DELL UNITY

IMPLEMENTATION AND
ADMINISTRATION
MODULE 1

PARTICIPANT GUIDE

PARTICIPANT GUIDE
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Table of Contents

System Administration ............................................................................. 4

User Interfaces and Access Control......................................................................... 5

Administrative User Interfaces - Unisphere .......................................................................... 6
Administrative User Interfaces - Unisphere CLI or UEMCLI ................................................. 9
Administrative User Interfaces - REST API ........................................................................ 12
Access Control - User Authentication ................................................................................. 13
Access Control - Default User Accounts ............................................................................ 16
Access Control - Role-Based Administration ...................................................................... 18
Centralized Management - Unisphere Central ................................................................... 19
Centralized Management - CloudIQ ................................................................................... 23

Basic System Settings............................................................................................. 29

Unisphere Settings............................................................................................................. 30
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Licenses .................................................................. 31
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - System Time ........................................................... 33
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Schedule Time Zone ............................................... 35
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Domain Name Servers ............................................ 37
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Management Port Network Address ........................ 39
Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Failback Policy ........................................................ 41

Support Configuration ............................................................................................. 43

Configure Support Settings - Proxy Server......................................................................... 44
Configure Support Settings - Dell Support Credentials ....................................................... 46
Configure Support Settings - Contact Information .............................................................. 48
Secure Connect Gateway (SCG) ....................................................................................... 50
Configure Support Settings - Secure Connect Gateway ..................................................... 54
Secure Connect Gateway - Readiness Check ................................................................... 56
Secure Connect Gateway Configuration - Integrated ......................................................... 62
Secure Connect Gateway Configuration - Centralized ....................................................... 69
Activity: Unisphere Tour ..................................................................................................... 72

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 Unisphere Alerts and Events Monitoring ............................................................... 73
Unisphere Alerts and Events Monitoring ............................................................................ 74
Unisphere System Alerts.................................................................................................... 75
System Alerts Severity Levels ............................................................................................ 76
System Alerts States.......................................................................................................... 78
Manage Alerts.................................................................................................................... 79
View Alerts Details ............................................................................................................. 80
Configure Alert Notifications - Email ................................................................................... 82
Configure Alert Notifications - SNMP ................................................................................. 85
System Jobs Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 89
System Logs Monitoring..................................................................................................... 90
Add Remote Logging Configuration ................................................................................... 91
Edit Remote Logging Configuration ................................................................................... 94
System Administration Key Points ..................................................................................... 96

Appendix ................................................................................................. 99

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System Administration

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 User Interfaces and Access Control

User Interfaces and Access Control

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User Interfaces and Access Control

Administrative User Interfaces - Unisphere

Overview

Enter the IP address of the Dell

Unity management interface

Enter the user credentials to log

into the storage system

Unisphere login

The Unisphere user interface is a web-based software that is built on the HTML5
technology with support on a wide range of browsers1.

Unisphere enables the configuration, and management of a single Dell Unity

storage system (physical models or UnityVSA) from one single interface.

1The supported browsers are: Google Chrome v33 or later, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla
Firefox v28 or later, and Apple Safari v6 or later.

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The interface provides an overall view of what is happening in the environment plus
an intuitive way to manage the storage array.

Launch Unisphere by entering the IP address of the storage system management

port in the URL address of a supported web browser.

Provide the user and password to log into the system.

Interface Navigation

Sub Menus Top Menu

Navigation
Pane Main Page

Unisphere interface showing the System View content page

The Unisphere interface has four main areas which are used for navigation and
visualization of the content:

• The Navigation Pane has the Unisphere options for storage provisioning, host
access, data protection and mobility, system operation monitoring, and support.
• The Main Page is where the pertinent information about options from the
navigation pane and a particular submenu is displayed. The page also shows
the available actions that can be performed for the selected object.

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• The Top Menu has links for system alarms, job notifications, help menu, the
Unisphere preferences, global system settings, and the CloudIQ.
• The Sub Menus provide various tabs, links, and more options for the selected
item from the navigation pane.

Dashboard

View Block

Unisphere Dashboard with menu and submenu options, and view blocks

The Unisphere main dashboard provides a quick view of the system health and
storage health status.

A storage administrator can configure new dashboards by selecting Add and

providing a name.

The customized dashboards can be renamed and deleted using the dashboard
submenu.

Dashboard view blocks provide a summary of system storage usage, system

alerts, and storage resources health status. The view blocks can be added to a
dashboard, renamed or removed.

To add view blocks, open the selected dashboard submenu and select Customize.

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Administrative User Interfaces - Unisphere CLI or UEMCLI

Overview

The Unisphere CLI or UEMCLI enables a storage administrator to script some of

the most commonly performed tasks in the Dell Unity storage system.

Unisphere CLI enables you to run commands on a Dell Unity storage system from
a host with the Unisphere CLI client installed.
• Unisphere CLI supports provisioning and management of network block and
file-based storage.
• The Unisphere CLI client can be downloaded from the online support website
and installed on a Microsoft Windows or UNIX/Linux computer.

The application is intended for advanced users who want to use commands in
scripts for automating routine tasks.

The routine tasks include:

• Configuring and monitoring the system
• Managing users
• Provisioning storage
• Protecting data
• Controlling host access to storage

Command Syntax

The command syntax begins with the executable uemcli, using switches and
qualifiers as described here.

uemcli [<switches>] <object path> [<object qualifier>]

<action> [<action qualifiers>]

Where:
• Switches: Used to access a system, upload files to the system, and manage
security certificates.

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• Object: Type of object on which to perform an action, such as a user, host,

LDAP setting.
• Object qualifier: Unique identifiers for objects in the system. The format is -
<identifier> <value>.
• Action: Operations that are performed on an object or object type. Examples of
actions are create and set.
• Action qualifier: Parameters specific to actions. Examples of action qualifiers
are -passwd and -role.

Example

Example of an UEMCLI command output

In the example, the Unisphere CLI command displays the general settings for a
physical Unity storage system.
• Access a Dell Unity 300F system using the management port with IP address
192.168.1.230.
− The first time a Unity system is accessed the command displays the system
certificate. (Not shown here.)

