Dell Lifecycle Controller 2 User Manual

Dell Lifecycle Controller 2 Release 1.3 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.

Trademarks used in this text: PowerConnect of Dell Inc.

AMD Devices, Inc. either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat

™

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Intel

Pentium

is a registered trademark and

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Enterprise Linux

are registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Corporation and/or its affiliates.

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, the Dell logo,

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Xeon

Core

AMD Opteron

Windows

are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Windows Server

Citrix

Xen

and

Dell Boomi

™

Compellent

Celeron

™

XenServer Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries.

™

Dell Precision

™

KACE

are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

AMD Phenom

Internet Explorer

and

VMware

™

XenMotion

™

and

vMotion

FlexAddress

AMD Sempron

MS-DOS

are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix

vCenter

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Windows Vista

is a registered trademark of Oracle

Oracle

vCenter SRM

is a registered trademark of International

IBM

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Latitude

are trademarks of Advanced Micro

™

Venue

PowerEdge

™

and

Active Directory

and

™

and

vSphere

Business Machines Corporation.

12 - 2013

Rev. A00

™

Vostro

Red Hat

Novell

PowerVault

™

are trademarks

are

and

SUSE

are registered

™

Contents

1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................7

Why Use Lifecycle Controller................................................................................................................................... 7

Benefits of Using iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller................................................................................................. 7

What's New in this Release?....................................................................................................................................8

Key Features............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Licensable Features in Lifecycle Controller........................................................................................................... 10

Viewing iDRAC License Information.......................................................................................................................10

Other Documents You May Need........................................................................................................................... 11

Social Media Reference...................................................................................................................................12

Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site.......................................................................................................12

Contacting Dell....................................................................................................................................................... 12

2 Using Lifecycle Controller........................................................................................................13

Launching Lifecycle Controller...............................................................................................................................13

Automatic System Restore...............................................................................................................................13

Launch Messages, Causes, and Resolutions...................................................................................................14

Enabling Lifecycle Controller........................................................................................................................... 15

Disabling Lifecycle Controller.......................................................................................................................... 15

Canceling Lifecycle Controller Actions............................................................................................................15

Using Lifecycle Controller for the First Time.......................................................................................................... 16

Setting Up Lifecycle Controller........................................................................................................................ 16

Lifecycle Controller Features..................................................................................................................................17

3 Operating System Deployment............................................................................................... 19

Installing Operating System....................................................................................................................................19

Using Optional RAID Configuration.........................................................................................................................20

Configuring RAID Using Operating System Deployment Wizard............................................................................20

Selecting Operating System................................................................................................................................... 20

Selecting an Operating System Available in the List....................................................................................... 20

Selecting Custom Operating System................................................................................................................21

Selecting an Operating System Not Available in the List.................................................................................21

Driver Access...................................................................................................................................................21

Installing Operating System in Unattended Mode..................................................................................................22

Installing Operating System on iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN..................................................................................... 22

Rebooting System...................................................................................................................................................22

Post-reboot Scenarios..................................................................................................................................... 22

4 Monitor........................................................................................................................................25

Hardware Inventory View and Export.....................................................................................................................25

About View and Export Current Inventory..............................................................................................................25

About View and Export Factory-Shipped Inventory............................................................................................... 25

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped..................................................................................26

Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped............................................................................... 26

USB Drive......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Network Share................................................................................................................................................. 27

Viewing or Exporting Hardware Inventory After Part Replacement...................................................................... 28

Viewing and Exporting Current Inventory After Resetting Lifecycle Controller..................................................... 28

Lifecycle Log...........................................................................................................................................................28

Viewing Lifecycle Log History..........................................................................................................................29

Exporting Lifecycle Log.................................................................................................................................... 30

Adding Work Note to Lifecycle Log................................................................................................................. 30

5 Firmware Update.......................................................................................................................31

Download Methods.................................................................................................................................................32

Version Compatibility..............................................................................................................................................32

Updating Firmware................................................................................................................................................. 32

Selecting Type of Update And Update Source................................................................................................ 33

Using Single Component DUPs........................................................................................................................ 37

Selecting and Applying Updates......................................................................................................................37

Firmware Rollback.................................................................................................................................................. 38

Rolling Back to Previous Firmware Versions...................................................................................................38

6 Configure.................................................................................................................................... 41

System Control Panel Access Options................................................................................................................... 41

Controlling Access to Front Panel....................................................................................................................41

Configuring iDRAC.................................................................................................................................................. 42

Configuring System Time And Date........................................................................................................................42

Configuring vFlash SD Card.................................................................................................................................... 43

Enabling or Disabling vFlash............................................................................................................................ 43

Initializing vFlash.............................................................................................................................................. 43

Configuring RAID.................................................................................................................................................... 43

Foreign Configuration Found............................................................................................................................44

Viewing Current RAID Configuration................................................................................................................45

Selecting RAID Levels......................................................................................................................................45

Selecting Physical Disks.................................................................................................................................. 46

Setting Virtual Disk Attributes..........................................................................................................................46

Viewing Summary............................................................................................................................................ 47

Configuring RAID Using Software RAID................................................................................................................. 47

Creating a Secure Virtual Disk on Series 8 Controller............................................................................................48

Key Encryption........................................................................................................................................................49

Applying the Local Key On RAID Controller..................................................................................................... 49

Local Key Encryption Mode....................................................................................................................................50

Encrypting Unsecure Virtual Disks...................................................................................................................50

Rekey Controller With New Local Key............................................................................................................. 50

Removing Encryption and Deleting Data..........................................................................................................51

Breaking Mirrored Drives.......................................................................................................................................51

System Setup-Advanced Hardware Configuration................................................................................................ 51

Modifying Device Settings............................................................................................................................... 53

Collect System Inventory on Restart...................................................................................................................... 54

Updating Server Inventory Information............................................................................................................54

