Managing HP BladeSystem c-class systems

Transcription

1 Managing HP BladeSystem c-class systems technology brief, 2 nd edition Abstract... 2 Introduction... 2 HP BladeSystem c-class Enclosure... 2 HP Onboard Administrator... 3 Insight Display... 4 Configuring the enclosure... 4 Communicating with local technicians... 6 Configuration logic... 7 Role-based user accounts... 8 Thermal Logic management... 8 Power logic management... 9 Enclosure bay IP addressing Onboard Administrator graphical user interface Onboard Administrator command line interface c3000 KVM Module HP Virtual Connect architecture Virtual Connect Manager Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager HP Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem BladeSystem management interface Performance management and bottleneck analysis Consolidated vulnerability and patch management Rapid Deployment Pack Virtual Machine Management Pack HP Insight Control Environment for Linux HP Insight Dynamics VSE The logical server Real-time capacity planning Unified control HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition HP Integrated Lights-Out ilo 2 Standard Blade Edition ilo Select Pack For more information Call to action... 28

2 Abstract The HP BladeSystem c-class consolidates power, cooling, connectivity, redundancy, and security into a modular, self-tuning, flexible infrastructure. Embedded management capabilities provide simple control interfaces. Management software monitors the infrastructure to streamline operations and increase productivity. The complete solution manages all components of the infrastructure as one system, saving administrators time and ensuring high quality service levels. This technology brief describes the HP management technologies and how they work within the HP BladeSystem c-class Enclosure to deliver an adaptive infrastructure for next-generation data centers. Specifically, the brief describes the following technologies: HP Onboard Administrator for BladeSystem c-class simplifies enclosure setup and provides integrated enclosure management, including power and cooling. Virtual Connect simplifies server connectivity to LANs and SANs, enables server workload mobility, reduces infrastructure costs and helps IT administrators work smarter. Virtual Connect also provides an infrastructure foundation for Insight Dynamics- VSE HP Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem leverages HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM) and ProLiant Essentials software, the same tools used to manage HP ProLiant servers. HP Insight Control Environment for Linux provides Linux-optimized management and deployment capabilities for HP BladeSystem c-class. HP Insight Dynamics VSE further extends Insight Control for advanced planning and optimizing the BladeSystem environment. HP Integrated Lights-Out 2 (ilo 2) provides remote administration with virtual keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) access. The ilo Select Pack provides enhanced remote management with shared remote console, record/playback options, power usage capping, and virtual folders. Introduction As demands for IT efficiency and responsiveness increase, simplifying system management becomes increasingly critical. The complexity, high costs, and inflexibility of a conventional IT infrastructure are the direct result of the static and hardwired way it is built, the silos it creates, and the increasingly sluggish management processes behind it. With increasing complexity and manual coordination between the server, Local Area Network (LAN), and Storage Area Network (SAN), what should be a simple, 30-minute process for administrators such as deploying a new server can turn into a weeklong ordeal. HP continues to aggressively develop powerful new management technologies that give system administrators access and control of ProLiant servers and ProLiant server clusters located anywhere. This paper describes HP BladeSystem c-class management technologies. HP BladeSystem c-class Enclosure HP offers two versatile c-class enclosure models: the HP BladeSystem c and the HP BladeSystem c The c7000 (Figure 1) provides sixteen device bays and eight interconnect modules in a 10U rack-mount configuration. The c3000 (Figure 2) provides eight device bays and 1 More information about the BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure is available in the paper HP BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure at 2 More information about the BladeSystem c3000 Enclosure is available in the paper HP BladeSystem c3000 Enclosure technologies at 2

3 four interconnect modules in a 6U rack-mount or tower configuration. Both enclosure models also include the Onboard Administrator (OA) and the Insight Display diagnostic LCD panel. Figure 1. Front and rear view of an HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure The c7000 enclosure offers options for an external Digital Video Disc (DVD) feature and a redundant Onboard Administrator module. In the c7000 enclosure, the Onboard Administrator modules are located in a tray immediately above the bottom row of fans on the rear of the enclosure. The c3000 enclosure optionally supports DVD functionality (either internal or external) to connect Compact Disk (CD) or DVD media to all servers in the enclosure using the Onboard Administrator. An optional KVM module is available for the c3000. It allows easy access to any of the server video consoles or to the Onboard Administrator by connecting to a VGA monitor and USB keyboard and mouse. Figure 2. Front and rear view of an HP BladeSystem c3000 enclosure HP Onboard Administrator The Onboard Administrator provides a management network for all management devices inside the enclosure. These devices include the HP ilo 2 management processor on each server blade, interconnect module management ports (including Virtual Connect), and the Onboard Administrator. The Onboard Administrator is the terminating point for all interconnect bays. The I/O infrastructure carries the management signals from each bay to the Onboard Administrator modules. Management signals are completely isolated from the high-speed server-to-interconnect signals. An interconnect 3

