The Virtual Media feature, accessed through the console redirection viewer, provides the managed server access to media connected to a remote system on the network. Figure 13-1 shows the overall architecture of Virtual Media.
Figure 13-1. Overall Architecture of Virtual Media
Using Virtual Media, administrators can remotely boot their managed servers, install applications, update drivers, or even install new operating systems remotely from the virtual CD/DVD and diskette drives.
NOTE: Virtual Media requires a minimum available network bandwidth of 128 Kbps.
Virtual Media defines two devices for the managed server's operating system and BIOS: a floppy disk device and an optical disk device.
The management station provides the physical media or image file across the network. When Virtual Media is connected, all virtual CD/floppy drive access requests from the managed server are directed to the management station across the network. Connecting Virtual Media appears the same as inserting media into physical devices on the managed system. When Virtual Media is in attached state, virtual devices on the managed system appear as two drives without the media being installed in the drives.
Table 13-1 lists the supported drive connections for virtual floppy and virtual optical drives.
NOTE: Changing Virtual Media while connected could stop the system boot sequence.
Table 13-1. Supported Drive Connections
Supported Virtual Floppy Drive Connections
Supported Virtual Optical Drive Connections
Legacy 1.44 floppy drive with a 1.44 floppy diskette
CD-ROM, DVD, CDRW, combination drive with CD-ROM media
USB floppy drive with a 1.44 floppy diskette
CD-ROM/DVD image file in the ISO9660 format
1.44 floppy image
USB CD-ROM drive with CD-ROM media
USB removable disk (minimum size 128 MB)
Windows-Based Management Station
To run the Virtual Media feature on a management station running the Windows operating system, install a supported version of Internet Explorer with the ActiveX Control plug-in. Set the browser security to Medium or a lower setting to enable Internet Explorer to download and install signed ActiveX controls.
Depending on your version of Internet Explorer, a custom security setting for ActiveX may be required:
Start Internet Explorer.
Click Tools®Internet Options, and then click the Security tab.
Under Select a Web content zone to specify its security settings, click to
select the desired zone.
Under Security level for this zone, click Custom Level.
The Security Settings window appears.
Under ActiveX controls and plugins, ensure that the following settings are
set to Enable:
Allow Scriptlets
Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls
Download signed ActiveX controls
Download unsigned ActiveX controls
Click OK to save any changes and close the Security Settings window.
Click OK to close the Internet Options window.
Restart Internet Explorer.
You must have administrator rights to install ActiveX. Before installing the ActiveX control, Internet Explorer may display a security warning. To complete the ActiveX control installation procedure, accept the ActiveX control when Internet Explorer prompts you with a security warning.
Linux-Based Management Station
To run the virtual media feature on a management station running the Linux operating system, install a supported version of Firefox.
A Java® Runtime Environment (JRE) is required to run the console redirection plugin. You can download a JRE from java.sun.com.
Configuring Virtual Media
Log in to iDRAC6 Web interface.
Click System® Console/Media® Configuration.
In the Virtual Media section, select values for the settings. See Table 13-2
for information on Virtual Media configuration values.
Click Apply to save your settings.
An alert dialog appears with the following message: You are about to change device configuration. All existing redirection sessions will be closed. Do you want to continue?
Click OK to continue.
An alert dialog appears with the following message: Virtual Media Configuration successfully set.
Table 13-2. Virtual Media Configuration Values
Attribute
Value
Attach Virtual Media
Attach — Immediately attaches Virtual Media to the server.
Detach — Immediately detaches Virtual Media from the server.
Auto-Attach — Attaches Virtual Media to the server only when a virtual media session is started.
Maximum Sessions
Displays the maximum number of Virtual Media sessions allowed. This value is always 1.
NOTE: Only one virtual media user session is allowed; however, multiple devices can be attached in a single session. See "Running Virtual Media."
Active Sessions
Displays the number of Virtual Media sessions that are currently active.
Virtual Media Encryption Enabled
Enables (checked) or disables (not checked) encryption on Virtual Media connections.
Floppy Emulation
Indicates whether the Virtual Mediaappears as a floppy drive or as a USB key to the server. If Floppy Emulation is selected, the Virtual Media device appears as a floppy device on the server. If it is deselected, it appears as a USB Key drive.
NOTE: On certain Windows Vista® and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® environments, you may not be able to virtualize a USB with Floppy Emulation enabled.
