Dell SupportAssist Version 1.
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. © 2013 Dell Inc.
Contents 1 Overview.......................................................................................................................................7 Key Features............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Features Supported With Dell Service Contracts.....................................................................................................8 Case Data Handling.................
Filtering The System Log Collection........................................................................................................................28 Editing Device Credentials......................................................................................................................................29 Resetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type Credentials...........................................
6 Related Documents And Resources...................................................................................... 49 Other Documents You May Need........................................................................................................................... 49 Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site.......................................................................................................49 Contacting Dell.......................................................................
Overview 1 Dell SupportAssist collects information about your computer 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 design and market the products and services features you use most.
• Automatic support case creation — When a critical alert is received from your hardware by OpenManage Essentials, the alert information is sent to Dell and a service request is automatically created. A Dell technical support agent contacts you about the alert and helps you resolve the issue. NOTE: Support cases opened prior to SupportAssist installation, do not appear in the SupportAssist dashboard.
Data Collected Dell SupportAssist continually monitors the system configuration data and usage information of your OpenManage Essentials-managed Dell computer hardware and software. While Dell does not anticipate accessing or collecting personal information, such as your personal files, web browsing history, or cookies, in connection with this program, any personal data inadvertently collected or viewed will be treated in accordance with the Dell Privacy Policy.
Installing, Upgrading, And Uninstalling Dell SupportAssist 2 The following sections provide information about installing, upgrading, and uninstalling Dell SupportAssist. Prerequisites The following are the prerequisites: • Dell PowerEdge servers running Dell OpenManage Essentials version 1.0.
• All managed PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, iDRAC7, CMC, Force10, PowerConnect, and PowerEdge VRTX devices configured to send SNMP traps to the OpenManage Essentials server. • All managed PowerEdge, EqualLogic, PowerVault, iDRAC7, CMC, Force10, PowerConnect, and PowerEdge VRTX devices devices discovered, categorized, and inventoried by the OpenManage Essentials server.
Minimum Requirements Downloading The Installation Package To download the installation package: 1. Visit support.dell.com . 2. In the search box, type SupportAssist and click Search. 3. Download the installation package to your OpenManage Essentials management server. Installing Dell SupportAssist By installing Dell SupportAssist, you agree to the Dell End User License Agreement, available for review at dell.com/ softwarelicenseagreement; and the Dell Privacy Policy available for review at dell.
NOTE: SupportAssist installation requires that you allow Dell to save certain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as your contact information, local administrator credentials, and so on. SupportAssist installation cannot proceed unless you allow Dell to save your PII. 3. Read the terms, and click I Agree. The License Agreement dialog box is displayed. 4. Read the software license agreement, select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next.
The Install Wizard Completed dialog box is displayed. 7. Click Finish. The SupportAssist client opens in a web browser and the First-Time Setup dialog box is displayed. The SupportAssist client installed on your system registers with the SupportAssist server hosted by Dell, and sends you a registration confirmation e-mail.
To upgrade: 1. On the Dell OpenManage Essentials management server, right-click the installer package, then select Run as administrator. NOTE: UAC requires that the installation is performed with elevated privileges that are obtained only through the Run as administrator option.
Dell SupportAssist Interface 3 The top-right corner of the SupportAssist dashboard displays links that you can use to navigate the interface. The following table describes the links that are displayed. Link Description SupportAssist Community Opens the SupportAssist User Group website in a new browser window.
Column Description • • • • Customer Deferred — Dell technical support has deferred the case at the customer’s request. Submitted — SupportAssist has submitted the case. No Case — No case exists for this device. Reopened — The case was previously closed, and has been reopened. Case Number The numeric identifier assigned to the support case. Case Title The case name, which identifies: • • • • • Collection Status The current support case progress status.
Column Description Service Tag A unique, alphanumeric identifier that enables Dell to individually recognize each Dell device. Date Opened The date and time when the support case was opened. You can set the number of support cases displayed per page by using the Display Cases drop-down box. The navigation icons enable you to navigate the pages of the Case List.
Column Description • Collection Failed to Upload — Collection information was not successfully uploaded to Dell. You can set the number of devices displayed per page by using the Display Devices drop-down box. The navigation icons enable you to navigate the pages of the Device Inventory.