4 module cannot use the connection to the Onboard Administrator to communicate with another interconnect module. Customers using the HP BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure have the option of installing a second OA board to act as a redundant controller in an active-standby mode. The OA modules communicate with the ilo 2 management processors on each server blade to form the core of the management architecture for HP BladeSystem c-class. IT technicians and administrators have four ways to access the OA: An Insight Display screen on each HP BladeSystem c-class Enclosure provides ready access for quick setup and daily maintenance. The web graphical user interface (GUI) uses event-driven, push technology. No screen refresh is necessary to view failures or events. If an event occurs, its status is pushed to the web GUI immediately. The web GUI provides seamless integration with OpenView, Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem, and Insight Control Environment for Linux. The Command Line Interface (CLI) provides command line and scripting interfaces. The optional c3000 KVM module provides Onboard Administrator CLI, Insight Display, and KVM console connections to all server blades in an enclosure for control of server power, connectivity to the enclosure DVD, and server-embedded health status. Insight Display The Insight Display, shown in Figure 3, is an ever-ready, enclosure-mounted information exchange device with access to all Onboard Administrator setup, management, and troubleshooting features. It provides a quick and easy method for initially configuring the enclosure. It also provides information about the health and operation of the enclosure. Figure 3. BladeSystem c-class Insight Display and Main Menu Configuring the enclosure When the enclosure is powered up for the first time, the Onboard Administrator launches an installation wizard to guide an IT technician through the configuration process. Once the enclosure is configured, the technician can review the configuration on the Insight Display to verify that there are no installation or configuration errors. 4

5 The Insight Display simplifies initial enclosure setup, facilitates local administration, and provides PINbased security. The Main Menu screen, depicted in Figure 3, provides access to the Initial Setup Installation Wizard, Enclosure Management, Power Management, and HP BladeSystem Diagnostics. The Enclosure Health icon on the bottom left corner of every screen indicates the health condition of the enclosure. The background color of the Insight Display varies with the health condition of the enclosure: Green The enclosure is operating normally. No error or alert conditions exist. Blue In configuration mode. The Insight Display is addressing a specific enclosure. The enclosure unit identification (UID) light is automatically turned on when the enclosure is powered up for the first time. The UID light and can be turned off or on from the Main Menu or by pressing the enclosure UID button in the rear of each enclosure. Amber An error or alert condition exists. If the enclosure UID is on and an error or alert condition exists, the Insight Display illuminates blue because the enclosure UID takes priority over the alert. Dark The Insight Display has a two-minute inactivity screen saver. If no action is taken and no alert condition exists, the screen light turns off after two minutes. If an alert occurs after the screen saver is activated, the screen backlight begins blinking. Pressing any button on the Insight Display will reactivate the screen. The Enclosure Settings and the Enclosure Info screens (Figure 4) provide access to management and configuration capability and concise views of status information, respectively. Figure 4. Illustration of the BladeSystem c-class Insight Display Enclosure Settings and Enclosure Info screens 5

6 Communicating with local technicians The Insight Display menu provides a View User Note item (Figure 5). Administrators can use this feature to alert personnel about a specific situation or to provide important information. For example, administrators can use this screen to display helpful information such as contact phone. Figure 5. Illustration of Insight Display view user note feature Additionally, the Insight Display provides a Chat Mode (similar to instant messaging) for bidirectional communication between the Insight Display user and a remote administrator using the OA web GUI as illustrated in Figure 6. The remote administrator can use the Chat Mode to communicate with an onsite service person about what needs to be done in this enclosure. Figure 6 shows that an administrator has instructed the service person to check the Blade 3 Mezz 2 Port 1 connection. The chat dialog box to the right of the display indicates that the message has been sent to the Insight Display in the enclosure. In response to the administrator s message in Figure 6, the Insight Display on the c-class enclosure shows the chat screen illustrated in Figure 7. The technician can leave this screen and use other Insight Display screens such as Blade and Port Info to determine which interconnect module and port need to be checked, and then return to this screen from the Main Menu to enter a response. This feature can dramatically reduce the time needed to successfully service a problem, particularly in data centers that do not permit cellular phone operation. 6

7 Figure 6. BladeSystem c-class web GUI initiated Insight Display Chat Figure 7. BladeSystem c-class Insight Display Chat Configuration logic One of the major advantages of the HP BladeSystem c-class is its flexibility in allowing customers to configure the system in any way they desire. To assist the IT administrator in the configuration and setup process, the Onboard Administrator verifies the following attributes for each blade and interconnect module as they are added to the enclosure: Configuration The OA automatically queries all the field replaceable unit (FRU) data for each server, including mezzanine cards. The OA compares this information to the installed interconnect modules to ensure that the I/O fabric types match. If they do not, the OA issues a warning on the Insight Display with suggested corrective action. Typically the corrective action will be to move a server mezzanine card to a different slot. Power The OA ensures that there is sufficient power available to power up a server blade or interconnect module. 7

