Portal | Level: L1: Foundations | Topics: Ansible, Terraform | Domain: DevOps & Tooling

Track: Infrastructure & Data Center Operations

Physical infrastructure, Dell server management, bare-metal provisioning, and data center operations. The layer beneath Kubernetes that most DevOps training ignores.

Goals

• Manage Dell PowerEdge servers via iDRAC (CLI and Redfish API)
• Configure BIOS, RAID, and firmware for production workloads
• Automate bare-metal provisioning with PXE and Ansible
• Understand rack layout, power distribution, cabling, and cooling
• Maintain asset inventory and follow decommissioning procedures

Prerequisites

• Comfortable with Linux fundamentals (Track: Foundations)
• Basic Ansible knowledge (playbooks, inventory, roles)
• Familiarity with networking (IP, DHCP, DNS, VLANs)
• Recommended: completion of Kubernetes Core track

Primary Path (14 steps)

Phase 1: Dell Server Management

1. Read: devops/docs/datacenter/dell-server-management.md — iDRAC, BIOS, OpenManage, diagnostics, RAID
2. Practice: Connect to an iDRAC console (lab or virtual). Run racadm getversion, racadm getsel, racadm getsensorinfo.
3. Practice: Use Redfish API via curl to query system inventory, check power state, and read the SEL.
4. Practice: Configure a RAID 1 array using perccli or Redfish. Verify the volume is created.
5. Assess: training/library/skillchecks/datacenter.skillcheck.md — Phase 1 sections

Phase 2: Out-of-Band & Bare-Metal Provisioning

1. Read: devops/docs/datacenter/bare-metal-provisioning.md — IPMI, Redfish deep-dive, PXE, provisioning
2. Practice: Set up a minimal PXE boot environment (DHCP + TFTP + HTTP) in a VM or lab.
3. Practice: Write a kickstart or autoinstall file for automated OS installation.
4. Practice: Use the dellemc.openmanage Ansible collection to query iDRAC inventory.
5. Assess: training/library/skillchecks/datacenter.skillcheck.md — Phase 2 sections

Phase 3: Data Center & Rack Operations

1. Read: devops/docs/datacenter/rack-operations.md — rack layout, cabling, power, cooling, inventory
2. Practice: Create a rack elevation diagram for a hypothetical 8-server rack. Include switches, PDUs, cable management.
3. Practice: Calculate power budget for a rack (watts per server, circuit capacity, 80% rule).
4. Assess: training/library/skillchecks/datacenter.skillcheck.md — Phase 3 sections

Interview Preparation

• training/library/interview-scenarios/11-server-wont-post.md — "A server in the data center won't POST. Walk through your troubleshooting process."

Optional Deepening

• Set up OpenManage Enterprise (OME) virtual appliance and discover lab servers
• Write a Python Redfish script to inventory an entire rack of servers
• Automate end-to-end provisioning: iDRAC config -> PXE boot -> OS install -> Ansible -> k8s join
• Practice decommissioning procedure: drain node, wipe disks (NIST 800-88), reset iDRAC, update CMDB
• Compare MAAS, Foreman, and Ironic for bare-metal provisioning at scale

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Wiki Navigation

Prerequisites

• Track: Foundations (Reference, L0)

Related Content

• Mental Models (Core Concepts) (Topic Pack, L0) — Ansible, Terraform
• Ansible Automation (Topic Pack, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Core Flashcards (CLI) (flashcard_deck, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Deep Dive (Topic Pack, L2) — Ansible
• Ansible Drills (Drill, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Exercises (Quest Ladder) (CLI) (Exercise Set, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Lab: Conditionals and Loops (Lab, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Lab: Facts and Variables (Lab, L0) — Ansible
• Ansible Lab: Install Nginx (Idempotency) (Lab, L1) — Ansible
• Ansible Lab: Ping and Debug (Lab, L0) — Ansible

Pages that link here

• Ansible - Skill Check
• Ansible Deep Dive
• Ansible Deep Dive - Primer
• Ansible Drills
• Bare-Metal Provisioning
• Crossplane
• Dell Server Management
• DevOps Tooling Domain
• Foundations
• Opentofu
• Pulumi
• Rack & Data Center Operations
• Scenario: Server Won't POST in the Data Center
• Symptoms: Ansible Playbook Hangs, SSH Agent Forwarding Broken, Root Cause Is Firewall Rule
• Training Curriculum