Author Topic: Skuzzy, what do you know about the DRAC card? (Read 345 times)

Wolfala · « **on:** August 03, 2006, 04:45:40 PM »

http://whitepapers.zdnet.co.uk/0,39025945,60079727p-39000599q,00.htm

We've got machines down at a Navy base 80 miles away, others a couple hundred miles away and at our local cage at Verio. Is this something you've used and would it work for rebuilding a machine remotely from scratch without having to be physically present?

Wolf

Skuzzy · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2006, 05:06:14 PM »

Never had any experience with that product. But all my remote installs have been done with UNIX as the operating system. I assume you are hacing to do Windows?

Wolfala · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2006, 05:55:59 PM »

Windows or some source controlled version of Linux we've built.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2006, 06:50:08 AM »

Does the server have a setup for remote console routing? Many server motherboard BIOS's contain an option for putting the console output to the serial port.

What I have done in the past is simply cross-link all the servers serial ports (COM1/server1 to COM2/server2, COM1/server2 to COM2/server3...) so I can remote boot and install the OS and all pertinent software. I just connect to the server that is the console and comm to the server needing installation.

Does not work for Windows, but should work for any UNIX.

Kev367th · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2006, 07:10:41 AM »

Wouldn't one of the new KVM's (cheaper than Dell DRAC I believe) allow you to do it?

You know, the new ones that support "KVM over IP".
Allows remote bios access etc.