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Dell SupportAssist
Version 1.1 User's Guide
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2012 Dell Inc.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the Dell logo, Dell Boomi™, Dell Precision™ , OptiPlex™, Latitude™, PowerEdge™, PowerVault™, PowerConnect™, OpenManage™, EqualLogic™, Compellent™, KACE™, FlexAddress™, Force10™ and Vostro™ are trademarks of Dell Inc. Intel®, Pentium®, Xeon®, Core® and Celeron® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. AMD® is a registered trademark and AMD Opteron™, AMD Phenom™ and AMD Sempron™ are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows Server®, Internet Explorer®, MS-DOS®, Windows Vista® and Active Directory® are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat® and Red Hat®
Enterprise Linux® are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novell® and SUSE® are registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Oracle® is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Citrix®, Xen®, XenServer® and XenMotion® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. VMware®, Virtual SMP®, vMotion®, vCenter® and vSphere® are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries. IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
2012 - 10
Rev. A00
Contents
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings................................................................................................... |
2 |
1 Overview....................................................................................................................................... |
5 |
Key Features............................................................................................................................................................. |
5 |
Features Supported With Dell Service Contracts..................................................................................................... |
5 |
Case Data Handling.................................................................................................................................................. |
6 |
Event Handling.......................................................................................................................................................... |
6 |
Data Collected ......................................................................................................................................................... |
6 |
What's New In This Release.................................................................................................................................... |
7 |
Other Documents You May Need............................................................................................................................. |
7 |
Contacting Dell......................................................................................................................................................... |
7 |
2 Installing, Upgrading, And Uninstalling Dell SupportAssist................................................. |
9 |
Prerequisites............................................................................................................................................................. |
9 |
Minimum Requirements............................................................................................................................................ |
9 |
Software............................................................................................................................................................. |
9 |
Hardware.......................................................................................................................................................... |
10 |
Network............................................................................................................................................................ |
10 |
Downloading The Installation Package.................................................................................................................. |
10 |
Installing Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................................... |
10 |
Installing Dell SupportAssist Using The Dell SupportAssist Installation Package.......................................... |
11 |
Installing Dell SupportAssist Using The OpenManage Essentials Installation Package................................. |
13 |
Verifying The Installation........................................................................................................................................ |
14 |
Upgrading Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................................. |
14 |
Uninstalling Dell SupportAssist.............................................................................................................................. |
15 |
3 Using Dell SupportAssist......................................................................................................... |
17 |
Launching Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................................. |
17 |
Case List Report...................................................................................................................................................... |
17 |
Viewing The Case List Report.......................................................................................................................... |
18 |
Customizing The Case List Display Data.......................................................................................................... |
19 |
Device Inventory Report......................................................................................................................................... |
20 |
Viewing The Device Inventory Report.............................................................................................................. |
20 |
Customizing The Device Inventory Display Data............................................................................................. |
20 |
Refreshing The Case List Or Device Inventory Display Data.................................................................................. |
21 |
Configuring E-Mail Notification Preferences......................................................................................................... |
22 |
Configuring Proxy Server Settings.......................................................................................................................... |
22 |
Confirming Connectivity Through The Proxy Server |
...............................................................................................23 |
Confirming E-Mail Connectivity.............................................................................................................................. |
23 |
Viewing Troubleshooting Features......................................................................................................................... |
24 |
Configuring Troubleshooting Credentials............................................................................................................... |
24 |
Enabling Report Filtering......................................................................................................................................... |
25 |
Setting Dell SupportAssist To Maintenance Mode................................................................................................ |
26 |
Using The Update Available Link............................................................................................................................ |
26 |
Identifying The User Name..................................................................................................................................... |
27 |
Viewing And Updating The Profile Information...................................................................................................... |
27 |
Accessing And Viewing The Logs.......................................................................................................................... |
27 |
Accessing And Viewing The Troubleshooting Data............................................................................................... |
28 |
Viewing Dell SupportAssist Product Information................................................................................................... |
28 |
Viewing Support Information.................................................................................................................................. |
28 |
4 Troubleshooting......................................................................................................................... |
31 |
Installing Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................................... |
31 |
Launching Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................................. |
31 |
Service Tag Warnings............................................................................................................................................ |
32 |
Finding The Service Tag Locally...................................................................................................................... |
32 |
Finding The Service Tag Remotely................................................................................................................... |
32 |
Service Contract..................................................................................................................................................... |
32 |
Service Contract Warning................................................................................................................................ |
32 |
Service Contract Type Is Unknown.................................................................................................................. |
33 |
Services.................................................................................................................................................................. |
33 |
Security................................................................................................................................................................... |
34 |
1
Overview
Dell SupportAssist collects information about your computer hardware and software, and automatically creates support cases when issues arise. This helps Dell to provide you an enhanced, personalized, and efficient support experience. Dell uses this data to help solve common problems and design and market the products and services features you use most.
