HP Client Management Interface

HP Client Management Interface (HP CMI) is a free management tool that seamlessly integrates HP business PCs into the managed IT environment. HP CMI provides an interface that simplifies the integration of HP business computers with popular industry system management tools (including Microsoft Systems Management Server, IBM Tivoli Software, HP Operations) and customized management applications. Using HP CMI, systems management tools and applications can request in-depth client inventory, receive health status information, and manage system BIOS settings by communicating directly with the client computer, reducing the need for agent or connector software to achieve integration.

HP Client Management Interface is based on industry standards that include Microsoft Windows Management Interface (MS WMI), Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM), System Management BIOS (SMBIOS), and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). HP CMI is a foundation technology utilized in HP Client Management Solutions. HP CMI provides flexibility in choosing how to manage HP client computers.

Regardless of the system management tools the IT department uses, managing both hardware and software assets is important to keeping IT costs low and the business agile. The IT administrator can access the HP Client Management Interface by writing simple scripts and integrating those scripts to the management solution of their choice.

HP Client Management Interface used in conjunction with system management software can:

●Request in-depth client inventory information—Capture detailed information about the processors, hard drives, memory, BIOS, drivers, including sensor information (such as fan speed, voltage, and temperature).

●Receive health status information—Subscribe to a wide range of client hardware alerts (such as over-temperature, fan stall, and hardware configuration changes) to be sent to the system management console, application, or to the local client computer. Alerts are sent real-time when triggered by hardware events.

●Manage system BIOS settings—Perform F10 functions including setting and changing the BIOS passwords and computer boot order remotely from the system management console on any or all client systems without having to visit each machine.

For more information on HP Client Management Interface, refer to http://www.hp.com/go/hpcmi/.

HP SoftPaq Download Manager

HP SoftPaq Download Manager is a free, easy-to-use interface for locating and downloading software updates for the HP client PCs in the environment. By specifying models, operating system, and language, it is easy to quickly locate, sort, and select the SoftPaqs that are need. To download

HP SoftPaq Download Manager, visit http://www.hp.com/go/sdm.

HP System Software Manager

HP System Software Manager (SSM) is a free utility that automates remote deployment of device drivers and BIOS updates for your networked HP business PCs. When SSM runs, it silently (without user interaction) determines the revision levels of drivers and BIOS installed on each networked client system and compares this inventory against system software SoftPaqs that have been tested and stored in a central file store. SSM then automatically updates any down-revision system software on the networked PCs to the later levels available in the file store. Since SSM only allows distribution of

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Chapter 2 Software Updating and Management

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