{"id":343,"date":"2022-05-08T01:20:40","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T01:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.access.ly\/?p=343"},"modified":"2022-11-05T06:46:38","modified_gmt":"2022-11-05T13:46:38","slug":"tips-for-setting-up-your-dell-poweredge-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2022\/05\/08\/tips-for-setting-up-your-dell-poweredge-server\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Setting Up Your Dell Poweredge Server"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you get your decommissioned server from Ebay or other sources, one of the first tasks you’ll need to do is check and tackle your firmware versions. Keeping up with firmware doesn’t seem to be that important to some people that maintain servers apparently. But before we start, this is a great site to search for server equipment on Ebay to sort by your criteria. There are some great deals to be had. I don’t even know if what I paid covered shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.labgopher.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dell 1U Poweredge R410 Server, 12 Xeon processors, 16 GB of memory, 4 hard drive slots, iDRAC6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A wonderful thing with Dell servers is the iDRACx module, Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller. This gives you a web server and Java virtual console that runs independently of the server and is always on with it’s own dedicated Ethernet port. With this module you won’t need to connect a monitor, keyboard or mouse to manage your server. And you can remotely power up the machine, reboot…. One note, the Java version my iDRAC6 works with is not up to being exposed to the internet directly, so you’ll want to use a VPN to access the local network if you’re not on the local network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Default login after reset is root and password calvin <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once logged in you’ll see the main screen with information on your server and virtual console to the top right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once you power up the machine and launch the Java virtual console you can interact with the server just as if you have a monitor, keyboard and mouse plugged in. You can go into the BIOS and change settings, interact with the iDRAC configuration, the RAID controller, LifeCycle Controller (System Services)….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once done with BIOS configuration it goes to the boot screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And once fully booted you’re presented with your installed OS login.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Regarding the Firmware, I used a CentOS 7 install USB thumb drive to install the OS to another USB thumb drive using the server itself. And then I downloaded the Linux .BIN files for the firmware versions I needed to install placing them on the USB thumb drive I just created. You can then make the firmware files executable (chmod +x) and run them from the booted thumb drive. The firmware files to look for are for the BIOS, iDRACx, Diagnostic Application, Drivers for OS Deployment, Network interface, RAID controller firmware as equipped, and Lifecycle Controller. If you don’t have an iDRACx module, there is also a BMC power management firmware (iDRACx takes over that functionality and is more recently updated). Dell’s main firmware site might not have the latest firmware listed, so this site can be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/poweredgec.dell.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main Dell support site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.dell.com\/support\/home\/en-us<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Couple notes, my iDRAC6 version would not update directly to the newest version, and I had to install earlier versions first to get it fully upgraded. And I didn’t bother installing the BMC version which was pretty ancient and superseded by the iDRAC6 module anyway. If you didn’t have the iDRAC6 module, you’d need to get an older OS version to run that firmware update. I believe it was referenced to POSIX changes with more modern operating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good video on what is involved with tips and tricks I borrowed, and he has a series for a Dell Poweredge R710 as well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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