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iDRAC6 Overview

Integrated Dell™ Remote Access Controller 6 (iDRAC6) Version 1.1 User Guide

The Integrated Dell™ Remote Access Controller6 (iDRAC6) is a systems management hardware and software solution that provides remote management capabilities, crashed system recovery, and power control functions for Dell PowerEdge™ systems.

The iDRAC6 uses an integrated System-on-Chip microprocessor for the remote monitor/control system. The iDRAC6 co-exists on the system board with the managed PowerEdge server. The server operating system is concerned with executing applications; the iDRAC6 is concerned with monitoring and managing the server's environment and state outside of the operating system.

You can configure the iDRAC6 to send you an e-mail or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap alert for warnings or errors. To help you diagnose the probable cause of a system crash, iDRAC6 can log event data and capture an image of the screen when it detects that the system has crashed.

The iDRAC6 network interface is enabled with a static IP address of 192.168.0.120 by default. It must be configured before the iDRAC6 is accessible. After the iDRAC6 is configured on the network, it can be accessed at its assigned IP address with the iDRAC6 Web interface, Telnet, or Secure Shell (SSH), and supported network management protocols, such as Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

iDRAC6 Express Management Features

The iDRAC6 Express provides the following management features:

• Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) registration
  
  
• Remote system management and monitoring using a Web interface and the SM-CLP command line over a serial, Telnet, or SSH connection
  
  
• Support for Microsoft® Active Directory® authentication — Centralizes iDRAC6 user IDs and passwords in Active Directory using an extended schema or a standard schema
  
  
• Monitoring — Provides access to system information and status of components
  
  
• Access to system logs — Provides access to the system event log, the iDRAC6 log, and the last crash screen of the crashed or unresponsive system, that is independent of the operating system state
  
  
• Dell OpenManage™ software integration — Enables you to launch the iDRAC6 Web interface from Dell OpenManage Server Administrator or Dell OpenManage IT Assistant
  
  
• iDRAC6 alert — Alerts you to potential managed node issues through an e-mail message or SNMP trap
  
  
• Remote power management — Provides remote power management functions, such as shutdown and reset, from a management console
  
  
• Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) support
  
  
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption — Provides secure remote system management through the Web interface
  
  
• Password-level security management — Prevents unauthorized access to a remote system
  
  
• Role-based authority — Provides assignable permissions for different systems management tasks
  
  
• IPv6 support — Adds IPv6 support such as providing access to the iDRAC6 Web interface using an IPv6 address, specifies iDRAC6 NIC IPv6 address, and specifies a destination number to configure an IPv6 SNMP alert destination.
  
  
• WS-MAN support — Provides network accessible management using the Web Services for Management (WS-MAN) protocol.
  
  
• SM-CLP support — Adds Server Management-Command Line Protocol (SM-CLP) support, which provides standards for systems management CLI implementations.
  
  
• Firmware rollback and recovery — Allows you to boot from (or rollback to) the firmware image of your choice.
  
  

For more information about iDRAC6 Express, see your Hardware Owner's Manual at support.dell.com\manuals.

iDRAC6 Enterprise and vFlash Media

Adds support for RACADM, virtual KVM, Virtual Media features, a dedicated NIC, and Virtual Flash (with an optional Dell vFlash Media card). Virtual Flash allows you to store emergency boot images and diagnostic tools on the vFlash Media. For more information about iDRAC6 Enterprise and vFlash Media, see your Hardware Owner's Manual at support.dell.com\manuals.

Table 1-1 lists the features available for BMC, iDRAC6 Express, iDRAC6 Enterprise, and vFlash Media.

Table 1-1. iDRAC6 Feature List 

The iDRAC6 provides the following security features:

• User authentication through Active Directory (optional) or hardware-stored user IDs and passwords
  
  
• Role-based authority, which enables an administrator to configure specific privileges for each user
  
  
• User ID and password configuration through the Web-based interface or SM-CLP
  
  
• SM-CLP and Web interfaces, which support 128-bit and 40-bit encryption (for countries where 128 bit is not acceptable), using the SSL 3.0 standard
  
  
• Session time-out configuration (in seconds) through the Web interface or SM-CLP
  
  
• Configurable IP ports (where applicable)
  
  

NOTE: Telnet does not support SSL encryption.

• SSH, which uses an encrypted transport layer for higher security
  
  
• Login failure limits per IP address, with login blocking from the IP address when the limit is exceeded
  
  
• Ability to limit the IP address range for clients connecting to the iDRAC6
  
  
• Smart Card Authentication
  
  

Supported Platforms

For the latest supported platforms, see the iDRAC6 Readme file and the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix available at support.dell.com\manuals and on the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD that was shipped with your system.

Supported Operating Systems

For the latest information, see the iDRAC6 Readme file and the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix available at support.dell.com\manuals and on the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD that was shipped with your system.

Supported Web Browsers

For the latest information, see the iDRAC6 Readme file and the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix available at support.dell.com\manuals and on the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD that was shipped with your system.

NOTE: Due to serious security flaws, support for SSL 2.0 has been discontinued. Your browser must be configured to enable SSL 3.0 in order to work properly.

Supported Remote Access Connections

Table 1-2 lists the connection features.

Table 1-2. Supported Remote Access Connections 

iDRAC6 Ports

Table 1-3 lists the ports iDRAC6 listens on for connections. Table 1-4 identifies the ports that the iDRAC6 uses as a client. This information is required when opening firewalls for remote access to an iDRAC6.

Table 1-3. iDRAC6 Server Listening Ports 

Table 1-4. iDRAC6 Client Ports 

Other Documents You May Need

In addition to this User Guide, the following documents provide additional information about the setup and operation of the iDRAC6 in your system. The documents are available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com\manuals.

• The iDRAC6 online help provides detailed information about using the Web-based interface.
  
  
• See the Dell Unified Server Configurator User Guide for more information about iDRAC hardware and system services configuration.
  
  
• See the Dell OpenManage IT Assistant User's Guide for information about using IT Assistant.
  
  
• For installing an iDRAC6, see your Hardware Owner's Manual.
  
  
• See the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator User's Guide for information about installing and using Server Administrator.
  
  
• For the latest supported platforms, operating systems, and Web browsers, see the iDRAC6 Readme file and the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix.
  
  
• See the Dell Update Packages User's Guide for information about obtaining and using Dell Update Packages as part of your system update strategy.
  
  
• See the Dell OpenManage Baseboard Management Controller Utilities User's Guide for information about the iDRAC6 and the IPMI interface.
  

The following system documents are also available to provide more information about the system in which your iDRAC6 is installed:

• The safety instructions that came with your system provide important safety and regulatory information. For additional regulatory information, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance. Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.
  
  
• The Rack Installation Instructions included with your rack solution describe how to install your system into a rack.
  
  
• The Getting Started Guide provides an overview of system features, setting up your system, and technical specifications.
  
  
• The Hardware Owner's Manual provides information about system features and describes how to troubleshoot the system and install or replace system components.
  
  
• Systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements, installation, and basic operation of the software.
  
  
• Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use the operating system software.
  
  
• Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to configure and install these options.
  
  
• Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software, and/or documentation.
  

NOTE: Always read the updates first because they often supersede information in other documents.

• Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute updates to the system or documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.
  
  

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