8 Cooling The OA makes sure there is sufficient cooling capacity for the server blade or interconnect module. Location If the enclosure is not fully populated, the OA makes sure that server blades, storage blades, Active Cool fans, and power supplies are in the correct locations to receive the proper cooling and to support the chosen power configuration. For example, if the administrator is installing only two server blades, they must be in bays 1, 2, 9, or 10. Similarly, fans must go into bays 4, 5, 9, and 10. Device The OA indicates device failure or degraded health. Typically the corrective action will be to replace a failed device. The configuration logic powers up the interconnect modules first. The server blade is not powered up until the Onboard Administrator has verified that the configuration is correct. If there is a configuration issue, the Insight Display indicates what the issue is and possible remedies. Role-based user accounts The Onboard Administrator generates user accounts that can be configured to permit access to information and control of specific device bays. User accounts can be configured to isolate multiple administrative roles, each with different privilege levels: Administrator role can create or edit all user accounts in an enclosure. Operator role has full information access and control of permitted bays. User role has information access but no control capability. The Onboard Administrator requires that users log in to the web GUI or CLI with an account and password. The account can be a local account with the password stored on the Onboard Administrator. Or the account can be a Lightweight-Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) account, where the OA contacts the defined LDAP server to check user credentials. Two-factor authentication provides tight security for the user management session to the OA. Rather than requiring separate logins to multiple resources (to each enclosure or ilo 2 management processor), the Onboard Administrator allows single-point access. Thus, the administrator can use a single sign-on process to log in to the Onboard Administrator. Then the administrator can use the web GUI to graphically view and manage the HP BladeSystem c-class components within up to four linked enclosures. For example, an IT administrator could automatically propagate management commands such as changing the enclosure power mode throughout the linked enclosures. Thermal Logic management The Onboard Administrator retrieves thermal information from all of the server blades, power supplies, Active Cool fans, and interconnect modules in the enclosure. In a c7000 Enclosure filled with 16 half-height server blades, more than 150 temperature sensors provide data for maintaining an optimal balance among cooling, acoustic levels, and power consumption. If the thermal load of an enclosure increases, the Onboard Administrator s Thermal Logic features instruct the Active Cool fan controllers to increase fan speeds to accommodate the additional demand. Zone cooling is a Thermal Logic feature that minimizes power for the fan subsystem by varying the fan speed in up to four zones to match the specific cooling needs of the server blades instead of simply running all fans at the same speed. Fan speed can be adjusted to reduce noise and power consumption and to compensate for airflow differences within the enclosure. The performance of each subsystem is monitored, and any failures or warnings are reported to the system log and Insight Control (when Simple Network Management Protocol is enabled). The Onboard Administrator manages subsystem failure by taking appropriate 8

9 action to maintain the enclosure's ability to operate, including adjusting fan speed, reducing power consumption, or performing shutdowns on some or all subsystems. The Fan Zones tab on the OA Thermal Subsystem page (Figure 8) gives a real-time, single-screen, zone-by-zone view of the thermal operating conditions. Figure 8. Onboard Administrator Thermal Subsystem page via a web GUI Power logic management The Onboard Administrator manages component power allocation and can limit the overall power consumption of the enclosure. This feature is often referred to as power capping. Power measurement sensors are used to accurately monitor how much power is being consumed and how much power is available. Onboard Administrator manages power using real-time measured power data instead of maximum power envelopes. Therefore, customers can deploy more servers and interconnect modules than if the configuration was based only on nameplate power specifications for each component. Note If redundancy mode is either AC Redundant or Power Supply Redundant and power redundancy is lost, any additional power requests from the Onboard Administrator will not be accepted, even if there is enough non-redundant power available. For example, newly inserted server blades will not be allowed to power on. Either the failure must be corrected or the redundancy mode must be changed. 9

10 On the Rack Overview page (Figure 9), the Onboard Administrator summarizes the power and thermal information for all the c-class enclosures linked in a rack. The information displayed includes the present power for each enclosure, the ambient temperature of the enclosure, and a rack cooling requirement in BTU/hr. This display dramatically reduces the complexity of monitoring the power and cooling requirements for a rack full of server blades. Figure 9. Rack Power and Thermal page via Onboard Administrator web GUI Dynamic Power Savings mode is the default power supply setting. The Onboard Administrator manages this mode based on the principle that power supplies operate less efficiently when lightly loaded and more efficiently when heavily loaded. A typical power supply running at 20 percent load could have efficiency as low as 60 percent; but running at 50 percent load, the power supply efficiency could be 90 percent, thus providing significant savings in power consumption. Using real time tracking of the total enclosure power consumption, the Onboard Administrator will shut down or start up power supplies as required to maintain the power supplies and current load requirements ratio in the maximum efficiency range. The number of power supplies active at any given time is determined by calculating the number of power supplies necessary to maintain the power load requirements and to keep the active power supplies in the high efficiency range. When Dynamic Power Savings mode is enabled, some of the power supplies may be automatically placed on 10