Field Description • Credential Type Switch Select the specific device or operating system for which you want to provide the credentials. The options displayed depend on the Device Type you have selected. The available options for Server are: • • • • • Windows Linux ESX/ESXi iDRAC7 CMC The available options for Storage are: • • EqualLogic MDSeries The available options for Switch are: • • PowerConnect Force10 Username Enables you to view or edit the user name.
Field Description Frequency Enables selecting the frequency at which system logs are collected. The available options are: • • • Specify day and time None Weekly Monthly Enables selecting the day and time when you want to collect the system logs. If the Frequency is set to Weekly, the available options are: weeks (1 or 2), day of the week (sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, and saturday), hour (in hh:mm format), and AM/PM.
Preferences The Preferences page enables you to configure Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode. The following table provides information about the options displayed under Email Settings. Field Description Receive email notification when a new support case is opened Select this option to receive an e-mail notification when a new support case is opened. Preferred email Language Enables you to select the preferred language for e-mail notifications.
Field Description Company Information Enables you to view or edit the company name. Primary Select this option to view the primary contact information. Secondary Select this option to view the secondary contact information. First Name Enables you to view or edit the first name of the primary or secondary contact. Last Name Enables you to view or edit the last name of the primary or secondary contact. Phone Number Enables you to view or edit the phone number of the primary or secondary contact.
Using Dell SupportAssist 4 The following sections provide information about configuring and using Dell SupportAssist. Launching Dell SupportAssist To launch SupportAssist: 1. On the OpenManage Essentials management server, do one of the following: – Double-click the Dell SupportAssist desktop icon. – Click Start→ All Programs→ Dell OpenManage Applications→ Dell SupportAssist→ Dell SupportAssist.
NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators or Power Users group. 1. Click the Settings tab. The System Logs page is displayed. 2. Click Proxy Settings. The Proxy Settings page is displayed. 3. Select Use Proxy Settings. NOTE: SupportAssist supports Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication protocol only. 4. Type the Proxy Server Address or Name and Proxy Port Number details.
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 – iDRAC7 – CMC The options for Storage are: – EqualLogic – MDSeries The options for Switch are: – 4. PowerConnect – Force10 Type the credentials in the corresponding fields: NOTE: For Force10 and PowerConnect Ethernet switches, the Username, Password, and Enable Password fields are optional.
Confirming E-Mail Connectivity You can test the SupportAssist e-mail connectivity status, to ensure that you receive the most current case and device updates. For example, you may want to check the e-mail connectivity status following a network outage, a router or firewall configuration change, or change made to the e-mail address of the primary user.
NOTE: If your devices are covered under the Dell ProSupport Plus service contract, when the Send network identification information to Dell option is disabled, you will not receive some reporting information about your devices. To filter the system log collection: NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators or Power Users group. 1. Click the Settings tab. The System Logs page is displayed. 2. Click Preferences.
5. Click Save Changes. The Confirmation dialog box is displayed. CAUTION: If you select the Do not show this reminder again option, SupportAssist does not prompt for your confirmation when you attempt to edit the device credentials the next time. 6. Click Yes. The dashboard displays the following message: Your device credentials were saved successfully .
CAUTION: If you select the Do not show this reminder again option, SupportAssist does not prompt for your confirmation when you attempt to reset the device-specific credentials the next time. 5. Click Yes.
NOTE: The Send System Logs option is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators or Power Users group. 1. Click the Devices tab. The Device Inventory is displayed. 2. Select a device in the Device Inventory table. NOTE: You can only select a device that has a valid Service Tag. If a device does not have a valid service tag, the check box for that device is disabled. The Send System Logs link is enabled. 3. Click Send System Logs.
To enable or disable the scheduling of system log collection: NOTE: Selecting the Enable Scheduling option enables the collection of system logs at periodic intervals from all supported device types. If you do not want SupportAssist to collect the system logs for a specific device type, you can disable scheduling for that specific device through the System Logs tab. For more information, see Disabling Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type.
– ESX/ESXi – iDRAC7 – CMC The options for Storage are: – EqualLogic – MDSeries The options for Switch are: 4. – PowerConnect – Force10 Under System Log Collection Schedule, set the Frequency to Weekly or Monthly. NOTE: If you want to disable the scheduling of system logs for a specific Device Type and Credential Type, set the Frequency to None. 5. In the Specify date and time fields, select an appropriate schedule. The options available vary based on the selected Frequency. 6.
