Whitepaper Best Practices to clone Hardware Configurations from a Reference Server with Dell EMC OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center Abstract This technical white paper describes best practices for hardware configuration of target servers using reference server configuration through OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC).
Revisions Date Description August 2021 Best Practices to clone a reference server hardware configuration with OMIMSSC v7.3 Acknowledgments This paper was authored by the following: Author: Saurabh Kashyap, Shiva Prasad, Swarup Katre The information in this publication is provided “as is.” Dell Inc. makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Table of contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Operational Template ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Reference server ..............................................................................................................................
Executive Summary Modern datacenters require efficient and automated methods to configure servers for use in a production environment. OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) integrates with the Microsoft System Center suite of products and monitors the hardware components of connected PowerEdge servers. It is delivered as a virtual machine that sets up the OMIMSSC appliance. The configuration from a server designated as a reference server can be made into an Operational Template.
Operational Template Operational Templates (OT) contain complete configuration information about devices being managed and are used for provisioning PowerEdge servers and PowerEdge MX7000 Modular Chassis while being monitored using the Microsoft System Center suite. Operational Template contains configuration information about • Firmware. • Hardware Components (from Reference server). • Operating System. Firmware component in OT requires Update Source input.
Compliance can be manually run at any point of time, runs automatically whenever the assigned OT is modified or applied on the target servers. Deploy Assigning OT to all target servers is mandatory to deploy OT on those target servers. Deploying OT step would include selecting the target servers from Server View that are assigned with same OT and providing all the selected system specific pool value attributes through a CSV file.
For details on other steps see the OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center Version 7.
Figure 1: Network Settings 4. Scroll down to attribute group Connection 1 Settings. 5. Identify and remove the attributes Initiator IP Address, Initiator Subnet Mask, Initiator Gateway, Target Name, and Target IP Address as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Connection 1 Settings 6. Scroll down to attribute group Connection 2 Settings. 7. Identify and remove the attributes Initiator IP Address, Initiator Subnet Mask, Initiator Gateway, Target Name, and Target IP Address as shown in Figure 3. © 2021 Dell Inc.
Figure 3: Connection 2 Settings Unselecting Pool Value attributes in iDRAC component 1. Select IDRAC component. 2. Scroll down to attribute group ActiveDirectory1. 3. Identify and unselect the attribute Active Directory RAC Name as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4: Active Directory1 4. Scroll down to attribute group IPv4Static.1. 5. Identify and remove the attributes IPv4 Address, Net Mask, Gateway, DNS Server 1, and DNS Server 2 as shown in Figure 5. 6. Scroll down to attribute group IPv6Static.1. 7.
Figure 5: IPv4 Static 1 and IPv6 Static 1 8. After removing the components in both BIOS and IDRAC components, click on Finish.
Figure 7: attrbute.csv file with system specific pool values Providing values to the selected System Specific attributes in CSV Exported CSV file from the above section would contain all pool value attributes that are selected in OT for all the servers that are selected for deployment - serviceTag: ServiceTag of the selected server for identification.
• Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiDev1Con1Ip • Attribute Description: Initiator IP Address for this iSCSI connection 4. Attribute Name: Initiator Subnet Mask (IscsiDev1Con1Mask) • Attribute Group: Connection 1 Settings • Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiDev1Con1Mask • Attribute Description: Initiator Subnet Mask for this iSCSI connection. 5.
• Attribute Description: Enables or disables the integrated network card (NDC) PCIe link. When set to Disabled, the NDC link is not available to the operating system (OS). NOTE: If set to Disabled (OS), the Integrated NIC may still be available for shared network access by iDRAC. 14. Attribute Name: Integrated Network Card 1 PCIe Link2 • Attribute Group: Integrated Devices • Attribute Name in CSV: Ndc1PcieLink2 • Attribute Description: "Enables or disables the integrated network card (NDC) PCIe link.
• Attribute Name in CSV: FirstTgtChapPwd • Attribute Description: First Target CHAP Secret ( 0 or 12 to 16 characters in length). If only a single value of CHAP Secret is supported then it is stored here. 7. Attribute Name: IP Address • Attribute Group: iSCSI First Target Parameters • Attribute Name in CSV: FirstTgtIpAddress • Attribute Description: First iSCSI target IP address. Will be either IPv4 or IPv6 format depending on the value of the FirstTgtIpVer attribute. 8.
• Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiInitiatorIpv4Gateway • Attribute Description: The iSCSI initiator default Gateway IP address in IPv4 format when iSCSIDualIPVersionSupport is available. 16. Attribute Name: IPv4 Primary DNS • Attribute Group: IPv4 Primary DNS • Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiInitiatorIpv4PrimDns • Attribute Description: iSCSI initiator Primary DNS IP Address in IPv4 format when iSCSIDualIPVersionSupport is Available. 17.
• Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiInitiatorSecDns • Attribute Description: The iSCSI initiator Secondary DNS IP address. Will be in either IPv4 or IPv6 format depending on the value of the IpVer attribute. 25. Attribute Name: Subnet Mask • Attribute Group: iSCSI Initiator Parameters • Attribute Name in CSV: IscsiInitiatorSubnet • Attribute Description: The iSCSI initiator Subnet Mask for an IPv4 initiator configuration. 26.
34. Attribute Name: Use Independent Target Name • Attribute Group: iSCSI Secondary Device Parameters • Attribute Name in CSV: UseIndTgtName • Attribute Description: Use Independent Target Name when multipath I/O is enabled 35. Attribute Name: Use Independent Target Portal • Attribute Group: iSCSI Secondary Device Parameters • Attribute Name in CSV: UseIndTgtPortal • Attribute Description: Setting to use independent target portal when multipath I/O is enabled 36.
has been cleared by the defined method, its value shall be returned as 0's. If supported, the current address value should be readable at all times, irrespective of feature enablement. 41. Attribute Name: Virtual World Wide Node Name • Attribute Group: Main Configuration Page • Attribute Name in CSV: VirtWWN • Attribute Description: Programmatically assignable Fibre Channel World Wide Node Name identifier for FCoE.
• Attribute Description: "Configuration of the port's behavior in booting the system from FC Target(s). Only behaviors supported by the option-ROM need to be implemented. In the following cases no fabric discovery shall be attempted: Disabled - Initiator does not attempt to boot. Specified LUN - Initiator attempts to boot to the specified World Wide Port Name and LUN for 1st target, if that fails then a boot using the 2nd target parameters shall be attempted.
RAID Component 1. Attribute Name: Enclosure Requested Configuration Mode • Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: RAIDEnclosureRequestedCfgMode • Attribute Description: This indicates enclosures requested configuration mode setting 2. Attribute Name: Enclosure Current Configuration Mode • Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: RAIDEnclosureCurrentCfgMode • Attribute Description: This indicates enclosures current configuration mode setting iDRAC Component 1.
• Attribute Name in CSV: DataCenterName • Attribute Description: The data center the system is located in. 9. Attribute Name: Aisle Name • Attribute Group: Server Topology • Attribute Name in CSV: AisleName • Attribute Description: The aisle the system is located in. 10. Attribute Name: Rack Name • Attribute Group: Server Topology • Attribute Name in CSV: RackName • Attribute Description: Name of the rack on which the system is located. 11.
• Attribute Name in CSV: DNS2 • Attribute Description: Statically configurable DNS Server 2 19. Attribute Name: IPv6 Address 1 • Attribute Group: IPv6 Static Information • Attribute Name in CSV: Address1 • Attribute Description: iDRAC static IPv6 address 20. Attribute Name: IPv6 Gateway • Attribute Group: IPv6 Static Information • Attribute Name in CSV: Gateway • Attribute Description: iDRAC static IPv6 gateway 21.
• Attribute Name in CSV: DHCPEnable • Attribute Description: Specifies if DHCP is used to assign the iDRAC IPv4 address 29. Attribute Name: IPv4 Address • Attribute Group: IPv4 Static Information • Attribute Name in CSV: Address • Attribute Description: iDRAC static IPv4 address (can be configured even when DHCP is enabled) 30.
• Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: DataCenterName • Attribute Description: Specify the name of the Data Center 2. Attribute Name: Room • Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: RoomName • Attribute Description: Specify name of the room where datacenter is located 3. Attribute Name: Aisle • Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: AisleName • Attribute Description: Specify name of aisle 4.
• Attribute Name in CSV: IPSUBNET • Attribute Description: Specify IP Subnet details for Operating System deployment 5. Attribute Name: Static IP Address • Attribute Group: Not Applicable • Attribute Name in CSV: IPADDRESS • Attribute Description: Specify a static IP Address for Windows Operating System deployment RHEL/ESXi OS Deployment Attributes 1.