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− The storage administrator has the choice to accept it only for the session or
accept and store it for all sessions.
• Log into the system with the provided local admin user credentials.
• Retrieves the array's general settings and outputs its details on the screen.

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Administrative User Interfaces - REST API

REST API is a set of resources, operations, and attributes that interact with the
Unisphere management functionality.

Example of REST API script

A storage administrator can perform some automated routines on the array using
web browsers, and programming and scripting languages.

Deep Dive: For more details, read the Unisphere Management REST
API Programmer’s Guide available on the online support website.

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Access Control - User Authentication

There are two user authentication scopes for Dell Unity storage systems: Local
User Accounts or Domain-mapped User Accounts.

Local User Account

Local Users Management in Unisphere

Storage administrator can create local user accounts through the User
Management section of the Unisphere UI Settings window.

These user accounts are associated with distinct roles. Each account provide a
user name and password authentication only for the system on which they were
created.

User accounts do not enable the management of multiple systems unless identical
credentials are created on each system.

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LDAP

Configuration of LDAP Server access In Unisphere Settings

With the domain-mapped user accounts method, access to a Lightweight Directory

Access Protocol (LDAP) domain must be configured in the Directory Services.

Once the configuration is set, a storage administrator can create LDAP users or
LDAP Groups in the User Management section of the Unisphere Settings window.

These accounts use the user name and password that is specified on an LDAP
domain server. Integrating the system into an existing LDAP environment provides
a way to control user and user group access to the system through Unisphere CLI
or Unisphere.

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The concept of a storage domain does not exist for Dell Unity systems.
There is no Global authentication scope.
The user authentication and system management operations are
performed over the network using industry standard protocols.
• Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
• Secure Shell (SSH)

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Access Control - Default User Accounts

Dell Unity storage systems have factory default management and service user
accounts. Use these accounts when initially accessing and configuring Unity.

These accounts can access both Unisphere and Unisphere CLI interfaces but have
distinct privileges of operations they can perform.

During the initial configuration process, it is mandatory to change the passwords for
the default admin and service accounts.

Account Username Password Privileges

Type

Management admin Password123# Perform management and monitoring

tasks that are associated with the
storage system and its storage
resources. Depending on the role
type, these accounts have
administrator privileges for resetting
default passwords, configuring system
settings, creating user accounts, and
allocating storage.

Service service service Perform specialized service

operations such as collecting system
service information, restarting
management software, resetting the
system to factory defaults, and so on.
You cannot create or delete storage
system service accounts. You can
reset the service account password
from Unisphere.

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Tip: You can reset the storage system factory default account
passwords by pressing the password reset button on the storage
system chassis. Read the Unisphere Online Help and the Hardware
Information Guide for more information.

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Access Control - Role-Based Administration

For environments with more than one person managing the Unity system, multiple
unique administrative accounts can be created.
• Different roles can be defined for those accounts to distribute administrative
tasks between users.
• Unisphere accounts combine a unique user name and password with a specific
role for each identity.
• The specified role determines the types of actions that the user can perform
after login.

This table describes each of the supported Dell Unity management user roles.

Management Allowed Operations

Role

Administrator Full administrative privileges for storage configuration and

(default) operations.
• Perform the system initial configuration, edit system settings,
and manage user accounts.
• Create, modify, and delete storage resources, and upgrade
system software.

Storage View the storage system data, edit the Unisphere settings, use
Administrator the Unisphere tools, and create, modify, and delete storage
resources.

Security Operator privileges for storage operations plus full security

Administrator privileges for managing the Dell Unity user accounts.

Operator View Unisphere system and storage status information.

VM View and monitor basic storage components of the Dell Unity

Administrator storage system through vCenter with VASA.

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Centralized Management - Unisphere Central

Overview
Hosts

Supported Dell storage arrays

Remote computer accessing Unisphere
Central

Virtual Appliance running

Unisphere Central Server

ESXi Host

Unisphere Central theory of operations

Storage administrators can monitor Dell Unity systems (physical models and
UnityVSA) using Unisphere Central.

Unisphere Central is a centralized application that enables administrators to

remotely monitor the status, activity, and resources of multiple storage systems that
reside on a common network.

The Unisphere Central server is a vApp deployed on a VMware environment from

an OVF template downloaded from the support web site.
• When deploying the OVF template, you can assign an IP address for the
Unisphere Central server.
• This operation can be performed within vCenter or in the console of the VM on
an ESXi host.

Storage administrators can remotely access the application from a client host, and
check their storage environment.

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Interface Navigation

Navigation
Pane Main Page

Unisphere Central interface showing all the monitored Unity systems

Administrators use a single interface to rapidly access the systems that need
attention or maintenance.
• Unisphere Central server obtains aggregated status, alerts and host details
from the monitored systems.
• The server also collects performance and capacity metrics, and storage usage
information.

The Navigation Pane on the left has the Unisphere Central options for filtering and
displaying information about the monitored storage systems.

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The application displays all information for options selected from the navigation
pane on the Main Page. In the example, the Systems page shows the storage
systems the instance of Unisphere Central monitors.

The Unisphere Central user interface is built on the HTML5 technology with support
on a wide range of browsers2.

Configuration

To start monitoring a Dell Unity system, the storage administrator must configure
the storage array to communicate with Unisphere Central.

Unisphere Settings steps to enable system monitoring through Unisphere Central

2The compatible web browsers are: Google Chrome v33 or later, Microsoft Edge,
Mozilla Firefox v28 or later, and Apple Safari v6 or later.

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Open the Unisphere Settings window, and then go to the Management section.
1. Select Unisphere Central.
2. Select Configure this storage system for Unisphere Central.
3. Enter the IP address of the Unisphere Central server.
− If the security policy on the Unisphere Central server was set to manual, no
further configuration is necessary.
4. Select the Use additional security information from Unisphere Central if the
security policy on the server is set to Automatic.
− Then retrieve the security information from the server.
5. Enter the security information configured in the Unisphere Central server, and
click Apply to save the changes

a. Type the Unisphere Central Certificate Hash.

b. Type and confirm the eight characters long Challenge Phrase.