Enable Boot Once
Enables (checked) or disables (not checked) the boot-once option, which automatically terminates the Virtual Media session after the server has booted once. Use this attribute to boot from the Virtual Media. On the next boot, the system will boot from the next device in the boot order. This option is useful for automated deployments.
Running Virtual Media
CAUTION: Do not issue a racreset command when running a Virtual Media session. Otherwise, undesirable results may occur, including data loss.
NOTE: The Console Viewer window application must remain active while you access the virtual media.
Open a supported Web browser on your management station.
Log in to iDRAC6 Web interface.
Click the Console/Media tab.
The Console Redirection and Virtual Media screen appears.
NOTE: The Floppy Image File under Floppy Drive (if applicable) may appear, as this device can be virtualized as a virtual floppy. You can select one optical drive and one floppy at the same time, or a single drive.
NOTE: The virtual device drive letters on the managed server do not coincide with the physical drive letters on the management station.
NOTE: Virtual Media may not function properly on Windows operating system clients that are configured with Internet Explorer Enhanced Security. To resolve this issue, see your Microsoft operating system documentation or contact your administrator.
Click Launch Viewer.
NOTE: On Linux, the file jviewer.jnlp is downloaded to your desktop and a dialog box will ask what to do with the file. Choose the option to Open with program and then select the javaws application, which is located in the bin subdirectory of your JRE installation directory.
iDRACView application launches in a separate window.
Select Media®Virtual Media Wizard.
The Media Redirection window appears.
View the Status section at the bottom of the Media Redirection window.
If media is connected, you can disconnect it before connecting a different
media source. To disconnect media, click the Disconnect button next to
the media in the Status window.
Select the radio button next to the media types you want to connect.
You can select both the Floppy Image radio button and one of the radio
buttons in the CD/DVD Drive section.
NOTE: When a management station CD/DVD media is already in use by iDRAC6 blade, the same media can be redirected and made available to another iDRAC6 blade. In other words, iDRAC6 supports same media (Read only) redirection to two different iDRAC6 blades. But with an USB media, you will not be able to attach to two iDRAC6 blades. iDRAC6 displays a warning message indicating the same.
To connect a floppy image or ISO image, enter the path to the image location on your local computer, or click the Browse button to navigate to the image location.
NOTE: You may not be able to mount remote ISO images if you use the Java based Virtual Media plug–in. For example, Linux clients will not allow you to mount the images since they use the Java based plug–in. To avoid this, copy the ISO image to your local system to make the image file available locally. The Java based Virtual Media plug–in does not allow you to specify the share name using \\computer\share format.
Click the Connect button next to each selected media type.
The media is connected and the Status window is updated.
Click Close.
NOTE: Whenever a Virtual Media session is initiated or a VFlash is connected, an extra drive named "LCDRIVE" is displayed on the host operating system and the BIOS. The extra drive disappears when the VFlash or the Virtual Media session is disconnected.
Disconnecting Virtual Media
Select Media®Virtual Media Wizard.
The Media Redirection Wizard appears.
Click Disconnect next to themedia you wish to disconnect.
The media is disconnected and the Status window is updated.
Click Close.
NOTE: When you launch iDRACview and then log out of the Web GUI, iDRACView does not terminate and remains active.
Booting From Virtual Media
The system BIOS enables you to boot from virtual optical drives or virtual floppy drives. During POST, enter the BIOS setup window and verify that the virtual drives are enabled and listed in the correct order.
To change the BIOS setting, perform the following steps:
Boot the managed server.
Press <F2> to enter the BIOS setup window.
Scroll to the boot sequence and press <Enter>.
In the pop-up window, the virtual optical drives and virtual floppy drives are listed with the standard boot devices.
Ensure that the virtual drive is enabled and listed as the first device with
bootable media. If required, follow the on-screen instructions to modify
the boot order.
Save the changes and exit.
The managed server reboots.
The managed server attempts to boot from a bootable device based on the boot order. If the virtual device is connected and a bootable media is present, the system boots to the virtual device. Otherwise, the system overlooks the device—similar to a physical device without bootable media.
Installing Operating Systems Using Virtual Media
This section describes a manual, interactive method to install the operating system on your management station that may take several hours to complete. A scripted operating system installation procedure using Virtual Media may take fewer than 15 minutes to complete. See "Deploying the Operating System" for more information.
Verify the following:
The operating system installation DVD/CD is inserted in the management station's DVD/CD drive.
The local DVD/CD drive is selected.
You are connected to the virtual drives.
