Dell racadm experience
In this post i would like share my experience with Dell racadm.
Our team maintains CI env with switches and bios config changes.
Switches are managed through jonos, ios ansible modules.
Most of lab servers are Dell.
BIOS automated by redfish, ansible module of (Dell iDRAC)
Commands are Dell racadm tool underneath the module
Install racadm rpm
How to install.
# Download the package distribution
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-il/product-support/product/poweredge-r730/drivers
tar tf DellEMC-iDRACTools-Web-LX-9.4.0-3732_A00.tar.gz
cd iDRACTools/racadm
# Install
sudo /bin/bash install_racadm.sh
# Verify
rpm -qa | grep racadm
sudo /opt/dell/srvadmin/sbin/racadm
===============================================================================
RACADM version 9.4.0
Copyright (c) 2003-2019 Dell, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
===============================================================================
Useful racadm commands
Racadm enables remote management of iDRAC servers and the servers (IPMI commands), usefull for automation and no lab access.
Command explained help command, here are few examples:
racadm help <command>
Sample commands
# Assume iDrac web interface is very slow and need to restart
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass racreset soft
# Server power up/off
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass serveraction powerup
# Bios settings
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass set BIOS.ProcSettings.LogicalProc Enabled
Lab automation requires frequent bios changes, such as HyperThreaded Enabled/Disabled option is set. manual command should look like this.
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass set BIOS.ProcSettings.LogicalProc Enabled
In case of successful command The follwoing returned:
[Key=BIOS.Setup.1-1#ProcSettings]
RAC1017: Successfully modified the object value and the change is in
pending state.
To apply modified value, create a configuration job and reboot
the system. To create the commit and reboot jobs, use "jobqueue"
command. For more information about the "jobqueue" command, see RACADM
help.
Lets create a job for the next host boot to enter bios and apply changes.
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass jobqueue create BIOS.Setup.1-1
Or boot right now
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass jobqueue create BIOS.Setup.1-1 -r pwrcycle -s TIME_NOW -e TIME_NA
RAC1024: Successfully scheduled a job.
Verify the job status using "racadm jobqueue view -i JID_xxxxx" command.
Commit JID = JID_014119549231
Reboot JID = RID_014119550622
Trouble shoot w/racadm
In case set BIOS.ProcSettings.LogicalProc Enabled returns Error
ERROR: LC068: System has pending or commited configuration. Apply or abort the pending configuration if there is any. Or wait until applying configuration is completed. Then retry the operation.
You should search for failing jobs, or not started jobs of BIOS. It could be done through iDrac web interface or throug racadm
# View jobqueue
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass jobqueue view
# Delete one or all
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass jobqueue delete --all
# Try again with set or get BIOS params
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass get BIOS.ProcSettings.LogicalProc
[Key=BIOS.Setup.1-1#ProcSettings]
LogicalProc=Disabled (Pending Value=Enabled)
# In case no messages in queue but error persist on setting command
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass jobqueue delete -i JID_CLEARALL_FORCE
Get command will return the following after messages are deleted
racadm -r <bmc_ip> -u root -p pass get BIOS.ProcSettings.LogicalProc
[Key=BIOS.Setup.1-1#ProcSettings]
LogicalProc=Enabled
Now iDRAC recovered and ready to receive new bios operations, with success