OMSA on ESXi

Thanks for posting! 

1. The iDRAC and OMSA are mostly independent, so no, you don't have to configure the iDRAC at all to use OMSA.  It does help to have both.

2.  Open a browser on your network, and type https://servername:1311 in the Address bar.  Then login using local admin credentials.

3.  OMSA provides control over the server hardware, and access to the hardware logs.  The iDRAC 6 Enterprise also provides access to the hardware logs, and can power the server on or off, but the overlap with OMSA pretty much ends there.  The iDRAC 6 Enterprise adds many more features, such as console redirection, virtual media, POST logging, and an independent web interface.

4.  I don't think so.

Thanks.

2. Doesn't work on ESXi, seems it would require a remote management station to provide web interface.

3. Is it safe to say with iDRAC 6 Enterprise, there is no need for OMSA in the case of ESXi? Unless OMSA provides any extra feature?

Thanks.

How to uninstall OMSA on ESXi? if possible.

3.  If you can't get OMSA on ESXi, then just do what you can with the iDRAC 6 Enterprise.  The only features that both OMSA and DRACs have that I see people use regularly are the SNMP alerts and power control.  OMSA provides more control over the hardware, and a DRAC provides more access and remote tools.

Uninstallation of OMSA on ESXi using vSphere CLI

1. Query for the installed Bundles on ESXi host using following command

> vihostupdate.pl --server -q -l  [ You will be prompted for Username and Password, Enter the credentials]

Output will be in the following format

--------Bulletin ID ---------                                         ---------------------Installed-------------------------                      -----------------Summary---------------------------------

Dell_OpenManage_ESXi_OM630                              2010-11-24T17:22:31                                                     OpenManage for ESXi

2. Uninstall the required Bulletin ID using following command

>  vihostupdate.pl --server -r -B  Dell_OpenManage_ESXi_OM630

3. Reboot the host.

*Some Facts for using OMSA on ESXi*

1. Post-OMSA installation on ESXi, reboot is required.

2. UserVars.CIMOEMprovidersEnabled flag if equal to 0, needs to modified to 1.

3. Post-Flag enablement "Restart Management Agents" from ESXi console is required.

4. ESXi can be managed as a Remote Node only.

       That means, Administrator is required to have OM Web Server component on a Windows/Linux box or VM. Using the IP of that Box/VM, he has to open https:// :1311. Then on the welcome page, he needs to provide ESXi IP, credentials in the corresponding Text Boxes and check the checkbox for "Ignore Certificate Warnings"

https:// :1311 will not work as Local Node Management is not possible in ESXi.

Please post if more information is required.

Thanks.

Check out below link for all OM Deployment Instructions on ESXi

http://supportapj.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smsom/6.4/en/omsa_ig/html/instesxi.htm#wp1097009

Thanks