Users Guide
Table Of Contents
- Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 (iDRAC9) Version 3.00.00.00 User's Guide
- Overview
- Benefits of using iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller
- Key features
- New in this release
- How to use this guide
- Supported web browsers
- iDRAC licenses
- Licensed features in iDRAC9
- Interfaces and protocols to access iDRAC
- iDRAC port information
- Other documents you may need
- Contacting Dell
- Accessing documents from Dell support site
- Logging in to iDRAC
- Logging in to iDRAC as local user, Active Directory user, or LDAP user
- Logging in to iDRAC as a local user using a smart card
- Logging in to iDRAC using Single Sign-On
- Accessing iDRAC using remote RACADM
- Accessing iDRAC using local RACADM
- Accessing iDRAC using firmware RACADM
- Viewing system health
- Logging in to iDRAC using public key authentication
- Multiple iDRAC sessions
- Accessing iDRAC using SMCLP
- Secure default password
- Changing the default login password
- Enabling or disabling default password warning message
- IP Blocking
- Enabling or disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through using web interface
- Enabling or disabling alerts using RACADM
- Setting up managed system
- Setting up iDRAC IP address
- Modifying local administrator account settings
- Setting up managed system location
- Optimizing system performance and power consumption
- Setting up management station
- Configuring supported web browsers
- Configuring Internet Explorer
- Configuring Mozilla Firefox
- Configuring web browsers to use virtual console
- Viewing localized versions of web interface
- Updating device firmware
- Updating firmware using iDRAC web interface
- Updating device firmware using RACADM
- Scheduling automatic firmware updates
- Updating firmware using CMC web interface
- Updating firmware using DUP
- Updating firmware using remote RACADM
- Updating firmware using Lifecycle Controller Remote Services
- Updating CMC firmware from iDRAC
- Viewing and managing staged updates
- Rolling back device firmware
- Backing up server profile
- Importing server profile
- Monitoring iDRAC using other Systems Management tools
- Support Server Configuration Profile (SCP) — Import and Export
- Secure Boot Configuration from BIOS Settings (F2)
- Configuring iDRAC
- Viewing iDRAC information
- Modifying network settings
- FIPS mode
- Configuring services
- Configuring TLS
- Using VNC client to manage remote server
- Configuring front panel display
- Configuring time zone and NTP
- Setting first boot device
- Enabling or disabling OS to iDRAC Pass-through
- Obtaining certificates
- Configuring multiple iDRACs using RACADM
- Disabling access to modify iDRAC configuration settings on host system
- Viewing iDRAC and managed system information
- Viewing managed system health and properties
- Viewing system inventory
- Viewing sensor information
- Monitoring performance index of CPU, memory, and input output modules
- Checking the system for Fresh Air compliance
- Viewing historical temperature data
- Viewing network interfaces available on host OS
- Viewing network interfaces available on host OS using RACADM
- Viewing FlexAddress mezzanine card fabric connections
- Viewing or terminating iDRAC sessions
- Setting up iDRAC communication
- Communicating with iDRAC through serial connection using DB9 cable
- Configuring BIOS for serial connection
- Enabling RAC serial connection
- Enabling IPMI serial connection basic and terminal modes
- Switching between RAC serial and serial console while using DB9 cable
- Communicating with iDRAC using IPMI SOL
- Communicating with iDRAC using IPMI over LAN
- Enabling or disabling remote RACADM
- Disabling local RACADM
- Enabling IPMI on managed system
- Configuring Linux for serial console during boot in RHEL 6
- Supported SSH cryptography schemes
- Communicating with iDRAC through serial connection using DB9 cable
- Configuring user accounts and privileges
- Recommended characters in user names and passwords
- Configuring local users
- Configuring Active Directory users
- Prerequisites for using Active Directory authentication for iDRAC
- Supported Active Directory authentication mechanisms
- Standard schema Active Directory overview
- Configuring Standard schema Active Directory
- Extended schema Active Directory overview
- Configuring Extended schema Active Directory
- Extending Active Directory schema
- Installing Dell extension to the Active Directory users and computers snap-in
- Adding iDRAC users and privileges to Active Directory
- Configuring Active Directory with Extended schema using iDRAC web interface
- Configuring Active Directory with Extended schema using RACADM
- Testing Active Directory settings
- Configuring generic LDAP users
- System Lockdown mode
- Configuring iDRAC for Single Sign-On or smart card login
- Prerequisites for Active Directory Single Sign-On or smart card login
- Configuring iDRAC SSO login for Active Directory users
- Configuring iDRAC smart card login for local users
- Configuring iDRAC smart card login for Active Directory users
- Enabling or disabling smart card login
- Configuring iDRAC to send alerts
- Enabling or disabling alerts
- Filtering alerts
- Setting event alerts
- Setting alert recurrence event
- Setting event actions
- Configuring email alert, SNMP trap, or IPMI trap settings
- Configuring WS Eventing
- Configuring Redfish Eventing
- Monitoring chassis events
- Alerts message IDs
- iDRAC 9 Group Manager
- Managing logs
- Monitoring and managing power
- Inventorying, monitoring, and configuring network devices
- Inventorying and monitoring network devices
- Inventorying and monitoring FC HBA devices
- Dynamic configuration of virtual addresses, initiator, and storage target settings
- Supported cards for IO Identity Optimization
- Supported NIC firmware versions for IO Identity Optimization
- Virtual or Flex Address and Persistence Policy behavior when iDRAC is set to Flex Address mode or Console mode
- System behavior for FlexAddress and IO Identity
- Enabling or disabling IO Identity Optimization
- Configuring persistence policy settings
- Managing storage devices
- Understanding RAID concepts
- Supported controllers
- Supported enclosures
- Summary of supported features for storage devices
- Inventorying and monitoring storage devices
- Viewing storage device topology
- Managing physical disks
- Managing virtual disks
- Managing controllers
- Configuring controller properties
- Importing or auto importing foreign configuration
- Clearing foreign configuration
- Resetting controller configuration
- Switching the controller mode
- 12 Gbps SAS HBA adapter operations
- Monitoring predictive failure analysis on drives
- Controller operations in non-RAID mode or HBA mode
- Running RAID configuration jobs on multiple storage controllers
- Manage Preserved cache
- Managing PCIe SSDs
- Managing enclosures or backplanes
- Choosing operation mode to apply settings
- Viewing and applying pending operations
- Storage devices — apply operation scenarios
- Blinking or unblinking component LEDs
- BIOS Settings
- Configuring and using virtual console
- Supported screen resolutions and refresh rates
- Configuring virtual console
- Previewing virtual console
- Launching virtual console
- Using virtual console viewer
- HTML5 based virtual console
- Synchronizing mouse pointers
- Passing all keystrokes through virtual console for Java or ActiveX plug-in
- Using iDRAC Service Module
- Using USB port for server management
- Using Quick Sync 2
- Managing virtual media
- Installing and using VMCLI utility
- Managing vFlash SD card
- Configuring vFlash SD card
- Managing vFlash partitions
- Using SMCLP
- Deploying operating systems
- Troubleshooting managed system using iDRAC
- Using diagnostic console
- Viewing post codes
- Viewing boot and crash capture videos
- Viewing logs
- Viewing last system crash screen
- Viewing System status
- Hardware trouble indicators
- Viewing system health
- Checking server status screen for error messages
- Restarting iDRAC
- Erasing system and user data
- Resetting iDRAC to factory default settings
- SupportAssist Integration in iDRAC
- Frequently asked questions
- Use case scenarios
- Troubleshooting an inaccessible managed system
- Obtaining system information and assess system health
- Setting up alerts and configuring email alerts
- Viewing and exporting System Event Log and Lifecycle Log
- Interfaces to update iDRAC firmware
- Performing graceful shutdown
- Creating new administrator user account
- Launching servers remote console and mounting a USB drive
- Installing bare metal OS using attached virtual media and remote file share
- Managing rack density
- Installing new electronic license
- Applying IO Identity configuration settings for multiple network cards in single host system reboot
● RAID Controller
● Power Supply Unit (PSU)
● NVMe PCIe devices
● SAS/SATA hard drives
● Backplane update for internal and external enclosures
● OS Collector
CAUTION: The PSU firmware update may take several minutes depending on the system configuration and PSU
model. To avoid damaging the PSU, do not interrupt the update process or power on the system during PSU
firmware update.
You must upload the required firmware to iDRAC. After the upload is complete, the current version of the firmware installed on
the device and the version being applied is displayed. If the firmware being uploaded is not valid, an error message is displayed.
Updates that do not require a reboot are applied immediately. Updates that require a system reboot are staged and committed
to run on the next system reboot. Only one system reboot is required to perform all updates.
After the firmware is updated, the System Inventory page displays the updated firmware version and logs are recorded.
The supported firmware image file types are:
● .exe — Windows-based Dell Update Package (DUP)
● .d9 — Contains both iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller firmware
For files with .exe extension, you must have the System Control privilege. The Remote Firmware Update licensed feature and
Lifecycle Controller must be enabled.
For files with .d9 extension, you must have the Configure privilege.
NOTE:
After upgrading the iDRAC firmware, you may notice a difference in the time stamp displayed in the Lifecycle
Controller log until the iDRAC time is reset using NTP. The Lifecycle log displays the BIOS time until the iDRAC time is reset.
You can perform firmware updates by using the following methods:
● Uploading a supported image type, one at a time, from a local system or network share.
● Connecting to an FTP, TFTP, HTTP or HTTPS site or a network repository that contains Windows DUPs and a
corresponding catalog file.
You can create custom repositories by using the Dell Repository Manager. For more information, see Dell Repository
Manager Data Center User's Guide. iDRAC can provide a difference report between the BIOS and firmware installed on
the system and the updates available in the repository. All applicable updates contained in the repository are applied to the
system. This feature is available with iDRAC Enterprise license.
● Scheduling recurring automated firmware updates by using the catalog file and custom repository.
There are multiple tools and interfaces that can be used to update the iDRAC firmware. The following table is applicable only to
iDRAC firmware. The table lists the supported interfaces, image-file types, and whether Lifecycle Controller must be in enabled
state for the firmware to be updated.
Table 12. Image file types and dependencies
.D9 Image iDRAC DUP
Interface Supported Requires LC enabled Supported Requires LC enabled
BMCFW64.exe utility Yes No No N/A
Racadm FWUpdate
(old)
Yes No No N/A
Racadm Update
(new)
Yes Yes Yes Yes
iDRAC UI Yes Yes Yes Yes
WSMan Yes Yes Yes Yes
In-band OS DUP No N/A Yes No
The following table provides information on whether a system restart is required when firmware is updated for a particular
component:
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Setting up managed system