White Papers
Table Of Contents
- 1 Zero-Touch Overview
- 2 Introduction
- 2.1 Interactions between components in Auto Config architecture
- 2.2 DHCP provisioning options
- 2.3 DHCP—current and new configuration options
- 2.4 Prerequisites for enabling Auto Config
- 2.5 iDRAC interfaces to enable Auto Config
- 2.5.1 Enabling Auto Config using RACADM (local or remote)
- 2.5.2 Enabling Auto Config using Redfish
- 2.5.3 Enabling Auto Config using iDRAC UI
- 2.6 Using Auto Config in an IPv6 Network
- 2.7 Server Configuration Profiles
- 3 Performing Firmware Repository Update During Auto Config
- 4 Performing Operating System Deployment During Auto Config
- 5 Configuring Windows and Linux DHCP servers to support Auto Config
- 5.1 Auto Config Server Configuration Profile String Format for DHCP Option 43 and DHCPv6 Option 17
- 5.2 Configuring Windows DHCP server option 43
- 5.3 Configuring Windows DHCP server option 60
- 5.4 Configuring Windows DHCPv6 server options 16 and 17
- 5.5 Configuring a Linux DHCP server
- 5.6 Configuring a Linux DHCPv6 Server
- 6 File naming behavior with iDRAC Auto Config
- 7 Workflow Examples
- 8 Troubleshooting Auto Config issues
- 9 Conclusion
- A Technical support and resources
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1 Zero-Touch Overview
1.1 Terms and Definitions
DHCP scope option: A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server distributes information to
clients in a pool of IP addresses. This pool of IP addresses is commonly known as DHCP scope.
For example, 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.200 is a pool, and scope options can be distributed to clients in this
pool.
iDRAC: The integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is an embedded device in PowerEdge
servers that helps IT administrators remotely manage, monitor, update, and deploy servers.
PERC: PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller.
RACADM: RACADM is the command-line interface (CLI) to the iDRAC. It can be invoked in various ways:
• From the Host of the iDRAC (local RACADM)
• A remote laptop or workstation (remote RACADM)
• By using a secure shell (SSH) tunnel to log in to the IP address of the iDRAC and running directly on
the iDRAC (firmware RACADM)
Stateless DHCPv6: A method of distributing configuration information to clients using DHCPv6 that does not
include assigning an IPv6 as part of a lease. This method is commonly used when an IPv6 client configures
its address automatically and is based on receipt of an IPv6 Router Advertisement message. Stateless
DHCPv6 can be used to obtain information such as DNS name server information, or vendor-specific
information.
Stateful DHCPv6: Equivalent to DHCPv4, where an IPv6 device obtains both a leased IPv6 address and
other configuration information, such as DNS name servers and vendor-specific information.
Vendor-specific DHCP scope options: RFC 2132 defines two DHCP Options that are relevant to vendor
specific options: Option 60 and Option 43.
DHCP Option 60 is the Vendor Class Identifier (VCI). The VCI is a text string the DHCP server sends to the
DHCP client that uniquely identifies a type of vendor device. In this case, this identifier is iDRAC. On the
DHCP server, the vendor specific information is mapped to VCI text strings. When the DHCP server
recognizes a VCI, it returns the mapped Vendor-specific Information option in its DHCP offer to the client as
DHCP Option 43.
DHCP Option 43, or Vendor-specific Information, is defined in each DHCP pool (scope) that offers IP
addresses to the LAPs.
Vendor-specific DHCPv6 scope options: RFC 8415 defines the equivalent DHCPv6 options for IPv6 that
are relevant to vendor-specific options: Option 16 and Option 17. The format of these options is slightly
different than in DHCP, but functionally, they are identical.
DHCPv6 Option 16 is the Vendor Class and DHCP Option 60 is the Vendor Class Identifier. This option
includes same text string identifier as in its IPv4 equivalent, but also includes the vendor registered 4-octet