Get Flexible, Feature-Rich Datacenter Management at A Lower Cost
Get Flexible, Feature-Rich Datacenter Management at A Lower Cost
Get Flexible, Feature-Rich Datacenter Management at A Lower Cost
By deploying the Dell EMC solution ourselves rather than waiting for
professional services, we had our Dell EMC environment production
ready sooner than the Synergy solution. It took HPE services two days
to deploy the Synergy solution onsite, with additional time from IT
admins prior to installation.
OpenManage Essentials in general allows IT admins to monitor third-party servers and manage different Dell
EMC rack, tower, and blade systems and modular enclosures, such as the FX2.
In the datacenter
The following sections use results from our hands-on testing to discuss the advantages a Dell EMC PowerEdge
FX2 and OpenManage systems management solution could give your organization.
(hr:min:sec)
33 steps
Deploying Windows Server at scale is simpler with OpenManage Essentials. Whether an IT admin wants to
deploy three or 100, it would take the same amount of time and steps after initial configuration. It’s more time-
consuming and complex to do the same task in OneView: As IT admins can’t deploy multiple Windows Server
systems at once, each deployment would require additional time to repeat the steps. This kind of time savings
would allow IT admins to focus on other crucial datacenter initiatives.
Updating firmware
After some initial configuration, OpenManage Essentials is the faster
choice when you need to update firmware for multiple Windows
servers. Updating firmware for either one or many servers requires less
than a minute of IT administrator time and six steps with OpenManage
Essentials. It’s a fully automated process after that.
Here are some key takeaways we found when testing the integrations for both solutions:
• Both Dell EMC and HPE systems management solutions offer integrations for these third-party tools, but
using the tools for managing an HPE Synergy platform can disrupt existing workflows.
• The OpenManage Integrations for VMware vCenter and Microsoft System Center offer several speed and
efficiency advantages compared to the integrations for OneView.
• When using VMware vCenter and Microsoft System Center integrations for OneView, IT admins still have to
switch back over to the embedded OneView for Synergy to perform several management tasks.
VMware vCenter
Here’s a hypothetical scenario: Tara is a systems administrator for an oil company that wants to expand its VMware
ESXi virtual server infrastructure. They’re looking to add at least 50 physical servers and know they need to run at least
1,000 VMs. Tara and her co-workers know ESXi and other VMware tools well, but they worry about how well the new
hardware will work with their existing setup and will use the functionality of vCenter, ESXi, and other VMware tools.
Which of the two solutions could better help Tara manage the infrastructure? For starters, she can do the following
common tasks with OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter in a Dell EMC PowerEdge FX2 solution but not in
the VMware vCenter integration for an HPE Synergy solution:
If the oil company chooses to go with an HPE Synergy solution, Tara would need to instead use the embedded
OneView environment to complete these tasks rather than through the VMware vCenter console. Introducing more
applications and windows can increase the time it takes Tara to complete these tasks as well as increase the chance for
her to make an error.
If the oil company chooses the Dell EMC PowerEdge FX2 solution with OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter,
Tara would never have to leave the vCenter console to complete these tasks. In our datacenter, each of these tasks
required fewer than ten steps and less than four minutes of IT administrator time.
Deploy multiple
Microsoft SCCM OSs in
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, or SCCM, is widely used to
manage Windows environments. The OpenManage Integration for Microsoft
87
%
All of the following tasks are possible within System Center using the OpenManage Integration for Microsoft
System Center solution—and not possible inside System Center when using the HPE solution:
With the Dell EMC OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System Center
solution, these tasks were straightforward. For example, applying an
Deploy a single
operational template took just 17 seconds and three steps. Compared to
using HPE OneView for Microsoft System Center, Omar would spend 46
Hyper-V host in
percent less time deploying one or more hosts. Whether he was applying 46 %
less time
firmware updates to one or multiple servers, it would take Omar the same
amount of time using the OpenManage Integration for Microsoft System
using OpenManage
Center solution. Omar could then apply the time saved to scheduling
backups or helping another IT staff member.
Integration for Microsoft
System Center
Additionally, the latest version of the OpenManage Integration for Microsoft
System Center solution enables IT admins to manage the servers from an
in-context view. The HPE OneView integration for SCVMM gives users the same in-context view, but IT staff can
only use it to deploy Hyper-V hosts and VMs and to get basic information for deployed Synergy hosts, storage,
and enclosures. To manage hardware-specific settings, such as BIOS, storage, or networking, HPE still requires IT
administrators to log into the OneView web console and create server profiles.
In contrast, the HPE integration for SCOM is specific to the Synergy platform, and does not add performance
reporting or power consumption monitoring into the SCOM framework. As with the other integrations in the
HPE suite, some of the extended features are available only by exiting the SCOM management application and
then using the embedded OneView to manage the Synergy platform. This means multiple screens and multiple
credentials for IT staff to keep up with and a greater potential for errors, too.
Server
Server configuration information Dell EMC PowerEdge FC640 HPE Synergy 480 Gen10
Processor
Number of processors 2 2
Vendor and model Intel Xeon Gold 5120 Intel Xeon Gold 5120
Stepping M0 1
Memory module(s)
Size (GB) 8 16
Storage controller
Vendor and model Dell PERC H330 Mini HPE Smart Array P416ie-m SR G10
Number of drives 8 1
Drive information (speed, interface, type) 6Gbps, SATA, SSD 6Gbps, SATA, SSD
Network adapter
Synergy 3820C 10/20Gb Converged
Vendor and model Broadcom® GbE 4P 5720 bNDC
Network Adapter
Number and type of ports 4 x 1 GbE 2 x 20 GbE
Server enclosure
Server enclosure
Dell EMC PowerEdge FX2 HPE Synergy 12000 Frame
configuration information
Number of management modules 1 2
Vendor and model number Dell E14M001 1Gb Pass-Through Module Synergy 12Gb SAS Connection Module
Number of modules 1 2
Occupied bay(s) 1, 2 1, 4
Vendor and model number N/A Synergy 20Gb Interconnect Link Module
Power supplies
Cooling fans
Dell 06ww82
Vendor and model number Synergy Fan Module 809097-001
Dell 0X4GJ2
Number of fans 8 10
Configuring the PowerEdge FC640 and deploying VMware ESXi 6.5 with iDRAC server profiles and
Lifecycle Controller
Configuring the RAID controller for the first Dell EMC PowerEdge FC640
1. Select the server on the left-hand side.
2. Click Launch iDRAC GUI.
3. Once the iDRAC GUI loads, click Configuration.
4. Click Storage Configuration.
5. Expand Virtual Disk Configuration, and click Create Virtual Disk.
6. Enter a name, select a RAID level, and select the physical disks for the new virtual disk.
7. Click Add to Pending Operations, and click Apply Now.
Configuring the BIOS for the first Dell EMC PowerEdge FC640
1. From the Configuration screen, click BIOS Settings.
2. Expand System Profile Settings, and select Performance for the System Profile.
3. For the Workload Profile, select Virtualization Optimized Performance Profile.
4. Click Apply. At the success prompt, click OK.
5. Click Apply and Reboot. At the prompt, click OK.
Creating a server profile from the first Dell EMC PowerEdge FC640
1. From the Configuration screen, click Server Configuration Profile.
2. Expand Export, and enter a name for the file.
3. Check All, and select Clone for the Export type.
4. Click Export, and click Save Locally at the prompt.
Configuring the PowerEdge FC640 servers and deploying Windows Server 2016 using Dell EMC
OpenManage Essentials
Discovering the PowerEdge FC640 servers
1. Open your Dell EMC OpenManage Essentials console.
2. Click the Manage tab.
3. Click Discovery and Inventory.
4. Right-click your discovery range, and select Perform Discovery and Inventory Now.
Creating a template
1. Click the Manage tab.
2. Right-click your configured FC640 server, and select Create Template.
3. In the Create Template Wizard, name your template, enter your username and password, and click Finish.
4. Click the Deployment tab.
5. Select your new template.
6. Click the Attributes tab.
7. Open the BIOS segment, change Boot Mode to BIOS, and set Internal USB Port to Off.
8. Click Save.
9. To overwrite the template, Click Yes.
Deploying a template
1. Open your Dell EMC OpenManage Essentials console.
2. Click the Manage tab.
3. Highlight the servers on which you wish to deploy the BIOS changes, right-click, and choose Device ConfigurationAdd Devices to
Repurpose and Bare Metal Device Group.
4. Right-click your highlighted servers again and select Device ConfigurationDeploy Template.
5. In the Deploy Template Wizard, under Name and Deploy Options, check Boot to Network ISO, and click Next.
6. In Select Template, select your template, and click Next.
7. In Select ISO Location, enter the following, and click Next:
• ISO Filename: WS2016.iso
• Share IP: 10.128.1.13
• Share Name: ServerConfig
• Share Username: domain\administrator
• Share Password: ********
8. In Select Virtual IO pool, click Next.
9. In Select Devices, verify that you’ve selected the servers, and click Next.
10. In Edit Attributes, click Next.
11. In Set Schedule, check Run now, enter your username and password, and click Next.
12. In Preview, click Next.
Configuring and deploying ESXi 6.5 with HPE OneView for Synergy
Configuring ImageStreamer for ESXi deployment
After the initial deployment of the Synergy platform, HPE engineers installed HPE Foundation and Support artifact bundles for test
deployments. For our OS deployment test, we downloaded the latest ESXi 6 ImageStreamer artifact bundle from HPE’s GitHub library. The
artifact bundle contains tested Build Plans and Plan Scripts that allow for easy deployment of ESXi via ImageStreamer. You can find the latest
artifact bundle at https://github.com/HewlettPackard/image-streamer-esxi/tree/v3.1/artifact-bundles.
