Learn by Doing: Practical guide

About the author

Noureddine Kanzari is a cybersecurity expert with an extensive background in IT risk

management and cybersecurity instruction. With a diverse range of certifications that includes
being a PECB Certified Trainer, DORA Senior Lead Manager, NIST Cybersecurity Consultant,
Senior Lead Incident Manager, Senior Lead SOC 2 Analyst, Data Protection Officer (DPO),
DORA Senior Lead Manager, ISO 42001 Senior Lead Auditor, ISO 42001 Senior Lead
Implementer, Senior Lead SCADA Security Manager, ISO 22301 Senior Lead Implementer,
ISO 22301 Senior Lead Auditor,EBIOS Risk Manager, ISO 27005 Senior Lead Risk Manager,
ISO 27001 Senior Lead Implementer, ISO 27001 Senior Lead Auditor, Cisco Certified
Specialist in Security Core and Enterprise Core, NSE4 Network Security Professional, Palo
Alto Instructor, Devops Tools Engineer, LPIC-3 Enterprise Professional Security, LPIC-3
Enterprise Professional Virtualization & High Availability, LPIC-2, LPIC-1, Suse Certified Linux
Administration, and a Certified Security Auditor in computer security,
Noureddine Kanzari's professional journey is characterized by a series of impactful roles and
accomplishments. Throughout his career, he has held various pivotal positions, including:
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Audit Team Leader
Cybersecurity Instructor
Technical Manager
Training Manager
His extensive experience and leadership have contributed significantly to enhancing
cybersecurity practices, risk management strategies, and organizational resilience.

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 Contents

1. What is a Server? .......................................................................................................... 5

Common Types of Servers : ........................................................................................... 5
2. Consequences of Server Failure ................................................................................. 6
3. Understanding High Availability (HA) in Servers ....................................................... 7
1. Redundant RAM (Memory) ....................................................................................... 7
2. Multiple CPUs (Processors) ........................................................................................ 7
3. Dual Power Supplies .................................................................................................. 7
4. Multiple Disks (Storage) ............................................................................................. 7
5. Dual Network Cards (NICs) ....................................................................................... 7
4. Server Services.............................................................................................................. 8
1. DHCP Server (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) ............................................... 8
2. DNS Server (Domain Name System) .......................................................................... 8
3. File Server.................................................................................................................. 8
4. Print Server ............................................................................................................... 8
5. Web Server ................................................................................................................ 8
6. AD Server (Active Directory Server) .......................................................................... 8
7. Email Server .............................................................................................................. 9
8. Database (DB) Server ................................................................................................. 9
9. Proxy Server .............................................................................................................. 9
10. Monitoring Server .................................................................................................... 9
5. Server Types ................................................................................................................ 10
1. Tower Server ........................................................................................................... 10
2. Rack Server ............................................................................................................. 10
3. Blade Server............................................................................................................. 11
6. Understanding Power Sources .................................................................................. 12

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7. Active/Active vs Active/Passive ................................................................................ 14
1. Active/Active Configuration ..................................................................................... 14
2. Active/Passive Configuration ................................................................................... 14
8. Server Monitoring ........................................................................................................ 15
1. What is Server Monitoring? ..................................................................................... 15
2. What is Zabbix? ....................................................................................................... 15
9. Understanding KVM .................................................................................................... 16
10. Out of band remote connection ............................................................................... 17
11. Server DELL: iDRAC ................................................................................................. 18
12. Configure RAID5 on Dell PowerEdge ...................................................................... 37
13. Configure NIC Teaming ............................................................................................ 43

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1. What is a Server?

A server is a powerful computer that stores information, manages resources, and provides services to
other computers (called clients) over a network.

Common Types of Servers :

 Web Server → Delivers websites (like Google or YouTube)

 File Server → Stores and shares files
 Mail Server → Sends and receives emails

In the Network :

 A server works 24/7 to handle requests from multiple users.

 Clients (computers, phones, tablets) connect through the internet or a local network.

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2. Consequences of Server Failure

When a server fails, it means the main computer that provides services (like files, websites, or apps) to
other computers (called clients) stops working. This affects all connected clients in different ways.

If the server fails, here’s what happens:

1. File Access Stops

Clients can’t open shared documents or folders stored on the server.
2. Applications Stop Working
Software that depends on the server (like databases, email, or websites) will not load or respond.
3. Communication Breaks
Email services that run through the server will be unavailable.
4. Slow or No Internet Access
If the server manages the network or routing, clients might lose internet connection.
5. Data Loss Risk
If the server crashes during file transfer or updates, unsaved data might be lost.

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3. Understanding High Availability (HA) in Servers

When we design servers for high availability (HA), our goal is to make sure the system keeps running
even if one component fails. This is called avoiding a single point of failure (SPOF).

1. Redundant RAM (Memory)

Imagine you have two memory sticks (RAMs).

If one fails, the other keeps the system running — this is called memory mirroring.

2. Multiple CPUs (Processors)

Servers often have two or more CPUs. If one stops working, the other handles the workload.

3. Dual Power Supplies

A server may have two power supplies, each connected to a different power source.
If one power source fails, the other keeps the server running.

4. Multiple Disks (Storage)

Using RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), data is spread or duplicated across multiple
disks.
If one disk fails, the others still hold your data.

5. Dual Network Cards (NICs)

Having two network interfaces means if one cable or port fails, the second keeps the server online.

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4. Server Services

A server is like a ―helper computer‖ in a network. It provides different services to other computers
(called clients).

A common types of servers and what they do:

1. DHCP Server (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

Purpose: Automatically gives IP addresses to devices on the network.

Example:
When you connect your phone to Wi-Fi, you don’t manually type an IP address, the DHCP server gives
it one automatically.

2. DNS Server (Domain Name System)

Purpose: Translates website names (like [Link]) into IP addresses.

Example:
When you type ―[Link]‖, the DNS server finds the actual IP (like [Link]) where
Google lives.

3. File Server

Purpose: Stores and shares files among users in a network.

Example:
All company employees can open, save, and share documents from a central folder stored on the File
server.

4. Print Server

Purpose: Manages printers and print jobs.

Example:
Instead of connecting your laptop directly to a printer, you send the document to the Print server,
which sends it to the right printer in the office.

5. Web Server

Purpose: Hosts websites and web applications.

Example:
When you open a webpage, your browser connects to a Web server (like Apache or Nginx) that sends
the site’s files to your screen.

6. AD Server (Active Directory Server)

Purpose: Manages users, passwords, and permissions in a Windows network.

Example:
When you log into your work computer, the AD server checks your username and password, and gives
you access to allowed resources.

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7. Email Server

Purpose: Sends, receives, and stores emails.

Example:
When you send an email through Outlook or Gmail, it goes to an email server like Microsoft Exchange
or Postfix.

8. Database (DB) Server

Purpose: Stores and manages data in structured form for applications.

Example:
When you log into a website or app, your username and data are retrieved from a Database server like
MySQL or SQL Server.

9. Proxy Server

Purpose: Acts as a middleman between users and the internet to improve security or performance.
Example:
When you browse the internet at work, traffic may go through a proxy server to filter websites and
cache data.

10. Monitoring Server

Purpose: Watches other systems and alerts when something goes wrong.
Example:
If a website goes offline, the monitoring server (like Zabbix or Nagios) sends an alert to the IT team.

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5. Server Types

1. Tower Server

 Looks like: A big desktop computer (a ―tower‖ case standing upright).

 Used for: Small offices or home labs.
 Pros:
o Easy to set up.
o Quiet and doesn’t need special cooling.
o Cheaper than other types.
 Cons:
o Takes up more floor space.
o Harder to manage if you have many of them.

2. Rack Server

 Looks like: A flat box (usually 1.5 to 3 inches tall) that slides into a metal rack cabinet.
 Used for: Medium to large businesses with multiple servers.
 Pros:
o Saves space (you can stack many in one rack).
o Easy to organize cables and manage power.
o Good for data centers.
 Cons:
o Noisy (needs fans).
o Needs cooling systems.

