SupportAssist Version 2.1 for Dell OpenManage Essentials User's Guide September 2015 Rev.
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. 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: Overview...................................................................................................................... 6 Key features..........................................................................................................................................................................6 SupportAssist capabilities available with Dell service contracts.............................................................................. 7 Case data handling................
Viewing the device inventory......................................................................................................................................... 28 Filtering the displayed data.............................................................................................................................................29 Filtering options..........................................................................................................................................................
Case List.............................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Device Inventory................................................................................................................................................................48 Device Groups.....................................................................................................................................
1 Overview Dell SupportAssist for OpenManage Essentials is a service capability that collects information about your Dell system hardware and software, and automatically creates support cases when issues arise. This helps Dell to provide you an enhanced, personalized, and efficient support experience. Dell uses this data to help solve common problems, and to design and market the products and services features you use most.
NOTE: Support cases opened before SupportAssist installation and support cases opened by contacting Dell Technical Support, do not appear in SupportAssist. ● Automated log and configuration collection — Information required for troubleshooting the issue is automatically collected and sent to Dell.
Table 1. SupportAssist capabilities (continued) SupportAssist capability Description Dell service contract type Basic Hardware ProSupport ProSupport Plus configuration with proactive firmware recommendations and other reports. * Predictive detection of hardware failures is applicable only for the hard drives, backplanes, and expanders of Dell’s 12th and 13th generation of PowerEdge server that have PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) Series 5 to 9.
What is new in this release ● Feature to opt in or opt out from ProSupport Plus server recommendation report email messages. ● Additional device support. NOTE: For a complete list of supported device models, see the Dell SupportAssist for OpenManage Essentials Version 2.2 Support Matrix at Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools.
2 Installing, upgrading, and uninstalling SupportAssist The following sections provide information about installing, upgrading, and uninstalling SupportAssist. Topics: • • • • • Prerequisites Minimum requirements Installing SupportAssist Upgrading SupportAssist Uninstalling SupportAssist Prerequisites The following are the prerequisites: ● Dell OpenManage Essentials version 2.2 or earlier should be installed in your device. ● Dell PowerEdge servers running Dell OpenManage Essentials version 2.
● All managed PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, iDRAC, CMC, Networking (previously Force10 and PowerConnect), PowerEdge VRTX, and PowerEdge FX2 devices must be configured to send SNMP traps to the OpenManage Essentials server. ● All managed PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, iDRAC, CMC, Networking (previously Force10 and PowerConnect), PowerEdge VRTX, and PowerEdge FX2 devices must be discovered, categorized, and inventoried by the OpenManage Essentials server.
Installing SupportAssist You can install SupportAssist by downloading one of the following installation packages: ● Dell SupportAssist version 2.2 available at Dell.com/SupportAssistGroup. ● Dell OpenManage Essentials version 2.2 available at DellTechCenter.com/OME. By installing SupportAssist, you agree to the Dell End User License Agreement — Type A, available for review at Dell.com/ softwarelicenseagreement; and the Dell Privacy Policy available for review at Dell.com/privacy.
\Essentials\SupportAssistSetup or the OpenManage Essentials custom installation folder, and select Run as administrator. 1. Extract the OpenManage Essentials installation package to a folder on the system. 2. In the folder where you extracted the installation package, double-click the Autorun.exe file. The Dell OpenManage Install window is displayed. 3. If OpenManage Essentials version 2.2 is not installed on the system, make sure that Dell OpenManage Essentials is selected. 4.
a. In the Address field, type the proxy server IP address or host name. b. In the Port field, type the proxy server port number. c. If the connection to the proxy server requires a user name and password, select Requires authentication, and type the user name and password in the appropriate fields. d. Click Next. SupportAssist verifies the connection to the proxy server using the provided proxy server details. If the connection is successful, the Registration page is displayed.
Upgrading SupportAssist NOTE: Upgrade to SupportAssist version 2.2 is supported if OpenManage Essentials version 2.2 is installed on the system. For information on installing or upgrading to OpenManage Essentials version 2.2, see the OpenManage Essentials Version 2.2 User’s Guide at Dell.com/OpenManageManuals. You can upgrade SupportAssist version 2.0.1, 2.1 to version 2.2. To upgrade SupportAssist, download one of the following: ● SupportAssist version 2.2 installation package available at Dell.
