Dell MD Storage Array vCenter

Plug-in
User's Guide
Notes and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your computer

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if

instructions are not followed.

____________________
Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.
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Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the DELL logo and PowerVault™are trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft® and Windows® are either trademarks
or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. VMware®, vCenter®, and vSphere® are registered
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Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this publication to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell
Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

June 2011 Rev. A02

Contents

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in Overview ..................................................................... 5

Installation Prerequisites ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Recommended Configurations .............................................................................................................................. 6

Downloading the vCenter Plug-in .......................................................................................................................... 6

Installing the vCenter Application Server ............................................................................................................... 6

Installing the vCenter Plug-in ................................................................................................................................ 7

Configuring the Application Server and the vCenter Plug-In ................................................... 8

Configuring Storage Administrator Roles................................................................................................................ 9

SAS Support on ESX/ESXi hosts ........................................................................................................................... 12

Installing the SAS Provider Upgrade ..................................................................................................................... 13

vCenter Plug-in Security ...................................................................................................................................... 14

Dell MD Storage vCenter Plug-in Features .............................................................................. 19

vCenter Plug-in Features ..................................................................................................................................... 19

Configuring Storage Arrays .................................................................................................................................. 19

Adding a Storage Array ....................................................................................................................................... 20

Removing a Storage array ................................................................................................................................... 21

Editing System Properties .................................................................................................................................... 21

Storage Array Configuration Backup ..................................................................................................................... 21

ESX Host SAN Configuration .................................................................................................... 24

Networking Configuration for Software iSCSI Storage............................................................................................ 28

ESX Host Configuration Wizard ............................................................................................... 29

Storage Array Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 33

Create Disk Group ............................................................................................................................................... 34

Contents | 3
 Formatting Virtual Disks ...................................................................................................................................... 35

Decision-Making Schemes .................................................................................................................................... 36

Creating a Virtual Disk ......................................................................................................................................... 37

Snapshots Premium Feature ................................................................................................................................ 37

Creating a Virtual Disk Copy ................................................................................................................................ 39

Remote Replication ............................................................................................................................................. 41

Datastores View .................................................................................................................................................. 45

Storage Array Event Log ...................................................................................................................................... 45

Manually Unregistering the vCenter Plug-in .......................................................................................................... 46

Troubleshooting vCenter Plug-in Issues ................................................................................. 48

Application Server Logs ....................................................................................................................................... 48

The Installation Log Not Show that the Pegasus Service Started ............................................................................ 48

I Cannot Communicate with the Application Server ............................................................................................... 48

I Cannot Create or Delete Objects ........................................................................................................................ 49

How Can I Maximize Client Performance .............................................................................................................. 49

How Do I Suppress Slow Script Warning Messages ............................................................................................... 49

I Cannot Make Changes to a Storage Array? ......................................................................................................... 49

The vCenter Plug-in Does Not Show the New Storage Array Name after a Clear Configuration Operation in MDSM ... 49

The vCenter Plug-in Displays Incorrect Error Messages ......................................................................................... 50

Getting Help ............................................................................................................................. 51

Contacting Dell ................................................................................................................................................... 51

Contents | 4
Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in
1
Overview
The Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in Installation and User Guide is a VMware vCenter
Server 4.x Plug-in that provides integrated management of Dell MD Storage Array series from a vSphere
Client. The vCenter Plug-in allows administrators to have a single management interface (vSphere Client) to
manage all of their day-to-day storage needs along with their VMware infrastructure. This alleviates the need
for vCenter administrators to learn another management tool and focus instead on the entire virtual
infrastructure.
The vCenter Plug-in enables the vCenter administrator to configure ESX and ESXi hosts to Dell MD Storage
Arrays, create, map, delete virtual disks from the Dell MD Storage Arrays to the ESX host, and view the
vCenter datastores to Dell MD Storage Array virtual disks. The vCenter Plug-in also allows the creation of
hardware snapshots, virtual disk copies, and remote replication, when these premium features are enabled on
the storage array. The vCenter Plug-in uses an application server to facilitate the interface between the vSphere
Client and the Dell MD Storage Array based on the authenticated logged-in user and the privileges assigned to
that user's role.
NOTE: The vCenter Plug-in requires that a vCenter Server be installed within the environment. The
vCenter Plug-in does not function in a vSphere client and ESX host-only configuration.

