Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter version 1.5 User Manual
Dell Management Plug-In for VMware vCenter
Version 1.5 User's Guide
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
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2012
Rev. A01
Contents
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings...................................................................................................2
1 Overview.......................................................................................................................................9
Dell Management Plug-in For VMware vCenter.......................................................................................................9
Key Features.............................................................................................................................................................9
How Does the Dell Management Plug-in Help With vCenter Administration..........................................................9
Dell Management Plug-in Features........................................................................................................................10
2 Dell Management Plug-in Configuration...............................................................................11
Security Roles And Permissions.............................................................................................................................11
Data Integrity....................................................................................................................................................11
Access Control Authentication, Authorization, And Roles...............................................................................11
Dell Operation Role..........................................................................................................................................12
Dell Infrastructure Deployment Role................................................................................................................12
Understanding Privileges.................................................................................................................................14
3 Understanding How To Configure or Edit the Dell Management Plug-in .......................17
Dell Management Plug-In Home Page...................................................................................................................17
Configuration Wizard Welcome Page....................................................................................................................18
Creating A New Connection Profile [Wizard].........................................................................................................18
Configuring Events And Alarms [Wizard]...............................................................................................................19
Setting Up A Proxy Server [Wizard]........................................................................................................................19
Scheduling Inventory Jobs [Wizard]......................................................................................................................20
Running A Warranty Retrieval Job [Wizard]..........................................................................................................20
Configuring the Deployment Credentials [Wizard].................................................................................................21
Setting The Default Firmware Update Repository [Wizard]...................................................................................21
Enabling The OMSA Link [Wizard]..........................................................................................................................22
Configuring Dell iDRAC Auto-Discovery And Initial Start-up.................................................................................22
Configuring NFS Shares..........................................................................................................................................23
Settings Overview...................................................................................................................................................23
General Settings Overview...............................................................................................................................23
Creating A New Connection Profile.................................................................................................................25
Configuring Events And Alarms .......................................................................................................................26
About Proxy Configuration...............................................................................................................................26
Running Inventory Jobs...................................................................................................................................27
Running A Warranty Retrieval Job...................................................................................................................28
Viewing or Editing Deployment Credentials.....................................................................................................28
Setting Up The Firmware Repository ...............................................................................................................29
Server Security Settings For Deployment........................................................................................................29
About Host, Bare Metal, and iDRAC Compliance Issues........................................................................................31
Running The Fix Non-Compliant vSphere Hosts Wizard..................................................................................31
Running The Fix Non-Compliant Bare Metal Server Wizard............................................................................32
iDRAC License Compliance..............................................................................................................................33
Upgrading Dell Management Plug-In For VMware VCenter..................................................................................33
Upgrading From Version 1.0 To 1.5...................................................................................................................33
Upgrade From Trial Version 1.5 To Full Product Version 1.5............................................................................34
Upgrading Dell Management Plug-in from 1.0.1 to 1.5.....................................................................................34
Upgrading Dell Management Plug-in from 1.0.1 Update 1 to 1.5......................................................................35
About Dell Management Plug-in Licensing............................................................................................................35
4 End-To-End Hardware Management.....................................................................................37
Monitoring the Datacenter And Host System.........................................................................................................37
Understanding Events And Alarms..................................................................................................................37
vSphere Client Host Overview................................................................................................................................41
About Inventory Schedule......................................................................................................................................43
Modifying An Inventory Job Schedule.............................................................................................................43
Displaying The Inventory For A Single Host System in vCenter.......................................................................43
Inventory And Licensing...................................................................................................................................45
Viewing Storage Inventory.....................................................................................................................................45
Viewing Host Power Monitoring.............................................................................................................................46
Displaying The Entire Datacenter Hardware Configuration And Status................................................................46
Managing Connection Profiles...............................................................................................................................46
Creating A New Connection Profile.................................................................................................................47
Viewing Or Editing An Existing Connection Profile..........................................................................................48
Deleting A Connection Profile..........................................................................................................................48
Testing A Connection Profile............................................................................................................................49
Refreshing A Connection Profile......................................................................................................................49
Understanding System Event Logs In vSphere Client Host View...........................................................................49
Displaying Logs in Dell Management Center...................................................................................................49
Displaying The Event Logs For An Individual Host...........................................................................................50
About Firmware Updates........................................................................................................................................51
Running The Firmware Update Wizard............................................................................................................51
Updating Older Firmware Versions .................................................................................................................52
Advanced Host Management Using vCenter.........................................................................................................53
Setting Up Physical Server Front Indicator Light.............................................................................................53
Server Based Management Tools....................................................................................................................53
Proactive Systems Management.....................................................................................................................54
Warranty Retrieval...........................................................................................................................................54
5 Zero-Touch Hardware Provisioning And Deployment........................................................57
Hardware Prerequisites..........................................................................................................................................57
Provisioning Overview............................................................................................................................................58
Understanding Deployment Job Times...................................................................................................................58
Server States Within The Deployment Sequence..................................................................................................58
Downloading Custom Dell ISO Images...................................................................................................................59
Understanding How To Configure A Hardware Profile..........................................................................................59
Enabling CSIOR On A Reference Server..........................................................................................................60
