Configuring Dell OMCI devices

This product includes management integration with devices that have Dell OMCI software installed. OMCI (OpenManage Client Instrumentation) is a technology for Dell devices that enables remote management of device status and settings.

When LANDesk Management Suite discovers a Dell device equipped with OMCI, an OMCI tool is enabled in the Configure menu of the console. This gives you the ability to use OMCI to change BIOS settings on Dell OMCI devices.

The OMCI configuration process

When you open the Dell OMCI configuration tool, the default settings that are listed are taken from a Dell OMCI device in your All devices list. If you select a device first, that device's settings will be used to populate the list of BIOS settings. If you don't select a device, the tool will take the first OMCI device it finds and use its settings.

The BIOS Settings Configuration dialog box lists the BIOS settings that you can change. The current status of each setting is listed, and a New setting column lets you select different settings. In addition, you can change the BIOS password and BIOS asset tag.

After you configure these settings, they are saved as a software distribution package. You can then distribute this package to one or more Dell OMCI devices that you manage. The settings are saved as an agent on each device. With some settings, you will receive alerts when the device status changes.

NOTE: If you don't see the settings that you want to change, those settings may not have been available on the Dell OMCI device that was used to populate the list. Try selecting a different managed device and then click Configure > Dell OMCI Configuration to populate the list with the new device's settings.

CAUTION: There are many possible BIOS settings that can be configured using this tool. In some cases, BIOS settings on one Dell device may not be available in the BIOS of another device. You should be careful to select compatible devices when you create a Dell OMCI configuration and distribute it to different devices. If the configuration contains BIOS settings that are incompatible with one of the target devices, unpredictable results may occur.

To configure OMCI settings for Dell devices
  1. If you want to specify which Dell OMCI device to use to populate the list of settings, select that device in the All devices list.
  2. Click Configure > Dell OMCI Configuration.
  3. To apply only the BIOS settings that you modify in the list, select Apply only modified settings to targeted clients. To apply the full set of BIOS settings to the targeted devices, select Apply all settings to targeted clients.
  4. In the list of BIOS settings, change the setting for each item you want to modify. In the New setting column, click the down arrow to select from a list of options.
  5. To change the BIOS password, select Set the BIOS password. Type the new password and confirm it. To clear the BIOS password, clear both password boxes.
  6. To change the BIOS asset tag for the device, select Set the BIOS asset tag and type the new tag in the Asset tag box.
  7. Click OK to save the configuration.
    A distribution package is created with the settings you have changed. To apply the configuration to Dell OMCI devices you manage, schedule the distribution package to the targeted devices.
  8. Click Tools > Distribution > Distribution Packages.
  9. Select the package in the All packages list. It is named Dell OMCI BIOS Settings - <date - time>.
    You can rename the package to identify which settings are configured, or to describe which devices it applies to.
  10. Right-click the package and select Create scheduled task.
  11. The package is listed in the Scheduled tasks tool. From the network view, drag each Dell OMCI device onto the OMCI package.
  12. Right-click the package and select Properties to view the package properties.
  13. Click Delivery method and select Push as the Delivery type, then select Standard push distribution as the Delivery method. Click Save.
  14. Right-click the package and select Start now.
    As the distribution task progresses, the package status will change. When the distribution has completed, it will show the number of devices that were successful or that failed in the distribution task.

After the package has successfully been distributed, you can restart any of the devices you reconfigured and enter the BIOS setup to verify that the changes were made.