Dell X86 Server

0 views

Skip to first unread message

Sharon Harris

unread,

Aug 3, 2024, 5:59:42 PM8/3/24

to moonsverphoti

The OpenManage management portfolio simplifies IT operations by streamlining processes with intuitive automation. Its tools facilitate effortless discovery, deployment, monitoring, securing and updating of PowerEdge servers, reducing downtime and complexity. By proactively managing power and cooling, OpenManage also helps deliver optimal performance and energy conservation.

PowerEdge servers are designed with security as a foundational principle. Harnessing cryptographic verification, system lockdown, and robust boot and firmware safeguards - anchored by a silicon Root of Trust. PowerEdge security technologies help fortify IT defenses, instilling confidence while helping accelerate the adoption of a Zero Trust security strategy.

The PowerEdge server portfolio product-design features improve energy efficiency, provide management tools to optimize energy consumption, use recycled materials, and are validated by recognized eco labels.

17. For supported system and requirements, please refer to our user guide (SupportAssist for Home PCs version for personal use) or administrator guide (SupportAssist for Business PCs version for PC fleet management) and select supported PCs. Proactive and predictive capabilities depend upon your active service plan and Dell Technologies business rules. For ProSupport Suite for PCs capabilities view our administrator guide and select Connect and manage capabilities and Dell service plans. For Premium Suite for PCs capabilities view the user guide and select SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Services plans.

I am a long time reader here and maybe a few post, however I have a Dell PowerEdge R510 that is having a bit of a black screen issue after updating firmware & iDRAC license. The server will fully post and boot into the OS (Live CentOS6 USB). I have SSH to the OS and SSH to iDRAC (if need be I can even get to the serial connection). If I try to load the iDRAC MGMT page I get hit with SSL errors that I can't get pass and even IF I DID the iDRAC MGMT site will not load or some times it will but will time out and give the error's 404 Not Found and or 500 Internal Server Error.

I am at a full lost here and don't know which way or what to try from here, so if ANYONE can help me out I am willing to give it a go and or set a time to remote in and take a look or whatever!!

Thanks

Is the same behavior observed when monitor is connected to front and rear VGA port? Did you have any graphics card installed on the server? Can you reset BIOS to default setting and check the behavior?

I can now login to iDRAC 6 lunch the Virtual Console with Firefox an using Java 7 on a old laptop that I use as a MGMT PC, however if I try to go into System Services. It hangs at "Entering System Services... Starting Unified Server Configurator" and will not load pass this point and still Black Screen when hooking up to the server VGA port font and back.

What is then name move or thing should I try?

Correct & yes I have ran that before and I still can load "Unified Server Configurator".. If I try to go into System Services at the boot screen, it will just hang at "Entering System Services... Starting Unified Server Configurator" and will not load pass this point.

Thank you. I came across a few posts that had 2016 and 2019 seems both OP had commented to update BIOS in order for it to work. Which I have done so as well as updating the 6/i firmware. I will give it a try later this week and report back

I have a R610 & R410 running Server 2019 but we changed the PERC RAID adapter as you may have issues finding drivers. Then also installation of OS is a real hassle. WE moved to ESXi then installed VMs. Note, the server is used for test & lab, not production.

I have never had any issues with using the Dell Windows based installers to install the Dell firmware updates under Windows Core/Hyper-V Server. Just download the update via another machine and copy it over or run it over the network.

If I had a 2012 license and needed to pay for a 2019, I am not sure that I would do that. Do you plan to keep the R710 beyond the extended support date of 2012? I think it goes end of extended supportnin 2023.

Confirming Dell PowerEdge R710 works flawlessly with Windows Server 2019. We have a couple of them running Hyper-V virtual machines on top of a core edition, and everything is managed using RSAT (in some cases) and Windows Admin Center -us/windows-server/windows-admin-center primarily. A step-by-step deployment guide can be found here -admin-center-for-windows-server-2019-getting-started . The recent versions have Device Manager already implemented, so installing and managing drivers is no longer an issue. Yet, as far as I remember, all the drivers were detected and downloaded automatically via Windows Update.

For everything else, or older servers, I create a folder called Software on the root of the C: drive for my core servers (which is almost all of them) and copy any installers there using the admin share.

In order to add network adapters to guest machines, you need to configure a virtual switch in Hyper-V first. The official guide covers the matter pretty excellent Create and configure a virtual switch with Hyper-V Microsoft Learn .

Since Windows Server 2019 and 2022 are very similar in terms of the codebase, I am pretty sure you can manually point the Device Manager wizard to the required INF files for previous Windows Server operating systems and it will work without issues. At least that approach is definitely worth trying.
Upgrading the RAID controller to H200 or H700 is a good Plan B option.

What I was wondering was if someone with H700 controller can start the inplace upgrade setup (initial check which reports if all is compatible). If all would be ok, only than I would upgrade the controller to H700.

Another option is to install SSD HDD in a caddy in place of the existing ODD to install the OS on it and get rid of the whole internal RAID controller and map the storage with iSCSI from a SAN since this will only be for backup. The internal SATA controller is only SATA2 but this should do the trick but not redundant solution. For redundancy to run at least mirrored drives we would need PCIe SATA controller card but again would need to look for what would work in this server.

I'm currently planning to run a trial copy of OneView 4.0 and would like to know if it's possible to monitor Dell server hardware with HP One View 4.0 ? I have done it with HPE SIM by loading the Dell MIBs but can't find any information on doing this with OneView 4.0 . Thanks for all the help.

What customers across industries have discovered is that cyber-resilient solutions by Dell Technologies and AMD deliver exceptional performance, security, and energy efficiency for your most demanding data center workloads, including AI.

To handle the massive amounts of data needed for their immersive environment, Outernet partnered with Dell Technologies to architect their networking infrastructure using Dell PowerScale storage, Dell PowerEdge servers and more.

The PowerEdge (PE) line is Dell's server computer product line. PowerEdge machines come configured as tower, rack-mounted, or blade servers. Dell uses a consistent chip-set across servers in the same generation regardless of packaging,[1] allowing for a common set of drivers and system-images.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and value-added resellers also offer solutions based on PowerEdge servers. Loaded with custom software and with minor cosmetic changes, Dell's servers form the underlying hardware in certain appliances from IronPort,[2] Google,[3]Exinda Networks,[4] and Enterasys.[5]

The first PowerEdge systems were released in February 1994. The initial PowerEdge line comprised a range of 15 models, with the lowest-end entries powered by Intel's i486 processor and the highest-end entries powered by the newest Pentium processors.[6][7] The PowerEdge replaced Dell's earlier PowerLine SE server range.[8][9]

Most PowerEdge servers use the x86 architecture. The early exceptions to this, the PowerEdge 3250, PowerEdge 7150, and PowerEdge 7250, used Intel's Itanium processor, but Dell abandoned Itanium in 2005 after failing to find adoption in the marketplace.[10] The partnership between Intel and Dell remained close, with Intel remaining the exclusive source of processors in Dell's servers until 2006. In May 2006 Dell announced that it also intended to develop servers using AMD Opteron processors.[11]The first Opteron-based PowerEdge systems, the PowerEdge 6950 and the PowerEdge SC1435, appeared in October 2006.[12]

In 2007 the PowerEdge line accounted for approximately 15% of Dell's overall revenue from computer-hardware sales.[13] In subsequent years Dell made the transition from a pure hardware vendor to a solutions-provider and services company, as evidenced, for example, by the acquisition of Perot Systems and KACE Networks[14] and the setup of a special global services department within Dell.[15]

Dell uses the name PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) for proprietary versions of its RAID computer storage controllers.[16] The related software in the PERC Fault Management Suite offered facilities such as the Background Patrol read, which aims to fix bad sectors on online RAID disks running under some of the PERC controllers around 2006.[17]These cards were equipped with hardware from LSI Corporation or Intel, 256 MBytes of memory (upgradeable on the 5/i to 512 MB), support up to 8x SATA 3.0 Gbit/s drives without the use of expanders. They had an optional Battery Backup Unit (BBU) to allow more flexible use of the memory during writes, enhancing performance in RAID5 and 6, and operate over the PCI Express interface.[18]