DRAC Console Java Virtual Machine (JVM) not supported
Aug 01
Server Admin Dell, DRAC, Java 5 Comments
When trying to open a console from one of my Dell servers using the DRAC 4/P card I got an error: “The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) currently installed is not supported. Please refer to the DRAC 4 User’s Guide for information on installing a supported version of the JVM.”
After some testing it turns out DRAC (Dell Remote Access Card) does not play well with Java 7.
Current versions I’m testing with: DRAC 4/P Firmware version 1.75, Java 6 Update 33, Java 7 Update 5
Solution
As Java6 and Java7 can coexist, the solution is to install Java 6 (if you don’t already have it installed) and temporarily disable Java 7. You can do this from the Java Control Panel found in the Windows Control Panel + Programs.
From the Java Control Panel:
Select the Java tab + View button + Uncheck Enabled for Platform 1.7 (Java 7) and leave Enabled checked for platform 1.6 (Java 6)
You may have to restart the browser (Note that DRAC is only supported on Internet Explorer)
Caveat
If you like me run a 64-bit system (Windows 7) and have 64-bit Java installed you may run into the same caveat I did: Only the 64-bit Java Control Panel is found in Windows Control Panel and only contains settings for 64-bit Java.
To change the Java 32-bit settings you need to open the 32-bit Java Control Panel (I guess another option is to manually add them to the 64-bit Java Control Panel). Go to the 32-bit (x86) Program Directory and run javacpl.exe, in my case:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin\javacpl.exe
Oct 15, 2012 @ 16:04:08
This was a very helpful post. I ran into this exact problem – attempting to use my DRAC v 4 and the DRAC web interface telling me my Java version wasn’t supported. Thanks for the help.
Nov 22, 2012 @ 07:27:28
I also found that if you are running Windows 7 (64 bit) you simply open IE (64 bit) and the console redirect works fine. I suspect you were running 32 bit version of IE.
Jan 18, 2013 @ 02:40:31
Good info. Perhaps some will find it rather troublesome (as i have) to have to go into the Windows CP to disable/enable v6 of the JVM each and every time you have to administer a Drac4. I came across how entering /cgi/vkvm at the end of the address (once logged in) will fire up the remote connection directly so bypassing the error.
Seems to me there is a check going on that prohibits use beyond v6 yet evidently it works.
Feb 06, 2013 @ 06:36:42
Access with URL below and pasting in browser URL bbar
https://x.x.x.x/cgi/vkvm
Found this via Google in another forum
Apr 16, 2013 @ 19:33:17
There is absolutely no technical reason Java 6 code will not run on Java 7 JVM. The “error” you are seeing is purely some check built into the Drac to verify the version of Java you are running (or that you are running Java at all). It likely was designed to check if no JVM was present, or a version too old ( = 6) {
// do some stuff
} else {
// wrong version
}