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Support for Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8

Summary: The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8 (iDRAC8) provides comprehensive, embedded management across the PowerEdge family of servers. The iDRAC8 automation lets your organization grow and provides security to ensure peace of mind. From the variety of tools and technologies in the OpenManage portfolio, you can build a management solution that matches your needs. Users ensure optimal server management by leveraging iDRAC8. ...

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.

Instructions

Dell EMC Intergrated Dell Remote Access Controller

Support for the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8

  • Agent-free local and remote embedded server management
  • Automate with RESTful API with Redfish support
  • Deploy, update, monitor, and maintain your server

The iDRAC provides comprehensive, embedded management across the PowerEdge family of servers, automation that lets your organization grow, and security that ensures peace of mind. From the variety of tools and technologies in the OpenManage portfolio, you can build a management solution that matches your needs. Users ensure optimal server management by leveraging iDRAC8.

Note: iDRAC8 has reached the End of Sale as of December 2021 and reaches the End of Software Maintenance as of February 2024. The last release of iDRAC8 firmware is version 2.86.86.86. Learn more >.


Dell EMC iDRAC8 Server Invetory

Benefits of iDRAC8

Increased Availability: Early notification of failures or potential failures that help prevent a server failure or reduce recovery time after failure.
Improved Productivity and Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Extending the reach of administrators to larger numbers of distant servers can make IT staff more productive while driving down operational costs such as travel.
Secure Environment: By providing secure access to remote servers, administrators can perform critical management functions while maintaining server and network security.

Security is a top priority for iDRAC users. With that in mind, the iDRAC web interface, remote RACADM utility, and WS-Man interfaces all support TLS 1.2. Every web page served by the iDRAC web server is delivered with TLS encryption (unless configured otherwise). Dell also supports encryption on the virtual KVM (virtual console redirection) and virtual media over TLS. The iDRAC Virtual Console and Media also benefit from SSL encryption. Also, the iDRAC firmware is equipped with a default security certificate, which the customer can replace with one of their own.

Enhanced Embedded Management through Lifecycle Controller: Lifecycle Controller provides deployment and simplified serviceability. Deployment is accomplished through the Lifecycle Controller UI or through the Remote Services (WS-Management) interface. The Lifecycle Controller for remote deployment can be integrated with Dell OpenManage Essentials and partner consoles.
Agent-free Management: Agent-free management puts IT administrators in control. Once a PowerEdge server is connected to power and networking, the system can be monitored and managed. Users can access the system from the front panel with a USB drive drive or from a distant location. With no need for software agents, an IT administrator can monitor, manage, update, troubleshoot, and remediate Dell servers regardless of operating system or hypervisor presence. With features like zero-touch deployment, iDRAC8 with Lifecycle Controller extends the administrator's reach to larger numbers of remote servers and increases IT staff productivity.


iDRAC8 System Summary

Features in iDRAC8










 
Feature Benefit
iDRAC Direct Secure front-panel USB connection to iDRAC web interface, which eliminates the need for crash carts or a trip to the hot aisle of your data center. You can use the same port to insert a USB drive drive to upload a new system profile for secure, rapid system configuration.
OpenManage Mobile and Quick Sync Use the OpenManage Mobile app on your handheld device to securely retrieve critical health data and perform bare-metal configuration tasks. Compatible with Android devices
Easy Restore Automatically restore hardware configuration and license information during system board replacement.
SupportAssist Gather all hardware logs, operating system logs (requires iDRAC Service Module) and inventory information required for technical support.
Agent-free Monitoring Monitor hardware and storage device health and performance metrics including memory, CPU, I/O, 12 Gb SAS, and PCIe SSDs.
DRAC RESTful API With this API, iDRAC enables support for the Redfish standard and enhances it with Dell extensions.
Cipher Select Cipher Select is an advanced user setting where the user can choose to block undesired ciphers negotiated by iDRAC, providing increased security.
System Erase With proper authentication, administrators can securely erase data from local storage (HDDs, SSDs, NVMs).
Zero-touch deployment and provisioning When ordered with Zero Touch, PowerEdge servers can be automatically configured when they are initially connected to your network. This process uses a Server Configuration Profile to ensure that each server is set to your specifications.
 

