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Chassis Management Controller Version 2.0 for Dell PowerEdge VRTX User's Guide

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Types of Users

There are two types of users:
  • CMC users or chassis users
  • iDRAC users or server users (since the iDRAC resides on a server)

CMC and iDRAC users can be local or directory service users.

Except where a CMC user has Server Administrator privilege, privileges granted to a CMC user are not automatically transferred to the same user on a server, because server users are created independently from CMC users. In other words, CMC Active Directory users and iDRAC Active Directory users reside on two different branches in the Active Directory tree. To create a local server user, the Configure Users must log in to the server directly. The Configure Users cannot create a server user from CMC or vice versa. This rule protects the security and integrity of the servers.
Table 1. User Types
Privilege Description
CMC Login User User can log in to CMC and view all the CMC data, but cannot add or modify data or execute commands.

It is possible for a user to have other privileges without the CMC Login User privilege. This feature is useful when a user is temporarily not allowed to login. When that user’s CMC Login User privilege is restored, the user retains all the other privileges previously granted.

Chassis Configuration Administrator User can add or change data that:
  • Identifies the chassis, such as chassis name and chassis location.
  • Is assigned specifically to the chassis, such as IP mode (static or DHCP), static IP address, static gateway, and static subnet mask.
  • Provides services to the chassis, such as date and time, firmware update, and CMC reset.
  • Is associated with the chassis, such as slot name and slot priority. Although these properties apply to the servers, they are strictly chassis properties relating to the slots rather than the servers themselves. For this reason, slot names and slot priorities can be added or changed whether or not servers are present in the slots.
When a server is moved to a different chassis, it inherits the slot name and priority assigned to the slot it occupies in the new chassis. The previous slot name and priority remain with the previous chassis.
  • NOTE: CMC users with the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege can configure power settings. However, the Chassis Control Administrator privilege is required to perform chassis power operations, including power on, power off, and power cycle.
User Configuration Administrator User can:
  • Add a new user.
  • Change the password of a user.
  • Change the privileges of a user.
  • Enable or disable the login privilege of a user but retain the name and other privileges of the user in the database.
Clear Logs Administrator User can clear the hardware log and CMC log.
Chassis Control Administrator (Power Commands) CMC users with the Chassis Power Administrator privilege can perform all power-related operations. They can control chassis power operations, including power on, power off, and power cycle.
  • NOTE: To configure power settings, the Chassis Configuration Administrator privilege is needed.
Server Administrator This is a blanket privilege, granting a CMC user all rights to perform any operation on any servers present in the chassis.

When a user with Server Administrator privilege issues an action to be performed on a server, the CMC firmware sends the command to the targeted server without checking the privileges of a user on the server. In other words, the Server Administrator privilege overrides any lack of administrator privileges on the server.

Without the Server Administrator privilege, a user created on the chassis can only execute a command on a server when all of the following conditions are true:
  • The same user name exists on the server.
  • The same user name must have the same password on the server.
  • The user must have the privilege to execute the command.

When a CMC user who does not have Server Administrator privilege issues an action to be performed on a server, CMC sends a command to the targeted server with the user’s login name and password. If the user does not exist on the server, or if the password does not match, the user is denied the ability to perform the action.

If the user exists on the target server and the password matches, the server responds with the privileges of which the user was granted on the server. Based on the privileges responding from the server, CMC firmware decides if the user has the right to perform the action.

  Listed below are the privileges and the actions on the server to which the Server Administrator is entitled. These rights are applied only when the chassis user does not have the Server Administrative privilege on the chassis.
Server Configuration Administrator:
  • Set IP address
  • Set gateway
  • Set subnet mask
  • Set first boot device
Configure Users:
  • Set iDRAC root password
  • iDRAC reset
Server Control Administrator:
  • Power on
  • Power off
  • Power cycle
  • Graceful shutdown
  • Server Reboot
Test Alert User User can send test alert messages.
Debug Command Administrator User can execute system diagnostic commands.
Fabric A Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric A IOM.
Fabric B Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric B, which corresponds to the first mezzanine card in the servers and is connected to the fabric B circuitry in the shared PCIe subsystem in the main board.
Fabric C Administrator User can set and configure the Fabric C, which corresponds to the second mezzanine card in the servers and is connected to the fabric C circuitry in the shared PCIe subsystem in the main board.
The CMC user groups provide a series of user groups that have preassigned user privileges.
  • NOTE: If you select Administrator, Power User, or Guest User, and then add or remove a privilege from the pre-defined set, the CMC Group automatically changes to Custom.
Table 2. CMC Group Privileges
User Group Privileges Granted
Administrator
  • CMC Login User
  • Chassis Configuration Administrator
  • User Configuration Administrator
  • Clear Logs Administrator
  • Server Administrator
  • Test Alert User
  • Debug Command Administrator
  • Fabric A Administrator
Power User
  • Login
  • Clear Logs Administrator
  • Chassis Control Administrator (Power commands)
  • Server Administrator
  • Test Alert User
  • Fabric A Administrator
Guest User Login
Custom Select any combination of the following permissions:
  • CMC Login User
  • Chassis Configuration Administrator
  • User Configuration Administrator
  • Clear Logs Administrator
  • Chassis Control Administrator (Power commands)
  • Server Administrator
  • Test Alert User
  • Debug Command Administrator
  • Fabric A Administrator
None No assigned permissions
Table 3. Comparison of Privileges Between CMC Administrators, Power Users, and Guest Users
Privilege Set Administrator Permissions Power User Permissions Guest User Permissions
CMC Login User Yes Yes Yes
Chassis Configuration Administrator Yes No No
User Configuration Administrator Yes No No
Clear Logs Administrator Yes Yes No
Chassis Control Administrator (Power commands) Yes Yes No
Server Administrator Yes Yes No
Test Alert User Yes Yes No
Debug Command Administrator Yes No No
Fabric A Administrator Yes Yes No

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