POWEREDGE

FEATURES,
ADMINISTRATION, AND
TROUBLESHOOTING
LAB GUIDE_2023
Version [1]

PARTICIPANT GUIDE

PARTICIPANT GUIDE
 Dell Confidential and Proprietary

Copyright © 2023 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell, EMC and other
trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be
trademarks of their respective owners.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Lab Environment 5

Introduction 6

The iDRAC User Interface 8

The System Menu - Processors and Memory 11
Power Features 14
Virtual AC Cycle 16
The Storage Menu 17
Cooling 19
NICs and PCIe Cards 22
The Configuration Menu 23
RACADM 27
Virtual Console 30
Lifecycle Controller Navigation 33
System Setup Utility Exploration 38
iSM 45
OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) 48
Configuring RAID using IDRAC 55
Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options 58
Server Configuration Profile 62
Performing a SupportAssist Collection 63
iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools 65
Embedded System Diagnostics 68
Summarizing the PowerEdge Features, Administration, and Troubleshooting
Lab 70
Conclusion 70

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 PowerEdge Features, Administration, and Troubleshooting Lab Guide_2023

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 Introduction to Lab Environment

Introduction to Lab Environment

Important Information

• Chrome 18 or higher is the recommended browser.

• Other supported browsers include: Firefox 13 or higher, Safari 7 (Mac),
Internet Explorer (10 or higher).
• Browser settings should accept cookies, run JavaScript, and allow web
sockets.
• Note: Due to the complexity and size of this vApp, it could take 10
minutes to load and start.
• If you have performance issues or problems accessing the VMware®
Learning Platform, go to Bandwidth Test, Browser Compatibility, and
Connectivity Test for VLP.

Be Careful Using the End Button.

NOTE: Facilitated labs do not use the END button.

• If you click the END button and confirm, you cannot return to the lab
again.
• To get credit for your on demand labs, you MUST click the End button
in the lab within the allotted time.

Objective: Connect to Your Lab Environment

The tasks to perform in this lab are:

• View Lab Topology
• Log In to Your Lab Environment

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 Introduction to Lab Environment

Introduction

Lab Instructions

To complete these lab exercises, you will be logging into a management

station (jump box). From there you will be using a browser to access your
target server iDRAC and either an RDP session or the iDRAC Virtual
Console to access your target server operating system.

You will be completing the majority of the lab exercises by accessing your
target server's iDRAC and operating system.

You should receive a handout stating the login information including IP

addresses and credentials for your management station and your target
server. ONLY use the systems that are allocated to you to avoid conflicts
with other student's lab exercises.

Lab Topology
Review dedicated Lab Environment.

1. In this class, you have a dedicated lab environment including:

• [List student resources here]

• [Example: Windows 2012 Client]

• [Resource]

• [Resource]

• [And so on, as needed]

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 Introduction to Lab Environment

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 The iDRAC User Interface

The iDRAC User Interface

Scenario: Explore the elements of the iDRAC User Interface

(UI)

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Log in to the iDRAC UI.
• Navigate and select different elements of the Dashboard.

The iDRAC UI
Log in and explore the PowerEdge server features using the iDRAC UI.

1. Access the iDRAC UI:

a. Open a web browser and enter [Link]

Address>

If you receive a warning about the website certificate, accept the warning
and continue to this website.

b. Log in with the default credentials.

2. The log in landing page is the Dashboard. Review the Dashboard and
note sections as outlined in the training content.

3. Explore the Dashboard.

a. Under the Health Information, you should see a list of

green check marks – if not inform your instructor. The green
checks indicate that the subsystems are working and
healthy.

b. Items in blue are links which enable users to click them to

get more details or perform configuration options. Click some
of the blue links and observe the navigation and information.
Return to the Dashboard before proceeding.

4. Note the Dashboard elements:

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 The iDRAC User Interface

a. The System Information is displayed in the center of the

Dashboard. The information are the essential server details.

b. The Task Summary section provides a listing of jobs that

are either pending, in progress, or completed.

c. The Virtual Console section provides a preview of what is

displayed on the server along with the options to view the
settings and launch the Virtual Console.

d. The Recent Logs section enables users to view the most

recent log entries.

e. The Notes section is below the Recent Logs. Users can

add notes that are then included in the log entries. For
example, you can add a work note that you are testing the
system. You can then add another work note stating when
you have finished. If users review the logs at a later stage
and notices that the server was powered on and off several
times within a certain timeframe, the notes would show that it
occurred while you were testing the system.

f. Other Dashboard elements:

i. Search bar.

ii. A lock icon that is normally in the unlocked position.

The icon enables or disables the lockdown feature.

iii. A user icon that displays information about the current

user and the option to log out.

iv. A help icon. The help feature is useful to explain the

functions of the various iDRAC9 features.

5. Dashboard buttons:

a. The Graceful Shutdown button: Click the Power Cycle

System (cold boot) option, click OK at the warning
message then click OK again at the success message.

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 The iDRAC User Interface

i. You should see the system rebooting in the Virtual

Console preview screen. User can click the Help icon
to view the functions of the other options available in
the drop down menu.

b. The LED On provides an option to turn the system

identification LED on or off.

c. The More Actions presents the options to Reboot iDRAC

and to the Turn on the System Lockdown Mode. The Reboot
iDRAC option performs a reset procedure on the iDRAC.
While the reset operation is performed, users are logged out
of the iDRAC.

6. Explore the iDRAC menu options. Users can navigate to the menu
pages by clicking the menu option and selecting the page from the
sub menu or by clicking the option from the menu dropdown. For
example, users can navigate to the System > Overview option by
clicking Overview from the drop-down options or click System and
then clicking the Details sub menu.

a. Select the System option and note the sub menu options
and pages.

b. Select the Storage option and note the sub menu options
and pages.

c. Select the Configuration option and note the sub menu

options and pages.

d. Select the Maintenance option and note the sub menu

options and pages.

e. Select the iDRAC Settings option and note the sub menu
options and pages.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 The System Menu - Processors and Memory

The System Menu - Processors and Memory

Scenario: Discover the processor and memory information

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Explore the System options
• Gather processor and memory information

The System Menu

Log in to the iDRAC UI and explore the information in the System menu.

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select the System menu option.

a. What are the submenu pages of the System option?

3. Explore System > Overview options.

a. Click the CPU box.

How many CPUs does are installed in the server?

How many CPU cores does the CPU have?

i. Click the "+" icon and observe the CPU information

displayed.

b. Click the "-" icon to collapse the window and return to the
Overview page.

c. Click the box that is labeled Memory.

Memory attributes such as total installed memory capacity are seen

here. Also, note that the Individual Memory Details section displays
memory status, connector name, type, size, state, rank, and speed.

How many DIMM slots does the server have?

How many DIMMs are populated?

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 The System Menu - Processors and Memory

What is the speed of the DIMM?

4. Click the box that is labeled Memory.

a. Observer the information.

Memory attributes such as total installed memory capacity are seen

here. Also, note that the Individual Memory Details section displays
memory status, connector name, type, size, state, rank, and speed.

How many DIMM slots does the server have?

How many DIMMs are populated?

What is the speed of the DIMM?

