It is important to plan before installing Dell OpenManage IT Assistant. Depending on your company's network management objectives, you may want to use IT Assistant primarily as a discovery and status polling tool that quickly scans the network to retrieve managed system information. On the other hand, you may want IT Assistant to also receive and forward alerts to support personnel about problems on specific managed systems. Or maybe you want a combination of both.
Decisions That You Make Before Installation
After you have determined your network size and network management objectives, you must then make configuration decisions specific to your network management goals. If your network is well established and you already have a well-defined IT Assistant management plan, many of these decision-points may have already been addressed. Pre-installation planning includes choosing the following:
Event filtering and notification strategy
Database that will be used to store IT Assistant data
Hardware configuration
Operating system
Systems management protocol(s)
Agents for your managed systems
NOTE: This document assumes that your systems are connected through a TCP/IP network and makes no
assumption regarding your network's complexity or whether you are already using any systems management
applications. In addition, no assumption is made regarding the type of systems and devices that exist on your
network. See "Installing, Uninstalling, and Upgrading Dell™ OpenManage™ IT Assistant" for all installation,
uninstallation, and upgrade procedures.
Primary Planning Questions
System types and network management objectives differ among enterprises. Answering the following questions can better prepare you for an IT Assistant installation that will support your company's goals for network management. After reading this section, see Table 4-4 before performing your installation.
What are the basic hardware and operating system requirements for installing IT Assistant? Does my
enterprise meet them?
Is there any reason to select a particular operating system among those that are supported when
installing IT Assistant?
Is there any reason to select a particular hardware configuration when installing IT Assistant?
Do I want to use the default installed database (Microsoft® SQL Server 2005 Express) or
should I install the Microsoft SQL Server database?
How many systems do I want to discover or manage?
How dense do I expect the event traffic to be on my network?
Which systems management protocol(s) should I plan to install or enable?
What type of systems do I want to manage?
What agents and instrumentation are currently installed on my managed systems?
What agents do I want to eventually run on my managed systems?
Which protocols do these agents require or support?
How should I organize my managed systems' IP addresses if I am using more than one systems
management protocol on a subnet?
Selecting the Operating System
You can install IT Assistant on any system that is running one of the operating systems in Table 4-1.
Table 4-1. Minimum Supported Operating System Requirements for IT Assistant
Small (up to 500 Managed Systems)
Large (500+ Managed Systems)
Microsoft Windows® XP Professional with SP2
Windows Server 2003 with SP1
Windows 2000 with SP4
Windows 2000 with SP4
Windows Server® 2003 with SP1
NOTE: IT Assistant is not supported on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003.
NOTE: See your Microsoft operating system documentation when installing and configuring Terminal Services or
Remote Desktop.
NOTE: IT Assistant cannot be installed on Dell systems running Red Hat® Enterprise Linux or SUSE® Linux
Enterprise Server operating systems. These systems can, however, launch IT Assistant through supported
browsers (Mozilla version 1.7.3 and later, and Firefox version 1.0.1 or later).
NOTE: If you use the performance monitoring feature, see Table 7-3 for hardware and operating system requirements.
Selecting a Hardware Configuration
The hardware configuration you choose must meet or exceed the recommended configuration for IT Assistant. Depending on your specific IT Assistant deployment and your network environment, it may be advisable to exceed the recommended configurations for processor speed, amount of memory, and hard-drive space. For example, you may want to exceed or choose the upper end of the recommended configuration if you:
Anticipate heavy managed systems alert traffic
Have complex alert filters with configured alert actions
Are performing frequent discovery, inventory, status polls, or performance monitoring
Are running Microsoft SQL Server tuned to maximum performance
The recommended minimum hardware configuration for IT Assistant is shown in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2. Recommended Minimum Hardware Configuration for IT Assistant (by Enterprise Size)
Component
Small (up to 500 Managed Systems)
Large (500+ Managed Systems)
Processor
1 processor (1.8-GHz minimum)
2 to 4 processors (800-MHz minimum)
Memory
512 MB
1–2 GB
Disk Space
at least 1 GB
at least 5 GB
NOTE: The amount of disk space needed may increase if you import numerous Dell Update Packages (DUPs) and
MSI files for software update and deployment.
NOTE: If you use the performance monitoring feature, see Table 7-3 for hardware and operating system requirements.
Selecting the SQL Server 2005 Express Default Database or SQL 2005 Server
In general, the number of systems you expect to manage and the number of alerts you expect from your managed systems determine the database to use with IT Assistant. If you will be managing fewer than 500 systems, the SQL Server-compliant default database that ships with IT Assistant, SQL Server 2005 Express, is most likely a suitable data repository. However, if you are going to manage 500 systems or more and/or are receiving several alerts per second, you should use Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or later as your database. You will also need to consider the impact of the performance monitoring feature on your database choice. For more information, see the "Performance Monitoring." In addition, if you are performing frequent discoveries or status polls, you may benefit by the increased performance offered by SQL 2005 Server over SQL Server 2005 Express.