Figure 1. Communication Details

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 5

Installation Prerequisites
To install and use the vCenter Plug-in, the following prerequisites must be met.
 The VMware vCenter 4.x server is installed
 One of the following servers is available to be the application server:
 Windows 2003 server
 Windows, 2003 R2 server
 32-bit Windows 2008 server
 64-bit Windows 2008 server
 32-bit Windows 2008 R2 server
 64-bit Windows 2008 R2 server
 Dell MD Storage Array with VMware certified firmware
 The vCenter Plug-in requires the following firmware versions:
 7.35
 7.60
 7.70
 7.75
 7.77

Recommended Configurations
The vCenter Plug-in uses the SMI-S protocol to communicate with the storage arrays that are managed within
the vSphere infrastructure. Many procedure calls are made to obtain and send changes to the storage arrays,
which require large amounts of data to be passed between the storage arrays, the application server, and the
vSphere client. The number of managed storage arrays, the number of virtual disks, and the number of physical
disks on each storage array determine the overall performance of the vCenter Plug-in. Therefore, limit the
number of managed system components to the following:
 No more than 10 Dell MD series storage arrays
 No more than 256 objects, such as virtual disks, virtual disk copies, and snapshots, on each array
 No more than 16 remote replications

Downloading the vCenter Plug-in

Obtain the correct version of the Dell Storage vCenter Plug-in for your environment (x86 or x64) from the
Download and Drivers area at support.dell.com. See the Support Matrix at support.dell.com/manuals for the
most current versions. The file should be copied to the application server.

Installing the vCenter Application Server

Install the vCenter application server on a different Windows 2003 server or Windows 2008 server than the
VMware vCenter Server is installed on.
NOTE: When adequate resources are available on the vCenter Server system, you can install the
application server on the same host as the vCenter Server, but it is not recommended.

After you have downloaded the vCenter Plug-in software, copy the file to the system that will be the
application server. Run the vCenter Plug-in installer to launch the installation wizard. The installation wizard
installs a Jetty application server and the SMI-S provider. After the installation is complete, the installation
wizard registers the vCenter Plug-in with the vCenter Server.
During the installation process, you must provide information about the system components, such as the
storage array names, the IP addresses, and the DNS names, used during the installation. Table 1 shows the
information required for each component.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 6

Table 1. Configuration Worksheet Example
vCenter Server Names VCENTER-4 DNS Names vCenter-4.domain.com
IP Addresses 192.168.51.217

vCenter Administrator Name: administrator Password: password

Application Server Name: App-Server DNS Name: IP Address: app-server.domain.com

192.168.51.225

Dell MD Storage Array 1 MD3600-01 IP Addresses: Password: 192.168.51.89

Name: 192.168.51.90

Dell MD Storage Array 2 Name: MD3600-02 IIP Addresses: Password: 192.168.51.91

192.168.51.92

Dell MD Storage Array 3 Name: IP Addresses: Password:

Storage Administrator User ID: User1

Storage Administrator User ID:

NOTE: When you are upgrading from an earlier version of the vCenter Plug-in, and the storage arrays already have
passwords, re-enter the previous passwords in the updated version of the vCenter Plug-in for each storage array. You cannot
modify the storage arrays until the passwords have been re-entered.

Installing the vCenter Plug-in

1 Read the introduction screen and then click Next.
2 Read through the license agreement and if you accept the terms, select the appropriate radio button and
click Next.
3 Select the local installation directory for the vCenter Plug-in manager or click Next for the default.
4 Review the installation details and click Install if the details are correct.
5 Change the port number of the Jetty server or accept the default of 8084 and 8081 and click Next.
NOTE: If the vCenter Plug-In will be installed on the same system as an active vCenter Server, and
VMware Update Manager is installed, the port number 8084 for the plug-in must be changed from the
default to an unused port number.

