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5772
February 22nd, 2005 19:00
Drat the DRAC
I have a PowerEdge 6650. In the user guide, it states on en\Pe6650\UG\305utc11.htm#1057652:
Optional remote access card that provides remote management capabilities for your system. The remote access card allows you to manage and monitor your system through a modem or network connection, even when the system itself is down.
OK, I like it, so I look around and find in the PowerEdge 6650 Frequently Asked Questions:
What Dell supported PCI cards will work with my system?
Below is a list of validated PCI cards for the PowerEdge 6650 system, preceded by their Dell part numbers.
Click on the controller card to be directed to documentation for that card:
Below is a list of validated PCI cards for the PowerEdge 6650 system, preceded by their Dell part numbers.
Click on the controller card to be directed to documentation for that card:
Remote Access Card
313-0870 Dell Remote Assistant Card (DRAC) III W/O MODEM
313-0870 Dell Remote Assistant Card (DRAC) III W/O MODEM
Well, so I order and buy one. Now when I look at the DRAC III Users Guide I see:
The Dell™ Remote Access Card III (DRAC III) is an optional systems management card designed to provide remote management capabilities for Dell PowerEdge™ systems. The DRAC III allows you to remotely manage and monitor the system through a network, optional modem, or optional serial connection, even when the system is down.
and further, in the DRAC III Users Guide under "Installing"...
NOTICE: The DRAC III must be inserted into PCI slot 1 because it must reside on the same bus as the video controller. If another expansion card is installed in slot 1, it must be moved to another slot before proceeding with the installation. OK. I am still happy...however, when I go to install the DRAC into PCI slot 1, after shutting down my production server, I find that PCI1 is a short card slot and the DRAC is a long card.
I check and find:
Viewing the Physical Adapter
DRAC is a standard full-length PCI card.
Then I look at the Dell documentation on the enclosed CD at \en\Pe6650\56ffcaa0.htm
and notice that PCI1 is a short-length card edge receiver.
But DRAC III is long PCI card!!!!
Please advise. I have paid much money and spent much time researching this solution and I am at a standstill.
bjirgens
7 Posts
0
February 23rd, 2005 09:00
You're pictures did not load up so I cannot see exactly what you are referring to. However.... the DRACIII is a 32bit PCI card - Slot 1 on the 6650 is a 32 bit PCI slot (shorter than the rest - it will fit). In terms of the overall length of the card - not the connector - yes slot 1 will take a full lenght card.
Have you actually tried to see if it will work?
tomtowle
3 Posts
0
February 23rd, 2005 15:00
Do you mean that I should "overlap" the 32-bit PC1 card edge receiver slot so that the third card edge section on the DRAC will "hang free" outside not inserted into any card edge slot section?
Dell graphics I tried to include are found on Dell at:
Dell/docs/drac3/ug/drac3aaa.jpg in the User Guide for DRAC
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/RAC/en/is/racugc34.jpg
and
en/Pe6650/IT/56ffcaa5.jpg in the PowerEdge 6650 Install and Troubleshooting documentation
tomtowle
3 Posts
0
February 23rd, 2005 19:00
I see that the long card will fit in the short slot. I see further that no connections on the board seem to go to the pinouts on the card edge sections that will "hang" out side the slot.
It sure seems like a silly design but I guess it was done that way so that it would fit a 64-bit long slot as well.
I wish Dell had included documentation as such. I will try inserting it into PCI1 and see what happens. Will it "plug-n -play" start an installation program?