Deep Dive: For more information, read the latest white paper on
Unisphere Central available in the product support site.

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Centralized Management - CloudIQ

Overview

The Dell EMC Unity system collects metrics at certain intervals and sends the data to ESRS

- Alerts = 5 min - Configuration = 1 hour

- Performance = 5 min - Data collects = Daily

- Capacity = 1 hour

User Environment Dell Environment

SRS Infrastrucuture

Data is sent to
the Cloud

External
Firewall
Public
Internet

Authorization
Encrypted Externa
files l
Firewall

CloudIQ access supports a

SRS Client Dell Customer Support diversity of clients / browsers

CloudIQ theory of operations

CloudIQ is a Cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution used to monitor

and service Dell Unity systems.
• CloudIQ is a Dell-hosted service that uses data collected by the Secure
Connect Gateway.
− Secure Connect Gateway also known as Secure Remote Services (SRS) is
a secure, bi-directional connection between the Dell products in user
environments and the Dell Support infrastructure.
− Configured Unity storage systems collect several metrics at various
predetermined time intervals and send the information to the SRS
infrastructure.
• The CloudIQ functionality is embedded into the Dell Unity OE code and is free
of cost requiring no license.

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Administrators can monitor supported systems and perform basic service actions.
• The feature enables the access to near real-time analytics from anywhere at
any time.
• The CloudIQ interface is accessible using a web browser from any location.

Interface Navigation

CloudIQ Interface Overview page

Navigation through the CloudIQ interface is done by selecting a menu option on the
left pane. The selected information is displayed on the right pane.

CloudIQ provides dashboard views of all connected systems, displaying key

information such as performance and capacity trending and predictions.

The Overview page widgets provide storage administrators with a quick check of
the overall systems.
• Default widgets include system health scores, cybersecurity risks, system alerts,
capacity approaching full, reclaimable storage, performance impacts, and
systems needing updates.
• The System Health widget provides a summary of the health scores of all the
monitored systems.

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System Health

RED Status: POOR (0 - 69)

AMBER Status: FAIR (70 - 89)

GREEN Status: GOOD (90 - 100)

Component Configuration Capacity Perforrmance Data Protection

System Health page with filtered view of the monitored Unity systems

The System Health page is broken into Storage, Networking, HCI, Service and
Data Protection systems categories.

The page uses the proactive health score feature to display the health of a single or
aggregated systems in the format of:
• A score that is shown as a number.
− Systems are given a score with 100 being the top score and 0 being the
lowest.
• A color that is associated with the score.

CloudIQ services running in the background collect data on each of the five
categories: components, configuration, capacity, performance, and data protection.
• A set of rules is used to determine the impact point of these core factors on the
system.
• The total score is based on the number of impact points across the five
categories.

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Individual System

Category with
impact points

CloudIQ individual system summary view

Selecting an individual system from the System Health view opens a summary
page with key system information divided into tabs: health, configuration, capacity,
and performance.

The summary landing page is the Health tab showing the system health score and
the total of issues that are found in each category.

From the Health tab, additional information about the cause can be retrieved by
selecting the affected category.

In this example, the Unity system Test_Dev is selected and the Health tab shows a
score of 60 (status = poor).
• The RED color is used to identify the system status and category with impact
points that are causing the condition.
• The problem is at the storage capacity level. There are three issues reported:
three storage pools are full.

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Storage Pool

Impact points

CloudIQ pool properties page

To view a details about the pools provisioned by the monitored system:

• Select the Pools option under the Capacity section.
• Select the pool from the list and the Properties page for the individual resource
is displayed.

The Properties page shows detailed information including the system health status
at the capacity level, with the score impact points and the number of issues.

The Capacity tab displays the used and free capacity in the pool, and the time to
reach a full state.

The Performance tab enables a storage administrator to view the top performance
storage objects

The STORAGE tab on the bottom of the page shows storage objects that are
created from the pool.

The VIRTUAL MACHINES tab shows information about the VMs using the
provisioned storage resource.

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The DRIVES tab shows the number of drives, drive types, and capacity that is used
to create the storage pool.

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 Basic System Settings

Basic System Settings

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Basic System Settings

Unisphere Settings

From the Unisphere Settings window, a storage administrator can configure the
global settings and parameters for a Dell Unity system.

Unisphere Settings window

Open the Settings configuration window by selecting its icon from the top menu.
Supported operations include:
• Monitor installed licenses.
• Manage users and groups that can access the system.
• Configure the network environment.
• Enable centralized management.
• Enable logging of system events to a remote log server.
• Start and pause FAST suite feature operations.
• Register support credentials, and enable Secure Remote Services.
• Create IP routes.
• Enable CHAP authentication for the iSCSI operations.
• Configure email and SNMP alerts.

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Licenses

Unisphere Settings Licenses Information

The first screen of the Settings window is the License Information page.
1. Select a feature license from the list.
2. A description of the feature is displayed.
3. To obtain a product license, select Get License Online.
• Access the product page on the support site and download the license file.
• Transfer the license file to a computer with access to the storage system.
4. To unlock the Dell Unity features, select Install License.

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Basic System Settings

• Review and accept the software license and management agreement.

• Locate and upload the product license file from the local computer with
access to the storage system.

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - System Time

Unisphere Settings System Time and NTP

The Dell Unity platform supports two methods for configuring the storage system
time:
• Manual setup
• Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronization

To configure Unity to synchronize its time with NTP servers:

1. Select the System Time and NTP option under the Management section.
2. Check the Enable NTP synchronization radio button.
3. Then select Add to launch the Add NTP Server window.

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Basic System Settings

4. Enter the IP address or the name of an NTP server and select Add on the
dialog box.
5. The NTP server is added to the list. Select Apply to save the changes.

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Schedule Time Zone

The Dell Unity platform supports a time zone configuration for snapshot schedules
and asynchronous replication throttling.
• The schedule time zone applies to system defined and user created snapshot
schedules.

