The following blogs are published by the Dell EMC Oracle Database Solutions engineering team.

2016

• Tested and Validated (T&V) Q4CY16 release blog
  

Oracle Database Tested and Validated with VMware

Dell EMC’s latest Oracle Database Tested and Validated (T&V) program brings in a key update for our customers, wherein, VMware as a virtualized platform is now added to our Oracle database’s validated compatibility matrix.  This release also adds the validation of Dell EMC’s 13^th generation servers running with Intel’s latest Broadwell processors. A summary of the key hardware and software components that are validated with VMware platform in this release is provided in Table 1

Oracle Database Tested and Validated with VMware

Dell EMC’s latest Oracle Database Tested and Validated (T&V) program brings in a key update for our customers, wherein, VMware as a virtualized platform is now added to our Oracle database’s validated compatibility matrix.  This release also adds the validation of Dell EMC’s 13^th generation servers running with Intel’s latest Broadwell processors. A summary of the key hardware and software components that are validated with VMware platform in this release is provided in Table 1

Factory Dynamic Driver Injection&DynamicPatchInjection

Dell Configuration Services (CS) factory image load service supports dynamically updating both drivers and Windows critical OS patches.

Dynamic Driver Injection (DDI):  Dell CS supports Dynamic Driver Injection for CS services enabled factory shipping models, allowing your custom image to be shipped with the latest up-to-date drivers for the specific models being ordered.

DDI supports for the following imaging solutions.  Ask your CS project manager for more information. 

• Dell ImageAssist
• Dell Kace
• Boot in factory SCCM OS Deployment
• Boot in factory Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) OS Deployment

***Note:DynamicWindowspatchingcurrentlyappliestoEnglishWindowsOSonly. Imageswithlanguagepacksinstalledarenotsupported.

DynamicPatchInjection(DPI): DellCSsupportsdynamicallyinstallingWindows critical operatingsystemupdateswithinyourWindows7SP1or8.1Update1OSdeployment. Pleasenote,important,recommended&optionalupdatesarenotincluded.

DPIsupportsforthefollowingimagingsolutions. AskyourCSprojectmanagerformoreinformation. 

• DellImageAssist
• SCCMOSDeployment
• MicrosoftDeploymentToolkit(MDT)OSDeployment

SeecurrentlistofDPIupdateshere.

SC Series Technical Documents

This page is a frequently updated collection of all SC Series (including Compellent) technical documents and videos produced by Dell storage engineering, marketing and solution partners.

Click to jump to a topic:

Data Protection

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Databases (General)

  Back to the top

Enterprise Manager/Dell Storage Manager

  Back to the top

Exchange Server

  Back to the top

FluidFS / NAS

Click here for additional FluidFS technical content on Dell TechCenter.

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Linux / Unix

  Back to the top

Oracle

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SQL Server

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SharePoint

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Storage Center (General)

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Virtualization

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Windows Server

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Dell EMC Networking and Silver Peak

The explosion of cloud-based applications and services combined with the insatiable demand for bandwidth is driving customers to reevaluate wide area networking (WAN) requirements. Using the internet for branch office WAN connections is a logical step, but internet services are often unreliable delivering unpredictable application performance as well as notoriously insecure.

Dell EMC and Silver Peak have partnered to deliver Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solutions that overcome these limitations. By providing securely encrypted, high-performance virtual WAN overlays, using any combination of transport including broadband, geographically distributed enterprises can lower WAN costs while increasing application performance.

Fully integrated with Dell EMC's portfolio of converged compute and storage platforms, Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect™ intelligently and automatically directs traffic across WAN resources based on business priorities. Centralized orchestration and zero-touch provisioning of the SD-WAN allows customers to bring new sites on line more quickly, increasing agility while lowering operational costs. Leveraging broadband services saves up to 90% on WAN bandwidth costs.

For latency-sensitive applications or where large amounts of data must be transferred, customers can service chain the optional Unity Boost software performance pack. Boost integrates Silver Peak’s field-proven WAN optimization features to create a single, fully integrated WAN solution.

