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IDRAC Port Information. Accessing documents from Dell support site. Configuring VNC Server Using iDRAC Web Interface. In the heart of every Dell EMC PowerEdge server is a robust, powerful management foundation to help you maximize visibility and health of your data center. Dell EMC embedded management solutions enable intelligent, automated control of servers, storage and networking modules.
The Dell Remote Access Controller or DRAC is an out-of-band management platform on certain Dell servers. The platform may be provided on a separate expansion card, or integrated into the main board; when integrated, the platform is referred to as iDRAC.
It uses mostly separate resources to the main server resources, and provides a browser-based or command-line interface (or both) for managing and monitoring the server hardware.
- 9iDRAC7
Features[edit]
The controller has its own processor, memory, network connection, and access to the system bus. Key features include power management, virtual media access and remote console capabilities, all available through a supported web browser or command-line interface. This gives system administrators the ability to configure a machine as if they were sitting at the local console (terminal).
The DRAC interfaces with baseboard management controller (BMC) chips, and is based on the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) 2.0 standard, which allows use of IPMI out-of-band interfaces such as IPMI Over LAN.[1]
Versions[edit]
The Dell Remote Access Controllers (DRAC) and the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controllers (iDRAC) come in different versions, where a new (i)DRAC version is often linked to a new generation of Poweredge servers.
The hardware part is now[when?] often integrated on the motherboard of the server, and the combined product is termed iDRAC, where the 'i' is for integrated. When iDRAC Express is used, the software and hardware systems management functions are shared with one of the server's on-board network interfaces using a unique IP address. By contrast, iDRAC Enterprise version features a dedicated physical network interface.
iDRAC version 7 was introduced in conjunction with the release of Dell PowerEdge generation 12 servers in March 2012, and is only available on 12th generation models.[2] Unlike previous versions the functionality of iDRAC 7 is the same for rack, tower and blade-servers.
An overview of the different versions:[3]
Type | Family | Year | Server | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
DRAC II[4] | 2 | 1999 | N/A | Extra card |
DRAC III[5] | 3 | 2002 | ||
DRAC iV[6] | 4 | 2005 | Generation 8 | |
DRAC 5[7] | 5 | 2006 | Generation 9 | Extra card, virtual console requires Firefox 1.5 |
iDRAC 6 embedded | 6 | 2008 | First version for blade servers | Integrated on motherboard on all servers |
iDRAC 6 Express | 6 | 2008 | Standard on all midrange systems | |
iDRAC 6 Express | 6 | 2008 | Blade servers[8] | |
iDRAC 6 Enterprise[9] | 6 | 2008 | Additional software features in combination with express; vFlash SD card slot | |
iDRAC 6 Enterprise[10] | 6 | 2008 | Blade | Additional software features in combination with express |
iDRAC 7[2] | 7 | 2012 | Generation 12 | New licensing model, hardware based, NTP support |
iDRAC 8[11] | 8 | 2014 | Generation 13 | Quick sync, NFC configuration, UEFI secure boot, HTML5 virtual console, Storage configuration on Supported PERC Cards |
iDRAC 9 | 9 | 2017 | Generation 14 | Quick sync 2.0, iDRAC Direct using front Mini-USB Port, New User Interface. |
Power management[edit]
With the DRAC enabled and using its own separate network connection, a user may login and reboot the system even if the core operating system has crashed. If the operating system has loaded the correct drivers, the DRAC will attempt to shut down the system gracefully. Without this feature and with the system running, administrators can use the remote console to access the operating system too.
Remote console[edit]
The remote console features of the DRAC allow an administrator to interface with the computer as if sitting in front of it, and one can share the local inputs from keyboard and mouse as well as video output (DRAC does not support remote sound). Remote-console capability relies on either an Active X or Javaplug-in, or HTML5 in the later models, which displays a window showing the video output on the local terminal and which takes mouse and keyboard input. This behavior closely resembles that of other remote access solutions such as VNC or RDP but also works if the operating system of the server doesn't work any more (unlike VNC or RDP). It is used to take the server console remotely.