5. Navigate and explore the options under System > Details.

a. Expand the System Details page. Observe the information

provided.

i. Note the Change link in blue in the Power State

status field. Click Change. The link opens the
Configuration Management page.

ii. Navigate back to System > Details.

b. Collapse the System Details section and expand the

iDRAC Details section and observe the displayed
information. The information includes the iDRAC IP address,
subnet mask, and gateway.

There is an Edit option for the iDRAC License. Never delete the
license without first exporting it to a safe location.

c. Close the iDRAC Details section and Click System >

Inventory in the submenu bar.

6. Open the System > Inventory in the submenu bar.

a. View the information in the Firmware Inventory section.

This information is useful when viewing and verifying the different

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 The System Menu - Processors and Memory

firmware versions installed in the system.

b. View the Hardware Inventory section and explore the range

of hardware information provided. Detailed component
information is found in this location.

7. Click System > Performance in the submenu bar.

This section displays the performance and usage information about

CPU, Memory, I/O, and SYS Usage. Take a few moments to observe
the information. The Reset Historical Park Values on the right side
for each item is disabled in the simulator.

8. Click System > Host OS in the submenu bar.

Details are only available if the iDRAC Service Module is installed.

The iDRAC Service Module is not installed.

STOP: You have completed the System menu exploration and gather
processor and memory information.

Navigate to the Dashboard before beginning the next activity.

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 Power Features

Power Features

Scenario: Explore the Power features

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Gather power information

Power Features
Log in to the iDRAC UI and explore the information in the System and
Configuration menu.

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select System > Overview options.

a. Explore the box labeled Batteries. You are presented with

the status of the CMOS battery and the PERC battery. The
PERC batteries status is unknown.

3. Click the Power box to show a detailed summary of the installed

power supplies with information displayed such as wattage, health,
and so on.

How many PSUs are installed?

What is the failure threshold for the system board power consumption
probe?

4. Click the Voltages box to list of all the voltage probes within the
server along with their status and reading.

5. Click Configuration in the iDRAC UI menu.

The Power Management page is the default page for the

Configuration menu.

6. Note the three sections – Power Control, Power Cap Policy, and
Power Configuration. Use the drop-down menu against Power
Control to observe the different power control options.

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 Power Features

Take a few moments to study the other options before proceeding to

the next step.

STOP: You have completed the exploration of the power features.

Navigate to the Dashboard before beginning the next activity.

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 Virtual AC Cycle

Virtual AC Cycle

Scenario: Logically disconnect the server using the Virtual AC

Cycle, which is useful for troubleshooting purposes.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Use the Virtual AC Cycle to logically disconnect the server.

Virtual AC Cycle
1. Log in to the iDRAC UI and open a Virtual Console session.

2. In the iDRAC UI, select Configuration in the menu bar then click
BIOS Settings in the menu bar.

a. Scroll down to expand Miscellaneous Settings.

b. Use the drop-down menu against Power Cycle Reset and

select Full Power Cycle then click Apply.

c. Click OK at the success message.

3. Click Apply And Reboot then click OK.

4. Observe the reboot process using the Virtual Console session.

a. After a few moments log back in to the iDRAC interface.

During the reboot process, you will lose connection to the iDRAC
interface and the Virtual Console session.

5. Navigate to Maintenance > Lifecycle Log and observe any entries

for the reboot.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 The Storage Menu

The Storage Menu

Scenario: Explore the elements of the Storage menu:

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Explore the information in the Storage menu and gather information.

The Storage Menu

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Click Storage in the menu bar. What are the two submenu options?

The two submenu options are Overview and Tasks.

3. On the Storage > Overview page, select the box that is labeled
Summary. The Summary page shows information about the disks. It
shows a graphical view of the backplane and installed disks along
with how many physical disks are installed and how many virtual
disks are present.

In the Physical Disks section, note the different status options:

Ready, Online, Foreign, and so on.

4. View the Recently logged storage events at the bottom of the page.

5. Click the Controllers button and then expand the ‘+’ sign against
your PERC controller.

a. The page shows detailed information for the PERC

controller. Note the SAS Address, Patrol Read Rate, Check
Consistency Rate, and Rebuild Rate. Use the Help function
to learn more about any option.

What is the maximum speed of the PERC?

6. Click the Physical Disks box.

Notice that you can Blink or Unblink the disk LEDs. Why would "blinking"
be useful?

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 The Storage Menu

Which disks are available to add to a RAID group?

a. Expand the ‘+’ against your first disk and observe the
information being displayed.

b. Click Filter Options > Advanced Filter and study the

different types of filters that can be applied.

c. Click the box that is labeled Virtual Disks and explore the
information being displayed.

7. Click the Enclosures box and on then expand the ‘+’ beside the
backplane. Review the summary of slots.

STOP: You have completed the exploration of the storage features.

Navigate to the Dashboard before beginning the next activity.

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 Cooling

Cooling

Scenario: Explore the Cooling features

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Gather cooling information

Cooling
Log in to the iDRAC UI and explore the cooling and temperature
information.

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select System > Overview options.

a. Click the box labeled Cooling. The Cooling Overview and

Temperature Overview information displays. Notice that next
to some of the items, a blue information icon is shown. If you
hover over an icon, a pop-up with additional information is
presented. This option is not active in the simulator.

i. Expand the Fans section to see the detailed fan

information. Notice that each fan has a unique
number to aid in troubleshooting. Also note the RPMs
across the fans are often different.

The RPM is different because each fan provides airflow to different

sections of the server. The iDRAC raises and lowers the RPM based
on temperatures that are reported throughout these different sections.

What type of fan is used in the server?

ii. Scroll up and then expand the Temperatures option

to show the temperature probe information.

1. Note the temperature reading for each Probe

is displayed. For example: System Board Inlet
Temperature.

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 Cooling

2. Under System Inlet Temperature Historical

Data, you can use the drop-down menu to
select information as Last Day, Last Month, or
Last Year. This function is disabled in the
simulator.

3. You can also move your cursor along the

graph to see detailed information. This
function is disabled in the simulator.

b. Collapse the Temperature option and click the Configure

Cooling link in blue. The link brings you to the
Configuration > System Settings > Hardware Settings >
Cooling Configuration page.

What is the minimum fan speed threshold?

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 Cooling

STOP: You have completed the exploration of the cooling options.

Navigate to the Dashboard before beginning the next activity.

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 NICs and PCIe Cards

NICs and PCIe Cards

Scenario: Explore the Network Devices and PCIe Slots

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Gather NIC and PCIe slot information

NICs and PCIe Cards

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select System > Overview options.

a. Click the Network Devices box to show the network devices

installed in the server.

How many NIC Devices are listed?

i. Click the NIC device name or the submenu to show

the device details.

What is the link status of each NIC port?

b. Click PCIe Slots box to display the details of the PCIe cards
installed in the server.

Observe the information in the PCIe Slot Details.

What PCIe card form factor can use slot 3 in the server?

What CPU controls the PCIe slot?

STOP: You have completed the activity.

Navigate to the Dashboard before beginning the next activity.

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 The Configuration Menu

The Configuration Menu

Scenario: Explore the elements of the Configuration menu:

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Log in to the iDRAC UI.
• Explore the information in the Configuration menu.

