flash media.
Online Help
.
Setting Up Chassis Group
CMC enables you to monitor multiple chassis from a single lead chassis. When a chassis group is enabled, CMC in the
lead chassis generates a graphical display of the status of the lead chassis and all member chassis within the chassis
group. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
The Chassis group features are:
•Displays images portraying the front and back of each chassis, a set for the leader and a set for each member.
•Health concerns for the leader and members of a group are recognized by red or yellow overlays and an X or
an ! on the component with the symptoms. Details are visible below the chassis image when you click the
chassis image or Details.
•Quick launch links are available for opening member chassis’s or server’s web pages.
•A server and Input/Output inventory is available for a group.
•A selectable option is available to synchronize a new member’s properties to the leader’s properties when the
new member is added to the group.
A chassis group may contain a maximum of eight members. Also, a leader or member can only participate in one group.
You cannot join a chassis, either as a leader or member, that is part of a group to another group. You can delete the
chassis from a group and add it later to a different group.
To set up the Chassis Group using the CMC web interface:
1.Log in with chassis administrator privileges to the leader chassis.
2.Click Setup → Group Administration.
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3.On the Chassis Group page, under Role, select Leader. A field to add the group name is displayed.
4.Type the group name in the Group Name field, and then click Apply.
NOTE: The same rules that apply for a domain name apply to the group name.
When the chassis group is created, the GUI automatically switches to the Chassis Group page. The left pane
indicates the group by the group name and the lead chassis, and the unpopulated member chassis appear in the
left pane.
Adding Members To Chassis Group
After the Chassis Group is setup, add members to the group by doing the following:
1.Log in with chassis administrator privileges to the leader chassis.
2.Select the lead chassis in the tree.
3.Click Setup → Group Administration.
4.Under Group Management, enter the member’s IP address or DNS name in the Hostname/IP Address field.
5.In the User Name field, enter a user name with chassis administrator privileges for the member chassis.
6.Type the corresponding password in the Password field.
7.Optionally, select Sync New Member with Leader Properties to push leader properties to the member. For more
information about adding members to chassis group, see
Properties.
8.Click Apply.
9.To add a maximum of eight members, complete the tasks in step 4 through step 8. The chassis names of the new
members appear in the Members dialog box.
Synchronizing a New Member With Leader Chassis
NOTE: The credentials entered for a member are passed securely to the member chassis to establish a trust
relationship between the member and lead chassis. The credentials are not persisted on either chassis, and
are never exchanged again after the initial trust relationship is established.
Removing a Member from the Leader
You can remove a member from the group from the lead chassis. To remove a member:
1.Log in with chassis administrator privileges to the leader chassis.
2.In the left pane, select the lead chassis.
3.Click Setup → Group Administration.
4.From the Remove Members list, select the member’s name to be deleted, and then click Apply.
The lead chassis then communicates to the member or members, if more than one is selected, that it has been
removed from the group. The member name is removed. The member chassis may not receive the message, if a
network issue prevents contact between the leader and the member. In this case, disable the member from the
member chassis to complete the removal.
Disbanding a Chassis Group
To disband a chassis group from the lead chassis:
1.Log in with administrator privileges to the leader chassis.
2.Select the lead chassis in the left pane.
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3.Click Setup → Group Administration.
4.In the Chassis Group page, under Role, select None, and then click Apply.
The lead chassis then communicates to all the members that they have been removed from the group. The lead
chassis can be assigned as a leader or member of a new group.
If a network issue prevents contact between the leader and the member, the member chassis may not receive the
message. In this case, disable the member from the member chassis to complete the removal process.
Disabling an Individual Member at the Member Chassis
Sometimes a member cannot be removed from a group by the lead chassis. This can happen if network connectivity to
the member is lost. To remove a member from a group at the member chassis:
1.Log in with chassis administrator privileges to the member chassis.
2.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Setup → Group Administration.
3.Select None, and then click Apply.
Launching the Web page of a Member Chassis or Server
You can access the web page of the member chassis, remote console of the server, or the web page of the iDRAC
server from the lead chassis group page. If the member device has the same login credentials as the lead chassis, you
can use the same credentials to access the member device.
To navigate to member devices:
1.Log in to the lead chassis.
2.Select Group: name in the tree.
3.If a member CMC is the required destination, select Launch CMC for the required chassis.
If a server in a chassis is the required destination:
a) Select the image of the destination chassis.
b) In the chassis image that appears in the Health section, select the server.
c) In the box labeled Quick Links, select the destination device. A new window is displayed with the destination
page or login screen.
Synchronizing a New Member With Leader Chassis Properties
You can apply the properties from the leader to a newly added member chassis of a group. To synchronize a new
member with the leader properties:
1.Log in with administrator privileges to the leader chassis.
2.Select the lead chassis in the tree structure.
3.Click Setup → Group Administration.
4.While adding a new member to the group, in the Chassis Group page, select Sync New Member with Leader
Properties.
5.Click Apply. The member takes on the properties of the leader.
The following configuration service properties of several systems within the chassis are affected after synchronization:
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Table 6. Configuration Service Properties
PropertyNavigation
SNMP configurationIn the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Network →
Services → SNMP.
Chassis remote loggingIn the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Network →
Services → Remote Syslog.
User authentication using LDAP and Active Directory
services
Chassis alertsIn the left pane, click Chassis Overview, and then click
In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → User
Authentication → Directory Services .
Alerts.
Server Inventory for MCM group
A group is a lead chassis that has 0 to 8 chassis group members. The Chassis Group Health page displays all the
member chassis and allows you to save the server inventory report to a file, using standard browser download
capability. The report contains data for:
•All servers currently in all the group chassis (including the leader).
•Empty slots and extension slots (including full height and double width server modules).
Saving Server Inventory Report
To save the server inventory report using the CMC web interface:
1.In the left pane, select the Group.
2.On the Chassis Group Health page, click Save Inventory Report. The File Download dialog box is displayed asking
you to open or save the file.
3.Click Save and specify the path and file name for the server module inventory report.
NOTE: The chassis group leader and chassis group member chassis, and the server module in the associated
chassis, must be turned on to get the most accurate server module inventory report.
Exported Data
The server inventory report contains data that was most recently returned by each Chassis Group member during the
Chassis Group leader’s normal polling (after every 30 seconds).
To get the most accurate server inventory report:
•The Chassis Group leader chassis and all Chassis Group member chassis must be in Chassis Power State On.
•All servers in the associated chassis must be turned on.
