Solution Brief
Cloud service and hosting providers managing large-scale datacenters face many challenges accelerating their
infrastructure and managing multiple systems across different vendors. Updating firmware can be challenging, even across
many generations of hardware from a single vendor. The simplicity of a single, open embedded system management stack
allows for scalable operations, and easier migration paths across different or newer infrastructure.
Introducing Dell Open Server Manager built on OpenBMC™ enabling open, embedded systems management on select
Dell PowerEdge cloud scale servers. Explicitly designed for Cloud Server Providers managing large-scale data centers,
Dell Open Server Manager is designed, tested, and validated to securely run on select Dell PowerEdge platforms and
configurations. We offer a cohesive migration path for our customers looking to adopt OpenBMC for their environments
while optimizing operations and minimizing management with choices you can count on.
What is OpenBMC?
OpenBMC is an open-source BMC firmware stack designed to run on various infrastructures. It is a Linux Foundation
project with the backing of Intel®, IBM®, Microsoft®, and Google™. OpenBMC™ aims to run the same embedded
management software on all of your systems to bring consistent management across your environment.
Dell Open Server Manager is Dell’s implementation of OpenBMC.
Why Dell Open Server Manager?
Dell Open Server Manager built on OpenBMC includes pure OpenBMC plus the security, manageability,
and support that customer’s expect from PowerEdge servers:
Proven Security: Lifecycle Management: Global Services & Support
• Dell-signed firmware with silicon • BIOS configuration • Standard Dell standard support
root-of-trust (RoT) via Redfish™ API and warranties
• Root shell access disabled by default • Firmware update support via Dell Update • Ability to convert from OSM to iDRAC
Packages for BIOS, Backplane,
Power Supply, OSM, and iDRAC
Improved User Experience
How to choose OpenBMC or Dell Open Server Manager?
OpenBMC is designed to provide consistent systems management software across vendors for use by partners. Based on
the latest upstream OpenBMC 2.11, Dell Open Server Manager enables OpenBMC to run securely on select PowerEdge
servers by leveraging the same BMC silicon that iDRAC uses. In doing so, this added silicon Root-of-Trust ensures that
only the Dell version of OpenBMC –thoroughly tested and validated – runs seamlessly on PowerEdge servers. Giving our
customers the security, support, and manageability delivered from Dell PowerEdge servers.
Ensuring malicious OpenBMC firmware doesn’t make its way onto your servers, Dell lifecycle management is also enabled
to install Dell-signed firmware update packages from within Dell Open Server Manager for the BIOS, backplane, power
supplies, and iDRAC and Dell Open Server Manager. Additionally, the ability to export OpenBMC logs into a log package
for SupportAssist allows Dell to provide a full warranty and support.
OSM Solution Brief
© 2022 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Dell Open Server Manager Capabilities
Dell Open Server Manager provides many core systems management capabilities through multiple interfaces,
including Redfish™, IPMI, and a web-based user interface.
• Get an overview of the system
• View event and POST code logs
• Observe hardware status and inventory, including channel firmware devices
• Access the virtual KVM with virtual media capability
• Update firmware
• Perform server power operations and configure power consumption
• Configure settings such as the date, time, network, users, sessions, and policies
Everything visible in the GUI – except for the virtual KVM and media – is accessible through Redfish.
Redfish allows you to manage the server through a RESTful API programmatically. This feature is vital for
autonomous systems management.
Configuring Dell Open Server Manager
Provisioning a new server consists of three activities
1 Configure the hardware
2 Install an operating system
3 Deploy applications and workloads
Through the Redfish interface, Dell Open Server Manager users can quickly configure BIOS settings using a Server
Configuration Profile – just like iDRAC. In addition, firmware can be updated through Redfish or the web interface.
Dell Open Server Manager can update the firmware for the BIOS, backplane, power supplies, iDRAC,
or Dell Open Server Manager itself.
Firmware updates for other devices must be done through the operating system or with device-specific vendor tools.
Dell Open Server Manager accepts the same Dell firmware update packages used by iDRAC or for the operating system;
and can be downloaded from [Link]
An operating system can be installed using the virtual KVM and virtual media capability, or the server can be configured
to PXE boot to deploy the operating system and applications over the network.
OSM Solution Brief
© 2022 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Getting Started with Dell Open Server Manager
Dell Open Server Manager is available on select PowerEdge configurations as a factory option. Choose the embedded
systems management option (iDRAC or Open Server Manager) at the time of purchase. Both options run on the same
silicon with the same hardware, and ship directly from the factory. It’s your choice.
Contact your Dell account team to learn more about Dell’s Open Server Manager built on OpenBMC™ available exclusively
through the Hyperscale Next program for select customers by invitation only. For more information and to find out customer
eligibility, please contact your Dell account team.
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