The Configuration Menu

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Click Configuration in the menu.

The Power Management page is the default page for the

Configuration menu. If you are not viewing the Power Management
page, navigate to Configuration > Power Management.

3. Note the three sections – Power Control, Power Cap Policy and
Power Configuration. Use the drop-down menu against Power
Control to observe the different power control options.

See the online help function to learn more about the features. Take a
few moments to study the other options before proceeding to the next
step.

4. Click Virtual Console in the menu bar.

The Virtual Console settings allow you to change the Virtual Console
options. The Active Sessions section displays how many active
Virtual Console sessions are currently in use.

Max Sessions – you are allowed up to six active session

simultaneously.

a. Use the help function to locate information on video

encryption and local server video.

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 The Configuration Menu

Important: From IDRAC9 firmware 6.00.00 there is no

option to change the plugin to Java and ActiveX for
vConsole, vMedia, and RFS. The only option is eHTML5
and unlike previous firmware versions there is not the
option to change the plugin from eHTML5.

b. A feature in the iDRAC9 is the VNC Server option. Use the

help function to learn how this feature can be used on a
mobile device.

5. The Virtual Console settings allow you to change the Virtual

Console options. We will be exploring the Virtual Console in a later
lab exercise, but for now, note:

a. The Active Sessions section displays how many active

Virtual Console sessions are currently in use.

b. Max Sessions – you are allowed up to six active session

simultaneously.

6. Click Virtual Media in the menu bar.

Virtual Media allows us to attach a remote device such as a DVD,

removable disk, or file share to the local server.

7. Click Licenses in the menu bar.

a. Click ‘+’ just below the status heading to expand the iDRAC
license details.

8. Click ‘+’ just below the status heading to expand the iDRAC license
details. The iDRAC license details are displayed as well as the drop-
down option to Export, Delete, or Learn More.

Important: Do not delete the license.

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 The Configuration Menu

9. Click System Settings in the menu bar then expand the Alert
Configuration heading where you have the option to disable or
enable the iDRAC alerts.

a. Expand the following subheadings and examine the options

using the help function for clarification of any items that you
are unsure of:

i. Alert Configuration > Alerts > Alert Configuration

ii. Alert Configuration > SNMP Traps Configuration

iii. Alert Configuration > SMTP (Email) Configuration

iv. Alert Configuration > Remote Syslog Settings

v. Alert Configuration > Test Event

vi. Alert Configuration > Alert Recurrence

vii. Redfish Eventing > Redfish Event Settings

10. Expand the System Settings > Hardware Settings heading then
click each of the following subheadings and examine the available
options. Not all options may be available, depending on your system:

a. Cooling Configuration

b. iDRAC Quick Sync

c. Front Panel Configuration

d. First Boot Device

e. Front Ports

f. I/O Identify Optimization

g. SSD Wear Thresholds

11. Click Asset Tracking in the menu bar and use the Help function to
read about this section.

12. Click BIOS Settings in the menu bar.

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 The Configuration Menu

a. Review the different headings to ensure that you understand

the available options, using the help feature where possible,
to gain additional knowledge.

i. Memory Settings

ii. Processor Settings

iii. Boot Settings

iv. Integrated Devices > Slot Disablement

v. Miscellaneous Settings

Important: Before 14G system the BIOS settings could

only be viewed by rebooting the server and entering the
F2 system setup. From 14G onwards you can view the
setting from this page in the iDRAC9. You can also
change the setting from this page but changes require a
reboot of the server to apply the settings.

13. Click Server Configuration Profile in the menu bar.

This page is used to import and export server configuration profiles.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 RACADM

RACADM

Scenario: Install and run racadm commands

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Log in to the iDRAC UI
• Install the iDRAC tools
• Run racadm commands

RACADM
1. From the Windows VM (Win VM) open the class files folder on the
share and navigate to the Tools folder.

2. Copy both the putty file and the iDRAC Tools file (normally named
something similar to OM-DRAC-Dell-Web-WINX64-xxxxxx) file to
your desktop.

3. Right-click the iDRAC Tools file and select Run as administrator.

4. Accept the default folder, click Unzip, click OK at the success

message and then close the WinZip window.

5. Navigate to the C:\OpenManage folder, and double-click the

iDRACTools_x64.msi file.

6. Click Next, accept the license agreement and click Next.

7. Click Next at the Destination Folder window, click Install then click
Finish.

8. Now navigate to the location of where RACADM is installed – by

default this location will be C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\
iDRACTools\racadm

a. Open up a command prompt and type cd C:\Program

Files\Dell\SysMgt\iDRACTools\racadm

9. Open a command prompt window and enter each of the following

commands then study the results. The command format is “racadm -r

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 RACADM

<ip address or hostname> -u <username> -p <password>

<subcommand>”

a. racadm -r <target iDRAC IP> -u root -p

calvin get [Link]

Provides a list of attributes for a specific group (for example,

MemSettings).

10. Right-click the Putty file and select Run as administrator.

11. Enter the IP Address of your iDRAC then click Open.

12. When the Command Prompt window opens, enter the iDRAC
credentials.

a. If you receive a PuTTY Security Alert, click Yes.

13. Let us get that same information again via PuTTY. Enter each of the
following commands, then study the results.

a. To see a list of attributes for a specific group (for example,

MemSettings) run racadm get [Link]

b. To check the job status of all the jobs or a specific job using
the job queue view command run racadm jobqueue
view

c. To get the current value of the NIC config run racadm

getniccfg

d. To get the state of the LED on a module run racadm

getled

e. To get the hardware inventory of the server run racadm

hwinventory

14. Spend some time looking at some of the available racadm commands
by using the racadm help command.

a. DO NOT run these commands, but locate the racreset

and racresetcfg commands.

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 RACADM

The racreset command will reset the iDRAC. The racresetcfg

will reset the iDRAC back to the factory default settings including
resetting the security and IP Address. DO NOT run this command.

15. Close the putty window.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Virtual Console

Virtual Console

Scenario: Access the Virtual Console and launch the Lifecycle

Controller .

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Open and explore the virtual console
• Reboot the server to the Lifecycle controller

Virtual Console
1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. On the Dashboard, click the Settings options that is to the right in

the Virtual Console section.

The Settings links to the Configuration > Virtual Console page.

3. Across to the right, click Start the Virtual Console (in blue). The
Virtual Console can also be launched from the Dashboard page.

4. The virtual console opens in a separate browser. If you receive a

certificate warning click continue to the website. After accepting the
certificate close the virtual console window down and reopen it. If you
have trouble opening a Virtual Console session, inform your
instructor.

5. In the Virtual Console window, click Boot on the Virtual Console

menu bar.

a. The different boot options are shown. To see how you select
an option, click Lifecycle Controller.

i. A window appears asking if you want to continue.

Click No.

6. Click the Power box that is on the Virtual Console menu bar. The
different power commands are listed.

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 Virtual Console

a. Click Power Cycle System (cold boot) and click Yes at the
warning box. Observe what happens.

During the power on process, you can see the complete power on
procedure as if you were observing the local monitor of the server.
You can press hot keys to access the System Setup or Lifecycle
Controller.

b. Allow the server to reboot.

7. Click the Chat box that is located on the Virtual Console menu bar.

a. Click Cancel.

