powervault-md3200i user's guide4 en-us

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Dell PowerVault MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in for

VMware vSphere

Installation and Configuration Guide


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Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the

problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

2013 Dell Inc.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the Dell logo, Dell Boomi, Dell Precision, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerEdge, PowerVault,PowerConnect, OpenManage, EqualLogic, Compellent, KACE, FlexAddress, Force10and Vostroare trademarks of DellInc. Intel, Pentium, Xeon, Coreand Celeronare registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. AMD

is a registered trademark and AMD Opteron, AMD Phenomand AMD Sempronare trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Internet Explorer, MS-DOS, Windows Vistaand Active Directoryare either trademarks

or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat

and Red Hat

Enterprise Linuxare registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novelland SUSEareregistered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Oracleis a registered trademark of Oracle Corporationand/or its affiliates. Citrix, Xen, XenServerand XenMotionare either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in

the United States and/or other countries. VMware, vMotion, vCenter, vCenter SRMand vSphereare registered trademarks ortrademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries. IBMis a registered trademark of International Business MachinesCorporation.

2013 - 06

Rev. A08


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Contents

1 Overview.......................................................................................................................................7

Installation Prerequisites..........................................................................................................................................7

Configuration Limitations And Scalability.................................................................................................................8

Support For Disk Pooling.......................................................................................................................................... 8

Localization Support................................................................................................................................................. 8

Logs, Warnings,And Error Messages............................................................................................................... 8

Downloading The MD vCenter Plug-In.....................................................................................................................8

Upgrading FromA Previous Version.................................................................................................................. 9

Application Server Requirements.............................................................................................................................9

Before You Install The MD vCenter Plug-In..............................................................................................................9

Installing The MD vCenter Plug-In..........................................................................................................................10

2 Configuring The Application Server And MD vCenter Plug-In..........................................11

Configuring StorageAdministrator Roles...............................................................................................................11

Creating A Storage Administrator Role............................................................................................................11

Adding An Existing User To The Storage Administrator Role.................................................................................13

Non-AuthorizedPlug-In Use Message............................................................................................................ 14

Configuring SAS Support On ESX And ESXi Hosts.................................................................................................14

Requirements For Using A SAS Host............................................................................................................... 14

Installing The SAS Provider Upgrade.....................................................................................................................15

Installing The SAS Provider Upgrade (ESX 4.1 Servers Only)..........................................................................15

Installing The SAS Provider (ESXi 4.1 Servers Only)........................................................................................16

Installing The SAS Provider (ESXi 5.0 and 5.1 Servers Only)........................................................................... 16

3 Configuring The MD Storage Array For ESX/ESXi...............................................................19

Grouping HBAs AndCreating Virtual Hosts............................................................................................................21

Managing Bandwidth.......................................................................................................................................21

Configuring ALUA Support......................................................................................................................................23

Changing Your Default Multipath Policy.......................................................................................................... 23

Adding A SATP Claim Rule To Enable ALUA And Change The Multipath Policy To Round Robin...................23

Networking Configuration For Fibre Channel And iSCSI Storage (ESX/ESXi 4.x Only)...........................................24

Network Configuration For MD-Series iSCSI Storage Arrays......................................................................... 24Network Configuration For MD-Series Fibre Channel Storage Arrays............................................................24

4 Configuring The ESX/ESXi Host.............................................................................................. 25

Configuring ESX Host To Storage Array................................................................................................................. 26

5 Using The MD vCenter Plug-In............................................................................................... 29


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MD vCenter Plug-In Features.................................................................................................................................29

Summary View........................................................................................................................................................29

Organizing Storage Arrays..................................................................................................................................... 30

Using Asset Tags....................................................................................................................................................30

Assigning Asset Tags And Values....................................................................................................................31

Managing Asset Tags.............................................................................................................................................32

MD vCenter Plug-In Security..................................................................................................................................32

Accepting And Installing The Trusted SSL Certificate.....................................................................................33

Microsoft Enhanced Browser Security............................................................................................................36

Configuring Storage Arrays.................................................................................................................................... 38

Discovering Storage Arrays................................................................................................................................... 39

Adding StorageArrays To The vCenter Plug-In Manager View............................................................................ 40

Removing Storage Arrays From The vCenter Plug-In Manager View....................................................................41

Editing StorageArray Properties............................................................................................................................42

Changing The vCenter Plug-In Password........................................................................................................ 43Resolving A Password Mismatch Between The MD Storage Array And The vCenter Plug-In.......................43

Storage Array Configuration Backup..................................................................................................................... 43

Enabling Automatic Save Configuration Backups........................................................................................... 44

Initiating AManual Save Configuration........................................................................................................... 44

Formatting Virtual Disks..........................................................................................................................................45

Decision-Making Schemes.....................................................................................................................................46

Using The Predictive Scheme To Make Virtual Disk Decisions.......................................................................46

Using The Adaptive Scheme To Make Virtual Disk Decisions.........................................................................46

Creating A DiskGroup............................................................................................................................................ 47

Creating Virtual Disks............................................................................................................................................. 48

Creating A Standard Virtual Disk......................................................................................................................48

Creating A Thin Provisioned Virtual Disk......................................................................................................... 49

Mapping A Virtual Disk........................................................................................................................................... 51

Datastores View..................................................................................................................................................... 52

Snapshots Premium Feature...................................................................................................................................53

Legacy-Based Snapshots................................................................................................................................ 53

Creating A Legacy Snapshot Of A Base Virtual Disk....................................................................................... 53

Disabling ALegacy Snapshot.......................................................................................................................... 54

Re-Creating a Legacy Snapshot.......................................................................................................................54

Deleting A Legacy Snapshot............................................................................................................................54

Point-In-Time Snapshots........................................................................................................................................ 54Creating A PiT-Based Snapshot Image............................................................................................................55

Creating A Snapshot Virtual Disk.....................................................................................................................56

Creating A Virtual Disk Copy...................................................................................................................................56

Creating A New Virtual Disk Copy....................................................................................................................57

Changing Virtual Disk Copy Parameters.......................................................................................................... 58

Remote Replication.................................................................................................................................................59


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Synchronous Remote Replication (Legacy-Based)......................................................................................... 59

Creating Synchronous Remote Replication..................................................................................................... 59

Suspending Synchronous Remote Replication................................................................................................60

Resuming Synchronous Remote Replication...................................................................................................60

Changing Synchronous Remote Replication Roles..........................................................................................60

Testing Synchronous Remote Replication....................................................................................................... 61

Changing Synchronous Remote Replication Parameters................................................................................61

Removing Synchronous Replicated Pairs........................................................................................................ 61

Standard Remote Replication (Asynchronous)................................................................................................61

Creating Standard Remote Replication Groups...............................................................................................61

Deleting RemoteReplication Groups............................................................................................................... 63

Replicated Pairs......................................................................................................................................................63

Creating Replicated Pairs.................................................................................................................................64

Removing Replicated Pairs.............................................................................................................................. 65

Suspending Remote Replication...................................................................................................................... 65Resuming Remote Replication......................................................................................................................... 66

Manually Resynchronizing A Replicated Pair..................................................................................................67

Storage Array EventLog.........................................................................................................................................67

Accessing The Event Log....................................................................................................................................... 67

Manually Unregistering The MD vCenter Plug-In.................................................................................................. 68

Uninstall The MD vCenter Plug-In....................................................................................................................69

