Specifications

ease of management
As the number of servers grows and “server farms” proliferate, IT professionals have come to
realize that the cost of managing these servers can add up to many times the actual cost of
hardware. In the HP Server rp8400, HP has provided features to make management easier and
less taxing. Add HP’s management software that interfaces seamlessly with the rp8400, and
you’re assured of a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and higher overall efficiency.
rp8400 management
The rp8400 has a dedicated management processor (MP) that simplifies and extends system
processor
management and enhances serviceability. The MP feature set was designed to minimize or
eliminate the need for the system administrator to be physically at the system to perform tasks such
as diagnostics, system management, or even hard resets.
See page 18 of this paper for a long list of management and control functions enabled by the
rp8400’s management processor.
partition manager software
The rp8400 comes with HP’s Partition Manager (parmgr) software, which makes specifying,
setting up, and reconfiguring partitions easy and straightforward. You can launch Partition
Manager as a GUI from HP’s System Administration Manager (SAM), or directly from command
line. Some of the things you can do with Partition Manager include:
• display complex status
• create and modify partitions
• display a complete hardware inventory
• display status of key complex components
• check for problems or unusual complex conditions
• manage power to cells and I/O chassis
• turn on and off attention indicators for cells, I/O chassis, I/O cards, and cabinets
Partition Manager is another example of how HP makes server management easier than ever.
servicecontrol suite
HP’s Servicecontrol suite provides increased efficiency for systems administrators through truly
multi-system management tools. It provides flexible, end-to-end manageability for your entire server
environment.
One important area addressed by the Servicecontrol suite is security. A concern in any IT
environment—and especially important given the global reach of the Internet—security is
addressed via capabilities such as role-based management and the highest degree of encryption.
Another part of Servicecontrol suite is rolling out patches, updates, and new versions, as well as
keeping track of system usage, licenses, and assets. Servicecontrol suite has provision for rapid
deployment and tools to enhance consistency and asset management. It also includes monitoring
tools for keeping the administrator up-to-date on vital operating parameters such as performance,
response time, and availability.
The Servicecontrol suite components are shown in figure 19.
figure 19. HP server Servicecontrol suite.
Servicecontrol suite adds up to better control for the rp8400—and to better and more profitable
e-services.
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