When working with iDRAC 6 on PowerEdge R710 servers, one particularly frustrating scenario occurs when:

• SSH authentication works perfectly using racadm commands
• Web interface shows no error but keeps returning to login screen
• RAC logs indicate successful authentication (racadm getraclog)

Before diving deep, let's verify some basics through SSH:

# Check iDRAC firmware version
racadm getversion -f idrac

# Verify network settings
racadm getniccfg

# Check for pending updates
racadm getsysinfo

1. Browser Compatibility Issues

iDRAC 6 has known limitations with modern browsers. Try:

# Temporarily enable TLS 1.0 (security risk, use only for update)
racadm set idrac.webserver.tlsenable 1
racadm set idrac.webserver.tlsversion "TLS 1.0"

2. Corrupted Java Web Start

The legacy Java-based console often causes authentication loops:

# Reset Java services
racadm set idrac.kvm.Enable 0
racadm racreset
racadm set idrac.kvm.Enable 1

3. Session Management Problems

Try clearing existing sessions through SSH:

# List active sessions
racadm getsel -i session

# Force logout all sessions
racadm racresetcfg

If basic fixes don't work, examine deeper system states:

# Check for certificate issues
racadm getsslcfg

# Verify time synchronization
racadm getsvctag
racadm getsystime

When all else fails, perform a complete reset:

# Backup current config first!
racadm config -g cfgExportImport -o cfgExport -f /tmp/idrac_backup.xml

# Full factory reset
racadm racresetcfg
racadm racreset

After resolving the login loop:

• Immediately upgrade iDRAC firmware using SSH
• Review security settings for web interface
• Consider implementing remote management alternatives

Here's a sample update command:

# Example firmware update via SSH
racadm update -f DRAC_6.5.0.0_Manifest_7H9K0.BIN -l root -p yourpassword

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When attempting to upgrade the iDRAC 6 firmware on a PowerEdge R710 server, you might encounter a frustrating login loop where the web interface continuously redirects you to the login page after entering valid credentials. Interestingly, SSH access remains functional, and racadm logs even show successful authentication attempts.

Before diving deeper, let's cover the basic checks you've likely already performed:

# Reset iDRAC to factory defaults
racadm racresetcfg

# Change admin password
racadm set iDRAC.Users.2.Password "new_password"

These are good first steps, but as you've discovered, they don't resolve the web UI authentication loop.

The issue typically stems from one of these scenarios:

• Corrupted Java Web Start cache
• Browser compatibility problems with the legacy iDRAC 6 interface
• Session management conflicts in the iDRAC firmware
• SSL/TLS protocol mismatch between browser and iDRAC

Here are proven methods to regain web UI access:

Browser Configuration

Try these browser-specific adjustments:

// For Chrome/Edge:
1. Disable all extensions
2. Enable TLS 1.0 in chrome://flags
3. Clear cache and cookies

// For Firefox:
about:config → set security.tls.version.min to 1

Alternative Access Methods

Since SSH works, leverage racadm for updates:

# Check current firmware version
racadm getversion -f idrac

# Upload and flash new firmware
racadm fwupdate -g -a -f /path/to/firmware.d6

Direct Java Console Access

Bypass the web UI entirely using the Java console:

1. Download the JNLP launcher from:
   https://[iDRAC_IP]/software/avctKVM.jar

2. Run with Java Web Start:
   javaws avctKVM.jnlp

After resolving the immediate issue, implement these safeguards:

# Schedule regular iDRAC maintenance
racadm jobqueue create -r pwrcycle -s TIME_NOW

# Backup iDRAC configuration
racadm config -g cfgExportImport -o cfgExport -f /tmp/idrac_backup.xml

For persistent cases, consider these nuclear options:

# Full iDRAC factory reset (requires physical access)
racadm racreset hard

# Force firmware recovery via TFTP:
1. Set up TFTP server with firmware image
2. Hold front panel button during boot
3. Wait for automatic recovery

Remember that iDRAC 6 is quite legacy at this point. If possible, consider upgrading to newer hardware with current iDRAC versions that don't suffer from these authentication issues.