HP BL260c HP ProLiant BL strategy for rapid deployment and reprovisioning of h - Page 7

Future directions

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The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack enables administrators to create a configuration script, or system profile, for target systems by copying and editing files of a configured source system. Administrators can then copy that configuration script and Scripting Toolkit utilities to a network share or bootable server configuration diskette. By combining scripts for configuration and operating system installation, IT administrators can rapidly configure a new server blade system and install the server operating system remotely. This remote process shrinks a typical installation time from hours or days to minutes, making it possible to scale server deployments to high volumes rapidly. Using this tool, IT administrators can concurrently deploy hundreds of server blades and interconnect options in less than 30 minutes without network degradation. The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack was designed for use with all ProLiant servers and optimized for use with ProLiant BL server blade systems. Optimizations for ProLiant BL blades include advanced features that can detect and display blades based on their physical rack, enclosure, and bay location. All ProLiant BL server blades have PXE-enabled NICs; so when a ProLiant BL blade is installed, it will attempt to boot from the network. The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack can be configured to respond to the network boot; and using information supplied from the server blade enclosure (such as enclosure name and slot identification), it can automatically provision the server using a preconfigured script and image. An administrator can use the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack to pre-assign a particular function or "role" to each server blade bay in an enclosure. For example, to have the mid-tier server blade in server blade bay number 4 run Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and some Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) scripting, the administrator would simply need to build that image, or profile, for bay 4 and load the image onto a deployment server. When an unconfigured ProLiant BL server blade is installed into bay 4, that server will seek out the deployment server, download the pre-assigned script, and begin working immediately without local intervention. If that server blade should fail at some later time and be replaced, the new server blade would automatically seek out the deployment server and download the pre-assigned script to configure itself identically. In other words, the new server blade would automatically take on the role of the failed server blade, significantly reducing the time and effort needed to keep servers in production. This "rip and replace" functionality is unique to the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack and ProLiant BL server blades. Use of the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack maximizes customers' IT resources by providing a full server build from a remote, centralized deployment console for initial power on, automated component configuration on the fly, and installation of standard software sets based on customerdefined server configurations. More information about the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack solution is available at http://h18004.www1.hp.com/proudcts/servers/management/rdp/index.html. Future directions The HP ProLiant BL portfolio is an excellent example of how HP is driving its strategy for the Adaptive Enterprise throughout HP and ProLiant technologies-from servers and storage to management software-to maximize return on IT investment. Investment protection One way the ProLiant BL architecture is designed to protect customer investments is by providing longevity of the infrastructure. While the installation of BL servers into standard racks is a relatively straightforward concept, providing longevity in the blade infrastructure to support multiple generations of processors and networking technologies is much more difficult. Through careful planning and design of power supplies, switches, and cooling capabilities, HP has designed investment protection into blade systems. For instance, the ProLiant BL p-Class enclosure 7

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The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack enables administrators to create a configuration script,
or system profile, for target systems by copying and editing files of a configured source system.
Administrators can then copy that configuration script and Scripting Toolkit utilities to a network share
or bootable server configuration diskette. By combining scripts for configuration and operating system
installation, IT administrators can rapidly configure a new server blade system and install the server
operating system remotely. This remote process shrinks a typical installation time from hours or days to
minutes, making it possible to scale server deployments to high volumes rapidly. Using this tool, IT
administrators can concurrently deploy hundreds of server blades and interconnect options in less
than 30 minutes without network degradation.
The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack was designed for use with all ProLiant servers and
optimized for use with ProLiant BL server blade systems. Optimizations for ProLiant BL blades include
advanced features that can detect and display blades based on their physical rack, enclosure, and
bay location. All ProLiant BL server blades have PXE-enabled NICs; so when a ProLiant BL blade is
installed, it will attempt to boot from the network. The ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack can
be configured to respond to the network boot; and using information supplied from the server blade
enclosure (such as enclosure name and slot identification), it can automatically provision the server
using a preconfigured script and image.
An administrator can use the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack to pre-assign a particular
function or “role” to each server blade bay in an enclosure. For example, to have the mid-tier server
blade in server blade bay number 4 run Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Microsoft Internet
Information Server (IIS) and some Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) scripting, the administrator
would simply need to build that image, or profile, for bay 4 and load the image onto a deployment
server. When an unconfigured ProLiant BL server blade is installed into bay 4, that server will seek out
the deployment server, download the pre-assigned script, and begin working immediately without
local intervention. If that server blade should fail at some later time and be replaced, the new server
blade would automatically seek out the deployment server and download the pre-assigned script to
configure itself identically. In other words, the new server blade would automatically take on the role
of the failed server blade, significantly reducing the time and effort needed to keep servers in
production. This “rip and replace” functionality is unique to the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment
Pack and ProLiant BL server blades.
Use of the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack maximizes customers’ IT resources by providing
a full server build from a remote, centralized deployment console for initial power on, automated
component configuration on the fly, and installation of standard software sets based on customer-
defined server configurations. More information about the ProLiant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack
solution is available at
.
Future directions
The HP ProLiant BL portfolio is an excellent example of how HP is driving its strategy for the Adaptive
Enterprise throughout HP and ProLiant technologies—from servers and storage to management
software—to maximize return on IT investment.
Investment protection
One way the ProLiant BL architecture is designed to protect customer investments is by providing
longevity of the infrastructure. While the installation of BL servers into standard racks is a relatively
straightforward concept, providing longevity in the blade infrastructure to support multiple generations
of processors and networking technologies is much more difficult.
Through careful planning and design of power supplies, switches, and cooling capabilities, HP has
designed investment protection into blade systems. For instance, the ProLiant BL p-Class enclosure
7