Lenovo T430I, 2347G5U Using system management, System management, Setting management features

Using system management

This section is intended primarily for network administrators.

Your computer is designed for manageability, so that you can redirect more of your resources to better meet your business objectives.

This manageability, or “Total Cost of Ownership” (TCO), enables you to remotely power on your computer, format the hard disk drive, install the software of your choice, and have the computer start up and function in the same way as an ordinary desktop PC.

Once the computer is configured and operational, you can manage it by use of software and manageability features already integrated into the client system and the network.

System management

Read this topic to learn more about features of system management.

Desktop Management Interface

The system UEFI BIOS of your computer supports an interface called System Management BIOS Reference Specification (SMBIOS) V2.6.1. SMBIOS provides information about the hardware components of your system. It is the responsibility of the BIOS to supply this database with information about itself and the devices on the system board. This specification documents the standards for getting access to this BIOS information.

Preboot eXecution Environment

The Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) technology makes your computer more manageable (it is PXE 2.1-compliant) by enabling it to boot (load an operating system or another executable image) from a server. Your computer supports the personal computer functions that PXE requires. For example, with the appropriate LAN card, your computer can be booted from the PXE server.

Note: The Remote Initial Program Load (RPL) function cannot be used with your computer.

Wake on LAN

A network administrator can use Wake on LAN to turn on a computer from a management console.

When Wake on LAN is used with network management software, many functions, such as data transfer, software updates, and Flash updates of UEFI BIOS, can be performed remotely without remote attendance. This updating process can be done after normal working hours and on weekends, to save time and increase productivity. Users are not interrupted during normal working hours, and LAN traffic is kept to a minimum.

If a computer is turned on by the Wake on LAN function, the Network Boot sequence is used.

Asset ID EEPROM

The Asset ID EEPROM contains information about the system, including its configuration and the serial numbers of key components. It also includes a number of blank fields in which you can record information about the end users in your network.

Setting management features

To enable the network administrator to control your computer remotely, you must configure the network interface by setting the system-management features in the ThinkPad Setup program. You can configure the following functions in the program:

Chapter 8. Advanced configuration 129