Owner's Manual

Dell SupportAssist collects information about your computer hardware and software, and automatically
creates support cases when issues arise. This helps Dell to provide you an enhanced, personalized, and
efficient support experience. Dell uses this data to help solve common problems and design and market
the products and services features you use most.
What’s New
1) Proxy server support — Enables you to configure your proxy server settings in SupportAssist
2) Role-based security — Restricts access to configure SupportAssist and test e-mail connectivity based on the
user's OpenManage Essentials user group
3) Link and launch — Launch SupportAssist from the Extensions tab of the OpenManage Essentials graphical
user interface (GUI)
4) Report filtering — Enables you to configure SupportAssist to prevent personally identifiable information (PII)
in the diagnostics report collection from being sent to Dell
5) E-mail notification for Basic Hardware service contract — Notifies potential hardware issues reported by
devices covered under Basic Hardware service contract
6) Login notification — The SupportAssist dashboard displays the name of the current user
7) Update available notification — The SupportAssist dashboard and the About dialog box indicate if an
updated version of SupportAssist is available
8) Support for iDRAC7 and Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches — Monitors alerts from iDRAC7 and
PowerConnect Ethernet switches
Hardware and Software Requirements
Dell SupportAssist integrates with Dell OpenManage Essentials to provide support capabilities for the
following Dell enterprise server and storage solutions, using existing environment data:
• Dell PowerEdge servers running:
− Microsoft Windows 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or R2
− Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5
− SUSE Enterprise Linux 10 or 11
− VMware ESX or ESXi 4.x, or 5.0
• Dell PowerVault MD storage arrays
• Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches
NOTE: SupportAssist currently provides limited support (no DSET or Lasso diagnostics) for blade server chassis.
NOTE: SupportAssist does not support CloudEdge or PowerEdge-C servers.
To provide proactive support for Dell PowerEdge (9th Generation and above), PowerVault MD arrays and
storage solutions, iDRAC7, and Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switches, Dell SupportAssist requires:
• Optional: OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) installed and operational on all managed PowerEdge
devices.
• SNMP agent enabled on all managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, and PowerConnect devices for OpenManage
Essentials discovery.
• All managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, and PowerConnect devices configured to send SNMP traps to the
OpenManage Essentials server.
• A trust relationship must exist between the domains of the management station and the managed nodes.
• All managed PowerEdge, PowerVault, and PowerConnect devices discovered, categorized, and inventoried
by the OpenManage Essentials server.
• PowerVault Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) installed on the OpenManage Essentials server, in order
to support PowerVault MD Series arrays.