Dell 2950 / OpenManage - ESXi possibilities

[jmedd]

The majority of our estate is full fat ESX 3.5 into which we install the Dell OpenManage software so the hardware can be managed centrally. We now have a few additional ESXi 3.5 U4 installations which are not the embedded version, rather they have been installed onto SATA based hard drives.

I am trying to work out the options for getting these servers manageable by Dell Openmanage.

• It appears that Dell offer a customised version of the ESXi 3.5 U4 iso which includes OM 6.0.3 (http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&releaseid=R215992&SystemID=PWE_2950&servicetag=&os=ESXi&osl=en&deviceid=21363&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=1&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=47&fileid=306537) which obviously seems to be the way to go for new installations, but is there anyway to add OpenManage to an existing vanilla install of ESXi 3.5 U4 other than installing the Dell ISO over the top of it?

• For future purchases if we went for ESXi (either 3.5 or 4) embedded it looks like the OpenManage components are included in the image and just have to be turned on, is that correct?

Thanks

[AndreTheGiant]

You can use customize image.

Or simple add OMSA later.

For example for ESXi 4:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R227503&SystemID=P...

See also this page:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/eslvmwre/

Andre

[jmedd]

Thank you for the response and the helpful links.

However, the drivers and downloads page for the 2950 and ESXi only have either the full ESXi 3.5 U4 +OMSA iso or the download you mention below for ESXi 4, i.e. there is no additional download for ESXi 3.5 available? Unless I am just missing it somewhere obvious?

[AndreTheGiant]

For 3.5 version see:

Installation Guide for VMware ESXi 3.5

http://supportapj.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smsom/6.0.3/ig/pdf/ig.pdf

And see also this thread:

Andre