Users Guide

Topics:
• Understanding Auto-Discovery
Understanding Auto-Discovery
Auto-Discovery is the process of adding a 11th, 12th, or 13th generation of Dell PowerEdge bare-metal server into a pool
of available servers for use by the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter. Once a server is discovered, use it for
hypervisor and hardware deployment. This appendix provides sufficient information about Auto-Discovery to help you with
system configuration. Auto-Discovery is a Lifecycle Controller feature for setting up a new server and registering it using a
console. The advantages of using this capability include removing the need to do cumbersome manual local configuration of a
new server and enabling an automated way for a console to discover a new server that was connected to the network and
plugged into power.
Auto-Discovery is sometimes referred to as Discovery and Handshake after the process it performs. When a new server with
the Auto-Discovery feature enabled is plugged in to AC power and connected to the network, the Dell server’s Lifecycle
Controller attempts to discover a deployment console that was integrated with the Dell provisioning server. Auto-Discovery then
initiates a handshake between the provisioning server and the Lifecycle Controller.
OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter is a deployment console with an integrated provisioning server. The location of
the provisioning server is provided to the iDRAC using different methods. The IP address or host name for the provisioning
server location is set to the IP address or host name of the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter appliance virtual
machine.
NOTE:
A new server configured for Auto-Discovery attempts to resolve the location of the provisioning server every 90
seconds over a period of 24 hours, after which you can manually reinitiate Auto-Discovery.
When the Auto-Discovery request is received by the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter for VMware vCenter,
it validates the SSL certificate and then initiates any optionally configured security procedures, such as client side security
certificates and validation against a white list. A second validation request from the new server returns temporary username/
password credentials to be configured on the iDRAC. Subsequent calls are initiated by the OpenManage Integration for VMware
vCenter for VMware vCenter, which gathers information about the server, remove the temporary credentials, and configure
more permanent user-defined credentials for administrative access
If Auto-Discovery was successful, the deployment credentials provided in the Settings > Deployment page at the time of
discovery are created on the target iDRAC. Then the Auto-Discovery feature is turned off. The server should now appear in the
pool of available bare-metal servers under Deployment in the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter.
Auto-Discovery can be currently done through the vSphere Desktop client.
Auto-Discovery Prerequisites
Before attempting to discover 11th, 12th, or later generation Dell PowerEdge bare-metal servers, install the OpenManage
Integration for VMware vCenter. Only 11th generation Dell PowerEdge or later servers with iDRAC Express or iDRAC Enterprise
can be discovered into the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter’s pool of bare-metal servers. Network connectivity
from the Dell bare-metal server’s iDRAC to the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter virtual machine is required.
NOTE:
Hosts with existing hypervisors should not be discovered into the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter,
instead, add the hypervisor to a connection profile, and then reconciled with the OpenManage Integration for VMware
vCenter using the Host Compliance Wizard
For Auto-Discovery to occur, the following conditions must be met:
● Power: Connect the server to the power outlet. The server does not need to be powered on.
● Network connectivity: The server’s iDRAC must have network connectivity and must communicate with the provisioning
server over port 4433. You can obtain the IP address using a DHCP server or manually specify it in the iDRAC Configuration
Utility.
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