Configuring Local FTP Server................................................................................................................................. 54

FTP Authentication...........................................................................................................................................54

Requirements for a Local FTP Server...............................................................................................................54

Copying Repository to a Local FTP Server from the Dell Server Updates DVD............................................... 54

Using Dell Repository Manager to Create the Repository and Copy it to a Local FTP Server.........................55

Accessing Updates on a Local FTP Server......................................................................................................55

Configuring Local USB Drive.................................................................................................................................. 55

Copying Repository to a Local USB Drive from the Dell Server Updates DVD................................................ 56

Using Dell Repository Manager to Create the Repository and Copy it to a USB Drive....................................56

7 Maintain......................................................................................................................................57

Platform Restore.....................................................................................................................................................57

About Server Profile Backup Image.................................................................................................................57

Supported Components....................................................................................................................................58

Backup Server Profile.............................................................................................................................................59

Back Up Server Profile.....................................................................................................................................59

System or Feature Behavior During Backup....................................................................................................60

Export Server Profile...............................................................................................................................................60

Exporting Server Profile to USB Drive or Network Share................................................................................60

Import Server Profile.............................................................................................................................................. 61

Importing Server Profile from a vFlash SD Card Network Share or USB Drive...............................................61

Importing Server Profile After Motherboard Replacement............................................................................. 63

Import Server License............................................................................................................................................ 64

Importing Server License from a Network Share or USB Drive...................................................................... 64

Importing iDRAC License from USB Drive........................................................................................................65

Part Replacement Configuration............................................................................................................................ 65

Applying Firmware and Configuration to Replaced Parts................................................................................65

Supported Devices...........................................................................................................................................66

Lifecycle Controller Repair..................................................................................................................................... 66

Repairing Lifecycle Controller..........................................................................................................................66

Deleting Configuration and Resetting Defaults...................................................................................................... 67

Hardware Diagnostics............................................................................................................................................67

Performing Hardware Diagnostics...................................................................................................................67

8 Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions..............................................................69

Error Messages...................................................................................................................................................... 69

Frequently Asked Questions...................................................................................................................................69

9 Lifecycle Log Schema.............................................................................................................. 73

10 Easy-to-use System Component Names.............................................................................75

11 Using The System Setup and Boot Manager..................................................................... 77

Choosing The System Boot Mode.......................................................................................................................... 77

Entering System Setup............................................................................................................................................78

Responding To Error Messages.......................................................................................................................78

Using The System Setup Navigation Keys....................................................................................................... 78

System Setup Options.............................................................................................................................................79

System Setup Main Screen..............................................................................................................................79

System BIOS Screen........................................................................................................................................79

System Information Screen..............................................................................................................................80

Memory Settings Screen................................................................................................................................. 80

Processor Settings Screen.............................................................................................................................. 81

SATA Settings Screen......................................................................................................................................82

Boot Settings Screen....................................................................................................................................... 82

Integrated Devices Screen.............................................................................................................................. 83

Serial Communications Screen........................................................................................................................84

System Profile Settings Screen........................................................................................................................84

System Security Screen...................................................................................................................................85

Miscellaneous Settings....................................................................................................................................86

System And Setup Password Features.................................................................................................................. 87

Assigning A System And/Or Setup Password..................................................................................................87

Deleting Or Changing An Existing System And/Or Setup Password................................................................88

Using Your System Password To Secure Your System....................................................................................88

Operating With A Setup Password Enabled.................................................................................................... 89

Entering The UEFI Boot Manager........................................................................................................................... 89

Using The Boot Manager Navigation Keys......................................................................................................89

Boot Manager Screen......................................................................................................................................90

UEFI Boot Menu............................................................................................................................................... 90

Embedded System Management............................................................................................................................90

iDRAC Settings Utility..............................................................................................................................................91

Entering The iDRAC Settings Utility..................................................................................................................91

Introduction

The Dell Lifecycle Controller provides advanced embedded systems management to perform systems management tasks such as deploy, configure, update, maintain, and diagnose through a graphical user interface. It is delivered as part of iDRAC7 out-of-band solution and embedded Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) applications in the latest Dell servers. The iDRAC7 works with the UEFI firmware to access and manage every aspect of the hardware, including component and subsystem management that is beyond the traditional Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) capabilities.

NOTE: The UEFI environment provides the local console interface and the infrastructure for locally-managed system components.

The Lifecycle Controller has the following components:

• GUI–based Lifecycle Controller:

– Is an embedded configuration utility that reside on an embedded flash memory card. – Is similar to the BIOS utility that is started during the boot sequence, and can function in a preoperating system

environment.

– Enable systems and storage management tasks from an embedded environment throughout the system’s life

cycle.

• Remote Services (WS-Management) simplifies end-to-end server lifecycle management using the one-to-many

method. It interfaces for remote deployment integrated with Dell OpenManage Essentials and partner consoles. For more information about Remote Services features, see

Dell Lifecycle Controller Remote Services Quick Start Guide

Why Use Lifecycle Controller

Systems management is typically a key part of an administrator’s role. Being able to install an operating system, updating firmware for function and policies requirements, configuring devices and getting the most out of an IT network are integral aspects of this role. Prior to the release of Lifecycle Controller, an administrator had to use tools such as Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (DSA), Dell Systems Build Update Utility (SBUU), and Dell Deployment Toolkit (DTK) shipped on multiple CDs or DVD. Maintaining and using the multiple disks in their many versions was timeconsuming for the administrator.

To resolve these problems, Dell provides the Lifecycle Controller, a flash chip embedded on the system with the Lifecycle Controller application. The Lifecycle Controller allows the IT administrator to do away with media altogether, allowing operating system deployment with locally-embedded driver repositories, firmware updates, hardware configuration, and platform-specific diagnostic routines. As Lifecycle Controller is available even when the operating system is not functional or even installed, it allows added flexibility in provisioning the system and customizing to suit your requirements. As the tool is integrated and embedded, formatting or reinstalling the operating system does not remove the tool, thus saving significant time and money.

