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titanicx

1 Message

11880

March 5th, 2014 10:00

Issues with iDrac6

I have been struggling with the iDrac6 on our server. It stopped responding to the system a couple weeks ago. After extensive searching and looking over all the options I attempted to troubleshoot it. However the error "System services unavailable" has persisted. This has prevented me from running the hardware diag PSA from boot. It has prevented me from accessing the iDrac directly to update firmware on it. I am running Linux so am more limited as far as OS testing for the hardware since the PowerEdge R710 is a windows centric server from what I could gather and all the tools are Windows based from the OS. We have even gone so far as to replace the idrac hoping that would solve the issue. No dice. I have updated the system to the latest BIOS. The actual issues that lead us to this conclusion is that the fan array started spinning at a high RPM so it can be heard through the walls. This lead to looking over all the software and eventually hardware and coming to the conclusion that the iDrac is the culprit. Is there any way that we can use the SD card in the iDrac to updateit? or troubleshot it? This thing is a pain in my rear. Thanks in advance. Server; PowerEdge R710 OS: Ubuntu 12.10 LTE

DELL-Geoff P

990 Posts

March 5th, 2014 11:00

First, try to reset iDRAC using racadm racreset from the terminal using root administrator privileges.  

Try to do an iDRAC Reset to Default using any of the following:

  1. racadm racresetcfg (no host-reboot required)
  2. During POST, enter + option and execute Reset to Default (host reboot is required).
  3. After Reset to Default is completed, reconfigure the iDRAC settings (LAN config, IPMI over LAN, and so forth).
  4. If the above fails, try draining flea power by unplugging the server from the power source and then holding the power button down for 20 seconds. Repeat step one and try again.
  5. if it fails to communicate, the iDRAC express built-in to the motherboard has most likely failed and the entire board will need to be replaced.  The Enterprise card doesn't have any logic, so no need to replace this piece. When installed, it enables the processes for the Enterprise iDRAC to function.

Regards,

 

Dylank

1 Rookie

 • 

104 Posts

March 7th, 2014 09:00

When you replaced the idrac on your r710 did you replace the express card that is located under the raid controller or did you replace the idrac enterprise which has the external NIC port?  The express is the piece that has all the idrac logic built into it and that's the piece that will need to be replaced. I've also found from experience that sometimes it can take several restarts and power cycles before the idrac and board begin communicating properly again.

All that being said if you've replaced the idrac express and it's still giving you idrac communication errors it is possible the port which the express plugs into on the mainboard itself can have gone bad which will require the entire mainboard being replaced.

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