Skip to main content

Management considerations

There are several alternatives to choose from when managing devices. Depending on the devices being managed, you might need multiple management solutions running at the same time.

A device can be managed by only one instance of Lenovo XClarity Administrator. However, you can use other management software (such as VMware vRealize Operations Manager) in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator to monitor devices that XClarity Administrator manages.

Attention
Extra care must be taken when using multiple management tools to manage your devices to prevent unforeseen conflicts. For example, submitting power-state changes using another tool might conflict with configuration or update jobs that are running in XClarity Administrator.

ThinkSystem, ThinkServer and System x devices​

If you intend to use another management software to monitor your managed devices, create a new local user with the correct SNMP or IPMI settings from the IMM interface. Ensure that you grant SNMP or IPMI privileges, depending on the your needs.

Flex System devices​

If you intend to use another management software to monitor your managed devices, and if that management software uses SNMPv3 or IPMI communication, you must prepare your environment by performing the following steps for each managed CMM:

  1. Log in to the management controller web interface for the chassis using the RECOVERY_ID user name and password.

  2. If the security policy is set to Secure, change the user authentication method.

    1. Click Mgt Module Management > User Accounts.

    2. Click the Accounts tab.

    3. Click Global login settings.

    4. Click the General tab.

    5. Select External first, then local authentication for the user authentication method.

    6. Click OK.

  3. Create a new local user with the correct SNMP or IPMI settings from the management controller web interface.

  4. If the security policy is set to Secure, log out and then log in to the management controller web interface using the new user name and password. When prompted, change the password for the new user.

You can now use the new user as an active SNMP or IPMI user.

Note
If you unmanage and then manage the chassis again, this new user account becomes locked and disabled. In this case, repeat these steps to create a new user account.