Dell iDRAC8 User Manual

Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8 (iDRAC8)

Version 2.00.00.00 User's Guide

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Copyright © 2014 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. Dell™ and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

2014 - 09

Rev. A00

Contents
1 Overview...............................................................................................................	16
Benefits of Using iDRAC With Lifecycle Controller............................................................................	16
Key Features.........................................................................................................................................	17
New In This Release............................................................................................................................	19
How To Use This User's Guide............................................................................................................	21
Supported Web Browsers....................................................................................................................	21
Managing Licenses .............................................................................................................................	21
Types of Licenses...........................................................................................................................	21
Acquiring Licenses.........................................................................................................................	21
License Operations........................................................................................................................	22
Licensable Features In iDRAC8...........................................................................................................	23
Interfaces and Protocols to Access iDRAC........................................................................................	28
iDRAC Port Information.......................................................................................................................	31
Other Documents You May Need......................................................................................................	32
Social Media Reference.......................................................................................................................	33
Contacting Dell...................................................................................................................................	33
Accessing documents from Dell support site....................................................................................	33
2 Logging into iDRAC............................................................................................	35
Logging into iDRAC as Local User, Active Directory User, or LDAP User.........................................	35
Logging into iDRAC Using Smart Card...............................................................................................	36
Logging Into iDRAC as a Local User Using Smart Card...............................................................	36
Logging Into iDRAC as an Active Directory User Using Smart Card...........................................	37
Logging into iDRAC Using Single Sign-on ........................................................................................	37
Logging into iDRAC SSO Using iDRAC Web Interface.................................................................	37
Logging into iDRAC SSO Using CMC Web Interface...................................................................	38
Accessing iDRAC Using Remote RACADM........................................................................................	38
Validating CA Certificate To Use Remote RACADM on Linux.....................................................	38
Accessing iDRAC Using Local RACADM............................................................................................	39
Accessing iDRAC Using Firmware RACADM......................................................................................	39
Accessing iDRAC Using SMCLP..........................................................................................................	39
Logging in to iDRAC Using Public Key Authentication......................................................................	39
Multiple iDRAC Sessions.....................................................................................................................	40
Changing Default Login Password.....................................................................................................	40
Changing Default Login Password Using Web Interface............................................................	40
Changing Default Login Password Using RACADM.....................................................................	41
Changing Default Login Password Using iDRAC Settings Utility.................................................	41
Enabling or Disabling Default Password Warning Message .............................................................	41

Enabling or Disabling Default Password Warning Message Using Web Interface......................	41
Enabling or Disabling Warning Message to Change Default Login Password Using
RACADM.........................................................................................................................................	41
3 Setting Up Managed System and Management Station..............................	42
Setting Up iDRAC IP Address..............................................................................................................	42
Setting Up iDRAC IP Using iDRAC Settings Utility........................................................................	43
Setting Up iDRAC IP Using CMC Web Interface..........................................................................	46
Enabling Auto-discovery...............................................................................................................	46
Configuring Servers and Server Components Using Auto Config..............................................	47
Using Hash Passwords for Improved Security..............................................................................	51
Setting Up Management Station.........................................................................................................	52
Accessing iDRAC Remotely..........................................................................................................	52
Setting Up Managed System...............................................................................................................	53
Modifying Local Administrator Account Settings.........................................................................	53
Setting Up Managed System Location.........................................................................................	53
Optimizing System Performance and Power Consumption.......................................................	54
Configuring Supported Web Browsers..............................................................................................	60
Adding iDRAC to the List of Trusted Domains.............................................................................	62
Disabling Whitelist Feature in Firefox...........................................................................................	62
Viewing Localized Versions of Web Interface..............................................................................	62
Updating Device Firmware.................................................................................................................	63
Downloading Device Firmware....................................................................................................	65
Updating Firmware Using iDRAC Web Interface..........................................................................	65
Updating Device Firmware Using RACADM.................................................................................	69
Scheduling Automatic Firmware Updates....................................................................................	70
Updating Firmware Using CMC Web Interface............................................................................	71
Updating Firmware Using DUP......................................................................................................	71
Updating Firmware Using Remote RACADM...............................................................................	72
Updating Firmware Using Lifecycle Controller Remote Services................................................	72
Viewing and Managing Staged Updates.............................................................................................	72
Viewing and Managing Staged Updates Using iDRAC Web interface.........................................	73
Viewing and Managing Staged Updates Using RACADM.............................................................	73
Rolling Back Device Firmware............................................................................................................	73
Rollback Firmware Using iDRAC Web Interface...........................................................................	74
Rollback Firmware Using CMC Web Interface.............................................................................	74
Rollback Firmware Using RACADM...............................................................................................	75
Rollback Firmware Using Lifecycle Controller.............................................................................	75
Rollback Firmware Using Lifecycle Controller-Remote Services................................................	75
Recovering iDRAC.........................................................................................................................	75
Using TFTP Server..........................................................................................................................	75
Backing Up Server Profile....................................................................................................................	76

Backing Up Server Profile Using iDRAC Web Interface...............................................................	76
Backing Up Server Profile Using RACADM...................................................................................	77
Scheduling Automatic Backup Server Profile...............................................................................	77
Importing Server Profile......................................................................................................................	78
Importing Server Profile Using iDRAC Web Interface..................................................................	79
Importing Server Profile Using RACADM......................................................................................	79
Restore Operation Sequence........................................................................................................	79
Monitoring iDRAC Using Other Systems Management Tools..........................................................	80
4 Configuring iDRAC.............................................................................................	81
Viewing iDRAC Information................................................................................................................	82
Viewing iDRAC Information Using Web Interface.......................................................................	82
Viewing iDRAC Information Using RACADM...............................................................................	82
Modifying Network Settings...............................................................................................................	82
Modifying Network Settings Using Web Interface.......................................................................	83
Modifying Network Settings Using Local RACADM.....................................................................	83
Configuring IP Filtering.................................................................................................................	84
Configuring Services...........................................................................................................................	85
Configuring Services Using Web Interface..................................................................................	86
Configuring Services Using RACADM..........................................................................................	86
Enabling or Disabling HTTPs Redirection.....................................................................................	87
Using VNC Client to Manage Remote Server.....................................................................................	87
Configuring VNC Server Using iDRAC Web Interface.................................................................	88
Configuring VNC Server Using RACADM.....................................................................................	88
Setting Up VNC Viewer With SSL Encryption...............................................................................	88
Setting Up VNC Viewer Without SSL Encryption.........................................................................	88
Configuring Front Panel Display.........................................................................................................	89
Configuring LCD Setting...............................................................................................................	89
Configuring System ID LED Setting..............................................................................................	90
Configuring Time Zone and NTP........................................................................................................	91
Configuring Time Zone and NTP Using iDRAC Web Interface....................................................	91
Configuring Time Zone and NTP Using RACADM.......................................................................	91
Setting First Boot Device.....................................................................................................................	91
Setting First Boot Device Using Web Interface............................................................................	92
Setting First Boot Device Using RACADM....................................................................................	92
Setting First Boot Device Using Virtual Console..........................................................................	92
Enabling Last Crash Screen...........................................................................................................	92
Enabling or Disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through.............................................................................	93
Supported Cards for OS to iDRAC Pass-through .......................................................................	94
Supported Operating Systems for USB NIC.................................................................................	94
Enabling or Disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through Using Web Interface....................................	96
Enabling or Disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through Using RACADM............................................	97

