Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.

x
Version 3.x

Rev 03
November 2019
 Copyright © 2019 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

Dell believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED “AS-IS.” DELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND
WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. USE, COPYING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ANY DELL SOFTWARE DESCRIBED
IN THIS PUBLICATION REQUIRES AN APPLICABLE SOFTWARE LICENSE.

Dell Technologies, Dell, EMC, Dell EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be the property
of their respective owners. Published in the USA.

Dell EMC
Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748-9103
1-508-435-1000 In North America 1-866-464-7381
www.DellEMC.com

2 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CONTENTS

Figures 7

Tables 9

Preface 11

Introduction 13

Part 1 Linux 15

Chapter 1 Overview—deployment steps and options 17

Deployment workflow—Linux............................................................................18
Deployment options—Linux.............................................................................. 18
Deployment checklist—Linux............................................................................ 18

Chapter 2 Preparation for deployment 21

Download installation packages—Linux............................................................ 22
Linux package names........................................................................... 22
Prepare the DAX devices.................................................................................. 23
NVDIMM information table.................................................................. 23
Prepare an NVDIMM as a DAX device in a Linux system...................... 24
Install and configure the VxFlex OS Gateway....................................................28
Install VxFlex OS Gateway on Linux..................................................... 28
Install VxFlex OS Gateway on Windows............................................... 29
Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties............................................ 30
Advanced and optional VxFlex OS Gateway tasks................................ 33
Preparation tasks for CoreOS, hLinux, Oracle Linux and Ubuntu...................... 40
Ensure that the kernel version is correct.............................................. 41
Create the configuration file using the VxFlex OS Gateway..................41
Create the configuration file manually..................................................43
Update the VxFlex OS signature key....................................................45
Create a mirror repository....................................................................45
Prepare the CSV file......................................................................................... 46
Configure performance profile during deployment............................... 53
CSV topology file for 2-layer deployment............................................ 53
Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment.......................................................54
Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user...................................................... 55
Configure a non-root non-interactive sudo user...................................56
Configure the OpenStack Nova Compute service............................................. 57

Chapter 3 Deploy VxFlex OS 59

Installation wizard............................................................................................. 60
Log in and upload installation packages................................................60
Initiate the wizard and run the installation............................................ 61
Customizable installation using CSV file—hyper-converged system.................63

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 3

Contents

Log in and upload installation packages................................................63

Upload the CSV file..............................................................................64
Start the customized installation......................................................... 65
Complete the customized installation—hyper-converged system....... 69
Customizable installation using CSV file—2-layer system.................................70
Log in and upload installation packages.................................................71
Upload the CSV file.............................................................................. 72
Start the customized installation..........................................................72
Complete the customized installation—2-layer system backend......... 76
Install SDC on frontend servers............................................................77
Install the VxFlex OS GUI..................................................................................85

Part 2 VMware ESXi 87

Chapter 4 Overview—deployment steps 89

Deployment workflow—ESXi............................................................................90
Deployment checklist—ESXi............................................................................ 90
Preparation of NVDIMMs for use in VxFlex OS in ESXi environments...............93
Prerequisites for adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 system................93
Calculate required NVDIMM and RAM capacity for FG SDS................ 94
Verify that the ESXi host can detect the NVDIMM.............................. 94

Chapter 5 Preparation for deployment 97

Download installation packages.........................................................................98
Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in........................................................... 98
Register the VxFlex OS plug-in manually............................................ 100
VxFlex OS plug-in Advanced Settings options.....................................101
Troubleshoot VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues............................ 102
Upload the OVA template................................................................................ 103
Add or replace an OVA file.................................................................. 104
Access the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in............................................................ 104
Prepare the ESXi hosts................................................................................... 105
Configure ESXi security settings..................................................................... 106
Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment..................................................... 108

Chapter 6 Deploy VxFlex OS 111

Install the VxFlex OS GUI................................................................................. 112
Deploy VxFlex OS with DirectPath device management...................................112
Add devices to an SDS—VxFlex OS plug-in........................................120
Deploy VxFlex OS with RDM/VMDK device management................................ 121
Roll back deployment using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in............................ 129

Part 3 VxFlex OS Installer REST API 131

Chapter 7 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API 133

Preparation for deployment using the REST API............................................. 134
Using the VxFlex OS Installer REST API.......................................................... 134
General REST API information............................................................134
How to use VxFlex OS Installer REST API URIs.................................. 153
Deploy a system using the REST API.................................................. 154

4 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Contents

Part 4 VxFlex OS VASA 157

Chapter 8 VASA and vVols 159

Using vVols with VxFlex OS.............................................................................160
VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites.............................................. 160
Installing VASA — Linux...................................................................................161
Installing VASA — VMware ESXi..................................................................... 161

Part 5 Post-deployment tasks 163

Chapter 9 Post-deployment tasks 165

Port usage....................................................................................................... 166
Change the SDC driver wait time in Veritas cluster server environments (Linux
servers only)....................................................................................................166
Analyze the VxFlex OS system using the system analysis tool.........................166
Create the system analysis report...................................................... 168
System analysis report description..................................................... 169

Chapter 10 Licensing 175

VxFlex OS Licensing........................................................................................ 176
Activate an entitlement and download the license file using the License
Authorization Code............................................................................. 176
Activate an entitlement without an LAC..............................................177
Install the license ............................................................................... 178
Licensing error messages....................................................................179
View license information..................................................................... 180

Chapter 11 What to do next 181

What to do next...............................................................................................182

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 5

Contents

6 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

FIGURES

1 CSV—Complete example..................................................................................................48
2 CSV—2-layer example......................................................................................................48
3 Example of VxFlex OS Installer REST API URI when JSESSION ID is configured as a
header............................................................................................................................. 154

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 7

Figures

8 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

TABLES

1 Pre-deployment checklist.................................................................................................. 18
2 Linux package formats...................................................................................................... 23
3 NVDIMM information table............................................................................................... 23
4 driver_sync.conf parameters............................................................................................ 44
5 CSV topology spreadsheets.............................................................................................. 49
6 CSV topology spreadsheet-2-layer................................................................................... 53
7 Pre-deployment checklist................................................................................................. 90
8 Response.........................................................................................................................135
9 Licensing error messages.................................................................................................179

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 9

Tables

10 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

Preface

As part of an effort to improve its product lines, Dell EMC periodically releases revisions of its
software and hardware. Therefore, some functions described in this document might not be
supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use. The product release notes
provide the most up-to-date information on product features.
Contact your Dell EMC technical support professional if a product does not function properly or
does not function as described in this document.
Note: This document was accurate at publication time. Go to Dell EMC Online Support
(https://support.emc.com) to ensure that you are using the latest version of this document.
Previous versions of Dell EMC VxFlex OS were marketed under the name Dell EMC ScaleIO.
Similarly, previous versions of Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node were marketed under the name Dell
EMC ScaleIO Ready Node.
References to the old names in the product, documentation, or software, etc. will change over
time.
Note: Software and technical aspects apply equally, regardless of the branding of the product.

Related documentation
The release notes for your version includes the latest information for your product.
The following Dell EMC publication sets provide information about your VxFlex OS or VxFlex Ready
Node product:
l VxFlex OS software (downloadable as VxFlex OS Software <version> Documentation set)
l VxFlex Ready Node with AMS (downloadable as VxFlex Ready Node with AMS Documentation
set)
l VxFlex Ready Node no AMS (downloadable as VxFlex Ready Node no AMS Documentation
set)
l VxRack Node 100 Series (downloadable as VxRack Node 100 Series Documentation set)
You can download the release notes, the document sets, and other related documentation from
Dell EMC Online Support.
Typographical conventions
Dell EMC uses the following type style conventions in this document:
Bold Used for names of interface elements, such as names of windows,
dialog boxes, buttons, fields, tab names, key names, and menu paths
(what the user specifically selects or clicks)

Italic Used for full titles of publications referenced in text

Monospace Used for:
l System code
l System output, such as an error message or script
l Pathnames, filenames, prompts, and syntax
l Commands and options

Monospace italic Used for variables

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 11

Preface

Monospace bold Used for user input

[] Square brackets enclose optional values

| Vertical bar indicates alternate selections - the bar means “or”

{} Braces enclose content that the user must specify, such as x or y or

z

... Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from the example

Where to get help

Dell EMC support, product, and licensing information can be obtained as follows:
Product information
For documentation, release notes, software updates, or information about Dell EMC products,
go to Dell EMC Online Support at https://support.emc.com.

Technical support
Go to Dell EMC Online Support and click Service Center. You will see several options for
contacting Dell EMC Technical Support. Note that to open a service request, you must have a
valid support agreement. Contact your Dell EMC sales representative for details about
obtaining a valid support agreement or with questions about your account.

Your comments
Your suggestions will help us continue to improve the accuracy, organization, and overall quality of
the user publications. Send your opinions of this document to [email protected].

12 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

Introduction

This guide contains deployment procedures for VxFlex OS.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 13

Introduction

14 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

PART 1
Linux

Deployment procedures for Linux-based systems

Chapter 1, "Overview—deployment steps and options"

Chapter 2, "Preparation for deployment"

Chapter 3, "Deploy VxFlex OS"

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 15

Linux

16 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 1
Overview—deployment steps and options

This section summarizes deployment steps and options.

In physical environments and in non-VMware virtual environments, use the VxFlex OS Installer to
install and configure the VxFlex OS components on multiple nodes from one central server, using a
web client. The VxFlex OS Installer is configurable.
As part of the installation process, the VxFlex OS Lightweight Installation Agent (LIA) is installed
on each node. The LIA is a required component for many maintenance operations. During initial
installation, the VxFlex OS Installer establishes trust with the LIA, which facilitates its operation.
You can limit the operations that LIA can perform by making changes to its configuration file.
In Windows environments, LIA will only install and upgrade packages that are signed by VxFlex OS
and are associated with the VxFlex OS system.

Note:
The VxFlex OS Installer also has a REST API that provides install, extend, and uninstall
functionality. Deployment procedures are included in this guide. All the REST API commands
are described in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.

l Deployment workflow—Linux................................................................................................ 18
l Deployment options—Linux................................................................................................... 18
l Deployment checklist—Linux.................................................................................................18

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 17

Overview—deployment steps and options

Deployment workflow—Linux
The VxFlex OS deployment workflow on physical servers, and in non-VMware hyper-converged
infrastructure (HCI) environments such as XenServer and KVM, is described in this summary.
For VxFlex Ready Node or VxRack Node 100 Series systems, refer to your product's Hardware
Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide and Deployment Guide for step-by-step
installation instructions on how to prepare the server and operating system prior to deployment of
VxFlex OS.
The main steps in the VxFlex OS deployment workflow are:
1. Prepare the environment.
2. Start the deployment.
3. Monitor the deployment.
4. For some 2-layer system configurations, install SDCs on external servers.
5. Run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool.
6. Install the VxFlex OS GUI.
7. Install the license.
8. Perform mandatory, recommended, and optional post-deployment tasks.
9. Move the system to production.

Deployment options—Linux
Deploy VxFlex OS on physical servers using the VxFlex OS Installer wizard, or fully customized
option.

The following deployment options are available:

l Fully customizable installation
This mode, which enables the highest level of customization, makes use of a user-prepared
CSV topology file and the VxFlex OS Installer to install VxFlex OS and configure nodes. To add
additional servers in the future, you will use the combination of CSV topology file and VxFlex
OS Installer again. For this reason, it is recommended to save the file in a secure encrypted
folder on your operating system, after deployment.
l Using the VxFlex OS Installer wizard
This abbreviated mode gets a VxFlex OS system up and running in the simplest manner, with
preset node configuration, where all management and data communications are on the same
network. This mode is perfect for a single-Protection Domain, fully converged system. No CSV
file is required.

Deployment checklist—Linux
Checklist for deployment requirements in Linux-based environments.
The following table provides a checklist of items required for VxFlex OS deployment.

Table 1 Pre-deployment checklist

Item Checked

General

18 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Overview—deployment steps and options

Table 1 Pre-deployment checklist (continued)

Item Checked

All servers intended for hosting VxFlex OS components and the VxFlex OS
Gateway meet the system requirements described in the Getting to Know VxFlex
OS Guide.
Note: The Dell EMC-supplied hardware configurations satisfy all of the
hardware requirements.

Servers that contained VxFlex OS components from other systems must be

completely cleaned before deployment of a new system. Use operating system
tools to remove all of those VxFlex OS components.

Configure disks so they are visible to the operating system according to operating
system and vendor hardware guidelines.

To use secure authentication mode, ensure that OpenSSL 64-bit v1.0.2 or later
on all servers in the system.

On nodes containing NVDIMMs, running on RHEL 7.6 and higher, ensure that the
following package in installed:
kmod-redhat-nfit-3.10.0_957-1.el7_6.x86_64.rpm
The package can be downloaded from this location.
For more information, see here.

Gateway

The server that will host the VxFlex OS Gateway has adequate memory to run the
VxFlex OS Installer (at least 3 GB) and any other applications.

The VxFlex OS Gateway must not be installed on a server that will host either the
SDC component, or on an SDS component that will use RFcache acceleration
feature.

The VxFlex OS Gateway cannot be installed on a CoreOS server. For a CoreOS

environment, prepare a supported Linux or Windows-based server on which the
VxFlex OS Gateway can be installed.

Java is installed (latest version)

ESXi

For 2-layer system SDCs running on VMware, the host from which you run the
PowerShell (.ps1) script meets the following prerequisites:
l Runs on supported Windows operating systems. For more information, refer
to the VMware compatiblity matrix: https://www.vmware.com/support/
developer/PowerCLI/doc/powercli65r1-compat-matrix.html
l PowerCLI is installed. For vCenter v6.7, PowerCLI v6.5 must be used.
l Java is installed.
l Has incoming and outgoing communication access to the vCenter.

The required network interfaces and IP addresses are configured.

Networking

For a fully converged system, follow the networking recommendations in the

Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 19

Overview—deployment steps and options

Table 1 Pre-deployment checklist (continued)

Item Checked

For 2-layer system SDCs running on VMware, the vSphere web client (Virgo)
server has network connectivity to the host on which the PowerShell script will
be used.

The server which will host the VxFlex OS Gateway has connectivity to both data
and management VxFlex OS networks.

For data networks using IPv6, if you plan to implement a floating virtual IP
address for the MDM, disable the IPv6 DAD setting on the server's relevant
interfaces, using the command:

sysctl net.ipv6.conf.<interface_name>.dad_transmits=0

20 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 2
Preparation for deployment

Prepare the software packages, CSV file (when required), VxFlex OS Gateway, and other items for
VxFlex OS deployment.

l Download installation packages—Linux.................................................................................22

l Prepare the DAX devices.......................................................................................................23
l Install and configure the VxFlex OS Gateway........................................................................ 28
l Preparation tasks for CoreOS, hLinux, Oracle Linux and Ubuntu...........................................40
l Prepare the CSV file..............................................................................................................46
l Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment........................................................................... 54
l Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user...........................................................................55
l Configure the OpenStack Nova Compute service..................................................................57

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 21

Preparation for deployment

Download installation packages—Linux

Download and extract the complete software package for this version.
About this task
The software package contains:
l Management software:
n VxFlex OS Gateway packages for Linux and Windows. The VxFlex OS Gateway includes the
VxFlex OS Installer, which is used to deploy VxFlex OS.
n VxFlex OS GUI packages for Windows, Linux and Mac OS
l VxFlex OS core component files. You need these files for all operating systems of nodes in the
system, for LIA, MDM, SDC and SDS components.
l RFcache xcache package (optional for systems where RFcache acceleration will be enabled)
Deploy the VxFlex OS Gateway on a node whose operating system matches your environment
needs:

To deploy VxFlex OS nodes on this Create a VxFlex OS Gateway on this

operating system operating system

Linux Windows or Linux

Linux and Windows Windows

Procedure
1. From the Online Support site (https://support.emc.com/products/33925), download the
complete software for this version.
2. Extract the packages from the downloaded file.
3. Save the extracted files in a location with network connectivity with the server on which
VxFlex OS Gateway will be installed.
The VxFlex OS Installer on the gateway will deploy the packages on all the servers in the
system.

Linux package names

VxFlex OS Linux installation packages have several name formats.
Package formats
Throughout this section, Linux packages are displayed in the following format:
EMC-ScaleIO-<component>-3.0-X.<build>.<flavor>.x86_64.rpm
where:
l <component> is the VxFlex OS component: MDM, LIA, SDS, etc.
l <flavor> is the operating system for your environment, according to the following table:

22 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Table 2 Linux package formats

Linux flavor Package format Example

CoreOS (SDC CoreOS EMC-ScaleIO-sdc-3.0-X.<build>.CoreOS.x86_64.tar

only) CoreOS packages may need to be extracted before use. This is described
where relevant.

hLinux (SDC hpelinux EMC-ScaleIO-sdc-3.0-X.<build>.hpelinux.amd64.tar

only) The hLinux package needs to be extracted before use. This is described
where relevant.

RHEL/OL/ el<version> EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-X.<build>.el<version>.x86_64.rpm

CentOS Example: EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-<build>.X.el6.x86_64.rpm

SUSE sles<version> EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-X.<build>.sles<version>.x86_64.rpm

Example: EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-<build>.X.sles12.2.x86_64.rpm

Ubuntu Ubuntu.<version> EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-

X.<build>.Ubuntu.<version>.x86_64.tar
Example: EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-
X.<build>.Ubuntu.16.04.x86_64.tar
Ubuntu packages may need to be extracted before use. This is described
where relevant.

XenServer xs<version> EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-X.<build>.xs<version>.x86_64.rpm

Example: EMC-ScaleIO-mdm-3.0-X.<build>.xs7.0.0.x86_64.rpm

Use the packages and the installation commands that match your Linux operating system
environment.
On XenServer servers, the syntax for VxFlex OS CLI commands is siocli, instead of scli.
Note: Before deploying or upgrading CoreOs, hLinux, Oracle Linux (OL), or Ubuntu systems,
ensure that the VxFlex OS environment is prepared, as described in the preparation tasks for
CoreOS, hLinux, Oracle Linux and Ubuntu in the Deploy VxFlex OS Guide.

Prepare the DAX devices

If the deployment will be using NVDIMM devices for acceleration, perform the following tasks to
prepare the NVDIMMs as DAX acceleration devices.

NVDIMM information table

Before you prepare the NVDIMM as a DAX device, create or print the following NVDIMM
information table. Use it to record the information that you discover while performing the following
task. You will need the information to add the acceleration device to VxFlex OS.
Note: If the failed and replacement NVDIMM share a column, the value for both entries must be the same.

Table 3 NVDIMM information table

Item Replacement NVDIMM

Serial Number

Device name (NMEM)

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 23

Preparation for deployment

Table 3 NVDIMM information table (continued)

Item Replacement NVDIMM

Namespace

DAX device name (chardev)

Acceleration device path

Prepare an NVDIMM as a DAX device in a Linux system

Prepare a new or replacement NVDIMM as a DAX device before adding it to the SDS in a Linux
system. This step is optional when replacing an NVDIMM battery.
Before you begin
If the node is running on RHEL 7.6 or higher, ensure that the package kmod-redhat-
nfit-3.10.0_957-1.el7_6.x86_64.rpm is installed.
The package can be downloaded from this location.
For more information, see here.
About this task
Note: If you replaced the system board, perform the following steps for each NVDIMM
mounted on the server.
Procedure
1. Using SSH, log in to the Linux server.
2. View information for the new/replacement NVDIMM:

dmidecode --type memory | grep "Non-" -B 3 -A 3 | grep -E 'Locator|

Serial' | grep -v Bank

Output similar to the following appears:

Locator: A7
Serial Number: 17496594
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 174965AC
3. Find the serial number in the output and record it in the NVDIMM information table.
4. Display the correlation between the ID and NMEM device name of each NVDIMM mounted
on the server:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].dimms[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "nmem1",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-174965ac",
"handle": 4097,
"phys_id": 4370,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",

24 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
{
"dev": "nmem0",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-17496594",
"handle": 1,
"phys_id": 4358,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
5. In the output from the previous step, find the device (dev) with the id that partially
correlates with the serial number you discovered previously for the failed device.
For example:
l The NVDIMM output displays serial number 16492521 for the NVDIMM device.
l In the previous step, the output displays the ID of device nmem0 as
802c-0f-1746-802c-0f-1711-16492521.

Serial number Device ID

Locator: A7 "dev": "nmem0",

Serial Number: 16492521 "id": "802c-0f-1711-16492521",
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 1649251B

In the above example, the NMEM name is nmem0.

6. Record the NMEM name in the Device name row of the NVDIMM information table.
7. Correlate between the NMEM DIMM and the namespace/DAX device:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].dimms[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "nmem1",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-174965ac",
"handle": 4097,
"phys_id": 4370,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
{
"dev": "nmem0",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-17496594",
"handle": 1,
"phys_id": 4358,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 25

Preparation for deployment

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].regions[].namespaces[]'

{
"dev": "namespace1.0",
"mode": "raw",
"size": 17179869184,
"sector_size": 512,
"blockdev": "pmem1",
"numa_node": 1
}
{
"dev": "namespace0.0",
"mode": "raw",
"size": 17179869184,
"sector_size": 512,
"blockdev": "pmem0",
"numa_node": 0
}

8. In the output displayed in the previous step, locate the namespace that correlates with the
NMEM name and DIMM serial number, and record it in the NVDIMM information table.
In the above example, nmem0's namespace is namespace0.0.
9. Destroy the default namespace that was created for the replacement NVDIMM, using the
namespace discovered in the previous step:

ndctl destroy-namespace namespaceX.0

For example, if the replacement NVDIMM maps to namespace0.0, the command is:

ndctl destroy-namespace namespace0.0

10. Create a new, raw nmem device using the region associated with namespace of the failed
device, as recorded in the NVDIMM information table:

ndctl create-namespace -r regionX -m raw -f

For example, if the NVDIMM you replaced mapped to region 0, the command is:

ndctl create-namespace -r region0 -m raw -f

11. Convert the namespace device to the acceleration device name of type /dev/daxX.X:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespaceX.X –-mode=devdax –align=4K

For ndctl build 62 or later, run:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespaceX.X –-mode=dax –align=4K --no-

autolabel

where namespaceX.X is the actual namespace of the NVDIMM.

26 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

For example, to convert namespace0.0 to /dev/dax0.0, where /dev/daxX.X is the

acceleration device name, depending on the ndctl build run:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespace0.0 –-mode=dax –align=4K

or

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespace0.0 –-mode=dax –align=4K --no-

autolabel

Note: --no-autolabel is only required for RHEL7.6.

12. Record the acceleration device name in the NVDIMM information table.
13. Run the namespace-to-dax-device correlation command to find the DAX device name
of the replacement NVDIMM:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].regions[].namespaces[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "namespace1.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "c59d6a2d-7eeb-4f32-b27a-9960a327e734",
"daxregion": {
"id": 1,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [
{
"chardev": "dax1.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 1
}
{
"dev": "namespace0.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "eff6429c-706f-469e-bab4-a0d34321c186",
"daxregion": {
"id": 0,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [
{
"chardev": "dax0.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 0
}

The DAX device name appears in the output as the chardev value.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 27

Preparation for deployment

In the example output above, the DAX device name is dax0.0.

14. Record the DAX device name in the NVDIMM information table.
15. Find the full acceleration device path:

ls -ltr /dev/ | grep dax

The following output should appear:

/dev/daxX.X

For example:

/dev/dax0.0

16. Record the acceleration device path in the NVDIMM information table.
Results
You are now ready to add the DAX device to the NVDIMM Acceleration Pool.

Install and configure the VxFlex OS Gateway

Install the VxFlex OS Gateway. The gateway serves as the VxFlex OS Installer, the VxFlex OS
REST API gateway, and the SNMP trap sender. The VxFlex OS Gateway can be installed on Linux
or on Windows. A VxFlex OS Gateway installed on Windows is capable of deploying VxFlex OS
system components on both Linux and Windows based servers.

Install VxFlex OS Gateway on Linux

Install the VxFlex OS Gateway on a Linux-based server. The gateway includes the VxFlex OS
Installer.
Before you begin
Before deploying any VxFlex OS components on a server that was part of another VxFlex OS
system, use the operating system tools to remove all of those VxFlex OS components.
Ensure that the version of the VxFlex OS Gateway that you are about to install is the same
software version as the other VxFlex OS system components that you intend to install.
About this task
l The VxFlex OS Gateway can be installed on a node that will also be used for VxFlex OS MDM
or SDS components. However, do not install the VxFlex OS Gateway on an SDS upon which
RFcache acceleration will be enabled (in other words, do not install the VxFlex OS Gateway on
SDS nodes on which the RFcache xcache package will be installed).
l Do not install VxFlex OS Gateway on a server that will be used for a VxFlex OS SDC
component.
l You can use a Linux-based VxFlex OS Installer to deploy VxFlex OS only on Linux-based
servers.
l VxFlex OS Gateway cannot be installed on the CoreOS operating system. In a CoreOS
environment, install VxFlex OS Gateway on a supported Windows or Linux-based server
instead.

28 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Note: When deploying the VxFlex OS Gateway, if one of the following ports is not free, the
deployment will fail: 80, 8080, 443, 8443. If this occurs, free the above-mentioned ports and
then repeat the deployment procedure.
Note: To install with a customized Java configuration, see "Advanced and optional VxFlex OS
Gateway tasks".
Procedure
1. From the extracted download file, install the VxFlex OS Gateway on the Linux server, by
running the following command (all on one line):
l RHEL/Centos/Oracle Linux/SLES

GATEWAY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=<new_GW_admin_password> rpm -i /tmp/EMC-

ScaleIO-gateway-3.0-X.<build>.x86_64.rpm

l Ubuntu

GATEWAY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=<new_GW_admin_password> dpkg -i /tmp/EMC-

ScaleIO-gateway-3.0-X.<build>.amd64.deb

where <new_GW_admin_password> is a password that you define to access the VxFlex

OS Installer.
The password must meet the following criteria:
n At least 8 characters long
n Include at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
To install without assigning a VxFlex OS Gateway password, see "Install the VxFlex OS
Gateway without assigning an admin password".
Note: To include special characters in the password, such as ! @ $, when assigning
the password, add the "\" character before the special character. For example, to
assign the password Scaleio$$, enter it as Scaleio\$\$. When logging in, the "\"
character is not used.
2. Proceed with the remaining preparation tasks, as relevant for your system and installation
method. For installation on Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, or CoreOS servers, pay special attention
to the preparation tasks for these operating systems.
Note: The VxFlex OS Gateway and the VxFlex OS Installer can now be configured or
disabled, as explained in "Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties".

Install VxFlex OS Gateway on Windows

Install the VxFlex OS Gateway on a Windows-based server. The gateway includes the VxFlex OS
Installer.
Before you begin
Before deploying any VxFlex OS components on a server that was part of another VxFlex OS
system, use the operating system tools to remove all of those VxFlex OS components.
Ensure that the version of the VxFlex OS Gateway that you are about to install is the same
software version as the other VxFlex OS system components that you intend to install.
About this task
l The VxFlex OS Gateway can be installed on a node that will also be used for VxFlex OS MDM
or SDS components. However, do not install the VxFlex OS Gateway on an SDS upon which

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 29

Preparation for deployment

RFcache acceleration will be enabled (in other words, do not install the VxFlex OS Gateway on
SDS nodes on which the RFcache xcache package will be installed).
l Do not install VxFlex OS Gateway on a server that will be used for a VxFlex OS SDC
component.
l You can use a Windows-based VxFlex OS Installer to deploy VxFlex OS on both Windows and
Linux-based servers.
Note: When deploying the VxFlex OS Gateway, if one of the following ports is not free, the
deployment will fail: 80, 8080, 443, 8443. If this occurs, free the above-mentioned ports and
then repeat the deployment procedure.
Procedure
1. From the extracted download file, copy the VxFlex OS Gateway MSI file to the server where
it will be installed:
EMC-ScaleIO-gateway-3.0-X.<build>-x64.msi
2. Run the file, and enter a new VxFlex OS Gateway admin password that will be used to
access the VxFlex OS Installer.
The password must meet the following criteria:
l At least 8 characters long
l Include at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)

3. From the extracted download file, run the Clean_XC_registry.bat script on every
Windows machine to be part of the system.
The script is included in the Complete Windows download package.
4. Proceed with the remaining preparation tasks, as relevant for your system and installation
method. For installation on Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, or CoreOS servers, pay special attention
to the preparation tasks for these operating systems.
Note: The VxFlex OS Gateway and the VxFlex OS Installer can now be configured or
disabled, as explained in "Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties".

Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties

Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties and additional VxFlex OS features, using the
gatewayUser.properties file.
Procedure
1. Using a text editor, open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Gateway server:

VxFlex OS Gateway Location of gatewayUser.properties file

operating system
Windows C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\webapps\ROOT
\WEB-INF\classes\
Linux /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes

2. Edit the file with the desired changes, as follows:

30 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Use case Property Action Example

Enable or disable the add.sds.with.for Default: false add.sds.with.force.on.nex

reuse of previously used ce.on.next.run To enable, set to true. t.run=true
devices in the following
To disable, set to false.
use cases:
Note: After finishing and
l Add SDS devices that
marking the deployment as
were used in a
complete, the flag will revert
previous VxFlex OS.
to false, so you will need to
system. (Adding them
set it again for future
without the true flag
deployments, as necessary.
will cause deployment
failure.)
l Extend a system with
an SDS whose
devices were used in
a previous system.
l Extend a system by
adding SDSs that are
already installed on
hosts

Use a VxFlex OS mdm.ip.addresses Add the IP addresses of the mdm.ip.addresses=10.76.60

Gateway that did not system's MDM Master and Slaves, .232;10.76.60.233;10.76.6
initially deploy your separated by semicolons, to this 0.234;10.76.30.10;10.76.3
VxFlex OS system property. Both management and 0.11;10.76.30.12
data IP addresses must be listed.

Enable or disable the features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_IM=false

VxFlex OS Installer IM To disable, set to false.
You can completely disable the use
of the VxFlex OS Installer default
port, 443, by setting both this
property and the
features.enable_gateway
property to false.

Enable VxFlex OS features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_gateway=f

Gateway gateway To disable, set to false alse

You can disable the use of the

default port, 443, by setting both
this property and the
features.enable_IM to
false.

Enable SNMP features.enable_ Default: false features.enable_snmp=true

snmp To enable, set to true

Enable SRS or email alert features.notific Default: srs features.notification_met

notifications ation_method To disable, set to none hod=srs

To enable SRS, set to srs

To enable email notifications, set
to email

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 31

Preparation for deployment

Use case Property Action Example

Perform additional configurations

for the other email notification
properties in this configuration
file.

Set email notification notifications.em Default (only option currently notifications.emailSID.1.

type ailSID.1.type available): callHome type=callHome

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

SID: email sender ailSID.1.SID [email protected]
identification (identity
shown in the email's
"From" field)

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

user name, required only ailSID.1.usernam username=user123
when email notification e
uses SMTP server
authentication

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

SMTP server name ailSID.1.smtp smtp=mailhub.lss.emc.com

Enable SMTP notifications.em Default: false notifications.emailSID.1.

authenticated mode for ailSID.1.authent To disable, set to false authenticate=false
email notification icate
To enable, set to true
In addition, configure the user
name, using the property
notifications.emailSID.1.
username, and configure the
password using REST API, as
described in the Configure and
Customize VxFlex OS Guide

Set a custom port for notifications.em Default: 25 notifications.emailSID.1.

email notification ailSID.1.port port=25
(optional; will override
default port number 25)

To restrict login to LDAP gateway- Default: false gateway-

users only (disable local admin.disable.lo To enable, set to true admin.disable.local.login
user login) cal.login =true
For more information about
setting up the VxFlex OS Gateway
admin login credentials for using
LDAP server\servers, see the
VxFlex OS User Roles and LDAP
Usage Technical Notes.

Change the name of the vasa.provider.re Default: vasa-rs vasa.provider.replica.set

VASA Provider replica plica.set.name .name=vasa-rs
set. When there are
three VASA Providers, a
replica set is created
during deployment to
facilitate communication

32 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Use case Property Action Example

between VASA
Providers.

Enable or disable features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_vasa_moni

monitoring of VASA vasa_monitor tor=true
Providers

Set the list of IP vasa.provider.ip A comma-separated list of IP vasa.provider.ips=<ip>,<i

addresses for VASA s addresses of all the VASA p>,...
Providers Providers. The installation process
sets this property, but it can also
be set manually.

Set the port of the VASA vasa.provider.mo Default: 8080 vasa.provider.monitor.por

Providers' REST service, nitor.port t=8080
in order to monitor the
page http://
<ip>:<port>/
actuator/health

Set the number of vasa.provider.mo Default: 60 vasa.provider.monitor.int

seconds to sleep nitor.interval.s erval.seconds=60
between each sample econds

When installing VASA in a vmware In a Linux environment, default: vmware=false

VMware environment, false.
set this property to false In a VMware environment, default:
in order to enable true
extending the system
When installing VASA in a VMware
with the VxFlex OS
environment, set the value to
Installer.
false.

3. Save and close the file.

4. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Results
Configuration is complete.

Advanced and optional VxFlex OS Gateway tasks

This section contains advanced, optional tasks for the VxFlex OS Gateway, depending on your
specific environment's setup.

Install the VxFlex OS Gateway without assigning an admin password

You can install the VxFlex OS Gateway without adding the GATEWAY_ADMIN_PASSWORD variable.
About this task
To add this variable later, perform one of the following:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 33

Preparation for deployment

Procedure
1. Use a REST API command, as described in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
2. Edit the user properties file.
3. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

VxFlex OS Gateway installation with a custom Java configuration

About this task
To use a custom Java configuration, use the following command to install the VxFlex OS Gateway,
in place of the normal command:

GATEWAY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=<new_GW_admin_password> SIO_GW_JAVA=<path_to_java> rpm

-i /tmp/EMC-ScaleIO-gateway-3.0-X.<build>.x86_64.rpm

where <new_GW_admin_password> is a password that you define to access the VxFlex OS

Installer administration commands and web interface, and <path_to_java> is the path to the
desired Java files.

Install Java on SUSE 12 servers

Install Java on SUSE 12 servers.
About this task
Installation of Java is different in SLES-based distributions because SLES uses update-alternatives
commands. For SUSE, we use a TGZ file in place of RPM.
To install Java on SUSE 12 servers:
Procedure
1. Untar the TGZ (for example, jre-8u60-linux-x64.tar.gz) to /usr/java.
This creates a directory of /usr/java/jre1.8.0_60/.
2. Apply the std update-alternatives procedure:

/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/java" "java" "/usr/

java/jre1.8.0_60/bin/java" 40
/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --config java
/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --install "/usr/bin/keytool” "keytool"
"/usr/java/jre1.8.0_60/bin/keytool" 40
/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --config keytool

Certificate management for VxFlex OS Gateway

This section explains how to replace the VxFlex OS Gateway’s self-signed security certificate with
your organization’s “trusted” certificate, and how to create a new “trusted” certificate. The
VxFlex OS Gateway automatically creates its own self-signed security certificate when it is
installed or upgraded. If your organization has no special security certificate requirements, you can
keep working with the default certificate.

34 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own trusted
certificate
Create your own trusted certificate, and then replace the default certificate with the one that you
created.
Procedure
1. Find the location of keytool on your server, and open it.
It is a part of the Java (JRE or JDK) installation on your server, in the bin directory. For
example:
l C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_25\bin\keytool.exe
l /usr/bin/keytool
2. Generate your RSA private key:

keytool -genkey -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keyalg RSA -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>

a. If you want to define a password, add the following parameters to the command. Use the
same password for both parameters.

-storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: Specify a directory outside the VxFlex OS Gateway installation directory for
the newly created keystore file. This will prevent it from being overwritten when the
VxFlex OS Gateway is upgraded or reinstalled.

3. If you already have a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), skip this step.
If you need a CSR, generate one by typing the following command. (If you did not define a
keystore password in the previous step, omit the password flags.)

keytool -certreq -keyalg RSA -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -file certreq.txt -

keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -
keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

4. If you already have an SSL certificate, skip this step.

If you need an SSL certificate, use your CSR to obtain a new certificate from a third-party
trusted SSL certificate provider. Save the certificate file on your server, outside the VxFlex
OS Gateway installation directory.
5. Import the Trusted Root, by typing this command. (If you did not define a keystore
password, omit the password flags.)

keytool -import -alias root -keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -

trustcacerts -file <LOCATION OF_YOUR_root.cer_FILE> -storepass
<KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: The certificate must be in x.509 format.

If a message appears saying that the root is already in the system-wide store, import it
anyway.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 35

Preparation for deployment

6. Import the intermediate certificates, by typing the command. (If you did not define a
keystore password, omit the password flags.)

keytool -import -alias intermediateCA -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -trustcacerts -file
<LOCATION_OF_YOUR_intermediate.cer_FILE> -storepass <keystore password>
-keypass <keystore password>

You must provide a unique alias name for every intermediate certificate that you upload with
this step.

7. Install the SSL Certificate under the same alias that the CSR was created from
(<YOUR_ALIAS> in previous steps), by typing the command (if you did not define a
keystore password, omit the password flags):

keytool -import -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -trustcacerts -file
<LOCATION_OF_SSL_CERTIFICATE> -storepass <keystore password> -keypass
<keystore password>

8. Edit the following items in the file <VxFlex_OS_GATEWAY_INSTALLATION DIRECTORY>

\conf\catalina.properties:
a. keystore.file=<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>
b. keystore.password=<PASSWORD_DEFINED_DURING_KEYSTORE_CREATION>
If you did not define a password, the default password is changeit.
9. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Replacement of the security certificate is complete.

Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own self-signed
certificate
Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own self-signed security certificate.
About this task
Procedure
1. Find the location of keytool on your server, and open it.
It is usually a part of the Java (JRE or JDK) installation on your server, in the bin directory.
For example:
l C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_25\bin\keytool.exe
l /usr/bin/keytool

36 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

2. Generate your RSA private key:

keytool -genkey -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keyalg RSA -validity 360 -keysize

2048 -keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>

a. If you want to define a password, add the following parameters to the command. Use the
same password for both parameters.

-storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: Specify a directory outside the VxFlex OS Gateway installation directory for
the newly created keystore file. This will prevent it from being overwritten when the
VxFlex OS Gateway is upgraded or reinstalled.

3. Edit the following items in the file VxFlex_OS_GATEWAY_INSTALLATION DIRECTORY>

\conf\catalina.properties:
a. keystore.file=<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>
b. keystore.password=<PASSWORD_DEFINED_DURING_KEYSTORE_CREATION>
If you did not define a password, the default password is changeit.
4. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Results
Replacement of the security certificate is complete.

Non-default certificate use before and after a VxFlex OS Gateway upgrade

When using a non-default security certificate, you must perform certain actions before and after
upgrading the VxFlex OS Gateway.
About this task
If a non-default security certificate is used on the VxFlex OS Gateway in Windows and Linux
environments (for example, if the certificate is signed by the user organization CA), you must save
a copy of the certificate and the catalina file before the upgrade, and restore them to their original
location after the upgrade.
Procedure
1. Before commencing the VxFlex OS Gateway upgrade, locate the *.keystore file and the
catalina.properties file, and save a copy of them in another location.
The default file locations, per operating system, are:
l Linux:
n /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/catalina.properties
n /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/certificates/.keystore
l Windows (64 bit):

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 37

Preparation for deployment

n C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\catalina.properties
n C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\certificates
\.keystore

2. After the upgrade is complete, copy these files back to their original location.

Configure OpenStack interoperation with the VxFlex OS Gateway

Configure the VxFlex OS Cinder driver to verify the VxFlex OS Gateway SSL certificate.
About this task
The OpenStack VxFlex OS Cinder driver communicates with the VxFlex OS Gateway through
HTTPS (in other words, over SSL). By default, the driver ignores the gateway SSL certificate
verification. However, the VxFlex OS Cinder driver can be configured to verify the certificate.
Note: You can generate a self-signed certificate (.PEM file), using the keytool utility.

To enable certificate verification, add the following parameters to the file /etc/cinder/
cinder_scaleio.config on the Cinder node:
verify_server_certificate=true
server_certificate_path=<PATH_TO_PEM_FILE>

Generate a self-signed certificate using the keytool utility

Generate self-signed certificates using the keytool utility. The certificates can by used by the
OpenStack VxFlex OS driver to communicate with the VxFlex OS Gateway.
About this task
To generate a self-signed certificate using the keytool utility, perform the following steps:
Procedure
1. Create a keystore file (.JKS):

keytool -genkeypair -keysize 1024 -alias herong_key -keypass keypass -

keystore herong.jks -storepass jkspass

2. Export the keystore file to a .PEM file:

keytool -exportcert -alias herong_key -keypass keypass -keystore

herong.jks -storepass jkspass -rfc -file keytool_crt.pem

The certificate is stored in the file <keytool_crt.pem>. During configuration of the

Cinder driver, the path to this .PEM file is required.

Using SSH authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway

Before you begin

About this task

A manually generated public-private key pair can be used to perform SSH key authentication,
instead of passwords, between the VxFlex OS Gateway and VxFlex OS system servers. The public
key is placed on all servers that will allow access to the VxFlex OS Gateway. The VxFlex OS
Gateway is the owner of the matching private key.

38 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

FOSGWTool is used to upload the private key to the VxFlex OS Gateway. FOSGWTool is located
in:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/bin/FOSGWTool.sh
l Windows: C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\bin\ FOSGWTool.bat
Note: In a new installation, if SSH key authentication will be used, there is no need to add node
user name and password credentials to the CSV file used for system deployment.
Procedure
1. Create the private and public key pair on the node where the VxFlex OS Gateway is
installed:
a. In command line, run the command:

cd ~/.ssh/

b. Run the command:

ssh-keygen -t rsa

This command generates a private and public key. When performing this command, you
can add a passphrase, or generate the key without a passphrase. Two SSH keys are
produced: id_rsa and id_rsa.pub.
2. On one of the VxFlex OS servers, run this command to store the public key in the
authorized_keys file:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

3. Copy the .ssh directory to the rest of the VxFlex OS servers.

4. Copy id_rsa.pub to the file system on the rest of the VxFlex OS servers.
5. Use FOSGWTool in command line to upload the private key to theVxFlex OS Gateway:

FOSGWTool --update_ssh_key --ssh_key <PATH_TO_SSH_KEY_FILES> [--

key_passphrase <KEY_PASSPHRASE>]

The --key_passphrase is optional. Add this if you generated it when you created the key
pair. During deployment, the gateway will use the private key for authentication.

6. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:

l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 39

Preparation for deployment

Preparation tasks for CoreOS, hLinux, Oracle Linux and

Ubuntu
Steps that must be taken when deploying SDC or RFcache on CoreOS, hLinux, Oracle Linux (OL),
or Ubuntu servers.
Before you begin
Ensure that the VxFlex OS SDC and RFcache (RF) drivers are compatible with the Ubuntu/OL
kernels and that the SDC driver is compatible with the hLinux/CoreOS kernel.
About this task
Note:
All references to Ubuntu in this section apply equally to supported versions of hLinux, OL, and
CoreOS. For hLinux and CoreOS, this is relevant for SDC installation, not RFcache.
To ensure that a client node always has an SDC/RF kernel driver that matches the client kernel,
the SDC/RF startup script uses driver_sync.sh, a synchronization utility that fetches SDC/RF
kernel drivers from a configured repository. This repository can be either Dell EMC's repository or
a local repository in your private network.
For Ubuntu nodes with VxFlex OS SDC/RF drivers:
l The driver_sync.sh script is located, by default, at /bin/emc/scaleio/.
l In the repository, a driver package tarball is located at <base_dir>/Ubuntu/
<VxFlex_OS_version>/<kernel_version>/scini.tar.
For CoreOS nodes with VxFlex OS SDC/RF drivers:
l The driver_sync.sh script is located, by default, at /usr/share/oem/bin/emc/
scaleio/.
l In the repository, a driver package tarball is located at <base_dir>/CoreOS/
<VxFlex_OS_version>/<kernel_version>/scini.tar.
It may be necessary to manually restart the driver/s and services on hosts/servers hosting SDCs.
In a normal work flow, an SDC/RF driver will be loaded on boot. If there is a mismatch between the
version of the running kernel and the kernel against which the driver was compiled, the
driver_sync.sh script will be run automatically to fetch the appropriate driver. If the script fails
for any reason (for example, due to incorrect configuration) after fixing the issue with the
driver_sync.sh script, the driver services must be restarted manually, as described below.
Root permission is required to run the commands.
To manually restart driver/s and services, run these commands:

service scini restart

service xcache restart

40 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Ensure that the kernel version is correct

Before installing VxFlex OS, ensure that the kernel version is correct by performing the following
steps.
Procedure
1. Ensure that your kernel version matches a version in the repository, by performing the
following:
Note:
If all Ubuntu servers have the same kernel, you can run this command on a single server.

a. Run this command on every Ubuntu server:

uname -r

Output similar to the following is displayed:

3.16.0-62-generic

b. Copy the following text into a browser, and compare the output to the Ubuntu kernel
version in the Dell EMC repository:

ftp://QNzgdxXix:[email protected]

2. To use a mirror repository, you must ensure that the SSH public and SSH private keys are
located in all system nodes in the same path.
The private key should have directory-level permission only (chmod 700
<private_key_path>). The public key can have all permissions. This is not necessary when
using the EMC repository.
3. The GPG key must be located in all system nodes in the same path. This key is required for
using a mirror or Dell EMC repository.

After you finish

The configuration of driver_sync.sh is specified in driver_sync.conf file, which can be
created using the following methods:
l Create the configuration file using the VxFlex OS Gateway
l Create the configuration file manually
Note: For CoreOS, the file can only be created manually.

Create the configuration file using the VxFlex OS Gateway

The driver_sync.conf file can be created during the VxFlex OS Gateway deployment process.
This topic is relevant for deployments on Linux flavors other than RedHat. Before deploying, you
set parameters that will be used by the VxFlex OS Gateway, during deployment, to create the file
for your environment.
About this task
To edit the properties, perform the following:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 41

Preparation for deployment

Procedure
1. Use a text editor to open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Gateway server:
/opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes
2. Edit the file by adding the parameters described below.
3. Save and close the file.
4. Import the GPG key by running the following command, on every Ubuntu node that will
contain SDC or RFcache:

apt-key add <new_public_key>

5. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:

service scaleio-gateway restart

After the changes are made, use the VxFlex OS Installer to deploy the system, using the
installation files for Ubuntu.

Parameters to add to the kernel

Add the following parameters to the kernel.
About this task
l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_ADDRESS
The value of this variable is encoded as <protocol>://[<address>]/<path>
Where<protocol>:= ftp | sftp | file
The following example uses the address of the Dell EMC repository:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_ADDRESS=ftp://QNzgdxXix:[email protected]

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_USER
Contains the user name that is used as login name. Needed when the protocol is FTP or SFTP.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_USER=admin

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_PASSWORD
Represents the password. Needed only for FTP protocol.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_PASSWORD=password

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_USER_KEY=<path_to_private_key>
Contains a path to the private RSA key used for SSH connections (user identity file). Needed
only for SFTP.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_USER_KEY=<path_to_private_key>

42 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_HOST_KEY=<path_to_public_key>
Contains a path to the repository server's public host key, used for SSH connections. Needed
only for SFTP.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_HOST_KEY=<path_to_public_key>

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_MODULE_SIGCHECK
Set to 0 or 1, to determine whether the fetched kernel modules must be verified.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_MODULE_SIGCHECK=1

l sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_EMC_KEY
Contains a path to the EMC GPG public key file that is needed for signature verification. You
can retrieve the GPG key (RPM-GPG-KEY-ScaleIO_<version>.XXX.X.0) from the folder
in the root of the ISO: ScaleIO_<version>.X.X_GPG-RPM-KEY_Download.zip
This is the same file used by LIA to verify RPMs. It needs to be set only if
SCINI_REPO_MODULE_SIGCHECK was set to 1.
Example:

sdc.kernel.repo.SCINI_REPO_EMC_KEY=<path_to_key>/RPM-GPG-KEY-
ScaleIO_3.0.168.0

You can now deploy the system. During the deployment, a driver_sync.conf file is generated
for the SDC and for RFcache in their respective folders:
l SDC: /etc/emc/scaleio/scini_sync
l RFcache: /etc/emc/scaleio/xcache_sync

Create the configuration file manually

The driver_sync.conf file can be created or edited manually using a text editor. This topic is
relevant for deployments on Linux flavors other than RedHat.
About this task
If VxFlex OS was deployed with the VxFlex OS Gateway, the file already exists in the etc folder,
with dummy values, and you will need to edit that file, and then copy it to the etc folder on every
SDC/RFcache (RF) server in the system. The etc folder is located in:
l SDC

Host Path

Ubuntu/OL /etc/emc/scaleio/scini_sync/driver_sync.conf

l RFcache

Host Path

Ubuntu/OL /etc/emc/scaleio/xcache_sync/driver_sync.conf

For CoreOS, create the driver_sync.conf file under /usr/share/oem/bin/emc/

scaleio/scini_sync/ and edit it as shown in the table and example below.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 43

Preparation for deployment

The configuration of the driver_sync script is read from driver_sync.conf (an example
appears below), which contains the following parameters:

Table 4 driver_sync.conf parameters

Parameter Description

repo_address Encodes the chosen method and address.

repo_user Identifies the user name used when logging in to the drivers server.
Required for SFTP and FTP methods.

repo_password The FTP server login password (for user repo_user). Required for
FTP method

user_private_rsa_key Contains the path of the private RSA key file used to SFTP
connection. This key file (provided by VxFlex OS on installation)
enables SFTP connection without a password.

local_dir The local directory in which the downloaded SDC/RF drivers are
stored. For SDC/RF clients, this value is set up during installation
and doesn’t normally require a change.

repo_public_rsa_key The path of the public RSA key of the repository server machine
(also known as the host public key).

module_sigcheck Determines whether to verify (1) or not to verify (0) the downloaded
kernel drivers.

emc_public_gpg_key A key that is used to verify signatures of downloaded drivers. Enter

the path to the public GPG signing key of VxFlex OS (just like the
one that comes with VxFlex OS LIA).
This only needs to be set if module_sigcheck was set to 1.

The following parameters are used when driver_sync.sh is used to synchronize a local
repository against a remote one.

sync_pattern A regular expression that can be used to fetch several drivers at

once. This parameter is not normally needed, and becomes relevant
only when driver_sync.sh is used by your own private repository to
fetch from a remote (e.g. Dell EMC) repository.

is_local_repo Set to 0 (default) or omit, for SDC/RF clients. Set to 1 when

driver_sync.sh is used to synchronize local repository against a
remote repository. Setting to 1 will cause the fetched tar files not to
be extracted.

Example:

###############################################
#driver_sync Configuration file
#Everything after a '#' until the end of the line is ignored
###############################################
#Repository address, prefixed by protocol
repo_address = sftp://localhost/path/to/repo/dir
#repo_address = ftp://localhost/path/to/repo/dir
#repo_address = file://local/path/to/repo/dir
# Repository user (valid for ftp/sftp protocol)
repo_user = scini
# Repository password (valid for ftp protocol)
repo_password = scini
# Local directory for modules

44 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

local_dir = /bin/emc/scaleio/scini_cache/
# User's RSA private key file (sftp protocol)
user_private_rsa_key = /bin/emc/scaleio/scini_key
# Repository host public key (sftp protocol)
repo_public_rsa_key = /bin/emc/scaleio/scini_repo_key.pub
# Should the fetched modules' signatures be checked [0, 1]
module_sigcheck = 1
# EMC public signature key (needed when module_sigcheck is 1)
emc_public_gpg_key = /bin/emc/scaleio/emc_key.pub
# Sync pattern (regular expression) for massive retrieve
sync_pattern = .*

Update the VxFlex OS signature key

If the VxFlex OS package-signing key expires, you must update the configuration for each SDC or
SDS node that uses RFcache.
About this task
When a VxFlex OS package-signing key expires, a new public key is issued. You must update
driver_sync.conf to use the new public key.
Procedure
1. Download the new public key from the Customer Support site (https://support.emc.com).
2. On each SDC or RFcache node, edit driver_sync.conf so that the value of
emc_public_gpg_key is the path to the new key file.
The expired public key will still be in the gpg keyring, and older packages that were signed
with the old key can still be verified.
Location of driver_sync.conf:
l SDC

Host Path

Ubuntu/OL /etc/emc/scaleio/scini_sync/driver_sync.conf

l RFcache

Host Path

Ubuntu/OL /etc/emc/scaleio/xcache_sync/driver_sync.conf

Create a mirror repository

For CoreOS, Ubuntu, or Oracle Linux (OL, also known as OEL), set up a local mirror repository
(optional).
This section describes how to set up a local repository. This is necessary for scenarios when
connecting all SDC/RFcache (RF) nodes to the VxFlex OS repository is not possible, perhaps due
to security considerations or other limitations.
A common workflow would be to configure your mirror repository to synchronize with the VxFlex
OS repository, while your SDC/RF nodes will fetch drivers (synchronize) from the mirror
repository.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 45

Preparation for deployment

Driver repository directory hierarchy

The directory hierarchy in the repository consists of the following levels:
<Distro>/<VxFlex OSVersion>/<Kernel Version>/
where:
l <Distro> is either CoreOS or Ubuntu or OL (for Oracle Linux)
l <VxFlex OSVersion> is encoded as x.x.x.x
l <Kernel Version> is the output of uname -r.
The files themselves are tar files named scini.tar and xcache.tar.
For example:
<Repo_base>/CoreOS/3.0.0.30/4.1.7-coreos/scini.tar is a tar file of the SDC driver
for VxFlex OS version 3.0.0.30 for CoreOS with kernel version 4.1.7-coreos.

Synchronize the mirror repository

Synchronizing is performed by calling driver_sync.sh sync.
In normal workflow, you do not have to (and should not) modify the directory structure manually.
Instead, synchronizing is done by simply calling driver_sync.sh sync.
In the driver_sync.conf file, you must set the is_local_repo parameter to 1. This will
instruct driver_sync.sh not to untar the downloaded files.
It is also recommended that you change the sync_pattern parameter, a regular expression, to
something more specific than ".*". Otherwise the sync operation will mirror the entire Dell EMC
driver repository every time.

SFTP-based repository setup script

To save time in setting up a new SFTP-based driver repository, use the
driver_repo_wizard.sh script.
The driver_repo_wizard.sh script can be found in the following locations:
l Ubuntu or Oracle Linux:
n /bin/emc/scaleio/scini_sync
n /bin/emc/scaleio/xcache_sync
l CoreOS:
n /usr/share/oem/bin/emc/scaleio/scini_sync
The script does the following:
1. Creates a new user with a name you provide. The user will be created shell-less.
2. Creates a pair of RSA keys that will be used for passwordless SSH connection. You must
provide the created private key to all your client nodes, while the public key will be added to
the authorized_keys file of the created user.
3. Updates the SSH service configuration file (/etc/ssh/ssh_config) for the new user,
instructing to chroot the user to its home directory, which should also be the repository base
directory.

