The Auto-Discovery feature of the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) enables you to remotely provision your Dell PowerEdge Servers out-of-the-box by simply racking them, connecting them, & applying power, in your Auto Discovery enabled network. Auto-Discovery has been baked into 11th and 12th generation Dell PowerEdge Servers since 2009, and now configuring your network for Auto-Discovery enabled servers has never been simpler. First you need a provisioning server (i.e. Dell Lifecycle Controller Integration (DLCI) or Dell Management Plug-In for VMware vCenter) then follow the instructions in Auto-Discovery Network Setup whitepaper for setting up your DHCP or DNS server so that newly powered on iDRAC will automatically discover your provisioning server, and lastly order your servers with Auto Discovery enabled out of the factory.
The Auto-Discovery Network Setup whitepaper has been updated and expanded with everything you need to know:
- Full technical description of the Auto-Discovery feature
- DHCP and DNS configuration options for both Windows and Linux environments
- Details on enhancements to Auto-Discovery since its initial release:
- Manually setting the provisioning server addresses
- Method to put a server back in factory default Auto-Discovery state (see the Re-Initiate Auto-Discovery whitepaper).
- Using custom certificates
- Monitoring auto-discovery status on the server LCD
- Requesting iDRAC IP address change notifications
- List of supported provisioning servers
- Detailed description of Auto-Discovery security and best practices
- Troubleshooting and corrective actions with screenshots
- Advanced Configuration Settings (like static IP environments)
- Details on SOAP message sent between iDRAC and provisioning server
See the full article in this whitepaper:
Auto-Discovery Network Setup Specification
More details on the product "Lifecycle controller" can be found at Dell Tech Center.