The inventory data for the associated chassis and servers may be missing in inventory report, if a subset of the Chassis
Group member chassis are:
•In Chassis Power State Off state
•Turned off
NOTE: If a server is inserted while the chassis is turned off, the model number is not displayed anywhere in
the web interface until the chassis is turned on again.
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The following table lists the specific data fields and specific requirements for fields to be reported for each server:
Table 7. Server Module Inventory Field Descriptions
Data FieldExample
Chassis NameData Center Chassis Leader
Chassis IP Address192.168.0.1
Slot Location1
Slot NameSLOT-01
Host NameCorporate Webserver
NOTE: Requires a Server Administrator agent running
on the Server; otherwise shown as blank.
Operating SystemWindows Server 2008
NOTE: Requires a Server Administrator agent running
on the Server; otherwise shown as blank.
ModelPowerEdgeM610
Service Tag1PB8VF1
Total System Memory4.0 GB
NOTE: Requires VRTX CMC 1.0 (or later) on member;
otherwise shown as blank.
# of CPUs2
NOTE: Requires VRTX CMC 1.0 (or later) on member;
otherwise shown as blank.
CPU InfoIntel (R) Xeon (R) CPU E5502 @1.87GHzn
NOTE: Requires VRTX CMC 1.0 (or later) on member;
otherwise shown as blank.
Data Format
The inventory report is generated in a .CSV file format such that it can be imported to various tools, such as Microsoft
Excel. The inventory report .CSV file can be imported into the template by selecting the Data → From Text in MS Excel.
After the inventory report is imported into MS Excel, and if a message is displayed asking you for additional information,
select comma-delimited to import the file into MS Excel.
Configuring Multiple CMCs Using RACADM
Using RACADM, you can configure one or more CMCs with identical properties.
When you query a specific CMC card using its group ID and object ID, RACADM creates the racadm.cfg
configuration file from the retrieved information. By exporting the file to one or more CMCs, you can configure your
controllers with identical properties in a minimal amount of time.
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NOTE: Some configuration files contain unique CMC information (such as the static IP address) that must be
modified before you export the file to other CMCs.
1.Use RACADM to query the target CMC that contains the desired configuration.
NOTE: The generated configuration file is myfile.cfg. You can rename the file. The .cfg file does not contain
user passwords. When the .cfg file is uploaded to the new CMC, you must re-add all passwords.
2.Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm getconfig -f myfile.cfg
NOTE: Redirecting the CMC configuration to a file using getconfig -f is only supported with the remote
RACADM interface.
3.Modify the configuration file using a plain-text editor (optional). Any special formatting characters in the
configuration file may corrupt the RACADM database.
4.Use the newly created configuration file to modify a target CMC. At the command prompt, type:
racadm config -f myfile.cfg
5.Reset the target CMC that was configured. At the command prompt, type:
racadm reset
The getconfig -f myfile.cfg subcommand requests the CMC configuration for the active CMC and
generates the myfile.cfg file. If required, you can rename the file or save it to a different location.
You can run the getconfig command to perform the following actions:
– Display all configuration properties in a group (specified by group name and index).
– Display all configuration properties for a user by user name.
The config subcommand loads the information into other CMCs. The Server Administrator uses the config
command to synchronize the user and password database.
Creating a CMC Configuration File
The CMC configuration file, <filename>.cfg, is used with the racadm config -f <filename>.cfg command to
create a simple text file. The command allows you to build a configuration file (similar to a .ini file) and configure the
CMC from this file.
You may use any file name, and the file does not require a .cfg extension (although it is referred to by that designation in
this subsection).
NOTE: For more information about the getconfig subcommand, see the
PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
RACADM parses the .cfg file when it is first loaded on to the CMC to verify that a valid group and object names are
present, and that simple syntax rules are being followed. Errors are flagged with the line number that detected the error,
and a message explains the problem. The entire file is parsed for correctness, and all errors display. If an error is found
in the .cfg file, write commands are not transmitted to the CMC. You must correct all errors before any configuration can
take place.
To check for errors before you create the configuration file, use the -c option with the config subcommand. With the
-c option, config only verifies syntax and does not write to the CMC.
Follow these guidelines when you create a .cfg file:
•If the parser encounters an indexed group, it is the value of the anchored object that differentiates the various
indexes.
.
Chassis Management Controller for
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The parser reads in all of the indexes from the CMC for that group. Any objects within that group are
modifications when the CMC is configured. If a modified object represents a new index, the index is created on
the CMC during configuration.
•You cannot specify a desired index in a .cfg file.
Indexes may be created and deleted. Over time, the group may become fragmented with used and unused
indexes. If an index is present, it is modified. If an index is not present, the first available index is used.
This method allows flexibility when adding indexed entries where you do not need to make exact index matches
between all the CMCs being managed. New users are added to the first available index. A .cfg file that parses
and runs correctly on one CMC may not run correctly on another, if all indexes are full and you must add a new
user.
•Use the racresetcfg subcommand to configure both the CMCs with identical properties.
Use the racresetcfg subcommand to reset the CMC to original defaults, and then run the racadm
config -f <filename>.cfg command. Make sure that the .cfg file includes all desired objects, users,
indexes, and other parameters. For a complete list of objects and groups, see the
Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
CAUTION: Use the racresetcfg subcommand to reset the database and the CMC Network Interface
settings to the original default settings and remove all users and user configurations. While the root user is
available, other users’ settings are also reset to the default settings.
•If you type racadm getconfig -f <filename> .cfg, the command builds a .cfg file for the current
CMC configuration. This configuration file can be used as an example and as a starting point for your unique .cfg
file.
Chassis Management
.
Parsing Rules
•Lines that start with a hash character (#) are treated as comments.
A comment line must start in column one. A "#" character in any other column is treated as a # character.
Some modem parameters may include # characters in their strings. An escape character is not required. You
may want to generate a .cfg from a racadm getconfig -f <filename> .cfg command, and then
perform a
escape characters.
For example:
#
# This is a comment
[cfgUserAdmin]
cfgUserAdminPageModemInitString= <Modem init # not
a comment>
•All group entries must be surrounded by open- and close-brackets ([ and ]).
The starting [ character that denotes a group name must be in column one. This group name must be specified
before any of the objects in that group. Objects that do not include an associated group name generate an error.
The configuration data is organized into groups as defined in the database property chapter of the
•All parameters are specified as "object=value" pairs with no white space between the object, =, or value. White
spaces that are included after the value are ignored. A white space inside a value string remains unmodified.
racadm config -f <filename> .cfg command to a different CMC, without adding
RACADM
. The following example displays a group name, object, and
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Any character to the right of the = (for example, a second =, a #, [, ], and so on) is taken as-is. These characters
are valid modem chat script characters.
