Advanced Features of the iDRAC9 eHTML Virtual Console
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Summary
The iDRAC9 Virtual Console feature allows users to perform server operations remotely as if they are in front of the server, bringing more flexibility and security. Beginning with iDRAC9 firmware 6.00.00, eHTML5 will be the single option to access virtual console and virtual media.
Introduction
Embedded with every Dell PowerEdge server, the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) enables secure and remote server access, providing out-of-band and agent-free systems management. One of the most often-used iDRAC features is the virtual console. For well over a decade, IT admins have relied on the ability to remotely access the operating system and perform a variety of features.
The virtual console feature allows users to remotely manage their PowerEdge server using video, keyboard, and mouse from their management system. It allows video- keyboard-mouse redirection over the network and to virtualize the remote server console on management system. The user can perform all operations with the remote host as if they are in front of the server.
As far back as DRAC4, there were two client plug-in options available: Java and ActiveX, to enable the launch of a virtual console to a remote host server. The Java/ActiveX plug-in had features like server power control, mapping first boot device, keyboard macros, performance statistics, and chat client. However, both these native plug-ins are prone to vulnerabilities. Later, HTML5 technologies became popular, having most of the features in Java/ActiveX plug-ins, and are inherently more secure as they are run in the browser. In March of 2016, Dell Technologies added an HTML5 browser-based plug-in option to iDRAC7/8 firmware version 2.30.30.
Enhanced HTML5
To bridge the JAVA/ActiveX and HTML5 feature/security gap, Dell Technologies introduced eHTML5 (enhanced HTML5) with features set on par with the Java plug-in with iDRAC9 4.40.40 in December of 2020. This eHTML5-based solution consists completely of Dell developed code. This brings more flexibility and control in terms of maintainability and future enhancement around this solution.
Beginning with iDRAC9 firmware 6.00.00, eHTML5 will be the single option to access the virtual console and virtual media.
Features offered with eHTML5:
- HTML5 only with video encryption always ON
- Server power control options
- Next boot device menu
- Video logs (up to three BIOS boot logs and OS crash logs) in standard MPEG format
Sessions management:
- Up to six concurrent sessions
- Access sharing handshake among connected clients
- Chat option
- Connected users list Secure solution:
- Video encryption always enabled
- Local video enable/disable option
- Auto lock server while exiting vConsole session Keyboard support:
- Virtual keyboard layout (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese)
- Virtual clipboard
- Keyboard macro menu
- Screen capture, refresh, full screen
- Performance
- Performance statistics display
- Performance tuning knobs
Virtual media solution
The eHTML5 virtual media solution is also completely redeveloped by Dell with all legacy features supported. The new vMedia solution is ~30% faster than the legacy HTML5-based client.
It also has an additional feature of IMG file creation which is useful when a user wants to attach some local file folder to a remote server for transferring data.
The remote file share feature is extended for one more image file attachment. This is very useful in an OS-deployment scenario to attach an additional password file along with an ISO image.
Table 1. Comparison with legacy options
Java/ActiveX | HTML5 | eHTML5 |
Security concerns |
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Conclusion
The iDRAC is designed for secure local and remote server management and helps IT administrators deploy, update, and monitor Dell PowerEdge servers anywhere, anytime. The iDRAC Virtual Console feature enables system administrators to be more productive and improve the overall availability of Dell PowerEdge servers.
References