1OverviewThe Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is designed to make server administrators more productive and improve theoverall availability of Dell servers. iDRAC alerts administrators to server issues, helps them perform remote server management, andreduces the need for physical access to the server.iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller technology is part of a larger data center solution that helps keep business critical applications andworkloads available always. The technology allows administrators to deploy, monitor, manage, configure, update, troubleshoot andremediate Dell servers from any location, and without the use of agents. It accomplishes this regardless of operating system orhypervisor presence or state.Several products work with the iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller to simplify and streamline IT operations, such as:• Dell Management plug-in for VMware vCenter• Dell Repository Manager• Dell Management Packs for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) and Microsoft System CenterConfiguration Manager (SCCM)• BMC Bladelogic• Dell OpenManage Essentials• Dell OpenManage Power CenterThe iDRAC is available in the following variants:• Basic Management with IPMI (available by default for 200-500 series servers)• iDRAC Express (available by default on all 600 and higher series of rack or tower servers, and all blade servers)• iDRAC Enterprise (available on all server models)For more information, see the iDRAC Overview and Feature Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.Benefits of using iDRAC with Lifecycle ControllerThe benefits include:• Increased Availability — Early notification of potential or actual failures that help prevent a server failure or reduce recovery timeafter failure.• Improved Productivity and Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) — Extending the reach of administrators to larger numbers ofdistant servers can make IT staff more productive while driving down operational costs such as travel.• Secure Environment — By providing secure access to remote servers, administrators can perform critical managementfunctions while maintaining server and network security.• Enhanced Embedded Management through Lifecycle Controller – Lifecycle Controller provides deployment and simplifiedserviceability through Lifecycle Controller GUI for local deployment and Remote Services (WS-Management) interfaces forremote deployment integrated with Dell OpenManage Essentials and partner consoles.For more information on Lifecycle Controller GUI, see Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide and for remote services, see LifecycleController Remote Services User’s Guide available at dell.com/idracmanuals.15