Follow the steps for booting from the Virtual Media in the "Booting From
Virtual Media" section to ensure that the BIOS is set to boot from the
DVD/CD drive from which you are installing.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Using Virtual Media When the Server's Operating System Is Running
Windows-Based Systems
On Windows systems, the Virtual Media drives are automounted if they are attached and configured with a drive letter.
Using the virtual drives from within Windows is similar to using your physical drives. When you connect to the media using the Virtual Media wizard, the media is available at the system by clicking the drive and browsing its content.
Linux-Based Systems
Depending on the configuration of the software on your system, the Virtual Media drives may not be automounted. If your drives are not automounted, manually mount the drives using the Linux mount command.
Frequently Asked Questions
Table 13-3 lists frequently asked questions and answers.
Table 13-3.
Using Virtual Media: Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
Sometimes, I notice my Virtual Media client connection drop. Why?
When a network time-out occurs, iDRAC6 firmware drops the connection, disconnecting the link between the server and the Virtual Drive.
If the Virtual Media configuration settings are changed in iDRAC6 Web interface or by local RACADM commands, any connected media is disconnected when the configuration change is applied.
To reconnect to the Virtual Drive, use the Virtual Media wizard.
You can sometimes lose your client connection if the network is slow or if you change the CD in the client system CD drive. For example, if you change the CD in the client system's CD drive, the new CD might have an autostart feature. If this is the case, the firmware can time out and the connection can be lost if the client system takes too long before it is ready to read the CD. If a connection is lost, reconnect from the GUI and continue the previous operation.
When a network timeout occurs, iDRAC6 firmware drops the connection, disconnecting the link between the server and the Virtual Drive. Also, someone may have altered the Virtual Media configuration settings in the Web interface or by entering RADACM commands. To reconnect to the Virtual Drive, use the Virtual Media feature.
An installation of the Windows operating system seems to take too long. Why?
If you are installing the Windows operating system and have a slow network connection, the installation procedure may require an extended amount of time to access iDRAC6 Web interface due to network latency. While the installation window does not indicate the installation progress, the installation procedure is in progress.
I am viewing the contents of a floppy drive or USB memory key. If I try to establish a Virtual Media connection using the same drive, I receive a connection failure message and am asked to retry. Why?
Simultaneous access to Virtual Floppy drives is not allowed. Close the application used to view the drive contents before you attempt to virtualize the drive.
How do I configure my virtual device as a bootable device?
On the managed server, access the BIOS Setup and navigate to the boot menu. Locate the virtual CD, Virtual Floppy, or VFlash and change the device boot order as needed. For example, to boot from a CD drive, configure the CD drive as the first drive in the boot order.
What types of media can I boot from?
iDRAC6 allows you to boot from the following bootable media:
CDROM/DVD Data media
ISO 9660 image
1.44 Floppy disk or floppy image
A USB key that is recognized by the operating system as a removable disk (minimum size 128 MB)
A USB key image
How can I make my USB key bootable?
Search support.dell.com for the Dell Boot Utility, a Windows program you can use to make your Dell USB key bootable.
You can also boot with a Windows 98 startup disk and copy system files from the startup disk to your USB key. For example, from the DOS prompt, enter the following command:
sys a: x: /s
where x: is the USB key you want to make bootable.
What file system types are supported on my Virtual Floppy Drive?
Your Virtual Floppy Drive supports FAT16 or FAT32 file systems.
When I performed a firmware update remotely using iDRAC6 Web interface, my virtual drives at the server were removed. Why?
Firmware updates cause iDRAC6 to reset, drop the remote connection, and unmount the virtual drives. The drives will reappear when iDRAC6 reset is complete.
I cannot locate my Virtual Floppy device on a system running Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® or the SUSE® Linux operating system. My Virtual Media is attached and I am connected to my remote floppy. What should I do?
Some Linux versions do not automount the Virtual Floppy Drive and the Virtual CD drive in a similar manner. To mount the Virtual Floppy Drive, locate the device node that Linux assigns to the Virtual Floppy Drive. Perform the following steps to correctly find and mount the Virtual Floppy Drive:
Open a Linux command prompt and run the following command:
grep "Virtual Floppy" /var/log/messages
Locate the last entry to that message and note the time.
At the Linux prompt, run the following command:
grep "hh:mm:ss" /var/log/messages where:
hh:mm:ss is the time stamp of the message returned by grep in step 1.
In step 3, read the result of the grep command and locate the device name that is given to the Dell Virtual Floppy.
Ensure that you are attached and connected to the Virtual Floppy Drive.