If there are other iDRAC users who are logged in, the chat enables
conversation between the users.

8. Click the Keyboard box that is located on the Virtual Console menu
bar.

This keyboard allows you to input commands and information if your

keyboard is not operational.

a. Click the 'X' in the upper right corner of the keyboard image.

9. Click the Screen Capture box that is located on the Virtual Console
menu bar.

a. Click Folder icon.

i. To view the captured image, use Paint on your

desktop to open and view the image.

ii. Close the folder window (plus close the image if you
opened it).

10. The Refresh, and Full Screen boxes are self-explanatory.

11. Click the Connect Virtual Media box that is on the Virtual Console
menu bar.

The Map CD/DVD option allows you to connect to a remote CD or

DVD to your server. Servers can boot from the mapped images and

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 Virtual Console

files. Also, the host operating system can use the virtual media as a
local device to install an application in the host operating system.

a. Click Close to close the Virtual Media window.

12. Before disconnecting the viewer, click Console Controls in the menu
bar.

a. Use the drop-down menu against Keyboard Macros to

observe the different options.

Console Control is an important feature. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete

passes the key combination to your server and allows you to log in to
your remote server operating system.

b. The Aspect Ratios can Maintain or Don't Maintain. The

HTML5 virtual console video image automatically adjusts the
size to make the image visible. Change the aspect ratio from
Maintain to Don’t Maintain and select Apply.

i. The screen goes to full size. Go back to the drop

down menu and change the option back to Maintain
and select Apply.

c. The Touch Mode alters the touch sensitivity when using a

tablet, smart-phone or touch screen on a laptop.

13. Click Close to close the Console Controls window.

Click Disconnect Viewer to return to the Dashboard.

STOP: You have completed the activity.

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 Lifecycle Controller Navigation

Lifecycle Controller Navigation

Scenario: Explore the Lifecycle Controller

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Log in to the iDRAC UI.
• Explore the options in the Lifecycle Controller.

Lifecycle Controller Navigation

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI and open a Virtual Console session window.

2. Reboot your server and press the <F10> to access the Lifecycle
Controller during the power on procedure. Allow the system to boot to
the Lifecycle Controller.

As an alternative, you can choose the Lifecycle Controller from the

Boot tab on the Virtual Console.

The first time you access the Lifecycle Controller you are often sent
to the Settings page straight away, asking you for your Language and
Keyboard Type. If you get asked for these options, enter the
information.

3. At the Lifecycle Controller main page, you will see the system tree on
the left and you will see Quick Launch Tasks under Things to Do in
the main area. Click Lifecycle Log in the system tree, then click
View Lifecycle Log History.

a. Observe the different options in the Filter By Category box.

4. Click Storage in the Filter by Category drop-down and observe the

events displayed.

5. Click Back. Then Click Add a work note to Lifecycle Log.

a. Enter a sample work note of “testing” and then select OK.

b. Click OK at the success box.

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 Lifecycle Controller Navigation

6. Select View Lifecycle Log History and click Work Notes in the filter
by category drop-down to see if your note has been added.

a. Click Back.

7. Click Firmware Update in the system tree.

a. Click Launch Firmware Update.

From here, you can elect to have the Lifecycle Controller download
any firmware updates direct from the Dell FTP server or from a Local
Drive (CD or DVD or USB) or Network Share.

b. Click Back.

8. Click Launch Firmware Rollback.

a. In this case, we are not performing any rollback operations

so select Back.

If any components have already been updated using the Lifecycle

Controller, they are displayed along with the current levels.

9. Click View Current Versions to display what is currently installed on

your system.

a. Click Back, and then select Hardware Configuration in the

system tree.

10. Click Configuration Wizards.

a. Click iDRAC Settings.

This takes you to the iDRAC Settings section within the System
Setup Utility which will we be exploring in a later lab exercise.

b. Click Finish.

11. Click System Time and Date Configuration and ensure that these
are correct based on where the server is physically located.

a. Click Back.

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 Lifecycle Controller Navigation

12. Click RAID Configuration.

a. View the displayed information.

Warning: DO NOT make any changes in the RAID

Configuration settings because any changes or additions
may delete all existing virtual disks.

b. Click Back, and then click Back again.

13. Click Hardware Inventory.

a. Click View Current Inventory.

Explore the information that is displayed here and use the Filter to
narrow down the various fields.

b. Click Back.

14. Click Factory Shipped Inventory (if available) and observe the
displayed information.

a. Think about how this option can be useful.

b. Click Back.

c. If factory inventory is greyed out, click the help tab to find out
what could have occurred to make it not available.

15. Click Collect System Inventory on Restart and ensure that it is Enabled.

a. Use the help function to understand the role of this feature.

b. Click Back and then click Back again to return to the

Hardware Configuration page.

16. Click Repurpose or Retire System.

a. Click Back.

Observe the information found here but DO NOT make any

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selections here as we are not ready to retire this server. Notice that
you can select individual components.

17. Click OS Deployment in the system tree and then click Deploy OS.

a. If you receive a message stating that it is unable to find a

device capable or reading the operating system media and
do you want to reboot now, click No.

Again we do not want to go any further as we already have an

operating system that is installed on this server. Note that you can
configure RAID before you start the operating system Deployment
function in case you have not already configured your RAID.

b. If you are now displayed Step 1 or 5 (because it has found a

device capable of reading the operating system media), click
Back.

18. Click Platform Restore in the system tree.

a. From here, you have the option to import a server license.

Select Import Server License and press help to see the
licenses which can be uploaded.

19. Click Part Replacement Configuration.

a. Click Back.

This menu allows you to set which options you require for any
replaced hardware parts so take a few minutes to ensure that you
understand how each option would operate. Use the help function to
understand more about the available options.

20. Click Hardware Diagnostics in the system tree. We will be exploring

this feature in a later lab exercise.

a. Click Back, and then click Settings in the system tree.

This is where you can define your Language, Keyboard, and Network
Setting options.

21. Click System Setup in the system tree.

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 Lifecycle Controller Navigation

a. Click Advanced Hardware Configuration where you are

now directed to the System Setup Utility which will we be
exploring in a later lab exercise.

b. Click Finish to return to the Lifecycle Controller menu.

22. Exit from the Lifecycle Controller and allow the server to reboot,

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

System Setup Utility Exploration

Scenario: Use the Virtual Console to reboot the server and then
log in to the System Setup Utility. Explore the settings in the
System Setup utility.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Reboot into System Setup
• Explore the information in the System Setup utility.
• Create RAID storage

System Setup Utility

Tip: Although iDRAC9 can access the BIOS settings

through the iDRAC UI, the System Setup utility also
features additional functions such as Device Settings.

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI and open a Virtual Console session window.

2. Reboot your server and access the System Setup utility, press <F2>
when requested. Alternatively, select BIOS Setup from the Boot tab in
the virtual console menu and then reboot the server.

3. At the main System Setup Main Menu, click System BIOS and then
click System Information, and observe the BIOS version and the
UEFI Compliance version.

4. Click System Information, and observe the BIOS version and the
UEFI Compliance version.

a. Click Back.

5. Click Memory Settings and observe the information presented.

a. Click Back.

