Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Version 8.4 User's Guide November 2020 Rev.
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2016 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws.
Contents Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................. 6 Installation............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Updating individual system components........................................................................................................................
Global Navigation Bar................................................................................................................................................. 28 System Tree..................................................................................................................................................................28 Action Window.........................................................................................................................................................
BMC/iDRAC platform events filter alert messages..................................................................................................62 Chapter 8: Troubleshooting......................................................................................................... 64 Login Failure Scenarios....................................................................................................................................................
1 Introduction Server Administrator provides a comprehensive, one-to-one systems management solution in two ways: from an integrated, web browser-based graphical user interface (GUI) and from a command line interface (CLI) through the operating system. Server Administrator enables system administrators to manage systems locally and remotely on a network. It enables system administrators to focus on managing their entire network by providing comprehensive one-to-one systems management.
NOTE: For more information about obtaining and using the Server Update Utility (SUU), to update your Dell Systems or to view the updates available for any systems listed in the Repository, see the Dell Server Update Utility User's Guide at dell.com/openmanagemanuals. Storage Management Service The Storage Management Service provides storage management information in an integrated graphical view.
○ Intel XL710 DP 40Gb QSFP+ Rack NDC ○ Intel 40GbE 2P XL710 Adapter ○ Intel(R) X550 Dual Port 10GBASE-T Networking Adapter ○ Broadcom 25GbE 2P 57404S Adapter ○ Broadcom 10GbE 2P 57402S Adapter ○ Broadcom 10GbE Base-T 2P 57406 Adapter ○ Mellanox 25GBE 2P ConnectX-4 LX Adapter ○ Mellanox ConnectX-4 LX DP 25Gb SFP rNDC ○ Intel 82599 DP 10G Mezzanine Adapter (Supported only on Dell PowerEdge C6320) NOTE: For the list of supported operating systems and Dell servers, see the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix i
Server Administrator Home Page The Server Administrator home page provides easy-to-set up and easy-to-use Web browser-based system management tasks from the managed system or from a remote host through a LAN, dial-up service, or wireless network. When the Dell Systems Management Server Administrator Connection Service (DSM SA Connection Service) is installed and configured on the managed system, you can perform remote management functions from any system that has a supported Web browser and connection.
Accessing support content from the Dell EMC support site Access supporting content related to an array of systems management tools using direct links, going to the Dell EMC support site, or using a search engine. ● Direct links: ○ For Dell EMC Enterprise Systems Management and Dell EMC Remote Enterprise Systems Management—https:// www.dell.com/esmmanuals ○ For Dell EMC Virtualization Solutions—www.dell.com/virtualizationsolutions ○ For Dell EMC OpenManage—https://www.dell.
2 Setup And Administration Server Administrator provides security through role- based access control (RBAC), authentication, and encryption for both the Web-based and command line interfaces. Topics: • • • • Role-Based Access Control Authentication Encryption Assigning User Privileges Role-Based Access Control RBAC manages security by determining the operations that can be executed by persons in particular roles.
Table 3.
Assigning User Privileges To ensure critical system component security, assign user privileges to all Dell OpenManage software users before installing Dell OpenManage software. New users can log in to Dell OpenManage software using their operating system user privileges. CAUTION: To protect access to your critical system components, assign a password to every user account that can access the Dell OpenManage software.
Creating Users With User Privileges 1. Run the following command from the command line: useradd -d -g where is not root. NOTE: If does not exist, create it by using the groupadd command. 2. Type passwd and press . 3. When prompted, enter a password for the new user. NOTE: Assign a password to every user account that can access Server Administrator to protect access to your critical system components.
3. Save and close the file. Best practices while using the omarolemap file The following are the best practices to be considered while working with the omarolemap file: ● Do not delete the following default entries in the omarolemap file. Table 6. Best Practices for omarolemap file root Administrator +root * Poweruser * * User ● Do not change the omarolemap file permissions or file format. ● Do not use the loop back address for , for example: localhost or 127.0.0.1.
the operating system was installed. In most cases, SNMP is installed as part of your operating system installation. An installed supported systems management protocol standard, such as SNMP, is required before installing Server Administrator. You can configure the SNMP agent to change the community name and to send traps to a management station.
To edit a community name: a. Select a community name in the Accepted Community Names list and click Edit. The SNMP Service Configuration window is displayed. b. Edit the community name in the Community Name box, and then click OK. The SNMP Service Properties window is displayed. 6. Click OK to save the changes. Configuring Your System To Send SNMP Traps To A Management Station Server Administrator generates SNMP traps in response to changes in the status of sensors and other monitored parameters.
● Creating a vew to the entire MIB tree by adding the following line if it does not exist: view all included ● Modifying the default access line to give read-only access to the entire MIB tree for the public community.
Sever Administrator SNMP Install Actions Server Administrator SNMP communicates with the SNMP agent using the SMUX protocol. When Server Administrator SNMP connects to the SNMP agent, it sends an object identifier to the SNMP agent to identify itself as a SMUX peer. This object identifier must be configured with the SNMP agent, therefore, Server Administrator adds the following line to the SNMP agent configuration file, /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf, during installation if it does not exist: smuxpeer .1.3.6.1.4.1.
VMware ESXi 5.X and ESXi 6.X as the required SNMP support is unavailable. The VMware vSphere Command-Line Interface (CLI) is used to configure systems running VMware ESXi 5.X and ESXi 6.X to send SNMP traps to a management station. NOTE: For more information about using the VMware vSphere CLI, see vmware.com/support. Configuring Your System To Send Traps To A Management Station Server Administrator generates SNMP traps in response to changes in the status of sensors and other monitored parameters.
4. Press to go to Customize and press . The Firewall Configuration-Customize screen appears. 5. Select whether to open an entire network interface or just the SNMP port on all network interfaces. a. To open an entire network interface, press to go to one of the Trusted Devices and press the spacebar. An asterisk in the box to the left of the device name indicates that the entire interface is opened. b.
3 Using Server Administrator To start a Server Administrator session, double-click the Server Administrator icon on your desktop. The Server Administrator Log in screen is displayed. The default port for Server Administrator is 1311. You can change the port, if required. For instructions on setting up your system preferences, see Dell Systems Management Server Administration Connection Service and Security Setup. NOTE: Servers running on XenServer 6.
Server Administrator Managed System Login — Using the Desktop Icon This login is available only if the Server Administrator Web Server component is installed on the system. To log in to Server Administrator to manage a remote system: 1. Double-click the Server Administrator icon on your desktop. 2. Type the managed system's IP Address or system name or Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
messages about the certificate, the certificate used must be from a trusted CA. For more information about X.509 Certificate Management, see X.509 Certificate Management. NOTE: To ensure system security, it is recommended that you import a certificate chain from a Certification Authority (CA). For more information, see the VMware documentation.
NOTE: If you have not configured your browser to enable the use of client-side scripting, you may see a receive a blank screen when logging in to Server Administrator. In this case, an error message is displayed instructing you to configure your browser settings. Enabling The Use Of Client-Side Scripts On Internet Explorer 1. In your Web browser, click Tools > Internet Options > Security. The Internet Options window is displayed. 2.
○ The action tabs are divided into subcategories of all available secondary options for the action tabs based on the user's access privileges. ○ The data area displays information for the selected system tree object, action tab, and subcategory based on the user's access privileges. Also, when logged in to the Server Administrator home page, the system model, the assigned name of the system, and the current user's user name and user privileges are displayed in the top-right corner of the window.
Figure 2. Sample Server Administrator home page — Modular System Clicking an object in the system tree opens a corresponding action window for that object. You can navigate in the action window by clicking the action tabs to select major categories and clicking the action tab subcategories to access more detailed information or more focused actions. The information displayed in the data area of the action window can range from system logs to status indicators to system probe gauges.
Table 8. Server Administrator User Interface Differences Across Modular and Non- Modular Systems (continued) Features Modular System Non-Modular System Power Management Processors Remote Access Removable Flash Media Slots Temperatures Voltages Modular Enclosure (Chassis Information and CMC Information) Global Navigation Bar The global navigation bar and its links are available to all user levels in the program. ● Click Preferences to open the Preferences home page. See Using the Preferences Home Page.
version information for the system BIOS appears in the data area. The data area of the action window contains many common features, including status indicators, task buttons, underlined items, and gauge indicators. The Server Administrator user interface displays the date in the format. System/Server module component status indicators The icons that appear next to component names show the status of that component (as of the latest page refresh). Table 9.