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3. Blade Server

 Looks like: Thin ―blades‖ that slide into a special frame called a chassis.
 Used for: Large data centers or companies with heavy workloads.
 Pros:
o Extremely space-efficient (many blades in one chassis).
o Shared power and cooling — very efficient.
o Easier to replace or upgrade.
 Cons:
o Very expensive.
o Requires special chassis and cooling.

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6. Understanding Power Sources

1. Utility Power

 What it is: This is the normal electricity that comes from your local power company — just
like the power that runs your lights and TV at home.
 Example: Your data center gets power from the city’s electric grid.
 Purpose: It powers all your IT equipment during regular conditions.

2. UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

 What it is: A battery-based backup that turns on instantly when the main power fails.
 Think of it like: A power bank for your computers that gives them time to keep running or
safely shut down.
 Example: When the main power goes out, the UPS keeps your servers running for a few
minutes — just enough time for the generator to start or to save your work.

Duration: Usually supports devices for a few minutes (sometimes up to 30 minutes, depending on size).

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3. Generator

 What it is: A machine that produces electricity using fuel (like diesel or gas) when the main
power is unavailable for a long time.
 Think of it like: A backup power plant for your network.
 Example: After the UPS kicks in, the generator starts up and takes over, providing power for
hours or even days during a long blackout.

Needs fuel: It runs as long as it has fuel — so regular maintenance and refueling are important.

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7. Active/Active vs Active/Passive

When we talk about High Availability (HA) in IT networking, we mean making sure that a service (like
a website, database, or application) stays up and running even if something fails — for example, if
one server crashes. To achieve this, we usually have two or more servers working together.

1. Active/Active Configuration

In this setup, all servers are active and share the workload at the same time.

Example:

 Imagine you have two servers: Server A and Server B.

 Both are working together to handle user requests.
 If one server fails (say Server A), the other (Server B) keeps handling all the traffic — users
won’t even notice the problem.

Pros:

 Better performance (both servers are used fully)

 Continuous service even if one fails

Cons:

 More complex setup

2. Active/Passive Configuration

What it means:
In this setup, one server is active and the other is on standby (passive).
The passive server only becomes active if the main one fails.

Example:

 Server A is doing all the work.

 Server B is just waiting (idle), checking that Server A is healthy.
 If Server A goes down, Server B immediately takes over.

Pros:

 Easier to configure and manage

 Ensures high reliability (quick failover)

Cons:

 The passive server sits idle most of the time (not efficient use of resources)

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8. Server Monitoring

1. What is Server Monitoring?

Server monitoring means keeping an eye on the health and performance of computers (servers) that
run important programs or store data in a network.

Think of it like a doctor checking your body’s vital signs:

 The CPU is like your brain — it processes information.

 The Memory (RAM) is like short-term memory — too little, and your system slows down.
 The Disk is like your storage — it can get full.
 The Network is like your blood flow — it carries information around.

Server monitoring tools check all these things to make sure everything is healthy and alert you if
something goes wrong.

2. What is Zabbix?

Zabbix is a popular open-source monitoring tool.

It helps you automatically track many devices — servers, routers, switches, databases, websites, etc.

Zabbix has two main parts:

 Zabbix Server → The brain that collects data and checks everything.
 Zabbix Agent → A small program installed on the devices you want to monitor. It sends
information (like CPU usage or disk space) back to the server.

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9. Understanding KVM

KVM stands for Keyboard, Video, and Mouse.

It’s a device (or software) that lets one person control multiple computers using a single keyboard,
monitor, and mouse.

Think of it like a ―remote control‖ for multiple computers sitting next to each other — instead of
needing a separate set of peripherals (keyboard, screen, mouse) for each one.

Imagine you work in a small IT room with 3 servers:

 Server A (for websites)

 Server B (for databases)
 Server C (for backups)

Without a KVM, you’d need 3 monitors, 3 keyboards, and 3 mice to manage them.
With a KVM switch, you can connect all 3 servers to one monitor, one keyboard, and one mouse —
and just press a button (or use a hotkey) to switch between them.

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10. Out of band remote connection

When we talk about a remote connection to a server, it usually means controlling or accessing a
computer (server) from another location.

