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Dell VCE VxRail 3.5 Converged Infrastructure Product Guide PDF
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Summary of Content for Dell VCE VxRail 3.5 Converged Infrastructure Product Guide PDF
www.vce.com
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
Document revision 1.0
June 2016
Revision history
Date Document revision Description of changes
June 2016 1.0 Initial release of VxRail Manager v3.5.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Revision history
2 2016 VCE Company, LLC.
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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................5 Support...................................................................................................................................................5
Registering for online support..........................................................................................................5 Where to go for support resources.................................................................................................. 6
Accessing VCE documentation.................................................................................................................7
Architecture overview................................................................................................................................ 8 Overview of the VxRail Series................................................................................................................8 The VxRail Appliance............................................................................................................................. 8 Storage and virtualization.......................................................................................................................9 VxRail Appliance models......................................................................................................................10 Features............................................................................................................................................... 11 VxRail Appliance cluster expansion..................................................................................................... 12
Physical planning..................................................................................................................................... 13 Appliance power and cooling information.............................................................................................13 Appliance dimensions and weight........................................................................................................ 13 Operating and storage environment.....................................................................................................14 Appliance components and controls.................................................................................................... 14 Locating your physical VxRail Appliance serial number.......................................................................17
Network planning......................................................................................................................................19 Pre-installation Site Checklist...............................................................................................................19 10GbE switch networking.....................................................................................................................19 Network requirements.......................................................................................................................... 19 VxRail Appliance Network Configuration Table....................................................................................20
Licensing Administration.........................................................................................................................23 Licensing overview............................................................................................................................... 23 Locating your partner activation code (PAC)........................................................................................23 Logging into the activation portal..........................................................................................................24 Activating a VLP license.......................................................................................................................24 Assigning a license to your VxRail Appliance...................................................................................... 25
Administration...........................................................................................................................................27 Viewing the VxRail Manager dashboard.............................................................................................. 27 Support resources................................................................................................................................ 29
Viewing EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) information..........................................................30 Using Support eServices............................................................................................................... 30 Using the support knowledge base................................................................................................31
Viewing system events.........................................................................................................................32
Contents VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Monitoring logical system health.......................................................................................................... 33 Viewing physical system health............................................................................................................35
Viewing and locating hardware events.......................................................................................... 35 Viewing physical disk status.......................................................................................................... 36 Viewing physical node status.........................................................................................................38 Viewing power supply status..........................................................................................................40
Viewing VxRail Appliance system configuration and applications........................................................41 Configuration General tab..............................................................................................................41 Config Features tab....................................................................................................................... 49 Using the VxRail Market................................................................................................................ 51
External storage........................................................................................................................................54 NFS and VMFS over iSCSI datastores................................................................................................ 54 Setting up external NFS storage for a VxRail Appliance......................................................................54 Setting up external VMFS over iSCSI storage for a VxRail Appliance.................................................55
Set up the iSCSI network portgroup.............................................................................................. 56 Create a VMkernel adapter on the hosts in the cluster..................................................................57 Set up an active software iSCSI adapter....................................................................................... 57 Assign volumes on iSCSI storage..................................................................................................58 Mount a new VMFS datastore over iSCSI..................................................................................... 58
Replacing hardware..................................................................................................................................60 Handling replaceable units................................................................................................................... 60
Avoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage............................................................................60 Emergency procedures (without an ESD kit).................................................................................61 Hardware acclimation times...........................................................................................................61 Unpacking a part............................................................................................................................62
Replacing HDD and SSD drives...........................................................................................................62 Preparing to replace drives in VxRail Manager..............................................................................63 Removing the bezel....................................................................................................................... 65 Removing a disk drive tray from the appliance..............................................................................66 Installing a disk drive tray into the appliance................................................................................. 67 Installing the bezel......................................................................................................................... 68 Finishing up....................................................................................................................................69
Replacing power supply units (PSUs).................................................................................................. 69 Detecting a failed PSU...................................................................................................................70 Identify a faulted power supply unit................................................................................................70 Replacing a faulted power supply unit........................................................................................... 73
Out-of-band management........................................................................................................................ 76 Before you begin.................................................................................................................................. 76 About the VxRail Appliance BMC interface and RMM port.................................................................. 76 Finding the RMM DHCP address......................................................................................................... 77 Using the BMC Web console to launch the remote console................................................................ 78
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Contents
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Introduction This document describes the VxRail Appliance, how it works, and how to perform administrative tasks.
The target audience for this document includes customers, field personnel, and partners who want to deploy a VxRail Appliance. This document is designed for people familiar with:
EMC and VCE systems and software
VMware virtualization products
Data center appliances and infrastructure
The VCE Glossary provides terms, definitions, and acronyms that are related to VCE Systems.
To suggest documentation changes and provide feedback on this book, send an email to docfeedback@vce.com. Include the name of the topic to which your feedback applies.
Support Create an Online Support account to get access to support and product resources for your VxRail Appliance.
If you already have an account, register your VxRail Appliance to access the available resources.
For convenience, you can link your Online Support account with the VxRail Manager and access support resources without having to log in separately.
Registering for online support
Create an Online Support account to access support resources.
About this task
After you register, you can:
Register your system
Obtain product license files and software updates
Download VxRail Series product documentation
Download the SolVe Desktop Procedure Generator
Browse the VxRail Series community and support information
Link your support account for access to resources from within VxRail Manager
Introduction VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Procedure
1 Point your Web browser to emc.com/vxrailsupport (or support.emc.com).
2 Click Register here.
3 Fill in the required information. Support will send you a confirmation email, typically within 48 hours.
Where to go for support resources
Access support resources for your VxRail Appliance by doing any of the following:
Click the VxRail Manager Support tab.
Point your Web browser to emc.com/vxrailsupport (or support.emc.com).
Additional VxRail Series information is available through the SolVe desktop tool.
Point your Web browser to https://solve.emc.com.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Introduction
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Accessing VCE documentation Select the documentation resource that applies to your role.
Role Resource
Customer support.vce.com
A valid username and password are required. Click VCE Download Center to access the technical documentation.
Cisco, EMC, VMware employee, or VCE Partner
partner.vce.com
A valid username and password are required.
VCE employee sales.vce.com/saleslibrary
or
vblockproductdocs.ent.vce.com
Accessing VCE documentation VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Architecture overview
Overview of the VxRail Series The VCE VxRail Series delivers virtualization, compute, and storage in a scalable, easy to manage, hyper-converged infrastructure appliance.
Your VxRail Appliance is built on Intel Xeon processor-based x86 hardware with the VxRail Manager software bundle, and support for other value-added software from VCE, EMC, and VMware.
The VxRail Manager software bundle includes the following:
VxRail Manager for deployment, configuration, and management
VMware vSphere, including ESXi
VMware vCenter Server
VMware Virtual SAN for storage
VMware vRealize Log Insight
The VxRail Appliance The VCE VxRail Appliance includes the appliance hardware, VxRail Manager, EMC Secure Remote Services (ESRS), and access to qualified EMC software products.
Appliance hardware
The VxRail Appliance consists of four nodes in a 2U rackmount chassis. Each node has its own compute and storage resources.
The following VxRail Appliance models are available:
VxRail Appliance modelsTable 1:
VxRail Appliance with Hybrid Nodes VxRail Appliance with All-flash Nodes
VxRail 60
VxRail 120
VxRail 160
VxRail 200
VxRail 120F
VxRail 160F
VxRail 200F
VxRail 240F
VxRail 280F
A 10GbE switch and a workstation/laptop for the user interface are also required. (The VxRail 60 Appliance can be used with a 1GbE switch.)
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Architecture overview
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VxRail Manager
VxRail Manager provides a software stack for software-defined data center (SDDC) building blocks including compute, network, storage, and management. VxRail Manager streamlines deployment, configuration, and management for easier initial setup and ongoing operations.
VxRail Manager also provides integration for EMC services and support to help you get the most out of your VxRail Appliance.
With VxRail Manager you can:
Monitor system health with deep hardware intelligence and graphical representation
View appliance software versions and updates
Access EMC Online Support and eServices
Access community resources such as the user forum and knowledgebase
Use the VxRail Market to access qualified EMC software products
Storage and virtualization The VxRail Series integrates VMware Virtual SAN and virtualization to provide a complete hyperconverged infrastructure.
Storage
VMware Virtual SAN is integrated in your VxRail Appliance to provide Software-Defined Storage (SDS). Virtual SAN is not a VSA, but is embedded in the ESXi hypervisor kernels I/O data path. As a result, Virtual SAN can deliver the higher performance with minimum CPU and memory overhead.
Virtual SAN pools the VxRail Appliance's internal SSDs and HDDs on the ESXi hosts to present a single datastore for all hosts in the cluster. Virtual SAN uses a highly available, distributed, object-based architecture. Virtual SAN mirrors and distributes the individual virtual disk (VMDK) across the datastore.
Virtualization
The VxRail Series lets virtualization infrastructure administrators manage storage on a per-VM basis. This VM-centric approach allows for storage policies to be defined at VM-level granularity for provisioning and load balancing. Virtual SAN is fully integrated with vSphere, which simplifies setting up the availability, capacity, and performance policies.
For scale-out, VxRail Manager uses VMware Loudmouth auto-discovery capabilities, based on the RFC- recognized "Zero Network Configuration" protocol, to automatically discover and configure appliances on your network. Loudmouth runs on each ESXi host and in theVxRail Manager virtual machine. Loudmouth allows VxRail Manager to discover all the nodes and automate the configuration. Loudmouth requires IPv6 multicast. The IPv6 multicast communication is strictly limited to the management VLAN that the nodes use for communication.
