Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation User's GuideVersion 8.1.1

Notes, Cautions, and WarningsNOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

© 2012 Dell Inc.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the Dell logo, Dell Boomi™, Dell Precision™ , OptiPlex™, Latitude™, PowerEdge™, PowerVault™, PowerConnect™, OpenManage™, EqualLogic™, Compellent™, KACE™, FlexAddress™, Force10™ and Vostro™ are trademarks of Dell Inc. Intel®, Pentium®, Xeon®, Core® and Celeron® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. AMD®

is a registered trademark and AMD Opteron™, AMD Phenom™ and AMD Sempron™ are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows Server®, Internet Explorer®, MS-DOS®, Windows Vista® and Active Directory® are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat® and Red Hat®Enterprise Linux® are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novell® and SUSE® are registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Oracle® is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Citrix®, Xen®, XenServer® and XenMotion® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. VMware®, Virtual SMP®, vMotion®, vCenter® and vSphere® are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries. IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

2012 - 10

Rev. A00

Contents

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings...................................................................................................2

1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................5OMCI Overview.........................................................................................................................................................5OMCI Architecture....................................................................................................................................................5Features....................................................................................................................................................................6

CIM 2.17 Schema Support..................................................................................................................................6BIOS Configuration.............................................................................................................................................6WMI Security.....................................................................................................................................................6Event Reporting..................................................................................................................................................7Remote Shut Down.............................................................................................................................................7Access to System Information using WMI-CIM Protocol and WSMAN...........................................................7Compilation of Detailed Asset Information........................................................................................................7Remote Wake-Up Configurability.......................................................................................................................7Remote Modification of System Settings...........................................................................................................7Monitoring of System Health and Reports Status..............................................................................................7

Whats New In This Release.....................................................................................................................................7

2 Standards and Protocols Used in OMCI..................................................................................9CIM And WMI Technology Overview.......................................................................................................................9

CIM.....................................................................................................................................................................9WMI....................................................................................................................................................................9WSMAN...........................................................................................................................................................10

3 System Requirements...............................................................................................................11Hardware Requirement..........................................................................................................................................11Software Requirements..........................................................................................................................................11

4 User Scenarios..........................................................................................................................13Scenario 1: Asset Management.............................................................................................................................13

SCCM Integration.............................................................................................................................................13Scenario 2: Configuration Management.................................................................................................................13Scenario 3: Health Monitoring................................................................................................................................14

Monitoring System Events Through Windows Event Viewer Or CIM Indication.............................................14Scenario 4: Profiles.................................................................................................................................................14

Battery Profile..................................................................................................................................................14BIOS Management Profile...............................................................................................................................15

Boot Control.....................................................................................................................................................15Base Desktop Mobile.......................................................................................................................................15Log Record.......................................................................................................................................................15Physical Asset..................................................................................................................................................16System Memory Profile....................................................................................................................................16

5 Using Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation.................................................................17Polling Interval Setting .ini File Into Installer..........................................................................................................17Support For RAID Status Report.............................................................................................................................17Support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) For Dell Systems..........................................................17Support For Detecting Advance Format Drives......................................................................................................17Boot Configurations................................................................................................................................................18

DCIM_BootConfigSetting.................................................................................................................................18DCIM_BootSourceSetting................................................................................................................................18DCIM_OrderedComponent Association...........................................................................................................18Changing Boot Sequence Using The ChangeBootOrder Method....................................................................19

Setting BIOS Attributes...........................................................................................................................................19

6 Frequently Asked Questions....................................................................................................21

7 Troubleshooting.........................................................................................................................23Unable To Remotely Connect To WMI...................................................................................................................23Installation Failure..................................................................................................................................................24

8 Contacting Dell..........................................................................................................................25Other Documents You May Need...........................................................................................................................25

1IntroductionClient Instrumentation refers to software applications that enable remote management of a client system. The Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation (OMCI) software enables remote management application programs to access the client’s system information, monitor the status, or change the state of the system such as shutting it down remotely. Through standard interfaces, OMCI uses key system parameters allowing administrators to manage inventory, monitor system health, and gather information on deployed Dell client systems.

This document provides an overview of OMCI and its various features.

OMCI OverviewOMCI enables Dell client systems to be managed using the Common Information Model (CIM) standard, which is a system management protocol. CIM reduces your total cost of ownership, improves security, and provides a holistic approach to manage all devices including clients, servers, storage, network, and software devices.

