HP Smart Storage Administrator - Manual (Page 6)

Overview 6
Array configuration overview
Benefits of using HP SSA
HP Smart Storage Administrator is an advanced utility that enables you to perform many complex
configuration tasks. Previously, other HP configuration utilities, including Array Configuration Utility and
Option ROM Configuration for Arrays, were recommended for storage configuration.
Although ACU is still supported, HP SSA replaces it starting with HP ProLiant Gen8 servers.
There are many GUI differences between ACU and HP SSA. Some of the main differences include the
following:
• The tabs in ACU are integrated into the new HP SSA Configure menu.
• The 2-panel format in ACU is replaced with a 3-panel format in HP SSA.
• HP SSA includes a quick navigation menu, to access configuration or diagnostics options for a specific
controller.
• With an HP Smart Array Gen8 controller, most options do not require an SAAP license.
• HP SSA does not include a Wizards feature.
• HP SSA includes a stand-alone CLI diagnostics utility (" HP Smart Storage Administrator Diagnostics
Utility CLI " on page 101 ).
HP SSA provides full-range support for standard and advanced configuration tasks (" Support for
configuration tasks " on page 6 ). Some of these advanced tasks are not available in all HP SSA interface
formats (GUI, CLI, and Scripting).
Using HP SSA over other configuration utilities provides the following benefits:
• GUI, CLI, and Scripting interfaces are available.
• English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish languages are supported.
• Applications can be executed using the following tools:
o Any bootable media, such as a software CD
o Any supported Host operating system with a web browser (Microsoft Windows 2003 is not
supported. For a list of supported operating systems, see the HP website
(
http://www.hp.com/go/ossupport ).)
o Intelligent Provisioning, which is embedded in HP ProLiant Gen8 and later servers
• All formats can run in both online and offline environments.
• The utility can run on any machine that uses a supported browser.
Support for configuration tasks
The following table uses these symbols:
+ —The controller supports this task through HP SSA.
– —The controller supports this task through HP SSA only with a registered SAAP license key.
# —The controller supports this task through HP SSA only with a registered HP SmartCache license key.