Dell’s Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is an essential tool for managing Dell PowerEdge servers remotely. However, losing access due to a forgotten password can be a challenge. If you have ESXi installed on your server, you can reset the iDRAC password directly from the ESXi shell using the RACADM tool. This guide walks you through the process step by step.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that:

• Your server is a Dell PowerEdge model with iDRAC (iDRAC 7, 8, 9 supported).
• You have SSH or direct console access to your ESXi host.
• You have administrative privileges on the ESXi host.

Using the RACADM Tool

The RACADM command-line tool, which is part of Dell OpenManage, allows you to reset the iDRAC password from the ESXi shell.

Step 1: Enable SSH Access to ESXi

If SSH is not enabled on your ESXi host, you can enable it via the ESXi web interface:

1. Log in to the ESXi web interface.
2. Navigate to Host > Manage > Services.
3. Enable Secure Shell (SSH)
4. Alternatively, you can enable SSH from the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI).

Step 2: Access the ESXi Shell

Using an SSH client (such as PuTTY), connect to the ESXi host:

ssh root@<ESXi_HOST_IP>

Enter the root password when prompted.

Step 3: Check if RACADM is Available

To verify if RACADM is installed, run:

#racadm help

If RACADM is not found, you may need to install Dell OpenManage.
You can download the tool from here:

• For ESXi v8: Dell-iDRACTools-Web-ESXi.VIB-11.0.0.0-5139_A00
• For ESXi v7: DellEMC-iDRACTools-Web-ESX70i.VIB-10.2.0.0-4631_A00

Step 4: Copy and Install RACADM

You can download RACADM directly to your ESXi if you have Internet access or download to another machine and copy it to the Host using WinSCP. Once the zip file is on ESXi, install and check installation with commands bellow:

#esxcli software vib install -d /tmp/Dell-iDRACTools-Web-ESXi.VIB-11.0.0.0-5139_A00.zip
#esxcli software vib list | grep racadm

ⓘ NOTE: When installing you must use the absolute path: /tmp/Dell-iDRACTools-Web-ESXi.VIB-11.0.0.0-5139_A00.zip

Step 5: Reset the Password Using RACADM

To reset the password for the default admin user (user ID 2), use the following command:

#racadm set iDRAC.Users.2.Password <NEW_PASSWORD>

Replace <NEW_PASSWORD> with the new password.

Step 6: Verify the Change

You can confirm the updated credentials by logging into the iDRAC web interface:

1. Open https://<iDRAC_IP> in a browser.
2. Enter the username (root) and the new password.
3. Navigate to iDRAC Settings > Users to confirm the updated credentials.

Step 7: Restart iDRAC (If Needed)

If required, restart iDRAC using:

#racadm racreset

Wait for the process to complete and retry logging in.

Conclusion

Resetting the Dell iDRAC password from within ESXi using the RACADM tool is an efficient and reliable method. Always document and securely store your iDRAC credentials to prevent future lockouts.

Let me know in the comments if you found this guide helpful or if you encountered any issues!