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Installation and Setup

Dell OpenManage™ IT Assistant User's Guide

	Before You Begin		Setting the Default Web Pages for Microsoft Internet Information Server
	Locally Installed and Web-Served Interfaces		Reinstalling IT Assistant
	Enabling CIM Discovery and Security		Uninstalling IT Assistant
	Installing SNMP		Supported Management and Alerting Agents
	Installing IT Assistant		Known Issues
	Special Installation Considerations for Microsoft  Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

Before You Begin

IT Assistant comprises two main components: the IT Assistant browser-based user interface and the IT Assistant services. The following are the system prerequisites for each component.

IT Assistant Browser-Based User Interface Prerequisites

• System with an Intel® Pentium® processor running at a minimum of 200 megahertz (MHz)
  
  
• Minimum of 64 megabytes (MB) of random-access memory
  
  
• Minimum of 200 MB of free hard-drive space
  
  
• Mouse
  
  
• Monitor with a minimum resolution of 800 x 600
  
  
• One of the following operating systems: Microsoft® Windows® 98 OSR1 or later; Windows 98 Second Edition (SE); Windows 2000 (Professional and Advanced Server versions) with SP1, SP2, or SP3; Windows XP Professional; Windows Server 2003
  
  
• Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
  
  
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0

IT Assistant Services Prerequisites

• System with an Intel Pentium processor running at a minimum of 350 MHz
  
  
• Minimum of 128 MB of random-access memory
  
  
• Minimum of 500 MB of free disk space
  
  
• One of the following operating systems: Windows 2000 (Professional and Advanced Server versions) with SP1, SP2, or SP3; Windows XP Professional; Windows Server 2003
  
  
• TCP/IP
  
  
• (Optional) Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 or later
  
  
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
  
  
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0

	NOTE: To enable "sets," or system configuration setting changes, on server systems through SNMP, you must configure SNMP community names with read-write access.
	NOTE: To enable the e-mail feature of the event management system, you must install the Microsoft SMTP service on the management station. For Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003, the SMTP service is provided on the operating system CD and is installed by default when you install IIS.

Locally Installed and Web-Served Interfaces

NOTE: It is recommended that you be familiar with the section "IT Assistant Components" before continuing with this section.

You can install the browser-based user interface only, the IT Assistant services only, or both. To manage your remote systems from a single location, install the interface and the services on the same system. To manage your remote systems from many different locations, you can either (1) install the IT Assistant services on one system, and then install the IT Assistant browser-based user interface on other systems throughout your network, or (2) install the Microsoft IIS Web server and the IT Assistant browser-based user interface on the same system, install the IT Assistant services on the same system or another system, and then run user interfaces on any system with Internet Explorer on your network by pointing Internet Explorer to the system running the browser-based user interface. If an interface is run through the corporate intranet using Internet Explorer, it is called a Web-served interface. If a system is running a Web-served interface, there is no local installation of the interface on that system; it is totally reliant on Internet Explorer and the IIS installation on the system hosting the IT Assistant browser-based user interface.

NOTE: A "local installation of the interface" or an "interface installed locally" both refer to an IT Assistant interface that is installed on the system you are using. The "local system" is the system you are using at any given time.

Both scenarios enable one management station to support multiple interfaces. The only difference is that if the interface is installed locally, you can start IT Assistant from its desktop icon or menu item. If the interface is not installed locally, you must run it Web-served by starting Internet Explorer and then pointing it to the correct address of a system hosting the IT Assistant browser-based user interface and IIS.

In the second scenario, the interface is registered as a virtual root with the IIS Web server. The registration occurs during the interface installation, so you must install the Web server before installing IT Assistant.

If the Web server is not present at installation, IT Assistant informs you that the browser-based user interface can only be used on the local system (the system on which you are installing it). If you install the Web server after installing IT Assistant, you can rerun the IT Assistant installation program to register the interface as a virtual root.

NOTE: To run a Web-served interface, point your Web browser to http://<ITAssistantInterfaceMachine>/itassistant, where <ITAssistantInterfaceMachine> is the host name or IP address of the system hosting the IT Assistant interface.

NOTE: While running the IT Assistant  interface, the Internet Explorer toolbar and the Internet Explorer shortcut keys may function differently than usual. For example, the Internet Explorer Refresh button restarts the IT Assistant interface.

The default page for Web servers can vary. You must ensure that the IT Assistant default Web page, default.htm, can be reached by these various Web servers, either by customizing the Web server at installation or by duplicating the home main page with the proper file name.

Enabling CIM Discovery and Security

NOTE: It is recommended that you be familiar with the sections "Commonly Used Terms" and "IT Assistant Components" before continuing with this section.

NOTE: The IT Assistant installation program installs the IT Assistant services with the Common Information Model (CIM) discovery feature disabled. You must use the examples in the following sections to enable discovery and management of CIM-instrumented systems.

CIM User Accounts Overview

IT Assistant uses the Microsoft Windows Management Interface (WMI) core to make CIM connections. The WMI core uses Microsoft network security to protect CIM instrumentation from unauthorized access.

You must set up the following accounts to give IT Assistant authorized access to CIM-instrumented systems:

• On all managed systems, you must create a domain user with administrator rights. This user must be the same on all managed systems.
  
  
• On the IT Assistant management station, you must create a user with the right to log on as a service. This must be the same user name with administrator rights that you configure on each managed system.
  
  
• In the user interface, you must set the user name and password in the Discovery Range Configuration dialog box to be the same as the user name and password that you configure on the managed systems. That is, IT Assistant requires the CIM user name and password with administrator rights that you establish on the managed systems.

NOTE: Ensure that discovery ranges configured with different CIM user names do not overlap. If they do, then IT Assistant attempts to use the most recently configured CIM user name to log in to the managed systems at the overlapping IP addresses, which were configured using a different CIM user name. In this event, IT Assistant no longer has the proper credentials to log in to the managed systems at the overlapping addresses.

The examples in the following sections illustrate how to set up an account with the user name CIMUser and the password Dell that has access to CIM instrumentation data. The examples are divided into three sections: client system setup, IT Assistant management station setup, and user interface setup.

NOTE: The user name and password used in the following examples are for instructional purposes only. It is strongly recommended that you use a unique user name and password.

CIM Discovery and Security Setup for Managed Systems 

For Managed Systems Running Windows 2000

NOTE: The WMI core is installed with Windows 2000.

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Computer Management.
   
   
2. In the Computer Management (Local) tree, expand the Local Users and Groups branch and click the Users folder.
   
   
3. On the menu bar, click Action and then click New User.
   
   
4. In the New User dialog box, fill in the required information fields with the user name CIMUser and password DELL.
   
   Ensure that you clear (deselect) the User must change password at next logon check box.
   
   
5. Click Create.
   
   
6. In the right pane of the Computer Management dialog box, double-click CIMUser.
   
   You may have to scroll the list to locate CIMUser.
   
   
7. In the CIMUser Properties dialog box, click the Member Of tab.
   
   
8. Click Add.
   
   
9. Click Administrators, click Add, and then click OK.
   
   
10. Click OK again, and then close the Computer Management dialog box.
    
    
11. Install Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation 7.0 or Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, depending upon whether the system is a client or a server, respectively.
    
    
12. Restart the system.

For Managed Systems Running Windows XP Professional

NOTE: Improved security in Windows XP mandates that the client be in the same domain as the IT Assistant management station. Also, when implementing your own user name and password, do not specify a blank password.

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Computer Management.
   
   
2. In the Computer Management (Local) tree, expand the Local Users and Groups branch and click the Users folder.
   
   
3. On the menu bar, click Action and then click New User.
   
   
4. In the New User dialog box, fill in the required information fields with the user name CIMUser and password DELL.
   
   Ensure that you clear (deselect) the User must change password at next logon check box.
   
   
5. Click Create.
   
   
6. In the right pane of the Computer Management dialog box, double-click CIMUser.
   
   You may have to scroll the list to locate CIMUser.
   
   
7. In the CIMUser Properties dialog box, click the Member Of tab.
   
   
8. Click Add.
   
   
9. Click Administrators, click Add, and then click OK.
   
   
10. Click OK again, and then close the Computer Management dialog box.
    
    
11. Install Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation 7.0.
    
    Windows XP Professional is qualified for use on client systems only.
    
    
12. Restart the system.

CIM Discovery and Security Setup for the IT Assistant Management Station

 For Management Stations Running Windows 2000

NOTE: The IT Assistant services must run under a user account with Logon as a service rights in order to function properly with CIM.

1. Create the user CIMUser with Logon as a service rights:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Computer Management.
   
   
2. In the Computer Management (Local) tree, expand the Local Users and Groups branch and click the Users folder.
   
   
3. On the menu bar, click Action and then click New User.
   
   
4. In the New User dialog box, fill in the required information fields with the user name CIMUser and password DELL.
   
   Ensure that you clear (deselect) the User must change password at next logon check box.
   
   
5. Click Create, and then click Close.
   
   
6. Close the Computer Management dialog box.
   
   
7. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and click Users and Passwords.
   
   
8. In the Users and Passwords dialog box, select CIMUser and then click Properties.
   
   
9. In the DELL\CIMUser Properties dialog box, click the Group Membership tab, select Standard User, and then click OK.
   
   
10. Click OK again.
    
    
11. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Local Security Policy.
    
    
12. In the Security Settings tree, expand the Local Polices branch and click User Rights Assignment.
    
    
13. Double-click Log on as a service.
    
    
14. In the Local Security Settings dialog box, click Add.
    
    
15.  In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, select CIMUser from the list, click Add, and then click OK.
    
    You may have to scroll the list to locate CIMUser.
    
    
16. Click OK again.

2. Install IT Assistant.
   
   The IT Assistant installation program offers two options: express and custom. You must perform a custom installation to enable CIM.

For Management Stations Running Windows XP Professional

NOTE: The IT Assistant services must run under a user account with Logon as a service rights in order to function properly with CIM.

NOTE: Improved security in Windows XP mandates that the IT Assistant management station be in the same domain as the managed systems. Also, when implementing your own user name and password, do not specify a blank password.

1. Create the user CIMUser with Logon as a service rights:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Computer Management.
   
   
2. In the Computer Management (Local) tree, expand the Local Users and Groups branch and click the Users folder.
   
   
3. On the menu bar, click Action and then click New User.
   
   
4. In the New User dialog box, fill in the required information fields with the user name CIMUser and password DELL.
   
   Ensure that you clear (deselect) the User must change password at next logon check box.
   
   
5. Click Create and then click Close.
   
   
6. Close the Computer Management dialog box.
   
   
7. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and click User Accounts.
   
   
8. In the Users Accounts dialog box, select CIMUser and then click Properties.
   
   
9. In the DELL\CIMUser Properties dialog box, click the Group Membership tab, select Standard User, and then click OK.
   
   
10. Click OK again.
    
    
11. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Local Security Policy.
    
    
12. In the Security Settings tree, expand the Local Polices branch and click User Rights Assignment.
    
    
13. Double-click Log on as a service.
    
    
14. In the Local Security Settings dialog box, click Add.
    
    
15.  In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, select CIMUser from the list, click Add, and then click OK.
    
    You may have to scroll the list to locate CIMUser.
    
    
16. Click OK again.

2. Install IT Assistant.
   
   The IT Assistant installation program offers two options: express and custom. You must perform a custom installation to enable CIM.

For Management Stations Running Windows Server 2003

NOTE: The IT Assistant services must run under a user name and password with Logon as a service rights to function properly with CIM.

NOTE: When implementing your own CIM user name and password, do not specify a blank password.

1. Create the user CIMUser with Logon as a service rights:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Computer Management.
   
   
2. In the Computer Management (Local) tree, expand the Local Users and Groups branch and click the Users folder.
   
   
3. On the menu bar, click Action and then click New User.
   
   
4. In the New User dialog box, fill in the required information fields with the user name CIMUser and password DELL.
   
   Ensure that you clear (deselect) the User must change password at next logon check box.
   
   
5. Click Create and then click Close.
   
   
6. Close the Computer Management dialog box.
   
   
7. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and click User Accounts.
   
   
8. In the User Accounts dialog box, select CIMUser and then click Properties.
   
   
9. In the DELL\CIMUser Properties dialog box, click the Group Membership tab, select Standard User, and then click OK.
   
   
10. Click OK again.
    
    
11. Click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and click Local Security Policy.
    
    
12. In the Security Settings tree, expand the Local Polices branch and click User Rights Assignment.
    
    
13. Double-click Log on as a service.
    
    
14. In the Local Security Settings dialog box, click Add.
    
    
15.  In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, select CIMUser from the list, click Add, and then click OK.
    
    You may have to scroll the list to locate CIMUser.
    
    
16. Click OK again.

2. Install IT Assistant.
   
   The IT Assistant installation program offers two options: express and custom. You must perform a custom installation to enable CIM.

CIM Security and Discovery Setup in the Browser-Based User Interface

You must configure each installation of the IT Assistant browser-based user interface to use the CIM user name and password. You can do this on a system with a locally installed interface or on a system running a Web-served interface.

To configure the IT Assistant interface to use CIM, perform the following steps:

1. Start IT Assistant.
   
   
2. On the IT Assistant navigation tree, click Options, then click Discovery Cycle.
   
   
3. Under General Settings, select the System Discovery, System Status, and Discover Only Instrumented Systems check boxes.
   
   
4. By Intervals, set time intervals for the options in step 3.
   
   
5. Click OK.
   
   
6. On the IT Assistant navigation tree, expand the Options branch and click Set Discovery Range.
   
   
7. In the Set Discovery Range dialog box, click Add.
   
   
8. In the Discovery Range Configuration dialog box, set Discovery Range Type: to Subnet.
   
   
9. Enter the subnet address in the field below the Discovery Range Type drop-down menu.
   
   
10. Under CIM, leave Namespace blank.
    
    IT Assistant automatically uses the correct CIM name space.
    
    
11. Under CIM, set User Name to CIMUser.
    
    
12. Under CIM, set Password to DELL.
    
    
13. Click OK and then click Close.

Installing SNMP

You must install SNMP on the management station; it is a prerequisite. If you attempt to install the IT Assistant services on a system without SNMP, the installation program stops and prompts you to install SNMP. SNMP must also be installed on systems on the network that you want to discover and manage through SNMP.

NOTE: SNMP is installed automatically when performing an "express" setup with Server Administrator.

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and double-click Control Panel.
   
   
2. Double-click the Add/Remote Programs icon.
   
   
3. Click Network Management Components.
   
   
4. Select Management and Monitoring Tools, click Details, select Simple Network Management Protocol, and click OK.
   
   
5. Click Next.
   
   The Windows Optional Networking Components Wizard installs SNMP.

The IT Assistant management station must be a system running Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, or Windows Server 2003. If you want to install SNMP on other system on the network running different operating systems, see the operating system documentation for those systems on how to install SNMP

Installing IT Assistant

IT Assistant is installed from the Systems Management CD. To install IT Assistant, perform the following steps:

1. Insert the Systems Management CD into your CD drive.
   
   The CD autostarts and displays the Welcome screen.
   
   
2. Click Info.
   
   The screen displays installation instructions for all of your systems management products.
   
   
3. Select and follow the installation instructions for Management Station.
   
   The IT Assistant installation program offers two options: express and custom. Express installation does not enable CIM discovery—if you later require it, you can always enable CIM discovery manually. Custom installation provides you the option of enabling CIM discovery during installation.

Special Installation Considerations for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

The IT Assistant browser-based user interface requires that the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM) be installed on the local system (the system running the interface). This requirement holds for systems running the interface from a local installation on the same system and for those running the interface Web-served (usually) from another system.

The IT Assistant installation program installs the Microsoft JVM when it installs the browser-based user interface. If the Microsoft JVM is not present at installation, IT Assistant installs it. If a Web-served interface detects that the local system does not have the JVM, the interface allows you to install it.

Setting the Default Web Pages for Microsoft Internet Information Server

The IT Assistant browser-based user interface registers itself as a virtual root if IIS is installed on the IT Assistant management station. The main page is listed as default.htm. If the Web administrator changed the Default Documents property of the Web server, the default.htm file should be renamed to match the configured default document.

Reinstalling IT Assistant

If you reinstall IT Assistant, or if you install a new version of IT Assistant over an older one, the installation program saves the current IT Assistant data repository (database). All of your configuration, discovery, and event management settings are preserved in the reinstalled version. If you do not choose to keep the current configuration, you must reenter this information.

Uninstalling IT Assistant

To uninstall IT Assistant, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs, and then select Dell OpenManage IT Assistant. This removes all program files and registry entries.

