So you’re logged into a server remotely and you have no idea what kind of machine it is… If it’s a Dell, there’s a fairly easy way to get the service tag as long as you have root or administrator access. Here’s how!
From a Linux machine, type at the command line:
sudo dmidecode|grep "Serial Number"
From an VMWare ESX 4.0 server where you’re logged in via SSH, type at the command line:
esxcfg-info |grep Serial
Note: Don’t know how to set up SSH access to your ESX box? No worries! A future post will cover it!
From a Windows XP box, type at the command line:
wmic csproduct get vendor,name,identifyingnumber
Once you’ve got the service tag, head over to the Dell support site and query the tag. And then you’re in the know! This same trick is likely to work with other manufacturers who use service tags… But I caveat that with the confession that I haven’t had a chance to try it on any other brands yet.