Enabling or Disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through Using iDRAC Settings Utility........................	97
Obtaining Certificates.........................................................................................................................	97
SSL Server Certificates..................................................................................................................	98
Generating a New Certificate Signing Request............................................................................	99
Uploading Server Certificate.......................................................................................................	100
Viewing Server Certificate...........................................................................................................	101
Uploading Custom Signing Certificate.......................................................................................	101
Downloading Custom SSL Certificate Signing Certificate ........................................................	102
Deleting Custom SSL Certificate Signing Certificate.................................................................	102
Configuring Multiple iDRACs Using RACADM.................................................................................	103
Creating an iDRAC Configuration File........................................................................................	104
Parsing Rules...............................................................................................................................	105
Modifying the iDRAC IP Address.................................................................................................	106
Disabling Access to Modify iDRAC Configuration Settings on Host System..................................	106
5 Viewing iDRAC and Managed System Information....................................	108
Viewing Managed System Health and Properties............................................................................	108
Viewing System Inventory................................................................................................................	108
Viewing Sensor Information.............................................................................................................	109
Monitoring Performance Index of CPU, Memory, and I/O Modules...............................................	111
Monitoring Performance Index for of CPU, Memory, and I/O Modules Using Web
Interface.......................................................................................................................................	112
Monitoring Performance Index for of CPU, Memory, and I/O Modules Using RACADM.........	113
Checking the System for Fresh Air Compliance...............................................................................	113
Viewing Historical Temperature Data...............................................................................................	113
Viewing Historical Temperature Data Using iDRAC Web Interface...........................................	114
Viewing Historical Temperature Data Using RACADM..............................................................	114
Configuring Warning Threshold for Inlet Temperature.............................................................	114
Viewing Network Interfaces Available On Host OS..........................................................................	115
Viewing Network Interfaces Available on Host OS Using Web Interface..................................	115
Viewing Network Interfaces Available on Host OS Using RACADM..........................................	115
Viewing FlexAddress Mezzanine Card Fabric Connections.............................................................	116
Viewing or Terminating iDRAC Sessions..........................................................................................	116
Terminating iDRAC Sessions Using Web Interface.....................................................................	116
Terminating iDRAC Sessions Using RACADM.............................................................................	117
6 Setting Up iDRAC Communication...............................................................	118
Communicating With iDRAC Through Serial Connection Using DB9 Cable..................................	119
Configuring BIOS For Serial Connection...................................................................................	120
Enabling RAC Serial Connection................................................................................................	120
Enabling IPMI Serial Connection Basic and Terminal Modes....................................................	120
Switching Between RAC Serial and Serial Console While Using DB9 Cable..................................	122

Switching From Serial Console to RAC Serial............................................................................	123
Switching From RAC Serial to Serial Console............................................................................	123
Communicating With iDRAC Using IPMI SOL..................................................................................	123
Configuring BIOS For Serial Connection....................................................................................	123
Configuring iDRAC to Use SOL...................................................................................................	124
Enabling Supported Protocol......................................................................................................	125
Communicating With iDRAC Using IPMI Over LAN.........................................................................	129
Configuring IPMI Over LAN Using Web Interface......................................................................	129
Configuring IPMI Over LAN Using iDRAC Settings Utility..........................................................	129
Configuring IPMI Over LAN Using RACADM..............................................................................	130
Enabling or Disabling Remote RACADM..........................................................................................	130
Enabling or Disabling Remote RACADM Using Web Interface.................................................	130
Enabling or Disabling Remote RACADM Using RACADM.........................................................	130
Disabling Local RACADM...................................................................................................................	131
Enabling IPMI on Managed System...................................................................................................	131
Configuring Linux for Serial Console During Boot...........................................................................	131
Enabling Login to the Virtual Console After Boot......................................................................	132
Supported SSH Cryptography Schemes...........................................................................................	133
Using Public Key Authentication For SSH...................................................................................	134
7 Configuring User Accounts and Privileges..................................................	138
Configuring Local Users...................................................................................................................	138
Configuring Local Users Using iDRAC Web Interface...............................................................	138
Configuring Local Users Using RACADM...................................................................................	139
Configuring Active Directory Users..................................................................................................	141
Prerequisites for Using Active Directory Authentication for iDRAC..........................................	142
Supported Active Directory Authentication Mechanisms.........................................................	144
Standard Schema Active Directory Overview............................................................................	144
Configuring Standard Schema Active Directory........................................................................	146
Extended Schema Active Directory Overview...........................................................................	149
Configuring Extended Schema Active Directory........................................................................	151
Testing Active Directory Settings................................................................................................	161
Configuring Generic LDAP Users.....................................................................................................	162
Configuring Generic LDAP Directory Service Using iDRAC Web-Based Interface..................	162
Configuring Generic LDAP Directory Service Using RACADM..................................................	163
Testing LDAP Directory Service Settings....................................................................................	163
8 Configuring iDRAC for Single Sign-On or Smart Card Login...................	165
Prerequisites for Active Directory Single Sign-On or Smart Card Login........................................	165
Registering iDRAC as a Computer in Active Directory Root Domain.......................................	166
Generating Kerberos Keytab File................................................................................................	166
Creating Active Directory Objects and Providing Privileges......................................................	167

