HP Systems Insight Manager 6.3 User Guide

27 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 Agent 135