11 standby to increase overall enclosure power subsystem efficiency. When Dynamic Power Savings mode is disabled, all power supplies share the load equally. Enclosure bay IP addressing The Onboard Administrator significantly enhances the management network infrastructure by offering a single point from which to assign IP addresses to the server blade ilo 2 management ports and the interconnect module management ports. By default, the Onboard Administrator, ilo 2, and supported interconnect module management processors such as Virtual Connect Manager are configured to acquire an IP address using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) on the external management network. For installations using static IP addressing, the Onboard Administrator offers Enclosure Bay IP Addressing (EBIPA) as an alternative to manual configuration. If EBIPA is enabled and the management ports are set to receive an IP address using DHCP, the IP address settings can be managed by the Onboard Administrator using EBIPA. Using the autofill feature, the administrator can input a range of IP addresses into the OA form (Figure 10). For example, if the address of bay 1 is input as , autofill creates consecutively numbered IP addresses for bays 2 through 16, starting with IP addresses can be assigned to unpopulated bays. Once a server or interconnect module is inserted into an EBIPA-enabled bay, it will receive the pre-set IP address for that bay as well as the Shared Device Settings. EBIPA settings are also present in the First Time Setup Wizard. There they provide the same functionality; however, the wizard allows the address range to span multiple enclosures. Figure 10. Onboard Administrator web GUI Device Bay EBIPA settings 11

12 Onboard Administrator graphical user interface The GUI provides remote administration capabilities from a desktop web-browser. The GUI allows administrators to simplify tasks such as managing users and network settings, Virtual Power control, boot order control, and enclosure DVD attachment to one or more blades. The GUI can also simplify administrative tasks when identical operations are performed on multiple server blades. The GUI contains graphical views for server-to-interconnect port mapping, zone cooling measurements, and power use history. The GUI displays a graphical view of one or multiple enclosures which shows the status for each device (Figure 11). At a glance, the administrator can tell if any devices in the enclosure need attention. By logging in to a single enclosure, an administrator gains access to all enclosures and blades on the link. Figure 11. Onboard Administrator GUI Device Bay Summary Onboard Administrator command line interface The Onboard Administrator s CLI (Figure 12) allows administrators to use serial, telnet, or SSH connections to control the operation of the enclosure and its devices, including the use of scripts for automation. CLI commands include commands to connect to the ILO 2 on each server blade and to supported interconnect module management processors such as Virtual Connect. The Onboard 12

13 Administrator CLI supports role-based user accounts, provides for auto login to ilo 2 devices, and provides a utility for configuring or updating ilo 2 using existing XML scripts. Figure 12. Onboard Administrator Command Line Interface c3000 KVM Module This option module for the c3000 enclosure provides an easy method to connect a standard VGA monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the enclosure and connect to any of the server video consoles. The KVM module enables administrators to: Control server power Connect to the enclosure DVD for software installation or firmware upgrades Connect to the Onboard Administrator CLI for full control of the enclosure Diagnose problems easily using an on-screen version of the Insight Display The user interface (Figure 13) is very similar to the Insight Display, but it employs the keyboard cursor keys to select a particular server console, power the server on and off, or connect to the enclosure DVD. 13

14 Figure 13. c3000 KVM Option Main Menu HP Virtual Connect architecture Virtual Connect is an interconnect option for HP BladeSystem c-class that simplifies server connectivity by reducing physical cabling and virtualizing network assignments. It puts an abstraction layer between the servers and their external networks so that LANs and SANs see a pool of servers instead of individual servers. The Virtual Connect architecture is built into every BladeSystem c-class enclosure and extended with high performance Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules that plug into the enclosure interconnect bays (Figure 14). Each Virtual Connect module provides dense port aggregation that turns multiple physical network connections to each server into a few simple, high-speed uplinks that greatly reduce infrastructure complexity and costs. To the external networks, Virtual Connect modules appear as regular pass-thru devices, but they provide the benefits of integrated switching. Virtual Connect uses pools of unique media access control (MAC) addresses, World Wide Names (WWNs), and server profiles to establish reliable server-to-network connections. The server connection profiles contain MAC, WWN, and boot-from-san definitions that are assigned to BladeSystem enclosure bays and not to individual servers. The physical server in each bay uses the MAC and WWN assignments in the bay profile instead of its default network interface (NIC) or host bus adapter (HBA) addresses. Even if a server is replaced, the MAC and WWN assignments for the enclosure bay remain constant, and the change is invisible to the network. 14

15 Figure 14. Illustration depicting the Virtual Connect modules in an HP BladeSystem c7000 enclosure Virtual Connect cleanly separates server and network management to optimize infrastructure deployment and operations (Figure 15). It allows network administrators to pre-assign network connections, even to empty server bays. During Virtual Connect installation, the LAN and SAN administrators are responsible for defining the networks, subnets, and storage LUNs that the servers will use, but they no longer have to be involved in every server-centric change. Once implemented, Virtual Connect allows system administrators to be more self-sufficient: they can an add, replace, and modify servers in minutes without affecting LAN and SAN availability or burdening the network administration staff. To configure and manage single BladeSystem enclosures, HP Virtual Connect Manager is embedded into Virtual Connect Ethernet module firmware and is accessible through the Onboard Administrator interface. For multiple BladeSystem environments, HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager provides a central management application, providing more effective administration and increased productivity. For more detailed information on Virtual Connect, visit the HP web site at 15

16 Figure 15. Virtual Connect reduces complexity and creates an adaptive infrastructure Virtual Connect Manager HP Virtual Connect Manager is a web-based console that manages local connectivity for individual enclosures running Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules. It configures network parameters and defines server connection profiles for available LANs and SANs. VC Manager can be accessed directly or through HP Systems Insight Manager VC Manager contains utilities and a Profile Wizard to develop server connection profiles and assign them to server bays in the same enclosure using a policy-driven approach. The policy can define a profile for a specific server bay, so that any server installed in that location will use the same network connections. Using the VC Manager policy as a guide, Virtual Connect ensures that each server blade is properly connected to its appropriate LAN and SAN, regardless of its replacement status. The VC Manager Profile Summary page (Figure 16) displays server status as well as port and network assignments. On this page system administrators can edit profiles, re-assign profiles, and view HBA and NIC configurations for the individual enclosure. For implementing Virtual Connect, the LAN and SAN administrators are responsible for defining the networks, subnets, and storage LUNs that will be available to the server or system administrator. Once implemented, however, Virtual Connect allows system administrators to be more self-sufficient, so they can make needed server changes without affecting LAN and SAN availability or burdening network administrators. Using the HP Virtual Connect Manager, the system administrator can assign the external network connections to server bays and enable networks to share connections. The administrator can also facilitate a rapid server upgrade or replacement by simply reassigning a server connection profile to another bay in the same enclosure that contains a new or spare server. 16

17 Figure 16. HP Virtual Connect Manager Profile summary screen where IT administrators can create, edit, and delete Virtual Connect profiles Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager The HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager (VCEM) is an application that simplifies the management of multiple BladeSystem c-class enclosures configured with Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules. Organizations can use VCEM to increase productivity, respond faster to business demands, and further reduce operating costs across the datacenter. VCEM provides a central console (Figure 17) to deploy, manage, and control up to 100 BladeSystem enclosures (up to 1,600 blade servers) configured with Virtual Connect. VCEM extends Virtual Connect with the following advanced capabilities that build on underlying HP Virtual Connect hardware, Onboard Administrator, Integrated Light-Out, and Systems Insight Manager technologies: Single console and dedicated home page that simplify the discovery and management of up to 100 HP BladeSystem enclosures configured with Virtual Connect Central database that aggregates the administration for 65,000 MAC addresses and WWNs. This eliminates the risk of address duplication and reduces manual management overheads. 17

18 Virtual Connect Domain Groups of enclosures (Figure 18) that use common baselines to assign and control sever connection profiles for multiple enclosures connected to the same networks. This increases infrastructure consistency, reduces complexity, and simplifies changes to multiple enclosures. Ability for system administrators to rapidly assign and move Virtual Connect server connection profiles and their associated workloads between BladeSystem enclosures using manual and scripted tasks. This functionality can be used for cost-effective server recovery, system maintenance, and rapid server repurposing. Automated failover of server connection profiles to designated spare enclosure bays Aggregation and seamless integration of existing and new Virtual Connect domains Figure 17. HP Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager home page 18