Figure 3. Gauge Indicator Using The Online Help Context-sensitive online help is available for every window of the Server Administrator home page. Clicking Help opens an independent help window that contains detailed information about the specific window you are viewing. The online help is designed to guide you through the specific actions required to perform all aspects of the Server Administrator services.
By default, the feature is disabled. Enabling the feature allows you to create an automatic backup of ESM Logs. After the backup is created, ESM logs of the Server Administrator and the SEL entries of iDRAC/BMC are cleared. The process is repeated whenever the logs are full. The backup is saved to: Windows: \omsa\log\omsellog.xml Linux and ESXi: /var/log/openmanage/omsellog.
Webserver preferences Perform the following steps to set up your webserver preferences: 1. Click Preferences on the global navigation bar. The Preferences home page appears. 2. Click General Settings. 3. The Server Preferences window, set options as necessary. ● The Session Timeout (minutes) feature can be used to set a limit on the amount of time that a Server Administrator session remains active.
● Key Signing Algorithm (For Self-Signed Certificate) — Allows you to select a supported signing algorithm. If you select either SHA 512 or SHA 256, ensure that your operating system/browser supports this algorithm. If you select one of these options without the requisite operating system/browser support, Server Administrator displays a cannot display the webpage error. This field is meant only for Server Administrator autogenerated self-signed certificates.
SSL Server Certificates Server Administrator Web server is configured to use the industry-standard SSL security protocol to transfer encrypted data over a network. Built on an asymmetric encryption technology, SSL is widely accepted for providing authenticated and encrypted communication between clients and servers to prevent eavesdropping across a network.
Using The Server Administrator Command Line Interface The Server Administrator command line interface (CLI) allows users to perform essential systems management tasks from the operating system command prompt of a monitored system. The CLI allows a user with a very well-defined task in mind to rapidly retrieve information about the system. Using CLI commands, for example, administrators can write batch programs or scripts to execute at specific times.
4 Server Administrator services Server Administrator Instrumentation Service monitors the health of a system and provides rapid access to detailed fault and performance information gathered by industry-standard systems management agents. The reporting and viewing features allow retrieval of the overall health status for each chassis that includes your system. At the subsystem level, you can view information about the voltages, temperatures, fan rpm, and memory function at key points in the system.
are categorized by component type. When you expand the main object — Modular Enclosure — System/Server Module — the major categories of system components that may appear are, Main System Chassis/Main System, Software, and Storage. If Storage Management Service is installed, depending on the controller and storage attached to the system, the Storage tree object expands to display various objects.
System/Server module properties The System/Server Module object contains three main system component groups: Main System Chassis/Main System, Software, and Storage. The Server Administrator home page defaults to the System object of the system tree view. Most administrative functions can be managed from the System/Server Module object action window.
Logs Subtabs: Hardware | Alert | Command Under the Logs tab, you can: ● View the Embedded System Management (ESM) log or the System Event Log (SEL) for a list of all events related to your system's hardware components. The status indicator icon next to the log name changes from normal status ( noncritical status ( ) to ) when the log file reaches 80 percent capacity. On Dell PowerEdge 11G systems, the status indicator ) when the log file reaches 100 percent capacity.
● View session information for current users that have logged in to Server Administrator. ● Terminate user sessions. NOTE: Only users with Administrator privileges can view the Session Management page and terminate sessions of logged-in users. Main System Chassis/Main System Click the Main System Chassis/Main System object to manage your system's essential hardware and software components.
○ Hardware Log ○ Intrusion ○ Network ○ Power Management ○ Power Supplies ○ Processors ○ Temperatures ○ Voltages NOTE: Batteries are supported only on Dell’s 10th generation PowerEdge systems. The Power supplies are not available on Dell PowerEdge 1900. Power Management is supported on limited Dell’s 10th generation PowerEdge systems. Power Supply Monitoring and Power Monitoring features are available only for systems that have two or more redundant, hot-swappable powers supplies installed.
Setup Subtab: BIOS NOTE: The BIOS Setup tab for your system only displays the BIOS features that are supported on your system. Under the Setup tab, you can set the state for each BIOS setup object.
Under the Alert Management tab, you can: ● View current alert actions settings and set the alert actions that you want to be performed in the event that a fan returns a warning or failure value. ● Set the alert threshold levels for fans. Firmware Click the Firmware object to manage your system firmware. Firmware consists of programs or data that have been written to ROM. Firmware can boot and operate a device. Each controller contains firmware that helps provide the controller's functionality.