Creating A New Hardware Profile...................................................................................................................60
Cloning A New Hardware Profile.....................................................................................................................62
About Managing Hardware Profiles.......................................................................................................................62
Viewing Or Editing A Hardware Profile............................................................................................................63
Duplicating A Hardware Profile.......................................................................................................................63
Renaming A Hardware Profile..........................................................................................................................63
Deleting A Hardware Profile............................................................................................................................63
Refreshing An Updated Hardware Profile........................................................................................................63
Creating A New Hypervisor Profile.........................................................................................................................64
Managing Hypervisor Profiles................................................................................................................................65
Viewing Or Editing Hypervisor Profiles............................................................................................................65
Duplicating a Hypervisor Profiles.....................................................................................................................65
Renaming Hypervisor Profile............................................................................................................................65
Deleting A Hypervisor Profile...........................................................................................................................65
Refreshing Hypervisor Profiles........................................................................................................................66
Building A New Deployment Template...................................................................................................................66
Managing Deployment Templates...................................................................................................................66
Running The Deployment Wizard...........................................................................................................................67
Deployment Wizard - Step 1: Select Servers ..................................................................................................67
Deployment Wizard Step 2: Deployment Templates........................................................................................68
Deployment Wizard Step 3: Global Settings.....................................................................................................68
Deployment Wizard Step 4: Server Identification............................................................................................68
Deployment Wizard Step 5: Connection Profile...............................................................................................69
Deployment Wizard Step 6: Scheduling Jobs..................................................................................................69
Understanding Job Queue...............................................................................................................................70
Adding A Server Manually...............................................................................................................................71
Removing A Bare Metal Server........................................................................................................................71
6 Dell Management Plug-In Administration.............................................................................73
Web-based Administration Portal..........................................................................................................................73
Managing vCenter Server Connections.................................................................................................................73
Registering A vCenter Server...........................................................................................................................73
Uploading A Dell Management Plug-in License To The Administrative Portal...............................................74
Virtual Appliance Management..............................................................................................................................75
Restarting The Virtual Appliance.....................................................................................................................75
Updating A Repository Location And Virtual Appliance..................................................................................75
Updating The Virtual Appliance Software Version..........................................................................................76
Downloading Troubleshooting Bundle.............................................................................................................76
Setting Up The HTTP Proxy..............................................................................................................................76
Setting Up The NTP Servers.............................................................................................................................77
Generating A Certificate Signing Request.......................................................................................................77
Setting Up Global Alerts..........................................................................................................................................78
Managing Backup And Restore..............................................................................................................................79
Configuring Backup And Restore.....................................................................................................................79
Scheduling Automatic Backups.......................................................................................................................79
Performing An Immediate Backup...................................................................................................................80
Restoring The Database From A Backup.........................................................................................................80
Understanding vSphere Client Console Tab ..........................................................................................................80
Configuring Network Settings..........................................................................................................................80
Changing The Virtual Appliance Password......................................................................................................81
Setting The Local Time Zone............................................................................................................................81
Rebooting Virtual Appliance.............................................................................................................................81
Resetting The Virtual Appliance To Factory Settings......................................................................................81
Refresh Console Tab View...............................................................................................................................82
Read Only User Role.........................................................................................................................................82
7 Troubleshooting.........................................................................................................................83
Upgrading Issues....................................................................................................................................................83
Common Questions.................................................................................................................................................83
How Do I Test Event Settings By Using OMSA To Simulate A Temperature Hardware Fault?.......................83
I Have The OMSA Agent Installed On A Dell Host System, But I Still Get An Error Message That
OMSA Is Not Installed.What Should I Do?.......................................................................................................84
Can The Dell Management Plug-in Support ESX/ESXI with Lockdown Mode Enabled?.................................84
Inventory is Failing on Hosts ESXi 4.0 Update2 and ESXi Update 3 in Lockdown Mode After a Reboot..........84
When I tried to use lockdown mode, it failed...................................................................................................84
What Setting Should I Use For UserVars.CIMoeMProviderEnable With ESXi 4.1 U1?....................................85
I Am Using A Reference Server To Create A Hardware Profile But It Failed. What Should I Do?..................85
I Am Attempting To Deploy ESX/ESXi On A Blade Server And It Failed. What Should I Do?...........................85
Why Do I See Auto-discovered Systems Without Model Information In The Deployment Wizard.................85
The NFS Share Is Set Up With The ESX/ESXI ISO, But Deployment Fails With Errors Mounting The
Share Location.................................................................................................................................................85
How Do I Force Removal Of The Virtual Appliance?........................................................................................85
Entering A Password In The Backup Now Screen Receives An Error Message............................................86
In vSphere, Clicking The Dell Server Management Tab Or Dell Management Icon Returns A 404 Error.......86
My Firmware Update Failed. What Do I Do?....................................................................................................86
My vCenter Update Failed. What Can I Do?.....................................................................................................86
Performance during Connection Profile Test Credentials is extremely slow or unresponsive.......................86
Bare Metal Deployment Issues..............................................................................................................................87
Enabling Auto-Discovery On A Newly Purchased System..............................................................................87
Contacting Dell.......................................................................................................................................................87
Where To Get Additional Help For This Software...................................................................................................88
Dell Management Plug-in For VMware vCenter Related Information....................................................................88
8 Virtualization—Related Events...............................................................................................89
8
1
Overview
Dell Management Plug-in For VMware vCenter
VMware vCenter is the primary console used by IT administrators to manage and monitor VMware vSphere ESX/ESXi
hosts. In a standard virtualized environment, VMware alerts and monitoring are used to prompt an administrator to
launch a separate console to resolve hardware issues. Today, using the Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter,
administrators have new capabilities to manage and monitor Dell hardware within the virtualized environment, such as:
• Alerting and environment monitoring
• Single server monitoring and reporting
• Firmware updates
• Enhanced deployment options
Key Features
Dell customers can use the Dell Management Plug-in to perform:
Inventory Inventory key assets, perform configuration tasks, and provide cluster and datacenter views
of Dell platforms.
