Is it Possible to Configure a Dell DRAC from Windows (without Rebooting)

First, make sure you can see the PERC controller and disks under the "Storage" part of the menu on the left side of the screen. If you can't see the controller and drives, then your PERC firmware probably needs to be updated.

Once you have determined that your server storage is visible to OpenManage/ServerAdministrator, you can click on "Storage" (or "System") on the left side of the screen and you should have a "Diagnostics" tab that appears towards the top. From here you can run diagnostic tests on all hardware components in the server including your PERC controller and array disks without rebooting the server.

I have never done this until right now and just finished a test on my 2850. I am using Dell OpenManage Server Administrator v4.4.0 and my PERC 4e/Di is at firmware version 521S.

DRAC cards just use a full or half length PCI slot, depending on the model, so they should fit in the machine if you have them. Whether they work is a different matter, often different models of DRAC cards are only compatible with specific server models. Also to use them you need the Dell Openmanage software, which is usually only included with Dell servers.

If you look at the Dell specs for the DRAC cards, they mention specific models, so I think you may be out of luck: