Dell OpenManage™ Server Administrator (OMSA) provides a powerful, integrated set of systems management applications for keeping the systems on your network healthy. Server Administrator provides fault management information, prefailure information, and asset and inventory information to management applications. Server Administrator installs from the Dell™ PowerEdge™ Installation and Server Management CD provided with your system. In addition to supporting systems management industry standards, Server Administrator provides additional systems management information about the components of your specific system. Server Administrator can also run diagnostics and configure BIOS and system settings.
NOTE: Starting with Dell OpenManage 4.3, the Systems Management CD has been replaced by the Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD. References in this guide to the Systems Management CD are for Dell OpenManage releases 3.0 through 4.2.
Server Administrator's integrated security draws on the system's operating system security and uses the secure socket layer (SSL) encryption protocol.
NOTE: For more information on the secure socket layer, see the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
What's New in Server Administrator 2.0?
The following changes in the OMSA 2.0 affect the Compatibility Guide:
Update Service
Updates are no longer performed using the Update tab in Server Administrator. Updates are performed using the Server Update Utility or Dell Update Packages, both of which can be downloaded from support.dell.com.
Storage Management Service
The enhanced Storage Management Service is installed by default using Express Setup on Red Hat® Enterprise Linux systems or on Microsoft® Windows® systems that do not have an existing Array Manager installation.
Purpose of This Guide
Server Administrator operates on many Dell™ hardware platforms (hereafter called systems) and with operating systems such as Microsoft® Windows®, Novell® NetWare®, and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux. To fully use the systems management features of Server Administrator, you must understand which features of Server Administrator match your system's hardware configuration and operating system.
Update of Compatibility Guide
The Server Administrator Compatibility Guide is updated each business quarter, and it summarizes all of the Dell Installation and Server Management CD releases that precede the release date in its Table of Contents (index.htm) page. Always consult the readme.txt file on your Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD for each release for the most current information on compatible systems management elements.
NOTE: You can find systems management software on the Systems Management CD prior to release 4.3 of the CD. You can find systems management software on the ApplicationsCD prior to the version 3.0 release of the CD. The systems management software was relocated to the Systems Management CD beginning with version 3.0. For the purposes of this guide, some references to the Systems Management CD may also include the Applications CD.
Supported Instrumentation
Each supported Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD contains instrumentation for your Dell system. Three sections of this guide are organized around the primary instrumentation product name and show the relationship among the following variables:
Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD version number (or the Applications CD)
Supported operating systems
Instrumentation service
Dell PowerEdge™ system product name (for example, PowerEdge 1600SC)
In Table 1-1, instrumentation product names are associated with a range of the Applications CD or Systems Management CD version (prior to Dell OpenManage version 4.3) or Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD numbers.
Table 1-1. Systems Management Product Name and Corresponding Version Numbers
Instrumentation Product Names
CD Version
Section in This Guide
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator
3.0 through 4.2 (Systems Management CD)
4.3 on
(Installation and Server Management CD)
Server Administrator Supported Applications and Systems
Server Administrator Supported Applications and Systems
Hardware Instrumentation Package Supported Applications and Systems
Supported Operating Systems
Server Administrator supports major operating systems offered by Microsoft, Novell, and Red Hat. See the tables in this guide to find the operating system that matches the configuration of system and applications that you are installing or upgrading.
NOTE: Each Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD(or theApplications CD) supports specific operating system versions, service packs, support packs, and kernels. For precise operating system, application, firmware, and other requirements, see the table that lists the Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD (or Systems Management CD) version for the system that you are configuring. The tables in the following sections of this guide are a good place to begin:
Operating system version numbers, support packs, service packs, and kernel versions can vary with each Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD (orSystems Management CD) version and cannot be accurately generalized. For example, a particular Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD (orSystems Management CD) may support only a version of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system with a specific kernel. Some systems management applications are available only on specific operating systems.
NOTE: To address any Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) security vulnerabilities associated with an operating system, see the appropriate website for your system's operating system (for example, www.microsoft.com, www.redhat.com, or www.novell.com).
Supported Browsers
Server Administrator supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) version 6.0 SP1 and SP2, and Mozilla versions 1.7.1, 1.7.3 open-source Web browser. Server Administrator does not support Netscape Navigator.
Supported GUI Languages
Dell OpenManage is localized into French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. Dell OpenManage software is localized according to the matrix in the following table. Languages outside of this table have the same support as other non-supported configurations.
The table plots the language of the Dell Open Manage GUI against the operating system languages.
Table 1-2. Supported Server Administrator GUI Languages
OpenManage GUI Languages
English OS
French OS
German OS
Spanish OS
Simplified Chinese OS
Japanese OS
English
X
X
X
X
X
X
French
X
German
X
Spanish
X
Simplified Chinese
X
Japanese
X
Other Documents You Might Need
In addition to this Compatibility Guide, you can find the following guides either on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com or on the documentation CD:
The Dell OpenManage Installation and Security User's Guide provides complete information on installation procedures and step-by-step instructions for installing, upgrading, and uninstalling Server Administrator for each supported operating system.
The Dell OpenManage Software Quick Installation Guide provides an overview of applications that you can install on your management station (console) and on your managed systems and procedures for installing your console and managed system applications on systems running supported operating systems.
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator User's Guide describes the installation and use of Server Administrator. Server Administrator is a suite of management agents, installed on the managed system, that provide fault management information, prefailure information, and asset inventory information to management console applications such as Server Administrator and IT Assistant. This guide also provides information about configuring your remote access controller (RAC).
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator SNMP Reference Guide documents the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management information base (MIB). The SNMP MIB defines variables that extend the standard MIB to cover the capabilities of systems management agents.
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator CIM Reference Guidedocuments the Common Information Model (CIM) provider, an extension of the standard management object format (MOF) file. The CIM provider MOF documents supported classes of management objects.
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide lists the messages that are displayed in your Server Administrator home page Alert log or on your operating system's event viewer. This guide explains the text, severity, and cause of each Instrumentation Service Alert message that Server Administrator issues.
The Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide documents the complete command line interface for Server Administrator, including an explanation of CLI commands to view system status, access logs, create reports, configure various component parameters, and set critical thresholds.
The Dell OpenManage Array Manager User's Guide is a comprehensive reference guide for configuring and managing local and remote storage attached to a system. This document is also available in HTML and PDF formats on the Dell Installation and Server Management CD, as well as from the Array Manager console as online help.
The Dell Remote Access Controller Installation and Setup Guide provides complete information about installing and configuring a DRAC III, DRAC III/XT, and an ERA/O controller, configuring an ERA controller, and using a RAC to remotely access an inoperable system.
The Dell Remote Access Controller Racadm User's Guide provides information about using the racadm command-line utility.
The Dell Embedded Remote Access/MC Controller User's Guide provides complete information about configuring and using an ERA/MC controller to remotely manage and monitor your modular system and its shared resources through a network.
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1655MC Systems — System Configuration Guide provides an overview of initially setting up a modular system.
The Dell OpenManage Remote Install User's Guide provides information about unattended, simultaneous provisioning and configuration solutions over the network by leveraging image-based technology.
The Dell Update Packages User's Guide provides information about obtaining and using Dell Update Packages as part of your system update strategy.
The Server Update Utility User's Guide provides information about obtaining and using the Server Update Utility (SUU) to update your Dell PowerEdge server or to view the updates available for any server listed in the Repository.
The Dell Installation and Server Management CD contains a readme file for Server Administrator and additional readme files for most applications found on the CD.