Monitoring and Alerting Detect key hardware faults, perform virtualization-aware actions (for example, migrate
workloads or place host in maintenance mode), and provide proactive resolutiosn based on
hardware events.
Firmware Updates Update Dell hardware to the most recent version of BIOS and firmware.
Deployment and
Provisioning
Service Information Retrieve warranty information from Dell online.
Create hardware profiles, hypervisor profiles, and deploy any combination of the two on
bare-metal Dell PowerEdge servers, remotely and without PXE—using vCenter.
How Does the Dell Management Plug-in Help With vCenter Administration
Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter provides additional virtualization functionality that supplements the
current vCenter administration functions:
• Compresses tasks and adds management processes, such as firmware updates and bare-metal deployment, to
the vCenter Server Administration Portal.
• Organizes deployment of multiple bare-metal servers without requiring Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).
• Provides additional intelligence (inventory, events, alarms) to diagnose server problems.
• Integrates with standard vCenter authentication, rules, and permissions.
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Dell Management Plug-in Features
The following are high-level features of the Dell Management Plug-in:
• Monitor Dell platforms using the standard vCenter event and alarm subsystem
• Perform advanced hardware management and configuration
• Perform zero touch deployment of hypervisors on bare-metal systems without using PXE
• Build hardware and hypervisor profiles
• Perform firmware updates
• Troubleshoot infrastructure issues
• Report at the Datacenter and Cluster view—export to CSV file
• Integrate Dell Management Plug-in capabilities with standard vCenter roles and permissions
Figure 1. Architecture Overview for the Dell Management Plug-in
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2
Dell Management Plug-in Configuration
The following sections provide step-by-step instructions for the Dell Management Plug-in initial configuration and
compliance. Upgrade, uninstallation, and security role information are also covered in the following sections.
Security Roles And Permissions
The Dell Management Plug-in encrypts and stores sensitive user credential information. It does not provide any
passwords to client applications to avoid any improper requests that could lead to issues. The database back-ups are
fully encrypted using custom security phrases, and therefore the data cannot be misused.
Data Integrity
Communication between the Dell Management Plug-in, virtual appliance, administration console, and vCenter is
accomplished using SSL/HTTPS. The Dell Management Plug-in generates an SSL certificate used for trusted
communication between vCenter and the appliance. It also verifies and trusts the vCenter server's certificate before
communication and the Dell Management Plug-in registration. The Dell Administration Portal uses security procedures
to avoid improper requests while the keys are transferred back and forth from the administration console and back-end
services. This type of security causes cross-site request forgeries to fail.
A secure administration console session has a five minute idle timeout, and the session is only valid in the current
browser window and/or tab. If the user tries to open the session in a new window or tab, a security error is created that
asks for a valid session. This action also prevents the user from clicking any malicious URL that could try to attack the
administration console session.
Figure 2. Error Message
Access Control Authentication, Authorization, And Roles
The Dell Management Plug-in uses the vSphere Client's current user session and the stored administration credentials
for the virtual appliance to perform vCenter operations. The administration and the virtual appliance consoles are also
accessible by using a strong administration password. The Dell Management Plug-in uses the vCenter server's built-in
roles and privileges model to authorize user actions with the virtual appliance and the vCenter managed objects (hosts
and clusters).
11
Figure 3. vCenter vSphere Client Roles and Privileges
Dell Operation Role
Contains the privileges/groups required to do general appliance and vCenter operations including firmware update,
hardware inventory, restart host, put host to maintenance mode, create vCenter task.
This role contains the following privilege groups.
Privilege Group - Dell.Configuration Privilege - Perform Host-Related Tasks, Perform VCenter-Related Tasks,
Configure SelLog, Configure ConnectionProfile, Configure ClearLed,
Firmware Update
Privilege Group - Dell.Inventory Privilege - Configure Inventory, Configure Warranty Retrieval, Configure
ReadOnly
Privilege Group - Dell.Monitoring Privilege - Configure Monitoring, Monitor
Privilege Group - Dell.Reporting (Not used) Privilege - Create a Report, Run a Report
Dell Infrastructure Deployment Role
This role contains the privileges specifically related to the hypervisor deployment features.
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Figure 4. Dell Infrastructure Deployment Role
The privileges this role provides are Create Template, Configure HW Configuration Profile, Configure Hypervisor
Deployment Profile, Configure Connection Profile, Assign Identity, and Deploy.
Privilege Group — Dell.Deploy Provisioning
Privilege Create Template, Configure HW Configuration Profile, Configure Hypervisor Deployment Profile, Configure
Connection Profile, Assign Identity, Deploy
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Understanding Privileges
Every action performed by the Dell Management Plug-in is associated to a privilege. The following sections list the
available actions and the associated privileges:
• Dell.Configuration.Perform VCenter-Related Tasks
– Exit and enter maintenance mode
– Get the vCenter user group to query the permissions
– Register and configure alerts, for example enable/disable alerts on the event settings page
– Post events/alerts to vCenter
– Configure event settings on the event settings page
– Restore default alerts on the event settings page
– Check DRS status on clusters while configuring alerts/events settings
– Reboot host after performing update or any other configuration action
– Monitor vCenter tasks status/progress
– Create vCenter tasks, for example firmware update task, host configuration task, and inventory task
– Update vCenter task status/progress
– Get host profiles
– Add host to data center
– Add host to cluster
– Apply profile to host
– Get CIM credentials
– Configure hosts for compliance
– Get the compliance tasks status
• Dell.Inventory.Configure ReadOnly
– Get all vCenter hosts to construct the vCenter tree while configuring connection profiles
– Check if the host is a Dell server when the tab is selected
– Get the vCenter's Address/IP
– Get host IP/Address
– Get the current vCenter session user based on the vSphere client session ID
– Get the vCenter inventory tree to display the vCenter inventory in a tree structure.
