Automate Deployment of BIOS Settings, Firmware and Smart Array Settings on HP Proliant Hardware

[erki72]

I am looking for a solution which allows Automate Deployment of BIOS Settings, Firmware and Smart Array Settings on HP Proliant Hardware.

What is the right solution for this?

[Tech_Aniket]

Hello erki72,

Thank you for posting the query.

I am not sure which generation of server is in question here. However, I can provide the generals guidelines for automatic Deployment of firmware.

A . For Gen8 server and above, HPE releases SPP (Service pack for ProLiant) which contains latest Drivers and Firmware.

The Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) is a comprehensive systems software and firmware update solution, which is delivered as a single ISO image.

B. For G7 and below, We have PSP (ProLiant Support Pack).

ProLiant Support Packs represent operating system (OS) specific bundles of ProLiant optimized drivers, utilities, and management agents. These bundles of software are tested and released concurrently with HP's SmartStart CD to ensure proper installation and functionality. ProLiant Support Packs provide customers with a ProLiant system software baseline that has already been tested and verified by HP.

Please find the reference guides

SPP = https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=c03190790

PSP = https://h50146.www5.hpe.com/products/software/oe/linux/mainstream/support/doc/general/mgmt/pdf/psp-users-guide.pdf

Also with regards to the BIOS setings and Smart Array settings, User needs to refer to the server guides for best suitable combination of settings.

Thank you

I am an HPE Employee.

[Torsten.]

You probably should rake a look at OneView.

[erki72]

I'm sorry, I did not write clearly enough

I only have G9 and Gen10 servers. I want a process that automates everything with it.
I define the BIOS settings, smart array configuration, etc.
After that I can use this automatically on many servers and also the SPP is also installed.
So that I can then install ESXi

[Tech_Aniket]

Hello erki72,

Thank you for the update.

In that case you can go ahead and have a look at HPE OneView.

About HPE Oneview -

HPE OneView Designed for converged infrastructure environments, HPE OneView is a single integrated platform,
packaged as an appliance, that implements a software-defined approach to managing your physical
infrastructure through its entire life cycle.

Optimized for collaboration, productivity, and reliability, HPE OneView is designed to provide simple,
single-pane-of-glass lifecycle management for the complex aspects of enterprise IT—servers, networking,
software, power and cooling, and storage.
HPE OneView makes it possible to easily monitor, configure, and manage physical and logical server,
network, and storage resources through either a graphical user interface or by using REST
(REpresentational State Transfer) APIs.
HPE OneView is designed to manage your converged infrastructure and support key scenarios such as
deploying bare-metal servers, deploying hypervisor clusters from bare metal, performing ongoing
hardware maintenance, and responding to alerts and outages. It is designed for the physical
infrastructure needed to support virtualization, cloud computing, big data, and mixed computing
environments.

You can have a Look at the OneView 5.0 user guide - https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-a00069592en_us&docLocale=en_US

Refer to section - Server profiles and server profile templates (Page - 17)
A server profile captures key aspects of a server configuration in one place, including:
• Firmware update selection and scheduling
• BIOS settings
• iLO settings
• Local RAID configuration
• Network connectivity
• Boot order configuration
• Local storage and SAN storage
• Unique IDs

Feel free to get back in case of any concern.

Thank you

[erki72]

That looks very good. thank You!

I just searched the internet. I have yet seen HPE iLO AmplifierPack.

From which size or in which case does HPE iLO AmplifierPack make sense?

[Jimmy Vance]

As mentioned, you can look at Oneview, the Scripting Toolkit for Windows and Linux, or teh RESTful interface tool
https://www.hpe.com/us/en/product-catalog/detail/pip.scripting-toolkit-for-windows-and-linux.5219389.html

https://buy.hpe.com/us/en/software/infrastructure-management-software/system-server-management-software/hpe-system-server-software-management-software/restful-interface-tool/p/7630408

(not sure why it is on the buy site it is free)

[Tech_Aniket]

Hello erki72,

About iLO Amplifier -

The iLO Amplifier Pack is an advanced server inventory, firmware and driver update solution that enables rapid discovery,
detailed inventory reporting, firmware, and driver updates by leveraging iLO advanced functionality. The iLO Amplifier
Pack performs rapid server discovery and inventory for thousands of supported servers for the purpose of updating
firmware and drivers at scale.

User guide - https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=c05384285

In order to know more about iLO Amplifier Pack you can refer to - https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=a00016499en_us

• Which servers does iLO Amplifier Pack support?
Answer -- All HPE ProLiant Gen8, Gen9, and Gen10 servers with an iLO 4 or later, including Rack, Tower, Apollo, and Blade
servers.
• How many servers can iLO Amplifier Pack support?
Answer -- iLO Amplifier can support as many as 10,000 servers in a single instance

Thank you