Dell OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center Version 3.0 User’s Guide

Validate and remediate HCI clusters

In OpenManage Integration extension, use HCI Configuration Profile (HCP) Compliance feature to verify cluster hardware compliance using the HCP policy checks, and view the recommendations or remediate non-compliant components.

To see HCP Compliance and remediate clusters using OpenManage Integration extension:

1. On Windows Admin Center, connect an Azure Stack HCI cluster and launch Dell OpenManage Integration extension.
2. Select View > Compliance. Another menu with drop-down appears. Select HCP Compliance and click Check Compliance. .
   Alternatively, go to the Action menu, under HCP COMPLIANCE, select Check Compliance.
3. If the Check Compliance button is disabled, ensure:
   • Requirements mentioned in the "Pre-requisites" are met.
   • Required inputs are provided in the Configure Cluster Settings tab. If not, choose the network topology and the deployment model and click Save to save the settings for future use. These settings are required to generate compliance for Dell OS Configuration Policies.
     • Network Topology
       • Fully-Converged: All storage ports from the server are connected to the same network fabric. Within the host operating system, the NIC ports are used for both storage and management/VM traffic.
       • Non-Converged-Physical: Storage traffic is on the physical storage network adapter ports and management/VM traffic through a SET created using network ports of the server rNDC. .
       • Non-Converged-Set: Storage traffic uses virtual adapters in the host operating system that is connected to a SET.
     • Deployment Model
       • Scalable model supports from 2 to 16 nodes in a cluster and uses top-of-rack switches for management and storage traffic networking.
       • Switchless model uses full mesh connections between the cluster nodes for storage traffic and supports from 2 to 4 nodes in a cluster.
       • Stretch cluster with Azure Stack HCI consists of servers residing at two different locations or sites, with each site having two or more servers, replicating volumes either in synchronous or asynchronous mode.

   When finished, cick Check Compliance.
4. OpenManage Integration extension reviews the necessary prerequisite required to generate hardware compliance.
   • If any of the prerequisite fails, a banner message appears. Click View Details to see the non-compliant prerequisites, and ways you can resolve them. Resolve the non-compliant prerequisites, and click Re-Check Compliance to try the operation again. For more information about prerequisites check, see Prerequisites check details.
   • If all the prerequisites are compliant, the extension validates the cluster node attributes with applicable policies and displays the hardware compliance summary.
5. View HCP Compliance Summary.
   • (optional) If Internet connection is not available, perform the following steps to run the HCP check in offline mode:
     1. Download the HCPMetaData.json from https://downloads.dell.com/omimswac/ase/1.2.2204.171/HCPMetaData.json.
     2. In the gateway system where Windows Admin Center is installed, copy the files that you have downloaded to C:\Users\Dell\HCPMetaData.
     3. Run the HCP compliance check.
   The OpenManage Integration extension retrieves the applicable policies, validates the cluster node attributes with the policy attributes, and displays the compliance summary.
6. To view the recommendations for non-compliant policies and fix them, click Fix Compliance.
   NOTE: The Fix Compliance button is disabled if Dell Hardware Symmetry Policy is noncompliant with a "Critical" error. In this case, you are not allowed to remediate other policies. Review the recommendations and show details and contact the Dell support team to resolve the issue before proceeding with the next step. The critical error indicates that the configuration of nodes is not supported. You must correct the issue before you can deploy a symmetric HCI cluster.

   The OpenManage Integration extension provides the following recommendation types to fix non-compliant policies.

   • "Manual Fixes" includes policies that require physical interventions and includes recommendations that can be remediated manually.
     NOTE: Ensure your cluster is compliant with Dell Hardware Symmetry Policy and Dell OS Configuration Policy otherwise the cluster performance is not guaranteed.
   • "Automatic Fixes" includes policies that can be remediated using OpenManage Integration extension.

   Manual Fixes or Automatic Fixes options will not appear if the policies that belong to these types are all compliant.
7. If a policy fix requires a reboot, to apply the configurations and restart your cluster using the cluster-aware update, choose the following reboot options:
   • Apply and Reboot Now—Applies BIOS, NIC, and iDRAC attributes concurrently to all the cluster nodes immediately and restart the cluster in cluster-aware update manner.
   • Apply at Next Reboot—Applies BIOS, NIC, and iDRAC attributes concurrently to all the cluster nodes when cluster nodes are restarted at the next maintenance period.
   Select the Schedule Reboot checkbox to schedule the date and time when BIOS, NIC, and iDRAC attributes will be applied concurrently to all the cluster nodes and restart the cluster in cluster-aware update manner.

   NOTE: If the changes to be applied on the next reboot, ensure to disable the infrastructure lock before the next reboot starts to successfully apply the changes.
8. If the infrastructure lock is enabled, a window appears to disable the lock. To allow the OpenManage Integration extension automatically lock the infrastructure after the operation is complete, select Allow OMIMSWAC to re-enable the infrastructure lock after the operation is complete.
9. Click Apply to trigger the update.
   NOTE:

   • If Kernel Soft Reboot is enabled for the cluster, the OpenManage Integration extension ignores this setting and performs a full reboot to apply all the BIOS related settings. See When to use Kernel Soft Reboot.
   • The operation enables the CredSSP. To improve the security, disable the CredSSP after the operation is complete.
10. OpenManage Integration extension checks the necessary prerequisites required to complete the operation.
    • If all prerequisites are compliant, the extension will proceed to fix the compliance.
    • If any of the prerequisite fails, a banner message appears. Click View Details to see the non-compliant prerequisites, and ways you can resolve them. Resolve the non-compliant prerequisites, and try the operation again. For more information about prerequisites check, see Prerequisites check details.
11. While the update is in progress, click View Details to see the update status and progress at node level.
    After the update is completed, the OpenManage Integration extension rechecks the compliance and displays the updated compliance summary.
12. Click Export compliance summary to export the compliance report in an Excel file.