In the SBS world, I primarily install and recommend Dell servers. Dell’s OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) is a required install on every Dell server I manage.

You can locate and download the latest version of OMSA here. The download executable file is just under 200MB in size. Once it is downloaded, go ahead and install it. It will create a C:\OpenManage directory.

To start things up, click on the setup.exe program under C:\OpenManage\Windows folder. The first thing it will do is run a pre-requisite check. You will want to review the pre-req screen and address any specific issues.

I did this on an existing Dell T310 recently, and it reported that the firmware level for my Perc 6/I adapter did not meet minimum version requirements.

The pre-req report provides a link provided, which will reported both my current driver and firmware levels installed, and what levels (at a minimum) were required.

In this case, upgrading the Perc 6/I firmware requires a reboot of the server. After rebooting, restart the OMSA setup.exe, and after the pre-req scan completes, click on the Server Administrator button on the lower right to begin installation of OMSA. Installation proceeds and completes in just a few minutes.

Once the installation is completed, you will want to add OMSA to your quick launch taskbar – icon

When you start up OMSA you will get a warning about the website’s security certificate. Click to continue for now, and start exploring your server.

P.S. be sure to clean up things by deleting the OMSA download file and the C:\OpenManage install directory