Now, there are two main types of remote connections:

1. In-Band Connection – uses the same main network as normal data traffic.
2. Out-of-Band (OOB) Connection – uses a separate, backup pathway for management and
troubleshooting.

Imagine you’re responsible for a company’s server in another city.

 Normally, you connect using in-band tools like SSH (Secure Shell) or Remote Desktop (RDP)
over the main network.
 But one day, the server crashes or the main network goes down. You can’t reach it through the
normal internet connection anymore.

That’s when out-of-band access saves the day.

It’s like having a special emergency back door that doesn’t depend on the main network.
You can still connect to fix problems, reboot the system, or check logs — even if the main
network is offline.

Many modern servers include a dedicated management port or chip, such as:

 Dell iDRAC
 HP iLO
 Cisco Console Port

These allow administrators to:

 Power the server on or off remotely

 Access the BIOS/firmware
 Watch the boot process
 Troubleshoot when the OS or network is down

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11. Server DELL: iDRAC

Login screen for Dell iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller).

iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller) is a management interface built into Dell servers.
It lets system administrators:

 Monitor hardware (CPU, RAM, fans, power, temperature)

 Power the server on/off remotely
 Install operating systems via virtual console
 Troubleshoot hardware issues — even if the OS is down

It works independently of the main operating system, meaning you can manage the server even if it’s
turned off.

 idrac-OTC1495 — the hostname (network name) of this iDRAC controller

 PowerEdge XE7745 — the actual server model
 Datacenter — iDRAC License

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Login Fields

 Username — typically root for default admin access (on first setup)
 Password — the iDRAC admin password
 Domain — ―This iDRAC‖ means local login; other options appear if connected to Active
Directory or LDAP

-----------------------------------------------------

This is the main screen you see after logging in.

Top Menu Bar:

You see tabs such as:

 Dashboard – main overview screen (you’re currently here)

 System – detailed information about the hardware (CPU, memory, disks, fans)
 Storage – manage RAID, virtual disks, and physical drives
 Configuration – change BIOS or network settings
 Maintenance – update firmware, export logs, reset components
 iDRAC Settings – configure the iDRAC network, users, alerts, etc.

----------------------------------------------------

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Power Off System means to immediately turn off the physical server — like pressing the power
button on a PC and cutting the power.

This does not shut down Windows or Linux properly. It simply cuts the power, which can cause data
loss or corruption if the operating system is still writing data to disk.

----------------------------------------------------

The Server Health page lists every major hardware area with a status: OK / Warning / Critical / Unknown.

 Typical sections you’ll see :

o Thermals (temperatures), Fans
o Power (power supplies), Voltage

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 o Processors (CPU), Memory (DIMMs)
o Network adapters, PCIe devices
o Chassis intrusion, Battery/CMOS
o (Storage has its own Storage Health → Details link, explained below.)

Color code you’ll see everywhere:

 Green = Healthy, Yellow = Warning, Red = Critical, Gray = Unknown/Not present

---------------------------------------------------

 Fan Status – overall health of all fans. Green = OK.

 Redundancy Status – e.g., Full Redundant = the server has N+1 fans; it stays safe even if one fails.
 Average Fan Speed – 29.26% PWM – PWM is the percentage of max speed the controller
applies.
 Thermal Profile Optimization – Default (Minimum Power) – algorithm for cooling.
 Fan Speed Offset – Off – a manual ―extra‖ added to all fans. Use Low/Med/High if you add hot
cards
 Minimum Fan Speed – Default (5% PWM) – the floor; fans never go below this.

 Temperature Status – overall thermal health (green/yellow/red).

 System Inlet Temperature – 23 °C (73.4 °F) – the air coming into the server (room/aisle
temperature).

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 System Exhaust Temperature – 35 °C (95 °F) – the air leaving the server.

 Target Exhaust Temperature Limit – 70 °C (158 °F) – iDRAC tries to keep exhaust below this; if it
rises, fans speed up.

 System Inlet Temperature Support Limit – 35 °C (95 °F) – the highest inlet the server is rated for in
this configuration.

