Using Oracle Auto Service Request

Oracle Private Cloud Appliance is qualified for Oracle Auto Service Request (ASR). ASR is integrated with My Oracle Support. When specific hardware failures occur, ASR automatically opens a service request and sends diagnostic information. The appliance administrator receives notification that a service request is open.

Using ASR is optional: the service must be registered and enabled for your appliance.

Understanding Oracle Auto Service Request

ASR automatically opens service requests when specific Private Cloud Appliance hardware faults occur. To enable this feature, the Private Cloud Appliance must be configured to send hardware fault telemetry to Oracle directly at https://transport.oracle.com/, to a proxy host, or to a different endpoint. For example, you can use a different endpoint if you have the ASR Manager software installed in your data center as an aggregation point for multiple systems.

When a hardware problem is detected, ASR submits a service request to Oracle Support Services. In many cases, Oracle Support Services can begin work on resolving the issue before the administrator is even aware the problem exists.

ASR detects faults in the most common hardware components, such as disks, fans, and power supplies, and automatically opens a service request when a fault occurs. ASR does not detect all possible hardware faults, and it is not a replacement for other monitoring mechanisms, such as SMTP alerts, within the customer data center. ASR is a complementary mechanism that expedites and simplifies the delivery of replacement hardware. ASR should not be used for downtime events in high-priority systems. For high-priority events, contact Oracle Support Services directly.

An email message is sent to both the My Oracle Support email account and the technical contact for Private Cloud Appliance to notify them of the creation of the service request. A service request might not be filed automatically in some cases, for example if a loss of connectivity to ASR occurs. Administrators should monitor their systems for faults and call Oracle Support Services if they do not receive notice that a service request has been filed automatically.

For more information about ASR, consult the following resources:

• Oracle Auto Service Request web page: https://www.oracle.com/servers/technologies/auto-service-request.html.

• Oracle Auto Service Request release notes on My Oracle Support: Doc ID 2152198.1.

• Oracle Auto Service Request quick start guide on My Oracle Support: Doc ID 2852505.1.

• Oracle Auto Service Request user documentation: https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E37710_01/index.htm.

Oracle Auto Service Request Prerequisites

Before you register for the ASR service, ensure the following prerequisites are satisfied.

1. Ensure that you have a valid My Oracle Support account.

   If necessary, create an account at https://support.oracle.com/portal/.

2. Ensure that the following are set up correctly in My Oracle Support:

   • Technical contact person at the customer site who is responsible for Private Cloud Appliance

   • Valid shipping address at the customer site where the Private Cloud Appliance is located, so that parts are delivered to the site where they must be installed

3. Verify connectivity to the Internet using HTTPS.

   For example, try curl to test whether you can access https://support.oracle.com/portal/.

Registering Private Cloud Appliance for Oracle Auto Service Request

To register a Private Cloud Appliance as an ASR client, the appliance must be configured to send hardware fault telemetry to Oracle in one of the following ways:

• Directly at https://transport.oracle.com/

• To a proxy host

• To a different endpoint

An example of when you would use a different endpoint is if you have the ASR Manager software installed in your data center as an aggregation point for multiple systems.

When you register your Private Cloud Appliance for ASR, the ASR service is automatically enabled.

Using the Service Web UI

1. Open the navigation menu and click ASR Phone Home.

2. Click the Register button.

3. Fill in the user name and password, then complete the fields for the Phone Home configuration that you choose.

   • Username: Required. Enter your Oracle Single Sign On (SSO) credentials, which can be obtained from My Oracle Support.

   • Password: Required. Enter the password for your SSO account.

   • Proxy Username: To use a proxy host, enter a user name to access that host.

   • Proxy Password: To use a proxy host, enter the password to access that host.

   • Proxy Host: To use a proxy host, enter the name of that host.

   • Proxy Port: To use a proxy host, enter the port used to access the host.