Benefits of Using iDRAC7 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 Remote Services (WSManagement) interfaces for remote deployment integrated with Dell OpenManage Essentials and partner consoles.

For more information on iDRAC7, see support/manuals.

Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide

available at dell.com/

What's New in this Release?

The new features for this release are:

• Support for the following operating systems:

– Windows Server 2012 R2

– SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 3 (SP3)

– vSphere v5.5

– Citrix XenServer 6.2. For more information about the supported OSs, see the Lifecycle Controller Release Notes

available at dell.com/esmmanuals.

• Firmware update for Single-level Cell (SLC) and Multi-level Cell (MLC) types of PCIe Solid-state Drives (SSDs).

• Displays the catalog version and ID

• Support for 64–bit DUP update using catalog

• Support for Mellanox Network Configuration

• Hardware components in the Hardware Inventory supports FQDD naming convention.

• Support for the following Fiber Channel cards:

– QLogic QLE2660 Single Port FC16 HBA

– QLogic QLE2660 Single Port FC16 HBA (LP)

– QLogic QLE2662 Dual Port FC16 HBA

– QLogic QLE2662 Dual Port FC16 HBA (LP)

– QLogic QME2662 Dual Port FC16 HBA Mezzanine

– QLogic QLE2560 FC8 Single Channel HBA

– QLogic QLE2562 FC8 Dual Channel HBA

– QLogic FC8 Embedded Mezz Card QME2572

– Emulex LPe16000 Single Port FC16 HBA

– Emulex LPe16000 Single Port FC16 HBA (LP)

– Emulex LPe16002 Dual Port FC16 HBA

– Emulex LPe16002 Dual Port FC16 HBA (LP)

– Emulex LPm16002 Dual Port FC16 HBA Mezzanine

• Support for the following Broadcom cards:

– Broadcom 57840S Quad Port 10G SFP+ Rack NDC

– Broadcom 57840S-k Quad Port 10GbE Blade KR

• Part Replacement feature is available with iDRAC7 Express license.

• Support for 64-bit DUP-based single component update.

• Synchronized mouse cursor while using Lifecycle Controller through iDRAC Virtual Console. Must have BIOS version

1.3.x or later.

• Removed task validation post reboot after a firmware update operation. This has reduced the time taken to complete

the firmware update.

NOTE: While performing firmware update, if CSIOR is disabled, after completing the update on all the components, Lifecycle Controller performs a single validation task.

• Reduced number of reboots, if multiple components are selected:

– During firmware update, the system reboots depending on the components selected.

– During firmware rollback, the system reboots only while rolling back iDRAC and Power Supply Unit (PSU)

firmware.

NOTE: For more information, see Supported Components table.

• Improved user interface navigation.

• Import iDRAC server license using Lifecycle Controller GUI.

• Improved keyboard navigation, including support for the <F1> key to open online help.

• iDRAC License information displayed on the About page.

• Install operating system in unattended mode. Currently, only Windows-based operating systems are supported.

• Display the firmware ID and other details after importing a profile.

• Enable VLAN settings when configuring the network settings.

• Automatically restore the system configuration after a motherboard replacement. Provision to manually enter the

Service Tag details of a system.

• Increase in the size of the exported log file.

Key Features

The key features of Lifecycle Controller are:

• Provisioning — Entire pre-operating system configuration from a unified interface.

• Deploying — Simplified operating system installation with embedded drivers on the Lifecycle Controller. Installing an

OS using the unattended installation mode for Windows-based OS.

• Download drivers for operating system installation from one of the following sources:

– Dell FTP website at ftp.dell.com

–

Dell Lifecycle Controller OS Driver Packs

• Patching or Updating — Operating system agnostic, and reduced maintenance downtime with direct access to

updates from ftp.dell.com. It simplifies firmware updates by maintaining a working version for rollback.

• Servicing — Continuous availability of diagnostics without depending on a hard disk drive. Ability to flash firmware

automatically, while replacing field-replaceable components such as a Dell PowerEdge storage controller, NIC, and power supply unit. Support for VLAN in network configuration.

• Reset the system to factory default — Deletes the current iDRAC settings and resets iDRAC to factory default

settings. It also deletes lifecycle logs, factory-shipped inventory, driver packs, and diagnostics information on the managed node, and deletes all the user-settings and configurations.

• Security — Supports local key encryption.

• Restoring Platform — Backup the server profile (including RAID configuration) and restore the server to a

previously-known state. Importing a server license, updating firmware, and restoring system configuration in case of motherboard replacement.

• Lifecycle logs for troubleshooting

• Hardware inventory — Provides information about both the current and factory system configuration.

DVD for Windows and Linux

• Supports H730P controller on the Equinox server.

Licensable Features in Lifecycle Controller

Lifecycle Controller features are available based on the type of license (Basic Management, iDRAC7 Express, iDRAC7 Express for Blades, or iDRAC7 Enterprise) that you purchase. Only licensed features are available in the Lifecycle Controller Web interface. For more information about managing licenses, see the table lists the Lifecycle Controller features available based on the license purchased.

iDRAC7 User’s Guide

. The following

Feature Base Management

with IPMI

Firmware Update

Operating System Deployment

Device Configuration

Diagnostics

Server Profile Backup and Export

Server Profile Import

Part Replacement —

Local Updates

Driver Packs

Hardware Inventory

Remote Services (through WSMAN)

Yes Yes Yes Yes

— — —

Yes Yes Yes Yes

- Yes Yes Yes

iDRAC7 Express iDRAC7 Express for

Blades

Yes Yes Yes

iDRAC7 Enterprise

Yes

Viewing iDRAC License Information

After you open the Lifecycle Controller GUI page, you can view details about the iDRAC installed on a server. You can view the iDRAC license information on all the pages of Lifecycle Controller by clicking the About symbol in the upperright corner of Lifecycle Controller GUI. To view information about an iDRAC license:

1. On any page of Lifecycle Controller, click About in the upper-right corner. On the About page:

NOTE: If a license is not installed on the server, information such as entitlement ID and license expiration are not displayed.