 ASHRAE Category – A2 – data-center class; A2 gear is designed for typical environments (allowable
inlet commonly 10–35 °C).

---------------------------------------------------

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Each row = one physical fan. Typical columns you’ll see:

 Health/Status – OK, Warning, Critical, Absent.

 Fan name – e.g., Fan1A, Fan1B, Fan6, etc.
(A/B are paired fans in a zone for redundancy.)
 Controller / Redundancy group – e.g., Cooling Controller 1/2/3.
These are zones (CPU, PCIe/GPU, storage) with their own control logic.
 Speed (PWM %) – how hard that fan is being driven (0–100%).
 Speed (RPM) – actual revolutions per minute (tach reading).

It’s normal for different fans to show different PWM/RPM at the same time—each zone reacts to its
own sensors.

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It shows you the history of the room/ambient air that enters the server (the inlet), so you can spot hot
rooms, bad airflow, or HVAC problems.

---------------------------------------------------

iDRAC is showing information about the physical CPUs installed in your Dell PowerEdge server.

Column Meaning Example

Status Health of the CPU (Green = OK) ✅ Green = Healthy
Name Identifier (CPU 0, CPU 1, etc.) CPU 0, CPU 1

Processor Brand CPU manufacturer and model AMD EPYC 9965 192-Core Processor

Processor
Hardware version/stepping Model 17 Stepping 0
Version

Current Speed Current memory speed or data rate (MT/s) 2250 MT/s

―Presence Detected‖ means it’s installed and

State Whether iDRAC detects the CPU
recognized
Core Count Number of physical cores in that CPU 192
Menu to perform hardware actions (if ―Action‖ dropdown (often grayed out for viewing
Actions
available) only)

---------------------------------------------------

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 Installed Capacity – total RAM currently in the server.
Example: 2,304 GB means you have 24 × 96 GB DIMMs.

 Maximum Capacity – the most this model/CPU/board can support if you use bigger DIMMs.
Example: 6,144 GB.

 Slots Available – total DIMM sockets on the motherboard(s).

Example: 24.

 Slots Used – how many sockets have a DIMM installed.

Example: 24 (fully populated).

 Error Correction – ECC capability.

“Multi-bit ECC” indicates advanced error protection beyond basic single-bit ECC.

Each row is one physical DIMM. Typical columns:

 Status – health icon (green/yellow/red). Green means OK.

 Name – slot location, e.g., DIMM A7, A8, B1…
Letter = CPU (A = CPU0, B = CPU1). Number = slot on that memory channel.
 Memory Technology – usually DRAM.

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 Type – DDR5.
 Size – size of that module (e.g., 96 GB).
 Rank – e.g., Dual Rank (internal layout of the DIMM; impacts performance/compatibility).
 Speed – effective data rate the DIMM is running at (e.g., 6400 MT/s).

---------------------------------------------------

Check Capacity % → Should be comfortably below 100% of your redundant limit.

---------------------------------------------------

26
 Shows the electrical voltages measured by the server: both the AC input coming into each power
supply (PSU) and some on-board DC rails.

A table of sensors (“probes”). Each row has:

 Status (green = OK, yellow = Warning, red = Critical)

 Probe name (what/where the sensor is)
 Reading (the measured voltage or a state like ―Good‖)

---------------------------------------------------

27
 Health – overall hardware health (green/yellow/red).
 Power State : On (Change) – shows if the server is On/Off.
Clicking Change opens safe power actions (Graceful Shutdown, Reset, Power Cycle, etc.).
Example: If Windows is frozen, you can issue a Reset (warm boot) here.

 Model – e.g., PowerEdge R770.

 Host Name – (e.g., WIN-L06VPATH14).
 Operating System / Version – e.g., Windows Server 2022 / 10.0.
 Service Tag – Dell’s unique ID for the server.
Use: give this to Dell Support or when ordering parts.

 Asset Tag – your company’s asset ID (editable).

 Express Service Code – numeric form of the Service Tag.
 BIOS Version – current system BIOS firmware.

 Lifecycle Controller Firmware – firmware for iDRAC/Lifecycle Controller.