Memory Click the Memory object to manage your system's memory devices. Server Administrator monitors the memory device status for each memory module present in the monitored system. Memory device prefailure sensors monitor memory modules by counting the number of ECC memory corrections. Server Administrator also monitors memory redundancy information if your system supports this feature.
NOTE: On systems running Linux operating systems with kernel versions earlier than 3.10, Team Interface speed is not displayed. Ports Click the Ports object to manage your system's external ports. Server Administrator monitors the status of each external port present in your system. NOTE: CMC USB ports attached with blade servers are not enumerated by Server Administrator. The Ports object action window can have the following tab, depending on the user's group privileges: Properties.
NOTE: Power Supply Monitoring and Power Monitoring features are available only for systems that have two or more redundant, hot-swappable power supplies installed. These features are unavailable for permanently installed, non-redundant power supplies that lack power management circuitry. Properties Subtab: Elements Under the Properties tab, you can: ● View information about your power supply redundancy attributes.
Subtab: Information Properties Under the Properties tab, you can view general information on the remote access device. You can also view the attributes of the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Click Reset to Defaults to reset all the attributes to their system default values.
Temperatures Click the Temperatures object to manage your system temperature in order to prevent thermal damage to your system’s internal components. Server Administrator monitors the temperature in a variety of locations in your system's chassis to ensure that temperatures inside the chassis do not become too high. The Temperatures object action window displays the following tabs, depending on the user's group privileges: Properties and Alert Management.
Under the Properties tab, you can view a summary of the monitored system's operating system and system management software. Operating system Click the Operating System object to view basic information about your operating system. The operating system object action window has the following tab, depending on the user's group privileges: Properties. Properties Subtab: Information Under the Properties tab, you can view basic information about your operating system.
● Set DSM SA Connection Service preferences. For instructions on configuring your server preferences, see Dell Systems Dell Systems Management Server Administration Connection Service and Security Setup. ● Configure the SMTP server address and Bind IP address in either the IPv4 or IPv6 addressing mode. ● Perform X.509 certificate management by generating a new X.509 certificate, reusing an existing X.509 certificate, or importing a certificate chain from a Certification Authority (CA).
5 Working with remote access controller The systems baseboard management controller (BMC)/Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) monitors the system for critical events by communicating with various sensors on the system board and sends alerts and log events when certain parameters exceed their preset thresholds. The BMC/iDRAC supports the industry-standard Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification, enabling you to configure, monitor, and recover systems remotely.
● ● ● ● ● Configuring The Remote Access Device To Use A Serial Over LAN Connection Configuring The Remote Access Device To Use A Serial Port Connection Additional Configuration For iDRAC Configuring Remote Access Device Users Setting Platform Event Filter Alerts You can view BMC/iDRAC or DRAC information based on which hardware is providing the remote access capabilities for the system.
NOTE: You can view IPv4 and IPv6 address details only if you enable the IPv4 and IPv6 address properties under Additional Configuration in the Remote Access tab. Configuring The Remote Access Device To Use A LAN Connection To configure the remote access device for communication over a LAN connection: 1. Click the Modular Enclosure > System/Server Module > Main System Chassis/Main System > Remote Access object. 2. Click the Configuration tab. 3. Click LAN. The LAN Configuration window appears.
● IP Address ● Subnet Mask ● Gateway Address 7. Configure the following IPv6 Properties: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● IP Address Source IP Address Prefix Length Default Gateway DNS Address Source Preferred DNS Server Alternate DNS Server NOTE: You can configure the IPv4 and IPv6 address details only if you enable the IPv4 and IPv6 properties under Additional Configuration. 8. Click Apply Changes.
1. Click the Modular Enclosure > System/Server Module > Main System Chassis/Main System > Remote Access object. 2. Click the Configuration tab. 3. Click Serial Over LAN . The Serial Over LAN Configuration window appears. 4. Configure the following details: ● Enable Serial Over LAN ● Baud Rate ● Minimum Privilege Required 5. Click Apply Changes. 6. Click Advanced Settings to further configure BMC. 7.
8. Click Back to Remote Access User Window to go back to the Remote Access Users window. NOTE: Six additional user entries are configurable when DRAC is installed. This results in a total of 16 users. The same username and password rules apply to BMC/iDRAC and RAC users. When DRAC/iDRAC6 is installed, all the 16 users entries are allocated to DRAC.
