Several management interfaces are available for managing your server. The management options described in this section are provided to support the direct management of Lenovo servers.
| Function | Lenovo XClarity Administrator | Lenovo XClarity Integrator | Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager | Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager | Lenovo XClarity Essentials1 | Lenovo XClarity Controller | Lenovo Capacity Planner | Lenovo Business Vantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple systems management | √ | √ | √ | √ | ||||
| Operating system deployment | √ | √ | ||||||
| Firmware updates2 | √4 | √ | √3 | √4 | √ | |||
| System configuration | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | |||
| Events / alerts | √ | √ | √ | √ | ||||
| Inventory / Log | √5 | √ | √6 | √5 | √5 | |||
| Power management | √7 | √ | ||||||
| Data center planning | √ | |||||||
| Security management | √8 |
Lenovo XClarity Essentials includes Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI, Lenovo XClarity Essentials Bootable Media Creator, and Lenovo XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress.
Most options can be updated through the Lenovo tools. Some options, such as GPU firmware or Omni-Path firmware require the use of vendor tools.
Firmware updates are limited to Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, Lenovo XClarity Controller firmware, and UEFI updates only. Firmware updates for optional devices, such as adapters, are not supported.
The server UEFI settings for option ROM must be set to Auto or UEFI to update firmware using Lenovo XClarity Administrator or Lenovo XClarity Essentials.
The server UEFI settings for option ROM must be set to Auto or UEFI for detailed adapter card information, such as model name and firmware levels, to be displayed in Lenovo XClarity Administrator, Lenovo XClarity Controller, or Lenovo XClarity Essentials.
Limited inventory.
Power management function is supported by Lenovo XClarity Integrator for VMware vCenter.
Available only in the People’s Republic of China.
Lenovo XClarity Administrator is a centralized, resource-management solution that simplifies infrastructure management, speeds responses, and enhances the availability of Lenovo server systems and solutions. It runs as a virtual appliance that automates discovery, inventory, tracking, monitoring, and provisioning for server, network, and storage hardware in a secure environment.
Manage and monitor hardware. Lenovo XClarity Administrator provides agent-free hardware management. It can automatically discover manageable endpoints, including server, network, and storage hardware. Inventory data is collected for managed endpoints for an at-a-glance view of the managed hardware inventory and status.
Configuration management. You can quickly provision and pre-provision all of your servers using a consistent configuration. Configuration settings (such as local storage, I/O adapters, boot settings, firmware, ports, and Lenovo XClarity Controller and UEFI settings) are saved as a server pattern that can be applied to one or more managed servers. When the server patterns are updated, the changes are automatically deployed to the applied servers.
Firmware compliance and updates. Firmware management is simplified by assigning firmware-compliance policies to managed endpoints. When you create and assign a compliance policy to managed endpoints, Lenovo XClarity Administrator monitors changes to the inventory for those endpoints and flags any endpoints that are out of compliance.
When an endpoint is out of compliance, you can use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply and activate firmware updates for all devices in that endpoint from a repository of firmware updates that you manage.
Operating System deployment. You can use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage a repository of operating-system images and to deploy operating-system images to up to 28 managed servers concurrently.
Service and support. Lenovo XClarity Administrator can be set up to collect and send diagnostic files automatically to your preferred service provider when certain serviceable events occur in Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the managed endpoints. You can choose to send diagnostic files to Lenovo Support using Call Home or to another service provider using SFTP. You can also manually collect diagnostic files, open a problem record, and send diagnostic files to the Lenovo Support Center.
Lenovo XClarity Administrator can be integrated into external, higher-level management and automation platforms through open REST application programming interfaces (APIs). Using the REST APIs, Lenovo XClarity Administrator can easily integrate with your existing management infrastructure. In addition, you can automate tasks using the PowerShell toolkit or the Python toolkit.
To obtain the latest version of the Lenovo XClarity Administrator, see:
Lenovo XClarity Administrator downloads
Documentation for Lenovo XClarity Administrator is available at:
Lenovo XClarity Integrator for VMware vCenter
Lenovo XClarity Integrator Microsoft System Center
For more information about Lenovo XClarity Integrator, see:
Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager is a web-based power and temperature management solution designed for data center administrators. It monitors and manages the power consumption and temperature of servers, such as Converged, NeXtScale, System x, ThinkServer, and ThinkSystem servers, using the out-of-band method. Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager models data center physical hierarchy and monitors power and temperature at the server/group level. By analyzing monitored power and temperature data, Lenovo XClarity Energy Manager greatly improves business continuity and energy efficiency.
Monitor energy consumption, estimate power need, and re-allocate power to servers as needed via IPMI or Redfish.
Track platform power consumption, inlet temperature, and component-level power consumption, such as CPU and memory power consumption.
Visually check the layout of room, row and rack via 2D thermal map.
Show events and send e-mail or SNMP trap notifications when certain faults occur or certain thresholds are reached.
Limit the consumed amount of energy of an endpoint by setting up policies.
Optimize energy efficiency by identifying hotspot or over-cooling servers to optimize cooling efficiency and identifying low-usage servers to save energy.