6 Change the IP address of the application server when desired. The IP address defaults to the IP address
of the system the installer is running on. Click Next.
7 The next screen prompts you for the IP address of the vCenter server on which to install the vCenter
Plug-in. Enter the IP address of the vCenter server and click Next.
8 Enter the Administrator's email address for alerts and click Next.
9 Enter the vCenter Administrator's User ID and click Next.
10 Enter the vCenter Administrator's password and click Next.
11 The installation is now complete. Click Done to close the installation wizard.
12 To verify that the application server was installed successfully, run the services.msc command, and
verify that the cimserver service was installed and that both the cimserver service and the Jetty6-Service
service have started.
NOTE: After the application server reboots, the name of the CIMOM service changes to Pegasus CIM Object Manager.

NOTE: In the event one of these services crash or is stopped, the CIMOM service must be started before the Jetty service or
no updates/modifications will occur.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 7

Configuring the Application Server and
2
the vCenter Plug-In
After the application server and the vCenter Plug-in were installed, verify that the vCenter Plug-in was
successfully registered with the vCenter server.
 Open the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server.
 On the menu bar, select Plug-ins->Manage Plug-ins.
 The Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in is listed as Enabled.
 However if the vCenter Plug-in is listed as disabled with an error message stating that it cannot
communicate with the application server, verify that the port number defined for the Jetty server is
enabled to pass through any firewalls that might be in use. The default Jetty TCP port number is 8084
and 8081.
After the application server and vCenter server have been configured, the Dell MD Storage Array vCenter
Management vCenter Plug-in icon appears in the Solution and Application section of the vSphere Client
page.

Figure 2 vSphere Client Home Page

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 8

Configuring Storage Administrator Roles
By default, all defined vCenter user IDs have no rights to Dell MD Storage Arrays. When a user requires either
read permissions or read/write permissions to access the vCenter Plug-in, the user’s role must be modified to
permit access to the vCenter Plug-in.

Creating and a Role

1 In the Administration area on the vSphere Client Home page, as shown in Figure 2, click on the Roles
icon. The list of roles and usages appears.

Figure 3. vCenter Plug-In Roles List

2 Click on Add Role icon or right-click.

A pop-up menu appears, as shown in Figure 3.
3 Select Add.
The Add New Role window opens.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 9

Figure 4. Add New Role Window

4 In the Name text box, type the name of the new role.
5 On the Privileges list, select the access permissions to assign to this role.
NOTE: The administrator role is not editable and, therefore, if the administrator user will be used to
manage storage, a new role must be created that has all of the privileges added to it. The administrator
user must then be added to this role as the following procedure details.

6 To allow Read Only or Read Write access permissions to the storage arrays, select the appropriate
permission from the Storage Administrator group. See Figure 4.
7 Click OK.
NOTE: Existing roles may also be modified to include the Storage Administrator privileges, except for the
Administrator role, which cannot be modified.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 10

Adding a User ID to a Role
1. From the Home screen, select Hosts and Clusters and then select the vCenter server element and select
the Permissions tab. See Figure 5.
2. Right-click and select Add Permission to define the users who are members of the Role.

Figure 5. Assign Storage Administrator Role

3. From the wizard, click Add and select the User ID (s) that require access to the storage arrays.
4. Then select the modified Role from the drop down box and click OK to apply changes.
5. Click OK to apply permissions to the role.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 11

No Access
If users are not members of a role that has either the Read Only or Read Write Storage Administrator
permission, they cannot view any statistics from the vCenter Plug-in. If they attempt to access a vCenter Plug-
in feature they receive the User is not authorized to use this plug-in message as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. No Access Message

SAS Support on ESX/ESXi hosts

For the vCenter Plug-in to configure ESX and ESXi hosts to the Dell MD Storage Arrays, with SAS
connections, an updated version of the LSI SAS SMI-S provider must be installed on the ESX and ESXi hosts.
This section describes how to upgrade the SAS SMI-S provider.
NOTE: SAS Support is only available for ESX/ESXi 4.1 and later hosts. Previous versions of ESX and
ESXi are not supported.
NOTE: This upgrade is only required to allow for the Host to Storage Configuration option to
configure SAS connected storage arrays. If this functionality is not required (the storage
arrays are already configured or not using SAS connected storage arrays), the in-box
provider does not need to be upgraded.