SupportAssist integrates with Dell OpenManage Essentials to provide support capabilities for the following Dell enterprise server and storage solutions, using the existing environment data:
•Dell PowerEdge servers running:
–Microsoft Windows 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or R2
–Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5
–SUSE Enterprise Linux 10 or 11
–VMware ESX or ESXi 3.5, 4.x, or 5.0
•Dell PowerVault MD storage arrays
•Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches
NOTE: SupportAssist does not support CloudEdge or PowerEdge-C servers.
SupportAssist also provides rich device, support case, and service contract reporting.
You can access information about the OpenManage Essentials-managed Dell devices and related support cases from the Device Inventory and Case List reports in the SupportAssist dashboard.
Equipping your OpenManage Essentials server with SupportAssist is voluntary, and results in improved support, products, and services designed to meet your needs.
Key Features
The key features of Dell SupportAssist include:
•Remote monitoring — Monitors your hardware to inform you of critical alerts.
•Automated log and configuration collection — Information required for troubleshooting the issue is automatically collected and sent to Dell.
•Automatic support case creation — When a critical alert is received from your hardware by OpenManage Essentials, the alert information is sent to Dell and a service request is automatically created. A Dell technical support agent contacts you about the alert and helps you resolve the issue.
NOTE: Support cases opened prior to SupportAssist installation, do not appear in the SupportAssist dashboard.
•Proactive parts dispatch — Based on examination of the troubleshooting data, if the Dell technical support agent determines that a part needs to be replaced in your environment, a replacement part is dispatched to you with your consent.
Features Supported With Dell Service Contracts
The features supported on your environment may vary based on your Dell service contract.
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The following table provides a comparison of the features available with the Dell Basic Hardware and Dell ProSupport service contracts.
Table 1. Feature Comparison
Feature |
Basic Hardware |
ProSupport |
|
|
|
Remote monitoring
Automated log and configuration collection
Automatic support case creation
Proactive parts dispatch
Case Data Handling
For increased performance, Dell SupportAssist case data is cached prior to display in the dashboard, and is not displayed in real time. When SupportAssist launched, it:
•Queries Dell once every three minutes for cases in the Submitted state to determine if it needs to update the case status.
•Determines the last time the case data was updated for a submitted case. It then queries those cases whose cached status information has expired in the last three minutes.
•Queries Dell once every 15 minutes for cases in all status other than Submitted.
NOTE: If the data for a particular case is older than 15 minutes by the next poll time, SupportAssist queries for that data in the current poll. Therefore, SupportAssist may only poll for cases that are in the Open state for case data every 12 minutes.
Event Handling
Dell SupportAssist intelligently handles event storm conditions, allowing up to nine separate alerts from your OpenManage Essentials-managed environment in a 60-minute time span. However, if it receives 10 or more separate alerts it automatically enters Maintenance Mode.
Maintenance Mode suspends any further processing of alerts, enabling you to make infrastructure changes without generating unnecessary alerts. After 30 minutes in Maintenance Mode, SupportAssist automatically exits Maintenance Mode and resumes normal alert processing.
Data Collected
Dell SupportAssist continually monitors the system configuration data and usage information of your OpenManage Essentials-managed Dell computer hardware and software. While Dell does not anticipate accessing or collecting personal information, such as your personal files, web browsing history, or cookies, in connection with this program, any personal data inadvertently collected or viewed will be treated in accordance with the Dell Privacy Policy.
