Dell SupportAssist Enterprise 1.x software Quick Start Guide
Dell SupportAssist Enterprise 1.x is a comprehensive tool designed to automate technical support for your Dell servers, storage, and networking devices. With advanced monitoring capabilities, it proactively detects and addresses hardware issues, providing enhanced support and minimizing downtime. By leveraging SupportAssist Enterprise, you can:
-
Monitor Device Health: Continuously monitor your Dell devices for potential hardware issues, enabling early detection and prevention of critical failures.
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Automated Case Creation: In the event of a detected issue, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically opens a support case with Dell Technical Support, initiating the resolution process promptly.
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SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2
Quick Setup Guide
December 2017
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Topics:
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Overview
SupportAssist Enterprise is an application that automates technical support for your Dell server, storage, and networking devices. SupportAssist Enterprise monitors your devices and proactively detects hardware issues that may occur. When a hardware issue is detected, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically opens a support case with Technical Support and sends you an email notification. SupportAssist Enterprise automatically collects the system state information required for troubleshooting the issue and sends it securely to Dell. The collected system information helps Technical Support to provide you an enhanced, personalized, and efficient support experience. SupportAssist Enterprise capability also includes a proactive response from
Technical Support to help you resolve the issue.
Additionally, SupportAssist Enterprise can monitor hardware issues that may occur on devices that you are managing by using
OpenManage Essentials, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, or OpenManage Enterprise - Tech Release.
NOTE: In this document, the term local system refers to the system where SupportAssist Enterprise is installed; remote device refers to any other device in your environment.
This document provides information that is required to setup SupportAssist Enterprise for monitoring the local system and a single remote device.
After you successfully complete the setup:
● SupportAssist Enterprise can monitor the local system for hardware issues.
● You can use SupportAssist Enterprise to collect and send system state information from the local system or the remote device to Dell.
Downloading the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package
About this task
You can install SupportAssist Enterprise on a virtual machine or a PowerEdge server running either a Windows or Linux operating system.
Steps
1. Visit Dell.com/SupportAssist .
The Dell SupportAssist portal is displayed.
2. In the Available Versions section, click the Learn More link that is displayed under SupportAssist for Enterprise
Systems .
The SupportAssist for enterprise systems page is displayed.
3. In the Downloads section, under SupportAssist Enterprise , do one of the following depending on the installation package that you want to download:
● For the Windows installation package, click the SupportAssist Enterprise Windows management server link.
● For the Linux installation package, click the SupportAssist Enterprise Linux management server link.
The Drivers Details page is displayed in a new web browser window.
4. In the Available formats section, click the Download File link that is displayed under File Format: Application .
Download of the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package is initiated.
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Installing SupportAssist Enterprise on Windows
Steps
1. Right-click the SupportAssist Enterprise installer package, and then click Run as administrator .
The Preparing to Install page is displayed briefly, and then the Welcome to SupportAssist Enterprise Installer page is displayed.
2. Click Next .
The License Agreement page is displayed.
3. Read about the information that SupportAssist Enterprise collects from devices, and select I Agree .
4. Read the Dell End User License Agreement , select I Agree , and then click Install .
The Installing Dell SupportAssist Enterprise page is displayed, and then the Installation Completed page is displayed.
5. Click Finish .
The SupportAssist Enterprise Login page opens in a web browser window.
NOTE: If the system is a member of a domain, you must provide the user name in the [Domain\Username] format. For example, MyDomain\MyUsername . You can also use a period [ . ] to indicate the local domain.
For example, .\Administrator .
6. Type the Windows operating system user name and password, and then click Login .
The SupportAssist Enterprise Registration Wizard is displayed.
Next steps
(Optional) Complete the registration of SupportAssist Enterprise. See
Registering SupportAssist Enterprise
.
If you want to use SupportAssist Enterprise to only collect and send system information to Dell, you may skip the registration and follow the instructions in
Starting the collection of system information from a device
.
Installing SupportAssist Enterprise on Linux
Prerequisites
Log in to the system with root privileges.
Steps
1. Open the terminal window.
2. Browse to the folder where the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package is available.
3. Perform one of the following:
● Type chmod 744 supportassistenterprise_1.2.0.bin
and press Enter.
● Type chmod +x supportassistenterprise_1.2.0.bin
and press Enter.
4. Type ./supportassistenterprise_1.2.0.bin
and press Enter.
The Welcome to the Dell SupportAssist Enterprise Installer message is displayed.
5. To continue, type c .
The SupportAssist Enterprise License Agreement is displayed.
6. Read the license agreement and type y to start the installation.
7. Type the user name and password of a user with root privileges, and then click Login .
The SupportAssist Enterprise Registration Wizard is displayed.
