Help Me Choose: Embedded Systems Management for iDRAC9

iDRAC9

An integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) is embedded within every Dell PowerEdge™ server. It provides functionality that helps IT administrators deploy, update, monitor, and maintain Dell servers. Each iDRAC9 comes with a basic level of functionality. Optional licenses are Express, Enterprise, and Datacenter. These licenses offer advanced capabilities and are available to best fit a customer’s desired level of management functionality.


Key features of iDRAC9 include:

• iDRAC Basic - Basic instrumentation with iDRAC web UI and API support including Redfish conformance
• iDRAC Express - Expanded remote management and server life cycle features
• iDRAC Enterprise - Remote presence features with advanced, Enterprise class, management capabilities
• iDRAC Datacenter - Extended remote insight into server details. Focused on high end server options and advanced features such as real-time telemetry streaming, scalable security automation, and more customized power and thermal management

For a full list of features by license level, see the iDRAC9 User Guide at dell.com/idracmanuals.

OpenManage Enterprise Advanced & Advanced +

OpenManage Enterprise systems management console facilitates business growth, improves IT productivity, and enhances customer service. OpenManage Enterprise is a simple-to-use, one-to-many systems management console. It cost-effectively facilitates comprehensive lifecycle management for ~8000 Dell PowerEdge servers in one console.OpenManage Enterprise includes several plugin tools.


CloudIQ : CloudIQ is Dell’s cloud-based, proactive monitoring and predictive analytics application. Working alongside OpenManage Enterprise, it helps you discover issues and remedy problems before they impact operations. Spanning Dell servers, storage, networking, CI and HCI, CloudIQ gives you a new way to manage the entire Dell stack at multiple sites. Included in your ProSupport and ProSupport Plus subscription, it is immediately available at no added cost. Feature and functionality depend on server generation, OpenManage licenses, and iDRAC. For a full list of feature and functionality dependency, see the OpenManage Portfolio Software Licensing Guide at dell.com/omelicesningguide.

Services : The Services (formerly SupportAssist) plugin is ideal for customers who already have OpenManage Enterprise. The Services plugin delivers an automated, proactive support experience integrated as a single pane of glass into OME for complete Lifecycle Management.

Update Manager : Update Manager integrates the functionality of Dell Repository Manager into an instance of OpenManage Enterprise. This allows you to automate the monitoring, notifications, and downloads of updates for custom catalogs and repositories within OpenManage Enterprise.

The following plugins and features are included in the OpenManage Enterprise Advanced and Advanced + license.

Note – To use all the features supported by OME Advanced and Advanced +, please purchase iDRAC Enterprise or iDRAC Datacenter license.

Power Manager : Power Manager maximizes power visibility and control for PowerEdge servers. This plugin lets customers view, measure, and control server power consumption and increase infrastructure performance.

Advanced and Advanced + Automation and Configuration capabilities:

• Bare-metal server deployment and cloning
• Automated deployment: Deploy automatically with service tag or node IDs
• Configuration and drift detection: Create firmware and configuration baselines for compliance monitoring and enable automated updates on your schedule
• Virtual address management and stateless provisioning

OpenManage Enterprise Advanced + license supports all current third-party integrations and is expected to use future third-party integrations.

Additional Features supported by Advanced + license:

• Support for all partner plugins –
  • VMware vCenter plugin
  • Microsoft Systems Center plugins
• Support for partner Integration –
  • ServiceNow Integration

OpenManage Integration for ServiceNow

Dell OpenManage Integration with ServiceNow helps enterprise organizations in improving their operations efficiency. It bridges the gap between their service and operations management processes. It is a native application within the ServiceNow platform that provides interface between OpenManage Enterprise infrastructure management capabilities and ServiceNow service and operations management capabilities.
With this integration, you can:

• Synchronize PowerEdge server information between OpenManage Enterprise and ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
• Monitors alerts for servers
• Create incidents automatically for a critical and warning alerts for servers
• View and monitor the support tickets that are raised with Dell Support

Licensing - OpenManage Integration with ServiceNow requires that either one of the following licenses is loaded into the managed PowerEdge iDRAC:

• OpenManage Enterprise Advanced + license, OR
• OpenManage Integration with ServiceNow license

OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center Premium

Dell OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center extension enables streamlined lifecycle management of:

• PowerEdge servers that are supported on Microsoft Windows Server
• Hyper-V, Failover clusters based of PowerEdge servers running on-premises and Azure hybrid environments
• HCI clusters based of AX nodes part of the Dell Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI – new hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) operating system that is delivered as an Azure service
• HCI clusters based of AX nodes part of the Dell HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows server

Dell OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center is available with the OMIWAC node license.

OpenManage Integration Suite for Microsoft System Center

Dell OpenManage Enterprise Integration for Microsoft System Center includes the following plugins supporting various Microsoft System Center consoles and delivers enhanced visibility, health and maintains continuous availability in physical, virtual, and software defined environments:

• Dell OpenManage Enterprise Integration for Microsoft for System Center Operations Manager
• Dell OpenManage Enterprise Integration for Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager and Microsoft Configuration Manager

Dell OpenManage Enterprise Integration for Microsoft System Center is available with the OME Advanced+ node license.

iDRAC Secure Enterprise Key Manager

Dell OpenManage Secure Enterprise Key Manager is a comprehensive key management solution enabling scalable data protection and compliance across businesses and enterprises. With functionality embedded in Dell PowerEdge servers and working in conjunction with leading technology partners such as CryptSoft, Thales and Gemalto, the enterprise key manager addresses the most demanding data-at-rest protection requirements.

NOTE – SEKM requires an iDRAC Enterprise or iDRAC Datacenter license.

Server Secured Component Verification
Dell Technologies Secured Component Verification ensures that PowerEdge servers are delivered and ready for deployment exactly as they were built by Dell manufacturing, providing an extension to Dell’s Secure Supply Chain assurance process.

For a full list of feature and functionality dependency, see the OpenManage Portfolio Software Licensing Guide at dell.com/omelicesningguide.


Get more information on the OpenManage portfolio.