Dell Systems Management Overview Guide

Chassis Management Controller

The Chassis Management Controller is an embedded systems management hardware and software solution for managing multiple servers, I/O modules, and shared power or cooling using either a web interface or a command-line interface.

The CMC uses the iDRAC technology to update BIOS or component firmware and configure BIOS settings in a one-to-many operation.

CMC is available for the following chassis:

• PowerEdge M1000e—It provides the infrastructure for companies who choose to deploy blade-based server solutions. A single Chassis Management Controller interface with multichassis management capability can manage and see up to nine chassis, 288 servers, 54 power supplies, and 81 fans with no additional cabling. The chassis has slots for two, redundant CMC modules, so that administrators can connect to the chassis even if one Chassis Management Controller module is not working.
• PowerEdge VRTX—The chassis is a revolutionary, easy-to-manage, remote, and office-optimized platform that converges servers, storage, and networking into a compact package. One of the key features is that it provides shared storage across multiple server nodes and the onboard RAID controller. It can hold up to four server nodes, up to 48 TB of integrated, shared storage, and network switching. The PowerEdge VRTX offers the ability to use the PCIe slots that no other blade server solution provides. By combining the density of blade servers with the flexibility of rack server I/O options with PowerEdge VRTX, Dell gives you the flexibility to use less expensive PCIe cards while still being managed through shared chassis management.
• PowerEdge FX2/FX2s—The FX2 enclosure enables servers and storage to share power, cooling, management, and networking. It includes redundant Power Supply Units (1100 W, 1600 W, 2000 W, and 2400 W) and eight cooling fans. With a compact highly flexible design, the FX2 chassis lets you efficiently add resources to your infrastructure when and where you need them, so you can let demand and budget determine your level of investment. The FX2 enclosure also offers I/O modules to several IO aggregators that can simplify cabling, improve East/West traffic within the server, and enable LAN/ SAN convergence—reducing cost and complexity.

For more information about CMC, see https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/poweredge-m1000e/drivers.