Troubleshooting Dell iDRAC Issues (iDRAC6)

If you are having issues with your Dell iDRAC, refer to table and follow the resolution steps below:

Error Message/Symptom	Resolution steps
Unable to Access DRAC  - Setup/Configuration	1. Check that network cables are properly connected and network settings are configured properly a)      If customer is using AMEA card, ensure NIC setting is set to ‘Dedicated’ and network cable is connected to the port with a spanner icon b)      If customer is not using AMEA, network cable should be connected to the first LOM port and NIC setting should be set to “Shared” c)       Or the network cable can be connected to any LOM port and the NIC setting should be set to “Shared with Failover” 2. Find out the iDRAC IP address using any of the following: a)       racadm getniccfg b)       Enter CTRL+E option during system POST and go to LAN    configuration (Reboot required) c)       Enter Life cycle controller and go to LAN configuration (reboot required) 3. If you have a valid iDRAC IP, try to ping the iDRAC IP from the client system: ping xxx:xxx:xxx:xxx 4. If IP pinging successfully, then try to access iDRAC using preferred out of band system management tool 5. If iDRAC IP is not pinging, check and resolve the network connectivity issue and repeat from Step 1 a)      If DHCP is enabled make sure you have a DHCP server running on network to provide a valid DHCP IP Address b)      If DHCP is not enabled, provide a valid static IP Address, Network Mask and Gateway IP Address 6. If the above fails, Power down the server, unplug server from power source and then hold power button down for 20 seconds to drain flea power and then power back up. Got to step 1 again and try 7. Try BIOS, DRAC and NIC Firmware update (if a blade, update the CMC FW too) 8. Do an iDRAC reset to default using any of the following: a)      racadm racresetcfg (No host reboot required) b)      During POST enter CTRL+E option and execute Reset to default (Host reboot is required ) 9. After reset to default is completed, reconfigure iDRAC settings (LAN config, IPMI over LAN etc.) 10. Power cycle the server 11. Reseat the DRAC components.  Go through Step 1 above to make sure IP is same 12. If VLAN is being used, check for the VLAN settings in the DRAC config and ensure that they match the network settings 13. Ensure Duplex and speed settings match settings on Network Switch. DRAC is capable of 100 Mbps full duplex. Also check if network switch logs show any errors, specially spanning tree errors 14. If NIC setting is set to shared, check whether the port to which the network cable is connected is part of a team 15. Replace parts
Initialization errors during POST	(This issue is normally noticed when fan is running full speed or iDRAC communication error) 1. First, try to reset iDRAC using “racadm racreset” 2. Try to do an iDRAC reset to default using any of the following: a)      racadm racresetcfg (No host reboot required) b)      During POST enter CTRL+E option and execute Reset to default (Host reboot is required ) 3. After reset to default is completed, reconfigure iDRAC settings (LAN config, IPMI over LAN etc.) 4. If the above fails, try draining flea power by unplugging the server from power source and then holding power button down for 20 seconds. Got to step 1 again and try 5. If using AMEA, ensure that iDRAC express card is also installed 6. Try BIOS/Firmware / Software update 7. Replace parts
Continual Loop	(Normally noticed when customer is trying to log into GUI Page). 1. Ensure customer is using a supported Browser 2. If customer has changed browser settings, reset to defaults and check. 3. Clear the browser cache and browser cookies and restart the browser. 4. Check the security settings of browser and the host operating system. Check the firewall settings to verify firewall is not blocking iDRAC network traffic 5. Reset iDRAC 6. Update FW/SW 7. Try draining flea power by unplugging the server from power source and then holding power button down for 20 seconds 8. Do an iDRAC reset to default using any of the following: a)      racadm racresetcfg (No host reboot required) b)      During POST enter CTRL+E option and execute Reset to default (Host reboot is required ) 9. After reset to default is completed, reconfigure iDRAC settings (LAN config, IPMI over LAN etc.) 10. Replace parts
Credentials/Authentication issues	1. Ensure customer is using a supported Browser 2. Ensure customer is using correct username/password 3. Delete Browser  cache and cookies   4. Do Firmware / Software update 5. Reset iDRAC 6. Do an iDRAC reset to default using any of the following:racadm racresetcfg (No host reboot required) 7. During POST enter CTRL+E option and execute Reset to default (Host reboot is required ) 8. After reset to default is completed, reconfigure iDRAC settings (LAN config, IPMI over LAN etc.) 9. Replace parts
Incorrect/Wrong License -  Cannot use Web console for iDRAC	1.  Reboot the Host and enter CTRL+E option during POST. On the utility heading if it displays "BMC configuration utility" the machine does not have DRAC card installed. Customer has to use BMC
iDRAC 6 communication failure	1. Change Power recovery policy in BIOS to Always Off. Power cycle the machine 2. If the machine is equipped with a front panel LCD, note whether it is coming up and then see whether iDRAC is receiving an IP. If IP is received, update iDRAC and USC repair package using GUI 3. Else, do a platform update using USC or update BIOS, NIC and DRAC FW 4. Shutdown and switch on the host machine. During POST enter CTRL+E option and execute Reset to default 5. If that fails, try draining flea power by unplugging the server from power source and then holding power button down for 20 seconds. 6. If that doesn't resolve error, remove iDRAC express and Enterprise and check whether error goes away 7. Re-insert iDRAC express and Enterprise one at a time and check whether error goes away 8. If error goes away using above steps, do a platform update using USC or update BIOS, NIC and DRAC FW 9. Replace parts
Unable to ping DRAC. iDRAC LED off	1. Confirm NIC selection is set to dedicated
iDRAC6 not responding	1. Try draining flea power by unplugging the server from power source and then holding power button down for 20 seconds 2. Reseat components 3. Replace parts
Power Threshold Exceeded	1. Try draining flea power by unplugging the server from power source and then holding power button down for 20 seconds   2. Boot to BIOS and soft-reset it (turn on caps/scroll/num lock and hit ALT+E, ALT+F, ALT+B and the system will reboot) 3. Boot into the CTRL+E iDRAC bios and reset it to default, escape and the system will reboot. 4. Boot back into the iDRAC bios again and verify DRAC LAN and IPMI over LAN are both enabled, save and exit, escape and the system will reboot. 5. Boot the system to the OS and attempt iDRAC firmware flash to the latest version available at support.dell.com. 6. Try platform updates via USC 7. Reseat or remove iDRAC express and enterprise 8. There could be a possibility that some new hardware got added (for example a PCI card, new RAM modules, HDD, Storage controllers etc.) which requires more power, but the current PSU not able to support it. Check the PSU rating and compare with the actual consumption. If PSU rating is low, replace PSU 9. Rep