Configuring Browser to Enable Active Directory SSO...............................................................	167
Configuring iDRAC SSO Login for Active Directory Users..............................................................	168
Configuring iDRAC SSO Login for Active Directory Users Using Web Interface......................	168
Configuring iDRAC SSO Login for Active Directory Users Using RACADM..............................	168
Configuring iDRAC Smart Card Login for Local Users....................................................................	168
Uploading Smart Card User Certificate......................................................................................	169
Uploading Trusted CA Certificate For Smart Card.....................................................................	169
Configuring iDRAC Smart Card Login for Active Directory Users...................................................	170
Enabling or Disabling Smart Card Login..........................................................................................	170
Enabling or Disabling Smart Card Login Using Web Interface...................................................	171
Enabling or Disabling Smart Card Login Using RACADM...........................................................	171
Enabling or Disabling Smart Card Login Using iDRAC Settings Utility.......................................	171
9 Configuring iDRAC to Send Alerts.................................................................	172
Enabling or Disabling Alerts..............................................................................................................	172
Enabling or Disabling Alerts Using Web Interface......................................................................	172
Enabling or Disabling Alerts Using RACADM..............................................................................	173
Enabling or Disabling Alerts Using iDRAC Settings Utility..........................................................	173
Filtering Alerts ...................................................................................................................................	173
Filtering Alerts Using iDRAC Web Interface................................................................................	173
Filtering Alerts Using RACADM....................................................................................................	174
Setting Event Alerts............................................................................................................................	174
Setting Event Alerts Using Web Interface...................................................................................	174
Setting Event Alerts Using RACADM...........................................................................................	174
Setting Alert Recurrence Event.........................................................................................................	175
Setting Alert Recurrence Events Using iDRAC Web Interface...................................................	175
Setting Alert Recurrence Events Using RACADM.......................................................................	175
Setting Event Actions.........................................................................................................................	175
Setting Event Actions Using Web Interface................................................................................	175
Setting Event Actions Using RACADM........................................................................................	175
Configuring Email Alert, SNMP Trap, or IPMI Trap Settings............................................................	176
Configuring IP Alert Destinations................................................................................................	176
Configuring Email Alert Settings.................................................................................................	178
Configuring WS Eventing..................................................................................................................	180
Alerts Message IDs............................................................................................................................	180
10 Managing Logs................................................................................................	184
Viewing System Event Log................................................................................................................	184
Viewing System Event Log Using Web Interface.......................................................................	184
Viewing System Event Log Using RACADM...............................................................................	184
Viewing System Event Log Using iDRAC Settings Utility...........................................................	185
Viewing Lifecycle Log ......................................................................................................................	185

Viewing Lifecycle Log Using Web Interface...............................................................................	186
Viewing Lifecycle Log Using RACADM.......................................................................................	186
Exporting Lifecycle Controller Logs.................................................................................................	186
Exporting Lifecycle Controller Logs Using Web Interface........................................................	186
Exporting Lifecycle Controller Logs Using RACADM.................................................................	187
Adding Work Notes...........................................................................................................................	187
Configuring Remote System Logging..............................................................................................	187
Configuring Remote System Logging Using Web Interface......................................................	187
Configuring Remote System Logging Using RACADM.............................................................	188
11 Monitoring and Managing Power................................................................	189
Monitoring Power.............................................................................................................................	189
Monitoring Power Using Web Interface.....................................................................................	189
Monitoring Power Using RACADM.............................................................................................	190
Setting Warning Threshold for Power Consumption......................................................................	190
Setting Warning Threshold for Power Consumption Using Web Interface.............................	190
Executing Power Control Operations..............................................................................................	190
Executing Power Control Operations Using Web Interface.....................................................	190
Executing Power Control Operations Using RACADM..............................................................	191
Power Capping..................................................................................................................................	191
Power Capping in Blade Servers.................................................................................................	191
Viewing and Configuring Power Cap Policy...............................................................................	191
Configuring Power Supply Options..................................................................................................	193
Configuring Power Supply Options Using Web Interface.........................................................	193
Configuring Power Supply Options Using RACADM.................................................................	193
Configuring Power Supply Options Using iDRAC Settings Utility.............................................	194
Enabling or Disabling Power Button................................................................................................	194
12 Inventory, Monitoring, and Configuring Network Devices....................	195
Inventory and Monitoring Network Devices....................................................................................	195
Monitoring Network Devices Using Web Interface...................................................................	195
Monitoring Network Devices Using RACADM............................................................................	195
Inventory and Monitoring FC HBA Devices.....................................................................................	196
Monitoring FC HBA Devices Using Web Interface.....................................................................	196
Monitoring FC HBA Devices Using RACADM.............................................................................	196
Dynamic Configuration of Virtual Addresses, Initiator, and Storage Target Settings.....................	196
Supported Cards for I/O Identity Optimization..........................................................................	197
Supported BIOS Version for I/O Identity Optimization.............................................................	198
Supported NIC Firmware Versions for I/O Identity Optimization.............................................	198
Enabling or Disabling I/O Identity Optimization........................................................................	198
Configuring Persistence Policy Settings.....................................................................................	199

13 Managing Storage Devices...........................................................................	203
Understanding RAID Concepts........................................................................................................	204
What Is RAID?..............................................................................................................................	205
Organizing Data Storage For Availability And Performance.....................................................	206
Choosing RAID Levels ...............................................................................................................	206
Comparing RAID Level Performance..........................................................................................	213
Supported Controllers.......................................................................................................................	215
Supported RAID Controllers........................................................................................................	215
Supported Non-RAID Controllers...............................................................................................	215
Supported Enclosures.......................................................................................................................	215
Summary of Supported Features for Storage Devices.....................................................................	215
Inventory and Monitoring Storage Devices......................................................................................	218
Monitoring Storage Device Using Web Interface.......................................................................	218
Monitoring Storage Device Using RACADM...............................................................................	219
Monitoring Backplane Using iDRAC Settings Utility..................................................................	219
Viewing Storage Device Topology...................................................................................................	219
Managing Physical Disks...................................................................................................................	219
Assigning or Unassigning Physical Disk as Global Hot spare....................................................	219
Convert To RAID Capable Disk..................................................................................................	220
Convert To Non-RAID Disk.........................................................................................................	221
Managing Virtual Disks......................................................................................................................	221
Creating Virtual Disks..................................................................................................................	221
Editing Virtual Disk Cache Policies.............................................................................................	223
Deleting Virtual Disks..................................................................................................................	224
Checking Virtual Disk Consistency.............................................................................................	224
Initializing Virtual Disks...............................................................................................................	225
Encrypting Virtual Disks..............................................................................................................	226
Assigning or Unassigning Dedicated Hot Spares.......................................................................	226
Managing Virtual Disks Using Web Interface.............................................................................	226
Managing Virtual Disks Using RACADM.....................................................................................	227
Managing Controllers.......................................................................................................................	227
Configuring Controller Properties..............................................................................................	228
Importing or Auto Importing Foreign Configuration.................................................................	231
Clearing Foreign Configuration..................................................................................................	232
Resetting Controller Configuration............................................................................................	233
12Gbps SAS HBA Adapter Operations........................................................................................	234
Monitoring Predictive Failure Analysis On Drives......................................................................	234
Controller Operations in Non-RAID (HBA) Mode......................................................................	235
Running RAID Configuration Jobs On Multiple Storage Controllers........................................	235
Managing PCIe SSDs.........................................................................................................................	235
Inventory and Monitoring PCIe SSDs.........................................................................................	236

