Dell Chassis Management Controller Version 1 0 Owners Manual 1.0 UserGuide

2014-11-13

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Dell™ Chassis Management
Controller Firmware Version 1.0
User Guide

w w w. d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l . c o m

Notes and Notices
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data
and tells you how to avoid the problem.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly
forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Dell OpenManage, and PowerEdge are trademarks
of Dell Inc.; Microsoft, Active Directory, Internet Explorer, Windows, Windows NT, Windows Server,
and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and other countries; Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.; Novell and SUSE
are registered trademarks of Novell Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation;
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries. Avocent
is a trademark of Avocent Corporation; OSCAR is a registered trademark of Avocent Corporation or
its affiliates.
Copyright 1998-2006 The OpenLDAP Foundation. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in
source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted only as authorized by the
OpenLDAP Public License. A copy of this license is available in the file LICENSE in the top-level
directory of the distribution or, alternatively, at http://www.OpenLDAP.org/license.html.
OpenLDAP is a registered trademark of the OpenLDAP Foundation. Individual files and/or contributed
packages may be copyrighted by other parties and subject to additional restrictions. This work is
derived from the University of Michigan LDAP v3.3 distribution. This work also contains materials
derived from public sources. Information about OpenLDAP can be obtained at http://
www.openldap.org/. Portions Copyright 1998-2004 Kurt D. Zeilenga. Portions Copyright 1998-2004
Net Boolean Incorporated. Portions Copyright 2001-2004 IBM Corporation. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted only
as authorized by the OpenLDAP Public License. Portions Copyright 1999-2003 Howard Y.H. Chu.
Portions Copyright 1999-2003 Symas Corporation. Portions Copyright 1998-2003 Hallvard B.
Furuseth. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that this notice is preserved. The names of the copyright holders
may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without their specific prior
written permission. This software is provided "as is'' without express or implied warranty. Portions
Copyright (c) 1992-1996 Regents of the University of Michigan. All rights reserved. Redistribution
and use in source and binary forms are permitted provided that this notice is preserved and that due
credit is given to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The name of the University may not be
used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written
permission. This software is provided "as is'' without express or implied warranty.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming
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trade names other than its own.
January 2008

Rev. A00

Contents

CMC Overview .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CMC Management Features .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Security Features

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chassis Overview

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hardware Specifications
TCP/IP Ports

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Supported Remote Access Connections
Supported Platforms .

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Supported Web Browsers .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Supported Management Console Applications .
WS-Management Support .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing and Setting Up the CMC
Before You Begin

. . . .

Other Documents You May Need

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing the CMC Hardware

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Remote Access Software on a Management Station 34
Installing RACADM on a Linux Management Station 34
Uninstalling RACADM From a Linux Management Station 35
Contents

Configuring a Web Browser .
Proxy Server

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Microsoft Phishing Filter

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Fetching

. . . . .

37
37

Downloading Files From CMC With Internet Explorer 38
. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

Allow Animations in Internet Explorer
Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC

Basic CMC Network Connection .

. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Daisy-chain CMC Network Connection
Configuring the CMC Network

Configuring Networking Using the LCD Configuration Wizard 42
Accessing the CMC Through a Network

. . . . . . . .

Installing or Updating the CMC Firmware .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Downloading the CMC Firmware .
Configuring CMC Properties .

Configuring Power Budgeting

. . . . . . . . . . .

Adding and Configuring Users

. . . . . . . . . . .

Adding SNMP and E-mail Alerts

. . . . . . . . . .

Understanding the Redundant CMC Environment .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

Planning Deployment of Redundant CMCs .

. . . .

Obtaining Health Status of Redundant CMC

. . . .

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles
53
Command Line Console Features on the CMC .

. . .

Primary CMC Election Process .

. . . . . . . .

Configuring CMC Network Settings

About the Standby CMC

Contents

. . . . .

Using a Telnet Console With the CMC
Using SSH With the CMC

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Enabling SSH on the CMC
Changing the SSH Port .

. . .

. . . . . . .

Enabling the Front Panel to iKVM Connection
Configuring Terminal Emulation Software

Configuring Linux Minicom for Serial Console Emulation 56
Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot 58
Enabling Login to the Console After Boot
Using a Serial or Telnet Console

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Connecting to Modules With the Connect Command .

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface 65
Using a Serial or Telnet Console
Logging in to the CMC

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Starting a Text Console .
Using RACADM

RACADM Subcommands .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Accessing RACADM Remotely .

. . . . . . . . . .

67
70

Enabling and Disabling the RACADM Remote Capability 71
Using RACADM Remotely

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

RACADM Error Messages

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using RACADM to Configure the CMC

. . . . . . . . .

Configuring CMC Network Properties

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC.
Viewing Current Network Settings .

Configuring the Network LAN Settings .

. . . . . .

Configuring the Network Security Settings

. . . .

Contents

74
77

Using RACADM to Configure Users
Before You Begin

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Adding a CMC User .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Disabling a CMC User .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Configuring SNMP and E-mail Alerting .

. . . . . . . .
. . . .

80
81

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creating a CMC Configuration File

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Modifying the CMC IP Address .
Troubleshooting

Using the CMC Web Interface .
Accessing the CMC Web Interface

. . . . . . .

Logging In .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Logging Out

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Setting the Chassis Name

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Setting the Date and Time on the CMC .
Monitoring System Health Status

Viewing Chassis and Component Summaries

. . .

Viewing Power Budget Status

. .

89
90

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Viewing the Health Status of All Servers .
Editing Slot Names

. . . . . . . . . . .

Viewing Chassis and Component Health Status

. . . . .

Viewing the Health Status of an Individual Server .

Viewing the Health Status of IOMs .

Setting the First Boot Device for Servers .

. . . . . . . .

Viewing the Health Status of the Fans
Contents

. . . . . . . . . . .

Configuring Basic CMC Settings

. . . . . . . . .

Configuring Multiple CMCs in Multiple Chassis
Parsing Rules

. . . . . .

Enabling a CMC User With Permissions

. . . . . . .

Viewing the iKVM Status .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Viewing the Health Status of the PSUs .

. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

100

Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC.

. . . . . . .

Configuring the Network LAN Settings .

. . . . . .

100
100

. . .

105

. . . . . . . . . .

107

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

107

Configuring CMC Network Security Settings
Adding and Configuring CMC Users .
User Types

. . .

Viewing Status of the Temperature Sensors .
Configuring CMC Network Properties

Adding and Managing Users .

. . . . . . . . . . .

114

Configuring and Managing Microsoft Active Directory Certificates
117
Configuring Active Directory (Standard Schema and Extended
Schema) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Uploading an Active Directory Certificate Authority-Signed
Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Viewing an Active Directory Certificate Authority-Signed
Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Securing CMC Communications Using SSL and Digital Certificates
123
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Accessing the SSL Main Menu

124

. . . . . . . . . .

124

Generating a New Certificate Signing Request

. .

125

. . . . . . . . . .

128

. . . . . . . . . . . .

128

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128

Uploading a Server Certificate .
Viewing a Server Certificate
Managing Sessions

123

. . . . . . . . .

Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

Configuring Services

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Configuring Power Budgeting .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

129
136

Managing Firmware

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .

137

. . . . . . .

137

Viewing the Current Firmware Versions
Updating CMC and iKVM Firmware.

. .

139

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

140

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

143

Recovering iDRAC Firmware Using the CMC .
Frequently Asked Questions .
Troubleshooting the CMC

137

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory
145
Active Directory Schema Extensions

. . . . . . . . .
. .

145

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

146

Extended Schema Versus Standard Schema.
Extended Schema Overview .

145

Active Directory Schema Extensions .

. . . . . .

Active Directory Object Overview

146

. . . .

146

. . . . . . . .

147

Overview of the RAC Schema Extensions

Configuring Extended Schema Active Directory to Access Your
CMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Extending the Active Directory Schema

. . . . .

151

Installing the Dell Extension to the Active Directory Users and
Computers Snap-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Adding CMC Users and Privileges to Active Directory 158
Configuring the CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory
and the Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Configuring the CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory
and RACADM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Standard Schema Active Directory Overview.

. . . .

165

Configuring Standard Schema Active Directory to Access Your
CMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Configuring the CMC With Standard Schema Active Directory
and Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Contents

Configuring the CMC With Standard Schema Active Directory
and RACADM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Frequently Asked Questions .

Power Management
Overview .

172

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

175

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

175

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .

175

. . . . . . . . . . . .

176

Redundancy Policies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

177

AC Redundancy .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

178

Power Budgeting for Hardware Modules
Dynamic PSU Engagement .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

178

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

179

Power Supply Redundancy .
No Redundancy .

Power Conservation and Power Budget Changes . 179
Configuring and Managing Power

. . . . . .

183

. . . . . . . . . . .

185

Viewing the Health Status of the PSUs .
Viewing Power Budget Status

. . .

191

. . . . . . . .

195

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

195

Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy
Assigning Priority Levels to Servers
Setting the Power Budget

183

. . . . . . . . . . .

Setting the Power Warning Threshold .

196

. . . . . .

Enabling Throttling to Maintain Power Budget

197

. .

Executing Power Control Operations on the Chassis 198

Executing Power Control Operations on an IOM .

199

Executing Power Control Operations on a Server

200

Using the iKVM Module .
Overview .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

203

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

203

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

203

iKVM User Interface
Security .

203

Contents

Scanning

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

203

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

204

Server Identification
Video

Plug and Play

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FLASH Upgradable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Physical Connection Interfaces

. . . . . . . . . . . .

iKVM Connection Precedences

. . . . . . . . .

Using OSCAR .

204
204

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

205

Navigation Basics.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

205

Configuring OSCAR

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

207

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Peripherals Compatibility and Support .
Viewing and Selecting Servers .
Scanning Your System

. . . . .

209

. . . . . . . . .

210
213

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

218

Broadcasting to Servers

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Managing iKVM From the CMC

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Enabling or Disabling the Front Panel
Enabling the Dell CMC Console .

219
221

. . . . . .

221

. . . . . . . . .

221

. . . .

222

. . . . . . . . . .

223

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

224

Viewing the iKVM Status and Properties .
Updating the iKVM Firmware .
Troubleshooting

209

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Setting Console Security

I/O Fabric Management .
Fabric Management

. . . . . . . . . . . .

229

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

229

Invalid Configurations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Invalid MC Configuration

Contents

204

205

Managing Servers With iKVM .

204

. . . . . . .

Tiering Through the ACI Connection

203

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

231
231

Invalid IOM-MC Configuration

. . . . . . . . . .

231

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

232

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

232

Invalid IOM-IOM Configuration .
Fresh Power-up Scenario
Monitoring IOM Health

Viewing the Health Status of an Individual IOM

10 Troubleshooting and Recovery
Overview .

231

. . . . . . . . . . .

234

. .

. . . . . . .

237

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chassis Monitoring Tools

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

237
237

Configuring LEDs to Identify Components on the Chassis 237
Configuring SNMP Alerts .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

238

Configuring E-mail Alerts .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

243

First Steps to Troubleshooting a Remote System

. . . .

246

Monitoring Power and Executing Power Control Commands on the
Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Viewing Power Budget Status

. . . . . . . . . . .

Viewing Chassis Summaries

246

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

246

. . . .

250

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

251

Viewing Chassis and Component Health Status
Viewing the Event Logs

246

. . . . . . .

Executing a Power Control Operation

Viewing the Hardware Log .
Viewing the CMC Log .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

251

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

253

Using the Diagnostic Console .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interpreting LED Colors and Blinking Patterns
Troubleshooting a Non-responsive CMC

255

. . . . .

256

. . . . . . . .

259

Contents

Observing the LEDs to Isolate the Problem .

. . .

259

Obtain Recovery Information From the DB-9 Serial Port 259
Recovering the Firmware Image

. . . . . . . . .

260

Troubleshooting Network Problems .

. . . . . . . . .

261

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

261

Troubleshooting Alerting

A RACADM Subcommands

. . . . . . . . . . . .

263

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

263

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

264

? and ?
arp

chassisaction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

265

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

266

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

267

clrraclog
clrsel

cmcchangeover

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

267

config .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

268

deploy

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

270

fwupdate

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

getassettag .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

getchassisname

Contents

273

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

274

getconfig

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

274

getdcinfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

277

getioinfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

279

getkvminfo

272

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

281

getled.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

281

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

282

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

283

getniccfg .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

284

getpbinfo .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

286

getraclog .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

289

getractime

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

290

getmacaddress.
getmodinfo .

getredundancymode .
getsel .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

291

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

291

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

292

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

294

getssninfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

295

getsvctag .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

296

getsysinfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

298

getsensorinfo
getslotname

gettracelog .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

help and help

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

300

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

301

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

302

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

302

ifconfig .
netstat
ping .

299

racdump

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

303

racreset

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

306

Contents

racresetcfg .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

307

serveraction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

308

setchassisname

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

309

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

310

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

310

setassettag .
setled .

setniccfg

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

setractime

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

setslotname
setsysinfo .

313

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

315

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

316

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

316

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

317

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

318

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

320

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

321

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

322

sslcertdownload .
sslcertupload .
sslcertview .
sslcsrgen .
testemail
testtrap

311

B CMC Property Database Group and Object
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Displayable Characters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

323

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

323

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

324

idRacInfo (read only) .
#idRacType

#idRacProductInfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

#idRacDescriptionInfo

Contents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

324
324

#idRacVersionInfo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

324

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

324

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

324

#idRacBuildInfo .
#idRacName

cfgLanNetworking .
cfgNicEnable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

325

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

325

cfgNicIpAddress

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

325

cfgNicNetmask .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

325

cfgNicGateway .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

326

cfgDNSRacName .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgDNSDomainName .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

326

. . . . . . . . .

326

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

326

cfgDNSDomainNameFromDHCP .
cfgDNSRegisterRac

326

cfgCurrentLanNetworking (read only)

. . . . . . . . .

327

# cfgNicCurrentIpAddress

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

327

# cfgNicCurrentNetmask .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

327

# cfgNicCurrentGateway .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

328

. . . . . . . . . .

328

# cfgDNSCurrentServer1 .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

328

# cfgDNSCurrentServer1 .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

328

# cfgNicCurrentDhcpWasUsed.

. . . . . . . . . .

328

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

328

# cfgDNSCurrentDomainName .
cfgRemoteHosts

. . . . . . . . . .

329

. . . . . . . . . . . .

329

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

329

cfgRhostsFwUpdateTftpEnable
cfgRhostsFwUpdateIpAddr .
cfgRhostsFwUpdatePath .

. . . . . . . . . . .

329

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

330

cfgRhostsSmtpServerIpAddr .
cfgUserAdmin

# cfgUserAdminIndex .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

330

cfgUserAdminEnable .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

330

cfgUserAdminUserName .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

330

# cfgUserAdminPassword

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

331

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

331

cfgUserAdminPrivilege .

Contents

cfgEmailAlert .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

# cfgEmailAlertIndex

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

332

cfgEmailAlertEnable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

333

# cfgEmailAlertAddress .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgSessionManagement .

333

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

333

cfgSsnMgtWebserverTimeout

. . . . . . . . . .

334

cfgSsnMgtTelnetIdleTimeout .

. . . . . . . . . .

334

. . . . . . . . . . . .

334

cfgSsnMgtSshIdleTimeout

. . . . . . . . . . .

334

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

335

cfgSsnMgtRacadmTimeout .
cfgSerial

cfgSerialBaudRate

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgSerialConsoleEnable

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgSerialConsoleQuitKey .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

335
335
335

. . . . . . . . . .

336

cfgSerialConsoleCommand .

. . . . . . . . . . .

336

cfgSerialConsoleHistorySize

. . . . . . . . . . .

336

cfgSerialConsoleIdleTimeout .

cfgSerialTelnetEnable.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

336

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

336

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

337

cfgSerialSshEnable .
cfgNetTuning .

cfgNetTuningNicSpeed .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgNetTuningNicMtu

. . . . . . . . . . .

337
338

. . . . . . . . . . . .

338

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

338

cfgNetTuningNicAutoneg .
cfgOobSnmp

cfgOobSnmpAgentEnable

. . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgOobSnmpAgentCommunity
cfgTraps

337

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgNetTuningNicFullDuplex .

338

. . . . . . . . . .

339

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

339

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

339

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

339

# cfgTrapsIndex .
cfgTrapsEnable

Contents

333

. . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgEmailAlertEmailName .

332

cfgTrapsAlertDestIpAddr .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

339

cfgTrapsCommunityName

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

340

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

340

cfgAlerting .

cfgAlertingEnable.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

340

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

341

cfgAlertingFilterMask
cfgRacTuning

340

. . . . . . . .

341

. . . . . . . . . . .

341

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

341

cfgRacTuneRemoteRacadmEnable
cfgRacTuneWebserverEnable
cfgRacTuneHttpPort

cfgRacTuneHttpsPort .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

342

cfgRacTuneTelnetPort

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

342

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

342

cfgRacTuneSshPort

. . . . . . . . . . . .

342

cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

342

cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

343

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

343

cfgRacTuneIpRangeEnable .

cfgRacTuneIpBlkEnable

cfgRacTuneIpBlkFailCount

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

343

cfgRacTuneIpBlkFailWindow .

. . . . . . . . . . .

343

cfgRacTuneIpBlkPenaltyTime

. . . . . . . . . . .

343

. . . . . . . . . . . .

344

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

344

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

344

cfgRacTuneTimezoneOffset
cfgRacTuneDaylightOffset
cfgRacSecurity.

cfgRacSecCsrKeySize

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgRacSecCsrCommonName

. . . . . . . . . . .

cfgRacSecCsrOrganizationName
cfgRacSecCsrOrganizationUnit

345

. . . . . . . . . .

345
345

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

345

. . . . . . . . . . . .

346

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

346

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

346

cfgRacSecCsrCountryCode
cfgRacSecCsrEmailAddr .
cfgActiveDirectory .

345

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgRacSecCsrLocalityName
cfgRacSecCsrStateName

345

Contents

cfgADEnable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgADRacDomain .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

347

cfgADRootDomain

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

347

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

347

cfgADRacName .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

347

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

347

cfgADAuthTimeout
cfgADType

cfgADSpecifyServerEnable .

348

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

348
348

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

348

cfgADGlobalCatalog
cfgStandardSchema

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

cfgADDomainController.

. . . . . . . . . . .

349

. . . . . . . . . . . .

349

# cfgSSADRoleGroupIndex .
cfgSSADRoleGroupName.

cfgSSADRoleGroupDomain .

. . . . . . . . . . .

349

cfgSSADRoleGroupPrivilege

. . . . . . . . . . .

349

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

350

cfgChassisPower

cfgChassisRedundancPolicy

. . . . . . . . . . .

# cfgChassisRedundantState .

. . . . . . . . . .

# cfgChassisPowerStatus.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

350

. . . . . . . . . . .

# cfgChassisRedundancyReserve

350

. . . . . . . .

351

. . . . . . . . . . . .

351

. . . . . . . . .

351

. . . . . . . . . .

351

# cfgChassisBaseConsumption .
# cfgChassisServerAllocation

. . . . .

351

. . . . . .

351

. . . . . . . . . .

352

# cfgChassisOverallPowerConsumption
cfgChassisPowerWarningThreshold .
cfgEnclosureMaxPowerLimit .

. . .

352

# cfgChassisPowerLowWaterMark

. . . . . . .

352

# cfgChassisPowerHighWaterMark

. . . . . . .

352

cfgChassisEnablePerformanceDegradation

. . . . .

352

. . . . . . . .

352

# cfgChassisPowerLowWaterMarkTime
# cfgChassisPowerHighMarkTime

Contents

350
350

# cfgChassisAvailablePower
# cfgChassisLoadSharing .

350

. . . .

cfgChassisDynamicPSUEngagementSet .

347

# cfgChassisPowerWaterMarkTimeClear

. .

352

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

353

# cfgChassisPowerWaterMarkTimeClearTime .
cfgServerInfo.

352

. . . . .

# cfgServerInfoIndex .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

354

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

354

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

354

# cfgServerSlotNumber.
# cfgServerServiceTag
cfgServerName .

354

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

# cfgServerNic1MacAddress

. . . . . . . . . . .

354

# cfgServerNic2MacAddress

. . . . . . . . . . .

354

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

354

cfgServerPriority

cfgServerNicEnable

cfgKVMInfo.

355

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .

355

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

355

cfgServerIPMIOverLanEnable

. . . . . . . . . . .

355

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

356

cfgKVMAccessToCMCEnable
cfgKVMFrontPanelEnable

C Using the LCD Panel Interface
LCD Navigation
Main Menu

. . . . . . .

357

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

357

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

357

LCD Setup Menu

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

358

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

358

Language Setup Screen
Default Screen

358

Graphical Server Status Screen

. . . . . . . . . .

Graphical Module Status Screen.

359

. . . . . . . . .

360

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

360

Module Status Screen

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

361

Server Status Screen .

Enclosure Menu Screen

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

361

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

361

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

361

IP Summary Screen
Diagnostics

Contents

Front Panel LCD Messages
LCD Error Messages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

362

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

362

LCD Module and Server Status Information .

. . . . .

369

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

373

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

379

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

380

Glossary

Contents

Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

381

Contents

CMC Overview
The Dell™ Chassis Management Controller (CMC) is a hot-pluggable
systems management hardware and software solution designed to provide
remote management capabilities and power control functions for Dell
M1000e chassis systems.
You can configure the CMC to send e-mail alerts or SNMP trap alerts for
warnings or errors related to temperatures, hardware misconfigurations,
power outages, and fan speeds.
The CMC, which has its own microprocessor and memory, is powered by the
modular chassis into which it is plugged.
To get started with the CMC, see "Installing and Setting Up the CMC" on
page 33.

CMC Management Features
The CMC provides the following management features:
•

Dynamic Domain Name System (DNS) registration

•

Remote system management and monitoring using SNMP, a Web
interface, iKVM, or Telnet/SSH connection

•

Support for Microsoft® Active Directory authentication — Centralizes
CMC user IDs and passwords in Active Directory using the Standard
Schema or an Extended Schema

•

Monitoring — Provides access to system information and status of
components

•

Access to system event logs — Provides access to the hardware log and
CMC log

•

Dell OpenManage™ software integration — Enables you to launch the
CMC Web interface from Dell OpenManage Server Administrator or IT
Assistant

•

CMC alert — Alerts you to potential managed node issues through an
e-mail message or SNMP trap

CMC Overview

•

Remote power management — Provides remote power management
functions, such as shutdown and reset on any chassis component, from a
management console

•

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption — Provides secure remote system
management through the Web interface

•

Password-level security management — Prevents unauthorized access to a
remote system

•

Role-based authority — Provides assignable permissions for different
systems management tasks

•

Launch point for the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC)
Web interface

•

Support for WS-Management (for more information, see "WSManagement Support" on page 28)

Security Features
The CMC provides the following security features:
•

User authentication through Microsoft® Active Directory® (optional) or
hardware-stored user IDs and passwords

•

Role-based authority, which enables an administrator to configure specific
privileges for each user

•

User ID and password configuration through the Web interface

•

Web interface supports 128-bit SSL encryption and 40-bit SSL encryption
(for countries where 128-bit is not acceptable)
NOTE: Telnet does not support SSL encryption.

•

Configurable IP ports (where applicable)

•

Limited IP address range for clients connecting to the CMC

•

Secure Shell (SSH), which uses an encrypted layer for higher security

CMC Overview

Chassis Overview
Figure 1-1 shows the facing edge of a CMC (inset) and the locations of the
CMC slots in the chassis.
Figure 1-1. Dell M1000e Chassis and CMC

Hardware Specifications
TCP/IP Ports
You must provide port information when opening firewalls for remote access
to a CMC.
Table 1-1 identifies the ports on which the CMC listens for server
connections. Table 1-2 identifies the ports that the CMC uses as clients.

CMC Overview

Table 1-1.

CMC Server Listening Ports

Port Number

Function

22*

SSH

23*

Telnet

80*

HTTP

161

SNMP Agent

443*

HTTPS

* Configurable port

Table 1-2.

CMC Client Port

Port Number

Function

SMTP

DNS

DHCP-assigned IP address

TFTP

162

SNMP trap

636

LDAPS

3269

LDAPS for global catalog (GC)

CMC Overview

Supported Remote Access Connections
Table 1-3 lists the connection features.
Table 1-3.

Supported Remote Access Connections

Connection

Features

CMC NIC

• 10Mbps/100Mbps/1Gbps Ethernet via CMC GbE port
• DHCP support
• SNMP traps and e-mail event notification
• Dedicated network interface for the CMC Web interface
• Network interface for the iDRAC and I/O Modules (IOMs)
• Support for Telnet/SSH command console and RACADM CLI
commands including system boot, reset, power-on, and shutdown
commands

Serial port

• Support for serial console and RACADM CLI commands
including system boot, reset, power-on, and shutdown commands
• Support for binary interchange for applications specifically
designed to communicate with a binary protocol to a particular
type of IOM
• Serial port can be switched to IOMs using the connect command

Other
connections

• Access to the Dell CMC Console through the Avocent®
Integrated KVM Switch Module (iKVM)

Supported Platforms
The CMC supports modular systems designed for the M1000e platform. For
information about compatibility with the CMC, see the documentation for
your device.
For the latest supported platforms, see the Dell PowerEdge Compatibility
Guide located on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Supported Web Browsers
Table 1-4 lists the Web browsers supported as CMC clients.

CMC Overview

For the latest information on supported Web browsers, see the Dell
OpenManage Server Administrator Compatibility Guide located on the Dell
Support website at support.dell.com.
Table 1-4.

Supported Web Browsers

Operating System

Supported Web Browser

Windows®

Internet Explorer® 6.0 (32-bit) with Service Pack 2 (SP2) for
Windows XP and Windows 2003 R2 SP2 only.
Internet Explorer 7.0 for Windows Vista®, Windows XP, and
Windows 2003 R2 SP2 only.

Linux

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 (32-bit) for SUSE Enterprise Linux
(version 10) only.
Mozilla Firefox 2.0 (32-bit).

To view localized versions of the CMC Web interface:
1 Open the Windows Control Panel.
2 Double-click the Regional Options icon.
3 Select the desired locale from the Your locale (location) drop-down menu.

Supported Management Console Applications
The CMC supports integration with Dell OpenManage IT Assistant. For
more information, refer to the documentation for the OpenManage IT
Assistant.

WS-Management Support
The CMC firmware includes an implementation of the WS-Management
specification. WS-Management, a new Web Services specification over
SOAP-based protocol for systems management, provides a universal language
for devices to share data so they can be managed more easily.
Access to WS-Management requires Administrator (or root) user privileges
using Basic authentication over Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol at
port 443. For information on setting user accounts, see
"cfgSessionManagement" on page 333.

CMC Overview

The data available through WS-Management is a subset of data provided by
the CMC instrumentation interface mapped to the following DMTF profiles
version 1.0.0:
•

Allocation Capabilities Profile

•

Base Metrics Profile

•

Base Server Profile

•

Computer System Profile

•

Modular System Profile

•

Physical Asset Profile

•

Dell Power Allocation Profile

•

Dell Power Supply Profile

•

Dell Power Topology Profile

•

Power State Management Profile

•

Profile Registration Profile

•

Record Log Profile

•

Resource Allocation Profile

•

Role Based Authorization Profile

•

Sensors Profile

•

Service Processor Profile

•

Simple Identity Management Profile

For more information, refer to www.dmtf.org/standards/profiles/. For updates
to this list or information, refer to WS-Management release notes or readme
file.
The WS-Management implementation complies with the DMTF Web
Services for Management (WS Management) specification version 1.0.0.
Known compatible tools that support WS-Management protocol include
(but are not limited to) the Microsoft WinRM and OpenWSMan CLI tools.