Architecture overview VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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VxRail Appliance models The following table lists the available VxRail Appliance models.
Model Compute Memory Network interface
VxRail 60 (hybrid nodes) 1 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2603 v3
6 cores per node
64 GB RAM RJ45
Q-1GbE
VxRail 120 (hybrid nodes) 2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2620 v3
12 cores per node
128 GB RAM
192 GB RAM
256 GB RAM
RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 160 (hybrid nodes) 2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2630 v3
16 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 200 (hybrid nodes) 2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2660 v3
20 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 120F (all-flash nodes)
2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2620 v3
12 cores per node
256 GB RAM RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 160F (all-flash nodes)
2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2630 v3
16 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 200F (all-flash nodes)
2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2660 v3
20 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
RJ45
SFP+
VxRail 240F (all-flash nodes)
2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2680 v3
24 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
SFP+
VxRail 280F (all-flash nodes)
2 Intel Xeon Processor E5-2683 v3
28 cores per node
256 GB RAM
512 GB RAM
SFP+
Note: For storage capacity information, and for the most up to date product offerings, visit VCE.com.
Hybrid nodes use both hard-disk drive (HDD) storage and solid-state drive (SSD) storage. All-flash nodes use SSD storage only.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Architecture overview
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Features The VxRail Series offers advanced features including automatic deployment, automatic scale out, fault tolerance, and diagnostic logging.
Automatic deployment
The VxRail Manager fully automates the installation and configuration of all nodes in an appliance after you input the basic IP address information.
Automatic scale-out
The VxRail Series provides automated scale-out functionality by detecting a new VxRail Appliance on the network. When a new VxRail Appliance is powered on you can add it to your existing cluster or create a new cluster, replicating the configuration, and expanding the datastore in a cluster.
Node failure tolerance
The VxRail Series supports from 0 to 3 node failures, as defined by the VSAN FTT policy. The following table lists the minimum number of nodes in a cluster required to support a given number of node failures.
Number of node failures to tolerate
Number of replicas Minimum number of VxRail Appliance nodes required
0 1 1
1 2 3
2 3 5
3 4 7
The VxRail Series implements the standard Virtual SAN policy of one failure by default:
An entire node can fail and the system will continue to function.
Disk failure cannot affect more than one node. One SSD can fail or as many as three HDDs on the same node can fail.
One network port on any node can fail without affecting the node.
Network failover is through the virtual switch configuration in ESXi. This is automatically configured by VxRail Manager during initial setup.
Logging and log bundles
The VxRail Series provides logging and log bundles through VxRail Manager.
Architecture overview VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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VxRail Appliance cluster expansion Your VxRail Appliance cluster can be scaled in single node increments from a minimum of four nodes up to a maximum of 32 nodes. The VxRail Manager automated installation and scale-out features make it easy to expand your cluster as your business demands grow.
Each VxRail Appliance holds up to four nodes. If the number of nodes in a cluster is not a multiple of four, you will have a partially populated appliance chassis in the cluster. You can use the empty slots in the chassis for future expansion.
You can mix different VxRail Appliance models in the same cluster. You must adhere to the following guidelines when deploying a mixed cluster:
All appliances in the cluster must be running VxRail Manager version 3.5 or higher.
First-generation appliances (sold under the VSPEX BLUE name) can be in the same cluster with VxRail Appliances, as long as they are running VxRail Manager version 3.5 or higher.
Appliances using 1GbE networking (VxRail 60 Appliances) cannot be used in clusters with 10GbE networking.
6G hybrid nodes cannot be used in clusters with 12G all-flash nodes.
Note: VxRail Appliance cluster scalability is supported to a maximum of eight appliances or 32 nodes. However, scalability to 16 appliances or 64 nodes per cluster may be allowed. You must submit a request for product qualification (RPQ) to EMC for clusters over 32 nodes.
Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative when planning your cluster expansion.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Architecture overview
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Physical planning
Appliance power and cooling information Table 1 contains specifications for the appliance power consumption and dissipation. Calculations based on this table are intended to provide maximum power and heat dissipation. EMC provides a power and weight calculator at http://powercalculator.EMC.com. Use this calculator to refine the power and heat values in the table below to more-closely match the specific appliance hardware configuration. Ensure that the appliance installation site meets the requirements for your configuration.
Appliance power consumption and dissipationTable 2:
Specification VxRail 120 VxRail 160 VxRail 200
Power supplies 2 1600 W high efficiency redundant PSUs
2 1600 W high efficiency redundant PSUs
2 1600 W high efficiency redundant PSUs
AC line voltage 220V AC, 50/60Hz 220V AC, 50/60Hz 220V AC, 50/60Hz
Power consumption (operating maximum)
13347 KVA 1337 KVA 1486 KVA
Heat dissipation 4561.844 BTU/hr 4561.844 BTU/hr 5070.232 BTU/hr
Maximum inrush current 55 A per power supply unit up to one-quarter of AC cycle
55 A per power supply unit up to one-quarter of AC cycle
55 A per power supply unit up to one-quarter of AC cycle
Appliance dimensions and weight Appliance dimensions and weightTable 3:
Dimension Appliance Appliance with rails
Form factor 2U chassis 2U chassis
Height 3.44 in (8.74 cm) 2.0 U (with or without bezel)
Depth 31.1 in (79 cm) 32.1 in (81.53 cm)
Width 17.48 in (43.4 cm) without cabinet latch brackets
18.99 in (48.23 cm) with cabinet latch brackets
Maximum weight 91.31 lb (41.42 kg) 102.34 lb (46.42 kg)
Physical planning VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Operating and storage environment The site must have air conditioning of the correct size and placement to maintain the specified temperature and relative humidity range listed in Table 3.
Operating and storage environmentTable 4:
Specification Description
Operating temperature 5C to 35C (41F to 95F)
Non-operating temperature -40C to 70C (-40F to 158F)
Operating relative humidity 50% to 85% RH
Non-operating relative humidity 20% to 90% RH
Storage time (unpowered) Recommendation
Do not exceed 6 consecutive months of unpowered storage.
Appliance components and controls The appliance has four server nodes that are accessible at the rear of the appliance. Server node 1 defines the default node type for the system.
1. Node 1 2. Node 2 3. Node 3 4. Node 4
Figure 1: Location of server nodes
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Physical planning
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Each of the four server nodes has a front control panel and designated disk drive group.
1. Node 1 disk drive group 2. Node 2 disk drive group 3. Node 3 disk drive group 4. Node 4 disk drive group 5. Node 1 front control panel 6. Node 2 front control panel 7. Node 3 front control panel 8. Node 4 front control panel 9. Product serial number tag (PSNT)
Figure 2: Node control and disk drive groups
Physical planning VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Control panels for nodes 1 and 2 are on the left side and control panels for nodes 3 and 4 are on the right side. A fault with the associated node will cause the Power button with Status LED on the control panel to blink amber and blue.
Figure 3: Node control panel controls and indicators
Control panel controls and indicators descriptionTable 5:
No. Name Color Status Description
1 Power button with Status LED
Blue On System power on
Off System power off
Amber Blinking DC off and fault
Amber and Blue
Blinking DC on and fault
2 ID button with LED Blue Blinking Identification activated
Off No identification
Each node is equipped with a power button and three LED indicators, which are visible at the rear of the server. A fault with a node will cause the Power LED to blink blue, and the Node Status LED to blink amber on its front control panel.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Physical planning
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Pressing the ID button on the front control panels will cause the ID LED on the respective node to blink.
Figure 4: Node controls and indicators
Node controls and indicators descriptionTable 6:
No. Name Color Status Description
1 Power LED Blue On System power on
Off Power off
Blue Blinking Reports system health fault
2 Node Status LED Off Normal - system healthy
Amber Blinking Reports system health fault
3 Power button Press and hold more than four seconds to turn off node
4 ID LED Blue Blinking Identification activated (from front control panel)
Off No identification
Locating your physical VxRail Appliance serial number Follow these steps to locate your VxRail Appliance serial number.
About this task
1. Product serial number tag (PSNT)
Figure 5: VxRail Appliance product serial number tag (PSNT) location
Physical planning VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Procedure
1 At the front of your VxRail Appliance locate drives 2 and 3 on the left side of the chassis.
2 Pull out the blue-tabbed tag located above drives 2 and 3.
3 Locate the appliance serial number label on the pull-out tag.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Physical planning
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Network planning Before your VxRail Appliance is installed, your 10GbE switch must be properly configured. (The VxRail 60 Appliance can be used with a 1GbE switch.) Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to prepare your switch and network before installation.
This chapter discusses the switch and network parameters you must consider to make sure that you properly setup up your switch, configure VLANs, reserve IP addresses, and so on.
Pre-installation Site Checklist Before your appliance is installed, work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to complete the VxRail Appliance Pre-installation Site Checklist.
The VxRail Appliance Pre-installation Site Checklist is a site survey that help you gather the key information needed to successfully install your appliance.
10GbE switch networking Your VxRail Appliance relies on your 10GbE switch for all of the networking between nodes in the cluster, and between the cluster and the rest of your infrastructure. It is crucial that your 10GbE switch be configured properly for the VxRail Appliance to work.
Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to ensure your switch is properly set up to work with your VxRail Appliance according to the instructions provided by your switch manufacturer.
Note: The VxRail 60 Appliance can be used with a 1GbE switch. All other VxRail Appliance models require a 10GbE switch.
Network requirements Your VCE, EMC, or partner representative will work closely with you to ensure you have the following network resources available before installing the VxRail Appliance.
