DRAC SettingsDRAC EXPLAINED
As stated, DRAC is basically DELL's propitary version of IPMI. This is OUT-OF-BANDWIDTH control. This means you can control the server even if it doesn't have an OPERATING SYSTEM on it. You can load an OS from thousands of miles away. I have successfully done this. You can control the BIOS settings, you can restart the PC, you can watch the PC boot up and you can remotely connect and view the PC (This is different than RDP). Awesome!
CONNECT TO THE DRAC SETTINGS
You can control the DRAC setting through either LOCAL access (directly on the PC) or REMOTE access (from another system). For the LOCAL access, you can use the OPEN MANAGE software previously discussed. It will install a SERVER-MANAGER icon on the desktop that can control some of the settings.
REMOTE DRAC
The REMOTE access can be obtained by simply setting an IP ADDRESS on the DRAC and hitting the DRAC via a web browser. What's surprising to me is that the REMOTE access seems to have more options than the local access. In fact, I really don't know why there are 2 different interfaces. It would make sense to redirect the local interface to the remote interface.
DRAC VIRTUAL MEDIA
One of the options of the REMOTE is VIRTUAL MEDIA access. This means that the remote system will boot from the VIRTUAL MEDIA. It goes like this.
- -put the OS INSTALL DISK into your computer.
- -connect to the DRAC via browser.
- -connect the VIRTUAL MEDIA to the remote system.
- -the remote system will boot from the CD! (that is totally awesom!!!).
- NOTE: the same will happen with an ISO image.
DISABLE VIRTUAL FLASH
On the DRAC settings via REMOTE, you can configure the VIRTUAL MEDIA settings.
- -connect the the DRAC via browser.
- -click SYSTEM > MEDIA > CONFIGURATION
- -find VIRTUAL FLASH ENABLED.
- -uncheck VIRTUAL FLASH ENABLED.
- -click APPLY CHANGES (at the bottom).
WHY DISABLE VIRTUAL FLASH ON THE DRAC
The reason you want to do this is because most systems won't install when the VIRTUAL FLASH is enabled along with the VIRTUAL MEDIA. Both the VIRTUAL FLASH & the VIRTUAL MEDIA are enabled by default by DELL (probably an oversight on their part).
Another reason you want to do this is that if the VIRTUAL FLASH is enabled, it may show up on the WINDOWS system as an empty drive that is not formatted.
TROUBLE ACCESSING VIA REMOTE
Also note that since you're accessing a remote system, usually the connection is through JAVA. I've had many issues trying to get it to work. It seems like it works best from IE on a WINDOWS system. I have very little success from the MAC BOOK PRO > FIREFOX combo.
This is true of bothe IPMI and of DRAC.
Happy remote accessing!