● Username — The user name must contain one or more printable characters, and must not exceed 104 characters. ● Password — The password must contain one or more printable characters, and must not exceed 127 characters. ● Confirm Password — Reenter the password. The password must match with the one provided in the Password field. d. Click Next. The proxy settings are validated. If the validation is unsuccessful, verify the proxy settings and try again or contact your network administrator for assistance. e.
3 Using Dell SupportAssist The following sections provide information about configuring and using SupportAssist.
○ If the server is running Windows Server 2012 — Move the mouse pointer to the bottom-left corner, and then click the Start icon. On the Start screen, click the SupportAssist tile. ● To start SupportAssist from a remote system, open a web browser and type the address in the following format: https://:Port Number/DIS. For example, https:// 10.25.35.1:2607/DIS. SupportAssist opens in a web browser window and displays the Cases page.
● Server ● Storage ● Switch 3. Select the Credential Type from the list. The options listed vary based on the Device Type you selected. The options for Server are: ● ● ● ● ● Windows Linux ESX/ESXi iDRAC CMC The options for Storage are: ● EqualLogic ● MD Series The option for Switch is Dell Networking. 4. Type the credentials in the corresponding fields: NOTE: For Dell Networking switches (previously Force10 and PowerConnect), the Username, Password, and Enable Password fields are optional.
● An SMTP server is available in your environment, but: ○ The SMTP server settings are not configured in SupportAssist. ○ The SMTP server credentials you have provided in SupportAssist are incorrect. ○ The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate of the SMTP server is expired. ○ An anti-virus software is blocking the SMTP server port configured in SupportAssist. ● An SMTP server is not available in your environment.
NOTE: The device status e-mail is sent only if there are devices with setup issues that were not notified earlier. For more information on the device status, see the status descriptions in Device Inventory.
Editing device credentials The Default Device Type Credentials that you provided for each Device Type and Credential Type in the System Logs page is used to run the collection component on your managed devices and gather the system logs. If the credentials for a particular device differ from the Default Device Type Credentials you provided, you can edit the credentials for that device.
belonging to a particular Device Type and Credential Type at a time, see Overwriting the device-specific credentials with the default device type credentials. To reset the device-specific credentials to the default device type credentials: NOTE: To reset the device-specific credentials to the Default Device Type Credentials, you must be logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators, Power Users, or Site Administrators group. 1. Click the Devices tab. The Device Inventory is displayed. 2.
Related references System Logs on page 53 Related tasks Editing device credentials on page 22 Filtering the system log collection The system logs collected by SupportAssist includes personally identifiable information (PII) such as the complete configuration snapshot of storage systems, hosts, and network devices which can contain host identification and network configuration data. In most cases, part or all of this data is required to properly diagnose issues.
To send the system logs manually: NOTE: The Send System Logs option is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators, Power Users, or Site Administrators group. 1. Click the Devices tab. The Device Inventory is displayed. 2. Select a device in the Device Inventory table. The Send System Logs link is enabled. 3. Click Send System Logs. The Collection Status column in the Device Inventory displays the status of the collection and upload of the system logs.
2. Click Preferences. The Preferences page is displayed. 3. Under Support Collection, select or clear Enable system log collection scheduling, to enable or disable scheduling of the collection of system logs. NOTE: By default, the Enable system log collection scheduling option is selected. 4. Click Save Changes.
8. Click Save Changes. Related references System Logs on page 53 Default system log collection schedule on page 27 Related tasks Disabling the scheduling of system log collection for a specific device type on page 27 Default system log collection schedule The following table provides the default system log collection schedule for each supported device.
● Switch 3. Select the Credential Type for which you want to disable scheduling. The options available vary based on the Device Type you selected. 4. In System Log Collection Schedule section, set the Frequency to None. 5. Click Save Changes. The following message is displayed in the System Log Collection Schedule section: System Log Collection scheduling is turned off for the current Device Type and Credential Type.
NOTE: The Device Inventory is refreshed automatically every 5 minutes. If you select a device and the data is refreshed, the device is deselected. If you want to perform any operation on that device, you must select the device again.
Device grouping The Device Groups page on the Devices tab allows you to create groups of devices based on your preference.