Windows XP Administrator Password Recovery

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR TIA/EIA 568A & 568B STANDARDS FOR CAT5e and CAT6 CABLE

T568A and T568B are the two color codes used in wiring RJ45 eight-position modular plugs. The American National Standard Institute/Telephone Industry Association/Electronics Industry Association (ANSI/TIA/EIA) wiring standards allow both of these color codes. The only difference is that the orange and green pairs are interchanged.

Because it provides backward compatibility for both one pair and two pair Universal Service Order codes (AT&T) USOC wiring schemes, the T568A wiring pattern is recognized as the preferred wiring pattern for this standard.

However, the T568B standard (used by VPI) is the most widely used wiring scheme, as it matches the older ATA&T 258A color code. It is also permitted by the ANSI/TIA/EIA standard, but it provides only a single pair backward compatibility to the USOC wiring scheme.

U.S. Government regulations require the use of the preferred T568A standard for wiring done under federal contracts.

The following diagrams look at the jacks from the front. The wiring at the rear of the jack varies by manufacturer; it may not be the same sequence as the front. Compliance with the color codes is maintained by routing the connections at the back to the proper sequence at the front of the jack. This is done by a small printed-circuit board in the jack assembly. Cat 5e jacks (diagram below right) may have a twist inside the jack to reduce crosstalk.

COLOR-CODE STANDARDS
Last updated: 8/9/2004

Again, please bear with me... Let's start with simple pin-out diagrams of the two types of UTP Ethernet cables and watch how committees can make a can of worms out of them. Here are the diagrams:

Note that the TX (transmitter) pins are connected to corresponding RX (receiver) pins, plus to plus and minus to minus. And that you must use a crossover cable to connect units with identical interfaces. If you use a straight-through cable, one of the two units must, in effect, perform the cross-over function.

Two wire color-code standards apply: EIA/TIA 568A and EIA/TIA 568B. The codes are commonly depicted with RJ-45 jacks as follows (the view is from the front of the jacks):

If we apply the 568A color code and show all eight wires, our pin-out looks like this:

Note that pins 4, 5, 7, and 8 and the blue and brown pairs are not used in either standard. Quite contrary to what you may read elsewhere, these pins and wires are not used or required to implement 100BASE-TX duplexing--they are just plain wasted.