NOTE: To access SupportAssist Enterprise from a remote system, open the following web address by using a web browser: https://<IP address or host name of the server where SupportAssist Enterprise is installed>:5700/SupportAssist .
Next steps
(Optional) Complete the registration of SupportAssist Enterprise. See
Registering SupportAssist Enterprise
.
If you want to use SupportAssist Enterprise to only collect and send system information to Dell, you may skip the registration and follow the instructions in
Starting the collection of system information from a device
.
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Registering SupportAssist Enterprise
Steps
1. On the Welcome page of the registration wizard, click Next .
SupportAssist Enterprise verifies connectivity to the internet.
2. On the Registration page, provide the following information: a. In the Company Information section, type the company name select your country or territory.
b. In the Contact Information section, type your first name, last name, phone number, alternate phone number, and email address in the appropriate fields.
3. To provide the shipping information and parts dispatch preferences, select Dispatch details and perform the following: a. In the Parts Dispatch section, select one of the following:
● Parts Dispatch Only — If you want only the replacement hardware component to be dispatched to your address.
● Parts Dispatch with Onsite Service — If you want an on-site technician to replace the dispatched hardware component.
b. Select Copy contact information , if you want to copy the contact details from the Contact Information section.
c. Select the preferred contact hours during which Dell can contact you, if necessary.
d. Select the time zone and type your shipping address in the appropriate fields.
e. Type any specific dispatch related information in the Dispatch Notes section.
NOTE: If a device is moved to a different location, ensure that the dispatch preferences and shipping information are updated.
4. Click Next .
SupportAssist Enterprise connects to Dell and completes the registration. If the registration is successful, the Summary page is displayed.
5. Click Finish .
The SupportAssist Enterprise Devices page is displayed.
After successful registration, a confirmation email is sent to the primary SupportAssist Enterprise contact.
If SupportAssist Enterprise is installed on a PowerEdge server, the local system is automatically added on the Devices page.
To allow SupportAssist Enterprise to monitor your local system, you must Install or upgrade OMSA , Configure SNMP settings , and Enable monitoring .
Installing or upgrading OMSA on the local system
Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is required for monitoring hardware issues that may occur on the local system.
Prerequisites
You must be logged in to SupportAssist Enterprise with elevated privileges. For information on the SupportAssist Enterprise user
privileges, see SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
.
Steps
1. On the Devices page, select the local system.
The device overview pane is displayed at the right side of the Devices page.
2. From the Tasks list, select Install / Upgrade OMSA .
The Status column displays the status of the OMSA installation or upgrade.
Setting up SupportAssist Enterprise for the local system
About this task
Installing SupportAssist Enterprise enables you to start the collection and upload of system state information from the local system. To allow SupportAssist Enterprise to monitor the local system for hardware issues, you must complete the registration and perform additional tasks.
Steps
1. Download the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package. See
Downloading the SupportAssist Enterprise installation package .
NOTE: For information on the supported operating systems and minimum requirements for installing SupportAssist
Enterprise, see the SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User’s Guide at Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
2. Install SupportAssist Enterprise. See
Installing SupportAssist Enterprise on Windows or Installing SupportAssist Enterprise on
.
.
CAUTION: Completing the registration is a prerequisite to receive the full benefits of SupportAssist
Enterprise. Without registration, you can only use SupportAssist Enterprise to manually start the collection and upload of system state information from your devices to Dell. Until registration is completed,
SupportAssist Enterprise can neither monitor your devices for hardware issues nor automatically collect system information.
4. Perform the following if you want SupportAssist Enterprise to monitor the local system for hardware issues:
.
b. Configure SNMP settings of the local system. See
Configuring SNMP settings of the local system
.
c. Enable monitoring of the local system. See
Enabling monitoring of the local system
.
Configuring SNMP settings of the local system
Configuring SNMP settings is required for monitoring hardware issues that may occur on the local system.
Prerequisites
You must be logged in to SupportAssist Enterprise with elevated privileges. For information on the SupportAssist Enterprise user
privileges, see SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
.
Steps
1. On the Devices page, select the local system.
The device overview pane is displayed at the right side of the Devices page.
2. From the Tasks list, select Configure SNMP .
The Status column displays the status of the SNMP configuration.
Enabling monitoring of the local system
Enabling monitoring allows SupportAssist Enterprise to detect hardware issues that may occur on the local system.
Prerequisites
.
Steps
1. Point to Devices and click View Devices .
The Devices page is displayed.
2. Select the local system.
The device overview pane is displayed at the right side of the Devices page.
3. In Monitoring , select Enable .
Setting up SupportAssist Enterprise for a remote device
Prerequisites
● You must be logged in to SupportAssist Enterprise with elevated privileges. For information on the SupportAssist Enterprise user privileges, see
SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
.
