IBM Hardware Management Pack for Microsoft SCOM 2007

In July 2011, IBM released Version 3.0 of it’s IBM Hardware Management Pack for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 – IBM BladeCenter and System x (Otherwise known as IBM HWMP 3.0 for short!).   The HWMP allows your SCOM team to have visability to your IBM System x servers and BladeCenter’s,  which is fantasic,  as it extends the reach of SCOM from typical Microsoft components such as Active Directory, DNS, Exchange to your hardware as well.

The architecture of the HWMP is outlined below for both In-band and Out-of-band management (BladeCenter’s).

A key thing to point out for In-Band management, is that a Systems Director Agent also needs to be installed on your servers, which is easy to do from your Systems Director server.  Importantly, note that alerts go directly from your Windows servers to SCOM (and not via your Systems Director server and then relayed to SCOM).

Media and Instructions

The HWMP is available as a free download from here,  and you’ll want to download the installer and release notes circled in red:

Lower on the web page there is also a few documents which detail how to use the management pack.   Particularly settings you’ll need to apply to your BladeCenter AMM’s to be managed by SCOM.    The document is located in the previous HWMP version (2.4) but still appears to be applicable for version 3.0

Installing the Management Pack

Once you start the installer (as Administrator) you’ll be be shown the following screen.  The HWMP is part of a broader Upward Integration kit for Microsoft System Center.  For example, the ability to provide baremetal Windows operating installations using SCCM (with IBM hardware) and integration with Microsoft VMM.   For details see here.

Further into the installation, you’ll want to select the IBM Hardware Management Pack 3.0.24 as shown:

Import Management Pack

Once you’ve installed the HWMP, you’ll then want to actually import it into SCOM via the usual method, Administration – Management Packs, then right click and select Import Management Packs…   The IBM HWMP files are located in the following directory.

Discovering Systems using the HWMP

Once the HWMP is installed, you’ll see it listed in the main Monitoring window as show below (listed also above IBM’s Storage Management Pack available here)

BladeCenter Management

As advised above, the ibm_sw_hwmp_2.4.20_windows_users_guide.pdf document details the settings you’ll need to apply to each of your BladeCenter AMM’s so they can be managed from SCOM.  SCOM discovers and manages your BladeCenter’s via SNMP v1.

The settings I used in our lab are shown below:

You can then discover your BladeCenter AMM’s via Administration – Network Devices and running the Discovery Wizard.  Ensure you select Network Devices (not Windows Computers) then also ensure you select SNMP v1 protocol (not the default SNMP v2 protocol).

You’re BladeCenter’s will then be displayed as follows in SCOM:

Servers with Operating Systems/Agents

For servers with Microsoft operating systems installed, you’ll first want to install the IBM Systems Director Agent (via Systems Director).  Then discover and install a Microsoft SCOM agent via the Discovery Wizard.   SCOM will then list your servers under Windows Computers on IBM System x or x86/x64 Blade Servers.

You’re ready to go

You’ll now have your IBM systems managed by SCOM and of course alert you via appropriate Notification settings.   I note that customers have posted various queries on the setup/use of the HWMP to the System x and Systems Director developerworks forums.

Let me know any feedback or suggestions you have for the IBM HWMP.