Users Guide

DRAC 5 Overview 21
1
DRAC 5 Overview
The Dell™ Remote Access Controller 5 (DRAC 5) is a systems management
hardware and software solution designed to provide remote management
capabilities, crashed system recovery, and power control functions for Dell
systems.
By communicating with the system’s baseboard management controller
(BMC), the DRAC 5 (when installed) can be configured to send you e-mail
alerts for warnings or errors related to voltages, temperatures, intrusion, and
fan speeds. The DRAC 5 also logs event data and the most recent crash screen
(for systems running the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
operating system only) to
help you diagnose the probable cause of a system crash.
The DRAC 5 has its own microprocessor and memory, and is powered by the
system in which it is installed. The DRAC 5 may be preinstalled on your
system, or available separately in a kit.
To get started with the DRAC 5, see "Installing and Setting Up the DRAC 5"
on page 35.
What’s New in DRAC 5 in this Release?
For this release, DRAC 5 firmware version 1.30:
• Provides support for Microsoft Windows Server
®
2008.
NOTE: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is scheduled to be available in the
first half of 2008. For the latest information, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx.
• Enables Smart Card logon that provides a higher level of security by
implementing the two-factor authentication.
• Provides advanced security options for the local DRAC administrator
• Provides advanced security options for the remote DRAC administrator
• Supports a new macro—<RightCtrl>+<ScrlLock><ScrlLock> key
code sequence to initiate a crash dump of the Microsoft Windows
operating system. For more information, see the Microsoft Knowledge
Base article at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/ .