Dell Management Plug-in for VMware vCenter 1.7 User Manual

Dell Management Plug-In for VMware vCenterUser's Guide Version 1.7

• Integrates with standard vCenter authentication, rules, and permissions.Dell Management Plug-in FeaturesThe following are high-level features of the

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8Virtualization—Related Events for Dell Poweredge 11th and 12th Generation ServersThe following table contains the virtualization-related critical and

Dell - Power supply detected a failureA power supply has been disconnected or has failed.Error Put the system into maintenance modeDell - Power supply

Dell - Processor sensor detected a failure valueA processor sensor in the specified system is disabled, has a configuration error, or experienced a th

carrier in the specified system exceeded its warning threshold.Dell - Temperature sensor detected a failure valueA temperature sensor on the backplane

independent error condition.Dell - Storage: Controller warningController warning. Refer to the Tasks & Events tab on the vSphere client for detail

Dell - Storage: Array disk warningArray disk warning. Warning No actionDell - Storage: Array disk informationArray disk information. Info No actionDel

Dell - Watchdog Power cycleWatchdog Power cycle error No ActionDell - System Power Exceeds PSU WattageSystem Power Exceeds PSU Wattageerror No ActionD

Dell - Integrated Dual SD Module informationIntegrated Dual SD Module informationinfo No ActionDell - Integrated Dual SD Module redundancy information

AUnderstanding Auto-DiscoveryAuto-Discovery is the process of adding a Dell PowerEdge 11th or 12th Generation bare-metal server into a pool of availab

2Dell Management Plug-in ConfigurationThe following sections provide step-by-step instructions for the Dell Management Plug-in initial configuration.

• Additional network settings: If using DHCP, enable the Get DNS server address from DHCP setting so that DNS name resolution can occur.• Provisioning

NOTE: If for some reason the Auto-Discovery did not complete successfully, there is no way to connect to the iDRAC remotely. Remote connection would r

18. To Exit, on your keyboard, press ESC.19. Use the arrow keys to select LAN User Configuration.20. Use the arrow Keys to select Provisioning Server.

15. Press ESC.16. In the Warning Screen, to confirm Exit, click Yes.113

Access Control Authentication, Authorization, And RolesThe Dell Management Plug-in uses the vSphere Client's current user session and the stored

Figure 4. Dell Infrastructure Deployment RoleThe privileges this role provides are Create Template, Configure HW Configuration Profile, Configure Hype

• Dell.Configuration.Perform vCenter-Related Tasks– Exit and enter maintenance mode– Get the vCenter user group to query the permissions– Register and

– Blink LED, Clear LED, Configure OMSA URL from the Dell Server Management tab– Launch OMSA Console– Launch iDRAC Console– Display and clear SEL log•

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3Understanding How To Configure or Edit the Dell Management Plug-in After you complete the basic installation of the Dell Management Plug-in, you can

• vSphere Host and Bare Metal Server ComplianceThis section provides more information and lets you view details about non-compliant hosts or bare meta

– For iDRACs already configured and enabled for Active Directory on which you want to use Active Directory, select the Use Active Directory check box;

Notes, Cautions, and WarningsNOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates

* In the Password text box type the password. The password is limited to 127 characters.NOTE: For servers that do not have either an iDRAC Express or

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

– To not run warranty schedules, select Do not retrieve Warranty Data.2. If you selected On Selected Days, then do the following:a) Select the text bo

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 t

• Lists the Dell Management Plug-in configuration settings.• Starts the initial Configuration Wizard that steps you through the Dell Management Plug-i

NOTE: OMSA is only required on Dell servers prior to Dell PowerEdge 12th generation servers.To enable the OMSA link:1. In the Dell Management Plug-in

– For iDRACs already configured and enabled for Active Directory on which you want to use Active Directory, select the Use Active Directory check box;

* In the Password text box type the password. The password is limited to 127 characters.NOTE: For servers that do not have either an iDRAC Express or

6. To save, click Save.About Proxy ConfigurationThe proxy settings define the HTTP proxy and any required credentials used to retrieve information fro

Running Inventory JobsTo run an inventory job:1. Once the Configuration Wizard is complete, click Job Queue → Inventory → Run Now to immediately run a

ContentsNotes, Cautions, and Warnings... 21 Overview..

