OpenManage Enterprise 4.1.x User's Guide

Overview

OpenManage Enterprise is a one-to-many systems management and monitoring web application that is delivered as a virtual appliance. It provides a comprehensive view of the Dell servers, chassis, storage, other third-party devices and components, and network switches, on the enterprise network. It is designed for the next generation IT professionals with a focus on simplicity, automation, and unification of data center management.

With OpenManage Enterprise, users can:

• Discover devices in a data center environment.
• View hardware inventory and monitor the health of devices.
• View and manage alerts that are received by the appliance and configure alert policies.
• Monitor firmware/driver versions.
• Manage firmware/driver updates on devices with firmware baselines.
• Manage remote tasks (such as power control) on devices.
• Manage configuration settings across devices using deployment templates.
• Manage virtual identity settings across devices using intelligent identity pools.
• Detect and remedy configuration deviations across devices using configuration baselines.
• Retrieve and monitor warranty information for devices.
• Group devices into static or dynamic groups.
• Create and manage OpenManage Enterprise users.
• Back up and restore appliances.

OpenManage Enterprise contains security features like:

• Role-based access that limits access to console settings and device actions.
• Scope-based access control allowing administrators to restrict the device groups that device managers can access and manage.
• A hardened appliance with Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) and an internal firewall.
• Encryption of sensitive data in an internal database.
• Use of encrypted communication outside the appliance (HTTPs).
• Creation of firmware and configuration-related policies.
• Provision for configuring and updating the bare-metal servers.

OpenManage Enterprise has a task-based GUI, where the navigation is designed by considering the sequence of tasks that are predominately used by an administrator and device manager. When you add a device to an environment, OpenManage Enterprise automatically detects the device properties, places it under the relevant device groups, and enables you to manage the device.

The typical sequence of tasks that are performed by OpenManage Enterprise users is:

1. Deployment
2. Configure the system using the TUI
3. Discovering devices
4. Managing devices and device groups
5. The OpenManage Enterprise dashboard
6. Organize devices into groups
7. Managing device firmware and drivers
8. View and configure individual devices
9. Managing alerts
10. View and renew device warranty
11. Managing device deployment templates
12. Configuration compliance
13. Manage compliance templates
14. Monitoring audit logs
15. System configuration
16. Run an inventory job now
17. Managing device warranty
18. Monitoring reports
19. Managing MIB files
20. Role and scope-based access
21. Directory services integration