Related Links Scheduling The Periodic Collection Of System Logs Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type To disable the scheduling of system log collection for a specific device type: NOTE: Disabling the scheduling of system log collection for a specific device type only disables the generation of system log collection at periodic intervals on those devices.
Viewing The Case List To view the Case List, click the Cases tab on the Dell SupportAssist dashboard. A progress indicator may appear at the bottom of the report to inform that SupportAssist is in the process of updating its cache of open support cases. NOTE: By default, the Case List is sorted by Date Opened, in descending order. See the following sections for more sorting options.
The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria. If there are no matches, the following message is displayed: No support cases found. Please review your search criteria and try again. 5. To clear the search criteria and try again, click Clear Filters. The report refreshes to display the default content. 6. Repeat step 2 through step 3. The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria.
Filtering The Device Inventory Data By Column Name And Keyword Returning The Device Inventory Data To The Default Sorting Setting The Number Of Devices Displayed Per Page Refreshing The Case List Or Device Inventory Display Data Sorting The Device Inventory Data By Column Name To sort the device inventory display data by column name, click any column header. The report refreshes to display the data in an ascending or descending order of the column header you clicked.
• 10 per page • 20 per page • 30 per page • 50 per page • 100 per page By default, the dashboard is set to display 50 devices per page. Related Links Device Inventory Viewing The Device Inventory Refreshing The Case List Or Device Inventory Display Data The Case List or Device Inventory display data can be refreshed in two ways: • Click the icon that appears in the Case List or Device Inventory dashboard to update the displayed data using the currently selected filters.
5. – Last Name — The last name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and not exceed 50 characters. – Phone Number — In 123-456-7890 format, or in 123-456-7890 x 123 format (to include an extension). It must contain a minimum of 10 characters, and not exceed 50 characters. – Alternate Phone Number — Optional, with the same format and character requirements as the Phone Number. – Email Address — Provide the e-mail address in the name@company.com format.
NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of the OpenManage Essentials Administrators or Power Users group. 1. Click the Settings tab. The System Logs page is displayed. 2. Click Preferences. The Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode page is displayed. 3. Under Maintenance Mode, select or clear Temporarily suspend case generation activity (for example, for purposes of downtime, external troubleshooting, etc.) to toggle the Maintenance Mode status.
FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, and DEBUG, with special values of OFF and ALL. A registry value of ERROR results in logs messages of FATAL, and ERROR, since FATAL is a higher level than ERROR. The LogFileLevel Windows Registry key can be located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Dell\Dell Integrated Support in 64-bit operating systems and at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Dell\Dell Integrated Support in 32-bit operating systems.
– Click the links under Dell SupportAssist Additional Information & Updates to view: * Dell Technical Support launch points, community forums, blogs, and much more * Dell product manuals for hardware and software products – 3. Click the link under Dell OpenManage Essentials (OME) Additional Information & Updates to view Dell OpenManage Essentials Frequently Asked Questions, updates, videos, and much more Click Close to return to the SupportAssist dashboard.
Troubleshooting 5 The following sections describe procedures you can use to troubleshoot Dell SupportAssist issues Installing Dell SupportAssist SupportAssist installation requires elevated Microsoft User Authentication (UAC) privileges, and may fail if you attempt to install by double-clicking on the installer executable. If this occurs, install SupportAssist as follows: 1. Right-click the installer executable. 2. Select Run as administrator.
Service Contract The Service Contract column on the Case List report, may display a warning icon or Unknown. See the following sections for more information about these messages. Service Contract Warning A warning icon may appear in the Service Contract column of some cases if the associated device is not covered under a Dell service contract or the service contract has expired. If any cases display a warning icon in the Service Contract column: 1.
– If the server is responding a success message is displayed in the dashboard. If not, the server may be down. If this occurs, look through the log-file.txt file, typically located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Integrated Support\logs in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files \Dell\Dell Integrated Support \logs in 32-bit operating systems, to find details. If there are no discernible details in the log file, and the server is not reachable, call Dell technical support.
Related Documents And Resources 6 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 1.2 User’s Guide Dell SupportAssist Version 1.2 For Dell OpenManage Essentials Support Matrix Dell SupportAssist Version 1.2 For Dell OpenManage Essentials Quick Start Guide Dell SupportAssist Version 1.
Related Documents And Resources Contacting Dell NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog. Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues: 1. Visit dell.com/support 2.