2. To read through the Release Notes, click View Release Notes.

3. To view detailed information about iDRAC, click License Information.

On the iDRAC License Report page, the following information is displayed.

Device ID Indicates the service tag of the server on which an iDRAC is installed.

License

– Entitlement ID: Indicates a unique ID provided by the manufacturer. – Status: Indicates the status of the installed license. The different licenses statuses are: a. b. c. – Description: Indicates the license type along with a unique ID. – License Type: Indicates the type of license of the device. For example, Evaluation, Express, or

Enterprise.

– Expiration: Indicates the date and time on which the license expires. The format: YYYY-

MMQDD T HQMQM

Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site

To access the documents from Dell Support site:

1. Go to dell.com/support/manuals.

2. In the Tell us about your Dell system section, under No, select Choose from a list of all Dell products and click

Continue.

3. In the Select your product type section, click Software and Security.

4. In the Choose your Dell Software section, click the required link from the following:

– Client System Management

– Enterprise System Management

– Remote Enterprise System Management

– Serviceability Tools

5. To view the document, click the required product version.

NOTE: You can also directly access the documents using the following links:

• For Enterprise System Management documents — dell.com/openmanagemanuals

• For Remote Enterprise System Management documents — dell.com/esmmanuals

• For Serviceability Tools documents — dell.com/serviceabilitytools

• For Client System Management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient

• For OpenManage Connections Enterprise systems management documents — dell.com/ OMConnectionsEnterpriseSystemsManagement

• For OpenManage Connections Client systems management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient

Contacting Dell

NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.

Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:

1. Visit dell.com/support

2. Select your support category.

3. Verify your country or region in the Choose a Country/Region drop-down menu at the top of page.

4. Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.

Using Lifecycle Controller

This section provides information about launching Lifecycle Controller, enabling or disabling it, and launching it for the first time. Before using Lifecycle Controller, make sure that the network and iDRAC7 are configured. For more information, see

Launching Lifecycle Controller

To start Lifecycle Controller during the system start, press the<F10>key within 10 seconds after the manufacturer's or service provider’s logo is displayed. When Lifecycle Controller is started for the first time, it displays Settings wizard that allows you to configure the preferred language and network settings.

NOTE: If the system does not enter Lifecycle Controller, see Launch Messages Causes and Resolutions.

Related Links

Setting Up Lifecycle Controller

Automatic System Restore

Use this feature to automatically restore the system configuration after replacing a motherboard. The system configuration must be backed up on a vFlash SD card.

A message is displayed asking you to either import server profile from a vFlash SD Card or manually type the Service Tag–related information. The Automatic system restore from vflash SD card option is grayed out if:

iDRAC7 User’s Guide

• A vFlash SD card is not present in the system.

• A vFlash SD card is present, but the system configuration backup file is not stored on the card.

However, if a backup file is present on a USB drive, NFS, or CIFS, click Cancel, and then restore the system configuration using the Platform Restore feature. For more information about backing up a server profile and restoring a system configuration, see Backup Server Profile and Platform Restore.

Restoring a Server Profile from vFlash Backup

When you have a backup on a vFlash SD card, but a service tag is not available:

1. Lifecycle Controller automatically displays the following message on the home page. Click Yes.

Do you want to restore the service tag?

2. In the Restore Service Tag dialog box:

– To import a server profile that is stored on a vFlash SD card, click Import Server Profile. For more information

about importing a server profile, see Import Server Profile.

NOTE: To import a server profile, you must have an Enterprise license and administrator-level privileges.

– To manually enter a service tag, click Manually Configure Service Tag. On the Service Tag Settings page, type

the service tag, and then click OK.

NOTE: Before you restore the system configuration, make sure that the latest version of BIOS is installed.

Restoring System Config by Manually Entering ServiceTag

When you do not have a backup on a vFlash SD card:

1. Lifecycle Controller automatically displays the following message on the home page. Click Yes.

Unable to Detect Service Tag. Do you want to enter the service tag label?

NOTE: Before you restore the system configuration, make sure that the latest version of BIOS is installed.

2. On the Service Tag Settings page, type the service tag, and then click Apply.

Launch Messages, Causes, and Resolutions

The table lists the messages that appear during system startup, and their appropriate cause and resolution.

Message Cause Resolution

Lifecycle Controller disabled

Lifecycle Controller Update Required

Lifecycle Controller not available Another process is currently using

Lifecycle Controller in Recovery Mode (3-strike policy)

• The system is turned on or restarted while iDRAC is initializing. This occurs if:

– The system is turned on

immediately after AC is applied to the system.

– The system is restarted

immediately after resetting iDRAC.

• Lifecycle Controller is manually disabled.

The embedded device that stores the product may contain corrupted data.

iDRAC.

Ungracefully exit Lifecycle Controller for 3 consecutive times.

Wait for a minute after resetting iDRAC to restart the system, so that iDRAC initializes.

If an operating system is not installed on the system, run the Lifecycle Controller repair package using iDRAC.

Update the product using Lifecycle Controller Dell Update Package (DUP). For more information about DUPs, see the

Dell Update Packages User’s Guide

available at dell.com/support/manuals. For more information about recovering

Lifecycle Controller from the Lifecycle Controller Update Required mode, see the

Recovery from ‘Lifecycle Controller

Update Required’

at delltechcenter.com/lc.

Wait for 30 minutes for the current process to complete, restart the system, and then retry.

