Users Guide

Enabling Auto Config using RACADM

To enable Auto Config feature using RACADM, use the iDRAC.NIC.AutoConfig object. For more

information, see the iDRAC8 RACADM Command Line Interface Reference Guide.

NOTE: For more information on the Auto Config feature, see the Zero-Touch Bare Metal Server

Provisioning using Dell iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller Auto Config

white paper available at the

delltechcenter.com/idrac.

Using hash passwords for improved security

On PowerEdge servers with version 2.xx.xx.xx, you can set user passwords and BIOS passwords using a

one-way hash format. The user authentication mechanism is not affected (except for SNMPv3 and IPMI)

and you can provide the password in plain text format.

With the new password hash feature:

• You can generate your own SHA256 hashes to set iDRAC user passwords and BIOS passwords. This

allows you to have the SHA256 values in the server configuration profile, RACADM, and WSMAN.

When you provide the SHA256 password values, you cannot authenticate through SNMPv3 and IPMI.

• You can set up a template server including all the iDRAC user accounts and BIOS passwords using the

current plain text mechanism. After the server is set up, you can export the server configuration profile

with the password hash values. The export includes the hash values required for SNMPv3

authentication. Importing this profile results in losing the IPMI authentication for users who have the

hashed password values set and the F2 IDRAC interface shows that the user account is disabled.

• The other interfaces such as IDRAC GUI will show the user accounts enabled.

NOTE: When downgrading a Dell 12th generation PowerEdge server from version 2.xx.xx.xx to

1.xx.xx, if the server is set with hash authentication, then you will not be able to log in to any

interface unless the password is set to default.

You can generate the hash password with and without Salt using SHA256.

You must have Server Control privileges to include and export hash passwords.

If access to all accounts is lost, use iDRAC Settings Utility or local RACADM and perform reset iDRAC to

default task.

If the password of the iDRAC user account is set with the SHA256 password hash only and not the other

hashes (SHA1v3Key or MD5v3Key), then authentication through SNMP v3 is not available.

Hash password using RACADM

Use the following objects with the set racadm sub command to set hash passwords:

• iDRAC.Users.SHA256Password

• iDRAC.Users.SHA256PasswordSalt

Use the following command to include the hash password in the exported server configuration profile:

racadm get -f <file name> -l <NFS / CIFS share> -u <username> -p <password> -t

<filetype> --includePH

You must set the Salt attribute when the associated hash is set.