Unisphere Settings Schedule Time Zone

To configure a local time zone:

1. Select Management >Schedule Time Zone.
2. Open the drop-down list and select the time zone that matches your location.

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• The selected schedule time zone reflects the Universal Time Coordinated
(UTC)3 adjusted by an offset for the local time zone.
3. Select Apply. A disclaimer message is displayed with a warning about the
impact of the change.
4. Select Yes to confirm the time zone change. The new schedule time zone is set
for the system.

Important: Existing snapshot schedules are not updated to the same

absolute time when the time zone is changed. After changing the
Schedule Time Zone, you must check whether your snapshot schedule
must be updated.

3 Unity systems use the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) for time zone setting
(operating system, logs, FAST VP, and so on).

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Domain Name Servers

Some Dell Unity features rely on network name resolution configuration to work.
For example, Unisphere alert settings.

Unisphere Settings DNS Server

To manually add the network address of DNS servers the storage system uses for
name resolution:
1. Select the DNS Server option under the Management section.
2. Select Configure DNS server address manually.
3. To open the Add DNS Server configuration window, select Add.
4. Enter the IP address of the DNS server and select Add.
5. The DNS server entry is added to the list. Select Apply to submit and save the
changes.

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Basic System Settings

If running Unity on a network which includes DHCP and DNS servers, the system
can automatically retrieve one or more IP addresses of DNS servers.
• Select the Obtain DNS servers address automatically on the Manage
Domain Name Servers page.

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Management Port

Network Address

Administrators can view and modify the hostname, and the network addresses
assigned to the Dell Unity storage system.

Unisphere Settings Unity network address

The storage system supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Each IP version has
radio buttons to disable the configuration and select the dynamic or static
configuration.
• If running the storage system on a dynamic network, the management IP
address can be assigned automatically by selecting the proper radio button.
• If enabling ESRS support for the Unity system, then Dell Technologies
recommends that a static IP address is assigned to the storage system.

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To view or modify the network configuration of the Unity system management port:
1. Expand the Management section and select the Unisphere IPs option.
2. To manually configure a IPv4 network address, select the Use a static IPv4
address. (Default option.)
3. Enter or modify the network address configuration: IP address, Subnet Mask,
Gateway.
4. Select Apply to submit and save the changes.

If running the storage system on a dynamic network, the management IP address

can be assigned automatically by selecting the proper radio button.

If enabling ESRS support for the Unity system, then Dell Technologies
recommends that a static IP address is assigned to the storage system.

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Configure Unisphere Basic Settings - Failback Policy

Unisphere Settings failback policy

In Dell EMC Unity XT systems with dual SPs, when one of them has a problem or
is rebooting, the NAS servers that are hosted on the SP fail over to the other SP.

Failback to the recovered SP can be automatic or manual depending on the

failback policy set on the storage system.

To view or modify the failback policy of the Unity system:

1. Select the Failback Policy option under the Management section.
2. Disable, or enable the automatic failback policy (the default is enabled).

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− When the option is disabled, you can manually fail back all NAS servers, by
selecting Failback Now.
3. Select Apply to submit and save the changes. The Failback Policy is set for the
storage system.

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 Support Configuration

Support Configuration

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Support Configuration

Configure Support Settings - Proxy Server

Proxy server configuration enables the exchange of service information for the Dell
Unity systems that cannot connect to the Internet directly.

Unisphere Settings Proxy Server Configuration

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To configure the Proxy Server settings, the user must open the Settings window
and perform the following:
1. Expand the Support Configuration section, and select Proxy Server.
2. The Connect through a proxy server checkbox must be selected.
3. Select the communication protocol: HTTP4 or SOCKS5.
4. Enter the IP address of the Proxy Server, and the credentials (username and
password) if the protocol requires user authentication.
• The SOCKS protocol requires user authentication.
5. Select Apply to save the changes.

After configured, the storage administrator performs the following service tasks
using the proxy server connection:
• Configure and save support credentials.
• Configure Secure Connect Gateway.
• Display the support contract status for the storage system.
• Receive notifications about support contract expiration, technical advisories for
known issues, software and firmware upgrade availability, and the Language
pack update availability.

4 The HTTP (nonsecure) protocol supports all service tasks including upgrade
notifications. This option uses port 3128 by default.
5 The SOCKS (secure) protocol should be selected for IT environments where

HTTP is not allowed. This option uses port 1080 by default and does not support
the delivery of notifications for technical advisories, software, and firmware
upgrades.

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Support Configuration

Configure Support Settings - Dell Support Credentials

Support credentials are used to retrieve the customer current support contract
information and keep it updated automatically.
• The data provides access to all the options to which the client is entitled on the
Unisphere Support page.

Unisphere Settings Dell support credentials configuration

To configure the support credentials, the user must open the Settings page and
perform the following:
1. Expand the Support Configuration section, and select the Dell EMC Support
Credentials option.

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2. Then enter the username and password on the proper fields. The filled out
credentials must be associated with a support account.
3. Select Apply to commit the changes.

Support credentials are required to configure Secure Connect Gateway.

• The service provides Dell support the direct access to the storage system
(through HTTPS or SSH).
• Dell Support personnel can perform troubleshooting on the storage system and
resolve issues more quickly.

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Support Configuration

Configure Support Settings - Contact Information

Up-to-date contact information ensures that Dell support has the most accurate
information for contacting the user in response to an issue.

Unisphere Settings contact information configuration

To configure the contact information, perform the following:

1. Expand the Support Configuration section, and select Contact Information.
2. Then type the contact information details on the proper fields.
3. Select Apply to commit the changes.

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Tip: The user receives system alert reminders to update the contact
information every six months.

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Secure Connect Gateway (SCG)

Overview

Secure Connect Gateway is a Dell Technologies Services solution which

consolidates the capabilities of the SupportAssist Enterprise (SAE) and Secure
Remote Services (SRS) connectivity platforms. The solution provides a secure, bi-
directional connection between the Dell products in user environments and the Dell
Support infrastructure.

