HP Insight Control Server Provisioning 7.2 Administrator Guide

2 Configuring appliance settings
2.1 Network configuration
2.1.1 Deciding whether to use a DHCP server internal or external to the appliance
HP Insight Control server provisioning requires a DHCP server to provide IP addresses to target
servers during the provisioning process. Insight Control server provisioning has a DHCP server
internal to the appliance you may use, or you can set up your own DHCP server external to the
appliance. This section is meant to help you decide which is better for your facility.
1. You should first consider your DHCP requirements when provisioning servers: IP address only
or extended DHCP options.
IP address only
In this configuration, your DHCP server need only provide standard networking information
(IP address, net mask, etc.) to the target servers. This simple configuration can be used if your
environment meets all the following conditions:
• You will not PXE boot any servers
• Your target servers are all HP ProLiant Gen8 series or newer
• You will use the embedded HP Intelligent Provisioning features of your ProLiant servers
(no PXE)
• You will use iLO IP addresses and credentials to add servers to the appliance
Extended DHCP options
In this configuration your DHCP server must provide standard networking information, plus
additional options so the target servers can PXE boot from the appliance into the required
service OS. The extended DHCP configuration is required if your environment meets any of
the following conditions:
• You will PXE boot servers (this includes PXE booting to add servers to the appliance)
• You have target servers earlier than Gen8 series
• You have Gen8 series target servers but will not use Intelligent Provisioning
• You do not want to use iLO to add servers to the appliance
2. Next, consider whether to use the DHCP server internal to the appliance or if you should
configure an external DHCP server.
The DHCP server internal to the appliance
Your Insight Control server provisioning appliance comes with a built-in DHCP server that is
easy to configure and use, and provides all the extended information required for PXE booting.
• Configures easily via the appliance Settings page
• Provides addresses only for the subnet your appliance is in
• Supports optional information, such as DNS and gateway
• Will always provide extended information required for PXE booting target servers
An external DHCP server
An external DHCP server might make sense in the following cases:
• You already have a DHCP server on your network
• You require more advanced features than you can configure using the appliance UI
10 Configuring appliance settings