Learn how to use the functionality of the Integrated Dell™ Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) in the Dell PowerEdge™ 11th-generation servers to remotely connect and manage your systems. Then discover how to use the Unified Server Configurator that is built into the server to help easily deploy the server remotely.

Technical Community - Background Reading

Chat Transcript

DELL-ScottH Welcome all; let’s allow a few more minutes for stragglers to join...brb
welshconsulting Hi
DELL-ScottH Hello. Welcome all to this weeks chat!
DELL-ScottH Couple of things before we get started. This chat is recorded, so be on good behavior. :-) And don't worry about writing any URLs down because you'll be able to click on them tomorrow. Speaking of URLs, if you right-click them you can avoid accidentally exiting the chat. Also, ask questions at any time during the chat; it's not rude to interrupt, and we can sort out everything midstream. Okay, let's kick it off
DELL-ScottH Today's topic is on the Dell PowerEdge 11th-generation Lifecycle Controller. In a nutshell, you can get a quick overview here: www.delltechcenter.com/page/lifecycle+controller
DELL-ScottH Welcome, Tony
tonyhgras Hi Scott, a bit early?
DELL-ScottH The Lifecycle Controller is built into the 11th-generation systems and allows you to update and build a system from the ground up without the stack of CDs and DVDs you used to use.
DELL-ScottH Actually just started
DELL-ScottH Use Action, Recent room History to catch up
DELL-ScottH I think everyone is vSphere'd out today and taking late lunches :-)
DELL-ScottH I think the easiest way to learn is through the use of demos. So to that end I've created two demos that show an overview and how to apply system updates. They are both located on the Lifecycle Controller TechCenter page: www.delltechcenter.com/page/lifecycle+controller
DELL-ScottH Very easy to use.
tonyhgras It’s safe to click links?
DELL-ScottH Simply press F10 at boot to enter "system services," which boots you into the Unified Server Configurator—the GUI for the Lifecycle Controller, the hardware
DELL-ScottH Yes, but right-click just in case
DELL-ScottH Or not :-)
tonyhgras Some trouble with pop-up blocker
DELL-ScottH So with the new 11th-generation systems you no longer have to use the Systems Build and Update Utility aka SBUU; you just press F10 and update from ftp.dell.com, or a local repository on a USB key
DELL-ScottH Then you can install the OS from the same menu; the Lifecycle Controller has the drivers built in for the supported operating systems
DELL-ScottH So welcome back everyone from the joy of pop-up blockers and links in the chat taking you to laa laa land :-)
tonyhgras Scott, is this repository usable once the OS is installed? I mean to update OS drivers?
DELL-ScottH No, only available at build time
tonyhgras Okay, and for firmware updates?
DELL-ScottH The one that is built into the Lifecycle Controller, if you put a separate repository on a USB key, then obviously that one is available. Make sense?
tonyhgras Understand
DELL-ScottH Anyone have their hands on 11th-generation hardware yet?
tonyhgras So we should still be using DUPs?
btoups Yes, I have nine PowerEdge R710s
DELL-ScottH Cool! What applications are you doing?
DELL-ScottH And thanks!
Dustin @tonyhgras, the DUPs will be used through the Lifecycle configuration manager
btoups Hyper-V with EqualLogic PS6000XV
Dustin For OS-level drivers you can still use the DUPs within the OS
DELL-ScottH So, any questions on how to use the Lifecycle Controller ? It's really straightforward; check out the demos and you'll see what I mean. And I'll have an OS installation demo done this week. It will be posted on the same page: www.delltechcenter.com/page/lifecycle+controller
tonyhgras Thanks, Dustin. Can you explain in more details?
DELL-ScottH @btoups, that's a pretty beefy configuration. How easy was the setup?
btoups I have deployed a couple Windows 2008 x64, and I seemed to install the drivers fine
Dustin USC/LCM can perform hardware-level updates, but for OS-level updates you will still need to use your current OS management. What I mean by using DUPs from LCM is that when it accesses the FTP at DELL.COM, it actually is pulling down the DUP updates for the firmware level
btoups It doesn’t seem to install the typical Dell utilities though
tonyhgras What I understand is that once the OS is up and running you have to use DUPs for updating drivers or DMC (ITA), is that correct?
Dustin Correct. There is 1:1 options and 1:many options, plus all the partner applications that support Dell Updates
btoups Sorry guys, help me out (recent convert from HP). I don’t know the acronyms you are using
Dustin www.dell.com/openmanage/isv (to view the other partner applications)
DELL-ScottH USC = Unified Server Configurator
Dustin DUPs = Dell Update Packages
DELL-ScottH DUP = Dell update Package
DELL-ScottH LCM = Lifecycle Controller
Dustin DMC = Dell Management Console
btoups Thanks
Dustin DMC replaces ITA = IT Assistant
tonyhgras I have a couple of questions regarding management
DELL-ScottH ITA = IT Assistant, predecessor to DMC that just released
