OpenManage Mobile

OpenManage Mobile (OMM) Overview

Dell EMC OpenManage Mobile (OMM) version 2.0.1 is a mobile application for managing servers and related devices from Android and iOS mobile devices. OpenManage Mobile enables IT administrators to perform a subset of server configuration, monitoring, and remediation tasks.

Key Use Cases of OpenManage Mobile

• Quickly perform basic server setup (plug the power cable, connect mobile device to server, assign IP address, change credentials, and update key BIOS attributes)

• Find out about any server issues quickly by signing up for proactive notifications from OpenManage Essentials console

• View all of the server information conveniently on a large screen, effectively getting the equivalent of a large LCD display on your mobile device

• Reduce the need for cumbersome crash carts by using Android tablet or an iPad to access system console

• For ease-of-use and faster first-time login, simply scan the iDRAC credentials stored in QR code
• Batch update factory default server passwords for Dell EMC PowerEdge 14th generation servers (Dell License Manager 1.5 is needed for this feature)

How to access PowerEdge servers from OpenManage Mobile

There are 3 key ways OpenManage Mobile can access and manage Dell EMC PowerEdge servers:

• Access iDRAC “at-the-server”
  PowerEdge servers (14^th generation): OMM can access PowerEdge 14^th generation servers through Quick Sync 2 module. Once connected, IT administrators can configure IP addresses & BIOS settings, share Dell EMC SupportAssist reports, view server inventory, health status & logs, or power cycle a server.
  
  Quick Sync 2 module, required for at-the-server access, is currently supported on following PowerEdge severs:
  - Rack servers: R940, R740, R740xd, R640, R540, and R440
  - Tower server: T640

  
  PowerEdge servers (13^th generation): OMM can access PowerEdge 13^th generation servers through the Quick Sync bezel. Once connected, IT administrators can configure IP addresses, view server inventory, health status & logs, or power cycle a server.
  
  Quick Sync bezel is supported on PowerEdge R730, R730xd, and R630 servers.

• Access iDRAC remotely
  OMM can access PowerEdge servers (12^th, 13^th, and 14^th generation) remotely over a secure, internal network from anywhere. Once connected, IT administrators can configure IP addresses & BIOS settings, share Dell EMC SupportAssist reports, view server inventory, health status & logs, or power cycle a server.
  
  Note: Features vary by server model & generation.

• Access servers remotely through OpenManage Essentials (OME) console
  
  OMM can connect to PowerEdge servers through the OpenManage Essentials (OME) Console (v 2.2 and later). IT administrators can monitor all systems managed by OpenManage Essentials including Dell EMC servers, storage, networking, and firewall appliances, as well as other OME-supported third party hardware. OMM can also receive proactive notifications from OME console.
  
  More information about OpenManage Essentials and a download link is available at www.DellTechCenter.com/OME. 
  
  For remote access to iDRAC or OpenManage Essentials, no additional hardware is required other than Android or iOS devices. For at-the-server access, either Quick Sync 2 module or Quick Sync bezel is needed.

Download OpenManage Mobile from App Stores

OpenManage Mobile is available as a no-charge application download from Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and MyApp/Tencent (China):

• Download link for OpenManage Mobile 2.0.1 (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/openmanage-mobile/id949941153?mt=8

• Download link for OpenManage Mobile 2.0.1 (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dell.omm
  
• OpenManage Mobile 2.0.1 (Android) is available on MyApp/Tencent and 360 Mobile Assistant app stores in China

Overview of OpenManage Mobile features

• Access Methods

• Connect to multiple OpenManage Essentials consoles from a single mobile device

• Connect to multiple PowerEdge servers (12^th, 13^th, and 14^th generation) servers remotely

• Connect to PowerEdge servers (14^th generation) through Quick Sync 2 module (Android and iOS)

• Connect to PowerEdge servers (13^th generation) through Quick Sync bezel (Android only)

• Notifications (from OpenManage Essentials console)

• Receive critical alert notifications from OME on your mobile device

• Acknowledge, forward and delete alerts from your mobile device

• Monitor

• Browse server details, health status, firmware inventory, system event logs, and LC logs of individual servers. Share/Forward as needed.

• Access and share SupportAssist reports, or crash screens and videos

• Access server warranty information from the mobile device

• Basic server setup & configuration

• Configure one server manually, or multiple servers simultaneously. You can even update the Auto-Update flag in server from OMM.

• Run RACADM commands and get output directly on the mobile device

• Access system console to view server OS desktops (12^th, 13^th, and 14^th generation). Note: This needs a Third-Party app download from Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

• Perform server management functions such as Power On, Power cycle, Reboot, or Shutdown from the mobile application

• Demo Mode

  • Learn the features of OpenManage Mobile by accessing the “Demo Mode”. OpenManage Mobile users (customers, technicians, sales, etc.) can preview the capabilities of OpenManage Mobile using an offline, pre-populated “demo database” included in the app.