• Dell.Monitoring.Monitor
– Get host name for posting the event
– Perform the event log operations, for example get the event count, or change the event log settings
– Register, unregister, and configure events/alerts – Receive SNMP traps and post events
• Dell.Configuration.Firmware Update
– Perform firmware update
– Load firmware repository and DUP file information on the firmware update wizard page
– Query firmware inventory
– Configure firmware repository settings
– Configure staging folder and perform update using the staging feature
14
– Test the network and repository connections
• Dell.Deploy-Provisioning.Create Template
– Create, display, delete, and edit deployment templates
• Dell.Configuration.Perform Host-Related Tasks
– Blink LED, Clear LED, Configure OMSA URL from the Dell Server Management tab
– Launch OMSA Console
– Launch iDRAC Console
– Display and clear SEL log
• Dell.Inventory.Configure Inventory
– Display system inventory in the Dell Server Management tab
– Get storage details
– Get power monitoring details
– Create, display, edit, delete, and test connection profiles on the connection profiles page
– Schedule, update, and delete inventory schedule
– Run inventory on hosts
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16
3
Understanding How To Configure or Edit the Dell Management Plug-in
After you do the basic installation of the Dell Management Plug-in, it needs to be configured. This is typically done using
the Configuration Wizard, but you can also do it using the Settings page options in the Dell Management Center.
The user interface in both areas is similar except in the wizard you click
options you click
Configuration Tasks Using the Configuration Wizard
Use these tasks when configuring the Dell Management Plug-in using the Configuration Wizard:
1. Configuration Wizard Welcome Page
2. Creating A New Connection Profile
3. Configuring Events And Alarms
4. Setting Up A Proxy Server
5. Scheduling Inventory Jobs
6. Running A Warranty Retrieval Job
7. Configuring The Deployment Credentials
8. Setting The Default Firmware Update Repository
9. Enabling The OMSA Link
Apply
.
Save and Continue
, whereas in the Settings
Configuration Tasks Using the Settings Options
Use these tasks to set up or edit the Dell Management Plug-in configuration tasks:
• Creating A New Connection Profile
• Configuring Events And Alarms
• Setting Up A Proxy Server
• Modifying An Inventory Job Schedule
• Warranty Retrieval
• Viewing Or Editing Deployment Credentials
• Setting Up The Firmware Repository And Credentials
• Enabling The OMSA Link
Dell Management Plug-In Home Page
When you log in to the Dell Management Plug-in home page, the navigation buttons are in the left pane, and the right
pane provides useful links and information. This design provides key links into the tasks you do most often. While all
these tasks are found under the left-pane navigation, you can also find them on the home page for ease of use. The
tasks provided on this page belong to the following categories:
• Hosts and Server Deployment
This section provides more information hosts and server deployment.
• vSphere Host and Bare Metal Server Compliance
17
This section provides more information and lets you view details about non-compliant host or bare metal servers
or run the wizards to fix them.
• Inventory Schedule
In this section, you can learn more about inventory scheduling.
• Warranty Data Retrieval Schedule
This section lets you learn more or view/change warranty schedules.
• Licensing
This section lets you learn more about licensing. From there are links to the licensing tasks.
• Events and Alarms Settings
Learn more about event and alarm settings or take the link that lets you configure them.
• Host Connection Licenses
Here you can view the host connection licenses in real time. In addition, you can use the Buy Now link to
purchase a full version license to manage more than one host. The Buy Now link only appears if you are using a
demo license.
Configuration Wizard Welcome Page
After you install the Dell Management Plug-in, it must be configured.
1. In the vSphere Client, under Management, click the Dell Management icon.
2. The first time you run the Dell Management Icon, it opens the Configuration Wizard. You can also access this
wizard on the Dell Management Center → Settings page.
3. In the Welcome tab, review the steps you will step through, and then click Next.
Creating A New Connection Profile [Wizard]
A connection profile stores the credentials that the virtual appliance uses to communicate with Dell servers. Each Dell
server must be associated with a connection profile to be managed by the Dell Management Plug-in. You may assign
multiple servers to a single connection profile. Creating the Connection Profile is similar between the Configuration
Wizard and from the Dell Management Center, Settings option.
NOTE: With this release, and with installations on hosts that are version 12G and above, OMSA agent installation is
not required. For installations on 11G hosts, OMSA agent is now automatically installed during the deployment
process.
To create a new connection profile using the wizard:
1. From the Connection Profiles tab, click Create New.
2. In the Profile Name and Description panel, enter the Profile Name and an optional Description that are used to help
manage custom connection profiles, and then click
3. In the Associated Hosts panel, select the hosts for the connection profile and click Next.
4. View the information about credentials and connection protocols and click Next.
5. In the iDRAC panel, enter the iDRAC credential information.
a) Enter the User Name, Password, and Verify Password. The passwords must match and use ASCII-printable
characters only.
NOTE: Passwords cannot exceed 20 characters and cannot contain any special characters.
b) For Certificate Check, select Enable to download and store the iDRAC certificate and validate it during all future
connections, or select Disable to perform no check and not store the certificate.