1. Click the Devices tab. The Device Inventory page is displayed. 2. Click the Groups tab. The Device Groups page is displayed. 3. Click Create Group. The Create Group window is displayed. 4. Type a unique name and description for the device group and click Save. The device group that you created is displayed in the Device Groups page. Managing devices in a device group After creating a device group, you can select the devices you want to add or remove from the device group.
The Device Inventory page is displayed. 2. Click the Groups tab. The Device Groups page is displayed. 3. Select a device group. 4. In the Select group actions list, select Manage Credentials. The Manage Credentials window is displayed. 5. Type the user name and password for the device type highlighted in the left pane. 6. If more than one device type is included in the device group, click Next. The next device type is highlighted in the left pane. 7.
10. Click Save. Editing device group details You can edit the name and description of a device group based on your preference. NOTE: You can edit the device group details only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators, Power Users, or Site Administrators group. To edit the device group details: 1. Click the Devices tab. The Device Inventory page is displayed. 2. Click the Groups tab. The Device Groups page is displayed. 3. Select a device group. 4.
● If you have configured the default credentials and device group credentials, the device group credentials is used for running the collection components.
Enabling auto update To enable auto update: NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators, Power Users, or Site Administrators group. 1. Click the Settings tab. The System Logs page is displayed. 2. Click Preferences. The Auto Update,Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode page is displayed. 3. Under Auto Update, select Enable auto update. 4. Click Save Changes.
NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators, Power Users, or Site Administrators group. 1. Click the Settings tab. The System Logs page is displayed. 2. Click Proxy Settings. The Proxy Settings page is displayed. 3. Ensure that the proxy settings has been configured correctly. See Configuring proxy server settings. 4. Click Apply. A dialog box appears to inform the status of the connection through the proxy server.
● If you clear this option, SupportAssist is taken out of maintenance mode. 4. Click Save Changes. A banner appears along the top of the SupportAssist dashboard displaying Maintenance Mode. Once manually placed in maintenance mode, SupportAssist remains in that state unless you clear the option as in step 3. NOTE: The Maintenance Mode functionality, when set manually, differs from the manner in which the Maintenance Mode feature handles event storms. See Event Handling for more information.
Accessing and viewing the logs The SupportAssist dashboard stores Windows events and log messages in two locations: ● The Windows Event Log ● The dashboard installation logs directory (typically, C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Integrated Support \logs. A new log is created daily at 11:59 PM as per the time zone configured in the system, and is stored in the logs directory with the date appended to the file extension.
Viewing support information The Help window displays SupportAssist product version and copyright information, and provides access to Dell Technical Support and Dell OpenManage Essentials information. To view the support information for SupportAssist: 1. Move the mouse pointer over the Help link at the top-right corner of the SupportAssist dashboard, and then click Help. The Help window is displayed. 2. In the Help window : ● Read the General product and copyright information.
4 Troubleshooting The following sections describe procedures you can use to troubleshoot Dell SupportAssist issues Topics: • • • • • • • • • • • • Installing SupportAssist Registration problem Ensuring successful communication between the SupportAssist application and the SupportAssist server Verifying the installation of the collection components Launching SupportAssist Services Collection error Collection upload error Security Troubleshooting SSL connection failure Service contract Service Tag warnings
● Upload the generated system log collection to Dell. To ensure that the SupportAssist application is able to successfully communicate with the SupportAssist server: ● The management server on which the SupportAssist application is installed must be able to connect to the following destinations: ○ https://apidp.dell.com/support/case/v2/WebCase — end point for the SupportAssist server. On the management server, verify if you can access the following location using the web browser: https://apidp.dell.
Launching SupportAssist If you see a Problem starting the Dell SupportAssist Service error upon launching SupportAssist: ● There may be a Microsoft Windows registry configuration problem with the SupportAssist Windows service. To resolve this issue, uninstall and then reinstall SupportAssist. ● The SupportAssist dashboard requires some DLLs that are installed in OpenManage Essentials.
Collection error If you receive a SupportAssist e-mail notification indicating a collection issue with a specific device and the Status of the device displays Error: 1. Click the Error link in the Status column to view the possible resolution steps. 2. Verify if the device is connected to the network. 3. Verify the credentials you have provided for the device. You must provide the Administrator credentials in the Settings > System Logs page.
