HP ProLiant DL388e Innovative technologies in HP ProLiant Gen8 servers - Page 13

Firmware and system software management

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Firmware and system software management Hardware and software vendors often force you to install system software (driver and firmware) updates to deploy new features and bug fixes. In complex data centers, as well as environments with only a few servers, these updates can be disruptive. We are addressing this industry-wide need to reduce update complexity and frequency with the release of HP Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) and HP Smart Update Manager version 5.0. Together, these new management tools give you more flexibility, less downtime, and better overall operating stability. In addition, we provide 12 months of technical support from the month that we release the SPP. Service Pack for ProLiant An SPP is a comprehensive release set of systems software (drivers, agents, utilities) and firmware for all HP ProLiant SL, ML, and DL 300-, 500-, 700-, and 900-series servers and BL series servers, as wells as select DL 100 series servers. Each SPP contains firmware and software components that have undergone interdependency testing to ensure operational reliability. Each SPP supports deployment of servers running Microsoft Windows, Linux, and VMware operating systems. An SPP includes a PXE bootable ISO and six subsets broken out by operating systems and ProLiant server types. Each subset includes software and firmware components required for specific users, so you can have a customized solution and faster downloads. We will typically release three to five SPPs per year to coincide with HP ProLiant server releases. Occasionally, we will need to release firmware and/or software components with critical fixes outside an SPP release. These are known as hot fixes. You do not have to update your servers with a hot fix unless it affects your server's configuration. Firmware, software, hot fixes, and associated Customer Advisories for HP ProLiant servers and HP BladeSystem enclosure components will be available from the consolidated SPP download page (www.hp.com/go/spp). For a complete list of supported servers, review the HP Service Pack for ProLiant Server Support Guide for each SPP release. You can find it at http://www.hp.com/go/spp/documentation. For a list of the contents of the SPP, see the HP Service Pack for ProLiant Release Notes or the contents report. It is also at http://www.hp.com/go/spp/documentation. HP Smart Update Manager 5.0 HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) 5.0 is the SPP deployment engine. HP SUM 5.0 has a simple, intuitive user interface that guides you through repository definition, device discovery, analysis, and updates. It provides comprehensive information on available updates, criticality, and interdependencies. It simplifies the firmware and software update process. It lets you schedule online updates, and improves reliability of the deployment and installation process. It is also scriptable through its command line interface and input file functionalities. HP SUM 5.0 does not permanently install agents or software on the target servers. It pushes Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) applications from the HP SUM instance to the target server to execute the discovery, inventory, and scheduling of the correct components to be downloaded. After the update, HP SUM removes all software used during the update and creates a log of everything that occurred. HP SUM 5.0 offers several advantages: It improves the efficiency of ProLiant server, BladeSystem server, and BladeSystem enclosure updates by preloading only what is needed and enabling online components. It lets you schedule updates and reboots to occur at convenient times and gives you the option to maintain multiple repositories to apply updates consistently. 13

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Firmware and system software management
Hardware and software vendors often force you to install system software (driver and firmware)
updates to deploy new features and bug fixes. In complex data centers, as well as environments with
only a few servers, these updates can be disruptive. We are addressing this industry-wide need to
reduce update complexity and frequency with the release of HP Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) and
HP Smart Update Manager version 5.0. Together, these new management tools give you more
flexibility, less downtime, and better overall operating stability. In addition, we provide 12 months of
technical support from the month that we release the SPP.
Service Pack for ProLiant
An SPP is a comprehensive release set of systems software (drivers, agents, utilities) and firmware for
all HP ProLiant SL, ML, and DL 300-, 500-, 700-, and 900-series servers and BL series servers, as
wells as select DL 100 series servers. Each SPP contains firmware and software components that have
undergone interdependency testing to ensure operational reliability. Each SPP supports deployment of
servers running Microsoft Windows, Linux, and VMware operating systems.
An SPP includes a PXE bootable ISO and six subsets broken out by operating systems and ProLiant
server types. Each subset includes software and firmware components required for specific users, so
you can have a customized solution and faster downloads.
We will typically release three to five SPPs per year to coincide with HP ProLiant server releases.
Occasionally, we will need to release firmware and/or software components with critical fixes outside
an SPP release. These are known as hot fixes. You do not have to update your servers with a hot fix
unless it affects your server’s configuration.
Firmware, software, hot fixes, and associated Customer Advisories for HP ProLiant servers and HP
BladeSystem enclosure components will be available from the consolidated SPP download page
(
www.hp.com/go/spp
).
For a complete list of supported servers, review the HP Service Pack for ProLiant Server Support Guide
for each SPP release. You can find it at
. For a list of the
contents of the SPP, see the HP Service Pack for ProLiant Release Notes or the contents report. It is
also at
.
HP Smart Update Manager 5.0
HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) 5.0 is the SPP deployment engine. HP SUM 5.0 has a simple,
intuitive user interface that guides you through repository definition, device discovery, analysis, and
updates. It provides comprehensive information on available updates, criticality, and
interdependencies. It simplifies the firmware and software update process. It lets you schedule online
updates, and improves reliability of the deployment and installation process. It is also scriptable
through its command line interface and input file functionalities.
HP SUM 5.0 does not permanently install agents or software on the target servers. It pushes Simple
Object Access Protocol (SOAP) applications from the HP SUM instance to the target server to execute
the discovery, inventory, and scheduling of the correct components to be downloaded. After the
update, HP SUM removes all software used during the update and creates a log of everything that
occurred.
HP SUM 5.0 offers several advantages:
It improves the efficiency of ProLiant server, BladeSystem server, and BladeSystem enclosure
updates by preloading only what is needed and enabling online components.
It lets you schedule updates and reboots to occur at convenient times and gives you the option to
maintain multiple repositories to apply updates consistently.