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What's New in DS for Dell 3.1 SP1?

eorme's picture
eorme
October 28th, 2008
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Deployment Solution 6.9 SP1 has been released, and so has Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.1SP1. This article will give you a rundown of what has been improved since version 3.1, and how you can take advantage of these new features in your deployment environment. These new features will make you're deployment experiences faster more dependable and worry-free.

In addition to new features, six demonstration videos have been produced for this release:

  • Install Demo (9:19) - An outline of how to install, and how the Deployment Solution for Dell Servers add-on enhances Deployment Solution.
  • Dell Update Package Demo (4:52) - Shows how to download and apply DUPs in a pre-production environment.
  • Hardware Configuration (5:42) - Shows how to configure the BIOS/BMC/DRAC and RAID hardware on Dell Servers.
  • Job Builder (4:05) - Shows how the Job Builder can help you painlessly create custom jobs for configuring and deploying systems.
  • OS Deployment (2:41)- Shows how OS Configurations are managed, and how to use the Job Builder to create jobs that deploy operating systems.
  • Rule-based RAID (6:54) - Shows how to create RAID configuration rules to configure your RAID controllers.

These videos can be viewed by following the links in this article.

Table of Contents:

Section I: Dell OpenManage Toolkit Version 2.6

Deployment Solution for Dell Servers utilizes the Dell OpenManage Toolkit to configure Dell hardware and expanded support of the toolkit reflects to more options for IT Administrators using Deployment Solution for Dell Servers. Version 2.6 supports the following Dell systems:

PowerEdge 650, 700, 0750, 0800, 0830, 0840, 0850, 0860, 1435, 1600, 1650, 1655, 1750, 1800, 1850, 1855, 1900, 1950, 1955, 2600, 2650, 2800, 2850, 2900,2950, 2970, 4600, 6600, 6650, 6800, 6850, 6950, M600, M605, M805, M905, R200, R300, R805, R900, R905, T100, T300, T605

PowerVault 100, 500, 600

Note: The PowerEdge T100 is newly supported in this release of the DTK.

Deployment Solution for Dell Servers also maintains support for the following mass storage controllers:

PERC 3/DC, PERC 3/QC, PERC 3/SC
PERC 4/SC, PERC 4/DC, PERC 4/Di, PERC 4/IM
PERC 4e/DC, PERC 4e/Di, PERC 4e/Si
PERC 5/E Adapter, PERC 5/I Integrated, PERC 5/i Adapter
CERC SATA 1.5/6-Channel (CH), CERC SATA 1.5/2S, and PERC 3/Di (Linux preboot only),
SAS 5iR Integrated, SAS 5iR Adapter
SAS 6iR Integrated, SAS 6iR Adapter
PERC 6/E Adapter, PERC 6/i Integrated, PERC 6/i Adapter

Support is also enhanced for the latest features available in BIOS and BMC/DRAC hardware.

Section II: Job Builder Support for Image Based Installs

The Job Builder allows you to create custom Bare Metal to OS jobs taking a machine from bare metal, configuring all the hardware, and performing a n OS deployment. While Bare Metal to OS jobs utilizing an image based install have been possible in the past using some creating editing, the Job builder now has this feature built in, allowing users to painlessly create jobs using a scripted or image based deployment approach.

Click to view.

Simply select "Deploy an image" and browse to your image location. Press OK, and then press "Build Job".

Section III: New Job Logging Framework

Seeing useful output both in the status detail of a job, and in the log file is very convenient when verifying the proper execution of a job, and it becomes vital when troubleshooting a problem.

Before 3.1 SP1 logging messages to the DS console (status detail), and to the log in Dell\alogs have been completely separate and oftentimes did not contain useful information when problem arose. 3.1 SP1 now has a new "logevent" framework that combines the logging to status detail and to the log file.

This means that there is a one-to-one correspondence when stepping through the log file, and the status detail giving you a clear picture of the series of events and considerably cuts diagnosing time when you run into a problem. Also added are five log levels adjustable from the Configuration Utility allowing you drill deep and see what happens "between the message lines" when you need to:

Click to view.

Each machine has its own log file named after the machine ID assigned by DS. If you don't know the machine id, simply right click a machine and go to properties. The number should start with a 5, such as 5000001. You can access these logs by clicking on "View Log" or by browsing out on the file system to your express share then Dell\alogs.

