Dell iDRAC8 Using VNC Client to Manage Remote Server

– iDRAC.Racadm

– iDRAC.SNMP

For more information about these objects, see iDRAC8 RACADM Command Line Interface Reference

Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.

If you do not want automatic redirection from HTTP to HTTPs due to certificate warning issue with

default iDRAC certificate or as a temporary setting for debugging purpose, you can configure iDRAC such

that redirection from http port (default is 80) to https port (default is 443) is disabled. By default, it is

enabled. You have to log out and log in to iDRAC for this setting to take effect. When you disable this

feature, a warning message is displayed.

You must have Configure iDRAC privilege to enable or disable HTTPs redirection.

An event is recorded in the Lifecycle Controller log file when this feature is enabled or disabled.

To disable the HTTP to HTTPs redirection:

racadm set iDRAC.Webserver.HttpsRedirection Disabled

To enable HTTP to HTTPs redirection:

racadm set iDRAC.Webserver.HttpsRedirection Enabled

To view the status of the HTTP to HTTPs redirection:

racadm get iDRAC.Webserver.HttpsRedirection

Using VNC Client to Manage Remote Server

You can use a standard open VNC client to manage the remote server using both desktop and mobile

devices such as Dell Wyse PocketCloud. When servers in data centers stop functioning, the iDRAC or the

operating system sends an alert to the console on the management station. The console sends an email

or SMS to a mobile device with required information and launches VNC viewer application on the

management station. This VNC viewer can connect to OS/Hypervisor on the server and provide access to

keyboard, video and mouse of the host server to perform the necessary remediation. Before launching

the VNC client, you must enable the VNC server and configure the VNC server settings in iDRAC such as

password, VNC port number, SSL encryption, and the time out value. You can configure these settings

using iDRAC Web interface or RACADM.

NOTE: VNC feature is licensed and is available in the iDRAC Enterprise license.

You can choose from many VNC applications or Desktop clients such as the ones from RealVNC or Dell

Wyse PocketCloud.

Only one VNC client session can be active at a time.

If a VNC session is active, you can only launch the Virtual Media using Launch Virtual Console and not the

Virtual Console Viewer.

If video encryption is disabled, the VNC client starts RFB handshake directly, and a SSL handshake is not

required. During VNC client handshake (RFB or SSL), if another VNC session is active or if a Virtual

Console session is open, the new VNC client session is rejected. After completion of the initial handshake,