6 Troubleshooting MD vCenter Plug-In Issues....................................................................... 71

Application Server Logs..........................................................................................................................................71

I Cannot Communicate With The Application Server...................................................................................... 71

I Cannot Create Or Delete Objects...................................................................................................................71

How Can I Maximize Client Performance........................................................................................................ 72

How Do I Suppress Slow Script Warning Messages...................................................................................... 72

Why Can I Not Make Changes To The Storage Array......................................................................................72

The MD vCenterPlug-In Does Not Show The New Storage Array Name After A Clear Configuration

Operation In MDSM......................................................................................................................................... 72

Long Timeout For SAS ESX Host Wizard Operation.........................................................................................72

Storage Administrator Privileges Assigned To User Group Not Working....................................................... 73

Save Dialog Does Not Appear When Attempting To Save Array Configuration Or MEL.................................73

Error Loading Arrays Message Displayed....................................................................................................... 73

Entering An Invalid Alternate Controller IP Address Causes Duplicate Array Entries.................................... 73

Event Log Viewer Scroll Bar Goes Beyond The Limit...................................................................................... 73

ESX Host Name Wraps Unless Window Expanded......................................................................................... 74

7 Getting Help................................................................................................................................75

Related Documentation.......................................................................................................................................... 75

VMware Support Information.................................................................................................................................75


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Contacting Dell....................................................................................................................................................... 75


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1

Overview

The Dell PowerVault MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in allows integrated management of Dell MD-series storage arrays

from a VMware vSphere client. Enabling a single vSphere-based management interface eliminates the need to install,

maintain and learn to use proprietary storage array-based management tools. Using the MD vCenter Plug-in, an

administrator can:

Configure ESX/ESXi hosts to connect to MD storage arrays

Create, map, and delete virtual disks (both standard and from unconfigured space in a previously created diskpool)

View the vCenter datastores available to the MD storage array's virtual disks

Create legacy or point-in-time snapshots, virtual disk copies, and Remote Replication between arrays (if

premium features activated)

The MD vCenter Plug-in uses an application server interface between the vSphere Client and MD storage array and fully

supports role-based user authentication.

NOTE:

The MD vCenter Plug-in requires that a vCenter Server be installed.

Figure 1. MD vCenter Plug-In In a VMware Environment

Installation Prerequisites

The MD vCenter Plug-in requires the following:

VMware vCenter Server 4.1, 5.0 or 5.1 (installed on host server)

One of the following servers operating systems to host the application server:

Windows 2003 Server with Service Pack 2

Windows 2003 R2 Server

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Windows 2008 R2 Server (32 or 64 bit)

Windows Server 2012

Make sure your MD storage has the latest RAID controller firmware version installed.

For information on installing the correct MD-series firmware version for your specific storage array, see the MD-Series

Support Matrixat dell.com/support.

Configuration Limitations And Scalability

The number of managed storage arrays, virtual disks and physical disks on each storage array impacts the overall

performance of the MD vCenter Plug-in. Larger numbers of managed storage arrays (more than 250) will require more

than 4 GB of RAM on your application server platform. For more information on support limitations, see the MD-Series

Support Matrixat dell.com/support.

Support For Disk Pooling

If your RAID controller firmware version supports disk pooling, the MD vCenter Plug-in allows you to provision

unconfigured space in a disk pool. For example, you can select an existing disk pool from the vCenter logical storage

view and create new disk groups or virtual disks from that disk pool's unconfigured capacity. However, you cannot use

the MD vCenter Plug-in to:

1. Create a new disk pool. Or,

2. Manage disk pool attributes and settings.

To perform either of these management functions, you must use MD Storage Manager. For information on setting up

disk pooling on your MD storage array, refer to either the Administrator's Guidefor your array model or the MD Storage

Manageronline help.

Localization Support

The MD vCenter Plug-in supports the following language sets:

English

French

German

Japanese

Simplified Chinese

Logs, Warnings, And Error Messages

On-screen logs, warnings and error messages support the language sets shown above. However, any messages or log

files written to the file system are English only.

Downloading The MD vCenter Plug-In

From the application server, download the latest version of the MD vCenter Plug-in from the Download and Driverspage

atdell.com/support

by selecting your specific MD storage array model. See the MD-Series Support Matrix atdell.com/

supportfor information on supported firmware levels, operating system versions, and other supported hardware

components.

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NOTE:

If you cannot accessdell.com/support

from your application server, download the MD vCenter Plug-in

installer to another host, then copy the installer files to the application server. The Plug-in installer must be run

from the application server itself.

Upgrading From A Previous Version

If you are upgrading from a previous version of the MD vCenter Plug-in but plan to use the same host server as the

application server, run the latest installer on the current application server. The installation wizard will prompt for an

administrator password before unregistering and upgrading your MD vCenter Plug-in version.

Application Server Requirements

The Windows-based application server configured with vCenter Client should be installed on a separate server

installation than the one running vCenter Server. While it is possible to install the application server and vCenter Server

on the same host, it is not recommended.

Before You Install The MD vCenter Plug-In

Before installing the MD vCenter Plug-in, you need to know some specific information about your storage array and

network configuration. The following table shows the information you will need. Gather this information about your

specific environment before installing the MD vCenter Plug-in:

Table 1. Storage Array and Network Information

Component Information Needed

vCenter Server Host Name:

DNS Names:

IP Addresses:

vCenter Administrator Username:

Password:

Storage Administrator Username:

Password:

Application Server Host Name:

DNS Names:

IP Addresses:

MD Storage Array Array Name:

Password:

IP Addresses:

MD Storage Array Array Name:

Password:

IP Addresses:

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Installing The MD vCenter Plug-In

NOTE:

The MD vCenter Plug-in must be installed on the application server. If you downloaded the installer package

to a different location, copy the installer files to the application server before performing the steps shown here.

1.

From the application server launch the MD vCenter Plug-in installer, choose your language and clickOK

.

2.

Review the copyright and introduction screens. To accept, clickNext

.

3. Read and accept the license agreement, then click Next.

4.

Select an installation directory on the vCenter client or accept the default location. Then, clickNext

.

5. Review the installation summary and click Install.

6.

When prompted, either change the port number of the Jetty server or accept the defaults (8084 and 8081) and

click Next.

NOTE: If the MD vCenter Plug-in will be installed on the same system as an active vCenter Server with

VMware Update Manager installed, port number 8084 must be changed to an unused port number.

7. Change the IP address of the application server, if desired. The default IP address shown the installer will be the IPaddress of the system it is running on. Click

Next

.

8.

Enter the IP address of the host containing the vCenter Server installation (see table Storage Array and NetworkInformation). Then, click Next.

9.

If you want to enable e-mail alerts, enter the vCenter Server administrator e-mail address and clickNext

.

NOTE:

The MD vCenter Plug-in does not require a domain or domain controller configuration. When installing

the Plug-in, do not qualify your administrator user name with an alias (for example, localhost). If you specify a

fully qualified pathname, use the host name instead (for example, hostname/username).

10.

Enter the vCenter Server administrator user ID, then clickNext

.

11. Enter the vCenter Server administrator password, then click Next.

12.

When the installation completes, clickDone

to close the installation wizard.

The installation automatically installs a Jetty application server and associated .jarfiles on your application server

and registers the MD vCenter Plug-in with the vCenter Server.