Update Lifecycle Controller using Lifecycle Controller repair package through iDRAC.

white paper available

Related Links

Disabling Lifecycle Controller Repairing Lifecycle Controller

Enabling Lifecycle Controller

To boot into Lifecycle Controller during startup:

1. Press the<F2> key within five seconds after system start-up.

The System Setup Main Menu page is displayed.

2. Click iDRAC Settings.

The iDRAC Settings page is displayed.

3. Click Lifecycle Controller.

4. Select Enabled.

5. On the System Setup Main Menu page, click Finish to save the settings.

6. Click Yes to restart the system.

Disabling Lifecycle Controller

To prevent the system from entering Lifecycle Controller during startup:

1. Press <F2> within five seconds after system start-up.

The System Setup Main Menu page is displayed.

2. Click iDRAC Settings.

The iDRAC Settings page is displayed.

3. Click Lifecycle Controller.

4. Under Lifecycle Controller, select Disabled.

5. On the System Setup Main Menu page, click Finish to save the settings.

6. Click Yes to restart the system.

Canceling Lifecycle Controller Actions

If Lifecycle Controller causes the system to restart twice, cancel the Lifecycle Controller actions. However, if Lifecycle Controller causes the system to restart the third time, the message LC Update required is displayed, and you must use Lifecycle Controller repair package to recover Lifecycle Controller.

CAUTION: This action cancels all tasks that are being performed by Lifecycle Controller. It is recommended that you cancel the Lifecycle Controller actions only when absolutely necessary.

1. Press <F2> within five seconds after system start-up.

The System Setup Main Menu page is displayed.

2. In the System Setup Main Menu page, click iDRAC Settings.

The iDRAC Settings page is displayed.

3. Click Lifecycle Controller.

4. Under Cancel Lifecycle Controller Actions, select Yes.

5. On the System Setup Main Menu page, click Finish to save the settings.

6. Click Yes to restart the system.

Using Lifecycle Controller for the First Time

After you start Lifecycle Controller for the first time, by default the Settings → Language and Keyboard page is launched. However, the Home page is displayed after subsequent launches.

1. By default, the Language and Keyboard Layout are English and United States. To change language and keyboard layout, select the Language and Keyboard Layout, and then click Next.

The Network Settings page is displayed.

2. Configure the network settings, and then click Finish. It is recommended that you open Firmware Update page, apply the required updates.

Related Links

Setting Up Lifecycle Controller Automatic System Restore Updating Firmware

Setting Up Lifecycle Controller

Use Settings wizard to specify the language, keyboard layout, and network settings for Lifecycle Controller only. This does not change the system or other application settings.

Specifying Language and Keyboard Type

1. In the left pane, click Settings.

2. In the right pane, click Language and Keyboard. Use the up-arrow and down-arrow keys to select the options.

– From the Language drop-down menu, select the language.

– From the Keyboard Type drop‑down menu, select the keyboard type.

3. Click Finish to save the new settings.

Configuring Network Settings for a NIC

1. In the left pane, click Settings.

2. In the right pane, click Network Settings.

3. From the NIC Card drop-down menu, select the NIC card that you want to configure. You can use only one NIC at a time to communicate with the network.

4. From the IP Address Source drop-down menu, select one of the following options:

NOTE: The IP Address Source function supports only IPv4.

IP Address Properties

– No Configuration — Select to indicate that NIC must not be configured.

– DHCP — Select to indicate that the NIC must be configured by using an IP address from a DHCP server.

– Static IP — Select to type static IP address. Type these IP address properties: IP Address, Subnet Mask,

Default Gateway, DNS Address. If you do not have this information, contact your network administrator.

Lifecycle Controller VLAN Properties

You can configure the VLAN settings of a Lifecycle Controller NIC.

NOTE: For more information about the VLAN feature, read through the

Controller for Dell PowerEdge Servers

white paper available at delltechcenter.com/lc.

Configuring VLAN Settings in Lifecycle

You can either enable or disable this settings. For more information about the fields in this section, click the Help link in the upper-right corner of the Network Settings page.

5. Click Finish to save the settings.

NOTE: If Lifecycle Controller Settings are not correctly configured, an error message is displayed.

NOTE: If you are unable to connect to a network, verify the settings. For more information about correct network settings, contact your network administrator.

If DHCP is enabled, a DHCP IP address is displayed on the Network Settings page.

Accessing Help

Each Lifecycle Controller screen has a help associated with it. Press <F1> or click Help (in the upper-right corner) to view the help information about the features available on a page.

Viewing Release Notes

1. To view the Release Notes, on all pages of Lifecycle Controller (except the help page of a topic that you view by

pressing <F1>), click About. The About page is displayed.

2. Click View Release Notes.

Lifecycle Controller Features

This section provides a brief description about the Lifecycle Controller features and helps know about the wizards to use Lifecycle Controller most effectively. Each feature is a wizard in Lifecycle Controller, which supports the following features:

• Home — Navigate back to the Home page.

• Lifecycle Log — View and export lifecycle log, and add a work note to lifecycle log.

• Firmware Update — Apply updates or perform firmware rollback for the system components, and view the firmware

version available in a server.

• Hardware Configuration — Configure system devices, view, and export hardware inventory of a system.

• OS Deployment — Install an operating system in the manual mode or an unattended mode by using an 'answer' file.

• Platform Restore — Backup, export, and restore system profile. Import iDRAC license from Lifecycle Controller GUI.

• Hardware Diagnostics — Perform diagnostics to validate the memory, I/O devices, CPU, physical disks, and other

peripherals.

• Settings — Specify the language, keyboard layout, and network settings while using Lifecycle Controller.

• System Setup — Configure settings for devices or components such as iDRAC, BIOS, RAID, and NIC.