You need to select Enable if you are using Active Directory.
Next.
18
6. Click Next.
7. In the Host Root Credentials panel, do the following:
a) Enter the User Name, Password, and Verify Password. The passwords must match.
NOTE: Passwords cannot exceed 31 characters and cannot contain any special characters.
NOTE: For servers that do not have either an iDRAC Express or Enterprise card, the iDRAC test connection result
states
Not Applicable for this system
NOTE: The OMSA credentials are the same credentials used for ESX and ESXi hosts.
b) For Certificate Check, select Enable to download and store the OMSA certificate and validate it during all future
connections, or select Disable to perform no check and not store the certificate. Select Enable if you use Active
Directory.
8. Click Next.
9. The Test Connection window tests the entered iDRAC and Host Root Credentials on the selected servers. Do one of
the following:
– To begin the test, click Test Selected The other options are inactive.
– To stop the tests click Abort Tests.
10. To complete the profile, click Save.
11. To continue on to configure Events and Alarms, click Save and Continue.
.
Configuring Events And Alarms [Wizard]
Configure events and alarms using the Configuration Wizard or from the Dell Management Center, Settings option for
Events and Alarms.
NOTE: On hosts prior to 12G, this feature requires that the virtual appliance is configured as a trap destination in
OMSA to display host events in vCenter.
To configure events and alarms:
1. In the Configuration Wizard, under Event Posting Levels, select one of the following:
– Do not post any events - Block hardware events.
– Post All Events - Post all hardware events.
– Post only Critical and Warning Events - Post only critical or warning level hardware events.
– Post only Virtualization-Related Critical and Warning Events - Post only virtualization-related critical and
warning events; this is the default event posting level.
2. To enable all hardware alarms and events, select the Enable Alarms for Dell Hosts check box.
NOTE: Dell hosts that have alarms enabled respond to critical events by entering maintenance mode.
3. In the dialog box that displays, click Continue to accept this change, or click Cancel.
NOTE: This step is only seen if Enable Alarms For Dell Hosts is selected.
4. To restore the default vCenter alarm settings for all managed Dell servers, click Restore Default Alarms.
It may take up to a minute before the change takes effect.
5. To continue the wizard, click Save and Continue.
Setting Up A Proxy Server [Wizard]
Set the proxy server in the Configuration Wizard or later using the Dell Management Center Settings → Proxy page.
19
To set up a proxy server:
1. In the Configure HTTP Proxy window, do one of the following:
– To not use a proxy server, click Save and Continue.
– To use a proxy server, under Settings enter a Proxy Server Address.
2. Enter the Proxy Port number.
3. Select the Credentials Required check box, if needed.
4. If you selected Credentials Required, do the following:
a) In the Proxy User Name text box, type the proxy user name.
b) In the Proxy Password text box, type the proxy password.
c) In the Proxy Verify Password text box, re-type the proxy password.
5. Under Proxy, select the Use Proxy check box.
6. To save these options and continue, click Save and Continue.
Scheduling Inventory Jobs [Wizard]
The inventory schedule configuration is similar between the Configuration Wizard and from the Dell Management
Center, Settings option. The only difference is that the wizard supplies an option to select if you want to run the inventory
immediately.
NOTE: It is recommended to schedule a weekly inventory job at minimum; otherwise, hardware information
displayed in the Dell Management Plug-in may be outdated. The inventory job consumes minimal resources and
will not degrade host performance.
To schedule an inventory job:
1. In the Configuration Wizard, in the Inventory Schedule window, do one of the following:
– To run inventory schedules, click On Selected Days.
– To not run inventory schedules, select Do not run inventory on Dell hosts.
2. If you selected On Selected Days, then do the following:
a) Select the check box next to each day of the week that you want to run the inventory.
b) In the text box, enter the time in HH:MM format.
The time you enter is your local time. Calculate the time difference you need to run the inventory collection at
the proper time.
3. To automatically run the inventory task once the wizard is complete, select the Run inventory at the end of the
wizard [Recommended] check box.
4. To apply the changes and continue, click Save and Continue.
Running A Warranty Retrieval Job [Wizard]
The warranty retrieval job configuration is similar between the wizard and from the Dell Management Center, Settings
option. The only difference is that the wizard supplies an option to run the warranty retrieval job immediately. In addition,
you can run the Warranty Retrieval Job now, from Job Queue.
To run a warranty retrieval job:
1. In the Configuration Wizard, on the Warranty Schedule window, do one of the following:
– To run warranty schedules, click On Selected Days.
20
– To not run warranty schedules, select Do not run inventory on Dell hosts.
2. If you selected On Selected Days, then do the following:
a) Select the text box next to each day of the week that you want to run the warranty jobs.
b) In the text box, enter the time in HH:MM format.
The time you enter is your local time. Calculate the time difference you need to run the warranty jobs at the
proper time.
3. To automatically run the warranty jobs once the wizard is complete, select the Run inventory at the end of the
wizard [Recommended] check box.
4. To apply the changes and continue, click Save and Continue.
Configuring the Deployment Credentials [Wizard]
Deployment credentials are used to securely communicate with a bare metal system, using the iDRAC from initial
discovery until the end of the deployment process. Once deployment completes, the credentials are changed to those in
the connection profile matched to the bare-metal system from the Deployment wizard. If the deployment credentials are
changed, all newly discovered systems from that point on are provisioned with the new credentials; however, the
credentials on servers discovered prior to the change are not affected.
To configure the deployment credentials:
1. In the Deployment Credential window you can view or change the credentials. The bare metal server switches from
these credentials to those specified in the Connection Profile.