To use the SAS provider, it must first be deployed on the ESX/ESXi servers to be configured. This requires
that SFTP or SCP be enabled on the ESX/ESXi hosts. Root access is also required to install the package, and to
install the package by remote login, either a new user must be created with host login rights or the root user
must be enabled for remote logins.

Enabling Root Login from a Console Login on ESX Hosts

1 Log in as root.
2 Open the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file.
3 On the line that contains PermitRootLogin, change no to yes.
4 Save and close the file.
5 At the shell prompt, run the # service sshd restart command to reload the service.

Enabling Root Login from a Console Login on ESXi Hosts

1 Press F2 to switch to the diagnostic console.
2 Select Troubleshooting Options.
3 Select Enable Remote Tech Support.
4 Select Restart Management Agents.
5 Press Esc to close the Configuration menu.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 12

Creating a New User Login
1 Connect the vCenter client directly to the ESX/ESXi host to be configured.
2 Select the User & Groups tab from Home->Inventory->Inventory window.
3 Right-click and select Add.
4 Supply the relevant information for the new user and make sure to select 'Grant shell access to this
user' option.
5 Click OK to save changes.
6 After logging in as this new user, use the >su - command to assume super user role.

Installing the SAS Provider Upgrade

1 Either SFTP the vmware-esx-provider-lsi-provider.vib file to the target ESX host or
SCP the file to the target ESXi host.
2 Log in to the ESX/ESXi 4.1 host as root.
NOTE: If root is not enabled, log in as a shell-enabled user, and su to super user.

3 From the shell prompt, vmware -v to verify the version is 4.1.

NOTE: If root is not enabled, log in as a shell-enabled user, and su to super user.

4 Enter rpm -q lsi-provider for ESX or esxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-
provider for ESXi hosts. The version listed should be: lsi-provider-410.04.V0.24-
140815.
5 Enter esxupdate -b file:$PWD/vmware-esx-provider-lsi-provider.vib --
nodeps --nosigcheck --maintenancemode update, this assumes the .vib file is located in
the same directory that esxupdate is being executed from, if not, change $PWD to the directory where
the .vib file is located.
6 You should see Unpacking cross_lsi-provider, Installing lsi-provider, and Cleaning up lsi-provider
7 After the update finishes, enter esxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provider.
You should see the following information:
 cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-260xxx pending,installed
 cross_lsi-provider_410.04.V0.24-140815 retired

8 Reboot the host after stopping any running VMs.

9 Upon reboot, verify that the update was applied with rpm -q lsi-provider for ESX or
esxupdate --vib-view query | grep lsi-provider for ESXi hosts.
10 Done

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 13

vCenter Plug-in Security
Accepting and Installing the Trusted SSL Certificate
The vCenter Plug-in uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to communicate securely between the vSphere client
and application server. During the vCenter Server installation process, a SSL certificate was generated for the
vCenter Server system. If this certificate has not been added to the system's Trusted Root Certification
Authorities store, you will see a Security Alert dialog box appear, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. SSL Security Alert Message

To avoid this message, you can import the install generated certificate into the systems Trusted Root
Certification Authorities store as listed below:

1 Click View Certificate

2 Click Install Certificate see Figure 8.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 14

Figure 8. Install Certificate Dialog Box

3 Click Next from the Certificate Import Wizard message box. See Figure 9.

Figure 9. Certificate Import Wizard

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 15

 4 Select the Place all certificates in the following store radio button
5 Click Browse
6 Highlight the Trusted Root Certification Authorities folder. See Figure 10.

Figure 10. Select Certificate Store Dialog Box

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 16

 7 Click OK
8 Click Next
9 Click Finish
10 A Security Warning message box will be displayed. Verify the information and click Yes to add the
certificate to the trust store. See Figure 11.

