The Secure Connect Gateway 5.0 technology/ FAQs

 

 

1) What is the secure connect gateway 5.0 technology? Does it replace the SupportAssist Enterprise and Secure Remote Services solutions?

The secure connect gateway 5.0 technology is the next generation consolidated connectivity solution from Dell Technologies Services. SupportAssist Enterprise and Secure Remote Services capabilities are integrated into secure connect gateway technology. Our secure connect gateway 5.0 technology is delivered as an appliance and a stand-alone application. It provides a single solution for your entire Dell EMC portfolio supporting servers, networking, data storage, data protection, hyper-converged, and converged solutions.

In addition, this version provides:

•  Insight into the most critical issues
•  Accelerated issue resolution with remote access and secure, two-way communication between Dell Technologies and the customer’s environment
•  Single installation and registration for the data center
• Recommendation to download and install VMware Skyline Collector when SupportAssist identifies vCenter(s) in the environment
   This will only be recommended to customers who do not have Skyline installed. Skyline Collector is only offered to VMware Premier or Production entitled customers.
  
•  A continued focus on security with a new policy manager with advanced auditing and control features, the best-in-class MQTT protocol and new development processes
•  Improved performance and scalability with the gateway handling even more telemetry data and actions across your Dell EMC enterprise environment
• An enhanced web UI experience for our on-premise connectivity management dashboard
  This technology is available to new Dell EMC connectivity customers with a warranty or a contract for a service level of ProSupport Enterprise Suite.
  From September 2021, we will provide in-place upgrade paths to secure connect gateway 5.0 from our existing connectivity platforms: Secure Remote Services 3.x as well as SupportAssist Enterprise v4.x & v2.x., making it easy to adopt with minimal disruption.
  
  

2) Are there other ways to connect besides using secure connect gateway?
Yes. For customers in a PowerEdge data center who are utilizing OpenManage, you can now connect with our Services plugin for OpenManage Enterprise for alerting, auto-dispatch, and collection capabilities.
Some Dell EMC products can directly connect back to the Dell Technologies backend and are suitable for customers who do not want to set up separate software. Please consult your product documentation.

3) Can I continue to use SupportAssist Enterprise and Secure Remote Services technology? Will they be retired immediately?

If you are new to support technology, do not download and use these older technologies.
Customers already running SupportAssist Enterprise v4.x & v2.x or Secure Remote Services v3.x on their Dell EMC systems should continue to do so until prompted to upgrade from September 2021.
This legacy technology will not be retired until a date to be announced. Note:

• SupportAssist Enterprise 4.x is used by customers to monitor server, storage, networking and CI/HCI devices. SupportAssist Enterprise can be used as a standalone application or with leading management console OpenManage Enterprise.
• SupportAssist Enterprise v2.x is used by customers to monitor Dell EMC server, storage, and networking devices. SupportAssist Enterprise can be used as a standalone application or with leading management consoles OpenManage Essentials, OpenManage Enterprise or Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM). There is no direct upgrade path from v2.x to 4.x.
• Secure Remote Services (SRS) version 3.x (also formerly ESRS) is for customers who want to monitor their storage, data protection and CI/HCI products. SRS can be deployed as a virtual appliance or containerized system. There is no direct upgrade path from SRS to 4.x.
  In-place upgrade paths from Secure Remote Services 3.x as well as SupportAssist Enterprise v4.x & v2.x make it easy to adopt secure connect gateway 5.0 technology with minimal disruption. You are encouraged to proactively upgrade to secure connect gateway 5.0 when prompted.
  

4) What is the right secure connect gateway deployment option for my environment?
Use the table to select the appropriate option for your environment. You should verify the product support matrix for secure connect gateway or visit the hardware product support page on Dell.com/Support. The application version is best for smaller customers who do not have a virtualized environment and use the hardware and software supported below.

5) What software is recommended for my environment and what are the minimum requirements?
Secure Connect Gateway - Virtual edition:
There are versions for:

•  VMware environment
• Microsoft HyperV environment
  Review minimum requirements for installing and using secure connect gateway software. Download documentation and all resources from Dell.com/Support.
  

Secure Connect Gateway - Application edition:
There are versions for:

• Windows management server (monitors both Windows & Linux devices)
• Linux management server (monitors Linux devices)

Review minimum requirements for installing and using the software. Download documentation and all resources from Dell.com/Support.

Tips for new users when getting started: 

• New users must first set up an enterprise business account at Dell.com/Support. You will be prompted from the secure connect gateway download page to sign in and complete this step.
• Once completed, sign in with your account credentials at the secure connect gateway product support page on Dell.com/Support.
•  Be sure to input the site location for software installation. This helps us provide a better support experience.
•  Get the right edition for your environment. During this step, you should create the authentication access key.