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2

Configuring The Application Server And MD

vCenter Plug-In

Once the application server and MD vCenter Plug-in are installed, verify that the MD vCenter Plug-in is successfully

registered with the vCenter server:

Open the vSphere Client

From the vSphere Client menu bar, select Plug-insManage Plug-ins

The Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in should be listed as Enabled

If the MD vCenter Plug-in is listed as disabled with an error message indicating that it cannot communicate with the

application server, verify the port number defined for the Jetty server is enabled to pass through any firewalls in use.

The default Jetty TCP port numbers are 8084 and 8081. The MD vCenter plug-in icon should also appear in theSolution

and Applicationsection of the vSphere Client home page.

Figure 2. vSphere Client Home Page

Configuring Storage Administrator Roles

By default, any previously defined vCenter users will have no access to MD storage arrays. To create either read or

read/write permissions to the storage arrays via the MD vCenter Plug-in, the users role must be modified.

Creating A Storage Administrator Role

1. In the Administrationarea on the vSphere Client home page, click Roles.

A list of roles and usages is displayed.

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Figure 3. MD vCenter Plug-in Roles List

2.

Click theAdd Role

icon in the menu bar, or right-click and selectAdd

from the pop-up menu.

The Add New Roleis displayed.

Figure 4. Add New Role

3. In the Nametext box, enter a name for the new role.

4.

From thePrivileges

list, select the access permissions you want to assign to this role.

NOTE: An administrator role is not editable. Therefore, if the administrator user will be used to manage

storage, a new role must be created and all necessary privileges added to that role. The administrator user

must then be added to this role, as described in the next section.

5.

To assign Read Only or Read Write access permissions to the storage arrays, select the appropriate permission.

6. When finished, click OK.

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NOTE: Existing non-administrator roles may be modified to include the new Storage Administrator privileges

created. However, an existing administrator role cannot be modified.

Adding An Existing User To The Storage Administrator Role

Use these steps to add existing users to the Storage Administrator role you created previously. Storage Administrator

roles can only be given to individual users, not to user groups.

1. From the Inventoryarea on the vSphere Client home screen, select Hostsand Clusters.

2. Select your vCenter server name from the left navigation pane.

3.

Select the vCenter server element, and click thePermissions

tab.

Figure 5. Permissions Tab For The Selected vCenter Server Element

4.

Right-click in the permissions window and selectAdd Permission

to add users to the role.

5.

ClickAdd

to select the users need access to the storage arrays.

Figure 6. Assign Storage Administrator Role

6.

Select the role you want to assign them from the drop-down box underAssigned Role

.

7. Click OKto apply the permissions.

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Non-Authorized Plug-In Use Message

When you create a new Storage Administrator role, you might have to restart the vSphere Client before the role is

recognized. When this happens, a message similar to that shown in the figure Non-Authorized User Message is

displayed. This may also occur if new roles are added for users who are not previous members of a Read Only or Read

Write Storage Administrator role.

Figure 7. Non-Authorized User Message

Configuring SAS Support On ESX And ESXi Hosts

To configure the MD vCenter Plug-in for ESX or ESXi hosts connecting to SAS-based Dell MD storage arrays, the SAS

SMI-S provider must be upgraded on the host.

NOTE: SAS is supported only on ESX/ESXi 4.1 or later hosts. Previous ESX/ESXi versions do not support SAS-based

storage array connections.

NOTE: This upgrade is only required to allow the Host to Storage Configurationoption for configuring SAS-

connected storage arrays. If the storage arrays are already configured or are not SAS-connected, the in-box

provider does not need to be upgraded.

Requirements For Using A SAS Host

To use the SAS provider, make sure the following requirements are (or can be) met:

The SAS provider must be deployed on the ESX/ESXi-based servers before connecting the storage array

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or Secure Copy (SCP) must be enabled on the ESX/ESXi host

If you are installing the upgrade package via remote login, you must either create a new user with host loginprivileges or enable remote login for the root user

Creating A New User Login With Host Privileges (ESX And ESXi Servers)

Follow the steps below to create a new user login with host privileges:

1. Connect the vCenter Client directly to the ESX/ESXi host you are configuring.

2.

ClickHome Inventory Inventory, select the Users and Groupstab.

3. Select a user, then right-click and select Add.

4.

Enter the required user information and selectGrant shell access to this user

.

5. Click OKto save changes.

6. Log in as the new user, then run the sucommand to assume the super-user role.

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Enabling Root Login From A Host Console (ESX Servers Only)

Follow the steps below to enable root login from an ESX host.

1.

Log in as root.

2.

Open the/etc/ssh/sshd_config

file.

3.

On the line that contains PermitRootLogin, changeno

toyes

.

4. Save and close the file.

5.

At a shell prompt, run the following command to reload the service:# service sshd restart

.

Enabling Root Login From A Host Console (ESXi Servers Only)

Follow the steps below to enable root login from an ESXi host.

1. Press F2to switch to open the configuration menu.

2. Select Troubleshooting Options.

3. Select Enable Remote Tech Support.

4. Select Restart Management Agents.

5.

PressEsc

to close theConfiguration

menu.

Installing The SAS Provider Upgrade

The following section contains separate steps for installing the SAS provider upgrade, depending on whether you are

configuring an ESX or ESXi host.

Installing The SAS Provider Upgrade (ESX 4.1 Servers Only)

Follow the steps below to install the SAS provider upgrade on ESX 4.1 servers:

1.

Use either SFTP or SCP to copy thevmware-esx4.1-SAS-provider.vib

file to your target ESX host.

2.

Log in to the ESX 4.1 host as root.

NOTE:

If root is not enabled, log in as a shell-enabled user and runsu

to assume super-user role.

3.

From the shell prompt, entervmware -v

to verify the ESX version as 4.1.

NOTE: If root is not enabled, log in as a shell-enabled user.4. Enter rpm -q lsi-provider.

4. Enter rpm -q lsi-provider.

The version listed is lsi-provider-410.04.V0.24-140815.

5.

Enteresxupdate -b file:$PWD/vmware-esx4.1-SAS-provider.vib --nodeps --nosigcheck --maintenancemode update

.

NOTE:

Theesxupdate

command shown above assumes that the.vib

file is located in your current working

directory. If it is not, replace$PWD

with the directory location of the.vib

file.

Several unpacking, installing, and cleanup messages are displayed.6.

When the installation is complete, runesxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provider

.

The following messages should be are displayed:

cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-260xxx pending,installed

cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-140815 retired

7. Stop any running virtual machines.

8. Reboot the host.

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9.

When the host reboot is complete, run the following command to verify the update successfully installed:rpm -q lsi-

provider

.

Installing The SAS Provider (ESXi 4.1 Servers Only)

Follow the steps below to install the SAS provider upgrade on ESXi 4.1 servers:

1.

RunSCP

to copy thevmware-esx4.1-SAS-provider.vib

file to your target ESXi host.

2. Log in to the ESXi 4.1 host as root.

NOTE: If root is not enabled, enable it temporarily for this installation.

3. From the shell prompt, enter vmware -vto verify the ESXi version.

4. Enter esxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provideron the same command line.

The version listed is lsi-provider-410.04.V0.24-140815.

5. Enter esxupdate -b file:$PWD/vmware-esx4.1-SAS-provider.vib --nodeps --nosigcheck --maintenancemode update

to install the package.