Each level is additive, meaning as you increase the log level, you get all the log events associated with that level and below.

  • Level 0 - Turns off all logging to the log file.
  • Level 1 - Only logs warnings and errors
  • Level 2 - Logs warnings, errors and information. Note: The status detail of a job is permanently set to this level, so if you want to see a one-to-one correspondence between the machine log and the status log use level 2.
  • Level 3 - Logs warnings, errors, information and additional pieces of information that may be useful.
  • Level 4 - Logs warnings, errors, information, additional optional information and extensive output pertaining to the environment, and set variables.

Below is an example status detail log, and it's corresponding log file set at level 2 (the default) of a "Get System configuration file" job.

Click to view.

------------------------- INFO ---------------------------
SCRIPT:gcf_firmware.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:50:23 MDT 2008
Getting SYSTEM configuration file...
----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------- INFO ---------------------------
SCRIPT:gcf_firmware.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:50:23 MDT 2008
Calling syscfg -o=/mnt/ds/Dell/configfiles/system/5000001.ini
----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------- INFO ---------------------------
SCRIPT:gcf_firmware.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:50:26 MDT 2008
syscfg returned 0
----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------- INFO ---------------------------
SCRIPT:gcf_firmware.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:50:26 MDT 2008
Saved SYSTEM config file: /mnt/ds/Dell/configfiles/system/5000001.ini
----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------- INFO ---------------------------
SCRIPT:gcf_firmware.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:50:26 MDT 2008
Saved SYSTEM config file: /mnt/ds/Dell/configfiles/system/PE2850.ini
----------------------------------------------------------

As you can see each message is enclosed in a header and footer line and labeled as to it's severity. Warning and Critical messages are easily spotted. For instance, if you try to configure a DRAC card, but not configuration file exists, you are presented with the following:

======================== WARNING =========================
SCRIPT:cfg_firmware_a.sh - Mon Oct 13 18:58:18 MDT 2008
Warning: File not found: /mnt/ds/Dell/configfiles/drac/PE2850.ini. May need to run capture configuration job.
==========================================================

By searching for the text "WARNING" or "CRITICAL" within log files, you are easily able to go straight to the problem, even with the logging level set to 4 (all).

Section IV: Faster Bare Metal to OS Deployments in the Linux Preboot

Before version 3.1 SP1 of Deployment Solution for Dell Servers, several reboots were required during a Bare Metal to OS job. Now if you're utilizing the Linux preboot, these reboots are completely removed (for the Dell hardware configuration portion) allowing you do perform all Dell configuration in about 5 minutes. As a result, you can have a machine configured and deployed in about 15 minutes if using an image or about 40 minutes if doing a scripted install. This also relieves a lot of stress on your PXE servers if you're using PXE.

Note: The Linux preboot can't perform scripted installs of 64bit Windows operating systems or Windows Server 2008, but you can still take advantage of this speed increase if you make a "hybrid" job that uses Linux and WinPE. See the following juice article for instructions: Make Bare Metal to Win2003/2008 Jobs Faster, and Compatible with More Hardware Under Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.1.

Section V: Multi-threaded DUP Downloading Utility

The DUP downloader within the Configuration Utility has been enhanced by downloading DUPs in the background. This allows you browse the catalog, and click "Download" on several entries without having to wait for each to download. Each DUP is put in a download queue and downloaded in order.

Click to view.

Section VI: Enhanced Reliability

Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.1 SP1 benefits from hundreds of more hours of testing and refinement. Bugs have been fixed, feedback messages have been improved and processes have been enhanced. This in turn produces more robust and resilient jobs, making this the most reliable, and fastest way to deploy and maintain your Dell Servers.

Section VII: Improved Windows 2008 Driver Support

The Windows Server 2008 scripted installation process if very elaborate and allows you to provide drivers during multiple phases of the setup process. In previous versions of Deployment Solution for Dell Servers, plug and play drivers were only provided during the auditSystem pass. In 3.1 SP1 however, plug and play drivers are also applied during the offlineServicing pass. In most cases, this helps ensure you have the right drivers at the right stage of the installation. If you only want the drivers applied in one or the other, you may comment out the corresponding section in the answer file.

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