Dell Drac 5 User Guide

							Configuring Security Features211
12
Configuring Security Features
The DRAC 5 provides the following security features:
• Advanced Security options for the DRAC administrator:
• The Console Redirection disable option allows the 
local system user 
to disable console redirection using the DRAC 5 Console 
Redirection feature. 
• The local configuration disable features allows the 
remote DRAC 
administrator to selectively disable the ability to configure the 
DRAC 5 from:
– BIOS POST option-ROM
– operating system using the local racadm and Dell OpenManage 
Server Administrator utilities
• RACADM CLI and Web-based interface operation, which supports 
128-bit SSL encryption and 40-bit SSL encryption (for countries where 
128-bit is not acceptable)
 NOTE: Telnet does not support SSL encryption.
• Session time-out configuration (in seconds) through the Web-based 
interface or RACADM CLI
• Configurable IP ports (where applicable) 
• Secure Shell (SSH), which uses an encrypted transport layer for higher 
security.
• Login failure limits per IP address, with login blocking from the IP address 
when the limit is exceeded.
• Limited IP address range for clients connecting to the DRAC 5 
						

							212Configuring Security Features
Security Options for the DRAC Administrator
Disabling the DRAC 5 Local Configuration
Administrators can disable local configuration through the DRAC 5 graphical 
user interface (GUI) by selecting Remote Access Configuration 
Services. When the Disable the DRAC local Configuration using option 
ROM check box is selected, the Remote Access Configuration Utility—
accessed by pressing Ctrl+E during system boot—operates in read-only 
mode, preventing local users from configuring the device. When the 
administrator selects the Disable the DRAC local Configuration using 
RACADM check box, local users cannot configure the DRAC 5 through the 
racadm utility, or the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator,  a l t h o u g h  t h e y  
can still read the configuration settings.
Administrators can enable one or both of these options at the same time. 
In addition to enabling them through the GUI, administrators can do so 
using local racadm commands.
Disabling Local Configuration During System Reboot
This feature disables the ability of the managed system’s user to configure the 
DRAC 5 during system reboot.
racadm config -g cfgRacTune -o
cfgRacTuneCtrlEConfigDisable 1
 NOTE: This option is supported only on the Remote Access Configuration Utility 
version 1.13 and later. To upgrade to this version, upgrade your BIOS using the 
BIOS update package from the Dell Server Updates DVD or the Dell Support 
website at support.dell.com. 
						

							Configuring Security Features213
Disabling Local Configuration From Local racadm
This feature disables the ability of the managed system’s user to configure the 
DRAC 5 using the local racadm or the Dell OpenManage Server 
Administrator utilities.
racadm config -g cfgRacTune -o 
cfgRacTuneLocalConfigDisable 1
 CAUTION: These features severely limit the ability of the local user to configure 
the DRAC 5 from the local system, including performing a reset to default of the 
configuration. Dell recommends that you use these features with discretion and 
should disable only one interface at a time to help avoid losing login privileges 
altogether.
 
NOTE: See the white paper on Disabling Local Configuration and Remote Virtual 
KVM in the DRAC on the Dell Support site at support.dell.com/manuals for more 
information.
Although administrators can set the local configuration options using local 
racadm commands, for security reasons they can reset them only from an 
out-of-band DRAC 5 GUI or command-line interface. The 
cfgRacTuneLocalConfigDisable option applies once the system 
power-on self-test is complete and the system has booted into an operating 
system environment. The operating system could be one such as Microsoft 
Windows Server or Enterprise Linux operating systems that can run local 
racadm commands, or a limited-use operating system such as Microsoft 
Windows Preinstallation Environment or vmlinux used to run Dell 
OpenManage Deployment Toolkit local racadm commands.
Several situations might call for administrators to disable local configuration. 
For example, in a data center with multiple administrators for servers and 
remote access devices, those responsible for maintaining server software 
stacks may not require administrative access to remote access devices. 
Similarly, technicians may have physical access to servers during routine 
systems maintenance—during which they can reboot the systems and access 
password-protected BIOS—but should not be able to configure remote access 
devices. In such situations, remote access device administrators may want to 
disable local configuration.
Administrators should keep in mind that because disabling local 
configuration severely limits local configuration privileges—including the 
ability to reset the DRAC 5 to its default configuration—they should only use 
these options when necessary, and typically should disable only one interface  
						