10GbE switches
You must have one or more 10GbE switches:
Two or more 10GbE switches are recommended for failover, and for installations with more than four appliances.
Two switch ports are required for each node. A fully-populated appliance requires eight switch ports.
Note: The VxRail 60 Appliance can be used with a 1GbE switch. All other VxRail Appliance models require one or more 10GbE switches.
Network planning VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Cabling
If you have RJ45 NIC ports on your appliance you need:
Two CAT6 or higher cables per node (these cables are included with RJ45-equipped appliances). A fully-populated appliance requires eight cables.
If you have SFP+ NIC ports on your appliance you need:
Two compatible Twinax Direct-Attach-Copper (DAC) cables per node (these cables are not included; you must supply your own), or
Two compatible fiber cables with appropriate transceivers per node (these cables and transceivers are not included; you must supply your own).
A fully-populated appliance requires eight cables.
Servers
You must have a DNS server for network address resolution and ESRS support.
VxRail Appliance Network Configuration Table Use the Network Configuration Table when planning and configuring your 10GbE switch for use with your VxRail Appliance.
This table lists the network parameters that are configured during VxRail Appliance setup. Use the table before setup to plan your configuration. Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to use the table during setup to keep track of your entries.
Network Configuration TableTable 7:
Element Category Description Example Customer value
VxRail Appliance
Management VLAN ID (optionally modify)
Set a management VLAN on ESXi before you configure VxRail Appliance, otherwise management traffic will be untagged on the switch's Native VLAN
Native VLAN
VxRail Appliance Initial IP Address (optionally modify)
If you cannot reach the default VxRail Appliance initial IP address (192.168.10.200/24), set an alternate IP address
192.168.10.2 00
System Global settings Time zone
NTP server(s)
DNS server(s)
Active Directory (optional) Domain
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Network planning
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Network Configuration TableTable 7:
Element Category Description Example Customer value
Username
Password
HTTP Proxy Settings (optional)
IP Address
Port
Username
Password
Management Hostnames ESXi hostname prefix host
Separator None
Iterator 0X
Top-level domain localdomain.l ocal
vCenter Server hostname vcenter
VxRail Appliance hostname vxrail
Networking ESXi starting address for IP pool 192.168.10.1
ESXi ending address for IP pool 192.168.10.4
vCenter Server IP address 192.168.10.1 01
VxRail Appliance IP address 192.168.10.1 00
Subnet mask 255.255.255. 0
Gateway 192.168.10.2 54
Passwords ESXi "root"
vCenter Server & VxRail Manager "administrator@vsphere.local"
vSphere vMotion
Starting address for IP pool 192.168.20.1
Ending address for IP pool 192.168.20.4
Subnet mask 255.255.255. 0
VLAN ID 20
Virtual SAN Starting address for IP pool 192.168.30.1
Network planning VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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Network Configuration TableTable 7:
Element Category Description Example Customer value
Ending address for IP pool 192.168.30.4
Subnet mask 255.255.255. 0
VLAN ID 30
VM Networks VM Network name and VLAN ID Sales / 110
VM Network name and VLAN ID Marketing / 120
...
Unlimited number
Solutions Logging vRealize Log Insight hostname loginsight
vRealize Log Insight IP address 192.168.10.1 02
Syslog server (instead of Log Insight)
VxRail Manager Extension Primary VM IP address
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Network planning
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Licensing your VxRail Appliance The VMware vSphere Loyalty Program (VLP) allows you to apply your VMware vSphere licenses to your VCE VxRail Appliances. This allows you to preserve your investment in VMware software while deploying a hyper-converged infrastructure built on the VxRail Series.
Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to ensure that you have the proper type and quantity of licenses available for your environment.
Licensing overview The overall procedure for licensing your VxRail Appliance is outlined here. Refer to the subsequent sections for details of each step.
About this task Follow these steps to activate the license on your appliance.
Note: Internet access is required for this process. EMC customers without Internet access at their site should work with their VCE, EMC, or partner representative to obtain their license.
Procedure
1 Locate your partner activation code (PAC).
2 Log into the activation portal and redeem your PAC to receive your license keys. Use your My VMware credentials or create an account if you don't have one.
3 Prepare a vSphere license key that meets your VxRail Appliance BYO (VLP) vSphere license requirements.
4 Enter your BYO (VLP) license key on the vCenter Web Client and apply it to your VxRail Appliance.
Locating your partner activation code (PAC) When you buy a VxRail Appliance, VCE, EMC, or your partner will give you a unique partner activation code (PAC) that you can use to obtain your license.
Procedure
1 Locate your PAC.
A copy of the PAC is emailed to the Bill to and Ship to contacts for your order.
A copy of the PAC is also sent to any additional email addresses that were entered for your order.
Licensing your VxRail Appliance VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide
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2 Keep the PAC available as you license your appliance.
Logging into the activation portal Log into the activation portal to redeem your PAC and receive your license keys.
Procedure
1 Point your Web browser to the activation portal: https://www.vmware.com/oem/code.do? Name=EMC-AC
2 Log in with your My VMware credentials. If you do not have a My VMware account, create one:
a Click Register under New Customers.
b Enter your email address, password, and other information.
c Click to accept the terms and conditions and click Continue. An email is sent to the address you registered with.
d In the email, click Activate Now and follow the instructions to complete your registration.
3 On the VMware Registration for Partner Activation Codes page, enter your PAC in the Activation Code box.
4 Click Continue and follow the instructions. You will receive an email containing the license key. The license key must next be prepared for your VxRail Appliance, and then applied using the vSphere Web Client.
Activating a VLP license After you redeem your partner activation code (PAC) and receive your vSphere Loyalty Program (VLP) license, you must arrange your vSphere licenses to match your VxRail Appliance.
Before you begin
You may need to upgrade your license key to match the product version your are using (for example, vSphere 5.5 or vSphere 6.0, and so on). Refer to the VMware knowledge base article, How to upgrade license keys in My VMware (2006974).
About this task
Procedure
1 Log into your My VMware account.
2 Navigate to the Manage License Keys page.
VCE VxRail Appliance 3.5 Product Guide Licensing your VxRail Appliance
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3 Select the Combine License Keys option.
4 Find and select the proper number of vSphere licenses to support your VxRail Appliance. The following table lists the license support requirements. Work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative to ensure that you have the proper type and quantity of licenses available for your environment.
VxRail Appliance model vSphere license support requirements
VxRail 60 4 hosts and 4 CPUs
VxRail 120, VxRail 120F, VxRail 160, VxRail 160F, VxRail 200, VxRail 200F, VxRail 240F, VxRail 280F
4 hosts and 8 CPUs
5 Click Combine. (If your vSphere licenses support more than eight CPUs, click Divide License Keys instead.)
6 Follow the My VMware on-screen instructions to finish grouping the licenses. You have the option to email your license key to yourself.
7 Create a folder called VxRail within My VMware with the required vSphere Enterprise Plus CPU license.
What to do next
For additional information on how to manage existing vSphere license keys in order to meet the Bring- Your-Own vSphere Licensing (VLP) requirements, work with your VCE, EMC, or partner representative. You can also refer to the following VMware knowledgebase articles:
How to combine license keys in My VMware (2006973)
How to divide license keys in My VMware (2006972)
How to upgrade license keys in My VMware (2006974)
How to downgrade license keys in My VMware (2006975)
Licensing ESXi 6.x and vCenter Server 6.x (2107538)
Assigning a license to your VxRail Appliance After combining or splitting your BYO vSphere license and making it ready for VxRail Appliance, you must apply the license using the vCenter Web Client.
Procedure
1 Log into the vSphere Web Client. (You must have Global.Licenses privilege.)
2 Click Home.
3 In the Administration section, click Licensing in the left pane and select the Licensing tab.
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4 Click Add New Licenses (the small plus icon: +.)
5 Enter your product license key, one license per line, and click Next.
6 (optional) Add a label to the license. Click Next.
7 Review the details and click Finish to add the license.
8 To assign the new license to a host, click the Assets tab and then click Hosts.
9 Select the host and click Assign License. (Shift+click to select multiple hosts to license.) A pop- up window shows all available licenses.
10 Select the appropriate license from the list and click OK to complete the licensing process.
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Administration Use VxRail Manager to perform administrative tasks on your VxRail Appliance cluster.
Viewing the VxRail Manager dashboard Click DASHBOARD to navigate to the VxRail Manager Dashboard tab.
About this task
The VxRail Manager dashboard shows system health and support resources at a glance, including expansion status, overall system health, support, community activity, and event history.
Figure 6: VxRail Manager Dashboard screen
Expansion
Expansion shows the status additional nodes being added to your VxRail Appliance or appliance cluster.
Overall System Health
Overall System Health shows the high-level system status of your VxRail Appliance. Status is shown as one of the following:
Healthy: System normal. There are no major problems to address
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Error: An error has occurred. There is an issue that should be addressed when possible.
Warning: System needs attention. There are some issues that require attention such as a disk space limit has been reached or an online support heartbeat cannot be sent.
Critical: Immediate action required. There are events that must be addressed immediately to prevent downtime or data loss.
VxRail Community
VxRail community shows the most recent articles and other content from the online VxRail community.
Support
Support shows status and links to support resources, including:
Last Heartbeat: The last time an EMC Secure Remote Services (ESRS) heartbeat was sent (only shown if ESRS is enabled).
Chat with Support: Link to start a chat session with a support representative.
Open a Service Request: Link to open a new service request ticket for support.
Event History
Event history displays the most recent system events.
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Support resources The VxRail Manager Support tab displays support status information, as well as support resources and links.