The information encrypted in the data log file sent back to Dell includes the following categories of data, among others:
•User Information — Computer name, domain, IP address, and Dell Service Tag.
•Hardware Configuration — Installed devices, processor(s), memory, network devices, and usage.
•Software Configuration — Operating system, installed applications, and application usage.
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For more information about the collected troubleshooting information, see Accessing And Viewing The Troubleshooting Data.
What's New In This Release
•Proxy server support — Enables you to configure your proxy server settings in Dell SupportAssist. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.
•Role-based security — Restricts access to configure SupportAssist and test e-mail connectivity. Only members of the OpenManageEssentials Administrator or Power Users group can configure SupportAssist and test e-mail connectivity.
•Link and launch — Launch SupportAssist from the Extensions tab of the OpenManage Essentials graphical user interface (GUI). See Launching Dell SupportAssist.
•Report filtering — Enables you to configure SupportAssist to prevent personally identifiable information (PII) from being sent to Dell. See Enabling Report Filtering.
•E-mail notification for Basic Hardware service contract — Notifies potential hardware issues reported by devices covered under Basic Hardware service contract through e-mail.
•User name notification — Displays the user name of the current user at the top-right of the dashboard in the Signed in as field.
•Update available notification — Indicates if an updated version of SupportAssist is available. See Using The Update Available Link.
•Support for Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC7) and Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches — Monitors alerts from iDRAC7 and PowerConnect Ethernet switches.
Other Documents You May Need
In addition to this guide, you can access the following guides available at support.dell.com/manuals. On the Manuals page, click Software and then click Systems Management or Serviceability Tools. Click the appropriate product link on the right-side to access the documents.
•The Dell OpenManage Essentials User’s Guide provides information about installing, configuring, and using OpenManage Essentials.
•The Dell SupportAssist Version 1.1 Verifying the Installation document provides information about the components and configurations that you can verify to ensure that SupportAssist works as expected.
•The Dell SupportAssist Readme provides the known issues and resolutions for SupportAssist.
•The Dell System E-Support Tool User’s Guide provides details about installing and using the Dell System E- Support Tool (DSET) to generate reports.
•The Dell Lasso User's Guide provides an overview of the Lasso tool, the installation details, and the various methods to generate reports.
•The Glossary provides information about the terms used in this document.
Contacting Dell
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:
1.Visit support.dell.com.
2.Select your support category.
7
3.If you are not a U.S. customer, select your country code at the bottom of the support.dell.com page, or select All to see more choices.
4.Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
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2
Installing, Upgrading, And Uninstalling Dell SupportAssist
This chapter provides information about installing, upgrading, and uninstalling Dell SupportAssist.
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites:
•Dell PowerEdge servers running Dell OpenManage Essentials version 1.0.1 or higher
•Familiarity with OpenManage Essentials installation, configuration, and operation
For more information about installing, configuring, and using OpenManage Essentials, see the latest Dell OpenManage Essentials User’s Guide and Dell OpenManage Essentials Release Notes at support.dell.com/manuals.
CAUTION: Dell does not support, and strongly suggests that you do not attempt, installing or operating Dell SupportAssist and OpenManage Essentials on the same server that runs Dell Proactive Systems Management Enterprise (PSME). Doing so may cause duplicate cases or other unintended results. In addition, the OpenManage Essentials and PSME trap receivers are incompatible, which can cause SNMP traps issues.
Minimum Requirements
This section provides the minimum requirements for Dell SupportAssist to provide proactive support for Dell PowerEdge (9th Generation and above), PowerVault MD arrays and storage solutions, iDRAC7, and Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches.
NOTE: For information about the SNMP configuration, firewall settings, web services, supported ports and protocols specific to your environment, see the Dell SupportAssist Version 1.1 Verifying the Installation document and Dell OpenManage Essentials User’s Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.
Software
The following are the minimum required software configurations:
•Dell OpenManage Essentials 1.0.1 or later.
•Optional: Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) installed and operational on all managed PowerEdge devices.
•SNMP agent enabled on all managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, iDRAC7, and PowerConnect devices for OpenManage Essentials discovery.
•All managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, iDRAC7, and PowerConnect devices configured to send SNMP traps to the OpenManage Essentials server.
