HP Smart Update Manager (User Guide) - Manual (Page 6)

Introduction 6
Introduction
HP SUM overview
HP SUM is a technology included in many HP products for installing and updating firmware and software
components on HP ProLiant and HP Integrity servers, enclosures, and options.
HP SUM provides a GUI and a command-line scriptable interface for:
• Deployment of firmware for single or one-to-many HP servers and network-based targets such as iLOs,
OAs, and VC Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules.
• Deployment of software for single or one-to-many HP ProLiant servers (supported in Windows and Linux
environments) and HP Integrity servers.
IMPORTANT: Throughout this document, references to the deployment of firmware apply only to
HP SUM when used with HP ProLiant servers. For HP Integrity servers, deploying firmware using
HP SUM only applies to BL8x0c i2, rx2800 i2 and Superdome 2 Servers.
HP SUM has an integrated hardware and software discovery engine that finds the installed hardware and
current versions of firmware and software in use on target servers. This capability prevents extraneous
network traffic by sending only the required components to a target host. HP SUM installs updates in the
correct order and ensures that all dependencies are met before deploying an update. HP SUM prevents
version-based dependencies from destroying an installation, and ensures firmware updates are handled in a
manner that reduces any downtime required for the firmware update process.
HP SUM does not require an agent for remote installations, because it copies a small, secure SOAP server to
the target server for the duration of the installation. After the installation is complete, the SOAP server and all
remote files associated with the installation, except installation log files, are removed. HP SUM copies the log
files from the remote targets back to the system where HP SUM is executed.
Key features of HP SUM include:
• Dependency checking, which ensures appropriate installation order and dependency checking
between components
• Intelligent deployment deploys only required updates
• Simultaneous firmware and software deployment for multiple remote targets in both GUI and CLI modes
(ProLiant servers and options only)
• Improved deployment performance
• Local or remote (one-to-many) online deployment
• Local offline firmware deployments with the earlier HP Firmware Maintenance CD or the HP Smart
Firmware Update DVD for ProLiant servers and options
• Remote offline deployment when used with the SmartStart Scripting Toolkit or iLO Virtual Media
• GUI- or CLI-scriptable with extensive logging
• Remote command-line deployment