Users Guide
Table Of Contents
- SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.1 User's Guide
- Overview
- Getting started with SupportAssist Enterprise
- Setting up SupportAssist Enterprise for the local system
- Setting up SupportAssist Enterprise for remote devices
- Evaluating SupportAssist Enterprise
- Downloading the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package
- Installing, Upgrading, or Migrating to SupportAssist Enterprise
- Minimum requirements for installing and using SupportAssist Enterprise
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise
- Operating system considerations for installing SupportAssist Enterprise
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise by using the SupportAssist Enterprise installer package (Windows)
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise by using the SupportAssist Enterprise installer package (Linux)
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise in silent mode (Linux)
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise by using the OpenManage Essentials installation package
- Upgrading SupportAssist Enterprise
- Migrating to SupportAssist Enterprise
- Using SupportAssist Enterprise without registration
- Registering SupportAssist Enterprise
- Setting up an SELinux enabled system to receive alerts
- Opening the SupportAssist Enterprise user interface
- Logging in to SupportAssist Enterprise
- Logging out of SupportAssist Enterprise
- Adding devices
- Device types and applicable devices
- Adding a single device
- Adding a server or hypervisor
- Adding an iDRAC
- Adding a chassis
- Adding a Networking device
- Adding a PowerVault MD Series storage array
- Adding an EqualLogic PS Series storage solution
- Adding a Compellent SC Series storage solution
- Adding a Fluid File System (FluidFS) NAS device
- Adding a software
- Adding a solution
- Adding a device by duplication
- Importing multiple devices
- Exporting details of devices that were not imported
- Revalidating a device
- Viewing cases and devices
- Device grouping
- Using Extensions
- Types of extensions
- Support for setting up adapter or Remote Collector
- Getting started with inventorying devices managed by OpenManage Essentials or Microsoft System Center Operations Manager
- Adapters
- Remote Collectors
- Managing device credentials
- Maintaining SupportAssist Enterprise capability
- Enabling or disabling monitoring of a device
- Installing or upgrading OMSA by using SupportAssist Enterprise
- Configuring SNMP settings by using SupportAssist Enterprise
- Viewing and updating the contact information
- Configuring proxy server settings
- Connectivity test
- Testing the case creation capability
- Clearing the System Event Log (SEL)
- Automatic update
- Deleting a device
- Opting in or opting out from ProSupport Plus recommendation report emails
- Configuring email notifications
- Configuring collection settings
- Prerequisites for collecting system information
- Enabling or disabling the automatic collection of system information on case creation
- Enabling or disabling the periodic collection of system information from all devices
- Enabling or disabling the collection of identity information
- Enabling or disabling the collection of software information and the system log
- Enabling or disabling the automatic upload of collections
- Viewing collections
- Using SupportAssist Enterprise to collect and send system information
- Understanding maintenance mode
- SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
- Manually configuring SNMP settings
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server by using the script file (Windows)
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server (Windows)
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server by using the script file (Linux)
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server (Linux)
- Manually configuring the alert destination of iDRAC by using the web interface
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a chassis by using the web interface
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a networking device
- Manually configuring the alert destination of a server
- Other useful information
- Monitoring servers for hardware issues
- Support for automatically installing or upgrading OMSA
- Support for automatically configuring SNMP settings
- Device correlation
- Detection of hardware issues in attached storage devices
- Support for Dell OEM servers
- Installing Net-SNMP (Linux only)
- Configuring sudo access for SupportAssist Enterprise (Linux)
- Ensuring successful communication between the SupportAssist Enterprise application and the SupportAssist server
- Accessing the SupportAssist Enterprise application logs
- Event storm handling
- Accessing the context-sensitive help
- Viewing SupportAssist Enterprise product information
- Uninstalling SupportAssist Enterprise
- Identifying the generation of a Dell PowerEdge server
- Troubleshooting
- Installing SupportAssist Enterprise
- SupportAssist Enterprise registration
- Opening the SupportAssist Enterprise user interface
- Logging in to SupportAssist Enterprise