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

6. Click Processor Settings and explore the information found here.

a. Use the help feature to understand the roles of the different

settings.

i. Use the drop-down menu against the Number of

Cores per Processor to observe the available options.
(Use the Help function for additional information about
any options).

ii. Click Back.

7. Click SATA Settings and review.

a. Click Back.

8. Click NVMe Settings and review. Use the help function to

understand the function of this option.

a. Click Back.

9. Click Boot Settings. Your Boot Mode should be set to UEFI for this
training lab, if not inform your instructor.

a. Click UEFI Boot Settings (blue link) and observe the

bootable devices that are currently enabled or disabled.

b. Click UEFI Boot Sequence. From here, you can specify the
boot sequence for your server.

c. Click Cancel then click Back twice to return to the System

BIOS Settings screen.

10. From the System BIOS Settings menu, click Network Settings and
observe the different settings.

a. Click Back to return to the System BIOS Settings menu.

11. Click Integrated devices and note that you can switch various USB
ports on or off.

a. Click Slot Disablement (at the bottom of the page in blue).

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

b. Click the Help tab to learn what happens when Boot driver is
set to disabled.

c. Click Back, and then click Back again.

12. Click Serial Communication and observe the serial settings.

a. Click Back.

13. Click System Profile Settings and explore the various options in the
System Profile drop-down box and observe how the settings change.

a. Use the Help function to learn more about the settings.

b. Ensure that the original System Profile setting is selected

and then click Back.

14. Click System Security.

DO NOT set any passwords currently – observe the various settings.

a. Click Back.

15. Click Redundant operating system Control. Access the help

function to learn more about this setting.

a. Click Back.

16. Click Miscellaneous Settings. Notice that you can add your Asset
Tag from here. Again, use the help function to understand the
options.

a. Click Back.

17. Click Finish (click No at the Saving Changes warning if asked

(unless you have been told to make changes)).

18. At the System Setup main menu screen, click iDRAC Settings.

This menu has a similar function to the iDRAC UI you explored earlier
but let us look at some interesting areas.

19. Click Network. Notice that you can Disable or Enable the NIC.

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

a. Under NIC Selection, look at the setting in the drop-down

box. Note that you can select one of the system LOMs.

Warning: Do NOT change the port from dedicated to

LOM ports.

b. Click Back.

20. Click Alerts. Here you could enter the IP Address for your
management station so that the iDRAC would know where to send an
alert if required.

a. Click Back.

21. Click Front Panel Security.

a. Click Back.

From here, you can enable or disable the server power button and
change the iDRAC Quick Sync options.

22. Click Media and USB Port Settings.

For Virtual Media, you can select Detach, Attach, or Auto attach. The
differences are:

23. For Virtual Media, you can select Detach, Attach, or Auto attach.
Detach: cannot map an image to the system. Attach: media is
mapped even when the Virtual Console window is closed. Auto
attach: media is mapped when the Virtual Console window is open
but closed when the Virtual Console window is closed.

a. Click Back, and then click Lifecycle Controller. Note that

you can Disable or Enable the Lifecycle Controller.

If you are performing a Lifecycle Controller function and it gets

interrupted, the Lifecycle Controller would recover. However if the
interruption was serious the Lifecycle Controller could become

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

disabled to avoid damage to the chip.

b. Verify if the Lifecycle Controller displays Disabled, if so

Enable it to see if the issue resolves.

If the Lifecycle Controller stays disabled, download and apply the

Lifecycle Controller Repair Package. Then check if you can reenable
the Lifecycle Controller.

c. Click Back.

24. Click Finish to return to the System Setup main menu then click
Device Settings.

25. Before we look at the RAID Controller, click one of the NICs and
spend a few minutes examining the information before returning to
the Device Settings page.

a. Select your RAID Controller then click Virtual Disk

Management.

26. Click Main Menu then click Virtual Disk Management.

a. Click Virtual Disk 0.

b. Click View Associated Physical Disks and make a note of

which disks are currently being used as Virtual Disk 0:

Virtual Disk 0 contains your operating system so NEVER change or

delete Virtual Disk 0.

c. Navigate back to the Integrated RAID Controller

Configuration Utility main menu.

27. Click Configuration Management.

a. Click Create Virtual Disk and select RAID 0 for the raid
level.

b. Click Select Physical Disks.

c. Click one unconfigured available disk.

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

d. Click Apply Changes, and then click OK. (The Apply

Changes is not be an option in later versions).

e. Enter RAID_0_Test in the Virtual Disk Name field and then

click Create Virtual Disk (in blue).

f. Check the Confirm box, click Yes then click OK.

g. Click Back twice.

28. Click Virtual Disk Management.

a. You should now see your new Virtual Disk listed.

b. Click the new Virtual Disk that you just created – BE SURE
that you click your newly created disk and not your original
disk containing the operating system.

c. In the Operation drop-down menu, select Delete Virtual

Disk and click Go.

d. Check the Confirm box, click Yes then click OK. Your new
Virtual Disk should now have been deleted.

29. Navigate back to the Integrated RAID Controller Configuration Utility

dashboard view then click Finish to return to the Device Settings
page.

30. Click Finish to return to the System Set up Main Menu.

31. Click Finish, then click Yes to allow your system to reboot.

32. Close your Virtual Console window.

33. In the iDRAC interface, click Configuration in the menu bar, and
then click BIOS Settings.

With iDRAC9, you can view and change certain settings in the BIOS
without rebooting the server and accessing BIOS via the F2 key.

Spend a few minutes observing the available settings. Also note the
options at the bottom of the screen which allow you to Apply and
Reboot now or Apply At Next Reboot.

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 System Setup Utility Exploration

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 iSM

iSM

Scenario: Install iSM.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Install iSM
• Access the iDRAC from the host operating system.

iSM
1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select System > HOST OS in the menu bar.

Observe that you should not have any information displayed currently
other than an Alert stating that the iDRAC Service Module is not
installed.

Before we install the iSM, we should enable the operating system

iDRAC Pass-through option. This feature provides a high-speed bi-
directional in-band communication between the iDRAC and the host
operating system through a shared LOM (rack and tower servers), a
dedicated NIC (rack, tower, or modular servers), or through the USB
NIC.

3. Select iDRAC Settings > Connectivity in the menu bar then expand
OS to iDRAC Pass-through.

a. Use the State drop-down menu to select Enabled.

b. Use the Pass-through Mode drop-down menu to select USB

NIC.

c. Click Apply and then click OK at the success message.

If the selections were already correct, click Test network connection

to ensure that the connection is good – if successful, click OK at the
information message.

4. Use RDP session to log in to your target servers operating system.

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 iSM

a. Copy the iSM install file on to the desktop (file name is

similar to OM-iSM-Dell-Web-X64……..) – your instructor will
advise where you can obtain this file.

5. Right-click the iSM file and select Run as administrator.

a. Click extract and allow it to extract to the default folder, click

OK and when complete then close the extractor window.

b. Navigate to the C:\OpenManage\iSM\Windows folder and

double-click the iDRACSvrMod file.

c. Click Next, select Iaccept the terms in the license

agreement and click Next again.

d. Select Typical, click Next then click Install.

e. When complete, click Finish.

