Dell PowerEdge R815 - Embedded Server Management; Dell Lifecycle Controller and Unified Server Configurator; Unified Server Configurator Features and Description

Dell
PowerEdge R815 Technical Guide 49
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.
15.3 Embedded Server Management
The PowerEdge R815 implements circuitry for the next generation of Embedded Server Management.
It is Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) v2.0 compliant. The 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.
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.
15.4 Dell Lifecycle Controller and Unified Server Configurator
Embedded management is comprised of 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,
etc.). Lifecycle Controller enables pre-OS server deployment, OS installation, platform updates,
platform configuration, and diagnostics capabilities.
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 17 details
current functionality enabled by the USC.
Table 19. 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.
Simplified Hardware Configuration Detects RAID controller and allows user to configure virtual disk and
choose virtual disk as boot device, eliminating the need to launch a
separate utility. Also provides configuration for iDRAC, BIOS, and
NIC/LOM.