Use: must be up to date for reliable updates, logs, and remote media.

 System Revision – hardware revision of the platform.

Use: sometimes referenced in advisories or part compatibility.

 Location (Edit) – free-text/rack fields (row, rack, U-position).

Use: enter Rack 12, U22 so techs can find the box quickly.

---------------------------------------------------

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 Name: the controller’s name shown in the UI (often just ―iDRAC‖). You can rename it.

 License: e.g., Datacenter / Enterprise / Express.

• Express = basics (health, power).
• Enterprise/Datacenter = adds virtual console/media, telemetry, etc.
Example: If you need remote KVM to install an OS, you need Enterprise/Datacenter.

 Date/Time: the iDRAC clock. Should be correct for logs/alerts. Usually synced via NTP (configured
under iDRAC Settings → Date & Time).

 Firmware Version / Updated: iDRAC software version + last update time.

Why it matters: new versions fix bugs and add features.

 Hardware Version: the controller’s hardware revision.

 MAC Address: unique address of the iDRAC NIC.

 DNS Domain Name: the domain iDRAC uses (e.g., [Link]).

Tip: create a DNS A record like [Link].

 IPv4 Enabled: On/Off.

 Current IP Address / Subnet Mask / Gateway: the active settings.
Example: IP [Link] on your management VLAN, gateway set so email/SNMP alerts can
reach tools outside the subnet.

DHCP (on the right):

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 Shows if DHCP is enabled and whether DNS servers are learned via DHCP.
 Preferred/Alternate DNS Server: the resolvers iDRAC will use.

---------------------------------------------------

iDRAC shows hardware-level utilization. It’s great for quick health checks and trend spotting.

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It’s where you monitor the RAID controller, physical disks, and virtual disks (arrays) on your
server.

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This tab lets you view or create RAID arrays from physical disks.

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Top Menu

 Create Virtual Disk ▼ — lets you start creating a new RAID volume.
Two modes appear:
o Basic Configuration → quick setup wizard (recommended for beginners).
o Advanced Configuration → gives full control (RAID level, stripe size, cache, etc.).
 Blink / Unblink → makes the selected physical disks’ LEDs flash to identify them physically in
the server.
 Filter Drives → filters disks by state, type, or capacity when building a RAID.

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Shows Storage → Controllers in Dell iDRAC. lists all RAID and storage controllers installed in
your Dell server, along with their technical and health information.

A storage controller (also called RAID controller or HBA) is a dedicated hardware component that:

 Connects your disks (HDDs/SSDs) to the system,

 Manages RAID arrays (Virtual Disks),
 Handles caching

---------------------------------------------------

32
Shows Storage → Physical Disks in Dell iDRAC. This is where you can see and manage all the actual
drives (HDDs or SSDs) physically installed in your server. It shows whether each disk is healthy, in
use, or available for new RAID creation.

Column Description Example (from your image)

Name iDRAC’s label for the drive NVMe 0, Solid State Disk 0:10
State Current status of the drive Online / Ready
Slot Number Physical slot position in the chassis 0, 1, 2, …
Size Storage capacity of the disk 893.75 GB or 894.25 GB
Bus Protocol Connection type used PCIe or SATA
Media Type Type of drive SSD (Solid-State Drive)
Hot Spare Whether this disk is a spare for automatic rebuild No
Actions Menu for operations (Blink LED, Make Hot Spare, etc.) Action ▼

33
 State Meaning Example
The disk is part of a Virtual Disk (active RAID array) and working NVMe 0 and NVMe 1 (RAID-1
Online
correctly. for OS)
The disk is healthy but not yet assigned to any RAID. It’s available
Ready SATA SSDs (slots 2–7)
for new configuration.
Failed The disk is not working properly and must be replaced. (none shown — good sign)
Requires ―Import‖ or ―Clear
Foreign The disk contains RAID data from another system or controller.
Foreign‖

Rebuild The disk is currently being repopulated after another disk failed. Shows rebuild % progress

Hot
The disk is on standby, ready to replace a failed disk automatically. ―Yes‖ under Hot Spare column
Spare

---------------------------------------------------

34
Virtual Console in Dell iDRAC.
It’s one of the most powerful features because it lets you access the server’s screen remotely, just like
if you were standing in front of it with a monitor and keyboard plugged in.

