Dell Systems Management Overview Guide

Dell OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center for System Center Virtual Machine Manager

Dell OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) for System Center Virtual Machine Manager helps to automate and simplify hardware configuration and operating system deployment.

It helps in:

• Hardware configuration
• Operating system deployment
• Hypervisor deployments
• Cluster deployments
• Repurposing of supported Dell PowerEdge servers
• Automated Cluster Deployment of Dell Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct Ready Nodes [S2D Ready Nodes]
• Simplified Lifecycle Management that includes the Cluster Aware Firmware Update capabilities

By using OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC), you can do the following:

• Using Update Center for a simplified and enhanced experience to achieve a multistep workflow in a single window.
• Automatically group rack and modular servers into virtual groups that are based on cluster, chassis, hosts, and unassigned server groups at the discovery phase.
• Managing hosts by synchronizing SCVMM hosts with OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) appliance.
• Installing as a Virtual Appliance (software model) for a simplified implementation and initial configuration with SCVMM.
• Checking the PowerEdge server compliance to ensure that the required firmware revision is installed.
• Performing autodiscovery and handshake to enable iDRAC with LC on bare-metal servers. It helps to locate the SCVMM console through the OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) appliance.
• Discovering unassigned PowerEdge servers manually while using static IP for the iDRAC with LC network.
• Viewing key inventory details of discovered servers, which help IT Administrators to select appropriate servers to deploy in the data center.
• Preparing an ideal server configuration, also known as a Golden Configuration, based on the IT Administrator defined standards to enable rapid and consistent replication of the same configuration on servers that are targeted for deployment into the virtual environment.
• Enabling IT Administrators in developing and maintaining policy and profile-based configuration templates to reduce repetitive management tasks and time consumption.
• Deploying the operating system and hypervisor by using the following options:
  • iDRAC with LC, which contains driver packs for all supported operating systems for operating system deployments.
  • Prepare customized Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) images with operating system drivers optionally available from Dell OpenManage Server driver pack.
    NOTE:DTK is an End of Life, use OpenManage server driver pack for bare metal deployments.
  • Replicate hypervisor deployments with or without using the LC driver packs based on the selected Golden Configuration and also replicate BIOS, RAID, and Boot Order settings.
• Installing server operating systems remotely. 
• Viewing data logs of jobs and tasks that are performed within the DLCI appliance.
• Using Active Directory credentials for authentication and access to iDRAC/LC.
• Automating the S2D cluster deployment on bare-metal Dell Ready Nodes Servers in an SCVMM environment.
• Performing Cluster Aware Firmware Update from prevalidated solution catalog.
• Using precanned operational templates for S2D ready nodes.
• Automating Logical Switch and Logical Network.
• Performing compliance check for servers with operational template before deployment.
• Simplifying End to End deployment with a three-step process—Discovery, Logical Switch, and Deploying Cluster.

For more information, see Dell OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center (OMIMSSC) for System Center Virtual Machine Manager User’s Guide available on the ESM Manuals page, and for KB articles, see Support for Dell EMC OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and for System Center Virtual Machine Manager .