Dell's system management software is getting a point upgrade for the arrival of its new four-socket PowerEdge R9000 servers and company.

OpenManage 5.3, will cull some extraneous UIs for server updating, as well as add tools for power management.

Not that we're bitterr about it.

The latest update includes Systems Build and Update Utility 1.0, which unites the UI and CLI across Dell Systems Build and Update Utility, bare metal deploy, OS deploy, and platform update servers. It reduces the number of tools necessary for Dell server updates and set-up from three applications to one.

OpenManage 5.3 will also provide a variety of standards-based power monitoring and alert capabilities, using OpenManage Server Administrator and IT Assistant tools.

It also adds the ability to update serial attached SCSI drive firmware while they remain running. Previous versions required the drives to be shut down before maintenance.

Dell also says 5.3 will give more control over the level of updates by enabling admins to build and update the repository inside the firewall to mirror Dell Online. Each server can update without going through a corporate firewall to do so.

OpenManage 5.3 will be available worldwide next week.

New OpenManage partners

Dell is also expanding its OpenManage Certified Partner Program, adding six systems management solution providers to the program. A few are old stand-bys, some a new to the block.

New members are: Altiris, BMC Software, Dorado Software, LANDesk, Microsoft and Novell.

Dell adds members by providing developer toolkits for embedding OpenManage components into other system management applications, and then certifies the functionality.

According to Ed Reynolds, Dell senior manager of product marketing, this is how the certification breaks down:

• Alteris: Deployment, monitoring, and updates
• BMC: Monitoring, and working on deployment certification
• Dorado: update
• LANDesk: Deployment, update, working on monitoring
• Novel: Deployment, update
• Microsoft: Monitoring, update, working on deployment

More information on Dell's OpenManage platform is available here. ®

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