NOTE: The esxupdate command shown above assumes that the .vibfile is located in your current working

directory. If it is not, replace$PWD

with the directory location of the .vib

file.

6.

Once installation is complete, enter the following command:esxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provider

.

The following messages are displayed:cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-260xxx

pending,installed cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-140815 retired.

7. Stop any running virtual machines.

8.

Reboot the host.

9.

When the host reboot is complete, runesxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provider

to verify that the upgrade was

successfully applied.

Installing The SAS Provider (ESXi 5.0 and 5.1 Servers Only)

Follow the steps below to install the SAS provider upgrade on ESX 5.0 and 5.1 servers:

1.

RunSCP

to copy thevmware-esx5.0-SAS-provider.vib

file to your target ESXi host.

2. Log in to the ESXi 5.0/5.1 host as root.

NOTE:

If root is not enabled, enable it temporarily for this installation.

3. From the shell prompt, enter vmware -vto verify the ESXi version.

4. Enter esxcli software vib install -v file:/vmware-esxi5.0-SAS-provider.vib -f --maintenance-modeon the same

command line.

NOTE: The esxcli command above assumes that the .vibfile is located in the / directory. If it is not, precede

the command with the location of the.vib

file.

The following messages are displayed:

Installation Result

Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to berebooted for the changes to be effective.

Reboot Required: true

VIBs Installed: LSI_bootbank_LsiProvider_500.04.V0.24-261033

VIBs Removed:

VIBs Skipped:

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5.

Stop any running virtual machines.

6. Reboot the host.

7. When the host reboot is complete, run esxcli software vib list | grep LSIto verify that the upgrade was successfullyapplied.

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3

Configuring The MD Storage Array For ESX/ESXi

The MD vCenter Plug-in allows an ESX/ESXi host to be automatically configured to use a Dell MD storage array by

detecting the installed Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) within the host and configuring new hosts on the storage array with

the Worldwide Names (WWNs) of the HBAs from the host. The default ESX/ESXi multi-pathing mode for Dell MD storage

arrays is Most Recently Used (MRU). To ensure optimum performance for the ESX/ESXi host with more than two HBAs,

the host should be configured to use the storage array in pairs of HBAs. This method allows for maximum I/O throughput

from the host to the storage array. Using this method requires proper SAN configuration and balancing of LUNs between

hosts/host groups.

Figure Dual-Port HBA Configuration (Fibre Channel) shows a completely configured two-HBA ESX/ESXi host Fibre

Channel SAN configuration utilizing two fabric switches and a dual-controller storage array. While this image shows a

Fibre Channel configuration, the basic principles apply to all platforms. For iSCSI-specific configuration details, see the

topic Configuring iSCSI.

Figure 8. Dual-Port HBA Configuration (Fibre Channel)

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This example shows a fully redundant fabric configuration. If a fibre channel switch or HBA fails, the alternate switch

still connects both storage controllers in the storage array. If a storage controller also fails, the host can still access the

remaining controller and all virtual disks fail over to that controller. A complete loss of access to storage occurs if any

other element fails.

Figure 9. Configuration Showing Single-Point Failure

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Figure 10. Configuration Showing Double-Point Failure

While this method works well in the case of hardware failure, MRU only maintains one active path for each HBA group.

Therefore, if you have an ESX/ESXi host with four HBAs, only one HBA is active at a time.

Grouping HBAs And Creating Virtual Hosts

To achieve higher I/O throughput from the host to the storage array, group the HBAs in pairs and create virtual hosts for

each pair of HBAs. This allows for a fully redundant configuration, but also allows for two of the HBAs to be active at the

same time. From the storage array, the second pair of HBAs is defined as a separate host. Then, virtual disks can then

be mapped directly to the new host or host group. This same methodology can be used to group additional HBAs in the

same manner.

Managing Bandwidth

Grouping HBAs in pairs and using virtual disks to create a fully redundant configuration does require additional

management to balance the LUNs between the hosts/host groups and fully use available bandwidth between all HBA

groups. When this method is used in a fibre channel configuration, the Automatic host configuration utility cannot

determine which HBAs are configured to each fabric zone. Instead, the administrator must verify that a single HBA is

connected to both fabric zones for each HBA pair group.

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Figure 11. Four-Port HBA Configuration

NOTE: The intent of this configuration is to pair the HBAs so that no group of HBA ports is contained on a single

HBA card (if dual-port cards are used).

Extending the configuration scheme, Figure Eight-HBA Port Configuration shows an eight-port HBA configuration.

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Figure 12. Eight-HBA Port Configuration

Configuring ALUA Support

If your MD storage array firmware supports Asymmetric Logical Unit Access (ALUA), active-active throughput will

enable LUN ownership to be transferred automatically to the alternate RAID controller in a failure event.

Changing Your Default Multipath Policy

Depending on your environment, you may be able to achieve higher performance by switching the default multipath

policy from Most Recently Used (MRU) to Round Robin (RR). To identify the current SATP claim rule and PSP policy used

by your storage array, use the following command: #esxcli storage nmp device list.

Figure 13. Device List Command Output

Adding A SATP Claim Rule To Enable ALUA And Change The Multipath Policy To Round

Robin

To create the new claim rule, use the following command:#esxcli storage nmp satp rule add -s VMW_SATP_ALUA -V

DELL -M array_model -c tpgs_on -P VMW_PSP_RR -e Dell ALUA Claim Rule

. Replace the array model with one of the

following:

MD32xx

MD32xxi

MD36xxi

MD36xxf

This command:

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4

Configuring The ESX/ESXi Host

To use the Automatic Host Configurationutility:

1. Navigate to Hosts and Clustersof the vSphere Client home page.

2. Select the host to be configured.

3. Right-click the host and select Configure ESX Host to Storage Array.

Figure 15. ESX/ESXi Host Configuration Menu

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Configuring ESX Host To Storage Array

The Configure ESX Host to Storage Array wizard allows you to see how the current host is configured to the storage

array (if already configured). You can also use this wizard to add, remove or rename a host or host group, or

automatically configure the host to another storage array.

Figure 16. Configure Host to Storage Array View

This wizard walks you through the process of configuring HBAs on ESX/ESXi hosts to the storage arrays you configure in

the plug-in array manager. It also provides additional information needed to detect and configure SAS HBAs on the ESX/

ESXi hosts.

NOTE: By default, the wizard will only display hosts that are prefixed with ESX_ and host groups prefixed with

VMware_. To display others, select the Show all host groups as described in step 7.

1. After reading through the introduction screen, click Next.

The Inspect Configuration process begins. This verifies user privileges and gathers information on the selected

host and any configured storage arrays. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the number of

adapters and storage arrays configured. After all discovery processes are complete, three green check marks are

displayed.

2. On the Select Host HBAswindow, select the host HBAs to be configured.

3.

Select the interface type and all HBA ports to be configured on the target storage array.

4. The Select Storage Arraypage allows you to select the storage array that will be used by the ESX host.

5.

TheSuggested Configuration

page displays recommended HBA port configurations, host configuration and host

group configurations. Suggested changes are displayed in blue italics (see Figure Suggested Host Configurations).

To accept the suggested configuration, click Next. Go to step 10 to complete the configuration.

To manually configure the host, select Use manual configurationand continue to step 6.

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Figure 17. Suggested Host Configurations

6. If Use manual configurationis selected, the Manual Configurationpage will be displayed. If the ESX host will be

participating in a cluster configuration with other ESX hosts and no existing host group exists for the cluster

configuration, select the storage array name and click Add Host Group.