Preparing to Remove PCIe SSD..................................................................................................	237
Erasing PCIe SSD Device Data....................................................................................................	238
Managing Enclosures or Backplanes...............................................................................................	239
Configuring Backplane Mode....................................................................................................	240
Viewing Universal Slots...............................................................................................................	242
Setting SGPIO Mode...................................................................................................................	243
Choosing Operation Mode to Apply Settings..................................................................................	243
Choosing Operation Mode Using Web Interface......................................................................	243
Choosing Operation Mode Using RACADM..............................................................................	244
Viewing and Applying Pending Operations.....................................................................................	244
Viewing, Applying, or Deleting Pending Operations Using Web Interface...............................	244
Viewing and Applying Pending Operations Using RACADM.....................................................	245
Storage Devices — Apply Operation Scenarios...............................................................................	246
Case 1: Selected an Apply Operation (Apply Now, At Next Reboot, or At Scheduled Time)
and there are no existing pending operations Case 2: Selected an Apply Operation (Apply
Now, At Next Reboot, or At Scheduled Time) and there are existing pending operations
Case 3: Selected Add to Pending Operations and there are no existing pending
operationsCase 4: Selected Add to Pending Operations and there are prior existing
pending operations.....................................................................................................................	246
Blinking or Unblinking Component LEDs........................................................................................	247
Blinking or Unblinking Component LEDs Using Web Interface................................................	247
Blinking or Unblinking Component LEDs Using RACADM.......................................................	248
14 Configuring and Using Virtual Console.....................................................	249
Supported Screen Resolutions and Refresh Rates..........................................................................	249
Configuring Web Browsers to Use Virtual Console........................................................................	250
Configuring Web Browser to Use Java Plug-in.........................................................................	250
Configuring IE to Use ActiveX Plug-in........................................................................................	251
Importing CA Certificates to Management Station...................................................................	253
Configuring Virtual Console.............................................................................................................	253
Configuring Virtual Console Using Web Interface....................................................................	254
Configuring Virtual Console Using RACADM............................................................................	254
Previewing Virtual Console..............................................................................................................	254
Launching Virtual Console...............................................................................................................	254
Launching Virtual Console Using Web Interface.......................................................................	255
Launching Virtual Console Using URL.......................................................................................	256
Disabling Warning Messages While Launching Virtual Console Or Virtual Media Using
Java or ActiveX Plug-in...............................................................................................................	256
Using Virtual Console Viewer...........................................................................................................	256
Synchronizing Mouse Pointers...................................................................................................	257
Passing All Keystrokes Through Virtual Console.......................................................................	258

15 Managing Virtual Media.................................................................................	261
Supported Drives and Devices.........................................................................................................	262
Configuring Virtual Media.................................................................................................................	262
Configuring Virtual Media Using iDRAC Web Interface.............................................................	262
Configuring Virtual Media Using RACADM................................................................................	263
Configuring Virtual Media Using iDRAC Settings Utility............................................................	263
Attached Media State and System Response.............................................................................	263
Accessing Virtual Media....................................................................................................................	263
Launching Virtual Media Using Virtual Console........................................................................	264
Launching Virtual Media Without Using Virtual Console..........................................................	264
Adding Virtual Media Images......................................................................................................	265
Viewing Virtual Device Details....................................................................................................	265
Resetting USB..............................................................................................................................	266
Mapping Virtual Drive.................................................................................................................	266
Unmapping Virtual Drive.............................................................................................................	267
Setting Boot Order Through BIOS...................................................................................................	267
Enabling Boot Once for Virtual Media.............................................................................................	268
16 Installing and Using VMCLI Utility..............................................................	269
Installing VMCLI................................................................................................................................	269
Running VMCLI Utility.......................................................................................................................	269
VMCLI Syntax....................................................................................................................................	270
VMCLI Commands to Access Virtual Media .............................................................................	270
VMCLI Operating System Shell Options ....................................................................................	271
17 Managing vFlash SD Card..............................................................................	272
Configuring vFlash SD Card..............................................................................................................	272
Viewing vFlash SD Card Properties.............................................................................................	272
Enabling or Disabling vFlash Functionality.................................................................................	273
Initializing vFlash SD Card...........................................................................................................	274
Getting the Last Status Using RACADM......................................................................................	275
Managing vFlash Partitions...............................................................................................................	275
Creating an Empty Partition........................................................................................................	276
Creating a Partition Using an Image File....................................................................................	277
Formatting a Partition.................................................................................................................	278
Viewing Available Partitions........................................................................................................	278
Modifying a Partition...................................................................................................................	279
Attaching or Detaching Partitions..............................................................................................	280
Deleting Existing Partitions.........................................................................................................	281
Downloading Partition Contents................................................................................................	281
Booting to a Partition..................................................................................................................	282