19 Figure 18. Depiction of central network address management and Virtual Connect Domain Groups for enclosures connected to the same LANs and SANs Together, Virtual Connect and VCEM create a change-ready infrastructure that enables system administrators to respond faster to changing workload and business demands. Administrators can add, replace, and recover physical blade servers across the datacenter in minutes without affecting production LAN and SAN availability. They can also complete many other datacenter tasks more efficiently: Installing new BladeSystem servers and enclosures Performing fast and cost effective server recovery Completing planned system maintenance with minimal downtime Rapidly migrating and repurposing blade servers across the datacenter Virtual Connect and VCEM also provide foundation capabilities for the HP Insight Dynamics VSE suite. HP Insight Dynamics VSE is a class of integrated management that brings the flexibility of virtualization to physical servers. It is described in more detail in a subsequent section of this document. For more detailed information about VCEM, visit the HP web site: HP Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem is an integrated software suite that simplifies HP BladeSystem c-class management. Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem uses a single integrated installer to rapidly and consistently deploy, configure, and license HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM) and HP ProLiant Essentials management software. Use of this single installer 19

20 reduces manual procedures and time to production. Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem provides comprehensive system health, remote control, vulnerability scanning, and patch management, as well as flexible deployment, virtual machine management, and power management. Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem is delivered on DVD media with HP BladeSystem c-class enclosures. It includes the components listed in Table 1. Table 1. Components of HP Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem Component HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM) and its built-in blade management interface HP Integrated Lights-Out (ilo 2) Select Pack HP ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP) HP ProLiant Essentials Insight Power Manager HP ProLiant Essentials Virtual Machine Management Pack (VMM) HP ProLiant Essentials Performance Management Pack (PMP) HP ProLiant Essentials Vulnerability and Patch Management Pack (VPM) Description HP SIM delivers unified infrastructure management and control for HP and non- HP server and storage resources. The integrated blade management interface provides enhanced functionality and control for HP BladeSystem c-class, including automatically generated rack and enclosure visualization of blade resources and access to Onboard Administrator and ilo 2 consoles. ilo Select Pack complements standard ilo 2. ilo Select Pack activates additional features needed to enable full remote control of ProLiant servers in routine and emergency situations. ilo Select includes remote console collaboration and replay of Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) and Power On Self Test (POST) screens, enterprise security, virtual media, virtual folders, and power management functionality. RDP configures and deploys multiple servers in an unattended fashion using scripts and system images. RDP includes predefined scripts to configure HP server hardware and to deploy operating systems for Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms. RDP provides blade-specific features such as rip-andreplace server recovery and pre-provisioning of device bays. Insight Power Manager provides centralized control of server power consumption and thermal output at the datacenter level. It extends the capacity of datacenters by allowing a reduction in the amount of power and cooling required for ProLiant servers. VMM extends HP Systems Insight Manager capabilities to manage virtual machines and provides central management and control of VMware and Microsoft virtual machines with physical host-to-virtual machine association. VMM integrates with such virtualization management tools as VMware VirtualCenter. VMM is the only solution available that, out of the box, can initiate VMware DRS to relocate virtual machines based on hardware predictive failure alerts. PMP monitors system performance thresholds and detects and analyzes hardware bottlenecks on HP ProLiant servers, HP Integrity servers, and HP Modular Smart Array (MSA) shared storage systems. VPM provides comprehensive vulnerability assessment and advanced patch management to accelerate vulnerability remediation and reduce the risk of threats. 20

21 BladeSystem management interface The blade interface in HP Systems Insight Manage installs with any HP SIM installation. BladeSystem management capabilities of HP SIM include automatically drawn views of blade rack topology. The blade interface in HP SIM also enables users to quickly navigate their entire blade environment using tree views and the blade rack and enclosure views. System administrators can perform management tasks to individual units or groups of servers, desktops, workstations, and switches. They can also easily set up logical groups of BladeSystem enclosures for convenient management and control. For more detailed information about HP SIM, visit the HP web site at Performance management and bottleneck analysis ProLiant Essentials Performance Management Pack (PMP) provides the tools needed to receive proactive notification of impending bottleneck conditions and to debug existing performance issues. PMP provides a concise overview of configuration anomalies that could affect performance, such as faster drives on slower controllers, NICs set to half-duplex, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) cards concentrated on a single PCI bus. PMP is automatically installed with HP SIM and its operation is integrated into HP SIM. PMP analyzes performance information to determine if there is an impending or existing performance bottleneck issue. PMP can interactively display this information, log the information to a database for later analysis or reporting, and set up proactive notification using the HP SIM notification mechanism. PMP is offered exclusively through HP Insight Control Environment management suites, such as Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem. For more detailed information about PMP, visit the HP web site: Consolidated vulnerability and patch management The HP ProLiant Essentials Vulnerability and Patch Management Pack (VPM) provides automated acquisition, optimized deployment, and continuous enforcement of software patches. It automatically collects new vulnerability updates and patches directly from vendor sources, such as a vendor's webbased patch depository. Updates can be acquired outside the firewall and imported into the patch repository in infrastructures where firewall policies prevent http and ftp downloads. Users can schedule vulnerability and patch update downloads at a frequency of their choosing. VPM is offered exclusively through HP Insight Control Environment management suites, such as Insight Control Environment for BladeSystem. For more detailed information about VPM, visit the HP web site at Rapid Deployment Pack The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP) gives administrators the ability to easily deploy one or many servers in an unattended, automated fashion. RDP provides a fast, easy-to-use, drag-anddrop solution for deploying standard server configurations and software builds from a remote console. It can also be linked with HP SIM. The RDP Deployment Server integrates with ilo to access ilo management features such as powering target servers on/off or cycling target server power. RDP facilitates high-volume installation, configuration, and deployment of servers through a GUI-based or a web-based console, using scripting or imaging technology. RDP can deploy physical systems as well as virtualization hosts and guests. For more detailed information about RDP, visit the HP web site at 21

