An overview of Dell repository manager. Repository manager is a tool to assist you in identifying gathering and packaging of Dell update packages for use for deployment in your environment. Additionally, repository manager can assist you in identifying when new updates are available from Dell and to let you to control the repository so that you're only applying the update packages that are relevant to you.
So once you you've installed repository manager, uh this is the home screen that you will come, come up to, you can see that I already have a repository set up. But the first thing that you'll want to do is to go to the down carrot and go to application pre preferences.
And here you can see that you can set network notification, pre preferences where you can put in your, your email information for getting not notifications, uh the file store preferences, plug ins uh and plugins are used to assist in creating things like boot I os surfer update utilities or scripted deployment packs. And of course catalogs and what catalogs are available.
Enterprise catalog and index catalog are available by default, but you can also load solution catalogs as well. Once you've gone through pre preferences and gotten things uh uh configured the way that you would like them. And usually this is a one time activity you can just apply and close. So the first thing that you want to do is to create a repository. So it's very simple of creating a repository. And we'll just call this data center two and you can give it a description.
The base catalog is what repository manager uses to identify what updates are available for the platforms that you've selected. Now, we can go with enterprise catalog, which is the latest and greatest available from Dell or you can go into index catalog and get access to solution catalogs and solution catalogs. Like for V San for ESX, I for MX validated stack N four Microsoft's HC I salute solutions have, have updates that match the hardware compatibility list for E each of those products.
So this is a great uh a great way to be able to create a repository. That's, that's for, you know, one of one of these environments where you may need to have very specific firmware levels.
And we also have access to previous enterprise catalogs. So if you wish to go back about one year's pure period of time and create a repository, we make those cat those older catalogs easily available to to you, you can create a repository man manually if you're using uh the chassis management controller from the M 1000 E, you can import an inventory file that you would have to download from the M 2000 E and it would create a custom repository for you.
Or our recommendation is that if you're using any of the Dell tools like open manage, enterprise, open manage essentials, our integration with VM Ware V Center or with Microsoft System Center, then you can connect directly to each of these con consoles and tools and have repository manager, create a customized repository for for you. So we'll just go through the manual repository real quick.
So from here, you can choose your systems, you can either select or use the the handy keyword, search that I I like in type in your platform and select it and you'll notice that it moves over to the selected systems. And let's say that you've got our 7 20 X Ds also in your environment and then save. Next, you have the option of selecting operating systems.
So you wanted Windows and Linux very simple to select that and hit save and then under components again, you have the option of, of selecting which component categories you would like. So we have firmware and you can see all the other, all the options there, bios, of course applications. Um And if drivers are avai available, you can select, select those as well.
And it's as simple as you know, you want your eye track for a life cycle controller, you wanna make sure that you've got your bios, maybe, you know that, that you've got a fiber channel card. So you'll select fi fiber channel and everybody has net networking controllers in their car and their S systems.
So you can select those and you can see that you can select as many as you want and they all show up and over on this right, right hand side, what's been selected? They's as simple as sitting safe and hit a and now if we go and we look under data center too, you'll see that there are repository that there's a repository set up. And we have bundles for each platform and each operating system type. So the R 6 40 Linux bundle, the R 6 40 windows bundle.
So that's all great stuff. So, and if you open it up, you can see all the diff all the, the components that are available for you. Since this is an overview, I'm not gonna go through every possible uh scenario. But one of the things that you may wish to do is to identify if there's newer updates available. And that's as simple as selecting the uh repository. And if you want to do it manually, uh you can just select compare and it will provide you with a, a list at the component view.
And since we just created this, you're not gonna see anything that's update dateable or at the platform view. If you want to work at it at that at that level. But the more powerful way of identifying when new updates are available is through the refresh. And with refresh, this allows repository manager to schedule a search for new updates. You can do it now, which is very similar to the compare function daily, weekly or, or monthly do releases catalogs on Fridays.
So my personal preference is that I'll set weekly and I'll set it to run on a Saturday morning. So that when I come into the office on a Monday and log in, if there's any new uh updates available, they're ready for me to work on. But one of the, one of the things that makes it very handy is that you can receive an email. So putting in just your email address here after, of course, you've configured your email settings.
And that way when I, when you come in on Monday, Monday morning and log in, you'll get an email that, that specifies what, what new updates are avai available from Dell and some, some general information on each one. So that's very handy. But once, but now that you've identified and gathered these up updates, you want to be able to create a tool out of them. And that's where the export option is. And from export, we can export to a share and this exports a catalog and the update packages to a specific location.
So if you're using a tool like open manage enterprise or one of our integrations with Microsoft System Center or VM Ware VV Center, you can point those tools directly at this catalog and those tools will utilize that cat catalog and all the the update packages that is that referenced in it um to perform updates. And of course, you can choose the location where, where you want that saved. Now, we can also take that same information and do what's called a smart deployment script.
So if you're more into scripting and you prefer, you don't use one of our other tools, you can create a scripted deployment pack and select what operating system that you wish to to have, have this in windows. If you want to use the default uh script that we provide, which you know applies the update pack packages in the Dell recommended uh fashion. You can just browse to the location, you want to save it and select export.
But if you're more advanced, you can replace the deep default script with one that, that you've cus customized and meet and meets your requirements. So a lot of power there server update utility, which is a, a little Dell tool that's sort of gooey optimized uh allows you to take that same con content and create an SUU out of it. You know, very simple, you know, select it, select your location export if you prefer to do things with in a boot iso again, we're the same content.
You can create a, a smart boot puttable iso and again, just like with the scripted deployment packs, uh if you have your own script, it's very easy to replace, place it with. And we have a couple options. You know, if you want to enable for force updates, you can select that. If you wanna have a reboot, the target system automatically, once it completes the the update package, deploying the up update packages, you can select that and it'll be added to the de default script.
So a lot of power in the, in the export and the key that I want to bring out is that we're using the same content. So if you have some systems that are connected to an open managed enterprise, for instance, you can take that con content and create a share. Maybe you have other servers that are out on your edge and and are not connected to open managed enterprise. No prob no problem.
You can take that same uh attempt and create a smart deployment script for pushing those, those updates out to those, those systems out on, out on the edge. And maybe you have a system that for some reason is you're having a little bit more cha challenges with and A is is uh required to be able to apply in an update package.
Maybe the bios has been corrupted and you really need to just sort of force that on, you know, smart boot is, is a great option for that. So with that, that gives you sort of an overview of Dell repository manager and how it works to assist in identifying, gathering and packaging updates as well as helping you too identify when new updates are available.