Figure 11. Security Warning Message Box

NOTE: The subject name of the system, in the certificate must match the system name of the vCenter
Server during the vSphere Client login screen or you will continue to receive a warning message stating
the certificate does not match the site name.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 17

Enhanced IE Security
When Microsoft's Enhanced IE Security is installed on the vSphere client system, the enhanced security
configuration blocks content from the web site. The warning message shown in Figure 12 appears.
 Click Add to establish a trust relationship with the application server.

Figure 12. IE Enhanced Security Message

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 18

Dell MD Storage vCenter Plug-in
3
Features
vCenter Plug-in Features
The following vCenter Plug-in features enable the integrated management of Dell MD Storage Arrays:

 Array Manager view

 Copy services management
 A configuration wizard for ESX/ESXi host storage
 Virtual disk management of storage arrays
 Datastores to virtual disk details
 Event log viewer for storage array events
 Automatic and manual storage array configuration backup

Configuring Storage Arrays

To use the vCenter Plug-in to create or modify virtual disks on the storage array, click on the Dell MD Storage
Array vCenter Management Plug-in icon on the vSphere Client Home page under Solutions and
Applications. See Figure 13.

Figure 13. Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-In Icon

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 19

Clicking the icon will open the Storage Array Manager view where you can manage Dell storage arrays. The
Storage Array Manager view displays a list of known storage arrays and lets additional storage arrays be added
or removed. See Figure 14.

Figure 14. vCenter Plug-in Array Manager View

Adding a Storage Array

1 In the Commands area of the vCenter Plug-in Array Manager view, click Add Array.
2 A dialog box appears with the DNS Name or IP Address text boxes and the Password text box. See
Figure 15.

Figure 15. Add Array Dialog Box

3 In the DNS name or IP address 1 text box, type the IP address or name of the storage array’s controller
A.
4 In the DNS name or IP address 2 text box, type the IP address or name of the storage array’s controller
B.
5 In the Password text box, type the password for the storage array that you are adding to the vCenter
Plug-in.
6 Click Add.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 20

Removing a Storage array
1 In the vSphere Client Storage array Manager View, click Remove Arrays.
The Remove Arrays Properties dialog box appears.
2 Select the storage array to be removed, and click OK.

Editing System Properties

Changing a Storage Array Password
1 Open the Storage Array Manager View. See Figure 14.
2 In the left pane, click the name of the storage array.
The storage array properties are displayed in the right pane.
3 In the right pane, click Edit Array Properties link.
The Edit Array Properties dialog box appears.
4 In the Password text box, type the new array password, and click OK.

Resolving a Password Mismatch

When the vCenter Plug-in password and the storage array password do not match, you can run passive, read-
only commands, such as Read and View, on the storage array; however, active, read/write commands to the
array, such as create and delete, will fail. The vCenter Plug-in displays the properties of the storage array
whether the passwords match or do not match. To resolve a password mismatch, perform the previous
procedure, Changing a Storage Array Password.

Storage Array Configuration Backup

Version 2.2 of the vCenter Plug-in supports storage array configuration backups to script files that may be
applied to a storage array from the Dell Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM). These script files will
facilitate the restoration of the storage array configuration, such as storage array name, disk group
configurations, virtual disk names, virtual disk capacities, etc. IT WILL NOT BACKUP DATA RESIDING
ON THE STORAGE ARRAY! A traditional backup strategy must still be employed to provide recovery of
user data residing on the virtual disks.
CAUTION: Only the storage array configuration information is saved during the
save configuration operation, NOT data stored on the virtual disks.

NOTE: Only the base storage array configuration information is saved. Objects such as snapshots,
virtual disk copies, and remote replications are not saved to the script file.

The vCenter Plug-in Automatic Save Configuration will perform a save configuration of the storage array after
a configuration event has occurred on the storage array, either from the vCenter Plug-in or from MDSM. A
storage array modification event will start a 4 minute timer, on the application server, at the time of the event
on the storage array. If within that 4 minute time window, no other configuration events have occurred on the
storage array, a save configuration will occur. If another modification event occurs within the 4 minute time
window, the timer will be reset to 4 minutes. When no modification events are detected on the storage array
within the 4 minute window, a save configuration will be performed. Automatic Save Configuration will
maintain the last 15 save configuration script files.

