Concept Guide

setup and configuration of new and already-deployed Dell systems. Developed on the industry
standard Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) platform and Web Services for Management
(WSMAN) web services interfaces, Lifecycle Controller provides an open environment for console
integration that also allows custom scripting for Lifecycle Controller.
iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller provides the following benefits:
• Increase Availability — Early notification of potential or actual failures can help prevent a server failure
or reduce recovery time in the case of a failure.
• Improve Productivity and Lower Total Cost of Ownership — Extending the reach of administrators to
larger numbers of distant servers can make IT staff more productive while reducing the operational
costs such as travel.
• Secured Connectivity — By providing secure access to remote servers, administrators can carry out
business-critical functions, while maintaining server and network security.
• Simplified Management through Automation - Lifecycle Controller provides local or remote
automation through the Lifecycle Controller GUI and Web Services API, reducing overall steps and
providing a repeatable process for systems management.
You can perform the following:
• The Dell servers (through iDRAC) can automatically check and update the latest firmware for various
components from a network repository or directly from dell.com based on a recurring schedule. You
can perform all the updates in a single reboot. It can establish firmware baselines for server groups.
• Automatically perform regular backups of the server configuration and firmware based on a recurring
schedule.
• Automatically configure components in a server or multiple servers using DHCP provisioning and XML
Server Configuration Profiles that iDRAC accesses from a network share.
• Automatically configure iDRAC to use the dedicated Network Interface Card (NIC) if a link is detected
on the iDRAC dedicated NIC.
iDRAC shares Lifecycle Controller features such as firmware update, backup and restore, lifecycle log,
and hardware inventory export. For complete information, see the iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller
documents at dell.com/idracmanuals.
Dell Chassis Management Controller for Servers
The Dell Chassis Management Controller is an embedded systems management hardware and software
solution for managing multiple servers, IO modules, and shared power or cooling using either the Web
interface or the command line interface. It provides a secure interface that enables an administrator to
inventory, perform configuration, and monitor tasks, remotely turn on or turn off servers, and enable
alerts for events on servers and components in the servers. The CMC leverages the iDRAC with Lifecycle
Controller technology to update BIOS or component firmware and configure BIOS settings in a one-to-
many operation.
CMC is available for the following chassis:
• Dell PowerEdge M1000e — This chassis is Dell’s first blade server solution. It provides the
infrastructure (industry-leading power and cooling, networking, and blade manageability) for
companies who choose to deploy blade-based server solutions. A single Chassis Management
Controller interface with multi-chassis 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.
• Dell PowerEdge VRTX — The chassis is a revolutionary, easy-to-manage, remote and office-optimized
platform that converge 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 on-board RAID
11