18 Using SMCLP...................................................................................................	283
System Management Capabilities Using SMCLP.............................................................................	283
Running SMCLP Commands............................................................................................................	283
iDRAC SMCLP Syntax.......................................................................................................................	284
Navigating the MAP Address Space..................................................................................................	287
Using Show Verb...............................................................................................................................	287
Using the -display Option...........................................................................................................	287
Using the -level Option..............................................................................................................	288
Using the -output Option...........................................................................................................	288
Usage Examples................................................................................................................................	288
Server Power Management........................................................................................................	288
SEL Management........................................................................................................................	289
MAP Target Navigation................................................................................................................	291
19 Using iDRAC Service Module.......................................................................	292
Installing iDRAC Service Module......................................................................................................	292
Supported Operating Systems for iDRAC Service Module..............................................................	292
iDRAC Service Module Monitoring Features...................................................................................	292
Operating System Information...................................................................................................	293
Replicate Lifecycle Logs to OS Log............................................................................................	293
Automatic System Recovery Options........................................................................................	293
WMI Management Providers......................................................................................................	293
Co-existence of OpenManage Server Administrator and iDRAC Service Module...................	295
Using iDRAC Service Module From iDRAC Web Interface..............................................................	295
Using iDRAC Service Module From RACADM..................................................................................	295
20 Using USB Port for Server Management....................................................	296
Accessing iDRAC Interface over Direct USB Connection...............................................................	296
Configuring iDRAC Using Server Configuration Profile on USB Device.........................................	297
Configuring USB Management Port Settings.............................................................................	297
Importing Server Configuration Profile From USB Device .......................................................	299
21 Using iDRAC Quick Sync...............................................................................	302
Configuring iDRAC Quick Sync........................................................................................................	303
Configuring iDRAC Quick Sync Settings Using Web Interface.................................................	303
Configuring iDRAC Quick Sync Settings Using RACADM.........................................................	303
Configuring iDRAC Quick Sync Settings Using iDRAC Settings Utility.....................................	303
Using Mobile Device to View iDRAC Information...........................................................................	304
22 Deploying Operating Systems.....................................................................	305

Deploying Operating System Using VMCLI ....................................................................................

305

Deploying Operating System Using Remote File Share..................................................................	306
Managing Remote File Share......................................................................................................	307
Configuring Remote File Share Using Web Interface...............................................................	308
Configuring Remote File Share Using RACADM........................................................................	309
Deploying Operating System Using Virtual Media..........................................................................	309
Installing Operating System From Multiple Disks......................................................................	310
Deploying Embedded Operating System On SD Card....................................................................	310
Enabling SD Module and Redundancy in BIOS..........................................................................	310
23 Troubleshooting Managed System Using iDRAC.....................................	312
Using Diagnostic Console.................................................................................................................	312
Scheduling Remote Automated Diagnostics.............................................................................	312
Scheduling Remote Automated Diagnostics Using RACADM...................................................	313
Viewing Post Codes..........................................................................................................................	314
Viewing Boot and Crash Capture Videos.........................................................................................	314
Configuring Video Capture Settings...........................................................................................	314
Viewing Logs......................................................................................................................................	315
Viewing Last System Crash Screen...................................................................................................	315
Viewing Front Panel Status...............................................................................................................	315
Viewing System Front Panel LCD Status....................................................................................	315
Viewing System Front Panel LED Status.....................................................................................	316
Hardware Trouble Indicators............................................................................................................	316
Viewing System Health......................................................................................................................	317
Generating Technical Support Report..............................................................................................	317
Generating Technical Support Report Automatically................................................................	318
Generating Technical Support Report Manually........................................................................	319
Checking Server Status Screen for Error Messages.........................................................................	321
Restarting iDRAC...............................................................................................................................	321
Resetting iDRAC Using iDRAC Web Interface............................................................................	321
Resetting iDRAC Using RACADM................................................................................................	321
Erasing System and User Data..........................................................................................................	321
Resetting iDRAC to Factory Default Settings...................................................................................	322
Resetting iDRAC to Factory Default Settings Using iDRAC Web Interface...............................	322
Resetting iDRAC to Factory Default Settings Using iDRAC Settings Utility..............................	322
24 Frequently Asked Questions........................................................................	323
System Event Log..............................................................................................................................	323
Network Security...............................................................................................................................	323
Active Directory................................................................................................................................	324
Single Sign-On..................................................................................................................................	327
Smart Card Login..............................................................................................................................	328
Virtual Console..................................................................................................................................	328

Virtual Media......................................................................................................................................	332
vFlash SD Card..................................................................................................................................	334
SNMP Authentication........................................................................................................................	335
Storage Devices................................................................................................................................	335
iDRAC Service Module......................................................................................................................	335
RACADM............................................................................................................................................	337
Miscellaneous...................................................................................................................................	338
25 Use Case Scenarios........................................................................................	341
Troubleshooting An Inaccessible Managed System........................................................................	341
Obtaining System Information and Assess System Health.............................................................	342
Setting Up Alerts and Configuring Email Alerts...............................................................................	342
Viewing and Exporting Lifecycle Log and System Event Log.........................................................	342
Interfaces to Update iDRAC Firmware.............................................................................................	342
Performing Graceful Shutdown.......................................................................................................	343
Creating New Administrator User Account.....................................................................................	343
Launching Server's Remote Console and Mounting a USB Drive..................................................	343
Installing Bare Metal OS Using Attached Virtual Media and Remote File Share.............................	343
Managing Rack Density....................................................................................................................	344
Installing New Electronic License....................................................................................................	344
Applying I/O Identity Configuration Settings for Multiple Network Cards in Single Host
System Reboot .................................................................................................................................	344

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Overview

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is designed to make server administrators more productive and improve the overall availability of Dell servers. iDRAC alerts administrators to server issues, helps them perform remote server management, and reduces the need for physical access to the server.

iDRAC with Lifecycle controller technology is part of a larger datacenter solution that helps keep business critical applications and workloads available at all times. The technology allows administrators to deploy, monitor, manage, configure, update, troubleshoot and remediate Dell servers from any location, and without the use of agents. It accomplishes this regardless of operating system or hypervisor presence or state.

Several products work in conjunction with the iDRAC and Lifecycle controller to simplify and streamline IT operations, such as:

•Dell Management plug-in for VMware vCenter

•Dell Repository Manager

•Dell Management Packs for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)

•BMC Bladelogic

•Dell OpenManage Essentials

•Dell OpenManage Power Center

The iDRAC is available in the following variants:

•Basic Management with IPMI (available by default for 200-500 series servers)

•iDRAC Express (available by default on all 600 and higher series of rack or tower servers, and all blade servers)

•iDRAC Enterprise (available on all server models)

For more information, see the iDRAC Overview and Feature Guide available at dell.com/support/ manuals.

Benefits of Using iDRAC With Lifecycle Controller

The benefits include:

•Increased Availability — Early notification of potential or actual failures that help prevent a server failure or reduce recovery time after failure.

•Improved Productivity and Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) — Extending the reach of administrators to larger numbers of distant servers can make IT staff more productive while driving down operational costs such as travel.

•Secure Environment — By providing secure access to remote servers, administrators can perform critical management functions while maintaining server and network security.

•Enhanced Embedded Management through Lifecycle Controller – Lifecycle Controller provides deployment and simplified serviceability through Lifecycle Controller GUI for local deployment and

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Remote Services (WS-Management) interfaces for remote deployment integrated with Dell OpenManage Essentials and partner consoles.

