Can't access DRAC/MC KVM web interface on Poweredge 1955 Blade Server

Question

Hi,

I recently purchased a Dell Poweredge 1955 Blade Server and have been trying to configure it by connecting through the ethernet port of the KVM interface. To rule out any potential network issues, I connected a laptop running Windows 8 directly to the ethernet port.

The documentation said the default IP address of the module is 192.168.0.121, so I set my laptop's port to 192.168.0.5 and scanned the network for activity on this subnet. It got a response from 192.168.0.121, so I loaded IE and entered the URL http://192.168.0.121

The response from the web browser was 403 Forbidden. The docs also mentioned that the site would require a username and password, but it never prompted for one. I'm using IE11 and tried a few older browsers assuming that it was a security/authentication setting in the browser somewhere, but no luck.

Any ideas on how to get access to this web interface?

Thanks in advance,

-Ben

DELL-Chris H · Answer

Bmannino,

With it being a 1955 the Drac should be a Drac 4, which the default on that should be 192.168.0.120 and a default gateway of 192.168.0.1. Now when you try to connect to the Drac via the web you to ensure that you have https:// ahead of the address. As it need to be a secure. Also verify that the certificate is accepted.
So it should be this link https://192.168.0.120

Let me know what you see.

bmannino · Answer

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the reply. We did see that in the documentation and tried scanning the network, but got no reply from the 192.168.0.120 IP address. We also tried the https prefix and got the same result - no prompts or certificate warnings.

Just to clarify what hardware is attached to this unit. There appear to be two identical DRAC modules on the back of the server - both have serial and ethernet ports, and the link lights do come on when we plug in to the laptop. We were plugged into the ethernet port of the KVM module when we got the 403 reply from 192.168.0.121.

How do we know which of the two DRAC modules is the active one? One is directly to the left of the KVM module (looking at it from the back) and the other is on the opposite side. We bought the server used, so it may have been configured with some other static IP but we have no way of knowing what it might be. Can we safely remove one of them to isolate the troubleshooting? I think I saw online there was a way to reset them to factory defaults using a jumper setting. How does that work exactly?

Thanks,

-Ben

bmannino · Answer

Update on the DRAC and KVM config:

We used the jumper block on the DRAC module to restore it to factory defaults and then were able to access it through the browser at 192.168.0.120.

To get it on our local subnet, we changed the IP Addresses of both the DRAC and the KVM module to 192.168.62.130 and 131, respectively. The DRAC did accept the change and we were again able to login to the web interface at the new IP address, but the KVM did not accept the change.

There was no error when the KVM IP address change was made through the DRAC, but when you view the current KVM config, it still has the default IP of 192.168.0.121. The DRAC sees that the KVM is present and identifies it correctly as the Avocent Digitial KVM module, but does not seem to be able to send configuration updates.

Any attempt to access any of the blade servers through the DRAC console screen generates the error:

"Failed to open the KVM application. The KVM IP address may not be accessible from this computer."

Any ideas?

Thanks,

-Ben

dimitar.boyn · Answer

I have the same problem.

The IP for KVM is showing to be changed but there is no ping response from it.

Is there a special switch associated config or extra cabling that needs to happen in order to be able to use the KVM interface?

my chassis is 1855 and there is only one RJ45 port which enables access to DRAC.

It is not clear what the KVM switching is - through the cahssis switches or as join interface with DRAC?

PowerEdge Hardware General

Can't access DRAC/MC KVM web interface on Poweredge 1955 Blade Server

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