6. Now that you have installed the iSM, return to the iDRAC interface
and click System > Host OS in the menu bar.

You should now see network information being provided by the iSM.

a. If the iSM is still stating that it is not installed, on your target

server confirm that iSM is installed by checking Services to
see if the iSM is running - the service is called DSM iDRAC
Service Module.

b. Take a few minutes to explore the different options.

7. Click iDRAC Settings in the menu bar notice the iSM is Running in
the iDRAC Service Module section.

Again using either an RDP session or an iDRAC Virtual Console

session, log in to the operating system of your target server.

8. Now that the iSM is installed you have the ability to access the
iDRAC interface from your target server operating system. Open a
browser, and enter <[Link]> as the address.

This can be useful if you are logged in to your target server operating
system, need to access the iDRAC and have forgotten the iDRAC IP

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 iSM

Address.

You should now be able to open your iDRAC interface. Close the
iDRAC browser window, but stay logged in to the target server
operating system.

9. Open a PowerShell script window, and enter the following the

command Invoke-iDRACHardReset

a. Enter Y at the prompt and then press Enter to continue.

Alternatively you can use the Program Menu shortcut

This command is installed by the iSM and can be used when the
iDRAC becomes unresponsive due to various reasons.

Your iDRAC should now reset. Close the PowerShell script window.

10. For simplicity, iSM provides a shortcut in the Program Menu of the
Windows operating system. Use the Program Menu of the Windows
operating system to look for this shortcut. You will also find shortcuts
for the Power Cycle features (FullPowerCycle).

11. Back at your iDRAC interface, log back in when the iDRAC has been
reset.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

Scenario: Install and explore the OMSA options.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Install OMSA
• Explore the OMSA options.

OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

First we will install OMSA onto our target server, and then access and
navigate the OMSA interface.

1. Go to and open the Student Share folder, which should be loaded on

to your server desktop.

2. Copy the OpenManage Server Administrator zip file (usually with a

name similar to OM-SrvAdmin-xxxxx found in the OMSA folder) to
your target server desktop – your instructor will advise where you can
obtain this file.

3. On the jump server, open a remote desktop connection and type in

the IP address for the operating system running on the physical
server. The instructor should have supplied the IP address. If they
haven’t ask the instructor.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

4. Copy the OpenManage Server Administratorzip file (usually with a

name similar to OM-SrvAdmin-xxxxx found in the OMSA folder) to
your target server desktop – your instructor will advise where you can
obtain this file.

5. Double-click the OpenManage Server Administrator zip file and

note where the files will be extracted (the default is C:/OpenManage),
then click extract.

a. When the files have been extracted, click OK then click

Close to close the Self-Extractor box.

6. Navigate to the folder where the files were extracted and double-click
the Setup file within the Windows folder.

a. Review the Prerequisite Checker. If any errors occur

(indicated by a red circle with a white x in the top part of the
page), inform your instructor.

b. Click Install Server Administrator, then click Next.

c. Click I accept the terms of the license agreement.

d. Click Next, then select Typical.

e. Click Install.

f. When the OMSA installation is complete, click Finish.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

7. Double-click the Server Administrator icon located on your server

desktop.

a. If a Certificate Error is displayed and you are asked to

choose an action, choose Continue to this website (not
recommended).

Note that this security message is provided by the browser and is not
to be considered a lab exercise recommendation.

b. If prompted, add the URL to Trusted Sites. If you receive any

Windows Security boxes prompting you to log in, click
Cancel.

c. A login screen should then be displayed that looks similar to

the iDRAC login screen. If required, log in with username
and password that the instructor supplied you with. The
credentials should be username: administrator and
password: Passw0rd.

d. In the System Tree, select System.

The main screen includes tabs for Health, Summary, Asset

Information, and Auto Recovery and shows the general health
properties of the system.

e. Click Health and then click Main System Chassis.

Note that you should be seeing a column of green boxes with white
check marks on the right side. Verify each of the components in blue
text should match a line in the system tree.

8. Click the following in the system tree and make a note of the settings:

a. BIOS version

b. Fans - System Board Fan 1A reading

c. Firmware - Lifecycle Controller

d. Spend a few moments studying the information on the other

components.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

9. Highlight System in the system tree, and click Properties >

Summary in the menu bar.

a. Examine the information found here.

10. Click Asset Information in the menu bar to display sections where
initial information can be entered, allowing Asset Management control
at a later time.

11. Click Auto Recovery in the menu bar. Auto recovery allows you to
set parameters that are triggered when a specific event occurs.

a. Click Reboot Server, enter 180 in the System Reset Timer

box and then click Apply.

This option means that if the operating system stops responding for
180 seconds the system will reboot automatically.

12. Click Logs in the menu bar to observe log entries.

13. Click Alert Management in the menu bar where you will find a
detailed list of System Events that can have actions that are
configured for when those system events occur.

14. Click System in the system tree, and then click Session
Management in the menu bar.

From here, you can terminate other users who are signed into OMSA.

15. Navigate to System > Licenses in the system tree.

a. Expand the ‘+’ sign to observe the iDRAC9 license

information.

16. Navigate to System > Main System Chassis in the system tree.

In the main screen, the health of the components and the Information,
System Components (FRU), and Front Panel tabs are displayed in
the menu bar.

17. Click Information in the menu bar. This supplies you with key
chassis information.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

18. Click System Components (FRU) in the menu bar.

Note the information that is displayed on the System Components

(FRU) tab, including serial numbers, part numbers, and firmware
revisions.

19. Near the right-hand upper corner of the screen, click Export (circle
with arrow pointing to upper right) to export a file containing the
information and save it, observing where the file has been saved.

Go to the file location and review the information that is saved in the
file.

20. Click Front Panel in the menu bar. Note that you can disable the
front power button.

Imagine a scenario where you may want to disable the front power
button.

21. Click System > Main System Chassis > BIOS in the system tree.
The Setup tab allows you to view and change certain BIOS settings.

22. Click System > Main System Chassis > Remote Access in the
system tree. From here, you can view and change the iDRAC
settings.

23. Click System > Main System Chassis > Temperatures in the
system tree.

a. Click System Board Inlet Temp. Note that you can alter the
warning thresholds.

Make a note of the Current Reading and the Minimum Warning

Threshold reading.

b. Against Threshold Settings, select Set to Values then enter

a value a few degrees ABOVE the Current Reading then
click Apply. This should put your system in the warning
mode.

24. Click System in the system tree and you should see a warning icon
against Main System Chassis.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

25. Without closing either OMSA or the Virtual Console session window,
navigate back to the iDRAC interface.

a. In the Dashboard view, you should see warning errors being

displayed for cooling.

26. Now return to the OMSA screen, navigate back to Temperatures and
click System Board Inlet Temperature.

a. Select Set to Default and click Apply.

Notice that the default Minimum Warning Threshold has returned to

its default value and if you look both at the iDRAC interface and the
system view in OMSA, the status has returned to normal.

27. Navigate to System > Storage in the system tree.

a. Select your PERC controller.

b. Expand Connector 0 (RAID) > Enclosure (backplane) >

Physical Disks, and review the installed Physical Disks.

c. Click Full View for more detail.

d. Use the drop-down menu under Tasks to observe available

actions. The action types may change depending on the
media of the disk that you have installed.