For more information on Lifecycle Controller GUI, see Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide and for remote services, see Lifecycle Controller Remote Services User’s Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

Key Features

The key features in iDRAC include:

NOTE: Some of the features are available only with iDRAC Enterprise license. For information on the features available for a license, see Managing Licenses.

Inventory and Monitoring

•View managed server health.

•Inventory and monitor network adapters and storage subsystem (PERC and direct attached storage) without any operating system agents.

•View and export system inventory.

•View sensor information such as temperature, voltage, and intrusion.

•Monitor CPU state, processor automatic throttling, and predictive failure.

•View memory information.

•Monitor and control power usage.

•Support for SNMPv3 gets.

•For blade servers: launch Chassis Management Controller (CMC) Web interface, view CMC information, and WWN/MAC addresses.

NOTE: CMC provides access to iDRAC through the M1000E Chassis LCD panel and local console connections. For more information, see Chassis Management Controller User’s Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

•View network interfaces available on host operating systems.

•View inventory and monitor information and configure basic iDRAC settings using iDRAC Quick Sync feature and a mobile device.

Deployment

•Manage vFlash SD card partitions.

•Configure front panel display settings.

•Launch Lifecycle Controller, which allows you to configure and update BIOS and supported network and storage adapters.

•Manage iDRAC network settings.

•Configure and use virtual console and virtual media.

•Deploy operating systems using remote file share, virtual media, and VMCLI.

•Enable auto-discovery.

•Perform server configuration using the export or import XML profile feature through RACADM and WS-MAN. For more information, see the Lifecycle Controller Remote Services Quick Start Guide.

•Configure persistence policy for virtual addresses, initiator, and storage targets.

•Remotely configure storage devices attached to the system at run-time.

•Perform the following operations for storage devices:

– Physical disks: Assign or unassign physical disk as a global hot spare

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–Virtual disks:

*Create virtual disks

*Edit virtual disks cache policies

*Check virtual disk consistency

*Initialize virtual disks

*Encrypt virtual disks

*Assign or unassign dedicated hot spare

*Delete virtual disks

–Controllers:

*Configure controller properties

*Import or auto-import foreign configuration

*Clear foreign configuration

*Reset controller configuration

*Create or change security keys

–PCIe SSD devices:

*Inventory and remotely monitor the health of PCIe SSD devices in the server.

*Prepare the PCIe SSD to be removed

*Securely erase the data

–Set the backplane mode (unified or split mode).

–Blink or unblink component LEDs

–Apply the device settings immediately, at next system reboot, at a scheduled time, or as a pending operation to be applied as a batch as part of the single job.

Update

•Manage iDRAC licenses.

•Update BIOS and device firmware for devices supported by Lifecycle Controller

•Update or rollback iDRAC firmware and lifecycle controller firmware using a single firmware image.

•Manage staged updates.

•Backup and restore server profile

•Access iDRAC interface over direct USB connection.

•Configure iDRAC using Server Configuration Profiles on USB device.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

•Perform power related operations and monitor power consumption.

•Optimize system performance and power consumption by modifying the thermal settings.

•No dependency on Server Administrator for generation of alerts.

•Log event data: Lifecycle and RAC logs.

•Set email alerts, IPMI alerts, remote system logs, WS eventing logs, and SNMP traps (v1, v2c, and v3) for events and improved email alert notification.

•Capture last system crash image.

•View boot and crash capture videos.

•Out-of-band monitor and alert the performance index of CPU, memory, and I/O modules.

•Configure warning threshold for inlet temperature and power consumption.

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•Use iDRAC Service Module to:

–View Operating System (OS) information

–Replicate Lifecycle Controller logs to operating system logs

–Automatic system recovery options

–Populate Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) information

–Integrate with Technical Support Report. This is applicable only if iDRAC Service Module Version 2.0 or later is installed. For more information, see Generating Tech Support Report.

–Integrate with NVMe Management for Prepare to Remove operation on a NVMe class PCIe SSD. For more information, see Preparing to Remove PCIe SSD.

•Generate technical support report in the following ways:

–Automatic — Using iDRAC Service Module that automatically invokes the OS Collector tool.

–Manual — Using OS Collector tool

Secure Connectivity

Securing access to critical network resources is a priority. iDRAC implements a range of security features that includes:

•Custom signing certificate for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate.

•Signed firmware updates.

•User authentication through Microsoft Active Directory, generic Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Directory Service, or locally administered user IDs and passwords.

•Two-factor authentication using the Smart–Card logon feature. The two-factor authentication is based on the physical smart card and the smart card PIN.

•Single Sign-on and Public Key Authentication.

•Role-based authorization, to configure specific privileges for each user.

•SNMPv3 authentication for user accounts stored locally in the iDRAC. It is recommended to use this, but it is disabled by default.

•User ID and password configuration.

•Default login password modification.

•Set user passwords and BIOS passwords using one way hash format for improved security.

•SMCLP and Web interfaces that support 128-bit and 40-bit encryption (for countries where 128 bit is not acceptable), using the SSL 3.0 standard.

•Session time-out configuration (in seconds).

•Configurable IP ports (for HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Console, and Virtual Media).

NOTE: Telnet does not support SSL encryption and is disabled by default.

•Secure Shell (SSH) that uses an encrypted transport layer for higher security.

•Login failure limits per IP address, with login blocking from that IP address when the limit is exceeded.

•Limited IP address range for clients connecting to iDRAC.

•Dedicated Gigabit Ethernet adapter on rack or tower servers with Enterprise license.

New In This Release

•Set user passwords and BIOS passwords using one way hash format for improved security.

•Optimize system performance and power consumption by modifying the thermal settings.

•Update iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller firmware using a single firmware image.

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•Update device firmware using TFTP or HTTP.

•Out-of-band monitor and alert the performance index of CPU, memory, and I/O modules.

•Configure warning threshold for inlet Temperature.

•Configure persistence policy for virtual addresses, initiator, and storage targets.

•View network interfaces available on host operating systems.

•Enable SNMPv3 authentication for a user to receive SNMP traps.

•Configure the SNMPv3 trap format.

•Set the warning threshold for power consumption.

•Remotely configure storage devices attached to the system at run-time.

•Perform the following operations for storage devices:

–Physical disks: Assign or unassign physical disk as a global hot spare

–Virtual disks:

*Create virtual disks

*Edit virtual disks cache policies

*Check virtual disk consistency

*Initialize virtual disks

*Encrypt virtual disks

*Assign or unassign dedicated hot spare

*Delete virtual disks

–Controllers:

*Configure controller properties

*Import or auto-import foreign configuration

*Clear foreign configuration

*Reset controller configuration

*Create or change security keys

–PCIe SSD devices:

*Inventory and remotely monitor the health of PCIe SSD devices in the server.