7.

Enter the name for the new host group and clickOK

. If the host group for the cluster already exists, check theShow

all host groupsoption and select the host group name you want to add this host to. To use multiple host groups, the

storage array must have the Storage Partitioning premium feature enabled.

8.

ClickAdd Host

and enter the name for this ESX host.

9. Select the check boxes next to the HBAs to be used for the host definition (see Figure Manually Adding a Host

Dialog).

10.

ClickOK

to complete host configuration.

A review page is displayed showing what changes will be applied to the storage array. If you are satisfied with the

changes, click Apply Changes.

11. Repeat steps 8 through 10 for each pair of HBAs to be used for the ESX host.

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Figure 18. Manually Adding a Host Dialog

NOTE:

The Configure ESX Host to Storage Array wizard does not detect how the fibre channel switch fabric is

zoned. Suggested configurations are based on HBA ports detected and may require the fabric to be rezoned

based on your specific environment cabling.

You cannot rename or remove existing configured hosts or host groups. Existing host and host group configuration

changes must be performed from MD Storage Manager. A real-time summary page is displayed showing the status

of the changes being applied to the selected storage array. Once the changes are applied, selectRestart

to repeat

the configuration process on another storage array, or selectClose

to close the configuration wizard.

Figure 19. Apply Changes to Storage Array

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5

Using The MD vCenter Plug-In

This section describes how to use the storage management features in the MD vCenter Plug-in. Before continuing, make

sure you have configured your host and storage array as described in the preceding sections.

MD vCenter Plug-In Features

The following features are available from the MD vCenter Plug-in:

Array Manager view

Copy services management

ESX/ESXi host storage configuration wizard

Virtual disk management in the storage arrays, including standard and thin virtual disk creation

Datastores-to-virtual disk details

Event log viewer for storage array events

Automatic and manual storage array configuration backups

Remote Replication configuration

Summary View

When a storage array is selected under the All Storage Arraysview on the left side of the plug-in window, the Summary

tab shows general information for that array, including array name, status, physical features and capacity. Figure

Summary Tab View shows a sample array summary view.

Figure 20. Summary Tab View

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Organizing Storage Arrays

The MD vCenter Plug-in allows you to organize your storage arrays into hierarchal views based on user-defined assettags and folders.

All storage arrays are assigned to theAll Storage Arrays

folder. Selecting this folder shows all storage discoveredarrays in the right side of the vSphere Clientview. Selecting an individual storage array shows the following information

in theSummary

tab:

Figure 21. Storage Array Organization

Using Asset Tags

Asset tags allow you to define custom characteristics for each storage array, such as city, state, row number and type.

Once an asset tag key and value are assigned to a storage array, a storage panel can be created to automatically group

all storage arrays matching the criteria specified for the panel.

Storage panels are created with specific asset tag values, or can be created with only an asset tag key. Defining both

creates a panel with all storage arrays having an asset tag value for the specified asset tag key and automatically

groups the storage arrays based on their asset tag values (Error Reference source not found). You can also choose to

define a storage array panel with only a specific asset tag value. This will create a panel with only storage arrays having

the associated asset tag key and specific asset tag value defined within the panel.

Examples of different combinations of asset tag definitions are shown in figures Storage Array Panel Configuration with

All Asset Tag Values and Storage Array Panel Configuration with Specific Asset Tag Value.

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Figure 22. Storage Array Panel Configuration with All Asset Tag Values

Using a wildcard character (*

) in an asset tag value, the folder display will automatically create sub folders based on the

storage asset tag values as shown inError Reference source not found.

. If you assign a specific value, no subfoldersare created.

Figure 23. Storage Array Panel Configuration with Specific Asset Tag Value

Assigning Asset Tags And Values

Asset tags are custom data tags that can be associated with each storage array. They provide a method for sorting and

organizing storage arrays based on your environment and needs.

To define and assign an asset tag value to a storage array:

1. Select a storage array in the All Storage Arrayslist.

2.

ClickEdit

in theTag Assignments

area.

An Edit Storage Arraywindow is displayed.

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Figure 24. Assigning Asset Tag and Values in Edit Storage Array Dialog

3. Enter an asset tag key or select an existing key in the Tag keyfield.

4. Enter an asset tag value or select an existing value in the Tag valuefield.

5.

ClickAssign

to add them to the storage array.

6. If you want to assign multiple keys or values to the same storage array, repeat steps 3 through 5.

7.

ClickSave

to apply changes.

Managing Asset Tags

Asset tag keys and values can also be managed by selecting the Manage Tagslink in the Commandsarea. From the

Manage Tagswindow, you can view all asset tag keys and tag values for a selected storage array. Additionally, by

selecting a tag key, you will see a list of storage panels using this tag key along with a list of storage arrays assigned

this tag key. The same is true for selecting a tag value. From this dialog tag keys and tag values may be added, removed,

or renamed.

Figure 25. Manage Tags Window

Asset tag keys and values must not be removed from individual storage arrays from this window.

MD vCenter Plug-In Security

The MD vCenter Plug-in uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to communicate securely between the vSphere client and

application server.

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Accepting And Installing The Trusted SSL Certificate

During the vCenter Server installation process, an SSL certificate is generated for the vCenter Server system. If this

certificate has not been added to the system's Trusted Root Certification Authorities (CA) store, a Security Alert dialog

box is displayed when you start the MD vCenter Plug-in.

Figure 26. SSL Security Alert Message

To avoid this message, you can import the install-generated certificate into the system's Trusted Root Certification

Authorities store using the following steps. However, if CA-signed signed SSL certificates are not used, this alert

message cannot be suppressed.

1.

ClickView Certificate

.

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Figure 27. Install Certificate Dialog Box

2.

From theCertificate

window, clickInstall Certificate

.

3. In the Certificate Import Wizard, click Next.

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Figure 28. Certificate Import Wizard

4. From the Certificate Storewindow, select Place all certificates in the following store.

5. Click Browse.

6. In the Select Certificate Storewindow, highlight the Trusted Root Certification Authoritiesfolder and click OK.

Figure 29. Select Certificate Store Dialog Box

7. Click Next.

8. Click Finish.

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A Security Warningmessage box will be displayed.

9.

Verify the information and clickYes

to add the certificate to the trust store.

Figure 30. Security Warning Message Box

NOTE: The subject name of the system in the certificate must match the system name of the vCenter Server

during the vSphere Clientlogin screen. Otherwise, you will continue to receive warning messages that the

certificate does not match the site name.

Microsoft Enhanced Browser Security

When Microsoft's Enhanced Internet Explorer Security is installed on the vSphere Client system, the security

configuration blocks content from the web site and a warning message is displayed. ClickingAdd

establishes a trust

relationship with the application server.

NOTE:

You may also be prompted to addabout:security_VpxClient.exe

to your Trusted sites (see figure Microsoft

Enhanced Security Message).

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Figure 31. Microsoft Enhanced Security Message

NOTE: If you are using the Save Fileoption, you will also need to add the DNS name or IP address of the MD

vCenter Plug-in application server in non-SSL format (for example, http://192.168.10.14) as a trusted site.

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Figure 32. Microsoft Trusted Sites

Configuring Storage Arrays

To use the MD vCenter Plug-in to create or modify virtual disks on the storage array, click theDell MD Storage Array

vCenter Plug-inicon on the vSphere Clienthome page.