2. To change these credentials, under Credentials for Bare Metal Server Deployment, do the following:
a) In the User name text box, edit the user name.
b) In the Password text box, edit the password.
c) In the Verify Password, text box, confirm the password.
3. To save the specified credentials and continue with the Configuration Wizard, click Save and Continue.
Setting The Default Firmware Update Repository [Wizard]
Firmware repository settings contain the firmware catalog location used to update deployed servers. You can set up
firmware initially here in the wizard or later from the Dell Management Center Settings option. You run the update later
from the Dell Server Management tab.
To set the default firmware update repository:
1. In the Configuration Wizard, on the Firmware Repository page, to choose the default repository for firmware
updates, select one of the following:
– Dell Online
This uses the default firmware update repository of Dell online (ftp.dell.com) with a required staging folder.
The Dell Management Plug-in downloads selected firmware updates and stores them in the staging folder,
and then they are applied as necessary.
– Local/shared repository
These are created with the Dell Repository Manager application. These local repositories should be
located on Windows-based file shares.
2. If you selected Local/shared repository, do the following:
a) Enter the Catalog File Location using the following format:
* NFS share for xml file: host:/share/filename.xml
* NFS share for gz file: /share/filename.gz
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* CIFS share for xml file: \\host\share\filename.xml
* CIFS share for gz file: \\host\share\filename.gz
b) If using a CIFS share, enter the User Name, Password, and Verify Password; the passwords must match. These
fields are only active when entering a CIFS share.
NOTE: The @ character is not supported for use in shared network folder user names/passwords.
c) To validate your entries click Begin Test.
3. To save this selection and continue the Configuration Wizard, click Save and Continue.
Enabling The OMSA Link [Wizard]
To launch OMSA within the Dell Management Plug-in virtual appliance, the OMSA Web Server must be installed and
configured. See the
configure the Web Server.
NOTE: OMSA is only required on Dell servers prior to version 12G.
You can use OMSA to:
• Manage vCenter elements (detailed sensor/component-level health information).
• Clear command logs and system event logs (SELs).
• Obtain NIC statistics.
• Make sure that the Dell Management Plug-in captures events from a selected host.
1. In the Configuration Wizard, on the OpenManage Server Admin page, use the OMSA Web Server URL text box to
enter the OMSA URL. You must include the full URL including the HTTPS.
2. To save this URL and finish the Configuration Wizard, click Finish.
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Installation Guide
for instructions on how to install and
Configuring Dell iDRAC Auto-Discovery And Initial Start-up
NOTE: For Auto-Discovery and handshake to run, disable all users with admin-level access. Additionally, if the
deployment credentials in the appliance match those of an existing user, then the password of the existing user
changes to match the appliance credentials.
To configure Dell iDRAC Auto-Discovery and initial start up:
1. Log in to the iDRAC user interface.
2. In the left tree menu, click Remote Access.
3. In the main pane - upper tabs, click Network/Security.
4. Click the Users sub tab, and select the user to edit by selecting the user ID link.
5. Make sure that the Configure User option button is selected, and continue to the next page.
6. To configure the user, do one of the following:
– To disable a user, uncheck the Enable User check box and then click Apply.
– To enable a user, check the Enable User check box and then click Apply.
7. Manually close the iDRAC user interface, then reboot the system and log back in.
8. After the system reboots, when the iDRAC IP address is displayed, press <CTRL-E>.
9. Go to LAN USER CONFIGURATION and set the Auto Discovery Flag to Enable.
Make sure the iDRAC administrator accounts are disabled. Alternatively, to set up the network for Auto-Discovery
and handshake, refer to the Dell Auto-Discovery Network Setup Specification located at: http://
www.delltechcenter.com/page/Lifecycle+Controller.
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10. In the Provisioning server field, enter the virtual appliance IP address, and then press Enter.
11. To initiate discovery and initial start up, click Save.
Configuring NFS Shares
To use NFS shares with the Dell Management Plug-in for backup and restore operations, firmware updates, and as a
staging folder, there are certain configuration items that you must complete. CIFS shares do not require additional
configuration.
To configure NFS shares:
1. On the machine hosting the NFS shares, edit /etc/exports to add: /share/path <appliance IP> (rw) *(ro).
This allows the virtual appliance full read and write access to the share, but limits all other users to read only.
2. Start nfs services:
service portmap start
service nfs start
service nfslock status
NOTE: The steps above may vary depending on the Linux distribution in use.
3. If any of the services were already running:
exportfs -ra
Settings Overview
The Dell Management Plug-in Settings section:
• Lists the Dell Management Plug-in configuration settings.
• Starts the initial Configuration Wizard that steps you through the Management Plug-In features necessary to
manage and deploy servers in VMware vCenter.
• Starts the Management Plug-In administration portal that lets you perform vCenter registration, virtual appliance
management, alert management, and backup/restore of the plug-in database.
Related Tasks:
• General: Set the OMSA URL that displays on the Dell Hosts tab in vCenter. You can also enable or disable
Proactive Systems Management or Warranty Expiration Notification.
• Events And Alarms: Enables or disables all hardware alarms (current alert status is displayed on the Alarms tab).
Also configures incoming event and alert filtering.
• Proxy: Enable or disable proxy usage during communication with Internet sites.
• Inventory Schedule: Sets vCenter Host Inventory Schedule.
• Warranty Schedule: Sets warranty information retrieval schedule for Dell hosts from Dell Online.
• Deployment Credentials: Sets up credentials to be used for communication with Dell servers during initial
discovery and bare metal server deployment.