Prepare the CSV file

Create a CSV topology file to deploy VxFlex OS with the VxFlex OS Installer on Linux or Windows-
based nodes. Follow the instructions that match your environment and the VxFlex OS support

46 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

matrix for your version. CSV file templates are provided as part of the software download, in the
VxFlex OS Gateway software packages. They are also accessible from the VxFlex OS Installer user
interface.
Before you begin
Ensure that the settings you enter comply with VxFlex OS product limits, as described in the
"Product limits" table in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS guide.
Ensure that you have a copy of the following CSV templates, which are provided in the VxFlex OS
Gateway software packages. Decide which template is most suitable for your needs. In this
document, we will refer to and illustrate the CSV file as a spreadsheet.
l Complete—this spreadsheet template contains all available fields, both required and optional.
In particular, it contains an optional section for Storage Pool configuration, which is relevant
for multiple nodes.
l Minimal—this spreadsheet template contains only the required fields. The optional fields
(those that are in the complete spreadsheet, but not in the minimal one) will be assigned
default values.
About this task
Note: During CSV file preparation, note that there are important differences between hyper-
converged and 2-layer topologies.
l In hyper-converged topologies, each row in the upper section represents a server that can
host MDM, SDS and SDC components
l In 2-layer topologies where frontend servers are Linux or Windows-based, SDCs must be
represented by separate, additional rows. The values for SDC-specific rows are described
in "CSV topology for 2-layer deployment". Alternatively, omit the SDCs from the CSV file,
and install them manually after deploying the backend.
l In 2-layer topologies where frontend servers are ESXi-based, omit them from the CSV file.
In this case, the SDCs are installed after deploying the backend, either manually, or using
the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
Note: Save a copy of the CSV file for future use. It is recommended to save the file in a secure
encrypted folder on your operating system, after deployment. When you add nodes to the
system in the future, you will need the CSV file that you used for initial deployment of the
system.
You can edit a CSV file with Microsoft Excel or file-editing software.
Procedure
1. In the CSV file, fill in your site-specific information in the appropriate places, overwriting the
default information provided in the file.
You only need to use one spreadsheet for the installation, as follows:
l To manually enter all configuration details, use the Complete spreadsheet.
l To use default values for the non-mandatory fields, use the Minimal spreadsheet.
l To configure non-default values for columns that are not in the Minimal spreadsheet,
either use the Complete spreadsheet, or copy the column heading from there into the
Minimal spreadsheet, and enter your custom values into the Minimal spreadsheet.
The following figure shows a sample of a Complete CSV file used to deploy Linux nodes in a
hyper-converged system:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 47

Preparation for deployment

Figure 1 CSV—Complete example

Servers
Storage Pools

Balloon callout. Select shape and start typing. Resize box to desired dimensions. Move control
handle to aim pointer at speaker.

The following figure shows part of a sample of a Complete CSV file, where SDCs are defined
below the rows for MDMs and SDSs. In 2-layer configuration, the Linux servers will form the
MDM cluster, and each of those servers will also be SDSs. SDCs can be added here, in
separate rows, or added to the system later.

Figure 2 CSV—2-layer example

MDMs and SDSs

SDCs

48 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

2. For Linux nodes, the Domain column is not relevant. Leave the column blank or remove the
column.
The following table describes the fields in the spreadsheets. The required fields appear in
both spreadsheets. Field names are case-sensitive; the order of the columns is not
significant.

Table 5 CSV topology spreadsheets

Field Description Required

Domain If using a domain user, the name of the domain (not relevant for Linux)

The name of the user.

l Linux nodes: Enter either root or a non-root sudo user, indicated by
appending "(sudo)" to the end of the username (default: root). For more
information on deploying with a non-root user, see "Deployment of a non-root
user".
l Windows nodes: Enter a user with administrator rights (default:
Username administrator).

Password used to log in to the node. This should be the password of the user Yes
entered in the Username column.
To authenticate with SSH instead of node passwords, see "Using SSH
Password authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway.

Operating System The server’s operating system: linux or windows Yes

IP address to be used for multiple purposes. Use this field to designate one IP
address that will be assigned to all of the following: MDM IP, MDM Mgmt IP and
SDS All IP. This option is provided for use cases where separate networks for
IPs data and management are not required.

The MDM role to deploy on this node: Master, Slave, TB, Standby- Yes
Slave, Standby-TB, or blank (if not an MDM).
For more information, see "The MDM cluster" in the Architecture section of
Is MDM/TB Getting to Know VxFlex OS.

The IP address for the management-only network.

The management IP address is not required for: Tie-Breaker, Standby Tie-
MDM Mgmt IP Breaker, and any host that is not an MDM. In such cases, leave this field blank.

MDM IP addresses used to communicate with other VxFlex OS components in

the storage network. This is required for all MDMs, Tie-Breakers and Standbys.
Leave this field blank for hosts that are not part of the MDM cluster.
MDM IPs Maximum of eight addresses, comma-separated, no spaces.

The name to be assigned to an MDM node.

MDM names must be unique and may not contain spaces. Ensure that each
MDM Name server on which MDM is installed has a unique hostname.

Optional performance profile to set for MDMs: High (default) or Compact.

When this field is left empty, the default option is applied. High performance is
perfProfileForMDM required for the Fine Granularity data layout feature.

Virtual IPs A virtual IP address (VIP) for each possible manager MDM.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 49

Preparation for deployment

Table 5 CSV topology spreadsheets (continued)

Field Description Required

This virtual IP address can be used for communication between the MDM cluster
and SDCs. Only one virtual IP address can be mapped to each NIC, with a
maximum of four virtual IP addresses per system.

Virtual IP NICs The NIC to which the virtual IP addresses are mapped.

Is SDS Deploy the SDS component on this node: Yes or No Yes

The name for the SDS node.

SDS Name The name must not contain spaces.

SDS IP addresses to be used for communication among all nodes.

SDS All IPs Maximum of eight addresses, comma-separated, no spaces.

SDS IP addresses to be used for communication among SDS nodes only.

SDS-SDS Only IPs Maximum of eight addresses, comma-separated, no spaces.

SDS IP addresses to be used for communication among SDS and SDC nodes only.
Maximum of eight addresses, comma-separated, no spaces. For SDC-only nodes,
SDS-SDC Only IPs enter the IP address in this column.

Protection Domain The Protection Domain to which to assign this SDS.

The Fault Set to which to assign this SDS.

Note: When using Fault Sets, you must assign a minimum of three, and follow
the guidelines described in “Fault Sets” in the Architecture section of Getting
Fault Set to Know VxFlex OS.

Storage devices to be added to an SDS. For more than one device, use a comma-
separated list, with no spaces.
Ensure that devices are prepared as described in "Configuring direct attached
storage" in the Architecture section of Getting to Know VxFlex OS.
Device name format on Linux:
/dev/sdb,/dev/sdc
When specifying the SDS device path on a Linux node, use the path according to
how it is listed in cat/proc/partitions (and not according to the output of
fdisk -l). Use persistent device names.
For example:
fdisk output: /dev/mapper/samah-lv1, /dev/sdb
SDS Storage Device List
cat /proc/partitions output: dm-3, sdb
Use these values in the CSV file: /dev/dm-3, /dev/sdb
To enable volume creation, you must add (at least) one device to (at least) three
SDSs, where each SDS is in a separate Fault Set, and each device has a minimum
of 130 GB free storage capacity (an SDS which has not been assigned to a Fault
Set is treated as a Fault Set of its own). You can do that via the CSV file, or at a
later stage. The maximum number of devices per SDS is listed in the “Product
limits” table in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS guide.
Device data is erased when devices are added to an SDS. When adding a device
to an SDS, VxFlex OS will check that the device is clear before adding it. An error
will be returned, per device, if it is found not to be clear.

50 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Table 5 CSV topology spreadsheets (continued)

Field Description Required

VxFlex OS might not perform optimally if there are large differences between the
sizes of the devices in the Storage Pool—for example, if one device is as big as
the rest of the devices. After adding devices, you can define how much of the
device capacity is available to VxFlex OS by using the SCLI command
modify_sds_device_capacity.
For optimal performance, try to balance the number of devices of a Storage Pool,
and the capacity of those devices among the relevant SDSs.
When adding devices that were used in a previous VxFlex OS system, follow the
instructions in "Prepare previously used SDS devices".

Sets Storage Pool names. Use this option in one of the following ways to assign
Storage Pools to the devices in the SDS Storage Device List:
l A comma-separated list of StoragePool names; the length of the list must be
the same length as the list of devices in the SDS Storage Device Names list.
In this case, the Storage Pools will be mapped to the devices in that list,
StoragePool List respectively. The list must be comma-separated, with no spaces.
l If one Storage Pool is entered here, the same Storage Pool will be mapped to
all the devices in the SDS Storage Device List.
l If no Storage Pool is listed here, one will be automatically created during
installation, named default.

Sets names for devices.

Assigns device names to the devices in the SDS Storage Device List,
SDS Storage Device respectively. The amount of names must equal the amount of devices. Comma-
Names separated, no spaces.

Optional performance profile to set for SDSs. High (default) or Compact When
this field is left empty, the default option is applied. High performance is required
for the Fine Granularity data layout feature. For more information, see "Configure
perfProfileForSDS performance profile during deployment".

Is SDC Yes or No. Yes

Optional performance profile to set for SDCs: High (default) or Compact. When
this field is left empty, the default option is applied. High performance is required
for the Fine Granularity data layout feature. For more information, see "Configure
perfProfileForSDC performance profile during deployment".

SDC Name Sets a name for the SDC.

Install the RFcache xcache package on an SDS: Yes or No (default).

Note: If you wish to configure RFcache devices as part of the deployment,
RFcache set this column to Yes, RFcache SSD Device List column to a list of comma-
separated devices, and the RFcache Accelerated StoragePool List to a
corresponding comma-separated list of Storage Pools.

List of SSD devices to provide RFcache acceleration for Medium Granularity data
layout Storage Pools. Up to eight devices, comma-separated, with no spaces. If
RFcache SSD Device List
RFcache is Yes, and this field is left blank, you can add RFcache devices after
installation.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 51

Preparation for deployment

Table 5 CSV topology spreadsheets (continued)

Field Description Required

The names of the Storage Pools for which RFcache acceleration is to be

provided.
RFcache Accelerated The amount of StoragePool names must equal the amount of devices in the
StoragePool List RFcache SSD Device List. Comma-separated, no spaces.
The specified Storage Pools must be defined in StoragePool List.

List of NVDIMM devices used to provide acceleration for Storage Pools using
NVDIMM Acceleration
Fine Granularity data layout. Up to four devices, comma-separated, with no
Device List
spaces. Ensure that the NVDIMM devices are configured for DAX mode.

Sets NVDIMM Acceleration Pool names.

NVDIMM Acceleration Assigns NVDIMM Acceleration Pools to the devices in the NVDIMM Acceleration
Pool List Device List, respectively. The amount of NVDIMM Acceleration Pools must equal
the amount of devices. Comma-separated, no spaces.

Storage Pool Optional section of the CSV file that lets you configure properties for each of the
Configuration section Storage Pools to which the SDS devices are assigned

ProtectionDomain The Protection Domain to which the Storage Pool belongs

StoragePool The Storage Pool name

Media Type The expected device media type in the Storage Pool: HDD or SDD

External acceleration type, if used:

l Read—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read cache
External Acceleration l Write—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS write cache
l ReadAndWrite—All devices are accelerated by both non-VxFlex OS read
and write cache

Data layout type:

Data Layout l FG—Fine Granularity layout

l MG—Medium Granularity layout

The name of the Fine Granularity Acceleration Pool associated with the Storage
Fine Granularity ACCP
Pool

Zero padding enabled on the Storage Pool (mandatory for Fine Granularity):

Zero Padding l Yes—zero padding enabled

l No—zero padding disabled

The compression method used in the Fine Granularity Storage Pool. Compression
method might affect performance. For more information about recommended use
cases, refer to the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
Compression Method
l None—no compression is used
l Normal—compression is enabled

A VASA provider is used (for VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes (vVols) support):
Is Vasa Provider Yes means that the node contains a VASA provider. Any other value means that
it does not contain one.

52 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Table 5 CSV topology spreadsheets (continued)

Field Description Required

A cluster may contain a single VASA provider, three VASA providers, or none.
VASA providers must be installed on nodes where SDC is also installed.
Note: You can only add VASA providers to a system that previously contained
no VASA providers. You must begin from a state where no VASA providers
are installed in the cluster.

The IP address of the VASA provider

Vasa Provider IP Note: If no IP address is defined in this column, the IP address will be taken
from the "IPs" column.

The port used by the VASA Provider. This value is only required when there are
Vasa Provider Port three VASA providers in the cluster. If this value is not defined, the default value
is used: 27017.

3. Save the CSV file and retain for future use.

Configure performance profile during deployment

During deployment, system performance is enhanced by default implementation of the high
performance profile for the MDM, SDC, and SDS components. Most servers support the
requirements for this configuration and can benefit considerably from its implementation.
The high performance profile is mandatory for Fine Granularity data layout. However, for Medium
Granularity data layout, you can choose to use the compact performance profile instead.
High performance profile should be enabled on servers equipped with processors based on
Haswell-equivalent or newer architectures and 48 GB of RAM. Other configurations may benefit
from this setting as well.
The performance profile is set to High by default, but if you want to change the profile to Compact
in the CSV file, use the perfProfileFor<COMPONENT> columns.
For more information on the difference between the compact and the high performance profile,
see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.

CSV topology file for 2-layer deployment

When deploying SDC nodes on a Linux or Windows server in a 2-layer environment, add rows to
the CSV file specifically for SDCs, that only contain the values listed in this table.

Table 6 CSV topology spreadsheet-2-layer

Field Description Required

Domain If using a domain user, the name of the domain (not relevant for Linux)

The name of the user.

l Linux nodes: Enter either root or a non-root sudo user, indicated by
appending "(sudo)" to the end of the username (default: root). For
more information on deploying with a non-root user, see "Deployment
of a non-root user".
l Windows nodes: Enter a user with administrator rights (default:
Username administrator).

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 53

Preparation for deployment

Table 6 CSV topology spreadsheet-2-layer (continued)

Field Description Required

Password used to log in to the node. This should be the password of the Yes
user entered in the Username column.
To authenticate with SSH instead of node passwords, see "Using SSH
Password authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway.

Operating System The server’s operating system: linux or windows Yes

SDC IP addresses to be used for communication among SDS and SDC

nodes only. Comma-separated, no spaces.
Note: For SDC-only nodes, enter the IP address in this column.
SDS-SDC Only IPs

Is SDC Yes Yes

Optional performance profile to set for SDCs: High (default) or Compact.

When this field is left empty, the default option is applied. High
performance is required for the Fine Granularity data layout feature. For
perfProfileForSDC more information, see "Configure performance profile during deployment".

SDC Name Name for the SDC.

Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment

For 2-layer systems, or ESXi-based systems, clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment in order to
perform a clean installation. This procedure is recommended for cases when previously defined
networks will be used again, or when VxFlex OS components such as SDCs that ran on other
networks exist in the environment.
Before you begin
Before you begin, unmap and delete any VxFlex OS volumes in your system.
If necessary, unregister VxFlex OS from within the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in, and delete all the
VxFlex OS SVMs.
Procedure
1. Close the existing PowerCLI sessions, set PowerCLI to Run as administrator, and then
open a new session.
2. Using the PS1 script, unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in.
3. Stop the vSphere web client service:
VC Linux: service-control --stop vsphere-client
4. Delete the contents of the VxFlex OS plug-in folder.
The vSphere web client (Virgo) plug-in folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg

\vsphere-client\vc-packages\vsphere-client-serenity

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-
client-serenity

54 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

5. Delete the scaleio folder or its contents.

The scaleio folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\Users\vspherewebclientsvc\AppData\Roaming

\VMware\scaleio

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/scaleio

6. Start the vSphere web client service:

VC Linux: service-control --start vsphere-client
7. Clear your web browser's cache and cookies, or open a different web browser.
8. Using the PS1 script in PowerCLI, register the VxFlex OS plug-in.
Note: Do not press ENTER at this point.

9. After you have logged in to the vSphere web client to complete the registration and you see

the VxFlex OS icon , press ENTER in the PowerCLI session.

This stops the embedded Tomcat server.
10. If necessary, remove the SDC module parameters and VIB from the ESXi servers:
a. Connect to each ESXi server via SSH.
b. Run:

~ # esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p ""

~ # esxcli software vib remove -n scaleio-sdc-esx6.0

c. Reboot each ESXi server.

11. Proceed to the procedures for re-registering the VxFlex OS plug-in, and then deploy VxFlex
OS.

Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user

VxFlex OS can be deployed or extended in Linux environments using a non-root sudo user in non-
interactive mode.
Sudo is a program that allows a user to run or install a program as the root user. A sudo user can
be created to deploy VxFlex OS.
In order to successfully deploy or extend VxFlex OS with a non-root user, the non-root user must
meet the following conditions:
l The username included in the CSV file must already exist.
l The non-root user must be a sudo user.
l The non-root user must be in non-interactive mode.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 55

Preparation for deployment

l The requirement for TTY must be disabled.

In the CSV file used for deployment, you must indicate that you are intending to use a sudo non-
root username by appending the string "(sudo)" to the user name in the Username field. For
example, if you are using a non-root user with the username "non_root", enter the string
"non_root(sudo)" in the username field of the CSV file.

Configure a non-root non-interactive sudo user

In Linux, you can deploy or extend VxFlex OS with a non-root user. You must configure a non-root
sudo user in non-interactive mode.
Before you begin

About this task

The following procedure details one method for configuring a non-root non-interactive sudo user.
Perform the commands from the operating system console of where you want the VxFlex OS
Gateway to deploy VxFlex OS.
Procedure
1. Create a user group named "admin".

groupadd admin

2. Create a user named "non_root" and add it to the admin group.

useradd -G admin non_root

3. Change the password of the non_root user.

passwd non_root

When prompted, enter the new password and then confirm it by entering it again.
4. Open the sudoers /etc/sudoers file for editing.

vi /etc/sudoers

5. Search the sudoers file for "## Same thing without a password".

:s/## Same thing without a password

6. In the line below the search result, add the text %admin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL to
the file.
7. Search the sudoers file for "Defaults requiretty", and replace it with Defaults !
requiretty.
8. Exit the vi editor by typing the following command to exit: :wq!

56 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

9. Create a hidden directory in the non_root user's home directory to store the SSH
configuration.

mkdir /home/non_root/.ssh

10. Copy the SSH configuration from the root user to the non_root user's directory.

cp -rf /root/.ssh/* /home/non_root/.ssh/

Configure the OpenStack Nova Compute service

If your system will operate in an OpenStack environment, configure the openstack-nova-compute
service to start after the scini service.
About this task
The openstack-nova-compute service must start after the scini service, to ensure that all volumes
are recognized and configured by the SDC before the compute service starts, and the VM
instances are started.
Procedure
1. In command line on the Nova Compute server, run

systemctl status openstack-nova-compute

2. Identify the service file that is currently loaded.

For example, in the following output, the file is: /usr/lib/systemd/system/
openstack-nova-compute.service

Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/openstack-nova-compute.service;

enabled; vendor preset: disabled)

3. Open the file in a text editor, and insert the following line under the [Unit] section:

[Unit]
...
After=scini.service

4. Save the file.

Results
The openstack-nova-compute service will start after the scini service.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 57

Preparation for deployment

58 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 3
Deploy VxFlex OS

l Installation wizard................................................................................................................. 60
l Customizable installation using CSV file—hyper-converged system..................................... 63
l Customizable installation using CSV file—2-layer system..................................................... 70
l Install the VxFlex OS GUI...................................................................................................... 85

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 59

Deploy VxFlex OS

Installation wizard
This section describes how to use the VxFlex OS Installer wizard, the quickest way to get a VxFlex
OS system up and running. The wizard is most suitable for environments where all servers are
converged and in one Protection Domain.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have performed all the preparation tasks before using the wizard.
About this task
The wizard guides you through the following tasks:
Procedure
1. Setting up the installation.
2. Running the installation.
After installation is complete, a number of post-installation tasks must be performed,
including GUI installation, system analysis, configuration, and license activation.

Log in and upload installation packages

Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer and upload the VxFlex OS installation packages.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have network access to the software packages that you downloaded and
extracted as part of the preparation tasks.
Ensure that you know the password that was defined for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
Procedure
1. Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer:
a. Point your browser to this URL: https://<GW_Server_IP>
where <GW_Server_IP> is the IP address of the server where you installed the VxFlex
OS Gateway package.

b. Accept the certificate warning; alternatively, install your own certificate for the Tomcat
server.
c. Enter the default user name, admin, and the password defined when the VxFlex OS
Gateway was prepared, and then click Login.
2. Upload installation packages:
a. At the top of the Welcome window, click Packages.
You may need to re-authenticate.

b. From the Manage Installation Packages page, click Browse, and browse to the
extracted VxFlex OS component packages. Select all the required files, and then click
Open.
Select these packages for each operating system type that will be used in your VxFlex
OS system:
l MDM
l SDS

60 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

l SDC
l LIA
l RFcache XCACHE package (optional; required for Medium Granularity Storage Pool
acceleration)
l VASAPROVIDER package (optional; required for VMware vVols)

c. Click Upload.
The uploaded installation packages appear in the packages table.

d. Click Proceed to Install.

Results
The VxFlex OS software packages have been uploaded to the VxFlex OS Installer, in preparation
for deployment. In the next task, you will use the VxFlex OS Installer to install the software on the
nodes.

Initiate the wizard and run the installation

Start installation of the VxFlex OS software packages, using the VxFlex OS Installer wizard. The
installation performs the following phases: query, upload, install, and configure. At the end of each
phase, you must approve continuation to the next phase.
Before you begin
Ensure that the software packages were successfully uploaded to the VxFlex OS Installer.
Procedure
1. In the VxFlex OS Installer Provide Installation Topology screen, click the Installation
Wizard drop-down arrow, and select an MDM cluster type:
l 3-node cluster (default)
Configures a Master MDM, a Slave MDM, and a Tie Breaker MDM.
l 5-node cluster
Configures a Master MDM, two Slave MDMs, and two Tie Breaker MDMs.
The Topology section is populated with nodes, according to the MDM cluster chosen in the
previous step. Each node is also defined as an SDS and an SDC.
2. Type a new MDM password in the password box, and type it again in the confirm
password box.
The MDM password is a password that is configured for the MDM during the installation. It
must meet the following criteria:
l Between 6 and 31 ASCII-printable characters
l Includes at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
l Contains no white spaces

3. For LIA Authentication, select Native for local authentication, or LDAP for LDAP
authentication.
l If you selected Native, for LIA Password, type a password in the password box, and
type it again in the confirm password box.
The LIA password is a new password that will be used to authenticate communication
between the VxFlex OS Installer and the Light Installation Agent (LIA). It must meet the
same criteria as the MDM password, as listed in the previous step.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 61

Deploy VxFlex OS

l If you selected LDAP, you can add the credentials for one LDAP server. After
deployment, up to seven more LDAP servers can be added. For more information, see
the "Security" section of the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
Enter the required information in the additional fields that are displayed:
n LDAP Server URI
n LDAP Group and LDAP BaseDN
n LDAP User Name and LDAP Password
4. Review the end user license agreement and select the check box to accept the license
agreement.
For complete information on licensing, see the "Licensing" section of this guide.
5. In the Topology section, enter server information:
a. For each node, click on the appropriate cells to edit its IP address, select its host
operating system, and enter an MDM name and password.
l For Linux, type the password of the root user.
l To see the passwords, select Show passwords while editing.

b. To add more hosts, click Clone host.

The assigned IP address is derived from the IP address of the previous host. Each cloned
host is designated to act as an SDS and an SDC.
6. At the bottom of the screen, click Start Installation.
Note: A post-installation notice appears, that outlines the steps that are required after
the wizard completes the installation. The content of this notice will be repeated at the
end of the process, or you can view it by clicking Post installation instructions from
the Monitor screen.

7. Click the Monitor tab.

The Install - query screen appears.
In the query stage, the VxFlex OS Installer validates that there are no previously installed
VxFlex OS components on any of the requested installation nodes.
You can change the display by selecting the following:
l Auto Refresh (default)
l Hide Completed Successfully
l Show All Phases
At the end of each phase, a status message is displayed.
If an error message is displayed during the process, you can retry the failed operations
(using the Retry failed button), continue to the next phase, or abort the installation.
Note: Once you proceed to the next stage, you will not be able to use the VxFlex OS
Installer to retry failed tasks.

8. When the query phase is complete, close the status message, and at the top right side of
the screen, click Start upload phase.
The Install - upload screen appears, displaying which VxFlex OS packages are being
uploaded to each server, and the status of each command.
9. When the previous phase is complete, close the status message, and at the top right side of
the screen, click Start install phase.

62 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

The Install - install screen appears, displaying the status of the installation commands.
10. When all Install command rows are in Completed status, click Start configure phase.
The Install - configure screen displays configuration progress.
11. When all processes are finished, click Mark operation completed.
The VxFlex OS system installation is complete! The wizard installation creates one
Protection Domain and one Storage Pool, both named "default". You will use these when
you enable storage.
The post-installation notes appear, directing you to the steps necessary to start using your
storage.

After you finish

l Install the VxFlex OS GUI.
l Perform the post-installation tasks described in this guide. It is highly recommended to run the
VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after deployment, before
you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
Note: If you are using Linux servers that are running Veritas Cluster Server (VCS)
software, see "Configuration task for Veritas Cluster Server environments" for important
post-installation instructions.
l After you finish the tasks described in this guide, perform the mandatory and optional post-
deployment configuration tasks described in the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide. In
particular, add storage devices to the SDS nodes, and then create and map volumes.

Customizable installation using CSV file—hyper-converged

system
This section describes how to use the VxFlex OS Installer and a CSV topology file to get a fully
customized hyper-converged VxFlex OS system up and running.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have performed all the preparation tasks before using the VxFlex OS Installer, and
in particular, that you have prepared the CSV file.
About this task
The VxFlex OS Installer guides you through the following tasks:
Procedure
1. Setting up the installation.
2. Running the installation.
After installation is complete, a number of post-installation tasks must be performed,
including GUI installation, system analysis, configuration and license activation.

Log in and upload installation packages

Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer and upload the VxFlex OS installation packages.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have network access to the software packages that you downloaded and
extracted as part of the preparation tasks.
Ensure that you know the password that was defined for the VxFlex OS Gateway.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 63

Deploy VxFlex OS

Procedure
1. Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer:
a. Point your browser to this URL: https://<GW_Server_IP>
where <GW_Server_IP> is the IP address of the server where you installed the VxFlex
OS Gateway package.

b. Accept the certificate warning; alternatively, install your own certificate for the Tomcat
server.
c. Enter the default user name, admin, and the password defined when the VxFlex OS
Gateway was prepared, and then click Login.
2. Upload installation packages:
a. At the top of the Welcome window, click Packages.
You may need to re-authenticate.

b. From the Manage Installation Packages page, click Browse, and browse to the
extracted VxFlex OS component packages. Select all the required files, and then click
Open.
Select these packages for each operating system type that will be used in your VxFlex
OS system:
l MDM
l SDS
l SDC
l LIA
l RFcache XCACHE package (optional; required for Medium Granularity Storage Pool
acceleration)
l VASAPROVIDER package (optional; required for VMware vVols)

c. Click Upload.
The uploaded installation packages appear in the packages table.

d. Click Proceed to Install.

Results
The VxFlex OS software packages have been uploaded to the VxFlex OS Installer, in preparation
for deployment. In the next task, you will use the VxFlex OS Installer to install the software on the
nodes.

Upload the CSV file

Upload the prepared CSV file to the VxFlex OS Installer.
Before you begin
If you have not created the CSV file yet, you can download a template by clicking Minimal or
Complete on the VxFlex OS Installer Provide Installation Topology page. Then, prepare the file
as explained in the "Preparation for deployment" section of this guide.
Procedure
1. On the Provide Installation Topology page, click Browse, browse to the location of the
installation CSV file, select the file, and click Open.

64 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

2. For a new installation, select New installation.

To extend an existing installation, click the down-arrow and select Add to existing sys.
3. Click Upload Installation CSV.
After successfully uploading the file, the Installation Configuration page appears.
You can expand or contract the lists in the Topology section.

Results
You are now ready to start the installation.

