Users Guide

Provisioning server works with a static IP address. DHCP, DNS server, or the default DNS host name discovers the provisioning

server. If DNS is specified, the provisioning server IP is retrieved from DNS and the DHCP settings are not required. If the

provisioning server is specified, discovery is skipped so neither DHCP nor DNS is required.

You can enable the Provisioning Server feature using iDRAC Settings Utility or using Lifecycle Controller. For information on

using Lifecycle Controller, see Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide available at dell.com/idracmanuals.

If the Provisioning Server feature is not enabled on the factory-shipped system, the default administrator account (user name as

root and password as calvin) is enabled. Before enabling Provisioning Server, make sure to disable this administrator account. If

the Provisioning Server feature in Lifecycle Controller is enabled, all the iDRAC user accounts are disabled until the provisioning

server is discovered.

To enable provisioning server using iDRAC Settings utility:

1. Turn on the managed system.

2. During POST, press F2, and go to iDRAC Settings > Remote Enablement.

The iDRAC Settings Remote Enablement page is displayed.

3. Enable auto-discovery, enter the provisioning server IP address, and click Back.

NOTE: Specifying the provisioning server IP is optional. If it is not set, it is discovered using DHCP or DNS settings

(step 7).

4. Click Network.

The iDRAC Settings Network page is displayed.

5. Enable NIC.

6. Enable IPv4.

NOTE: IPv6 is not supported for auto-discovery.

7. Enable DHCP and get the domain name, DNS server address, and DNS domain name from DHCP.

NOTE: Step 7 is optional if the provisioning server IP address (step 3) is provided.

Configuring servers and server components using Auto Config

The Auto Config feature configures and provisions all the components in a server in a single operation. These components

include BIOS, iDRAC, and PERC. Auto Config automatically imports a Server Configuration Profile (SCP) XML file containing all

configurable parameters. The DHCP server that assigns the IP address also provides the details for accessing the SCP file.

SCP files are created by configuring a gold configuration server. This configuration is then exported to a shared CIFS or NFS

network location that is accessible by the DHCP server and the iDRAC of the server being configured. The SCP filename can be

based on the Service Tag or model number of the target server or can be given a generic name. The DHCP server uses a DHCP

server option to specify the SCP filename (optionally), SCP file location, and the user credentials to access the file location.

NOTE: CIFS supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and NFS supports only IPv4 address.

When the iDRAC obtains an IP address from the DHCP server that is configured for Auto Config, iDRAC uses the SCP to

configure the server’s devices. Auto Config is invoked only after the iDRAC gets its IP address from the DHCP server. If it does

not get a response or an IP address from the DHCP server, then Auto Config is not invoked.

NOTE:

● You can enable Auto Config only if DHCPv4 and the Enable IPv4 options are enabled.

● Auto Config and Auto Discovery features are mutually exclusive. Disable Auto Discovery for Auto Config to work.

● The Auto Config is disabled after a server has carried out an Auto Config operation. For more information about enabling

Auto Config, see Enabling Auto Config using RACADM on page 48.

If all the Dell PowerEdge servers in the DHCP server pool are of the same model type and number, then a single SCP file

(config.xml) is required. config.xml is the default SCP filename.

You can configure individual servers requiring different configuration files mapped using individual server Service Tags or server

models. In an environment that has different servers with specific requirements, you can use different SCP filenames to

distinguish each server or server type. For example, if there are two server models to configure—PowerEdge R730s and

PowerEdge R530s, use two SCP files, R730-config.xml and R530-config.xml.

Setting up managed system and management station