*Prepare the PCIe SSD to be removed

*Securely erase the data

–Set the backplane mode (unified or split mode).

–Blink or unblink component LEDs

–Apply the device settings immediately, at next system reboot, at a scheduled time, or as a pending operation to be applied as a batch as part of the single job.

•Use iDRAC Service Module to:

–Populate WMI information.

–Integrate with Technical Support Report.

•Access iDRAC interface over direct USB connection.

•Configure iDRAC using configuration XML file on USB device.

•View inventory and monitor information and configure basic iDRAC settings using iDRAC Quick Sync feature and a mobile device.

•Configure video capture settings

•Generate technical support report in the following ways:

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–Automatic — Using iDRAC Service Module that automatically invokes the OS Collector tool.

–Manual — Using OS Collector tool

•Erase system and user data

•Six users can launch the Virtual Console at any point of time.

How To Use This User's Guide

The contents of this User's Guide enable you to perform the tasks by using:

•iDRAC Web interface — Only the task-related information is provided here. For information about the fields and options, see the iDRAC Online Help that you can access from the Web interface.

•RACADM — The RACADM command or the object that you must use is provided here. For more information, see the RACADM Command Line Reference Guide available at dell.com/support/ manuals.

•iDRAC Settings Utility — Only the task-related information is provided here. For information about the fields and options, see the iDRAC Settings Utility Online Help that you can access when you click Help in the iDRAC Settings GUI (press <F2> during boot, and then click iDRAC Settings on the System Setup Main Menu page).

Supported Web Browsers

iDRAC is supported on the following browsers:

•Internet Explorer

•Mozilla Firefox

•Google Chrome

•Safari

For the list of versions, see the iDRAC8 Release Notes available at dell.com/support/manuals.

Managing Licenses

iDRAC features are available based on the purchased license (Basic Management, iDRAC Express, or iDRAC Enterprise). Only licensed features are available in the interfaces that allow you to configure or use iDRAC. For example, iDRAC Web interface, RACADM, WS-MAN, OpenManage Server Administrator, and so on. Some features, such as dedicated NIC or vFlash requires iDRAC ports card. This is optional on 200-500 series servers.

iDRAC license management and firmware update functionality is available through iDRAC Web interface and RACADM.

Types of Licenses

The types of licenses offered are:

•30 day evaluation and extension — The license expires after 30 days and 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:

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•E-mail — License is attached to an email that is sent after requesting it from the technical support center.

•Self-service portal — A link to the Self-Service Portal is available from iDRAC. Click this link to open the licensing Self-Service Portal on the internet. Currently, you can use the License Self-Service Portal to retrieve licenses that were purchased with the server. You must contact the sales representative or technical support to buy a new or upgrade license. 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 dell.com/support/manuals.

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 iDRAC, RACADM, WS-MAN, and Lifecycle Controller-Remote Services 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 iDRAC using one of the supported interfaces. The license is imported if it passes the validation checks.

NOTE: For a few features, a system restart is required to enable the features.

•Export — Export the installed license into an external storage device for backup or to reinstall it again after a part or motherboard replacement. 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 iDRAC 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.

–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.

For one-to-many license deployment, you can use Dell License Manager. For more information, see the

Dell License Manager User’s Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

Importing License After Replacing Motherboard

You can use the Local iDRAC Enterprise License Installation Tool if you have recently replaced the motherboard and need to reinstall the iDRAC Enterprise license locally (with no network connectivity) and activate the dedicated NIC. This utility installs a 30-day trial iDRAC Enterprise license and allows you to reset the iDRAC to change from shared NIC to dedicated NIC.

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For more information about this utility and to download this tool, click here.

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/	Import	Export	Delete	Replace	Learn More
Component
state or
condition
Non-	No	No	No	No	Yes
administrator
login
Active license	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Expired license	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
License	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
installed but
component
missing

NOTE: In the iDRAC Web interface, on the Licenses page, expand the device to view the Replace option in the drop-down menu.

Managing Licenses Using iDRAC Web Interface

To manage the licenses using the iDRAC Web interface, go to Overview → Server → Licenses .

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 on importing, exporting, deleting, or replacing a license, see the iDRAC Online Help.

Managing Licenses Using RACADM

To manage licenses using RACADM, use the license subcommand. For more information, see the iDRAC8 RACADM Command Line Interface Reference Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

Licensable Features In iDRAC8

The following table provides the iDRAC8 features that are enabled based on the license purchased.

Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Interfaces / Standards
IPMI 2.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DCMI 1.5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

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Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Web-based GUI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Racadm command line	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
(local/remote)
SMASH-CLP (SSH-only)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Telnet	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SSH	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
WSMAN	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Network Time Protocol	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connectivity
Shared NIC	Yes	Yes	N/A	Yes1
Dedicated NIC2	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes2
VLAN tagging	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IPv4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IPv6	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DHCP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dynamic DNS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
OS pass-through	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Front panel USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Security
Role-based authority	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Local users	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SSL encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IP blocking	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Directory services (AD,	No	No	No	Yes
LDAP)
Two-factor	No	No	No	Yes
authentication

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Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Single sign-on	No	No	No	Yes
PK authentication	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Presence
Power control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Boot control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Serial-over-LAN	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Virtual Media	No	No	Yes	Yes
Virtual Folders	No	No	No	Yes
Remote File Share	No	No	No	Yes
Virtual Console	No	No	Yes	Yes
VNC connection to OS	No	No	No	Yes
Quality/bandwidth	No	No	No	Yes
control
Virtual Console	No	No	Yes	Yes
collaboration (6 users)
Virtual Console chat	No	No	No	Yes
Virtual Flash partitions	No	No	No	Yes 2,3
Power and Thermal
Real-time power meter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power thresholds & alerts	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Real-time power	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
graphing
Historical power counters	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power capping	No	No	No	Yes
Power Center integration	No	No	No	Yes
Temperature monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Temperature graphing	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

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Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Health Monitoring
Full agent-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
monitoring
Predictive failure	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
monitoring
SNMPv1, v2, and v3 (traps	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
and gets)
Email Alerting	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Configurable thresholds	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fan monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power Supply monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Memory monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CPU monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RAID monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NIC monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HD monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
(enclosure)
Out of Band Performance	No	No	No	Yes
Monitoring
Update
Remote agent-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
update
Embedded update tools	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sync with repository	No	No	No	Yes
(scheduled updates)
Auto-update	No	No	No	Yes
Deployment and Configuration
Embedded OS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
deployment tools