User Environment Dell SCG Environment

SCG direct connect version

SCG Infrastructure

Unity XT systems
HTTPS

Outbound
Inbound

Public Internet

two-way communication
Firewall Firewall

Secure Connect Gateway Virtual

Appliance Edition UnityVSA Dell Customer Support

Secure Connect Gateway architecture

Benefits:
• Dell support can remotely monitor configured systems by receiving system-
generated alerts.
• Support personnel can connect into the customer environment for remote
diagnosis and repair activities.
• Provides a high-bandwidth connection for large file transfers.
• Enables proactive Service Request (SR) generation and usage license
reporting.
• The service operates on a 24x7 basis.

Secure Connect Gateway is implemented as stand-alone virtual appliance and as a

direct connect (integrated) version for selected Dell hardware.

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Deployment Options

Secure Connect Gateway options available with the Dell Unity platform include an
embedded version and the Secure Connect Gateway virtual appliance edition.

The embedded version provides direct connectivity integrated into the Dell Unity XT
storage system.
• The Secure Connect Gateway software is embedded into the Dell Unity XT
operating environment (OE)6 as a managed service.
• The embedded version uses an on-array Docker container which enables only
the physical system to communicate with Support Center.
• The storage administrator can configure one way (outbound) or two way
(outbound/inbound) communication.

The Secure Connect Gateway Virtual Application Edition is a centralized gateway

version that is installed as an off-array virtual machine.
• Secure Connect Gateway virtual appliance servers can be configured in a
cluster for service resiliency.
• Dell Unity XT or Unity VSA systems are added to the Secure Connect Gateway
cluster.
• The storage administrator provides the IP address of the primary and secondary
Secure Connect Gateway servers.
• A single secure connection (two-way communication) is established between
the Support Center servers and the off-array Secure Connect Gateway.

6The Dell EMC Unity OE is responsible for persisting the configuration and the
certificates that are needed for Secure Connect Gateway to work.

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Communication

There are two remote service connectivity options for the Integrated Secure
Connect Gateway version:
• Outbound/Inbound (default)
− This option enables remote service connectivity capabilities for remote
transfer to and from the Support Center, with the Dell Unity XT system.
− Ports 443 and 8443 are required for outbound connections.
− Two-way Secure Connect Gateway is the recommended configuration.
• Outbound only

− This option enables remote service connectivity capability for remote

transfer to the Support Center from the Dell Unity XT system.
− Ports 443 and 8443 must be opened for outbound connections.
− One-Way Secure Connect Gateway is available for users who have security
concerns but still want to take advantage of CloudIQ.
For the Centralized version, the administrator must ensure that port 9443 is open
between the SCG virtual appliance server and the Unity system.
• For outbound network traffic, the port 443 must be open.

Comparison

The table shows a comparison of the two deployment options.

Name Centralized (Virtual Integrated (Embedded)

Appliance Edition)

Feature set Same Same

Number of devices Multiple 1

Use of external VM is Yes No

required.

Management interface Native Unisphere

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Internet connectivity is Gateway only Every system

required.

Ports used for Inbound 9443 80

Traffic

Ports used for Outbound 443 443 and 8443

Traffic

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Configure Support Settings - Secure Connect Gateway

Storage administrators can view the status and enable Secure Connect Gateway
from the Secure Remote Services page of the Unisphere settings.

Configure Integrated or Centralized

Secure Connect Gateway for the
storage system

Verifies the system's network connectivity

and support credentials

Unisphere Settings Secure Connect Gateway configuration

To verify the Secure Connect Gateway configuration, expand the Support

Configuration section, and select EMC Secure Remote Services.
• Run a readiness check, to verify if the system is properly set for configuring
the Secure Connect Gateway. Running this operation is optional, but highly
recommended.
• Select Configure to launch the Configure Secure Connect Gateway wizard.
As discussed before, the remote service options available to send storage

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systems information to the Support Center for remote troubleshooting are

Integrated Secure Remote Services and Centralized Secure Connect.

For proper functionality:

• At least one DNS server must be configured on the storage system.
• The storage system must have unrestricted access to Support Center over the
Internet using HTTPS (for nonproxy environments).
• Online support full-access account is required.

− User contact information and specific credentials that are associated with
the site ID, which is associated with the system serial number.
− If there is a problem with the user Online Support account, support
personnel can help with the configuration using their RSA credentials.

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Secure Connect Gateway - Readiness Check

Readiness Check

Unisphere Settings Secure Connect Gateway configuration

To verify if the storage system is ready for Secure Remote Services configuration,
select the Readiness Check option on the Secure Remote Services page.

Dell Technologies recommends that you perform readiness check before

configuring Secure Remote Services. The check verifies the system network
connectivity and if the provided support credentials to configure Secure Remote
Services are valid.

In the Secure Connect Gateway Readiness Check window, select the Secure
Connect Gateway deployment option to configure

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Integrated

To verify if the Unity XT storage system is ready for an Integrated Secure Connect
Gateway deployment, select Integrated.
• Select the check box to configure two-way or uncheck it for one-way
communication, and advance the step.

ESRS Readiness Check window with integrated option selected

• Before the readiness check runs, the end user license agreement (EULA) must
be accepted. Select Accept license agreement, and advance to the next step.

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ESRS Readiness Check window with license agreement step

• After the readiness check runs, a results page is displayed.

− If no errors are found, a successful message is displayed and you can select
Configure ESRS to close the check and advance to the configuration.
− However, If errors are displayed, a Check Again button is displayed and
you must resolve the issues before running the new check.

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ESRS Readiness Check window showing the results of the readiness check

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Centralized

After selecting the centralized option, enter the network address of the primary and
secondary Secure Connect Gateway servers.

ESRS Readiness Check window with centralized option selected

• After the readiness check runs, a results page is displayed.

− If no errors are found, a successful message is displayed and you can select
Configure ESRS to close the check and advance to the configuration.
− However, If errors are displayed, a Check Again button is displayed and
you must resolve the issues before running the new check.

