Reports from Version Control or HPSIM?

[Eric_237]

I need to obtain information from all of our HP Servers as to what level of support pack each server is on, and what level of firmware each is on (for Bios and array controller), and whether the firmware has a later version for upgrading.

Is there anyway to run a report showing this information? If I choose software info in HPSIM reporting, it shows the current level of firmware, but doesn't indicate if it can/should be upgraded.

Is there some way to pull a report from version control for all servers, to show this information?

[David Claypool]

You're thinking about it backwards. Version Control was created with several things in mind:

- just because HP publishes something new doesn't mean that a customer will roll it out
- some customers will have different versions of firmware and/or PSP in production depending on the system
- administrivia like printing reports of versions and culling through the reports is a time waster
- version updates are not always critical

To accomplish what you want, do the following:

- populate the VCRM with the PSP you want everyone or a subset to use
- get the component pack firmware for each of the systems you have
- use VCRM to create a custom support pack with the PSP and all of the firmware updates
- use HP SIM to set the baseline support pack for your devices to your custom support pack
- run software data collection
- any device that is not in compliance with your baseline will be flagged as non-green. those will be the only systems that need any attention.

Here's a description of how it might work:

Take a hypothetical server, the JL686 which has a ROM release of 2010.06.01 which is the latest and is in the reference support pack.

You have 3 of the JL686 systems in your environment, one with 2010.06.01, one with 2010.05.15 and one with 2010.02.10. Let's say that a major change was made in the 2010.05.15 release (maybe some feature wasn't working properly) and the only reason the 2010.06.01 version was released was to support a new clock frequency processor being added to the line at that time.

HP SIM would show the unit with the latest, 2010.06.01, as green, the 2010.05.15 as yellow and 2010.02.10 as orange.

[Eric_237]

But we have all different kinds of servers (360s, 380s, etc., with all different generations) G1, G2, G3, etc.

So I would have to create a gazillion base-lines.

I just want something that will read through the version control (or software information). And indicate if the firmware is out of date.

[David Claypool]

No--only 1 baseline. VCA and the PSP are designed to be smart enough to only apply the appropriate component.

In other words, your custom support pack could have the latest firmware in it for all 4 generations of the DL360, and when you are viewing the results for a DL360G3, that's the only one that will be matched.

More details are in the document 'Automating Software Maintenance in an HP Environment' at http://www.hp.com/go/hpsim --> Information Library --> Version Control Documents --> Version Control Manuals

[Eric_237]

I think I didn't explain myself clearly.

What I'm looking to do, is pull up this information (see attached document) for each server (without having to visit each server's individual version control page).

Just getting the out of baseline indication in HPSIM's console wouldn't do it.

So is there anyway to pull up this information (as in the attachment) for each server, without having to go to the version control page individually?

Essentially a report (or Excel spreadsheet) of this information for multiple servers.

[David Claypool]

"Just getting the out of baseline indication in HPSIM's console wouldn't do it."

Why not? This is called management by exception and is designed to eliminate steps, improve efficiency and provide an automated process to software maintenance.

"So is there anyway to pull up this information (as in the attachment) for each server, without having to go to the version control page individually?"

No, although theoretically you could set up a web crawler (like search engines use) to do it, but it would probably require setting anonymous access. The process described above is designed to eliminate this need.

"Essentially a report (or Excel spreadsheet) of this information for multiple servers."

There is a report, 'System Software - Servers' that you can find under Reports --> Manage Reports. However, this probably gives you way too much detail. It's better to use the VCA/VCRM facility.