NOTE: To generate an alert, you must select both Generate Alert and the Enable Platform Events Alerts settings. 7. Click Apply. 8. Click Apply to Platform Events Page to go back to the Platform Event Filters window. Setting Platform Event Alert Destinations You can also use the Platform Event Filters window to select a destination where an alert for a platform event is to be sent.
6 Server Administrator logs Server Administrator allows you to view and manage hardware, alert, and command logs. All users can access logs and print reports from either the Server Administrator home page or from its command line interface. Users must be logged in with Administrator privileges to clear logs or must be logged in with Administrator or Power User privileges to email logs to their designated service contact.
Hardware log On Dell’s 11th generation PowerEdge systems, use the hardware log to look for potential problems with your system's hardware components. The hardware log status indicator changes to critical status ( ) when the log file reaches 100 percent capacity. There are two available hardware logs, depending on your system: the Embedded System Management (ESM) log and the System Event Log (SEL).
NOTE: OMSA may send duplicate SNMP traps or log duplicate events in the Alert Log page or in the operating system log file. The duplicate traps and events are logged either when OMSA services are manually restarted or when the device sensor still indicates a non-normal state when OMSA services starts after an operating system reboot. For detailed information about alert messages, see the Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide at dell.com/ openmanagemanuals.
7 Setting Alert Actions Topics: • • • • Setting Alert Actions For Systems Running Supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux And SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Operating Systems Setting Alert Actions In Microsoft Windows Server Server 2008 Setting Alert Action Execute Application In Windows Server 2008 BMC/iDRAC platform events filter alert messages Setting Alert Actions For Systems Running Supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux And SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Operating Systems When you set alert actions for an event,
Setting Alert Actions In Microsoft Windows Server Server 2008 When specifying alert actions, Visual Basic scripts are not automatically interpreted by the Execute Application feature, although you can run a .cmd, .com, .bat, or .exe file by only specifying the file as the alert action. To resolve this issue, first call the command processor cmd.exe to start your script. For example, the alert action value to execute an application can be set as follows: c:\winnt\system32\cmd.exe /c d:\example\example1.
Table 14. PEF Alert Events Event Description Fan Probe Failure The fan is running too slow or not at all. Voltage Probe Failure The voltage is too low for proper operation. Battery Probe Warning The battery is operating below the recommended charge level. Battery Probe Failure The battery has failed. Discrete Voltage Probe Failure The voltage is too low for proper operation. Temperature Probe Warning The temperature is approaching excessively high or low limits.
8 Troubleshooting Connection Service Failure On Red Hat Enterprise Linux, when SELinux is set to enforced mode, the Dell Systems Management Server Administrator (SM SA) Connection service fails to start. Perform one of the following steps and start this service: ● Set SELinux to Disabled mode or to Permissivemode. ● Change the SELinux allow_execstack property to ON state. Run the following command: setsebool allow_execstack on ● Change the security context for the SM SA connection service.
To force a reinstall: 1. Check the version of Server Administrator that was previously installed. 2. Download the installation package for that version from support.dell.com. 3. Locate SysMgmt.msi in the srvadmin\windows\SystemsManagement directory. 4. Type the following command at the command prompt to force a reinstall msiexec /i SysMgmt.msi REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vamus 5. Select Custom Setup and choose all the features that were originally installed.
Table 15. Server Administrator Services (continued) Service Name Description Impact of Failure service) (This service runs on the managed system.) information and allows remote administration of monitored systems, including shutdown, startup, and security. on GUI/CLI without these services running. SM SA Event Manager (Windows) Linux: dsm_sa_eventmgrd (hosted under dataeng service) (This service runs on the managed system.
9 Frequently Asked Questions This section lists the frequently asked questions about Server Administrator. NOTE: The following questions are not specific to this release of Server Administrator. 1. Why does ESXi 5.x host rebooting functionality fail from Server Administrator? This issue is due to VMware stand-alone license (SAL) key. For more information, see the knowledge base article at kb.vmware.com/kb/kb1026060. 2.
Using Administrator level credentials asked for at the time the update is scheduled or performed, an administrative (drive) share is established to a drive on the target system, and files copying from somewhere (possibly another network share) is done to the target system. WMI functions are then invoked to execute the software update. As Server Administrator is not installed on Clients/Workstations, so CIM discovery is used when the target is running the OpenManage Client Instrumentation.