•The .cfg parser ignores an index object entry.
You cannot specify which index is used. If the index already exists, it is either used or the new entry is created in
the first available index for that group.
The racadm getconfig -f <filename>.cfg command places a comment in front of index objects,
allowing you to see the included comments.
NOTE: You may create an indexed group manually using the following command:
•The line for an indexed group cannot be deleted from a .cfg file. If you do delete the line with a text editor,
RACADM stops when it parses the configuration file and alert you of the error.
You must remove an indexed object manually using the following command:
NOTE: A NULL string (identified by two " characters) directs the CMC to delete the index for the specified
group.
To view the contents of an indexed group, run the following command:
racadm getconfig -g <groupname> -i <index 1-16>
•For indexed groups the object anchor must be the first object after the [ ] pair. The following are examples of the
current indexed groups:
[cfgUserAdmin]
cfgUserAdminUserName= <USER_NAME>
•When using remote RACADM to capture the configuration groups into a file, if a key property within a group is
not set, the configuration group is not saved as part of the configuration file. If these configuration groups are
needed to be cloned onto other CMCs, the key property must be set before executing the getconfig -f
command. Alternatively, you can manually enter the missing properties into the configuration file after running
the getconfig -f command. This is true for all the RACADM–indexed groups.
This is the list of the indexed groups that exhibit this behavior and their corresponding key properties:
– cfgUserAdmin — cfgUserAdminUserName
– cfgEmailAlert — cfgEmailAlertAddress
– cfgTraps — cfgTrapsAlertDestIPAddr
– cfgStandardSchema — cfgSSADRoleGroupName
– cfgServerInfo — cfgServerBmcMacAddress
Modifying the CMC IP Address
When you modify the CMC IP address in the configuration file, remove all unnecessary <variable> = <value>
entries. Only the actual variable group’s label with [ and ] remains, including the two <variable> = <value>
entries pertaining to the IP address change.
Example:
#
# Object Group "cfgLanNetworking"
#
[cfgLanNetworking]
cfgNicIpAddress=10.35.10.110
cfgNicGateway=10.35.10.1
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This file is updated as follows:
#
# Object Group "cfgLanNetworking"
#
[cfgLanNetworking]
cfgNicIpAddress=10.35.9.143
# comment, the rest of this line is ignored
cfgNicGateway=10.35.9.1
The command racadm config -f <myfile>.cfg parses the file and identifies any errors by line number. A
correct file updates the proper entries. Additionally, you can use the same getconfig command from the previous
example to confirm the update.
Use this file to download company-wide changes or to configure new systems over the network with the command,
racadm getconfig -f <myfile>.cfg.
NOTE:
Anchor
is a reserved word and should not be used in the .cfg file.
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Configuring Servers
You can configure the following settings of a server:
•Slot Names
•iDRAC Network Settings
•DRAC VLAN Tag Settings
•First Boot Device
•Server FlexAddress
•Remote File Share
•BIOS Settings Using Server Clone
Configuring Slot Names
Slot names are used to identify individual servers. When choosing slot names, the following rules apply:
•Names may contain a maximum of 15 non-extended ASCII characters (ASCII codes 32 through 126).
•Slot names must be unique within the chassis. Slots should not have the same name.
•Strings are not case-sensitive. Server-1, server-1, and SERVER-1 are equivalent names.
•Slot names must not begin with the following strings:
– Switch-
– Fan-
– PS-
– DRAC-
– MC-
– Chassis
– Housing-Left
– Housing-Right
– Housing-Center
•The strings Server-1 through Server-4 may be used, but only for the corresponding slot. For example,
Server-3 is a valid name for slot 3, but not for slot 4. However, Server-03 is a valid name for any slot.
NOTE: To change a slot name, you must have the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege.
7
The slot name setting in the web interface resides on CMC only. If a server is removed from the chassis, the slot name
setting does not remain with the server.
The slot name setting in the CMC web interface always overrides any change you make to the display name in the
iDRAC interface.
To edit a slot name using the CMC Web interface:
1.In the left pane, go to Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Setup → Slot Names.
2.On the Slot Names page, edit the slot name, in the Slot Name field.
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3.To use a server’s host name as slot name, select the Use Host Name for the Slot name option. This overrides the
static slot names with the server’s Host Name (or system name), if available. This requires the OMSA agent to be
installed on the server. For more information about the OMSA agent, see the
Administrator User's Guide
4.To save the settings, click Apply.
To restore the default slot name (SLOT-01 through SLOT-4) on the basis of a server's slot position) to a server, click
Restore Default Value.
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Dell OpenManage Server
Configuring iDRAC Network Settings
To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License. You can configure the iDRAC network configuration setting of
a server. You can use the QuickDeploy settings to configure the default iDRAC network configuration settings and root
password for severs that are installed later. These default settings are the iDRAC QuickDeploy settings.
For more information about iDRAC, see the
Configuring iDRAC QuickDeploy Network Settings
Use the QuickDeploy Settings to configure the network settings for newly inserted servers.
To enable and set the iDRAC QuickDeploy settings:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview → Setup → iDRAC .
2.On the Deploy iDRAC page, in the QuickDeploy Settings section, specify the settings mentioned in the following
table. For more information about the fields, see the
Table 8. QuickDeploy Settings
iDRAC7 User’s Guide
Online Help
at dell.com/support/manuals.
.
SettingDescription
QuickDeploy EnabledSelect the option to enable the QuickDeploy feature that
automatically applies the iDRAC settings configured on
this page to the newly inserted servers. The auto
configuration must be confirmed locally on the LCD
panel.
Set iDRAC Root Password on Server InsertionSelect the option to change iDRAC root password to
match the value provided in the iDRAC Root Password
field, when a server is inserted.
iDRAC Root PasswordWhen the Set iDRAC Root Password on Server Insertion
and QuickDeploy Enabled options are selected, this
password value is assigned to a server's iDRAC root
user password when the server is inserted into a
chassis. The password can have 1 to 20 printable
(including white spaces) characters.
Confirm iDRAC Root PasswordAllows you to retype the password provided in the
Password field.
Enable iDRAC LANEnables or disables the iDRAC LAN channel. By default,
this option is cleared.
Enable iDRAC IPv4Enables or disables IPv4 on iDRAC. By default, this
option is selected.
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SettingDescription
Enable iDRAC IPMI over LANEnables or disables the IPMI over LAN channel for each
iDRAC present in the chassis. By default, this option is
selected.
