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Installing a DRAC III or ERA/O

Dell™ Remote Access Controller Installation and Setup Guide

  Installing a DRAC III

  Installing an ERA/O

  Uninstalling the DRAC III or ERA/O

This section provides procedures for installing the Dell™ Remote Access Card III (DRAC III) and the Dell Embedded Remote Access Option (ERA/O) in your system.

Installing a DRAC III

NOTICE: Before installing a DRAC III, read the installation instructions in this document and in your system's Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

Before beginning the installation, carefully read the safety instructions in your System Information document included with your system.

1. Turn off the system and all attached peripheral devices.
   
   
2. Disconnect the system and peripherals from electrical outlets. Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the system.
   
   

CAUTION: Following these steps reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.

CAUTION: The power supplies in your system or storage system may produce high voltages and energy hazards, which can cause bodily harm. Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system covers and access any of the components inside the system.

3. Before touching anything inside the system, touch an unpainted metal surface at the back of the system chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.
   
   
4. Remove the system cover according to the instructions in your system's Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.
   
   
5. If your DRAC III kit included a PCMCIA modem, insert the modem into the PCMCIA socket on the DRAC III PCI bracket. See Figure 2-1 for component locations.
   
   

Figure 2-1. DRAC III Hardware Components

6. Press firmly to seat the modem card into the socket, ensuring that the pins seat into the connector.
   
   

NOTICE: If you are installing the DRAC III on a 32-bit system, skip steps 7 and 8. If you are installing the DRAC III on a 64-bit system and want access to the IPMB, you must complete steps 7 and 8 before installing the DRAC III in the system. The IPMB allows remote monitoring, logging, and recovery control functions independent of the main processors, BIOS, and operating system. The IPMB is available for remote monitoring even when the system is turned off.

7. Plug the IPMB cable into the 3-pin yellow connector on the DRAC III. See Figure 2-1.
   
   

Ensure that the cable is securely connected to the DRAC III card. The other end of the cable is connected to the system backplane described in step 8.

8. Plug the free end of the IPMB cable into the 3-pin connector on the system backplane.
   
   

See your system Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for the location of this connector.

9. Insert the DRAC III into PCI slot 1.
   
   

NOTICE: The DRAC III must be inserted into PCI slot 1 because it must reside on the same bus as the video controller. If another expansion card is installed in slot 1, it must be moved to another slot before proceeding with the installation.

NOTICE: On PowerEdge™ 1650 systems, the DRAC III is installed on a riser board. The riser board plugs into the RISER connector on the system board and is considered an extension of the system board. Two riser board configurations exist for the PowerEdge 1650. The first features two 64-bit, 66-MHz expansion slots (PCI1 and PCI2). The second features one 64-bit, 66-MHz expansion slot (PCI2) and one 32-bit, 33-MHz expansion slot (PCI1) for 5-V cards. For the DRAC III to function properly, it must be installed in the PCI1 slot. If you purchased the DRAC III with your PowerEdge 1650, the riser card and the DRAC III are preinstalled. If you purchased the DRAC III kit separately for installation on a PowerEdge 1650, see the instructions for installing the riser card contained in the kit.

Ensure that the card-edge connector is fully seated into the system board.

10. If your DRAC III kit includes the optional VT-100 serial cable, connect it to the
    VT-100 serial connector on the DRAC III (see Figure 2-1), and then install the cable's external port into an empty slot in your system.
    
    

NOTICE: You must use the DRAC III VT-100 serial cable specifically provided for use with the DRAC III because not all serial cables have the same pin-out specification. Using the wrong cable will result in VT-100 terminal emulation failure or DRAC III failure.

11. Follow the instructions in your system Installation and Troubleshooting Guide to reassemble the system and replace the system cover.
    
    

NOTICE: While the DRAC III does not require an external power adapter, using one allows the DRAC III to remain operational when the system is off, and extends the DRAC III power beyond the 30-minute capability of the battery pack.

12. Connect the external power adapter to a UPS or available power receptacle. For power supply specifications, see "DRAC III Power Requirements."
    
    

NOTE: A UPS is recommended for the most complete power protection.

13. Connect the power jack to the 6-volt DC input connector on the DRAC III PCI bracket.
    
    
14. If you are using a network connection with the DRAC III, attach the twisted-pair cable to the RJ-45 connector on the DRAC III. See Figure 2-1 for location of these connectors.
    
    

NOTE: The maximum length allowed for the LAN cable connected to the RJ-45 connector is 184 ft (56 m).

15. If you are going to use the optional modem with the DRAC III, attach a modem adapter cable to the PCMCIA modem socket. Next, connect the adapter cable to an analog telephone line.
    
    
16. Reconnect the system and all associated peripheral devices to their AC power sources and turn them on.
    
    

If the DRAC III installation was successful, the green heartbeat LED indicator on the back of the card connector is illuminated (see "DRAC III LED Indicators").

Installing an ERA/O

CAUTION: Before you perform this procedure, you must turn off the system and disconnect it from its power source. Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system. Read and follow all safety precautions in your System Information document.

CAUTION: Your system may have more than one power supply cable. To reduce the risk of electrical shock, a trained service technician must disconnect all power supply cables before servicing the system. For more information, see "Safety First—For You and Your Computer" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

NOTE: You can install only half-length PCI cards in your system if an ERA/O card is installed. The system cannot physically accommodate the ERA/O card and a full- length PCI card.

1. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
   
   
2. Open the system doors (see "Opening the System Doors" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide).
   
   
3. Remove any full-length expansion cards from the system before you install the ERA/O card:
   
   
   1. Unfasten the thumbscrew and remove the expansion-card latch (see Figure 2-2).
      
      
   2. Disconnect any cables from the card.
      
      
   3. Grasp the expansion card by its edges, and remove it from the expansion-card connector on the riser board.
      
      
   4. If you are not replacing the full-length card with a half-length card, install a metal filler bracket over the empty expansion-slot opening in the system back panel.
      
      

NOTE: Installing a filler bracket over an empty expansion slot is necessary to maintain Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of the system. The brackets also keep dust and dirt out of the system and aid in proper cooling and airflow inside the system.

5. Replace the expansion-card latch and secure the thumbscrew.
   
   

Figure 2-2. Removing a Full-Length Expansion Card (If Installed)

4. Install the ERA/O card in the system:
   
   
   1. Fit the narrow end of the card into the support bracket on the system board (see Figure 2-3).
      
      
   2. Rotate the opposite end of the board downward until the ERA/O-card connector is fully seated in the connector on the system board.
      
      
5. Install the plastic retention clip included in the ERA/O card kit onto the card, as shown in Figure 2-3.
   
   
   • The ends of the retention clip fit into the two slots on the system board.
     
     
   • The two pins on the retention clip fit into the corresponding holes in the card.
     
     

Figure 2-3. Installing the ERA/O Card

6. Ensure that a network cable is connected to the 10-Mbps server management connector on the system back panel (see Figure 2-4).
   
   

Figure 2-4. Server Management Connector

7. Close the system doors, reconnect the system and peripherals to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
   
   

For information on the ERA/O remote management software, see the remote access controller documentation provided on the online documentation CD.

Uninstalling the DRAC III or ERA/O

To uninstall the DRAC III or ERA/O from your system, follow the instructions for installing the DRAC III or ERA/O in the previous sections, and then uninstall the components and cables in the reverse order that they were installed.

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