Dell Open Manage Client Admin 3.0 Product Guide_V1.0

8/3/2019 Dell Open Manage Client Admin 3.0 Product Guide_V1.0

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Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Product Guide 2

Notice

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator 3.0

2002-2006 Altiris, Inc. All rights reserved.

Document Date: February 28, 2006

Special thanks to the following individuals and groups that contributed significantly to Altiris Dell Client Manager:

* James Lathan and the Dell Client Technologists

* The Dell Systems Engineers

* Joe Kozlowski, Dell Customer Support

* Kevin Winert, Dell OpenManage Product Marketing

* Steven Breed, Dell Software Engineering

Bootworks U.S. Patent No. 5,764,593.

RapiDeploy U.S. Patent No. 6,144,992.

Recovery Solution U.S. Patent No. 5,778,395, 5,907,672, 4701745, 5016009, 5146221, 5144425, 5463390, 5506580, 5532694, GB

2172127, B 904359, 3606869.

Other patents pending.

Due to the inherently complex nature of computer software, Altiris does not warrant that the Altiris software is error-free, will operate without

interruption, is compatible with all equipment and software configurations, or will otherwise meet your needs.

The content of this documentation is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as

a commitment by Altiris. Altiris, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this

documentation. For the latest documentation, visit our Web site at www.altiris.com.

Altiris, the Altiris logo, BootWorks, Eality, ImageBlaster, Inventory Solution, PC Transplant, RapiDeploy, RapidInstall, and Vision are registered

trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United States. Altiris, the Altiris Logo, and ManageFusion are registered trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in other

countries.

Altiris Connector, Altiris eXpress, Altiris Protect, Application Management Solution, Application Metering Solution, Asset Control Solution,

Asset Management Suite, Carbon Copy Solution, Client Management Suite, Compliance Toolkit, Connector Solution, Contract Management

Solution, Deployment Server, Deployment Solution, Energy Saver Toolkit, Education Management Suite, Handheld Management Suite,

Helpdesk Solution, Lab Management Suite, ManageFusion, Migration Toolkit, Mobile Client for SMS, Monitor Solution, Network Discovery,

Notification Server, Package Importer, Patch Management Solution, Problem Management Suite, Recovery Solution, Security Solution, Server

Management Suite, Site Monitor Solution, Software Delivery Solution, SNMP Management, Software Delivery Suite, TCO Management

Solution, UNIX Client for SMS, Web Administrator, Web Reports, and other product names are trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United Statesand other countries.

Audit on Connecct, Audit on Detect, AuditExpress, Scan on Detect, and SecurityExpressions are a trademarks of Pedestal Software Inc. in the

United States.

WebLens and Guaranteeing Your Net Works is a registered trademarks of Tonic Software Inc. in the United States.

WebInsight and RUM are a trademarks of Tonic Software Inc. in the United States.

Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or

other countries.

HP and Compaq are registered trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation.

Dell is a registered trademark of Dell Inc.

Macintosh is a registered trademark of the Apple Computer Corporation.

Palm OS is a registered trademark of Palm Computing, Inc.

BlackBerry is a service mark and a trademark of Research In Motion Limited Corporation.RIM is a service mark and trademark of Research In Motion (RIM).

All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
http://www.altiris.com/http://www.altiris.com/


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Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Important Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2: Installing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Altiris Notification Server Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Notification Server Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Installing Notification Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Discovering Computers to Manage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Installing the Altiris Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Changing Altiris Agent Settings for Evaluation Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Installing a License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Installing Deployment Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Remotely Install Deployment Server (Push Silent Install) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Adding Deployment Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 3: Using the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Using the Altiris Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Altiris Console Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Notification Server Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Common Tasks Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Configuring Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Delivering Software Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Managing Client Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Client Administrator Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Obtaining Inventory Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Working with Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Notifications and Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24


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Chapter 1

Introducing Dell OpenManage ClientAdministrator

The Dell OpenManage Client Administrator (OMCA) includes Dell Client Manager plus

additional Altiris solutions to manage your computer resources. Dell OMCA addresses

critical IT issues encountered throughout the lifecycle of your desktop computers,

notebooks, and workstations in one affordable, easy-to-use package. The suite includes

capabilities for

Deploying and migrating systems

Hardware and software inventory

Application usage tracking and reporting

Policy-based software distribution

Dell OMCA includes basic features for managing your computer resources. For additional

IT management tools and solutions, see these Altiris products:

Altiris Client and Mobile Management Suite

Altiris provides easy-to-use, integrated solutions for management of client devices,

including desktops, notebooks, and handheld computers throughout their lifecycle. From

initial configuration and deployment through software packaging, delivery, patch

management, and backup and recovery, Altiris has a solution to help automate manual

efforts and ensure a consistent, reliable, and supportable IT environment.