• Firmware Repository: Lets you edit where your firmware updates are stored.
• Security: Provides a server white list that limits the servers that are deployed.
General Settings Overview
General settings are used to:
• Define the OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) URL.
• Enable Proactive Systems Management software.
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• Enable or Disable Warranty Expiration Notification.
The OMSA software can be used to:
NOTE: OMSA software is only required on Dell servers prior to version 12G.
• Manage vCenter elements (detailed sensor, component-level health information).
• Clear command logs and system event logs (SELs).
• Obtain NIC statistics.
• Make sure that the Dell Management Plug-in captures events from a selected host.
Proactive Systems Management is a free remote-support software that is used to:
• Monitor potential hardware failures
• Alert you of potential problems within five minutes of detection.
• Help you uncover and analyze problems with automated diagnostics.
• Provide proactive dispatch of qualified parts, direct from Dell.
• Help accelerate resolution by automatically generating a support case when a hardware fault is detected.
• Provide advance notification of upcoming service contract expirations.
• Provide a consolidate view of the IT environment.
• Allow corrective action to be taken to minimize downtime.
Warranty Expiration Notification can be used to:
• Monitor the warranty expiration date.
• Set a minimum number of warranty days left threshold beyond which either a warning or critical alert is
generated. The alert appears as an icon on the host's Dell Server Management tab.
Related Tasks:
• Enabling The OMSA Link
• Enabling Proactive Systems Management
• Enable or Disable Warranty Expiration Notification
Enabling The OMSA Link Outside the Configuration Wizard
To launch OMSA within the Dell Management Plug-in virtual appliance, the OMSA Web Server must be installed and
configured. See the
instructions on how to install and configure the Web Server.
NOTE: OMSA is only required on Dell servers prior to version 12G.
To enable the OMSA link:
1. In the Dell Management Plug-in → Settings → General under OMSA Launcher, click Edit.
2. Use the OMSA Web Server URL text box to enter the URL for OMSA. You must include the full URL including the
HTTPS.
3. To save this URL, click Apply.
For information about setting up an OMSA trap destination, see Setting Up An OMSA Trap Destination.
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Installation Guide
for the version of OMSA in use for
Enable or Disable Server Warranty Expiration Notification
Warranty settings control when server warranty information is retrieved from Dell online by enabling or disabling the
warranty schedule and then setting the Minimum Days Threshold alert. Use this page to enable or disable server
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warranty expiration notifications for hosts and clusters. Set or edit this feature in the Dell Management Center on the
Settings, General Page.
To enable or disable server warranty expiration notification:
1. In the Dell Management Center, click Settings → General.
2. In the General page, to enable notifications, select the Enable Warranty Status Notifications check box.
3. To set the Minimum Days Threshold Alert do the following:
a) To set warnings, in the Warnings drop-down list select the number of days for warnings about server warranty
status.
b) To set critical license status, in the Critical drop-down list set the number of days for warning of critical server
warranty status.
4. To apply the changes, click Apply.
Creating A New Connection Profile
A connection profile stores the credentials that the virtual appliance uses to communicate with Dell servers. Each Dell
server must be associated with only one connection profile to be managed by the Dell Management Plug-in. You may
assign multiple servers to a single connection profile. Creating the Connection Profile is similar between the
Configuration Wizard and from the Dell Management Center → Settings. You can run the Configuration Wizard when
you first access the Dell Management Console, or run it later on the Settings window.
NOTE: With this release, and with installations on hosts that are version 12G and later, OMSA agent installation is
not required. For installations on 11G hosts, OMSA agent is now automatically installed during the deployment
process.
To create a new connection profile:
1. In the Dell Management Center, in the left pane, click Connection Profiles.
2. Under Available Profiles, click Create New.
3. In the New Connection Profile window, enter the Profile Name and an optional Description that are used to help
manage custom connection profiles, and then click Next.
4. For Associated Hosts, using the check boxes, select the hosts for the connection profile and click Next.
5. In the Credentials window, view the information about credentials and connection protocols and click Next.
6. In the iDRAC window, enter the iDRAC credential information.
a) Enter the User Name, Password, and Verify Password. The passwords must match and use ASCII-printable
characters only.
NOTE: Passwords cannot exceed 20 characters, and cannot contain any special characters.
b) For Certificate Check, to download and store the iDRAC certificate and validate it during all future connections,
select Enable, or select Disable to perform no check and not store the certificate.
You need to select Enable if you are using Active-Directory.
7. Click Next.
8. In the Host Root Credentials window, do the following:
a) Enter the User Name, Password, and Verify Password. The passwords must match.
NOTE: Passwords cannot exceed 31 characters, and cannot contain any special characters.
NOTE: For servers that do not have either an iDRAC Express or Enterprise card, the iDRAC test connection result
states
Not Applicable for this system
.
NOTE: The OMSA credentials are the same credentials as those used for ESX and ESXi hosts.
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b) For Certificate Check, to download and store the OMSA certificate and validate it during all future connections,
select Enable , or select Disable to perform no check and not store the certificate. Select Enable if you use
Active Directory.
9. Click Next.
10. The Test Connection window tests the entered iDRAC and Host Root Credentials on the selected servers. Do one of
the following:
– To begin the test, click Test Selected. The other options are inactive.
– To stop the tests click Abort Tests.
11. To complete the profile, click Save.
To manage connection profiles, see Managing Connection Profiles.
