Dell EMC Server Troubleshooting Guide

Can I upgrade the iDRAC license from Express to Enterprise or BMC to Express

You can upgrade the iDRAC license from Express to Enterprise or BMC to either Express or Enterprise without having to open the box or install any hardware.

Request for the type of the iDRAC license you require by providing the service tag number of your server. Once you receive the license file in the .xml format, save it in your local drive to replace the license with the existing one.

To upgrade or replace the existing license:

• Log in to the iDRAC web interface.
• On the left navigation pane, click Overview, click Server, and then click Licenses.
• From the License Options drop-down list, select Replace. Click Browse to navigate to the local folder where the license file is saved.
• Select the license file and click Open.
• Click Apply to upgrade or replace the new license file.

The purchase of a new PowerEdge server with iDRAC8 is the same as it was with iDRAC7. For the 600 series servers and above, all the hardware required for iDRAC Enterprise is on the system board. Not only does this eliminate the possibility of a card unseating during shipping, but it also allows for an upgrade if available. If Enterprise is ordered from Dell at point of sale on 200-500 series servers, the necessary hardware is installed in the factory. This piece of hardware is the Dell Ports card, which sits in a PCIe slot and has the RJ-45 connector for the dedicated NIC and the slot for the vFlash SD card.

For more information on the iDRAC licensing installation, see How to import and export idrac licenses.