CMC Overview

For specific WS-Management support, see your management application
documentation. Additional documentation is available on the Web:
•

www.wbemsolutions.com/ws_management.html

•

DMTF WS-Management Specifications:
www.dmtf.org/standards/wbem/wsman

•

DMTF Management Profiles: www.dmtf.org/standards/profiles/

Other Documents You May Need
In addition to this User’s Guide, the following documents provide additional
information about the setup and operation of the CMC:
•

The CMC online help provides information about using the Web
interface.

•

The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller Firmware Version 1.0 User’s
Guide provides information about installation, configuration and
maintenance of the iDRAC on management and managed systems.

•

The Dell OpenManage™ IT Assistant User’s Guide and the Dell
OpenManage IT Assistant Reference Guide provide information about IT
Assistant.

•

Documentation specific to your third-party management console
application.

•

The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator’s User’s Guide provides
information about installing and using Server Administrator.

•

The Dell Update Packages User's Guide provides information about
obtaining and using Dell Update Packages as part of your system update
strategy.

The following system documents are also available to provide more
information about the system in which your CMC is installed:

•

The Product Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory
information. Warranty information may be included within this document
or as a separate document.

•

The Rack Installation Guide and Rack Installation Instructions included
with your rack solution describe how to install your system into a rack.

CMC Overview

•

The Hardware Owner’s Manual provides information about system
features and describes how to troubleshoot the system and install or
replace system components.

•

Systems management software documentation describes the features,
requirements, installation, and basic operation of the software.

•

Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides
information to configure and install these options.

•

Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to
the system, software, and/or documentation.
NOTE: Always read the updates first because they often supersede
information in other documents.

•

Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute
updates to the system or documentation or advanced technical reference
material intended for experienced users or technicians.

CMC Overview

Installing and Setting Up the CMC
This section provides information about how to install your CMC hardware,
establish access to the CMC, and configure your management environment
to use the CMC.
This chapter guides you through the next steps for configuring the CMC:
•

Set up initial access to the CMC

•

Access the CMC through a network

•

Add and configure CMC users

•

Update the CMC firmware

Additionally, you can find information about installing and setting up
redundant CMC environment at "Understanding the Redundant CMC
Environment" on page 51.

Before You Begin
Prior to setting up your CMC environment, download the latest version of
the CMC firmware from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
Then, gather the following items that were included with your system:
•

Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD

•

Dell Systems Management Consoles CD

•

Dell PowerEdge Service and Diagnostic Utilities CD

•

Dell PowerEdge Documentation CD

•

Dell iDRAC Firmware 1.0 User's Guide

Installing the CMC Hardware
Because the CMC is preinstalled on your chassis, no installation is required.
To get started with the CMC that is installed on your system, see "Installing
Remote Access Software on a Management Station" on page 34.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

You can install a second CMC to run as a standby to the primary CMC. For
more information about a standby CMC, see "Understanding the Redundant
CMC Environment" on page 51.

Installing Remote Access Software on a
Management Station
You can access the CMC using the Telnet, Secure Shell (SSH), or serial
console utilities provided on your operating system or using the Web
interface.
If you want to use remote RACADM from your management station, you will
need to install it. Your system includes the Dell OpenManage System
Management Software Kit. This kit includes, but is not limited to, the
following components:
•

Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD — A bootable CD
that provides the tools you need to configure your system and install your
operating system. This CD contains the latest systems management
software products, including Dell OpenManage Server Administrator
diagnostics, storage management, and remote access services.

•

Dell Systems Management Consoles CD — Contains all the latest Dell
systems management console products, including Dell OpenManage IT
Assistant. Run Setup to install the remote RACADM utility for all
supported operating systems on your management station.

•

Dell PowerEdge Service and Diagnostic Utilities CD — Provides the tools
you need to configure your system and delivers firmware, diagnostics, and
Dell-optimized drivers for your system.

•

Dell PowerEdge Documentation CD — Helps you stay current with
documentation for systems, systems management software products,
peripherals, and RAID controllers.

For information about installing Server Administrator software, see your
Server Administrator User's Guide.

Installing RACADM on a Linux Management Station
1 Log on to the system where you want to install the management station
components.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

2 If necessary, mount the Dell Systems Management Consoles CD using the
following command or a similar command:
mount /media/cdrom
3 Navigate to the /linux/rac directory and execute the following command:
rpm -ivh *.rpm
For help with the RACADM command, type racadm help after issuing the
previous commands. For more information about RACADM, see "Using the
RACADM Command Line Interface" on page 65.
NOTE: When using the RACADM remote capability, you must have write
permission on the folders where you are using the RACADM subcommands
involving file operations, for example:
racadm getconfig -f
or

racadm sslcertupload -t 1 -f c:\cert\cert.txt

Uninstalling RACADM From a Linux Management Station
Open a text console on your management station and type:
rpm -e
where is the rpm package that was used to
install the RAC software.
For example, if the rpm package name is srvadmin-racadm5, then type:
rpm -e srvadmin-racadm5

Configuring a Web Browser
You can configure and manage the CMC and the servers and modules
installed in the chassis through a Web browser. See "Supported Web
Browsers" on page 27 for a list of the Web browsers you can use with the
CMC.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Your CMC and the management station where you use your browser must be
on the same network, which is called the management network. Depending on
your security requirements, the management network can be an isolated,
highly secure network.
You must ensure that security measures on the management network, such as
firewalls and proxy servers, do not prevent your Web browser from accessing
the CMC.
Also, be aware that some browser features can interfere with connectivity or
performance, especially if the management network does not have a route to
the Internet. If your management station is running a Windows operating
system, there are Internet Explorer settings that can interfere with
connectivity even when you are using a command line interface to access the
management network.

Proxy Server
If you have a proxy server for browsing and it does not have access to the
management network, you can add the management network addresses to the
browser’s exception list. This instructs the browser to bypass the proxy server
when accessing the management network.
Internet Explorer

Follow these steps to edit the exception list in Internet Explorer:
1 Start Internet Explorer.
2 Click Tools→ Internet Options…, then click Connections.
3 In the Local Area Network (LAN) settings section, click LAN Settings….
4 In the Proxy server section, click Advanced….
5 In the Exceptions section, add the addresses for CMCs and iDRACs on
the management network to the semicolon-separated list. You can use
DNS names and wildcards in your entries.
Mozilla FireFox

Follow these steps to edit the exception list in Mozilla FireFox:
1 Start FireFox.
2 Click Tools→ Options…→ Advanced, then click the Network tab.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

3 Click Settings….
4 In the No Proxy for field, add the addresses for CMCs and iDRACs on the
management network to the comma-separated list. You can use DNS
names and wildcards in your entries.

Microsoft® Phishing Filter
If the Microsoft Phishing Filter is enabled in Internet Explorer 7 on your
management system and your CMC does not have Internet access, you may
experience delays of several seconds when accessing the CMC, whether you
are using the browser or another interface such as remote RACADM. Follow
these steps to disable the phishing filter:
1 Start Internet Explorer.
2 Click Tools→ Phishing Filter, and then click Phishing Filter Settings.
3 Check the Disable Phishing Filter checkbox.
4 Click OK.

Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Fetching
If your CMC has no route to the Internet, you should disable the certificate
revocation list (CRL) fetching feature in Internet Explorer. This feature tests
whether a server such as the CMC Web server is using a certificate that is on
a list of revoked certificates retrieved from the Internet. If the Internet is
inaccessible, this feature can cause delays of several seconds when you access
the CMC using the browser or with a command line interface such as remote
RACADM.
Follow these steps to disable CRL fetching:
1 Start Internet Explorer.
2 Click Tools→ Internet Options…, then click Advanced.
3 Scroll to the Security section and uncheck Check for publisher’s
certificate revocation.
4 Click OK.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Downloading Files From CMC With Internet Explorer
When you use Internet Explorer to download files from the CMC you may
experience problems when the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option is
not enabled.
Follow these steps to enable the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option:
1 Start Internet Explorer.
2 Click Tools→ Internet Options…, then click Advanced.
3 Scroll to the Security section and check Do not save encrypted pages to
disk.

Allow Animations in Internet Explorer
When transferring files to and from the Web interface, a file transfer icon
spins to show transfer activity. For Internet Explorer, this requires that the
browser be configured to play animations, which is the default setting.
Follow these steps to configure Internet Explorer to play animations:
1 Start Internet Explorer.
2 Click Tools→ Internet Options…, then click Advanced.
3 Scroll to the Multimedia section and check Play animations in web pages.

Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC
To manage the CMC remotely, connect the CMC to your management
network and then configure the CMC network settings. This initial
configuration assigns the TCP/IP networking parameters that enable access to
the CMC.
The CMC is connected to the management network. All external access to
the CMC and iDRACs is accomplished through the CMC. Access to the
managed servers, conversely, is accomplished through network connections to
I/O modules (IOMs). This allows the application network to be isolated from
the management network.
If you have one chassis, connect the CMC, and the standby CMC if present,
to the management network. If you have more than one chassis, you can
choose between the basic connection, where each CMC is connected to the
management network, or a daisy-chained chassis connection, where the

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

chassis are connected in series and only one is connected to the management
network. The basic connection type uses more ports on the management
network and provides greater redundancy. The daisy-chain connection type
uses fewer ports on the management network but introduces dependencies
between CMCs, reducing the redundancy of the system.

Basic CMC Network Connection
For the highest degree of redundancy, connect each CMC to your
management network. If a chassis has just one CMC, make one connection
on the management network. If the chassis has a redundant CMC in the
secondary CMC slot, make two connections to the management network.
Each CMC has two RJ-45 Ethernet ports, labeled "GB1" and "GB2". With
basic cabling, you connect the GB1 port to the management network and
leave the GB2 port unused.

Daisy-chain CMC Network Connection
If you have multiple chassis in a rack, you can reduce the number of
connections to the management network by daisy-chaining up to four chassis
together. If each of four chassis contains a redundant CMC, by daisy-chaining
you reduce the number of management network connections required from
eight to two. If each chassis has only one CMC, you reduce the connections
required from four to one.
When daisy-chaining chassis together, GB1 is the "uplink" port and GB2 is
the "stacking" port. A GB1 port must connect to the management network or
to the GB2 port of the CMC in a chassis that is closer to network. The GB2
port must only receive a connection from a GB1 port further from the chain.
Create separate chains for the CMCs in the primary CMC slot and the
second CMC slot.
Figure 2-1 illustrates the arrangement of cables for four daisy-chained chassis,
each with CMCs in the primary and secondary slots.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Figure 2-1.

Daisy-chained CMC Network Connection

1
2

management network

primary CMC

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

secondary CMC

Follow these steps to daisy-chain up to four chassis:
1 Connect the GB1 port of the primary CMC in the first chassis to the
management network.
2 Connect the GB1 port of the primary CMC in the second chassis to the
GB2 port of the primary CMC in the first chassis.
3 If you have a third chassis, connect the GB1 port of its primary CMC to
the GB2 port of the primary CMC in the second chassis.
4 If you have a fourth chassis, connect the GB1 port of its primary CMC to
the GB2 port of the third chassis.
5 If you have redundant CMCs in the chassis, connect them using the same
pattern.
NOTICE: The GB2 port on any CMC must never be connected to the management
network. It can only be connected to the GB1 port on another chassis. Connecting a
GB2 port to the management network can disrupt the network.
NOTE: Never connect a primary CMC to a secondary CMC.
NOTE: Resetting a CMC whose GB2 port is chained to another CMC can disrupt the
network for CMCs later in the chain. The "child" CMCs may log messages indicating
that the network link has been lost and they may fail over to their redundant CMCs.

Configuring the CMC Network
NOTICE: Changing your CMC Network settings may disconnect your current
network connection.
You can perform the initial network configuration of the CMC before or after
the CMC has an IP address. If you configure the CMC’s initial network
settings before you have an IP address, you can use either of the following
interfaces:
•

The LCD panel on the front of the chassis

•

Dell CMC Console via iKVM

If you configure initial network settings after the CMC has an IP address, you
can use any of the following interfaces:
•

Command line interfaces (CLIs) such as a serial console, Telnet, SSH, or
the Dell CMC Console via iKVM

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

•

Remote RACADM

•

The CMC Web interface

Configuring Networking Using the LCD Configuration Wizard
NOTE: The option to configure the server using the LCD Configuration Wizard is
only available until the CMC is deployed or the default password is changed. Once
the CMC is accessible from the network, the LCD panel cannot be used to
reconfigure the CMC.
The LCD is located on the bottom left corner on the front of the chassis.
Figure 2-2 illustrates the LCD panel.
Figure 2-2.

LCD Display
3
2

LCD screen

scroll buttons (4)

selection ("check") button

status indicator LED

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

The LCD screen displays menus, icons, pictures, and messages.
A status indicator LED on the LCD panel provides an indication of the
overall health of the chassis and its components.
•

Solid blue indicates good health.

•

Blinking amber indicates that at least one component has a fault
condition.

•

Blinking blue is an ID signal, used to identify one chassis in a group of
chassis.

Navigating in the LCD Screen

The right side of the LCD panel contains five buttons: four arrow buttons
(up, down, left, and right) and a center button.
•

To move between screens, use the right (next) and left (previous) arrow
buttons. At any time while using the Configuration Wizard, you can
return to a previous screen.

•

To scroll through options on a screen, use the down and up arrow buttons.

•

To select and save an item on a screen and move to the next screen, use the
center button.

For more information about using the LCD panel see "Using the LCD Panel
Interface" on page 357.
Using the LCD Configuration Wizard

1 If you have not already done so, press the chassis power button to turn
it on.
The LCD screen displays a series of initialization screens as it powers up.
When it is ready, the Language Setup screen displays.
2 Select your language using the down arrow button, and then press the
center button.
The Enclosure screen displays with the following question: "Configure
Enclosure?"
3 Press the center button to continue to the CMC Network Settings screen.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

4 Select your network speed (10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, or Auto) using the
down arrow button.
NOTE: The Network Speed setting must match your network configuration for
effective network throughput. Setting the Network Speed lower than the
speed of your network configuration increases bandwidth consumption and
slows network communication. Determine whether your network supports the
above network speeds and set it accordingly. If your network configuration
does not match any of these values, Dell recommends that you use Auto
Negotiation (the Auto option) or refer to your network equipment
manufacturer.
Press the center button to continue to the next CMC Network Settings
screen.
5 Select the duplex mode (half or full) that matches your network
environment.
NOTE: The network speed and duplex mode settings are not available if Auto
Negotiation is set to On or 1000MB (1Gbps) is selected.

NOTE: If auto negotiation is turned on for one device but not the other, then
the device using auto negotiation can determine the network speed of the
other device, but not the duplex mode; in this case, duplex mode defaults to
the half duplex setting during auto negotiation. Such a duplex mismatch will
result in a slow network connection.

Press the center button to continue to the next CMC Network Settings
screen.
6 Select the mode in which you want the CMC to obtain the NIC IP
addresses:
The CMC retrieves IP configuration (IP address, mask, and
Dynamic Host
gateway) automatically from a DHCP server on your
Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) network. The CMC will be assigned a unique IP address
allotted over your network. If you have selected the DHCP
option, press the center button. The Register DNS? screen
appears; go to step 7.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Static

You manually enter the IP address, gateway, and subnet mask
in the screens immediately following.
If you have selected the Static option, press the center
button to continue to the next CMC Network Settings
screen, then:
a Set the Static IP Address by using the right or left arrow
keys to move between positions, and the up and down
arrow keys to select a number for each position. When
you have finished setting the Static IP Address, press the
center button to continue.
b Set the subnet mask, and then press the center button.
c Set the gateway, and then press the center button. The
Network Summary screen displays.
The Network Summary screen lists the Static IP
Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway settings you
entered. Review the settings for accuracy. To correct a
setting, use the left arrow key to return to the screen for
that setting. After making a correction, press the center
button.
d When you have confirmed the accuracy of the settings
you entered, press the center button. The Register DNS?
screen appears.

7 If you selected Static in the previous step, go to step 8.
To register your DNS server’s IP address, press the center button to
proceed. If you have no DNS, press the right arrow key. The Configure
iDRAC? screen appears; go to step 8.
Set the DNS IP Address using the right or left arrow keys to move between
positions, and the up and down arrow keys to select a number for each
position. When you have finished setting the DNS IP address, press the
center button to continue.
8 Indicate whether you want to configure iDRAC:
–

No: Press the right arrow button. The IP Summary screen appears.
Skip to step 9.

–

Yes: Press the center button to proceed.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

NOTE: You cannot set a static IP address for the iDRAC using the LCD
Configuration Wizard. To set a static IP address, use the CMC Web interface
or RACADM.

When you have made your selection, press the center button. The IP
Summary screen displays, listing the IP addresses you provided.
9 On the IP Summary screen, review for accuracy the IP addresses you
provided. To correct a setting, use the left arrow key to return to the screen
for that setting. After making a correction, press the center button. If
necessary, use the right arrow button to return to the IP Summary screen.
When you have confirmed the accuracy of the settings you entered, press
the center button. The Configuration Wizard closes and returns you to the
Main Menu screen.
The CMC is now available on the network. You can access the CMC on the
assigned IP address using the Web interface or CLIs such as a serial console,
Telnet, and SSH.
NOTE: After you have completed network setup through the LCD Configuration
Wizard, the Wizard is no longer available.

Accessing the CMC Through a Network
After you have configured the CMC network settings, you can remotely
access the CMC using any of the following interfaces:

•

Web interface

•

RACADM

•

Telnet console

•

SSH

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Table 2-1 describes each CMC network interface.
Table 2-1.

CMC Interfaces

Interface

Description

Web interface

Provides remote access to the CMC using a graphical user
interface. The Web interface is built into the CMC firmware
and is accessed through the NIC interface from a supported
Web browser on the management station.
For a list of supported Web browsers, see "Supported Web
Browsers" on page 27.

Remote RACADM
command line
interface

Provides remote access to the CMC from a management
station using a command line interface (CLI). Remote
RACADM uses the racadam -r option with the CMC’s IP
address to execute commands on the CMC.

Telnet

Provides command line access to the CMC through the
network. The RACADM command line interface and the
connect command, which is used for server and IO module
debugging, are available from the CMC command line.

NOTE: Telnet is an unsecure protocol that transmits all data—
including passwords—in plain text. When transmitting
sensitive information, use the SSH interface.
SSH

Provides the same capabilities as Telnet using an encrypted
transport layer for greater security.

NOTE: The CMC default user name is root and the default password is calvin.
You can access the CMC and iDRAC Web interfaces through the CMC NIC
using a supported Web browser; you can also launch them from the Dell
Server Administrator or Dell OpenManage IT Assistant.
For a list of supported Web browsers, see "Supported Web Browsers" on
page 27. To access the CMC using a supported Web browser, see "Accessing
the CMC Web Interface" on page 87. For information on Dell Server
Administrator and Dell OpenManage IT Assistant, see "Installing Remote
Access Software on a Management Station" on page 34.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

To access the CMC interface using Dell Server Administrator, launch Server
Administrator on your management station. From the system tree on the left
pane of the Server Administrator home page, click System→ Main System
Chassis→ Remote Access Controller. For more information, see your Dell
Server Administrator User’s Guide.
To access the CMC command line using Telnet or SSH, see "Configuring
CMC to Use Command Line Consoles" on page 53.
For information about using RACADM, see "Using the RACADM Command
Line Interface" on page 65.
For information about using the connect command to connect to servers and
IO modules, see "Connecting to Modules With the Connect Command" on
page 63.

Installing or Updating the CMC Firmware
Downloading the CMC Firmware
Before beginning the firmware update, download the latest firmware version
from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com, and save it to your local
system.
The following software components are included with your CMC firmware
package:
•

Compiled CMC firmware code and data

•

Web interface, JPEG, and other user interface data files

•

Default configuration files
NOTE: During updates of CMC firmware, some or all of the fan units in the chassis
will spin at 100%. This is normal.
NOTE: The firmware update, by default, retains the current CMC settings. During
the update process, you have the option to reset the CMC configuration settings
back to the factory default settings.
NOTE: If you have redundant CMCs installed in the chassis, it is important to
update both to the same firmware version. If the CMCs have different firmware and
a failover occurs, unexpected results may occur.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

You can use the RACADM getsysinfo command (see "getsysinfo" on
page 298) or the Chassis Summary page (see "Viewing the Current Firmware
Versions" on page 137) to view the current firmware versions for the CMCs
installed in your chassis.
If you have a standby CMC, it is recommended that you update the firmware
in the standby CMC first. When the standby CMC has been updated, swap
the CMCs’ roles so that the newly updated CMC becomes the primary CMC
and the CMC with the older firmware becomes the standby. (See
"cmcchangeover" on page 267 for help swapping roles.) This allows you to
verify that the update succeeded and that the new firmware is working
properly before you update the firmware in the second CMC. When both
CMCs are updated, you can use the cmcchangeover command to restore the
CMCs to their previous roles.
Updating CMC Firmware Using the Web Interface
For instructions on using the Web interface to update CMC firmware, see
"Updating CMC and iKVM Firmware" on page 137.
Updating the CMC Firmware Using RACADM
For instructions on using the RACADM fwupdate subcommand to update
CMC firmware, see "fwupdate" on page 272.

Configuring CMC Properties
You can configure CMC properties such as power budgeting, network
settings, users, and SNMP and e-mail alerts using the Web interface or
RACADM.
For more information about using the Web interface, see "Accessing the
CMC Web Interface" on page 87. For more information about using
RACADM, see "Using the RACADM Command Line Interface" on page 65.
You can configure the CMC using one of the following configuration tools:
•

The CMC Web interface. For more information, see "Using the CMC
Web Interface" on page 87.

•

A local RACADM command line interface (CLI). Fore more information,
see "Using the RACADM Command Line Interface" on page 65.
NOTICE: Using more than one CMC configuration tool at the same time may
generate unexpected results.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Configuring Power Budgeting
The CMC offers a power budgeting service that allows you to configure
power budget, redundancy, and dynamic power for the chassis.
The chassis ships with either three or six power supply units (PSUs). If your
chassis has only three PSUs, you can add up to three more. The power
management service enables optimization of power consumption and reallocation of power to different modules based on demand.
For more information about CMC power management, see "Power
Management" on page 175.
For instructions on configuring power budgeting and other power settings
using the Web interface, see "Configuring Power Budgeting" on page 136.

Configuring CMC Network Settings
NOTE: Changing your CMC network settings may disconnect your current network
connection.
You can configure the CMC network settings using one of the following tools:
•

RACADM — see "Configuring Multiple CMCs in Multiple Chassis" on
page 80
NOTE: If you are deploying the CMC in a Linux environment, see "Installing
RACADM on a Linux Management Station" on page 34.

•

Web interface — see "Configuring CMC Network Properties" on
page 100

Adding and Configuring Users
You can add and configure CMC users using either RACADM or the CMC
Web interface. You can also utilize Microsoft® Active Directory® to manage
users.
For instructions on adding and configuring users using RACADM, see
"Adding a CMC User" on page 78. For instructions on adding and configuring
users using the Web interface, see "Adding and Configuring CMC Users" on
page 107.
For instructions on using Active Directory with your CMC, see "Using the
CMC With Microsoft Active Directory" on page 145.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Adding SNMP and E-mail Alerts
You can configure the CMC to generate SNMP and/or e-mail alerts when
certain chassis events occur. For more information, see "Configuring SNMP
Alerts" on page 238 and "Configuring E-mail Alerts" on page 243.

Understanding the Redundant CMC Environment
You can install a standby CMC that takes over if your primary CMC fails.
Failovers can occur when you:
•

Run the RACADM cmcchangeover command. (See "cmcchangeover" on
page 267.)

•

Run the RACADM racreset mmand on the active CMC. (See "racreset" on
page 306.)

•

Remove the network cable from the active CMC

•

Remove the active CMC from the chassis

•

Initiate a CMC firmware flash on the active CMC
NOTE: In the event of CMC failover, all iDRAC connections and all active CMC
sessions will be lost. Users who lose sessions must reconnect to the new primary
CMC.

About the Standby CMC
The standby CMC is identical to and is maintained as a mirror of the active
CMC. The active and standby CMCs must both be installed with the same
firmware revision. If the firmware revisions differ, the system will report as
redundancy degraded.
The standby CMC assumes the same settings and properties of the primary
CMC. You must maintain the same firmware version on both CMCs, but you
do not need to duplicate configuration settings on the standby CMC.
NOTE: For information about installing a standby CMC, see the Hardware Owner’s
Manual. For instructions on installing the CMC firmware on your standby CMC,
follow the instructions in "Installing or Updating the CMC Firmware" on page 48.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Primary CMC Election Process
There is no difference between the two CMC slots; that is, slot does not
dictate precedence. Instead, the CMC that is installed or booted first
assumes the role of the active CMC. If AC power is applied with two CMCs
installed, the CMC installed in CMC chassis slot 1 (the left) normally
assumes the active role. The active CMC is indicated by the blue LED.
If two CMCs are inserted into a chassis that is already powered on, automatic
active/standby negotiation can take up to two minutes. Normal chassis
operation resumes when the negotiation is complete.

Planning Deployment of Redundant CMCs
When planning CMC deployment and chassis cabling, it is recommended
that you choose the left CMC to act as the primary and the right CMC to act
as secondary, and then maintain those roles. This is best practice because it is
the default arrangement when the chassis is powered on and redundancy is
increased when all of the primary CMCs in daisy-chained chassis are cabled
together. When a failover occurs and a CMC in the right slot becomes
primary, use the RACADM cmcchangeover command to reset the CMC in
the left slot to primary.

Obtaining Health Status of Redundant CMC
You can view the health status of the standby CMC in the Web interface. For
more information about accessing CMC health status in the Web interface,
see "Viewing Chassis and Component Health Status" on page 89.

Installing and Setting Up the CMC

Configuring CMC to Use Command
Line Consoles
This section provides information about the CMC command line console (or
serial/Telnet/Secure Shell console) features, and explains how to set up your
system so you can perform systems management actions through the console.
For information on using the RACADM commands in CMC via the
command line console, see "Using the RACADM Command Line Interface"
on page 65.

Command Line Console Features on the CMC
The CMC supports the following serial and Telnet console features:
•

One serial client connection and up to four simultaneous Telnet client
connections

•

Up to four simultaneous Secure Shell (SSH) client connections

•

RACADM command support

•

Built-in connect command for debugging servers and I/O modules

•

Command Line editing and history

•

Session timeout control on all console interfaces

Using a Telnet Console With the CMC
The managed system provides access between the CMC and the Telnet
console to enable you to turn on, turn off, or reset the managed system, and
access logs.
Up to four Telnet client systems and four SSH clients may connect at any
given time. The management station connection to the managed system
Telnet console requires management station terminal emulation software. For
more information, see "Configuring Terminal Emulation Software" on
page 55.

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Using SSH With the CMC
SSH is a command line session that includes the same capabilities as a Telnet
session, but with session negotiation and encryption to improve security. The
CMC supports SSH version 2 with password authentication. SSH is enabled
on the CMC by default.
NOTE: The CMC does not support SSH version 1.
When an error occurs during the login procedure, the SSH client issues an
error message. The message text is dependent on the client and is not
controlled by the CMC.
NOTE: OpenSSH should be run from a VT100 or ANSI terminal emulator on
Windows. Running OpenSSH at the Windows command prompt does not provide
full functionality (that is, some keys do not respond and no graphics are displayed).
For Linux, run SSH Client Services to connect to CMC with any shell.
Four simultaneous SSH sessions are supported at any given time. The session
timeout is controlled by the cfgSsnMgtSshIdleTimeout property (see
"RACADM Subcommands" on page 263) or from the Services Management
page in the Web interface (see "Configuring Services" on page 129).