---------------------------------------------------

This is where you control how the server powers on, shuts down, or recovers after a power
failure.

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35
This section is very important for server administrators — it acts as the “black box” of your Dell
server, recording all hardware events, warnings, and errors.

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36
12. Configure RAID5 on Dell PowerEdge

This is the front panel of a Dell server PowerEdge. The image shows 3 Hard drives.

That means the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) has finished starting up,
and now your Dell server is ready for further configuration steps.

During boot, the server firmware runs a series of checks:

1. Power-On Self-Test (POST) — checks CPU, memory, and hardware.

2. iDRAC Initialization — brings up the remote management interface (what you access via web
browser).
3. Lifecycle Controller (F10) — this is what you can enter next to configure the server hardware,
RAID, firmware, or OS installation.

Once you see ―Initializing iDRAC... Done‖, it means:

✅ iDRAC is active and ready — so you can either:

 Enter F10 for Lifecycle Controller setup,

or
 Access iDRAC from your network via its IP address.

When you press F10 during this stage, you’re entering the Dell Lifecycle Controller.

37
Lifecycle Controller (LC)

It’s a built-in management utility used for:

 Server configuration and firmware updates

 RAID and storage setup
 Network configuration
 Operating System deployment

This screen shows the Dell Lifecycle Controller main menu, specifically the OS Deployment.

This is part of the Dell Lifecycle Controller (LCC) — a pre-installed utility in every Dell PowerEdge
server that helps you:

 Install an operating system

 Configure storage (RAID)
 Update firmware
 Connect to the network
 Run diagnostics

---------------------------------------------------

38
When you click Deploy OS, the Lifecycle Controller will help you:

 Choose the OS type (e.g., Windows Server 2022)

 Select the installation source (DVD, USB, or virtual ISO via iDRAC)
 Pick the target storage (RAID or single disk)
 Prepare the system to boot into the OS installer

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RAID = Redundant Array of Independent Disks

It combines multiple physical hard drives (HDDs or SSDs) into one virtual disk to:

 Improve performance
 Provide redundancy (protection against disk failure)

This configuration is handled by the RAID Controller (in Dell servers, often a PERC controller).

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The system lists the available RAID controllers in the Dell server.

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RAID 5 (Redundant Array of Independent Disks, Level 5) uses:

 At least 3 drives
 Striping with parity

That means:

 Data and parity information (used for recovery) are spread across all disks.
 If one drive fails, the system can rebuild the missing data using the parity from the remaining
drives.
 Offers a good balance between performance, capacity, and fault tolerance.

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This section displays all available physical disks connected to the RAID controller.
Each line shows:

 Disk Name (e.g., Physical Disk 0:11, 0:12)

 Size (in GB or TB)
 Type (SAS or SATA)
 Media Type (HDD or SSD)
 Encryption Capability (if supported)

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The name of the RAID volume. This helps you identify it later in the iDRAC or storage
configuration.

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13. Configure NIC Teaming

Both NICs (e0 and e1) from the Windows Server are connected to different switches.

NIC Teaming (also called Link Aggregation or Load Balancing/Failover) is a Windows Server
feature that allows us to combine multiple network adapters (NICs) into one logical interface.

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Here, NIC Teaming is currently Disabled, meaning the two network interfaces (Ethernet0 and Ethernet1)
are working separately and not combined.

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This image shows the step where you can actually create the NIC Team inside Windows
Server using Server Manager.

This window is where you create a new team that combines the two physical network
adapters (Ethernet0 and Ethernet1) into one logical (virtual) network adapter.

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This image shows the final verification step of the NIC Teaming configuration in Windows Server.

you see three adapters:

 Ethernet0 — physical NIC 1

 Ethernet1 — physical NIC 2
 Team-Group — the virtual network adapter created by NIC Teaming

✅ The Team-Group adapter is the one now managing network traffic for both Ethernet0 and Ethernet1 .

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