NOTE: You can configure IT Assistant version 6.3 and later to use Microsoft SQL Server running on a remote,
dedicated server instead of configuring on the IT Assistant system. For more information, see "Remote Microsoft
SQL Server and IT Assistant."
NOTE: IT Assistant version 8.0 and later are backward-compatible with the SQL Server-compliant default
database that ships with IT Assistant 7.x.
NOTE: SQL Server 2005 Express and SQL 2005 Server run only on Windows 2000 with SP4, Windows Server 2003 SP1, or
Windows XP with SP2.
E-Mail Notification Features
E-mail Alert Actions are useful in environments in which a system administrator does not want to use the IT Assistant user interface (UI) to visually monitor the status of managed systems. By coupling e-mail alert actions with alert action filters, an administrator may identify a person to be electronically notified when a specific system sends alerts to the IT Assistant network management station. This individual can then choose to take the appropriate corrective action for that system. By configuring alert filters with corresponding alert actions, constant monitoring of system status in the IT Assistant user interface becomes unnecessary because e-mail notification is set up to occur whenever the event criteria is met.
Determining Systems Management Protocols
One of the most important decisions you will make in planning your IT Assistant installation is determining the protocols to use with IT Assistant. In general, your choice of protocols is determined by the systems you want to monitor and the respective agent protocols they support. If the systems you want to monitor have agents that use the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Common Information Model (CIM) or the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) protocols, these protocols must also be configured in IT Assistant.
Supported Protocols
IT Assistant supports three systems management protocols: SNMP, CIM, and IPMI. These protocols allow communication between the IT Assistant network management station and the managed systems on your network. For communication between IT Assistant and each managed system to occur successfully, agents (instrumentation) must be installed on each of the systems you want to manage. For systems management, it is strongly recommended that you enable and configure all protocols.
NOTE: If the appropriate protocol is not configured correctly on the managed systems, IT Assistant will fail to
classify the systems properly, which may limit the manageability for those systems.
NOTE: The Dell|EMC storage arrays and Dell PowerVault™ Modular Disks use both SNMP and NaviCLI protocols.
SNMP
In order to successfully perform an IT Assistant installation, you must install and enable the operating system SNMP service.
CIM
CIM is used for managing both client and server systems. It can also be used for monitoring server instrumentation in a network that does not allow SNMP management.
IPMI
Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) operates independently of the operating system and allows administrators to manage a system remotely even in the absence of the operating system or the systems management software, or even if the monitored system is not powered on. IPMI can also function when the operating system has started, and offers enhanced features when used with the systems management software.
In order to successfully discover systems through IPMI, you must have a baseboard management controller (BMC) running IPMI version 1.5 or later on your systems.
NOTE: The BMC does not monitor the storage subsystem on your network. To monitor these devices, you must
install Server Administrator on your managed systems.
Factors That Affect Protocol Choice
Two factors affect protocol choice:
The systems that you want to monitor
Agents on the systems that you want to monitor
Systems That You Want to Monitor
Your network may consist of a combination of client and server systems, Dell|EMC storage arrays or Dell PowerVault™ Modular Disks, printers, and tape libraries. When planning for IT Assistant installation, you will be surveying these systems, as well as any systems you plan to add to your network, and determining which of these you want to monitor. During this assessment, you will be looking not only at the number of client and server systems, but also at any systems management agents and operating systems installed on these systems. The following section discusses the agents and corresponding protocols that you may need to configure in IT Assistant. Correctly configuring these protocols within IT Assistant is required to successfully manage your network.
Agents on the Systems That You Want to Monitor
The agents that you run on your managed systems may support a specific systems management protocol. If you want to retain the agents that are already installed on these systems, you must continue to manage them with their respective protocols. If the protocols used by certain agents are older, you can choose, in most cases, to replace or upgrade these agents with those that support newer protocols. Table 4-3 lists a number of agents and instrumentation that may be installed on Dell clients and servers. As long as the corresponding protocol is enabled in IT Assistant, these systems can be discovered and managed on your network.
Agent is a general term applied to the software components of systems management instrumentation. The following table provides the management and alerting agents supported by IT Assistant. Degrees of support vary among agents. For example, IT Assistant automatically discovers, displays, receives alerts from, and can perform actions on the systems managed by Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, but IT Assistant can only receive alerts from certain storage device agents.
NOTE: IT Assistant no longer supports the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) protocol. As a result,
systems running DMI using Dell OpenManage Server Agent 4.5.1 (and earlier) and Dell OpenManage Client
Instrumentation 6.0 (and earlier) will not be discovered by IT Assistant.
