Alert! iDRAC not responding, rebooting

Hi,

Well, you may be correct on iDRAC might be still functioning, just a corrupted firmware. But, we haven't had a chance to reboot the iDRAC via a reset, so it may work after the reset. Though, it may not too. I went through the iDRAC reset article I posted, it seems you can reset it in the OS, via iSM. That's without the iDRAC's IP. Maybe you can try that while waiting for the serial cable. 

Let me know if it works.

Hi, you said yourself... you replaced the motherboards and still has the same issue Hopefully the new part isn't a bad one (what are the chances), in the meantime let's wait to see what others have to offer.

Wondering what the serial cable brought.

I have slightly worse situation now, updated bios with all in one iso DSU and now it endlessly fails to boot,

Fans 100%

Configuring Memory

Initializing iDrac

Alert! iDRAC not responding, rebooting

and repeat...  takes like 10 mins each time to go around this cycle, reboots and goes around again... endlessly (well I let it do this for an hour before the noise was too much to bear...)

Is that it? toast?

Hi, thanks for choosing Dell, as I said above to another user, you may also need to change mainboard as well.   Wish you a good week ahead. ^-^

I stripped out most of the components, still dual CPU and 16 memory sticks.  tried booting after removing each part, especially the ones that got updated by the system update ISO but didn't seem to change anything until I removed the idsdm module.  Now suddenly the startup routine changed.

rebooted several times at the memory config, then went to iDrac initialize fail, rebooting

here, the screen went dark and then went to memory config, but the fans stayed 100%, so it didn't seem like a full reboot then iDrac initialization started again.  and the bios started to load!!!

So what now?  I can change the BIOS (currently 2.6.1) but to what?

the ESM*bin would not run after booting SLI, it complained that the system is not compatible. so Drac is still dead... racadm won't work.  Is there no factory reset/JTAG or some other way to reinitialize idrac?

I can't run this server with screaming fans. and not booting without intervention is going to be a problem, especially when it takes around 30 minutes 

This R620 is 8-9 years old and has come into my possession because it's so old. Warranty is long expired.  I won't be investing any money in this, not when the same thing could happen again without warning, simply by trying navigate the minefield of trying to get this updated.

Hello jtk,

I'm sorry to see the iDRAC is not responding. The steps on this link can be used to attempt to recover the DRAC.

Do you know what the DRAC firmware is currently?

If the current DRAC firmware is unknown you can try these steps on the article to recover the DRAC:

PowerEdge: iDRAC Recovery Procedure with firmimg.d7 : https://dell.to/3hQpq2A

Choose from this link your update file : https://dell.to/3wwSh08

 File Format: An application

File Name: iDRAC_2.65.65.65_A00.exe

Execute file to extract the firmimg.d7 file.

If still fails you will be looking at replacing the system board.

If that resolves the DRAC issue then you can update BIOS to Dell Server BIOS PowerEdge R620 Version 2.9.0 : https://dell.to/3yAj39w

Was:

BIOS 1.1.2

iDrac 1.23.23

LCC disabled / Recovery Mode / needs update

Tried to upgrade the iDrac with "iDrac + LCC 2.65.65.65" through the iDrac UI (Update Firmware)

The web UI stopped responding at 20%, left it hours but iDrac never came back.

Tried the Dell Server Update package for the server... hoping it would fix the iDrac FW, it updated the FW on NIC, PERC and SAS disks. then BIOS 2.7 failed and it went no further  

Booted in FreeDOS and applied the BIOS 2.6.1, after that it stopped booting, couldn't get past initializing iDrac

Removed the hardware that was updated and thats where we are now.

I don't have any ID light at the back, flashing or otherwise, it's dark since failed update:

So this recovery symptom doesn't apply:

System Health and Identify LED is flashed at ~1/2 second rate

Also which SD slot, the one on the front board, or one on the idsm?

Hello jtk,

To clear the 'LCC disabled' you will need to get into F2 System Setup and enable it with these steps:

-boot to F2 -> System Setup -> iDRAC Settings -> Lifecycle Controller to check status

-Choose: Lifecycle Controller set to Enabled

-Collect System Inventory on Restart set to Enabled.

-Cancel Lifecycle Controller Actions set to Yes.

The SD slot you  would use the vFlash on the front.

Page 7 item 6 : https://dell.to/3wze9Ik

The BIOS and iDRAC are very far behind. I recommend step them up. I'd recommend stepping them both up at the same time. Do A-A, then B-B, then C-C

iDRAC:

A: 1.66.65, A0001 Dec 2014

https://dell.to/3wz6edO

B: 2.30.30.30, A0030 Mar 2016

https://dell.to/3wvxJFe

C: 2.65.65.65, A001 6 Mar 2020

https://dell.to/3wz6k5a

BIOS:

https://dell.to/3wAv6Ce

https://dell.to/3fP2Q89

https://dell.to/2RK2gjT

This R620 is the one shown on page 8 "Figure 2. Front-panel features and indicators—10 hard drive system"  No front panel SD slot.  So am I looking at the internal sd slot on the front back plane?

The R620 supports idrac8??

iDRAC8_2.30.30.30_A00.exe

Hi, yes, that's correct.

Hi, no it does not, R620 supports iDRAC 6.

Well it is currently running iDrac7 so above post tells me to apply a fimware labelled as iDrac8

B: 2.30.30.30, A0030 Mar 2016

https://dell.to/3wvxJFe

...and now you tell me iDrac6? hopefully that's a typo, but what about this firmware is it for iDrac7??  

Hi, my sincere apologies to you. I was mixing up. Yours does support 7 but not 8. I also hope the link helps: