Dell Drac 5 User Manual

							Using GUI Console Redirection161
Tools Automatic Video 
AdjustRecalibrates the session viewer video 
output.
Manual Video Adjust Provides individual controls to 
manually adjust the session viewer 
video output.
NOTE: Adjusting the horizontal position 
off-center desynchronizes the mouse 
pointers. 
Session Options Provides additional session viewer 
control adjustments. 
The Mouse tab enables you to select 
the operating system you are using to 
optimize console redirection mouse 
performance. Select Windows, Linux, 
or None.
The General tab provides the 
following options:
Keyboard pass through mode — 
Select Pass all keystrokes to target to 
pass your management station’s 
keystrokes to the remote system.

Menu Activation Keystroke — 
Selects the function key that 
activates the viewer menu bar.
The Toolbar tab enables you to adjust 
the Toolbar Hide Delay time between 
1 and 10 seconds.
Help N/A Activates the Help menu. Table 9-6. Viewer Menu Bar Selections (continued)
Menu Item Item Description 
						

							162Using GUI Console Redirection
Adjusting the Video Quality
The Video Viewer provides video adjustments that allow you to optimize the 
video for the best possible view. Click Help for more information.
To automatically adjust the video quality:
1
Access the Viewer Menu Bar. See Accessing the Viewer Menu Bar.
2Click Tools and select Automatic Video Adjust. 
The video quality is recalibrated, and the session viewer reappears.
To manually adjust the video quality:
1
Access the Viewer Menu Bar. See Accessing the Viewer Menu Bar.
2Click Tools and select Manual Video Adjust. 
3In the Video Adjustment window, click each video adjustment button and 
adjust the controls as needed. 
When you manually adjust the video quality, observe the following 
guidelines:
 To prevent the mouse pointers from desyncronizing, adjust the horizontal 
setting so the remote system’s desktop is centered in the session window.
 Reducing the Pixel Noise Ratio setting to zero causes multiple video 
refresh commands that generates excessive network traffic and flickering 
video in the 
Video Viewer window. Dell recommends that you adjust the 
Pixel Noise Ratio setting at a level that provides optimal system 
performance and pixel enhancement while minimizing network traffic. 
Synchronizing the Mouse Pointers
When you connect to a remote Dell system using Console Redirection, the 
mouse acceleration speed on the remote system may not synchronize with 
the mouse pointer on your management station, causing two mouse pointers 
to appear in the Video Viewer window.
To synchronize the mouse pointers:
1
Access the Viewer Menu Bar. See Accessing the Viewer Menu Bar.
2Click Tools and select Session Options.
3Click the Mouse tab, select your management station’s operating system, 
and click 
OK. 
						

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4Click Tools and select Manual Video Adjust.
5Adjust the horizontal controls so the remote system’s desktop appears in 
the center of the session window.
6Click OK.
When using Linux (Red Hat® or Novell®), the operating system’s default 
mouse settings are used to control the mouse arrow in the DRAC 5 Console 
Redirection screen.
 NOTE: On Linux (Red Hat or Novell) systems, there are known mouse arrow 
synchronization issues. To minimize mouse synchronization problems, ensure that 
all users use the default mouse settings.
For information on disabling the console redirection, see Disabling DRAC 5 
Remote Virtual KVM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a new remote console video session be started when the local video on 
the server is turned OFF?
Ye s .
Why does it take 15 seconds to turn OFF the local video on the server after 
requesting to turn OFF the local video?
It gives a local user an opportunity to take any action before the video is 
switched OFF.
Is there a time delay when turning ON the local video?
No, once a local video turn ON request is received by DRAC 5 the video is 
turned ON instantly.
Can the local user also turn OFF the video?
Yes, a local user can use racadm CLI (local) to turn OFF the video.
Can the local user also turn ON the video?
Yes, the user should have racadm CLI installed on the server and only if the 
user is able to access the server over an RDP connection, such as terminal 
services, telnet, or SSH. The user can then log on to the server and can run 
racadm (local) to turn ON the video. 
						

							164Using GUI Console Redirection
My local video is turned OFF and for some reason my DRAC 5 is not 
accessible remotely and the server is not accessible with RDP, telnet, or 
SSH. How do I recover the local video?
The only way to recover the local video in this case is by removing the 
AC power cord from the server, draining the server flee power and 
reconnecting the AC power cord; this will bring back the local video on 
the server monitor. Also, the DRAC 5 configuration is changed to local 
video ON (default). The DRAC 5 needs to be reconfigured if the local 
video needs to be turned OFF again.
Does switching OFF the local video also switch OFF the local keyboard and 
mouse?
No, switching OFF the local video only switches OFF the video going from 
the server’s monitor output connector; it will not switch off the keyboard and 
mouse connected locally to the server.
Does turning off the local server video turn off the video on the remote 
vKVM session?
No, turning the local video ON or OFF is independent of the remote console 
session.
What privileges are needed for a DRAC 5 user to turn ON or OFF the local 
server video?
Any user with DRAC 5 configuration privileges can turn the local server video 
ON or OFF.
How can I get the current status of the local server video?
The status is displayed on the Console Redirection Configuration page of 
the DRAC 5 web-based interface. The racadm CLI command racadm 
getconfig –g cfgRacTuning displays the status in the object 
cfgRacTuneLocalServerVideo. The status is also seen by the local user on the 
server LCD screen as “Video OFF” or as “Video OFF in 15”.
Why is it that sometimes I do not see the “Video OFF” or “Video OFF in 
15” status on the server LCD screen?
The local video status is a low-priority message and will get masked if a high 
priority server event has occurred. The LCD messages are based on priority; 
you must resolve any high-priority LCD messages and once that event is 
cleared or resolved, the next low priority message is displayed. The server 
video message on the LCD screen is informational in nature. 
						

							Using GUI Console Redirection165
Where can I get more information on the Local Server Video feature?
See the Dell Support website at support.dell.com for a white paper discussing 
this feature.
I see video corruption on my screen. How do I fix this issue?
In the Console Redirection window, click Refresh to refresh the screen. 
 NOTE: You may need to click Refresh several times to correct the video corruption.
During Console Redirection, the keyboard and mouse are locked after 
hibernation on a Windows 2000 system. What caused this to happen?
To resolve this issue, reset the DRAC 5 by running the racadm racreset 
command.
I cannot see the bottom of the system screen from the Console Redirection 
window.
Ensure that the management station’s monitor resolution is set to 
1280x1024.
During Console Redirection, the mouse is locked after hibernation on a 
Windows Server 2003 system. Why did this happen?
To resolve this issue, select an operating system other than Windows for 
mouse acceleration from the virtual KVM (vKVM) window pull-down menu, 
wait 5 to 10 seconds, and then select Windows again. If the problem is not 
resolved, you must reset the DRAC 5 by running the racadm racreset 
command.
If the problem is still not resolved, you must reset the DRAC 5 by running the 
racadm racreset hard command.
Why aren’t the vKVM keyboard and mouse working?
You must set the USB controller to On with BIOS support in the BIOS 
settings of the managed system. Restart the managed system and press  
to enter setup. Select Integrated Devices, and then select USB Controller. 
Save your changes and restart the system.
Why does the managed system console screen go blank when Windows has a 
blue screen?
The managed system does not have the correct ATI video driver. You must 
update the video driver with the Dell Systems Management Tools and 
Documentation DVD. 
						

							166Using GUI Console Redirection
Why do I get a blank screen on the remote console after completing a 
Windows 2000 installation?
The managed system does not have the correct ATI video driver. The DRAC 5 
Console Redirection will not run correctly on the SVGA video driver on the 
Windows 2000 distribution CD. You must install Windows 2000 using the 
Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD to ensure that you 
have the latest, supported drivers for the managed system.
Why do I get a blank screen on the managed system when loading the 
Windows 2000 operating system?
The managed system does not have the correct ATI video driver. You must 
update the video driver by using the Dell Systems Management Tools and 
Documentation DVD.
Why do I get a blank screen on the managed system in the Windows full 
screen DOS window?
The managed system does not have the correct ATI video driver. You must 
update the video driver by using the Dell Systems Management Tools and 
Documentation DVD.
Why can’t I enter BIOS setup by pressing the  key?
This behavior is typical in a Windows environment. Use your mouse to click 
on an area of the Console Redirection window to adjust the focus. To move 
the focus to the bottom menu bar of Console Redirection window, use the 
mouse and click one of the objects on the bottom menu bar.
Why doesn’t the vKVM mouse sync when I use the Dell Systems 
Management Tools and Documentation DVD to remotely install the 
operating system?
Configure Console Redirection for the operating system that is running on 
the target system.
1
In the vKVM toolbar menu, click To o l s and select Session Options.
2In the Session Options window, click the Mouse tab.
3In the Mouse Acceleration box, select the operating system that is running 
on the target system and click 
OK. 
						

							Using GUI Console Redirection167
Why doesn’t the vKVM mouse sync after coming back from hibernation on 
a Windows system?
Select a different operating system for mouse acceleration on the vKVM 
window pull-down menu. Next, return to the original operating system to 
initialize the USB mouse device.
1
In the vKVM toolbar, click To o l s and select Session Options.
2In the Session Options window, click the Mouse tab.
3In the Mouse Acceleration box, select another operating system and 
click
OK.
4Initialize the USB mouse device.
Why doesn’t the mouse sync in DOS when performing Console 
Redirection?
The Dell BIOS is emulating the mouse driver as a PS/2 mouse. By design, the 
PS/2 mouse uses relative position for the mouse pointer, which causes the 
sync lag. DRAC 5 has a USB mouse driver, which allows absolute position and 
closer tracking of the mouse pointer. Even if DRAC 5 passes the USB 
absolute mouse position to the Dell BIOS, the BIOS emulation would 
convert it back to relative position and retain the behavior.
Why doesn’t the mouse sync under the Linux text console?
Virtual KVM requires the USB mouse driver, but the USB mouse driver is 
available only under the X-Window operating system.
I am still having issues with mouse synchronization.
Ensure that the target system’s desktop is centered in the console redirection 
window.
1
In the vKVM toolbar, click To o l s and select Manual Video Adjustment.
2Adjust the horizontal and vertical controls as needed to align the desktop 
in the console redirection window.
3Click Close.
4Move the target system’s mouse cursor to the top left corner of the console 
redirection window, and then move the cursor back to the center of the 
window.
5Repeat step 2 through step 4 until both cursors are synchronized. 
						