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Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Embedded configuration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
tools
Auto-Discovery	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote OS deployment	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Embedded driver pack	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Full configuration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
inventory
Inventory export	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote configuration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zerotouch configuration	No	No	No	Yes
System Retire/Repurpose	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Diagnostics, Service, and Logging
Embedded diagnostic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
tools
Part Replacement	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Server Configuration	No	No	No	Yes
Backup
Server Configuration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Restore
Easy Restore (system	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
configuration)
Health LED / LCD	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Quick Sync (require NFC	Yes	Yes	N/A	Yes
bezel)
iDRAC Direct (front USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
management port)
iDRAC Service Module	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
(iSM)
Embedded Tech Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Report

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Feature	iDRAC8 Basic	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Express	iDRAC8 Enterprise
			for Blades
Crash screen capture	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Crash video capture	No	No	No	Yes
Boot capture	No	No	No	Yes
Manual reset for iDRAC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Virtual NMI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
OS watchdog	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Embedded Health Report	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
System Event Log	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lifecycle Log	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Work notes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Syslog	No	No	No	Yes
License management	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

[1]Not available with blade servers.

[2]500 series and lower rack and tower servers require a hardware card to enable this feature; this hardware is offered at additional cost.

[3]Requires vFlash SD card media.

Interfaces and Protocols to Access iDRAC

The following table lists the interfaces to access iDRAC.

NOTE: Using more than one interface at the same time may generate unexpected results.

Table 2. Interfaces and Protocols to Access iDRAC

Interface or	Description
Protocol
iDRAC Settings	Use the iDRAC Settings utility to perform pre-OS operations. It has a subset of the
Utility	features that are available in iDRAC Web interface along with other features.
	To access iDRAC Settings utility, press <F2> during boot and then click iDRAC
	Settings on the System Setup Main Menu page.
iDRAC Web	Use the iDRAC Web interface to manage iDRAC and monitor the managed system.
Interface	The browser connects to the Web server through the HTTPS port. Data streams

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Interface or	Description
Protocol
	are encrypted using 128-bit SSL to provide privacy and integrity. Any connection to
	the HTTP port is redirected to HTTPS. Administrators can upload their own SSL
	certificate through an SSL CSR generation process to secure the Web server. The
	default HTTP and HTTPS ports can be changed. The user access is based on user
	privileges.
RACADM	Use this command line utility to perform iDRAC and server management. You can
	use RACADM locally and remotely.
	• Local RACADM command line interface runs on the managed systems that
		have Server Administrator installed. Local RACADM communicates with iDRAC
		through its in-band IPMI host interface. Since it is installed on the local
		managed system, users are required to log in to the operating system to run
		this utility. A user must have a full administrator privilege or be a root user to
		use this utility.
	• 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
		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 iDRAC using SSH or telnet.
		You can run the firmware RACADM commands without specifying the iDRAC
		IP, user name, or password.
	• You do not have to specify the iDRAC IP, user name, or password to run the
		firmware RACADM commands. After you enter the RACADM prompt, you can
		directly run the commands without the racadm prefix.
Server LCD Panel/	Use the LCD on the server front panel to:
Chassis LCD Panel	• View alerts, iDRAC IP or MAC address, user programmable strings.
	•	Set DHCP
	• Configure iDRAC static IP settings.
	For blade servers, the LCD is on the chassis front panel and is shared between all
	the blades.
	To reset iDRAC without rebooting the server, press and hold the System
	Identification button for 16 seconds.
CMC Web	In addition to monitoring and managing the chassis, use the CMC Web interface
Interface	to:
	• View the status of a managed system
	•	Update iDRAC firmware

• Configure iDRAC network settings

• Log in to iDRAC Web interface

• Start, stop, or reset the managed system

• Update BIOS, PERC, and supported network adapters

Lifecycle Controller Use Lifecycle Controller to perform iDRAC configurations. To access Lifecycle Controller, press <F10> during boot and go to System Setup → Advanced Hardware Configuration → iDRAC Settings. For more information, see Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

Telnet	Use Telnet to access iDRAC where you can run RACADM and SMCLP commands.
	For details about RACADM, see iDRAC8 RACADM Command Line Interface

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Interface or	Description
Protocol
	Reference Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals. For details about SMCLP,
	see Using SMCLP.
	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.
SSH	Use SSH to run RACADM and SMCLP 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 iDRAC. The SSH service can be disabled in
	iDRAC. iDRAC only supports SSH version 2 with DSA and the RSA host key
	algorithm. A unique 1024-bit DSA and 1024-bit RSA host key is generated when
	you power-up iDRAC for the first time.
IPMITool	Use the IPMITool to access the remote system’s basic management features
	through iDRAC. The interface includes local IPMI, IPMI over LAN, IPMI over Serial,
	and Serial over LAN. For more information on IPMITool, see the Dell OpenManage
	Baseboard Management Controller Utilities User’s Guide at dell.com/support/
	manuals.
	NOTE: IPMI version 1.5 is not supported.
VMCLI	Use the Virtual Media Command Line Interface (VMCLI) to access a remote media
	through the management station and deploy operating systems on multiple
	managed systems.
SMCLP	Use Server Management Workgroup Server Management-Command Line Protocol
	(SMCLP) to perform systems management tasks. This is available through SSH or
	Telnet. For more information about SMCLP, see Using SMCLP.
WS-MAN	The LC-Remote Services is based on the WS-Management protocol to do one-to-
	many systems management tasks. You must use WS-MAN 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 to script to the WS-MAN
	interface.
	Web Services for Management (WS-Management) is a Simple Object Access
	Protocol (SOAP)–based protocol used for systems management. iDRAC 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 data available through WS-Management is provided by iDRAC
	instrumentation interface mapped to the DMTF profiles and extension profiles.

For more information, see the following:

•Lifecycle Controller-Remote Services User’s Guide available at dell.com/ support/manuals.

•Lifecycle Controller Integration Best Practices Guide available at dell.com/ support/manuals.

•Lifecycle Controller page on Dell TechCenter — delltechcenter.com/page/ Lifecycle+Controller

•Lifecycle Controller WS-Management Script Center — delltechcenter.com/ page/Scripting+the+Dell+Lifecycle+Controller

•MOFs and Profiles — delltechcenter.com/page/DCIM.Library

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