Enabling SSH on the CMC
SSH is enabled by default. If SSH is disabled, then you can enable it using
any other supported interface.
For instructions on enabling SSH connections on the CMC using RACADM,
see "config" on page 268 and "cfgSerial" on page 335. For instructions on
enabling SSH connections on the CMC using the Web interface, see
"Configuring Services" on page 129.

Changing the SSH Port
To change the SSH port, use the following command:
racadm config -g cfgRacTuning -o cfgRacTuneSshPort

For more information about cfgSerialSshEnable and
cfgRacTuneSshPort properties, see "CMC Property Database Group and
Object Definitions" on page 323.

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

The CMC SSH implementation supports multiple cryptography schemes, as
shown in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1.

Cryptography Schemes

Scheme Type

Scheme

Asymmetric Cryptography

Diffie-Hellman DSA/DSS 512–1024 (random) bits per
NIST specification

Symmetric Cryptography

• AES256-CBC
• RIJNDAEL256-CBC
• AES192-CBC
• RIJNDAEL192-CBC
• AES128-CBC
• RIJNDAEL128-CBC
• BLOWFISH-128-CBC
• 3DES-192-CBC
• ARCFOUR-128

Message Integrity

• HMAC-SHA1-160
• HMAC-SHA1-96
• HMAC-MD5-128
• HMAC-MD5-96

Authentication

Password

Enabling the Front Panel to iKVM Connection
For information and instructions on using the iKVM front panel ports, see
"Enabling or Disabling the Front Panel" on page 221.

Configuring Terminal Emulation Software
Your CMC supports a serial or Telnet text console from a management
station running one of the following types of terminal emulation software:
•

Linux Minicom in an Xterm

•

Hilgraeve’s HyperTerminal Private Edition (version 6.3)

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

•

Linux Telnet in an Xterm

•

Microsoft® Telnet

Perform the steps in the following subsections to configure your type of
terminal software. If you are using Microsoft Telnet, configuration is not
required.

Configuring Linux Minicom for Serial Console Emulation
Minicom is a serial port access utility for Linux. The following steps are valid
for configuring Minicom version 2.0. Other Minicom versions may differ
slightly but require the same basic settings. Use the information in "Required
Minicom Settings for Serial Console Emulation" on page 57 to configure
other versions of Minicom.
Configuring Minicom Version 2.0 for Serial Console Emulation

NOTE: To ensure that the text displays properly, Dell recommends that you use an
Xterm window to display the Telnet console instead of the default console provided
by the Linux installation.
1 To start a new Xterm session, type xterm & at the command prompt.
2 In the Xterm window, move your mouse arrow to the lower right-hand
corner of the window and resize the window to 80 x 25.
3 If you do not have a Minicom configuration file, go to the next step.
If you have a Minicom configuration file, type minicom and skip to step 17.
4 At the Xterm command prompt, type minicom -s.
5 Select Serial Port Setup and press .
6 Press , and then select the appropriate serial device (for example,
/dev/ttyS0).
7 Press , and then set the Bps/Par/Bits option to 115200 8N1.
8 Press , and then set Hardware Flow Control to Yes and set Software
Flow Control to No.
To exit the Serial Port Setup menu, press .
9 Select Modem and Dialing and press .

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

10 In the Modem Dialing and Parameter Setup menu, press
to clear the init, reset, connect, and hangup settings so that they are blank.
11 Press to save each blank value.
12 When all specified fields are clear, press to exit the Modem
Dialing and Parameter Setup menu.
13 Select Save setup as config_name and press .
14 Select Exit From Minicom and press .
15 At the command shell prompt, type minicom .
To expand the Minicom window to 80 x 25, drag the corner of the window.
16 Press , , to exit Minicom.
Ensure that the Minicom window displays a command prompt such as
[iDRAC\root]#. When the command prompt appears, your connection is
successful and you are ready to connect to the managed system console using
the connect serial command.
Required Minicom Settings for Serial Console Emulation

Use Table 3-2 to configure any version of Minicom.
Table 3-2.

Minicom Settings for Serial Console Emulation

Setting Description

Required Setting

Bps/Par/Bits

115200 8N1

Hardware flow control

Yes

Software flow control

Terminal emulation

ANSI

Modem dialing and
parameter settings

Clear the init, reset, connect, and hangup settings so
that they are blank

Window size

80 x 25 (to resize, drag the corner of the window)

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Running Telnet Using Windows XP or Windows 2003

If your management station is running Windows XP or Windows 2003, you
may experience an issue with the characters in a CMC Telnet session. This
issue may occur as a frozen login where the return key does not respond and
the password prompt does not appear.
To fix this issue, download hotfix 824810 from the Microsoft Support website
at support.microsoft.com. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article 824810 for
more information.

Configuring Linux for Serial Console Redirection During Boot
The following steps are specific to the Linux GRand Unified Bootloader
(GRUB). Similar changes would be necessary for using a different boot loader.
NOTE: When you configure the client VT100 emulation window, set the window or
application that is displaying the redirected console to 25 rows x 80 columns to
ensure proper text display; otherwise, some text screens may be garbled.
Edit the /etc/grub.conf file as follows:
1 Locate the general setting sections in the file and add the following two
new lines:
serial --unit=1 --speed=57600
terminal --timeout=10 serial
2 Append two options to the kernel line:
kernel ............. console=ttyS1,57600
3 If the /etc/grub.conf contains a splashimage directive, comment it out.
The following example shows the changes described in this procedure.
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making
changes
# to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This
means that
#
all kernel and initrd paths are relative to
/, e.g.
#
root (hd0,0)

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

#
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=
/dev/sdal
#
initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=10
#splashimage=(hd0,2)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
serial --unit=1 --speed=57600
terminal --timeout=10 serial
title Red Hat Linux Advanced Server (2.4.9-e.3smp)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.3smp ro root=
/dev/sda1 hda=ide-scsi console=ttyS0 console=
ttyS1,57600
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.3smp.img
title Red Hat Linux Advanced Server-up (2.4.9-e.3)
root (hd0,00)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-e.3 ro root=/dev/sda1 s
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.9-e.3.im
When you edit the /etc/grub.conf file, use the following guidelines:
•

Disable GRUB's graphical interface and use the text-based interface;
otherwise, the GRUB screen will not be displayed in console redirection.
To disable the graphical interface, comment out the line starting with
splashimage.

•

To start multiple GRUB options to start console sessions through the serial
connection, add the following line to all options:
console=ttyS1,57600
The example shows console=ttyS1,57600 added to only the first
option.

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Enabling Login to the Console After Boot
Edit the file /etc/inittab, as follows:
•

Add a new line to configure agetty on the COM2 serial port:
co:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h -L 57600 ttyS1
ansi

The following example shows the file with the new line.
#
# inittab This file describes how the INIT process
#
should set up the system in a certain
#
run-level.
#
# Author: Miquel van Smoorenburg
#
Modified for RHS Linux by Marc Ewing and
#
Donnie Barnes
#
# Default runlevel. The runlevels used by RHS are:
#
0 - halt (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
#
1 - Single user mode
#
2 - Multiuser, without NFS (The same as 3, if you
#
do not have networking)
#
3 - Full multiuser mode
#
4 - unused
#
5 - X11
#
6 - reboot (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
#
id:3:initdefault:
# System initialization.
si::sysinit:/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
l0:0:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc
l1:1:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc
l2:2:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc
l3:3:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc

0
1
2
3

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

l4:4:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 4
l5:5:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 5
l6:6:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 6
# Things to run in every runlevel.
ud::once:/sbin/update
# Trap CTRL-ALT-DELETE
ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t3 -r now
# When our UPS tells us power has failed, assume we
have a few
# minutes of power left. Schedule a shutdown for 2
minutes from now.
# This does, of course, assume you have power
installed and your
# UPS is connected and working correctly.
pf::powerfail:/sbin/shutdown -f -h +2 "Power Failure;
System Shutting Down"
# If power was restored before the shutdown kicked in,
cancel it.
pr:12345:powerokwait:/sbin/shutdown -c "Power
Restored; Shutdown Cancelled"
# Run gettys in standard runlevels
co:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h -L 57600 ttyS1 ansi
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6
# Run xdm in runlevel 5
# xdm is now a separate service
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Edit the file /etc/securetty, as follows:
•

Add a new line, with the name of the serial tty for COM2:
ttyS1

The following example shows a sample file with the new line.
vc/1
vc/2
vc/3
vc/4
vc/5
vc/6
vc/7
vc/8
vc/9
vc/10
vc/11
tty1
tty2
tty3
tty4
tty5
tty6
tty7
tty8
tty9
tty10
tty11
ttyS1

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Using a Serial or Telnet Console
When you connect to the CMC command line, you are able to enter these
commands:
Table 3-3.

CMC Command Line Commands

Command

Description

racadm

RACADM commands begin with the keyword racadm and are
followed by a subcommand, such as getconfig, serveraction, or
getsensorinfo. See "Using the RACADM Command Line Interface"
on page 65 for details on using RACADM.

connect

Connects to a server or I/O module for debugging. See "Connecting to
Modules With the Connect Command" on page 63 for help using the
connect command.

exit, logout,
and quit

These commands all perform the same action: they end the current
session and return to a login prompt.

Connecting to Modules With the Connect
Command
While in a command line connection, the CMC supports the connect
command to establish a serial connection to server and IOM modules.
Connection to server modules is only provided for operating system
debugging. To connect to server modules to use operating system remote
consoles, you should use the iDRAC Web interface console redirection
feature or the iDRAC Serial Over LAN (SOL) functionality.
NOTICE: When executed from the CMC serial console, the connect -b option stays
connected until the CMC resets. This connection is a potential security risk.
NOTE: The connect command provides the –b (binary) option. The –b option
passes raw binary data, and cfgSerialConsoleQuitKey is not used. Additionally,
when connecting to a server using the CMC serial console, transitions in the DTR
signal (for example, if the serial cable is removed to connect a debugger) do not
cause a logout.
NOTE: If an IOM does not support console redirection, the connect command will
display an empty console. In that case, to return to the CMC console, type the
Escape sequence. The default console escape sequence is \.

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

There are up to six IOMs on the managed system. To connect to an IOM,
type:
connect switch-n
where n is an IOM number 1 through 6.
IOMs are labeled A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. (See Table 9-1 for an
illustration of the placement of IOMs in the chassis.) When you reference the
IOMs in the connect command, the IOMs are mapped to switches as shown
in Table 3-4.
Table 3-4.

Mapping I/O Modules to Switches

I/O Module Label

Switch

switch-1

switch-2

switch-3

switch-4

switch-5

switch-6

NOTE: There can only be one IOM connection per chassis at a time.
NOTE: You cannot connect to passthroughs from the serial console.
To connect to a managed server for debugging, use the command connect
server-n, where n is the slot number of the server you wish to debug. When
you connect to a server, binary communication is assumed and the escape
character is disabled. If the iDRAC is not available, you will see a No route
to host error message. Ensure that your server is inserted properly and the
iDRAC has had time to complete the boot routine.
For details on how to connect through a serial connection, see "Configuring
CMC to Use Command Line Consoles" on page 53.

Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles

Using the RACADM Command Line
Interface
RACADM provides a set of commands that allow you to configure and
manage the CMC through a text-based interface. RACADM can be accessed
using a Telnet/SSH or serial connection, using the Dell CMC console on the
iKVM, or remotely using the RACADM command line interface installed on
a management station.
The RACADM interface is classified as "local" or "remote," depending on the
location of the racadm executable program you are using:
NOTE: Remote RACADM is included on the Dell™ Systems Management Consoles
CD and is installed on a management station.
•

Remote RACADM — you execute RACADM commands on a
management station with the -r option and the DNS name or IP address of
the CMC.

•

Local RACADM — you log into the CMC using Telnet, SSH, a serial
connection, or the iKVM. With local RACADM, you are executing the
RACADM implementation that is part of the CMC firmware.

You can use remote RACADM commands in scripts to configure multiple
CMCs. The CMC does not have support for scripting, so you cannot execute
scripts directly on the CMC. For more information about configuring
multiple CMCs, see "Configuring Multiple CMCs in Multiple Chassis" on
page 80.
This section provides the following information:
•

Using the serial and racadm commands. See "Using a Serial or Telnet
Console" on page 66 or "Using RACADM" on page 66.

•

Configuring your CMC through RACADM. See "Using RACADM to
Configure the CMC" on page 72.

•

Using the RACADM configuration file to configure multiple CMCs. See
"Configuring Multiple CMCs in Multiple Chassis" on page 80.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Using a Serial or Telnet Console
You can log in to the CMC either through a serial or Telnet/SSH connection,
or through Dell CMC console on iKVM. To configure the CMC for serial or
remote access, see "Configuring CMC to Use Command Line Consoles" on
page 53. Commonly used subcommand options are listed in Table 4-2. A
complete list of RACADM subcommands is listed in "RACADM
Subcommands" on page 263.

Logging in to the CMC
After you have configured your management station terminal emulator
software and managed node BIOS, perform the following steps to log into the
CMC:
1 Connect to the CMC using your management station terminal emulation
software.
2 Type your CMC user name and password, and then press .
You are logged into the CMC.

Starting a Text Console
You can log in to the CMC using Telnet or SSH through a network, serial
port, or a Dell CMC console through the iKVM. Open a Telnet or SSH
session, connect and log on to the CMC.
For information about connecting to the CMC through iKVM, see "Using the
iKVM Module" on page 203.

Using RACADM
RACADM subcommands can be run remotely from the serial or Telnet
console command prompt or through a normal command prompt.
Use RACADM subcommands to configure CMC properties and perform
remote management tasks. To display a list of RACADM subcommands, type:
racadm help

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

When run without options or subcommands, RACADM displays syntax
information and instructions on how to access subcommands and help. To
list syntax and command-line options for individual subcommands, type:
racadm help

RACADM Subcommands
Table 4-1 provides a brief list of common subcommands used in RACADM.
For a complete list of RACADM subcommands, including syntax and valid
entries, see "RACADM Subcommands" on page 263.
NOTE: The connect, exit, quit, and logout commands are built-in CMC commands,
not RACADM commands. They cannot be used with remote RACADM. See "Using a
Serial or Telnet Console" on page 63 for information about using these commands.
When entering a RACADM subcommand, prefix the command with
racadm. For example:
racadm help
Table 4-1.

RACADM Subcommands

Command

Description

help

Lists CMC subcommand descriptions.

help

Lists usage summary for the specified subcommand.

Lists CMC subcommand descriptions.

Lists usage summary for the specified subcommand.

arp

Displays the contents of the ARP table. ARP table entries
may not be added or deleted.

chassisaction

Executes power-up, power-down, reset, and power-cycle on
the chassis, switch, and KVM.

clrraclog

Clears the CMC log and creates a single entry indicating
the user and time that the log was cleared.

clrsel

Clears the System Event Log entries.

cmcchangeover

Changes the state of the CMC from active to standby, or
vice versa, in redundant CMC environments.

config

Configures the CMC.

deploy

Deploys a server by specifying required properties.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Table 4-1.

RACADM Subcommands (continued)

Command

Description

fwupdate

Executes or displays status on system firmware updates.

getassettag

Displays the asset tag for the chassis.

getchassisname

Displays the name of the chassis.

getconfig

Displays the current CMC configuration properties.

getdcinfo

Displays general I/O module and daughter card
misconfiguration information.

getioinfo

Displays general I/O module information.

getkvminfo

Displays information about the iKVM.

getled

Displays the LED settings on a module.

getmacaddress

Displays a server’s MAC address.

getmodinfo

Displays module configuration and status information.

getniccfg

Displays the current IP configuration for the controller.

getpbinfo

Displays power budget status information.

getraclog

Displays the CMC log.

getractime

Displays the CMC time.

getredundancymode

Displays the redundancy mode of the CMC.

getsel

Displays the system event log (hardware log).

getsensorinfo

Displays information about system sensors.

getslotname

Displays the name of a slot in the chassis.

getssninfo

Displays information about active sessions.

getsvctag

Displays service tags.

getsysinfo

Displays general CMC and system information.

gettracelog

Displays the CMC trace log. If used with -i, the
command displays the number of entries in the CMC
trace log.

ifconfig

Displays the current CMC IP configuration.

netstat

Displays the routing table and the current connections.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Table 4-1.

RACADM Subcommands (continued)

Command

Description

ping

Verifies that the destination IP address is reachable from
the CMC with the current routing-table contents.

racdump

Dumps CMC status and state information for debug.

racreset

Resets the CMC.

racresetcfg

Resets the CMC to the default configuration.

serveraction

Performs power management operations on the managed
system.

setassettag

Sets the asset tag for the chassis.

setchassisname

Sets the name of the chassis.

setled

Sets the LED settings on a module.

setniccfg

Sets the IP configuration for the controller.

setractime

Sets the CMC time.

setslotname

Sets the name of a slot in the chassis.

setsysinfo

Sets the name and location of the chassis.

sslcertdownload

Downloads a certificate authority-signed certificate.

sslcertupload

Uploads a certificate authority-signed certificate or server
certificate to the CMC.

sslcertview

Views a certificate authority-signed certificate or server
certificate in the CMC.

sslcsrgen

Generates and downloads the SSL CSR.

testemail

Forces the CMC to send an e-mail over the CMC NIC.

testtrap

Forces the CMC to send an SNMP over the CMC NIC.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Accessing RACADM Remotely
Table 4-2 lists the options for the remote RACADM subcommands.
Table 4-2.

Remote RACADM Subcommand Options

Option

Description

-r

Specifies the controller’s remote IP
address.

-r :

Use if the CMC port
number is not the default port (443)
-i

Instructs RACADM to interactively query
the user for user name and password.

-u

Specifies the user name that is used to
authenticate the command transaction. If
the -u option is used, the -p option must
be used, and the -i option (interactive) is
not allowed.

-p

Specifies the password used to
authenticate the command transaction. If
the -p option is used, the -i option is not
allowed.

To access RACADM remotely, type the following commands:
racadm -r -u -p

racadm -i -r
NOTE: The -i option instructs RACADM to interactively prompt for user name and
password. Without the -i option, you must provide the user name and password in
the command using the -u and -p options.
For example:
racadm -r 192.168.0.120 -u root -p calvin getsysinfo
racadm -i -r 192.168.0.120 getsysinfo

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

If the HTTPS port number of the CMC has been changed to a custom port
other than the default port (443), the following syntax must be used:
racadm -r : -u -p

racadm -i -r :

Enabling and Disabling the RACADM Remote Capability
NOTE: Dell recommends that you run these commands at the chassis.
The RACADM remote capability on the CMC is enabled by default. In the
following commands, -g specifies the configuration group the object belongs
to, and -o specifies the configuration object to configure.
To disable the RACADM remote capability, type:
racadm config -g cfgRacTuning -o
cfgRacTuneRemoteRacadmEnable 0
To re-enable RACADM remote capability, type:
racadm config -g cfgRacTuning -o
cfgRacTuneRemoteRacadmEnable 1

Using RACADM Remotely
NOTE: Configure the IP address on your CMC before using the RACADM remote
capability. For more information about setting up your CMC, see "Installing and
Setting Up the CMC" on page 33.
The RACADM console’s remote option (-r) allows you to connect to the
managed system and execute RACADM subcommands from a remote
console or management station. To use the remote capability, you need a
valid user name (-u option) and password (-p option), and the CMC IP
address.
Before you try to access RACADM remotely, confirm that you have
permissions to do so. To display your user privileges, type:
racadm getconfig -g cfguseradmin -i n
where n is your user ID (1–16).
If you do not know your user ID, try different values for n.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

NOTE: The RACADM remote capability is supported only on management stations
through a supported browser. See "Supported Web Browsers" on page 27 for more
information.

NOTE: When using the RACADM remote capability, you must have write
permissions on the folders where you are using the RACADM subcommands
involving file operations. For example:

racadm getconfig -f -r
or
racadm sslcertupload -t 1 -f c:\cert\cert.txt

RACADM Error Messages
For information about RACADM CLI error messages, see "Troubleshooting"
on page 86.

Using RACADM to Configure the CMC
NOTE: In order to configure CMC the first time. You must be logged in as user root
to execute RACADM commands on a remote system. Another user can be created
that will give him or her the permission to configure the CMC.
The CMC Web interface is the quickest way to configure the CMC (see
"Using the CMC Web Interface" on page 87). However, if you prefer CLI or
script configuration or need to configure multiple CMCs, use RACADM,
which is installed with the CMC agents on the management station.

Configuring CMC Network Properties
Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC
Before you can begin configuring the CMC, you must first configure the
CMC network settings to allow the CMC to be managed remotely. This
initial configuration assigns the TCP/IP networking parameters that enable
access to the CMC.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

This section explains how to perform the initial CMC network configuration
using RACADM commands. All of the configuration described in this section
can be performed using the front panel LCD. See "Configuring Networking
Using the LCD Configuration Wizard" on page 42.
NOTICE: Changing your CMC Network settings may disconnect your current
network connection.
For more information about network subcommands, see "RACADM
Subcommands" on page 263 and "CMC Property Database Group and Object
Definitions" on page 323.
NOTE: You must have Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege to set up CMC
network settings.
By default, the CMC requests and obtains a CMC IP address from the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server automatically.
You can disable this feature and specify static CMC IP address, gateway, and
subnet mask.
To disable DHCP and specify static CMC IP address, gateway, and subnet
mask, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgNicUseDHCP 0
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgNicIpAddress

racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgNicGateway

racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgNicNetmask

Viewing Current Network Settings
To view a summary of NIC, DHCP, network speed, and duplex settings, type:
racadm getniccfg
or
racadm getconfig -g cfgCurrentLanNetworking
To view IP address and DHCP, MAC address, and DNS information for the
chassis, type:
racadm getsysinfo
Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Configuring the Network LAN Settings
NOTE: To perform the following steps, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
NOTE: The LAN settings, such as community string and SMTP server IP address,
affect both the CMC and the external settings of the chassis.
NOTE: If you have two CMCs (primary and standby) on the chassis, and they are
both connected to the network, the standby CMC automatically assumes the
network settings in the event of failover of the primary CMC.
Enabling the CMC NIC

To enable the CMC NIC, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgNicEnable 1
Enabling or Disabling DCHP for the NIC Address

When enabled, the CMC’s DHCP for NIC address feature requests and
obtains an IP address from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) server automatically. This feature is enabled by default.
You can disable the DHCP for NIC address feature and specify a static IP
address, subnet mask, and gateway. For instructions, see "Setting Up Initial
Access to the CMC" on page 72.
NOTE: If you disable the DHCP for NIC address feature and then re-enable it later,
the static IP address, subnet mask, and gateway settings are lost.
Enabling or Disabling DHCP for DNS IP Addresses

By default, the CMC’s DHCP for DNS address feature is disabled. When
enabled, this feature obtains the primary and secondary DNS server addresses
from the DHCP server. Using this feature, you do not have to configure static
DNS server IP addresses.
To disable the DHCP for DNS address feature and specify static preferred and
alternate DNS server addresses, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServersFromDHCP

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Setting Static DNS IP addresses

NOTE: These settings are not valid unless the DCHP for DNS address feature is
disabled.
To set the preferred DNS IP address, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgDNSServer1

To set the secondary DNS IP address, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgDNSServer2

Configuring DNS Settings

•

CMC Registration. To register the CMC on the DNS server, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSRegisterRac 1
NOTE: Some DNS servers will only register names of 31 characters or fewer.
Make sure the designated name is within the DNS required limit.

NOTE: The following settings are valid only if you have registered the CMC on
the DNS server by setting cfgDNSRegisterRac to 1.

•

CMC Name. By default, the CMC name on the DNS server is cmc. To change the CMC name on the DNS server, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o cfgDNSRacName

where is a string of up to 63 alphanumeric characters and
hyphens; the name must begin with a letter. For example, cmc-1, d-345.

•

DNS Domain Name. The default DNS domain name is a single blank
character. To set a DNS domain name, type:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSDomainName
where is a string of up to 254 alphanumeric characters and
hyphens; the DNS domain name must begin with a letter. For example:
p45, a-tz-1, r-id-001.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Configuring Auto Negotiation, Duplex Mode, and Network Speed

When enabled, the auto negotiation feature determines whether the CMC
automatically sets the duplex mode and network speed by communicating
with the nearest router or switch. Auto negotiation is enabled by default.
You can disable auto negotiation and specify the duplex mode and network
speed by typing:
racadm config -g cfgNetTuning -o cfgNetTuningNicEnable 0
racadm config -g cfgNetTuning -o cfgNetTuningNicFullDuplex
racadm config -g cfgNetTuning -o cfgNetTuningNicSpeed
where:
•

is 0 (half duplex) or 1 (full duplex, default)

•

is 10, 100 or 1000 (default).

Setting the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU)

The MTU property allows you to set a limit for the largest packet that can be
passed through the interface. To set the MTU, type:
racadm config -g cfgNetTuning -o cfgNetTuningMtu
where is a value between 576–1500 (inclusive; default is 1500).
Setting the SMTP Server IP Address

You can enable the CMC to send e-mail alerts using Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP) to a specified IP address. To enable this feature, type:
racadm config -g cfgRemoteHosts -o
cfgRhostsFwUpdateIpAddr
where is the IP address of the network SMTP server.
NOTE: If your network has an SMTP server that releases and renews IP address
leases periodically, and the addresses are different, then there will be a duration
when this property setting will not work due to change in the specified SMTP server
IP address. In such cases, use the DNS name.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Configuring the Network Security Settings
NOTE: To perform the following steps, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
Enabling IP Range Checking

IP filtering compares the IP address of an incoming login to the IP address
range that is specified in the following cfgRacTuning properties:
•

cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr

•

cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask

The cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask property is applied to both the incoming IP
address and to the cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr properties. If the results are
identical, the incoming login request is allowed to access the iDRAC. Logins
from IP addresses outside this range receive an error.
The login proceeds if the following expression equals zero:
cfgRacTuneIpRangeMask & ( ^
cfgRacTuneIpRangeAddr)
where & is the bitwise AND of the quantities and ^ is the bitwise exclusiveOR.

Using RACADM to Configure Users
Before You Begin
You can configure up to 16 users in the CMC property database. Before you
manually enable a CMC user, verify if any current users exist. If you are
configuring a new CMC or you ran the RACADM racresetcfg command,
the only current user is root with the password calvin. The
racresetcfg subcommand resets the CMC back to the original defaults.
NOTICE: Use caution when using the racresetcfg command, because it will
reset all configuration parameters to the original defaults. Any previous changes
are lost.
NOTE: Users can be enabled and disabled over time, and disabling a user does not
delete the user from the database. If a user is disabled and then added again, the
user may have a different index number on each chassis.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

To verify if a user exists, open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in,
and type:
racadm getconfig -u
or
type the following command once for each index of 1–16:
racadm getconfig -g cfgUserAdmin -i
NOTE: You can also type racadm getconfig -f to view or
edit the myfile.cfg file, which includes all CMC configuration parameters.

Several parameters and object IDs are displayed with their current values.
Two objects of interest are:
# cfgUserAdminIndex=XX
cfgUserAdminUserName=
If the cfgUserAdminUserName object has no value, that index number,
which is indicated by the cfgUserAdminIndex object, is available for use.
If a name appears after the "=," that index is taken by that user name.
NOTE: When you manually enable or disable a user with the RACADM config
subcommand, you must specify the index with the -i option. Observe that the
cfgUserAdminIndex object displayed in the previous example contains a #
character. Also, if you use the racadm config -f racadm.cfg command to
specify any number of groups/objects to write, the index cannot be specified. A
new user is added to the first available index. This behavior allows more flexibility in
configuring a second CMC with the same settings as the main CMC.