- Unable to add device
- Unable to add adapter
- Unable to add Remote Collector
- Disconnected
- Importing multiple devices
- OMSA not installed
- SNMP not configured
- New version of OMSA available
- Unable to configure SNMP
- Unable to verify SNMP configuration
- Unable to install OMSA
- Unable to verify OMSA version
- OMSA not supported
- Unable to reach device
- Unable to gather system information
- Insufficient storage space to gather system information
- Unable to export collection
- Unable to send system information
- Authentication failed
- Clearing System Event Log failed
- Maintenance mode
- Auto update
- Unable to edit device credentials
- Automatic case creation
- Scheduled tasks
- SupportAssist Enterprise services
- Other services
- Security
- SupportAssist Enterprise user interface
- Error code appendix
- Related documents and resources
Understanding maintenance mode
The maintenance mode functionality suspends the alert processing and automatic case creation capability of SupportAssist
Enterprise, thereby preventing the creation of unnecessary support cases during an alert storm or a planned maintenance
activity. If an alert storm is received from a monitored device, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically places the device in
maintenance mode. You can also manually enable the maintenance mode functionality before a planned maintenance activity to
temporarily suspend the automatic case creation capability. The following sections provide more information about the
maintenance mode functionality.
Global-level maintenance mode
Global-level maintenance mode places all monitored devices in maintenance mode, suspending alert processing and automatic
case creation for all devices. While in global-level maintenance mode, SupportAssist Enterprise displays a yellow Maintenance
Mode banner at the top of the page. You can enable global-level maintenance mode to prevent the creation of unnecessary
support cases during downtime or a routine maintenance activity. For instructions to enable global-level maintenance mode, see
Enabling or disabling global-level maintenance mode.
Device-level maintenance mode
Device-level maintenance mode suspends alert processing and automatic case creation for a specific device. For all other
monitored devices, SupportAssist Enterprise continues to process alerts and create support cases, if the alerts qualify for case
creation. Device-level maintenance mode is implemented as follows:
● Automated device-level maintenance mode — By default, if SupportAssist Enterprise receives 10 or more valid hardware
alerts within 60 minutes from a specific device, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically places that device in maintenance
mode. The device remains in maintenance mode for 30 minutes, allowing you to resolve the issue without creating additional
support cases for the device. An email notification is also sent to the primary and secondary contacts, and the device
displays the maintenance mode icon on the Devices page. After 30 minutes, the device is automatically removed from
maintenance mode, enabling SupportAssist Enterprise to resume normal alert processing for the device. If required, you can
retain the device in maintenance mode until you resolve the issue, by manually enabling maintenance mode. You can also
remove a device from automated maintenance mode before the 30-minute period. For instructions to enable or disable the
device-level maintenance mode, see Enabling or disabling device-level maintenance mode.
NOTE:
When a device is placed automatically in maintenance mode, an email notification is sent to your primary or
secondary contact. However, you can receive the email notification for automated device-level maintenance mode only
if the SMTP server (email server) settings are configured in SupportAssist Enterprise. For instructions to configure the
SMTP server settings, see Configuring SMTP server settings.
● Manual device-level maintenance mode — If you have a planned maintenance activity for a device, and do not want
SupportAssist Enterprise to automatically create support cases, you can place that device in maintenance mode. While in
maintenance mode, the device displays the maintenance mode icon on the Devices page. After the maintenance
activity is completed, you can remove the device from maintenance mode, enabling SupportAssist Enterprise to resume
processing alerts from the device normally. For instructions to enable device-level maintenance mode, see Enabling or
disabling device-level maintenance mode.
The global-level and device-level maintenance mode functionalities work independent of each other. For example:
● If a device is placed in manual maintenance mode, the device continues to remain in manual maintenance mode even if
global-level maintenance mode is enabled and then disabled.
● If a device is placed in automated maintenance mode, the device continues to remain in automated maintenance mode for 30
minutes even if the global-level maintenance mode is enabled and then disabled.
Topics:
• Enabling or disabling global-level maintenance mode
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