IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool Trial Version 1.6.2 CONTENTS -------- 1.0 Overview 2.0 Known Issues 3.0 Release Features 4.0 Minimum System Requirements 5.0 Installation and Setup Instructions 6.0 Support and Contact Information 7.0 Notices and Trademarks 8.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview ------------ Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool (SSCT) is a software application with technical guidelines incorporated in its database which has been developed to aid IBM sales and business partners and to facilitate technical collaborations in configuring eServer systems and rack cabinets. The application is designed to support an interactive interface with graphics for determining the price, ideal environment, available rack cabinet space and available resources along with a variety of other operations associated with ordering and configuring a whole solution. The application is also capable of saving or exporting data in several different formats. 2.0 Known Issues ------------------------------- Incorporated in SSCT is an update reminder which is designed to notify the end-user when the product being used is out of date and a new version is available for installation. Currently updates are regularly posted on the IBM website where the tool is publicly available. However, although automatic updates will become available to the tool in future releases of SSCT, they are currently unavailable. As such, occasionally a notification will pop-up when launching the tool stating that the product being used is out of date and that an updated version of the tool should be installed. This notification is often incorrect as the pop-up occurs even when the latest version of the tool is installed due to a time lapse which is built-in the application database in order to remind the end-user to update the application within a specified period of time. This notification should be ignored if the latest version of SSCT has been installed, as it will not impede application operation in any way. Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool is designed to support two solutions: General Purpose and Linux Cluster. Each solution includes its own catalog, availability, prices and limitations. Although Linux Cluster solution is unavailable for SSCT Trial Version 1.6.2, it will become available to the tool in future releases. Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool Trial Version 1.6.2 supports file sharing, which is a feature that has been implemented in the application in order to simplify the process of installing, updating and running the application version on a shared network. While working in file sharing mode, the end-user is unable to open a file by double-clicking. In order to open a configuration from a saved file, the end-user must select 'open' from the 'File' menu. Additionally, while working with a configuration that consists of multiple racks in file sharing mode, performance becomes considerably slow when the 'autoconnect' feature is launched in order to realize power connections among the components within each rack. When configuring a server that comes standard with a memory expansion card (e.g. the x260) and, in the Configuration Wizard, that memory expansion card is removed prior to removing the standard memory DIMMS, the configuration will result in an internal error as the Wizard will not automatically remove the memory dimms and those dimms will become therefore invalid. To avoid this configuration error when configuring a server that comes standard with a memory expansion card, first remove the standard memory dimms prior to removing the standard memory expansion card. Proper operation of the removal of standard memory expansion cards will become functional in future releases. While working in Configuration mode of SSCT, if having added a component to a configuration and the 'Quote' tab is active, the end-user may launch the Component Information Window by right-clicking on the componenet within the configuration (if it is not already active). However, no information is displayed when the Component Information Window becomes activein this case. Though the Component Information Window will be active, it will be blank. An error has been discovered when a configuration is exported to an .xls document from SSCT when utilizing Microsoft Office that implements Service Pack3 (SP3) and does not include the 'Post SP3 Hotfix' for Microsoft Excel. This error may be avoided by installing the most recent updates available for Microsoft Office from the following website: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/. When adding components to a server using the Configuration Wizard, options available to those components upon closing the Wizard are often very ambiguous and confusing. Though functionality in this respect is obscure, the Configuration Wizard is working properly. However, an alert message will become available in future releases in order to clarify information regarding the placement of components configured internally using the Configuration Wizard and the options available to those components. 3.0 Release Features -------------------- Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool utilizes technology from two previously existing configuration applications: xSCA and Rack Configurator, and merges them; thus condensing and making more effective the entire configuration process. Particularly, the feature that realizes this union is the Wizard tool, which introduces innovative and essentially limitless means for configuring IBM System x™ and eServer xSeries servers. The following list describes the server families in which Trial Version 1.6.2 of Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool supports: e326 e326m x100 x206* x206m x226 x236* x255 x260 x306 x306m x336* x343 x346 x366 x445 x455 x460 x460 n-way x3105 x3200 x3250 x3400 x3455 x3500 x3550 x3650 x3650 T x3655 x3755 x3800 x3850 x3950 x3950 n-way BladeCenter Entry BladeCenter Standard BladeCenter Telco DS4100 Exp100 HS20-8832 HS20-8843 HS21 HS40 JS20 JS21 LS20 LS21 LS41 APro 6217 MPro 6218 MPro 6225 MPro 9229 ZPro 6223 ZPro 9228 * Servers for which models are available as Configured-To-Order: x206 – 8482 x206 - 8487 x236 - 8841 x336 - 8837 Additional Configured-To-Order server models will become available in future releases. 