SYSTEMS MANAGEMENTinterface (CLI) and Web-based graphical user interface (GUI). OMSAprovides in-band management of PowerEdge servers, operatingwhen the server OS is up and running normally. OMSA performstwo major functions:• Standards-based instrumentation: Monitors server subsystemhealth, reports inventory, enables server configuration,diagnoses the server, and alerts administrators about failuresand warning conditions• Local server console: Supports secure server operations viathe CLI and GUIOMSA subsystems include the Storage Management service formanaging a server’s RAID storage and Online Diagnostic services fordiagnosing server hardware without taking the server offline. OMSADell works with industryleaders in systemsmanagement to enablegroup and enterprisemanagement systemsto inventory, monitor, andmanage PowerEdge systems.instrumentation providesmanagement information,fault alerts, server configuration,and control functions forapplications running on themanagement console. Theseapplications can include DellOpenManage IT Assistant,group management consolessuch as Microsoft OperationsManager, and enterprisemanagement solutions suchas Computer Associates (CA)Unicenter. Dell providesversions of OMSA forleading server operating systems, including Microsoft Windows ®2000 Server and Windows Server 2003, Red Hat ® EnterpriseLinux ®, and Novell® NetWare ® platforms. OMSA is delivered on theDell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD.Dell OpenManage IT AssistantDell OpenManage IT Assistant (ITA) provides an integrated viewof the comprehensive suite of Dell client and server monitoringand reporting tools. ITA discovers Dell clients and servers, gathersinventory, monitors system health status, and alerts administratorsabout system failures via e-mail and paging.ITA also supports group change management for PowerEdgeservers as detailed in the “Server change management with DellOpenManage” section in this article. ITA is installed on a client orserver running Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, orWindows Server 2003. Beginning with version 7, the ITA user interfaceis accessible from clients running Microsoft Internet Exploreror the Mozilla Web browser. ITA is delivered on the Dell SystemsManagement Consoles CD.Integration with other management applicationsDell works with industry leaders in systems management to enablegroup and enterprise management systems to inventory, monitor,and manage PowerEdge systems. Integrated support is available forthe following applications: Microsoft Operations Manager, AltirisServer Management Suite software, CA Unicenter, HP OpenView,and IBM ® Tivoli Enterprise Console.Server change management with Dell OpenManageOne of the biggest challenges for today’s IT environments is changemanagement: updating system, OS, and application software to keepit current and secure. The Dell OpenManage suite is designed to helpmaintain PowerEdge systems with single-server change management;multi-server change management; and integrated hardware,OS, and application change management. Components for serverchange management include the Dell Server Update Utility, ITAchange-management services, and integrated change-managementsolutions from Altiris and Microsoft.Dell Server Update UtilityTo simplify the update of a single server, Dell provides a CD-basedtool called the Server Update Utility (SUU). After SUU is loaded ontoa server, it inventories the Dell firmware and drivers on that server;compares the installed firmware and drivers to the content of theSUU CD; and, if an update is required, automates the update processand any needed reboot of that server. SUU is designed to simplifysingle-server updates through features such as inventories, reportsand recommendations, and checks for prerequisite conditions. SUUis delivered on the Dell PowerEdge Updates CD.Dell OpenManage IT Assistant multi-server updatesFor organizations that have deployed a significant number ofPowerEdge servers, automation is essential to avoid performingthe time-consuming task of single-server updates. To enable Dellfirmware and driver updates for multiple servers, ITA 7 (or later)provides capabilities to inventory multiple Dell servers, identifyservers that require updates, and update those servers from theITA console. ITA uses the content of the Dell PowerEdge UpdatesCD to create a repository of firmware and drivers that it comparesagainst the installed PowerEdge servers. ITA works in conjunctionwith OMSA to conduct the inventory and update the servers. Note:ITA change management focuses on managing only Dell firmwareand drivers; change management of server operating systems andapplication software requires the use of an integrated changemanagementsolution.Integrated change-management solutionsTo further standardization of the change-management process forserver software, Dell provides a partner developer kit with features12DELL <strong>POWER</strong> <strong>SOLUTIONS</strong> Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. August 2005
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENTSYSTEMS MANAGEMENTthat enable Dell server updates: interfaces for inventorying serverfirmware and drivers, comparisons between inventory results andthe latest updates, and mechanisms to install updated server firmwareand drivers.Dell has worked directly with industry leaders Microsoft andAltiris to enable their change-management solutions not only toupdate Dell server OS and application software, but also to helpmanage change for Dell server firmware and drivers. Microsoftand Altiris are delivering integrated change-management solutionsthat are designed to manage all software on Dell servers—enablingorganizations to simplify IT operations by using a single processto maintain Dell server firmware, drivers, OS software, andapplications.Advanced systems management toolsfor the scalable enterpriseAs enterprises continue to grow in scale and complexity, administratorsmust simplify operations to take control of the IT infrastructureand meet fast-changing business requirements. By understandinghow to use highly instrumented clients, servers, and storage systemstogether with integrated, standards-based systems managementsolutions, administrators can proactively manage servers and clientsthroughout the complete system life cycle. The core Dell tool set discussedin this article, together with integrated systems managementsolutions from Dell partners such as Altiris and Microsoft, can helpadministrators automate tasks and optimize IT investments—freeingvaluable resources to focus on strategic business initiatives. Paul Rubin is a senior product planner in the Dell OpenManage marketinggroup. He is responsible for long-range planning of Dell systems managementproducts including system instrumentation, base management, remoteaccess, and standardization. Paul has a B.A. in Computer Science from TheUniversity of Texas at Austin. Terry Myers is a senior marketing manager in the Dell outbound marketinggroup. He is responsible for global marketing programs and messagingin support of Dell systems management products. Terry has a bachelor’sdegree in business and an M.B.A.FOR MORE INFORMATIONDell scalable enterprise strategy:www.dell.com/enterpriseDell OpenManage systems management framework:www.dell.com/openmanageDell standards-based solutions:www.dell.com/standards Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc.All rights reserved.
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