Dell PowerEdge R410 - Embedded Server Management; Dell Lifecycle Controller and Unified Server Configurator; Unified Server Configurator Features and Description

Dell
PowerEdge R410 Technical Guide 40
• Dell Management Console (DMC): The Dell Management Console is a systems management
console that enables systems administrators to discover and inventory devices on your
network. It provides functions such as health and performance monitoring of networked
devices and patch management capabilities for Dell systems. DMC differs from the IT Assistant
management console (described above) in that with DMC, value-add plug-ins that enable
advanced functionality can be purchased and added to the base DMC product.
16.3 Embedded Server Management
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ R410 implements circuitry for the next generation of Embedded Server
Management. It is Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) v2.0 compliant. The optional
iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller) is responsible for acting as an interface between
the host system and its management software and the periphery devices. These periphery devices
consist of the power supplies, the storage backplane, the integrated SAS HBA or PERC 6/I
(PERC H700), and the control panel with LCD display.
The optional upgrade to iDRAC6 provides features for managing the server remotely or in data center
lights-out environments.
Advanced iDRAC features require the installation of the optional iDRAC6 Enterprise card.
16.4 Dell Lifecycle Controller and Unified Server Configurator
Embedded management is comprised of several interdependent pieces:
• Dell Lifecycle Controller
• Unified Server Configurator
• iDRAC6
Dell Lifecycle Controller powers the embedded management features. It includes integrated and
tamper-proof storage for system-management tools and enablement utilities (firmware, drivers). For
servers with iDRAC6 Express, the Lifecycle Controller offers pre-OS server deployment, OS
installation, platform updates, platform configuration, and diagnostics capabilities. For servers
without iDRAC6 Express, this utility has limited functionality and offers OS installation and
diagnostics capabilities only.
Dell Unified Server Configurator (USC) is a graphical user interface (GUI) that aids in local server
provisioning in a pre-OS environment. To access the Unified Server Configurator, press the <F10> key
within 10 seconds of the Dell logo appearance during the system boot process. Table 12 details the
current functionality enabled by the USC.
Table 12. Unified Server Configurator Features and Description
Feature Description
Faster O/S Installation Drivers and the installation utility are embedded
on system, so no need to scour Dell.com.
Faster System Updates Integration with Dell support automatically
directed to latest versions of the Unified Server
Configurator, iDRAC, RAID, BIOS, NIC, and Power
Supply.
Update Rollback Ability to recover to previous “known good state”
for all updatable components.
More Comprehensive Diagnostics Diagnostic utilities are embedded on system.