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ESRS Readiness Check window showing the results of the readiness check

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Secure Connect Gateway Configuration - Integrated

Integrated SCG

To configure Integrated Secure Connect Gateway on the storage system, the user
must select Integrated on the Secure Remote Services page.
• Select the check box to configure two-way or uncheck it for one-way
communication, and advance the step.

Configure ESRS wizard window with integrated option selected

Network Check

If a proxy server has been configured for the storage system, the server information
is displayed on this page.
• To add a proxy server or modify the configuration select the pencil icon beside
the Connect Through a Proxy Server option.

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Configure ESRS wizard window showing the proxy configuration determined by the network check.

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Contact Information

Verify the customer contact data information and make any edits if required. Select
NEXT to advance the step.

Configure ESRS wizard window showing the contact data information

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Email Verification

In the email verification process, select the Send access code to start a request
for an access code.
• This option is unavailable if valid support credentials are not configured.

Configure ESRS wizard with Email verification

A message is sent to the contact email with a generated 8-digit PIN access code
which is valid for 30 minutes from the generated time.

This code must be entered in the Access code field.

Select Next to advance the step.

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RSA Credentials

If there is a problem with the user Online Support account, Dell support can help
with the configuration by selecting the Alternative for Support Personnel only.

And then enter the RSA credentials and site ID on the proper fields to browse the
Secure Connect Gateway configuration. Select Next to continue.

Configure ESRS wizard customer account validation using RSA credentials

The system starts initializing the Secure Connect Gateway. The Support Personnel
RSA credentials are requested once again to finish the configuration. A new token
code must be entered (only if the Alternative for Support personnel was invoked).

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Results

The results page notifies that Secure Connect Gateway should be connected to the
Support Center in 15 minutes. The user can monitor the status of the Secure
Connect Gateway connectivity on the Service page, and configure Policy Manager
while waiting for Secure Connect Gateway to connect.

Configure ESRS wizard results page

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SCG Configured

The Secure Remote Services page show the status of the connection and which
type of Secure Connect Gateway configuration is saved to the system.

Unisphere Settings Secure Connect Gateway configuration

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Secure Connect Gateway Configuration - Centralized

Centralized SCG

Select the Centralized option in the Secure Remote Services page.

• If the Secure Connect Gateway End User License Agreement (EULA) was not
yet accepted the license would be the next step.

Configure ESRS wizard window with Centralized option selected

Specify the Primary gateway network address of the Secure Connect Gateway
virtual appliance server that is used to connect to the Dell Enterprise.
• Ensure that the port 9443 is open between the server and the storage system.

RSA credentials can be used for Primary Gateway configuration without a

Customer Support account.
• This alternative enables the Secure Connect Gateway configuration while
support account credentials are being created and validated on the backend.

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Support Configuration

• If a Secondary Gateway network address was also entered in the configuration,

then the RSA credentials are required one more time.
• The RSA credentials that were used for the primary gateway must be also
provided to complete the configuration of the second gateway.

After you click Next,the system starts initializing Secure Connect Gateway.

Results

The results page notifies that Secure Connect Gateway should be connected to the
Support Center in 16 minutes. The user can monitor the status of the Secure
Connect Gateway connectivity on the Service page.

Configure ESRS wizard results page

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SCG Configured

The Secure Remote Services page show the status of the connection and which
type of Secure Connect Gateway configuration is saved to the system.

Unisphere Settings Secure Connect Gateway configuration

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Support Configuration

Activity: Unisphere Tour

During this lab, you will:

• Explore the Unisphere UI dashboard,
preferences, and help options.
• View the system components and
check storage system health.
• View the system settings page, and
explore the sections.
• Create a user account with an
associated role.

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Unisphere Alerts and Events Monitoring

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Unisphere Alerts and Events Monitoring

Unisphere Alerts and Events Monitoring

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Unisphere System Alerts

Alerts are usually events that require attention from the system administrator.
Some alerts indicate that there is a problem with the Dell Unity system. For
example, you might receive an alert telling you that a disk has faulted, or that the
storage system is running out of space.

Unisphere UI with dashboard view and the three methods used for alerts monitoring

Alerts are registered to the System Alerts page in Unisphere. Access the page
using one of three methods
• Select the link on the top menu bar.
• Select the option on the navigation pane.
• Select notification icons on the dashboard view block.

The view block on the dashboard shows an icon with the number of alerts for each
recorded severity category.
• The link on these icons opens the Alerts page, showing the records filtered by
the selected severity level.

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System Alerts Severity Levels

System alerts with their severity levels are recorded on the System Alerts page.
Logging levels are not configurable.

The table provides an explanation about the alert severity levels from least to most
severe.

Icon Label Indicates

Information An event has occurred that does not impact system functions.
No action is required.

Notice An event has occurred that does not impact system functions.
No action is required.

Warning An error has occurred that the user should be aware of but
does not have a significant impact on the system. For
example, a component is working, but its performance may not
be optimum.

Error An error has occurred that has a minor impact on the system
and should be remedied—no need to fix immediately. For
example, a component is failing and some or all its functions
may be degraded or not working.

Critical An error has occurred that has a significant impact on the

system and should be remedied immediately. For example, a
component is missing or has failed and recovery may not be
possible.

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Tip: Two of these severity levels are identified by the same icon and
refer to events that require no user intervention: Information and Notice.
Information alerts report the status of a system component or changes
to a storage resource condition. Notice alerts normally report the status
of a system process that is triggered by service commands.

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System Alerts States

There are multiple ways to review the health of a Dell Unity system. In the
Unisphere UI, the storage administrator can review the System Health view block
on the dashboard, and the System View page. The user can also check the Alerts
page for resolved issues.

The Alerts page shows the event log with all alerts that have occurred in the
system.
• Alert states are used to help the user determine which records are current, and
which records are resolved.
• An alert state changes when the software OE is upgraded, the error condition is
resolved, and the alert is repeating.

Alert State Description

Active_Manual Status when the alert is active and must be manually cleared.
The alert is still Active, and a user must deactivate the alert to
mark it Inactive once the condition is solved.

Active_Auto Status when the alert is active but will be automatically cleared
when the issue is resolved. The alert is still Active and will be
marked Inactive automatically once the condition is cleared.

Inactive Status when the alert is no longer active because it has been
resolved. The alert condition has been resolved.

Updating Status when the alert is transitioning between the other states:
Active_Auto to Inactive, Active_Manual to Inactive.

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Manage Alerts

The System Alerts page in Unisphere is accessed by selecting Alerts on the

navigation pane under the Events section.

Filter

Unisphere System alerts page

In Unisphere, the Alerts page is automatically filtered by default to show only the
records in Active and Updating states. Records in an Inactive state are hidden.

In the example, the records were also filtered to show only the log entries already
acknowledged by the user.

Active_Manual alerts must be manually deactivated by an Administrator. To

deactivate an alert in Unisphere:
1. Select an alert that is in an Active_Manualstate.
2. Select the Deactivate button.
3. A Confirm Deactivate dialog box is shown. Select Deactivate to continue

The dialog box is closed, and the record entry is marked as inactive. Because of
the page filtering, the record entry is not displayed in the list of entries.

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View Alerts Details

To view detailed information about a system alert, select the alert from the list of
records of the Alerts Page.

Unisphere Alerts page with details of a selected alert

Details about the selected alert record are displayed in the right pane. The
information includes:
• Time the event was logged.
• Severity level
• Alert message
• Description of the event
• Acknowledgement flag
• Component affected by the event
• Status of the component

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The example shows the details about theAlert_2721. Observe that the current
status of the alert is Degraded, and the state is Active_Auto. The alert will
transition to Inactive once the issue is resolved.

Unisphere can be configured to send the system administrator alert notifications.

These notifications are sent through an email or through an SNMP message.

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Configure Alert Notifications - Email

Email Address

A system administrator can configure Unisphere to send alert notifications in an

email. Email alerts are used only for internal communication. No service requests
are created based on the configured email alerts. Only the configuration of Secure
Connect Gateway provides interaction with Dell support.

Unisphere Settings Alerts section Email and SMTP

In Unisphere, open the Settings configuration window and expand the Alerts
section:
1. Select Email and SMTP, under the Alerts section.
2. On the Specify Email Alerts and SMTP configuration, click the Add icon.

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3. The Alert Email Configuration window opens - enter the email that is
supposed to receive the notification messages.
4. Select the severity level from the drop-down list, then select OK to save the
configuration.

• The dialog box closes, and the new email is displayed in the list of email
messages.
The example shows the configuration of the email address [email protected]
as a recipient for notifications about issues with Notice and above severity levels.

SMTP Configuration

Unisphere Settings Alerts section Email and SMTP

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On the SMTP Configuration section:

1. Type the IP address of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server that is
used to send email messages.
2. Optionally, bypass the global proxy server settings that are typically used for
SMTP email messages by checking the appropriate box.
3. Select the Encryption Level (SSL method) for the email server.
4. Specify the Authentication Type, and enter the authentication credentials.
5. Select Apply to commit the changes.

• Optionally select Send Test Email to verify that the SMTP server and
destination email addresses are valid.
• The Send Test Email button is only available after changes to the email
configuration.

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Configure Alert Notifications - SNMP

SNMP Target

A system administrator can configure Unisphere to send alert notifications through

a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message - known as a trap.

Unisphere Settings Alerts section SNMP

Configure the SNMP trap destination targets in Unisphere:

1. From the Settings window, select SNMP from the Alerts section.
2. On the the Manage SNMP Alerts page, select the SNMP version.
− Dell Unity supports SNMP v2c and SNMP v3.0.

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3. Select + (Add). The SNMP target window opens

4. Enter the network name or IP address.

• For SNMP v2.c, specify a community.

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SNMP v3.0

Configuration of a v3 SNMP trap

For the configuration of version 3.0 SNMP traps:

1. Type the user name to authenticate to the SNMP manager.
2. Select the authentication protocol for the traps from the drop-down: MD5, SHA,
or none.
3. For the MD5 and SHA selections, type and confirm the password.
4. Select the privacy protocol (AES, DES, or none).
• You can only specify the privacy protocol that is used to encode trap
messages when you edit an existing destination.
5. If required, type and confirm the password.
6. Select OK To save the SNMP target. The new entry is displayed in the list.

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Severity Level

Unisphere Settings Alerts section SNMP

Configure the severity level of the alert notifications:

1. Select from the drop-down list the severity level for the alert notifications.
2. Click Send Test SNMP Trap to verify that the SNMP configuration is valid.
3. Select Apply button to commit the changes.

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System Jobs Monitoring

Storage administrator can view information about all jobs, including the ones that
are active, complete, or failed. From the Jobs page the administrator can also
delete a completed or failed job, and cancel an active job (queued or running).

Unisphere Jobs page

To view and manage the active and completed jobs in Unisphere:

1. Select Jobs, under Events.
2. To view the properties of a job, select it from the list.
3. Select the Details icon.

Select the Jobs icon on the top menu to quickly view the jobs in progress.
• The Jobs icon also helps determine the number of active jobs: queued or
running.
• The system polls for active jobs every 10 seconds and updates the count.

When a job is complete, a notification similar to system alerts is displayed on the

screen. The user can select the notification message to access the Jobs page.

Inactive jobs older than seven days are automatically deleted from the list. Only the
most recent 256 jobs are listed. Inactive jobs have a status of completed or failed.

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System Logs Monitoring

Administrators can also view information about the Dell Unity system logged events
by selecting Logs, under Events.
• Unisphere immediately displays real time changes to the storage system.
• By default, the logged events are sorted by the time the event was posted, from
most recent to earlier.

Unisphere Logs page

The storage administrator can also customize the view and sort, filter, and export
the data. The event log list can be sorted by Date/Time: ascending or descending.

A link to the Remote Logging page in the Unisphere Settings window enables the
administrator to configure the logging of user/audit messages to a remote host.

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Add Remote Logging Configuration

Remote Logging

Unisphere Settings Remote Logging Configuration

The Remote Logging setting enables a Dell Unity system to log user/audit
messages to a remote host. A remote host running syslog must be configured to
receive logging messages from the storage system before the user can enable this
feature in Unisphere.