Figure 33. vSphere Client Home Page Access to MD vCenter Plug-in

Clicking the icon opens theMD vCenter Plug-in Storage Array Manager

view and shows a list of known storage arrays.

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Figure 34. MD vCenter Plug-in Array Manager View

Discovering Storage Arrays

To add a storage array to the vCenter Plug-in using automatic discovery:

1.

In theCommands

area of theArray Manager

view, clickDiscover Arrays

.

2. In the Discover Storage Arrayswindow, enter the starting and ending TCP/IP address range on which you want to

discover.

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Figure 35. Storage Array Discovery

3. Click Discoverto start the discovery scan.

Depending on the range specified, discovery may take up to several minutes.

After discovery completes, a list of discovered arrays are displayed.

4. Select the storage arrays to be added to the vCenter plug-in by clicking the checkbox(es) next to the storage array

name(s).

NOTE: If a same asset tags will be used for all the selected arrays, you can enter the asset tag key and asset

tag value in the fields provided and click Assign. For more information, see figure Storage Array Organization.

5.

If the same array password is used for all selected storage arrays, you can enter it in thePassword

field at thebottom of the Discover Storage Arrayswindow.

6.

ClickAdd

to add all your selected storage arrays to thevCenter Plug-in Array Manager

view.

7. Click Closewhen all storage arrays are added to the plug-in.

Adding Storage Arrays To The vCenter Plug-In Manager View

NOTE: The Add Arraydialog fields are limited to 30 characters. If you require a longer DNS name and cannot use

an IP address, create an alias to use in this dialog.

To add a storage array using the MD vCenter Plug-in:

1. Click Add Arrayin the Commandsarea of the Array Managerview.

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Figure 36. Add Storage Array

A dialog box is displayed showing DNS name/IP address text boxes for RAID Controller 0 and 1, as well as a

password field.

Figure 37. Add Storage Array Dialog

2.

InController 0 (DNS or IPv4)

, enter the IP address or name of RAID controller 0 on the storage array.

3. In Controller 1 (DNS or IPv4), enter the IP address or name of RAID controller 1 on the storage array.

4.

InPassword

, enter a password for the storage array you are adding.

This password will be required by the MD vCenter Plug-in to access the storage array. It will not change or

override an existing storage array password set in Dell MD Storage Manager.

5. Optionally, you can create unique asset tag keys and values for your storage arrays. For more information, see the

topic Organizing Storage Arrays.

6. Click Addto add the storage arrays.

7.

ClickClose

when all storage arrays are added.

Removing Storage Arrays From The vCenter Plug-In Manager View

Storage arrays may be removed from vCenter Plug-in management by either selecting the individual storage array in the

All Storage Arraysview (left side of plug-in interface) and clicking remove in the Commandsarea, or selecting the folder

object from the main plugin view. Selecting the folder object will display the remove Storagewindow where you can

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select storage arrays for removal. Either method will display a confirmation dialog requiring you to verify the removal. To

remove a storage array using the MD vCenter Plug-in:

1.

In theAll Storage Arrays

navigation tree in the left side of the plug-in interface, select the storage array you want to

remove.

2. Click Remove.

Figure 38. Remove Storage Array Confirmation

3.

ClickOK

to confirm.

Editing Storage Array Properties

The Edit Storage Arrayfeature on the Summarytab allows you to change a storage arrays IP addresses, change or

establish a plug-in password and manage asset tag keys and values (see the topic Organizing Your Storage Arrayforinformation on asset tags).

Figure 39. Edit Storage Array Dialog

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Enabling Automatic Save Configuration Backups

These backups can be set to be automatically or manually initiated.

To enable automatic backups of the storage array base configuration, perform the procedure below:

1.

Open theArray Manager

view.

2. In the left pane, select the storage array name.

The storage array properties are displayed in the right pane.

3.

In theSummary

tab, clickAutomatically Save Configuration

.

The Automatically Save Configurationdialog box is displayed.

4. Check Enable automatic save configuration.

5.

ClickOK

to enable automatic configuration backups.

Once automatic configuration backups are enabled, they are persisted between restarts of the MD vCenter Plug-in

application server and vCenter Server. To disable automatic save configuration, clear the selection box.

Figure 40. Automatic Save Configuration Message

NOTE: The automatic backup script files are located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\MD Storage Array vCenter

Plug-In\jetty\savecfg directory.

Initiating A Manual Save Configuration

To perform a manual save configuration:

1.

Open theStorage Array Manager

view.

2. In the left pane, click the storage array name.

The storage array properties are displayed in the right pane.

3.

In the right pane, clickManually Save Configuration

.

The Manually Save Configurationdialog box is displayed.

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Figure 41. Manually Save Configuration Message

4.

ClickOK

.Internet explorer will launch a File Downloaddialog box.

5.

If a security alert notifies you that you are leaving a secure Internet connection, clickYes

.

6. If your security settings block you from downloading the file, add the non-secured HTTP address for your vCenter

application server to your trusted sites list. For more information see MD vCenter Plug-in Security.

7. Click Save.

ASave As

dialog box is shown.

8.

Select the location and file name to save the backup configuration script.

9.

ClickSave

.

Formatting Virtual Disks

Before you format virtual disks with VMFS datastores, you must plan how to set up storage for the ESX/ESXi systems,

including deciding on the number and size of virtual disks to use.

NOTE: For more information about making virtual disk decisions, including predictive schemes, adaptive schemes

and disk shares, refer to the iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide: Using ESX/ESXi with an iSCSI Storage Area Network:

Making LUN Decisionsin the VMware vSphere Online Library.

When you are deciding how to format virtual disks, keep the following considerations in mind:

Ensure that each virtual disk has the correct RAID level and storage characteristics for applications in thevirtual machines using that virtual disk.

Ensure that each virtual disk contains only one VMFS datastore.

When multiple virtual machines access the same VMFS datastore, use disk shares to prioritize virtual machines.

Fewer, larger virtual disks are appropriate for the following reasons:

Provide more flexibility to create virtual machines without increasing space.

Provide more flexibility for resizing virtual disks and performing snapshots.

Result in fewer VMFS datastores to manage.

More, smaller virtual disks are appropriate for the following reasons:

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Less wasted storage space.

Different applications might require different RAID characteristics.

Provide more flexibility, since the multi-pathing policy and disk shares are set per virtual disk.

Microsoft Cluster Service requires that each cluster disk resource is in its own virtual disk.

Offer better performance because there is less contention for a single virtual disk.

Decision-Making Schemes

When the storage characterization for a virtual machine is not available, you can use either the predictive or adaptive

scheme to decide on the virtual disk size and number needed.

Using The Predictive Scheme To Make Virtual Disk Decisions

1.

Create several virtual disks with different storage characteristics.

2. Build a VMFS Datastore on each virtual disk and label each Datastore according to its characteristics.

3.

Allocate virtual disks to contain the data for virtual machine applications in the VMFS datastores built on virtual

disks with the appropriate RAID level for application requirements.

4.

Use disk shares to distinguish high-priority virtual machines from low-priority virtual machines.

NOTE:

Disk shares are relevant only within a given host. The shares assigned to virtual machines on one host

have no effect on virtual machines on other hosts.

5.

Run applications to determine whether virtual machine performance is acceptable.