DELL-ScottH DMC group is here: http://en.community.dell.com/groups/dell_management_console/default.aspx
Dustin Scott H, great videos; I just watched them both!
DELL-ScottH *blush* Thanks
tonyhgras Agree on that, great videos
Dustin @tonyhgras, what questions?
tonyhgras Q1: With the new iDRAC Express included on all servers, it’s mandatory to install OpenMange Server Administrator? For remote hardware management
Dustin Q1: Depends on what level of information you want out of the box. OMSA will continue to have likely more details, but iDRAC 6 may provide at a higher level all you want to know
Dustin Scotth, is there a page on TechCenter covering iDRAC 6?
DELL-ScottH Yes, you don't *have* to install OMSA, but to get full details you'll need it. There's some information on this in the FAQ on the DMC group and in some of the demos: http://en.community.dell.com/groups/dell_management_console/default.aspx
tonyhgras What can you get from OMSA that you cannot from iDRAQ Express?
DELL-ScottH Not a specific iDRAC 6 page on TechCenter yet; would you like to create it? :-)
btoups I have the iDRAC Enterprise. Can I use the SD card for OS deployment?
tonyhgras For example, to be discovered by DMC, iDRAC should suffice, right?
Dustin Not ignoring the questions, doing some quick homework to answer; my specialty is in update and partners
tonyhgras No problem
Dustin Still going to answer, but here is documentation: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/idrac/index.htm
tonyhgras Thanks, Dustin
Dustin Deploying Your Operating System Using VM CLI
Dustin http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/idrac/idrac10mono/en/ug/html/racugc1g.htm#wp46449
DELL-ScottH Dustin, thanks! That is a great resource; I haven't read that part of the documents yet
tonyhgras I’m afraid to click on links
Dustin Right-click; have to disable pop-up blockers
tonyhgras Let me check. But for using VM CLI you need to have iDRAQ Enterprise, or Express is okay?
DELL-ScottH I will have to check; I'm still confused as to what you get with what. The marketing team was not able to join today, and I'll follow up and post at the end of the transcript, or on the transcript page
tonyhgras I guess VM CLI is an enterprise feature. Take a look at this: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/idrac/idrac10mono/en/ug/html/racugc1.htm#wp30195
DELL-ScottH That helps. what I wouldn't give for a time machine to have plenty of time in the day to read everything
Dustin I was talking offline with a local resource, and for sure you can load a bootable image to the SD card (sub-256 MB), but to remotely load the data to the SD from bare metal, we don't believe that’s there with the current level of firmware
btoups Okay, thanks. Will probably use WDS for deployment
tonyhgras Dustin, are you referring to the vFlash?
Dustin Yes, sorry, the vFlash
DELL-ScottH I'm planning to do a demo around the SD card to see what is capable, today. I know we are working on some futures
btoups That would be appreciated Scott
tonyhgras It is supposedly used to load a service image, right?
Dustin Tony, what do you mean about service image?
DELL-ScottH Right now what the developers are telling me is that anything you can fit in 256 MB is what will work. But 256 MB is too small for full OS image deployment directly from the SD card
tonyhgras Sorry, I should read it somewhere
Dustin Agreed, you would have to put a Windows PE or Linux boot kernel to go from there
DELL-ScottH Yup
btoups Yeah, I was a little disappointed in that, Scott
DELL-ScottH I have a 1 GB card in mine, but it only reads/formats it as 256 MB
DELL-ScottH Me too :-(
btoups Oh, what is needed for the iDRAC to capture crash screens?
DELL-ScottH But the developer tells me that is changing, but that's about all I can say
btoups That is a really useful feature
DELL-ScottH Crash screen capture is built in, as is boot-replay capture, which is really neat
tonyhgras Btoups, do you have iDRAQ Enterprise?
btoups Didn’t know about boot-replay capture. I assume it will record the boot sequence?
btoups Yes
DELL-ScottH It captures the last three boot cycles under "system," "log," and "boot capture"
btoups Doing it now; that is really neat
DELL-ScottH Capturing Twitpic from my live system...hold for URL
btoups Don’t know if this is off topic or not. UEFI Boot, benefits?
tonyhgras This is what USC uses
btoups I see in the BIOS there is the option to boot using BIOS or UEFI; I was not able to boot from PERC when UEFI boot was selected
DELL-ScottH I'm not a UEFI, but this should help: www.uefi.org/home. But UEFI is for booting into the USC that the Lifecycle Controller uses, not anything for the end user to use yet
btoups Thanks, that was my final conclusion
DELL-ScottH Yeah, but some cool stuff coming
DELL-ScottH Thanks to everyone for joining, any final questions?
btoups I was hoping to tap into that but figured it wasn’t ready
btoups Not from me
DELL-ScottH Thanks to everyone again for joining. If you have any follow-up questions, hit me up on the site, or start a thread directly on the transcript page
tonyhgras Thanks everyone, have a nice day