•All managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, iDRAC7, and PowerConnect devices discovered, categorized, and inventoried by the OpenManage Essentials server.
•PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) installed on the OpenManage Essentials server, in order to support PowerVault MD Series arrays.
•A trust relationship must exist between the domains of the management station and the managed nodes.
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•Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0
•Microsoft ASP.Net
•IIS 7.x
•Web browser – Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10 (32–bit) and Mozilla Firefox 11 or 12 (32–bit); supported only on Windows-based operating systems.
.
Hardware
The following are the minimum recommended hardware configurations:
Table 2. Minimum Hardware Configurations
Hardware |
Medium Deployments |
Large Deployments |
|
|
|
Number of managed systems |
Up to 500 |
500 to 2000 |
Processor |
6 cores (1.8 GHz minimum) |
10 cores (1.8 GHz minimum) |
Memory |
8 GB |
10 GB |
Hard drive |
6 GB |
10 GB |
Network
The following are the minimum network requirements:
•Internet connection – standard Gbe network.
•Port 443 must be open on the OpenManage Essentials management server.
•The OpenManage Essentials management server on which the Dell SupportAssist client is installed must be able to communicate with the Dell SupportAssist server hosted by Dell over the HTTPS protocol.
Downloading The Installation Package
You can install Dell SupportAssist using one of the following:
•Dell SupportAssist installation package
•Dell OpenManage Essentials (version 1.1 or later) installation package
To download the installation package you want to use:
1.Visit support.dell.com and locate the SupportAssist installation package or the OpenManage Essentials installation package.
2.Download the appropriate installation package to your OpenManage Essentials management server.
Installing Dell SupportAssist
By installing Dell SupportAssist, you agree to the Dell End User License Agreement, available for review at dell.com/ softwarelicenseagreement; and the Dell Privacy Policy available for review at dell.com/privacy. Your use of SupportAssist is also subject to the terms of your Service Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Sale.
You can install SupportAssist using one of the following:
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•Dell SupportAssist installation package. See Installing Dell SupportAssist Using The Dell SupportAssist Installation Package.
•OpenManage Essentials installation package. See Installing Dell SupportAssist Using The Dell OpenManage Essentials Installation Package.
Installing Dell SupportAssist Using The Dell SupportAssist Installation Package
To install:
1.On the Dell OpenManage Essentials management server, right-click the SupportAssist installer package, then select Run as administrator.
NOTE: Microsoft User Access Control (UAC) requires that the installation be performed with elevated privileges that are obtained only through the Run as administrator option. If you are logged on to the OpenManage Essentials server as an administrator-level user, you can double-click the installer package to install SupportAssist, but UAC displays the Open File - Security Warning dialog box that you must acknowledge to proceed.
NOTE: SupportAssist installation requires that you allow Dell to save certain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as your contact information, local administrator credentials, and so on. SupportAssist installation cannot proceed unless you allow Dell to save your PII.
The Dell SupportAssist - InstallShield Wizard (installation language selection) dialog box is displayed.
2.From the Select the language for the installation from the choices below list, select a language and click OK.
NOTE: If you want to change the installation language after installing SupportAssist, you must uninstall and then reinstall SupportAssist. Changing the web browser’s default language has no effect on the SupportAssist dashboard display.
The Preparing to Install dialog box is briefly displayed and then the Welcome to Dell SupportAssist dialog box is displayed.
3.Read the terms, and then click I Agree.
The License Agreement dialog box is displayed.
4.Read the software license agreement, select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next. The Registration dialog box is displayed.
5.Provide the following information:
–Company Name — The company name must contain one or more printable characters, and must not exceed 256 characters.
–From the Country/Territory: list, select your country or territory.
6.Click Next.
The Primary Contact Information dialog box is displayed.
7.Provide the following information for the primary person to whom Dell must send alert notifications, case status notifications, and so on:
–First Name — The first name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and must not exceed 50 characters.
–Last Name — The last name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and must not exceed 50 characters.
–Phone Number — In 123-456-7890 format, or in 123-456-7890 x 123 format (to include an extension). It must contain a minimum of 10 characters and not exceed 50 characters.
–Alternate Phone Number — Optional, with the same format and character requirements as the Phone Number.
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