OMCI can also be accessed through Web Services for Management Standards (WSMAN).

OMCI contains the underlying driver set that collects system information from a number of different sources on the client computer, including the BIOS, CMOS, System Management BIOS (SMBIOS), System Management Interface (SMI), operating system, APIs, DLLs, and registry settings. OMCI fetches this information through the CIM Object Manager (CIMOM) interface of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) stack.

OMCI enables IT administrators to remotely collect asset information, modify CMOS settings, receive proactive notification of potential fault conditions, and get alerts to potential security breaches.

OMCI is used to gather asset inventory from the system including BIOS settings through CIM implementation. It can be integrated into a console such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager by directly accessing the CIM information, through an integration with DCM, or through other console vendors who have implemented Client Instrumentation integration. Additionally, custom scripts can be created to target key areas of interest at the administrator’s discretion. These scripts can be used to monitor inventory, BIOS settings, and system health.

OMCI ArchitectureOMCI data provider collects the system information data and stores the information in the proprietary XML format. The data manager is a service that loads these providers based on request. OMCI CIM provider layer abstracts the interface to different CIMOM implementations. The input is a combination of XML and XSL data in proprietary form, while the output is a CIM object instance based on Management Profiles. The WSMAN that serves as the channel protocol, requests the data from CIMOM and transmits it to the console.

The OMCI architecture has several layers that are integrated with the Microsoft WMI stack:

• WMI application layer — Consists of management applications such as Dell Client Manager and other standards-based management tools, and WMI applications such as Microsoft SMS, LANDesk, and WMI Tools. The applications in this layer are consumers of the system's management data supplied by OMCI. These applications request client information and alerts through WSMAN/CIM Object Manager (CIMOM).

• OMCI CIM Provider — Lies beneath the CIMOM and contains two CIM providers, which is registered with the CIMOM:

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– The instance/method provider implements an interface that enables utility operations such as create, delete, modify, and query.

– The indication provider implements an interface for WMI indications (or events).When the CIMOM receives a request for information, it routes the request to the appropriate provider. Both Dell and Microsoft providers exist in this layer, and they provide information on system devices. The providers send management application requests from the CIMOM to the data router.

• OMCI Data Manager — A service that loads data provider based on request from the upper layer.

• Data Provider — Collects system information like hardware, drivers, and operating system data , and stores them in the proprietary XML format.

For example, a management console in the WMI application layer requests the available processor information on a client system. The WMI application layer makes the request over the network to the CIMOM on the client system. The CIMOM passes the request to the OMCI CIM provider and data manager. The data manager loads the corresponding data provider, which gets the information and stores it in a proprietary format. The information is then returned (through the same path in reverse) to the management console.

FeaturesThe key features of OMCI are:

• CIM 2.17 schema support

• BIOS configuration

• WMI security

• Event reporting

• Remote shutdown

• Access to system information using WMI-CIM protocol and WSMAN

• Compilation of detailed asset information

• Remote wake-up configurability

• Remote modification of system settings

• Monitoring of system health and reports status

CIM 2.17 Schema Support

OMCI conforms to the CIM 2.17 Schema, and includes two WMI providers:

• Dell WMI Indication Provider/Polling Agent

• Dell WMI Instance/Method Provider

BIOS Configuration

OMCI provides the ability to perform configuration of a system’s BIOS, including management of its boot order.

WMI Security

WMI provides for user authentication before granting access to CIM data and methods. Access privileges are enforced by Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) security and CIMOM. Access, whether full or limited, can be granted to users on per-namespace basis. There is no class implementation or property-level security. By default, users who are members of the administrators group have full local and remote access to WMI.

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WMI security can be configured using the WMI Control available in the Computer Management console under the Services and Applications section. Right-click WMI Control, and then click Properties. You can configure namespace-specific security from the Security tab. WMI Control can also be executed from the Start menu or the command prompt, by running wmimgmt.msc.

Event Reporting

OMCI detects events on Dell systems and can alert the local user and network administrator to potential failures, configuration changes, and chassis intrusions. These events are displayed by a system management application program such as Dell Client Manager (DCM).

Remote Shut Down

OMCI supports remote system shut down and restart.

Access to System Information using WMI-CIM Protocol and WSMAN

OMCI provides access to system information such as BIOS revision and system model through WMI using CIM. The WSMAN protocol can also be used to access this information through WMI.

Compilation of Detailed Asset Information

OMCI provides access to detailed inventory information such as processors, PCI devices, and batteries.

Remote Wake-Up Configurability

OMCI supports configuration of remote wake-up settings. Remote wake-up is a function of the client system and Network Interface Card (NIC).

Remote Modification of System Settings

OMCI allows IT administrators the ability to retrieve and set Dell business client BIOS settings such as USB port configuration, boot order, and NIC settings.

Monitoring of System Health and Reports Status

OMCI monitors the system health such as fan status and reports the status of such through NT event log entries and CIM events.

Whats New In This Release• Support for Microsoft Windows 8. For more information, see the Readme at support.dell.com/manuals.

• Support for the following new tokens:

– Enable Legacy Option ROMs

– HDD1 Fan Enable

– HDD2 Fan Enable

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– HDD3 Fan Enable

– Intel Smart Connect Technology

– Intel Rapid Start Technology

– Secure Boot

– TPM PPI ACPI Support

– TPM PPI Provision Override

– TPM PPI Deprovision Override

– Unobtrusive Mode

For more information, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

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2Standards and Protocols Used in OMCIOMCI uses Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and enables WSMAN protocols.

CIM And WMI Technology OverviewThe Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) is the industry-recognized standards body that leads the development, adoption, unification of management standards (including CIM, and ASF), and initiatives for desktop, enterprise, and Internet environments.

CIM

The CIM, created by the DMTF as part of the Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) initiative, provides a unified view of physical and logical objects in the managed environment.

The following are important CIM details:

• CIM is an object-oriented data model for describing management information. CIM describes the way the data is organized, not necessarily the transport model used to transport the data. The most prevalent transport method is the WMI.

• CIM-capable management applications gather information from a variety of CIM objects and devices, including client and server systems, network infrastructure devices, and applications.

• The CIM specification details mapping techniques for improved compatibility with other management protocols.• The CIM data model abstracts and describes all elements in a network environment. The CIM schema provides

the actual data model descriptions and arranges the network into a series of managed objects, all interrelated and broadly classified.

• The CIM schema is defined by the Managed Object Format (MOF) file, which provides a standardized model for describing management information between clients in a management system. The MOF file is not bound to a particular implementation, and it allows the interchange of management information between many different management systems and clients.

WMI

WMI is Microsoft's implementation of the Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) effort. It is implemented on the Microsoft Windows platforms. WMI supports CIM and Microsoft specific CIM extensions.

WMI includes:

• A powerful set of native services such as query-based information retrieval and event notification.• Extensive scripting capabilities via the Windows Scripting Host (WSH).• The CIMOM, which is the interface and manipulation point for CIM objects and information.• The repository, where CIMOM stores management data.

In the OMCI architecture, CIMOM and the repository are represented by the Microsoft WMI Object Manager. The CIMOM is the interface and manipulation point for CIM objects and information. It acts as a facilitator in gathering information and manipulating object properties. Microsoft has implemented this component as the Windows management (winmgmt) service. The CIMOM is a software middle layer that mediates interactions between high-level

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management applications and the lower levels of instrumentation, such as OMCI and other providers. The CIMOM ensures that data supplied by providers is presented to management applications in a uniform and provider-independent way. The CIMOM does this, in part, by using the Component Object Model (COM) Application Programming Interface (API) for communication with providers and management applications.

The repository is a binary file where the CIMOM stores management data. Such data includes information from the compiled Managed Object Format (MOF) file(s), including the CIM class definitions, properties, qualifiers, and hierarchical relationships. Instance data, as it becomes available, is also stored here.

WMI provides a scripting interface. Using VBScript or JScript, you can write scripts that connect to WMI services locally or remotely, retrieve information, or execute methods. Most OMCI tasks can be scripted as OMCI is implemented through WMI. For the sample VBScript scripts, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide available at support.dell.com/manuals.

NOTE: To connect remotely to WMI services, you must have administrative rights on both the local and remote systems.

For more information about WMI, see thetechnet.microsoft.com.

WSMAN

The WS-Management (WSMAN) Protocol is a DMTF open standard defining a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based protocol for managing servers, devices, applications, and Web services. It uses data from CIMOM to facilitate the management.

WSMAN is a protocol that provides an abstraction layer to access the CIM information. The reason is that the console can use WSMAN to communicate to in-band or out-of-band systems to gather asset inventory and to set information or run methods. In the in-band part, the WSMAN layer also abstracts the operating system present underneath. For example, Windows or Linux. It uses the same commands. However, OMCI does not require WSMAN and it does not directly enable WSMAN as it is only a protocol.

For more information about managing WSMAN from DMTF, see dmtf.org/standards/wsman/.

For more information about enabling WS-Management based management of WMI on a Windows system, see msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384426%28v=VS.85%29.aspx.

For more information about the DMTF profiles used in OMCI, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com.

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3System RequirementsThis chapter provides information about the hardware and software requirements for OMCI.

Hardware Requirement

Requirement Details

System Dell Optiplex, Precision Workstation or Latitude system with SMBIOS 2.3 or later.

Software Requirements

Requirement Details

Supported operating system • Microsoft Windows 7• Microsoft Windows Vista• Microsoft Windows XP• Microsoft Windows 8

NOTE: For Microsoft Windows XP, make sure that .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or later is installed.

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4User ScenariosThis chapter describes the various user scenarios of Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation (OMCI).

OMCI can be used for:

• Asset Management• Configuration Management• Health Monitoring• Profiles

Scenario 1: Asset ManagementA company that uses many Dell systems has been unable to maintain accurate inventory information owing to changes in the business and Information Technology (IT) staff. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) requests a plan for identifying which systems can be migrated to Microsoft Windows Vista. This requires an assessment of the deployed systems to determine the size, scope, and financial impact of such a project. The information collection involves a significant effort. Deploying IT staff to each client system is expensive, in terms of man-hours and end-user interruptions.

Using OMCI on each Dell client system, the IT manager can quickly collect information remotely without dispatching IT staff to each system. Using tools such as Dell Client Manager or Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), the IT manager queries each client system over the network and collects information such as CPU type and speed, amount of memory, hard-drive capacity, BIOS version, and current operating system version. Once the information is collected, it can be analyzed to determine which systems can be upgraded to Windows Vista.

You can also get asset inventory through script or any WMI command line.

SCCM Integration

You can integrate SCCM with OMCI by:

• Using the MOF file within OMCI 8.1.1 install package which contains all the OMCI 8.1.1 classes and import to ConfigMgrThe MOF is located in the install directory. The path is:

C:\Program Files\Dell\SysMgt\ssa\omacim\OMCI_SMS_DEF.mof

• Getting extending asset reporting capabilities using collections

Scenario 2: Configuration ManagementA company plans to standardize the client platform and manage each system through its life cycle. As part of this effort, it acquires a suite of tools, such as Dell Client Manager, and plans to automate the deployment of a new client operating system using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).

The challenge is to modify the boot order setting in the BIOS of each Dell computer without visiting the desktop. With OMCI installed on each client system, the company’s IT department has several options for modifying the boot order remotely. The Dell Client Manager is a management console that can be used to remotely modify BIOS settings on all Dell OptiPlex, Dell Precision Workstation, and Latitude systems. Another option is to write a VB script that changes the

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boot order setting for an example script on changing the boot order. The script can be delivered remotely over the network and run on each client system. For more information, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com.

Standardized configurations can provide significant cost savings for companies of all sizes. Many organizations deploy standardized client systems, but few manage the system configuration throughout the life of the computer. With OMCI installed on each client system, the IT department can lock down legacy ports to prevent use of unauthorized peripherals, or enable Wake On LAN (WOL) so the system can be revived from a sleep state during non-peak hours to perform systems management tasks.

Scenario 3: Health MonitoringA user receives read error messages while trying to access certain files on the client-system hard drive. The user reboots the system and the files now appear to be accessible. The user disregards the initial problem because it appears to have resolved itself. Meanwhile, OMCI queries the hard drive with the problem for a predicted failure and passes a SMART alert to the management console. It also displays the SMART error to the local user. The alert indicates several read/write errors are occurring in the hard drive. The IT department of the company recommends that the user take a backup of critical data files immediately. A service technician is dispatched with a replacement drive.

The hard drive is replaced before it fails, preventing user downtime, a help desk call, and a technician trip to the desktop to diagnose the problem.

Monitoring System Events Through Windows Event Viewer Or CIM Indication

OMCI supports the monitoring events through the following procedures:

• Pulling the log through WMI class DCIM_LogEntry.

• Monitoring CIM indication through DCIM_AlertIndication class.

• Monitoring the event through SNMP

For details, see Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Scenario 4: ProfilesIT administrators are required to manage Dell client system in multi-vendor and distributed enterprise environments. They face challenges as they must master diverse set of tools and applications while managing several desktop and mobile client systems in various networks. To reduce the cost of meeting these requirements and represent the management data provided, the industry-standard DMTF and DCIM-OEM profiles are implemented in OMCI. Some of the DMTF profiles are explained below.

For more information, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com.

Battery Profile

1. Determine the status of the battery by enumerating/getting the instance of the class DCIM_Battery.

2. Determine the estimate run time and see the estimated charge remaining.

3. Check if the health information of the battery can be determined using the properties Operational Status and HealthState of the class DCIM_Battery.

4. Get additional information about the health of a battery using DCIM_Sensor.CurrentState property or the CIM_NumericSensor.CurrentState property.

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BIOS Management Profile

1. Determine the BIOS version by enumerating the instance of the class DCIM_BIOSElement.Version.

2. Check whether BIOS attribute value can be modified or not. Get the instance of the class, DCIM_BIOSAttribute. The attribute can be modified if the property, IsReadOnly is set to FALSE.

3. Set the system password. Run the CIM_BIOSService.SetBIOSAttribute() method and set the SystemPwd to AttributeName and password value to AttributeValue parameters.

4. Set the BIOS or Admin password. Run the CIM_BIOSService.SetBIOSAttribute() method and set the AdminPwd to AttributeName and password value to AttributeValue parameters.

5. Run the DCIM_BIOSService.SetBIOSAttribute() method and specify the AttributeName and AttributeValue parameters.

6. To modify a BIOS Attribute when BIOS/Admin password is set, run the DCIM_BIOSService.SetBIOSAttribute() method and specify the AttributeName, AttributeValue, and current BIOS password as the AuthorizationToken input parameter.

Boot Control

1. Change the sequence of boot items in the Legacy and UEFI boot list.

2. Enable or disable the boot items of the Legacy and UEFI boot list.

3. Find the current boot configuration computer by enumerating the instances of the class DCIM_ElementSettingData whose IsCurrent property is set to 1. The DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance, referenced by this association instance, represents the current boot configuration.

Base Desktop Mobile

1. Determine the system model, service tag, and serial number by enumerating the instance of the class DCIM_ComputerSystem.

2. Turn off the power on your system. Run the DCIM_ComputerSystem.RequestStateChange() method and set the RequestedState parameter value as 3.

3. Restart the System. Run the DCIM_ComputerSystem.RequestStateChange() method and set the RequestedState parameter value as 11.

4. Determine the power state of the system.

5. Determine the number of processors in the system by querying for instances of DCIM_Processor, which are associated with the Central Instance through the DCIM_SystemDevice association.

6. Get the system time. Run the DCIM_TimeService.ManageTime() method and set the GetRequest parameter as True.

7. Check the health status of Managed element.

Log Record

1. Identify the Log by the name by selecting the DCIM_RecordLog instance in which the ElementName property corresponds to the desired name.

2. Find the individual log entries. Get all the instances of DCIM_LogEntry that are associated with the given instance of DCIM_RecordLog through the DCIM_LogManagesRecord association. Sort the instances based on the RecordID.

3. Check whether record logs are enabled or not by enumerating the instance of the class DCIM_RecordLog whose property Enabledstate=2 (represents Enabled) and EnabledState=3 (represents disabled).

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4. Sort the Log Records Based on the Time Stamp of the Log Entry. Get all the instances of DCIM_LogEntry that are associated with the given instance of DCIM_RecordLog through the DCIM_LogManagesRecord association. Sort the instances of DCIM_LogEntry based on the CreationTimeStamp property value in last in first out (LIFO) order.

5. Clear logs by running the ClearLog() method for the given instance of the DCIM_RecordLog.

Physical Asset

1. Obtain the physical inventory for all devices within a system.2. Obtain the physical inventory for a system chassis.3. Determine the part number of a failing component.4. Determine whether the slot is empty or not.

System Memory Profile

1. Find the memory information of the system.2. Find the physical memory information of the system.3. Check the total system memory size.4. Check the total available system memory size.5. Check the total physical system memory size.6. Check the health status of system memory.

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5Using Dell OpenManage Client InstrumentationYou can use the information provided by Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation (OMCI) by accessing:

• root\dellomci namespace (legacy)• root\dcim\sysman (standard)

OMCI provides the information through classes in these namespaces. For details about the classes, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Polling Interval Setting .ini File Into InstallerYou can change the polling interval for events such as fan probe, temperature probe, voltage probe, current probe, disk increase/decrease, memory increase/decrease, processor increase/decrease and disk capacity, using the files dcsbdy32.ini or dcsbdy64.ini. The dcsbdy32/64.ini file is present in the following location:

<OMCI installed location>\Dell\SysMgt\omsa\ini

NOTE: The numbers in the .ini file are the multiple numbers of 23 seconds. The default polling interval for disk capacity and SMART alert is 626 seconds (the real time = 626 X 23 seconds which is close to three hours).

Support For RAID Status ReportOMCI enables you to get the RAID configuration information and monitor the RAID functionality for Dell Optiplex, Precision Workstation, and Latitude systems with hardware and driver support. You can use RAID classes to get the details about RAID levels, driver information, controller configuration, and controller status.

Support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) For Dell SystemsOMCI supports SNMP for monitoring and managing Dell client systems such as notebooks, desktops, and workstations. The MIB file is shared between OMCI and Server Administrator. As OMCI currently employs an OID that is traditionally used as a Dell server OID consoles may identify systems as servers instead of notebooks, desktops or workstations, collectively known as clients.

For more information, see Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation SNMP Reference Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

Support For Detecting Advance Format DrivesDell client systems are transitioning to Advanced Format (AF) drives for larger storage capacity and to address the limitations with 512-byte sector hard drives (HDDs). Hard drives transitioning to 4k sectors maintain backward compatibility, while the current AF hard drive, also known as 512e hard drives, match 512-byte SATA and operate at 4k. During the transition, you may encounter performance issues such as partition mis-aligned drives in the client systems resulting in failure of sector-based encryption software packages that handle 512e drives. OMCI enables you identify if the hard drive on a system is 4k AF drive, which helps prevent the issues mentioned above.

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Boot ConfigurationsA Client computer system can have two Boot Configurations —

• Legacy(BIOS)

• UEFI

In OMCI, each boot configuration (legacy or UEFI) is modeled using classes the following classes:

• DCIM_ElementSettingData

• DCIM_BootConfigSetting

• DCIM_OrderedComponent

• DCIM_BootSourceSetting

NOTE: Here, the "Boot Configuration" and "Boot List Type" are used interchangeably and convey the same meaning representing legacy or UEFI.

DCIM_BootConfigSetting

An instance of DCIM_BootConfigSetting represents a boot configuration that may be used during the boot process. For example: On client systems, there can be two types of boot configurations — Legacy and UEFI. Hence, DCIM_BootConfigSetting has a maximum of two instances to represent, one each for legacy and UEFI.

You can determine if the DCIM_BootConfigSetting represents Legacy, using the following properties:

• InstanceID = "DCIM:BootConfigSetting:Next:1"

• ElementName = "Next Boot Configuration Setting : Boot List Type 1"

You can determine if the DCIM_BootConfigSetting represents UEFI, using the following properties:

• InstanceID = "DCIM:BootConfigSetting:Next:2"

• ElementName = "Next Boot Configuration Setting : Boot List Type 2"

DCIM_BootSourceSetting

This class represents the boot devices (or sources). The ElementName, BIOSBootString and StructuredBootString properties contain a string that identifies the boot devices. For example: Floppy, Hard Disk, CD/DVD, Network, PCMCIA, BEV or USB . Based on the boot list type of the device, an instance of DCIM_BootSourceSetting is associated with one of the instances of DCIM_BootConfigSetting.

DCIM_OrderedComponent Association

The DCIM_OrderedComponent association class is used to associate instance of DCIM_BootConfigSetting with each instance of DCIM_BootSourceSetting representing one of the boot list type (legacy or UEFI) , which the boot devices belongs to. The GroupComponent property of DCIM_OrderedComponent refers the DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance and the PartComponent property refers the DCIM_BootSourceSetting instance.

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Changing Boot Sequence Using The ChangeBootOrder Method

1. Install Microsoft WMI tools.2. Launch CIM studio.3. Enter the namespace as root\dcim\sysman.

NOTE: If the Internet Explorer you are using is not compatible with WMI CIM Studio, then the right side panel control is disabled. To resolve this, navigate to Menu → Tools. Select Compatibility View Settings and enable Display all websites in Compatibility View.

4. Search for the class DCIM_BootConfigSetting.5. On the right-hand corner of the screen, click Instances to enumerate DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance.6. Double-click the enumerated instance of DCIM_BootConfigSetting for the Legacy or UEFI boot list type for which

you would like to change the boot order.7. Click the Method tab, right-click ChangeBootOrder, and select Execute Method.8. Select the Source value column and provide the array of PartComponent property’s values from

DCIM_OrderedComponent class.9. In the AuthorizationToken text box, enter the setup password and click Ok.

NOTE: It is assumed that the setup password is already configured.

The return code 0 indicates that the method is executed successfully.

10. On successful completion of this method, the value of the AssignedSequence property on each instance of DCIM_OrderedComponent shall be updated such that the values are monotonically increasing in correlation with the position of the referenced CIM_BootSourceSetting instance in the Source input parameter.

Setting BIOS AttributesIn OMCI, the following methods are added for changing the system settings and state of the local or remote systems:

• SetBIOSAttributes— For changing BIOS setting• ChangeBootOrder— For changing boot configuration• RequestStateChange— For Shut Down and Restart a System• ManageTime— Returns system time

You can invoke these methods using winrm, VB script, Powershell commands, wmic, wbemtest.exe, WMI CIM Studio.

You can set BIOS attributes using the SetBIOSAttributes method. The procedure is explained below by enabling the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) as an example.

To enable TPM:

1. Install Microsoft WMI tools.2. Launch CIM Studio.3. Enter the namespace as root\dcim\sysman.

NOTE: If the Internet Explorer version on your system is incompatible with WMI CIM Studio, the right side panel control is disabled. To resolve this, click

Tools → Compatibility View Settings and enable Display all websites in Compatibility View.

4. Search for the class DCIM_BIOSService.5. Double-click the Instances icon to enumerate the DCIM_BIOSService instance.6. Double-click the enumerated instance.

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7. Click the Method tab, right-click SetBIOSAttributes and select Execute Method.8. In the AttributeName text box, enter Trusted Platform Module.9. In the AttributeValue text box, enter 1.10. In the AuthorizationToken text box, enter the setup password and click Ok.

NOTE: It is assumed that the setup password is already installed.

The Return code 0 represent method is executed succesfully.

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6Frequently Asked QuestionsQuestion 1. How to find the boot order (sequence) of the Boot Configuration using DCIM_OrderedComponent.AssignedSequence property?

Answer: When a DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance (legacy or UEFI) has multiple DCIM_BootSourceSetting instances (boot devices) associated with it through instances of the DCIM_OrderedComponent association, the value of the DCIM_OrderedComponent.AssignedSequence property is used to determine the sequence in which the associated DCIM_BootSourceSetting instances (boot devices) are used during the boot process. A DCIM_BootSourceSetting whose associated CIM_OrderedComponent.AssignedSequence property is equal to zero is ignored and not considered part of the boot order.

Question 2. How to change the Boot Order?

Answer: Boot order can be changed using the DCIM_BootConfigSetting.ChangeBootOrder() method. The ChangeBootOrder() method sets the order in which the instances of DCIM_BootSourceSetting are associated with a DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance. The method has one input parameter: Source. The Source parameter, is an ordered array of PartComponent property from DCIM_OrderedComponent class that represents the association between DCIM_BootSourceSetting instances (boot devices) and DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance (boot list type-legacy or UEFI).

Question 3. How to disable boot devices?

Answer: On changing the boot order, the value of the AssignedSequence property on each instance of DCIM_OrderedComponent, that associates the target DCIM_BootConfigSetting instance with a DCIM_BootSourceSetting instance that is not present in the input array of Source parameter, shall be assigned a value of 0, which indicates that the device is disabled.

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7Troubleshooting

Unable To Remotely Connect To WMIIf Common Information Model (CIM) information for a remote client computer system is not available to the management application or if a remote BIOS update that uses Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) fails, the following error messages may be displayed:

• Access Denied• Win32:RPC server is unavailable

1. Verify that the client system is connected to the network, at the command prompt on the server, type:ping <Host Name or IP Address> and press <Enter>.

2. Perform the following steps if both the server and the client system are in a domain:a) Verify that the domain administrator account has administrator privileges for both systems.b) If you are using IT Assistant on the server, run the IT Assistant ConfigServices utility (configservices.exe

available in the /bin directory of the IT Assistant installation directory). Configure IT Assistant to run under the domain administrator account, and verify that DCOM and CIM are enabled. See the IT Assistant User’s Guide for information.

c) If you are using IT Assistant, use the domain administrator account to configure the IT Assistant subnet discovery for the client system. If the system has already been discovered, remove the system from the list of discovered systems, configure subnet discovery for it, and then rediscover it. See the IT Assistant User’s Guide for information.

Perform the following steps if both the server and the client system are in a workgroup (not in a domain):a) If the client system is running the Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

operating system and the server is running Windows Server 2000, verify that Windows Server 2000 Service Pack 2 or later is installed on the server.

b) If the client system is running a version of Windows XP and is not part of a domain, edit the registry to allow remote connection with administrative privileges.

NOTE: Back up your system data files before making changes to the registry. Editing the registry incorrectly may render your operating system unusable.

3. Edit the registry change on the client system. Click Start → Run , then type regedit, and click OK. In the Registry Editor window, navigate toMy Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

4. Set the forceguest value to 0 (by default it is 1). Unless you modify this value, the user remotely connecting to the system has guest privileges only, even if the supplied credentials should provide administrative privileges.a) Create an account on the client system with the same user name and password as an administrator account on

the system running your WMI management application.b) If you are using IT Assistant, run the IT Assistant ConfigServices utility (configservices.exe found in the/bin

directory under the IT Assistant installation directory). Configure IT Assistant to run under a local administrator account, which is also now an administrator on the remote client. Also, verify that DCOM and CIM are enabled. For more information, see the IT Assistant User’s Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

c) If you are using IT Assistant, use the administrator account to configure subnet discovery for the client system. Enter the user name as <client machine name>\<account name>. If the system has already been discovered, remove the system from the list of discovered systems, configure subnet discovery for it, and then rediscover it. For more information, see the IT Assistant User’s Guide at support.dell.com/manuals.

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5. Perform the following steps to modify user privilege levels for connecting remotely to a system’s WMI:a) Click Start → Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click OK.b) Navigate to WMI Control under Services and Applications.c) Right-click WMI Control and click Properties.d) Click the Security tab and select DellOMCI under the Root tree.e) Click Security.f) Select the specific group or user that you want to control access and use the Allow or Deny check box to

configure the permissions.6. Perform the following steps to connect to a system’s WMI (root\dellomci) from a remote system using WMI CIM

Studio:a) Install WMI tools along with CIM Studio on the local system and install Dell OMCI on the remote system.b) Configure the system’s firewall accordingly for WMI Remote Connectivity. For example, open the TCP ports 135

and 445 in Windows Firewall.c) Set the Local Security setting to Classic - local users authenticate as themselves for Network access: Sharing

and security model for local accounts in the Local Security Policy.d) Connect to the system’s WMI (root\dellomci) from a remote system using WMI CIM Studio. For example, \

\10.94.174.167\root\dellomcie) Enter the Administrator credentials of the target remote system if prompted.

For more information, see the applicable Microsoft documentation at msdn.microsoft.com.

Installation FailureIf you are unable to complete OMCI installation, make sure:

• You have administrative rights on the target system.

• The target system is a Dell system with SMBIOS version 2.3 or later.

The system must be running the supported Microsoft Windows operating system.

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8Contacting Dell

Other Documents You May NeedIn addition to this User's Guide, you can access the following guides available at support.dell.com/manuals. On the Manuals page, click Software → Systems Management. Select the appropriate product link on the right side to access the documents.

• The Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Reference Guide provides detailed information on all Client Instrumentation classes, properties, and their descriptions.

• The Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation Quick Installation Guide provides information on installing Client Instrumentation.

• The Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation SNMP Reference Guide provides Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB) applicable to OMCI.

• The Dell Client Solution (DCS) that includes Dell-specific hardware and BIOS inventory information, helps configure and update BIOS, supports remote shutdown and remote wakeup, and provides hardware health monitoring.

• The Glossary provides information about the terms used in this document.

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