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To view and add a new remote logging configuration for another remote host,
perform the following steps:
1. Open the Unisphere Settings window, and select Remote Logging under the
Management section.
2. Select the Add icon. (Only a maximum of five remote logging configurations are
supported. If five configurations are already configured, the Add icon is
disabled.)

• The Add Remote Logging window opens

Add Configuration

Add Remote Logging configuration window

1. Check the Enable logging to a remote host check box.

• Specify the network address of the new host that receives the log data
(include port 514 in the address).
2. Select the component that generates the log messages to record.
3. Select the severity level of the log entries that are sent to the remote host.
• The severity levels are displayed in descending order in the related drop-
down list.

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4. Then select the protocol used to transfer log information (UDP or TCP).
5. Select OK to save the configuration.

Tip: In many scenarios, a root or administrator account on the receiving

computer can configure the remote syslog server to receive log
information from the storage system. The configuration is set by editing
the syslog-ng.conf file on the remote computer. For more information
about setting up and running a remote syslog server, read the remote
computer operating system documentation.

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Edit Remote Logging Configuration

Unisphere Settings Remote Logging Configuration

To view or modify a Remote Logging configuration, perform the following:

1. Select a remote logging configuration.
− You can edit the settings for remote logging to the first remote host (record
entry with no network address) or an existing configuration.
2. Select the Edit icon.
3. Make any necessary changes, then select OK to save the configuration:

− Unselect Enable logging to a remote host to disable remote logging.

− Change the network address of the host that receives the log data (include
port 514 in the address).

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− Change the component that generates the log messages to be recorded.

o Kernel Messages - Messages that are generated by the operating
system kernel. These messages are specified with the facility code 0
(keyword kern).
o User-Level Messages - This type of messages are the default option.
Messages that are generated by random user processes. These
messages are specified with the facility code 1 (keyword user).
o Messages Generated Internally by syslogd - Messages that are
generated internally by the system logging utility—syslogd. These
messages are specified with the facility code 5 (keyword syslog).
− Change the severity level of the log entries sent to the remote host.
− Change the protocol used to transfer log information: UDP or TCP.

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System Administration Key Points

1. User Interfaces and Access Control

a. Configuration and management of the Dell Unity family of storage systems is
performed using three interfaces: Unisphere, UEMCLI and REST API.
b. Access to Dell Unity XT systems is granted to defined and configured user
accounts (local or LDAP). The user accounts are role based.
c. Dell Unity XT systems can be monitored through the Unisphere Central and
CloudIQ applications.
2. Basic System Settings
a. Dell EMC XT system global settings and parameters such as System time
and DNS can be configured from Unisphere Settings.
b. The Unisphere Settings window also provides options to configure the time
zone for snapshot schedules and asynchronous replication throttling.
c. The Dell Unity XT management port network address, and the failback
policy can be configured from the Unisphere Settings.
3. Support Configuration
a. A Proxy server can be configured to exchange service information for Dell
Unity XT systems that cannot connect to the internet directly.
b. Support credentials are used to retrieve the customer current support
contract information and keep it updated automatically.
c. Contact information ensures that Dell support has the most accurate
information for contacting the user in response to an issue.
d. Storage administrators can view the status and enable the Secure Connect
Gateway (Secure Remote Services) feature from the Support Configuration
section of Unisphere settings.
• There are two Secure Connect Gateway deployment options available
for the Dell Unity family of storage systems: centralized and integrated.
• There are two remote service connectivity options for Integrated Secure
Connect Gateway: Outbound/Inboud or Outbound only.
4. Unisphere Alerts and Event Monitoring

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a. Unisphere alerts are usually events that require attention from the system
administrator.
b. The alerts severity levels are categorized as Information, Notice, Warning,
Error, and Critical.
c. There are four states for alerts: Active_Manual, Active_Auto, Inactive, and
Updating.
d. Alert details provide time of the event, severity level, alert message,
description of the event, acknowledge flag, component affected by the
event, and status of the component.
e. Unisphere can be configured to send the system administrator alert
notifications via email or though an SNMP trap.
f. Users can monitor when jobs are active, complete, or failed. The jobs page
shows the number of active jobs: queued or running. The system polls for
active jobs every 10 seconds and updates the active jobs count.
g. Unisphere can be configured to send log message entries of a determined
severity level to a remote server.

For more information, see the Dell Unity: Unisphere Overview,

Secure Remote Support (SRS) Requirements and Configuration
on the Dell Technologies Support site.

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Appendix

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Appendix

Adding View Blocks

Select a widget (view block) on the left pane then select Add View Block.

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 Appendix

Health Score Categories

The CloudIQ Health Score engine breaks down into five categories each of which is
monitored and contributes to the overall health of the system. For each category,
CloudIQ runs a check against a known set of rules and makes a determination if a
particular resource has issues.

The score can help a storage administrator spot where the most severe health
issues are, based on the five core factors (health categories). The area with the
highest risk to the system's health hurts its score until actions are taken towards
remediation.

These categories are not customer configurable but built into the CloudIQ software.

Icon Category Types of Health Checks

Component (system Components with issues, OE/Firmware compliance

health) issues

Configuration Hosts - non-HA, drive issues: Faults subject to use

(hot spare, RAID 6, RAID 5)

Capacity Pools reaching full capacity

Performance Processor utilization, SP balance

Data Protection RPOs not being met, last snap not taken.

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Appendix

Network Time Protocol (NTP) Synchronization

With the NTP synchronization method, the Unity storage system connects to an
NTP server and synchronize the system clock with other applications and services
on the network.
• Time synchronization is key for the Microsoft Windows environments for both
client and server systems.
• Time synchronization is necessary to join a NAS server to the Active Directory
domain, to enable SMB and multiprotocol access.
• Microsoft Windows environments typically use NTP service that is configured in
one or more Domain Controllers.

Warning: If the storage system clock is not synchronized to the same

source as the host system clock, some applications do not operate
correctly.

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 Module 1 Course Introduction and System Administration

© Copyright 2022 Dell Inc. Page 103