Viewing or Editing Deployment CredentialsIn Dell Management Center, you can edit the deployment credentials. Deployment credentials are used to secure

c) To validate your entries click Begin Test.4. Click Apply.Server Security Settings For DeploymentRestrict the set of deployable servers using a whit

* When the We found these service tags in your file dialog displays, click Apply.The service tags are now displayed in the Service Tag list.Deleting D

Running The Fix Non-Compliant vSphere Hosts WizardRun the Fix Non-Compliant vSphere Hosts Wizard to fix non-compliant hosts. For information about com

Running The Fix Non-Compliant Bare Metal Server WizardRun the Fix Non-Compliant Bare Metal Server Wizard to fix non-compliant bare metal servers. For

that are non-compliant due to the iDRAC license. If the Recheck Bare Metal Server Compliance link is disabled, that means there are no bare metal serv

12. Register the new current version appliance to the vCenter instances, see Registering a vCenter Server.13. Close and reopen any vSphere Client inst

Product license The full product version contains a product license for up to three vCenters and the purchased number of host connections that are man

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4End-To-End Hardware ManagementThe goal of end-to-end hardware management is to provide the system health status and up-to-date infrastructure informa

Setting Up The Firmware Repository ...30Se

Post only Critical and Warning Events Posts only events with either Critical or Warning criticality into related vCenters.Post only Virtualization-Rel

• Enabling The OMSA LinkDeploying the OMSA Agent onto an ESX SystemInstall the OMSA tar.gz on an ESX system to gather inventory and alert information

3. Select Alert Actions and make sure that any events to be monitored have the Broadcast Message option set, so that the events will be sent out.4. Se

Displays information about the following hardware devices:– Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) such as DIMMs, system planar, power supplies, backplanes, c

Management ConsolesThe management consoles are used to launch external system management consoles, such as:• Click Remote Access Console to launch the

NOTE: To make sure that the inventory contains up-to-date information, schedule the inventory job to run a minimum of once a week. The inventory job c

– Server Information provides identification, hypervisor, and firmware information, such as:* Host name, power state, iDRAC IP address, Management IP

• An inventory task was not run on the server to collect the data, therefore there is nothing to display.• The number of host licenses is exceeded, an

To view host power monitoring:1. In vSphere Client, select your host, then select the Dell Server Management tab.2. In the left pane, under Host Infor

• Deleting A Connection Profile• Testing A Connection Profile• Refreshing A Connection ProfileViewing Or Editing An Existing Connection ProfileAfter y

Provisioning Overview...

7. Click Next.8. In the Host Credentials page, under Credentials, do one of the following:– For hosts already configured and enabled for Active Direct

Testing A Connection ProfileTo test a connection profile:1. In the Dell Management Center, select Connection Profiles.2. Under Available Profiles, to

To display logs in Dell Management Center:1. From the Dell Management Center, in the left pane, select Log.2. To update the log with the most recent d

About Firmware UpdatesThe location where servers receive firmware updates is a global setting that is available in the Dell Management Center. The fir

NOTE: To safeguard against browser timeout issues, change the default timeout to 30 seconds. For information on changing the default timeout setting,

To update older firmware versions:1. In vSphere Client, on the Dell Server Management tab, under Host Actions, click Run Firmware Update Wizard.The Up

7. Click Next.8. In the Select Updated Bundles page, select the update bundles using the check boxes.9. Click Next.10. In the Select the Systems/Compo

Here you can find the following details:– Service Tag– iDRAC IP– Status– Warnings– Firmware Update Job Details– Start Time– End Time.5. If you want to

• If you are on a blade system, launch the CMC to launch the Chassis Management Controller user interface. If you are not on a blade system, this does

– The start and end dates and how many days are left on the warranty– The warranty status (active or inactive) and when warranty information was last

Updating The Virtual Appliance Software Version... 82Downloadin

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5Hardware ManagementPrerequisites:To successfully perform hardware provisioning and deployment, the physical servers must appear in the Deployment Wiz

Create a Hardware ProfileContains the hardware settings gathered from a reference server that is used to deploy new servers. See Creating A New Hardwa

NOTE: The Dell Management Plug-in ISO does not contain the required ESXi ISO images for deployment. You must download these images to a location that

NOTE: There are two RAID configuration options configured in the Hardware Profile: 1. Apply RAID1 + create a dedicated hot spare, applicable. Use this

c. In the Boot Retry Sequence drop-down list, select Enabled so that the server automatically retries the boot sequence, or select Disabled to not ret

– Apply RAID1 + create a dedicated hot spare, applicable.Use this option if you want to apply default RAID configuration settings to the target server

About Managing Hardware ProfilesHardware profiles define a server's hardware configuration using a reference server. From the Dell Management Cen

Refreshing An Updated Hardware ProfileTo refresh an updated hardware profile:1. In the Dell Management Center, select Deployment → Deployment Template