Start the customized installation

Start the customized installation process for a VxFlex OS system.
Before you begin
Ensure that the software packages and CSV file have been successfully uploaded to the VxFlex OS
Installer.
Procedure
1. In the Installation Configuration page, Credentials Configuration section, for MDM
Password, enter a new MDM password in the password field, and enter it again in the
confirm password field.
The MDM password is a password that is configured for the MDM during the installation. It
must meet the following criteria:
l Between 6 and 31 ASCII-printable characters
l Includes at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
l Contains no white spaces

2. For LIA Authentication, select Native for local authentication, or LDAP for LDAP
authentication.
Note: When using the VxFlex OS Installer to extend (rather than to install) a system,
enter the LIA credentials that you entered during the initial installation.

l If you selected Native, for LIA Password, enter a password in the password field, and
enter it again in the confirm password field.
The LIA password is a new password that will be used to authenticate communication
between the VxFlex OS Installer and the Light Installation Agent (LIA). It must meet the
same criteria as the MDM password, as listed in the previous step.
Note: When using the VxFlex OS Installer to extend (rather than to install) a system,
enter the LIA credentials that you entered during the initial installation.
l If you selected LDAP, you can add the credentials for one LDAP server. After
deployment, up to seven more LDAP servers can be added. For more information, see
the "Security" section of the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
Enter the required information in the additional fields that are displayed:
n LDAP Server URI
n LDAP Group and LDAP BaseDN
n LDAP User Name and LDAP Password
3. Review the end user license agreement and select the check box to accept the license
agreement.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 65

Deploy VxFlex OS

For complete information on licensing, see the "Licensing" section of this guide.
4. Advanced options can be configured now. The following list describes the available options.
Click Set advanced options to access these options and configure them.

Option type Option Description

Skip options Skip upload Do not upload packages. You

can use this if the packages
were already uploaded.

Skip installation Do not install packages. You

can use this if the packages
were already installed.

Skip configuration Do not configure VxFlex OS

components. You can use this
option if you only want to
upload and install packages
now.

Skip Linux devices validation Do not validate Linux device

names.
Use case: during the VxFlex
OS Installer validate stage,
errors in the entering of Linux
device names (such as /dev/
sdbb instead of /dev/sdb)
will prevent the continuation
of the installation. This can be
a problem if you want to add
valid devices that do not meet
the /proc/partitions
standard (such as aliases and
logical names). Therefore,
when this option is selected,
the validate stage will be
completed, but the affected
node will show a completed
(warning) status. You can
click Details to see the error,
and you can choose to
proceed with the installation.
Continue with the remainder
of the installation procedures.

Configuration options Enable alert service and Enable the alert service
create lockbox required for SNMP and SRS
reporting. This also creates
and configures the lockbox.
This is the best practice
method for creating the
lockbox.
Note: It is also possible to
manually create the
lockbox later, but the

66 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Option type Option Description

manual method involves

security considerations.

If you select this option, the

Traps Receiver IP/
Hostname field is displayed.
Enter up to two (comma-
separated) IP addresses or
host names of the SNMP trap
receiver servers.

Security options Disable secure communication Disable the need for secure
with the MDMs communication mode
between management clients
and the MDM cluster
members.
Note: Non-secure
communication has
security implications, and
should be used with
caution. For more
information about this
mode, see "Use SCLI in
non-secure mode" in the
Configure and Customize
VxFlex OS Guide.

Disable secure communication Disable the need for secure

with the LIAs communication mode
between management clients
and the LIAs.
Note: Non-secure
communication has
security implications, and
should be used with
caution. For more
information about this
mode, see "Use SCLI in
non-secure mode" in the
Configure and Customize
VxFlex OS Guide.

Disable authentication Disable the need for

between internal components authentication between SDSs
and MDMs.

Use only the following trusted Limit which VxFlex OS

IP addresses for LIA (in Gateway can communicate
addition to this gateway IP with the LIAs.
address) If you select this option, enter
a comma-separated list of the
IP addresses to trust (up to
32 IP addresses, including the
IP address of this VxFlex OS
Gateway). The VxFlex OS

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 67

Deploy VxFlex OS

Option type Option Description

Gateway IP address is
automatically added to the list
and does not have to be
explicitly mentioned. If the
VxFlex OS Gateway uses
multiple IP addresses, enter
all the addresses.

5. You can use the VxFlex OS Installer to configure Syslog event reporting. You can also
configure these features after installation, using the CLI. To configure Syslog reporting now,
select Configure the way Syslog events are sent, and enter the following parameters:
a. Syslog Server
The host name or IP address of the syslog server where the messages should be sent.
Enter up to two server names or addresses, comma-separated.

b. Port
The port of the syslog server (default 1468)

c. Syslog Facility
The facility level (default: Local0)
6. Review the displayed information, by scrolling through the tables, and by hovering over the
blue hyperlinks. To view the password that will be configured for a specific component, click
show.
If you have not done so yet, keep a record of all the passwords that you have assigned to
the system components.
7. Scroll down to the Storage Pool Configuration section of the table, select values for the
following items. If the CSV file contained values in the Storage Pool Configuration section,
the values will already appear here. These values are mandatory.
l The expected Device Media Type
l The External Acceleration type (if used):
n none—No devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read or write cache
n read—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read cache
n write—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS write cache
n read_and_write—All devices are accelerated by both non-VxFlex OS read and write
cache
This input is required in order to prevent the generation of false alerts for media type
mismatches. For example, if an HDD device is added which the SDS perceives as being
too fast to fit the HDD criteria, alerts might be generated. External acceleration/caching
is explained in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
l Data Layout type (use with caution; data layout type cannot be changed after Storage
Pool creation)
l If Fine Granularity data layout is selected, select a Fine Granularity ACCP (Acceleration
Pool), and a Compression Method
l If Medium Granularity data layout is selected, the Zero Padding option is available for
selection. Use with caution, because zero padding cannot be changed after Storage Pool
creation.

68 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Note: Fine Granularity can only be selected if the Storage Pool contains NVDIMMs and
SSDs.

8. Click Start Installation.

9. Select the Monitor tab.

Results
Installation begins. Proceed to the next task to perform the remaining mandatory steps in the
installation process.

Complete the customized installation—hyper-converged system

Complete the installation of the VxFlex OS software packages, using the VxFlex OS Installer. The
installation performs the following phases: query, upload, install, and configure. At the end of each
phase, you must approve continuation to the next phase.
Procedure
1. At the top of the screen, click the Monitor tab.
The Install - query screen appears.
In the query stage, the VxFlex OS Installer validates that there are no previously installed
VxFlex OS components on any of the requested nodes.
When extending an existing system, the query phase does expect to find currently-installed
nodes.
You can change the display by selecting the following:
l Auto Refresh (default)
l Hide Completed Successfully
l Show All Phases
At the end of each phase, a status message is displayed.
If an error message is displayed during the process, you can try to resolve the problem and
then retry the failed operations (with the Retry failed button), continue to the next phase,
or abort the installation.
Note: Once you proceed to the next stage, you will not be able to use the VxFlex OS
Installer to retry failed tasks.
2. When the query phase is complete, close the status message, and at the top right side of
the screen, click Start upload phase.
The Install - upload screen appears, displaying which VxFlex OS packages are being
uploaded to each server, and the status of each command.

3. When the upload phase is complete, close the status message, and at the top right side of
the screen, click Start install phase.
The Install - install screen appears, displaying the status of the installation commands.

4. When the install phase is complete, close the status message, and at the top right side of
the screen, click Start configure phase.
The Install - configure screen appears, displaying the status of the configuration
commands.

5. When all processes are finished, close the status message, and click Mark operation
completed.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 69

Deploy VxFlex OS

The VxFlex OS system installation is complete!

Note: Marking the operation completed signals to the VxFlex OS Installer that it can
now be used for other installations, upgrades, and so on.
The post-installation notes appear, directing you to the steps necessary to start using your
storage.

After you finish

l Install the VxFlex OS GUI.
l Perform the post-installation tasks described in this guide. It is highly recommended to run the
VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after deployment, before
you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
Note: If you are using Linux servers that are running Veritas Cluster Server (VCS)
software, see "Configuration task for Veritas Cluster Server environments" for important
post-installation instructions.
l After you have finished the tasks in this guide, perform the mandatory and optional post-
deployment configuration tasks described in the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.

Customizable installation using CSV file—2-layer system

This section describes how to use the VxFlex OS Installer and a CSV topology file to get a fully
customized 2-layer VxFlex OS system up and running. The backend (MDM and SDS components)
will be installed on Linux-based servers. The frontend servers (running the SDC component) can
run on any operating system supported by this version of VxFlex OS.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have performed all the preparation tasks before using the VxFlex OS Installer, and
in particular, that you have prepared the CSV file.
About this task
l For frontend Linux or Windows-based servers, SDCs can be installed using the CSV file, or
manually after deploying the backend
l For frontend ESXi-based servers, the SDCs are installed after deploying the backend, either
using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in, or manually
This section is specific to VxFlex OS deployments. For VxFlex Ready Node or VxRack Node 100
Series systems, refer to your product's Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation
Guide for step-by-step installation instructions.
The VxFlex OS Installer guides you through the following tasks:
Procedure
1. Set up the installation.
2. Run the installation.
3. For ESXi frontend servers, register the VxFlex OS plug-in and install SDC.
4. For Linux or Windows-based frontend servers where SDCs were not installed using the CSV
file, install the SDC component.
After installation is complete, a number of post-installation tasks must be performed,
including GUI installation, system analysis, configuration, and license activation.

70 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Log in and upload installation packages

Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer and upload the VxFlex OS installation packages.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have network access to the software packages that you downloaded and
extracted as part of the preparation tasks.
Ensure that you know the password that was defined for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
Procedure
1. Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer:
a. Point your browser to this URL: https://<GW_Server_IP>
where <GW_Server_IP> is the IP address of the server where you installed the VxFlex
OS Gateway package.

b. Accept the certificate warning; alternatively, install your own certificate for the Tomcat
server.
c. Enter the default user name, admin, and the password defined when the VxFlex OS
Gateway was prepared, and then click Login.
2. Upload installation packages:
a. At the top of the Welcome window, click Packages.
You may need to re-authenticate.

b. From the Manage Installation Packages page, click Browse, and browse to the
extracted VxFlex OS component packages. Select all the required files, and then click
Open.
Select these packages for each operating system type that will be used in your VxFlex
OS system:
l MDM
l SDS
l SDC
l LIA
l RFcache XCACHE package (optional; required for Medium Granularity Storage Pool
acceleration)
l VASAPROVIDER package (optional; required for VMware vVols)

c. Click Upload.
The uploaded installation packages appear in the packages table.

d. Click Proceed to Install.

Results
The VxFlex OS software packages have been uploaded to the VxFlex OS Installer, in preparation
for deployment. In the next task, you will use the VxFlex OS Installer to install the software on the
nodes.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 71

Deploy VxFlex OS

Upload the CSV file

Upload the prepared CSV file to the VxFlex OS Installer.
Before you begin
If you have not created the CSV file yet, you can download a template by clicking Minimal or
Complete on the VxFlex OS Installer Provide Installation Topology page. Then, prepare the file
as explained in the "Preparation for deployment" section of this guide.
Procedure
1. On the Provide Installation Topology page, click Browse, browse to the location of the
installation CSV file, select the file, and click Open.
2. For a new installation, select New installation.
To extend an existing installation, click the down-arrow and select Add to existing sys.
3. Click Upload Installation CSV.
After successfully uploading the file, the Installation Configuration page appears.
You can expand or contract the lists in the Topology section.

Results
You are now ready to start the installation.

Start the customized installation

Start the customized installation process for a VxFlex OS system.
Before you begin
Ensure that the software packages and CSV file have been successfully uploaded to the VxFlex OS
Installer.
Procedure
1. In the Installation Configuration page, Credentials Configuration section, for MDM
Password, enter a new MDM password in the password field, and enter it again in the
confirm password field.
The MDM password is a password that is configured for the MDM during the installation. It
must meet the following criteria:
l Between 6 and 31 ASCII-printable characters
l Includes at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
l Contains no white spaces

2. For LIA Authentication, select Native for local authentication, or LDAP for LDAP
authentication.
Note: When using the VxFlex OS Installer to extend (rather than to install) a system,
enter the LIA credentials that you entered during the initial installation.

l If you selected Native, for LIA Password, enter a password in the password field, and
enter it again in the confirm password field.
The LIA password is a new password that will be used to authenticate communication
between the VxFlex OS Installer and the Light Installation Agent (LIA). It must meet the
same criteria as the MDM password, as listed in the previous step.

72 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Note: When using the VxFlex OS Installer to extend (rather than to install) a system,
enter the LIA credentials that you entered during the initial installation.
l If you selected LDAP, you can add the credentials for one LDAP server. After
deployment, up to seven more LDAP servers can be added. For more information, see
the "Security" section of the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
Enter the required information in the additional fields that are displayed:
n LDAP Server URI
n LDAP Group and LDAP BaseDN
n LDAP User Name and LDAP Password
3. Review the end user license agreement and select the check box to accept the license
agreement.
For complete information on licensing, see the "Licensing" section of this guide.
4. Advanced options can be configured now. The following list describes the available options.
Click Set advanced options to access these options and configure them.

Option type Option Description

Skip options Skip upload Do not upload packages. You

can use this if the packages
were already uploaded.

Skip installation Do not install packages. You

can use this if the packages
were already installed.

Skip configuration Do not configure VxFlex OS

components. You can use this
option if you only want to
upload and install packages
now.

Skip Linux devices validation Do not validate Linux device

names.
Use case: during the VxFlex
OS Installer validate stage,
errors in the entering of Linux
device names (such as /dev/
sdbb instead of /dev/sdb)
will prevent the continuation
of the installation. This can be
a problem if you want to add
valid devices that do not meet
the /proc/partitions
standard (such as aliases and
logical names). Therefore,
when this option is selected,
the validate stage will be
completed, but the affected
node will show a completed
(warning) status. You can
click Details to see the error,
and you can choose to
proceed with the installation.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 73

Deploy VxFlex OS

Option type Option Description

Continue with the remainder

of the installation procedures.

Configuration options Enable alert service and Enable the alert service
create lockbox required for SNMP and SRS
reporting. This also creates
and configures the lockbox.
This is the best practice
method for creating the
lockbox.
Note: It is also possible to
manually create the
lockbox later, but the
manual method involves
security considerations.

If you select this option, the

Traps Receiver IP/
Hostname field is displayed.
Enter up to two (comma-
separated) IP addresses or
host names of the SNMP trap
receiver servers.

Security options Disable secure communication Disable the need for secure
with the MDMs communication mode
between management clients
and the MDM cluster
members.
Note: Non-secure
communication has
security implications, and
should be used with
caution. For more
information about this
mode, see "Use SCLI in
non-secure mode" in the
Configure and Customize
VxFlex OS Guide.

Disable secure communication Disable the need for secure

with the LIAs communication mode
between management clients
and the LIAs.
Note: Non-secure
communication has
security implications, and
should be used with
caution. For more
information about this
mode, see "Use SCLI in
non-secure mode" in the
Configure and Customize
VxFlex OS Guide.

74 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Option type Option Description

Disable authentication Disable the need for

between internal components authentication between SDSs
and MDMs.

Use only the following trusted Limit which VxFlex OS

IP addresses for LIA (in Gateway can communicate
addition to this gateway IP with the LIAs.
address) If you select this option, enter
a comma-separated list of the
IP addresses to trust (up to
32 IP addresses, including the
IP address of this VxFlex OS
Gateway). The VxFlex OS
Gateway IP address is
automatically added to the list
and does not have to be
explicitly mentioned. If the
VxFlex OS Gateway uses
multiple IP addresses, enter
all the addresses.

5. You can use the VxFlex OS Installer to configure Syslog event reporting. You can also
configure these features after installation, using the CLI. To configure Syslog reporting now,
select Configure the way Syslog events are sent, and enter the following parameters:
a. Syslog Server
The host name or IP address of the syslog server where the messages should be sent.
Enter up to two server names or addresses, comma-separated.
b. Port
The port of the syslog server (default 1468)
c. Syslog Facility
The facility level (default: Local0)
6. Review the displayed information, by scrolling through the tables, and by hovering over the
blue hyperlinks. To view the password that will be configured for a specific component, click
show.
If you have not done so yet, keep a record of all the passwords that you have assigned to
the system components.
7. Scroll down to the Storage Pool Configuration section of the table, select values for the
following items. If the CSV file contained values in the Storage Pool Configuration section,
the values will already appear here. These values are mandatory.
l The expected Device Media Type
l The External Acceleration type (if used):
n none—No devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read or write cache
n read—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read cache
n write—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS write cache
n read_and_write—All devices are accelerated by both non-VxFlex OS read and write
cache
This input is required in order to prevent the generation of false alerts for media type
mismatches. For example, if an HDD device is added which the SDS perceives as being

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 75

Deploy VxFlex OS

too fast to fit the HDD criteria, alerts might be generated. External acceleration/caching
is explained in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
l Data Layout type (use with caution; data layout type cannot be changed after Storage
Pool creation)
l If Fine Granularity data layout is selected, select a Fine Granularity ACCP (Acceleration
Pool), and a Compression Method
l If Medium Granularity data layout is selected, the Zero Padding option is available for
selection. Use with caution, because zero padding cannot be changed after Storage Pool
creation.
Note: Fine Granularity can only be selected if the Storage Pool contains NVDIMMs and
SSDs.

8. Click Start Installation.

9. Select the Monitor tab.
Results
Installation begins. Proceed to the next task to perform the remaining mandatory steps in the
installation process.

Complete the customized installation—2-layer system backend

Complete the installation of the VxFlex OS software packages using the VxFlex OS Installer. The
installation performs the following phases: query, upload, install, and configure.
Procedure
1. Select the Monitor tab.
The Install - query page appears.
In the query stage, the VxFlex OS Installer validates that there are no previously installed
VxFlex OS components on any of the requested nodes.
When extending an existing system, the query phase does expect to find currently-installed
nodes.
You can change the display by selecting the following:
l Auto Refresh (default)
l Hide Completed Successfully
l Show All Phases
At the end of each phase, a status message appears.
If an error message is displayed during the process, you can either try to resolve the
problem and then retry the failed operations (with the Retry failed button), continue to the
next phase, or abort the installation.
CAUTION Once you proceed to the next stage, you will not be able to use the VxFlex OS
Installer to retry failed tasks.
2. When the query phase is complete, close the status message, and click Start upload phase.
The Install - upload page appears, displaying which VxFlex OS packages are being uploaded
to each server, and the status of each command.

3. When the upload phase is complete, close the status message, and click Start install phase.
The Install - install page appears, displaying the status of the installation commands.

76 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

4. When the install phase is complete, close the status message, and click Start configure
phase.
The Install - configure page appears, displaying the status of the configuration commands.

5. When all processes are finished, close the status message, and click Mark operation
completed.
The VxFlex OS system installation is complete!
Note: Marking the operation completed signals to the VxFlex OS Installer that it can
now be used for other installations, upgrades, and so on.
The post-installation notes appear, directing you to the steps necessary to start using your
storage.

After you finish

l Install the VxFlex OS GUI.
l If SDCs were not installed during the process described above, install SDCs on the frontend
servers. For ESXi servers, register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in first, to enable installation of
SDCs on the ESXi servers.
l If SDCs were installed during the process described above, perform the post-installation tasks
described in this guide. It is highly recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to
analyze the system immediately after deployment, before you provision volumes, and before
using the system in production.
Note: If you are using Linux servers that are running Veritas Cluster Server (VCS)
software, see "Configuration task for Veritas Cluster Server environments" for important
post-installation instructions.
l After you have finished the tasks in this guide, perform the mandatory and optional post-
deployment configuration tasks described in the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.

Install SDC on frontend servers

If an SDC was not installed on frontend servers during initial deployment using the CSV file, follow
the appropriate instructions for your frontend servers' operating system.
Consult the Support Matrix to ensure that the intended SDC host's operating system is compatible
for use with your VxFlex OS system.
The following methods can be used for SDC installation:
l ESXi:
n vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in
n Command line (esxcli)
l Linux:
n VxFlex OS Installer procedure for adding nodes to an existing system (not applicable for
hLinux). For more information, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
n Command line
l AIX: command line
l Windows:
n VxFlex OS Installer procedure for adding nodes to an existing system (not applicable for
hLinux). For more information, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
n Command line

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 77

Deploy VxFlex OS

Install SDC on ESXi servers

Install SDC on ESXi servers using either command line esxcli commands, or the vSphere VxFlex OS
plug-in.
Use of the VxFlex OS plug-in requires registration of the VxFlex OS plug-in on a vCenter.

Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in

Use PowerCLI for VMware to register the VxFlex OS plug-in on a vCenter.
Before you begin
l Ensure that earlier versions of the VxFlex OS plug-in have been cleaned from the vCenter.
l Ensure that there is communication between the vSphere web client server (usually installed
on the vCenter) and the host storing the VxFlex OS plug-in file.
l Obtain the vCenter credentials.
l Ensure that you have downloaded and extracted the required software package from the
Customer Support site for your SDC's operating system.
About this task
To use your own host, see "Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in manually".
Procedure
1. Copy the following file to your designated host (preferably your vCenter), that has
PowerCLI for VMware installed:
EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-plugin-installer-3.0-X.<build>.zip
2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file.
3. Using PowerCLI for VMware, set to Run as administrator, run the following script:

VxFlexOSPluginSetup-3.0-X.<build>.ps1

a. Type the vCenter name or IP address, user name, and password.

You can also use this script to unregister a VxFlex OS plug-in or to create an SVM
template.

b. For Choose mode, select option 1, Register VxFlex OS plug-in.

c. Read the upgrade notice, and type y to continue.
d. For Select Registration Mode, select Standard (simplified, using embedded
Tomcat).
This step may take a few minutes.
Note:
You can use the Advanced option to install the VxFlex OS plug-in using a VxFlex OS
Gateway from a previous installation, or using your own web service. In either case,
you must place this version’s plugin.zip file ( EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-web-
plugin-3.0-X.<build>.zip) in your resources folder before running the
installation. To use a previous VxFlex OS Gateway, the resource folder is VxFlex
OS Gateway installation folder\webapps\root\resources.

e. If necessary, accept the thumbprint.

78 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

4. Log in to the vSphere web client.

If you are already logged in, log out, then log in again.
5. Return to the PowerCLI window, and press ENTER to return to the script menu and
complete the VxFlex OS plug-in installation.
6.

From the vSphere Home tab, verify that the VxFlex OS icon is visible in the
Inventories section.
Results
The VxFlex OS plug-in is registered. If the VxFlex OS icon is missing, the vCenter server failed to
register the VxFlex OS plug-in, due to one of the following reasons:
l Connectivity problem between the vSphere web client server and the host storing the VxFlex
OS plug-in (for example, network / firewall etc.).
Resolution: Verify that there is communication between the vSphere web client server and the
host storing the VxFlex OS plug-in.
l URL problem when using an external web server.
Resolution: Verify that the URL is https:// and is pointing to the correct web server IP address
(VxFlex OS Gateway).
For information about how to use the log to troubleshoot problems that may arise, see
"Troubleshooting VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues".

Install SDC on an ESXi server using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in

Install SDC on ESXi servers using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
Procedure
1. Prepare the ESXi hosts:
a. Log in to the vSphere web client.
b. Open the VxFlex OS plug-in window by clicking the VxFlex OS icon.
c. From the Basic Tasks section of the VxFlex OS page, click Pre-Deployment Actions.
The Pre-Deployment Actions page appears.
d. Drill-down on the vCenter to display connected ESXi hosts.
e. For every ESXi host that might be part of this VxFlex OS system (even if only in the
future):
a. Select Install SDC.
b. Type ESXi Root Password.
Note: Do not select Convert ISO. This feature is in preparation for a future
release of VxFlex Ready Node.

f. Click Run.
The status appears in the dialog box.
g. When finished, click Finish.
h. You must restart the ESXi hosts before proceeding.
2. Register the system:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 79

Deploy VxFlex OS

a. From the VxFlex OS plug-in page, click Register VxFlex OS system.

b. Enter the credentials of the system.
c. Click OK.
3. Deploy VxFlex OS:
a. From the VxFlex OS plug-in page, click Deploy VxFlex OS environment.
The VxFlex OS deployment wizard is displayed.
b. In the Select Installation page, select Add servers to a registered VxFlex OS system,
and select the system that you want to extend.
c. Continue with the deployment steps, adding the new SDC nodes.
You can skip steps that do not need to be changed. When adding components, the
wizard adjusts the displayed pages to options that are relevant to the current VxFlex OS
system.
4. Complete the deployment.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install the SDC on an ESXi server and connect it to VxFlex OS using esxcli
Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system during initial deployment activities.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
l A GUID string for the SDC. These strings can be generated by tools that are freely available
online. The GUID needs to conform to OSF DCE 1.1. The expected format is xxxxxxxx-xxxx-
xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx where each x can be a digit (0–9) or a letter (a–f).
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on an ESXi server using
esxcli in command line. Alternatively, you can install the external SDC using the vSphere VxFlex OS
plug-in.
Note: This procedure requires two server reboots.

Procedure
1. On the ESXi on which you are installing the SDC, set the acceptance level:

esxcli --server=<SERVER_NAME> software acceptance set --

level=PartnerSupported

80 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

where <SERVER_NAME> is the ESXi on which you are installing the SDC.
2. Install the SDC:

esxcli software vib install –d “<SDC_PATH>”

where <SDC_PATH> is the absolute path to the SDC VIB.

3. Get permission to reboot the ESXi server, and perform a reboot to load the SDC driver on
the server.
4. Set the IP address of the MDM:

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=<XXXXXX> IoctlMdmIPStr=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>"

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM
l <XXXXXX> is the user-generated GUID string

5. Reboot the ESXi server again.

Results
The SDC is installed on the ESXi server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install SDC on a Linux server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on a Linux server. On
most servers (with the exception of hLinux), you can install the external SDC using the VxFlex OS
Installer. For more information about adding components to an existing system, see the Deploy
VxFlex OS Guide.
The steps in the procedure below are relevant for Linux RHEL/CentOS/Oracle Linux operating
systems. Deployment on other operating systems require the modifications described in the
following table:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 81

Deploy VxFlex OS

OS Modifications required

Ubuntu/hLinux/OL Before installing VxFlex OS, ensure that you have followed the
required preparation procedures relating to various types of Linux
operating systems.
l VxFlex OS component packages are delivered as TAR files. Before
installing, perform the following:

1. Untar all the packages: tar -xvf <tar_file>

This yields SIOB files.
2. Extract the DEB from the SIOB files: siob_extract
<siob_file>
3. The DEB file is in the following format: EMC-ScaleIO-
mdm-3.0-
X.<build>.<operating_system>.X.X.x86_64.deb
You will use the extracted DEB files for the installation.
l Some commands are a bit different, noted where applicable.

CoreOS Before installing VxFlex OS, ensure that you have followed the
required preparation procedures relating to various types of Linux
operating systems.
l VxFlex OS component CoreOS packages are delivered as TAR
files. Before installing, perform the following:

1. Untar all the packages: tar -xvf <tar_file>

This yields SIOB files.
2. Extract the BSX from the SIOB files: siob_extract
<siob_file>
3. The BSX file is in the following format: EMC-ScaleIO-
mdm-3.0-X.<build>.CoreOS.x86_64.bsx
You will use the extracted BSX files for the installation.
l Some commands are a bit different, noted where applicable.

Procedure
1. Install the GPG key on every server on which SDC will be installed. From the VxFlex OS
installation folder, run the following command on every server:

rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-ScaleIO

2. In command line, install the SDC:

l RHEL/CentOS /Oracle Linux

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> rpm -i <SDC_PATH>.rpm

l Ubuntu/hLinux. These files must be extracted before use, as described above.

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> dpkg -i <SDC_PATH>.deb

82 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

l CoreOS

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> ./<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>.bsx

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM
l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located

Results
The SDC is installed on the Linux server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install SDC on an AIX server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
These instructions are relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding
SDCs to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on an AIX server. The
VxFlex OS Installer cannot be used.
Procedure
1. In command line, install the SDC:

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> rpm -i <SDC_PATH>.rpm

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM.
l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located.
The SDC package is in a format similar to this: EMC-ScaleIO-sdc-3.0-
X.<build>.aix7.aix7.2.ppc.rpm

Results
The SDC is installed on the AIX server and is connected to VxFlex OS.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 83

Deploy VxFlex OS

After you finish

In newly deployed systems, perform the recommended post-deployment tasks described in this
guide. It is highly recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system
immediately after deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in
production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install SDC on a Windows server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on a Windows server.
Alternatively, you can install the external SDC using the VxFlex OS Installer. For more information
about adding system components to an existing system, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex
OS Guide.
Note: This procedure requires a server reboot.

