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Introduction

Dell™ Remote Access Controller Installation and Setup Guide

The Dell™ Remote Access Card III (DRAC III), DRAC III/XT, Embedded Remote Access (ERA), and the Embedded Remote Access Option (ERA/O) are systems management hardware and software solutions designed to provide remote management capabilities for Dell PowerEdge™ systems. Collectively, these solutions are known as remote access controllers (RACs). RACs allow you to remotely manage and monitor your system even when the system is down.

NOTE: Throughout the remainder of this document, the DRAC III, DRAC III/XT, ERA, and ERA/O controllers are referred to collectively as "RACs", except when it is necessary to distinguish between each controller. When information applies only to a specific RAC, it is identified explicitly. Information that refers to "RAC" applies to all of the controllers.

Remote Access Controller Features

Your RAC provides a complete hardware and software solution for remote systems management. The RAC allows you to remotely access an inoperable system to get the system up and running as quickly as possible. The RAC can alert you when the system is down, and allows you to restart the system remotely. By communicating with the system's ESM, the RAC reports warnings or errors related to voltages, temperatures, and fan speeds. In addition, the RAC can log the probable cause of a system crash and save the most recent crash screen (for systems running the Microsoft® Windows® operating system only).

NOTE: Throughout the remainder of this document, the system in which the RAC is installed or embedded is referred to as the managed system. A system that remotely accesses the RAC is referred to as a management station. The term system console refers to a system's keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

The following is a list of features available on all RACs. However, some RACs (such as the DRAC III), provide additional features. For a list of features that are specific to your RAC, see the features list in each individual RAC section.

• Ability to configure the RAC through the managed system's network connection.
  
  

Using Dell OpenManage™ Server Administrator, you can access the RAC through the managed system's standard network connection and configure the RAC properties, such as RAC users and alerting options.

• Ability to manage and monitor the managed system through the RAC network adapter, serial connection, or telnet connection.
  
  

If the managed system goes down or becomes unresponsive and you want to perform crash-recovery actions, or if you want to check the status of sensor monitors when the system is running, you can launch the RAC's Web-based remote access interface.

• Ability to redirect the managed system's monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the management station using console redirection.
  
  
• Integration with other Dell systems management software products for your system, such as Server Administrator.
  
  
• Access to the hardware log and POST logs.
  
  
• Embedded Web server that supports Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla, and Netscape Navigator (for more information, see "Supported Web Browsers").
  
  
• Monitors managed system's physical attributes, including voltages, temperatures, and cooling fan status, using information obtained from the managed system's ESM.
  
  
• Ability to alert you to potential problems on the managed system by sending either an e-mail message or an SNMP trap through the integrated network adapter to a management station.
  
  
• Support for DHCP assignment of the RAC IP address.
  
  
• Ability to configure the RAC and update RAC firmware locally or remotely using the racadm command-line utility; a scriptable interface. For more information about using the racadm utility, see the Dell Remote Access Controller Racadm User's Guide.
  
  
• Ability to perform a boot path analysis, which provides troubleshooting information from the managed system's boot log in the event of a boot failure.
  
  
• Ability to perform a remote floppy boot (RFB), which allows you to boot the managed system remotely from a diskette. Typically, the boot image is downloaded to the RAC from either a TFTP server or a management station. This feature is supported on 32-bit systems only.
  
  
• IPMI 1.0 compliance.
  
  
• Ability to perform power management functions, such as shutdown and reset, remotely from a management station.
  
  
• Password-level security management and SSL encryption.
  
  
• Operating system and domain-based RAC log-in authentication.
  
  

Supported Operating Systems

RACs currently support the following operating systems:

• Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows Advanced Server Limited Edition (DRAC III only) operating systems
  
  
• Novell® NetWare® 6.5 operating system
  
  

NOTE: If Novell NetWare is running on the managed system, console redirection supports text- only mode.

• Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® version 4.0 operating system
  
  
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 (AS, ES, and WS) operating systems
  
  

Supported Web Browsers

NOTE: For a list of supported Java Virtual Machine (JVM) plug-ins, see the racread.txt file on your Systems Management CD or at the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows XP Professional
  
  
• Mozilla 1.5 and 1.6, Mozilla Firefox 1.0.x running with Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (version 3.0, version 4.0)
  
  
• Netscape® Navigator® 7.02 and 7.1 on Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (version 3.0 and version 4.0)
  
  

NOTE: When using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator on systems running Microsoft Windows, to view localized versions of the RAC's Web-based remote access interface, open the Windows Control Panel, double-click the Regional Options icon, and select the desired locale from the Your locale (location) drop-down menu.

Software Components

RACs provide software components that include a set of services for each supported operating system. The services interface with RAC hardware to allow RAC configuration and access to the managed system.

Table 1-1 summarizes the RAC software components.

Table 1-1. RAC Software Components 

RAC Configuration Interfaces

To configure the RAC to remotely access and manage a system, you can use one of several configuration interfaces provided with your RAC software. Table 1-2 describes these configuration interfaces. For an overview of RAC software configuration, see the section of this document that applies to your RAC.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use Server Administrator to configure your RAC.

Table 1-2. RAC Configuration Interfaces 

Supported Remote Access Connections

Three types of remote access connections are supported by RACs. Table 1-3 lists the features of each type of connection.

Table 1-3. Supported Remote Access Connections 

Remote Access Interfaces

After you configure the RAC, you can remotely access the managed system using one of three remote access interfaces. Remote access is particularly important when the managed system is down and cannot be accessed through the system's network adapter. The RAC network adapter acts as a remote access port for all RACs. Additionally, DRAC III also provides remote access through its own serial port and optional modem. Table 1-4 describes the RAC's remote access interfaces.

Table 1-4. Remote Access Interfaces 

RAC Port Numbers

Table 1-5 identifies the ports used by RACs. This information is required when opening firewalls for remote access to a RAC.

Table 1-5. RAC Ports

RAC Event Alerts

An important feature of the RAC is its ability to notify you when the managed system has potential problems (for example: problems with voltage, temperature, or cooling fans). To do this, the RAC sends an alert using one or more of its remote access port connections. RAC firmware constantly monitors the IPMI hardware log to determine when to generate an event. Table 1-6 lists the RACs and the types of alerts supported on each.

NOTE: E-mail alerts are sent to a specified e-mail address on an SMTP server. SNMP traps are sent to a specified IP address. Numeric and alphanumeric pages are alerts sent to a specified user.

NOTE: For information about configuring SNMP, see the Server Administrator User's Guide.

Table 1-6. Supported Event Alerts

Because RAC firmware has an embedded Web server, you can connect to the RAC from a management station without installing management station software (other than a supported Web browser and supported JVM plug-in). For more information, see "Supported Web Browsers."

After receiving an alert, you can view the event log to get more information on the type and severity of the event. The Web browser connects to the RAC using the 10- or 100-Mbps Ethernet network adapter (10 Mbps for ERA/O on the PowerEdge 1650) on a LAN/WAN or the optional DRAC III modem, both of which are located on the RAC.

If a system crashes, you can configure the system to enable the RAC to capture the system console screen to assist you in analyzing the cause of the failure (this feature is only supported for systems running Windows operating systems). To get the system up and running again, you can perform a remote reset or power cycle and view the boot process through the RAC Web-based (remote access) interface.

You can configure the RAC to notify different users of different events. When the RAC detects a new event, the firmware tests the event against each user's event filter and sends an alert to the appropriate users.

You can also configure RAC firmware to generate SNMP traps for specific events. After the firmware is configured, the RAC sends the SNMP traps through the LAN to the IP address specified in the RAC configuration files. DRAC III can also send the trap through dial-up networking. The telephone number, user name, password, and IP address where the dial-out trap is sent are specified in the RAC configuration files.

Remote Access Security Features

The following subsections describe the security features available on all RACs. For a list of security features that are specific to your RAC, see the section of this document that pertains to your RAC.