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● The remote device must be reachable from the local system.
●
About this task
To set up SupportAssist Enterprise for monitoring or collecting system information from a remote device, add the remote device in SupportAssist Enterprise. The following steps are applicable for adding a remote server running Windows.
NOTE: You can also add a supported storage, networking, or chassis device in SupportAssist Enterprise. For detailed information on adding devices individually based on the device type, see the SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User's
Guide at Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
Steps
1. Point to Devices and click View Devices .
The Devices page is displayed.
2. Click Add Devices .
The Add Single Device or Import Multiple Devices window is displayed.
3. From the Device Type list, ensure that Server / Hypervisor is selected.
4. Type the IP address or host name of the server in the appropriate field.
NOTE: Dell recommends that you enter the host name of the server. If the host name is not available, you can enter the
IP address of the server.
5. If desired, type a name for the device in the appropriate field.
The name you enter is used to represent the device in SupportAssist Enterprise. If you do not enter a name, the IP address or host name that you have entered is used to represent the device.
6. From the Account Credentials list, select Create Account , and then click Create .
The Add Account Credentials window is displayed.
7. In the Name field, type a unique name for the Account Credentials.
8. From the Device Type list, ensure that Server / Hypervisor is selected.
9. From the Operating System type list, select Windows .
10. Enter the user name and password of the device in the appropriate fields.
11. Click Save .
12. Click Next on the Add Single Device or Import Multiple Devices window.
The Discovering Device page is displayed until SupportAssist Enterprise identifies the device.
If the device is discovered successfully, the Assign Device Group (Optional) page is displayed. Otherwise, an appropriate error message is displayed.
13. If desired, from the Assign Other Group list, select a device group to which you want to assign the device.
14. Click Finish .
The device is added to the device inventory and the Summary page is displayed.
15. Click OK to close the Add Single Device wizard.
Viewing cases and devices
Steps
1. To view the support cases that are open for the devices you have added in SupportAssist Enterprise, point to Cases and click View Cases .
2. To view the devices that you have added in SupportAssist Enterprise, point to Devices and click View Devices .
You can also view the status of the SupportAssist Enterprise functionality on each monitored device on the Devices page. If there is an issue with the device setup or configuration, the device displays a warning or error status. The error status may be displayed as a link that you can click to view a description of the issue and the possible resolution steps.
System information collection settings
By default, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically collects system information from devices at periodic intervals. System information is also automatically collected when a support case is created for an issue that is detected on a device. If the security policy of your company restricts sending some or all of the collected system information outside of your company network, you can use the configuration options available in SupportAssist Enterprise to:
● Disable the automatic collection of system information from devices when a support case is created or updated
● Disable the periodic collection of system information from all devices
● Disable the collection of identity information from all devices
● Disable the collection of software information and the system log from devices
● Disable the automatic upload of collections
For more information on the system information collection settings, see the “Configuring collection settings” section in the
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User’s Guide at Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
Logging in to SupportAssist Enterprise
Steps
1. Open SupportAssist Enterprise.
The SupportAssist Enterprise Login page opens in a new web browser window.
2. Type the user name and password in the appropriate fields.
NOTE: You must provide the user name and password of a user account that has elevated or normal privileges in
.
3. Click Login .
The SupportAssist Enterprise Devices page is displayed.
Starting the collection of system information from a device
You can use SupportAssist Enterprise to collect and send the system information from a device to Dell.
Prerequisites
You must be logged in to SupportAssist Enterprise with elevated privileges. For information on the SupportAssist Enterprise user
privileges, see SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
.
Steps
1. Point to Devices and click View Devices .
The Devices page is displayed.
2. Select a device from which you want to collect and send system information to Dell.
The Start Collection link is enabled.
3. Click Start Collection .
The Name / IP address column on the Devices page displays a progress indicator and message that indicate the status of the collection and upload of the system information.
Uploading a collection from a disconnected site
About this task
When internet connectivity is available, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically collects and sends system information from your devices to Dell. If the server where SupportAssist Enterprise is installed does not have internet connectivity, you can choose to manually upload collections to Dell.
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Steps
1. Perform a collection from the device. See
Starting the collection of system information from a device .
2. If the collection was performed by SupportAssist Enterprise:
● For storage, networking, or multiple device collections only — On the Collections page, select the collection, and in the collection overview pane, click Download File .
● For other device collections, depending on the operating system, you can access the collection .zip file at the following location:
○ Windows — <Drive where SupportAssist Enterprise is installed>:\Program Files\Dell\SupportAssist\reports
○ Linux — /opt/dell/supportassist/scripts/reports
● If the collection was performed by a Remote Collector, log in to the server where the Remote Collector is installed.
