User's Manual

Getting Started 29
2
Getting Started
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Storage Management is designed for
system administrators who implement hardware RAID solutions and
understand corporate and small business storage environments.
Storage Management enables you to configure the storage components
attached to your system. These components include RAID and non-RAID
controllers and the channels, ports, enclosures, and disks attached to them.
Using Storage Management, you can configure and manage controller
functions without accessing the BIOS. These functions include configuring
virtual disks and applying RAID levels and hot spares for data protection. You
can initiate many other controller functions like rebuilds, troubleshooting,
setting thresholds, and so on. Most functions can be configured and managed
while the system remains online and continues to process requests.
Storage Management reports the status of storage components. When the
status for a component changes, Storage Management updates the display for
that component and sends an alert to the Alert Log.
In addition to status changes, Storage Management generates alerts for user
actions such as creating or deleting a virtual disk and for many other events.
Most alerts also generate SNMP traps.
Other than monitoring and reporting status, Storage Management does not
automatically initiate actions independent of user input. (Automatic
shutdown of enclosures that have exceeded a critical temperature is the only
exception. For more information, see SMART Thermal Shutdown.) Storage
Management actions are user-initiated using wizards and drop-down menus.
Storage Management does, however, report the actions taken by the
controllers, which include generating alerts, initiating tasks, such as a rebuild,
and making state changes.
NOTE: Storage Management reports the change in state of disks and other storage
components as viewed by the controller.