Procedure
1. On the Windows server on which you are installing the SDC, run the following command in
command line:

msiexec /i <SDC_PATH>.msi MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>

where
l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM

2. Get permission to reboot the Windows server, and perform a reboot to load the SDC driver
on the server.
Results
The SDC is installed on the Windows server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

84 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Install the VxFlex OS GUI

You can install the VxFlex OS GUI.
Before you begin
l Ensure that the workstation complies with the VxFlex OS system requirements.
l Ensure that you have the GUI installation file. It is included in the VxFlex OS complete software
package that you downloaded from https://support.emc.com/products/33925.
Procedure
1. Install the VxFlex OS GUI:
l Windows:
Double-click the installation file:

EMC-ScaleIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.msi

l Linux:

rpm -i EMC-ScaleIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.noarch.rpm

l Debian (run with administrator privileges):

sudo dpkg -i EMC-SclaeIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.deb

l Mac OS:
Double-click the installation file VxFlexOS-gui-3.0-X.<build>.pkg. If the provided
installer does not open automatically, open it, then follow the on-screen instructions.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 85

Deploy VxFlex OS

86 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

PART 2
VMware ESXi

Deployment procedures for VMware ESXi-based systems

Chapter 4, "Overview—deployment steps"

Chapter 5, "Preparation for deployment"

Chapter 6, "Deploy VxFlex OS"

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 87

VMware ESXi

88 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 4
Overview—deployment steps

This section summarizes deployment options and steps for VMware ESXi-based environments.

l Deployment workflow—ESXi................................................................................................ 90
l Deployment checklist—ESXi.................................................................................................90
l Preparation of NVDIMMs for use in VxFlex OS in ESXi environments................................... 93

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 89

Overview—deployment steps

Deployment workflow—ESXi
The VxFlex OS deployment workflow for ESXi-based systems is described in this summary. The
vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard is used to deploy and configure VxFlex OS
components on ESXi servers automatically, from one workstation.
Although RDM architecture is supported, DirectPath architecture is the recommended best
practice for RAID and SAS Controller managed drives.
For 2-layer systems where MDM and SDS components are installed on Linux servers, and SDC
components are installed on ESXi-based servers, follow the procedures described for Linux 2-layer
systems.
For VxFlex Ready Node or VxRack Node 100 Series systems, refer to your product's Hardware
Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide and Deployment Guide for step-by-step
installation instructions.
The main steps in the VxFlex OS deployment workflow are:
1. Prepare the environment.
2. Register the VxFlex OS plug-in.
3. Upload the OVA template.
4. Deploy VxFlex OS.
5. For DirectPath mode deployments, add storage/acceleration devices.
6. For some 2-layer system configurations, install SDCs on external servers.
7. Run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool.
8. Install the VxFlex OS GUI.
9. Enable storage.
10. Perform mandatory, recommended, and optional post-deployment tasks.
11. Move the system to production.
Note: It is highly recommended to use the VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard for
deployment and provisioning. If the need arises, you can perform these tasks manually, or in a
combination with the wizard.

Deployment checklist—ESXi
Checklist for deployment requirements in ESXi-based environments.
The following table provides a checklist of items required for VxFlex OS deployment.

Table 7 Pre-deployment checklist

Item Checked

General

All servers intended for hosting VxFlex OS components and the VxFlex OS
Gateway meet the system requirements described in the Getting to Know VxFlex
OS guide.
Note: The Dell EMC-supplied hardware configurations satisfy all of the
hardware requirements.

90 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Overview—deployment steps

Table 7 Pre-deployment checklist (continued)

Item Checked

Servers that contained VxFlex OS components from other systems must be

completely cleaned before deployment of a new system. Use operating system
tools to remove all of those VxFlex OS components.

Familiarize yourself with the ESX vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
features supported by the system. For more information, see the "Architecture"
section in Getting to Know VxFlex OS.

To use secure authentication mode, ensure that OpenSSL 64-bit v1.0.2 or later is
installed on all servers in the system.

Gateway

The server that will host the VxFlex OS Gateway has adequate memory to run the
VxFlex OS Installer (at least 4 GB) and any other applications.

The VxFlex OS Gateway must not be installed on a server that will host either the
SDC component, or on an SDS component that will use RFcache acceleration
feature.
Note: In hyper-converged infrastructure setups, the VxFlex OS Gateway
component is installed on a separate storage VM (automatic when
deployment is done using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in).

ESXi

The host from which you run the PowerShell (.ps1) script, where the vSphere
VxFlex OS plug-in will be stored, meets the following prerequisites:
l Runs on Windows, with 64-bit Java installed
l PowerCLI from VMware (not Windows PowerShell) is installed. PowerCLI
version should match the version of the vCenter (for example, use PowerCLI
v6.5 with vCenter v6.7).
l Has incoming and outgoing communication access to the vCenter
Note: If your vCenter runs on Windows OS, it is recommended to use it.

All ESXi hosts selected to have either an MDM, Tie-Breaker, or SDS component
installed on them, must have a defined local datastore, with a minimum of 10 GB
free space (to be used for the storage virtual machine (SVM)). If the ESXi host is
only being used as an SDC, there is no need for this datastore.
Note: If you are planning to host the SVM template on one of the nodes, you
will need an additional 8 GB of space. If you are planning to deploy the VxFlex
OS Gateway SVM on a node that will also host another SVM, you will need an
additional 8 GB of space.

Storage/acceleration devices

Configure disks so they are visible to the operating system according to operating
system and vendor hardware guidelines.

Plan your system so that storage VMs (SVMs) with SDS and MDM roles reside
on the local datastore, because moving them after deployment is not supported.

If you are planning to use DirectPath, ensure that you enable the relevant setting
in the Server BIOS (in Dell servers, refer to SR-IOV setting).

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 91

Overview—deployment steps

Table 7 Pre-deployment checklist (continued)

Item Checked

A minimum of three devices must be added to each SDS, that all meet the
following prerequisites:
l A minimum of 130 GB available storage capacity.
l The devices must be free of partitions.
l If a device is part of a datastore, before adding the device, you must either
remove the datastore, or use the VxFlex OS plug-in Advanced settings
option to enable VMDK creation.
l If the device has the ESXi operating system on it, you must use the VxFlex
OS plug-in Advanced settings option to enable VMDK creation.
Note: Use of VMDK-based disks for storage devices is not recommended, and
should be used only if no other option is possible.

When using the operating system's factory ISO, do not rename the datastore.
Leave the datastore name as it is ("scaleio-datastore").

In the following migration or re-installation scenarios, you should contact

customer support before deploying:
l If a datastore was previously used for RDM, and you want to use VMDK
devices now.
l If a datastore was previously used for VMDK, and you want to use RDM
devices now.

Networking

If you are using a firewall to protect your network, and need to enable ports and
IP addresses, refer to the VxFlex OS Security Configuration Guide.

The management network on all of the ESXi hosts that are part of the VxFlex OS
system must have the following items configured:
l Virtual Machine Port Group. (The name must be the same on all the ESXi
hosts.)

l When using distributed switches, the vDS must have the following items
configured:
n VMkernel port (necessary only if using a single network)
n dvPortGroup for virtual machines

92 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Overview—deployment steps

Table 7 Pre-deployment checklist (continued)

Item Checked

If using only a single network (management), manually configure the following:

l vSwitch
l VMkernel Port
l Virtual Machine Port Group
l VMkernel Port Binding

Preparation of NVDIMMs for use in VxFlex OS in ESXi

environments
Prepare your environment for use of NVDIMMs as acceleration devices in Fine Granularity Storage
Pools.

Prerequisites for adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 system

Meet the following prerequisites before adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 based VxFlex OS
system.
Before you begin adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 based VxFlex OS system, ensure the
following:
l You are using VMware version 6.7 for the ESXi host and the vCenter server.
l The VM version of your SVM is version 14 or higher.
l The firmware of the NVDIMM is updated to the version supported by your server. For example,
for compatible Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, use NVDIMM firmware version 9324 or higher.
l The ESXi host can detect the NVDIMM.
l You calculate required NVDIMM capacity, according to number of FG devices and their size.
l There is enough NVDIMM capacity on the ESXi host.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 93

Overview—deployment steps

Calculate required NVDIMM and RAM capacity for FG SDS

Use the following formulas to calculate the necessary capacity for NVDIMM and RAM.
About this task
Note: When adding NVDIMM capacity to the SVM, the complete capacity of the NVDIMM
must be allocated in a single device when adding to the SVM. For example 16 GB*2 of
NVDIMM will be added as 31 GB (rounded down, since VMware uses some of the capacity for
datastore management).
Procedure
1. Calculate the required NVDIMM and RAM capacity using the following table, where X is the
total capacity of SDS devices used for the FG storage pool, and Y is the total RAM needed:

FG capacity Required Required RAM Additional Total RAM

NVDIMM capacity memory for (rounded)
capacity (rounded) MDM, LIA, and
SVM OS

51.2 TB 32 GB NVDIMM >41 GB MDM: 5.4 GB 53 GB

(in SVM it will LIA: 350 MB
be 31 GB)
OS Base: 1 G
51.2 TB < X < 64 GB NVDIMM >41 GB Buffer : 1 G 53 GB < Y < 73 GB
96 TB
(in SVM it will <64.5 GB
be 62 GB)

96 TB < X < 128 96 GB NVDIMM >64.5 GB 87 GB

TB
(in SVM it will <81.5 GB
(122.88 is actual be 93 GB)
limit)

2. Alternatively, you can calculate NVDIMM capacity and RAM capacity using the following
formulas:
Note:
The calculation is in binary MiB, GiB, and TiB

l NVDIMM_capacity_in_GiB = ((100 * Number_Of_Drives) + (700 * Capacity_in_TiB))/

1024
l RAM_capacity_in_GiB = 10 + ((100 * Number_Of_Drives) + (550 * Capacity_in_TiB))/
1024

Verify that the ESXi host can detect the NVDIMM

Before adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi-based VxFlex OS system, verify that the ESXi host can
detect the NVDIMM.
Before you begin
Procedure
1. Login to the vCenter.
2. Select your ESXi host.

94 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Overview—deployment steps

3. Navigate to the Summary tab.

4. In the Hardware section, verify that the required amount of Persistent Memory is listed.

What to do next for NVDIMMs

The remaining activities required for adding NVDIMMs to an ESXi-based systems should be
performed after system deployment. For more information, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex
OS Guide.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 95

Overview—deployment steps

96 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 5
Preparation for deployment

Prepare the software packages, register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in, upload the OVA file, and
prepare the ESXi servers.
Note: The OVA file upload is not necessary for VxFlex Ready Node servers.

l Download installation packages............................................................................................. 98

l Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in................................................................................98
l Upload the OVA template.................................................................................................... 103
l Access the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in................................................................................ 104
l Prepare the ESXi hosts........................................................................................................105
l Configure ESXi security settings......................................................................................... 106
l Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment..........................................................................108

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 97

Preparation for deployment

Download installation packages

Download and extract the complete software package for this version.
About this task
Procedure
1. From the Online Support site (https://support.emc.com/products/33925), download the
complete software for this version.
2. Extract the packages from the downloaded file.
3. From the VxFlex OS <version> Complete VMware SW directory, save the following
software artifacts. These artifacts must be saved on the server that will be used to register
the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in and to upload the OVA template.
Note: PowerCLI from VMware must also be installed on this server.

a. VxFlex OS <version> ESX

b. VxFlex OS <version> vSphere plug-in
The VxFlex OS plug-in will be used to deploy VxFlex OS on the servers in the system.
Note: The SDC offline ESXi 6.0 bundle is the same for all ESXi 6.x versions.

4. From the VxFlex OS <version> Windows directory, save the software artifacts for the
VxFlex OS GUI.
The GUI will be installed and used after deployment to configure some of the system
features.

Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in

Use PowerCLI for VMware to register the VxFlex OS plug-in on a vCenter.
Before you begin
l Ensure that earlier versions of the VxFlex OS plug-in have been cleaned from the vCenter.
l Ensure that there is communication between the vSphere web client server (usually installed
on the vCenter) and the host storing the VxFlex OS plug-in file.
l Obtain the vCenter credentials.
l Ensure that you have downloaded and extracted the required software package from the
Customer Support site for your SDC's operating system.
About this task
To use your own host, see "Register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in manually".
Procedure
1. Copy the following file to your designated host (preferably your vCenter), that has
PowerCLI for VMware installed:
EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-plugin-installer-3.0-X.<build>.zip
2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file.

98 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

3. Using PowerCLI for VMware, set to Run as administrator, run the following script:

VxFlexOSPluginSetup-3.0-X.<build>.ps1

a. Type the vCenter name or IP address, user name, and password.

You can also use this script to unregister a VxFlex OS plug-in or to create an SVM
template.

b. For Choose mode, select option 1, Register VxFlex OS plug-in.

c. Read the upgrade notice, and type y to continue.
d. For Select Registration Mode, select Standard (simplified, using embedded
Tomcat).
This step may take a few minutes.
Note:
You can use the Advanced option to install the VxFlex OS plug-in using a VxFlex OS
Gateway from a previous installation, or using your own web service. In either case,
you must place this version’s plugin.zip file ( EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-web-
plugin-3.0-X.<build>.zip) in your resources folder before running the
installation. To use a previous VxFlex OS Gateway, the resource folder is VxFlex
OS Gateway installation folder\webapps\root\resources.

e. If necessary, accept the thumbprint.

4. Log in to the vSphere web client.
If you are already logged in, log out, then log in again.
5. Return to the PowerCLI window, and press ENTER to return to the script menu and
complete the VxFlex OS plug-in installation.
6.

From the vSphere Home tab, verify that the VxFlex OS icon is visible in the
Inventories section.
Results
The VxFlex OS plug-in is registered. If the VxFlex OS icon is missing, the vCenter server failed to
register the VxFlex OS plug-in, due to one of the following reasons:
l Connectivity problem between the vSphere web client server and the host storing the VxFlex
OS plug-in (for example, network / firewall etc.).
Resolution: Verify that there is communication between the vSphere web client server and the
host storing the VxFlex OS plug-in.
l URL problem when using an external web server.
Resolution: Verify that the URL is https:// and is pointing to the correct web server IP address
(VxFlex OS Gateway).
For information about how to use the log to troubleshoot problems that may arise, see
"Troubleshooting VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues".

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 99

Preparation for deployment

Register the VxFlex OS plug-in manually

This topic describes an advanced way to use PowerCLI to register the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in
on a vCenter.
Before you begin
Before you begin, ensure that there is communication between the vSphere web client server and
the web server storing the VxFlex OS plug-in.
About this task
The VxFlex OS plug-in is provided as a ZIP file that can be downloaded by the vSphere web client
servers in your environment. The ZIP file can be downloaded directly from the Online Support site,
or, if the web servers do not have internet access, from a file server.
Procedure
1. You can upload the ZIP file to an HTTP or an HTTPS server.
If you are uploading the ZIP file to an HTTP server, perform the following:

a. On the computer where the vSphere Web client is installed, locate the
webclient.properties file.

vCenter Operating system Path to file

6.x Windows 2008/2012 C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vsphere-client

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/

b. Add the following line to the file:

allowHttp=true

c. Restart the VMware vSphere Web Client service.

2. Using PowerCLI for VMware, and set to Run as administrator, run Set-
ExecutionPolicy AllSigned.
3. Close PowerCLI, and reopen it, set as Run as administrator.
4. Extract EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-plugin-installer-3.0-X.<build>.zip
5. Upload EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-web-plugin-3.0-X.<build>.zip to the HTTP/
HTTPS server.
6. From PowerCLI, run the following script: VxFlexOSPluginSetup-3.0-X.<build>.ps1
a. Enter the vCenter name or IP address, user name, and password.
b. For Select Mode, choose option 1, Register VxFlex OS plug-in.
c. For Select Registration Mode, choose Advanced.
d. Enter the full URL of the plug-in ZIP file.
If the ZIP file is located on a VxFlex OS Gateway, enter the following URL: https://
<VxFlex_OS_GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS>.
If you are using a web server, enter the web server's complete URL of the VxFlex OS
plug-in ZIP file (see the example in Step 7 on page 100).

e. If necessary, accept the thumbprint.

7. Log out, and log back in to the vSphere web client.

100 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

Example for HTTP server:

.\registerVxFlexOSPlugin.ps1 -vcenter 10.103.109.16

-userUrl "http://10.76.60.14/sample/ScaleIO-vSphere-web-
plugin-1.30.0.160.zip"

Example for HTTPS server:

.\registerVxFlexOSPlugin.ps1 -vcenter 10.103.109.16

-userUrl
"https://10.76.61.139/sample/ScaleIO-vSphere-web-plugin-1.30.0.160.zip"
-thumbprint CA:66:49:D0:CE:D9:8C:A0:D0:93:E3:83:DE:59:25:5F:79:E1:53:B6
-adminEmail [email protected]

The script registers the plug-in and the following message appears:

Registering VxFlexOS extension...

The extension was registered successfully

VxFlex OS plug-in Advanced Settings options

This topic describes the advanced settings options that you can use to configure the vSphere
VxFlex OS plug-in deployment settings.
To access these settings, on the VxFlex OS screen, click Advanced settings.
The Advanced Settings dialog box appears.
Enable the features you want before starting the VxFlex OS deployment, or, if you are in the
middle of a deployment, you can click Cancel, then make the changes. When you restart the
deployment, you can pick up from where you left off.
l Enable VMDK creation
Enables the addition of devices as VMDK, as opposed to RDM.
Note: Use of VMDK-based disks for storage devices is not recommended, and should be
used only if no other option is possible.
l Force RDM on device with unknown RDM support
Enables non-SCSI controller devices to be added as RDM.
Note: Do not enable this option if the device does not support SCSI Inquiry Vital Data
Product (VPD) page code 0x83.
l Allow the take over of devices with existing signature
Enables the reuse of devices that were part of a previous VxFlex OS deployment, and were not
removed properly. This setting will revert to not selected after each use, and must be
reactivated if required again.
l Allow using non-local datastores for VxFlex OS Gateway
Enable deployment of the VxFlex OS Gateway SVM on non-local datastores (such as remote
storage), in case of insufficient space on the local datastore, or if no datastore can be found.
Another advantage of having the VxFlex OS Gateway available at all times is that even when an
ESXi node is rebooted, the VxFlex OS Gateway can vMotion like any other VM residing on a
non-local datastore.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 101

Preparation for deployment

l Parallelism limit
Enables the increase of the parallelism limit (default: 100), thus speeding up the deployment,
which can be useful in deployment of a very large system (several hundred nodes). This is
dependent on the processing power of the vCenter.

Troubleshoot VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues

You can use logs to assist in troubleshooting problems that may occur during registration of the
vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
Search for issues in the log files. To find relevant log entries, search for scaleio in the log file.
You can also use the troubleshooting procedure to completely remove and clean-up the VxFlex OS
plug-in files, and then reregister the VxFlex OS plug-in. In VxFlex OS plug-in downgrade scenarios,
complete removal and clean-up procedures, followed by vCenter restart, are mandatory.
The vSphere web client (Virgo) logs are located in the following directories:

vCenter Operating system Path to file

6.x Windows C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\logs\vsphere-client\logs

Linux /var/log/vmware/vsphere-client/logs

Other relevant logs:

vCenter Operating system Path to file

6.x Windows Plug-in logs and other files:

C:\Users\vspherewebclientsvc\AppData\Roaming\VMware\scaleio
Plug-in location:
C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vsphere-client\vc-
packages\vsphere-client-serenity

Linux Plug-in logs and other files:

/etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/scaleio
Plug-in location:
/etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity

For more information about log collection, refer to VxFlex OS Log Collection Technical Notes

Troubleshooting procedure for VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues

To solve VxFlex OS plug-in registration issues, perform a complete removal and cleanup, and then
reregister the VxFlex OS plug-in.
About this task
Completely clean your system of the VxFlex OS plug-in in order to solve registration issues.
Procedure
1. Close the existing PowerCLI sessions and open a new one (as administrator).
2. Using the PowerCLI script, unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in.
3. Stop the vSphere web client service.
On Linux, for example:

service-control --stop vsphere-client

102 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

4. Delete the contents of the folder where the VxFlex OS plug-in is stored.
5. Delete the contents of the VxFlex OS plug-in's logs folder, or the folder itself.
On Linux, for example: /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/scaleio
6. Clean the Virgo logs folder:
On Linux, for example: /var/log/vmware/vsphere-client/logs
7. Start the vSphere web client service.
For example, on Linux:

service-control --start vsphere-client

8. Clear your web browser's cache/cookies (or use a different web browser).
9. Using the PS1 script in PowerCLI, register the VxFlex OS plug-in via PowerCLI remember
Note: Do not to press ENTER until you perform the log-in into your vSphere web client
(that completes the registration).

10. Once you see the VxFlex OS plug-in's icon in the vSphere web client, you can press ENTER
in the PowerCLI session.

Upload the OVA template

Use PowerCLI for VMware to upload the OVA template to a vCenter.
Before you begin
l Ensure that there is communication between the vSphere web client server (usually installed
on the vCenter) and the host storing the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in file.
l Ensure that the server with PowerCLI for VMware can run the VxFlex OS plug-in setup script.
l Obtain the vCenter credentials.
l Ensure that you have the required software packages that were downloaded from the
Customer Support site.
Procedure
1. Copy the following file to your designated host (preferably your vCenter) which has
PowerCLI for VMware installed:
ScaleIOVM_2nics_3.0.0.X.ova
2. Using PowerCLI, set to Run as administrator, run the following script:

VxFlexOSPluginSetup-3.0-<build>.X.ps1

a. Enter the vCenter name or IP address, user name, and password.

b. From the PowerCLI script, select 3 to Create SVM template.
c. Enter the parameters described in the following table. (If you are already logged in, some
of these parameters may not be necessary.)

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 103

Preparation for deployment

Parameter Description

vcenter vCenter name or IP address

user name vCenter user name

password vCenter password

datacenter The name of the data center where the

datastore that will store the template resides

ova_path The path of the SVM’s OVA

datastores A list of datastores, up to eight, on which the

templates will be created. Press ENTER to stop
specifying datastores.
Note: Each template requires approximately
8 GB of space in the datastore.

Note:
For best results, enter a local (not shared) datastore for each ESX server.
For faster, parallel, deployment in large-scale environments, you can use the OVA to
create SVM templates on as many as eight datastores. To do so, type the datastore
names, and when you are done, leave the next line blank. The following example shows
how to enter two datastores:

datastores[0]: datastore1
datastores[1]: datastore1 (1)
datastores[2]:

The upload procedure can take several minutes, during which time a temporary SVM is
created, the templates are created, and then the temporary SVM is deleted.
When each template is created, a message similar to the following appears:

The template VxFlexOS SVM Template (v3.0.0.X) was successfully created

d. When the process is complete, type 4 to exit the VxFlex OS plug-in script.

Add or replace an OVA file

If you have already used the OVA file to create a template, you cannot create another template
with the same name in the same datacenter.
Either remove the original template first, or use the VxFlexOSPluginSetup-3.0-
<build>.X.ps1 script, option #3, to assign a different name to the new template.
You can also upload the OVA manually using VMware OVA upload tools, however this method is
not recommended. Configure the networks manually after deployment, or during the wizard
workflow. For more information, see VMware documentation.

Access the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in

Access the VxFlex OS plug-in from the vSphere Web Client home screen.
Procedure
l On the vSphere Web Client Home tab, click the Dell EMC VxFlex OS icon.

104 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

The VxFlex OS screen is displayed.

Prepare the ESXi hosts

Use the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in to prepare the ESXi hosts for VxFlex OS deployment.
About this task
This procedure is a prerequisite for deploying a new VxFlex OS system, and in some cases for
extending an existing system.
Preparing the ESXi hosts includes the following:
l Install SDC on the host.
This is required for every ESXi host that will be included in the system, and it is strongly
recommended to enable this for every host that might be part of the system in the future.
l Configure DirectPath
Enables the SVM to take control of ESXi devices. If the host has multiple controllers, you must
configure DirectPath on that host manually, not with the VxFlex OS plug-in. After that is done,
you can use the VxFlex OS plug-in to deploy VxFlex OS on that host and to add devices to it.
When DirectPath is configured, all servers in the system must use DirectPath. For VxFlex
Ready Node or VxRack Node 100 Series systems, this can be configured with the VxFlex
OSVxFlex OS plug-in. For other servers, use the vSphere client to configure each ESXi host
manually.
Procedure
1. From the Basic tasks section of the Dell EMC VxFlex OS screen, click Pre-Deployment
Actions.
The Pre-Deployment Actions screen appears, showing all the ESXi hosts on all the
connected vCenters.

2. Select the ESXi hosts, and select the settings required for each.
Note:
For the Install SDC option, it is highly recommended to select all ESXi hosts that may
be included in an ESXi system, even if only in the future.

3. Type the ESX root password for each host.

All changes or entries made at the vCenter level will be applied to all servers in the cluster.

The Select the SDC driver file you want to install dialog box is displayed.
4. Select the required SDC driver file, and click OK.
The SDC driver is installed on the selected nodes.
5. Click Run.
The status appears in the dialog.
6. When finished, click Finish.
7. Restart each ESXi host.
Note: You must restart the ESXi hosts before proceeding.

After rebooting, a RAID controller that was configured with DirectPath will be displayed in
the vSphere client Configure tab, on the DirectPath I/O PCI Devices Available to VMs
screen.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 105

Preparation for deployment

8. When using all-SSD chassis, perform this step.

Sometimes the ESXi nodes in an all-SSD chassis do not identify the node disks as Standard
Parallel SCSI devices. If so, you must enable the Force RDM on device with unknown
RDM support option.

a. In the VxFlex OS screen, click Advanced Settings to display the settings options.
b. Select the Enable RDMs on non Parallel SCSI Controller option and click OK.
Results
After finishing this task, the results of your selections are displayed after reopening the Pre-
Deployment Actions screen.
After you finish
Proceed with the VxFlex OS deployment.

Configure ESXi security settings

Before deploying VxFlex OS systems, you must configure some VMware security features. This
procedure describes how to perform the security configurations using the vSphere web client.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l IP address of VMware vCenter server
l User name and password for accessing the vCenter with the vSphere Web Client
About this task
Note: Ensure that the remote connection is established within 1 to 2 minutes. Otherwise,
lockdown mode is enabled on the ESXi servers, preventing you from subsequent remote
connectivity. When in lockdown mode, you can connect to the ESXi servers locally.
Procedure
1. Log in to the vSphere web client.
The vSphere Web Client window is displayed with Navigator and Home panes. The
Navigator pane displays network entities as nodes, and the Home pane displays network
entities as icons.
2. In the Navigator pane, select Home > Hosts and Clusters.
Preconfigured hosts, clusters, and datacenters are displayed as navigation tree nodes, in the
Navigator pane.
3. Configure the security-related parameters:
a. In the Navigator pane, select an ESXi server from a host, cluster, or datacenter node .
b. From the Manage tab, select Settings > System > Advanced System Settings.
A list of system-defined parameters with predefined parameter values is displayed.
c. In the Search field, find the following security parameters:
l Set Security.AccountLockFailures =0
The parameter value defines the maximum number of failed login attempts allowed,
before locking out the user's account. The zero (0) value disables account locking.
Note: To disable the locking out of user accounts, the parameter value must be
set as zero (0).

106 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

l Set Security.AccountUnlockTime = 1 (in seconds)

The parameter value defines the duration in seconds to lock out a user's account,
after exceeding the maximum number of allowed failed login attempts.
Note: For ease of operation, it is recommended that the parameter value be set
as 1 or 2 seconds.

d. If required, click Edit and update the security parameter values.

