From owner-freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Mar 17 14:53:07 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DE1C816A400 for ; Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:53:07 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from anderson@centtech.com) Received: from mh1.centtech.com (moat3.centtech.com [207.200.51.50]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8551643D45 for ; Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:53:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from anderson@centtech.com) Received: from [10.177.171.220] (neutrino.centtech.com [10.177.171.220]) by mh1.centtech.com (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id k2HEr6Rn059969; Fri, 17 Mar 2006 08:53:06 -0600 (CST) (envelope-from anderson@centtech.com) Message-ID: <441ACD4E.6080305@centtech.com> Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 08:53:02 -0600 From: Eric Anderson User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5 (X11/20060112) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Eric Anderson References: <20060316145215.Y18985@a2.scoop.co.nz> <4418E5B4.1010903@centtech.com> In-Reply-To: <4418E5B4.1010903@centtech.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.87.1/1335/Wed Mar 15 22:58:43 2006 on mh1.centtech.com X-Virus-Status: Clean Cc: FreeBSD-ISP List , Andrew McNaughton Subject: Re: experience with dell DRAC 4? X-BeenThere: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Internet Services Providers List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:53:07 -0000 Eric Anderson wrote: > Andrew McNaughton wrote: >> >> Does anyone have experience of Dell's remote access card, the DRAC 4? >> (as sold for the dell poweredge 850 I'm looking at). >> >> Dell suggests that it's possible, at least for windows, to install an >> operating system remotely via one of these cards. If that were >> possible with FreeBSD, it would be very useful for me for deploying >> remote servers. >> >> Short of that, out of band serial access for remote management of >> servers is the base criteria I'm looking for, and I'd be interested >> in any feedback on how the dell card performs, and any issues >> relating to FreeBSD >> compatibility. >> >> If there's competing products I should be aware of that might also be >> useful information. > > I use them in all our servers (1850s, 2850s), and they work very > well. The latest FreeBSD-6.1-BETA4 I believe detects the DRAC as a > usb keyboard/mouse, and also sees the virtual CD-ROM, however I have > not used it for an install yet. I have some spare 2850's that I could > test this out on though if you were interested. Just to report back on this: Using a Windows box to be the virtual cd-rom device provider (uses asp, which only works on IE I think), I successfully booted, and installed a FreeBSD 6.1 machine completely across the network, using the DRAC card. Works like a charm! Eric -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eric Anderson Sr. Systems Administrator Centaur Technology Anything that works is better than anything that doesn't. ------------------------------------------------------------------------