Adding a CMC User
To add a new user to the CMC configuration, you can use a few basic
commands. Perform the following procedures:
1 Set the user name.
2 Set the password.
3 Set the user privileges. For information about user privileges, see Table 5-9
and Table 5-10.
4 Enable the user.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Example

The following example describes how to add a new user named "John" with a
"123456" password and LOGIN privilege to the CMC.
NOTE: See Table B-1 for a list of valid bit mask values for specific user privileges.
The default privilege value is 0, which indicates the user has no privileges enabled.
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -o cfgUserAdminUserName
-i 2 john
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -o cfgUserAdminPassword
-i 2 123456
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -i 2 -o cfgUserPrivilege
0x00000001
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -i 2 -o
cfgUserAdminEnable 1
To verify that the user was added successfully with the correct privileges, use
one of the following commands:
racadm getconfig -u john
or
racadm getconfig –g cfgUserAdmin –i 2

Enabling a CMC User With Permissions
To enable a user with specific administrative permissions (role-based
authority), first locate an available user index by performing the steps in
"Before You Begin" on page 77. Next, type the following command lines with
the new user name and password.
NOTE: See Table B-1 for a list of valid bit mask values for specific user privileges.
The default privilege value is 0, which indicates the user has no privileges enabled.
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -o
cfgUserAdminPrivilege -i

Disabling a CMC User
Using RACADM, you can only disable CMC users manually and on an
individual basis. You cannot delete users by using a configuration file.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

The following example illustrates the command syntax that can be used to
delete a CMC user:
racadm config -g cfgUserAdmin -o cfgUserAdminUserName
-i ""
A null string of double quote characters ("") instructs the CMC to remove
the user configuration at the specified index and reset the user configuration
to the original factory defaults.

Configuring SNMP and E-mail Alerting
You can configure the CMC to send SNMP event traps and/or e-mail alerts
when certain events occur on the chassis. For more information and
instructions, see "Configuring SNMP Alerts" on page 238 and "Configuring Email Alerts" on page 243.

Configuring Multiple CMCs in Multiple Chassis
Using RACADM, you can configure one or more CMCs with identical
properties.
When you query a specific CMC card using its group ID and object ID,
RACADM creates the racadm.cfg configuration file from the retrieved
information. By exporting the file to one or more CMCs, you can configure
your controllers with identical properties in a minimal amount of time.
NOTE: Some configuration files contain unique CMC information (such as the static
IP address) that must be modified before you export the file to other CMCs.

1 Use RACADM to query the target CMC that contains the desired
configuration.
NOTE: The generated configuration file is myfile.cfg. You can rename the file.
NOTE: The .cfg file does not contain user passwords. When the .cfg file is
uploaded to the new CMC, you must re-add all passwords.

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm getconfig -f myfile.cfg
NOTE: Redirecting the CMC configuration to a file using getconfig -f is only
supported with the remote RACADM interface.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

2 Modify the configuration file using a plain-text editor (optional). Any
formatting in the configuration file may corrupt the RACADM database.
3 Use the newly created configuration file to modify a target CMC.
At the command prompt, type:
racadm config -f myfile.cfg
4 Reset the target CMC that was configured. At the command prompt, type:
racadm reset
The getconfig -f myfile.cfg subcommand (step 1) requests the CMC
configuration for the primary CMC and generates the myfile.cfg file. If
required, you can rename the file or save it to a different location.
You can use the getconfig command to perform the following actions:
•

Display all configuration properties in a group (specified by group name
and index)

•

Display all configuration properties for a user by user name

The config subcommand loads the information into other CMCs. The Server
Administrator uses the config command to synchronize the user and
password database.

Creating a CMC Configuration File
The CMC configuration file, .cfg, is used with the racadm
config -f .cfg command to create a simple text file. The
command allows you to build a configuration file (similar to an .ini file) and
configure the CMC from this file.
You may use any file name, and the file does not require a .cfg extension
(although it is referred to by that designation in this subsection).
NOTE: For more information about the getconfig subcommand, see "getconfig" on
page 274.

RACADM parses the .cfg when it is first loaded onto the CMC to verify that
valid group and object names are present and that some simple syntax rules
are being followed. Errors are flagged with the line number that detected the
error, and a message explains the problem. The entire file is parsed for

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

correctness, and all errors display. Write commands are not transmitted to the
CMC if an error is found in the .cfg file. You must correct all errors before any
configuration can take place.
To check for errors before you create the configuration file, use the -c option
with the config subcommand. With the -c option, config only verifies syntax
and does not write to the CMC.
Use the following guidelines when you create a .cfg file:
•

If the parser encounters an indexed group, it is the value of the anchored
object that differentiates the various indexes.
The parser reads in all of the indexes from the CMC for that group. Any
objects within that group are modifications when the CMC is configured.
If a modified object represents a new index, the index is created on the
CMC during configuration.

•

You cannot specify a desired index in a .cfg file.
Indexes may be created and deleted. Over time the group may become
fragmented with used and unused indexes. If an index is present, it is
modified. If an index is not present, the first available index is used. This
method allows flexibility when adding indexed entries where you do not
need to make exact index matches between all the CMCs being managed.
New users are added to the first available index. A .cfg file that parses and
runs correctly on one CMC may not run correctly on another if all indexes
are full and you must add a new user.

•

Use the racresetcfg subcommand to configure both CMCs with
identical properties.
Use the racresetcfg subcommand to reset the CMC to original
defaults, and then run the racadm config -f .cfg
command. Ensure that the .cfg file includes all desired objects, users,
indexes, and other parameters. See "CMC Property Database Group and
Object Definitions" on page 323 for a complete list of objects and groups.
NOTICE: Use the racresetcfg subcommand to reset the database and the
CMC NIC settings to the original default settings and remove all users and user
configurations. While the root user is available, other users’ settings are also reset
to the default settings.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Parsing Rules
•

Lines that start with a hash character (#) are treated as comments.
A comment line must start in column one. A "#" character in any other
column is treated as a # character.
Some modem parameters may include # characters in their strings. An
escape character is not required. You may want to generate a .cfg from a
racadm getconfig -f .cfg command, and then
perform a racadm config -f .cfg command to a
different CMC, without adding escape characters.
Example:
#
# This is a comment
[cfgUserAdmin]
cfgUserAdminPageModemInitString=

•

All group entries must be surrounded by open- and close-brackets
([ and ]).
The starting [ character that denotes a group name must be in column
one. This group name must be specified before any of the objects in that
group. Objects that do not include an associated group name generate an
error. The configuration data is organized into groups as defined in "CMC
Property Database Group and Object Definitions" on page 323.
The following example displays a group name, object, and the object’s
property value:
[cfgLanNetworking] -{group name}
cfgNicIpAddress=143.154.133.121 {object name}
{object value}

•

All parameters are specified as "object=value" pairs with no white space
between the object, =, or value.
White spaces that are included after the value are ignored. A white space
inside a value string remains unmodified. Any character to the right of the
= (for example, a second =, a #, [, ], and so on) is taken as-is. These
characters are valid modem chat script characters.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

[cfgLanNetworking] -{group name}
cfgNicIpAddress=143.154.133.121 {object value}
•

The .cfg parser ignores an index object entry.
You cannot specify which index is used. If the index already exists, it is
either used or the new entry is created in the first available index for that
group.
The racadm getconfig -f .cfg command places a
comment in front of index objects, allowing you to see the included
comments.
NOTE: You may create an indexed group manually using the following
command:

racadm config -g -o -i
•

The line for an indexed group cannot be deleted from a .cfg file. If you do
delete the line with a text editor, RACADM will stop when it parses the
configuration file and alert you of the error.
You must remove an indexed object manually using the following
command:
racadm config -g -o -i
""
NOTE: A NULL string (identified by two " characters) directs the CMC to
delete the index for the specified group.

To view the contents of an indexed group, use the following command:
racadm getconfig -g -i
•

For indexed groups the object anchor must be the first object after the [ ]
pair. The following are examples of the current indexed groups:
[cfgUserAdmin]
cfgUserAdminUserName=
If you type racadm getconfig -f .cfg, the
command builds a .cfg file for the current CMC configuration. This
configuration file can be used as an example and as a starting point for
your unique .cfg file.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Modifying the CMC IP Address
When you modify the CMC IP address in the configuration file, remove all
unnecessary = entries. Only the actual variable
group’s label with [ and ] remains, including the two =
entries pertaining to the IP address change.
Example:
#
#

Object Group "cfgLanNetworking"

#
[cfgLanNetworking]
cfgNicIpAddress=10.35.10.110
cfgNicGateway=10.35.10.1
This file will be updated as follows:
#
#

Object Group "cfgLanNetworking"

#
[cfgLanNetworking]
cfgNicIpAddress=10.35.9.143
# comment, the rest of this line is ignored
cfgNicGateway=10.35.9.1
The command racadm config -f .cfg parses the file and
identifies any errors by line number. A correct file will update the proper
entries. Additionally, you can use the same getconfig command from the
previous example to confirm the update.
Use this file to download company-wide changes or to configure new systems
over the network with the command, racadm getconfig -f
.cfg.
NOTE: "Anchor" is a reserved word and should not be used in the .cfg file.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Troubleshooting
Table 4-3 lists common problems related to remote RACADM.
Table 4-3.

Using the Serial and RACADM Commands: Frequently Asked Questions

Question

Answer

After performing a CMC reset (using the You must wait until the CMC completes
RACADM racreset subcommand), I issue the reset before issuing another
a command and the following message is command.
displayed:
racadm
Transport: ERROR: (RC=-1)
What does this message mean?
When I use the RACADM
subcommands, I get errors that I do not
understand.

You may encounter one or more of the
following errors when using RACADM:
• Local error messages — Problems such
as syntax, typographical errors, and
incorrect names.
Example:
ERROR:
Use the RACADM help subcommand
to display correct syntax and usage
information.
• CMC-related error messages —
Problems where the CMC is unable to
perform an action. Also might say
"racadm command failed."
Type racadm gettracelog for debugging
information.

While I was using remote RACADM, the If you type a double quotation mark (") in
prompt changed to a ">" and I cannot get the command, the CLI will change to the
the "$" prompt to return.
">" prompt and queue all commands.
To return to the "$" prompt, type
–d.

Using the RACADM Command Line Interface

Using the CMC Web Interface
The CMC provides a Web interface that enables you to configure the CMC
properties and users, perform remote management tasks, and troubleshoot a
remote (managed) system for problems. For everyday chassis management,
use the CMC Web interface. This chapter provides information about how to
perform common chassis management tasks using the CMC Web interface.
You can also perform all of the Web interface configuration tasks using local
RACADM commands or command line consoles (serial console, Telnet, or
SSH). For more information about using local RACADM, see "Using the
RACADM Command Line Interface" on page 65. For information on using
command line consoles, see "Configuring CMC to Use Command Line
Consoles" on page 53.
NOTE: If you are using Microsoft® Internet Explorer, connecting through a proxy,
and see the error "The XML page cannot be displayed," you will need to disable the
proxy to continue.

Accessing the CMC Web Interface
To access the CMC Web interface:
1 Open a supported Web browser window.
For more information, see "Supported Web Browsers" on page 27.
2 Type the following URL in the Address field, and then press :
https://
If the default HTTPS port number (port 443) has been changed, type:
https://:
where is the IP address for the CMC and port
number is the HTTPS port number.
The CMC Login page appears.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Logging In
NOTE: To log in to the CMC, you must have a CMC account with Log In to CMC
privilege.
NOTE: The default CMC user name is root, and the password is calvin. The root
account is the default administrative account that ships with the CMC. For added
security, Dell strongly recommends that you change the default password of the
root account during initial setup.
NOTE: The CMC does not support extended ASCII characters, such as ß, å, é, ü, or
other characters used primarily in non-English languages.
NOTE: You cannot log in to the Web interface with different user names in multiple
browser windows on a single workstation.
You can log in as either a CMC user or as a Microsoft® Active Directory®
user.
To log in:
1 In the Username field, type your user name:
•

CMC user name:

•

Active Directory user name: \,
/ or @.
NOTE: This field is case sensitive.

2 In the Password field, type your CMC user password or Active Directory
user password.
NOTE: This field is case sensitive.
3 Click OK or press .

Logging Out
When you are logged in to the Web interface, you can log out at any time by
clicking Logout in the upper right corner of any page.
NOTE: Be careful to apply (save) any settings or information you enter on a page. If
you log out or navigate away from that page without applying your changes, the
changes will be lost.
NOTE: Closing the browser without logging out first causes your session to remain
open until it times out. Dell strongly recommends that you log out properly, by
clicking the Logout button, before you close the browser.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Configuring Basic CMC Settings
Setting the Chassis Name
You can set the name used to identify the chassis on the network. (The
default name is "Dell Rack System.") For example, an SNMP query on the
chassis name will return the name you configure.
To set the chassis name:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface. The Component Health page displays.
2 Click the Setup tab. The General Chassis Settings page displays.
3 Type the new name in the Chassis Name field, and then click Apply.

Setting the Date and Time on the CMC
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface. The Component Health page displays.
2 Click the Setup tab. The General Chassis Settings page displays.
3 Click the Date/Time sub-tab. The Date/Time page displays.
4 Set date, time, and time zone settings, and then click Apply.

Monitoring System Health Status
Viewing Chassis and Component Summaries
The CMC provides rollup overviews of the chassis, primary and stand by
CMCs, iKVM, and I/O modules (IOMs). For instructions on viewing chassis
and components summaries, see "Viewing Chassis Summaries" on page 246.

Viewing Chassis and Component Health Status
The Component Health page provides rollup overviews of the chassis,
primary and standby CMCs, iKVM, fans, temperature sensors, and I/O
modules (IOMs).
For instructions on viewing chassis and component health status, see
"Viewing Chassis and Component Health Status" on page 250.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Viewing Power Budget Status
The Power Budget Status page displays the power budget status for the
chassis, servers, and chassis power supply units (PSUs).
For instructions on viewing power budget status, see "Viewing Power Budget
Status" on page 185. For more information about CMC power management,
see "Power Management" on page 175.

Viewing the Health Status of All Servers
The Servers Status page provides overviews of the servers in the chassis.
To view health status for all servers:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Servers in the system tree. The Servers Status page appears.
Table 5-1 provides descriptions of the information provided on the Servers
Status page.
Table 5-1.

All Servers Status Information

Item

Description

Slot #

Displays the location of the server. The slot number is a sequential
number that identifies the server by its location within the chassis.

Present

Indicates whether the server is present in the slot (Present or Absent).
When the server is absent, the health, power state, and service tag
information of the server is unknown (not displayed).

Health

Indicates that the server is present and
communicating with the CMC.

Informational Displays information about the server when no
change in health status has occurred.
Warning

Indicates that only warning alerts have been
issued, and corrective action must be taken
within the time frame set by the administrator.
If corrective actions are not taken within the
administrator-specified time, critical or severe
failures that can affect the integrity of the device
could occur.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-1.

All Servers Status Information (continued)

Item

Description

Health
(continued)

Name

Severe

Indicates at least one Failure alert has been
issued. Severe status represents a system failure
on the server, and corrective action must be
taken immediately.

No Value

When the server is absent from the slot, health
information is not provided.

Indicates the name of the server, which by default is identified by its
slot name (SLOT-01 to SLOT-16).

NOTE: You can change the server name from the default. For
instructions, see "Editing Slot Names".
Power State

Indicates the power status of the system: On, Off, or N/A (Absent).

Service Tag

Displays the service tag for the server. The service tag a unique
identifier provided by the manufacturer for support and maintenance.
If the server is absent, this field is empty.

Editing Slot Names
The Slot Names page allows you to update slot names in the chassis. Slot
names are used to identify individual servers. When choosing slot names, the
following rules apply:
•

Names may contain only printable ASCII characters (ASCII codes 32
through 126), excluding the double quote (", ASCII 34).

•

Slot names must be unique within the chassis. No two slots may have the
same name.

•

Strings are not case-sensitive. Server-1, server-1, and SERVER-1
are equivalent names.

•

Slot names must not begin with the following strings:
•

Switch-

•

Fan-

•

PS-

•

KVM

•

DRAC-

Using the CMC Web Interface

•

MC-

•

Chassis

•

Housing-Left

•

Housing-Right

•

Housing-Center

The strings Server-1 through Server-16 may be used, but only for
the corresponding slot. For example, Server-3 is a valid name for slot 3,
but not for slot 4. Note that Server-03 is a valid name for any slot.
NOTE: To change a slot name in the Web interface, you must have Chassis
Configuration Administrator privilege.
NOTE: The slot name setting in the Web interface resides on the CMC only. If a
server is removed from the chassis, the slot name setting does not remain with the
server.
NOTE: The slot name setting in the CMC Web interface always overrides any
change you make to the display name in the iDRAC interface.

To edit a slot name:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Servers in the Chassis menu in the system tree.
3 Click the Setup tab. The Slot Names page displays.
4 Type the updated or new name for a slot in the Slot Name field. Repeat
this action for each slot you want to rename.
5 Click Apply.

Setting the First Boot Device for Servers
The First Boot Device page allows you to specify the boot device for each
server. You can set the default boot device and you can also set a one-time
boot device so that you can boot a special image to perform tasks such as
running diagnostics or reinstalling an operating system.
The boot device that you specify must exist and contain bootable media.
Table 5-2 lists the boot devices that you can specify.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-2.

Boot Devices

Boot Device

Description

PXE

Boot from a Preboot Execution
Environment (PXE) protocol on
the network interface card.

Hard Drive

Boot from the hard drive on the
server.

Local CD/DVD

Boot from a CD/DVD drive on the
server.

Virtual Floppy

Boot from the virtual floppy drive.
The floppy drive (or a floppy disk
image) is on another computer on
the management network, and is
attached using the iDRAC GUI
console viewer.

Virtual CD/DVD

Boot from a virtual CD/DVD
drive or CD/DVD ISO image. The
optical drive or ISO image file is
located on another computer or
disk available on the management
network and is attached using the
iDRAC GUI console viewer.

iSCSI

Boot from an Internet Small
Computer System Interface
(iSCSI) device.

Floppy

Boot from a floppy disc in the
local Floppy disc drive.

NOTE: To set the first boot device for servers you must have Server Administrator
privilege or Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege and a login on the iDRAC.
To set the first boot device for some or all servers in the chassis:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Click Servers in the system tree and then click Setup→ Deploy First Boot
Device. A list of servers is displayed, one per row.
3 Select the boot device you want to use for each server. from the list box.

Using the CMC Web Interface

4 If you want the server to boot from the selected device every time it boots,
uncheck the Boot Once checkbox for the server.
If you want the server to boot from the selected device only on the next
boot cycle, select the Boot Once checkbox for the server.
5 Click Apply.

Viewing the Health Status of an Individual Server
The Server Status page (separate from the Servers Status page) provides an
overview of the server and a launch point to the Web interface for the
Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC), which is the firmware
used to manage the server.
NOTE: To use the iDRAC user interface, you must have an iDRAC user name and
password. For more information about iDRAC and the using the iDRAC Web
interface, see the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller Firmware Version 1.00
User’s Guide.
To view the health status of an individual server:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Expand Servers in the system tree. All of the servers (1–16) appear in the
expanded Servers list.
3 Click the server you want to view. The Server Status page displays.
Table 5-3 provides descriptions of the information provided on the Server
Status page.
Table 5-3.

Individual Server Status Information

Item

Description

Slot

Indicates the slot occupied by the server on the chassis. Slot
numbers are sequential IDs, from 1 through 16 (there are 16 slots
available on the chassis), that help identify the location of the
server in the chassis.

Slot Name

Indicates the name of the slot where the server resides.

Present

Indicates whether the server is present in the slot (Present or
Absent). When the server is absent, the health, power state, and
service tag information of the server is unknown (not displayed).

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-3.

Individual Server Status Information (continued)

Item
Health

Description
OK

Indicates that the server is present and
communicating with the CMC. In the event of
a communication failure between the CMC
and the server, the CMC cannot obtain or
display health status for the server.

Informational Displays information about the server when no
change in health status (OK, Warning, Severe)
has occurred.
Warning

Indicates that only warning alerts have been
issued, and corrective action must be taken
within the time frame set by the
administrator. If corrective actions are not
taken within the administrator-specified time,
critical or severe failures that can affect the
integrity of the server could occur.

Severe

Indicates at least one Failure alert has been
issued. Severe status represents a system
failure on the server, and corrective action
must be taken immediately.

No Value

When the server is absent from the slot, health
information is not provided.

Server Model

Indicates the model of the server in the chassis. Examples:
PowerEdge M600 or PowerEdge M605.

Service Tag

Displays the service tag for the server. The service tag a unique
identifier provided by the manufacturer for support and
maintenance. If the server is absent, this field is empty.

Server Firmware Indicates the iDRAC version currently installed on the server.
BIOS version

Indicates the BIOS version on the server.

Operating
System

Indicates the operating system on the server.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Viewing the Health Status of IOMs
The I/O Modules Status page provides overviews of all IOMs associated with
the chassis. For instructions on viewing IOM health through the Web
interface or RACADM, see "Monitoring IOM Health" on page 232.

Viewing the Health Status of the Fans
NOTE: During updates of CMC or iDRAC firmware on a server, some or all of the fan
units in the chassis will spin at 100%. This is normal.
The Fans Status page provides the status and speed measurements (in
revolutions per minute, or RPM) of the fans in the chassis. There can be one
or more fans.
The CMC, which controls fan speeds, automatically increases or decreases
fan speeds based on system wide events. The CMC generates an alert and
increases the fan speeds when the following events occur:
•

The CMC ambient temperature threshold is exceeded.

•

A fan fails.

•

A fan is removed from the chassis.

To view the health status of the fan units:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Fans in the system tree. The Fans Status page displays.
Table 5-4 provides descriptions of the information provided on the Fans
Status page.
Table 5-4.

Fans Health Status Information

Item

Description

Present

Indicates whether the temperature probe is present (Yes or No).

Health

Indicates that the fan unit is present and
communicating with the CMC. In the event of
a communication failure between the CMC
and the fan unit, the CMC cannot obtain or
display health status for the IOM.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-4.

Item

Fans Health Status Information (continued)

Description
Severe

Indicates at least one Failure alert has been
issued. Severe status represents a system
failure on the IOM, and corrective action must
be taken immediately to prevent overheating
and system shutdown.

Unknown

Displayed when the chassis is first powered on.
In the event of a communication failure
between the CMC and the fan unit, the CMC
cannot obtain or display health status for the
fan unit.

Name

Displays the fan name in the format FAN-n , where n is the fan
number.

Speed

Indicates the speed of the fan in revolutions per minute (RPM).

Viewing the iKVM Status
The local access KVM module for your Dell M1000e server chassis is called
the Avocent® Integrated KVM Switch Module, or iKVM.
For instructions on viewing iKVM status and setting properties for the iKVM,
see:
•

"Viewing the iKVM Status and Properties" on page 222

•

"Enabling or Disabling the Front Panel" on page 221

•

"Enabling the Dell CMC Console" on page 221

•

"Updating the iKVM Firmware" on page 223

For more information about iKVM, see "Using the iKVM Module" on
page 203.

Viewing the Health Status of the PSUs
The Power Supply Status page displays the status and readings of the PSUs
associated with the chassis. For more information about CMC power
management, see "Power Management" on page 175.

Using the CMC Web Interface

To view the health status of the PSUs:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Power Supplies in the system tree. The Power Supply Status page
displays.
Table 5-5 provides descriptions of the information provided on the Power
Supply Status page.
Table 5-5.

Power Supply Health Status Information

Item

Description

Present

Indicates whether the power supply is present (Yes or No).

Health

Indicates that the PSU is present and
communicating with the CMC. Indicates that
the health of the PSU is OK. In the event of a
communication failure between the CMC and
the fan unit, the CMC cannot obtain or
display health status for the PSU.

Severe

Indicates that the PSU has a failure and the
health is critical. Corrective action must be
taken immediately. Failure to do so may cause
the component to shutdown due to power loss.

Unknown

Displayed with the chassis is first powered on.
In the event of a communication failure
between the CMC and the PSU, the CMC
cannot obtain or display health status for the
PSU.

Name

Displays the name of the PSU: PS-n, where n is the power supply
number.

Power Status

Indicates the power state of the PSU: Online, Off, or Slot Empty.

Capacity

Displays the power capacity in watts.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Viewing Status of the Temperature Sensors
The Temperature Sensors Information page displays the status and readings
of the temperature probes on the entire chassis (chassis, servers, IOMs, and
iKVM).
NOTE: The temperature probes value cannot be edited. Any change beyond the
threshold will generate an alert that will cause the fan speed to vary. For example, if
the CMC ambient temperature probe exceeds threshold, the speed of the fans on
the chassis will increase.
To view the health status of the temperature probes:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Temperature Sensors in the system tree. The Temperature Sensors
Information page displays.
Table 5-6 provides descriptions of the information provided on the
Temperature Sensors Information page.
Table 5-6.

Temperature Sensors Health Status Information

Item

Description

Present

Indicates whether the sensor is present (Yes) or absent (No) in the
chassis.

Temperature ID Displays the numeric ID of the temperature probe.
Name

Displays the name of each temperature probe on the chassis,
servers, IOMs, and iKVM. Examples: Ambient Temp, Server 1
Temp, I/O Module 1, iKVM Temp.

Reading

Indicates the current temperature in degrees Centigrade.

Threshold
Maximum

Indicates the highest temperature, in degrees Centigrade, at which
a Failure alert is issued.

Threshold
Minimum

Indicates the lowest temperature, in degrees Centigrade, at which a
Failure alert is issued.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Configuring CMC Network Properties
Setting Up Initial Access to the CMC
NOTE: You must have Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege to set up CMC
network settings.
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree. The Component Health page appears.
3 Click the Network/Security tab. The Network Configuration page
appears.
4 Enable or disable DHCP for the CMC by selecting or clearing the Use
DHCP (For CMC NIC IP Address) check box.
5 If you disabled DHCP, type the IP address, gateway, and subnet mask.
6 Click Apply Changes at the bottom of the page.

Configuring the Network LAN Settings
NOTE: To perform the following steps, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
NOTE: The settings on the Network Configuration page, such as community string
and SMTP server IP address, affect both the CMC and the external settings of the
chassis.
NOTE: If you have two CMCs (primary and standby) on the chassis, and they are
both connected to the network, the standby CMC automatically assumes the
network settings in the event of failover of the primary CMC.
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab.
3 Configure the CMC network settings described in Table 5-7.
4 Click Apply Changes.
To configure IP range and IP blocking settings, click the Advanced Settings
button (see "Configuring CMC Network Security Settings" on page 105).
To refresh the contents of the Network Configuration page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the Network Configuration page, click Print.

100

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-7.

Network Settings

Setting

Description

MAC Address

Displays the chassis’ MAC address, which is a unique
identifier for the chassis over the network.

Enable NIC

Enables the NIC of the CMC.
Default: Enabled. If this option is checked:
• The CMC communicates with and is accessible over the
computer network.
• The Web interface, CLI (remote RACADM), WSMAN,
Telnet, and SSH associated with the CMC are available.
If this option is not checked:
• The CMC NIC cannot communicate over the network.
• Communication to the chassis through CMC is not
available.
• The Web interface, CLI (remote RACADM), WSMAN,
Telnet, and SSH associated with the CMC
are not available.
• The server iDRAC Web interface, local CLI, I/O
modules, and iKVM are still accessible.
• Network addresses for the iDRAC and CMC can be
obtained, in this case, from the chassis' LCD.

NOTE: Access to the other network-accessible components
in the chassis is not affected when the network on the
chassis is disabled (or lost).

Using the CMC Web Interface

101

Table 5-7.

Network Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

Use DHCP (For CMC
NIC IP Address)

Enables the CMC to request and obtain an IP address
from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
server automatically.
Default: Checked (enabled)
If this option is checked, the CMC retrieves IP
configuration (IP address, mask, and gateway)
automatically from a DHCP server on your network. The
CMC will always have a unique IP address allotted over
your network.