4.0 Minimum System Requirements ------------------------------- Pentium-compatible processor (866 MHz minimum) 256MB available memory 120MB available hard disk space Monitor Resolution of 800 by 600 pixels Operating System: Windows 2000 or Windows XP 4.1 Recommended System Requirements ----------------------------------- Pentium IV processor (1.2 GHz minimum) 512MB available memory 120MB available hard disk space Monitor Resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels Operating System: Windows 2000 or Windows XP 4.2 Information Surrounding System Requirements and Pre-Installation -------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to export a configuration from Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool in .xls format, the end user must have version Microsoft Office 2000 or later with Microsoft Excel installed. In order to view the User Guide for Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool Trial Version 1.6.2, the end user must have the current version of Adobe Acrobat or the current version of Adobe Acrobat Professional installed (available at: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html). In order to view the SSCT Educational PowerPoint presentation, available within the installation directory labeled as file: 'SSCT_Education.pps,' the end user must have either version Microsoft Office 2000 or later with PowerPoint installed, or the free downloadable Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer available at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/. SSCT has been developed with Microsoft .NET Framework, which must be installed prior to installing SSCT for the application to function properly. SSCT is compatible with either Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 or v2.0. Detailed instructions on installation of Microsoft .NET Framework are described in the proceeding section. 5.0 Installation and Setup Instructions --------------------------------------- To install IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool on Windows platforms: 1. Exit all Windows applications. 2. Download and Install Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ 3. Download and save the file 'SSCT-v1.6.2.exe' from http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/library/configtools.html to a hard drive directory. 4. Once downloaded, Run the self-extracting executable file by double clicking on it. 5. InstallShield Wizard initiates the installation process by displaying a preliminary startup window. Click Next and the proceeding window displays the License Agreement. 6. Please read the License Agreement thoroughly. Once having read the License Agreement and are willing to accept all of the terms therein, click Yes. 7. The proceeding window displays a disclaimer concerning liability applying to certain geographical regions. Once having read the disclaimer, click Next. 8. The proceeding window displays the Destination Folder Path to where the application is to be installed. The Destination Folder Path may be changed or customized by selecting 'Browse' and defining a new destination folder path. 9. Click Install when ready. 10. A pop-up window will be displayed advising that Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 is required to properly run the Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool. If .NET Framework v1.1 has been successfully installed previously, click 'Yes' to continue and complete the installation process. 11. When Installation has successfully completed a final window will be displayed confirming the installation. 12. The User Guide for Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool may be launched directly from within the InstallShield Wizard once installation has completed. 13. Proceeding the installation process, the end user may launch either Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool or the SSCT User Guide from: Start--->Programs--->IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool 6.0 Support and Contact Information ----------------------------------- New and updated files for IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool can be downloaded at: http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/library/configtools.html. Please direct specific troubleshooting cases or comments to: cfgtools@us.ibm.com. When contacting us via email please include the following: -In the Subject heading: Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool Version x.x -Your name -Your job title -Your email and additional contact information -A detailed description of the technical issue -Steps to recreate the technical issue (when possible) -Screenshots of the presented technical issue (when possible) -Additional comments pertinent to the technical issue 7.0 Notices and Trademarks -------------------------- The following terms are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, or other countries, or both: IBM Standalone Solutions Configuration Tool (SSCT), eServer IBM System x™ Microsoft, Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1, Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer, Windows, Windows 2000 and Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Professional are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. 8.0 Disclaimer -------------- THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. (C) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2006. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. November - 15 - 2006 OCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. (C) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2006. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. November - 15 - 2006