Reduce the power consumption to the minimum level to prolong service time during emergency power event (such as a data-center power failure).
For more information about downloading, installation, and usage, see:
Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager is embedded software that provides a graphic user interface (GUI) for configuring the system with support for 11 languages. It simplifies the process of configuring Basic Input Output System (BIOS) settings and configuring Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) in an GUI wizard. It also provides functions for updating applications and firmware, performing system diagnostics, and automating the process of installing the supported Windows, Linux, or VMware ESXi operating systems and associated device drivers.
UEFI setup. Use this function to configure UEFI system settings, such as processor configuration, start options, and user security. You can also view POST events and the System Event Log (SEL).
Firmware update. Use this function to update the firmware for Lenovo XClarity Controller, Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, and operating system device drivers.
RAID setup. Use this function to configure RAID for the server. It provides an easy-to-use graphical wizard that supports a unified process for performing RAID setup for a variety of RAID adapters. You can also perform advanced RAID configuration from the UEFI Setup.
OS installation. Use this function to deploy an operating system for the server with an easy-to-use Guided Install mode. Operating systems can be installed using unattended mode after you choose the Operating System version and basic settings; the device drivers are installed automatically.
A Manual Install mode is also available. You can export the drivers from system, manually install the operating systems, and then install the drivers. This way, you do not need to go to the web to download device drivers.
Cloning.
Use this function to clone settings in one server to other similarly configured Lenovo servers.Export: Export UEFI, RAID, and BMC settings for the current server to files respectively and save the files to a USB storage drive or a shared network folder.
Import: Apply UEFI, RAID, BMC, and operating system installation settings to the target server by using the files you have saved.
Documentation for Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager is available at:
Lenovo XClarity Essentials (LXCE) is a collection of server management utilities that provides a less complicated method to enable customers to manage Lenovo ThinkSystem, System x, and Thinkserver servers more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Lenovo XClarity Essentials includes the following utilities:
Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI is a collection of several command line applications, which can be used to:
Configure the server.
Collect service data for the server. If you run Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI from the server operating system (in-band), you can collect operating system logs as well. You can also choose to view the service data that has been collected or to send the service data to Lenovo Support.
Update firmware and device drivers for the server. Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI can help to download UpdateXpress System Packs (UXSPs) for your server and update all the firmware and device drivers payloads within the UXSP.
Perform miscellaneous functions, such as rebooting the server or rebooting the BMC.
To learn more about Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI, see:
the Lenovo XClarity Essentials website
Documentation for Lenovo XClarity Essentials OneCLI is available at:
Lenovo XClarity Essentials Bootable Media Creator (BoMC) is a software application that applies UpdateXpress System Packs and individual updates to your system.
Update the server using an ISO image or CD.
Update the server using a USB key.
Update the server using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) interface.
Update the server in unattendance mode.
Update the server in Serial Over LAN (SOL) mode.
To learn more about Lenovo XClarity Essentials Bootable Media Creator, see:
Lenovo XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress is a software application that applies UpdateXpress System Packs and individual updates to your system.
Update the local server.
Update a remove server.
Create a repository of updates.
To learn more about Lenovo XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress, see:
Lenovo XClarity Controller is the management processor for the server. It is the third generation of the Integrated Management Module (IMM) service processor that consolidates the service processor functionality, super I/O, video controller, and remote presence capabilities into a single chip on the server system board.
Web-based interface. To access the web-based interface, point your browser to the IP address for the management processor.
Command-line interface. To access the CLI interface, use SSH or Telnet to log in to the management processor.
Monitor all hardware devices installed in the server.
Power the server on and off.
View the system event log and system audit log for the server.
Use the Remote management function to log in to the server itself.
Documentation for Lenovo XClarity Controller is available at:
Lenovo Capacity Planner is a power consumption evaluation tool that enhances data center planning by enabling IT administrators and pre-sales to understand important parameters of different type of racks, servers, and other devices. Lenovo Capacity Planner can dynamically calculate the power consumption, current, British Thermal Unit (BTU), and volt-ampere (VA) rating at the rack level, and therefore improves the efficiency of large scale deployments.
Power and thermal evaluation of servers and network devices; generating evaluation reports.
Customizable server configuration, workload, CPU turbo model, and fan speed for different user scenarios.
Chassis-level and node-level customizable configuration for Flex System and High-Density servers.
Visual memory configuration guidance for best memory performance.
More information about Lenovo Capacity Planner is available at:
Lenovo Business Vantage is a security software tool suite designed to work with the Trusted Cryptographic Module (TCM) adapter for enhanced security, to keep user data safe, and to erase confidential data completely from a hard disk drive.
Data Safe. Encrypt files to ensure data safety by using the TCM adapter.
Sure Erase. Erase confidential data from a hard disk. This tool follows the industry standard method to do the erasing and allows the user to select different erasing levels.
Smart USB Protection. Prohibit unauthorized access to the USB port of devices.
USB Data Safe. Encrypt files to ensure data security on a USB storage device.
More information about Lenovo Business Vantage is available at: