back to article Dell joins Java jumpers with updated server admin tool

It's a small change but it speaks volumes about what sysadmins want: Dell has added HTML 5 support to its integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) server management tool. iDRAC ships with every PowerEdge server and lets server admins manage their boxen without having to install agents for tasks like firmware updates …

  1. Jay 2
    Happy

    Yay

    Now this is good news. Even though the iDRAC has been getting better the past few years, the actual (Java) console is still very flakey and always seems to crap out just at the wrong point, usually straight after a reboot or just before the kernel splash screen... Hopefully this new HTML5 version will be a lot more solid.

    Also slightly related we've just upgraded IE at work, and loads of iDRAC now play silly buggers unless you use compatability mode.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Which iDRAC?

    iDRAC comes with something alike a "generation number", then, withing that, a release number. Just writing iDRAC 2.30.etc.etc tells not enough. I guess it's only in the latest iDRAC "generation". So you'll still need to use Java/ActiveX for earlier "generations" - hoping your browser won't stop you accessing them because they maybe use SSL 3.0 or something alike (I have to keep around old versions of Firefox to access some older systems management tools....)

    Moreover, if they also implemented remote mounting of discs using "HTML5" (and related technologies), I can't think why it won't become another huge mess and source of vulnerabilities like Java did before....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Which iDRAC?

      My experience with the iDRAC, which I'll admit is limited, suggests that the images are mounted from an SD card inserted into the iDRAC unit, not from the client logged into it.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Which iDRAC?

        Latest generation servers, 13G (Poweredge <letter M/R/T>+<number>+3+<number> have an iDRAC8. Previous generation, 12G, used iDRAC7.

        Dell unified the codebase for both generations a while back, so this update applies to 12/13G, iDRAC7/8.

        From what I've heard, Dell plans to do the same with the next generation servers (14G) meaning that some new functionalities may get automatically ported back to 12/13G servers.

        Due to architecture constraints (Lifecycle Controller / UEFI) it's not possible to do the same on previous generations. However, 11G servers (iDRAC 6) received an update last February which fixed a XSS vulnerability and refreshed OpenSSL & OpenSSH (iDRAC6 firmware 2.85).

        Have a nice week-end!

  3. wikkity

    Java is so buggy

    No it's not. The browser plugins are and sites should have switched years ago. The rest of the java ecosystem is fine.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Happy to see Java, at least in places, go the way of COBOL. It'll be around for decades to come, but is obviously not the right tool for everything.. or many things.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like