Virtual media[edit]
The DRAC enables a user to mount remotely shared disk-images as if they were connected to the system. In combination with the remote console, this gives administrators the ability to completely re-install an operating system, a task which traditionally required local console access to the physical machine. Administrators can control virtual media through the browser or through the OpenManage tools provided by Dell, though specific versions of browsers restrict some functionality.[12]
Access[edit]
The main DRAC management takes place via a web interface. All generations of the DRAC use the default user name
root
and the default password calvin
. Starting with the DRAC 3, Microsoft Active Directory can also provide authentication either with Dell AD Schema Extensions or Standard Schema.[13][14][15][16][17]Implementation[edit]
The DRAC5 and iDRAC6 and higher are embedded platforms running Linux and Busybox. The firmware source code is available on the Dell website,[18] but it is not possible to compile the source into a replacement firmware as Dell does not include a build environment.[19]
The DRAC provides remote access to the system console (keyboard and screen) allowing the system BIOS to be accessed over the Internet when the server is rebooted. This is done by configuring the system BIOS to send its output to a serial port (as a stream of text using VT100-compatible control codes). The chosen serial port is then redirected to the DRAC's serial port. Users can then log into the DRAC via SSH and run a command to connect the SSH session to the serial port, thus allowing the console to be accessed over the Internet.
Earlier versions of the DRAC used ActiveX in Internet Explorer to provide a remote-console interface in a web browser; however, this was unpopular with non-Windows users who did not have access to Internet Explorer. The latest revision of the DRAC6 uses a Java application instead (launched from within the browser), though both the DRAC5 and iDRAC6 also provided the aforementioned platform-independent SSH access.
iDRAC6[edit]
iDRAC6 is available in two levels: iDRAC6 Express and iDRAC6 Enterprise. iDRAC6 Express (which integrates features previously charged for in DRAC5) became a standard offering on Dell's servers. Certain features are not available for the Express version, including the remote console functionality and the vFlash SD card slot. As with iDRAC, iDRAC6 Enterprise is a standard offering on blade servers
- iDRAC6 offers three upgrades: iDRAC6 Express, iDRAC6 Enterprise, and VFlash Media
- iDRAC6 offers power budgeting
- iDRAC6 Enterprise's virtual console and virtual media features are now integrated into a single plug-in
- iDRAC6 Enterprise's virtual console now allows two users to collaborate on the same server
- iDRAC6 now allows customers to view what is on the server LCD without a server-side visit
- iDRAC6 supports IPv6
iDRAC7[edit]
On 6 March 2012, software version 1.00.00 for the iDRAC7 was released for generation 12 servers. iDRAC 7 does not work on earlier generation servers although some of the new functions introduced with iDRAC 7 might be offered in iDRAC 6 releases.[8][9] As of March 2017, the current version was 2.40.40.40.[20]
With the introduction of iDRAC 7, the licensing model has changed. iDRAC 7 now supports lifecycle controller. Some features of Lifecycle controller are licensed and to access those features via iDRAC the correct licenses for those functions need to be enabled.
Supported hardware platforms[edit]
iDRAC 7 runs on generation 12 PowerEdge servers. Per introduction in March 2012 the following servers use iDRAC7:[2]
- PowerEdge T620 – tower model of 620, can be converted to 5U rack system
- PowerEdge R320 – native rack server, 1U
- PowerEdge R420 – native rack server, 1U
- PowerEdge R520 – native rack server, 2U
- PowerEdge R620 – native rack server, 1U
- PowerEdge M620 – blade server for M1000e enclosure, half-height (max 16 per chassis)
- PowerEdge R720 – rack-server, 2U
- PowerEdge R720xd – an R720 with additional 2.5' hard drive bays in the front and rear of the enclosure
Supported operating systems[edit]
iDRAC 7 is supported by the following operating systems
- Microsoft Windows Server 2012, x64
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 (standard, enterprise and datacenter editions), x86 and x64
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (standard, enterprise and datacenter editions), x64
- Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, x64
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 10 and 11, x64
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), 5.8 (x86/x64), 6.1 (x64) and 6.3 (x64)
- Microsoft Hyper-V (with Windows server 2008) and Hyper-V R2 (Windows Server 2008 R2)
- VMware ESX/ESXi 4.1, Update 2
- VMWare ESXi 5 Patch 01
- Citrix SystemsXen Server 6
Supported web browsers[edit]
The GUI for iDRAC7 uses a Web browser and Java. Internet Explorer 7, 8 and 9, as well as Firefox 6 + 7 were tested for different operating systems.[2]
Limitations[edit]
To take advantage of storage greater than 256 MB on the iDRAC6 enterprise, Dell requires that a vFlash SD card be procured through Dell channels. As of December 2011, Dell vFlash SD cards differ from consumer SD cards by being over-provisioned by 100% for increased write endurance and performance.[21]
While there are no other known functional differences between a Dell-branded vFlash SD card and a class 2 or greater SDHC card, the use of non-Dell media prevents the use of extended capacities and functions.