Dell Client Manager

The Altiris Dell Client Manager is included with Dell OMCA. It integrates Dell and Altiris

technologies and services to manage Dell Precision workstations, OptiPlex desktops, and

Latitude notebooks from a remote Altiris console. Dell Client Manager lets you scan your

environment for all Dell computers, automatically add them to collections, and report

hardware information in an easy-to-view summary dashboard. Using Dell Client

Manager Solution, you can extend your reach and automate the management of your

Dell client computers.

Additional InformationAltiris includes additional documentation, Web portals, and online communities to assist

in managing resources across your organization.

Documentation

The following documentation is provided with Dell OMCA:

Altiris Notification Server Help

Altiris Inventory Solution Help

Altiris Software Delivery Solution Help


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Introducing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator

Altiris PC Transplant Solution Help

Altiris Deployment Solution Help

Altiris Dell Client Manager Solution Help

Altiris product documentation is available in Microsoft HTML Help (.CHM) and Adobe

Acrobat (.PDF) formats. Documentation files are installed in the following directory:

C:\Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\NSCap\Help

You can access documentation from the Altiris Console by clicking the following icons in

the upper-right corner of the console:

Altiris Information Resources

Important TermsThis section introduces important terms used in this document.

Altiris Notification Server

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator takes full advantage of the Altiris Notification

Server Infrastructure. The Notification Server is the primary server installed in the

Notification System and is responsible for coordinating the various solutions, providing

the primary user interface, policy-based administration, reporting and notification. In

addition to acting as a primary or secondary server in a hierarchy, a Notification Server

can also be designated as a Reporting Server, which is only used for generating and

displaying enterprise-wide reports.

Solutions

A solution or Altiris solution is a product or products sold by Altiris, which plug into

the Altiris Infrastructure to add specific functionality.

Access the contextual online help by clicking the online help icon.

Access an index of all help by clicking the index icon.

Source What information itincludes

Where you can find it

Altiris

Knowledge Base

Comprehensive collection of

articles, incidents, and issues

for Altiris solutions.

http://kb.altiris.com/

Altiris Juice,

an online magazine

for Dell users

Best Practices, tips and tricks,

and articles for Dell users of

Altiris solutions.

http://www.altiris.com/

juice/dell/

Online Forums Forums for Altiris solutions

and suites.

http://forums.altiris.com/

Documentation

and Release

Notes

Information about new

features, update instructions

and known issues for each

release.

www.altiris.com/support/

documentation.


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Introducing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator is a suite of solutions that includes the Dell

OpenManage Solution, Inventory Solution, Software Delivery Solution, PC Transplant

Solution, and Deployment Solution.

Altiris Agent

The Altiris Agent(formerly called the Notification Server Client or NS Client) is theprimary agent that provides shared functionality, such as providing a common transport

mechanism, and provides the user interface for changing settings on the end-user

computer. The Altiris Agent also provides the core (bootstrap) capabilities for installing

and managing various solution-specific agents. (Each solution may add an additional

agent or agents to add specific capabilities to the base functionality.)

Dell Advisors

Dell Advisors are reports that provide information about computers on your network.

Reports

The information collected from the client computers is sent to the Notification Server

and stored in a central database. You can create reports from this data to help youanalyze your data. These reports can be made accessible through any Web browser.

Collection

A collection is a group of resources that is the target of a task, policy, or report.

Collections can be static (a list of specific resources), or dynamic (generated by a

database query). A collection (aggregate collection) can contain one or more other

collections, providing a method for grouping similar collections for task execution and

simplifying the establishment of security settings.

For example, all Dell Precision computers are a collection.

Package

A package or software package is one or more files that can be delivered usingpackage servers as defined in software delivery tasks.