Depending on the operating system, you can access the collection .zip file at the following location:
○ Windows — <System drive of the remote system>:\Program Files\Dell\SupportAssist\reports
○ Linux — /opt/dell/supportassist/scripts/reports
3. Copy and paste the collection .zip
file to another system that has internet connectivity.
4. Visit https://techdirect.dell.com/fileUpload/
The Dell EMC Technical Support File Upload page is displayed.
5. Type the Service Tag of the device.
6. Type your company name, contact name, Service Request #, email address, Dell contact email, and address in the appropriate fields.
NOTE: If you do not have a Service Request number, contact Technical Support to open a service request.
7. Click Choose File and browse to select the collection .zip
file.
8. Click Submit .
Managing SupportAssist Enterprise alerts in TechDirect
Dell EMC TechDirect is a centralized support portal that enables administrators in your organization to manage alerts that are created by SupportAssist Enterprise. By default, SupportAssist Enterprise automatically forwards alerts that qualify for support case creation or parts dispatch to Dell. Using TechDirect, you can set rules that allow you to review and determine if the alerts need to be forwarded to Dell for case creation or parts dispatch. For more information on setting up TechDirect to receive alerts from SupportAssist Enterprise, see the SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User's Guide at Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
SupportAssist Enterprise user groups
SupportAssist Enterprise maintains security rights through the following user groups that are created during the installation of
SupportAssist Enterprise:
● SupportAssistAdmins — Members of this group have elevated or administrative privileges required for performing both basic and advanced functions in SupportAssist Enterprise.
○ When SupportAssist Enterprise is installed on Windows, members of the Local Administrators group are automatically added to the SupportAssistAdmins user group.
○ When SupportAssist Enterprise is installed on Linux, root users are automatically added to the SupportAssistAdmins user group. Members of the Linux root group also have elevated privileges in SupportAssist Enterprise.
● SupportAssistUsers — Members of this group have normal privileges required for performing only basic functions in
SupportAssist Enterprise.
○ When SupportAssist Enterprise is installed on Windows, members of the Windows Users group are automatically added to the SupportAssistUsers user group.
○ When SupportAssist Enterprise is installed on Linux, members of the Linux users group have normal privileges in
SupportAssist Enterprise.
You can also add users to either of the SupportAssist Enterprise user groups based on your requirement. For more information on the SupportAssist Enterprise user groups, see the SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User’s Guide at Dell.com/
ServiceabilityTools .
Related documents and resources
In addition to this guide you can access the following documents that provide more information on SupportAssist Enterprise and the other related products.
Table 1. Related documents
Document title
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 Online Help
How to access the document
Click the help icon in the SupportAssist Enterprise user interface.
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 User's Guide
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 Support Matrix
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 Reportable Items
SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2 Release Notes
OpenManage Server Administrator Installation Guide
OpenManage Server Administrator User’s Guide iDRAC User’s Guide
SupportAssist on Dell EMC's 14th generation of PowerEdge servers
SupportAssist Collections on Dell EMC's 14th generation of
PowerEdge servers
TechDirect User's Guide for ProSupport Plus Reporting
1. Visit Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
2. Click SupportAssist Enterprise Version 1.2
.
3. Click Manuals .
Visit Dell.com/OpenManageManuals and click OpenManage
Server Administrator .
Visit Dell.com/idracmanuals .
Visit the iDRAC Dell TechCenter page.
Visit the iDRAC Dell TechCenter page.
1. Visit Dell.com/ServiceabilityTools .
2. Click ProSupport Plus Reporting .
3. Click Manuals .
Video tutorials
You can access the following video tutorials to learn about the features of SupportAssist Enterprise. To access the video tutorials, visit the Dell TechCenter Channel .
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Installing and Registering (Windows)
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Installing and Registering (Linux)
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Checking for Cases
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Importing Multiple Devices
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Revalidating a Device
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Testing Case Creation
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Monitoring the Local System
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Adding Devices
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Case Management
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Managing Device Groups
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Testing Network Connectivity
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Viewing Collections
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Collecting System Information
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Uploading Collections from a Disconnected Site
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Setting up OpenManage Essentials adapter
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Setting up System Center Operations Manager adapter
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Setting up Remote Collector
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Creating Account Credentials
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Creating Credential Profiles
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Creating Device Discovery Rule
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Managing SupportAssist Enterprise Alerts in TechDirect
● SupportAssist Enterprise: Performing Deep Discovery
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SupportAssist community
You can also find video tutorials, peer-to-peer questions, user’s guides, and other useful information on the Dell SupportAssist
Enterprise community forum at Dell.com/SupportAssistGroup .
Copyright © 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell
Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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