Key NEW features in OpenManage Mobile v2.0.1:

• Batch update factory default server passwords for Dell EMC PowerEdge servers (Dell License Manager 1.5 is needed for this feature)

  • Available for PowerEdge 14^th generation servers

Key NEW features in OpenManage Mobile v2.0:

• Access the new Quick Sync 2 module for at-the-server systems management

  • Available for PowerEdge 14^th generation servers

  • Advanced functionality, including “touch & roam” capabilities for ease-of-use

  • Now supported on iOS too (in addition to Android mobile devices)

  • Leverages Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology to connect OMM to iDRAC

  • Availability at both Point-of-Sale with servers as well as After-Point-of-Sale (Point-of-sale highly recommended).

  • Located internally within the server (not a bezel anymore)

• Perform manual and batch server configurations*
  Assign IP addresses, change iDRAC credentials and NIC configuration, change boot order, update location or key BIOS attributes.
  
  * Please note that the batch server configuration feature is primarily available for PowerEdge 14^th generation servers. Features vary by server generation and access method.

• Access SupportAssist reports for PowerEdge 14th generation servers
  Access and share SupportAssist reports, last boot capture or crash video; View and share last crash or the OS preview screen.

• Run RACADM commands to access and manage PowerEdge 13^th and 14^th generation servers
  Run any RACADM command and obtain the output directly on the mobile device. Five frequently used RACADM commands are pre-entered in the application and can be initiated with the touch of a finger on the mobile display.

• Access a Virtual Console (VNC over SSH) securely
  Access a console securely over SSH from both Android and iOS mobile devices

Overview / Customer Presentation

(Please visit the site to view this file)

Hardware / App Requirements 

• Mobile device running Android OS v5.0 or later OR iOS 9.0 or later
• OME v2.2 or later management console (for remote access to servers through OME and notifications to mobile devices)
• PowerEdge 14th, 13th, or 12th generations servers (for 1:1 remote connection through IDRAC)
• PowerEdge 14th generation servers - R940, R740, R740xd, R640, R540, R440, T640 - with Quick Sync 2 module (for at-the-server management)
• PowerEdge 13th generation servers - R730, R730xd, R630 with Quick Sync Bezel (for at-the-server management)

Videos

Dell EMC OpenManage Mobile 2.0 with Quick Sync 2 module for at-the-server management

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Quick Sync NFC bezel on Dell PowerEdge R730 with OpenManage Mobile

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Documents   

OpenManage Mobile v2.0.1 User Guides (for Android and iOS)

White Paper “Understanding OpenManage Mobile and Quick Sync Security”

White Paper “Understanding iDRAC Quick Sync 2”

White Paper “Accessing Remote Desktop using VNC on PowerEdge servers”

“Save Server Management Time and Effort for IT Staff” – A paper by Principled Technologies, and sponsored by Dell EMC

iDRAC Quick Sync bezel Technical Guide (PowerEdge 13th generation)

OpenManage Mobile - Miscellaneous Notes

12/02/2014 - iDRAC Quick Sync

Certain Android handsets do not autonegotiate well at all NFC speeds. This might be an Android OS bug or a bug in the chipset silicon of the handset. So far we have not managed to isolate any vendor or Android OS version that  has this problem. It happens to be random across manufacturers, but consistent to a handset model.

Of the supported 106, 212, and 424 kbps for Quick Sync, only 106 kbps works effectively.

If you have a a device that has the above-mentioned problem during Quick Sync, then you are advised to launch the “Add via Quick Sync” animation within the OMM app before you perform an Quick Sync Scan, in order to have a successful scan.

For the devices that  do not have this problem, you can be in any state of using the app (even minimized) and the app is launched when you attempt to do a Quick Sync read.

03/18/2014 - Push Notifications

Question – I am able to connect to my OME through 3G/4G connections and get notifications. When I am not connected to my OME server I still keep receiving notifications from the devices I am monitoring. Why is this happening? How can I stop this?

Answer – When a user adds an OME to the OMM app on the phone, he/she chooses a filter for “push notifications”. This is the second screen of the “Add OME” wizard. Whenever OME receives an alert that matches the filter chosen by the user it sends an alert update via the end users phone network to the mobile device. If “All Alerts” was chosen, the user will receive all alerts that are received by OME. Ideally an administrator should set the filter to only those alerts that are critical and are of interest to avoid alert overload.

The alerts will get pushed to your mobile phone even when you are no longer connected to the OME, and away from your company network. These messages are not warnings about lack of connection to OME. As an OME administrator, you would want to receive these alerts even when not connected to the OME (for example when you are offsite or it is after work hours), since they usually indicate problems in your data center. After receiving one or more alerts log onto OMM, connect to the OME, and then view more details on the alerts. After browsing through the alert details take action on the alert, without having to physically access the OME or the targets managed by OME. If you don’t log onto OMM, the alerts will accumulate as they are still marked “unread.”

If you don’t want to receive alerts when not connected to the OME this feature can be turned off. There are several ways to do this.

1)      Log onto OMM, edit the OME’s connection and change your filter settings to “None” or to the filter you are most interested in. You have to be connected to the OME to make this change. A user can always re-subscribe to the right filter as his roles and responsibilities changes over time.

2)      Log onto OME via a web browser, and in the “Preference” section you will see your phone listed in the “Mobile Settings” page. You can choose to delete or disable your device from that list. 

OpenManage Mobile Forum -

Have a question or feedback on OMM. Start a discussion here.

Others –

OpenManage open source license document