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7 Implementation of the DMTF Redfish API on Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers
2 The Redfish management standard
There are various Out-of-Band (OOB) systems management standards available in the industry today.
However, there is no single standard that can be easily used within emerging programming standards, can be
readily implemented within embedded systems, and can meet the demands of today’s evolving IT solution
models.
New IT solutions models have placed new demands on systems management solutions to support expanded
scale, higher security, and multi-vendor openness, while also aligning with modern DevOps tools and
processes.
Recognizing these needs, Dell EMC and other IT solutions leaders within the DMTF undertook the creation of
a new management interface standard. After a multi-year effort, the new standard, Redfish v1.0, was
announced in July, 2015.
Its key benefits include:
 Increased simplicity and usability
 Encrypted connections and generally heightened security
 A programmatic interface that can easily be controlled through scripts
 Ability to meet the Open Compute Project’s Remote Machine Management requirements
 Based on widely-used standards for web APIs and data formats
Redfish has been designed to support the full range of server architectures from monolithic servers to
converged infrastructure and hyper-scale architecture. The Redfish data model, which defines the structure
and format of data representing server status, inventory and available operational functions, is vendor-neutral.
Administrators can then create management automation scripts that can manage any Redfish compliant
server. This is crucial for the efficient operation of a heterogonous server fleet.
Using Redfish also has significant security benefits—unlike legacy management protocols, Redfish utilizes
HTTPS encryption for secure and reliable communication. All Redfish network traffic, including event
notifications, can be sent encrypted across the network.
Redfish provides a highly organized and easily accessible method to interact with a server using scripting
tools. The web interface employed by Redfish is supported by many programming languages, and its tree-like
structure makes information easier to locate. Data returned from a Redfish query can be turned into a
searchable dictionary consisting of key-value-pairs. By looking at the values in the dictionary, it is easy to
locate settings and current status of a Redfish managed system. These settings can then be updated and
actions issued to one or multiple systems.
Since its July, 2015 introduction, Redfish has continued to grow and evolve with specification updates
released in 2016 and 2017 covering key operations such as BIOS configuration, detailed server hardware and
firmware inventory, server firmware update, , and storage and networking configuration.