Configuring Events And Alarms
The Dell Management Center Events and Alarms page enables or disables all hardware alarms. The current alert status
is displayed on the vCenter Alarms tab. A critical event indicates actual or imminent data loss or system malfunction. A
warning event is not necessarily significant, but may indicate a possible future problem. Events and alarms can also be
enabled using the VMware Alarm Manager. Events are displayed on the vCenter Tasks & Events tab in the Hosts and
Clusters view.
NOTE: On hosts prior to 12G, this feature requires that the virtual appliance is configured as a trap destination in
OMSA to display host events in vCenter. For more information on OMSA, see
Destination.
You can configure events and alarms using in the Dell Management Center under the Settings option for Events and
Alarms.
To configure events and alarms:
Setting Up An OMSA Trap
1. In the Dell Management Center, under Settings → Events and Alarms , click Edit.
2. Under Event Posting Levels, select one of the following:
– Do not post any events - Block hardware events.
– Post All Events - Post all hardware events.
– Post only Critical and Warning Events - Post only critical or warning level hardware events.
– Post only Virtualization-Related Critical and Warning Events - Post only virtualization-related critical and
warning events; this is the default event posting level.
3. To enable all hardware alarms and events, select the Enable Alarms for Dell Hosts check box.
NOTE: Dell hosts that have alarms enabled respond to critical events by entering maintenance mode.
4. In the dialog box that displays, click Continue to accept this change, or click Cancel.
5. To restore the default vCenter alarm settings for all managed Dell servers, click Restore Default Alarms.
It may take up to a minute before the change takes effect.
6. To save, click Save.
About Proxy Configuration
The proxy settings define the HTTP proxy and any required credentials used to retrieve information from the Web
(including from Dell online), such as:
• Enable or disable the proxy server
• Enter the proxy server and port number needed
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• Define any required credentials - user name and password
NOTE: Proxy passwords cannot exceed 31 characters.
Related Tasks:
• Setting Up A Proxy Server
• Using The HTTP Proxy For Retrieving Web Based Data
• Setting Up The HTTP Proxy Using The Administration Console
Setting Up A Proxy Server
Set up the proxy server in the Configuration Wizard or later using the Settings option, Proxy.
NOTE: Proxy passwords cannot exceed 31 characters.
To set up a proxy server:
1. In the Dell Management Center, select Settings → Proxy , and then click Edit.
2. In the Configure HTTP Proxy window, do one of the following:
– To not use a proxy server, click Save and Continue.
– To use a proxy server, under Settings enter a Proxy Server Address.
3. Enter the Proxy Port number.
4. Select the Credentials Required check box, if needed.
5. If you selected Credentials Required, do the following:
a) In the Proxy User Name text box, enter the proxy user name.
b) In the Proxy Password text box, enter the proxy password.
c) In the Proxy Verify Password text box, re-enter the proxy password you just typed.
6. Under Proxy, select the Use Proxy check box.
7. To save these options, click, Save.
Using The HTTP Proxy For Retrieving Web Based Data
To use the HTTP proxy for retrieving Web based data:
1. In the Dell Management Center, select Settings → Proxy , and then click Edit.
2. Select the Use Proxy check box.
3. Click Apply.
4. To validate settings, click Test Connection.
Running Inventory Jobs
To run an inventory job:
1. Once the Configuration Wizard is complete, click Job Queue → Inventory → Run Now to immediately run an
inventory job.
2. To see the status of the inventory job, click Refresh.
3. Navigate to the Host and Cluster view, click on any Dell host, then click the Dell Server Management tab. The
following info should be available:
– Overview Page
– System Event Log
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– Hardware Inventory
– Storage
– Firmware
– Power Monitoring
– Warranty Status
The following host commands work within the Dell Server Management tab or by right clicking on a host:
– Blink Indicator Light
– Run Firmware Update Wizard
– Launch Remote Access
– Launch OMSA Plug-In Configuration
– Launch CMC
– Renew Warranty
– Proactive Systems Management
Running A Warranty Retrieval Job
The warranty retrieval job configuration is similar between the wizard and from the Dell Management Center → Settings
option. The only difference is that the wizard supplies an option to run the warranty retrieval job immediately. After
running the wizard you can edit at anytime from the Dell Management Center → Settings → Warranty Schedule page.
You can run the Warranty Retrieval job now from the Job Queue → Warranty History page.
To schedule a warranty retrieval job:
1. In the Dell Management Center select Settings → Warranty Schedule.
2. In the Warranty Schedule window, click Edit.
3. To configure the schedule, do one of the following:
a) To run Warranty Schedules, click On Selected Days.
b) To not run Warranty Schedules, select Do not run inventory on Dell hosts.
4. If you selected On Selected Days, then do the following:
a) Select the check box next to each day of the week that you want to run the warranty jobs.
b) In the text box, enter the time in HH:MM format.
The time you enter is your local time. Calculate the time difference you need to run the warranty jobs at the
proper time.
5. To run the warranty jobs now, navigate to Job Queue → Warranty History and then click Run Now.
Viewing or Editing Deployment Credentials
In Dell Management Center, you can edit the deployment credentials. Deployment credentials are used to securely
communicate with a bare-metal system using the iDRAC from initial discovery, until the end of the deployment process.
Once deployment completes, the credentials are changed to those in the connection profile matched to the bare-metal
system from the deployment wizard. If the deployment credentials are changed, all newly discovered systems from that
point on will be provisioned with the new credentials - the credentials on servers discovered prior to the change of
credentials are not affected by this change. The user name should be 16 characters or less (only ASCII printable
characters). The password should be 20 characters or less (only ASCII printable characters).
To view or edit deployment credentials:
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