Exporting the root certificate You can perform the following steps to export the root certificate from Dell.com. 1. In Internet Explorer, go to https://dell.com. 2. If the Certificate Error: Navigation Blocked page is displayed, click Continue to this website (not recommended). 3. At the Do you want to view only the webpage content that was delivered securely? prompt, click Yes. 4. On the address bar, click the Security Report icon . 5. Click View certificates. The Certificate window is displayed. 6.
9. In the Add or Remove snap-ins dialog box, click OK. 10. In Console Root, click Certificates – Current User. 11. Right-click Trusted Root Certification Authority > All Tasks > Import. The Certificate Import Wizard is displayed. 12. Click Next. The File to Import dialog box is displayed. 13. Browse to select the location of the certificate files, select a certificate file and click Next. The Certificate Store information is displayed. 14. Click Next. 15. Click Finish. 16.
5 Dell SupportAssist user interface The top-right of the SupportAssist header area displays links that you can use to navigate the interface. The following table describes the links that are displayed. Table 3. SupportAssist header links Link Description SupportAssist Community Opens the SupportAssist User Group website in a new browser window.
• • • • • • Case List Device Inventory Device Groups Settings Connectivity Test Setup Wizard Case List The Case List is the default view of SupportAssist. The following table describes the automatically-generated support case information for the supported Dell devices in your environment, as displayed in the Case List page. Table 4. Case List Column Description Case Status Displays the current state of the support case.
Table 4. Case List (continued) Column Description Date Opened Displays the date and time when the support case was opened. Device Inventory The Device Inventory page displays the supported devices that are discovered in OpenManage Essentials. The device inventory displays the device list as a group. If no device group is created, below the column headers, the device inventory displays Ungrouped devices (Total devices: n) and the list of devices.
Table 5. Device Inventory (continued) Field Description ○ An unknown issue occurred while verifying the device status. ○ The status of the device could not be verified within the predefined time limit. ● Error — The error status is displayed in any of the following scenarios: ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Installation of the collection component is unsuccessful. The collection component is not installed. The support case information for the device could not be accessed by SupportAssist.
Manage Devices The Manage Devices window allows you to add or remove devices from a device group. On the Manage Devices window: ● The Ungrouped Devices pane displays all devices that are not included in any device group. ● The Devices in Current Group pane displays devices that are included in the current device group. The following table provides information about the fields displayed in the Manage Devices window. Table 7.
Table 8. Manage Credentials (continued) Field Description Community String NOTE: The Community String field is displayed only when the device type is Storage EqualLogic. Allows you to edit the community string in a masked format. Save Click to save the credentials. Next Click to navigate to the next device type displayed in the left pane. Close Click to close the Manage Credentials window.
Table 9. Manage Contacts (continued) Field Description City/Town Country State/Province/ Region Postal Code Related references Viewing and updating the contact information of a device group on page 32 Edit/Delete Group The Edit/Delete Group window allows you to edit the device group details or delete a device group. The following table provides information about the fields displayed on the Edit/Delete Group window. Table 10.
System Logs The System Logs page enables you to: ● Edit the credentials required to collect the system logs from supported devices ● Schedule system log collections The following table provides information about the fields displayed under Edit Device Credentials. Table 11. System Logs Field Description Device Type Select the device type. The available options are: ● Server ● Storage ● Switch Credential Type Select the specific device for which you want to provide the credentials.
NOTE: The System Log Collection Schedule options are enabled only if the Enable system log collection scheduling option is selected in the Preferences page. NOTE: If the Enable system log collection scheduling option is not selected, and your devices are covered under the Dell ProSupport Plus service contract, you will not receive some reporting information about your devices. Table 12. System Logs Field Description Frequency Enables selecting the frequency at which system logs are collected.
Related references Settings on page 52 Related tasks Configuring proxy server settings on page 35 Preferences The Preferences page enables you to configure Auto Update, Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode. The following table provides information about the fields displayed in the Preferences page. Table 14.
Enabling or disabling the scheduling of system log collection on page 25 Filtering the system log collection on page 24 Setting SupportAssist to maintenance mode on page 36 Contact Information The Contact Information page enables you to view and edit the contact information and parts dispatch address. The following table provides information about the fields displayed in the Contact Information page. Table 15.
