With my newly purchased refurbished Dell PowerEdge R710 server, I've been playing around with a lot of technical stuff lately. One characteristic I actually wanted to learn how to employ was iDRAC, which stands for Integrated Dell Remote Access. It'due south software that is embedded directly onto the server and therefore allows you to control it without needing to install an OS or hypervisor.

There are a lot of things iDRAC tin do, only in this commodity, I'll exist talking nearly how to setup the initial configuration for iDRAC so that you tin can log into the web interface. This entails setting up a static IP for iDRAC using either the dedicated port or by sharing the other LAN ports.

Configure Static IP for iDRAC

To get started, kick up your server and wait until y'all come across the iDRAC configuration department popular upwards during the boot process. You lot'll demand to quickly press CTRL + Due east as you only have well-nigh v seconds earlier the boot procedure continues.

It should say Press CTRL + E for Remote Access Setup within 5 sec. When you enter the iDRAC setup, there are quite a few options.

Y'all'll definitely desire to make sure iDRACx LAN is set up to ON. This is an older server, and then it'southward nevertheless on iDRAC 6. Some of the newer servers now run iDRAC 9. To gear up a static IP for iDRAC, arrow down to LAN Parameters and press Enter.

At the very top, you should see NIC Option, which I recommend setting to Dedicated. Just about all of the Dell PowerEdge servers have a defended port for iDRAC, so may likewise use it.

Y'all'll accept to pointer downward quite a bit until you go to IPv4 settings. If y'all are using IPv6 in your environs, and then you have to scroll a little lower. Make sure it is set to Enabled so coil down to IPv4 Address Source and alter the value to Static.

You'll then need to change the IPv4 Accost, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and DNS Server settings. Once you lot take all of those in place, go ahead an exit from the iDRAC configuration utility. It'll enquire you whether or non you desire to save the changes, so make certain to do that.

The kicking process volition continue and one time the server is upwardly and running, yous should be able to access the web interface. But make certain you have a cable fastened the dedicated port on the back of the server.

Open up a spider web browser on another computer connected to the same network as your server and type in https://ipaddress. Y'all should now meet the iDRAC login screen.

For iDRAC 6, vii, eight, and 9, it seems like the initial username and password for logging in are root and calvin. Starting in version vii, information technology gives you lot a alert later logging in to brand certain that y'all change the default credentials since information technology's the same for every Dell server.

That's nearly it! At present you can outset playing around with iDRAC! I'll be writing more posts on how to use iDRAC to update your server, repair information technology, and lots more. Bask!