Figure 7: VxRail Manager Support screen
Last Heartbeat: Displays the date and time of the last successful heartbeat sent by your VxRail Appliance using ESRS Connect Home. (ESRS must be installed and enabled.)
Chat with Support: Opens a chat session with a support representative.
Open a Service Request: Navigates to eServices where you can open a service request.
View the Last Configuration Sent: Displays the most recent VxRail Appliance configuration data sent using ESRS Connect Home. (ESRS must be installed and enabled.)
Download: Displays available applications and add-ons available for your VxRail Appliance.
VxRail Community: Displays the most recent activity from the VxRail Series community forums.
Knowledge Base: Lets you search the support knowledge base and access VxRail Series support articles.
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Viewing EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) information
You can verify your VxRail Appliance ESRS "heartbeat" (the last time your system communicated with the remote support service). You can also review the configuration data that was sent to ESRS.
Before you begin
ESRS must be installed and enabled on your VxRail Appliance. You must have an support account before you activate ESRS. Enabling EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) (see page 45).
Procedure
1 Click SUPPORT in VxRail Manager to navigate to the Support tab.
2 Observe the date and time of the last ESRS communication in the Last Heartbeat section.
3 Click View the Last Configuration Sent to display the configuration data that was most recently sent to ESRS.
Using Support eServices
Access Support eServices directly from VxRail Manager.
Before you begin
To use Support eServices, you must have created an account. To create an account visit support.EMC.com.
About this task The VxRail Manager lets you access the following Support eServices:
Chat with Support: Opens a chat session with a support representative.
Open a Service Request: Opens a Web form where you can open a service request.
VxRail Community: Displays the most recent activity from the VxRail Series community forums. Click a title to view the discussion.
Chat with Support
Open a live chat session with support personnel.
Procedure
1 Click SUPPORT in VxRail Manager to navigate to the Support tab.
2 Click Chat with Support to start a live chat session with a support representative. The chat session opens. VxRail Manager transmits your appliance ID to the support representative.
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Opening a service request
Contact Customer Service to request service for your VxRail Appliance.
Procedure
1 Click SUPPORT in VxRail Manager to navigate to the Support tab.
2 If you have more than one appliance, click the arrow next to Open a Service Request. A list of the appliances in your cluster is shown.
3 Click the appliance for which you want service. A service request form open in a new browser tab. The form is prepopulated with information about the appliance you selected.
4 Fill out the required information and click Submit.
5 If you have a single appliance, or want to submit a general service request, click Open a Service Request. A Support eServices page opens in a new browser tab where you can open a request for service.
Viewing VxRail Series community updates
Browse and read the most recent activity from the VxRail Series community forums.
Procedure
1 Click SUPPORT in VxRail Manager to navigate to the Support tab.
2 Observe the VxRail Community list. The most recent activity from the VxRail Series community is shown.
3 Click the title of a message or article to view that topic in a new browser tab.
Using the support knowledge base
Search, access, and view the support knowledge base.
Procedure
1 Click SUPPORT in VxRail Manager to navigate to the Support tab.
2 Type your search terms in the Knowledge Base search field and press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon. If you have not Linking your Online Support account to VxRail Manager (see page 44) with VxRail Manager, you will be prompted to log in with your support credentials.
3 Click any of the returned search results to read that knowledge base article. Or click More... to navigate to the knowledge base website.
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Viewing system events The VxRail Manager Events tab displays a list of current system events.
About this task
System Events: The System Events list displays all of the VxRail Appliance events.
Event Details: Displays information for the selected event in the System Events list.
If there are critical events detected, the EVENTS icon displays the number of unread events, in red, in the navigation bar.
Figure 8: VxRail Manager Events screen
Procedure
1 Click EVENTS to navigate to the VxRail Manager Events tab.
2 Sort the events list as desired by clicking on a column heading. You can sort by ID number, Severity, or Time (including date).
3 Use the arrow buttons and scroll bars to navigate through the events list.
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4 Click a row to view more information about an event.
New critical events are shown in red.
When you click an event, the red highlight is removed.
To set all critical events as "read", click Mark All as Read.
5 If a physical component is listed in the Component column, click its Component ID in the Event Details to view its status on the Health > Physical screen.
6 To download a list of events, click Export all events. An events.csv file is created and downloaded by your browser.
Monitoring logical system health You can view the health of the nodes in your VxRail Appliance using the VxRail Manager Health > Logical tab. This screen displays CPU, memory, and storage usage for your entire cluster, individual appliances, and individual nodes.
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Procedure
1 Click HEALTH and then Logical to navigate to the VxRail Manager Health > Logical tab.
Figure 9: VxRail Manager Health > Logical screen
The color-coded status for storage IOPS, CPU usage, and memory usage indicates the following:
Red: Over 85% used.
Yellow: 75 to 85% used.
Green: Less than 75% used.
2 Click an appliance name to view information about that appliance.
3 Scroll to view information about the main health timeline, storage use, and nodes.
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4 Click the components of a node to view more information about the Capacity (HDD), Cache (SSD), ESXi disk, or NIC.
Results Use the Health > Physical tab to view more information about hardware status and configuration.
Viewing physical system health The Physical tab of the VxRail Manager Health window displays information about the hardware components of your appliance. A graphical representation of the appliances in your cluster makes it easy to navigate for event and status information.
Use the Health window Physical tab to view the following:
Appliances in the cluster: View appliance status and information such as ID, serial number, and so on.
Individual appliance components: Drill down to see status and information for appliance components such as disks, compute nodes, and power supplies.
Viewing and locating hardware events
Quickly locate and identify critical events, errors, and warnings on any appliance in the cluster.
About this task VxRail Manager displays status icons to indicate events that occur on your appliance.
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Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Observe Appliances in Cluster. A picture of each appliance in the cluster is shown.
4 If a status icon is displayed next to an appliance, click the appliance or the magnifying glass icon to see more information. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
5 Click any appliance component to view more details.
Click a Disk in the Front View to see disk status and information.
Click a Node in the Back View to see compute and network information.
Click a power supply in the Back View to see power supply status and information.
6 If a status icon is displayed on any component, click it to view event details in the Health window. Use your browser's back button to return to the appliance view on the Health > Physical tab.
Viewing physical disk status
View status and information for any appliance disk in a cluster.
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Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
4 Click a Disk in the Front View. The Disk Information panel is displayed for that disk.
5 If a status icon is displayed, click it to view event details in the Health window.
Results The Disk Information panel lists disk status and information about the drive, such as:
Status LED on/off
Serial number
Protocol
Disk type
Manufacturer
Switching a disk locator LED on and off
Switch a disk's locator LED indicator on or off. The disk LED flashes to help locate the disk in an appliance.
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Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
4 Click a Disk in the Front View. The Disk Information panel is displayed for that node.
5 Click the wrench icon next to the Disk Information panel
title.
6 Select the action you want:
Turn On Disk Locator LED Indicator starts flashing the disk LED.
Turn Off Disk Locator LED Indicator stops flashing the disk LED.
Viewing physical node status
View compute, SATA DOM, and NIC status and information for any appliance node in a cluster.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
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4 Click a Node in the Back View. The Node Information panel is displayed for that node.
5 If a status icon is displayed, click it to view event details in the Events window.
Results The Node Information panel lists status and information about the node, such as:
Status LED on/off
Serial number
BIOS firmware version
SATA DOM serial number and statistics
Network interface card (NIC) MAC addresses and status
Switching a node chassis LED on and off
Switch a node's chassis LED indicator on or off. The chassis LED flashes to help locate the node appliance in a rack.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
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4 Click a Node in the Back View. The Node Information panel is displayed for that node.
5 Click the wrench icon next to the Node Information panel
title.
6 Select the action you want:
Turn On Chassis LED Indicator starts flashing the chassis LED.
Turn Off Chassis LED Indicator stops flashing the chassis LED.
Viewing power supply status
View status and information for the power supplies of any appliance disk in a cluster.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
4 Click a power supply in the center area of the Back View. The Power Supply Information panel is displayed for that power supply.
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5 If a status icon is displayed, click it to view event details in the Events window.
Results The Power Supply Information panel lists status and information about the power supply, such as:
Serial number
Manufacturer
Viewing VxRail Appliance system configuration and applications The VxRail Manager Configuration tab displays details about the applications installed on or available for your VxRail Appliance. Configuration also displays information and status about the physical configuration of your appliance.
General: Information and settings for VxRail Manager, including:
VxRail Manager version
Linked Online Support account
Log collection
EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS)
Network offline mode
Health monitoring suppression mode
System diagnostics
Cluster shutdown
User interface language
Features: Descriptions, version information, and update controls for the applications and add-ons installed on the cluster.
Market: Access to qualified applications and add-ons to install and run on your VxRail Appliance cluster.
Configuration General tab
The General tab of the Configuration window displays information and settings for your VxRail Appliance.
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Use the General tab to view the following:
About VxRail Manager: Displays the current version of VxRail Manager software running on your appliance.
Set Support Account: Displays the linked Support account and allows you to link or change to a new account.
Log Collection: Displays the most recent collected logs and allows you to generate a new log bundle.
Enable EMC Secure Remote Support: Displays whether or not ESRS is enabled on your VxRail Appliance.
Configure Network Environment Settings: Disable certain features in offline mode.
Suppress Cluster Monitor: Disable system health monitoring for maintenance purposes.
System Diagnostics: Run a complete system diagnostic report.
Shut Down Cluster: Gracefully shut down the cluster.
Choose Your Language: Select the language used in the VxRail Manager UI.
