Windows Server 2003 on Proliants. Deployment Techniques and Management Tools for System Administrators

This section covers the ProLiant Essential software in detail with practical information on the CDs included with each ProLiant blade server and ML and DL 300, 500, and 700 series server purchased. It also covers the optional ProLiant Firmware Maintenance CD, ProLiant Software Maintenance CD, tools, and applications. You'll learn practical information on ProLiant Essentials software, including configuration and installation using Smart Start, and basic functionality and features of the ProLiant Essentials foundation and value packs .

There are currently six ProLiant Essentials software offerings that selectively extend the functionality of an adaptive infrastructure to solve specific business challenges: two in the Foundation Pack and four in the Value Packs.

The Foundation Pack, which is included with ProLiant servers, consists of the following:

• SmartStart CD

• Management CD

The Value Packs ”licensed options ”with free evaluations licenses include

• RDP

• Recovery Server Option (RSO) Pack

• iLO Advanced Pack

• Workload Management Pack (WMP)

• Performance Management Pack (PMP)

ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack

Formerly the ProLiant Server Setup and Management kit and now packaged and shipping as the ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack, this package includes the SmartStart and Management CD which contain the following items broken down into the two CDs.

SmartStart CD:

• PSP

• Support Pack Remote Deployment Utility (RDU)

• System Management Homepage (Management Agents )

• SmartStart Server Setup and Installation (when booted )

• Firmware updates

• Insight diagnostics

• ACU

• Erase Utility

Management CD:

• HP SIM

• HP SIM documentation

• Version Control Repository Manager (VCRM)

• PMP for SIM

• True 64 and Open VMS Management Agents

• Management Agent MIBs

note

To maximize simplicity and minimize cost, the ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack does not support ProLiant 100 series servers.

ProLiant Essentials Value Packs

Proliant Essentials value packs are optional HP software solutions tailored to leverage ProLiant's advanced architecture to help you achieve maximum efficiency.

• ProLiant Essentials RDP (RDP) : Included with blade servers and containing basic deployment and "optional" licensed deployment and management software, RDP automates the process of server deployment, management, and provisioning server OSs and software.

  note

  Each server managed by the RDP deployment server software requires a license. A 10-node, 7-day evaluation license is built in to every RDP CD. A 30-day 10-node evaluation license is available at the HP Web site at http://www.hp.com/servers/rdp/eval .

• ProLiant Essentials RSO Pack : RSO is entry-level high-availability software that provides reliable protection and continuous uptime against server and OS failures utilizing the Modular Smart Array 500 for single and multiple path two-node clustering as well as direct attached storage (DAS) with up to four server nodes.

• ProLiant Essentials iLO Advanced Pack : The iLO advanced pack upgrades the iLO processor to full virtual presence and control with graphical console and virtual floppy disk and CD media capabilities.

• ProLiant Essentials Workload Management Pack : WMP features Resource Partitioning Manager, which enables resource optimization for consolidating and partitioning Windows server applications on two-, four-, and eight-processor servers. Leveraging OS-native Microsoft Job objects, you can define resource partitions that contain processes within a CPU and memory context. Dynamic rules allow flexibility, scaling, and scheduling. Unlike Microsoft Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM), which is available only with Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Datacenter editions, WMP runs on all versions of Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and WMP has an easier-to-use interface, covers more application scenarios, and contains a sophisticated rules engine that WSRM lacks.

• ProLiant Essentials Performance Management Pack (PMP) : ProLiant Essentials PMP is an integrated software solution that detects, analyzes, and reports hardware bottlenecks on ProLiant servers. PMP 3.0 is automatically installed with HP SIM 4.1 and operates in integration with HP SIM. No software installation on the monitored servers is required, other than the Insight Management Agents. PMP analyzes performance information to determine whether there is a building or existing performance bottleneck issue. You 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. Included with SIM 4.1, PMP 3.0 includes five free licenses, so you can start using PMP immediately.

Recent Changes with ProLiant Software

Traditionally, each ProLiant server has come with the SmartStart and Management CDs included. This is still the case with the traditional ProLiant Server Setup and Management kit renamed the ProLiant Essentials Foundation Pack. There are still two CDs, SmartStart and the Management CD, included with ProLiant 300, 500, and 700 series servers and blade servers.

Beginning with v7.0, SmartStart will perform assisted OS installation for BL20p G2 and BL40p G2 using the USB port on the p-class I/O cable. This feature supports Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003.

SmartStart remote boot support with the virtual CD is also available with systems with a RILOE II or iLO. (iLO requires its advanced pack to be enabled.)

In addition to the SmartStart and the Management CDs, two new CDs will be available starting with the release of SmartStart 7.0. The new CDs are packaged and available in several different ways.

ProLiant Firmware Maintenance CD

Available only with a subscription, the ProLiant Firmware Maintenance (Yellow) CD delivers firmware for your ProLiant server and options, such as array controllers, hard drives , RILOE II, and iLO. Boot this CD to perform firmware updates on selected ProLiant server and option products using the ROM Update Utility. Figure 7.1 shows the Firmware Maintenance CD home page.

ProLiant Software Maintenance CD

Also available only with a subscription, the ProLiant Software Maintenance (Green) CD (see Figure 7.2) delivers additional software than what is available on the SmartStart CD, including server drivers, management agents, utilities, and the PSPs for ProLiant server products.

note

For several years , space on the SmartStart and Management CDs has been limited, restricting the inclusion of a complete package of updates. The new Firmware and Software Maintenance CDs provide a convenient and more complete source for updates to keep in-place systems current.

note

The ProLiant Software and Firmware Maintenance CDs are not included with the purchase of a ProLiant server; they are available in a separate package, as described next .

ProLiant Software Maintenance Pack Downloads and Purchase Options

For the current options visit the SmartStart Web site: http://www.hp.com/servers/smartstart.

• ProLiant Foundation Pack single release : Includes the current release of the SmartStart and Management CD.

• ProLiant Software Maintenance Pack subscription : Includes four releases of CD media, each with ISO CD downloadable images. CDs and images included are SmartStart, Management, Software Maintenance and Firmware Maintenance.

• ProLiant Software Maintenance Subscription CD image only : Includes four releases, each with ISO CD downloadable images. CD images included are SmartStart, Management, Software Maintenance, and Firmware Maintenance.

• ProLiant Software Maintenance Pack single release : The Software Maintenance Pack includes the current release of the following CDs: SmartStart, Management, Software Maintenance, and Firmware Maintenance.

Products Discontinued with SmartStart v7.0

The Version Control Database (VCDB) that supports version control within HP Insight Manager 7 for Netware and Windows is being discontinued. The final update to VCDB is available on Management CD 7.0. HP has recommended that customers should use VCRM, which is included with SIM to maintain the software and firmware levels of their ProLiant servers.

The capabilities of ActiveUpdate have been integrated into the version-control capabilities of VCRM. The ActiveUpdate service will be transitioned into Subscriber's Choice automatically.