If you installed a Web server with IT Assistant, remove the virtual root. You may also uninstall Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) if it was the database engine that you used for the IT Assistant services.

NOTE: The following are important points about uninstallation: You can use the management utilities that come with your Web server to view or remove the IT Assistant virtual root. The management application for IIS is Internet Service Manager. (For systems running MSDE1.0 from a previous version of IT Assistant 6.x) If you try to uninstall MSDE using the Start menu uninstall option (click the Start button, point to Programs, and point to MSDE to see this option), the uninstallation program displays the following message: unInstallShield has detected that 'C:\MSDE\BINN\sqlmangr.exe' is in use. Please close the application using this file and launch unInstallShield again. This behavior is normal for the UninstallShield program; it is not a problem with IT Assistant. To avoid this error, right-click the SQL Server Service Manager icon ( ) in the system tray and select Stop from the pop-up menu. Right-click the SQL Server Service Manager icon again and select Exit. You can then uninstall MSDE from the Start menu.

Supported Management and Alerting Agents

"Agent" is a general term applied to the software components of systems management instrumentation. The following are the management and alerting agents supported by IT Assistant. Degrees of support vary among agents. For example, IT Assistant automatically discovers, displays, receives alerts from, and can perform actions on the systems managed by Server Administrator, but IT Assistant can only receive alerts from certain storage device agents.

Table 1. Agents Supported by IT Assistant

Known Issues

• The IT Assistant services are dependent on the SNMP service. If you stop the SNMP service, the IT Assistant connection service and network monitoring service also stop.
  
  
• After the IT Assistant installation program installs MSDE and you reboot the system, the Windows 2000 Event Viewer logs an ERROR event with a Source value of Server, a Category value of None, an Event value of 2506, and an error message stating:
  
  The value named MaxMpxCt in the server's Registry key LanmanServer\Parameters was invalid. The value was ignored, and processing continued.
  
  MaxMpxCt is a registry key of type REG_DWORD with values from 1 to 100. It provides a suggested maximum to clients for the number of simultaneous requests outstanding to this server. A higher value can increase server performance but requires higher use of server work items. Default value is 50. After MSDE 1.0 or SQL Server 7.0 is installed on a system running Windows 2000, the registry key MaxMpxCt is created with the value 0x000001ff (511), which is higher than its upper limit. After you reboot the system, a Windows 2000 system has an ERROR event item in the System Log of the Event Viewer. If you remove MSDE 1.0 or SQL Server 7.0 from the system, the registry key will be removed too.
  
  
• The installation program may not always automatically reboot the system when you request it to. This problem is a known issue with the Windows Application Programming Interface (API) call on certain systems. Dell recommends that you perform a manual reboot when the installation is finished if the installation program does not reboot the system.
  
  
• Directories may be left behind during an uninstall for reasons such as sharing violations or open user interface connections. It is recommended that you close all open interface sessions before you perform an uninstall. Remove directories left behind in the default installation directory
  (\Program Files\Dell\OpenManage\IT Assistant) or the user-specified installation directory manually. You may also have to manually remove the registry entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Dell Computer Corporation\Dell OpenManage IT Assistant.
  
  
• IT Assistant 5.x user interfaces do not work with IT Assistant 6.x Services. Also, IT Assistant 5.x Services do not work with IT Assistant 6.x user interfaces.
  
  
• After installing IT Assistant on a system with Microsoft Outlook, an error message may appear when you start Outlook. It states that a recently installed program may cause Outlook to function improperly and asks if you want Outlook to resolve this problem. If you click Yes, another message appears saying that Outlook could not resolve the problem and suggesting that you restart Windows. (Clicking No does not affect the operation of Outlook.) This behavior can occur because of a Mapi32.dll file conflict. Restart the Windows operating system.
  
  
• For systems running Windows XP, if you select the default folder location while installing IT Assistant 6.2 from Systems Management CD version 3.0.2,  IT Assistant is not installed in the default location. If you upgrade to IT Assistant 6.3 or 6.4.x using the Systems Management CD versions 3.1 or 3.2 and do not choose the same location in which IT Assistant 6.2 was installed, you must manually delete the IT Assistant 6.2 files after the upgrade. 

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