– vCenter Instance: Displays the server instance that manages a host after deployment.– vCenter Version: Displays the current version.– vCenter Destin

Can The Dell Management Plug-in Support ESX/ESXI with Lockdown Mode Enabled?...94Inventory is Failing on Hosts ESXi 4.0

Figure 5. Example VLAN network.In this example network, the Dell Management Plug-in is on VLAN 5, while the vCenter and the VMkernal of the ESXi hosts

Renaming Hypervisor ProfileTo rename a hypervisor profile:1. In the Dell Management Center, select Deployment → Deployment Templates → Hypervisor Prof

Managing Deployment TemplatesFrom the Dell Management Center, there are several management actions you can perform on existing deployment templates, i

• Displaying the Job Queue where you can manage deployment jobs.NOTE: If you’re deploying a hardware profile only, then the new Global Settings, Serve

Deployment Wizard Step 3: Global SettingsYou can deploy hypervisor to either a hard drive or an Internal Dual SD Module. If an Internal Dual SD Module

4. Click ^ to expand and view individual server information.5. Under Host Name and NIC, enter a Fully Qualified Host Name for the server.6. In the NIC

3. Click Finish.4. Now that the deployment wizard is complete, you can manage deployment jobs using the Job Queue.5. To display a list of non-complian

NOTE: Any deployment jobs that are in progress cannot be aborted.7. To display the Purge Deployment Job Queue window, click Purge Job Queue. Select th

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6Console AdministrationAdministration of the Dell Management Plug-in and its virtual environment is achieved by using two additional administration po

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b) In the Description text box, enter an optional description.4. Under Admin User Account, do the following:a) In the Admin User Name text box, enter

Uploading A Dell Management Plug-in License To The Administration ConsoleTo upload a Dell Management Plug-in license to the Administration Portal:1. L

CAUTION: Perform a backup prior to an update of the virtual appliance to make sure all data is protected. See, Managing Backup and Restore.1. Launch a

Setting Up The HTTP ProxyYou can set up the HTTP proxy settings using the Administration Console or the Dell Management Console.1. Launch a browser wi

4. Enter the Common Name, Organizational Name, Organizational Unit, Locality, State Name, Country and Email for the request. Click Continue.5. Click D

– Maximum number of alerts– Number of days to retain alerts– Timeout for duplicate alerts (seconds)4. To save your settings, click Apply, or click Can

https://<appliance IP address>2. In the left pane, click BACKUP AND RESTORE.3. To edit the backup and restore settings, click Edit Automatic Sch

Understanding vSphere Client Console Tab The Console tab is found within the vSphere Client. The Console tab works hand and hand with the Administrati

Rebooting Virtual ApplianceTo reboot the virtual appliance:1. In vSphere Client, select the Dell Management Plug-in virtual machine, and then click th

7TroubleshootingUse this section to find answers to troubleshooting questions.Upgrading IssuesI backed up my appliance, powered it off, deployed the m

1OverviewDell Management Plug-in For VMware vCenterVMware vCenter is the primary console used by IT administrators to manage and monitor VMware vSpher

Why did my system not enter maintenance mode when I performed a one-to-many firmware update?Some firmware updates do not require rebooting the host.

Figure 6. Firmware link communication error1. Open Microsoft Registry Editor (Regedit).2. Navigate to the following location:KHEY_CURRENT_USER\Softwar

What Are The Required Port Settings For The Dell Management Plug-in?Use these port settings for the Dell Management Plug-in.Table 3. Virtual Appliance

What are the Minimum requirements for successful installation and operation of the virtual appliance?The following settings outline the minimum applia

enable CISOR and reboot host. If the CISOR was already enabled, then login to the iDRAC console, reset iDRAC, wait for few minutes, and then refresh t

Inventory is Failing on Hosts ESXi 4.0 Update2 and ESXi Update 3 in Lockdown Mode After a Reboot.Lockdown Mode requires ESXi 4.1 or later. If you are

Why Are My Hypervisor Deployments Failing On R210 II Machines?A timeout issue on R210 II systems produces a hypervisor deployments failure error due t

My Firmware Update Failed. What Do I Do?Check the virtual appliance logs to see if the tasks timed out. If so, iDRAC needs to be reset by performing a

Auto-Discovery and Handshake Prerequisites• Prior to running auto-discovery and handshake, make sure that iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller firmware and

Dell Management Plug-in For VMware vCenter Related Information• View or download Dell server documentation for PowerEdge™ Servers at:http://www.dell.c