Table 4-3. Agents Supported by IT Assistant
Device
Version(s) Supported
Auto Discoverable
Alerting
Dell PowerEdge Agents
Server Administrator
1.5 and later
Yes
Yes
Baseboard Management Controller Firmware
1.0 and later
Supports only Dell PowerEdge™ x8xx and x9xx systems
Yes
Yes
Array Manager
3.7
Yes
Yes
DRAC 5
1.0 and later
Yes
Yes
DRAC 4
1.0 and later
Yes
Yes
DRAC III, DRAC III/XT
1.0 and later
Yes
Yes
ERA, ERA/O
1.0 and later
Yes
Yes
DRAC/MC
Supports only PowerEdge 1855 and 1955 systems
Yes
Yes
ERA/MC
Supports only PowerEdge 1655
Yes
Yes
PowerEdge 1655MC Integrated Switch
N/A
Yes
Yes
Dell PowerVault™ Agents
PowerVault 701N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault MD3000
NA
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 705N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 735N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 750N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 755N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 715N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 725N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 770N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 775N
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 745
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault Adaptec CIO
4.02
No
Yes
Dell PowerConnect™ Agents and PowerConnect Firmware Versions Supported by IT Assistant
PowerConnect 3024
5.2.5.x, 6.0.4.x, 6.1.2.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3048
5.2.5.x, 6.0.4.x, 6.1.2.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3248
1.0.1.x, 2.0.0.x, 2.1.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3324
1.0.0.x, 1.1.0.x,1.2.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3348
1.0.0.x, 1.1.0.x,1.2.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3424
1.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3424P
1.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 3448
1.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 5012
5.2.5.x, 6.0.4.x,6.1.2.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 5212
1.0.0.x, 3.1.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 5224
1.0.1.x, 2.0.0.x, 2.1.0.x, 3.1.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 5316M
1.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 5324
1.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 6024
1.0.2.x, 2.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
PowerConnect 6024F
1.0.2.x, 2.0.0.x
Yes
Yes
Cisco Switch (only in Modular Chassis)
N/A
Yes
Yes
Digital KVM Agents
2161 DS
N/A
Yes
Yes
4161 DS
N/A
Yes
Yes
Network Adapter Agents
Intel® PRO
N/A
No
Yes
Broadcom
N/A
No
Yes
ASF
1
No
Yes
Client Agents
Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation
7.0 and later
Yes
Yes
Dell|EMC
CX300
N/A
Yes
Yes
CX500
N/A
Yes
Yes
CX700
N/A
Yes
Yes
AX100
N/A
Yes
Yes
AX100i
N/A
Yes
Yes
CX3-20
N/A
Yes
Yes
CX3-40
N/A
Yes
Yes
CX3-80
N/A
Yes
Yes
AX150
N/A
Yes
Yes
Printer
5210n
N/A
Yes
Yes
5310n
N/A
Yes
Yes
3110cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
3115cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
1700n
N/A
Yes
Yes
W5300cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
M5200cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
5310
N/A
Yes
Yes
5210
N/A
Yes
Yes
1710
N/A
Yes
Yes
5100cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
5100cn w HD
N/A
Yes
Yes
5100cn w MPC
N/A
Yes
Yes
5100cn w HD & MPC
N/A
Yes
Yes
3100cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
3000cn
N/A
Yes
Yes
1710n
N/A
Yes
Yes
1600n
N/A
Yes
Yes
Tape Automation
PowerVault 132T
N/A
Yes
Yes
PowerVault 136T
N/A
Yes
Yes
ML6000
N/A
Yes
Yes
NOTE: You can configure SNMP only through the panel on the device.
NOTE: The default community string is publicCmtyStr.
Summary of Pre-Installation Decisions
This section lists the major factors you must consider before installing and using IT Assistant to manage systems on your network. Table 4-4 summarizes questions raised in the previous sections, the option(s) and action(s) available, and the section of this guide where you can find the corresponding procedure for performing that action.
Table 4-4. Pre-Installation Questions, Options, and Actions
Question
Option/Action
Option/Action
Next Step
Is there any reason to select a particular operating system among those that are supported when installing IT Assistant?
Ensure that the operating system is supported for the components you are installing.
For a large network, install IT Assistant on a server operating system.
See the latest IT Assistant readme.txt either on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com or on the Dell SystemsManagement Consoles CD.
Is there any reason to select a particular hardware configuration when installing IT Assistant?
Ensure that your hardware configuration meets or exceeds the recommended requirements for the components that will be installed on the system.
Should I use the default installed database (SQL Server 2005 Express) or should I install the Microsoft SQL 2005 Server database?
Generally, SQL Server 2005 Express is adequate if you are managing fewer than 500 systems. However, heavy event traffic or the usage of the performance monitoring subsystem may lead you to select SQL 2005 Server.
Selection of the SQL database and heavy event traffic are examples of choices that require higher processor speed and/or extra processors, more memory, and greater hard-drive space to ensure IT Assistant performance.
Which systems management protocol(s) should I plan to install or enable?
Survey the agents that you want to run on your managed systems and find out which protocols they support; consider the type of system you are managing.
How should I organize my managed systems' IP addresses if I am using more than one systems management protocol on a subnet?
Where possible, group systems using the same systems management protocol into contiguous subnets. This strategy increases manageability during the creation of IT Assistant discovery ranges.
Will I use role-based access to assign user levels in IT Assistant?
IT Assistant supports standard role-based access levels. The three levels supported are User, Power User, and Administrator.
Using these access roles in your enterprise can provide an added level of security.
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