On a Linux client system the standard arrow and print screen keys cannot be used in the iDRAC6 Java virtual console application because of some incompatible key event IDs;[22] however, the arrow keys on the numeric keypad can still be used.
Some combinations of DRAC firmware, web browser, and Java runtime do not support virtual media via the Java applet or the plugin in DRAC5 and iDRAC6.
References[edit]
- ^'Exploring the DRAC 5'(PDF). Dell Power Solutions, August 2006. Dell. p. 27.
- ^ abcdDell manuals for iDRAC 7Archived 2012-03-14 at the Wayback Machine, version 1.0, 6 March 2012, visited 7 March 2012
- ^Dell support website Dell Remote Access Controllers manuals, visited 7 March 2012
- ^Manual for the Dell Open Manage Remote Assistant Card IIArchived 2012-01-07 at the Wayback Machine, 14 December 1999. Visited 7 March 2012
- ^Dell support website DRAC 3 manualsArchived 2012-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, visited 7 March 2012
- ^Dell manuals for DRAC 4Archived 2011-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, 9 August 2004, Visited 7 March 2012
- ^Dell manuals for DRAC 5Archived 2012-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, 7 June 2006, Visited 7 March 2012
- ^ abDell manuals for iDRAC 6 for blade serversArchived 2012-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, visited 7 March 2012
- ^ abManual for iDRAC 6 for monolithic serversArchived 2012-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, visited 7 March 2012
- ^Manual for IDrac 6 for blade serversArchived 2012-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, visited 7 March 2012
- ^Dell manual for iDRAC 8, version 1.0, September 2014, visited 22 April 2015
- ^'Supported Web Browsers'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26.
- ^'Accessing the DRAC 5 Through a Network'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26.
- ^'Accessing the DRAC 4 Through a Network'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07.
- ^'Accessing the DRAC III Web-Based Interface'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2008-06-20.
- ^'Accessing the CMC Through a Network'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2010-09-25.
- ^'iDRAC, Configuring Networking Using the CMC Web Interface'. Users Guide. Dell. Archived from the original on 2009-08-17.
- ^Dell Open Source repository
- ^Post on Dell Linux-PowerEdge mailing list, Dec 2010
- ^http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/systems-management/w/wiki/3204
- ^Dell’s vFlash SDFlash Media Card – Better Endurance & Performance via Over-Provisioning
- ^Post on Dell Linux-PowerEdge mailing list, Jun 2011
External links[edit]
- DRAC II/III product info from Dell
- Managing out-of-band management in Infoworld
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dell_DRAC&oldid=902074803'
So you've started using Dell servers and have been wondering what the DRAC is all about? The DRAC, simply put, is a system management interface. It's available on most PowerEdge server models and has its own network interface for connectivity separate of that of your operating system. From the DRAC you can manage media, power, integrated system log messages, and have a remote view of the console. The DRAC is the weaker cousin of the Hewlett Packard Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) yet provides similar functionality.
Configuration basicsFor most PowerEdge models, the DRAC exists as an option that you can add to your server configuration. This option adds approximately $300 at list price to your server configuration, but it's worth the cost. The DRAC on current models is a separate chipset and board that is connected to the server main board with its own network interface as well as a direct configuration accessible during system initialization.