Enable iDRAC IPv4 DHCPEnables or disables DHCP for each iDRAC present in the
chassis. If this option is enabled, the fields QuickDeploy
IP, QuickDeploy Subnet Mask, and QuickDeploy
Gateway are disabled, and cannot be modified since
DHCP is used to automatically assign these settings for
each iDRAC. To select this option, you must select the
Enable iDRAC IPv4 option.
Starting iDRAC IPv4 Address (Slot 1)Specifies the static IP address of iDRAC in the server, in
slot 1 of the enclosure. The IP address of each
subsequent iDRAC is incremented by 1 for each slot
from slot 1's static IP address. In the case where the IP
address plus the slot number is greater than the subnet
mask, an error message is displayed.
NOTE: The subnet mask and the gateway are not
incremented such as the IP address.
For example, if the starting IP address is
192.168.0.250 and the subnet mask is
255.255.0.0 then the QuickDeploy IP address for
slot 15 is
255.255.255.0, the QuickDeploy IP
address range is not fully within
QuickDeploy Subnet
when you click Save QuickDeploy Settings or AutoPopulate Using QuickDeploy Settings.
iDRAC IPv4 NetmaskSpecifies the QuickDeploy subnet mask that is assigned
to all newly inserted servers.
192.168.0.265. If the subnet mask is
error message is displayed
iDRAC IPv4 GatewaySpecifies the QuickDeploy default gateway that is
assigned to all the DRAC present in the chassis.
Enable iDRAC IPv6Enables IPv6 addressing for each iDRAC present in the
chassis that is IPv6 capable.
Enable iDRAC IPv6 AutoconfigurationEnables the iDRAC to obtain IPv6 settings (address and
prefix length) from a DHCPv6 server and also enables
stateless address auto configuration. By default, this
option is enabled.
iDRAC IPv6 GatewaySpecifies the default IPv6 gateway to be assigned to the
iDRACs. The default value is "::".
iDRAC IPv6 Prefix LengthSpecifies the prefix length to be assigned for the IPv6
addresses on the iDRAC. The default value is 64.
3.Click Save QuickDeploy Settings to save the settings. If you have made changes to the iDRAC network setting, click
Apply iDRAC Network Settings to deploy the settings to the iDRAC.
The QuickDeploy feature only executes when it is enabled, and a server is inserted in the chassis. If Set iDRAC Root
Password on Server Insertion and QuickDeploy Enabled are enabled, the user is prompted using the LCD interface
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to allow or not allow the password change. If there are network configuration settings that differ from the current
iDRAC settings, the user is prompted to either accept or reject the changes.
NOTE: If there is a LAN or IPMI over LAN difference, the user is prompted to accept the QuickDeploy IP
address setting. If the difference is the DHCP setting, the user is prompted to accept the DHCP QuickDeploy
setting.
To copy the QuickDeploy settings into the iDRAC Network Settings section, click Auto-Populate Using QuickDeploy
Settings. The QuickDeploy network configurations settings are copied into the corresponding fields in the iDRAC
Network Configuration Settings table.
NOTE: Changes made to QuickDeploy fields are immediate, but changes made to one or more iDRAC server
network configuration settings may require a couple of minutes to propagate from CMC to iDRAC. Clicking
Refresh early may display only partially correct data for one or more iDRAC servers.
Modifying iDRAC Network Settings for Individual Server iDRAC
Using this feature, you can configure the iDRAC network configurations settings for each installed server. The initial
values displayed for each of the fields are the current values read from the iDRAC. To use this feature, you must have an
Enterprise License.
To modify the iDRAC Network Settings:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview, and then click Setup . On the Deploy iDRAC page the iDRAC Network
Settings section lists the iDRAC IPv4 and IPv6 network configuration settings of all the installed servers.
2.Modify the iDRAC network settings as required for the server(s).
NOTE: You must select the Enable LAN option to specify the IPv4 or IPv6 settings. For information about the
fields, see the
3.To deploy the setting to iDRAC, click Apply iDRAC Network Settings. Any changes made to the QuickDeploy
are also saved.
Settings
The iDRAC Network Settings table reflects future network configuration settings; the values shown for installed
servers may or may not be the same as the currently installed iDRAC network configuration settings. Click Refresh
to update the iDRAC Deploy page with each installed iDRAC network configuration settings after changes are
made.
NOTE: Changes made to QuickDeploy fields are immediate, but changes made to one or more iDRAC server
network configuration settings may require a couple of minutes to propagate from CMC to iDRAC. Clicking
Refresh too soon may display only partially correct data for a one or more iDRAC servers.
Online Help
.
Modifying iDRAC Network Settings Using RACADM
RACADM config or getconfig commands support the -m <module> option for the following configuration
groups:
cfgLanNetworking
•
cfgIPv6LanNetworking
•
cfgRacTuning
•
cfgRemoteHosts
•
cfgSerial
•
cfgSessionManagement
•
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For more information about the property default values and ranges, see the
for iDRAC7 and CMC
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings
VLANs are used to allow multiple virtual LANs to co-exist on the same physical network cable and to segregate the
network traffic for security or load management purposes. When you enable the VLAN functionality, each network
packet is assigned a VLAN tag. VLAN tags are chassis properties. They remain with the chassis even when a
component is removed.
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings Using RACADM
•Specify the VLAN ID and priority of a particular server with the following command:
The valid values for <VLAN> are 1–4000 and 4021–4094. Default is 1.
The valid values for <VLAN priority> are 0–7. Default is 0.
For example:
racadm setniccfg -m server-1 -v 1 7
For example:
•To remove a server VLAN, disable the VLAN capabilities of the specified server's network:
racadm setniccfg -m server-<n> -v
The valid values for <n> are 1–16.
For example:
racadm setniccfg -m server-1 -v
Configuring iDRAC VLAN Tag Settings Using Web Interface
To configure VLAN for server:
1.Go to any of the following pages:
– In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Network → VLAN .
– In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview and click Setup → VLAN.
2.On the VLAN Tag Settings page, in the iDRAC section, enable VLAN for the server(s), set the priority and enter the
ID. For more information about the fields, see the
3.Click Apply to save the settings.
Online Help
.
Setting First Boot Device
You can specify the CMC first boot device for each server. This may not be the actual first boot device for the server, or
may not even represent a device present in that server. It represents a device sent by CMC to the server and used as its
first boot device of that server. This device can be set as the default first-boot device or an one-time device so that you
can boot an image to perform tasks such as running diagnostics or reinstalling an operating system.
