Tag: Dell

How do I disable C-States on a Dell server?

View a step-by-step screencast of this process:

A few customers have been affected by a firmware bug that can cause instability when using Intel’s C-State power-saving functionality. If you are still experiencing instability after verifying that your server is at the most recent recommended BIOS and firmware levels, you may disable C-States using two methods:

BIOS:

  • Reboot the server
  • Press F2 to enter the BIOS configuration menu
  • Select Processor Settings
  • Scroll down to “C States” and “C1E”
  • Use the arrow keys to set both to Disabled
  • Press ESC repeatedly and select “Save changes and exit”

OpenManage:

  • Launch the OpenManage web interface (https://IP_ADDRESS:1311/)
  • Log in using your root username and password
  • Select Main System Chassis -> BIOS -> Setup tab
  • Select “Processor C State Control”
  • Select the “Disabled” radio button -> Apply -> “Go Back to BIOS Setup Page”
  • Repeat for “Processor C1-E”
  • Reboot the server to apply the settings change

How do I monitor my Dell UPS on Linux?

If you have a Dell UPS, we recommend using the Dell UPS Management Software software provided and supported by Dell.

Installation

Before getting started, download and review the product overview, product support quick notes and Dell UPS Management Software documentation.

Download the software CD image from Dell’s website: DELL_MULTI-DEVICE_A05_R276438.exe

Follow Dell’s instructions for extracting the CD image:

1.Double-click the new icon on the desktop labeled DELL_MULTI-DEVICE_A05_R276438.exe.
2.The Self-Extracting window appears and prompts you to extract or
unzip to C:\DELL\DRIVERS\R276438. Write down this path so the executable (I.e.
Setup.exe) file can be found later.
3.The Self-Extractor window appears.
4.Click OK.
5.After completing the file extraction, if the Self-Extractor
window is still open, close it.
6.Click the Start button and then click Run.
7.Type C:\DELL\DRIVERS\R276438 in the Open textbox and then click OK.
8.Follow the on-screen installation instructions.

After extracting the CD image, burn the C:\dell\drivers\R276438\Dell_Software_A05.iso image file to CD using your favorite tool. Windows 7 has a built-in disc image burning tool, or you may use InfraRecorder. Regardless of which software you choose to use, make sure you burn the file as disc image, rather than simply copying the file to a data CD.

Once the CD has been inserted into your Linux server, launch the setup program:

cd /misc/cd/LinuxAMD64
./setup.bin

Configuration

Once the Dell UPS Management Software has been installed, you may access it via its GUI interface.

Support

To contact Dell for hardware support or software configuration questions: How do I contact Dell for technical support?

How do I change the DRAC root password?

Step by step for iDRAC6:

  • Log in as root
  • Select Remote Access from the left-hand menu
  • Select the Network/Security tab
  • Select the Users tab
  • Click the number “2” hyperlink in the User ID column
  • Select Configure User and click Next
  • Select Change Password and fill out the following password fields
  • Click Apply

Screencast for iDRAC6:

Step by step for DRAC 5:

  • Log in as root
  • Select Remote Access from the left-hand menu
  • Select the Configuration tab
  • Select the Users tab
  • Click the number “2” hyperlink in the User ID column
  • Select Configure User and click Next
  • Select Change Password and fill out the following password fields
  • Click Apply Changes

Screencast for DRAC 5:

DRAC Network Configuration

This article will show you how to configure the IP address on your Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC).

Configure the DRAC IP address using the front panel (12th generation servers)

If you have a 12th generation server (i.e. R720, R620, R320, T620, T320) with an LCD front-panel display, you can configure the IP address directly from the front panel, somewhat like configuring an IP address on a print server.

The IP address can be configured at any time, and the server does not need to be rebooted.

The Home screen displays user-configurable information about the system. This screen is displayed during normal system operation when there are no status messages or errors. When the system is in standby mode, the LCD backlight turns off after five minutes of inactivity if there are no error messages. Press one of the three navigation buttons (Select,
Left, or Right) to view the Home screen.

To navigate to the Home screen from another menu, continue to select the up arrow until the Home icon is displayed, and then select the Home icon. From the Home screen, press the Select button to enter the main menu.

From the home screen, use the select and arrow buttons to enter the Setup menu, then select iDRAC, and then select Static IP.

At the next screen, use the arrows and select buttons to set the IP address.

After the IP address is configured, follow the same procedure to set the subnet mask and default gateway.

Navigate back to the Home screen, and you will be able to access the DRAC via your web browser at the IP address you just configured within a couple minutes.

Configure the DRAC IP address from the BIOS

The IP address of the DRAC can be configured in the BIOS (aka configuration utility) using the instructions below. To view a step-by-step screencast of this process, click here.

Power on or restart your server.

After the Dell logo appears, you will see a message about the DRAC configuration utility. When this appears, press <Ctrl><E> as prompted. If you miss the prompt, restart the server and try again.

Once you are in the DRAC configuration utility, use the keyboard arrow keys to select LAN Parameters and then press <Enter> to display the NIC Selection menu.

Use the arrow keys to select the Dedicated mode, unless your server does not have the dedicated DRAC network port (a separate network port on the back of the server with a “wrench” symbol on it). If your server doesn’t have a dedicated DRAC network port, you may select the shared option.

Use the arrow keys to select LAN Parameters, and press <Enter>.

Using the up-arrow and down-arrow keys, select IP Address Source.

Using the right-arrow and left-arrow keys, select Static.

Selected Static, configure the Ethernet IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway settings.

Press <Esc>, then <Esc> again to exit the menus, until prompted to select select Save Changes and Exit.

The server will reboot, and you will be able to access the DRAC via your web browser at the IP address you just configured within a couple minutes.