If you are running the iDRAC or Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller, you may need its default password to access the vital functions of the remote controller. Every system that is integrated with the remote controller should have a default username and password. But users like to modify these credentials with their individual safe passwords to increase security. In this post, we will talk about what iDRAC is and how to find its default password. When you find the password, is it possible to change it? Let’s learn about it now.
Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller or iDRAC
Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller is there in every Dell EMC PowerEdge server. iDRAC works as a server management controller that secures local and remote servers of EMC. It helps the administrators deploy and monitor the Dell EMC PowerEdge servers from anywhere in the world (basically from a remote location). In iDRAC, you will find Telemetry Streaming, safe component verification, free embedded server management tools, and more. Now, if you want to know more about iDRAC, you should consider its benefits first.
Benefits of iDRAC
Here are the reasons why every Dell EMC PowerEdge server system uses the management controller:
Scalable Automation: iDRAC uses standards-based APIs, including Redfish, Red Hat Ansible, and Racadm, that boost the productivity of the server management team by reducing the time it takes to manage one server. Since you can manage more servers with Redfish and Red Hat, you can make them secure in less time.
Telemetry Streaming: in Telemetry Streaming, an iDRAC9 Datacenter license is necessary, and with it, you can discover various trends, tweak operations, and generate different kinds of analytics to enhance the infrastructure. In iDRAC, you can utilize tools, including Splunk and ELK Stack, that allow you to analyze the server telemetry system thoroughly. The analysis takes place in terms of storage, network, memory parametric data, etc., to reduce the data processing downtime. Telemetry Streaming is mostly used for systems optimization, system customization, risk management, estimated analysis, and more.
Secure Management: Your working infrastructure needs more security, and to enhance the security, iDRAC provides HTTPS, TLS 1.2, LDAP, smart card authentication, etc. Several options like RSA SecurID 2-Factor Authentication, advanced password security, and Automatic Certificate Enrollment help boost your data servers’ security. There is another feature called System Lockdown Mode that would help you save your system from configuration errors.
Streamlined Support: In iDRAC, SupportAssist tools let you view your system’s health status for up to 5,000+ system parameters. You won’t have to upload the health status report to the cloud to view the metrics.
Due to these many benefits, IT companies use the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller for monitoring servers from anywhere. But while using the tool, you must first find its default password.
Default IDRAC Password — Dell IDRAC Default Login Details
In the default configuration of iDRAC, the login details are mentioned like this:
Username: root
Password: calvin
But it is possible and important to change the password as soon as you know the default one. The unique and secure password and username for iDRAC9 are on the physical unit of the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller. You will find the password at the back of the system information tag or service tag named “iDRAC Default Password.” But if you have not chosen the ‘secure default access to iDRAC’ option, the password field will be blank. If that is your case, you can use the root/calvin as your username/password. But resetting the password is also easy.
How to Replace the Default Password of iDRAC?
To change the default password of iDRAC, follow the steps below:
Step 1- Log in to the DELL iDRAC website
Step 2- Then open the iDRAC Settings section on the left side
Step 3- Click on the Network/Security tab
Step 4- Click on the sub-tab Users
Step 5- Click on the root user from the list
Step 6- Press Next
Step 7- Tick the checkbox that says “Change Password and apply new password.” Here you can change the password to improve security.
While changing the password, ensure the user is the root and the password is strong enough so that not everyone can easily guess it.
Password Warning in iDRAC
Many people, and almost everyone, know the default username and password of iDRAC. That’s why anyone with user credentials can access the server and create changes. But iDRAC implements a Default Password Warning feature that sends you a warning message that lets you know if the default credentials are still default or not. When a user logs in to iDRAC with the Configure User privileges and executes a command using the credentials, the system will show you a warning message.
The user will be shown a warning message for every login session with the default credentials. Likewise, the remote racadm users will get a warning message for every command they enter. And this time, when the warning message is shown, the user can change the password or disable the Default Password Warning Message if he does not change the password. But to enable the password warning message, you can go to iDRAC Overview, open the iDRAC Settings, click on User Authentication, and click on the Local Users page. From there, you will be ready to facilitate the “Default Password Warning” again.
Conclusion
Just remember that the default credentials of iDRAC are more vulnerable when the system has access to the Internet. That’s why we also recommend the user replace the default password of the iDRAC system with a strong one. Make sure to use an alphanumeric password that includes small and big letters, one symbol, and numbers in the password that would be hard to guess.
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