You can set the first boot device for the next boot only or for all subsequent reboots. You can also set the first boot
device for the server. The system boots from the selected device on the next and subsequent reboots and remains as
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the first boot device in the BIOS boot order, until it is changed again either from the CMC web interface or from the BIOS
boot sequence.
NOTE: The first boot device setting in CMC web Interface overrides the system BIOS boot settings.
The boot device that you specify must exist and contain a bootable media.
You can set the following devices for first boot.
Table 9. Boot Devices
Boot DeviceDescription
PXEBoot from a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) protocol on the Network Interface Card.
Hard DriveBoot from the hard disk drive on the server.
Local CD/DVDBoot from a CD or DVD drive on the server.
Virtual FloppyBoot from the virtual floppy drive. The floppy drive (or a floppy disk image) is on another computer on
the management network, and is attached using the iDRAC GUI console viewer.
Virtual CD/DVDBoot from a virtual CD or DVD drive or CD or DVD ISO image. The optical drive or ISO image file is
located on another computer or boot disk available on the management network and is attached
using the iDRAC GUI console viewer.
iSCSI Boot from an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) device.
Local SD Card Boot from the local SD (Secure Digital) card—for servers that support iDRAC 6 and iDRAC 7 systems
only.
Local FloppyBoot from a floppy disk in the local floppy disk drive.
Remote File
Share
Boot from a Remote File Share (RFS) image. The image file is attached using the iDRAC GUI console
viewer.
Setting First Boot Device For Multiple Servers Using CMC Web Interface
NOTE: To set the first boot device for servers, you must have the Server Administrator privileges or Chassis
Configuration Administrator privileges, and the iDRAC login privileges.
To set the first boot device for multiple servers:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview → Setup → First Boot Device. A list of servers is displayed.
2.In the First Boot Device column, from the drop-down menu corresponding to a server, select the boot device you
want to use for a server.
3.If you want the server to boot from the selected device every time it boots, clear the Boot Once option for the
server. If you want the server to boot from the selected device only on the next boot cycle, select the
option for the server.
4.Click Apply to save the settings.
Boot Once
Setting First Boot Device For Individual Server Using CMC Web Interface
NOTE: To set the first boot device for servers, you must have Server Administrator privileges or Chassis
Configuration Administrator privileges and iDRAC login privileges.
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To set the first boot device for individual servers:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview, and then click the server for which you want to set the first boot device.
2.Go to Setup → First Boot Device. The First Boot Device page is displayed.
3.From the First Boot Device drop-down menu, select the boot device you want to use for each server.
4.If you want the server to boot from the selected device every time it boots, clear the Boot Once option for the
server. If you want the server to boot from the selected device only on the next boot cycle, select the Boot Once
option for the server
5.Click Apply to save the settings.
Setting First Boot Device Using RACADM
To set the first boot device, use the cfgServerFirstBootDevice object.
To enable boot once for a device, use the cfgServerBootOnce object.
For more information about these objects, see the
Command Line Reference Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM
Configuring Server FlexAddress
For information about configuring FlexAddress for servers, see Configuring FlexAddress for Chassis-Level Fabric and
Slots Using CMC Web Interface. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise License.
Configuring Remote File Share
The Remote Virtual Media File Share feature maps a file from a share drive on the network to one or more servers
through CMC to deploy or update an operating system. When connected, the remote file is accessible similar to a file
that you can access on a local server. Two types of media are supported: floppy drives and CD/DVD drives.
To perform a remote file share operation (connect, disconnect, or deploy), you must have the Chassis Configuration
Administrator or Server Administrator privileges. To use this feature, you must have an Enterprise license.
To configure the remote file share:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview → Setup → Remote File Share.
2.On the Deploy Remote File Share page, type appropriate data in the fields. For more information about the field
descriptions, see the
3.To connect to a remote file share, click Connect. To connect a remote file share, you must provide the path, user
name, and password. A successful operation allows access to the media.
Click Disconnect to disconnect a previously-connected remote file share.
Click Deploy to deploy the media device.
NOTE: Before you click the Deploy button, make sure that you save all the working files, because this action
restarts the server.
When you click Deploy, the following tasks are executed:
– The remote file share is connected.
– The file is selected as the first boot device for the servers.
– The server is restarted.
– Power is supplied to the server if the server is turned off.
Online Help
.
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Configuring BIOS Settings Using Server Clone
The server cloning feature allows you to apply all BIOS settings from a specified server to one or more servers. Only the
BIOS settings that can be modified and intended to be replicated across servers can cloned. To use this feature, you
must have an Enterprise License.
The server cloning feature supports iDRAC7 Servers. Earlier generation RAC servers are listed, but are greyed out on the
main page, and are not enabled to use this feature.
To use the server cloning feature:
•iDRAC must have the minimum version that is required. iDRAC7 servers require version 1.40.40.
•Server must have the supported generation of iDRAC.
•Server must be turned on.
The source and target servers need not belong to the same generation. Only the available cloneable settings are applied
from one server profile to other servers.
You can:
•Copy the BIOS settings of one server to another.
•Save a profile from a server.
•Apply a profile to other servers.
•View BIOS settings from a server or from a saved profile.
•Display the log activity for recent BIOS profile tasks.
Accessing BIOS Profile Page
You can add, manage, and apply BIOS profiles to one or more servers using the BIOS Profile page.
To access the BIOS Profile page using the CMC Web interface, in the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server
Overview → Setup → Profiles . The BIOS Profiles page is displayed.
Adding Profile
Before root cloning the BIOS properties of a server, you must first capture the properties to a stored profile.
When you create a Stored Profile, you must provide a name and optional description for each profile. You can save a
maximum of 16 Stored Profiles on the CMC non-volatile extended storage media.
Removing or disabling the non-volatile extended storage media prevents access to Stored Profiles, and disables the
Server Cloning feature.
To add a profile:
1.On the BIOS Profile page, click Add Profile.
2.On the Add BIOS Profile page, type the profile name and description (optional), select the server from where the
profile must be cloned, and then click Save. CMC communicates with the Lifecycle Controller to get the available
BIOS settings and stores them as a named profile.
Managing Stored Profiles
You can edit, view, or delete BIOS profiles. To manage the stored profiles of a CMC:
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1. In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Setup → Profiles.
2. On the BIOS Profiles page, in the Apply Profile section, click Manage Profiles. The Manage BIOS Profiles page is
displayed.
•To edit a profile, click Edit.
•To view BIOS settings, click View.
•To delete a profile, click Delete. For more information about the field descriptions, see the
Online Help
.
