ISS Technology Update, Volume 7 Number 2 - Newsletter

ISS Technology Update Volume 7, Number 2
13
HP Insight Management WBEM Providers
Traditional management products are built on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which has become a pervasive
management technology. However, SNMP-based management solutions have received increased scrutiny for their simple
structure and weak security protocol relative to current alternatives. These limitations prevent rich, comprehensive, industry-
standard, and secure system management. In addition, the secure and robust Systems Management Architecture for Server
Hardware (SMASH) and Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) standards driven by the Distributed Management
Task Force (DMTF) and Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) organizations are quickly gaining momentum.
Alignment with these standards will provide the foundation for server management infrastructures in the coming years.
HP has introduced a new product based on Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM), which comprises a set of
management and Internet standard technologies developed to unify the management of distributed computing environments. HP
Insight Management WBEM Providers for Windows offers many advantages:
• Management solution that reduces security vulnerability and accommodates the complexity of managing heterogeneous
environments
• Solution based on industry standards that is easy to install, configure, maintain, and use
• Source of reliable management information with guaranteed delivery
• Light weight product that reduces overall server load and TCO by reducing the required number of management applications
The current release of the Insight Management WBEM Providers (version 2.1.0.0) supports ProLiant servers running Windows
Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. The initial release of the Insight Providers for Windows does not yet instrument all of
the devices supported by SNMP-based Insight Agents, so IT professionals should carefully consider the best way to transition to
the Insight Providers.
Advantages of the Insight Providers
The HP Insight Management WBEM Providers for Windows improve management, security, reliability, and ease of use, while
simplifying integration with existing management tools and processes. Insight Providers for Windows make ProLiant-specific
management data and events available to system administrators, automating administrative tasks. Insight Providers for
Windows also delivers in-depth hardware management, inventory data, system status, and event notifications.
Insight Providers for Windows leverages the rich set of base-level instrumentation provided by the system management
controllers, I/O controllers, drivers, and firmware interfaces. These fundamental data sources remain the foundation for Insight
Providers for Windows, which delivers in-depth hardware management, including hardware inventory data, system state, and
event notifications. Built on top of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), Insight Providers for Windows enables IT to
deliver a well-integrated set of standards-based management tools.
Insight Providers for Windows uses existing Windows operating system-based security. By default, only administrators have
access to Insight Provider data stored in WMI namespaces. WMI namespace security is another level of security to control
access to classes and instances for each namespace.
Based on the SMASH and SMI-S standards, Insight Providers for Windows extends the industry-standard Common Information
Model (CIM) data to support information that is specific to ProLiant platforms. Insight Providers for Windows collects data from
various sources such as drivers and system firmware to populate the data model.