28. Click System > Storage > PERC Controller > Connector 0 >
Firmware/Driver Versions in the system tree and review the current
firmware and driver versions.

29. Click System > Storage in the system tree.

a. Click the Available Tasks drop down and examine the

available tasks.

b. Use the drop-down menu to select Export Log then click

Execute.

c. Review the Export Log information, and then click Export

Log File.

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 OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA)

d. View the log (typically called lsi_<MonthYear> at the host

path specified (C:\Windows).

30. Click Storage in the OMSA system tree.

a. Use the drop-down menu under Select Report and select

View Slot Occupancy Report.

b. Click Execute.

c. Review the Slot Occupancy Report.

d. Click Go Back to Previous Page.

31. Attempt to view the View Patrol Read Report and View
Consistency Check Report.

These reports may not have any entries populated currently.

32. Close OMSA.

Tip: OMSA can also be accessed remotely. From the Win

VM, open a web browser and enter [Link]
server OS IP Address>:1311. For example, if your target
servers operating systems IP address is [Link],
enter [Link]
Enter your operating system credentials (administrator
and Passw0rd) and see if you can access OMSA
remotely. If this does not work, please inform your
instructor.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Configuring RAID using IDRAC

Configuring RAID using IDRAC

Scenario: Explore the elements of the Storage menu:

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Configure RAID using the iDRAC

Configuring RAID using IDRAC

Important: During this lab exercise, DO NOT change or

delete the single RAID 0 disk that contains your operating
system.

1. First find information concerning the disk that we already have

configured that contains our operating system. Log in to the iDRAC
UI.

2. Click Storage in the menu bar then click Virtual Disks.

You should only see a single disk that is listed with a RAID-0 layout –
this is where the operating system has been installed.

a. Click the action menu tab that is located on the line that
details the virtual disk, and then click View Physical Disks.

Make a note of the slot number of this disk (for example, under Name
it may state [Link] which means that it is installed in slot 0):

b. Now navigate to Storage > Physical Disk Configuration

section. Check that you have one disk that shows as Ready.

i. If any disk is set to Non-RAID under State, complete

the following, otherwise proceed to the next full step.

4. Select Convert to RAID in the Action drop-

down menu next to one of your selected disks
then click OK at the Warning message.

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 Configuring RAID using IDRAC

5. Complete the same action against your

second selected disk. Click Apply Now.

6. Select Job Queue at the Information message

and when the job is complete, return to the
Storage > Physical Disk tab.

Your disk should now be showing Ready in the State column.

3. Click the Virtual Disk tab and then click Create Virtual Disk and
select Advanced configuration.

Warning: Do nothing that affects the current Virtual Disk

that contains your operating system.

4. Input the following information and Click Next.

a. Name: Disk001

b. Layout: RAID-0

5. On the Virtual Disk Settings page, review the information and click
Next.

a. On the confirmation page, click Add to Pending.

b. On the Pending Operation Created page, select Apply Now.

6. Click Job Queue to see if the virtual disk creation has started – then
return to Storage > Virtual Disk.

a. Click Apply Now (below Enclosure Configuration) then click

Job Queue at the Information message.

b. Once the Configure: RAID-Integrated 1-1 job shows

Completed (100%), return to the Storage > Virtual Disk
section where your new Virtual Disk should have a white
checkmark in a green box in the Status column.

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 Configuring RAID using IDRAC

7. Delete your newly created Virtual Disk. Use the drop-down menu
under Virtual Disk Actions for your newly created Virtual Disk and
observe the available options.

a. Ensure that you only select your new Virtual Disk, select
Delete and then click OK at the warning message.

b. Click Apply Now then click Job Queue at the Information

message.

When the delete job is complete, you should only have your existing
Virtual Disk containing your operating system configured.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

Scenario: Update the iDRAC firmware and explore the

Maintenance and iDRAC Settings options.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Update the iDRAC firmware

Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Click Maintenance in the menu bar and ensure that Lifecycle Log is
highlighted. You should now see a list of the log entries. Note that
you can add comments on the right.

3. Click Job Queue in the menu bar and examine the entries.

a. We will now clear the Job Queue. Check the box to the left
of ID, click Delete and then click OK at the success
message.

4. Click System Update in the submenu bar and ensure that the
Manual Update page is shown.

a. Use the drop-down menu against Location Type to observe

the different options for where you can download the update
file.

b. Use the help function for more information about the location
types.

c. We are now going to update the iDRAC firmware – your

instructor will advise where you can obtain this update.
Select Local as the Location Type then browse to your
iDRAC9 firmware update file, click Open then click Upload.

d. When the iDRAC9 firmware has been uploaded, check the

box against the file, click Install, then click Job Queue at the
Information message.

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 Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

During the update, your iDRAC9 should restart. After a few minutes
you should be able to access your iDRAC9 interface again.

5. In the iDRAC9 interface, select Maintenance > System Update in

the menu bar.

a. Select Automatic Update.

b. At the bottom of the page, click Enable Automatic Update,

click OK at the success message and then use the drop-
down menus to observe the available options.

c. Use the help function to understand the options.

d. At the bottom of the page, click Disable Automatic Update,

then click OK at the Success message.

6. Select Rollback where the iDRAC is listed with the current and
available images (In this case the current and available versions may
be the same).

7. Navigate to Maintenance > Job Queue to observe job status.

8. Navigate to System Event Log to observe information about the

managed system.

9. Click iDRAC Settings in the menu bar and notice the different
sections on this page:

a. iDRAC Details

b. iDRAC Service Module

c. Connection View

d. Current Network Settings

e. Current IPv4 Setting

f. Current IPv6 Setting

10. Click Overview in the menu bar and then observe the iDRAC Details
section. Note the Device Type, Number of Possible Sessions, and the

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 Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

Number of Current Sessions.

11. Under User Interface Tile Bar Information, click the drop-down
menu to observe the different options.

a. This option changes the information in the browser title bar.

Change the option, click Apply and then click OK at the
success message.

b. Notice that your web browser title tab now displays your
selected information. Change back to Auto.

12. Click Connectivity in the menu bar.

a. Take a few moments to examine the other following options

on this page:

i. Serial

ii. Serial Over LAN

In the Network Settings section, you can change the way the iDRAC
communicates to the external world. Do not make any changes but
use the drop-down menus to explore the available options.

Examine the other options under Network. For users in the United
States government agencies and contractors arena, observe the
Federal Information Processing Standardssection under Advanced
Network Settings, using the help function for more information.

13. Expand the OS to iDRAC Pass-through option.

This feature allows high-speed communication between the operating

system and the iDRAC using the shared LOM or dedicated NIC.

This enables you to open a browser within your server operating

system to access its own iDRAC even if the iDRAC and host are in
different networks.

14. Select Services in the menu bar and spend some time examining the
options, using the help function when required.

15. Select Users in the menu bar. From here you can add, edit, and

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 Maintenance and iDRAC Settings Options

delete new users.

16. Select Settings in the menu bar. From here, you can change the
iDRAC Time/Time Zone plus use the Server Profile and set up the
iDRAC Service Module, both of which we will be exploring in later lab
exercises.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Server Configuration Profile

Server Configuration Profile

Scenario: Back up the server profile using the iDRAC UI.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Log in to the iDRAC UI
• Back up the server profile.