Need help? Ask our experts anything on the Secure Connect Gateway Forum

6) What version of SupportAssist Enterprise or Secure Remote Services should my system be running in order to upgrade to secure connect gateway 5.0?
You will need to ensure your Dell EMC hardware or software are running the following versions of SupportAssist Enterprise or Secure Remote Services. From September 2021, you will receive a prompt to upgrade to the secure connect gateway 5.0 technology in your web user interface. 

7) What automated support features are available with ProSupport Enterprise Suite coverage? 

Learn more about Enterprise Support Services for including ProSupport Enterprise Suite services.

8)How does secure connect gateway technology save me time during troubleshooting?
Our connectivity technology automatically detects issues, captures system state information and initiates alerts and contact from Dell Technologies. You will eliminate time spent on collecting system state information, case creation and engaging with Dell Technologies. You can also use secure connect gateway to run automatic collections or on demand collections, and to automatically send system state information to us for proactive case creation. Depending on the issue and your preferences, the gateway also can initiate remote resolution with remote access and secure, two-way communication between you and Dell Technologies.

9) Do I have to register my secure connect gateway 5.x device with Dell Technologies?
Yes. To use the secure connect gateway and receive best-in-class security, you must register with Dell Technologies. Use your enterprise business account to log in to the download page, generate an access key and pin, and then, use your access key and pin to activate your secure connect gateway. Customers who do not have a business account will be asked additional information about their organizations and products. The customer will be able to continue after undergoing the verification process. 

10) How do I get assistance deploying secure connect gateway technology?
Many customers download and install our connectivity technology without assistance from Dell Technologies. For those wanting assistance, the ProDeploy Enterprise suite of services include the enablement and configuration of the secure connect gateway. Customers with ProSupport Plus coverage are assigned a Service Account Manager (SAM) who can assist with installation and registration questions. Otherwise, as needed, you should contact Dell Technologies Support for help.

11) If I experience any issues, how do I contact Support?
If you are experiencing any issues with Dell.com Online Support or secure connect gateway, visit our Administrative Support page from this location to request help. Select the category most resembling your issue and fill in the details as prompted. If you need immediate assistance with a technical support issue, contact us here. Please contact your Service Account Manager (if applicable). 

12) Where can I find information on the alert policies for secure connect gateway? When are predictive support cases opened for hardware failures?
Our Secure Connect Gateway Alert Policy provides information on the alerts that open cases with Dell Technologies technical support. Customers using the secure connect gateway will only receive automated predictive case creation for server hardware (hard disk, backplane and expanders) on systems with ProSupport Plus services. Predictive alerts are based on scheduled collections that are submitted to Dell Technologies. 

13) How do I see Dell automated alert data in my dashboard under Connect and Manage in the TechDirect portal?
In the online dashboard for TechDirect under the Connect and manage tab, you can manage enterprise alerts and assets. Here, the IT admin can set rules to review automated alerts for support case creation or parts dispatch, and determine whether to forward to Dell Technologies.

Important connectivity requirement for data: The customer must integrate alert data to this dashboard as part of their on-premise gateway configuration. This is applicable to gateway
editions and the plugin for OpenManage Enterprise environment.
Note: This feature is available for PowerEdge, iDRAC, PowerSwitch, Webscale, PeerStorage, EqualLogic, Compellent, Fluid File System (FluidFS), PowerVault and PowerStore systems that may use SupportAssist Enterprise 2.x, OpenManage Enterprise SupportAssist plugin 1.x, OpenManage Enterprise Services plugin 1.x, SupportAssist Enterprise 4.x and/or secure connect gateway 5.x. connectivity. Be sure to verify the required integration steps from the user or product installation guide.
Other: Alerts from devices connected to Secure Remote Services technology are not supported in this Enterprise Assets and Alerts dashboard in TechDirect.

14) What should I know about the credential management features of secure connect gateway?
The secure connect gateway provides the flexibility to add multiple credential accounts and profiles. The credential accounts allow administrators to add authentication by product type. In addition, profiles allow multiple administrators who differ by function or region to manage their specific accounts. Products where credentials are needed include PowerEdge servers, iDRAC, Compellent, networking, PS series, MD series and Webscale systems.

15) What are the key features of the maintenance mode?
An “event storm” happens when hardware alerts occur in quick succession, breaching a predefined count limit. In this scenario, the secure connect gateway will stop processing alerts for the specific devices that have triggered the event storm. All other devices will continue to be monitored by secure connect gateway for validated alerts that may create support cases.
In addition, users now have an option to manually enable maintenance on one or more devices from within the system. This can be used for planned maintenance and deployed when you do not want secure connect gateway to monitor those devices. Once the planned maintenance activities are completed, you can manually disable maintenance mode to signal the secure connect gateway to resume its monitoring.

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