Related Links

Lifecycle Log Firmware Update Firmware Rollback Hardware Inventory View and Export Configure Operating System Deployment Platform Restore Hardware Diagnostics Setting Up Lifecycle Controller Using The System Setup and Boot Manager Import Server License

Installing Operating System in Unattended Mode Viewing iDRAC License Information Restoring a Server Profile from vFlash Backup

Operating System Deployment

Using the operating system deployment wizard, you can deploy various custom and standard operating systems on the managed system and configure a RAID during installation.

Related Links

Installing Operating System Installing Operating System in Unattended Mode

Installing Operating System

Before installing an operating system (OS), make sure that the following prerequisites are met:

• Optical DVD drive, or a virtual media (ISO image) is connected virtually to a server.

• Software RAID or PERC controller is installed with the latest firmware, and at least two hard disk drives are available

for creating the virtual disk. For more information about the supported controllers and related firmware, see operating system documentation.

• Hard disk drive is connected.

• Virtual media is connected. For more information, see the

NOTE: S110 controller supports only SATA disk drives for which a minimum of two hard disk disks are required.

NOTE: You can install the operating system on a non-RAID hard disk drive, which is connected to a PERC H310 controller.

iDRAC User’s Guide

To install an operating system:

1. Start Lifecycle Controller by turning on the system, and then pressing the <F10> key within 10 seconds after the Dell logo is displayed.

2. In the left pane, click OS Deployment.

3. In the right pane, click Deploy OS and select one of the following:

– Configure RAID First: Optional, if an already-connected virtual disk is present. Else,click Go Directly to OS

Deployment. Click to configure a RAID connected to the server. For information about configuring a RAID, see

Using Optional RAID Configuration.

– Go Directly to OS Deployment: Click to install an operating system in manual mode or unattended installation

mode.

4. Select the operating system from the list, select whether you want to install an OS manually or by using the Unattended OS installation. For more information about the unattended OS installation feature, see Installing OS in

Unattended Mode.

NOTE: Currently, you can install only Windows OSs by using the unattended OS installation feature.

NOTE: A detailed procedure about installing an OS using the unattended installation feature of Lifecycle Controller is discussed in the white paper

Controller on Dell PowerEdge Servers

5. Select the deployment mode, insert the operating system media, and then complete the remaining tasks.

Unattended Installation of Operating Systems from Lifecycle

available at delltechcenter.com/lc.

NOTE: If you select an operating system that supports UEFI boot mode, BIOS and UEFI options are provided for selecting the boot mode.

6. Restart the system.

The operating system is automatically installed on the selected virtual disk.

Related Links

Selecting Operating System Rebooting System Using Optional RAID Configuration

Using Optional RAID Configuration

When you install an operating system, you can do one of the following:

• Deploy the operating system without configuring RAID.

• Configure the hard disk drives using the optional RAID configuration wizard and deploy the operating system.

Alternatively, you can configure RAID through the RAID configuration page from the Hardware Configuration → Configuration Wizards → RAID Configuration .

Configuring RAID Using Operating System Deployment Wizard

To configure a RAID using the OS Deployment page:

NOTE: If the system has a RAID controller, you can configure a virtual disk as the boot device.

1. In the left pane of the Home page, click OS Deployment, and then click Deploy OS in the right pane.

2. On the Deploy OS page, click Configure RAID First, and then click Next.

On the RAID Configuration page, all the storage controllers available for configuration are displayed.

3. Select a storage controller.

The RAID Configuration options are displayed.

4. Using the on-screen instructions, complete RAID setting tasks, and then click Finish.

The RAID configuration is applied to the virtual disks, and the Select an Operating System page is displayed.

Selecting Operating System

You can select an operating system based on its availability and user preference. Perform any one of the following actions:

• Selecting an Operating System Available in the List

• Selecting Custom Operating System

• Selecting an Operating System Not Available in the List

Selecting an Operating System Available in the List

To install an operating system that is available in the list:

1. From the list, select the required operating system, and then click Next.

The drivers are extracted to the OEMDRV directory, and Lifecycle Controller prompts you to insert the operating system installation media.

2. Lifecycle Controller displays two installation modes — UEFI or BIOS. Select one of the options and click Next.

If the selected operating system does not support the UEFI mode, the UEFI option is grayed-out. However, if the operating system that is being installed has partial support for UEFI–based installation, it may fail and you may not be able to boot into the operating system. Make sure to see the operating system documentation before installing the operating system in UEFI mode. Else, set the boot mode to BIOS and install the operating system.

3. Insert the standard operating system installation media when prompted, and then click Next. Lifecycle Controller validates the media.

4. If the standard operating system installation media is validated, continue the installation. Else, insert the correct media and click Next.

The Reboot the System page is displayed.

Selecting Custom Operating System

To install a custom operating system:

1. From the list, select the required custom operating system and click Next.

The drivers are extracted into the local directory and Lifecycle Controller prompts you to insert the operating system installation media.

2. Insert the custom operating system media with all the operating system components that are specific to your requirements, and then click

3. If the validation check is unsuccessful, the following message is displayed:

The selected media doesn’t match the standard media certification of the OS <name of the selected operating system>

4. Click Yes to continue; else, No to insert a different media and retry.

The Reboot System page is displayed.

Next.

Selecting an Operating System Not Available in the List

To install an operating system that is not available in the list:

1. Select the option Any Other Operating System, and then click Next.

No drivers are extracted. Therefore, prepare the drivers for the required operating system.

2. Insert the operating system installation media with all the operating system components that are specific to your requirements and click Next.

NOTE: Lifecycle Controller does not validate the media.

The Reboot the System page is displayed

Related Links

Rebooting System Driver Access

Driver Access

Lifecycle Controller provides a local repository for drivers that are required for installing the operating system. On the basis of operating system being installed, the OS Deployment wizard extracts these drivers and copies them to a temporary directory on the managed system. These files are deleted after an 18-hour period or when you press <F10> to

either cancel operating system installation or reenter Lifecycle Controller after restarting the system, or when an AC power-cycle operation is performed.