Licensing for iDRAC8

iDRAC8 features are based on the type of the license. For a complete listing of licensed features, expand the following feature list:

iDRAC8 Licensed Features

Feature iDRAC8 Basic iDRAC8 Express iDRAC8 Express for Blades iDRAC8 Enterprise
Interfaces and Standards
IPMI 2.0 Yes Yes Yes Yes
DCMI 1.5 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Web-based UI Yes Yes Yes Yes
RACADM command line (local and remote) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Redfish Yes Yes Yes Yes
SMASH-CLP (SSH-only) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Telnet Yes Yes Yes Yes
SSH Yes Yes Yes Yes
WSMAN Yes Yes Yes Yes
Network Time Protocol No Yes Yes Yes
Connectivity
Shared NIC (LOM) Yes Yes N/A Yes
Dedicated NIC1 Yes Yes Yes Yes2
VLAN tagging Yes Yes Yes Yes
IPv4 Yes Yes Yes Yes
IPv6 Yes Yes Yes Yes
DHCP Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dynamic DNS Yes Yes Yes Yes
Operating system pass-through Yes Yes Yes Yes
Front panel USB Yes Yes Yes Yes
Security
Role-based authority Yes Yes Yes Yes
Local users Yes Yes Yes Yes
SSL encryption Yes Yes Yes Yes
IP blocking No Yes Yes Yes
Directory services (AD, LDAP) No No No Yes
Two-factor authentication (smart card) No No No Yes
Single sign-On (Kerberos) No Yes Yes Yes
PK authentication (for SSH) No Yes Yes Yes
Remote Presence
Power control Yes Yes Yes Yes
Boot control Yes Yes Yes Yes
Serial-over-LAN Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virtual Media No No Yes Yes
Virtual Folders No No No Yes
Remote File Share No No No Yes
Virtual Console No No Single user Six users
VNC connection to operating system No No No Yes
Quality and bandwidth control No No Yes Yes
Virtual Console collaboration (up to six simultaneous users) No No No Yes
Virtual Console chat No No No Yes
Virtual Flash partitions No No No Yes 1,2

Power and Thermal

Automatic power on after loss Yes Yes Yes Yes
Real-time power meter Yes Yes Yes Yes
Power thresholds and alerts (includes headroom). No Yes Yes Yes
Real-time power graphing No Yes Yes Yes
Historical power counters No Yes Yes Yes
Power capping No No No Yes
Power Center integration No No No Yes
Temperature monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
Temperature graphing No Yes Yes Yes

Health Monitoring

Full agent-free monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
Predictive failure monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
SNMP v1, v2, and v3 (traps and gets). Yes Yes Yes Yes
Email Alerting No Yes Yes Yes
Configurable thresholds Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fan monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
Power Supply monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
Memory monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
CPU monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
RAID monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
NIC monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes
HD monitoring (enclosure) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Out of Band Performance Monitoring No No No Yes

Update

Remote agent-free update Yes Yes Yes Yes
Embedded update tools Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sync with repository (scheduled updates). No No No Yes
Autoupdate No No No Yes