Policy

A policy is a default or administrator-defined set of rules that govern the execution of

unattended (automated) actions. For example, create a report, send an alert, execute a

command, instigate a task, and so on. Policies can be evaluated on a schedule (for

queries-based policies that trigger based on the state of a resource in the database) or

based on incoming data that triggers an immediate evaluation. Policies are used to

determine when an action should be instigated, including who or what should be notified

of the results. Policies allow you to take automated actions on the data that is returned

by a database query. The automated actions that can be tracked are defined by event

handlers. Each policy includes multiple predefined event handlers that allow you to dothings like sending an e-mail, executing a command, generating an SNMP trap, and

creating a report.


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Chapter 2

Installing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator

There are two ways to install Dell OpenManage Client Administrator, depending on

whether you have previously installed Notification Server:

If Notification Server is already installed, use the Solution Center:

Note

If you are upgrading from Dell OpenManage Client Administrator 2.0, the solutions

and applicable components will upgrade automatically to the current version.

1. In the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab.

2. In the left pane, click Upgrade/Install Additional Solutions.

3. In the right pane, click the Available Solutions tab.4. Click Segment.

5. Click Partner Solutions.

6. Click Dell OpenManage Client Administrator. Follow the steps in the wizard.

If Notification Server has not been installed, the first step is to select and set up a

server with the required hardware and software (see Notification Server

Requirements on page 8). Then, you can install Notification Server and Dell

OpenManage Client Administrator (see Installing Notification Server on page 9).

The Altiris Notification Server ArchitectureAltiris solutions rely on Notification Server for core functionality, such as security,reporting, console interface, and communications with other computers. An Altiris

solution integrates with Notification Server to leverage its functionality.

Notification Server and Solutions

Client

Solutions

Server

Solutions

Asset

Solutions

Notification Server

Web Consoles

Notification

Database

Reports Managed Computers

Altiris

Agent


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Notification Server consists of many components, including:

Notification Server. Provides services to solutions, processes events, manages

data, runs tasks, runs reports, and enforces security settings.

Notification Database. Stores data collected by Notification Server and solutions.

Altiris Agent. Installed on computers to facilitate interactions between NotificationServer and the managed computer (a computer with the Altiris Agent installed and

managed by Notification Server). The agent receives configuration information from

and sends data to Notification Server. The agent also helps in downloading files and

installing and managing solution-specific agents.

Reports. Specially organized views of data. Data can be organized into lists, tables,

or graphs.

Web-based management consoles. Interfaces between the user and Notification

Server and solutions.

For more information on these components, see the Notification Server documentation.

Notification Server RequirementsIf you are evaluating Dell OpenManage Client Administrator, you need only a server in a

lab environment with the minimum requirements and a few client computers. As you

prepare to roll out to a production environment, you can increase RAM, increase disk

space for the Notification Database, or upgrade your server, depending on the number of

managed computers and the number of solutions run.

After selecting a server, make sure that the required software is installed on the server.

We provide the Install Helper utility to start the Notification Server installation process.

Initially, Install Helper checks your server to ensure that the required software is

Notification Server System Minimum Requirements

Operating

System

Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows 2000 Server with SP4,

or Windows 2000 Advanced Server with SP4

Processor Pentium III 800 MHz or faster

RAM 512 MB (1 GB recommended for increased speed)

Hard Drive 2 GB (20 GB recommended)

File system NTFS partition

Notification Server Computer Minimum Required Software

Database Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP3, or MSDE

2000. If you do not have a database installed, Install Helper will help

you install MSDE 2000. MSDE can be used for evaluation purposes,

but we do not recommend it for a production environment.

Web Server Microsoft IIS

Services Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework (with ASP .NET) and Microsoft Data

Access Control 2.8 (MDAC)

Browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0


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6. Set up the e-mail address to receive Notification Server alerts. Enter the DNS name

or IP address of your SMTP server. You must also enter a valid user name and

password to log on to the SMTP server if the server requires authentication. Click

Send Test E-mail to send a test e-mail and verify that Notification Server is

sending e-mail to the correct address.

The SQL Database Settings page appears.

7. Set up credentials for Microsoft SQL Server and the installed Notification Database.

Enter the name of the server running Microsoft SQL Server or MSDE. You can install

the Notification Database to a specific SQL 2000 instance by entering the server

name and SQL instance. Example: SQL server name\SQL instance.

Select Create new database and enter the name of the database to be created.

To select an appropriate Command timeout (in seconds), enter a value between 1

and 3600 seconds (1 hour). The command timeout setting applies to all SQL Server

connections used by the Notification Server.

The Setup Wizard Completion page appears.

8. Click Finish.

After Notification Server is installed, the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator suite is

installed automatically. It may take several minutes.

When the suite installation is complete, the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Quick

Start opens to help you get started using the suite.

Discovering Computers to ManageResource Discovery is the method provided by Notification Server to discover computers

using domain information.

To discover computers using Resource Discovery

1. In the left pane of the Quick Start, click Resource Discovery in the Getting

Started section.

2. In the right pane, click and select the domains in which to search for computers.

Optionally, enter the name of a domain and click .

3. Select the resource discovery methods you want to use. You must select at least one

method.

Select the Domain Browse List option to discover computers (including

Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, and ME computers) that are currently sharing files.

Select the Domain Membership option to discover computers that have trust

accounts in the domain and are running Windows NT, 2000, XP, and 2003. This

method will not find any Windows 98, 98 SE, or ME computers.

4. Click Discover Now.

5. After the discovery process completes, click Apply.

The computers in the specified domains are discovered. The next step is to instal the

Altiris Agent (see Installing the Altiris Agent on page 11).


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Installing the Altiris AgentThe Altiris Agent must be installed on the computers you want to mange. The agent lets

Notification Server gather hardware and software information from and interacts with

managed computers. For more information on the Altiris Agent, see the Notification

Server documentation.The following are the agent requirements on Windows computers. Other operating

systems and platforms are also supported, such as Mac OS, Linux, UNIX, and Pocket PC.

For information on these operating systems and platforms, see the Notification Server

documentation.

General Altiris Agent Requirements:

3.5 MB available disk space

10 MB RAM

Microsoft TCP/IP

The following table lists the operating system specific requirements.

If you have a large number of computers on which to install the Altiris Agent, we

recommend that you discover computers before performing this procedure (see

Discovering Computers to Manage on page 10). If you have only a few computers, such

as during an evaluation, you can use the discovery process to identify computers or skip

the discovery process and manually enter computer identification information.

You need administrator rights to install the Altiris Agent.

To install the Altiris Agent

This procedure is for Windows NT, 2000, 2003, and XP computers. For Windows 98, 98

SE, ME, and other operating system computers, see the Pull Method in the Notification

Server documentation.

1. In the left pane of the Quick Start, click Altiris Agent Installation in the GettingStarted section.

2. In the right pane, do one or both of the following:

If you did not perform a computer discovery (because you only have a few

computers on which you want to install the agent, such as during an evaluation)

or you want to specify a computer manually, enter the name of the computer on

which you want to install the agent in the field next to the Add button, and then

click Add. Repeat this for all computers on which you want to install the agent.

OperatingSystem

InternetExplorer

RightsNeeded

Special

Windows 95,

Windows 98,

Windows Me

4.01 SP1

or later

No special

rights needed

Current version of DCOM (Windows

Me includes DCOM)

Windows NT 4

(SP4 or later)

4.01 SP1

or later

Local

administrator

Windows 2000,

Windows XP,

Windows 2003

5.0 or

later

Local

administrator

Windows XP enables Simple File

Sharing by default. You must

disable Simple File Sharing to install

the Altiris Agent.


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If you performed a computer discovery, click Select Computers. In the dialog

that opens, select the computers to which you want to install the agent. Click

OK.

Note

The fact that a computer can be discovered does not mean that you can use this

method to install the agent to it. The computer must be running an operatingsystem that supports having agents pushed to it.

3. Click Install Altiris Agent. The Options page opens to let you set configuration

properties for the Altiris Agent.

4. Select the Show the Altiris Agent icon in the system tray option.

5. Click Proceed with Install.

The Altiris Agent is installed to the computers.

Changing Altiris Agent Settings for Evaluation UseThe Altiris Agent can be configured to meet the needs of your environment. In most

cases, the default settings are adequate.

If you are evaluating this suite, there are a few changes you can make to speed-up the

evaluation process. The following procedure describes these changes along with how to

access the other configuration options.

To configure the Altiris Agent for evaluation use

1. In the left pane of the Quick Start, click Altiris Agent Installation in the Getting

Started section.

The right pane displays the configuration options. For a description of the

configuration options, click .

2. In the right pane, select the General tab, if it is not already selected.

3. Change the value in the Request new configuration information every field to

1, 5, or 15 minutes. This forces the agent to check more frequently for changes, so

you can see the results of the changes you make more quickly.

4. Change the value in Send basic inventory every field to 15 minutes. This forces

inventory data to be sent more frequently.

5. Click Apply.

The next time the agent checks for configuration information, these settings will take

effect. If you were using the default values before the change, it can take up to one hour

before these changes are effective.

Installing a LicenseTo use Dell OpenManage Client Administrator, you must install licenses. There are

evaluation and full licenses. The applicable evaluation licenses are included with the

suite installation package, if you installed Notification Server along with the suite, or can


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be obtained from the Altiris Web site if you installed just the suite using the Solution

Center. The following table describes how the licenses work for each suite and solution.

To install license files

1. In the left pane of the Quick Start, click Licensing in the Getting Started section.

2. In the right pane, click the Install License tab.

3. Install the license.

If you have license files:

a. Click the Path to license folder option.

b. Click Browse. Browse to the folder where the license files are located and

click OK. Evaluation licenses (.TXT files) are included in the NSINstallHelper

.ZIP file you downloaded.

c. Click Install License.

If you have license codes in an e-mail:

a. Click the Paste Content of Licenses below option.

b. Copy the license codes from the e-mail you received and paste it into the

associated field.

c. Click Install License.

The licenses are installed. If there is an error, a message will appear at the bottom

of the page.

4. Confirm that the licenses installed successfully.

Click the License Status tab.

Review the license information for the solutions. The Status should display OK.

Installing Deployment SolutionThis section will detail how to install Deployment Solution and provide more details for

installing Deployment Servers.

Remotely Install Deployment Server (Push Silent Install) on page 13

Adding Deployment Servers on page 16

Remotely Install Deployment Server (Push Silent Install)

This type of installation lets you enter each clients information on the Notification

Server, and then remotely (push) Deployment Server to a target destination, where a

silent installation will be performed. The term push install means that a policy is sent

Solution Evaluation License Full License

Altiris Dell

Client Manager

90 days for up to 100

nodes

Free by registering (registration

instructions are in the Altiris Dell

Client Manager Solution Quick Start)

Other suite

solutions

7 days extendable to 30

days by applying the

included licenses

Purchased from Altiris (see the Altiris

Web site for more information)


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from Notification Server to a target destination where Deployment Server will install.

After receiving the policy, the client computer will communicate with the Notification

Server and pull down the Deployment Server package used during the silent installation.

This method of installing Deployment Server lets you manage the entire install process

from the Notification Server.

To Remotely Install Deployment Server

1. From the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab.

2. Click Configuration > Solutions Settings > Deploy and Migrate >

Deployment > Full Installation / Upgrade > Install Wizard. The Deployment

Server Installation Wizard page opens.

3. Click Run Installation Wizard.

4. Click the Add Server icon to enter the IP address or computer name of the

computer that you want to receive Deployment Server from the Notification Server.

5. The Deployment Server Installation Settings page opens. This information is used

on the target client computer when Deployment Solution performs the installation.


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a. From the Deployment Server Installation Settings page, click the drop-

down arrow and select the computer you want to remotely install. The

computers listed are compiled from the Notification Database and display only if

the client computer has the Altiris Agent and Microsoft SQL Server installed.

b. Enter the Administrator username and password. All component services will

run under this account.

c. By default, the Free 7-day license option is selected. Leave this setting

selected if you are evaluating this product. If you purchased Deployment

Solution, select the License file option. A text field will appear for you to enter

the path where the licensing file (.LIC file) is located, or you can click the

Browse icon to navigate to the licensing file location.

d. Click Advanced to configure options for the silent install. The IP address of the

Deployment Server computer will be listed. If you have multiple network

adapters, then the first IP address will appear.

Click one of the Deployment Server database authentication options, select

the Install PXE checkbox to install a PXE Server on the destination server, and

then select the Install the Deployment Web Console checkbox to install a

stand-alone Web console. Click OK.

6. If you do not have DOS boot files installed on Notification Server, then a page will

open asking you to find the required DOS files.

Click one of the options to gather the DOS files at the bottom of the page, and

then click Next. The DOS files are gathered and the silent install begins.

Note

The installation of Deployment Server will begin after the Altiris Agent configuration

update. This can take several minutes to install.


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Note

The configuration request interval is set from the Altiris Console in the Configuration

tab > Altiris Agent > Altiris Agent Configuration > All Windows Servers (or another

appropriate collection). For evaluation purposes, set the Request new

configuration to 1 minute and set the Basic inventory to 15 minutes.

Now that all the information for the target computer has been created, a policy is

sent from Notification Server to the client destination. The client receiving the policy

knows to connect to Notification Server and receive the Deployment Solution

package used on the client during the Deployment Solution installation.

Note

The silent install of the Deployment Server will take several minutes to complete.

Adding Deployment Servers

You can manage multiple Deployment Servers from the Deployment Web Console. To

consolidate multiple Deployment Server sites, you can identify and add existing

Deployment Servers to appear in the Computers and Jobs pane from the Deployment

Web Console, or the Deployment tab of the Altiris Console.

To add Deployment Servers

1. Click Add Deployment Server in the Computers or Jobs action list.

2. In the Deployment Servers page, type the name of the existing Deployment Server.

This is the computer name of the Deployment Server, in most cases.

3. Click Advanced to enter credentials if Deployment Solution security is enabled for

the Deployment Server. Also, enter the Domain and connection speed.


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Chapter 3

Using the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator

After installing Dell OpenManage Client Administrator, you can start using the Dell OMCA

suite of solutions. You can perform all Dell OpenManage Client Administrator

configuration and administration tasks in the Altiris Console.

Using Dell OMCA

Click to perform these basic tasks from the Altiris Console.

Using the Altiris Console (page 17)

Helps you navigate Dell OpenManage Client Administrator.

Common Tasks Section (page 19)

Helps you migrate personalities, deploy system applications, inventory computers,

and manage Dell computers.

Client Administrator Reports (page 21)

Helps you evaluate the security and inventory related aspects of your computers

through reports.

Notifications and Alerts (page 23)

Helps you monitor the status of your managed computers.

Using the Altiris ConsoleThe Altiris Console is a Web browser-based console for interacting with Notification

Server and Altiris solutions. The console lets you perform tasks, schedule events, runreports, perform configuration, and more.

Dell OMCA Quick Start

Use the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Quick Start to perform the initial

configuration and some basic tasks. The Quick Start page opens automatically after the

suite installation completes. You can also manually open the Quick Start by selecting

Start > Programs > Altiris > Quick Starts > Dell OpenManage Client

Administrator on the Notification Server computer.

Use the Dell OMCA Quick Start for basic tasks and to get an understanding of common

features. However, the Altiris Console will give you full access to all of the functionality of

the suite.

To start the Altiris Console

From the Notification Server computer, select Start > All Programs > Altiris >

Altiris Console.


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Altiris Console Layout

The Altiris Console has the following areas:

Banner. Displays the console title and provides access to documentation. The

banner also includes tabs that are used to organize console functionality. The tab

that is selected determines the contents of the left pane. The standard tabs are:

Getting Started. Links to items related to getting started with Notification

Server or solutions, such as accessing Quick Start pages, discovering

computers, deploying the Altiris Agent, installing solutions, and setting security.

Tasks. Links to solution and Notification Server tasks.

Resources. Links to resource-related items.

Reports. Links to predefined and custom reports.

Configuration. Links to configuration policies.

Shortcuts. User-added links to Altiris Console pages.

Incident. Altiris Alert Manager (or Helpdesk if installed) incidents.

Specific solutions can also add tabs to the console.

The button opens the documentation index page, which lists the available

documents, including product guides, administrator guides, reference guides, help

files, and release notes. The button displays context-sensitive help for the page

currently displayed in the right pane.

Left pane. Provides access to items in the console by letting you navigate through a

series of nodes organized into a tree structure. The node selected in the treedetermines the contents of the right pane.

Right pane. Displays content based on the node selected in the left pane.