DRAC Defaults and Initial AccessThe DRAC has a default TCP/IP address that is a board default you can change during initialization. You should change the default security credentials as well. When the DRAC initializes, you can enter into a configuration screen to get the basic IP address and credentials set. Once this is set, you can further access the system through the web-based interface. Figure A shows the DRAC initialization on a current PowerEdge 6850:
Figure A In this case, pressing Ctrl-D will take you into the DRAC board setup where you can make basic settings changes. Once you configure the IP address is configured, it would be a good idea to configure additional users and the timeout values for the network sessions. The default session timeout value is five minutes, which may be a little tight for most situations. For DRAC 4 systems, this is configured in the configuration, network, GUI session timeout value.
There are slight differences in the DRAC's web interface across models. A current PowerEdge 6850 has a DRAC 4/P, whereas a current PowerEdge 2950 has a DRAC 5 option available. This denotes fourth and fifth generation of the DRAC. Functionally, the versions are equivalent but the web interface varies in appearance between generations.
DRAC media managementProbably the strongest feature of the DRAC is the media redirection capability. From the web interface, you can redirect the server's CD-ROM and floppy media to that of your web client or an image file. The best application for this is for a brand new server and no operating system is installed. With DRAC media redirection, a CD-ROM .ISO image of an operating system can be configured to be the CD-ROM and the installation can proceed from the virtual CD-ROM without physical media being inserted into the server.
The one caveat to watch for is the boot order in the BIOS. Frequently, the default configuration will have the DRAC's redirected CD-ROM as a bootable device - but, if it's below the physical CD-ROM it may not boot correctly. In the BIOS, it is listed as 'Virtual CD-ROM' and the equivalent for the floppy drive. Figure B shows a sample redirection of the CD-ROM drive to an image file within the browser.
Figure BRemote Power Control and ConsoleThe DRAC provides the ability to remotely power off, power on, reset, and power cycle the system, regardless of the state of the operating system. This is especially handy in situations such as the blue screen of death or otherwise failed system that no native interaction can resolve. Be especially careful with the use of the remote power controls since this is one feature that always does as it is told. The security models in place can allow you to prohibit the power controls, called 'server control commands.' You should consider in larger environments.
The DRAC console also provides a redirection of the video display, also regardless of the operating system state. So, you could connect and see the blue screen of death, jump into the server's BIOS to configure the boot order, install an operating system, or view the console of the operating system as it's running. There are two sessions to the console permitted in most configurations. Note that these two sessions may be in addition to an operating system method, a physical console session, and any additional hardware - such as a keyboard, video, mouse controller or software such as PC Anywhere. Figure C shows a DRAC session at the computer initialization.
Figure COne downside of the DRAC is that on certain models if the DRAC is selected, the onboard video (both rear and front side) interfaces are rendered inoperable by the presence of the DRAC video interface. Dell usually has markers indicating that these interfaces are not available. However, these may get removed and, should you have a monitor connected to the incorrect interface, there would be no video displayed.
Firmware and other housekeepingThe DRAC has a firmware that's separate from the computer's firmware. From support.dell.com, you can download the appropriate firmware for the DRAC model in your system. The DRAC can also provide you the service tag, making the retrieval easier. I recommend that you keep this firmware up to date as inevitably some piece of functionality may not work correctly on the firmware you currently have on the unit. This is where, in my experience, the iLO has been a better remote management device. The DRAC firmware should be updated, whereas you didn't used to have to worry about the iLO firmware.
Be sure to note that within the DRAC you have access to the integrated system logs. This would include notes such as power supply failed, chassis opened, or a memory module failure. The DRAC 5 can even provide running temperatures on the system board. This can be especially beneficial in remote, harsh environment situations where unexpected results are occurring and thermal data would identify an issue. The DRAC also allows for Active Directory integration, certificate management, SNMP traps, and basic email alerting for the status of the device.
Enough to get started!Above all else, if you have the DRAC unit on your systems - configure them. If security concerns are high with the device, have the device configured - but from the network configuration disable the port and enable on an as-needed basis. This crash course on the DRAC should be enough to get you started on ways to save you time and increase your administrative agility.