HP Client Management solutions overview - Technical white paper

HP management tools and technologies

HP Client Management Interface

With HP CMI, you can manage PCs regardless of the systems management software installed, allowing HP commercial

PCs to integrate seamlessly into a managed IT environment. Your systems management tools and applications can

communicate directly with the PC, reducing the need for agents or connector software.

To simplify the integration of HP commercial PCs with popular system management tools, HP CMI is based on industry

standards such as Microsoft Windows Management Interface (WMI), Web Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), System

Management BIOS (SMBIOS), and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). You can access HP CMI via by

writing simple scripts that are integrated with the management solution of your choice.

Using HP CMI, the capabilities of your system management software include:

 Client inventory – You can capture detailed information about processors, hard drives, memory, BIOS, and sensor

information (such as fan speed, voltage, and temperature)

 Health status – You can have a wide range of client hardware alerts (such as over-temperature, fan stall, and

hardware configuration changes) sent in real time to the system management console, application, or local client

computer when triggered by a hardware event

 System BIOS – You can remotely use your system management console to perform key F10 setup functions (such as

setting and changing BIOS passwords or boot order) on any or all client systems – without having to visit each

machine individually

For legacy models not equipped with HP CMI, an HP CMI Software Provider SoftPaq may be downloaded from

www.hp.com. Refer to the white paper provided with this SoftPaq for information on developing scripts to interface

with HP CMI.

HP SoftPaq Download Manager

HP SoftPaq Download Manager is a free, easy-to-use interface for locating and downloading software updates for the

HP commercial PCs in your environment from the HP Support and Drivers website. By specifying the particular models,

operating system, and language, you can quickly locate, sort, and select the SoftPaqs you need.

To download HP SoftPaq Download Manager, visit hp.com/go/sdm.

HP System Software Manager

HP System Software Manager (HP SSM) automates the remote deployment of device drivers and BIOS updates for your

networked HP commercial PCs.

HP SSM silently determines the revision levels of drivers and BIOS installed on each networked client system and

compares this inventory against validated SoftPaqs that are maintained in a central file store. It then automatically

updates any down-revision system software on the networked PCs to the levels available in the file store. Since it only

allows SoftPaq updates to be distributed to the appropriate PC models, you can confidently and efficiently use HP SSM

to keep system software updated.

Available as a free download from www.hp.com/go/ssm, HP SSM integrates with enterprise software distribution tools

such as HP Configuration Management Solution and Microsoft Systems Center Configuration Manager. You can also

distribute customer-created or third-party updates that have been packaged in SSM format.

HP BIOS Configuration Utility

HP BIOS Configuration Utility (BCU) enables the BIOS management of supported desktop, workstation and notebook PCs,

either remotely within a networked environment or locally. For example, you can read available BIOS settings and their

values, set or reset the setup password. In addition, BCU can be used to replicate BIOS settings to multiple clients across

the network.