Users Guide

80 Reporting and Task Management
5 Click Compare to check the devices you selected against the contents of the Update Package.
IT Assistant performs a comparison and generates a compliance report that shows an iconic
representation of the differences found, full version information on the devices she chose, and other
information that can help her identify out-of-compliance systems or devices.
6 If IT Assistant finds servers or devices that need updating, Jane can select which ones she wants to
update and click the
Update button. This action automatically starts the Software Updates
task wizard.
NOTE: You cannot upgrade the firmware on the system running IT Assistant. To upgrade the firmware on this
system, run the software updates from another system.
Managing Tasks
IT Assistant also allows you to run certain tasks on managed systems across the enterprise remotely.
These tasks include:
• Generic command line execution (the ability to invoke the Dell OpenManage Server Administrator
command line interface remotely is also supported if Dell OpenManage 4.3 or later instrumentation
is enabled)
• Device control, including shutdown and wake up
• Scheduled software updates
• Ability to execute Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) commands remotely
• Ability to execute Remote Client Instrumentation commands remotely
NOTE: IPMI and Remote Client Instrumentation command line options may not be available if IT Assistant does not
detect the necessary components installed on the IT Assistant Services Tier.
These tasks can be configured to run on specific schedules or execute immediately. For more
information, see the IT Assistant online help.
Creating a Device Control Task
For instance, Jane wants to reboot a troublesome server that has issued several e-mail alerts through
IT Assistant. To perform this task in IT Assistant, she would:
1
Select Manage → Ta sks and right-click Device Control in the left navigation pane.
2 Select New Task .
The Task Creation wizard starts.
3 Jane enters a Task N ame , then chooses Shutdown Device from the Task Type pull-down menu.
4 She chooses Reboot from the Select Shutdown Type window.
5 In the Select Devices window, she expands the Servers device list and selects only the server that she
wants to reboot.
6 In Select Schedule , she chooses Run Now .