NOTE: When this feature is enabled, the IP address,
Gateway, and Mask property fields (located immediately
following this option on the Network Configuration page) are
disabled, and any previously entered values for these
properties are ignored.
If this option is not checked, you must manually type the
IP address, gateway, and mask in the text fields
immediately following this option on the Network
Configuration page.

102

• Static CMC IP
Address

Specifies or edits the static IP address for the CMC NIC.
To change this setting, deselect the Use DHCP (For NIC
IP Address) check box.

• Static Gateway

Specifies or edits the static gateway for the CMC NIC. To
change this setting, deselect the Use DHCP (For NIC IP
Address) check box.

• Static Subnet Mask

Specifies or edits the static mask for the CMC NIC. To
change this setting, deselect the Use DHCP (For NIC IP
Address) check box.

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-7.

Network Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

Use DHCP to Obtain
DNS Server Addresses

Obtains the primary and secondary DNS server addresses
from the DHCP server instead of the static settings.
Default: Checked (enabled).

NOTE: If Use DHCP (For NIC IP Address) is enabled, then
enable the Use DHCP to Obtain DNS Server Addresses
property.
If this option is checked, the CMC retrieves its DNS IP
address automatically from a DHCP server on your
network.

NOTE: When this property is enabled, the Static Preferred
DNS Server and Static Alternate DNS Server property fields
(located immediately following this option on the Network
Configuration page) are inactivated, and any previously
entered values for these properties are ignored.
If this option is not checked, the CMC retrieves the DNS
IP address from the Static Preferred DNS Server and
Static Alternate DNS Server. The addresses of these
servers are specified in the text fields immediately
following this option on the Network Configuration page.
• Static Preferred DNS
Server

Specifies the static IP address for the preferred
DNS Server. The Static Preferred DNS Server is
implemented only when Use DHCP to Obtain DNS
Server Addresses is disabled.

• Static Alternate DNS
Server

Specifies the static IP address for the alternate
DNS Server. The Static Alternate DNS Server is
implemented only when Use DHCP to obtain
DNS Server addresses is disabled. If you do not have an
alternate DNS Server, type an IP address of 0.0.0.0.

This property registers the CMC name on the DNS Server.
Default: Enabled

NOTE: Some DNS Servers will only register names of 31
characters or fewer. Make sure the designated name is
within the DNS required limit.

Using the CMC Web Interface

103

Table 5-7.

Network Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

DNS CMC Name

Displays the CMC name only when Register CMC on
DNS is selected. The default CMC name is
CMC_service_tag, where service tag is the service tag
number of the chassis. Example: CMC-00002

Use DHCP for DNS
Domain Name

Uses the default DNS domain name. This check box is
active only when Use DHCP (For NIC IP Address) is
selected.
Default: Disabled

DNS Domain Name

The default DNS Domain Name is a blank character. This
field is only editable when the Use DHCP for DNS
Domain Name check box is selected.

Auto Negotiation

Determines whether the CMC automatically sets the
duplex mode and network speed by communicating with
the nearest router or switch (On) or allows you to set the
duplex mode and network speed manually (Off).
Default: On
If Auto Negotiation is On, CMC automatically
communicates with the nearest router or switch.
If Auto Negotiation is Off, you must set the duplex mode
and network speed manually.

Network Speed

Set the network speed to 1Gbps, 100 Mbps, or 10 Mbps to
match your network environment.

NOTE: The Network Speed setting must match your network
configuration for effective network throughput. Setting the
Network Speed lower than the speed of your network
configuration increases bandwidth consumption and slows
network communication. Determine whether your network
supports the above network speeds and set it accordingly. If
your network configuration does not match any of these
values, Dell recommends that you use Auto Negotiation or
refer to your network equipment manufacturer.

104

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-7.

Network Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

Duplex Mode

Set the duplex mode to full or half to match your network
environment.
Implications: If Auto Negotiation is turned On for one
device but not the other, then the device using auto
negotiation can determine the network speed of the other
device, but not the duplex mode. In this case, duplex
mode defaults to the half duplex setting during auto
negotiation. such a duplex mismatch will result in a slow
network connection.

NOTE: The network speed and duplex mode settings are not
available if Auto Negotiation is set to On.
MTU

Sets the size of the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU),
or the largest packet that can be passed through the
interface.
Configuration range: 576–1500.
Default: 1500.

Configuring CMC Network Security Settings
NOTE: To perform the following steps, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab. The Network Configuration page
displays.
3 Click the Advanced Settings button. The Network Security page displays.
4 Configure the CMC network security settings.
Table 5-8 describes the settings on the Network Security page.
Table 5-8.

Network Security Page Settings

Settings

Description

IP Range Enabled

Enables the IP Range checking feature, which defines a specific
range of IP addresses that can access the CMC.

IP Range Address

Determines the base IP address for range checking.
Using the CMC Web Interface

105

Table 5-8.

Network Security Page Settings (continued)

Settings

Description

IP Range Mask

Defines a specific range of IP addresses that can access the
CMC, a process called IP range checking.
IP range checking allows access to the CMC only from clients
or management stations whose IP addresses are within the userspecified range. All other logins are denied.
For example:
IP range mask: 255.255.255.0
(11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000)
IP range address:192.168.0.255
(11000000.10101000.00000000.11111111)
The resulting IP address range is any address that contains
192.168.0, that is, any address from 192.168.0.0 through
192.168.0.255.

IP Blocking
Enabled

Enables the IP address blocking feature, which limits the
number of failed login attempts from a specific IP address for a
pre-selected time span.

• IP Blocking Fail Sets the number of login failures attempted from an IP address
Count
before the login attempts are rejected from that address.
• IP Blocking Fail Determines the time span in seconds within which IP Blocking
Window
Fail Count failures must occur to trigger the IP Block Penalty
Time.
• IP Blocking
Penalty Time

The time span in seconds within which login attempts from an
IP address with excessive failures are rejected.

NOTE: The IP Blocking Fail Count, IP Blocking Fail Window, and
IP Blocking Penalty Time fields are active only if the IP Blocking
Enabled check box (the property field preceding these fields) is
checked (enabled). In that case, you must manually type
IP Blocking Fail Count, IP Blocking Fail Window, and IP Blocking
Penalty Time properties.
5 Click Apply Changes to save your settings.
To refresh the contents of the Network Security page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the Network Security page, click Print.

106

Using the CMC Web Interface

Adding and Configuring CMC Users
To manage your system with the CMC and maintain system security, create
unique users with specific administrative permissions (or role-based
authority). For additional security, you can also configure alerts that are
e-mailed to specific users when a specific system event occurs.

User Types
There are two types of users: CMC users and iDRAC users. CMC users are
also known as "chassis users." Since iDRAC resides on the server, iDRAC users
are also known as "server users."
CMC users can be local users or Active Directory users. iDRAC users can also
be local users or Active Directory users.
Except where a CMC user has Server Administrator privilege, privileges
granted to a CMC user are not automatically transferred to the same user on
a server, because server users are created independently from CMC users. In
other words, CMC Active Directory users and iDRAC Active Directory users
reside on two different branches in the Active Directory tree. To create a local
server user, the User Configuration Administrator must log into the server
directly. The User Configuration Administrator cannot create a server user
from CMC or vice versa. This rule protects the security and integrity of the
servers.
Table 5-9, Table 5-10, and Table 5-11 describe CMC user privileges (local or
Active Directory), and what operations a CMC user can execute on the
chassis and on the servers based on the privileges he is granted. The term user
or users, therefore, should be understood as CMC users. Server users will be
explicitly specified.

Using the CMC Web Interface

107

Table 5-9.

User Types

Privilege

Description

CMC Login User

Users who have the CMC Login User privilege can log in
to CMC. A user with only the login privilege can view all of
the CMC data but cannot add or modify data or execute
commands.
It is possible for a user to have other privileges without the
login privilege. This feature is useful when a user is
temporarily disallowed to login. When that user’s login
privilege is restored, the user retains all the other privileges
previously granted.

Chassis Configuration
Administrator

Users who have the Chassis Configuration Administrator
privilege can add or change data that:
• Identifies the chassis, such as chassis name and chassis
location
• Is assigned specifically to the chassis, such as IP mode
(static or DHCP), static IP address, static gateway, and
static subnet mask
• Provides services to the chassis, such as date and time,
firmware update, and CMC reset

Chassis Configuration
Administrator
(continued)

• Is associated with the chassis, such as slot name and slot
priority. Although these properties apply to the servers,
they are strictly chassis properties relating to the slots
rather than the servers themselves. For this reason, slot
names and slot priorities can be added or changed
whether or not servers are present in the slots.
When a server is moved to a different chassis, it inherits
the slot name and priority assigned to the slot of it
occupies in the new chassis. Its previous slot name and
priority remain with the previous chassis.

108

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-9.

User Types (continued)

Privilege

Description

User Configuration
Administrator

Users who have the User Configuration Administrator
privilege can:
• Add a new user
• Delete an existing user
• Change a user's password
• Change a user's privileges
• Enable or disable a user's login privilege but retain the
user's name and other privileges in the database.

Clear Logs
Administrator

CMC users who have the Clear Administrator privilege can
clear the hardware log and CMC log.

Chassis Power
Administrator

CMC users with the Chassis Power Administrator privilege
can perform all power-related operations:
• Control chassis power operations, including power on,
power off, and power cycle.

Using the CMC Web Interface

109

Table 5-9.

User Types (continued)

Privilege

Description

Server Administrator

The Server Administrator privilege is a blanket privilege
granting a CMC user all rights to perform any operation on
any servers present in the chassis.
When a user with CMC Server Administrator privilege
issues an action to be performed on a server, the CMC
firmware sends the command to the targeted server
without checking the user's privileges on the server. In
other words, the CMC Server Administrator privilege
overrides any lack of administrator privileges on the server.
Without the Server Administrator privilege, a user created
on the chassis can only execute a command on a server
when all of the following conditions are true:
• The same user name exists on the server
• The same user name must have the exact same password
on the server
• The user must have the privilege to execute the command
When a CMC user who does not have Server
Administrator privilege issues an action to be performed on
a server, the CMC will send a command to the targeted
server with the user’s login name and password. If the user
does not exist on the server, or if the password does not
match, the user is denied the ability to perform the action.
If the user exists on the target server and the password
matches, the server responds with the privileges of which
the user was granted on the server. Based on the privileges
responding from the server, CMC firmware decides if the
user has the right to perform the action.
Listed below are the privileges and the actions on the server
to which the Server Administrator is entitled. These rights
are applied only when the chassis user does not have the
Server Administrative privilege on the chassis.

110

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-9.

User Types (continued)

Privilege

Description

Server Administrator
(continued)

Server Configuration Administrator:
• Set IP address
• Set gateway
• Set subnet mask
• Set first boot device
User Configuration Administrator:
• Set iDRAC root password
• iDRAC reset
Server Control Administrator:
• Power on
• Power off
• Power cycle
• Graceful shutdown
• Server Reboot

Test Alert User

CMC users who have the Test Alert User privilege can send
test alert messages.

Debug Command
Administrator

CMC users who have the Debug Administrator privilege
can execute system diagnostic commands.

Fabric A Administrator

CMC users who have the Fabric A Administrator privilege
can set and configure the Fabric A IOM, which resides in
either slot A1 or slot A2 of the I/O slots.

Fabric B Administrator

CMC users who have the Fabric B Administrator privilege
can set and configure the Fabric B IOM, which resides in
either slot B1 or slot B2 of the I/O slots.

Fabric C Administrator

CMC users who have the Fabric C Administrator privilege
can set and configure the Fabric C IOM, which resides in
either slot C1 or slot C2 of the I/O slots.

Using the CMC Web Interface

111

Table 5-10. CMC Group Privileges

User Group

Privileges Granted

CMC Group

Lists pre-defined user groups with assigned privileges:
Administrator, Power User, Guest User, None, and Custom.

NOTE: If you select Administrator, Power User, or Guest User,
and then add or remove a privilege from the pre-defined set, the
CMC Group automatically changes to Custom.
Administrator

• CMC Login User
• Chassis Configuration Administrator
• User Configuration Administrator
• Clear Logs Administrator
• Chassis Control Administrator (Power Commands)
• Super User
• Server Administrator
• Test Alert User
• Debug Command Administrator
• Fabric A Administrator
• Fabric B Administrator
• Fabric C Administrator

Power User

• CMC Login User
• Clear Logs Administrator
• Chassis Control Administrator (Power Commands)
• Server Administrator
• Test Alert User
• Fabric A Administrator
• Fabric B Administrator
• Fabric C Administrator

Guest User

112

CMC Login User

Using the CMC Web Interface

Table 5-10.

CMC Group Privileges (continued)

User Group

Privileges Granted

Custom

Select any combination of the following permissions:
• CMC Login User
• Chassis Configuration Administrator
• User Configuration Administrator
• Clear Logs Administrator
• Chassis Control Administrator (Power Commands)
• Super User
• Server Administrator
• Test Alert User
• Debug Command Administrator
• Fabric A Administrator
• Fabric B Administrator
• Fabric C Administrator

None

No assigned permissions.

Table 5-11. Comparison of Privileges Between CMC Administrators, Power Users, and
Guest Users

Privilege Set

Administrator
Permissions

Power User
Permissions

Guest User
Permissions

CMC Login User
Chassis Configuration
Administrator
User Configuration Administrator
Clear Logs Administrator
Chassis Control Administrator
(Power Commands)

Using the CMC Web Interface

113

Table 5-11. Comparison of Privileges Between CMC Administrators, Power Users, and
Guest Users (continued)

Privilege Set

Administrator
Permissions

Power User
Permissions

Guest User
Permissions

Super User
Server Administrator
Test Alert User
Debug Command Administrator
Fabric A Administrator
Fabric B Administrator
Fabric C Administrator

Adding and Managing Users
From the Users and User Configuration pages in the Web interface, you can
view information about CMC users, add a new user, and change settings for
an existing user.
You can configure up to 16 local users. If additional users are required and
your company uses the Microsoft® Active Directory® service software, you
can configure Active Directory to provide access to the CMC. Active
Directory configuration would allow you to add and control CMC user
privileges to your existing users in your Active Directory software, in addition
to the 16 local users. For more information, see "Using the CMC With
Microsoft Active Directory" on page 145.
Users can be logged in through Web interface, Telnet serial, SSH, and iKVM
sessions. A maximum of 22 active sessions (Web interface, Telnet serial, SSH,
and iKVM, in any combination) can be divided among users.

114

Using the CMC Web Interface

NOTE: For added security, Dell strongly recommends that you change the default
password of the root (User 1) account. The root account is the default
administrative account that ships with the CMC. To change the default password for
the root account, click User ID 1 to open the User Configuration page. Help for that
page is available through the Help link at the top right corner of the page.
To add and configure CMC users:
NOTE: You must have User Configuration Administrator privilege to perform the
following steps.
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click the Users sub-tab. The
Users page appears, listing each user’s user ID, user name, CMC privilege,
and login state, including those of the root user. User IDs available for
configuration will have no user information displayed.
3 Click an available user ID number. The User Configuration page displays.
To refresh the contents of the Users page, click Refresh. To print the
contents of the Users age, click Print.
4 Select general settings for the user.
Table 5-12 describes the General settings for configuring a new or existing
CMC username and password.
Table 5-12.

General User Settings

Property

Description

User ID

(Read only) Identifies a user by one of 16 preset,
sequential numbers used for CLI scripting purposes. The
User ID identifies the particular user when configuring
the user through the CLI tool (RACADM). You cannot
edit the User ID.
If you are editing information for user root, this field is
static. You cannot edit the user name for root.

Enable User

Enables or disables the user's access to the CMC.

Using the CMC Web Interface

115

Table 5-12. General User Settings (continued)

Property

Description

User Name

Sets or displays the unique CMC user name associated
with the user. The user name can contain up to
16 characters. CMC user names cannot include forward
slash (/) or period (.) characters.

NOTE: If you change the user name, the new name does not
appear in the user interface until your next login. Any user
logging in after you apply the new user name will be able to
see the change immediately.
Change Password

Allows an existing user’s password to be changed. Set the
new password in the New Password field.
The Change Password check box is not selectable if you
are configuring a new user. You can select it only when
changing an existing user setting.

Password

Sets a new password for an existing user. To change the
password, you must also select the Change Password
check box. The password can contain up to 20 characters,
which display as dots as you type.

Confirm Password

Verifies the password you entered in the New Password field.

NOTE: The New Password and Confirm New Password
fields are editable only when you are (1) configuring a new
user; or (2) editing the settings for an existing user, and the
Change Password check box is selected.

5 Assign the user to a CMC user group. Table 5-9 describes CMC user
privileges. Table 5-10 describes the user group permissions for the CMC
User Privileges settings. Table 5-11 provides a comparison of privileges
between Administrators, Power Users, and Guest Users.
When you select a user privilege setting from the CMC Group drop-down
menu, the enabled privileges (shown as checked boxes in the list) display
according to the pre-defined settings for that group.
You can customize the privileges settings for the user by checking or unchecking boxes. After you have selected a CMC Group or made Custom
user privilege selections, click Apply Changes to keep the settings.
6 Click Apply Changes.
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Using the CMC Web Interface

To refresh the contents of the User Configuration page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the User Configuration page, click Print.

Configuring and Managing Microsoft Active
Directory Certificates
NOTE: To configure Active Directory settings for the CMC, you must have Chassis
Configuration Administrator privilege.
NOTE: For more information about Active Directory configuration and how to
configure Active Directory with Standard Schema or Extended Schema, see "Using
the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory" on page 145.
You can use the Microsoft Active Directory service to configure your software
to provide access to the CMC. Active Directory service allows you to add and
control the CMC user privileges of your existing users.
To access the Active Directory Main Menu page:
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click the Active Directory subtab. The Active Directory Main Menu page appears.
Table 5-13 lists the Active Directory Main Menu page options.
Table 5-13.

Active Directory Main Menu Page Options

Field

Description

Configure

Configure and manage the following Active Directory
settings for CMC: CMC Name, ROOT Domain Name,
CMC Domain Name, Active Directory Authentication
Timeout, Active Directory Schema Selection (Extended or
Standard), and Role Group settings.

Upload AD Certificate Upload a certificate authority-signed certificate for Active
Directory to the CMC. This certificate, which you obtain
from Active Directory, grants access to the CMC.

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Table 5-13. Active Directory Main Menu Page Options (continued)

Field

Description

Download Certificate

Download a CMC server certificate to your management
station or shared network using Windows Download
Manager. When you select this option and click Next, a File
Download dialog box appears. Use this dialog box to specify
a location on your management station or shared network
for the server certificate.

View Certificate

Displays the certificate authority-signed server certificate
for Active Directory that has been uploaded to the CMC.

NOTE: By default, CMC does not have a certificate authorityissued server certificate for Active Directory. You must upload
a current, certificate authority-signed server certificate.

Configuring Active Directory (Standard Schema and Extended Schema)
NOTE: To configure Active Directory settings for the CMC, you must have Chassis
Configuration Administrator privilege.
NOTE: Before configuring or using the Active Directory feature, you must ensure
that your Active Directory server is configured to communicate with the CMC.
1 Ensure that all Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates for the Active
Directory servers are signed by the same certificate authority and have
been uploaded to the CMC.
2 Log in to the Web interface and navigate to the Active Directory Main
Menu.
3 Select Configure, and then click Next. The Active Directory
Configuration and Management page displays.
4 Select the Enable Active Directory check box under the Common
Settings heading.
5 Type the required information into the remaining fields. See Table 5-14.

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Table 5-14.

Active Directory Common Settings Properties

Setting

Description

Root Domain Name

Specifies the domain name used by Active Directory. The
root domain name is the fully qualified root domain name
for the forest.

NOTE: The root domain name must be a valid domain name
using the x.y naming convention, where x is a 1–256 character
ASCII string with no spaces between characters, and y is a
valid domain type such as com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, or org.
Default: null (empty)
AD Timeout

The time in seconds to wait for Active Directory queries to
complete. The minimum value is equal to or greater than 15
seconds.
Default: 120 seconds

Specify AD Server to
search (Optional)

Enables (when checked) directed call on the domain
controller and global catalog. If you enable this option, you
must also specify the domain controller and global catalog
locations in the following settings.

NOTE: The name on the Active Directory CA Certificate will
not be matched against the specified Active Directory server
or the Global Catalog server.
Domain Controller

Specifies the server where your Active Directory service is
installed.
This option is valid only if Specify AD Server to search
(OPTIONAL) is enabled.

Global Catalog

Specifies the location of the global catalog on the Active
Directory domain controller. The global catalog provides a
resource for searching an Active Directory forest.
This option is valid only if Specify AD Server to search
(OPTIONAL) is enabled.

6 Select an Active Directory schema under the Active Directory Schema
Selection heading. See Table 5-15.

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7 If you selected Extended Schema, type the following required information
in the Extended Schema Settings section, and then proceed directly to
step 9. If you selected Standard Schema, proceed to step 8.
•

CMC Device Name – The name that uniquely identifies the CMC
card in Active Directory. The CMC name must be the same as the
common name of the new CMC object you created in your Domain
Controller. The name must be a 1–256 character ASCII string with no
spaces between characters. Default: null (empty).

•

CMC Domain Name – The DNS name (string) of the domain where
the Active Directory CMC object resides (example: cmc.com). The
name must be a valid domain name consisting of x.y, where x is a
1–256 character ASCII string with no spaces between characters, and y
is a valid domain type such as com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, or org.
Default: null (empty).
NOTE: Do not use the NetBIOS name. The CMC Domain Name is the fully
qualified domain name of the sub-domain where the CMC Device Object is
located.

Table 5-15. Active Directory Schema Options

Setting

Description

Use Standard Schema

Uses Standard Schema with Active Directory, which uses
Active Directory group objects only.
Before configuring CMC to use the Active Directory
Standard Schema option, you must first configure the
Active Directory software:
1 On an Active Directory server (domain controller), open
the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-in.
2 Create a group or select an existing group. The name of the
group and the name of this domain must be configured on
the CMC either with the Web interface or RACADM.

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Table 5-15.

Setting

Active Directory Schema Options (continued)

Description

Use Extended Schema Uses Extended Schema with Active Directory, which uses
Dell-defined Active Directory objects.
Before configuring CMC to use the Active Directory
Extended Schema option, you must first configure the
Active Directory software:
1 Extend the Active Directory schema.
2 Extend the Active Directory Users and Computers Snapin.
3 Add CMC users and their privileges to Active Directory.
4 Enable SSL on each of your domain controllers.
5 Configure the CMC Active Directory properties using
either the CMC Web interface or the RACADM.

8 If you selected Standard Schema, type the following information in the
Standard Schema Settings section. If you selected Extended Schema,
proceed to step 9.
•

Role Groups – The role groups associated with the CMC. To change
the settings for a role group, click the role group number in the Role
Groups list. The Configure Role Group page displays.
NOTE: If you click a role group link prior to applying any new settings you
have made, you will lose those settings. To avoid losing any new settings,
click Apply before clicking a role group link.

•

Group Name – The name that identifies the role group in the Active
Directory associated with the CMC card.

•

Group Domain – The domain where the group is located.

•

Group Privilege – The privilege level for the group.

9 Click Apply to save the settings.
To refresh the contents of the Active Directory Configuration and
Management page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the Active Directory Configuration and Management
page, click Print.
To configure the Role Groups for Active Directory, click the individual Role
Group (1–5). See Table 5-10 and Table 5-9).
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NOTE: To save the settings on the Active Directory Configuration and
Management page, you have to click Apply before proceeding to the Custom
Role Group page.

Uploading an Active Directory Certificate Authority-Signed Certificate
From the Active Directory Main Menu page:
1 Select Upload AD Certificate, and then click Next. The Certificate
Upload page displays.
2 Type the file path in the text field, or click Browse to select the file.
NOTE: The File Path value displays the relative file path of the certificate you are
uploading. You must type the absolute file path, which includes the full path and the
complete file name and file extension.
3 Click Apply. If the certificate is invalid, an error message displays.
To refresh the contents of the Upload Active Directory CA Certificate page,
click Refresh.
To print the contents of the Upload Active Directory CA Certificate page,
click Print.

Viewing an Active Directory Certificate Authority-Signed Certificate
NOTE: If you uploaded an Active Directory server certificate on the CMC, make
sure the certificate is still valid and has not expired.
From the Active Directory Main Menu page:
1 Select View Certificate, and then click Next.
2 Click the appropriate View Active Directory CA Certificate page button
to continue.
Table 5-1.

Active Directory CA Certificate Information

Field

Description

Serial Number

Certificate serial number.

Subject Information

Certificate attributes entered by the subject.

Issuer Information

Certificate attributes returned by the issuer.

Valid From

Certificate issue date.

Valid To

Certificate expiration date.

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To refresh the contents of the View Active Directory CA Certificate page,
click Refresh.
To print the contents of the View Active Directory CA Certificate page, click
Print.

Securing CMC Communications Using SSL and
Digital Certificates
This subsection provides information about the following data security
features that are incorporated in your CMC:
•

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

•

Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

•

Accessing the SSL main menu

•

Generating a new CSR

•

Uploading a server certificate

•

Viewing a server certificate

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
The CMC includes a Web server that is configured to use the industrystandard SSL security protocol to transfer encrypted data over the Internet.
Built upon public-key and private-key encryption technology, SSL is a widely
accepted technique for providing authenticated and encrypted
communication between clients and servers to prevent eavesdropping across a
network.
SSL allows an SSL-enabled system to perform the following tasks:
•

Authenticate itself to an SSL-enabled client

•

Allow the client to authenticate itself to the server

•

Allow both systems to establish an encrypted connection

This encryption process provides a high level of data protection. The CMC
employs the 128-bit SSL encryption standard, the most secure form of
encryption generally available for Internet browsers in North America.

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123

The CMC Web server includes a Dell self-signed SSL digital certificate
(Server ID). To ensure high security over the Internet, replace the Web server
SSL certificate by submitting a request to the CMC to generate a new
Certificate Signing Request (CSR).

Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
A CSR is a digital request to a certificate authority (referred to as a CA in the
Web interface) for a secure server certificate. Secure server certificates ensure
the identity of a remote system and ensure that information exchanged with
the remote system cannot be viewed or changed by others. To ensure the
security for your CMC, it is strongly recommended that you generate a CSR,
submit the CSR to a certificate authority, and upload the certificate returned
from the certificate authority.
A certificate authority is a business entity that is recognized in the IT industry
for meeting high standards of reliable screening, identification, and other
important security criteria. Examples of CAs include Thawte and VeriSign.
After the certificate authority receives your CSR, they review and verify the
information the CSR contains. If the applicant meets the certificate
authority’s security standards, the certificate authority issues a certificate to
the applicant that uniquely identifies that applicant for transactions over
networks and on the Internet.
After the certificate authority approves the CSR and sends you a certificate,
you must upload the certificate to the CMC firmware. The CSR information
stored on the CMC firmware must match the information contained in the
certificate.

Accessing the SSL Main Menu
NOTE: To configure SSL settings for the CMC, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
NOTE: Any server certificate you upload must be current (not expired) and signed
by a certificate authority.
1 Log in to the Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click the SSL sub-tab. The SSL
Main Menu page appears.
Use the SSL Main Menu page options to generate a CSR to send to a
certificate authority. The CSR information is stored on the CMC firmware.
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Generating a New Certificate Signing Request
To ensure security, Dell strongly recommends that you obtain and upload a
secure server certificate to the CMC. Secure server certificates ensure the
identity of a remote system and that information exchanged with the remote
system cannot be viewed or changed by others. Without a secure server
certificate, the CMC is vulnerable to access from unauthorized users.
Table 5-2.

SSL Main Menu Options

Field

Description

Generate a New
Certificate Signing
Request (CSR)

Select this option and click Next to open the Generate
Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page, where you can
generate a CSR request for a secure Web certificate to
submit to a certificate authority.