Using The Adaptive Scheme To Make Virtual Disk Decisions

1.

Create a large virtual disk such as RAID 1+0 or RAID 5 with write caching enabled.

2. Build a VMFS datastore on that virtual disk.

3.

Place several (four or five) virtual disks on the VMFS datastore.

4. Run applications to determine whether disk performance is acceptable.

If performance is acceptable, you can place additional virtual disks on the VMFS datastore.

If performance is not acceptable, create a new, larger virtual disk and repeat the process. You can also usea different RAID level. Use migration so that you do not lose virtual machines when you re-create the virtualdisk.

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NOTE: TLP and DLP allow for a complete drive tray (physical disk) or physical disk drawer failure without

failing the virtual disk(s) within the disk group.

4. As filtering criteria is entered, available physical disks are displayed in the table shown in the figure Create Disk

Group Dialog. Use the checkbox on the left side of the window to select physical disks you want to include as part

of the disk group.

5.

When all physical disks are selected, clickOK

.

Figure 43. Create Disk Group Dialog

Once a disk group is created, you can create individual virtual disks residing within the disk group. You cannot

create standalone virtual disks, i.e. virtual disks outside of a disk group. For more information, see the following

sections.

Creating Virtual Disks

You can create either standard or thin provisioned virtual disks using the MD vCenter Plug-in. Standard virtual disks are

assigned specific capacities when they are created and maintain that capacity in the file system. They can be

expanded, but do not have the ability to change capacity based on usage. Thin provisioned virtual disks, however, can

be created with relatively small capacities but allowed to grow as usage increases. For more information on thin virtual

disks, see the Administrator's Guidefor your MD storage array atdell.com/ support/manuals

.

Creating A Standard Virtual Disk

After a new disk group is created, you can create virtual disks from the free capacity in the disk group.

To create a new virtual disk:

1.

Select the disk group or disk pool and clickCreate Virtual Disk

.

The Create Virtual Diskwizard is displayed.

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Figure 44. Create Virtual Disk Dialog

2. In the Nametext box, enter the virtual disk name.

3.

From theDisk Group or Disk Pool

drop-down list, select the object from which to create the new virtual disk.

4. In the Sizetext box, enter the size of the new virtual disk and select the rate.

5. In the I/O Settingsarea, select the I/O characteristics of the virtual disk.

6.

ClickOK

.

Creating A Thin Provisioned Virtual Disk

To create a thin provisioned virtual disk:

1. Select the storage object and click Create Virtual Disk.

TheCreate Disk Group

wizard is displayed.

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Figure 45. Create Virtual Disk Dialog

2.

In theName

text box, enter the virtual disk name.

3. From the Disk Group or Disk Pooldrop-down list, select the object from which to create the new virtual disk.

4. In the Sizetext box, enter the size of the new virtual disk and select the rate.

5.

SelectCreate thin virtual disk

.

6. In the I/O Settingsarea, select the I/O characteristics of the virtual disk.

7.

ClickNext

.

8.

In the second page of theCreate Virtual Disk

wizard, define the physical capacity and maximum expansion

capacity for the virtual disk.

Figure 46. Create Thin Virtual Disk Dialog

9. Click OKto create the thin virtual disk.

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Figure 48. Storage Adapters Rescan

From this view, the user can also verify that the correct number of paths have been configured. By right- clicking on

one of the devices listed under the storage adapter and selecting Manage Paths, a window opens that shows the

number of paths for the target device. There should be four paths to each device, two Active and two Standby.

Figure 49. Physical Disk Path Configuration

Datastores View

After datastores are created on storage array virtual disks, theDatastores View

tab can be used to understand the

mapping of datastores to storage array virtual disks. The intent of this view is to provide a quick status and view of the

datastores and their underlying storage virtual disks.

Use this view to identify the storage array where the datastore resides and the associated storage array virtual disk. You

can view the health status of the virtual disk, associated host/host group, RAID level, capacity and datastore free space.

This view also displays the details of the datastore, such as the extent, LUN number and health status.

TheDatastores View

is context-sensitive, so selecting a VM in the tree only displays storage elements for the selected

VM. health status.

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NOTE:

Snapshots for virtual disks residing on a disk pool are not supported in this release. Any virtual disk copy

using virtual disks on a disk pool will appear as read-only to the host until the copy process completes.

Figure 55. Virtual Disk Copy Management

From this tab, all virtual disk copy operations are displayed along with the current status of all virtual disk copies. From

the Commandsarea, the following options are available:

Create Virtual Disk Copy

Recopy

Stop

Change Virtual Disk Copy Parameters

Remove Copy

Refresh

Creating A New Virtual Disk Copy

To create a new virtual disk copy:

1.

ClickCreate Virtual Disk Copy

in theCommands

area.

The Virtual Disk Copywizard is displayed.

2. Select the source virtual disk to use for the virtual disk copy.

NOTE: While the virtual disk copy is being established, the source virtual disk is read-only to the host to which

the virtual disk copy is presented. When the Snapshot premium feature is enabled, the MD vCenter Plug-in

uses the feature to create a snapshot of the source virtual disk before the virtual disk copy is initiated and the

virtual disk copy operation uses the snapshot virtual disk to establish the virtual disk copy. This allows for

continued read-write operations to the source virtual disk from the host during the establish period.

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Figure 56. Create Virtual Disk Copy Dialog

3. Click Nextto select the target virtual disk for the virtual disk copy and select the copy priority to use.

Figure 57. Virtual Disk Copy Target Dialog

After the virtual disk copy is established, it can be managed from theVirtual Disk Copy

tab. To stop a copy

operation that is occurring, select the copy set to modify and clickStop

. To recopy an existing virtual disk, click the

copy set and click Recopy. To delete a copy set, select the copy set to modify and click Remove Copy. This removes

the virtual disk copy relationship between the two virtual disks, but does not modify or delete the target virtual disk

that still contains a copy of the original data from the source virtual disk.

Changing Virtual Disk Copy Parameters

To change the target virtual disk to read-write or change the modification priority:

1. Select an existing volume copy from the list.

2.

ClickChange Virtual Disk Copy Parameters

.

3.

From theCopy Priority

drop-down box, select the new priority for the virtual disk copy.

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NOTE:

To create remote replication, both storage arrays (local and remote) must be added to theArray Manager

view.

1. From the Remote Replicationtab, click Create Remote Replication.

2. Click Next.

3.

From theVirtual Disk

tree view, select the source virtual disk for the replication and clickNext

.

4. Select the remote storage array for the replication.

5. From the drop-down list, select the secondary virtual disk to be the target of the source remote replication.

6. Choose the write mode for the remote replication and click Next.

7. Review the summary information on the Confirmationpage and click Finishto establish the replication.

Figure 60. Synchronous Remote Replication Confirmation

Suspending Synchronous Remote Replication

To suspend remote replication of a disk pair, click Suspend Replicatingin the Commandsarea under the Remote

Replicationtab. The I/O between the replicated pairs is suspended, but the replication is maintained.

Resuming Synchronous Remote Replication

To resume remote replication, clickResume Replicating

in theCommands

area under theRemote Replication

tab. The

I/O between the replicated pairs resumes and out-of-sync data is resynchronized.

NOTE: This option is available only for replicated pairs that have been suspended.

Changing Synchronous Remote Replication Roles

Changing roles makes the following role changes in the replicated pair:

Promotes the secondary virtual disk to the primary virtual disk and allows read/write access from the remotelocation.