   • Endpoint: I you use an aggregation point, or other endpoint for ASR data consolidation, enter that endpoint in this format: http://host[:port]/asr

Using the Service CLI

Configure ASR directly to https://transport.oracle.com/

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientRegister custom command to register the appliance.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientRegister username=[e-mail] \ 
   password=********  confirmPassword=******** \
   endpoint=https://transport.oracle.com/ \
   Command: asrClientRegister username=[e-mail] \ 
   password=*****  confirmPassword=***** \ 
   endpoint=https://transport.oracle.com/
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-07-12 18:47:14,630 UTC

3. Confirm the configuration.

   PCA-ADMIN> show asrPhonehome
   Command: show asrPhonehome
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-09-30 13:08:42,210 UTC
   Data:
     Is Registered = true
     Overall Enable Disable = true
     Username = [e-mail]  Endpoint = https\://transport.oracle.com/
   PCA-ADMIN>

Configure ASR to a Proxy Host

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientRegister custom command to register the appliance.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientRegister username=[e-mail] \ 
   password=******** confirmPassword=******** \ 
   proxyHost=zeb proxyPort=80 \ 
   proxyUsername=support \ 
   proxyPassword=**** proxyConfirmPassword=**** \

Configure ASR to a Different Endpoint

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientRegister custom command to register the appliance.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientRegister username=[e-mail] \ 
   password=********  confirmPassword=******** \
   endpoint=https://transport.oracle.com/ \
   Command: asrClientRegister username=[e-mail] \ 
   password=*****  confirmPassword=***** \ 
   endpoint=https://transport.oracle.com/
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-07-12 18:47:14,630 UTC

Testing Oracle Auto Service Request Configuration

Once configured, test your ASR configuration to ensure end-to-end communication is working properly.

Using the Service Web UI

1. Open the navigation menu and click ASR Phone Home.

2. Select Test Registration in the Controls menu.

3. Click Test Registration. A dialog confirms whether the test is successful.

4. If the test is not successful, confirm your ASR configuration information and repeat the test.

Using the Service CLI

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientsendTestMsg custom command to test the ASR configuration.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientsendTestMsg
   Command: asrClientsendTestMsg
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-12-08 18:43:30,093 UTC
   PCA-ADMIN>

Unregistering Private Cloud Appliance for Oracle Auto Service Request

When you unregister your Private Cloud Appliance for ASR, the ASR service is automatically disabled; you do not need to perform a separate step.

Using the Service Web UI

1. Open the navigation menu and click ASR Phone Home.

2. Click the Unregister button. Confirm the operation when prompted.

Using the Service CLI

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientUnregister custom command to register the appliance.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientUnregister
   Command: asrClientUnregister
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-06-23 15:25:18,127 UTC
   PCA-ADMIN>

Disabling Oracle Auto Service Request

You can disable ASR on an appliance to temporarily prevent fault messages from being sent and service requests created. For example, during system maintenance, components might be down but not failed or faulted. To restart the ASR service, see Enabling Oracle Auto Service Request.

Using the Service Web UI

1. Open the navigation menu and click ASR Phone Home.

2. Click the Disable button. Confirm the operation when prompted.

Using the Service CLI

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientDisable custom command to halt the ASR service.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientDisable
   Command: asrClientDisable
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-06-23 15:26:17,753 UTC
   PCA-ADMIN>

Enabling Oracle Auto Service Request

This section describes how to restart the ASR service if the ASR service is disabled.

Using the Service Web UI

1. Open the navigation menu and click ASR Phone Home.

2. Click the Enable button. Confirm the operation when prompted.

Using the Service CLI

1. Using SSH, log into the management node VIP as admin.

   # ssh -l admin 100.96.2.32 -p 30006

2. Use the asrClientEnable custom command to start the ASR service.

   PCA-ADMIN> asrClientEnable
   Command: asrClientEnable
   Status: Success
   Time: 2021-06-23 15:26:47,632 UTC
   PCA-ADMIN>