4. Configure the Lockdown Mode parameter:
a. From the Manage tab, select Settings > System > Security Profile.
b. Scroll to the Lockdown Mode pane and verify the value of the Lockdown Mode
parameter.
c. Verify that Lockdown Mode is set to Disabled.
If Lockdown mode is not disabled, click Edit and change the parameter value to
Disabled.
5. Configure the SSH parameter:
a. From the Manage tab, select Settings > System > Security Profile.
b. Scroll to the Services pane and verify the SSH option.

c. SSH must be running. If SSH is stopped, change its status to Running:

a. In the Services pane, click Edit.
b. In the Edit Security Profile dialog boc, select the SSH parameter.
The SSH status is Stopped.
c. Click Start.
The SSH status changes to Running.
d. Click OK
SSH status changes to Running.

6. Restart the management service or restart the server.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 107

Preparation for deployment

Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment

For 2-layer systems, or ESXi-based systems, clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment in order to
perform a clean installation. This procedure is recommended for cases when previously defined
networks will be used again, or when VxFlex OS components such as SDCs that ran on other
networks exist in the environment.
Before you begin
Before you begin, unmap and delete any VxFlex OS volumes in your system.
If necessary, unregister VxFlex OS from within the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in, and delete all the
VxFlex OS SVMs.
Procedure
1. Close the existing PowerCLI sessions, set PowerCLI to Run as administrator, and then
open a new session.
2. Using the PS1 script, unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in.
3. Stop the vSphere web client service:
VC Linux: service-control --stop vsphere-client
4. Delete the contents of the VxFlex OS plug-in folder.
The vSphere web client (Virgo) plug-in folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg

\vsphere-client\vc-packages\vsphere-client-serenity

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-
client-serenity

5. Delete the scaleio folder or its contents.

The scaleio folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\Users\vspherewebclientsvc\AppData\Roaming

\VMware\scaleio

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/scaleio

6. Start the vSphere web client service:

VC Linux: service-control --start vsphere-client
7. Clear your web browser's cache and cookies, or open a different web browser.
8. Using the PS1 script in PowerCLI, register the VxFlex OS plug-in.
Note: Do not press ENTER at this point.

9. After you have logged in to the vSphere web client to complete the registration and you see

the VxFlex OS icon , press ENTER in the PowerCLI session.

108 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Preparation for deployment

This stops the embedded Tomcat server.

10. If necessary, remove the SDC module parameters and VIB from the ESXi servers:
a. Connect to each ESXi server via SSH.
b. Run:

~ # esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p ""

~ # esxcli software vib remove -n scaleio-sdc-esx6.0

c. Reboot each ESXi server.

11. Proceed to the procedures for re-registering the VxFlex OS plug-in, and then deploy VxFlex
OS.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 109

Preparation for deployment

110 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 6
Deploy VxFlex OS

l Install the VxFlex OS GUI......................................................................................................112

l Deploy VxFlex OS with DirectPath device management....................................................... 112
l Deploy VxFlex OS with RDM/VMDK device management.................................................... 121
l Roll back deployment using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.................................................129

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 111

Deploy VxFlex OS

Install the VxFlex OS GUI

You can install the VxFlex OS GUI.
Before you begin
l Ensure that the workstation complies with the VxFlex OS system requirements.
l Ensure that you have the GUI installation file. It is included in the VxFlex OS complete software
package that you downloaded from https://support.emc.com/products/33925.
Procedure
1. Install the VxFlex OS GUI:
l Windows:
Double-click the installation file:

EMC-ScaleIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.msi

l Linux:

rpm -i EMC-ScaleIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.noarch.rpm

l Debian (run with administrator privileges):

sudo dpkg -i EMC-SclaeIO-gui-3.0-X.<build>.deb

l Mac OS:
Double-click the installation file VxFlexOS-gui-3.0-X.<build>.pkg. If the provided
installer does not open automatically, open it, then follow the on-screen instructions.

Deploy VxFlex OS with DirectPath device management

Use the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard to deploy VxFlex OS when devices are
managed by VMware DirectPath I/O.
Before you begin
l Ensure that all ESXi servers to be added to the system have been pre-configured to enable
DirectPath.
l Configure advanced installation options (optional):
n Allow devices that were used in other VxFlex OS systems to be taken over for this system.
n Allow the use of non-local datastores for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
n Increase the parallelism limit.
To access these settings, click Advanced settings on the VxFlex OS plug-in's VxFlex OS screen.
Procedure
1. From the Basic tasks section of the screen, click Deploy VxFlex OS environment.
The VxFlex OS VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard begins. If you exited the previous
deployment before completion, you will be able to return from where you left off.
NOTICE

112 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

The VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard operates on the assumption that you are
using the provided VxFlex OS OVA template to create the VxFlex OS virtual machines.

2. In the Select Installation screen, start the deployment of a new system:

a. Select Create new VxFlex OS system.
b. Review and approve the license terms.
c. Click Next.
3. In the Create New System screen, type the following, then click Next:
l System Name: Type a unique name for this system.
l Admin Password: Type and confirm a password for the VxFlex OS admin user. The
password must meet the listed criteria.

4. In the Add ESXi Hosts to Cluster screen, select the ESXi hosts to add as part of the
system:
a. Select the vCenter on which to deploy the VxFlex OS system.
The vCenter information is populated in the lower part of the screen.

b. Select Set up a DirectPath-based system.

c. Expand the vCenter, select the ESXi hosts to add to the VxFlex OS system, then click
Next.
Note: To configure VxFlex OS, you must select a minimum of three ESXi hosts. ESXi
hosts that do not have the SDC installed, or hosts for which DirectPath was
configured before deployment, but DirectPath was not selected in the previous step,
will not be available.

The Select Management Components screen appears:

5. Configure the management components:

a. Select to deploy a 3-node or 5-node cluster.
The next fields on this screen will change, depending on your choice.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 113

Deploy VxFlex OS

b. Select an ESXi server to serve for each of the MDM cluster roles.
You can give a name to the MDM servers, such as Manager1, etc.

c. Select ESXi servers to serve as Standby Manager and Tie-Breaker roles (optional).
d. Click Next.
The Configure Performance, Sizing, and Syslog screen appears.
6. Configure the following settings (optional), then click Next:
l To remove the high-performance profile from components, clear their check boxes.
l To configure the allocation of storage virtual machine (SVM) RAM, select from the
following:
n To use default RAM allocation, select Standard size.
n To use custom settings, select Custom size, and type the maximum capacity and
maximum number of volumes.
l To configure syslog reporting, select Configure syslog, and type the syslog server, port
(default: 1468), and facility (default: 0).
l To configure DNS servers, type their details.

The Configure Protection Domains screen appears:

You can create (or remove) Protection Domains (PD). You must create at least one PD.
7. Create a Protection Domain:

114 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

a. Enter the following information:

l Protection Domain name: It is recommended to use a meaningful name.
l Read RAM Cache size per SDS: Minimum 128 MB (You can increase this for your
environment needs.)
Note: If you enter a RMcache size that is over the limit, the memory calculator
will set the size according to the calculation that is performed on each host during
deployment.

b. Click Add.
The added PDs appear in the lower section of the screen, together with the existing PDs.
To remove a newly created PD, select it and click Remove.
c. To create additional PD, repeat this step.
d. Click Next.
The Configure Acceleration Pools screen appears. In this screen, you can create one or
more Acceleration Pools, which will be used to accelerate storage.
8. Create an Acceleration Pool:
a. Enter the Acceleration Pool name.
b. Select the Protection Domain to which the Acceleration Pool will belong.
c. Click Add, and then Next.
The Create a new Storage Pool screen appears.
In the Configure Storage Pools screen, you can create (or remove) Storage Pools (SP).
You must create at least one SP.
9. Create a Storage Pool:
a. Type the Storage Pool name: It is recommended to use meaningful names.
b. Select the PD to which to add the SP.
c. Select the expected Device Media Type of the devices that will be added to the SP.
d. Select the External Acceleration type (if used):
l none—No devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read or write cache
l read—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read cache
l write—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS write cache
l read_and_write—All devices are accelerated by both non-VxFlex OS read and write
cache

e. To enable zero padding, select Enable zero padding. Zero padding must be enabled for
using the background scanner in data comparison mode.
f. To enable Read Flash cache, select Enable RFcache.
g. Click Add.
The added SPs appear in the lower section of the screen, together with the existing PDs.
To remove a newly created SP, select it and click Remove.
h. To create additional SPs, repeat this step.
i. Click Next.
The Create Fault Sets screen appears. You can use this screen to create Fault Sets
(optional).

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 115

Deploy VxFlex OS

Note: When defining Fault Sets, you must follow the guidelines described in the
"Architecture" section of the Getting to Know VxFlex OS guide. Failure to do so may
prevent creation of volumes.
10. Create a Fault Set (optional):
a. Type the Fault Set name. It is recommended to use meaningful names.
b. Select to which PD to add the Fault Set.
c. Click Add
Added Fault Sets appear in the lower section of the screen, inside the folder of the
parent PD. You can remove a newly created Fault Set by selecting it and clicking
Remove.
d. Repeat to create additional Fault Sets (a minimum of three is required), then click Next.
The Add SDSs screen appears.
11. Configure the following for every ESXi host or SVM, then click Next:
a. For every SVM in a DirectPath deployment, you must select SDS and assign a
Protection Domain.
Note: To make the same selections for every ESX in a cluster, you can make your
selections per cluster or datacenter.

b. You can select a Fault Set (optional).

c. Type the Total Planned Capacity for the SDS, even if it is only being partially populated
now. This sets the memory allocation for the SVM, thus avoiding manual memory
calculations.
If you do not configure this now, you can set the SVM memory later manually, as
described in "SVM manual memory allocation."

d. Click Next.
Adding devices to SDS is done after the deployment is complete.

The Add SDCs screen appears.

12. Configure the SDCs:
a. For each ESXi to be added as an SDC:
a. Select the SDC check box.
b. Type the ESXi root password.
Note: To show the entered ESXi passwords, select Show passwords.

b. Choose whether to enable or disable the LUN comparison for ESXi hosts.
In general, in environments where the SDC is installed on ESXi and also on physical
hosts, you should set this to Disable.
Note: Before disabling LUN comparison, consult your environment administrator.

c. Click Next.
The Configure Upgrade Components dialog box appears.
13. Configure the VxFlex OS Gateway and Lightweight Installation Agent (LIA):

116 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

a. Select an ESXi to host the VxFlex OS Gateway SVM.

A unique SVM will be created for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
If the previously-selected ESXi servers do not have sufficient free space (on any
datastore) to contain the VxFlex OS SVM template, an SVM, and the VxFlex OS
Gateway SVM, the option to select an ESXi host in this step will not be available. It will
be done automatically.

b. Type and confirm a password for the VxFlex OS Gateway administrative user.
c. Type and confirm a password for the LIA.
The password must be the same across all SVMs in the system.

d. Click Next.
Note: You can only move to the next step if the passwords meet the listed criteria,
and if the confirmation passwords match the entered passwords.

The Select OVA Template screen appears.

14. Configure templates:
a. Select the template to use to create the SVM.
The default is VxFlex OS SVM Template. If you uploaded a template to multiple
datastores, you can select them all, for faster deployment.
If the VxFlex OS Gateway selection was performed automatically in the previous step
(indicating insufficient space), you must choose at least two templates in this step, one
of which will be converted to the VxFlex OS Gateway SVM.
After selecting the templates, the deployment wizard will automatically select one of the
ESXis with the templates to host the VxFlex OS Gateway, and during deployment will
convert the template to a VM for the VxFlex OS Gateway (instead of cloning the
template).
Note: If you select a custom template, ensure that it is compatible with the VxFlex
OS plug-in and the VxFlex OS MDM.

b. Type and confirm a new root password that will be used for all SVMs to be created.
c. Click Next.
The Configure Networks screen appears:

15. Select the network configuration. You can select an existing (simple or distributed) network,
or select Create a new network.
The Create a new network command is only relevant for a regular vSwitch, and not for a
distributed vSwitch.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 117

Deploy VxFlex OS

You can use a single network for management and data transfer or separate networks.
Separating the networks is recommended for security and increased efficiency. You can
select one data network or two data networks.
The management network, used to connect and manage the SVMs, is normally connected to
the client management network, a 1 GB network.
The data network is internal, enabling communication between the VxFlex OS components,
and is recommended to be at least a 10 GB network.
For high availability and performance, it is recommended to have two data networks.
Note: The selected networks must have communication with all of the system nodes. In
some cases, while the wizard does verify that the network names match, this does not
guarantee communication, as the VLAN IDs may have been manually altered.

a. To use one network, select a protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) and a management network, click
Next and proceed with SVM configuration.
For best results, it is highly recommended to use the plug-in to create the data networks,
as opposed to creating them manually.

b. To use separate networks, select a protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) for the management network
label and one or two data network labels. If the data network already exists (such as a
customer pre-configured distributed switch or a simple vswitch), select it from the drop-
down box. Otherwise, configure the data network by clicking Create new network.
The Create New Data Network screen appears:

c. Configure the networks:

118 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

l Network name: The name of the VMware network

l VMkernel name: The name of the VMkernel (used to support multipathing)
l VLAN ID: the network ID
l Network type: IPv4 or IPv6
l For each ESXi, select a Data NIC, a VMkernel IP, and a VmKernel Subnet Mask.

Note: You can click to auto-fill the values for Data NIC and VMkernel IP.

d. Click OK.
The data network is created.
The wizard will automatically configure the following for the data network:
l vSwitch
l VMkernel Port
l Virtual Machine Port Group
l VMkernel Port Binding

e. Click Next.
The Configure SVM screen appears.

16. Configure all the SVMs:

a. Type the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for the management network,
then the data network.
b. Type the Cluster Virtual IP address for each network interface.
c. Select a datastore, or allow automatic selection.
d. Configure the cluster's virtual IP addresses by entering the virtual IP address for each
data network.
e. Click Next.

Icons indicate the role that the server plays in the VxFlex OS system. You can select
to auto-fill the values for IP addresses.
The Review Summary screen appears.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 119

Deploy VxFlex OS

17. Review the configuration.

Click Finish to begin deployment or Back to make changes.
18. Type the vCenter user name and password, then click OK to begin the deployment.
The Deployment Progress screen appears.
During the deployment process you can view progress, pause the deployment, and view
logs.
To pause the deployment, click Pause. Steps that are already in progress will pause when
they are complete.
After pausing, select one of the following options:

l Continue deployment to continue.

l Abort to abort the deployment process.
l Cancel and Rollback entire deployment to roll back all deployment activities (rollback
cannot be canceled once started).
l Rollback failed tasks to roll back only the tasks that failed (rollback cannot be canceled
once started).
19. When the deployment is complete, click Finish.
If a task failed, click Continue deployment to try again.

After you finish

l After deployment is complete, set all SVMs to start automatically with the system. Do not set
SVMs under the VMware resource-pool feature.
l Use the VxFlex OS plug-in to add devices to the SDSs.
l Perform the post-installation tasks described in this guide. It is highly recommended to run the
VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after deployment, before
you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
l Perform mandatory and optional configuration tasks in the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS
Guide.
Note: When using DirectPath, also known as PCI-passthrough on the SVM, the following alert
appears in vCenter: "Virtual Machine memory Usage". This is a VMWare limitation and can't be
resolved. Refer to the VMWare KB for more details: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/
2149787?lang=en_US

Add devices to an SDS—VxFlex OS plug-in

Use the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in to add devices to an SDS in VxFlex OS.
About this task
In a DirectPath-based system, you add devices only after the deployment. In an RDM/VMDK-
based VxFlex OS, you can add devices during and after the deployment.
You can add a Storage device or an Acceleration device to an SDS or to all SDSs in the system. For
a Storage device, you must define the Storage Pool and Media Type for each device you add. For
Acceleration device, you must select the Acceleration Pool (which may be RFCache or NVDIMM)
for each device added. For Fine Granularity (FG), an Acceleration device must be configured with
NVDIMM. For more information on FG, see "Data layout" in the Getting to Know Guide.
All data on added devices will be erased.

120 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Note: If you intend to enable zero padding on a Storage Pool, you must do so before you add
any devices to the Storage Pool.
Procedure
1. From the SDSs screen of the VxFlex OS plug-in, select one of the following:
l Right-click a specific SDS, and then select Add devices to a single SDS.
l Right-click any SDS, and then select Add devices to VxFlex OS system.
The Add Device dialog box is displayed. All devices that can be attached to the selected
SDS are listed. For the system view, all SDSs are listed, and you can choose devices to add
for each SDS. It may take a few moments to load the list of devices from the vCenter.
2. Add devices:
l One-at-a-time:
a. Select whether the device should be used for storage or to provide acceleration.
b. Select the Storage Pool to which the devices should be assigned.
c. To enable the use of devices that may have been part of a previous VxFlex OS
system, select Allow the take over of devices with existing signature.
d. Click OK.
l All devices on a server at once:
a. Click Select all devices.
b. Select whether to use the devices for storage or to provide acceleration.
c. Select the Storage Pool to which the devices should be assigned.
d. To enable the use of devices that may have been part of a previous VxFlex OS
system, select Allow the take over of devices with existing signature.
e. Click Assign.
3. Confirm the action by typing the VxFlex OS password.
4. When the add operation is complete, click Close.
Results
The devices are added.

Deploy VxFlex OS with RDM/VMDK device management

Use the VMware deployment wizard to deploy VxFlex OS when devices are configured as RDM or
VMDK. Note that DirectPath architecture is the recommended best practice for RAID and SAS
Controller managed drives.
Before you begin
Configure advanced installation options (optional):
l Ensure that all ESXi servers to be added to the system were pre-configured with the pre-
deployment steps.
l Configure advanced installation options (optional):
n Enable creation of VMDK.
Note: Use of VMDK-based disks for storage devices is not recommended, and should
be used only if no other option is possible.
n Force RDM on device with unknown RDM support.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 121

Deploy VxFlex OS

n Allow the taking over of devices that were used in other VxFlex OS systems.
n Allow the use of non-local datastores for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
n Increase the parallelism limit.
To access these settings, click Advanced settings on the VxFlex OS screen.
About this task
For 2-layer systems where only the SDCs are deployed on ESXi servers, follow the deployment
procedures for 2-layer systems.
Procedure
1. From the Basic tasks section of the screen, click Deploy VxFlex OS environment.
The VxFlex OS VMware deployment wizard begins. If you exited the previous deployment
before completion, you will be able to return from where you left off.
NOTICE When you use the deployment wizard, it is assumed that you are using the
provided VxFlex OS OVA template to create the VxFlex OS virtual machines.

2. In the Select Installation type screen, start the deployment of a new system:
a. Select Create new VxFlex OS system.
b. Review and approve the license terms.
c. Click Next.
3. In the Create new system screen, enter the following, then click Next:
l System Name: Enter a unique name for this system.
l Admin Password: Enter and confirm a password for the VxFlex OS admin user. The
password must meet the listed criteria.

4. In the Add ESX Hosts to Cluster screen, select the ESXi hosts to add as part of the
system:
a. Select the vCenter on which to deploy the VxFlex OS system.
The vCenter information is populated in the lower part of the screen.

b. Expand the vCenter, select the ESXi hosts to add to the VxFlex OS system, then click
Next.
Note: To configure VxFlex OS, you must select a minimum of three ESXi hosts. ESXi
hosts that do not have the SDC installed, or hosts for which DirectPath was
configured before deployment, but DirectPath was not selected in the previous step,
will not be available.

The Select management components screen appears.

5. Configure the management components:
a. Select an option to deploy either a 3-node or 5-node cluster.
The next fields on this screen will change, depending on your choice.

b. Select an ESXi server to serve for each of the MDM cluster roles.
You can give a name to the MDM servers, such as Manager1, and so on.

c. Select ESXi servers to serve as Standby Manager and Tie-Breaker roles (optional).
d. Click Next.

122 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

The Configure Performance, Sizing, and Syslog screen appears.

6. Configure the following settings (optional), then click Next:
l To configure components with compact performance profiles, clear the high-
performance option.
l To configure the allocation of SVM RAM, select from the following:
n To use default RAM allocation, select Standard size.
n To use custom settings, select Custom size, and enter the maximum capacity and
maximum number of volumes.
l To configure syslog reporting, select Configure syslog, and enter the syslog server, port
(default: 1468), and facility (default: 0).
l To configure DNS servers, enter their details.

The Configure Protection Domains screen appears.

You can create (or remove) Protection Domains (PD). You must create at least one PD.
7. Create a Protection Domain:
a. Enter the following information:
l Protection Domain name: It is recommended to use a meaningful name.
l Read RAM Cache size per SDS: Minimum 128 MB (You can increase this for your
environment needs.)

b. Click Add.
The added PDs appear in the lower section of the screen, together with the existing PDs.
To remove a newly created PD, select it and click Remove.
c. To create an additional PD, repeat this step.
d. Click Next.
The Configure Acceleration Pool screen appears. In this screen, you can create an
Acceleration Pool, which will be used to accelerate storage.
8. Create an Acceleration Pool:
a. Enter the Acceleration Pool name.
b. Select the Protection Domain to which the Acceleration Pool will belong.
c. Click Add, and then Next.
The Create a new Storage Pool screen appears.
In the Configure Storage Pools screen, you can create (or remove) Storage Pools (SP).
You must create at least one SP.
9. Create a Storage Pool:
a. Enter the Storage Pool name: It is recommended to use meaningful names.
b. Select to which PD to add the SP.
c. Select the expected Device Media Type for the SP (HDD or SSD).
d. Select the External Acceleration type (if used):
l none—No devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read or write cache
l read—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS read cache
l write—All devices are accelerated by a non-VxFlex OS write cache

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 123

Deploy VxFlex OS

l read_and_write—All devices are accelerated by both non-VxFlex OS read and write

cache
This input is required in order to prevent the generation of false alerts for media type
mismatches. For example, if an HDD device is added which the SDS perceives as being
too fast to fit the HDD criteria, alerts might be generated. External acceleration/caching
is explained in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.

e. To enable zero padding, select Enable zero padding. Zero padding must be enabled for
using the background scanner in data comparison mode.
f. To enable Read Flash cache, select the Enable RFcache check box.
g. Click Add.
This input is required in order to prevent the generation of false alerts for media type
mismatches. For example, if an HDD device is added which the SDS perceives as being
too fast to fit the HDD criteria, alerts might be generated. External acceleration/caching
is explained in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
The added SPs appear in the lower section of the screen, together with the existing PDs.
To remove a newly created SP, select it and click Remove.
h. To create additional SPs, repeat this step.
i. Click Next.
The Create Fault Sets screen appears. You can use this screen to create Fault Sets
(optional).
Note: When defining Fault Sets, you must follow the Fault Set guidelines described in
the Getting to Know VxFlex OS guide. Failure to do so may prevent creation of volumes.
10. Create a Fault Set (optional):
a. Enter the Fault Set name. It is recommended to use meaningful names.
b. Select to which PD to add the Fault Set.
c. Click Add
Added Fault Sets appear in the lower section of the screen, inside the folder of the
parent PD. You can remove a newly created Fault Set by selecting it and clicking
Remove.
d. Repeat these steps to create additional Fault Sets (minimum of three), then click Next.
The Add SDSs screen appears.
11. Configure the following for every ESXi host or SVM:
a. Select the corresponding SDS check box to assign an SDS role.
Note: To make the same selections for every ESXi in a cluster, you can make your
selections per cluster or datacenter.

b. If the node is an SDS, assign a Protection Domain.

c. You can select a Fault Set (optional).
d. Click Next.
The Add devices to SDSs screen appears, showing the clusters.
This screen has the following tabs:
l Information - shows the selected ESXi and cluster.

124 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

l Assign devices - select hosts and assign devices.

l Replicate selection - replicate device selections from one host to others.
Note: This can be very useful if your ESXis have identical attached devices. For
example, if you select an SSD device for the source ESXi, and then replicate this
selection to the targets, the deployment wizard can automatically select all other
SSD devices on the target SDSs.
Device matching is performed based on the device runtime name.
To replicate device selections, all of the following conditions must be met:
n The number of devices on each ESXi must be identical.
n Source and target devices must be identical in the following ways: a) both are SSD or
non-SSD, b) both have datastores on them or do not, c) both are roughly the same
size (within 20%), and d) both are connected via a RAID controller or directly
attached.
n At least one of the following conditions must be met: a) both SDSs are in the same
Protection Domain, b) both SDSs are in different Protection Domains, but with the
same list of Storage Pools, or c) the target SDS is in a Protection Domain with only
one Storage Pool.

12. On the Information tab, select an ESXi host from a cluster, then click Assign devices.
The Assign devices tab appears.
This screen shows the devices whose free space can be added to the selected ESXi host/
SDS. You should balance the capacity over the selected SDS.

13. To assign a device’s space to an SDS, perform the following:

a. In the Use for drop-down, select Storage or Acceleration.
b. In the Pool Name drop-down, select the Storage Pool (SP) to which to assign the
device.
Note: If the selected SP has RFcache enabled, you must select at least one RFcache
device for that SDS node.
Note: You can select all available devices by clicking Select all devices, and selecting
their use and Storage Pool.
Note: If you selected to create VMDK (before the deployment), the following options
appear:
l Create VMDK. Select this for all relevant devices.
l Select all available devices. Click this to select all devices with a VMFS, and with
unused capacity that can be added to the VxFlex OS system.

c. Click Assign.
14. To replicate selections to other SDSs, perform the following:
a. Select the Replicate selection tab.
b. Select the ESXi whose device selection you wish to replicate.
This is the source ESXi.

c. Select the target ESXis to which to replicate the selection of the source ESXi.
d. Click Copy configuration.
The results are displayed in the right pane of the screen.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 125

Deploy VxFlex OS

15. When you have selected devices for all SDSs, click Next.
Note: You must select at least one device for each SDS.

The Add SDCs screen appears.

16. Configure the SDCs:
a. For each ESXi to be added as an SDC:
a. Select the SDC check box.
b. Enter the ESXi root password.
Note: To show the entered ESXi passwords, select Show passwords.

b. Choose whether to enable or disable LUN number comparison for ESXi hosts.
In general, in environments where the SDC is installed on ESXi and also on physical
hosts, you should set this to Disable.
Note: Before disabling LUN number comparison, consult your environment
administrator.

c. Click Next.
The Configure Upgrade Components dialog box appears.
17. Configure the VxFlex OS Gateway and LIA:
a. Select an ESXi to host the VxFlex OS Gateway Storage virtual machine (SVM).
A unique SVM will be created for the VxFlex OS Gateway.
If the previously-selected ESXi servers do not have sufficient free space (on any
datastore) to contain the VxFlex OS SVM template, an SVM, and the VxFlex OS
Gateway SVM, you will not have an option to select an ESXi in this step. It will be done
automatically.

b. Enter and confirm a password for the VxFlex OS Gateway administrative user.
c. Enter and confirm a password for the LIA.
The password must be the same across all SVMs in the system.

d. Click Next.
Note: You can only move forward if the passwords meet the listed criteria, and if the
confirmation passwords match the entered passwords.

The Select OVA Template screen appears:

18. Configure templates:
a. Select the template to use to create the VxFlex OS virtual machines (SVM).
The default is VxFlex OS SVM Template. If you uploaded a template to multiple
datastores, you can select them all, for faster deployment.
If the VxFlex OS Gateway selection was performed automatically in the previous step
(indicating insufficient space), you must choose at least two templates in this step, one
of which will be converted to the VxFlex OS Gateway SVM.
After selecting the templates, the deployment wizard will automatically select one of the
ESXis with the templates to host the VxFlex OS Gateway, and during deployment will
convert the template to a VM for the VxFlex OS Gateway (instead of cloning the
template).

126 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

Note: If you select a custom template, ensure that it is compatible with the VxFlex
OS plug-in and the VxFlex OS MDM.

b. Enter and confirm a new root password that will be used for all SVMs to be created.
c. Click Next.
The Configure Networks screen appears:
19. Select the network configuration. You can select an existing (simple or distributed) network,
or select Create a new network.
The Create a new network command is only relevant for a regular vSwitch, and not for a
distributed vSwitch.
You can use a single network for management and data transfer, or separate networks.
Separate networks are recommended for security and increased efficiency. You can select
one data network, or two.
The management network, used to connect and manage the SVMs, is normally connected to
the client management network, a 1 GB network.
The data network is internal, enabling communication between the VxFlex OS components,
and is recommended to be at least a 10 GB network.
For high availability and performance, it is recommended to have two data networks.
Note: The selected networks must have communication with all of the system nodes. In
some cases, while the wizard does verify that the network names match, this does not
guarantee communication, as the VLAN IDs may have been manually altered.

a. To use one network, select a protocol (IPv4 or IPv6), and a management network, then
proceed to the next step, configuring the SVMs.
For best results, it is highly recommended to use the VxFlex OS plug-in to create the
data networks, as opposed to creating them manually.

b. To use separate networks, select a protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) for the management network
label, and one or two data network labels. If the data network already exists (such as a
customer pre-configured distributed switch or a simple vswitch), select it from the drop-
down box. Otherwise, configure the data network by clicking Create new network.
The Create New Data Network screen appears.

c. Configure the networks:

Note: You can click to auto-fill the values for Data NIC and VMkernel IP.

l Network name: The name of the VMware network

l VMkernel name: The name of the VMkernel (used to support multipathing)
l VLAN ID: the network ID
l Network type: IPv4 or IPv6
l For each ESXi, select a Data NIC, a VMkernel IP, and a VmKernel Subnet Mask.

d. Click OK.
The data network is created.
The wizard will automatically configure the following for the data network:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 127

Deploy VxFlex OS

l vSwitch
l VMkernel Port
l Virtual Machine Port Group
l VMkernel Port Binding

e. Click Next.
The Configure SVM screen appears.
20. Configure all the SVMs:

Note: You can click to auto-fill a range of values for IP addresses, subnet mask
and default gateway.

a. Enter the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for the management network,
then the data network.
b. Enter the Cluster Virtual IP address for each network interface.
c. You can select a datastore, or allow automatic selection.
d. Configure the cluster's virtual IP addresses by entering the virtual IP address for each
data network.
e. Click Next.
Icons indicate the role that the server plays in the VxFlex OS system.
The Review Summary screen appears.
21. Review the configuration.
Click Finish to begin deployment or Back to make changes.
22. Enter the vCenter user name and password, then click OK to begin the deployment.
The Deployment Progress screen appears.
During the deployment process you can view progress, pause the deployment, and view
logs.
To pause the deployment, click Pause. Steps that are already in progress will pause after
they are completed.
After pausing, select one of the following options:

l Continue deployment to continue.

l Abort to abort the deployment process.
l Cancel and Rollback entire deployment to roll back all deployment activities (rollback
cannot be canceled once started).
l Rollback failed tasks to roll back only the tasks that failed (rollback cannot be canceled
once started).
23. When the deployment is complete, click Finish.
If a task failed, click Continue deployment to try again.

After you finish

l After deployment is complete, set all SVMs to start automatically with the system. Do not set
SVMs under the VMware resource-pool feature.

128 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploy VxFlex OS

l Perform the post-installation tasks described in this guide. It is highly recommended to run the
VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after deployment, before
you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.

Roll back deployment using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in

In VMware environments where deployment fails due to incorrect input or failed devices, you can
roll back the deployment, fix or change the specific deployment setting, and restart deployment
using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard.
Procedure
1. When deployment fails, click Cancel and roll back entire deployment.
2. In the Rollback settings dialog box, select whether you want to remove the SDC
configuration.
l If you select Remove SDCs configuration (requires a manual restart of the ESXis),
the SVMs are deleted, the SDC MDM IP address configurations are removed from the
ESXis, and you must manually restart the ESXis.
l If you do not select Remove SDCs configuration (requires a manual restart of the
ESXis), the SVMs are deleted, the SDC MDM IP address configurations are not removed
from the ESXis, and you do not need to manually restart the ESXis.
3. When the deployment roll back is complete, select Finish deployment and return to
wizard.
If you select Finish, you will not be returned to the wizard and you will have to start the
deployment from the beginning; your deployment details will not be saved. After confirming
that you want to finish the deployment and return to the wizard, the last screen in the
deployment wizard is displayed.
4. Click Back or Next to navigate backwards or forwards through the deployment wizard.
Change the settings that caused the initial deployment to fail.
5. Click Finish to finish using the wizard and to begin deployment.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 129

Deploy VxFlex OS

130 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

PART 3
VxFlex OS Installer REST API

VxFlex OS Installer REST API deployment procedures

Chapter 7, "Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API"

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 131

VxFlex OS Installer REST API

132 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 7
Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Deploy VxFlex OS using the REST API.

l Preparation for deployment using the REST API..................................................................134

l Using the VxFlex OS Installer REST API...............................................................................134

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 133

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Preparation for deployment using the REST API

Before you use the REST API to deploy a system, follow recommended preparation guidelines.
Refer to the guidelines in the deployment checklist and preparation tasks supplied in this guide,
corresponding to operating system type.

Using the VxFlex OS Installer REST API

You can use the VxFlex OS Installer REST API to deploy VxFlex OS.
The VxFlex OS Installer is an orchestration engine that runs commands from different queues
(nodes and MDM) at different "phases", and labels each one as a "process".
The VxFlex OS Installer REST API URIs begin with the “/im/” prefix.

General REST API information

General usage guidance for using the REST API.
This section describes general information for the VxFlex OS REST API, including REST API
version in header fields, URIs, HTTP authentication, response fields, and VxFlex OS Gateway
configuration.
REST API version
The REST API version should be added to the Accept parameter in the header field. For example:
Accept: application/json;version=1.0
If no Accept header field is present, it is assumed that the client accepts all media types and
versions.
HTTP authentication
To perform authentication, invoke the HTTP GET request, with the URI: /api/login, with MDM
user\password passes in HTTP Basic authentication. A token is returned.
For example:

https://10.76.60.190:443/api/login

This token is valid for 8 hours from the time it was created, unless there has been no activity for 10
minutes, or if the client has sent a logout request.
HTTP token invalidation (logout)
The invalidation is done by invoking the HTTP GET request, with the URI: /api/logout

134 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

The token mentioned above is the password in the HTTP Basic authentication (the user is ignored
- it can be empty).
For every REST API request that does not require the gatewayAdminPassword, the
authentication is done by passing the token mentioned above as the password in the HTTP Basic
authentication (the user is ignored - it can be empty).
Requests that require the gatewayAdminPassword work similarly, except that instead of /api/
login, invoke an HTTP GET request, /api/gatewayLogin with user: admin password:
<gatewayAdminPassword> in HTTP Basic authentication. A token is returned. Instead of
invoking /api/logout, invoke /api/gatewayLogout with the token received when you logged
in.
Note: Requests that require gatewayAdminPassword are:
GET:

/api/Configuration
/api/gatewayLogout
/api/getHostCertificate/{Mdm | Lia}

POST:

/api/updateConfiguration
/api/instances/System/action/createMdmCluster
/api/trustHostCertificate/{Mdm | Lia}
/api/gatewaySetSecureCommunication

Response fields
The order of the fields in the responses may change. More fields may be added in the future.
URIs
l POST (create) / GET all objects for a given type:
/api/types/{type}/instances
l GET by id:
/api/instances/{type::id}
l POST a special action on an object:
/api/instances/{type::id}/action/{actionName}
l POST a special action on a given type:
/api/types/{type}/instances/action/{actionName}
l Get current API version:
/api/version
l Every row in the Object's Parent table appears as a link in the response of get object:
/api/instances/{type::id}
l Every row in the Object's Relationships table appears as a link in the response of get object:
/api/instances/{type::id}/relationships/{Relationship name}
l GET all instances
/api/instances/

Table 8 Response

Property Type Note

sessionTag Long

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 135

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Table 8 Response (continued)

Property Type Note

isDirty Boolean The version on some objects

changed while the MDM created
the response

System System object

lastSystemVersion Long

protectionDomainList List of ProtectionDomain

objects

lastProtectionDomainVersion Long

sdsList List of SDS objects

lastSdsVersion Long

storagePoolList List of StoragePool objects

lastStoragePoolVersion Long

deviceList List of Device objects

lastDeviceVersion Long

volumeList List of Volume objects

lastVolumeVersion Long

vTreeList List of VTree objects

lastVTreeVersion Long

sdcList List of SDC objects

lastSdcVersion Long

faultSetList List of FaultSet objects

lastFaultSetVersion Long

accelerationPoolList List of AccelerationPool

objects

lastAccelerationPoolVersion Long

spSdslList List of SpSds objects

lastSpSdsVersion Long

snapshotPolicyList List of SnapshotPolicy

objects

lastSnapshotPolicyVersion Long

l Change configuration of VxFlex OS Gateway (POST)

/api/updateConfiguration/
Request:
Parameters (AND\OR):

136 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

n mdmAddresses—List of MDM IP addresses that the VxFlex OS Gateway will use to

connect to the MDM (for performance improvement, place the master MDM IP addresses
before the slave ones)
n mdmPort—MDM port
n gatewayAdminPassword—Password for VxFlex OS Installer, get/update VxFlex OS
Gateway configuration, and add master MDM
n systemId—ID of the system configured by mdmAddresses. If systemId is left empty, it
will be populated on the first invocation of /api/login. At every /api/login, the system ID
value is compared to the ID of the VxFlex OS cluster (MDM). If the IDs are different
( mdmAddresses points to a cluster that does not match the systemId), an error
message is displayed, and all login tokens (/api/login, /api/gatewayLogin) are invalidated.
None of the VxFlex OS Gateway clients will be able to send requests to the MDM until one
of the following happens:
– systemId is configured to the correct value
– mdmAddresses is configured to the correct IP addresses
– systemId is set to an empty value. In this case, on the first invocation of /api/login,
the value for systemId will be populated according to the ID of the matching
mdmAddresses.
If the value for systemId is different from the configured systemId (and the
configured systemId is not empty), all login tokens (/api/login, /api/gatewayLogin)
are invalidated.
n snmpSamplingFrequency—MDM sampling frequency in seconds. If sampling frequency
is set to 0, the SNMP trap sender will be disabled, and no sampling to the MDM will be
performed.
n snmpResendFrequency—Resend frequency of SNMP traps, in minutes. If resend
frequency is set to 0, all traps will be sent in every sampling.
n snmpTrapsReceiverIp—SNMP trap receivers' IP addresses (supports up to two
comma-separated or semi-colon-separated IP addresses)
n snmpPort—The port number used for SNMP traps
For example:

{
"mdmAddresses":["10.76.60.150", "10.76.60.11"],
"mdmPort":"6611",
"gatewayAdminPassword":"Password1",
"systemId":"7f5d8fc72a3d7f3d" ,
"snmpSamplingFrequency":"30",
"snmpResendFrequency":"0",
"snmpTrapsReceiverIps":["10.76.60.190","10.76.60.191"],
"snmpPort":"162"
}

l Get configuration of VxFlex OS Gateway (GET)

/api/Configuration/
Response:
n mdmAddresses – List of MDM master IP addresses that the VxFlex OS Gateway will use
to connect to the MDM
n mdmUsername – MDM username
n mdmPort – MDM port

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 137

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

n systemId – ID of the system, configured by mdmAddresses. (See detailed explanation

for "Change configuration of VxFlex OS Gateway (POST).")
n snmpSamplingFrequency – MDM sampling frequency in seconds
n snmpResendFrequency – Resend frequency of SNMP traps, in minutes
n snmpTrapsReceiverIp – SNMP trap receivers' IP addresses
n snmpPort – The port number used for SNMP traps
n remoteSyslog – The remote syslog servers configuration in the MDM
n featuresEnableSnmp – Indicates whether SNMP is enabled
n cipherSuites – List of names of cipher suites (as recognized by Java) that the SSL will
use instead of the default list
n featuresEnableIM – Indicates whether the VxFlex OS Installer is enabled
n featuresEnableCollectAutoLogs – Enable the Auto Collect Logs feature
n bypassCertificateCheck – When set to TRUE, when opening a connection, the
gateway will trust any certificate during the SSL handshake
n allowNonSecureCommunication
For example:

{
"allowNonSecureCommunication": "false",
"bypassCertificateCheck": "false",
"cipherSuites": null,
"featuresEnableCollectAutoLogs": "false",
"featuresEnableIM": "true",
"snmpResendFrequency": "0",
"snmpSamplingFrequency": "30",
"snmpPort": "162",
"mdmPort":"6611",
"mdmUsername": "alertservice",
"remoteSyslog": [
{
"hostName": "10.76.60.100",
"port": 1468,
"facility": 16
},
{
"hostName": "10.76.60.101",
"port": 1468,
"facility": 16
}
],
"mdmAddresses":[
"10.76.60.150",
"10.76.60.135"
],
"systemId":"7f5d8fc72a3d7f3d",
"snmpTrapsReceiverIps": [
"10.76.60.192"
]
}

l Query selected statistics (POST)

/api/instances/querySelectedStatistics
Request:
n Required parameters:
selectedStatisticsList—list of objects containing:

138 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

– type—object type (System, ProtectionDomain, Sds, StoragePool, Device, Volume,

VTree, Sdc, FaultSet, RfcacheDevice)
– properties—list of properties to fetch
n The following parameters are not relevant to the System type (can be omitted):
ids—list of objects ids
or
allIds—with empty value
Response:
The response contains a list of all requested types, the ids, and properties, according to the
request parameters.
The System type does not contain an id.
Types for which the requested ids do not exist in the cluster will appear with an empty {} - see
FaultSet in the example below.
Any id (from the ids parameters in the request) that does not exist in the cluster will not
appear in the response. The following will appear in the scaleio.log:
Got no statistics for <type>::<id>.
In the following example, Sds::022beb2300000004 does not exist in the cluster, so it does
not appear in the response. Instead, this will appear in the scaleio.log:

Got no statistics for Sds::id: 022beb2300000004

Example:
POST https://localhost:8443/api/instances/querySelectedStatistics
Body:

{"selectedStatisticsList":[
{"type":"ProtectionDomain", "ids":["cc480c9b00000000"], "properties":
["capacityInUseInKb">,
{"type":"Volume", "ids":["022beb2500000006","022beb2300000004"],
"properties":["numOfMappedSdcs", "userDataWriteBwc">,
{"type":"Sds", "ids":["c919d82000000001","022beb2300000004"],
"properties":["capacityInUseInKb">,
{"type":"System", "allIds":"", "properties":["rmcacheSizeInKb">,
{"type":"FaultSet", "ids":["c919d82000000001","022beb2300000004"],
"properties":["numOfSds">,
{"type":"StoragePool", "allIds":"", "properties":
["unreachableUnusedCapacityInKb", "numOfThinBaseVolumes">
>

The response:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 139

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

l Get MDM's or LIA's certificate (GET)

/api/getHostCertificate/{Mdm|Lia}?host={host ip}

The request can be sent for either MDM or LIA.

140 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Example:

/api/getHostCertificate/Mdm?host=10.76.60.10

Response:
The host certificate in PEM encoding.
Note: The whole certificate should be saved into a .cer file for the
trustHostCertificaterequest.
For example:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIDcTCCAlmgAwIBAAIBATANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADB8MQwwCgYDVQQqEwNNRE0xFzAVBgNVBAMTD
mNlbnRvcy02LTQtYWRpMRIwEAYDVQQHEwlIb3BraW50b24xFjAUBgNVBAgTDU1hc3NhY2h1c2V0dH
MxCzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMQwwCgYDVQQKEwNFTUMxDDAKBgNVBAsTA0FTRDAeFw0xNTEyMTkwNzI4MTV
aFw0yNTEyMTcwODI4MTVaMHwxDDAKBgNVBCoTA01ETTEXMBUGA1UEAxMOY2VudG9zLTYtNC1hZGkx
EjAQBgNVBAcTCUhvcGtpbnRvbjEWMBQGA1UECBMNTWFzc2FjaHVzZXR0czELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxD
DAKBgNVBAoTA0VNQzEMMAoGA1UECxMDQVNEMIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQ
EA4SMybaAEZjfBX9wLglr3wxYHOvID5Pe1Z26Pv8oIR/
MTOVa1Bw4A9px1MHHSIfkAfgRlLC24uebZXhbh0snBq+OL+SJPwEfbOVbif/saXL8RJFwm/
VNg8KHUwjuq/sJkKDjx9uSf0U+/9FzwvKVuM87xDj/rVvJgBYh6pH34q/XD5l8am/iEQr/
EnGZmIsa+VkCL0IeYKbkA3ZINfI4YsjSJ+qeu5e/
KMsNlHEvmhk1DdJbLayn9QkiS5Q9e8A40jjkb2e1Q71awoOlb6+8XXWWkpBhxAnRa9P8Pb1BfcNyU
fXtrKuy+fRjw4Gp
+rw2MdoIDuMbO1+1sQaRvVPTYxwIDAQABMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA4IBAQCu1e/jBz63ZFDS
+pFvZ3XI/VMdn9NArM
+8Cjn7Luar8oEVAYI6jqYYcZCk2jQyfuI1HP2jXqPTJo8CNyNT5S6rZ5ryHOiRjn/
K2pVC6kT497LY5lc3LjhXUdLjpWnW2jsGfM93cCkkrxu8wmkh9oo8WizOiRAyKmz02uTEuEok7GJB
S/DR6csnLo2YLUV6ZqeBN9jdzZbIY7SoFWya1K4xZmqhkAtnj1ynP3uoxTkd
+wfDRmYeDv8l5eciLj2BXNuV8zXYWSCyABZC//jvajNtSEXgUura3uh0YBIfbO/
AZ980zUMwJBMBr06yw4tHnHRRYgfI3tnZOD4byaJOdHuq
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

l Trust an MDM's or LIA's certificate (POST)

/api/trustHostCertificate/{Mdm|Lia}

Example:

/api/trustHostCertificate/Mdm

Request:
Content-type: multipart/form-data
The body should contain a part named "file" and the file containing the certificate to be
trusted.
l Set the VxFlex OS Gateway to work with secured communication with the MDM (POST):

/api/gatewaySetSecureCommunication

The VxFlex OS Gateway will not be able to connect to the MDM using non-secured
communication.
l Working with the VxFlex OS Installer REST API
VxFlex OS Installer is an orchestration engine that runs commands from different queues
(nodes and MDM) at different "phases," and labels them as a "process" (such as an upgrade).
The VxFlex OS Installer REST API begins with the /im/ prefix.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 141

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Login to the VxFlex OS Installer REST API must be done via POST to the
j_spring_security_check url, followed by username, password, and the login submission. For
example:

POST https://localhost/j_spring_security_check
Content: "j_username=admin&j_password=Password1&submit=Login"

An operation such as the above will provide a JSESSIONID cookie in the response that should
be used for identification of the session in all the future requests.
For example:

POST "Content-Type: application/json" "Cookie:

JSESSIONID=969F624A761937AE80E6CC9E91756B10" https://localhost/im/types/
Command/instances/actions/retry

n Most VxFlex OS Installer operations require a topology / configuration object as a

parameter (payload) for the REST (HTTP) request in JSON format.
Such an object has the following format:
Note: Each field’s functionality is marked with the /* */ notation—it should not be
used when generating such instance with JSON format {
/* target IP address to send SNMP traps while configuring the Gateway to become an
SNMP sampler */

"snmpIp": null,

/* system installation ID of the system to be used or configured */

"installationId": null,

/* list of all MDM manager IP addresses */

"mdmIPs": ["10.76.1.2", "10.76.1.1", "10.76.1.3"],

/* list of IP addresses from which LIA will only accept connections—if null, accept any
connection */

"safeIPsForLia": null,

/* password/username for MDM and LIA (and LDAP, depending on mode) */

"mdmUser": null,
"mdmPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null,
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,

142 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

/* LIA LDAP initial configuration */

"liaLdapInitialMode": null,
"liaLdapInitialUri": null,
"liaLdapInitialBaseDn": null,
"liaLdapInitialGroup": null,

/* deprecated—not in use */

"licenseKey": null,

/* deprecated—not in use */

"licenseType": null,

/* boolean, indicating whether cluster should be set with high performance profile */

"isClusterOptimized": false,
"upgradeableByCurrentUser": false,
"ignoredSdcs": null,

/* boolean indicating whether system is running */

"upgradeRunning": false,

/* boolean indicating whether current MDM is a cluster (if running) */

"clustered": false,

/* deprecated – not in use */

"secondaryMdm": null,

/* deprecated – not in use */

"tb": null,

/* Map of Protection Domain to Storage Pools */

"pd2Sps": {
"domain1": ["pool1",
"pool2"]
},

/* deprecated - not in use */

"primaryMdm": null

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 143

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

/* deprecated - not in use */

"callHomeConfiguration": null,

/* string describing parameters for remote syslog configuration */

"remoteSyslogConfiguration": null,

/* string describing cluster (Master) version */

"systemVersionName": "",

/* security settings: set whether the process can connect to non-secured LIA/MDM and
whether VxFlex OS components should be configured to be non-secured. (They are
secured by default) */

"securityConfiguration": {
"allowNonSecureCommunicationWithMdm": false,
"allowNonSecureCommunicationWithLia": false,
"dontAutoApproveCertificates": false
"disableNonMgmtComponentsAuth": false

/* cluster virtual IP address list */

"virtualIps": ["10.76.60.203"],

/* enable management-client secure communication */

"securityCommunicationEnabled": false,
"masterMdm": {
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.1"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.195"],
"name": "MDM1",
"id": null,
"ipForActor": null,
"managementIPs": ["10.76.1.1"],
/* virtual interfaces to be used by virtual ip */
"virtIpIntfsList": ["eth1"]
},
"slaveMdmSet": [{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.3"],

144 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},

/* internal data fields - should not be used */

"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,

/* if rollback occurs during upgrade, set which version to rollback to*/

"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.18"],
"name": "MDM3",

/* unique MDM ID */

"id": null,
"ipForActor": null,

/* IP addresses to be used and configured for management */

"managementIPs": ["10.76.1.3"],
"virtIpIntfsList": ["eth1"]
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.2"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "non_root(sudo)",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.17"],
"name": "MDM2",
"id": null,
"ipForActor": null,
"managementIPs": ["10.76.1.2"],
"virtIpIntfsList": ["eth1"]
}],

/* similar to Master MDM */

"tbSet": [{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.33"],

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 145

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.33"],
"name": "TB1",
"id": null,
"tbIPs": ["10.76.60.33"]
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.19"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.19"],
"name": "TB2",
"id": null,
"tbIPs": ["10.76.60.19"]
}],

/* similar to Master MDM */

"standbyMdmSet": [{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.5"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.196"],
"name": "MDMa",
"id": null,
"ipForActor": null,
"managementIPs": ["10.76.1.5"],
"virtIpIntfsList": ["eth1"]
}],

/* similar to Master MDM */

"standbyTbSet": [{
"node": {

146 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.37"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"mdmIPs": ["10.76.60.37"],
"name": "Tba",
"id": null,
"tbIPs": ["10.76.60.37"]
"sdsList": [{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.3"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"sdsName": "SDS_10.76.1.3",

/* Protection Domain name (required) and ID (if it already exists, this is optional) */

"protectionDomain": "domain1",
"protectionDomainId": null,

/* Fault Set ID - if defined */

"faultSet": "fs2",
"faultSetId": "0",
"allIPs": ["10.76.60.18"],
"sdsOnlyIPs": null,
"sdcOnlyIPs": null,
"devices": [{
"devicePath": "\\\\.\\PhysicalDrive1",
"storagePool": "pool1",
"deviceName": null,
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
},
{
"devicePath": "\\\\.\\PhysicalDrive2",
"storagePool": "pool2",
"deviceName": null,
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"rfCached": true,
"rfCachedPools": ["pool1"],
"rfCachedDevices": ["/dev/sdd"],
"rfCacheType": "MEDIA_TYPE_SSD",
"flashAccDevices": [],
"nvdimmAccDevices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/dax0.1",

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 147

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"storagePool": "accp2",
"deviceName": "/dev/dax0.1",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"useRmCache": false,

/* Boolean indicating whether SDS is set to high performance profile */

"optimized": true,
"packageNumber": 0,
"optimizedNumOfIOBufs": 3,
"port": 7072,
"id": "0"
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.2"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "non_root(sudo)",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"sdsName": "SDS_10.76.1.2",
"protectionDomain": "domain1",
"protectionDomainId": null,
"faultSet": "fs1",
"faultSetId": "0",
"allIPs": ["10.76.60.17"],
"sdsOnlyIPs": null,
"sdcOnlyIPs": null,
"devices": [{
"devicePath": "E:",
"storagePool": "pool2",
"deviceName": null,
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"rfCached": true,
"rfCachedPools": [],
"rfCachedDevices": ["/dev/sdd"],
"rfCacheType": "MEDIA_TYPE_SSD",
"flashAccDevices": [],
"nvdimmAccDevices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/dax0.0",
"storagePool": "accp2",
"deviceName": "/dev/dax0.0",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"useRmCache": false,
"optimized": true,
"packageNumber": 0,
"optimizedNumOfIOBufs": 3,
"port": 7072,
"id": "0"
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.1"],
"domain": null,

148 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"sdsName": "SDS_10.76.1.1",
"protectionDomain": "domain1",
"protectionDomainId": null,
"faultSet": "fs1",
"faultSetId": "0",
"allIPs": ["10.76.60.195"],
"sdsOnlyIPs": null,
"sdcOnlyIPs": null,
"devices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/sdb",
"storagePool": "pool1",
"deviceName": "sdb_Device",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
},
{
"devicePath": "/dev/sdc",
"storagePool": "pool1",
"deviceName": "sdc_Device",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"rfCached": true,
"rfCachedPools": ["pool1"],
"rfCachedDevices": ["/dev/sdd"],
"rfCacheType": "MEDIA_TYPE_SSD",
"flashAccDevices": [],
"nvdimmAccDevices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/dax0.0",
"storagePool": "accp2",
"deviceName": "/dev/dax0.0",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"useRmCache": false,
"optimized": true,
"packageNumber": 0,
"optimizedNumOfIOBufs": 3,
"port": 7072,
"id": "0"
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.33"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"sdsName": "SDS1",
"protectionDomain": "domain1",
"protectionDomainId": null,
"faultSet": "fs3",
"faultSetId": "0",
"allIPs": ["10.76.60.33"],
"sdsOnlyIPs": ["10.76.4.4",

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 149

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"10.76.2.2"],
"sdcOnlyIPs": ["10.76.3.3"],
"devices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/sdb",
"storagePool": "pool1",
"deviceName": null,
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
},
{
"devicePath": "/dev/sdc",
"storagePool": "pool2",
"deviceName": null,
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"rfCached": true,
"rfCachedPools": ["pool1"],
"rfCachedDevices": ["/dev/sdd"],
"rfCacheType": "MEDIA_TYPE_SSD",
"flashAccDevices": [],
"nvdimmAccDevices": [{
"devicePath": "/dev/dax0.1",
"storagePool": "accp2",
"deviceName": "/dev/dax0.1",
"maxCapacityInKb": -1
}],
"useRmCache": false,
"optimized": true,
"packageNumber": 0,
"optimizedNumOfIOBufs": 3,
"port": 7072,
"id": "0"
}],
"sdcList": [{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.6"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"guid": null,

/* splitter (RecoverPoint) IP address to replicate the I/O */

"splitterRpaIp": null,
"sdcName": "SDCb",
"isOnESX": null,
"id": "0",

/* Boolean indicating whether SDC should be set to high performance profile */

"optimized": true
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.4"],

150 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"guid": null,
"splitterRpaIp": null,
"sdcName": "SDC3",
"isOnESX": null,
"id": "0",
"optimized": false
},
{
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.1.2"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "non_root(sudo)",
"password": "Password1",
"liaLdapUsername": null,
"liaLdapPassword": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
"nodeInfo": null,
"tunables": null,
"rollbackVersion": null,
"guid": null,
"splitterRpaIp": null,
"sdcName": null,
"isOnESX": null,
"id": "0",
"optimized": true
}],
"volumes": [{
"id": "0",
"name": "vol1",
"volumeSizeInKb": "8000000",
}],
"protectionDomains": [{
"name": "domain1",
"storagePools": [{
"name": "pool1",
"mediaType": "MEDIA_TYPE_HDD",
"externalAccelerationType": "EXTERNAL_ACCELERATION_TYPE_READ",
"dataLayout": "PERFORMANCE_OPTIMIZED",
"compressionMethod": null,
"spefAccPoolName": null,
"shouldApplyZeroPadding": true,
"writeAtomicitySize": null,
"overProvisioningFactor": null,
"maxCompressionRatio": null,
"perfProfile": null
},
{
"name": "pool2",
"mediaType": "MEDIA_TYPE_SSD",
"externalAccelerationType": "EXTERNAL_ACCELERATION_TYPE_WRITE",
"dataLayout": "SPACE_EFFICIENT",
"compressionMethod": "COMPRESSION_METHOD_NONE",
"spefAccPoolName": "accp2",
"shouldApplyZeroPadding": true,
"writeAtomicitySize": null,
"overProvisioningFactor": null,

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 151

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"maxCompressionRatio": null,
"perfProfile": null
}],
"accelerationPools": [{
"name": "accp2",
"mediaType": "MEDIA_TYPE_NVDIMM",
"rfcache": null
}]
}],
}

n The Node object is used as an attribute of each VxFlex OS component (for example, on
which node the MDM is installed), and describes how the node will be accessed:
– via SSH (Linux node with root credentials)
– via WMI (Windows node with admin domain and credentials)
– via LIA (unknown node with null domain, null credentials and LIA password)
For example:

//linux node accessed via SSH

"node": {
"ostype": "unknown",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.48"],
"domain": null,
"userName": null,
"password": null,
"liaPassword": null
},
//unknown node (linux or windows) - accessed via LIA
"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.41"],
"domain": null,
"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaPassword": null
},

n LIA usage—Any post installation operations MUST be done via LIA. Such operations (for
example, upgrades) may fail unless all nodes are targeted to be performed via LIA.