							168Using GUI Console Redirection
Why doesn’t the vKVM mouse and keyboard work when changing mouse 
acceleration for different operating systems?
The USB vKVM keyboard and mouse are inactive from 5 to 10 seconds after 
changing the mouse acceleration. The network load can sometimes cause this 
operation to take longer than normal (more than 10 seconds).
Why cant I see the bottom of the server screen from the vKVM window?
Ensure that the server screen resolution is 1280 x 1024 pixels at 60 Hz with 
128 colors.
Why cant I use a keyboard or mouse while installing a Microsoft
® operating 
system remotely by using DRAC5 Console Redirection?
When you remotely install a supported Microsoft operating system on a 
system with Console Redirection enabled in the BIOS, you receive an EMS 
Connection Message that requires you to select OK before you can continue. 
You cannot use the mouse to select OK remotely. You must either select OK 
on the local system or restart the remotely managed system, reinstall, and 
then turn Console Redirection Off in the BIOS.
This message is generated by Microsoft to alert the user that Console 
Redirection is enabled. To ensure that this message does not appear, always 
turn off Console Redirection in the BIOS before installing an operating 
system remotely.
Why does console redirection fail to show the operating system boot menu 
in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean versions of Microsoft Windows 2000?
On systems running Windows 2000 that can boot to multiple operating 
systems, change the default boot operating system by performing the 
following steps:
1
Right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
2Click the Advanced tab.
3Click Startup and Recovery.
4Select the new default operating system from the Startup list.
5In the Show list for box, type the number of seconds that the list of choices 
should be displayed before the default operating system automatically 
boots. 
						

							Using GUI Console Redirection169
Why doesn’t the Num Lock indicator on my management station reflect the 
status of the Num Lock on the remote server?
When accessed through the DRAC 5, the Num Lock indicator on the 
management station does not necessarily coincide with the state of the Num 
Lock on the remote server. The state of the Num Lock is dependent on the 
setting on the remote server when the remote session is connected, regardless 
of the state of the Num Lock on the management station.
Why do multiple Session Viewer windows appear when I establish a console 
redirection session?
You are configuring a console redirection session to the local system. 
Reconfigure the session to a remote system.
If I am running a console redirection session and a local user accesses the 
remote system, do I receive a warning message?
No. If a local user accesses the system, he/she can override your actions 
without sending a warning. 
How much bandwidth do I need to run a console redirection session?
Dell recommends a 5 MB/sec connection for good performance. A 1 MB/sec 
connection is required for minimal performance.
What are the minimum system requirements for my management station to 
run console redirection?
The management station requires an Intel Pentium III 500 MHz processor 
with at least 256 MB of RAM.
What are the maximum number of console redirection sessions that I can 
run on a remote system?
The DRAC 5 supports up to two simultaneous console redirection sessions.
Why do I have mouse synchronization problems?
On Linux (Red Hat or Novell) systems, there are known mouse arrow 
synchronization issues. To minimize mouse synchronization problems, 
ensure that all users use the default mouse settings. 
						

							170Using GUI Console Redirection
How can I install a Web browser on my management station that has a read-
only file system?
If you are running Linux and your management station has a read-only file 
system, a browser can be installed on a client system without requiring a 
connection to a DRAC 5. By using the native plug-in installation package, the 
browser can be manually installed during the client setup phase. 
 NOTICE: In a read-only client environment, if the DRAC 5 firmware is updated to a 
newer version of the plug-in, then the installed VM plug-in will become inoperative. 
This is because earlier plug-in features are not allowed to function when the 
firmware contains a newer plug-in version. In this case, the client will be prompted 
for plug-in installation. Since the file system is read-only, the installation will fail and 
the plug-in features will not be available.
To obtain the plug-in installation package:
1
Log into an existing DRAC 5.
2Change the URL in the browsers address bar, from:
https:///cgi-bin/webcgi/main
to:
https:///plugins/ # Be sure to include the 
trailing slash.
3
Notice the two subdirectories vm and vkvm. Navigate to the appropriate 
subdirectory, right click the 
rac5XXX.xpi file, and select Save Link 
Target As....
4Choose a location to save the plug-in installation package file.
To install the plug-in installation package:
1
Copy the installation package to the clients native file system share that is 
accessible by the client.
2Open an instance of the browser on the client system.
3Enter the file-path to the plug-in installation package in the browsers 
address bar. For example:
file:///tmp/rac5vm.xpi
4The browser guides the user through plug-in installation.