PowerEdge: Cannot View Adapter Status Within IDRAC or Lifecycle Controller

Summary: Retail Devices vs. OEM: This article describes a possible reason why users may be unable to update their PCI adapter or view its status using the IDRAC or Lifecycle Controller.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

NOTE: If you are using a PCI adapter card supplied directly from Dell, which features a Dell serial number such as DP/N: CN0xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx this article does not apply. You must use the Windows Update Package 64Bit.exe (DUP - Driver Update Package) when updating device firmware from the IDRAC, since .bin and other formats are not supported.


Retail or Vendor Direct Devices vs Dell OEM variant
PCI adapter cards, such as networking cards, are available to purchase as an upgrade kit for your server direct from Dell.

These devices are often known as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). These feature a Dell Part Number (DP/N) and are sold using a compatibility process to ensure that customers can use the parts without concern. These are often the same parts that can be added as a factory option.

Devices featuring the DP/N benefit from taking on the active support contract of the destination system since having a DP/N means that Dell Support Services retains stocks of replacements to meet the SLA of the active service contract.

For network adapters, these not only have the backing of the Dell Support Services, they are also potentially a Dell OEM variant of the adapter, which may differ from that of the Retail version.

Dell OEM variants of network adapters may run their own customized firmware making them compatible with the extended features of the IDRAC within your server.

Some of the additional OEM firmware features may include, but are not limited to:
  • Reporting of power usage information to the IDRAC
  • Reporting of temperature data to the IDRAC
  • Ability to upgrade the device firmware using the life cycle controller or IDRAC (including Open Manage Enterprise)
  • View the device status within the IDRAC

It may be possible to use a retail version of the device, it may be the same vendor and model as the Dell OEM equivalent however it likely runs vendor code.

If you are unable to see a DP/N label on your device, the device is likely retail. Dell Technical Support can review images of your device if you require assistance.

If intending to use a retail channel version of an adapter within your system, the following considerations should be made:

  • Retail channel devices do not carry the support contract of the system. If you have an outage or must replace a component, you must follow the vendors own RMA process.
  • Dell Update Packages are not intended for use on retail or vendor direct devices. As such, you must obtain the device firmware direct from the vendor and it may only be possible to deploy the firmware at operating system level or per vendor instructions.
  • Some device information may be missing from the IDRAC such as connectivity status, firmware revision, temperature, or power usage.
  • Support services may be limited when providing solutions for example - firmware or compatibility issues with Dell OEM devices can be escalated and handled internally whereas this option is not available for third-party devices as this would be vendor only.

NOTE: Use only Dell drivers and firmware with Dell OEM devices. Do not use vendor firmware or drivers unless otherwise instructed.
Use vendor firmware only with their intended retail devices.
For Mission-Critical Support Contracts - if a severity 1 incident or outage occurs, support services rely upon validated configurations to deliver break-fix services.

Additional Information

If identifying the adapter using the VMware Compatibility Guide, the brand name reflects OEM vs. Vendor, in this example Intel.

Retail:

VMware Compatibility Retail


OEM:

VMware Compatibility OEM

Affected Products

C Series, Modular Infrastructure, Rack Servers, Tower Servers, XE Servers, XR Servers, iDRAC8, iDRAC9
Article Properties
Article Number: 000207694
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2025
Version:  3
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