Together, Dell EMC and Silver Peak help customers build a better WAN that lowers costs while improving application performance and end-user experience.

Documentation

• Dell EMC and Silver Peak Solution Brief
• Dell EMC and Silver Peak ServiceKing customer case study
• DellEMCandSilverPeakShelbycustomercasestudy

Dell Command | Configure

Overview

Dell Command | Configure is a packaged software application that provides configuration capability to business client platforms.

This product consists of a Command Line Interface (CLI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) to configure various BIOS features. Dell Command | Configure supports following Windows and Linux operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10, Windows PreinstallationPre-installation Environment (Windows PE), Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, and Ubuntu Desktop 16.04.

This is the 3.2 version of Dell Command | Configure.

Downloads

• Windows download
• Linux downloads
  • • RHEL6 64 bit
    • RHEL7 64 bit
    • Ubuntu Desktop 16.04 64 bit
• Documentation

New in the Release

• New platforms.
• Support for SMBIOS 3.0
• Updated the default installation path for Linux as /opt/dell/dcc.
• Support for following new BIOS features/attributes:
  • Determining if BIOS should attempt to boot from the legacy boot list when the UEFI boot list fails (--attemptlegacyboot).
  • Configuring the Active State Power Management (ASPM) level (--aspm).
  • Configuring the automatic BIOS recovery without any user interaction if BIOS corruption is detected (--biosautorecovery).
  • Configuring the BIOS connect feature (--biosconnect).
  • Configuring the state of the available BiosConnect boot paths (--biosconnectactivation).
  • Allowing or restricting downgrading of the system BIOS (--biosdowngrade).
  • Configuring the BIOS integrity check during the booting process (--biosintegritycheck).
  • Allowing or restricting the BIOS event log to be cleared on the next boot (--bioslogclear).
  • Configuring the visibility of BIOS settings (--biossetupadvmode).
  • Configuring the time-out value for the keyboard backlight when an AC adapter is plugged into the system (--brightnessac).
  • Configuring the panel brightness to be used when the system is using battery power only (--brightnessbattery).
  • Configuring the Reliability Availability Serviceability (RSA) support on CPUs (--cpursa).
  • Configures the CPU snoop mode (--cpusnoop).
  • Configuring the platform external displays (--dgpuexterndisplay).
  • Configuring Configures the dock battery charge mode (--dockbattchrgcfg).
  • Allowing or restricting to use the docking station in the absence of AC power while the battery is charged for more than specified percentage (--docksupportonbattery).
  • Configuring the fan speed control if the fan speed is set to Auto using fanspeed attribute (--fanspeedctrllevel).
  • Configuring whether to clear the fault tolerant memory log during the next boot (--faulttolerantmemlogclear).
  • Configuring the full screen logo that appears during BIOS POST (--fullscreenlogo)
  • ConfiguringGPSWWANRadio(--gpsonwwanradio).
  • ConfiguringSystemIsochronousmode(--isochronous).
  • Configuringthetime-outvalueforthekeyboardbacklightwhenanACadapterispluggedintothesystem(--kbdbacklighttimeoutac).
  • Configuringthetime-outvalueforthekeyboardbacklightwhenthesystemisrunningonlyonbatterypower(--kbdbacklighttimeoutbatt).
  • Configuringlidswitchfunctions(--lidswitch).
  • Configuringtheliquidcooler1,andtheliquidcooler2(--liquidcooler1,and--liquidcooler2).
  • ConfiguringM2PCIESSD0andM2PCIESSD1(--m2pciessd0,and--m2pciessd1).
  • Configuringthemasterpasswordsettings(--masterpwdlockout).
  • Configuringthetimelimitvalueofthememoryfaulttolerance(--memfaulttoltimelmt).
  • ConfiguringReliabilityAvailabilityServiceability(RSA)supportonmemorymodules(--memoryrsa).
  • Configuringthememoryperformancemonitorfeature(--memperformancemonitor).
  • ConfiguringtheReliabilityAvailabilityServiceability(RSA)supportonPCIedevices(--pciersa).
  • Allowsorrestrictsthepowereventlogtobeclearedonthenextboot(--powerlogclear).
  • ConfiguringtheStealthModecontroloftheIntel8260card(--poweroffintel8260stealthmode).
  • ConfiguringtheDellrecoverytool(--recoverytool).
  • AllowingorrestrictingthesystemtobootfromSDcard(--sdcardboot).
  • Configuringtheread-onlymodeforSDcard(--sdcardreadonly).
  • ConfiguresSecureGuardExtensions(SGX)feature(--secureguardext).
  • IndicatingthatthepowerbuttonhasbeenpressedduringPOST(--signoflifeindication).
  • Determiningwhichsleepmodetobeusedbytheoperatingsystem(--sleepmode).
  • ConfiguringthebootflowforSupportAssistOSrecoverytoolintheeventofcertainsystemerrors(--supportassistosrcvry).
  • DeletingtheserviceOSnon-volatileregion(--svcosclear).
  • Allowsorrestrictsthethermaleventlogtobeclearedonthenextboot(--thermallogclear).
  • Configuringthethunderboltcontrollerinthesystem(--thunderbolt).
  • Configuringthethunderboltsecuritylevel(--thunderboltsecuritylevel).
  • Configuringthemaximumpowerfortype-Cconnector(--typecbtryovrldprotection).
  • DeterminingwhetherthesystemshouldprompttheusertoentertheAdminpassword,ifset,whilebootingfromaUEFIbootpathfromtheF12BootMenu(--uefibootpathsecurity).
  • ConfiguringtheprovisioningofIntelAMTfromaUSBstoragedevice(--usbprovision).
  • ConfiguringtheUSBwakefroms4powerstateofthesystem(--usbwakefroms4)

Previous Releases:

Dell Command | Configure 3.1

Microsoft Windows Server 2016

Technical documentation and guidance for Windows Server 2016

General Information

• Windows Server 2016 ISO Downgrade from Dell
• Running Windows Server 2016 on Dell Servers in Non-Production Environments
• Dell PowerEdge Servers certified for Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 4

Nano Server

• Nano Server Support and Dell PowerEdge
• Nano Server wiki
  
• Introducing Windows Server 2016 Nano Server Technical Preview 4
• Automating Nano Server deployment on Dell PowerEdge Servers
  
• How to deploy Nano Server (TP5) using WDS with the PowerEdge R730xd

• How to deploy Nano Server (TP5) using a USB key with the PowerEdge R730xd

Storage

• Testing Storage Spaces Direct using Dell PowerEdge R730xd
• DeployingStorageSpacesonNanoServer

Security and Assurance

• Dell PowerEdge Server with TPM 2.0 Support
• Retrieve Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version information using PowerShell
• Remotely Configure System Settings for Guarded Fabric Hosts Deployment
• Shielding a VM with Windows Server 2016 on Dell PowerEdge 13G Servers
• Approving Trusted TPM for Dell PowerEdge 13G Servers in Windows Host Guardian Service

Configuring the BIOS using the Dell Client Configuration Utility (DCCU)

Determining available values

1. Start DCCU
2. Navigate to the Get Values tab
3. Choose the Select All checkbox
4. Choose Create Package, make note of the location where the tool saves the executable, name the file anyting that you want e.g. GETVALUES.EXE.
5. Go to the folder where the executable was saved and run it.
6. In the DCCU interface choose Open Output File
7. Browse to the folder that your executable was saved to and choose DCCUResults.xml

Modifying a Value

Deploying the Settings

• The executable will delete itself from the location where it was run. It will only leave behind the XML files that contain the status of the change. If you need to run the settings multiple times for some reason then you might copy the exe to temp directory and execute it there.
• This tool will issue a zero exit code if it was successful but it does not provide definitive inventory on the state of the BIOS setting.
• While a reboot will not occur, some settings may not be viable until after a reboot. You will need to test that scenario for your custom settings. In most cases you can avoid an immeadiate reboot and wait for the next user initiated reboot.

Pre Release change updates about DCPP

These are the changes which are going to happen in next Dell Command | PowerShell Provider release. This post is to make users aware about changes and be prepared with changes in their script.

Attribute Category Changes

Attribute Name and Possible Value Name Changes

Dell Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solutions

Together, Dell EMC and Red Hat deliver flexible, validated, and enterprise-hardened OpenStack cloud solutions. The jointly-engineered solutions are designed, validated, and fully integrated from Red Hat OpenStack Platform software and Dell EMC enterprise cloud components to accelerate time to value with open and flexible configurations that maximize choice and eliminate lock-in. These solutions enable your implementation of private and hybrid clouds through enterprise-grade software, certified platforms, and professional services and support. OpenStack cloud solutions from Red Hat and Dell EMC help you to transform IT service delivery by deploying flexible and highly scalable cloud services that enable a future ready IT infrastructure.

So what does this really mean for you?

• OpenStack Cloud Solutions, co-engineered and validated by Red Hat and Dell EMC, help enterprises launch cloud implementations faster and more efficiently, while reducing risk and accelerating time to business value.
  
  
• These open, secure, and reliable solutions remove complexity and stabilize the OpenStack operating environment, allowing organizations to confidently build out agile, dynamic, customer-focused cloud foundations for business transformation.
  
  
• Recent extensions to the Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution expand the capabilities to include hybrid cloud management and self-service automation with CloudForms, and powerful Platform as a Service (PaaS) capabilities for application delivery using a standardized container model with OpenShift Container Platform, Docker, and Kubernetes. 
   

The latest release is the Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution version 6, based on Red Hat OpenStack Platform 9 (OSP 9). This release, which uses OpenStack Mitaka, delivers enhanced deployment automation, in-service upgrades, and options to implement containers as a service with Red Hat OpenShift 3.3, using Docker and Kubernetes. Read more about this release below and on the latest Dell4Enterprise blog.

Technical Resources

The following technical resources are available for this release:

• First and foremost, please read the Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution Reference Architecture Guide v6.
   
• In addition to the Reference Architecture Guide, several Technical Guides regarding OpenStack extensions, including expansion and validation of compute, storage, and networking resources, can be found in the Cloud Resource Repository. Please make sure that the version of Tech Guide matches the version of Reference Architecture that you are using.
  
  The latest Tech Guides and technical documentation include the following:
   
  
  • Adding and Removing Compute and Storage Nodes v6
  • Multi-Rack Networking with Dell S6000-ON Switches v6
  • Validating the Overcloud Deployment with a Tempest-based Test Suite v6  
  • Release Notes for Dell Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution Reference Architecture Guide v6
  • Errata for Dell Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution Reference Architecture Guide v6

The following documents will be released shortly for version 6. Check back soon, or for background, you may wish to review the previous version 5 documents.

• • Integrating Red Hat OpenShift and CloudForms for a Platform as a Service (PaaS) Solution
  • Deploying Red Hat CloudForms Hybrid Cloud Management Platform
  • Deploying Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform

• More information and collateral on the Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution can be found at Dell.com/openstack.

• Information on the Dell EMC and Red Hat Global Alliance can be found at Dell.com/redhat. 

Related Dell TechCenter and Dell4Enterprise OpenStack Blogs

You can find additional information and insight in the following related blog posts (most recent first):

Dell EMC Continues to Lead at OpenStack Summit

Delivering Enterprise Capable OpenStack Clouds

Experience Open Source with Dell at Red Hat Summit 2016

SPEC Cloud IaaS Benchmarking: Dell Leads the Way

Delivering on the Promise of OpenStack Clouds

Announcing New Validated Extensions for Dell Red Hat Cloud Solution

Dell at OpenStack Summit 2016!

Ceph Standalone Storage Solutions

In addition to using Red Hat Ceph Storage as the storage backend of the Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution, Dell EMC offers several standalone software-defined storage solutions based on Red Hat Ceph, including the PowerEdgeR730xdserverandtheDellEMC DSS 7000 Storage Server andtheDellEMCPowerEdgeR730xdserver.  Find out more with the following resources:

DSS7000withRedHatCephStorage2:

Dell PowerEdgeR730xdEMCDSS7000 Red Hat Ceph Storage 2 Performance and Sizing Guide

Taking Open, Scale-out Object Storage to New Heights with the DSS 7000 Storage Server 

PowerEdgeR730xdwithRedHatCephStorage1.3.2:

DellPowerEdgeR730xdRedHatCephStoragePerformanceandSizingGuide

Core OpenStack Solution Components

The Dell EMC Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Solution includes core software, hardware, professional services, and support.

Core Software Components from Red Hat

• The solution architecture is based on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 9, also known as the Mitaka release of OpenStack.
• Delivers both the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system and Red Hat OpenStack Platform in a single hardened and fully supported software distribution
• In the same manner Red Hat distributes Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat OpenStack Platform is a packaged, tested, and supported software package sold as an annual software subscription
• Red Hat performs compatibility testing, code back-porting, code patches and updates. The result is a stable, reliable and secure enterprise operating environment
• An extensive library of proven software from partners ensures customer choice for complementary applications that match their requirements.

Core Hardware Components from Dell EMC

• The solution architecture includes Dell EMC server, storage, and networking infrastructure, bundled and validated system configurations, and a complete bill of materials. The core configuration includes all the necessary components for a complete, validated solution.
• Server hardware delivers the latest Intel® Xeon® processor family, high-performance memory, and a broad range of local storage options.
• The Dell EMC PowerEdge R630 server, used for the compute and controller nodes, is a hyper-dense, two-socket, 1U rack server. With computing capability previously only seen in 2U servers, the PowerEdge R630 delivers an impressive solution for cloud infrastructure. Optional server configurations are discussed in the Reference Architecture Guide.
• The Dell EMC PowerEdge R730xd is an exceptionally flexible and scalable, two-socket 2U rack server. Designed with an incredible range of configurability, the PowerEdge R730xd meets the needs of many different workloads. Storage is built out in blocks of 3x PowerEdge R730xd servers that delivers high performance processing and a broad range of workload-optimized local storage possibilities, including hybrid tiering.
• Network configuration and topology include ToR switch configurations that utilize the Dell Networking S3048 for 1 GbE and S4810 for 10 GbE, plus optional use of the S6000 for large scale multi-rack networking.
• Dell EMC also delivers deployment automation for both the Dell EMC hardware and the Red Hat OSP software.

Red Hat and Dell EMC Professional Services

Jointly designed and coordinated services are provided to assist customers in the planning, deployment, training, and implementation: 

• Assessment and feasibility – available from both Red Hat and Dell EMC
• Cloud solution consulting– available from both Red Hat and Dell EMC
• Hardware deployment and configuration – provided by Dell EMC Enterprise Deployment Team
• Network implementation – provided by Dell EMC Enterprise Deployment Team
• Software deployment and configuration – provided by Red Hat professional services

Red Hat and Dell EMC Support

Together, Red Hat and Dell EMC deliver an enterprise lifecycle experience by providing stable releases of OpenStack code that is integrated with the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system, packaged together as Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform, and fully certified on Dell EMC hardware platforms. Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform support provides long-term stability that includes security fixes, bug fixes, performance enhancements, and selected OpenStack features that can be back-ported and implemented without disrupting production environments.

Customer support is provided via a collaborative model. Dell EMC ProSupport accepts all customer support calls, validates the request and determines if the issue is related to hardware or software. Dell EMC provides any necessary hardware repairs. If required, Dell EMC executes a warm hand off to Red Hat for L1, L2, L3 customer software issues. Red Hat engineers are experienced, and knowledgeable in Linux and OpenStack to resolve problems quickly.