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Figure 10: VxRail Manager Configuration > General screen
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Viewing the VxRail Manager version number
Display the current version of VxRail Manager software running on your appliance.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 Observe About VxRail Manager for the VxRail Manager software version.
Linking your Online Support account to VxRail Manager
For convenience, you can link your Online Support account with VxRail Manager and access support resources without having to log in separately.
Before you begin
You must have an account before you can link it with VxRail Manager. To create a Support account, see Registering for online support.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 Click one of the following buttons:
Set Support Account (if no account has been set)
Change Support Account (if an account was previously set)
The Username and Password fields are displayed.
4 Type your account credentials in the Username and Password fields. Leave both fields blank if you wish to unlink all accounts.
5 Click Login. VxRail Manager will log into your account and display that your account is in use.
Generating a diagnostic log bundle
Create and download a diagnostics log bundle for your cluster.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
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2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 Click Generate New Log Bundle. VxRail Manager will gather diagnostics information and create a TAR file.
4 Click Open to view the file or Save to store it on your local machine.
Enabling EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS)
ESRS provides secure, automated access between EMC and your VxRail Appliance. You must install and activate ESRS to enable some features in VxRail Manager.
Before you begin
You must have an Support account before you activate ESRS. To create an Support account, Registering for online support (see page 0 ).
Note: If you plan to set up ESRS, your Online Support account must be linked to VxRail Manager under the same party ID or it will not work properly.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 Verify the value of Your current ESRS status is.
Disabled: ESRS is not activated.
Deployed: ESRS has been installed but not activated.
Enabled: ESRS is activated.
4 Do one of the following:
If your ESRS status is Disabled, proceed to step 5.
If your ESRS status is Deployed, skip to step 9.
If your ESRS status is Enabled, skip to step 12.
5 Click Enable ESRS. The Enable ESRS window is displayed.
6 In the IP field, enter a valid IP address on the management network used by your VxRail Appliance. ESRS must be on the same management network as vCenter and VxRail Manager to receive alerts and broadcast them back to EMC.
7 Verify that the site ID and contact information are correct. These fields are pre-filled based on your Support account. However, you can manually update them if you wish.
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8 Click Submit. A status bar is displayed as ESRS is deployed on your system. When the process is complete, an access code is emailed to the address specified for your support account.
9 When your ESRS status is Deployed, click Activate ESRS. The Enable ESRS window is displayed.
10 Type or paste the access code in the Access code field. The access code is valid for 30 minutes. If your code has expired, click Regenerate access code to receive a new code by email.
11 Click Submit. A status bar is displayed as ESRS is activated on your system. When the process is complete, your ESRS status shows Enabled.
12 When your ESRS status is Enabled, the process is complete.
13 If you want to reset ESRS on your system, click Reset ESRS. In the Reset ESRS dialog, click Reset to confirm. You can re-enable ESRS by following the steps in this procedure.
Setting Internet online/offline mode
Follow these steps to enable or disable your VxRail Appliance's connection to the Internet.
About this task
Note: Some VxRail Manager features are disabled when the appliance Internet connection is disabled.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 In the Configure Network Environment Settings section, select one of the following:
Offline Mode On: Internet access for your appliance is disabled.
Offline Mode Off: Internet access for your appliance is enabled. This is the default setting.
4 Click Apply.
Results When Internet access is disabled (Offline Mode set to On) some VxRail Manager features are disabled. A message is displayed for the disabled features.
Enabling and disabling cluster health monitoring
Follow these steps to set whether or not VxRail Manager monitors the system health of the cluster.
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About this task Cluster health monitoring is normally enabled. You may want to disable it when you are performing service, such as replacing disks and so on.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 In the Suppress Cluster Monitor section, select one of the following:
Suppress Mode On: Cluster health is not monitored.
Suppress Mode Off: Cluster health is monitored and reported. This is the default setting.
4 Click Apply.
Results When cluster health monitoring is disabled (Suppress Mode set to On) VxRail Manager displays a banner indicating that monitoring is suppressed. You can close the banner by clicking the X on the right side of the banner.
Running a complete system diagnostic
Follow these steps to run a complete system diagnostic report for your VxRail Appliance.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 In the System Diagnostic section, click Diagnostic. VxRail Manager runs a system-wide diagnostic analysis of the appliance. The System Diagnostic window is displayed.
4 Observe the Health check list in the System Diagnostic window. Click items in the list to expand them for more information.
5 When you are finished with the diagnostic report click Close.
Shutting down a VxRail Appliance cluster
You can shut down your VxRail Appliance cluster from VxRail Manager. This feature provides a graceful, automated process for properly shutting down a cluster.
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About this task
When you shut down a cluster, VxRail Manager automatically does the following:
Shuts down related virtual machines and services
Performs system health diagnostics and maintenance mode diagnostics
Indicates any errors or conditions that prevent shutting down
Follow these steps to shut down a VxRail Appliance cluster:
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 In the Shut Down Cluster section, click Shut Down. The Shut Down Cluster dialog box is displayed.
4 Click Confirm to continue shutting down. VxRail Manager begins the automated shut down process and displays the progress on the Shutdown precheck list.
5 When the shutdown precheck process successfully completes, click Shutdown.
A progress bar is displayed as the automated shut down process continues.
If the process does not complete successfully, follow the on-screen prompts to correct any errors.
6 Click Close to exit. Wait for all the LEDs to turn off.
Results
When the shut down process is complete, VxRail Manager indicates that shut down is successful.
If the process does not complete successfully, follow the on-screen prompts to correct any errors.
Selecting a language for VxRail Manager
You can specify the language that displays in the VxRail Manager user interface.
About this task
The VxRail Manager user interface supports the following languages:
English (default)
French
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German
Korean
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click General. The General tab is displayed.
3 In the Choose Your Language section of the screen, click the language you want to use. The VxRail Manager user interface will immediately reload in the language you selected.
Config Features tab
The Features tab of the VxRail Manager Configuration window displays information about the applications and add-ons currently installed on your VxRail Appliance. It also allows you to download updates for those components.
Use the Features tab to view the following:
Installed on this Cluster: The list displays the name, description, and installed version for the software and add-ons installed on your VxRail Appliance.
Software updates: If an update is available for an application, an Update button is displayed.
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When a new version of an application is available, CONFIGURATION in the left navigation bar displays a highlighted number.
Viewing installed applications
Use the Features tab on the Configuration window to view a list of installed applications and add-ons.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click Features. The Features tab is displayed.
3 Scroll the Installed on this Cluster list, if necessary, to view all the applications and add-ons installed on your VxRail Appliance. The list includes a description and version number for each application installed. If a newer version of an application is available, the Update button is also displayed.
Updating applications and add-ons
Use the Features tab on the Configuration window to install updates for the applications and add-ons installed on your VxRail Appliance.
About this task When a new version of an application is available, CONFIGURATION in the left navigation bar displays a highlighted number. The Update button is also displayed for that application in the Installed on this Cluster list.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click Features. The Features tab is displayed.
3 Scroll the Installed on this Cluster list, if necessary, to view the applications and add-ons installed on your VxRail Appliance. If a newer version of an application is available, the Update button is displayed.
4 Click Update to view the options:
Upload local version: Allows you to upload a new version of the software from your local storage.
Download: Allows you to download a new version of the software.
Not all applications will show both options.
5 Click the option you want. The software will be copied to your VxRail Appliance.
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6 Click Install to install the software. When the installation is complete, the new version will be displayed in the Installed on this Cluster list.
Using the VxRail Market
The VxRail Market lets you download, install, and upgrade qualified EMC and VMware software products for your appliance.
About this task Choose from a list of applications that add functionality, protection, or management to your VxRail Appliance.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click Market. The Market tab is displayed.
3 Scroll the Available Applications for this Cluster list, if necessary, to view all the applications available for your VxRail Appliance. The list includes a description and version number for each application.
4 Filter the application list using the filter selector at the top of the list, if desired.
5 Click Learn more if you want to view information about the application. The application page opens in a separate browser tab.
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6 In VxRail Manager, do one of the following to install the application on your appliance:
Click Install to install an application directly.
Click Download to navigate to an external Web page where you can download and install the application.
Refer to Installing an application from the VxRail Market (see page 52). You can install multiple instances of an application.
7 Multiple instances of an application may be installed. To view and manage instances do the following:
a Click the arrow next to the name of the application to expand the instance listing. If there is only one instance of an application, the expand arrow is not displayed.
b Scroll to the instance you want to manage.
c View and manage the instance of the application as desired.
The following status messages may be displayed for an application instance:
Downloading: The application is currently downloading.
Pending: The application is waiting until another application finishes downloading.
IP address: The application is installed.
Installing an application from the VxRail Market
Install a qualified EMC or VMware software product from the VxRail Market.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click Market. The Market tab is displayed.
3 Scroll the Available Applications for this Cluster list to find the application you want.
4 Click Install to install the application.
5 Fill out the fields as appropriate for the application being installed. For example, you may enter:
Virtual Machine Name
IP Management address
Time zone
The fields vary depending on the application. Some fields may be pre-populated.
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6 Click Install. A status bar shows the progress of the installation. The status messages include:
Downloading: The application is currently downloading.
Pending: The application is waiting until another application finishes downloading.
IP address: The application is installed.
7 To install multiple instances of an application, repeat this procedure.
Managing applications and add-ons with VxRail Manager
Manage your installed EMC and VMware software products from the VxRail Market.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click CONFIGURATION. The Configuration window is displayed.
2 Click Market. The Market tab is displayed.
3 Scroll the Available Applications for this Cluster list to find the application you want. Filter the application list using the filter at the top of the list, if desired.
