IT Assistant problems - doesn't work

Question

I am just playign around with/trying to learn about Dell IT Assistant. We'd like to use it to manage all the machines on the network.   At the moment I have installed the latest IT Assistant software on a Windows 2000 server (actually running on an optiplex gx240 - but it's just for storing the msde database i assume).   I have installed the IT Assistant console on my PC, and I am able to connect to the server and get into IT Assistant.   I have installed the latest client instrumentation on, and discovered 4 machines specifically by setting their ip addresses in the discover range. These all appear correctly in the console, and I am able to double click on them in the view section, and get all the details about them.   However - when I try to make changes to system settings on ANY of these PCs, under 'configuration > system configuration', firstly it asks me for a password - and puts 'BIOS Password' in the username field, which is not removable. Since none of our PCs have bios passwords, I just leave the password blank, and click ok. I then see it say 'retrieving data...' at the bottom of the screen, followed by an error message saying: 'An unhandled exception has occurred in your application' Then basically says click continue to ignore this, or quit. followed by an error: 'java.util.nosuchelementexception'.  Clicking continue does nothing but crash the console.   This same thing occurs ont he console on 2 PCs as well as the console on the server itself.   Any ideas anyone?   Thanks, Daniel.

tester25 · Answer

Which version of IT Assistant is running on the Management Station and the system with IT Assistant console? Which version of OMCI is running on the clients?

rogerroots · Answer

Hi,

If you're try to manage any Dell Optiplex Gx100 and up to the Gx280, use the latest OMCI client. It works very well and instead of asking the Bios Password, it will ask for either a local account with admin priviliges or a domain admin account.

DanielConroy · Answer

Yes, just checked, I have OMCI 6.1.1 and IT Assitant 6.5.3 which are both the latest according to dell...

DanielConroy · Answer

Which version is latest? I am using what they said is latest on the dell site...

rogerroots · Answer

Hi,   The latest OMCI client is 7.1.382.  Use this instead of any version 6.xx client.

SGN · Answer

You cannot use OMCI 7.x for some models like the GX150.  We have a mixture of GX150 and GX/SX270.  This means deployment of OMCI is a problem as you need different versions and then IT Assistant has problems as it does not seem to work 100% with 6.x.

rogerroots · Answer

I am using OMCI 7.132 on gx100, gx110, gx150, gx240, gx260, gx270, gx280.  Everything is working fine except that I have an issue with the Remote Flash Bios which is not related specificaly to the 7.132 client and more to networking in UDP mode.  I used to have 6.1 client on those older models (gx100, gx110, gx115 and gx240) and add intermittent problems.  Since I use version 7.132 no more problems.

SGN · Answer

Interesting. I'll give it a go. When installing the 7.1 client it shows the models it supports and the GX150 is not listed. Also, when looking at downloads for the GX150 it lists the 6.x client.

However, if you have it working I am definitely giving it a go.

rogerroots · Answer

Tell me, have you tried to remote flash any workstation bios? Please try it and let me know the result.   Thanks

SGN · Answer

Yep, BIOS update does not seem to work.

Actually the whole application seems to be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes a system is discovered, sometimes not.

Not very impressed and this is a pity as we really need some kind of central managed app.

Shaun

rogerroots · Answer

All the workstations equiped with the OMCI 7.1 client were discovered.  Make sure that the CIM user name and password can be found on all the workstations, because I found that an Domain Admin account would not work all the time. To set that you need to go to Options, Discovery Cycle, Protocol settings. You will find the CIM section at the bottom.

SGN · Answer

Remote Flash does not work :smileysad: IT Assitant finding my desktops is still hit-and-miss for me.  Still trying to find out the cause.

tester25 · Answer

Are you able to generate HDR files from the BIOS update utility?  HDR files are required...

SGN · Answer

Yep. IT Assistant actually reports that the BIOS flash procedure has been initiated at the client but the client just sits there and acts dumb.

I hear IT Assistant 7 is out at the end of March. Hopefully many of our problems will disappear.

OzTeK · Answer

Yep, I'm having this exact same problem with a gx150 we're using as an EPO server and want to monitor. ITA 7 only supports OMCI 7.x and uses CIM, yet the gx150 only supports OMCI 6.x and uses DMI.   I've been puzzling over this for half a day before I finally worked out why these things weren't meshing together. Dells bloody poor documentation doesn't help.   Anyway, I'll give the OMCI 7.x installation a go now that I've read this and see what happens.   Thanks guys.   Message Edited by OzTeK on 04-21-2005 12:05 AM

Systems Management General

Was this post helpful?