How to Play Back iDRAC Boot Capture (.rfb) Files

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Dell iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller) allows users to capture boot sequences for troubleshooting purposes. These files are saved in a proprietary .rfb format, which cannot be opened by standard media players like VLC or Windows Media Player. To view these recordings, you must use the specialized HTML5 RFB Player.

Environment

VMware NSX

VMware vSphere ESXi

Cause

Boot capture files are generated by the iDRAC troubleshooting interface during system crashes or boot cycles. Because these files use the Remote Frame Buffer protocol rather than standard video encoding, they require a dedicated browser-based interpreter to render the session playback.

Resolution

To view your bootcapture.rfb file, follow these steps using the Dell HTML5 RFB Player:

1. Download the HTML_5_RFB_PLAYER,zip attached to this case and extract its contents into a local folder on your computer. which was downloaded from IDRAC page a the top right hand corner
2. Navigate to the extracted folder and open the index.html file using any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge).
3. Within the browser interface, click the prompt to select your video capture file. Locate and select the bootcapture.rfb file from your system.
4. Once the file is uploaded to the local player interface, use the on-screen controls to replay the boot sequence and analyze the system behavior.