Server Configuration Profile

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select Server Configuration Profile under Configuration menu.

a. Expand Export.

b. Select Local from the Location Type drop-down menu.

c. Type a File Name and select All the Export Components.

d. Select Read Only for Additional export items.

e. Click Export. This process may take few minutes to

complete.

3. At the information message, click Save Locally.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Performing a SupportAssist Collection

Performing a SupportAssist Collection

Scenario: Run a SupportAssist collecting to support

troubleshooting a system.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Run a SupportAssist Collection using the iDRAC interface.
• Gather information in order to troubleshoot issues.

SupportAssist Collection
1. Log in to the iDRAC UI and navigate to Maintenance >
SupportAssist and then click Start a Collection in the menu bar.

2. Select the following:

a. Data to Collect

i. System Information

ii. Storage Logs

iii. OS and Application Data

b. Collection Preferences

i. Save Locally

3. Click Collect.

a. You should see a progress bar and also an ‘In Progress’

under Collection Log.

b. Click Save and View.

If the file does not open automatically, click Open Folder (or go to the
folder that was saved - normally saved to the Downloads folder -
open the folder, and navigate to the tsr subfolder.

4. Extract the zip file and open the [Link] file - the SupportAssist
Collection Viewer should now open.

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 Performing a SupportAssist Collection

a. You are now presented with a great deal of information

which you can either scroll down through or click the section
that you want in the submenu bar under Inventory that is
labeled 'Overview - Board - CPU - Memory - Power - PCI -
Network - Storage - Sensors.

5. Take a few minutes to explore this information then see if you can
find the following items:

a. Current speed of the memory DIMMs

b. Part Number for one of the Power Supply Units

c. RAID levels supported for the PERC:

6. Close the SupportAssist Collection Viewer.

As we have already installed the iSM, a SupportAssist Collection can

also be invoked from within the server operating system.

DO NOT perform the following steps, but simply observe how to create a
SupportAssist Collection from within the server operating system.

7. Access your server operating system using either the iDRAC Virtual
Console or an RDP session.

a. Open an Administrator Command Prompt, and enter the

following command: invoke-
SupportAssistCollection

This collects in the same way that you previously created a collection
using the iDRAC interface.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools

iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools

Scenario: Examine the iDRAC troubleshooting tools.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Examine the troubleshooting tools
• Perform a boot capture

iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools - Boot Capture

1. Log in to the iDRAC UI.

2. Select Maintenance in the menu bar then click Troubleshooting.

a. In the Video Capture section, observe any boot capture files

that have been recorded.

The system automatically records the last three boot procedures.

3. Select the latest recording and click Save. The boot capture video
downloads to the download folder on the jump station. Once the
download has completed, double click on the file to view the previous
boot.

a. The boot capture video downloads to the download folder on

the jump station. Once the download has completed, double
click on the file to view the previous boot.

b. When the recording has finished, close the Player window.

c. Click Settings.

d. Use the drop-down menu to select Capture Until End of

POST, click Save then click OK at the Success message.

4. Open a Virtual Console window, select Power in the menu bar, select
Reset System (warm boot) then click Yes at the message.

a. As the system reboots, press the <F2>key during the power

on process to enter the System Setup Utility.

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 iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools

b. Once entering the System Setup utility, click Finish and

allow the server to reboot.

5. Once the server has booted back to the operating system, return to
the iDRAC Interface, select Maintenance in the menu bar then click
Troubleshooting.

6. Play the latest recording where you should see the entire power on
sequence including when you pressed the <F2> key, entered the
System Setup utility and then rebooted. Also notice that the DVR
Player Controls display the start and end time of the recording.

a. Close the recording window.

7. In the POST Code section, take note of the last system POST Code
prior to booting the operating system of the managed server.

8. In the Intrusion section, take note of the current status of the chassis
cover.

9. In the Last Crash Screen section, take note of the most recent crash
screen (if one exists).

Tip: This feature does not work on Linux or ESXi system.

This feature is independent of any agents or attributes.
The feature only works with Windows operating systems
and is designed to capture Blue Screens of Deaths
(BSOD).

10. Click Diagnostics in the menu bar.

a. To demonstrate the way that this feature works, enter the

command netstat into the Command box and click
Submit.

This command displays the contents of the routing table. Use the
help function to discover other commands.

b. Notice the two boxes that are labeled Reset iDRAC and
Reset iDRAC to Default Settings. The Reset iDRAC

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 iDRAC Troubleshooting Tools

option performs a soft reset of the iDRAC without destroying

any settings.

11. Spend a few moments exploring other options in the Maintenance

section.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Embedded System Diagnostics

Embedded System Diagnostics

Scenario: Use the embedded diagnostics to run tests.

In this lab, you perform the following tasks:

• Run diagnostics

Embedded System Diagnostics

1. Log in to iDRAC UI and navigate to the Maintenance > System
Update section.

2. On the Manual Update page in the Single Update Location – click

Choose File and navigate to the class share and Diagnostic folder.
Select the Diagnostic DUP file and click Open.

a. Once the file is selected, click Upload. Check the box beside
the package and select Install.

3. Click Job Queue – once the update gets to 100% proceed to the next
step.

4. Using the iDRAC Virtual Console feature, click Boot and select BIOS
Boot Manager. Click Yes at the prompt.

5. Restart the server by selecting Reset system (warm boot) option

under Power.

6. Click System Utilities then click Launch Diagnostics. Diagnostics

automatically run.

7. While the tests are running, press the <ESC> key to abort testing. It
may take a few moments to abort certain tests.

When the testing is stopped or completed, you should have mouse

control.

a. Click the right arrow in the lower right-hand corner of the

screen.

8. Select Thorough Test Mode.

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 Embedded System Diagnostics

a. Click Fans in the system tree - the fan tests will now
automatically run.

b. When the tests are completed, click OK.

9. Now run tests to the following components:

a. Video

b. Processor

c. Unselect the Thorough Test Mode, then test one of the

Hard Drives.

10. Click Advanced Options. From here, you can loop tests.

a. Close the Advanced Options window.

11. Click Results in the menu bar and observe the results for the tests
that you have completed.

12. Click Configuration in the menu bar, and again observe the amount
of information listed.

13. Click Exit then click OK at the prompt and allow your server to reboot
to the operating system.

14. Close the Virtual Console session window.

STOP: Inform your instructor that you have finished this lab exercise
unless you have been instructed to proceed to the next lab exercise.

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 Summarizing the PowerEdge Features, Administration, and
Troubleshooting Lab

Summarizing the PowerEdge Features,

Administration, and Troubleshooting Lab

Lab Scenario Wrap-Up

The lab activities showed you some of the features of the iDRAC UI. You
explored the iDRAC menu options and configured features. You also used
the iDRAC to perform maintenance and service activities.

REMINDER

Your action is required to ensure that course credit is given upon

completion of on demand labs. Facilitated labs do not use the END button.

• To get credit for this on demand lab, you MUST click the End button
within the allotted time.
• Failure to do so places your training in a permanent state of "In
Progress."

Conclusion

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 Summarizing the PowerEdge Features, Administration, and
Troubleshooting Lab

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