When working with Dell PowerEdge servers, the iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller) comes in two flavors: Express and Enterprise. The key distinction lies in their remote management capabilities:

• iDRAC Express: Basic out-of-band management with limited functionality (health monitoring, basic alerts)
• iDRAC Enterprise: Full remote console access, virtual media, and BIOS/RAID configuration capabilities

With your current setup (iDRAC6 Express + PERC 6/iR controller):

# Check iDRAC version from Ubuntu:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
sudo dmidecode -t sysmgmt

Unfortunately, the Express version doesn't support remote BIOS or RAID configuration. You'll need physical access to the server for these operations.

While you can't remotely configure RAID through iDRAC Express, you have some options:

# Install megacli for PERC controller management
sudo apt-get install megacli

# Basic RAID status check:
sudo megacli -LDInfo -Lall -a0

# If you need to create a new virtual disk:
sudo megacli -CfgLdAdd -rX[E:S] -szYYYY -a0
# Where X is RAID level, E:S is enclosure:slot, YYYY is size in MB

Important note: While you can create and manage existing RAID arrays using megacli, initial controller configuration still requires BIOS access during boot.

If remote management is critical, consider upgrading to:

• iDRAC Enterprise license (requires physical install of daughterboard for iDRAC6)
• Newer PERC controller (H700/H800) with better CLI support
• IPMI tools as an alternative management path

# Example IPMI commands for Dell servers:
ipmitool -I lanplus -H  -U root -P  chassis status
ipmitool -I lanplus -H  -U root -P  power cycle

For automated deployments, you can script the initial RAID setup using:

#!/bin/bash
# Sample automated RAID1 configuration
megacli -CfgClr -a0
megacli -CfgSpanAdd -r1 -Array0[32:0,32:1] -a0
megacli -CfgLdAdd -r1 -Array0 -szALL -a0

This would need to be run during initial setup before OS installation.

When working with Dell PowerEdge servers, iDRAC6 comes in two flavors:

iDRAC6 Express - Basic out-of-band management (power control, basic monitoring)

iDRAC6 Enterprise - Full remote management including virtual console and BIOS/RAID configuration

With your current iDRAC6 Express + PERC 6/iR setup:

• Remote power on/off/reset
• Basic hardware monitoring (temps, fan speeds)
• Event log viewing

Unfortunately, remote BIOS or RAID configuration requires iDRAC Enterprise's virtual console feature.

For your PERC 6/iR controller under Ubuntu, you have these alternatives:

# Check RAID status (requires megacli package)
sudo megacli -LDInfo -Lall -aALL

# Create RAID (example for RAID1)
sudo megacli -CfgLdAdd -r1 [252:0,252:1] -a0

However, the PERC 6/iR (LSI 1068e) has limited software RAID management capabilities compared to newer controllers.

If physical access is difficult, consider these options:

1. Upgrade to iDRAC6 Enterprise (requires license and hardware module)
2. Use IPMI tools (if your server supports it)
3. Implement SSH-controlled power cycling with BIOS boot options

Example IPMI command for Dell servers:

# Set next boot to BIOS setup
ipmitool -I lanplus -H DRAC_IP -U root -P password chassis bootdev bios

For production environments where remote management is crucial, upgrading to iDRAC Enterprise is the most robust solution. The virtual KVM functionality alone justifies the cost for many sysadmins.

For development setups, you might automate RAID configuration through:

#!/bin/bash
# Sample RAID1 setup script for PERC 6/iR
megacli -CfgClr -aALL
megacli -CfgLdAdd -r1 [252:0,252:1] -a0
megacli -LDInit -Start -L0 -a0