22 Virtual Machine Management Pack The ProLiant Essentials Virtual Machine Management Pack (VMMP) provides integrated management and control of physical and virtual infrastructures: Support for heterogeneous virtualization platforms from VMware, Microsoft, and Citrix Identification of virtual machines (VMs) or host servers reaching high CPU, memory, or disk utilization levels Integration with common HP SIM functions and processes (discovery, identification, event notification and handling, role-based access to specific VMs or hosts, task scheduling, and groupbased actions) for both virtual and physical servers Flexible capabilities that allow live moves and moves to dissimilar host resources Ability to restore of virtual machines on any available host. Using HP SIM predictive failure alerts, VMMP minimizes downtime by proactively relocating virtual machines before hardware failures occur. Ability to manage virtualization platforms from the same console used for physical server administration For more detailed information about VMMP, visit the HP web site at HP Insight Control Environment for Linux HP Insight Control Environment for Linux (ICE-Linux) provides comprehensive discovery, imaging, deployment, monitoring, and management for Linux-based HP ProLiant server platforms (c-class BladeSystems, DL 300-Series servers, and DL 500-Series servers) with a flexible networking model. Built on the HP SIM framework, this solution integrates open source technology with the experience leveraged from HP Linux products in HP Insight Control Linux Edition and HP XC Clusters. HP ICE-Linux software is designed for and built on Linux and leverages HP management expertise with other operating environments. Open source software (for example, Nagios 3 ) for monitoring is integrated with SIM and includes HP auto-configuration capability that allows users to be productive quickly. Figure 19 shows how HP Insight Control Environment for Linux is applied to both the management server and the managed server. For more detailed information about ICE-Linux, visit the HP web site at 3 Nagios is an open source host, service, and network monitoring program. For more information, visit their web site at 22

23 Figure 19. Block diagram of HP Insight Control Environment for Linux HP Insight Dynamics VSE HP Insight Dynamics VSE is the first integrated solution that enables administrators to continuously analyze and optimize physical and virtual resources in exactly the same way. This class of management software enables an adaptive infrastructure, with all the freedom and flexibility of virtualization delivered across a physical HP BladeSystem infrastructure. Insight Dynamics VSE combines key components of the HP infrastructure management portfolio HP SIM, HP Insight Control, and HP Virtual Server Environment into one integrated offering for HP BladeSystem, ProLiant, and Integrity servers. The result is an integrated toolkit that helps administrators accelerate complex technology projects and simplify daily operations. Insight Dynamics VSE includes three key capabilities that drive value across the data center: the logical server, real-time capacity planning, and unified control of physical and virtual infrastructure. These capabilities are of particular value to HP BladeSystem customers because the modular, flexible, and highly efficient design of HP BladeSystem makes it an ideal platform for virtualization. Insight Dynamics VSE builds on HP Insight Control and Virtual Connect Enterprise Manager. It also includes the HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition to enable administrators to physically and virtually migrate HP BladeSystem c-class servers from a single console. HP Insight Dynamics VSE is built on top of HP SIM and uses the same CMS and SIM interface. This integration enables 23

24 administrators to manage both physical and virtual resources from a user interface that is consistent with HP SIM. The logical server A logical server is a server profile that can be easily created and freely moved across physical and virtual resources. By detaching the logical identity from the physical resource, administrators can on demand create or move logical servers on any suitable virtual or physical machine (Figure 20). This means the logical server brings the freedom and flexibility of virtualization to physical servers. Figure 20. Diagram depicting movement of a logical server from one physical server to another The logical server profile describes the system image resources, whether they are virtual, physical, shared, or unshared. For example, a logical server profile would include entitlements and unique identifiers such as power allocation, processor and memory requirements, network connections, and storage everything required for the OS and application stack to operate. Using tools accessible through the HP Insight Dynamics VSE Virtualization Manager, administrators can apply a logical server to the creation of a virtual machine using software-layer abstraction (hypervisor technology) or to a physical server blade using physical-layer abstraction (that is, HP Virtual Connect technology). From the same interface, administrators can also create templates with specific configurations for frequently used applications. These templates can be stored and reactivated in minutes when needed. Logical servers enable administrators to move server workload profiles quickly between physical and virtual server resources as the business requirements change. With this level of control, administrators can more easily increase the efficiency of server resource utilization and maintain availability in the event of a server failure. Administrators can also control power and cooling costs more effectively by taking logical server resources offline when an application does not require the system resources and by bringing the same resources back online when the demands of the application change. HP logical servers offer the strongest value when implemented in the BladeSystem c-class environment because it was designed to facilitate resource sharing. HP Virtual Connect technology, unique to the HP BladeSystem, is the enabling technology used to deploy logical servers directly on physical machines in a resource pool. 24