							214Configuring Security Features
at a time to help avoid losing login privileges altogether. For example, 
if administrators have disabled all local DRAC 5 users and allow only 
Microsoft Active Directory directory service users to log in to the DRAC 5, 
and the Active Directory authentication infrastructure subsequently fails, 
the administrators may be unable to log in. Similarly, if administrators have 
disabled all local configuration and place a DRAC 5 with a static IP address 
on a network that already includes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol 
(DHCP) server, and the DHCP server subsequently assigns the DRAC 5 
IP address to another device on the network, the resulting conflict may 
disable the out-of-band connectivity of the DRAC, requiring administrators 
to reset the firmware to its default settings through a serial connection.
Disabling DRAC 5 Remote Virtual KVM
Administrators can selectively disable the DRAC 5 remote KVM, providing 
a flexible, secure mechanism for a local user to work on the system without 
someone else viewing the user’s actions through console redirection. 
Using this feature requires installing the DRAC managed node software on 
the server. Administrators can disable remote vKVM using the following 
command:
racadm LocalConRedirDisable 1
The command LocalConRedirDisable disables existing remote vKVM session 
windows when executed with the argument 1
To help prevent a remote user from overriding the local users settings, 
this command is available only to local racadm. Administrators can use this 
command in operating systems that support local racadm, including 
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10. 
Because this command persists across system reboots, administrators must 
specifically reverse it to re-enable remote vKVM. They can do so by using 
the argument 0:
racadm LocalConRedirDisable 0 
						

							Configuring Security Features215
Several situations might call for disabling DRAC 5 remote vKVM. For 
example, administrators may not want a remote DRAC 5 user to view the 
BIOS settings that they configure on a system, in which case they can disable 
remote vKVM during the system POST by using the 
LocalConRedirDisable command. They may also want to increase 
security by automatically disabling remote vKVM every time an administrator 
logs in to the system, which they can do by executing the 
LocalConRedirDisable command from the user logon scripts.
 NOTE: See the white paper on Disabling Local Configuration and Remote Virtual 
KVM in the DRAC on the Dell Support site at support.dell.com/manuals for more 
information.
For more information on logon scripts, see 
technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/31340f46-b3e5-4371-
bbb9-6a73e4c63b621033.mspx.
Securing DRAC 5 Communications Using SSL and 
Digital Certificates
This subsection provides information about the following data security 
features that are incorporated in your DRAC 5:
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) on page 215
• Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on page 216
• Accessing the SSL Main Menu on page 216
• Generating a New Certificate Signing Request on page 218
• Uploading a Server Certificate on page 219
• Uploading a Server Certificate on page 219
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
The DRAC includes a Web server that is configured to use the 
industry-standard SSL security protocol to transfer encrypted data over the 
Internet. Built upon public-key and private-key encryption technology, SSL is 
a widely accepted technique for providing authenticated and encrypted 
communication between clients and servers to prevent eavesdropping across 
anetwork.  
						

							216Configuring Security Features
An SSL-enabled system:
• Authenticates itself to an SSL-enabled client
• Allows the client to authenticate itself to the server
• Allows both systems to establish an encrypted connection
This encryption process provides a high level of data protection. The DRAC 
employs the 128-bit SSL encryption standard, the most secure form of 
encryption generally available for Internet browsers in North America.
The DRAC Web server includes a Dell self-signed SSL digital certificate 
(Server ID). To ensure high security over the Internet, replace the Web server 
SSL certificate by submitting a request to the DRAC to generate a new 
Certificate Signing Request (CSR).
Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
A CSR is a digital request to a Certificate Authority (CA) for a secure server 
certificate. Secure server certificates protect the identity of a remote system 
and ensure that information exchanged with the remote system cannot be 
viewed or changed by others. To ensure security for your DRAC, it is strongly 
recommended that you generate a CSR, submit the CSR to a CA, and upload 
the certificate returned from the CA.
A CA is a business entity that is recognized in the IT industry for meeting 
high standards of reliable screening, identification, and other important 
security criteria. Examples of CAs include Thawte and VeriSign. After the 
CA receives your CSR, they review and verify the information the CSR 
contains. If the applicant meets the CA’s security standards, the CA issues a 
certificate to the applicant that uniquely identifies that applicant for 
transactions over networks and on the Internet.
After the CA approves the CSR and sends you a certificate, you must upload 
the certificate to the DRAC firmware. The CSR information stored on the 
DRAC firmware must match the information contained in the certificate.
Accessing the SSL Main Menu
1Expand the System tree and click Remote Access.
2Click the Configuration tab and then click SSL. 
						

							Configuring Security Features217
Use the SSL Main Menu page options (see Table 12-1) to generate a CSR to 
send to a CA. The CSR information is stored on the DRAC 5 firmware. 
Table 12-2 describes the buttons available on the SSL Main Menu page.
Table 12-1. SSL Main Menu Options
Field Description
Generate a New 
Certificate Signing 
Request (CSR)Click Next to open the Certificate Signing Request 
Generation page that enables you to generate a CSR to send to 
a CA to request a secure Web certificate.
 
