Upgrading of ProLiant Support Packs - Best Practices

[CraigV]

Hi all,

I have been looking around on the web regarding HP's Best Practices to upgrading PSPs.
I would do this twice a year, but if HP have something out there, I want to conform with their recommendations rather.
Anyone got any idea?

Thanks!

[HP-ISS Ernie]

There currently aren't any specific "Best Practices" for upgrading HP's Proliant Support Pack. However, the use of utility is a Best Practice when management software and driver require an update. HP currently recommends that whenever a driver update is released it is installed. To make sure you don't miss any updates, Hp recommends using the Version Control Management tools included in the PSP. If you are interested in learning how to use that, you can check the following guide:

http://h50146.www5.hp.com/lib/products/software/oe/linux/mainstream/support/doc/general/mgmt/vca/vc-userguide.pdf

It is a bit outdated but still current.

[Rob Buxton]

If you have a number of HP Servers you may also want to look at HP Systems Insight Manager. As well as monitoring the hardware this will give a view of the level that a PSP is at via the Version Control Agent.

It can also be used to deploy PSP Updates.

We tryu asn keep the PSPs themselves up to date and will only update individual drivers outside of a PSP release if there's a specific issue we've been amde aware of.

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

Hi guys,

We use HP SIM in our server room in our Head Office which takes care of the servers in Africa.
It's not yet implemented in our Data Centre in Johannesburg, but I had used the PSP roll-out functionality at another big client.
I'd like to go this route...but we're rolling out SCOM which, from what I can see, doesn't do the same.
Thanks!