4 If there are multiple instances of the application, follow these steps:
a Click the arrow next to the name of the application to expand the instance listing. If there is only one instance of an application, the expand arrow is not displayed.
b Scroll to the instance you want to manage.
5 For the selected application, do either of the following:
Click Open to view the VM console.
Click Manage to view the application's management interface. (Not every application has a management option.)
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External storage Although each VxRail Appliance includes its own on-board storage resources, you can also use your appliance with external EMC storage. Your VxRail Appliance supports NFS datastores and VMFS datastores over iSCSI.
NFS and VMFS over iSCSI datastores Your VxRail Appliance can be used with external EMC storage with NFS datastores or VMFS over iSCSI datastores.
You may want to consider using external storage for workloads with high storage capacity requirements relative to the amount of required compute resources (CPU cores and RAM). External datastores allow you to scale VxRail Appliance compute resources separately from storage capacity. This can improved overall hardware usage levels. As a result it may be more cost-effective to use an external storage array such as Unity, VNX, or Isilon to provide additional storage for your VxRail Appliance cluster.
Note that external storage arrays must be managed separately. You cannot use the automated workflows in VxRail Manager for vSphere storage configuration and management with external datastores. Instead, you must use the vSphere Web Client to configure NFS and iSCSI on the ESXi hosts in the VxRail Appliance cluster, and to create NFS datastores and VMFS datastores over iSCSI on external arrays in the vCenter Server Appliance instance in the VxRail Appliance cluster. You must also use provisioning virtual machines on these external datastores in vCenter using the vSphere Web Client.
Refer to VMware vSphere documentation for details about using NFS and iSCSI storage with ESXi:
Understanding Network File System Datastores
About the Software iSCSI Adapter
Setting up external NFS storage for a VxRail Appliance Follow these guidelines to set up your VxRail Appliance for use with an NFS datastore.
Before you begin Many storage products provide NFS services, including EMC UNity, VNX, Isilon, and CloudArray. These guidelines assume that you have already installed and provisioned your VxRail Appliance cluster as well as your external NFS storage server.
About this task
The NFS datastore is created directly from vCenter on your VxRail Appliance cluster. A VLAN and a vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) are used.
Refer to the VMware vSphere documentation, Set Up NFS Storage Environment, for details about NFS storage with ESXi.
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Procedure
1 Log in to the as an authorized user.
2 Click the vSphere Web Client home icon.
3 Click Hosts and Clusters. In a VxRail Appliance cluster, NFS shared folders can be assigned to all connected nodes.
4 Click the cluster name in the list.
5 Click the Related Objects tab and then select Datastores.
6 Click the Create a New Datastore icon. The New Datastore window is displayed.
7 In the Location window type the datastore name and select the location for the datastore.
8 In the Type window select NFS.
9 In the Select NFS version window choose an NFS version.
10 In the Name and configuration window, specify necessary information to add the external NFS storage. For Folder enter the Export Path of external storage array.
11 In the Host accessibility window, select the hosts in the VxRail Appliance cluster that will mount the datastore. You can select any or all hosts in the cluster.
12 In the Ready to complete window, review your entries and then click Finish to complete the datastore creation. The new NFS datastore has been created.
Results After the NFS datastore is created, you can:
Provision VMs to the NFS datastore using the vSphere Web Client
Perform standard operations such as Open Console, Power On, Shutdown VM, Suspend VM, and clone VM
Migrate VMs between VxRail Appliance datastores and NFS datastores
In maintenance mode, VMs move to another node on the same NFS datastore automatically. The rebooted node is connected to the NFS datastore automatically.
Setting up external VMFS over iSCSI storage for a VxRail Appliance Follow these guidelines to set up your VxRail Appliance for use with a VMFS datastore over iSCSI.
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Refer to the VMware documentation, Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage, while setting up external iSCSI storage for your VxRail Appliance.
The general steps to configure iSCSI storage for VxRail include the following :
1 Set up the iSCSI network portgroup.
2 Set up an active software iSCSI adapter.
3 Create a new VMFS datastore over iSCSI
All the steps are done using the vSphere Web Client. A software iSCSI adapter allows standard NICs to connect ESXi hosts to a remote iSCSI target on the IP network. A VLAN and vSphere distributed switch are used. For details please refer to the VMware documentation, About the Software iSCSI Adapter.
Set up the iSCSI network portgroup
In the process of port binding, you create a virtual VMkernel adapter for each physical network. You then associate the VMkernel adapter with the software iSCSI storage adapter created in the following steps. Create a distributed port group first.
Procedure
1 Log in to the vSphere Web Client as an authorized user.
2 In the vSphere Web Client, click the home icon and go to the Networking configuration page.
3 Highlight EVO:RAIL Distributed Switch and then right-click it to create a new distributed port group. The New Distributed Port Group window is displayed.
4 In the Select name and location window enter the port group name.
5 In the Configure settings window enter the general properties and specify the related VLAN ID if you are using a VLAN.
6 In the Ready to complete window, review your entries and then click Finish to complete the port group creation. The new distributed port group is created.
7 In the Home list, right-click the new portgroup and select Edit Settings. The Edit Settings window is displayed.
8 Change Teaming and failover for the iSCSI portgroup as follows:
Keep uplink1 as the Active uplink.
Move the other uplinks to Unused.
Results Portgroup set up is complete.
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Create a VMkernel adapter on the hosts in the cluster
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Web Client, click the home icon.
2 Select one of the hosts in the cluster.
3 Navigate to Manage > Networking > VMkernel adapters.
4 Click the Add host networking icon to add a VMkernel adapter with the distributed port group you created. The Add Networking window is displayed.
5 In the Select connection type window select VMkernel Network Adapter.
6 In the Select target device window choose Select an existing network and click Browse.
7 Select the distributed portgroup you created in the previous steps.
8 In the IPv4 settings window select Use the static IPv4 setting. This is defined according to your network environment.
9 In the Ready to complete window, review your entries and then click Finish to complete the VMkernel creation.
Results The newly added VMkernel adapter is displayed and the detail info is shown in the lower panel. The network configuration for iSCSI on the host is finished.
Set up an active software iSCSI adapter
Before you begin
Note: The external iSCSI storage should already be prepared as required for your environment. this procedure does not cover the details of creating volumes used as external iSCSI storage.
Procedure
1 In the left panel of the vSphere Web Client, click vCenter > Hosts and Clusters and select the ESXi host you previously configured.
2 Click Manage > Storage Adapters and click the Add (+) button to add a software iSCSI adapter.
3 In the Add Software iSCSI Adapter window, click OK. If needed, you can further configure the adapter in the Adapter Details section. The newly added storage adapter is displayed in the Storage Adapters list.
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4 Click Manage > Storage Adapters and click iSCSI Software Adapter.
5 Click Network Port Binding and click the Add (+) button.
6 In the Bind .. with VMkernel Adapter window, select the VMkernel network adapter that created in the previous steps. The message Due to recent configuration changes, a rescan of this storage adapter is recommended is displayed.
7 Click the Rescan the iSCSI Software Adapter icon.
8 In the vSphere Web Client navigate to Manage > Storage > Storage Adapters.
9 Select the iSCSI software adapter you created and click Targets > Dynamic Discovery.
10 Click Add.
11 In the Add Send Target Server window specify the IP address of the iSCSI server and click OK. The message Due to recent configuration changes, a rescan of this storage adapter is recommended is displayed.
12 Click the Rescan the iSCSI Software Adapter icon. The warning message disappears and the iSCSI Target server is displayed in the lower panel.
13 Click Static Discovery to show the full target name of the iSCSI storage.
Assign volumes on iSCSI storage
Procedure
1 Repeat the procedures "Create a VMkernel adapter on the hosts in the cluster" and "Set up an active software iSCSI adapter" on the other nodes in the cluster.
2 In the vCenter Web Client choose each host and navigate to Manage > Storage > Storage Adapters.
3 Click the Rescan the iSCSI Software Adapter icon.
Results In the Devices tab, the new iSCSI volume is shown mapped to the ESXi host (iSCSI client).
Mount a new VMFS datastore over iSCSI
To make full use of the new iSCSI storage, create a new datastore. This datastore can be mounted to all the hosts in the cluster.
Procedure
1 In the vCenter Web Client select the cluster name.
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2 Click Related Objects > Datastores, then click the Add New Datastore icon to create a new datastore over iSCSI. The New Datastore window is displayed.
3 In the Type window, slect VMFS.
4 In the Name and device selection window specify the name for the datastore and select the available device.
5 In the Ready to complete window, review your entries and then click Finish to complete the datastore creation. The datastore over iSCSI is listed. Its status is Unknown.
6 Click the Refresh icon. The datastore status changes to Normal.
7 In the Storage tab, check the connection status between the iSCSI datastore and the hosts.
Results After the VMFS over iSCSI datastore is created, you can:
Provision VMs to the VMFS datastore using the vSphere Web Client
Perform standard operations such as Open Console, Power On, Shutdown VM, Suspend VM, and clone VM
Migrate VMs between VxRail Appliance datastores and iSCSI datastores
In maintenance mode, VMs move to another node on the same iSCSI datastore automatically. The rebooted node is connected to the iSCSI datastore automatically.
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Replacing hardware This section describes how to replace hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), and power supplies on your VxRail Appliance. Only qualified personnel should perform these procedures. For other hardware components, contact Customer Support to arrange for repair or replacement.
The EMC SolVe desktop tool also includes step-by-step procedures for replacing hardware components, as well as other tasks. To download the SolVe desktop tool, point your Web browser to https:// solve.emc.com.