Linux node accessed via SSH

"node": {
"ostype": "unknown",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.48"],
"domain": null,
"userName": null,
"password": null,
"liaPassword": null
},

Unknown node (Linux or Windows) - accessed via LIA

"node": {
"ostype": "linux",
"nodeName": null,
"nodeIPs": ["10.76.60.41"],
"domain": null,

152 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

"userName": "root",
"password": "Password1",
"liaPassword": null
},

How to use VxFlex OS Installer REST API URIs

JSESSION ID must be used to in order to run VxFlex OS Installer REST API URIs. URIs run without
JSESSION ID will fail.
About this task
The following steps can be used to obtain a JSESSION ID.
Procedure
1. Run the following URI:

https://localhost/j_spring_security_check
Content: "j_username=admin&j_password=Password1&submit=Login"
POST

where the user name in the above example is "admin" and the password is "Password1".

2. Find the JSESSION ID in the URI output. For example:

JSESSIONID=969F624A761937AE80E6CC9E91756B10

3. Set the following headers, using the JSESSION ID obtained in the previous steps. For
example:

"Content-Type":"application/json"
"Cookie":"JSESSIONID=969F624A761937AE80E6CC9E91756B10"

Results
The JSESSION ID will be added to the URIs. You may now run any VxFlex OS Installer REST API
URI.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 153

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Figure 3 Example of VxFlex OS Installer REST API URI when JSESSION ID is configured as a header

Deploy a system using the REST API

Follow this workflow and these commands for VxFlex OS deployment using the REST API.
Before you begin
Follow the deployment checklist and preparation guidelines per operating system in this guide,
before you deploy the system using the REST API.
About this task
When using the VxFlex OS Installer REST API to deploy a system, use JSON objects instead of the
CSV file, and the appropriate steps of VxFlex OS Installer REST API commands to perform these
activities:
1. Upload the software packages.
2. Create the JSON configuration from the CSV file.
3. Deploy the system.
The deployment process consist of the following phases: query, upload, install and configure. For
each phase, monitor its progress and when each one is completed, move to the next phase.

154 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

Note: Any post installation operations MUST be performed using LIA. Operations such as
upgrades may fail unless all nodes have been targeted to be accessed via LIA.
To deploy the system, use the following work flow.
Procedure
1. Upload packages to the VxFlex OS Installer:

POST /im/types/InstallationPackages/instances/actions/uploadPackages

2. Create the JSON configuration from the CSV file:

/im/types/Configuration/instances/actions/parseFromCSV

Headers:
l -u <GATEWAY_USERNAME>:<GATEWAY_PASSWORD>
l -F "file=@<FILENAME>", where <FILENAME> must contain the full path

For example:

curl -v -k -X POST -u admin:Password1 -F "file=@c:/deployment/

VxFlex_OS_Complete_Config.csv"

https://254.222.10.123/im/types/Configuration/instances/actions/
parseFromCSV

This command returns the configuration that is used in the next step.
3. Start deployment using the JSON configuration (query phase starts automatically):

/im/types/Configuration/actions/install

Deployment consists of the following phases: query, upload, install and configure.
4. For each phase, check its progress to monitor that it is completed:

/im/types/Command/instances

5. When a phase is completed, move to the next phase:

/im/types/ProcessPhase/actions/moveToNextPhase

6. Repeat the two previous steps until the configuration phase is completed.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 155

Deploying VxFlex OS using the REST API

156 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

PART 4
VxFlex OS VASA

VxFlex OS Installer VASA installation procedures

Chapter 8, "VASA and vVols"

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 157

VxFlex OS VASA

158 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 8
VASA and vVols

Configure VxFlex OS to use VMware's vSphere API for Storage Awareness (VASA).

l Using vVols with VxFlex OS................................................................................................. 160

l VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites...................................................................160
l Installing VASA — Linux....................................................................................................... 161
l Installing VASA — VMware ESXi..........................................................................................161

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 159

VASA and vVols

Using vVols with VxFlex OS

Install the VASA provider in order to support using vVols with VxFlex OS.
In order to use vVols with VxFlex OS, you must install the VASA provider. In Linux-based systems,
you can choose to install the VASA provider during installation of VxFlex OS using the VxFlex OS
Installer. At that point, select whether to use one or three VASA providers. If you want your VASA
support to be highly available, you should install three VASA providers. In the case of an existing
VxFlex OS system, you can add VASA support by extending the existing cluster by adding one or
three VASA providers. This is also done by creating a CSV file and using the VxFlex OS Installer. In
VMware ESXi-based systems, install the VASA provider after deployment of the VxFlex OS system
by creating a CSV file and using the VxFlex OS Installer to extend the system.
If you choose to use three VASA providers, a replication set will be created to enable the three
providers to communicate with each other. This requires additional information to be included in
the CSV file for installation in the VxFlex OS Installer.
After installing the VASA provider, you must register the VASA provider in the vCenter. For more
information, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide.
Once the VASA provider is installed, the VxFlex OS Gateway will trigger SRS/SNMP alerts in case
any of the installed VASA providers is down or has any health problems.

VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites

Note the following limitations when using VxFlex OS's VASA.
Limitations
l Deployment of VxFlex OS's VASA is not prevented on ESXi 5.5, despite the fact that VMware
no longer supports ESXi 5.5.
l The maximum number of volumes is 200K (4,096 mapped volumes per ESXi).
l The VASA can be mapped to a single instance of VxFlex OS.
l A cluster may contain a single VASA provider or three Vasa providers.
l The VASA provider may be installed only on a node which contains an SDC.
l The VASA should be registered with a single vCenter.
l The VASA provider hostname must begin with a letter character.
l The maximum snapshot hierarchy of a vVol is 31.
Before you begin
Ensure that:
l Oracle Java Development Kit 1.8.x must be installed on every host that will run the VASA
provider, and no other Java distribution should be installed.
l For each VASA VM, the DNS server is configured and all ESXis, vCenters, and VASA Storage
Virtual Machines (SVM) are registered on it.
l Each VASA VM's hostname must match the VASA FQDN.
l All components of your environment, including ESXis and vCenters, have their time
synchronized.
l A Storage Data Client (SDC) is installed on the ESXi on which you want to deploy VASA.

160 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 VASA and vVols

l VxFlex OS is deployed and registered in the vCenter.

Installing VASA — Linux

The VASA provider can be installed as part of the VxFlex OS installation by adding information to
the CSV file, or as part of an extend operation after deployment.
In a Linux-based system, the VASA provider can be installed during deployment of VxFlex OS, or
by extending an existing VxFlex OS. The following fields must be included in the CSV file:
l Is Vasa Provider
l Vasa Provider IP (optional)
l Vasa Provider Port (optional)
For detailed information on these fields, see Table 5 on page 49.
Follow the general deployment instructions outlined in Deployment workflow—Linux on page 18.
After the VASA provider is installed, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide for post-
installation VASA and vVols configurations.

Installing VASA — VMware ESXi

Installing VASA in a VMware ESXi-based system must be performed after VxFlex OS is deployed.
After deploying VxFlex OS using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in deployment wizard, you can install
the VASA provider. The following are the main steps in the VxFlex OS VASA installment workflow:
1. Prepare a CSV file for your VxFlex OS system using the Minimal spreadsheet (as described in
Prepare the CSV file on page 46) and include the following additional fields:
l Is Vasa Provider
l Vasa Provider IP (optional)
l VASA Provider Port (optional)
2. In the gatewayUser.properties file, set the vmware property to false. For more details,
see Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties on page 30.
3. In the VxFlex OS plug-in, start the VxFlex OS Installer and proceed with the steps to extend
the system, as described in Deploy VxFlex OS with DirectPath device management on page
112.
After the VASA provider is installed, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex OS Guide for post-
installation VASA and vVols configurations.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 161

VASA and vVols

162 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

PART 5
Post-deployment tasks

Perform post-deployment tasks described in this section.

After performing these tasks, continue to the "Configure and Customize VxFlex OS" section for
further configuration steps as required.

Chapter 9, "Post-deployment tasks"

Chapter 10, "Licensing"

Chapter 11, "What to do next"

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 163

Post-deployment tasks

164 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 9
Post-deployment tasks

Perform these post-deployment tasks immediately after deployment.

l Port usage........................................................................................................................... 166

l Change the SDC driver wait time in Veritas cluster server environments (Linux servers only)
.............................................................................................................................................166
l Analyze the VxFlex OS system using the system analysis tool............................................. 166

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 165

Post-deployment tasks

Port usage
If you are using a firewall to protect your network, and need to enable ports and IP addresses,
refer to the VxFlex OS Security Configuration Guide. This guide contains information about port
usage for all components, and what to modify in case port numbers need to be changed.

Change the SDC driver wait time in Veritas cluster server

environments (Linux servers only)
Configure Linux-based SDCs running in a Veritas Cluster Server (VCS) software environment.
About this task
When a server running VCS software on top of VxFlex OS volumes is rebooted, the VCS virtual
devices may enter failed state. This is due to a change introduced in VxFlex OS v2.0, that can
cause the SDC driver to temporarily hang, and the VxFlex OS volumes to appear only after a 45-
second delay during machine boot. When the VCS devices enter the failed state, manual
intervention is required to refresh them, using VCS command line utilities.
To bypass this issue, perform the following steps on every server running the SDC, after installing
the SDC:
Procedure
1. Open the file /etc/init.d/scini with a text editor.
2. In the line that calls drv_cfg --boot_wait, add this text: --seconds 2
The corrected line should look like this:

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --boot_wait --seconds 2

3. Save the edited file.

Results
This change shortens the SDC driver's wait time on the MDM during machine reboot and (in most
of the cases) will prevent the driver hang issue. In the very rare case where the SDC did not
receive its first MDM update in 2 seconds, the VxFlex OS volumes will appear only after 45
seconds, causing the VCS devices to fail as described above. If this happens, use VCS command
line utilities to rediscover the SDC volumes.

Analyze the VxFlex OS system using the system analysis tool

It is highly recommended that you analyze the VxFlex OS system using the VxFlex OS system
analysis tool immediately after deployment, before provisioning volumes or using the system in
production.
Note: The tool can only be used with the Linux- and ESXi-based systems mentioned in this
topic.
VxFlex OS system analysis allows you to identify potential issues with the VxFlex OS system that
may prevent best performance. Using the system analysis tool, you can detect any potential issues
in the system, and then rectify them before provisioning and using the system in a production
environment.
You can also use the tool to check the health of a system that is already operational.

166 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Post-deployment tasks

The system analysis tool is invoked from the VxFlex OS Installer. The analysis checks the following:
l VxFlex OS components are up and running
l Ping between two relevant nodes in the system
l Connectivity within the VxFlex OS configuration (for example, connectivity between SDSs
within a Protection Domain, connection of SDCs with the cluster virtual IP address)
l Network configuration
l RAID controller and device configuration
Environment requirements and prerequisites
1. Supports servers running on the following operating systems:
l RHEL 6.x, 7.x
l SLES 12.x, SLES 15
l ESXi 6.0, 6.5, 6.7
2. All servers must have the following third-party tools installed on them:
l Netcat
l StorCLI or PercCLI
l smartctl
3. Requires a VxFlex OS Gateway server:
l On a Linux or Windows Gateway server; VxFlex OS is tested on RHEL 6.x and 7.x, on SLES
12.2, 12.3, 12.4, and 15, and on Windows Server 2012R2, 2016, and 2019.
l At least 1 GB of free disk space per node in the system.
4. A web browser that is supported by the VxFlex OS Installer.
5. Supports LSI RAID controller cards.
6. Supports IPv4/IPv6 network configuration.
7. Supports iproute2. Newer operating systems, such as RHEL 7.x, use iproute2 commands.
Best-practice recommendation
1. Deploy VxFlex OS.
2. Analyze the system to identify issues that should be fixed.
3. Fix any issues.
4. Analyze the system to verify that the issues have been fixed.
5. When the system meets your satisfaction, you can move it into production.
Limitations and compatibility
l On servers with MegaRAID, the RAID function analysis is not supported. Only StorCLI is
supported.
l RFcache analysis is not performed.
l NVDIMM analysis is not performed.
l Due to default Internet Explorer settings, to expand a report you may need to grant permission
for IE to run scripts. For more information, see the version release notes.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 167

Post-deployment tasks

Create the system analysis report

Create and display the VxFlex OS system analysis report using the VxFlex OS system analysis tool.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have access to the following:
l A web browser that supports the VxFlex OS Installer
l IP address of the VxFlex OS Gateway server
l The VxFlex OS Gateway username (default: admin) and password (defined during deployment)
l Master MDM IP address, username, and password (defined during deployment)
l LIA password
Note: In 2-layer systems where SDCs are ESXi-based, no LIA passwords are required.

l Root password (for ESXi-based servers)

l IP addresses of ESXi-based SDCs in your network that are running VxFlex OS versions earlier
than version 2.0.1
Procedure
1. Log in to the VxFlex OS Installer, located at https://<IGW_Server_IP_address> ,
where <GW_Server_IP_address> is the IP address of the server on which the VxFlex OS
Gateway package is installed.
The default username is admin.

The Installer window is displayed.

2. Generate the system analysis report:
a. Click the Maintain tab.
The Maintenance operation window is displayed.
If a warning is displayed that indicates a previous operation is not completed, it means
that the last VxFlex OS Installer operation was not marked as complete. To continue,
click the Monitor tab, mark the operation complete, and then return to the Maintain tab.
b. Enter the authentication credentials:
l Master MDM IP address, username, and password
l LIA password (Linux-based systems only)

c. Click Retrieve system topology.

If ESXi-based servers exist in the system, a window displaying the servers appears. ESXi
servers that are automatically recognized are already selected. Other servers on which
SDCs from earlier VxFlex OS versions are installed may also be displayed. Select the
servers that are ESXi-based, and enter their root passwords in the corresponding boxes.
d. Click System Log & Analysis > Analyze System.
e. Monitor the progress of the system analysis in the Monitor tab.
When the process completes (which could take several minutes), a Download report link
is displayed.
f. Click the Download report link.

168 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Post-deployment tasks

The report is saved as a ZIP archive in the default download location of the server on
which the report was run.
g. To make the VxFlex OS Installer available for subsequent operations, click Mark
operation completed.
3. Display the analysis report:
a. Extract the downloaded file.
The file includes the VxFlexOSSystemDiagnosisReport.html analysis file, and
several TGZ files (one for each node in the dumps folder).
b. Double-click VxFlexOSSystemDiagnosisReport.html.
Note: Use Internet Explorer 10 or higher to view the system analysis report.

Results
The System Diagnosis Summary report is displayed in the default web browser on your
computer.

System analysis report description

This topic describes how to get the most benefit from the system analysis report.
At the top of the report, the Diagnosis Summary shows the number of the issues that have been
detected system-wide. The summary shows the following categories:
l Node analysis
n How many nodes are analyzed
n How many nodes could not be analyzed
n How many nodes have issues
l Severity analysis
n How many issues of each severity level were found

When the analysis first opens, the major sections are shown in summary form. You can expand
them to show detailed diagnostic reports, as follows:

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 169

Post-deployment tasks

l VxFlex OS components:
This section of the report shows the non-running VxFlex OS server components, that is, SDS,
SDC, and MDM. Failure of these components may affect system performance and data
availability. Each of the VxFlex OS server components supports the following functionality:
n SDS server
The SDS (Storage Data Server) manages the capacity of a single server and acts as the
back-end for data access. The SDS is installed on all the servers contributing storage
devices to the VxFlex OS system. Failure of an SDS may affect the cluster performance and
data availability.
n SDC server
The SDC (Storage Data Client) server is installed on each server that needs access the
VxFlex OS storage and it is the gateway to the VxFlex OS storage. Failure of an SDC server
denies its application access to the VxFlex OS storage.
n MDM server
The MDM (Meta Data Manager) server controls and monitors the VxFlex OS system.
Failure of an MDM may affect the cluster performance and data availability.
l Network:
This section of the report checks the connectivity between various VxFlex OS components, as
well as the NIC configuration and performance. The network issues may impact the system
performance and data availability.

n Connectivity
Performing pings between VxFlex OS components leads to detecting and resolving
connectivity-related issues in the system. If the regular pings succeed, then the MTU pings,
followed by the Netcat pings are performed to the ports used by the VxFlex OS application.
If virtual IP addresses are assigned to the MDMs in the cluster, a logical host, called MDM
cluster is displayed (represented by a blue host icon) in the analysis report. The following
issues are tested:
– SDC connectivity with the virtual IP addresses.

170 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Post-deployment tasks

– All virtual IP addresses are configured.

– Only one physical node is configured to use the virtual IP address.
To view specific information:
– To view the node details, click the node icon.
– To view connectivity issues, click the X symbol
n NIC Configuration and Performance
This section of the report displays the configurations that do not meet the best practice
recommendations described in the user documentation.
n MDM cluster
Shows status of virtual IP addresses assigned to the MDMs in the cluster.
l Storage:
The Storage section of the report describes the issues associated with the RAID controllers,
storage devices, and Storage Pool configurations.
n RAID Controller
Describes the issues related to the physical disks
n Devices
Describes the list of problematic or potentially problematic storage devices
n Media Type
Indicates Storage Pools with non-homogeneous disk performance (usually caused by non-
homogeneous device media type)
l Nodes (groups all of the reported issues per node): Describes the detected issues, as listed
above, grouped by node
You can show more (or less) information, as follows:
l
Use the expand ( ) button and + symbol to drill down.
l
Use the collapse ( ) button and – symbol to hide information.
The following figure shows an example of the display when the report is expanded.

You can show additional details of an error by clicking the ( ) icon. A pop-up window similar to the
following is displayed.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 171

Post-deployment tasks

The following table describes how to navigate the analysis information:

To display this... Click this symbol...

Diagnosis Summary

VxFlex OS component issues, sorted according

to SDS, SDC, and MDM.

Network connectivity (including virtual IP

address configuration) and NICs

Storage, including RAID controller, devices,

and Storage Pool uniformity

Nodes, displayed according to IP address and

system role

Collapse a list

Expand a list

Open a pop-up containing Diagnosis, Business

Impact, and Suggested Solution information.

The following table describes other symbols and interface elements used in the analysis report
display:

Symbol / Interface Elements Description

All connectivity tests passed

172 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Post-deployment tasks

Symbol / Interface Elements Description

Connectivity issues were detected (for more

information, click the symbol)
or

Connectivity matrix background: all pertinent

connectivity tools are available
(black background)

Connectivity matrix background: connectivity

tests could not be performed, due to a
missing tool
(brown background)

Error counters:
l Red - Error
l Orange - Warning
l Blue - Info

All connectivity test tools are available for use

on the node

Some connectivity tests could not be

performed on this node, due to missing tools
(for more information, click the symbol)

A logical host, that represents the MDM

cluster, when virtual IP addresses are
configured

Note: An empty cell in the connectivity matrix indicates that no connectivity check was
performed. In such cases, no connectivity is expected.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 173

Post-deployment tasks

174 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 10
Licensing

l VxFlex OS Licensing.............................................................................................................176

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 175

Licensing

VxFlex OS Licensing
VxFlex OS installations are enabled to be fully functional for non-production environments.
However, a license is required to use VxFlex OS in a production environment.
VxFlex OS licenses are purchased by total physical device capacity (in TB). You can activate your
licensed capacity over multiple VxFlex OS systems—each system with its unique installation ID.
For example, your purchase order may have been for 1000 TB. Your License Authorization Code
(LAC) will entitle you to activate all, or part of that. You can activate 500 TB for one VxFlex OS
system, and leave the rest for another activation, for the same, or for a different system.
To obtain a license for production use, and to receive technical support, open a service ticket with
EMC Support at https://support.emc.com.
When you purchase a license entitlement for VxFlex OS, an email containing the LAC is sent to you
or your purchasing department with a link to the Dell EMC Software Licensing Central website.
The LAC is needed to complete the entitlement activation process on the licensing site, which is
part of the online support portal located at http://support.emc.com.
If you cannot find the LAC email, you can use the Software Licensing Central website to find your
license entitlements.

Activate an entitlement and download the license file using the License
Authorization Code
Use this procedure to activate the entitlements and download the license file when you have
access to the License Authorization Code (LAC) email. The entitlements are the usage rights that
you have purchased for the specific host machine.
Before you begin
Ensure that the following are readily available.
l LAC email
l Sales order number
Procedure
1. Identify the VxFlex OS system's installation ID:
l To identify the ID using the VxFlex OS CLI, log in to the SCLI and run:

scli --query_license

The installation ID is displayed:

Installation ID: 0123456789abcdef

l To identify the ID using the GUI, in the GUI main window click the menu next to the user
name (upper-right corner) and select About.
The installation ID is displayed in the About window. VxFlex OS
2. Click the link in the LAC email, and log in.
The link takes you directly to the Software Licensing Central page.
3. Enter the LAC and click Search.
An online wizard assists you with the entitlement activation process.

176 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Licensing

4. On the Select Products page, select the product to activate and then click Start the
Activation Process.
5. On the Company Details page, confirm (or update) your company's information and then
click Select a Machine.
6. On the Select a Machine page, select the machine on which to activate the product and
then click Save Machine & Continue.
Click Search to locate an existing machine (one on which EMC product was previously
activated), or add a new machine.
Note: In the context of the activatation process, a machine is a VxFlex OS system,
which can include multiple servers.

7. On the Enter Details page, enter the quantity of the entitlement in TB to activate on the
machine and the VxFlex OS installation ID identified previously.
To allocate the available capacity over multiple machines, select less than the full amount
available and repeat the activation process on the other machines.

8. Click Next.
9. On the Review page, review your selections.
Note: The license key will be emailed to the username logged in to the licensing system.
To send it to more recipients, click Email to more people and enter their email
addresses.

10. Click Activate.

After you finish

After you receive the license key, continue by installing the license in the system.

Activate an entitlement without an LAC

The License Authorization Code is needed to complete the entitlement activation process for your
VxFlex OS system. If you cannot find the LAC email, use this procedure to activate the
entitlements and download the license file. The entitlements are the usage rights that you have
purchased for the specific host machine.
Before you begin
Ensure that the sales order number for the VxFlex OS system is readily available.
Procedure
1. Identify the VxFlex OS system's installation ID:
l To identify the ID using the VxFlex OS CLI, log in to the SCLI and run:

scli --query_license

The installation ID is displayed:

Installation ID: 0123456789abcdef

l To identify the ID using the VxFlex OS GUI, in the GUI main window click the menu next
to the user name (upper-right corner) and select About.
The installation ID is displayed in the About window.

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 177

Licensing

2. Log in to the support site, located at http://support.emc.com.

If you are a new user, create a new user account.
3. From the Support Tasks list, select Manage Licenses and Usage Intelligence.
4. On the Manage Licenses page, select VxFlex OS Software.
The browser directs you to Software Licensing Central.
5. On the Powerlink Licensing page, click View Entitlements.
6. On the Powerlink Licensing - Search Entitlements page, type the sales order number, and
then click Search Entitlements.
7. Select the entitlement to activate from the list of entitlements, and then select Options >
Activate.
An online wizard assists you with the entitlement activation process.

8. On the Company Details page, confirm (or update) your company's information and then
click Select a Machine.
9. On the Select a Machine page, select the machine on which to activate the product and
then click Save Machine & Continue.
Click Search to locate an existing machine (one on which a Dell EMC product was
previously activated), or add a new machine.
Note: In the context of the activatation process, a machine is a VxFlex OS system,
which can include multiple servers.

10. On the Enter Details page, enter the quantity of the entitlement in TB to activate on the
machine and the VxFlex OS installation ID identified previously.
To allocate the available capacity over multiple machines, select less than the full amount
available and repeat the activation process on the other machines.

11. Click Next.

12. On the Review page, review your selections.
Note: The license key will be emailed to the username that is logged in to the licensing
system. To send it to more recipients, click Email to more people and enter their email
addresses.

13. Click Activate.

After you finish

After you receive the license key, continue by installing the license in the system.

Install the license

After activating the entitlements, install the VxFlex OS license in the system.
About this task

Procedure
1. Locate the email containing the VxFlex OS license key.
2. Click the link in the email and download the license file to the Master MDM server.

178 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

 Licensing

3. Install the license:

scli --set_license --license_file <license_file>

where <license_file> is the full path to the license file.

For example:

scli --set_license --license_file /tmp/0239SH4SS89023T6.lic

The VxFlex OS license is now installed in the MDM cluster.

Note: Actual command syntax is operating-system dependent. For more information,
see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

Licensing error messages

The following table lists error messages that may be generated by the system, and their
troubleshooting solutions.

Table 9 Licensing error messages

Error Message Description Solution

The license key is invalid or The license key is invalid. Contact support.
does not match this version.
Contact Support.

The current system More capacity has been Reduce capacity, or extend
configuration exceeds the installed than the license the license capacity.
license entitlements. allows.

Operation could not be When you try to add an SDS Do not add the SDS or device,
completed. The license or device, it will cause the or extend the license
capacity has been exceeded. licensed capacity to be capacity.
exceeded.

The license key is too long The license file is larger than Check the accuracy of the
expected. license key.

The license has expired The duration of the license Extend the duration of the
has ended. license.

The license installation ID When the Installation ID was Contact support.

does not match the ID of this entered in the ELM, it may
system have been incorrect.

The license contains a The license key is invalid. Contact support.

mismatch of the SWID.
Contact Support.

The issuer of the license you The license key is invalid. Contact support.
are attempting to add does
not match that of the product

The license contains a The capacity licensed for Contact support.

mismatch of the capacity basic features is not equal to

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 179

Licensing

Table 9 Licensing error messages (continued)

Error Message Description Solution

values for basic and advanced the capacity licensed for

features. Contact Support. advanced feature.

View license information

You can view current license information using either the VxFlex OS CLI or the GUI.
l To view license information using the CLI, run:

scli --query_license

Note: Actual command syntax is operating-system dependent. For more information, see
the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
l To view license information from the VxFlex OS GUI:
1. From the Preferences menu (upper-right corner), select Systems Settings.
The System Settings window displays license and certificate information.

180 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x

CHAPTER 11
What to do next

This section describes the next steps for using VxFlex OS following deployment.

l What to do next................................................................................................................... 182

Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x 181

What to do next

What to do next
Once you have deployed VxFlex OS, proceed to the post-installation tasks in the Configure and
Customize VxFlex OS Guide, and perform mandatory and optional configuration tasks.

182 Deploy Dell EMC VxFlex OS v3.x