Network Adapter Connections

RACs support encrypted password authentication for TCP/IP network adapter connections.

RAC Web-based Interface Security

The RAC Web-based remote access interface content is proprietary and does not provide direct access to the managed system's operating system. Typically, remote access to the RAC is used when an administrator is not logged locally into the managed system. If an administrator logs in locally, operating system access is protected by standard operating system security measures.

When a remote user accesses the RAC and performs a console redirection, a pop-up notification box appears on the managed system's console stating that remote console redirection is occurring.

NOTE: If you are performing console redirection from a remote location and you do not want anyone to interfere with the managed system at its location, you can remotely disable the managed system's keyboard and mouse. This feature is supported only on managed systems running Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server.

Log In Validation for the Web-based Remote Access Interface

The RAC's Web-based remote access interface requires a valid login. When establishing a remote connection to the RAC, the user enters a user name and password at the remote console. The password is then encrypted and sent to the RAC. The RAC receives the user name and encrypted password and begins authentication. The password that was saved by the RAC for this user name is also encrypted. It is then compared with the encrypted password received from the remote user. If a match occurs, the user is validated and access to the RAC is granted. Other commands are not recognized until validation occurs (except for online help). All information (except console redirection screens) is transmitted using SSL encryption.

RAC User Types

RAC user types include RAC users as well as operating system users. DRAC III also provides two additional user/entry types. See "DRAC III User Types and Feature Configuration."

RAC Users

RAC users can establish console redirection and perform configuration and management actions on all RACs.

NOTE: The RAC Web-based interface does not accept a user name without a password. When you create a RAC user, you must assign a valid user name and password.

A RAC user is able to:

• Log into the RAC locally.
  
  
• Enter systems management commands such as power on, power off, power cycle, graceful power off, and graceful restart.
  
  
• Update the RAC firmware.
  
  
• Use the remote floppy boot feature to boot the server, configure the RAC, or perform server diagnostics.
  
  
• View POST, RAC, and hardware logs.
  
  
• Perform console redirection.
  
  
• Access the last crash screen.
  
  
• Receive event notification e-mails.
  
  

NOTE: DRAC III provides additional user types and events. For more information, see "DRAC III User Types and Feature Configuration."

Operating System Users

In addition to RAC users, which are defined and stored as part of the RAC internal configuration, RACs also recognize operating system users. These users are not stored in the internal RAC database—they are stored by the operating system running on the managed system. Operating system users can perform all the functions of a RAC user with the exception of receiving event notification e-mails.

This added functionality allows a user to access any RAC by using the operating system's user name and password, provided that:

• The managed system's operating system is running.
  
  
• The RAC software for the managed system is installed and running.
  
  
• The user has valid administrator rights to the managed system.
  
  

This authentication method (operating system authentication versus RAC user authentication) operates independently of the operating system's user authentication configuration. The operating system is generally set up to attempt a connection to a domain controller to acquire the latest information about user names, passwords, and access rights before it queries the local operating system database. This connection is transparent to a RAC.

Other Documents You May Need

In addition to this Installation and Setup Guide, the following documents provide additional information about the setup and operation of the RAC in your system:

• RAC online help provides information on using the Web-based remote access interface.
  
  
• The Dell Remote Access Controller Racadm User's Guide provides information about using the racadm command-line utility.
  
  
• The Dell OpenManage IT Assistant User's Guide and the Dell OpenManage IT Assistant Reference Guide provides information about IT Assistant.
  
  
• The Dell OpenManage IT Assistant provides information about IT Assistant.
  
  
• The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator's User's Guide provides information about installing and using Server Administrator.
  
  

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

The System Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory information. Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.

• The Rack Installation Guide and Rack Installation Instructions included with your rack solution describes how to install your system into a rack.
  
  
• The Getting Started Guide provides an overview to initially set up your system.
  
  
• The User's Guide provides information about system features and technical specifications.
  
  
• The Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 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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