Previous server generations and versions of iDRAC were loaded with a lot of options, and now, iDRAC9 has new features that are available only on the 14th generation Dell EMC PowerEdge servers. These features give administrators the ability to configure a machine as if they were sitting in front of the local console. Key features of iDRAC include power management, virtual media access, and remote console capabilities. The iDRAC provides remote access to the system console (keyboard and screen), allowing the system BIOS to be accessed over the Internet when the server is rebooted. The iDRAC controller is a piece of hardware integrated on the motherboard of the server, and as well as other BMC solutions, has its own processor, memory, network connection, and access to the system bus. iDRAC9 is designed to make system administrators more productive, allowing them to deploy, monitor, update, and manage PowerEdge servers, both locally and remotely, either from GUI or scripting. iDRAC9 is built off the features and functionality of iDRAC8, which is embedded in the previous 13th generation PowerEdge servers. The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) has a long journey on the out-of-band management solutions. In this review, we take a close look at the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) with Lifecycle Controller, on the current version 9, which is included in generation 14 of PowerEdge servers. Each of these solutions has similar functionality to the others, and each has been improved over the years to add new functions and capabilities. These embedded server management technologies allow a system administrator to monitor and manage servers and other network-attached equipment by remote control regardless of whether the machine is powered on or whether an operating system is installed or functional. In the past, we had reviewed some of the based management controller (BMC) solutions from major server manufacturers, including HPE iLO 5 and Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC).

In the past, we had reviewed some of the based management controller (BMC) solutions from major server manufacturers, including HPE iLO 5 and Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC).

Dell idrac license levels