New asset's HW configuration, e.g. Computer Model, not reported in the console after PXE boot

Usage and Config OSD
1

Following “Deployment Scenario 2: Provisioning of a new computer model using Bare Metal Targets (with the Management Extender for Bare Metal Targets component)” in this document, IBM Documentation, we’re not seeing the new model anywhere in the console. After a while we see a new computer with “Computer Name” set to the IP-address and “Agent Type” Proxy - Bare Metal Extender, “Computer Manufacturer” and “Computer Model” are both set to .

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This leads to us not being able to bind drivers to the new model as the model is not listed in the pull-downs in the Driver Library or Bindings Pages under System Lifecycle Domain->OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging->Manage Image and Drivers->Driver Library

On the OSD/Bare Metal relay, we see that info from the new asset(s) are collected and stored in C:\Program Files (x86)\BigFix Enterprise\Management Extender\Plugins\Bare Metal Extender\DeviceReports\refresh*.report with content like this:

{“device id”:“3”,“computer name”:“192.xxx.yyy.113”,“data source”:“Bare Metal Extender”,“device type”:“Bare Metal Target”,“operating system”:{“name”:“”,“version”:“”},“last device report time”:“Thu, 6 Sep 2018 18:35:42 +0200”,“computer model”:“20BX0012MN ThinkPad T450s”,“computer serial”:“PC0495ZG”,“computer uuid”:“81B71F262F54CB11AEFEB866ECBC03B2”,“computer status”:“”,“main processor”:{“speed”:“2411724800”,“family name”:“Unknown”},“ram”:{“size”:“4294967296”},“bios”:“LENOVO JBET46WW (1.11 ) 03/02/2015”,“computer devices”:"8086.15a2.17aa.2226.02.00.NET.3; 8086.160c.17aa.5034.04.03.MEDIA.9; 8086.1616.17aa.5036.03.00.DISP.9; 8086.9c83.17aa.5034.01.06.DISK.3; 8086.9ca0.17aa.5036.04.03.MEDIA.3; 8086.9ca2.17aa.5034.0c.05.SER.3; 8086.9ca4.17aa.5034.11.80.DATA.3; 8086.9ca6.17aa.5034.0c.03.SER.3; 8086.9cb1.17aa.5034.0c.03.SER.3; 8086.9cba.17aa.5034.07.80.COMM.3; 8086.095b.8086.5210.02.80.NET.89; "}

The question is: Why is this information not passed on to the console?

We’ve browsed through all the log files we can find, but nothing gives us a hint of what is going on (or maybe not going on).

Any help/hints appreciated!

Btw, we’re on BigFix 9.5.9

Thanks,
Harald

2

Those look like hardware properties you’re pulling from the “native client” sites like “BES Support” or “BES Inventory and License” or something.

You’ll need to enable the Analyses from the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site (“Bare Metal Target Information” and “Hardware Information”) which retrieve similar properties for Bare Metal Proxy agents. That will populate new properties like “OSD Model”, “OSD PCI Devices”, “Make”, and “Model”.

3

Hi Jason,

I’ve already enabled those two Analyses:

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But as you can see, the “Bare Metal Target Information” don’t find any applicable computers.

The two applicable computers for “Hardware Information” are the Bigfix server and the relay/OSD/Bare Metal servers.

Regards,
Harald

4

Did your proxy agents subscribe to the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site?

If you open one of those Proxy Agents and check the “Summary” tab, did they report any other properties?

5

Yes, that was a prereq for installing the “Bare Metal OS Deployment Server” under Manage Bare Metal Servers->Server Management

Yes, there are some properties listed:

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6

Ooops, I think I misunderstood your first question.

No the proxy agents did not subscribe to the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site. Are they supposed to?

7

Jason,

Your question led me to add this to “Computer Subscriptions” for the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site:
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Now more properies are showing up:

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The models are now showing up in the Manage Windows Drivers page:
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Thanks a million! I’ve been struggling for days with issue, but I have never seen this requirement mentioned i any documentation…?

Regards,
Harald

8

This should only occur if you had customized the subscription criteria for the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site. By default everything would have subscribed correctly.

I had done the same in my environment (in order to “stage” client subscriptions across my development/test/operations systems).

Glad I was able to help!

9

Yes, I had indeed altered the subscription criteria for the “OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging” site to match only my root and relay servers. I guess it was set to “All computers” to start with, can’t remember…

Again thanks!

Harald