Demotes the primary virtual disk to the secondary virtual disk and disables writes to the virtual disk from theprimary site.

To change roles, clickChange Replication Roles

.

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NOTE: The Remote storage arraylist displays only the storage arrays that support selection as the remote

storage array.

6. From the connection type list, select the connection type for the mirror group.

7.

TheConnection type

list shows only the connection types that support asynchronous Remote Replication groups.

8.

ClickCreate

.

Deleting Remote Replication Groups

Deleting a Remote Replication group breaks all mirrored pair, breaks all mirrored pair relationships, and deletes the

Remote Replication group on both the local storage array and the remote storage array. Primary and secondary virtual

disks return to standard volume status. No data is deleted from the volumes. The replication relationship cannot be

resumed after the delete Remote Replication groups operation starts. You can delete only empty Remote Replication

groups. If a Remote Replication group contains any virtual disks, delete those virtual disks before deleting the Remote

Replication group. To delete a Remote Replication group:

1. In the All Storage Arraystable, select the storage array group.

2. In the Remote Replication Groups table, select a group.

3.

ClickDelete

.

The Delete Remote Replication Groupdialog box is displayed.

Figure 63. Delete Remote Replication Group Dialog

4. Select the confirmation check box.

5.

ClickOK

.

The Remote Replication group is removed from the Remote Replication Groups table.

Replicated Pairs

The two virtual disks in a replicated pair function as a single entity, enabling you to perform one action on the replicatedpair instead of performing two actions. A storage array can have multiple replicated pairs. The Replicated Pairs table

shows the primary and secondary virtual disks in the replicated pairs on an array.

The virtual disks you add to the Remote Replication group on the local storage array performs the primary role.

The virtual disks you add to the Remote Replication group on the remote storage array performs the secondaryrole.

You can switch virtual disks between roles.

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Creating Replicated Pairs

You cannot create a replicated pair with a virtual disk that is already in a replication relationship. To create a replicated

pair:

1.


table, select the storage array in which to create a mirrored pair.2.

In theRemote Replication Groups

table, select the group in which to create a replicated pair.

3. Click Create Replicated Pair.

TheCreate Replicated Pair

dialog is displayed.

Figure 64. Create Remote Replication Pair Dialog

4.

From theRemote Replication group

drop-down list, select a group name.

5. From the Select a primary virtual diskdrop-down list, select the primary virtual disk for the replicated pair.

6.

ClickNext

.

7. From the Select a secondary virtualdisk drop-down list, select the secondary virtual disk for the replicated pair.

8.

SelectFinish

.

The Remote Replication Groups table shows the status of the group as Initial Sync.

The Replicated Pairs table does not show the virtual disks in the replicated pair. To show virtual disks, select the

Remote Replication group in the Remote Replication Groups table.

Figure 65. Initial Sync Status Remote Replication Groups and Replicated Pairs Table

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Follow the steps below to suspend replication:

1.


table, select the Remote Replication group you want to suspect replication on.

2.

In theReplicated Pairs

table, select the replicated pair you want to suspend.

3.

ClickSuspend Replication

.

4.

Select the confirmation box.

5.

ClickOK

.

The Remote Replication Groups table shows the status of the Remote Replication group as suspended.

Figure 67. Suspended Remote Replication Group

The Replicated Pairs table no longer shows the replicated pair.

To show the replicated pair in the Replicated Pairs table, select the asynchronous Remote Replication group inthe

Remote Replication Groups

table.

The Replicated Pairs table shows the primary and secondary virtual disks and the repository status of thereplicated pair.

Figure 68. Primary and Secondary Volumes and Repository Status

Resuming Remote Replication

Remote Replication can be resumed only when all members of the Remote Replication group are in theOptimal

status.

The resume operation can be performed only by the storage array that contains the virtual disk in the primary role for the

asynchronous Remote Replication group.

Follow the steps below to resume remote replication:

1.


folder, select the storage array that contains the Remote Replication group to resume

mirroring.

2. In the Remote Replication Groupstable, select the asynchronous Remote Replication group to resume mirroring.

3. In the Replicated Pairstable, select the replicated pair to resume.

4. Click Resume Remote Replication.

5.

Select the confirmation check box.

6. Click OK.

TheRemote Replication Groups

table shows the asynchronous Remote Replication group status asOptimal

. The

Replicated Pairs

table no longer shows the mirrored pair.

To show the replicated pair in theReplicated Pairs

table, select the Remote Replication group in theRemote

Replication Groups

table. TheReplicated Pairs

table shows the primary and secondary virtual disks and the

repository status of the replicated pair.

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Manually Resynchronizing A Replicated Pair

A manual resynchronization operation forces the immediate resynchronization of the data on all replicated pairs in the

Remote Replication group. A manual resynchronization must be performed by the storage array that is acting in the

primary role for the Remote Replication group.

You cannot perform a manual resynchronization until the minimum wait time between synchronizations haselapsed.

You cannot manually resynchronize a suspended Remote Replication group.

To manually synchronize a replicated pair:

1. In the All Storage Arraysfolder, select the storage array that contains the Remote Replication group to manually

resynchronize.

2.


table, select a Remote Replication group to manually re-synchronize.

3. Select the confirmation check box.

4.

ClickOK

.

TheRemote Replication Groupstable shows the status of the Remote Replication group as Initial Sync. The

Replicated Pairs

table no longer shows the replicated pair.To show the replicated pair in theReplicated Pairstable, select the Remote Replication group in the Remote

Replication Groupstable. TheReplicated Pairstable shows the primary and secondary virtual disks and the

repository status of the replicated pair.

Storage Array Event Log

The MD vCenter Plug-in allows you to view the Event Log for a storage array.

NOTE: If the file is locked, you can create a copy of the file with a different name, then open the copied file.

Accessing The Event Log

To access the event log:

1.

ClickView Event Log

in the storage arraySummary

window.

You can set filters in the Event Log to show events (all or only critical), view details for a selected event and specify

the number of events to retrieve. By default, the Event Log retrieves the most recent 100 events. However, from the

Retrieve the most recent eventsdrop-down list, you can specify a specific number of events to retrieve.

2. After making any changes to the Event Log Viewer, click Update.

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Figure 69. Event Log Viewer

Manually Unregistering The MD vCenter Plug-In

If the MD vCenter plug-in needs to be removed, the following procedure can be used when it is not possible to uninstall

the plug-in from the application server.

1. From a browser, navigate to the IP address of the vCenter Server with /mobappended to the IP address (example:

http://192.168.51.21/mob).

2.

Click thecontent

link to navigate to the available ServiceContent.

3. Click ExtensionManagerto display a list of registered extensions.

4.

ClickUnregisterExtension

and enter the extension name to be unregistered from the list of available extensions (for

example, Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in).

5. Click Invoke Methodto un-register the extension.

6.

Restart the vSphere Client to reflect the changes.

Figure 70. Manually Unregister Extension

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Uninstall The MD vCenter Plug-In

Uninstall the MD vCenter Plug-in using the uninstaller located on the application server at: C:\Program Files\Dell MD

Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in\Uninstall Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-In\Uninstall Dell MD Storage

Array vCenter Management Plug-in.exe. The Plug-in can also be uninstalled using Add/Remove Programs(or Programs

and Features

powervault-md3200i user's guide4 en-us

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