HP Systems Insight Manager 6.0 User Guide

25 HP Version Control and Systems Insight Manager
About the Version Control Agent
The VCA is an Insight Management Agent installed on a system that enables you to view HP software and
firmware installed on the system. You can configure: VCA to point to a repository managed by VCRM ,
enabling easy version comparison and software updates from the repository to the system where VCA is
installed.
VCA provides version control and system update capabilities for a single HP system. VCA determines system
software status by comparing each component installed on the local system with the set of individual
components or a specified ProLiant and Integrity Support Packs listed in VCRM. While browsing to VCA,
you can update individual components or an entire ProLiant and Integrity Support Packs by clicking the install
icon located next to the system software status icon.
VCRM and VCA are integrated with SMH, which is the standard single-server management tool in the HP
Foundation Pack. Systems Insight Manager, also part of the HP Foundation Pack, uses VCRM and VCA to
facilitate software versioning, update, and tasks related to it.
VCA is available for Windows and Linux operating systems. VCA is an integrated part of SMH and displays
the available software inventory of the system it is installed on. VCA also allows the installation, comparison,
and update of system software from a repository managed by VCRM.
Users with administrator or operator privileges can access the VCA to maintain the software inventory of
the system. The installation of components and configuration activities are logged to a log file on the system.
VCA logs activities, such as software installations. However, installations done outside VCA do not appear
in this log.
VCA enables you to view software installed on selected HP equipment, available updates, and whether the
installed software complies with the latest updates in the selected repository. In addition, you can add or
update HP software on the system remotely, using the browser interface of VCA.
You can use the Replicate Agent Settings feature in Systems Insight Manager to update multiple servers with
VCA settings.
VCA enables the following tasks:
• Viewing installed software
• Selecting an VCRM as a reference point for obtaining software updates
• Selecting a ProLiant and Integrity Support Packs as a managed baseline
• Viewing details of a ProLiant and Integrity Support Packs or software component that is in the HP Version
Control repository
• Installing a ProLiant and Integrity Support Packs or software component from the HP Version Control
repository
• Printing the installed software inventory and software status
• Managing the VCA log
In addition to maintaining the software inventory of the system, the VCA integrates with Systems Insight
Manager, enabling administrators to take advantage of the Software Update capabilities of the agent.
Additional resources
For additional resources, go to http://www.hp.com/servers/manage.
About the Version Control Repository Manager
VCRM is an Insight Management Agent that manages a directory of HP software and firmware components.
You can use VCRM without VCA to provide a listing of available software and firmware to load on the local
machine. VCRM is part of the HP Foundation Pack.
VCRM is designed to be used in a one-to-many configuration with a VCA installed on each managed HP
system to manage installed HP software and firmware. In conjunction with Systems Insight Manager, VCRM,
and VCA provides enterprise management of HP software and firmware on HP ProLiant and Integrity systems.
About the Version Control Agent 114