SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.0 User's Guide

• Agent-based monitoring — This method is used to monitor devices that are added with the Device Type as Server / Hypervisor. In this method, an agent acts as an interface between the device and SupportAssist Enterprise. The agent generates an alert (SNMP trap) whenever a hardware event occurs on the device. For monitoring a device using the agent-based method, SupportAssist Enterprise depends on the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent. The OMSA agent is an application that monitors the health of various components of the device where it is installed. Whenever a hardware event occurs on the device, the OMSA agent generates an alert. SupportAssist Enterprise processes the alert to determine if the alert qualifies for creating a support case. For instructions to add a device for agent-based monitoring, see Adding a server or hypervisor.
  NOTE: Without OMSA, SupportAssist Enterprise cannot monitor a device through the agent-based monitoring method.
  NOTE: Installation of OMSA may not be supported on certain operating systems. SupportAssist Enterprise may be able to monitor devices running such operating systems only through the agentless monitoring method. For information on the operating system requirements for agent-based monitoring, see the Dell EMC SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.0 Support Matrix at https://www.Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools.
• Agentless monitoring — This method is used to monitor devices that are added with the Device Type as iDRAC. In this method, the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) available on the device acts as an interface between the device and SupportAssist Enterprise. Whenever a hardware event occurs on the device, the iDRAC generates an alert. SupportAssist Enterprise processes the alert to determine if the alert qualifies for creating a support case. For instructions to add a device for agentless monitoring, see Adding an iDRAC.
  NOTE: Agentless monitoring is supported only for Dell’s 12th and 13th generation of PowerEdge servers (iDRAC 7 and iDRAC 8).
  NOTE: The iDRAC can be configured to send alerts through SNMP and IPMI. However, SupportAssist Enterprise can only receive alerts that are sent through SNMP. To ensure that SupportAssist Enterprise receives alerts that are sent from an iDRAC, you must ensure that all SNMP Trap options are selected in the Alerts and Remote System Log Configuration section of the iDRAC web console.

Benefits of agent-based monitoring

• Alert generation capabilities of OMSA and iDRAC are not the same. In Dell's 13th generation of PowerEdge servers, the alert generation capabilities of OMSA and iDRAC are almost similar. However, alerts from chipset and software RAID are available only through OMSA.
• For devices with a ProSupport Plus, ProSupport Flex for Data Center, or ProSupport One for Data Center service contract Dell's recommendations for operating system and software component versions are available only if the device is monitored through OMSA.
• OMSA is the only option available for monitoring Dell's 9th to 11th generation of PowerEdge servers.