Applying Profile
When stored profiles are available in the non-volatile media on the CMC, to initiate a server cloning operation, you can
apply a stored profile to one or more servers.
The operation status, slot number, slot name, and model name is displayed for each server in the Apply Profile table.
NOTE: If a server does not support Lifecycle Controller or the chassis is turned off, you cannot apply a profile to the
server.
To apply a profile to one or more servers:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Setup → Profiles.
2.On the BIOS Profiles page, in the Apply Profile section, from the Select a Profile drop-down menu, select the profile
that you want to apply.
3.From the Select the Target Server(s) section, select the option corresponding to the servers for which you want to
apply a profile. For more information about the field descriptions on this page, see the
4.Click Apply. The selected profile is applied to the servers and the server is automatically restarted.
Online Help
.
Viewing BIOS Settings
To view BIOS settings for a selected server, in the BIOS Profiles page, in the Apply Profile section, click View in the
BIOS settings column. The View Settings page is displayed.
Only BIOS settings on the server which may be modified by applying a profile (cloneable settings) are displayed. The
settings are partitioned into groups in the same way they are displayed on the iDRAC BIOS Setup page.
NOTE: The CMC Server Cloning application retrieves and displays the correct BIOS and Boot settings for a specific
server, only if the Control System Inventory on Restart (CSIOR) option is enabled.
To enable CSIOR on:
•12th generation servers — After restarting the server, press F2, select iDRAC Settings → Lifecycle Controller,
enable CSIOR and save the changes.
Viewing Profile Log
To view the profile log, in the BIOS Profiles page, see the Recent Profile Log section that lists the 10 latest profile log
entries directly from server cloning operations. Each recent profile log displays the severity, the time and date when
server cloning operation was submitted, and the description of the cloning log message. The log entries are also
available in the RAC log. To view the other available entries, click Go to Profile Log. The Profile Log page is displayed.
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Completion Status And Troubleshooting
To check the completion status of an applied BIOS profile:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Server Overview → Setup → Profiles.
2.On the BIOS Profiles page, note down the Job ID (JID) of the submitted job from the Recent Profile Log section.
3.In the left pane, click Server Overview → Troubleshooting → Lifecycle Controller Jobs. Search for the same JID in
the Jobs table. For more information about performing Lifecycle Controller jobs using CMC, see Lifecycle Controller
Job Operations.
Launching iDRAC using Single Sign-On
CMC provides limited management of individual chassis components, such as servers. For complete management of
these individual components, CMC provides a launch point for the server’s management controller (iDRAC) web-based
interface.
A user may be able to launch iDRAC web interface without having to login a second time, as this feature utilizes single
sign-on. Single sign-on policies are:
•A CMC user who has server administrative privilege, is automatically logged into iDRAC using single sign-on.
Once on the iDRAC site, this user is automatically granted Administrator privileges. This is true even if the same
user does not have an account on iDRAC, or if the account does not have the Administrator’s privileges.
•A CMC user who does NOT have the server administrative privilege, but has the same account on iDRAC is
automatically logged into iDRAC using single sign-on. Once on the iDRAC site, this user is granted the privileges
that were created for the iDRAC account.
•A CMC user who does not have the server administrative privilege, or the same account on the iDRAC, does
NOT automatically logged into iDRAC using single sign-on. This user is directed to the iDRAC login page when
the Launch iDRAC GUI is clicked.
NOTE: The term "the same account" in this context means that the user has the same login name with a
matching password for CMC and for iDRAC. The user who has the same login name without a matching
password, is considered to have the same account.
NOTE: Users may be prompted to log in to iDRAC (see the third Single Sign-on policy bullet above).
NOTE: If the iDRAC network LAN is disabled (LAN Enabled = No), single sign-on is not available.
If the server is removed from the chassis, the iDRAC IP address is changed, or the iDRAC network connection
experiences a problem, then clicking Launch iDRAC GUI may display an error page.
Launching iDRAC from Server Status Page
To launch the iDRAC management console for an individual server:
1.In the left pane, expand Server Overview. All four servers appear in the expanded Servers Overview list.
2.Click the server for which you want to launch the iDRAC Web interface.
3.On the Server Status page, click Launch iDRAC GUI.
The iDRAC Web interface is displayed. For information about the field descriptions, see the
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Online Help
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Launching iDRAC from Servers Status Page
To launch the iDRAC management console from the Servers Status page:
1.In the left pane, click Server Overview.
2.On the Servers Status page, click Launch iDRAC for the server you want to launch the iDRAC Web interface.
Launching Remote Console
You can launch a Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) session directly on the server. The remote console feature is supported
only when all of the following conditions are met:
•The chassis power is on.
•Servers that support iDRAC 7.
•The LAN interface on the server is enabled.
•The host system is installed with JRE (Java Runtime Environment) 6 Update 16 or later.
•The browser on host system allows pop-up windows (pop-up blocking is disabled).
Remote Console can also be launched from the iDRAC Web interface. For more details, see the
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
iDRAC User’s Guide
Launching Remote Console from Chassis Health Page
To launch a remote console from the CMC Web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview, and then click Properties .
2.On the Chassis Health page, click the specified server in the chassis graphic.
3.In the Quicklinks section, click the Remote Console link to launch the remote console.
Launching Remote Console from Server Status Page
To launch a remote console for an individual server:
1.In the left pane, expand Server Overview. All the four servers appear in the expanded servers' list.
2.Click the server for which you want to launch the remote console.
3.On the Server Status page, click Launch Remote Console.
Launching Remote Console from Servers Status Page
To launch a remote console from the Servers Status page:
1.In the left pane, go to Server Overview, and then click Properties → Status. The Servers Status page is displayed.
2.Click Launch Remote Console for the required server.
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8
Configuring CMC To Send Alerts
You can set alerts and actions for certain events that occur on the chassis. An event occurs when the status of a system
component is greater than the pre-defined condition. If an event matches an event filter and you have configured this
filter to generate an alert message (email alert or SNMP trap), then an alert is sent to one or more configured
destinations such as email address, IP address, or an external server.
To configure CMC to send alerts:
1. Enable the Chassis Event Alerts option.
2. Optionally, filter the alerts based on category or severity.
3. Configure the email alert or SNMP trap settings.
4. Enable chassis event alerts to send an e-mail alert, or SNMP traps to configured destinations.
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts
To send alerts to configured destinations, you must enable the global alerting option. This property overrides the
individual alert setting.
Make sure that the SNMP or email alert destinations are configured to receive the alerts.