NOTICE: Each new CSR overwrites any previous CSR
on the CMC. For a certificate authority to accept your
CSR, the CSR in the CMC must match the certificate
returned from the certificate authority.
Upload Server
Certificate

Select this option and click Next to open the Certificate
Upload page, where you can upload an existing certificate
that your company holds title to and uses to control access
to the CMC.

NOTICE: Only X509, Base 64-encoded certificates are
accepted by the CMC. DER-encoded certificates are not
accepted. Uploading a new certificate replaces the
default certificate you received with your CMC.
View Server Certificate Select the option and click the Next button to open the
View Server Certificate page where you can view the
current server certificate.

To obtain a secure server certificate for the CMC, you must submit a
Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to a certificate authority of your choice. A
CSR is a digital request for a signed, secure server certificate containing
information about your organization and a unique, identifying key.
When a CSR is generated from the Generate Certificate Signing Request
(CSR) page, you are prompted to save a copy to your management station or
shared network, and the unique information used to generate the CSR is
stored on the CMC. This information is used later to authenticate the server
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certificate you receive from the certificate authority. After you receive the
server certificate from the certificate authority, you must then upload it to the
CMC.
NOTE: For the CMC to accept the server certificate returned by the certificate
authority, authentication information contained in the new certificate must match
the information that was stored on the CMC when the CSR was generated.
NOTICE: When a new CSR is generated, it overwrites any previous CSR on the
CMC. If a pending CSR is overwritten before its server certificate is granted from a
certificate authority, the CMC will not accept the server certificate because the
information it uses to authenticate the certificate has been lost. Take caution when
generating a CSR to prevent overwriting any pending CSR.
To generate a CSR:
1 From the SSL Main Menu page, select Generate a New Certificate
Signing Request (CSR), and then click Next. The Generate Certificate
Signing Request (CSR) page displays.
2 Type a value for each CSR attribute value.
Table 5-3 describes the Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page
options.
3 Click Generate. A File Download dialog box appears.
4 Save the csr.txt file to your management station or shared network. (You
may also open the file at this time and save it later.) You will later submit
this file to a certificate authority.
Table 5-3.

Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Page Options

Field

Description

Common Name

The exact name being certified (usually the Web server's
domain name, for example, www.xyzcompany.com/).
Valid: Alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9); hyphens,
underscores, and periods.
Not valid: Non-alphanumeric characters not noted above (such
as, but not limited to, @ # $ % & *); characters used primarily
in non-English languages, such as ß, å, é, ü.

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Table 5-3.

Field

Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Page Options (continued)

Description

Organization Name The name associated with your organization (example: XYZ
Corporation).
Valid: Alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9); hyphens,
underscores, periods, and spaces.
Not valid: Non-alphanumeric characters not noted above (such
as, but not limited to, @ # $ % & *).
Organization Unit The name associated with an organizational unit, such as a
department (example: Enterprise Group).
Valid: Alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9); hyphens,
underscores, periods, and spaces.
Not valid: Non-alphanumeric characters not noted above (such
as, but not limited to, @ # $ % & *).
Locality

The city or other location of your organization (examples:
Atlanta, Hong Kong).
Valid: Alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9) and spaces.
Not Valid: Non-alphanumeric characters not noted above (such
as, but not limited to, @ # $ % & *).

State

The state, province, or territory where the entity that is applying
for a certification is located (examples: Texas, New South
Wales, Andhra Pradesh).

NOTE: Do not use abbreviations.
Valid: Alphanumeric characters (upper- and lower-case letters;
0–9); and spaces.
Not valid: Non-alphanumeric characters not noted above (such
as, but not limited to, @ # $ % & *).
Country

The country where the organization applying for certification is
located.

Your organization's e-mail address. You may type any e-mail
address you want to have associated with the CSR. The e-mail
address must be valid, containing the at (@) sign (example:
name@xyzcompany.com).

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Uploading a Server Certificate
1 From the SSL Main Menu page, select Upload Server Certificate, and
then click Next. The Certificate Upload page displays.
2 Type the file path in the text field, or click Browse to select the file.
3 Click Apply. If the certificate is invalid, an error message displays.
NOTE: The File Path value displays the relative file path of the certificate you are
uploading. You must type the absolute file path, which includes the full path and the
complete file name and file extension.
To refresh the contents of the Certificate Upload page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the Certificate Upload page, click Print.

Viewing a Server Certificate
From the SSL Main Menu page, select View Server Certificate, and then
click Next. The View Server Certificate page displays.
Table 5-4 describes the fields and associated descriptions listed in the
Certificate window.
Table 5-4.

Certificate Information

Field

Description

Serial

Certificate serial number

Subject

Certificate attributes entered by the subject

Issuer

Certificate attributes returned by the issuer

notBefore

Issue date of the certificate

notAfter

Expiration date of the certificate

To refresh the contents of the View Server Certificate page, click Refresh.
To print the contents of the View Server Certificate page, click Print.

Managing Sessions
The Sessions page displays all current instances of connections to the chassis
and allows you to terminate any active session.
NOTE: To terminate a session, you must have Chassis Configuration Administrator
privilege.
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To manage sessions:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Network/Security tab.
4 Click the Sessions sub-tab. The Sessions page appears.
Table 5-5.

Sessions Properties

Property

Description

Session ID

Displays the sequentially generated ID number for each instance
of a login.

Username

Displays the user's login name (local user or Active Directory user).
Examples of Active Directory user names are name@domain.com,
domain.com/name, domain.com\name.

IP Address

Displays the user’s IP address in dot-separated format.

Session Type

Describes the session type: Telnet, serial, SSH, Remote RACADM,
SMASH CLP, WSMAN, or a GUI session.

Terminate

Allows you to terminate any of the sessions listed, except for your
own. To terminate the associated session, click the trashcan
icon
. This column is displayed only if you have Chassis
Configuration Administrator privilege.

To terminate session, click the trashcan icon on the line that describes the
session.

Configuring Services
The CMC includes a Web server that is configured to use the industrystandard SSL security protocol to accept and transfer encrypted data from
and to clients over the Internet. The Web server includes a Dell self-signed
SSL digital certificate (Server ID) and is responsible for accepting and
responding to secure HTTP requests from clients. This service is required by
the Web interface and remote CLI tool for communicating to the CMC.
NOTE: The remote (RACADM) CLI tool and the Web interface use the Web server.
In the event that the Web Server is not active, the remote RACADM and the Web
interface are not operable.

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NOTE: In an event of a Web server reset, wait at least one minute for the services
to become available again. A Web server reset usually happens as a result of any of
the following events: the network configuration or network security properties are
changed through the CMC Web user interface or RACADM; the Web Server port
configuration is changed through the Web user interface or RACADM; the CMC is
reset; a new SSL server certificate is uploaded.
NOTE: To modify service settings, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
To configure CMC services:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Click the Network/Security tab.
3 Click the Services sub-tab. The Services page appears.
4 Configure the following services as required:
•

CMC serial console (Table 5-6)

•

Web server (Table 5-7)

•

SSH (Table 5-8)

•

Telnet (Table 5-9)

•

Remote RACADM (Table 5-10)

5 Click Apply Changes.
Table 5-6.

CMC Serial Console Settings

Setting

Description

Enabled

Enables Telnet console interface on the CMC.
Default: Unchecked (disabled)

Redirect Enabled

Enables the serial/text console redirection to the server
through your Telnet client from the CMC. The CMC
connects to iDRAC, which internally connects to the server.
Configuration options: Checked (enabled), unchecked
(disabled)
Default: Unchecked (disabled)

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Table 5-6.

CMC Serial Console Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

Idle Timeout

Indicates the number of seconds before an idle Telnet
session is automatically disconnected. A change to the
Timeout setting takes effect at the next login; it does not
affect the current session.
Timeout Range: 60–1920 seconds. To disable the Timeout
feature, enter 0.
Default: 300 seconds

Baud Rate

Indicates the data speed on the external serial port on the
CMC.
Configuration options: 9600, 19200, 28800, 38400, 57600,
and 115200 bps.
Default: 115200 bps

Authentication
Disabled

Enables CMC Serial Console login authentication.

Escape Key

Allows you to specify the Escape key combination that
terminates serial/text console redirection when using the
connect com2 command.

Default: Unchecked (disabled)

Default: ^\
(Hold and type a backslash (\) character)

NOTE: The caret character ^ represents the key.
Configuration options:
• Decimal value (example: 95)
• Hexadecimal value (example: 0x12)
• Octal value (example: 007)
• ASCII value (example: ^a)
ASCII values may be represented using the following
Escape key codes:
• Esc followed by any alphabetic character (a-z, A-Z)
• Esc followed by the following special characters: [ ] \ ^ _
• Maximum Allowed Length: 4

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Table 5-6.

CMC Serial Console Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

History Size Buffer

Indicates the maximum size of the serial history buffer,
which holds the last characters written to the Serial
Console.
Default: 8192 characters

Specifies the serial command that is automatically
executed when a user logs into the CMC Serial Console
interface.
Example: connect server-1
Default: [Null]

Table 5-7.

Web Server Settings

Setting

Description

Enabled

Enables Web Server services (access through remote
RACADM and the Web interface) for the CMC.
Default: Checked (enabled)

Max Sessions

Indicates the maximum number of simultaneous Web user
interface sessions allowed for the chassis. A change to the
Max Sessions property takes effect at the next login; it does
not affect current Active Sessions (including your own).
The remote RACADM is not affected by the Max Sessions
property for the Web Server.
Allowed range: 1–4
Default: 4

NOTE: If you change the Max Sessions property to a value
less than the current number of Active Sessions and then log
out, you cannot log back in until the other sessions have been
terminated or expired.

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Table 5-7.

Web Server Settings (continued)

Setting

Description

Idle Timeout

Indicates the number of seconds before an idle Web user
interface session is automatically disconnected. A change to
the Timeout setting takes effect at the next login; it does
not affect the current session.
Timeout range: 60–1920 seconds
Default: 1920 seconds

HTTP Port Number

Indicates the default port used by the CMC that listens for
a server connection.

NOTE: When you provide the HTTP address on the browser,
the Web server automatically redirects and uses HTTPS.
If the default HTTPS port number (80) has been changed,
you must include the port number in the address in the
browser address field, as shown:
http://:
where IP address is the IP address for the chassis, and port
number is the HTTP port number other than the default
of 80.
Configuration range: 10–65535
Default: 80
HTTPS Port Number

Indicates the default port used by the CMC that listens for
a secured server connection.
If the default HTTP port number (443) has been changed,
you must include the port number in the address in the
browser address field, as shown:
http://:
where is the IP address for the chassis, and
is the HTTPS port number other than the
default of 443.
Configuration range: 10–65535
Default: 443

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Table 5-8.

SSH Settings

Setting

Description

Enabled

Enables the SSH on the CMC.
Default: Checked (enabled)

Max Sessions

The maximum number of simultaneous SSH sessions
allowed for the chassis. A change to this property takes
effect at the next login; it does not affect current Active
Sessions (including your own).
Configurable range: 1–4
Default: 4

Indicates the number of seconds before an idle SSH session
is automatically disconnected. A change to the Timeout
setting takes effect at the next login; it does not affect the
current session.
Timeout Range: 60–1920 seconds. To disable the Timeout
feature, enter 0.
Default: 300 seconds

Port Number

Port used by the CMC that listens for a server connection.
Configuration range: 10–65535
Default: 22

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Table 5-9.

Telnet Settings

Setting

Description

Enabled

Enables Telnet console interface on the CMC.
Default: Unchecked (disabled)

Max Sessions

Indicates the maximum number of simultaneous Telnet
sessions allowed for the chassis. A change to this property
takes effect at the next login; it does not affect current
Active Sessions (including your own).
Allowed range: 1–4
Default: 4

Port Number

Indicates the port used by the CMC that listens for a server
connection.
Default: 23

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Table 5-10. Remote RACADM Settings

Setting

Description

Enabled

Enables the remote RACADM utility access to the CMC.
Default: Checked (enabled)

Max Sessions

Indicates the maximum number of simultaneous
RACADM sessions allowed for the chassis. A change to this
property takes effect at the next login; it does not affect
current Active Sessions (including your own).
Allowed range: 1–4
Default: 4

Indicates the number of seconds before an idle racadm
session is automatically disconnected. A change to the Idle
Timeout setting takes effect at the next login; it does not
affect the current session. To disable the Idle Timeout
feature, enter 0.
Default: 300 seconds

Configuring Power Budgeting
The CMC allows you to budget and manage power to the chassis. The power
management service optimizes power consumption and re-allocates power to
different modules based on the demand.
For instructions on configuring power through the CMC, see "Configuring
and Managing Power" on page 183.
For more information on the CMC’s power management service, see "Power
Management" on page 175.

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Managing Firmware
This section describes how to use the Web interface to update CMC
firmware. When you update firmware, there is a recommended process to
follow that can prevent a loss of service if the update fails. See "Installing or
Updating the CMC Firmware" on page 48 for guidelines to follow before you
use the instructions in this section.

Viewing the Current Firmware Versions
The Updatable Components page displays the current version of the iKVM
firmware, primary CMC firmware, and (if applicable) the standby CMC
firmware.
If the chassis contains a server whose iDRAC is in recovery mode or if the
CMC detects that an iDRAC has corrupted firmware, the iDRAC is also
listed on the Updatable Components page. See "Recovering iDRAC
Firmware Using the CMC" on page 139 for the steps to recover iDRAC
firmware using the CMC.
To view firmware versions:
1 Log in to the Web interface (see "Accessing the CMC Web Interface" on
page 87).
2 Click Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Update tab. The Updatable Components page appears.

Updating CMC and iKVM Firmware
NOTE: To update firmware on the CMC, you must have Chassis Configuration
Administrator privilege.
NOTE: The firmware update retains the current CMC and iKVM settings.
NOTE: The firmware update is supported for CMC and iKVM firmware only. The
iDRAC firmware is updatable through the iDRAC Web-based user interface or
remote RACADM. However, if the CMC user interface detects the presence of a
server but is unable to communicate with it, it indicates a corruption. In such cases,
iDRAC Firmware Update will be available from the Updatable Components page. To
open the Updatable Components page, select Chassis in the system tree, and then
click the Update tab.

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137

The Updatable Components page displays the current version of the
firmware for each listed component (CMC/iKVM) and allows you to update
the firmware to the latest revision by uploading the firmware image file
(package).
NOTE: Be sure you have the latest firmware version. You can download the latest
firmware image file from the Dell Support website.
Updating the CMC Firmware

NOTE: During updates of the CMC firmware or the iDRAC firmware on a server,
some or all of the fan units in the chassis will spin at 100%. This is normal.
NOTE: The CMC resets and becomes temporarily unavailable after the firmware
has been uploaded successfully. To avoid disconnecting other users during a reset,
notify authorized users who might log into the CMC and check for active sessions
by viewing the Sessions page. To open the Sessions page, select Chassis in the
tree, click the Network/Security tab, and then click the Sessions sub-tab. Help for
that page is available through the Help link at the top right corner of the page.
NOTE: When transferring files to and from the CMC, the file transfer icon spins
during the transfer. If your icon is not animated, make sure that your browser is
configured to allow animations. See "Allow Animations in Internet Explorer" on
page 38 for instructions.
NOTE: If you experience problems downloading files from CMC using Internet
Explorer, enable the Do not save encrypted pages to disk option. See "Downloading
Files From CMC With Internet Explorer" on page 38 for instructions.
1 On the Updatable Components page, click the CMC name. The
Firmware Update page appears.
2 In the Value field, type the path on your management station or shared
network where the firmware image file resides, or click Browse to navigate
to the file location.
3 Click Update. A dialog box appears asking you to confirm the action.
4 Click Yes to continue.
When the update is complete, the CMC resets.
Updating the iKVM Firmware

NOTE: The iKVM resets and becomes temporarily unavailable after the firmware
has been uploaded successfully.

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1 Log back in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Update tab. The Updatable Components page appears.
4 Click the iKVM name. The Firmware Update page appears.
5 In the Value field, type the path on your management station or shared
network where the firmware image file resides, or click Browse to navigate
to the file location.
NOTE: The default iKVM firmware image name is ikvm.bin. However, the
iKVM firmware image name can be renamed. If you are unable to locate
ikvm.bin, determine whether another user has renamed the file.

6 Click Update. A dialog box appears asking you to confirm the action.
7 Click Yes to continue.
When the update is complete, iKVM resets.

Recovering iDRAC Firmware Using the CMC
iDRAC firmware is typically updated using iDRAC facilities such as the
iDRAC Web interface, the SM-CLP command line interface, or operating
system specific update packages downloaded from support.dell.com. See the
iDRAC Firmware User’s Guide for instructions for updating the iDRAC
firmware.
If the iDRAC firmware becomes corrupted, as could occur if the iDRAC
firmware update progress is interrupted before it completes, you can use the
CMC Web interface to update its firmware.
If the CMC detects the corrupted iDRAC firmware, the iDRAC is listed on
the Updatable Components page. See "Viewing the Current Firmware
Versions" on page 137 for instructions to display the Updatable Components
page.
NOTE: If the iDRAC MAC address has been lost or corrupted, it must be set to a
valid address before you can recover the iDRAC firmware using the CMC. You can
use the IPMI config params command to set a MAC address. The MAC address is
the fifth parameter of the command. It must be set to a 6-byte address that is unique
on your management network.Refer to the documentation for your IPMI utility (for
example, ipmitool or ipmish) for help executing the command.
Follow these steps to update the iDRAC firmware.

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139

1 Download the latest iDRAC firmware to your management computer from
support.dell.com.
2 Log in to the Web interface (see "Accessing the CMC Web Interface" on
page 87).
3 Click Chassis in the system tree.
4 Click the Update tab. The Updatable Components page appears. The
server with the recoverable iDRAC is included in the list if it is able to be
recovered from the CMC.
5 Click server-n, where n is the number of the server whose iDRAC you want
to recover.
6 Click Browse, browse to the iDRAC firmware image you downloaded, and
click Open.
NOTE: The default iDRAC firmware image name is firmimg.imc.
7 Click Begin Firmware Update.
NOTE: It can take up to ten minutes to update the iDRAC firmware. The file transfer
icon spins while the firmware image is transferred to the CMC, but not while the
CMC transfers the image to the iDRAC.
After the firmware image file has been uploaded to the CMC, the iDRAC will
update itself with the image.

Frequently Asked Questions
Table 5-11 lists frequently asked questions and answers.

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Table 5-11. Managing and Recovering a Remote System: Frequently
Asked Questions

Question

Answer

When accessing the CMC Web
interface, I get a security warning
stating the host name of the SSL
certificate does not match the
host name of the CMC.

The CMC includes a default CMC server
certificate to ensure network security for the Web
interface and remote RACADM features. When
this certificate is used, the Web browser displays a
security warning because the default certificate is
issued to CMC default certificate which does not
match the host name of the CMC (for example,
the IP address).
To address this security concern, upload a CMC
server certificate issued to the IP address of the
CMC. When generating the certificate signing
request (CSR) to be used for issuing the
certificate, ensure that the common name (CN) of
the CSR matches the IP address of the CMC (for
example, 192.168.0.120) or the registered DNS
CMC name.
To ensure that the CSR matches the registered
DNS CMC name:
1 In the System tree, click Chassis.
2 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click
Configuration. The Network Configuration
page appears.
3 Select the Register CMC on DNS check box.
4 Enter the CMC name In the DNS CMC Name
field.
5 Click Apply Changes.
For more information about generating CSRs and
issuing certificates, see "Securing CMC
Communications Using SSL and Digital
Certificates" on page 123.

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141

Table 5-11. Managing and Recovering a Remote System: Frequently
Asked Questions (continued)

Question

Answer

Why are the remote RACADM
and Web-based services
unavailable after a property
change?

It may take a minute for the remote RACADM
services and the Web interface to become available
after the CMC Web server resets.
The CMC Web server is reset after the following
occurrences:
• When changing the network configuration or
network security properties using the CMC Web
user interface
• When the cfgRacTuneHttpsPort property is
changed (including when a config -f changes it)
• When racresetcfg is used
• When the CMC is reset
• When a new SSL server certificate is uploaded

Why doesn’t my DNS server
register my CMC?

Some DNS servers only register names of 31
characters or fewer.

When accessing the CMC Web
interface, I get a security warning
stating the SSL certificate was
issued by a certificate authority
that is not trusted.

CMC includes a default CMC server certificate to
ensure network security for the Web interface and
remote RACADM features. This certificate is not
issued by a trusted certificate authority. To address
this security concern, upload a CMC server
certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority
(such as Thawte or Verisign). For more
information about issuing certificates, see
"Securing CMC Communications Using SSL and
Digital Certificates" on page 123.

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Table 5-11. Managing and Recovering a Remote System: Frequently
Asked Questions (continued)

Question

Answer

The following message is
displayed for unknown reasons:

As part of discovery, IT Assistant attempts to verify
the device’s get and set community names. In IT
Assistant, you have the get community name =
public and the set community name = private. By
default, the community name for the CMC agent
is public. When IT Assistant sends out a set
request, the CMC agent generates the SNMP
authentication error because it will only accept
requests from community = public.

Remote Access: SNMP
Authentication Failure
Why does this happen?

You can change the CMC community name using
RACADM.
To see the CMC community name, use the
following command:

racadm getconfig -g cfgOobSnmp
To set the CMC community name, use the
following command:

racadm config -g cfgOobSnmp -o
cfgOobSnmpAgentCommunity

To prevent SNMP authentication traps from being
generated, you must input community names that
will be accepted by the agent. Since the CMC only
allows one community name, you must input the
same get and set community name for IT Assistant
discovery setup.

Troubleshooting the CMC
The CMC Web interface provides tools for identifying, diagnosing, and fixing
problems with your chassis. For more information about troubleshooting, see
"Troubleshooting and Recovery" on page 237.

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143

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Using the CMC With Microsoft
Active Directory
A directory service maintains a common database of all information needed
for controlling network users, computers, printers, and so on. If your company
uses the Microsoft® Active Directory® service software, you can configure the
software to provide access to the CMC. This allows you to add and control
CMC user privileges to your existing users in your Active Directory software.
NOTE: Using Active Directory to recognize CMC users is supported on the
Microsoft Windows® 2000 and Windows Server® 2003 operating systems.

Active Directory Schema Extensions
You can use Active Directory to define user access on CMC through two
methods:
•

The extended schema solution, which uses Dell-defined Active Directory
objects.

•

The standard schema solution, which uses Active Directory group objects
only.

Extended Schema Versus Standard Schema
When using Active Directory to configure access to the CMC, you must
choose either the extended schema or the standard schema solution.
With the extended schema solution:
•

All of the access control objects are maintained in Active Directory.

•

Configuring user access on different CMCs with different privilege levels
allows maximum flexibility.

With the standard schema solution:
•

No schema extension is required, because standard schema use Active
Directory objects only.

•

Configuration on the Active Directory side is simple.

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145

Extended Schema Overview
There are two ways to enable Extended Schema Active Directory:
•

Using the CMC Web interface. For instructions, see "Configuring the
CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory and the Web Interface" on
page 161.

•

Using the RACADM CLI tool. For instructions, see "Configuring the
CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory and RACADM" on
page 163.

Active Directory Schema Extensions
The Active Directory data is a distributed database of Attributes and Classes.
The Active Directory schema includes the rules that determine the type of
data that can be added or included in the database.
One example of a Class that is stored in the database is the user class. User
class attributes can include the user’s first name, last name, phone number,
and so on.
You can extend the Active Directory database by adding your own unique
Attributes and Classes to address your company’s environment-specific
needs. Dell has extended the schema to include the necessary changes to
support remote management Authentication and Authorization.
Each Attribute or Class that is added to an existing Active Directory Schema
must be defined with a unique ID. To maintain unique IDs across the
industry, Microsoft maintains a database of Active Directory Object
Identifiers (OIDs). To extend the schema in Microsoft's Active Directory,
Dell established unique OIDs, unique name extensions, and uniquely linked
attribute IDs for Dell-specific Attributes and Classes:
Dell extension: dell
Dell base OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280
RAC LinkID range: 12070–2079

Overview of the RAC Schema Extensions
Dell provides a group of properties that you can configure. The Dell-extended
schema include Association, Device, and Privilege properties.

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The Association property links together users or groups with a specific set of
privileges to one or more RAC devices. This model provides an Administrator
maximum flexibility over the different combinations of users, RAC privileges,
and RAC devices on the network without adding too much complexity.

Active Directory Object Overview
When there are two CMCs on the network that you want to integrate with
Active Directory for Authentication and Authorization, you must create at
least one Association Object and one RAC Device Object for each CMC. You
can create multiple Association Objects, and each Association Object can be
linked to as many users, groups of users, or RAC Device Objects as required.
The users and RAC Device Objects can be members of any domain in the
enterprise.
However, each Association Object can be linked (or, may link users, groups of
users, or RAC Device Objects) to only one Privilege Object. This example
allows an Administrator to control each user’s privileges on specific CMCs.
The RAC Device object is the link to the RAC firmware for querying Active
Directory for authentication and authorization. When a RAC is added to the
network, the Administrator must configure the RAC and its device object
with its Active Directory name so users can perform authentication and
authorization with Active Directory. Additionally, the Administrator must add
the RAC to at least one Association Object in order for users to authenticate.
Figure 6-1 illustrates that the Association Object provides the connection
that is needed for all of the Authentication and Authorization.
NOTE: The RAC privilege object applies to DRAC 4, DRAC 5, and the CMC.
You can create as many or as few Association Objects as required. However,
you must create at least one Association Object, and you must have one RAC
Device Object for each RAC (CMC) on the network that you want to
integrate with Active Directory.

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147

Figure 6-1.

Typical Setup for Active Directory Objects

Association Object

User(s) Group(s)

Privilege Object

RAC Device Object(s)

RAC Privilege Object

The Association Object allows for as many or as few users and/or groups as
well as RAC Device Objects. However, the Association Object only includes
one Privilege Object per Association Object. The Association Object
connects the "Users" who have "Privileges" on the RACs (CMCs).
Additionally, you can configure Active Directory objects in a single domain or
in multiple domains. For example, you have two CMCs (RAC1 and RAC2)
and three existing Active Directory users (user1, user2, and user3). You want
to give user1 and user2 an administrator privilege to both CMCs and give
user3 a login privilege to the RAC2 card. Figure 6-2 illustrates how you set up
the Active Directory objects in this scenario.
When adding Universal Groups from separate domains, create an Association
Object with Universal Scope. The Default Association objects created by the
Dell Schema Extender Utility are Domain Local Groups and will not work
with Universal Groups from other domains.

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Figure 6-2. Setting Up Active Directory Objects in a Single Domain

AO1

Group1

User1

User2

AO2

Priv1

User3

Priv2

RAC1

RAC2

To configure the objects for the single domain scenario:
1 Create two Association Objects.
2 Create two RAC Device Objects, RAC1 and RAC2, to represent the two
CMCs.
3 Create two Privilege Objects, Priv1 and Priv2, in which Priv1 has all
privileges (administrator) and Priv2 has login privilege.
4 Group user1 and user2 into Group1.
5 Add Group1 as Members in Association Object 1 (A01), Priv1 as Privilege
Objects in A01, and RAC1, RAC2 as RAC Devices in A01.
6 Add User3 as Members in Association Object 2 (A02), Priv2 as Privilege
Objects in A02, and RAC2 as RAC Devices in A02.
For detailed instruction, see "Adding CMC Users and Privileges to Active
Directory" on page 158.
Figure 6-3 provides an example of Active Directory objects in multiple
domains. In this scenario, you have two CMCs (RAC1 and RAC2) and three
existing Active Directory users (user1, user2, and user3). User1 is in
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149

Domain1, and user2 and user 3 are in Domain2. In this scenario, configure
user1 and user 2 with administrator privileges to both CMCs and configure
user3 with login privileges to the RAC2 card.
Figure 6-3.