Deployment and Configuration

Embedded operating system deployment tools Yes Yes Yes Yes
Embedded configuration tools (iDRAC Settings Utility) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Embedded configuration wizards (Lifecycle Controller wizards) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Auto-Discovery Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote operating system deployment No Yes Yes Yes
Embedded driver pack Yes Yes Yes Yes
Full configuration inventory Yes Yes Yes Yes
Inventory export Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote configuration Yes Yes Yes Yes
Zero-touch configuration No No No Yes
System Retire and Repurpose Yes Yes Yes Yes
Diagnostics, Service, and Logging
Embedded diagnostic tools Yes Yes Yes Yes
Part Replacement Yes Yes Yes Yes
Server Configuration Backup No No No Yes
Server Configuration Restore No No No Yes
Easy Restore (system configuration) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Health LED and LCD Yes Yes Yes Yes
Quick Sync (require NFC bezel). Yes Yes N/A Yes
iDRAC Direct(front USB management port) Yes Yes Yes Yes
iDRAC Service Module (iSM) Yes Yes Yes Yes
SupportAssist Collection (embedded) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Crash screen capture5 No Yes Yes Yes
Crash video capture5 No No No Yes
Boot capture No No No Yes
Manual reset for iDRAC Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virtual NMI Yes Yes Yes Yes
Operating system watchdog Yes Yes Yes Yes
Embedded Health Report Yes Yes Yes Yes
System event log Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lifecycle Log Yes Yes Yes Yes
Work notes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote Syslog No No No Yes
License management Yes Yes Yes Yes
[1] Requires vFlash SD card media.
[2] 500 series and lower rack and tower servers require a hardware card to enable this feature; this hardware is offered at additional cost.
[3] Remote agent-free update feature is available only using IPMI.
[4] Available only using IPMI
[5] Requires OMSA agent on target server.
iDRAC Licenses: Basic, Express, and Enterprise

iDRAC8 default licenses included with PowerEdge servers by model.
iDRAC Licenses and Server Model 100-500 Series Rack, Tower, and Modular 600+ Rack, Tower, and Modular
Basic: Basic instrumentation with iDRAC web UI This is the default license included with 100-500 series rack and tower servers. Standard N/A
Express: All the features of Basic and expanded remote management and server life-cycle features are part of this default license, which is included with 600+ series rack, tower, and modular servers. Upgrade Standard
Enterprise: All the features of Express and additional remote presence features with advanced, Enterprise-class, management capabilities Upgrade Upgrade

An iDRAC license is a perpetual license that is valid for the life of a server, and can be bound to the Service Tag of only one server at a time. Upgraded iDRAC license can be included at the time of server purchase or purchased separately and downloaded from Dell Digital Locker.

Trial License:
  • A 30-day evaluation Enterprise trial license is available to fully test and experience all the features to help with a purchasing decision. Learn More and download >
Upgrade License:
  • To upgrade an iDRAC license, contact your local Dell sales representative.
Downloading an upgraded or replacing a lost license:
  • The iDRAC license can be downloaded from Dell Digital Locker. License keys are stored online and can be downloaded if needed. If an existing license key in not available in the Dell Digital Locker or there is an issue with a license key, contact Dell Technical Support or Customer Care.

Managing iDRAC Licenses

iDRAC licenses can be managed on either an individual server basis or through the Dell License Manager which is a one-to-many license and deployment tool.
  • Individual server
    Utilize iDRAC to manage the license for an individual server. iDRAC web interface, License tab can be used to import, export licenses or the RACADM CLI License command can be used to manage licenses as described in the RACADM CLI Guide.
  • Group of servers
    Dell License Manager is a one-to-many license deployment and reporting tool for OpenManage Enterprise Advanced, iDRAC, and CMC licenses. By using License Manager, you can download, bind, deploy, inventory and back up OpenManage Enterprise Advanced Licenses as well as iDRAC, CMC, and storage sled licenses. This tool can also inventory licensable systems to report the licensing status and features of the enabled management controller.

iDRAC8 Firmware Update

Update to latest iDRAC8 Firmware

Note: iDRAC8 has reached the End of Sale as of December 2021 and reaches the End of Software Maintenance in February 2024. The last scheduled release of iDRAC8 firmware is version 2.86.86.86.  
  • End of Sale Date
    • The last date to purchase a Dell OEM PowerEdge server with iDRAC firmware through Dell Technologies.
    • After this date, there is no planned feature release.
    • Security updates and issue fixes are addressed on a as needed basis.
  • End of Software Maintenance Date
    • The last date for Dell iDRAC Engineering to release any software maintenance releases or issue fixes.
    • After this date, iDRAC Engineering is no longer obligated to maintain or repair the firmware.
    • The planned End of Software Maintenance date is 3 years after the End of Sale date.
  • Hardware compared with iDRAC Firmware Support
    • iDRAC hardware is covered under the server hardware contract.
    • Active hardware support contracts continue to receive hardware support for the life of the contract.
    • iDRAC firmware support is not tied to the hardware support contract.
    • Released iDRAC firmware updates are available regardless of support contract.