CAUTION: Each new CSR overwrites any pervious CSR on 
the firmware. For a CA to accept your CSR, the CSR in the 
firmware must match the certificate returned from the CA.
Upload Server 
CertificateClick Next to upload an existing certificate that your company 
has title to, and uses to control access to the DRAC 5.
 
CAUTION: Only X509, Base 64 encoded certificates are 
accepted by the DRAC 5. DER encoded certificates are not 
accepted. Upload a new certificate to replace the default 
certificate you received with your DRAC 5.
Vi e w  S e r v e r  
CertificateClick Next to view an existing server certificate.
Table 12-2. SSL Main Menu Buttons
Button Description
PrintPrints the SSL Main Menu page.
NextNavigates to the next page. 
						

							218Configuring Security Features
Generating a New Certificate Signing Request
 NOTE: Each new CSR overwrites any previous CSR on the firmware. Before a 
certificate authority (CA) can accept your CSR, the CSR in the firmware must match the 
certificate returned from the CA. Otherwise, the DRAC 5 will not upload the certificate. 
1In the SSL Main Menu page, select Generate a New Certificate Signing 
Request (CSR)
 and click Next.
2In the Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page, type a value for 
each CSR attribute value.
Table 12-3 describes the 
Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) 
page options.
3Click Generate to save or view the CSR.
4Click the appropriate Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page 
button to continue. Table 12-4 describes the buttons available on the 
Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR).
Table 12-3. Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Page Options
Field Description
Common NameThe exact name being certified (usually the Web servers 
domain name, for example, www.xyzcompany.com). Only 
alphanumeric characters, hyphens, underscores, and periods 
are valid. Spaces are not valid. 
Organization NameThe name associated with this organization (for example, XYZ 
Corporation). Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, 
underscores, periods and spaces are valid. 
Organization UnitThe name associated with an organizational unit, such as a 
department (for example, Enterprise Group). Only 
alphanumeric characters, hyphens, underscores, periods, and 
spaces are valid. 
LocalityThe city or other location of the entity being certified (for 
example, Round Rock). Only alphanumeric characters and 
spaces are valid. Do not separate words using an underscore or 
some other character.  
						

							Configuring Security Features219
Uploading a Server Certificate
1In the SSL Main Menu page, select Upload Server Certificate and click Next.
The 
Certificate Upload page appears.
2In the File Path field, type the path of the certificate in the Va l u e field or 
click 
Browse to navigate to the certificate file.
 NOTE: The File Path value displays the relative file path of the certificate you are 
uploading. You must type the absolute file path, which includes the full path and the 
complete file name and file extension.
 
NOTE: A Server Certificate can be uploaded only once. If you try to upload a Server 
Certificate that is already uploaded once, DRAC displays the error message, 
Unable to find a valid certificate.
3Click Apply.
4Click the appropriate page button to continue.
State NameThe state or province where the entity who is applying for a 
certification is located (for example, Texas). Only 
alphanumeric characters and spaces are valid. Do not use 
abbreviations. 
Country CodeThe name of the country where the entity applying for 
certification is located. Use the drop-down menu to select the 
country.
EmailThe e-mail address associated with the CSR. You can type 
your company’s e-mail address, or any e-mail address you 
desire to have associated with the CSR. This field is optional. 
Table 12-4. Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Page Buttons
Button Description
PrintPrint the Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) page.
Go Back to Security 
Main MenuReturn to the SSL Main Menu page.
GenerateGenerate a CSR. Table 12-3. Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Page Options 
(continued)
Field Description 
						

							220Configuring Security Features
Viewing a Server Certificate
1In the SSL Main Menu page, select View Server Certificate and click Next.
Table 12-5 describes the fields and associated descriptions listed in the 
Certificate window.
2Click the appropriate View Server Certificate page button to continue.
Using the Secure Shell (SSH)
Only four SSH sessions are supported at any given time. The session time-out 
is controlled by the cfgSsnMgtSshIdleTimeout property as described in 
the DRAC 5 Property Database Group and Object Definitions on page 345. 
You can enable the SSH on the DRAC 5 with the command:
racadm config -g cfgSerial -o cfgSerialSshEnable 1
You can change the SSH port with the command:
racadm config -g cfgRacTuning -o cfgRacTuneSshPort 
 
For more information on cfgSerialSshEnable and 
cfgRacTuneSshPort properties, see DRAC 5 Property Database Group 
and Object Definitions on page 345.
The DRAC 5 SSH implementation supports multiple cryptography schemes, 
as shown in Table 12-6.
Table 12-5. Certificate Information
Field Description
Serial NumberCertificate serial number
Subject InformationCertificate attributes entered by the subject
Issuer InformationCertificate attributes returned by the issuer
Va l i d  F r o mIssue date of the certificate
Va l i d  ToExpiration date of the certificate