Setting Up Active Directory Objects in Multiple Domains

Domain1

Domain2
AO1

Group1

User1

User2

AO2

Priv1

User3

Priv2

RAC1

RAC2

To configure the objects for the multiple domain scenario:
1 Ensure that the domain forest function is in Native or Windows 2003
mode.
2 Create two Association Objects, A01 (of Universal scope) and A02, in any
domain.
Figure 6-3 shows the objects in Domain2.
3 Create two RAC Device Objects, RAC1 and RAC2, to represent the two
CMCs.
4 Create two Privilege Objects, Priv1 and Priv2, in which Priv1 has all
privileges (administrator) and Priv2 has login privilege.
5 Group user1 and user2 into Group1. The group scope of Group1 must be
Universal.

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6 Add Group1 as Members in Association Object 1 (A01), Priv1 as Privilege
Objects in A01, and RAC1, RAC2 as RAC Devices in A01.
7 Add User3 as Members in Association Object 2 (A02), Priv2 as Privilege
Objects in A02, and RAC2 as RAC Devices in A02.

Configuring Extended Schema Active Directory to Access Your CMC
Before using Active Directory to access your CMC, configure the Active
Directory software and the CMC:
1 Extend the Active Directory schema (see "Extending the Active Directory
Schema" on page 151).
2 Extend the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In (see "Installing
the Dell Extension to the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In"
on page 157).
3 Add CMC users and their privileges to Active Directory (see "Adding
CMC Users and Privileges to Active Directory" on page 158).
4 Enable SSL on each of your domain controllers.
5 Configure the CMC Active Directory properties using either the CMC
Web interface or the RACADM (see "Configuring the CMC With
Extended Schema Active Directory and the Web Interface" on page 161 or
"Configuring the CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory and
RACADM" on page 163).

Extending the Active Directory Schema
Extending your Active Directory schema adds a Dell organizational unit,
schema classes and attributes, and example privileges and association objects
to the Active Directory schema. Before you extend the schema, ensure that
you have Schema Admin privilege on the Schema Master Flexible Single
Master Operation (FSMO) Role Owner of the domain forest.
You can extend your schema using one of the following methods:
•

Dell Schema Extender utility

•

LDIF script file

If you use the LDIF script file, the Dell organizational unit will not be added
to the schema.

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151

The LDIF files and Dell Schema Extender are located on your Dell Systems
Management Consoles CD in the following respective directories:
•

CD drive:\support\OMActiveDirectory Tools\RAC4-5\LDIF_Files

•

CD drive:\support\OMActiveDirectory Tools\RAC4-5\Schema_Extender

To use the LDIF files, see the instructions in the readme included in the
LDIF_Files directory. For instructions on using the Dell Schema Extender to
extend the Active Directory Schema, see "Using the Dell Schema Extender."
You can copy and run the Schema Extender or LDIF files from any location.
Using the Dell Schema Extender

NOTICE: The Dell Schema Extender uses the SchemaExtenderOem.ini file. To
ensure that the Dell Schema Extender utility functions properly, do not modify the
name of this file.
1 In the Welcome screen, click Next.
2 Read and understand the warning and click Next.
3 Select Use Current Log In Credentials or enter a user name and password
with schema administrator rights.
4 Click Next to run the Dell Schema Extender.
5 Click Finish.
The schema is extended. To verify the schema extension, use the
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and the Active Directory
Schema Snap-In to verify that the following exist:
•

Classes — see Table 6-1 through Table 6-6

•

Attributes — see Table 6-7

See your Microsoft documentation for more information on how to enable
and use the Active Directory Schema Snap-In the MMC.
Table 6-1. Class Definitions for Classes Added to the Active
Directory Schema

Class Name

Assigned Object Identification Number (OID)

dellRacDevice

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.1

dellAssociationObject 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.2

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Table 6-1. Class Definitions for Classes Added to the Active
Directory Schema (continued)

Class Name

Assigned Object Identification Number (OID)

dellRACPrivileges

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.3

dellPrivileges

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.4

dellProduct

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.5

Table 6-2.

dellRacDevice Class

OID

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.1

Description

Represents the Dell RAC device. The RAC device must be
configured as dellRacDevice in Active Directory. This configuration
enables the CMC to send Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) queries to Active Directory.

Class Type

Structural Class

SuperClasses

dellProduct

Attributes

dellSchemaVersion
dellRacType

Table 6-3.

dellAssociationObject Class

OID

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.2

Description

Represents the Dell Association Object. The Association Object
provides the connection between the users and the devices.

Class Type

Structural Class

SuperClasses

Group

Attributes

dellProductMembers
dellPrivilegeMember

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Table 6-4.

dellRAC4Privileges Class

OID

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.3

Description

Defines Authorization Rights (privileges) for the CMC device.

Class Type

Auxiliary Class

SuperClasses

None

Attributes

dellIsLoginUser
dellIsCardConfigAdmin
dellIsUserConfigAdmin
dellIsLogClearAdmin
dellIsServerResetUser
dellIsTestAlertUser
dellIsDebugCommandAdmin
dellPermissionMask1
dellPermissionMask2

Table 6-5.

dellPrivileges Class

OID

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.4

Description

Container Class for the Dell Privileges (Authorization Rights).

Class Type

Structural Class

SuperClasses

User

Attributes

dellRAC4Privileges

Table 6-6.

dellProduct Class

OID

1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.1.5

Description

The main class from which all Dell products are derived.

Class Type

Structural Class

SuperClasses

Computer

Attributes

dellAssociationMembers

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Table 6-7.

List of Attributes Added to the Active Directory Schema

Assigned OID/Syntax Object Identifier

Single Valued

Attribute: dellPrivilegeMember
Description: List of dellPrivilege objects that belong to this
attribute.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.1

FALSE

Distinguished Name: (LDAPTYPE_DN
1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.12)
Attribute: dellProductMembers
Description: List of dellRacDevices objects that belong to this role.
This attribute is the forward link to the dellAssociationMembers
backward link.
Link ID: 12070
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.2

FALSE

Distinguished Name: (LDAPTYPE_DN
1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.12)
Attribute: dellIsCardConfigAdmin
Description: TRUE if the user has Card Configuration rights on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.4

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellIsLoginUser
Description: TRUE if the user has Login rights on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.3

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellIsCardConfigAdmin
Description: TRUE if the user has Card Configuration rights on the
device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.4

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)

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Table 6-7.

List of Attributes Added to the Active Directory Schema (continued)

Assigned OID/Syntax Object Identifier

Single Valued

Attribute: dellIsUserConfigAdmin
Description: TRUE if the user has User Configuration
Administrator rights on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.5

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: delIsLogClearAdmin
Description: TRUE if the user has Clear Logs Administrator rights
on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.6

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellIsServerResetUser
Description: TRUE if the user has Server Reset rights on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.7

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellIsTestAlertUser
Description: TRUE if the user has Test Alert User rights on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.10

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellIsDebugCommandAdmin
Description: TRUE if the user has Debug Command Admin rights
on the device.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.11

TRUE

Boolean (LDAPTYPE_BOOLEAN 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.7)
Attribute: dellSchemaVersion
Description: The Current Schema Version is used to update the schema.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.12
Case Ignore String(LDAPTYPE_CASEIGNORESTRING
1.2.840.113556.1.4.905)

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TRUE

Table 6-7.

List of Attributes Added to the Active Directory Schema (continued)

Assigned OID/Syntax Object Identifier

Single Valued

Attribute: dellRacType
Description: This attribute is the Current Rac Type for the
dellRacDevice object and the backward link to the
dellAssociationObjectMembers forward link.
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.13

TRUE

Case Ignore String(LDAPTYPE_CASEIGNORESTRING
1.2.840.113556.1.4.905)
Attribute: dellAssociationMembers
Description: List of dellAssociationObjectMembers that belong to
this Product. This attribute is the backward link to the
dellProductMembers Linked attribute.
Link ID: 12071
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.1.2.14

FALSE

Distinguished Name (LDAPTYPE_DN
1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.12)
Attribute: dellPermissionsMask1
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.6.2.1 Integer (LDAPTYPE_INTEGER)
Attribute: dellPermissionsMask2
OID: 1.2.840.113556.1.8000.1280.1.6.2.2 Integer (LDAPTYPE_INTEGER)

Installing the Dell Extension to the Active Directory Users and
Computers Snap-In
When you extend the schema in Active Directory, you must also extend the
Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In so the administrator can
manage RAC (CMC) devices, Users and User Groups, RAC Associations, and
RAC Privileges.
When you install your systems management software using the Dell Systems
Management Consoles CD, you can extend the Snap-In by selecting the Dell
Extension to the Active Directory User’s and Computers Snap-In option
during the installation procedure. See the Dell OpenManage Software Quick
Installation Guide for additional instructions about installing systems
management software.
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157

For more information about the Active Directory User’s and Computers
Snap-In, see your Microsoft documentation.
Installing the Administrator Pack

You must install the Administrator Pack on each system that is managing the
Active Directory CMC Objects. If you do not install the Administrator Pack,
you cannot view the Dell RAC Object in the container.
Opening the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In

To open the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In:
1 If you are logged into the domain controller, click Start Admin Tools→
Active Directory Users and Computers.
If you are not logged into the domain controller, you must have the
appropriate Microsoft Administrator Pack installed on your local system.
To install this Administrator Pack, click Start→ Run, type MMC, and press
.
The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) appears.
2 In the Console 1 window, click File (or Console on systems running
Windows 2000).
3 Click Add/Remove Snap-in.
4 Select the Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In and click Add.
5 Click Close and click OK.

Adding CMC Users and Privileges to Active Directory
Using the Dell-extended Active Directory Users and Computers Snap-In, you
can add CMC users and privileges by creating RAC, Association, and Privilege
objects. To add each object type, you will:
1 Create a RAC device Object.
2 Create a Privilege Object.
3 Create an Association Object.
4 Add objects to an Association Object.

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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Creating a RAC Device Object

1 In the MMC Console Root window, right-click a container.
2 Select New→ Dell RAC Object.
The New Object window appears.
3 Type a name for the new object. The name must be identical to the CMC
Name that you will type in step 8a of "Configuring the CMC With
Extended Schema Active Directory and the Web Interface" on page 161.
4 Select RAC Device Object.
5 Click OK.
Creating a Privilege Object

NOTE: A Privilege Object must be created in the same domain as the related
Association Object.
1 In the Console Root (MMC) window, right-click a container.
2 Select New→ Dell RAC Object.
The New Object window appears.
3 Type a name for the new object.
4 Select Privilege Object.
5 Click OK.
6 Right-click the privilege object that you created, and select Properties.
7 Click the RAC Privileges tab and select the privileges that you want the
user to have. For more information about CMC user privileges, see "User
Types" on page 108.
Creating an Association Object

The Association Object is derived from a Group and must contain a Group
Type. The Association Scope specifies the Security Group Type for the
Association Object. When you create an Association Object, choose the
Association Scope that applies to the type of objects you intend to add.

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159

For example, if you select Universal, the association objects are only available
when the Active Directory Domain is functioning in Native Mode or above.
1 In the Console Root (MMC) window, right-click a container.
2 Select New→ Dell RAC Object.
This opens the New Object window.
3 Type a name for the new object.
4 Select Association Object.
5 Select the scope for the Association Object.
6 Click OK.
Adding Objects to an Association Object

Using the Association Object Properties window, you can associate users or
user groups, privilege objects, and RAC devices or RAC device groups. If your
system is running Windows 2000 mode or higher, use Universal Groups to
span domains with your user or RAC objects.
You can add groups of Users and RAC devices. The procedure for creating
Dell-related groups and non-Dell-related groups is identical.
Adding Users or User Groups

1 Right-click the Association Object and select Properties.
2 Select the Users tab and click Add.
3 Type the user or User Group name and click OK.
Click the Privilege Object tab to add the privilege object to the association
that defines the user’s or user group’s privileges when authenticating to a
RAC device. Only one privilege object can be added to an Association Object.
Adding Privileges

1 Select the Privileges Object tab and click Add.
2 Type the Privilege Object name and click OK.
Click the Products tab to add one or more RAC devices to the association.
The associated devices specify the RAC devices connected to the network
that are available for the defined users or user groups. Multiple RAC devices
can be added to an Association Object.
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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Adding RAC Devices or RAC Device Groups

To add RAC devices or RAC device groups:
1 Select the Products tab and click Add.
2 Type the RAC device or RAC device group name and click OK.
3 In the Properties window, click Apply and click OK.

Configuring the CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory and the
Web Interface
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click the Active Directory subtab. The Active Directory Main Menu page appears.
4 Select the Configure radio button, and then click Next. The Active
Directory Configuration and Management page appears.
5 In the Common Settings section:
a

Select the Enable Active Directory check box so that it is checked.

Type the Root Domain Name. The Root Domain Name is the fully
qualified root domain name for the forest.
NOTE: The Root domain name must be a valid domain name using the x.y
naming convention, where x is a 1–256 character ASCII string with no spaces
between characters, and y is a valid domain type such as com, edu, gov, int,
mil, net, or org.

Type the Timeout time in seconds. Configuration range:
15–300 seconds. Default: 90 seconds

6 Optional: If you want the directed call to search the domain controller and
global catalog, select the Search AD Server to search (Optional) check
box, then:
a

In the Domain Controller text field, type the server where your Active
Directory service is installed.

In the Global Catalog text field, type the location of the global
catalog on the Active Directory domain controller. The global catalog
provides a resource for searching an Active Directory forest.

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

161

7 Select the Use Extended Schema radio button in the Active Directory
Schema Selection area.
8 In the Extended Schema Settings section:
a

Type the CMC Name. The CMC Name uniquely identifies the CMC
card in Active Directory. The CMC Name must be the same as the
common name of the new CMC object you created in your Domain
Controller. The CMC Name must be a 1–256 character ASCII string
with no spaces between characters.

Type the CMC Domain Name (example: cmc.com). The CMC
Domain Name is the DNS name (string) of the domain where the
Active Directory CMC object resides. The name must be a valid
domain name consisting of x.y, where x is a 1–256 character ASCII
string with no spaces between characters, and y is a valid domain type
such as com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, or org.

9 Click Apply to save your settings.
NOTE: You must apply your settings before continuing to the next step, in
which you navigate to another page. If you do not apply the settings, you will
lose the settings you entered when you navigate to the next page.
10 Click Go Back To Active Directory Main Menu.
11 Select the Upload AD Certificate radio button, and then click Next. The
Certificate Upload page appears.
12 Type the file path of the certificate in the text field, or click Browse to
select the certificate file.
NOTE: The File Path value displays the relative file path of the certificate you
are uploading. You must type the absolute file path, which includes the full
path and the complete file name and file extension.

The SSL certificates for the domain controller must be signed by the root
certificate authority. The root certificate authority-signed certificate must
be available on the management station accessing the CMC.
13 Click Apply. The CMC Web server automatically restarts after you click
Apply.
14 Log back in to the CMC Web interface.
15 Select Chassis in the system tree, click the Network/Security tab, then
click the Network sub-tab. The Network Configuration page appears.
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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

16 If Use DHCP (for NIC IP Address) is enabled (checked), do one of the
following:
•

Select Use DHCP to Obtain DNS Server Addresses to enable the
DNS server addresses to be obtained automatically by the DHCP
server., or

•

Manually configure a DNS server IP address by leaving the Use DHCP
to Obtain DNS Server Addresses check box unchecked and then
typing your primary and alternate DNS server IP addresses in the
fields provided.

17 Click Apply Changes.
The CMC Extended Schema Active Directory feature configuration is
complete.

Configuring the CMC With Extended Schema Active Directory and
RACADM
Using the following commands to configure the CMC Active Directory
Feature with Extended Schema using the RACADM CLI tool instead of the
Web interface.
1 Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o cfgADEnable
1
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o cfgADType 1
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADRacDomain
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADRootDomain
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADRacName
racadm sslcertupload -t 0x2 -f -r
racadm sslcertdownload -t 0x1 -f

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163

Optional: If you want to specify an LDAP or Global Catalog server instead
of using the servers returned by the DNS server to search for a user name,
type the following command to enable the Specify Server option:
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADSpecifyServerEnable 1
NOTE: When you use the Specify Server option, the host name in the
certificate authority-signed certificate is not matched against the name of the
specified server. This is particularly useful if you are a CMC administrator,
because it enables you to enter a host name as well as an IP address.

After you enable the Specify Server option, you can specify an LDAP
server and global catalog with IP addresses or fully qualified domain names
(FQDNs) of the servers. The FQDNs consist of the host names and the
domain names of the servers.
To specify an LDAP server, type:
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADDomainController
To specify a Global Catalog server, type:
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADGlobalCatalog
NOTE: Setting the IP address as 0.0.0.0 disables the CMC from searching for a
server.

NOTE: You can specify a list of LDAP or global catalog servers separated by
commas. The CMC allows you to specify up to three IP addresses or host
names.

NOTE: LDAP or LDAPs that are not correctly configured for all domains and
applications may produce unexpected results during the functioning of the
existing applications/domains.

2 Specify a DNS server using one of the following options:
•

If DHCP is enabled on the CMC and you want to use the DNS
address obtained automatically by the DHCP server, type the
following command:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServersFromDHCP 1

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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

•

If DHCP is disabled on the CMC, or if DHCP is enabled but you want
to specify your DNS IP address manually, type following commands:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServersFromDHCP 0
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServer1
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServer2

The Extended Schema feature configuration is complete.

Standard Schema Active Directory Overview
Using standard schema for Active Directory integration requires
configuration on both Active Directory and the CMC.
On the Active Directory side, a standard group object is used as a role group.
A user who has CMC access will be a member of the role group.
In order to give this user access to a specific CMC card, the role group name
and its domain name need to be configured on the specific CMC card. Unlike
the extended schema solution, the role and the privilege level is defined on
each CMC card, not in the Active Directory. Up to five role groups can be
configured and defined in each CMC. Table 5-10 shows the privileges level of
the role groups and Table 6-8 shows the default role group settings.

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

165

Figure 6-4.

Configuration of CMC with Active Directory and Standard Schema

Configuration on Active
Directory Side

Role
Group

Configuration on
CMC Side

Role
Group Name
and Domain
Name

User

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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Role
Definition

Table 6-8.

Default Role Group Privileges

Role Group

Default
Privilege
Level

Permissions Granted

Bit Mask

Administrator

• CMC Login User

0x00000fff

• Chassis Configuration
Administrator
• User Configuration Administrator
• Clear Logs Administrator
• Chassis Control Administrator
(Power Commands)
• Super User
• Server Administrator
• Test Alert User
• Debug Command User
• Fabric A Administrator
• Fabric B Administrator
• Fabric C Administrator
2

Power User

• CMC Login User

0x000000f9

• Clear Logs Administrator
• Server Administrator
• Test Alert User
3

Guest User

CMC Login User

0x00000001

None

No assigned permissions

0x00000000

None

No assigned permissions

0x00000000

NOTE: The bit mask values are used only when setting Standard Schema with the
RACADM.
NOTE: For more information about user privileges, see "User Types" on page 107.

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167

There are two ways to enable Standard Schema Active Directory:
•

With the CMC Web interface. See "Configuring the CMC With Standard
Schema Active Directory and Web Interface" on page 168.

•

With the RACADM CLI tool. See "Configuring the CMC With Standard
Schema Active Directory and RACADM" on page 171.

Configuring Standard Schema Active Directory to Access Your CMC
You need to perform the following steps to configure the Active Directory
before an Active Directory user can access the CMC:
1 On an Active Directory server (domain controller), open the Active
Directory Users and Computers Snap-in.
2 Create a group or select an existing group. The name of the group and the
name of this domain will need to be configured on the CMC either with
the Web interface or RACADM.
For more information, see "Configuring the CMC With Standard Schema
Active Directory and Web Interface" on page 168 or "Configuring the
CMC With Standard Schema Active Directory and RACADM" on
page 171.
3 Add the Active Directory user as a member of the Active Directory group
to access the CMC.

Configuring the CMC With Standard Schema Active Directory and Web
Interface
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Network/Security tab, and then click the Active Directory subtab. The Active Directory Main Menu page appears.
4 Select the Configure option, and then click Next. The Active Directory
Configuration and Management page appears.
5 In the Common Settings section:

168

Select the Enable Active Directory check box.

Type the ROOT Domain Name. The ROOT Domain Name is the
fully qualified root domain name for the forest.

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

NOTE: The ROOT domain name must be a valid domain name using the x.y
naming convention, where x is a 1–256 character ASCII string with no spaces
between characters, and y is a valid domain type such as com, edu, gov, int,
mil, net, or org.
c

Type the Timeout time in seconds. Configuration range: 15–300
seconds. Default: 90 seconds

6 Optional: If you want the directed call to search the domain controller and
global catalog, select the Search AD Server to search (Optional) check
box, then:
a

In the Domain Controller text field, type the server where your Active
Directory service is installed.

In the Global Catalog text field, type the location of the global
catalog on the Active Directory domain controller. The global catalog
provides a resource for searching an Active Directory forest.

7 Click Use Standard Schema in the Active Directory Schema Selection
section.
8 Click Apply to save your settings.
NOTE: You must apply your settings before continuing to the next step, in
which you navigate to another page. If you do not apply the settings, you will
lose the settings you entered when you navigate to the next page.

9 In the Standard Schema Settings section, click a Role Group. The
Configure Role Group page appears.
10 Type the Group Name. The group name identifies the role group in the
Active Directory associated with the CMC card.
11 Type the Group Domain. The Group Domain is the fully qualified root
domain name for the forest.
12 In the Role Group Privileges page, select privileges for the group.
If you modify any of the privileges, the existing Role Group Privilege
(Administrator, Power User, or Guest User) will change to either the
Custom group or the appropriate Role Group Privilege. See Table 5-10.
13 Click Apply to save the Role Group settings.
14 Click Go Back To Active Directory Configuration and Management.
15 Click Go Back To Active Directory Main Menu.

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169

16 Upload your domain forest Root certificate authority-signed certificate
into the CMC.
a

Select the Upload Active Directory CA Certificate check box and
then click Next.

In the Certificate Upload page, type the file path of the certificate or
browse to the certificate file.
NOTE: The File Path value displays the relative file path of the certificate you
are uploading. You must type the absolute file path, which includes the full
path and the complete file name and file extension.

The SSL certificates for the domain controllers must be signed by the
root certificate authority-signed certificate. The root certificate
authority-signed certificate must be available on the management
station accessing the CMC.
c

Click Apply. The CMC Web server automatically restarts after you
click Apply.

17 Log out and then log in to the CMC to complete the CMC Active
Directory feature configuration.
18 Select Chassis in the system tree.
19 Click the Network/Security tab.
20 Click the Network sub-tab. The Network Configuration page appears.
21 If Use DHCP (for NIC IP Address) is selected under Network Settings,
select Use DHCP to obtain DNS server address.
To manually input a DNS server IP address, deselect Use DHCP to obtain
DNS server addresses and type your primary and alternate DNS server IP
addresses.
22 Click Apply Changes.
The CMC Standard Schema Active Directory feature configuration is
complete.

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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Configuring the CMC With Standard Schema Active Directory and
RACADM
To configure the CMC Active Directory Feature with Standard Schema using
the RACADM CLI, use the following commands:
1 Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o cfgADEnable
1
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o cfgADType 2
racadm config -g cfgActiveDirectory -o
cfgADRootDomain
racadm config -g cfgStandardSchema -i -o
cfgSSADRoleGroupName
racadm config -g cfgStandardSchema -i -o
cfgSSADRoleGroupDomain
racadm config -g cfgStandardSchema -i -o
cfgSSADRoleGroupPrivilege
racadm sslcertupload -t 0x2 -f
racadm sslcertdownload -t 0x1 -f
NOTE: For bit mask number values, see "Bit Masks for User Privileges" on
page 331.

2 Specify a DNS server using one of the following options:
•

If DHCP is enabled on the CMC and you want to use the DNS
address obtained automatically by the DHCP server, type the
following command:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServersFromDHCP 1

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171

•

If DHCP is disabled on the CMC or you want manually to input your
DNS IP address, type the following commands:
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServersFromDHCP 0
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServer1
racadm config -g cfgLanNetworking -o
cfgDNSServer2

Frequently Asked Questions
Table 6-9 lists frequently asked questions and answers about using Active
Directory with the CMC.
Table 6-9.

Using CMC With Active Directory: Frequently Asked Questions

Question

Answer

Can I log into the CMC using Active Yes. The CMC’s Active Directory querying
Directory across multiple trees?
algorithm supports multiple trees in a single
forest.
Does the login to the CMC using
Active Directory work in mixed
mode (that is, the domain
controllers in the forest run different
operating systems, such as Microsoft
Windows® 2000 or Windows
Server® 2003)?

Yes. In mixed mode, all objects used by the
CMC querying process (among user, RAC
Device Object, and Association Object) must
be in the same domain.

Does using the CMC with Active
Directory support multiple domain
environments?

Yes. The domain forest function level must be
in Native mode or Windows 2003 mode. In
addition, the groups among Association
Object, RAC user objects, and RAC Device
Objects (including Association Object) must
be universal groups.

172

The Dell-extended Active Directory Users and
Computers Snap-In checks the mode and
limits users in order to create objects across
domains if in mixed mode.

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Table 6-9.

Using CMC With Active Directory: Frequently Asked Questions (continued)

Question

Answer

Can these Dell-extended objects
(Dell Association Object, Dell RAC
Device, and Dell Privilege Object)
be in different domains?

The Association Object and the Privilege
Object must be in the same domain. The Dellextended Active Directory Users and
Computers Snap-In forces you to create these
two objects in the same domain. Other objects
can be in different domains.

Are there any restrictions on Domain Yes. All SSL certificates for Active Directory
Controller SSL configuration?
servers in the forest must be signed by the
same root certificate authority-signed
certificate, because CMC only allows you to
upload one trusted certificate authority-signed
SSL certificate.
I created and uploaded a new RAC
certificate and now the Web
interface does not launch.

If you use Microsoft Certificate Services to
generate the RAC certificate, you may have
inadvertently chose User Certificate instead of
Web Certificate when creating the certificate.
To recover, generate a CSR, and then create a
new Web certificate from Microsoft
Certificate Services and upload it using the
using the following RACADM commands:
racadm sslcsrgen [-g] [-u]
[-f {filename}]
racadm sslcertupload -t 1 -f
{web_sslcert}

Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

173

Table 6-9.

Using CMC With Active Directory: Frequently Asked Questions (continued)

Question

Answer

What can I do if I cannot log into
the CMC using Active Directory
authentication? How do I
troubleshoot the issue?

1 Ensure that you use the correct user domain

name during a login and not the NetBIOS
name.
2 If you have a local CMC user account, log
into the CMC using your local credentials.
After you are logged in, perform the following
steps:
a Ensure that you have checked the Enable
Active Directory check box on the CMC
Active Directory configuration page.
b Ensure that the DNS setting is correct on
the CMC Networking configuration page.
c Ensure that you have uploaded the Active
Directory certificate from your Active
Directory root certificate authority-signed
certificate to the CMC.
d Check the Domain Controller SSL
certificates to ensure that they have not
expired.
e Ensure that your CMC Name, Root
Domain Name, and CMC Domain Name
match your Active Directory environment
configuration.
f Ensure that the CMC password has a
maximum of 127 characters. While the
CMC can support passwords of up to 256
characters, Active Directory only supports
passwords that have a maximum length of
127 characters.