3. Click Create.
4. Right-click the file, and click Edit.
5. In the Dell WS2016 Deployment Task Sequence Editor, click Apply Operating System Image.
6. Uncheck the box for Unattended or Sysprep answer file for a custom installation. Click Apply Windows Settings.
7. Enter the Product Key for Windows that you will use. Click Apply Network Settings.
8. Select Join a Domain. Enter test.local. For account, click Set.
9. Enter the credentials for the test\administrator account, and click OK.
10. Click Apply Drivers from Dell Lifecycle Controller.
11. For Operating System, select Windows Server 2016, and enter test\administrator credentials. Click setup windows and ConfigMgr.
12. For Client package, click Browse…
13. Select the Configuration Manager Client Package, and click OK.
14. Click OK.
Distributing the content
1. Right-click your target task sequence, and click Distribute Content.
2. On the Distribute Content Wizard, click Next.
3. Click Next.
4. Click Add.
5. Select cm.test.local, and click OK.
6. Click Next.
7. Click OK.
Deploying the task sequence
1. Right-click the task sequence, and select Deploy.
2. In the Deploy Software Wizard, for Collection, click Browse.
3. Select the Dell Imported Servers Collection, and click OK.
4. Click Next.
5. Select Required, and select Make available to the following: Configuration Manager clients, media and PXE. Click Next.
6. Check the box to schedule when this deployment will become available. Enter a time. For Assignment schedule, click New…
7. Select Assign immediately after this event: As soon as possible, and click OK.
8. Accept the remaining defaults, and close the wizard after it has completed the task sequence.
Creating the task sequence media
1. Select the target task sequence, and select Create Task Sequence Media on the home tool bar.
2. In the Create Task Sequence Media Wizard, select Bootable media, check the box for Allow unattended operating system deployment,
and click Next.
7. On the Operating System Settings page, select the following, and click Finish:
• OS name: Windows
• Task Sequence: Use the task sequence that you created for Windows Server 2016 deployment
• Deployment: Boot to Network ISO
• Task Sequence Media: lcmedia.iso
• Check the box for Enable Dell Lifecycle Controller Drivers Injection
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Server 2016
1. Move the OMIMSSC-v7.0.0.972.vhd file from the OMIMSSC-v7.0.0.972_A00.zip file to a location accessible to the Windows host to
which you uploaded the appliance.
2. On the hypervisor, open Hyper-V Manager.
3. Click ActionNewVirtual Machine…
4. Click Next.
5. For Specify Name and Location, enter OMIMSSC, and click Next.
6. On the Assign Memory screen, enter 8 GB of memory, and click Next.
7. On the Configure Networking screen, connect the VM to the test network, and click Next.
8. On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk screen, select Use an existing virtual hard disk, select the OMIMSSC-v7.0.0.972.vhd file, and
click Finish.
9. Once the VM has been created, edit the VM settings.
10. Set the virtual processors count value to 2, and click OK.
11. Start the newly created OMIMSSC VM.
12. After booting, log in as admin.
13. Enter and confirm a new password. We used Password1!
14. When asked to select an action, select Configure Network Configuration, and press Enter.
15. Select DNS configuration, and press Enter.
16. Change the hostname to OMIMSSC.
17. Leave the default primary DNS, and click Save.
Installing the Integration Gateway
1. From the virtual machine server, open PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Run the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
3. Run the following command: Enable-PSRemoting – Force
4. Navigate to the OMIMSSC admin portal, and log in using your credentials.
5. On the Downloads page, under the Integration Gateway, click Download Installer.
6. Run the .exe file for the Integration Gateway v7.0 installer.
7. On the EULA screen, accept the terms of the agreement, and click Next.
8. On the MIT License Agreement screen, click Next.
9. On the Prerequisite Status screen, click Install Prerequisite.
10. Once complete, click Scan for Prerequisite, and click Next.
11. Enter the credentials for the username and password. We used test\administrator : Password1
12. On the Destination Folder screen, click Next.
13. Click Next.
14. Click Finish.
Installing the Console Extension for SCVMM
1. Navigate to the OMIMSSC admin portal, and log in using your credentials.
2. Under downloads, under OMIMSSC console extension for SCVMM installer, click Download.
3. If asked to close the console to continue, click Yes.
4. Click Next.
5. On the License Agreement screen, accept the terms, and click Next.
8. On the Operating System Settings page, select the following, and click Finish:
• OS name: Windows
• Hypervisor Profile: FX2
• Credential Profile: FX2
• Server IP from: DHCP
OME - Updating firmware for three Windows Server VMs 0:00:50 6 0:01:09 12 27 6
vCenter - Creating system and hypervisor profiles for deployment 0:03:57 9 n/a n/a
SCVMM - Updating firmware for either one or multiple servers 0:00:13 3 n/a n/a
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