25 Real-time capacity planning HP Insight Dynamics VSE includes the industry s most advanced real-time capacity planning tools. It allows administrators to continuously analyze server capacity and power use. The software s Capacity Advisor collects and analyzes more than a thousand data points per server per day from virtual and physical resources. Then, using new Smart Solver technology developed by HP Labs, the Capacity Advisor identifies the best fit for existing workloads, which can reduce the number of physical servers needed. Unified control HP Insight Dynamics VSE allows administrators to control physical and virtual resources in exactly the same way. It extends the capabilities of the HP SIM infrastructure management so that administrators can view all available resources on a single screen (Figure 21). Insight Dynamics VSE is designed to manage leading virtualization technologies from VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft. (VMware is supported today. Microsoft and Citrix support is planned.) Because Insight Dynamics VSE is one integrated design, it helps simplify and standardize organizational processes without changing them. For more detailed information about HP Insight Dynamics VSE, visit the HP web site at Figure 21. HP Insight Dynamics VSE display of logical servers showing configuration, host, status, and resource utilization information Main screen Choice of resource perspective Alert indicator Status icon Resource consumption detail Logical server detail HP SIM system detail Power management Resource use analysis 25

26 HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition enables administrators to physically and virtually migrate HP BladeSystem c-class servers from a single console. Its point-click-and-migrate functionality automates the process of migrating to a new server. Essentially, it migrates all the drivers that the administrator would normally move manually and then moves all the existing data, applications, and operating system as well. HP Insight Dynamics VSE also leverages SMP. The following are key capabilities of HP Server Migration Pack: Migration to the latest HP BladeSystem c-class servers or virtual machines from VMware and Microsoft via a single interface An option to run HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition in a standalone mode or integrated with HP Systems Insight Manager. The latter allows access to additional features such as discovery and agent distribution. Queued migrations automatically processing in the order in which they were scheduled Concurrent migrations to virtual machines when migrating to different destination host servers Additional information about the HP Server Migration Pack Universal Edition is available on the HP web site at HP Integrated Lights-Out 2 Located throughout each c-class enclosure are many embedded management interfaces. These interfaces reside in the base enclosure itself, the fan and power supply subsystems, the server blades, the storage blades, the interconnect modules, and the NIC and mezzanine cards. The Onboard Administrator uses these embedded management interfaces to identify and manage all the components. To identify a component that has been inserted into a BladeSystem c-class enclosure, the Onboard Administrator reads a Field-Replaceable Unit (FRU) Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) that contains factory information (product name, part number, and serial number) for that component. All the FRU EEPROMs in c-class enclosures are always powered, even if the component is off, so that the Onboard Administrator can identify the component before granting power requests. The FRU EEPROMs for simple devices such as the fans, power supplies, and the Insight Display are read directly by the Onboard Administrator. The Onboard Administrator accesses the server blade information through its ilo 2 management processor. Each server blade contains several FRU EEPROMs: one on the server board that contains server and embedded NIC information, and one on each of the installed mezzanine option boards. The NIC and mezzanine option EEPROM information informs the Onboard Administrator of the type of interconnects each server requires. Then, before granting power to a server blade, the Onboard Administrator compares this information with information from the EEPROMs on installed interconnect modules to check for electronic keying errors. For the components in front-loaded device bays, the Onboard Administrator communicates with each ilo 2 to control server blades and with a microcontroller to control options such as storage blades. A microcontroller is also used to regulate power to interconnect modules. Server blade control includes auto login to the ilo 2 web interface and remote server consoles, virtual power control, boot order control, and extensive server hardware information including BIOS and ilo 2 firmware versions, server name, and NIC and mezzanine option card port IDs and port mapping. HP ProLiant Power Regulator provides ilo 2-controlled speed stepping for x86 processors. The Power Regulator feature improves server energy efficiency by giving CPUs full power for applications when they need it and reduced power when they do not. This power management feature enables ProLiant servers with policy-based power management to control CPU power state. Power Regulator can be 26