However, the actual cables are not physically that simple. In the diagrams, the orange pair of wires are not adjacent. The blue pair is upside-down. The right ends match RJ-45 jacks and the left ends do not. If, for example, we invert the left side of the 568A "straight"-thru cable to match a 568A jack--put one 180° twist in the entire cable from end-to-end--and twist together and rearrange the appropriate pairs, we get the following can-of-worms:

This further emphasizes, I hope, the importance of the word "twist" in making network cables which will work. You cannot use an flat-untwisted telephone cable for a network cable. Furthermore, you must use a pair of twisted wires to connect a set of transmitter pins to their corresponding receiver pins. You cannot use a wire from one pair and another wire from a different pair.

Keeping the above principles in mind, we can simplify the diagram for a 568A straight-thru cable by untwisting the wires, except the 180° twist in the entire cable, and bending the ends upward. Likewise, if we exchange the green and orange pairs in the 568A diagram we will get a simplified diagram for a 568B straight-thru cable. If we cross the green and orange pairs in the 568A diagram we will arrive at a simplified diagram for a crossover cable. All three are shown below.

This cabling guide highlights the differences between these wiring standards. It also provides insight for the steps involved in creating standard and crossover cables.

The 568A and 568B standards were developed to provide more effective communications for longer distances in a Cat5e cable segment than using non standard schemes. Fibre Optic cable is the only medium that is completely immune to crosstalk and EMI since it uses light to transfer data instead of electrical current.

The 568A and 568B colour code schemes are used to wire the RJ45 eight position modular plugs correctly. Both colour codes are approved by the American National Standard Institute/Telephone Industry Association/Electronics Industry Association (ANSI/TIA/EIA) wiring standards. There is no difference between the two wiring schemes in connectivity or performance when connected form one device to another, so long as the devices are wired for the same scheme. The only time when one scheme has an advantage over the other is when one end of a segment is connected to a modular device, and the other end to a punch block. In this case, the 568A scheme has the advantage of having a more natural progression of pairs at the punch block side.

Cables are generally made up of eight wires twisted together in four pairs. Each pair is easily identified by one of four primary colours and is intended to carry a signal and its return. The 568A wiring pattern is recognised as the preferred wiring scheme for standard use because it provides backward compatibility for both one pair and two pair Universal Service Order codes (AT&T) USOC wiring. U.S. Government regulations require the use of the preferred 568A standard for wiring installed under federal contracts.

However, N-Tron adopted the 568B standard since it is the most widely used in the industry today. It matches the older AT&T 258A colour code. It is also approved by the ANSI/TIA/EIA standard. This scheme provides one pair for backward compatibility to the USOC wiring scheme. This illustration will assist in identifying the differences between the 568A and 568B colour schemes. The difference between the two is that the orange and green pairs are interchanged as shown.

These standards specify a maximum segment length of 100 metres between two devices. This length includes patch panels and cables. When longer distances are desired, the use of switches, repeaters, or fibre optic media may be required.

A cable can be wired with correct continuity, but not necessarily with correct pairing. This often happens when the cable is terminated consistently at both ends, but in the wrong order. A dynamic or AC test is required to detect this type of error. If the only error is a split pair error, the cable will possess correct continuity but will likely cause crosstalk.

Crosstalk is the bleeding of signals carried by one pair of conductors, onto another pair through electrical induction. The conductors do not need to make contact with each other as the crosstalk is transferred magnetically. This is an unwanted effect that can cause slow transfer or completely inhibit the transfer of data signals over a long cable segment. The purpose of the wire twists found in Cat5e cable is to significantly reduce the crosstalk and its side effects.

Similarly, Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) is an unwanted signal that is induced into the cable. The difference is that EMI is typically induced from a source that is external to the cable. This could be an electrical power cable or device, or in some cases adjacent Cat5e cables that do not adhere to the 568A and 568B standards.

Attenuation is the loss of signal in a cable segment due to the resistance of the wire plus other electrical factors that cause additional resistance. Longer cable length, poor connections, bad insulation, high levels of crosstalk, and EMI will all increase the total level of attenuation.

Creating Cat5e crossover cables

Two Ethernet switches may be connected together with a standard patch cable as long as both devices are compliant with the MDIX standard. Basically, the MDIX standard automatically performs the crossover functions without user configuration. It allows the switch to properly align the conductors internally. In some situations, connection of similar devices such as legacy hubs or Network Interface Cards may be accomplished by the use of a crossover cable. Therefore, the cable itself will physically perform the crossover function. A crossover cable can be easily created by using the 568A scheme at one end and the 568B scheme at the other end as shown in the 568A 568B illustration.