This section contains the following topics:
Handling replaceable units This section describes the precautions that you must take and the general procedures that you must follow when removing, installing, and storing any replaceable unit.
Avoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage
When replacing or installing hardware units, you can inadvertently damage the sensitive electronic circuits in the equipment by simply touching them. Electrostatic charge that has accumulated on your body discharges through the circuits. If the air in the work area is very dry, running a humidifier in the work area will help decrease the risk of ESD damage. Follow the procedures below to prevent damage to the equipment.
Be aware of the following requirements:
Provide enough room to work on the equipment.
Clear the work site of any unnecessary materials or materials that naturally build up electrostatic charge, such as foam packaging, foam cups, cellophane wrappers, and similar items.
Do not remove replacement or upgrade units from their antistatic packaging until you are ready to install them.
Before you begin service, gather together the ESD kit and all other materials you will need.
Once servicing begins, avoid moving away from the work site; otherwise, you may build up an electrostatic charge.
Use ESD anti-static gloves or an ESD wristband (with strap).
If using an ESD wristband with a strap:
Attach the clip of the ESD wristband to the ESD bracket or bare metal on a cabinet/rack or enclosure.
Wrap the ESD wristband around your wrist with the metal button against your skin.
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If a tester is available, test the wristband.
If an emergency arises and the ESD kit is not available, follow the procedures in Emergency Procedures (without an ESD kit).
Emergency procedures (without an ESD kit)
In an emergency when an ESD kit is not available, use the following procedures to reduce the possibility of an electrostatic discharge by ensuring that your body and the subassembly are at the same electrostatic potential.
These procedures are not a substitute for the use of an ESD kit. Follow them only in the event of an emergency.
Before touching any unit, touch a bare (unpainted) metal surface of the cabinet/rack or enclosure.
Before removing any unit from its antistatic bag, place one hand firmly on a bare metal surface of the cabinet/rack or enclosure, and at the same time, pick up the unit while it is still sealed in the antistatic bag. Once you have done this, do not move around the room or touch other furnishings, personnel, or surfaces until you have installed the unit.
When you remove a unit from the antistatic bag, avoid touching any electronic components and circuits on it.
If you must move around the room or touch other surfaces before installing a unit, first place the unit back in the antistatic bag. When you are ready again to install the unit, repeat these procedures.
Hardware acclimation times
Systems and components must acclimate to the operating environment before applying power. This requires the unpackaged system or component to reside in the operating environment for up to 16 hours in order to thermally stabilize and prevent condensation.
Hardware acclimation times (systems and components)Table 8:
If the last 24 hours of the TRANSIT/ STORAGE environment was this:
and the OPERATING environment is this:
then let the system or component acclimate in the new environment this many hours:
Temperature Humidity
Nominal
68-72F (20-22C)
Nominal
40-55% RH
Nominal 68-72F (20-22C)
40-55% RH
0-1 hour
Cold
<68F (20C)
Dry
<30% RH
<86F (30C) 4 hours
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Hardware acclimation times (systems and components)Table 8:
If the last 24 hours of the TRANSIT/ STORAGE environment was this:
and the OPERATING environment is this:
then let the system or component acclimate in the new environment this many hours:
Cold
<68F (20C)
Damp
30% RH
<86F (30C) 4 hours
Hot
>72F (22C)
Dry
<30% RH
<86F (30C) 4 hours
Hot
>72F (22C)
Humid 30-45% RH
<86F (30C) 4 hours
Humid 45-60% RH
<86F (30C) 8 hours
Humid 60% RH
<86F (30C) 16 hours
Unknown <86F (30C) 16 hours
If there are signs of condensation after the recommended acclimation time has passed, allow an additional eight (8) hours to stabilize.
Systems and components must not experience changes in temperature and humidity that are likely to cause condensation to form on or in that system or component. Do not exceed the shipping and storage temperature gradient of 45F/hr (25C/hr).
Unpacking a part
Procedure
1 Wear ESD gloves or attach an ESD wristband to your wrist and the enclosure in which you are installing the part.
2 Unpack the part and place it on a static-free surface.
3 If the part is a replacement for a faulted part, save the packing material to return the faulted part.
Replacing HDD and SSD drives VxRail Manager provides automated assistance with replacing disks (HDDs and SSDs) in your VxRail Appliance.
Although VxRail Manager simplifies the replacement procedure, only qualified personnel should perform these procedures.
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To use the automated hardware replacement process, you must have a VMware Enterprise Plus license installed on your VxRail Appliance cluster. If your cluster is using a standard license, features such as DRS and automatic vMotion are disabled. With a standard license you must manually migrate all virtual machines off the affected node before replacing any hardware.
Do not use vCenter Server, or any other tool, in conjunction with the automated hardware replacement process.
Do not power on or power off any node unless directed to by the hardware replacement wizard.
Note: Using the automated HDD replacement workflow, only one HDD can be replaced at a time (with no other devices).
Using the automated SSD replacement workflow, only one SSD can be replaced at a time (with no other devices).
The overall replacement procedure is described in the following steps. Refer to the following sections for detailed instructions.
1 To start the replacement procedure navigate to the VxRail Manager Health > Physical screen.
2 Click the drive you want to replace.
3 Click HARDWARE REPLACEMENT and follow the prompts.
4 Replace the device.
5 Power on the node.
6 Complete the replacement wizard prompts.
Preparing to replace drives in VxRail Manager
Follow this procedure to replace a hardware component from the VxRail Manager user interface.
Before you begin
To use the automated hardware replacement process, you must have a VMware Enterprise Plus license installed on your VxRail Appliance cluster. If your cluster is using a standard license, features such as DRS and automatic vMotion are disabled. With a standard license you must manually migrate all virtual machines off the affected node before replacing any hardware.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
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2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
4 Click a Disk in the Front View. The Disk Information panel is displayed for that node.
5 Click HARDWARE REPLACEMENT next to the Disk Information panel title. The SSD Replacement or HDD Replacement window is displayed, depending on the type of device you selected.
6 Click Continue.
This step puts the corresponding ESXi host into maintenance mode and then powers it off. The hosts locator LED is on and the other LEDs for the cluster are off. The VMs running on the host are migrated to other hosts in the cluster.
The window indicates that the hardware replacement is in progress.
Note: If your appliance is using a VMware standard license, the node may hang while trying to enter maintenance mode. If the Hardware Replacement window is displayed for long time, use the vCenter Web Client to check if the node has hung. You must manually migrate VMs to other nodes before going to the next step.
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7 Click Continue.
A message is displayed listing the replacement steps.
8 Replace the hardware unit as described in the following sections.
Removing the bezel
About this task
You must remove the bezel to gain access to the front of the appliance. The bezel is required for EMI compliance when the enclosure is powered up.
Procedure
1 If the bezel has a lock, insert the key that shipped with your enclosure into the lock, and turn the key to unlock the bezel.
2 Press the two latch buttons on the bezel surface to release the bezel from the cabinet.
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3 Pull the bezel off the cabinet and put it on a clean, static-free surface.
Figure 11: Removing bezel
Removing a disk drive tray from the appliance
About this task
Do not operate the system without all drive trays inserted into the chassis. All drive bays must be occupied by either a disk drive or an empty disk drive tray. Disk drives may be removed while the system is operational, but should be immediately replace by another disk drive or an empty disk drive tray.
Procedure
1 Press the disk drive tray release button.
2 Pull the disk drive tray release handle completely open.
Make sure the tray handle is in the fully open position before attempting to pull the tray out of the appliance. Damage may occur if the tray is not fully unlocked.
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3 Pull the disk drive tray out of the server and place it on a clean, static-free surface.
Figure 12: Pull the disk drive tray out of the appliance
Installing a disk drive tray into the appliance
About this task
Note: Save the packaging material to return the faulted disk drive.
Procedure
1 Unpack the replacement disk drive and place it on a clean, static-free surface.
2 Align the disk drive tray with the disk drive bay slot.
3 Insert the disk drive tray into the bay and push the tray in until it is fully inserted.
Do not force the handle closed. If resistance is encountered, check the disk drive tray is properly inserted and the adjacent drive trays on either side are properly inserted.
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4 Close the disk drive tray handle.
Figure 13: Installing the disk drive tray in the appliance
5 Using the shipping materials that the replacement disk drive shipped in, re-package the faulted disk drive and prepare the package for return shipping.
Installing the bezel
Procedure
1 Align the bezel with the appliance.
2 Gently push the bezel into place on the cabinet until it latches.
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3 If the bezel has a lock, insert the key and turn the key to lock the bezel.
CL5021
Figure 14: Installing bezel
Finishing up
After you replace a drive in your VxRail Appliance, follow these steps to complete the process.
Procedure
1 Power on the node in which you replaced the drive. After VxRail Manager detects the new device, the Continue button becomes active.
2 Click Continue.
3 Click Restore ESXi Host to take the ESXi host out of maintenance mode.
4 When the success message is displayed, click Finish to complete the process.
Replacing power supply units (PSUs) VxRail Manager helps you identify failed power supplies in your VxRail Appliance so you can replace them.
Your VxRail Appliance uses power supply redundancy, so a single faulty PSU can be removed and a new one can be inserted without the system needing to be shut down.
Although VxRail Manager simplifies the replacement procedure, only qualified personnel should perform these procedures.
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Detecting a failed PSU
Follow this procedure to detect a failed power supplu unit (PSU) from the VxRail Manager user interface.
Procedure
1 In VxRail Manager click HEALTH. The Health window is displayed.
2 Click Physical. The Physical tab is displayed.
3 Click an appliance or the magnifying glass icon next to it. The Front View and Back View of the appliance are displayed.