Table 16. System Credentials Field Description Username Enables you to view or edit user name required to connect to OpenManage Essentials. NOTE: If the server on which SupportAssist is installed is a member of a domain, the user name must be provided in the domain\user name format. Password Enables you to provide or edit the password required to connect to OpenManage Essentials.
Table 18. Connectivity Test Field Description Check box Select the appropriate check boxes to test the connectivity status you want to verify. Test Displays the dependent network resources that you can test. The available options are: ● Internet ● Local SMTP server ● Dell FTP server ● Dell Upload Server ● OpenManage Essentials Service ● Dell SupportAssist Server Description Provides a description of the test. Connectivity Status Displays an icon and a message that indicates the connectivity status.
Table 19. Proxy Settings Field Description Use proxy settings Select this option to enable configuring the proxy server settings. Proxy Server Address or Name The proxy server address or name. Proxy Port Number The proxy server port number. Proxy requires authentication Select this option if the proxy server requires authentication. Username The user name required to connect to the proxy server. Password The password required to connect to the proxy server.
Table 21. System Credentials Field Description Username The user name required to connect to OpenManage Essentials. NOTE: If the server on which SupportAssist is installed is a member of a domain, the user name must be provided in the domain\user name format. Password The password required to connect to OpenManage Essentials. Back Click to navigate to the Registration page. Next Click to verify connectivity to OpenManage Essentials using the provided credentials.
6 Related documents and resources Other documents you may need In addition to this guide, you can access the following guides available at the Dell Support website: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Dell OpenManage Essentials Version 2.2 User’s Guide Dell SupportAssist Version 2.2 for Dell OpenManage Essentials Support Matrix Dell SupportAssist Version 2.2 for Dell OpenManage Essentials Quick Start Guide Dell SupportAssist Version 2.
○ For Serviceability Tools documents — Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools ○ For OpenManage Connections Client Systems Management documents — Dell.com/ DellClientCommandSuiteManuals ● From the Dell Support site: 1. Go to Dell.com/Support/Home. 2. Under Select a product section, click Software & Security. 3.
7 Error code appendix The following table lists the error codes, error messages, and possible resolutions. Error code Error message Possible resolution 1000_1 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on because the component is not supported on the operating system running on the device. For information on the supported devices and operating systems, see the Dell SupportAssist for Dell OpenManage Essentials Support Matrix at Dell.com/ ServiceabilityTools.
Error code Error message Possible resolution ● iDRAC firmware is updated, if applicable. 1000_9 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on . Ensure the following: ● Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is installed and the OMSA services are running on the device. ● iDRAC firmware is updated, if applicable. 1000_10 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on .
Error code Error message Possible resolution 1000_28 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on because of an internal error. If the problem persists, the log files may be required for further troubleshooting. Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance. 1000_29 SupportAssist is unable to upload the collection file from . Ensure that the proxy server is reachable.
Error code Error message Possible resolution 2000_26 SupportAssist is unable to upload the collection file from because of an internal error. If the problem persists, the log files may be required for further troubleshooting. Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance. 2000_27 SupportAssist is unable to upload the collection file from because the upload process exceeded the predefined time limit.
Error code Error message Possible resolution 2000_199 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on . Ensure that the Administrator credentials you have provided for the device in SupportAssist is correct. 2000_298 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on because of an internal error. If the problem persists, the log files may be required for further troubleshooting. Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance.
Error code Error message Possible resolution 1. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell \Lasso. 2. Open the NAS.properties file using any text editor. 3. Increase the value of the nas.ftp.connection.timeout property. 4. Save the NAS.properties file. 2000_499 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on . Perform the following: 1. Ensure that the Administrator credentials you have provided for the device in SupportAssist is correct. 2.
Error code Error message Possible resolution SA_22 SupportAssist is unable to upload the collection file because the collection file size exceeds the predefined upload file size limit If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support for assistance. SA_23 SupportAssist is unable to upload the collection file because of an internal error. If the problem persists, the log files may be required for further troubleshooting. Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance.
Error code Error message Possible resolution SA_106 SupportAssist component is not available. If the problem persists, the log files may be required for further troubleshooting. Contact Dell Technical Support for assistance. SA_108 SupportAssist is unable to run a collection component on . Ensure that the Administrator credentials you have provided for the device in SupportAssist is correct.