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Using the CMC With Microsoft Active Directory

Power Management
Overview
The M1000e chassis ships with either three power supply units (PSUs) or six,
the maximum. If your chassis has three PSUs, you can add up to three more.
The PSUs supply power to the chassis and all the modules in the chassis:
CMC, IOM, iKVM, fans, front panel LCD and servers. The CMC manages
the power budget for all the chassis modules.
For AC redundancy to work in a six-PSU configuration, the three PSUs on the
left must connect to one AC power grid while the three on the right connect
to another. AC Redundancy is not available in a three-PSU configuration.
Each PSU helps the CMC manage the power distribution to the modules.

Power Budgeting for Hardware Modules
The CMC allocates power to some of the modules in the M1000e chassis
statically, and others dynamically. Static allocation means these modules are
assumed to be present and they are allocated a fixed amount of power.
Dynamic modules are given a power allocation by the CMC as they are
installed into the chassis.
The power budget for hardware modules in the chassis, including servers,
iDRACs on the servers, and IOMs, is allocated dynamically after
enumeration.
The chassis consists of compute and non-compute hardware modules.
Compute hardware modules include servers and iDRACs on the servers. Noncompute hardware modules include the active CMC, standby CMC (if
present), iKVM, IOMs, front panel LCD, and fans. The power budget for
essential non-compute modules in the chassis is pre-allocated, which means
that the CMC will not decrease power to these modules to conserve power in
the event of a power loss.

Power Management

175

Figure 7-1.

Chassis With Six-PSU Configuration

PSUs

Dynamic PSU Engagement
Dynamic PSU engagement is a configurable option that enables the CMC to
conserve power by powering-off unused PSUs and keeping them in standby
mode in case more power is required. This saves power by increasing the
utilization of the PSUs that remain active so that they are used more
efficiently.
When dynamic PSU engagement is enabled, the CMC enumerates all PSUs
in the chassis at initial power-up and when a new PSU is added to the chassis.
The CMC enumerates power based on how much power is required for a
given configuration. Factors that contribute to power enumeration include
the following:

176

•

Module population

•

Real-time power consumption

•

The infrastructure’s static worst-case needs

•

The number of PSUs in the chassis
Power Management

•

The redundancy policy

•

The capabilities and maximum efficiency point of the PSU configuration

Table 7-1.

Power Allocation in Compute vs. Non-compute Modules

Modules

Power Budget Allocation

Compute versus Noncompute

Servers

Dynamic

Compute

iDRAC on servers

Dynamic

Compute

IOMs

Dynamic

Non-compute

Primary CMC

Pre-allocated

Non-compute

Standby CMC

Pre-allocated

Non-compute

iKVM

Pre-allocated

Non-compute

Front Panel LCD

Pre-allocated

Non-compute

Fans

Pre-allocated

Non-compute

To maintain optimal efficiency, the CMC uses this information to determine
how many PSUs are required to power a given configuration and place excess
PSUs on standby. If new modules are installed, the CMC may, depending on
need and optimization, turn on new supplies.

Redundancy Policies
The redundancy policy is a configurable set of properties that determine how
the CMC manages power to the chassis. The following redundancy policies
are configurable with or without dynamic PSU engagement:
•

AC Redundancy

•

Power Supply Redundancy

•

No Redundancy

You can select and configure a redundancy policy or use the default
redundancy policy for your chassis. The default redundancy configuration for
your chassis depends on how many PSUs are configured for it, as shown in
Table 7-2.

Power Management

177

Table 7-2.

Default Redundancy Configuration

PSU Configuration Default Redundancy
Policy

Default Dynamic PSU Engagement
Setting

Six PSUs

AC Redundancy

Disabled

Three PSUs

No Redundancy

Disabled

AC Redundancy
For AC Redundancy mode to operate at optimal power, you must have six
PSUs in your chassis. You can set your chassis to operate in AC Redundancy
mode with fewer than six PSUs, but it will operate in a degraded state.
In AC Redundancy mode, all six PSUs will be active. Three of the PSUs
connect to one AC power grid, while the other three connect to another AC
power grid. When the system is running optimally in AC Redundancy mode,
all the PSUs share the load.
NOTICE: To avoid a system failure and for AC Redundancy to work effectively, you
must ensure that each set of PSUs is connected to a separate AC grid.
In case one AC grid fails, the three PSUs on the functioning AC grid take over
without interruption to the servers or infrastructure.
NOTICE: In AC Redundancy mode, a difference in the number of PSUs between the
two AC grids (for example, three PSUs on one AC grid and two on the other AC grid)
will cause a degradation in the redundancy.

Power Supply Redundancy
The capacity of the highest-rated PSU in the chassis is kept as a spare,
ensuring that a failure of any one PSU will not cause the servers or chassis to
power-down.
Power Supply Redundancy mode does not utilize all six PSUs; it uses
maximum of four and a minimum of two.
Failure of two PSUs may cause some or all servers in the chassis to power
down.

178

Power Management

No Redundancy
Power from up to three PSUs is used to power on the entire chassis, including
the servers, IOMs, iKVM, front panel LCD, fans, and primary CMC.
NOTICE: The No Redundancy mode uses only three PSUs at a time, without
backup. Failure of one of the three PSUs being used could cause servers to lose
power and data.

Power Conservation and Power Budget Changes
The CMC can perform power conservation when the user-configured
maximum power limit is reached. Power conservation is disabled by default.
When you enable power conservation mode and the demand for power
exceeds the power limit you have set, the CMC reduces power to servers you
assign a lower priority to free power for higher priority servers and other
modules in the chassis.
If all or multiple slots in the chassis are configured with the same priority
level, the CMC decreases power to servers by increasing slot number order.
For example, if the servers in slots 1 and 2 have the same priority level, the
power for the server in slot 1 is decreased before that of the server in slot 2.
NOTE: To enable power conservation mode, see "Configuring Power Budget and
Redundancy" on page 191.
NOTE: You can assign a priority level to each of the servers in the chassis by giving
it a number from 1 through 9 inclusive. The default priority level for all servers is 5.
The lower the number, the higher the priority level. For instructions on assigning
server priority levels, see "Using RACADM" on page 193.
PSU Failure With a No Redundancy Policy

In power conservation mode, the CMC decreases power to servers when an
insufficient power event occurs, such as a PSU failure. The CMC initiates
power conservation only when the redundancy policy is set to No
Redundancy, because there may not be enough power for the chassis after a
PSU fails. After decreasing power on servers, the CMC re-evaluates the power
needs of the chassis. Power for higher priority servers is restored incrementally
while power needs remain within the power budget.
NOTE: To set the redundancy policy, see "Configuring Power Budget and
Redundancy" on page 191.

Power Management

179

Figure 7-2.

AC Redundancy (top), and Power Supply Redundancy (bottom)
Power Grid #1
Power Grid #2

Power
Supply
#1

Power
Supply
#2

Power
Supply
#3

Power
Supply
#4

Power
Supply
#5

Power
Supply
#6

Chassis DC Power Bus
Dual Power Grid:
Protects against failure to an AC grid
Protects against failure to up to 3 PSUs

Power Grid #1
Power Grid #2

Power
Supply
#1

Power
Supply
#2

Power
Supply
#3

Power
Supply
#4

Blank
Slot
#5

Blank
Slot
#6

Chassis DC Power Bus
Dual or Single Power Grid:
Power Supply Redundancy protects against failure
to a single power supply.

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Power Management

Figure 7-3. No Redundancy
Power Grid #1

Power
Supply
#1

Power
Supply
#2

Power
Supply
#3

Blank
Slot
#4

Blank
Slot
#5

Blank
Slot
#6

Chassis DC Power Bus
Single Power Grid:
No protection against grid or power supply failure

New Server Engagement Policy

When a new server is powered on, the CMC may need to decrease power to
lower priority servers to allow more power for the new server if adding the new
server exceeds the power available for the system. This could happen if the
administrator has configured a power limit for the chassis that is below what
would be required for full power allocation to the servers, or if fewer than
three power supplies are in the chassis. If enough power cannot be freed by
throttling lower priority servers the new server may not be allowed to start.
The highest sustained power required to run the chassis and all of the servers,
including the new one, at full power is the worst case power requirement. If
that amount of power is available, no servers are throttled and the new server
is allowed to start up.
If the worst case power requirement is not available, power conservation
mode is activated. Power is reduced to the lower priority servers until enough
power is freed to start the new server.
•

If enough power cannot be freed by reducing power to the existing servers,
the new server is not allowed to start up.

•

If enough power is freed by reducing power to the existing servers, the
freed power is allocated to the new server and the server is allowed to start.

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181

Table 7-3 describes the actions taken by the CMC when a new server is
powered on in the scenario described above.
Table 7-3.

CMC Response When a Server Power-On is Attempted

Worst Case Power CMC Response
is Available

Server
Power On

Yes

No power conservation is required

Allowed

Perform power conservation:
• Power required for new server is available

Allowed

• Power required for new server is not available Disallowed

Table 7-4 describes the firmware response to a PSU power down or removal as
it applies to various PSU redundancy configurations.
Table 7-4.

Chassis Impact from PSU Failure or Removal

PSU Configuration

Dynamic PSU Firmware Response
Engagement

AC Redundancy

Disabled

Power conservation not initiated. User alerted
of loss of AC Redundancy.

Power Supply
Redundancy

Disabled

Power conservation not initiated. User alerted
of loss of Power Supply Redundancy.

No Redundancy

Disabled

Decrease power to low priority servers.

AC Redundancy

Enabled

Power conservation not initiated. User alerted
of loss of AC Redundancy if all PSUs in
chassis were engaged and powered up. PSU in
standby mode (if any) is turned on to
compensate for power budget lost by PSU
powered off.

Power Supply
Redundancy

Enabled

Power conservation not initiated. User alerted
of loss of Power Supply Redundancy if all PSU
in chassis were engaged and powered up. PSU
in standby mode (if any) is turned on to
compensate from power budget lost by PSUs
powered off.

No Redundancy

Enabled

Decrease power to low priority servers.

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Power Management

PSU Power-downs and Removals With a No Redundancy Policy

The CMC may begin conserving power when you power-down or gracefully
extract a PSU. The CMC decreases power to the lower priority servers until
power consumption is supported by the remaining PSUs in the chassis. If you
power-down or remove more than one PSU, the CMC evaluates power needs
again when the second PSU is removed to determine the firmware response.
Limits

•

The CMC does not support automated power-down of a lower priority
server to allow power up of a higher priority server; however, you can
perform user-initiated power-downs.

•

Changes to the PSU redundancy policy are limited by the number of PSUs
in the chassis. The M1000e chassis ships with one of two configurations:
three PSUs or six PSUs. You can select any of the three PSU redundancy
configuration settings listed in "Redundancy Policies" on page 177.
However, some redundancy policies, such as AC Redundancy, are not
available for chassis with fewer than six PSUs (the maximum number
allowable per chassis).

Configuring and Managing Power
You can use the Web-based and RACADM interfaces to manage and
configure power controls on the CMC. Specifically, you can:
•

View power budget status for the chassis, servers, and PSUs

•

Configure power budget and redundancy for the chassis and all chassis
components (chassis, servers, IOMs, iKVM, primary and standby CMC,
and PSUs)

•

Execute power control operations (power-on, power-off, system reset,
power-cycle) the chassis

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183

Using the Web Interface

To view the health status of the PSUs:
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Power Supplies in the system tree. The Power Supply Status page
displays.
Table 7-5 provides descriptions of the information provided on the Power
Supply Status page.
Table 7-5.

Power Supply Health Status Information

Item

Description

Present

Indicates whether the PSU is Present or Absent.

Health

Indicates that the PSU is present and
communicating with the CMC. In the event of
a communication failure between the CMC
and the fan unit, the CMC cannot obtain or
display health status for the PSU.

Warning

Indicates that only Warning alerts have been
issued, and corrective action must be taken
within the time frame set by the administrator.
If corrective actions are not taken within the
administrator-specified time, it could lead to
critical or severe power failures that can affect
the integrity of the chassis.

Severe

Indicates at least one Failure alert has been
issued. Failure status indicates a power failure
on the chassis, and corrective action must be
taken immediately.

Name

Displays the name of the PSU: PS-n, where n is the power supply
number.

Power Status

Indicates the power state of the PSU: Online, Off, Redundant,
Standby, or Slot Empty.

Capacity

Displays the power capacity in watts.

Using RACADM

See Viewing Power Budget Status below.
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Power Management

Viewing Power Budget Status
The CMC provides power status overviews of the power subsystem on the
Power Budget Status page.
Using the Web Interface

NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Power Management tab. The Power Budget Status page
displays.
Table 7-6 through Table 7-11describe the information displayed on the Power
Budget Status page.
See "Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy" on page 191 for
information about configuring the settings for this information.
Using RACADM

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm getpbinfo
NOTE: For more information about getpbinfo, including output details, see
"getpbinfo" on page 286.
Table 7-6.

Real-Time Power Statistics

Item

Description

Actual System AC Power Indicates the current cumulative AC power consumption
Consumption
of all modules in the chassis measured from the AC input
side of the PSUs. Overall range: 0–7928 watts
Peak System Power
Consumption

Indicates the maximum system level AC power
consumption (in watts) since the value was last cleared by a
user. This property allows you to track the maximum power
consumption by the system (chassis and modules) recorded
over a period of time. To clear this value, click the
Configuration sub-tab of the Budget Status page.

Power Management

185

Table 7-6.

Real-Time Power Statistics (continued)

Item

Description

Peak System Power
Consumption
Timestamp

Displays the date and time recorded when the peak system
power consumption value occurred over the time period
being recorded. The timestamp is displayed in the format
hh:mm:ss MM/DD/YYYY, where hh is hours (0–24), mm
is minutes (00–60), ss is seconds (00–60), MM is the
month (1–12), DD is the day, 1–31, and YYYY is the year.

Minimum System Power Displays the minimum system level AC power
Consumption
consumption value (in watts) over the time since the user
last cleared this value. This property allows you to track the
minimum power consumption by the system (chassis and
modules) recorded over a period of time. To clear this
value, click the Configuration sub-tab on the Budget
Status page.
Minimum System Power Displays the date and time recorded when the minimum
Consumption
system power consumption occurred over the time period
Timestamp
being recorded. The format of the timestamp is the same as
described for Peak System Power Consumption
Timestamp.

Table 7-7.

System Power Status

Item

Description

Overall Power Health Indicates the health status (OK, Non-Critical, Critical, NonRecoverable, Other, Unknown) of the chassis’ power
subsystem.
System Power Status

Displays the power status (On, Off, Powering On, Powering
Off) of the chassis.

Redundancy

Indicates the power supply redundancy status. Valid values
are:
No — PSUs are not redundant
Yes — full redundancy in effect

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Power Management

Table 7-8.

System Power Policy Configuration

Item

Description

System Max AC Displays the user-defined maximum power consumption limit for
Power Limit
the entire system (chassis, CMCs, servers, I/O modules, PSUs,
iKVM, and fans). The CMC enforces this limit by throttling (if
enabled) or by powering off lower priority servers (if throttling is not
enabled).
System AC
Displays the maximum amount of power, in watts, beyond which
Power Warning the CMC takes action to reduce power consumption.
Threshold
If Server Power Throttling Enabled is checked, and the chassis
power consumption exceeds the power warning threshold, then the
performance of lower priority servers is reduced until total power
consumption falls below the threshold.
If Server Power Throttling Enabled is not checked, servers with
lower priority may be powered off until total power consumption
falls below the threshold.
Server Power
Throttling
Enabled

Enables the user to configure the system to compromise server
performance to conserve power if the available power is reduced.

Power Management

187

Table 7-8.

System Power Policy Configuration (continued)

Item

Description

Redundancy
Policy

Indicates the current redundancy configuration: AC Redundancy,
Power Supply Redundancy, and No Redundancy.
AC Redundancy — Power input is load-balanced across all PSUs.
Three of the PSUs are connected to one AC grid and the other
three are connected to another grid. When the system is running
optimally in AC Redundancy mode, power is load-balanced across
all active supplies. In case of a grid failure, the PSUs on the
functioning AC grid take over at 100% capacity.

NOTE: In AC Redundancy mode, a difference in the number of PSUs
between the two AC circuits (for example, three PSUs on one AC
circuit and two on the other AC circuit) causes a degradation in the
system redundancy.
Power Supply Redundancy — The capacity of the highest-rated
PSU in the chassis is held as spare, ensuring that a failure of any one
PSU does not cause the server modules or chassis to power down.
Power Supply Redundancy mode does not use all six PSUs; it uses a
maximum of four. PSUs in excess of four do not participate in
Power Supply Redundancy unless a PSU fails or is removed.
No Redundancy — The power from all three PSUs on one AC
circuit (grid) is used to power the entire chassis, including the
chassis, servers, I/O modules, iKVM, and CMC.

NOTICE: The No Redundancy mode uses only three PSUs at a
time, with no backup. Failure of one of the three PSUs in use
could cause the server modules to lose power and data.
Dynamic Power Indicates whether Dynamic Power Supply Engagement is enabled
Supply
or disabled. Enabling this feature allows the CMC to put underEngagement
utilized PSUs into standby mode based on the redundancy policy
that is set and the power requirements of the system. Putting
under-utilized PSUs into standby mode increases the utilization,
and efficiency, of the online PSUs, saving power.

188

Power Management

Table 7-9.

Power Budgeting

Item

Description

System DC
Max Power
Capacity

Displays the Maximum DC power, in watts, the available PSUs can
supply to the system.

DC
Redundancy
Reserve

Indicates the amount of redundant power (in watts) in reserve that
can be utilized in the event of an AC grid or PSU failure.
When the chassis is configured to operate in AC Redundancy
mode, the DC Redundancy Reserve is the amount of reserve power
that can be utilized in the event of an AC grid failure.
When the chassis is configured to operate in Power Supply
Redundancy mode, the DC Redundancy Reserve is the amount of
reserve power that can be utilized in the event of a specific PSU
failure.

DC Power
Allocated to
Servers

Indicates the cumulative DC power, in watts, the CMC is allocated
to servers based on their configuration.

DC Power
Allocated to
Chassis
Infrastructure

Indicates the cumulative DC power, in watts, the CMC is
allocating to the chassis infrastructure (fans, IO modules, iKVM,
CMC, standby CMC, and iDRACs on the servers).

Total DC Power Indicates the total chassis power budget, in watts, available for
Available for
chassis operation.
Allocation
Standby DC
Indicates the amount of power, in watts, available to be provided by
Power Capacity the PSUs that are in standby mode. This power can be allocated to
any hardware modules that are either added to the chassis or
brought online.

Power Management

189

Table 7-10. Server Modules

Item

Description

Slot #

Displays the location of the server module. The Slot # is a
sequential number (1–16) that identifies the server module by its
location within the chassis.

Name

Displays the server name. The server name can be redefined by the
user.

Type

Displays the type of the server.

Priority

Indicates the priority level allotted to the server slot in the chassis
for power budgeting. The CMC uses this value in its calculations
when power must be reduced or reallocated based on user-defined
power limits or power supply or power grid failures.
Priority levels: 1 (highest) through 9 (lowest)
Default: 5

NOTE: Server slot priority level is associated with the server slot—
not with the server inserted into the slot. If you move a server to a
different slot in the chassis or to a different chassis, the priority
previously associated with new slot determines the priority of the
relocated server.
Power State

Indicates the current state of the server, ON or OFF.

Budget
Allocation

Indicates the power budget allocation for the server module.

Table 7-11. System Power Supplies

Item

Description

Name

Displays the name of the PSU in the format PS-n, where n, is the
PSU number.

Power State

Indicates the power state of the PSU — On, Initializing, Online,
Stand By, In Diagnostics, Failed, Redundant, Unknown, or Absent
(missing).

Capacity

Displays the maximum DC power rating of the PSU.

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Power Management

Configuring Power Budget and Redundancy
The CMC’s power management service optimizes power consumption for the
entire chassis (the chassis, servers, IOMs, iKVM, CMC, and PSUs) and reallocates power to different modules based on the demand.
Using the Web Interface

NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.
1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Chassis in the system tree.
3 Click the Power Management tab. The Power Budget Status page
displays.
4 Click the Configuration sub-tab. The Budget/Redundancy Configuration
page displays.
5 Set any or all of the properties described in Table 7-12 according to your
needs.
6 Click Apply to save your changes.
To refresh the content on the Budget/Redundancy Configuration page, click
Refresh. To print the contents, click Print.
Table 7-12.

Configurable Power Budget/Redundancy Properties

Item

Description

System Max AC
Power Limit

Indicates the user-defined maximum power consumption limit
for the entire system (chassis, CMC, servers, I/O modules,
power supply units, iKVM, and fans). The CMC will enforce
this limit when power conservation mode is enabled (by
checking Server Power Throttling Enabled), or by powering off
lower priority blades if power conservation mode is not enabled.
The power budget is limited to a maximum of three PSUs out
of a total of six PSUs. If you attempt to set an AC power
budget value that exceeds the power capacity of your chassis,
the CMC will display a failure message.
Configuration range: 2768–7928 watts
Default: 7928 watts

Power Management

191

Table 7-12. Configurable Power Budget/Redundancy Properties (continued)

Item

Description

System AC Power
Warning Threshold

Indicates the maximum amount of power (in watts) beyond
which the CMC takes action to reduce power consumption.
If Server Power Throttling Enabled is checked and the
chassis power consumption exceeds the power warning
threshold, then the power to lower priority servers is reduced
until the total power consumption falls below the threshold.
If Server Power Throttling Enabled is not checked, servers
with lower priority may be powered off until the total power
consumption falls below the threshold.

Server Power
Throttling Enabled

When checked, enables the CMC power conservation mode.
The CMC is allowed to siphon power from lower priority
servers when power is needed for the entire chassis. Servers
continue operating at a reduced performance level rather
than being shut down.

Redundancy Policy

Specifies a redundancy configuration: No Redundancy, Power
Supply Redundancy, or AC Redundancy.
Default: No Redundancy.

NOTE: The No Redundancy mode uses only three PSUs at a
time. If 3 PSUs are installed, then no backup is available. Failure
of one of the three PSUs in use could cause the servers to lose
power or data. If PSUs 4 through 6 are present, then they
become redundant and are made available if an online PSU
fails.
Enable Dynamic
Power Supply
Engagement

Indicates whether Dynamic Power Supply Engagement is
enabled or disabled. Enabling this feature allows the CMC to
put under-utilized power supplies into standby mode based
on the redundancy policy that is set and the power
requirements of the system. Putting under-utilized power
supplies into standby mode increases the utilization of active
power supplies and thus the efficiency of the online supplies,
saving power.

Disable Chassis
Power Button

Disables (when checked) the chassis power button. If the
checkbox is checked and the user attempts to change the
power state of the chassis though the chassis power button,
the action is ignored.

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Power Management

Using RACADM

To enable redundancy and set the redundancy policy:
NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.
1 Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC and log in.
2 Set properties as needed:
•

To set the maximum power budget for the chassis, type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgEnclosureMaxPowerBudget
where is a number between 2768–7928 representing the
maximum power limit in watts. The default is 7928.
For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgEnclosureMaxPowerBudget 5400
sets the maximum power budget to 5400 watts.

•

To set the power warming threshold, type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisPowerWarningThreshold
where is a number between 2768–7928 (inclusive)
representing the power consumption limit in watts beyond which a
warning is issued. The default is 7928.
For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisPowerWarningThreshold 5400
sets the maximum power budget to 5400 watts.

•

To enable or disable power conservation mode (server throttling),
type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisEnablePerformanceDegradation
where is 0 (disable), 1 (enable). The default is 1.

Power Management

193

For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisDynamicPSUEngagement 0
disables dynamic power supply engagement.
•

To select a redundancy policy, type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisRedundancyPolicy
where is 0 (No Redundancy), 1 (AC Redundancy), 2
(Power Supply Redundant). The default is 0.
For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisRedundancyPolicy 1
sets the redundancy policy to 1.

•

To enable or disable dynamic PSU engagement, type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisDynamicPSUEngagement
where is 0 (disable), 1 (enable). The default is 1.
For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisDynamicPSUEngagement 0
disables dynamic PSU engagement.

For information about RACADM commands for chassis power:

194

•

See "config" on page 268

•

See "getconfig" on page 274

•

See "getpbinfo" on page 286

•

See "cfgChassisPower" on page 350

Power Management

Assigning Priority Levels to Servers
Server priority levels determine which servers the CMC draws power from
when additional power is required.
NOTE: The priority you assign to a server is linked to its slot and not to the server
itself. If you move the server to a new slot, you must reconfigure the priority from
the new slot location.
NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis
Configuration Administrator privilege.
Using the Web Interface

1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Select Servers in the system tree. The Servers Status page appears.
3 Click the Power Management tab. The Server Priority page appears,
listing all of the servers in your chassis.
4 Select a priority level (1–9, with 1 holding the highest priority) for one,
multiple, or all servers. You can assign the same priority level to multiple
servers.
5 Click Apply to save your changes.
Using RACADM

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgServerInfo -o cfgServer Priority
-i
Where (1–16) refers to the location of the server, and
is a value between 1–9.
For example, the following command:
racadm config -g cfgServerInfo -o cfgServer Priority
-i 5 1
sets the priority level to 1 for the server with the index name of 5.

Setting the Power Budget
NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.

Power Management

195

Using the Web Interface

1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Click Chassis in the system tree. The Component Health page appears.
3 Click the Power Management tab. The Power Budget Status page appears.
4 Click the Configuration sub-tab. The Budget/Redundancy Configuration
page appears.
5 Type a budget value of up to 7928 watts in the Enclosure Max Power
Limit text field.
NOTE: The power budget is limited to a maximum of three PSUs out of a total
of six PSUs. If you attempt to set a AC power budget value that exceeds the
power capacity of your chassis, the CMC will display a failure message.

6 Click Apply to save your changes.
Using RACADM

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisMaxPowerBudget
where is the maximum amount of power (in watts) available to the
chassis.
NOTE: The power budget is limited to a maximum of three PSUs out of a total of six
PSUs. If you attempt to set a AC power budget value that exceeds the power
capacity of your chassis, the CMC will display a failure message.
For example:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisMaxPowerBudget 7928

Setting the Power Warning Threshold
NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.
Using the Web Interface

1 Log in to the CMC Web interface.
2 Click Chassis in the system tree. The Component Health page appears.
196

Power Management

3 Click the Power Management tab. The Power Budget Status page appears.
4 Click the Configuration sub-tab. The Budget/Redundancy Configuration
page appears.
5 Type a budget value (less than that of the Enclosure Max Power Limit) in
the Power Warning Threshold text field.
6 Click Apply to save your changes.
Using RACADM

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgChassisPowerWarningThreshold
where is the upper wattage limit beyond which a warning is
generated by the CMC. This value should be less than that of the Power
Budget (see previous steps).

Enabling Throttling to Maintain Power Budget
NOTE: To perform power management actions, you must have Chassis Control
Administrator privilege.
Throttling selected services is an optional configuration for the No
Redundancy policy. Throttling allows the CMC to draw power from lower
priority servers when additional power is needed to maintain the maximum
AC power limit.
For example, when a new server is engaged, the CMC may decrease power to
low priority servers to allow more power for the new server. If the amount of
power is still insufficient after throttling the lower priority servers, the CMC
will throttle higher priority servers until sufficient power is freed to power the
new server.
Throttling is executed in two cases:
•

Overall power consumption exceeds the configurable maximum power
limit (see "Setting the Power Budget" on page 195)

•

A power failure occurs in a non-redundant configuration

For information about assigning priority levels to servers, see "Executing
Power Control Operations on the Chassis" on page 198.

Power Management

197

Using the Web Interface

Open a Telnet/SSH text console to the CMC, log in, and type:
racadm config -g cfgChassisPower -o
cfgEnablePerformanceDegradation

Dell Chassis Management Controller Version 1 0 Owners Manual 1.0 UserGuide

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