Configure the system for remote management.

The optional Drac card allows remote access, it's a pci type card with a network port. If you have one fitted you configure it during post. The configuration for the drac is the last item to load during post, press ctrl-e to enter the drac bios. You configure it's settings from there.

Once it's configured, open a browser to it's ip address, log in using the default details and it will download some stuff to your desktop so you can remote media, console etc.

some docs here

Shoot No DRAC card. I guess this means we have no remote management capabilities. Is there anyway around this? With my old SUN servers I simply connect a laptop to the serial port and then network the Laptop. From there I can access the box remotely from putty or hyperterm. Is that possible with these Dell servers?

i know this is off base but I am grasping here.

Thank you again

Other than the DRAC, Dell's servers don't have remote management (other than the OS's capabilities, but that doesn't help you to install the OS in the first place).

You can ask your salesrep to see how much a DRAC for the 905 would cost you and see if you can budget it in. Information on how to install it is available in the online user guide here.

Hey thanks a bunch for the info.

I have another question..

I would like to remotely install RHEL 5 using the DRAC. Assuming I have a DRAC installed, they are checking that now, itt seems this is an optional feature for the R905.

Reading the manual you posted it states for RHEL.

NOTE: When using DRAC 5 with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (version 5) systems, support is limited to a managed node and racadm CLI; managed console (web-based interface) is not supported.

Will I be able to use this to remotely install the OS using console redirection and by remotely mounting media? I am not exactly sure what the above statement is telling me but it seems that RHEL is  somewhat limited.

Thanks

James

Thanks again for the info.

So how about the BMC Management Utility using the SOL proxy? It says it can be used with the Red Hat Enterprise Linux serial console..However I a not sure that will help me for a graphical remote install. I need to setup LVM at install time and the text install severely limits that ability. So I guess my question is will the SOL proxy allow me to access the Graphical install screen?

Not trying to be redundant but just trying to rule out any possibility of getting the text install working remotely without a DRAC.

If not they will have to purchase one.

Thank you