Banner

Left

Pane

Right

Pane

Altiris Console

Tabs


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Notification Server Elements

Notification Server supports a set of common elements that are used by Altiris solutions

and accessed through the Altiris Console.

Common Tasks SectionThe Common Tasks section in the Quick Start helps you do the following tasks:

Configuring Inventory (page 19)

Delivering Software Packages (page 20)

Managing Client Hardware (page 21):

Configuring Inventory

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator includes Altiris Inventory Solution for

Windows. Inventory Solution provides comprehensive inventory for Windows computers,

including serial number, hardware inventory, software audit inventory, virtual machineinventory, and user/contact information (with Exchange profile).

Inventory Solution data includes:

PC Serial Number and BIOS details

Comprehensive software auditing

Disk, operating system, and system configuration settings

Registry settings

Full end-user information (with Microsoft Exchange profiles)

WMI objects

NoteInventory Solution also has versions for use with UNIX, Palm, Pocket PC, and Mac OS.

For information, see the Altiris Web site.

Predefined polices make it easy to collect inventory data. The following predefined

policies are included:

Hardware Inventory

Re-create Full Inventory

Element Description

Collections A group of related resources. Collections can be a group of manually

selected resources or the result of a database query. Collections spec-

ify the resources on which an action is taken. Example: you can

choose to deploy the Altiris Agent to computers in the Windows Com-

puters collection.

Packages A group of files that are deployed to a managed computer.

Policies Control the actions taken by a solution in Notification Server.

Reports Organize Notification Database data for analysis. Each solution and

Notification Server include predefined reports that you can use as they

are or modify. You can also create your own reports.


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Re-create User Inventory

Software Inventory

User Inventory

All you need to do is enable the policies you want to use to start collecting data. If

needed, you can change the schedule of the data collection.

To enable a predefined inventory collection policy

1. In the left pane of the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Quick Start, click

Configure Inventory in the Common Tasks section.

2. In the right pane, double-click the policy you want to enable.

3. Select the Enable checkbox.

4. If you want to change the schedule for running the inventory:

a. Find the Run on a schedule checkbox and click the text associated with he

checkbox that specifies the current schedule.

b. In the dialog that opens, define the wanted schedule and click OK.5. Click Apply.

Delivering Software Packages

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator includes Altiris Software Delivery Solution for

Windows for defining software packages, distributing software packages, and running

programs on Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 computers.

Software Delivery includes the following features:

Computers can be targeted for software delivery based on most of the Altiris

Inventory Solution data that is gathered from a computer. You can easily designate

groups of computers to receive a software delivery job based upon hardware,

software, or end-user details.

A Software Delivery task, which downloads and deploys software packages, can be

designated as mandatory or optional. You can allow or prohibit users from running a

Software Delivery task. You can also expire programs, so they can no longer be

deployed after a specified date.

Network bandwidth throttling helps minimize network impact. This is especially

useful for remote users.

Checkpoint recovery allows you to resume a package download to an Altiris Agent

computer if the download is interrupted. This is especially useful for remote/dial-up

users.

Full support for locked down Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 environments, which

means software can be installed on computers even if the logged on user at the timeof the installation does not have administrator rights to the computer.

Native support for SMS packages, collections, advertisements, and status reporting.

Numerous reports to help you analyze and make proactive management decisions.


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To deliver a package

1. In the left pane of the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Quick Start, click

Deliver Software Packages in the Common Tasks section.

2. In the right pane, click Software Delivery Wizard to open the Software Delivery

page.

The Software Delivery page gives you access to the Software Delivery Wizard and

also provides status information for your Software Delivery tasks. For information

on how to use the wizard and on the status of software delivery tasks, click .

Managing Client Hardware

Dell OpenManage Client Administrator includes Altiris Dell Client Manager Solution for

managing Dell computers. Clicking Manage Client Hardware in the Common Tasks

section of the Quick Start opens the Altiris Dell Client Manager Quick Start. This quick

start helps you get started using Altiris Dell Client Manager.

Altiris Dell Client Manager lets you:

Discover Dell clients

Determine the client system type (workstation, desktop, notebook), product line

(OptiPlex, Dell Precision, Latitude), and model (example: GX620)

Collect detailed Dell hardware-specific values and BIOS settings for supported

models

You can use this information to:

Determine the total number of Dell clients in inventory as well as obtain a

breakdown of the different product lines and models.

Discover which systems have certain BIOS settings enabled or disabled. Example:

you want to know which systems have PXE disabled, which computers have wireless

enabled, and so forth.

Discover which systems have a certain type of hard drive or battery. This

information can be useful for warranty and maintenance purposes.

Client Administrator ReportsThe Client Administrator Reports section in the Quick Start provides access to reports

that help you evaluate the status managed computers. You can view reports based on

the latest data or view reports that have been previously saved.

Note

To use the reports, inventory data for managed computers must exist in the Notification

Database (see Obtaining Inventory Data on page 22).

These reports are organized into the following categories:

Security Reports

These reports help you evaluate the security related aspects of your computer, such

as if your computers are protected against viruses, the rights different users have to

make changes, and if your computer systems are secure.


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Inventory Snapshot Reports

These reports help you evaluate the inventory related aspects of your computers,

such as the processors used by the different computers, the operating systems

used, the vendors of the computers, and more.

Obtaining Inventory DataReports are powerful tools that let you view information about your managed

computers. The reports use inventory data that must exist in the Altiris Database before

you can run the reports.

Inventory data is gathered through advertisements that run inventories on managed

computers. Inventory data is not real-time data, but is based on the last inventory run

on the managed computer. Inventories are run based on schedules. The Altiris Agent is

configured by default to send basic inventory data once a day. For evaluation purposes,

you can set this to occur more frequently (see Changing Altiris Agent Settings for

Evaluation Use on page 12). When a managed computer sends basic inventory data, it

only sends the differences in inventory from the last time it was sent.

Working with Reports

For detailed information about reports, see the Notification Server documentation.

To view a report

1. In the left pane of the Dell OpenManage Client Administrator Quick Start, select the

type of report you want to run in the Client Administrator Reports section.

2. In the right pane, click the report you want to run.

The report opens.

3. For information about the report, click on the report toolbar.

To save a report

1. From the report, click in the report toolbar.

2. Enter a description about the report.

3. Click OK.

To view a saved report

1. From a report, click in the report toolbar.

2. Click the icon for the report you want to view.

To print a report

1. From a report, click in the report toolbar.

2. Click Print.


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Notifications and AlertsThe Notifications and Alerts section in the Quick Start provides access to reports and

policies that help you monitor the status of your managed computers. Use these policies

to get reports, e-mail alerts, and SNMP traps when important events occur.

Links to the following reports and policies are provided:

Altiris Agent basic inventory (sorted by last update)

This report lists Altiris Agents sorted by last update (ModifiedDate) date. You can

specify the date {CreatedDate, ModifiedDate, SMSForwardDate}, the number of

clients to report, and the sort order. The combination lets you determine active/

inactive Altiris Agents.

Note

The Forwarded to SMS date indicates the last time inventory was forwarded to

SMS. DDR forwarding to SMS is independent.

Altiris Agent not installed after 7 days

Generates a report and sends an e-mail if one or more discovered computers does

not have an Altiris Agent installed on it after N days.

Computers with changed identity

Generates a report when a computer name has changed.

Inventory Collection Failed

Generates a report when gathering inventory on a managed computer has failed.

For information on using reports, see Working with Reports on page 22. For information

on creating, configuring, and using policies, see the Altiris Notification Server and

Inventory Solution documentation.


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Index

Aadd

server 16

alerts 23

Altiris Agent 6, 20, 22, 23

Altiris Solution 5

BBIOS 19

Cchanged identity

computer 23

checkpoint recovery 20collection 6, 19

collections 6

failed alert 23

DDCOM 11

Dell Advisors 6

documentation 4

Iinstallation

remote 13

server 13

inventory data 22Inventory Solution 20

Llicense

installation 13

NNotification Server 5, 5

Ppackage 6

PC serial number 19

policies 23

policy 6

Rremote installation 13

reports 6, 23

print 22

saving 22

viewing 22

Sserial number 19

server

adding 16

install 13

server install

remote 13

SMS 23

packages 20

SNMP traps 23

Software Delivery 20

Software Delivery Wizard 21

solution 5

Solutions 5

Documents

Dell Open Manage Client Admin 3.0 Product Guide_V1.0