Alert! iDRAC not responding, rebooting

Computer Hardware & Server Infrastructure Builds
1

Hi, (my first post here, hope the community will be helpfull)

After installing VMWare OpenManage_Integration 5.1.0, on VMWare 7.0, I tried to update iDRAC firmware. After the console stuck for more than an hour, I restarted my R720.
Since this time, the iDRAC do not seems to respond. I have many error message at boot.

On POST, I can see on top right “Lifecycle Controller Disabled” also having this error message :“Alert! idrac not responding rebooting”

… And reboot

At this reboot, After memory check, the server reboot and continue tells me iDRAC have a problem, but, at least boot.

After BIOS and RAID check, I have an error “Warning! iDRAC initialisation error”
But I can strike F1 to continue or F2 to run system setup program

  • If I hit F2, in BIOS option, under iDRAC Setting, I have: “SWC0700: iDRAC is not ready. The configuration values cannot be accessed.”
  • If I hit F1, the boot sequence continue and complain again about iDRAC “SWC0700: iDRAC is not ready. The configuration values cannot be accessed.”
    but if I press F1, the real boot continue.

VMWare is able to boot.
But iDRAC is unacessible, (even no MAC address from switch) and fans never stop, running at … medium level.

Seems to be iDRAC issue. How can I reinitialise/repair this iDRAC problem ?

I tried many things saw on Google. shuwdown, remove power, press power 30 sec, iDRAC butto 30 sec, etc … Not working

Many Thanks,

2

I found this via goolge… Maybe it helps:
https://www.dell.com/community/PowerEdge-Hardware-General/R820-How-to-recover-from-a-bad-iDRAC-firmware-update/m-p/7326420#M61514

3

Thanks, Already tried it, no success

4

@Janus006 I am running into the same problem. :slightly_frowning_face:

Did you figure out a way to fix your server? While updating my R720 using Dells PE iso an update failed and ever since then my iDrac LCD is blank and no rear facing light. I tried updating from the SD card slot with the firmimg.d7 file and unfortunately that doesn’t work either.

5

Hi Team,

I have the same problem with my r720:

Warning ! iDRAC initialization error. Continuing to boot may yield unexpected power loss due to unknown Power inventory and various features lost such as Remote Access, Active Power Management, Thermal Management, Inventory, LCD, or System Error Reporting.

Strike F1 to continue, F2 to run system setup program

  • If I hit F2, in BIOS option, under iDRAC Setting, I have: “SWC0700: iDRAC is not ready. The configuration values cannot be accessed.”

  • If I hit F1, the boot sequence continue and complain again about iDRAC “SWC0700: iDRAC is not ready. The configuration values cannot be accessed.”
    but if I press F1, the real boot continue.

I came across

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-au/000120131/poweredge-idrac-recovery-procedure-with-firmimg-d7

The Bios is something like 2.52 or 2.56

I am not exactly sure which iDrac version I had running.
If I have to guess, I would say something like 2.30.30.30…

I have downloaded all iDrac versions and have extracted firmimg.d7 from all of them, which are:

1.20.20
1.23.23
1.31.30
1.35.35
1.37.35
1.40.40
1.45.45
1.46.45
1.57.57
1.66.65
2.10.10.10
2.15.10.10
2.20.20.20
2.21.21.21
2.30.30.30
2.31.31.30
2.32.31.30
2.40.40.40
2.41.40.40
2.50.50.50
2.52.52.52
2.60.60.60
2.61.60.60
2.63.60.62

Which version should I use on the SD disc?

Thank you
Marco

6

Hi,

an update:
What caused this, might have been that one power supply was defect, when I tried to do a rebranding

I tried it the image from 2.63.60.62 after replacing the defect powersupply.

there was no LED flashing, that might be the reason why it did not try to boot from the SD card.

I left the server now powered down - and basically be thrown out … :frowning: …

If anyone has an idea, please let me know.

Thanks
Marco

7

Hey @marco101,
I never found a solution. I bought the server I was working with at the time from Craigslist and got lucky. The guy was selling off about 100 of them so I told him what happened and he gave me another motherboard.
I think the problem was jumping too many bios/idrac versions at once.