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts Using CMC Web Interface
To enable or disable generating alerts:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Alerts.
2.On the Chassis Events page, under the Chassis Alert Enablement section, select the Enable Chassis Event Alerts
option to enable, or clear the option to disable the alert.
3.To save the settings, click Apply.
Enabling Or Disabling Alerts Using RACADM
To enable or disable generating alerts, use the cfgIpmiLanAlertEnable RACADM object. For more information, see the
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
.
Filtering Alerts
You can filter alerts on the basis of category and severity.
Filtering Alerts Using CMC Web Interface
To filter the alerts on the basis of category and severity:
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NOTE: To apply chassis events configuration changes, you must have the Alert Configuration privilege.
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Alerts.
2.On the Chassis Events page, under the Alerts Filter section, select one or more of the following categories:
– System Health
– Storage
– Configuration
– Audit
– Updates
3.Select one or more of the following severity levels:
– Critical
– Warning
– Informational
4.Click Apply.
The Monitored Alerts section displays the results based on the selected category and severity. For information
about the field descriptions on the this page, see the
Online Help
.
Setting Event Alerts Using RACADM
To set an event alert, run the eventfilters command. For more information, see the
Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line Reference Guide
available at dell.com/support//manuals.
Chassis Management
Configuring Alert Destinations
The management station uses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to receive data from CMC.
You can configure the IPv4 and IPv6 alert destinations, email settings, and SMTP server settings, and test these settings.
Before configuring the email alert or SNMP trap settings, make sure that you have the Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
Configuring SNMP Trap Alert Destinations
You can configure the IPv6 or IPv4 addresses to receive the SNMP traps.
Configuring SNMP Trap Alert Destinations Using CMC Web Interface
To configure IPv4 or IPv6 alert destination settings using CMC Web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Alerts → Trap Settings.
2.On the Chassis Event Alert Destinations page, type the following:
– In the Destination field, type a valid IP address. Use the quad-dot IPv4 format, standard IPv6 address
notation, or FQDN. For example: 123.123.123.123 or 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334 or dell.com.
Choose a format that is consistent with the networking technology or infrastructure. The Test Trap
functionality cannot detect incorrect choices based on the current network configuration (example, use of
an IPv6 destination in an IPv4-only environment).
– In the Community String field, enter a valid community name to which the destination management station
belongs.
This community string differs from the community string on the Chassis Overview → Network → Services
page. The SNMP traps community string is the community that CMC uses for outbound traps destined to
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management stations. The community string on the Chassis Overview → Network → Services page is the
community string that management stations use to query the SNMP daemon on CMC.
– Under Enabled , select the option corresponding to the destination IP to enable the IP address to receive
the traps. You can specify up to four IP addresses.
3.Click Apply to save the settings.
4.To test whether the IP address is receiving the SNMP traps, click Send in the Test SNMP Trap column.
The IP alert destinations are configured.
Configuring SNMP Trap Alert Destinations Using RACADM
To configure IP alert destination using RACADM:
1.Open a serial/Telnet/SSH text console to CMC and log in.
NOTE: Only one filter mask may be set for both SNMP and email alerting. If you have already selected the
filter mask, do not perform task 2, and go to step 3.
where <index> is a value between 1–4. CMC uses the index number to distinguish up to four configurable
destinations for traps alerts. Destinations may be specified as appropriately formatted numeric addresses (IPv6 or
IPv4), or Fully-Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs).
5.Specify a destination IP address to receive the traps alert:
where <community name> is the SNMP community to which the chassis belongs, and <index> is the index
value specified in steps 4 and 5.
You can configure up to four destinations to receive traps alerts. To add more destinations, do the tasks in steps 2–
6.
NOTE: The commands in steps 2–6 overwrites any existing settings configured for the index specified (1–4). To
determine whether an index has previously-configured values, type: racadm getconfig -g
cfgTraps -i <index>
cfgTrapsCommunityName objects.
. If the index is configured, values appear for the cfgTrapsAlertDestIPAddr and
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7.To test an event trap for an alert destination, type:
racadm testtrap -i <index>
where <index> is a value between 1–4 representing the alert destination you want to test.
If you are not sure about the index number, run the following command:
racadm getconfig -g cfgTraps -i <index>
Configuring E-Mail Alert Settings
When CMC detects a chassis event, such as an environmental warning or a component failure, it can be configured to
send an e-mail alert to one or more e-mail addresses.
You must configure the SMTP email server to accept relayed emails from the CMC IP address, a feature which is
normally turned off in most mail servers due to security concerns. For instructions to do this in a secure manner, see the
documentation that was provided with the SMTP server.
NOTE: If your mail server is Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, make sure that iDRAC7 domain name is configured
for the mail server to receive the email alerts from iDRAC7.
NOTE: Email alerts support both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. The DRAC DNS Domain Name must be specified when
using IPv6.
If your network has an SMTP server that releases and renews IP address leases periodically, and the addresses are
different, then there is a duration when this property setting does not work due to change in the specified SMTP server
IP address. In such cases, use the DNS name.
Configuring Email Alert Settings Using CMC Web Interface
To configure the email alert settings using Web interface:
1.In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Alerts → E-mail Alert Settings.
2.Specify the SMTP email server settings and the email addresses to receive the alerts. For information about the
field descriptions, see the
3.Click Apply to save the settings.
4.Click Send under Test E-mail to send a test email to the specified email alert destination.
Online Help
.
Configuring EMail Alert Settings Using RACADM
To send a test email to an email alert destination using RACADM:
1.Open a serial/Telnet/SSH text console to CMC and log in.
where <mask value> is a hexadecimal value between 0x0 and 0xffffffff and must be expressed with the leading
0x characters. The Event Traps Filter Masks table provides filter masks for each event type. For instructions about
calculating the hex value for the filter mask you want to enable, see step 3 in the Configuring SNMP Trap Alert
where <email name> is the name of the person or group receiving the email alert, and <index> is the index
value specified in step 4 and step 5. The email name can contain up to 32 alphanumeric characters, dashes,
underscores, and periods. Spaces are not valid.
You can configure up to four destination email addresses to receive email alerts. To add more email addresses,
perform tasks in step 2 through 6.
NOTE: The commands in steps 2–6 overwrite any existing settings configured for the index that you specify
(1–4). To determine whether an index has previously configured values, type racadm getconfig -g cfgEmailAlert — I <index>. If the index is configured, values appear for the cfgEmailAlertAddress
and cfgEmailAlertEmailName objects.