PS Series Technical Documents

This page is a frequently updated collection of all Dell Storage PS Series (EqualLogic) technical documents and videos produced by Dell Storage engineering, marketing and solution partners.

Reference documents (regularly updated):

• Rapid EqualLogic Configuration Portal
• Switch Configuration Guides for PS Series or SC Series SANs
• Dell PS Series Configuration Guide
• Dell Storage Compatibility Matrix

Click to jump to a topic:

Cloud

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Data protection

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Database (general)

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Exchange Server

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FluidFS

Click here for additional FluidFS technical content on Dell TechCenter.

Back to the top

Linux / Unix

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Oracle

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SAN (general)

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SharePoint

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SQL Server

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Virtualization

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Windows Server

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SC Series Technical Documents

This page is a frequently updated collection of all SC Series (including Compellent) technical documents and videos produced by Dell storage engineering, marketing and solution partners.

Click to jump to a topic:

Data Protection

 Back to the top

Databases (General)

  Back to the top

Enterprise Manager/Dell Storage Manager

  Back to the top

Exchange Server

  Back to the top

FluidFS / NAS

Click here for additional FluidFS technical content on Dell TechCenter.

  Back to the top

Linux / Unix

  Back to the top

Oracle

  Back to the top

SQL Server

  Back to the top

SharePoint

  Back to the top

Storage Center (General)

 Back to the top

Virtualization

  Back to the top

Windows Server

 Back to the top 

Dell Active System Manager

Active System Manager (ASM) is Dell’s unified management and open automation solution that integrates with the IT of today and tomorrow. With its open, flexible, and extensible architecture, and support for heterogeneous IT environments, ASM empowers IT teams to unify existing IT investments and maintain the flexibility to adopt new technology to support new business initiatives in the future.

ASM takes a top-down service-centric approach that radically simplifies the deployment, provisioning, and management of IT services, and enables any IT administrator to provision new infrastructure and workloads in just minutes. ASM’s automation spans across both physical and virtual infrastructure and encompasses everything from servers, switches, and storage, to hypervisors and clusters, to virtual machines, operating systems, and applications – all from a profoundly intuitive user interface that simplifies what are otherwise highly complex and time-consuming tasks.

ASM is an important foundation of Dell’s private cloud solutions, provides unified management for converged infrastructure solutions, and will make our Dell reference architectures come to life with template-based automation for rapid and repeatable deployments.

For information, videos, and additional resources on ASM, please see the links below in this page.

ASM 8.2

With its newest release, Active System Manager continues to expand on ASM’s intuitive user interface and its open and extensible architecture.

ASM 8.2 introduces the following capabilities:  

• ASM 8.2 includes an Application Software Developer Kit (SDK) and some new additions to the ASM compatibility list, broadening the scope of infrastructure and applications that can take advantage of ASM’s powerful automation capabilities.
• A new user interface improves on ASM’s already intuitive navigation and comprehensive dashboard view of IT resources
• A port view capability provides visual mapping of physical to virtual infrastructure and clear notification of connectivity issues for faster root cause identification and resolution.
• Expanded infrastructure and service-level health monitoring gives IT administrators an aggregated view into service-level health, helping them to be proactive in dealing component failures that could impact running services
• Building on ASM’s existing integrations with VMware vCenter and vRealize Orchestrator, starting with release 8.2, ASM will be adding increasing capabilities for VMware Virtual SAN
  • ASM 8.2 includes support for VMware Virtual SAN 6.1 for our recently announced VSAN-ready nodes based on the Dell PowerEdge RX730XD. This will dramatically reduce the number of steps required for customers and partners to get a cluster up and running and to maintain consistent firmware levels.
  • ASM 8.2 also adds support for discovery and lifecycle management of pre-existing infrastructure (on the ASM compatibility list) in VMWare ESXi environments
  • The ASM compatibility list continues to grow giving customers the ability to manage even more of their IT resources with ASM.