Dell Technologies recommends keeping your system up to date with the latest iDRAC8 firmware available. This ensures the best performance and the latest security updates and issue fixes. iDRAC updates do not require a reboot of the host, allowing for in-place updates. The iDRAC8 firmware version for a server model may vary from other server models with iDRAC8. To download the latest iDRAC8 firmware for your system:

  • Go to Dell.com/support and select the server model or enter the service tag.
  • Select the Drivers & Downloads tab
  • Select Category iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller
  • Optionally, select the Operating system for your system
  • Download the latest version for iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller firmware

Resources for iDRAC8

Community

Engage in the Systems Management community to find:

  • Boards to post questions and answers
  • Blogs to read and comment on articles
  • Idea exchanges to improve products and vote for ideas that other community members have posted
  • And more….

Documentation

Select your iDRAC8 firmware version, then the Documentation tab for the version-specific documentation.

White Papers and Server Configuration Profiles (SCP) Files

iDRAC Service Module - iDRAC Access using Host Operating System


January 2017
17 page white paper
This White Paper provides information about the usage and troubleshooting of iDRAC Access by Host Operating System feature in iDRAC Service Module v2.3 or later.

Read the white paper

iDRAC Service Module - Enable In-Band iDRAC SNMP Alerts


January 2017
13 page white paper
This White Paper provides information about the usage, configuration, and troubleshooting of In-Band iDRAC SNMP Alerts in iDRAC Service Module v2.3 or later.

Read the white paper

iDRAC Service Module-How to perform an iDRAC CPU Hard Reset


July 2016
8 page white paper
This White Paper provides information about the usage and troubleshooting of the iDRAC CPU Hard Reset feature in iDRAC Service Module v2.3 or later.

Read the white paper

iDRAC Service Module 2.1 (min) on Ubuntu and Debian Linux Operating Systems


September 2015
19 page white paper
This White Paper provides information about the usage and troubleshooting of iDRAC Service Module v2.1 or later on Ubuntu and Debian Linux Operating systems.

Read the white paper

iDRAC Service Module - Windows Management Instrumentation


April 2015
17 page white paper
This White paper is about using iDRAC Service Module to monitor the various hardware profiles through the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) client interfaces such as Windows PowerShell, Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line, Windows Remote Management client (WINRM), WBEMTEST.

Read the white paper

Videos

Introducing OpenManage Mobile and Quick Sync 2

 

Demonstration of OpenManage Mobile and PowerEdge servers with Quick Sync 2

July 2017

OpenManage Mobile and iDRAC8 QuickSync Overview

 

An overview of the iDRAC QuickSync system, including the NFC bezel and OMM software

April 2020

iDRAC8 Quick Sync

 

How to install the iDRAC Quick Sync bezel, and use Open Manage Mobile to view and change server configurations.

April 2020

Connect to iDRAC8 and Change default password.

 

Be sure to change the default password on your equipment to something more secure. How to connect to iDRAC8 and change the password either at the first run prompt, from the web UI or from the command line.

April 2020

iDRAC8 Lifecycle Controller video playlist

 

iDRAC8 with Lifecycle Controller playlist of videos

Affected Products

iDRAC8, PowerEdge M830 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge R230, PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge R430, PowerEdge R530, PowerEdge R530xd, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd, PowerEdge R830, PowerEdge R930, PowerEdge T130, PowerEdge T330, PowerEdge T430 , PowerEdge T630 ...

Products

PowerEdge C4130, PowerEdge c6320, PowerEdge c6320p, Poweredge FC430, Poweredge FC630, Poweredge FC830, PowerEdge M630, PowerEdge M630 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M830
Article Properties
Article Number: 000178044
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 24 Jul 2024
Version:  18
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