For more information, see the
Reference Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
Chassis Management Controller for PowerEdge VRTX RACADM Command Line
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9
Configuring User Accounts and Privileges
You can setup user accounts with specific privileges (role-based authority) to manage your system with CMC and
maintain system security. By default, CMC is configured with a local administrator account. The default user name is
rootand the password is calvin. As an administrator, you can set up user accounts to allow other users to access
the CMC.
You can set up a maximum of 16 local users, or use directory services such as Microsoft Active Directory or LDAP to
setup additional user accounts. Using a directory service provides a central location for managing authorized user
accounts.
CMC supports role-based access to users with a set of associated privileges. The roles are administrator, operator,
read-only, or none. The role defines the maximum privileges available.
Types of Users
There are two types of users:
•CMC users or chassis users
•iDRAC users or server users (since the iDRAC resides on a server)
CMC and iDRAC users can be local or directory service users.
Except where a CMC user has Server Administrator privilege, privileges granted to a CMC user are not automatically
transferred to the same user on a server, because server users are created independently from CMC users. In other
words, CMC Active Directory users and iDRAC Active Directory users reside on two different branches in the Active
Directory tree. To create a local server user, the Configure Users must log in to the server directly. The Configure Users
cannot create a server user from CMC or vice versa. This rule protects the security and integrity of the servers.
Table 10. User Types
PrivilegeDescription
CMC Login UserUser can log in to CMC and view all the CMC data, but cannot add or modify
data or execute commands.
It is possible for a user to have other privileges without the CMC Login User
privilege. This feature is useful when a user is temporarily not allowed to
login. When that user’s CMC Login User privilege is restored, the user retains
all the other privileges previously granted.
Chassis Configuration AdministratorUser can add or change data that:
•Identifies the chassis, such as chassis name and chassis location.
•Is assigned specifically to the chassis, such as IP mode (static or
DHCP), static IP address, static gateway, and static subnet mask.
•Provides services to the chassis, such as date and time, firmware
update, and CMC reset.
•Is associated with the chassis, such as slot name and slot priority.
Although these properties apply to the servers, they are strictly
chassis properties relating to the slots rather than the servers
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PrivilegeDescription
themselves. For this reason, slot names and slot priorities can be
added or changed whether or not servers are present in the slots.
When a server is moved to a different chassis, it inherits the slot name and
priority assigned to the slot it occupies in the new chassis. The previous slot
name and priority remain with the previous chassis.
NOTE: CMC users with the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege
can configure power settings. However, the Chassis Control
Administrator privilege is required to perform chassis power operations,
including power on, power off, and power cycle.
User Configuration AdministratorUser can:
•Add a new user.
•Change the password of a user.
•Change the privileges of a user.
•Enable or disable the login privilege of a user but retain the name
and other privileges of the user in the database.
Clear Logs AdministratorUser can clear the hardware log and CMC log.
Chassis Control Administrator (Power
Commands)
Server AdministratorThis is a blanket privilege, granting a CMC user all rights to perform any
CMC users with the Chassis Power Administrator privilege can perform all
power-related operations. They can control chassis power operations,
including power on, power off, and power cycle.
NOTE: To configure power settings, the Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege is needed.
operation on any servers present in the chassis.
When a user with Server Administrator privilege issues an action to be
performed on a server, the CMC firmware sends the command to the
targeted server without checking the privileges of a user on the server. In
other words, the Server Administrator privilege overrides any lack of
administrator privileges on the server.
Without the Server Administrator privilege, a user created on the chassis
can only execute a command on a server when all of the following conditions
are true:
•The same user name exists on the server.
•The same user name must have the same password on the server.
•The user must have the privilege to execute the command.
When a CMC user who does not have Server Administrator privilege issues
an action to be performed on a server, CMC sends a command to the
targeted server with the user’s login name and password. If the user does
not exist on the server, or if the password does not match, the user is denied
the ability to perform the action.
If the user exists on the target server and the password matches, the server
responds with the privileges of which the user was granted on the server.
Based on the privileges responding from the server, CMC firmware decides if
the user has the right to perform the action.
Listed below are the privileges and the actions on the server to which the
Server Administrator is entitled. These rights are applied only when the
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PrivilegeDescription
chassis user does not have the Server Administrative privilege on the
chassis.
Server Configuration Administrator:
•Set IP address
•Set gateway
•Set subnet mask
•Set first boot device
Configure Users:
•Set iDRAC root password
•iDRAC reset
Server Control Administrator:
•Power on
•Power off
•Power cycle
•Graceful shutdown
•Server Reboot
Test Alert UserUser can send test alert messages.
Debug Command AdministratorUser can execute system diagnostic commands.
Fabric A Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric A IOM.
Fabric B Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric B, which corresponds to the first
mezzanine card in the servers and is connected to the fabric B circuitry in
the shared PCIe subsystem in the main board.
Fabric C Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric C, which corresponds to the second
mezzanine card in the servers and is connected to the fabric C circuitry in
the shared PCIe subsystem in the main board.
The CMC user groups provide a series of user groups that have preassigned user privileges.
NOTE: If you select Administrator, Power User, or Guest User, and then add or remove a privilege from the predefined set, the CMC Group automatically changes to Custom.
Table 11. CMC Group Privileges
User GroupPrivileges Granted
Administrator
•CMC Login User
•Chassis Configuration Administrator
•User Configuration Administrator
•Clear Logs Administrator
•Server Administrator
•Test Alert User
•Debug Command Administrator
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User GroupPrivileges Granted
•Fabric A Administrator
Power User
•Login
•Clear Logs Administrator
•Chassis Control Administrator (Power commands)
•Server Administrator
•Test Alert User
•Fabric A Administrator
Guest UserLogin
CustomSelect any combination of the following permissions:
•CMC Login User
•Chassis Configuration Administrator
•User Configuration Administrator
•Clear Logs Administrator
•Chassis Control Administrator (Power commands)
•Server Administrator
•Test Alert User
•Debug Command Administrator
•Fabric A Administrator
NoneNo assigned permissions
Table 12. Comparison of Privileges Between CMC Administrators, Power Users, and Guest Users
Privilege SetAdministrator PermissionsPower User PermissionsGuest User Permissions
CMC Login UserYesYesYes
Chassis Configuration
YesNoNo
Administrator
User Configuration
YesNoNo
Administrator
Clear Logs AdministratorYesYesNo
Chassis Control
YesYesNo
Administrator (Power
commands)
Server AdministratorYesYesNo
Test Alert UserYesYesNo
Debug Command
YesNoNo
Administrator
Fabric A AdministratorYesYesNo
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