Using the DRAC 5 virtual media feature for the remote installation of Microsoft Windows Server 2008

by Peter Tsai, Brian Zhang, and Weijia Zhang

Using the Dell™ Remote Access Controller 5 (DRAC 5) virtual media combined with the Dell Systems Management Utility allows users to remotely install operating systems with the latest out-of-box drivers. This installation method is a very good alternative for users who need to install an OS remotely without having to implement a complicated software deployment infrastructure. This method is also very useful for deploying OS-to-target systems that do not have a DVD or CD-ROM device.

Recently, there have been extensive discussions on the Dell TechCenter blogs about using the DRAC 5 virtual media feature to install the Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 OS.

Users have reported that when booting to the native Windows Server 2008 installation media through DRAC 5 virtual media, the installation halts and the OS reports a missing device driver. This messaging leads users to believe that they need to install a missing device driver when actually the root cause lies in the DRAC 5 firmware. Upgrading the firmware to the latest version resolves the issue.

The purpose of this article is to provide background information on the DRAC 5 and serve as a reference step-by-step guide for DRAC 5 users who wish to install operating systems through the virtual media feature.


Virtual Media Explained

An example of an implementation of the DRAC 5 virtual media feature is shown in the figure that follows. The configuration can include a set of target systems (managed nodes) that have their DRAC cards connected to a local or global network. The administrator uses a browser on the management station to access the DRAC through the IP address of the DRAC on the target system. The administrator can also enable Terminal Services on the management station to access the management station remotely for managing the target systems.

Normally the virtual media we refer to here is a physical device seen by the management station as virtualized local media linked to a target system through the DRAC firmware. However, the virtual media can be a device of the management station or an ISO file that can be mapped as a loopback device.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Normally, communication between target systems and the management station requires large amounts of data to be exchanged during OS installation and deployment. For users who need to remotely access the target systems through a network of limited bandwidth, it would be a good idea to keep a management station in the local network and then use a remote console to access the management station through a Terminal Server connection. This implementation allows remote access to the target systems while keeping data exchange through the virtual media local.

Step-by-Step Guide for Installing an OS Using the DRAC 5 Virtual Media Feature

To use virtual media to remotely install operating systems, the following steps must be taken:

Step 1: Knowing the IP address of the DRAC card
Step 2: Knowing that the DRAC firmware is updated
Step 3: Setting up the virtual media
Step 4: Initiating the OS installation through virtual media

Step 1: Knowing the IP Address of the DRAC Card

The management station connects to the DRAC card through HTTP protocols. Therefore, to connect to the DRAC card first determine the IP address of the DRAC card. There are two methods for determining the IP address of the DRAC card on a target system.

Method 1: Using the DRAC configuration utility

This method requires having local access to the system or through KVM (keyboard, video mouse).

  1. Turn on or restart the system.
  2. Press Ctrl+E when prompted during POST. If the OS begins to load before pressing Ctrl+E, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart the system and try again.
  3. Using the down-arrow key, select “LAN Parameters” and press Enter.
  4. The “Ethernet IP Address” field displays the IP address of the DRAC.

Method 2: Using the local racadm

This method requires having an existing OS installed on the target system.
  1. Make sure there is a Dell OpenManage Server Administrator utility on the target system.
  2. Open a command prompt and type the following command:
racadm getconfig -g cfgLanNetworking

The object’s property value in “cfgLanNetworking” group will be displayed. The value of the object “cfgNicIpAddress” is the IP address of the DRAC.

Step 2: Knowing That the DRAC Firmware Is Updated

To find the latest DRAC firmware for your system, go to www.support.dell.com and browse to the “Product Support > Drivers and Downloads” page. Select the model of your server (for example, Dell PowerEdge™ 2900). In the “Systems Management” section, find “Dell Remote Access Controller - DRAC 5“ to get the latest available version of the DRAC firmware.

To check the DRAC version of the target system, log in to the DRAC GUI by typing the IP address obtained in Step 1 into a browser window. Click “Remote Access” on the left side of the interface, and select the “Properties” tab.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

If the firmware reported by the DRAC card does not match the newest firmware on the www.support.dell.com page, update it. To update the firmware, download the latest firmware image (named “firmimg.d5”) from the www.support.dell.com link described previously. Then, in the DRAC GUI, navigate to the Remote Access page and click the Update tab. Click the Browse button on this page and select the firmware image you just downloaded. Then click the Update button.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Step 3: Setting Up the Virtual Media

Use the browser to connect to the DRAC GUI, and then select Remote Access > Media tab. Then do the following:

  1. If prompted, follow the on-screen instructions to install the virtual media plug-in.
  2. In the virtual media Attribute box, perform the following steps:
a. In the Value column, ensure that the Attach/Detach status value is Attached.
If the value is Detached, perform the following steps:

1. On the Media tab, click Configuration.
2. In the Value column, ensure that the Attach Virtual Media check box is selected.
3. Click Apply Changes.
4. On the Virtual Media tab, click Virtual Media.
5. On the Value column, ensure that the Attach/Detach status value is Attached.

b. Ensure that the Current Status value is Not connected. If the Value field displays connected, disconnect from the image or drive before reconnecting.
c. Ensure that the Active Session value is Available. If the Value field displays In Use, wait for the existing virtual media session to be released, or terminate it by going to the Session Management tab under Remote Access and terminating the active virtual media session. Only one active virtual media session is allowed at one time. This session could have been created by any Web-based interface or VMCLI utility.
d. Select the Encryption Enabled check box to establish an encrypted connection between the target system and the management station (if desired).

3. Select ISO Image File and enter the location of or browse to the Dell OpenManage™ DVD ISO image file.
4. Click Connect. If the connection is authenticated, the connection status becomes Connected, and a list of all connected drives is displayed. All available drives you selected become available on the target system’s console as though they are real drives.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Step 4: Initiating the OS Installation Through Virtual Media

To start the OS installation through virtual media, first start a Console Redirection session. To start a Console Redirection session, in the DRAC GUI, click System and then select the Console tab, and click Console Redirect. If a console redirection session is available, click Connect. The management station connects to the DRAC 5 and the target system’s desktop appears.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Second, restart the target system. To do so, in the DRAC GUI click System and then select the Power Management tab. Select Reset System and click Apply.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

The target system will boot to the OpenManage DVD ISO image. Select Dell System Build and Update Utility. A page will appear that allows you to choose which OS to install.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Select the one you want to install; it will prepare the OS installation and ask for the OS file.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

At this point, disconnect the original ISO virtual media and re-connect to the OS ISO image. The files have been copied to the target system.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Click Finish to reboot the system. At this point, the system will reboot to a WinPE partition, and the startup program will automatically launch the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 OS in the DVD program. Follow the instructions on the screen, and the OS will be installed.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

The installation screen will be the same as booting up from the Windows Server 2008 OS. However, this installer is actually invoked by a WinPE application. The out-of-box driver has been pre-staged to a location that can be automatically picked up during the install.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

The Windows Server 2008 installation will normally take 15 to 30 minutes.

DRAC5 VirtualMedia Remote Windows 2008 Server Install - The Dell TechCenter

Windows Server 2008 finishes installation by using the virtual media and systems management DVD. The video driver has been installed automatically, hence showing a much better resolution than the standard VGA as packaged in the Windows Server 2008 DVD.

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank Roger Foreman and Scott Hanson for hosting Dell TechCenter as a channel to interact with customers and to improve on customer experience. The authors also appreciate valuable support and feedback from the OS team (Matt Paul and David Waggoner) and systems management team (Brian Plunkett).