4 Click a PSU in the Back View. The Power Supply Information panel is displayed for that node. The failed PSU is highlighted in red in the Back View of the appliance.
Identify a faulted power supply unit
The appliance has two modular power supply units, which are accessible from the rear of the appliance.
1. Power supply unit (PSU1) 2. Power supply unit (PSU2)
Figure 15: Location of power supply units
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A faulted power supply may have a blinking amber LED indicator, which is visible from the rear of the appliance.
Figure 16: Power supply status indicator
Power supply unit status indicator descriptionTable 9:
No Feature Status Description
1 Power Supply Status LED
Green Normal operation
Amber blinking Power off, fault
Green blinking Power on, standby mode
Each of the four nodes have a node control panel at the front of the appliance. Control panels for nodes 1 and 2 are on the left side and control panels for nodes 3 and 4 are on the right side. A fault with either
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power supply unit (PSU1 or PSU2) will cause the Power button with Status LED (item 1, Figure 3 and Table 3) on all four control panels to blink amber and blue.
Figure 17: Node control panel controls and indicators
Control panel controls and indicators descriptionTable 10:
No. Name Color Status Description
1 Power button with Status LED
Blue On System power on
Off System power off
Amber Blinking DC off and fault
Amber and Blue
Blinking DC on and fault
2 ID button with LED Blue Blinking Identification activated
Off No identification
Each node is equipped with a power button and three LED indicators, which are visible at the rear of the appliance. A fault with either power supply unit (PSU1 or PSU2) causes the Power LED (item 1, Figure 4 and Table 4) to blink blue, and the Node Status LED (item 2, Figure 4 and Table 4) to blink amber on all four nodes.
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Pressing the ID button (item 2, Figure 3 and Table 3) on any of the four front control panels will cause the ID LED (item 4, Figure 4 and Table 4) on the respective node to blink. This will aid in locating the appliance with the failed power supply when you are at the rear of the cabinet.
Figure 18: Node controls and indicators
Control panel controls and indicators descriptionTable 11:
No. Name Color Status Description
1 Power LED Blue On System power on
Off Power off
Blue Blinking Reports system health fault
2 Node Status LED Off Normal - system healthy
Amber Blinking Reports system health fault
3 Power button Press and hold more that four seconds to turn off node
4 ID LED Blue Blinking Identification activated (from front control panel)
Off No identification
Replacing a faulted power supply unit
About this task
Disconnect the power supply unit from the power supply source before removing the power supply unit. Failure to do so could result in damage to the equipment or personal injury.
Procedure
1 Undo the retaining clip securing the power supply unit AC power cord, and unplug the cord.
2 Pull the power supply unit handle up to the open position.
3 Press the blue latch to the left on the power supply unit.
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4 Pull the power supply unit from the appliance.
Figure 19: Removing a power supply
Note: Save the packaging material to return the faulted power supply unit.
5 Unpack the replacement power supply unit and place it on a clean, static-free surface near the appliance.
6 Align the replacement power supply unit with the slot in the appliance.
7 Push the power supply unit into the slot until it clicks. Ensure the power supply unit is flush with the appliance and the blue latch lever is locked in place.
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8 Push the power supply unit handle down to the closed position.
Figure 20: Installing a power supply
9 Plug-in the AC power cord and fasten the retaining clip to secure the cord.
10 Check that the status indicator on the power supply unit indicates normal operation (Identify a faulted power supply unit (see page 70)).
11 Using the shipping materials that the replacement power supply unit shipped in, re-package the faulted power supply unit and prepare the package for return shipping.
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Out-of-band management
Before you begin Follow these precautions before using the VxRail Appliance RMM port and BMC Web and remote console.
Failure to follow these guidelines can cause your VxRail Appliance to operate incorrectly, and can cause data loss.
Do not cycle power to the appliance using the BMC interface. VxRail Manager centrally manages all of the nodes in the appliance. You must follow the proper procedure to gracefully shut down and start up the VxRail Appliance. A hard power cycle through the BMC interface, without interfacing with VxRail Manager, may leave the appliance in an unknown state that could have negative consequences such as data unavailability or data loss.
For information about fault tolerance, refer to VMware vSphere and VSAN high-availability (HA) configuration and management documentation.
Only configure the RMM4 LAN settings. Do not modify any other BIOS or BMC settings in any way. Do not upgrade the BIOS or BMC firmware either. Configuration changes or version mismatches will cause your VxRail Appliance to stop operating.
Use the BMC Web console and remote console solely for read-only monitoring purposes.
About the VxRail Appliance BMC interface and RMM port Your VxRail Appliance offers a baseboard management controller (BMC) interface for monitoring the physical state of the appliance through an independent connection. The BMC interface is through an Intel Remote Management Module 4 (RMM4) port that provides access by way of a LAN or Internet connection.
When the VxRail Appliance is shipped from the manufacturer, the shared BMC interface (Baseboard LAN) is disabled and the dedicated BMC interface (the Intel RMM4 LAN port) is enabled.
You can access the BIOS/BMC through either a locally attached VGA monitor and keyboard or a remote console if the RMM port is assigned an address by your network DHCP.
The RMM port supports Ethernet speeds up to 100 Mbps. The switch you connect to the RMM port must also support 100 Mbps.
Note: For data traffic, the VxRail Appliance connects to a 10GbE switch. If your 10GbE switch does not support auto-negotiating down to 100 Mbps, a separate switch or interface card (if supported by
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the 10GbE switch) is required for connecting to the RMM port. (The VxRail 60 Appliance can be used with a 1GbE switch.)
Figure 21: VxRail Appliance interface ports (RJ45 network connectors shown)
No. Interface port or feature
Description
1 USB ports Dual USB 3.0 ports for connecting USB devices.
2 VGA port Standard VGA compatible, 15-pin display connector. Supports up to 1920 x 1200 resolution, 32 bpp at 60 Hz.
3 Serial port Standard DB9 serial port.
4 RMM port (BMC interface)
Dedicated BMC Rj45 LAN port for remote management and control.
5 Power button Press and hold for more than 4 seconds to power off the motherboard.
6 Mainboard status indicator
Off: normal.
Flashing amber: BMC reports system health fault.
7 Power indicator Off: power is off.
Flashing blue: BMC reports system health fault.
Finding the RMM DHCP address If your VxRail Appliance RMM port has been assigned an address by the DHCP server, use this procedure to find the IP address using a locally attached VGA display and keyboard.
Procedure
1 During the power-on self test (POST) press
2 When prompted for a password, enter emcbios.
3 On the BIOS main screen, navigate to Server Mgmt > BMC network configuration.
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4 Look for the IP Address in theStation IP address section.
The following example shows the assigned IP address for the dedicated BMC port is 192.168.101.011.
Figure 22: BMC LAN Configuration screen
Example
To access the Web console using a securely encrypted connection, you must use a browser that supports the HTTPS protocol. Strong security is only assured by using a cipher strength (encryption) of 128-bit. Some older browsers may not support strong 128-bit encryption. To use the remote console (KVM) window of your managed server, Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Version 6 Update 22, or higher, must be installed.
Using the BMC Web console to launch the remote console When you know the RMM port IP address, you can log in and access the BMC Web console and remote console.
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Procedure
1 Use your Web browser to navigate to the RMM port IP address. For example http:// 192.168.101.11.
2 Log into the BMC Web console by entering the following username and password:
Username: admin
Password: admin
Figure 23: BMC Web console login screen
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3 Navigate to Remote Control > Console Redirection > Java Console.
Figure 24: Console Redirection screen
When you click Java Console a window is displayed to download the Java Network Launch Protocol, jviewer.jnlp file. This in turn downloads the standalone Java application implementing the remote console. Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers are supported.
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Figure 25: Java download and run windows
Note: Note the following:
Java Runtime Environment (JRE; Version 6 Update 22, or higher) must be installed on the client before launching a JNLP file.
The client browser must allow pop-up windows from the Integrated BMC Web console IP address.
The remote console window is a Java Applet that establishes TCP connections to the Integrated BMC Web console. The protocol used to run these connections is a unique KVM protocol and not HTTP or HTTPS. This protocol uses ports #7578 for KVM, #5120 for CDROM media redirection, and #5123 for Floppy/USB media redirection. Your local network environment must permit these connections to be made. Your firewall and, if you have a private internal network, your NAT (network address translation) settings must be configured accordingly.
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4 If the host is currently OFF, navigate to Remote Control > Server Power Control, select Power ON Server (the only option available), and click Perform Action.
Figure 26: Power On Server selection
5 Do not cycle power to the appliance using the BMC interface unless the node has previously been placed into maintenance mode and all VMs have been moved off of the node. VxRail Manager centrally manages all of the nodes in the appliance. You must follow the proper procedure to gracefully shut down and start up the VxRail Appliance. A hard power cycle through the BMC interface, without interfacing with VxRail Manager, may leave the appliance in an unknown state that could have negative consequences such as data unavailability or data loss.
When the server is ON, select Reset Server. Click Perform Action.
6 To view the BMC configuration, navigate to Server Mgmt > BMC network configuration.
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About VCE
VCE, an EMC Federation Company, is the world market leader in converged infrastructure and converged solutions. VCE accelerates the adoption of converged infrastructure and cloud-based computing models that reduce IT costs while improving time to market. VCE delivers the industry's only fully integrated and virtualized cloud infrastructure systems, allowing customers to focus on business innovation instead of integrating, validating, and managing IT infrastructure. VCE solutions are available through an extensive partner network, and cover horizontal applications, vertical industry offerings, and application development environments, allowing customers to focus on b
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