Using ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack for scripted blade based switch configuration

Abstract
This HOWTO describes how to use the HP ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP) Windows
Edition v1.40 to integrate ProLiant BL interconnect switch Virtual LAN (VLAN) configuration within
server deployment. RDP Windows Edition v1.40 introduces a new feature called server-side scripts.
This feature gives IT administrators the ability to create a script task that executes on the RDP
deployment server and integrates with other tasks within a deployment job. Using RDP Windows
Edition v1.40 server-side scripting of interconnect switches is an alternative to interconnect switch
scripting outside of the RDP environment. VLAN configuration can be accomplished using the
scriptable command line interface included with each interconnect switch.
The intended audience for this paper is engineers and system administrators familiar with ProLiant BL
interconnect switches and deploying servers using RDP Windows Edition on ProLiant BL systems. The
paper will be of particular interest to readers who want to automate the configuration of interconnect
switch ports as part of server blade deployment.
Introduction
The RDP Windows Edition v1.40 server-side scripts feature gives IT administrators the ability to create
a script task that executes on the RDP deployment server and integrates with other tasks within a
deployment job. This permits integration of ProLiant BL Interconnect Switch VLAN configuration and
other scriptable switch parameters. Although this HOWTO provides an example of interconnect
switch VLAN configuration, server-side scripts can also be used for any other scriptable interconnect
switch configuration parameter.
Reader requirements
Readers should be familiar with the following:
• Using Rapid Deployment Pack Windows Edition v1.4 for ProLiant BL deployments
• Configuring and maintaining ProLiant BL e-Class and p-Class interconnect switches
• Performing interconnect switch configuration through its command line interface (CLI)
For more information about the topics listed above, use the links in the For more information
section.
Acronyms in text
The following acronyms are used in the text of this document.
Table 1. Acronyms
Acronym abbreviation Acronym expansion
CLI Command Line Interface
RDP Windows Edition Rapid Deployment Pack Windows Edition v1.4
iLO Integrated Lights-Out
NIC Network Interface Controller
VLAN Virtual Local Area Network
DB Database
VID VLAN Identifier
OS Operating System
PXE Preboot eXecution Environment
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