Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Features This Dell white paper provides instructions on using the video capture feature from iDRAC7 to aid in troubleshooting. Authors: James C.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Features This document is for informational purposes only and may contain typographical errors and technical inaccuracies. The content is provided as is, without express or implied warranties of any kind. © 2012 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell and its affiliates cannot be responsible for errors or omissions in typography or photography. Dell, the Dell logo, and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Features Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4 Setup and minimum system requirements ........................................................................ 4 Navigating the iDRAC7 to confirm an Enterprise License is installed ..........................
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature Executive summary This paper provides information about the iDRAC7 video capture feature on Dell PowerEdge 12th Generation servers. This capability provides a valuable troubleshooting tool for administrators who are not physically present at the system. This is an enterprise feature, and is in addition to the last crash screen capture offered previously. Video capture provides a better understanding of an issue as opposed to only a screen capture.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature Figure 1. Verifying iDRAC7 Enterprise license. Managing and using boot captures From the same menu where you obtained the Video Capture Player, the Boot Captures are organized for ease of access and playback. View the video recordings of the last three boot cycles either directly from the iDRAC7 Virtual Console or offline using the video capture player. A boot cycle video logs the sequence of events for a boot cycle.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature Figure 2. Managing boot captures. Playback of the boot screens occur at a rate of 1 frame per second. Figure 3. Video capture playback.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature Installing the Video Capture Player for offline viewing A prerequisite for viewing any boot capture video in an offline mode is the installation of a local video capture player. You can save a local copy of a boot capture for future use. The Save option prompts you to indicate the location to which to save the boot capture file (*.dvc file extension). Figure 4.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature The .zip contains a player for Windows and Linux: videoplayer.exe (for Windows), videoplayer.sh (for Linux). Launch the respective player for your operating system. In Figure 6, the Windows player (videoplayer.exe) is launched. Choose Open from the File menu. In the Navigation window, browse to the location of the boot capture file (*.dvc file) saved in the earlier step. Figure 6. Launching the Video Capture Player to view the boot capture offline.
Troubleshooting Using iDRAC7 Video Capture Feature Figure 7. Video Capture Player controls from the iDRAC7. Summary The Dell iDRAC7 provides remote troubleshooting capabilities that enhance the management of PowerEdge Servers. This document provides information on minimum requirements in using the Dell iDRAC7 remote video capture troubleshooting capabilities.