NOTE: Although, Lifecycle Controller has embedded drivers that are factory-installed, there are latest drivers available. Before installing the operating system, update the latest Lifecycle Controller driver packs to make sure that the latest drivers are available on the server.

Installing Operating System in Unattended Mode

An unattended installation is a scripted OS installation process that automatically runs the Windows setup on the server by using a config file. Unattended installation helps you install an OS without human intervention, and at a faster rate.

To install an operating system using the unattended installation mode.

NOTE: You must select only an Microsoft Windows operating system, because only the Windows operating system are currently supported. If you select an OS other than Windows, the Unattended Install option will be grayed out.

1. To install an OS, select one of the following options.

– Unattended Install

– Manual Install

NOTE: Both the options are displayed only if the OS is compatible for an unattended installation. Else, the Unattended Install option is grayed out, and only the Manual Install option is displayed.

2. On the Select Installation Mode pages, select or enter appropriate data to import an answer file and then click Next. For information about the fields available on these pages, see the online help file by clicking the Help icon in the upper-right corner of Lifecycle Controller GUI. For information about creating an answer file (configuration file) that supports unattended installation of a Windows OS, see the white paper

Systems from Lifecycle Controller on Dell PowerEdge Servers

3. Insert an OS media, and then click Next.

available at delltechcenter.com/lc.

Unattended Installation of Operating

Installing Operating System on iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN

You can install an operating system on an iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN by using the System Setup page. A detailed procedure about installing is discussed in the white paper at delltechcenter.com/lc.

Deploying Operating System on iSCSI & FCOE LUN

available

Rebooting System

Click Finish to reboot the system and continue with the operating system installation. The system boots to the operating system installation media.

Post-reboot Scenarios

The following table lists the post-reboot scenarios, its user actions, and impact.

Scenario User Action and Impact

During POST, the system prompts you to press a key to boot into the operating system installation media

Operating system installation is interrupted and the system restars before the installation is completed.

Want to cancel operating system installation. Press <F10>.

Press any key to begin the operating system installation; else, the system boots to the hard disk drive and not the operating system installation media.

The system prompts you to press a key to boot from the operating system installation media.

NOTE: Pressing <F10> at any point during the installation process, or while restarting, causes any drivers provided by the OS Deployment wizard to be removed.

During the 18-hour period when drivers are extracted to a temporary location after the operating system is installed, you cannot update the component firmware by using a DUP. If you attempt a DUP update through the operating system during this time period, the DUP displays a message that another session is active.

Lifecycle Controller does not allow this after the operating system installation. However, if you disconnect the power supply to the managed system, the OEMDRV directory is erased.

Monitor

Using Lifecycle Controller, you can monitor the hardware inventory and events in the system throughout its lifecycle.

Hardware Inventory View and Export

Lifecycle Controller provides the following wizards to manage the system inventory:

• View Current Inventory

• Export Current Inventory

• View Factory Shipped Inventory

• Export Factory Shipped Inventory

• Collect System Inventory on Restart

About View and Export Current Inventory

You can view information about the currently-installed hardware components that are internal to the system chassis and the configuration for each component. The table lists all the currently-installed hardware components (for example, fans, PCI devices, NICs, DIMMs, PSU, and so on), and their properties and values. You can export this information to a compressed file and then to a USB drive or network share. The XML File is saved in the following format: HardwareInventory_<servicetag>_<timestamp>.xml

For more information about the easy-to-use names of the hardware components, see Easy-to-use System Component

Names.

NOTE: Incorrect inventory data is displayed or exported after performing Delete Configuration and Reset Defaults. For viewing the correct inventory data, see

Controller.

Related Links

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped Viewing or Exporting Hardware Inventory After Part Replacement

Viewing and Exporting Current Inventory After Resetting Lifecycle

About View and Export Factory-Shipped Inventory

You can view information about the factory-installed hardware components and their configuration. You can export this information in an XML format to a USB drive, network share, or both the locations. The XML file is saved in this format: FactoryShippedHWInventory_<servicetag>.xml.

For more information about the easy-to-use names of the hardware components, see Easy-to-use System Component

Names.

NOTE: View and export factory-shipped inventory feature is grayed out if the Delete Configuration and Reset Defaults option is selected, which permanently deletes the factory-shipped inventory.

Related Links

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

To view the currently-installed or factory-installed hardware components and their configuration details:

NOTE: For factory-shipped inventory, the state of few parameters for the installed components is displayed as Unknown.

1. In the left pane, click Hardware Configuration.

2. In the right pane, click Hardware Inventory.

3. To view the current- or factory-shipped inventory, click View Current Inventory or View Factory Shipped Inventory respectively.

NOTE: Lifecycle Controller does not provide the driver version for the RAID controller. To view the driver version, use iDRAC7, OpenManage Server Administrator Storage Service, or any other third-party storage management application.

4. On the View Current Hardware Inventory page, a list of hardware components is displayed. To filter components on the basis of hardware components, select from the Filter by Hardware Component drop-down menu. The FQDD property of a component is also listed along with other properties of a hardware component.

NOTE: You can filter data even on the basis of a FQDD property of the hardware component. By default, the FQDD DeviceDescription property value of a component is displayed for every hardware component listed.

Related Links

About View and Export Current Inventory About View and Export Factory-Shipped Inventory

Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

Before exporting the currently-installed or factory-installed hardware components and their configuration, make sure the following prerequisites are met:

• If you use the network share (shared folder), configure the Network Settings. For more information, see Setting Up

Lifecycle Controller.

• If you are storing the exported file in a USB drive, make sure that a USB drive is connected to the managed-system.

To export the current or factory-shipped hardware inventory:

NOTE: For factory-shipped inventory, the state of few parameters for the installed components displays Unknown.

