Managing Dell DRAC devices

LANDesk Management Suite includes management integration with devices that have a Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC). The DRAC is a remote hardware controller that provides an interface to the IPMI-compliant server management hardware on the Dell device. The DRAC has an IP address assigned to it, which is used to identify the DRAC device in device discovery and in managing the device.

Devices that contain a Dell DRAC can be managed with the same functionality as other IPMI-compliant devices. When the device has been discovered and added to the list of managed devices, it is managed as any other IPMI device. In addition, Management Suite has unique Dell DRAC features.

The OpenManage Server Administrator is a Web-based console provided by Dell for managing the Dell DRAC device. Normally it is accessed by typing the IP address of the DRAC in a browser and logging in with a username and password. When a Dell DRAC device is managed with Management Suite you can also open this utility directly from the Management Suite interface.

In addition, Management Suite lets you manage usernames and passwords for accessing the OpenManage Server Administrator, and displays three logs from this utility in the server information console.

To open the OpenManage Server Administrator for a Dell DRAC device

1. In the Management Suite network view, right-click the Dell DRAC device and select Real-time inventory and monitoring.
2. In the real-time inventory console, expand Hardware and click Dell DRAC. The device's IP address and other identifying information is displayed.
3. Click the Launch button for Dell DRAC utility to open the device's DRAC utility, or click the Launch button for Dell DRAC power management to open the device's OpenManage Server Administrator in a new window.

Dell DRAC logs available in Management Suite

Three logs from the OpenManage Server Administrator utility are displayed in the Management Suite real-time inventory console.

• Dell DRAC log: Tracks all events recorded by the Server Administrator, such as login activity, session status, firmware update status, and interaction between the DRAC and other device components. Information displayed in Management Suite includes event severity, description, and suggested corrective actions for errors.
• Dell DRAC command log: Tracks all commands issued to the Server Administrator. It shows what commands were performed, by whom, and when, including attempts to log in and out and access errors.
• Dell DRAC trace log: Useful for tracing details about network communication events, such as alerting, paging, or network connections from the DRAC.

To view logs for a Dell DRAC device

1. In the Management Suite network view, right-click the Dell DRAC device and select Real-time inventory and monitoring.
2. In the real-time inventory console, expand Logs.
3. Click Dell DRAC log, Dell DRAC Command log, or Dell DRAC trace log.

Managing usernames for Dell DRAC-enabled devices

To access the OpenManage Server Administrator interface you log in with a username and password that is defined for the device. The default root user is the first user in the list and can't be deleted, but its password can be changed. Up to 15 additional users can be added. While DRAC usernames can have different access levels, Management Suite only defines usernames at the Administrator level.

To add or edit usernames and passwords for a DRAC-enabled device

1. In the Management Suite network view, right-click the Dell DRAC device and select Real-time inventory and monitoring.
2. In the real-time inventory console, click Hardware configuration.
3. In the hardware configuration console, expand Dell DRAC configuration and click Dell DRAC users. A list of currently defined users appears.
4. To change the password for a user, click the user number and click Change password. Type and confirm the new password, then click Apply. (To assign the same password to multiple users, select them using Ctrl+click or Shift+click.)
5. To add a user, click Add user. Type a username and password and confirm the password, then click Apply. The user is added to the list.
   
   If you type a username that is already in the list, the new password you specify will overwrite the existing password for that user name; a second user with that name is not added to the list.
   
   
6. To delete a user, click the user number and click Delete user, then click OK. (To delete multiple users, select them using Ctrl+click or Shift+click.)

All users in this list have Administrator level access to the OpenManage Server Administrator.