Understanding iDRAC Group Management and Compatibility
Server Management and Configuration Tools (14%)
Define the function of the iDRAC, login procedures, licensing, and connection methods
Explain the management interface options - LCC, racadm, OMSA, iSM, OME
System Administration (18%)
Configure BIOS, Storage, virtual media, networking, user access, lockdown mode, and group management
Scenario Analysis
The customer has acquired six Dell PowerEdge R750 servers and wants to add them to an existing iDRAC Group that currently contains R760 servers. However, they are encountering errors during this process.
Understanding Dell Server Generations
PowerEdge R750: Part of the 15th Generation (15G) servers.
PowerEdge R760: Part of the 16th Generation (16G) servers.
iDRAC Group Manager Limitations
iDRAC Group Manager allows administrators to manage multiple servers from a single interface.
Important Limitation: Servers of different generations cannot be grouped together in iDRAC Group Manager.
This is due to differences in firmware, hardware capabilities, and iDRAC features between server generations.
Impact: Attempting to add 15G servers (R750) to a group containing 16G servers (R760) will result in errors.
Evaluation of Options
Option A: R750 iDRACs firmware is out of date
Analysis: While outdated firmware can cause issues, it is not the primary reason here. Firmware updates would not resolve the incompatibility between different server generations.
Option B: R750 iDRACs are not running the same version of firmware
Analysis: Similar to Option A, firmware version mismatches can cause problems but not errors related to grouping different generations.
Option C: 15G and 16G servers cannot be in the same group
Option D: The feature requires iDRAC Enterprise
Analysis: Since the customer already has an existing iDRAC group with R760 servers, they likely have the necessary licensing.
Dell Operate References
Server Management and Configuration Tools (14%)
System Administration (18%)
Conclusion
The errors occur because iDRAC Group Manager does not support grouping servers from different generations. The customer cannot add 15G servers (R750) to a group that contains 16G servers (R760).