1. In the left pane, click Hardware Configuration.

2. In the right pane, click Hardware Inventory.

3. Click Export Current Inventory or Export Factory Shipped Hardware Inventory.

4. If you are exporting the inventory to a local USB drive, select USB Drive. If you are exporting the file to a shared folder on a network, select Network Share,

5. To verify whether or not Lifecycle Controller is able to connect to the IP address that you entered, click Test Network Connection. By default, Lifecycle Controller PINGs the Gateway IP, DNS server IP, and the host IP.

NOTE: If the DNS is not able to resolve the domain name, Lifecycle Controller cannot ping to the domain name and does not display its IP address. Make sure that the DNS–related issue is resolved, and then retry the operation.

6. Click Finish to export the inventory.

The HardwareInventory _<servicetag>_<timestamp>.xml or FactoryShippedHWInventory_<servicetag>.xml file is copied to the specified location. For the current inventory, the time stamp is in the format yyyy-mm-ddthh:mm:ss, where ‘t’ indicates time.

Related Links

About View and Export Current Inventory About View and Export Factory-Shipped Inventory USB Drive Network Share

USB Drive

To export hardware-related inventory to a USB drive:

1. From the Select Device drop-down menu, select a USB drive.

2. In the File Path box, type a valid directory or sub-directory path on the device. For example, 2011\Nov. If the path is not provided, the file is stored in the root location of the device.

NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path, and does not support special characters such as :, *, ?, ", <, >, |, #, %, and ^ in folder names.

Network Share

To export to a Network Share, select CIFS or NFS and type the required details.

Related Links

CIFS NFS

CIFS

For CIFS, type the following details:

• Share Name — Type the path to the shared folder to export the file. For example, type \\192.168.20.26\sharename or \

\servername\sharename.

• Domain and User Name — Type the domain and user name required to log on to the network share. For example,

loginname@myDomain or domain\user name. If there is no domain, type the user name.

• Password — Type the correct password.

• File Path — Type the sub-directories, if any. For example, 2011\Nov.

NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path, and does not support special characters such as :, *, ?, ", <, >, |, #, %, and ^ in folder names.

NFS

For NFS, type the following details:

• Share Name — Type the path to the shared folder where you must store the file. For example, \\xxx.xxx.xx.xx

\sharename.

• File Path — Type the sub-directories, if any. For example, 2011\Nov.

NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path, and does not support special characters such as :, *, ?, ", <, >, |, #, %, and ^ in folder names.

Viewing or Exporting Hardware Inventory After Part Replacement

To view or export the hardware inventory after part replacement:

1. Launch Lifecycle Controller.

2. In the left pane, click Hardware Configuration.

3. In the right pane, click Hardware Inventory.

4. Click View Current Inventory.

Lifecycle Controller displays the old hardware inventory.

5. Restart the server and relaunch Lifecycle Controller.

6. To view the latest inventory, on the Hardware Inventory page, click View Current Hardware Inventory to view the latest inventory, or click Export Current Inventory to export the latest inventory to an external location.

NOTE: For more information about the part replacement feature, see the

Controller

Related Links

About View and Export Current Inventory

white paper available at delltechcenter.com/lc.

Part Replacement in Lifecycle

Viewing and Exporting Current Inventory After Resetting Lifecycle Controller

To view or export the current hardware inventory data after resetting the Lifecycle Controller:

NOTE: After you select the Delete Configuration and Reset Defaults option , the system automatically turns off.

1. Turn on the system and wait for a few minutes for iDRAC to start functioning.

2. Press <F10> to launch Lifecycle Controller and the system inventory is collected as CSIOR is enabled by default.

3. After Lifecycle Controller launches, go to Hardware Configuration and click View Current Hardware Inventory or Export Current Hardware Inventory to view or export current hardware inventory respectively. If the following message is displayed, click No, reboot the system, and then retry.

Hardware change is detected on the system. The current hardware inventory does not contain the latest updates as the hardware inventory update is in progress. To view or export the latest hardware inventory, relaunch Lifecycle Controller and retry. Do you want to continue with the old current hardware inventory information?

Related Links

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

Lifecycle Log

Lifecycle Controller provides the history of firmware changes of the related components installed on a managed system. Using this wizard, you can view and export lifecycle log, and add a work note to a log history. The log contains the following:

• Firmware update history on the basis of device, version, and date and time.

• Events on the basis of category, severity, and date and time.

• User comments history on the basis of date and time.

+ 63 hidden pages

Dell Lifecycle Controller 2 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Introduction

Why Use Lifecycle Controller

Benefits of Using iDRAC7 with Lifecycle Controller

What's New in this Release?

Key Features

Licensable Features in Lifecycle Controller

Viewing iDRAC License Information

Other Documents You May Need

Social Media Reference

Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site

Contacting Dell

Using Lifecycle Controller

Launching Lifecycle Controller

Automatic System Restore

Launch Messages, Causes, and Resolutions

Enabling Lifecycle Controller

Disabling Lifecycle Controller

Canceling Lifecycle Controller Actions

Using Lifecycle Controller for the First Time

Setting Up Lifecycle Controller

Lifecycle Controller Features

Operating System Deployment

Installing Operating System

Using Optional RAID Configuration

Configuring RAID Using Operating System Deployment Wizard

Selecting Operating System

Selecting an Operating System Available in the List

Selecting Custom Operating System

Selecting an Operating System Not Available in the List

Driver Access

Installing Operating System in Unattended Mode

Installing Operating System on iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN

Rebooting System

Post-reboot Scenarios

Monitor

Hardware Inventory View and Export

About View and Export Current Inventory

About View and Export Factory-Shipped Inventory

Exporting Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

Viewing Hardware Inventory—Current or Factory-Shipped

USB Drive

Network Share

Viewing or Exporting Hardware Inventory After Part Replacement

Viewing and Exporting Current Inventory After Resetting Lifecycle Controller

Lifecycle Log