High Level Overview: HP Blade Monitoring With HP Blade MP

This posting contains a high level overview of the required steps in order to monitor HP Blades using the HP Blades MP, version 2.1.0, part of HP Insight Control which consists out of two components: HP Device Monitor Service (version 1.1.2.0) and HP Device Monitor Console (version 1.1.3.0). 

Requirements
This MP has some requirements. Without having them in place AND properly configured, the HP Blade MP won’t work. So make sure everything is in place, configured and fully operational.

1. HP ProLiant Server MP;
2. Windows PowerShell 1.0 (or higher );
3. SNMP Trap Service;
4. SCOM 2012 SP1 (SCOM 2007 R2 will work as well).

Other things which are good to know:

1. This MP is part of a bigger toolset, HP Insight Control. So without this MP won’t function;
2. HP Insight Control must be installed on the server hosting the RMS Emulator Role (typically the first SCOM 2012 Management Server of the SCOM 2012 MG);
3. This introduces a SPoF (Single Point of Failure): when that SCOM 2012 Management Server goes down, monitoring of the HP Blades will stop functioning. Haven’t tested yet what happens when this tool is installed on the other SCOM 2012 Management Servers;
4. Configure the Onboard Administrator servers they’ll send their SNMP Traps to the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role.

This high level overview is based on only the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role.

Step 01: SNMP
In this step SNMP Service feature is installed on the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role.

• Add this feature to this server as you normally would do;
• Configure the SNMP service:
• Tab: Traps. Add the correct Community String;
• Tab: Security: Add the IP addresses of the Onboard Administrator servers.

Step 02: HP Insight Control Framework
In this step the two components of HP Insight Control Framework are installed: HP Device Monitor Service and HP Device Monitor Console. This step takes place on the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role.

(When HP Insight Control Framework is already installed on another server, you can skip the installation of this component.)

1. Start the file Autorun.exe > select Install > select HP SCOM Management Packs > allow UAC by selecting Yes;
2. > Next > accept UELA > select all features:
   
3. > Next > Install. After some minutes the installer will finish successfully.

Step 03: Importing the MPs
After Step 02 the two MPs need to be imported into SCOM 2012. These MPs are located on the same server where Step 02 was executed and are located in the folder ~:\Program Files\HP SCOM Management Packs\Management Packs. This directory contains many more MPs. These are the ones you need:

1. HewlettPackard.Servers.BladeSystem.mp;
2. HewlettPackard.Servers.Library.mp.

Step 04: Adding connections with HP Blade Onboard Administrator systems
This is where it all comes together. But before you start some additional preparations are required:

• SNMP traps have to be send to the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role and where HP Insight Control Framework runs.
• Make sure you have the correct SNMP Community String;
• On the HP Blade Onboard Administrator systems an additional account with at least User permissions has to be created. This account will be used by the HP Insight Control Framework to connect to the HP Blade Onboard Administrator systems.

When all that is done, it’s time to go these steps:

1. Go to Start > HP SCOM Management Packs > HP Device Monitor Console;
2. In the screen Connect to HP Device Monitor Service enter the FQDN of the server hosting that server. (in this case, the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role) > Connect > now this server will be added to the list Device Monitor Connections. Click on it so this server is selected;
3. On the right side of the screen there is an Actions pane. Click on Add Onboard Administrator. A new wizard will be launched;
4. In the screen Add Onboard Administrator add the FQDN or IP address of the Onboard Administrator system with the correct credentials as previously described;
5. > OK. The information will be validated which can take some time. So be patient . After a while the Onboard Administrator system will be shown in the middle of the Console under Discovered Devices;
6. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 for all other Onboard Administrator systems;
7. When all Onboard Administrator systems are added, restart the Health Service on the SCOM 2012 Management Server hosting the RMS Emulator Role and soon all HP Bladed and their related components will be Discovered and monitored.

Resources
These are the resources you’re going to need:

1. HP Passport in order to obtain all resources. The creation of a HP Passport is free.
2. HP Insight Control Integrations
3. HP Insight Control
1. Insight Management 7.2. Log on with your HP Passport. Select Insight Control for System Center 7.2. DVD ISO – Mar 2013
2. PDF file HP Insight Control for Microsoft System Center Installation Guide, to be found in the ISO file mentioned in Resource 3.1, folder ~\Documents, file name: InstallationGuide.pdf.
4. Other HP Insight documents
1.  HP Insight Control for Microsoft System Center Installation Guide;
2. HP Insight Control (v 7.2) for Microsoft System Center Release Notes;
3. HP SCOM Management Packs User Guide;
4. HP BladeSystem Management Pack (v 2.x) for Microsoft System Center User Guide.

Overall impression
It’s good to see HP puts time and effort into making SCOM 2012 capable to monitor HP Blades. The documentation itself however is a bit of a challenge. Yes, everything is documented but on different places in different documents. And those documents are on different locations (internet/ISO) as well. But when having read it all the installation went without any hassle at all.