Enable Automatic Save Configuration Backups

These backups can be set to automatic or manually initiated. To enable automatic backups of the storage array
base configuration, perform the procedure below:
1 Open the Storage Array Manager View. See Figure 14.
2 In the left pane, click the name of the storage array.
The storage array properties are displayed in the right pane.
3 In the right pane, click Automatically Save Configuration link.
The Automatically Save Configuration dialog box appears. See Figure 16.
4 Check the Enable automatic save configuration box.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 21

 5 Click OK to enable automatic configuration backups.

Figure 16. Automatic Save Configuration Message Box

NOTE: The automatic backup script files are located under C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\MD Storage
Array vCenter Plug-In\jetty\savecfg directory.

Initiate A Manual Save Configuration

To perform a manual save configuration, perform the procedure below:
1 Open the Storage Array Manager View. See Figure 14.
2 In the left pane, click the name of the storage array.
The storage array properties are displayed in the right pane.
3 In the right pane, click Manually Save Configuration link.
The Manually Save Configuration dialog box appears. See Figure 17.

Figure 17. Manually Save Configuration Message Box

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 22

 4 Click OK
Internet Explorer will launch a File Download dialog box. See Figure 18.

Figure 18. Internet Explorer File Download Dialog Box

5 Click Save
A Save As dialog box will be displayed. See Figure 19.

Figure 19. Save As Dialog Box

6 Select the location and file name to save the backup configuration script as.
7 Click Save

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 23

ESX Host SAN Configuration
4
This vCenter Plug-in allows for an ESX host to be automatically configured to use a Dell MD Storage Array
by detecting the installed Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) within the ESX host and configuring new hosts on the
storage array with the Worldwide Names (WWNs) of the HBAs from the ESX host. The default ESX
multipathing mode for Dell MD Storage Arrays is Most Recently Used (MRU). To ensure optimum
performance for the ESX host with more than two HBAs, the ESX host should be configured to use the storage
array in pairs of HBAs. This method allows for the maximum I/O throughput from the ESX host to the storage
array. Using this method requires proper SAN configuration and balancing of LUNs between hosts/host groups.
Figure 20 shows a properly configured two HBA port ESX host SAN configuration utilizing two fabric
switches and a dual controller storage array.

Figure 20. Dual Port HBA Configuration

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 24

This example shows a fully redundant fabric configuration. If an FC switch or HBA fails, Figure 21 the
alternate switch still connects to both storage controllers in the storage array. If a storage controller also fails
Figure 22, the ESX host can still access the remaining controller, and all virtual disks fail over to that
controller. A complete loss of access to storage occurs if any other element fails.

Figure 21. Single Failure

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 25

Figure 22. Double Failure

This method works well to maintain the in-case of a hardware failure; however, MRU only maintains one
active path for each HBA group. Therefore, if you have an ESX host with four HBAs, only one HBA is active
at a time. To achieve higher I/O throughput from the ESX host to the storage array, it is recommended that you
group the HBAs in pairs and create virtual hosts for each pair of HBAs. This allows for a fully redundant
configuration but also allows for two of the HBAs to be active at the same time versus a single HBA. See
Figure 23. From the storage array, the second pair of HBAs is defined as a separate host and virtual disks can
then be mapped directly to the new host or host group. This same methodology can be used to group additional
HBAs in the same manner. This does require additional management to balance the LUNs between the
hosts/host groups to fully use the fibre channel bandwidth between all HBA groups. When this method is used
in the array, the Automatic ESX host configuration utility cannot determine which HBAs are configured to
each zone in the and the user must verify that a single HBA is connected to both fabric zones for each HBA
pair group.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 26

Figure 23. Quad HBA Port Configuration

NOTE: The intent of this configuration is to pair the HBAs so that no group of HBA ports would be
contained on a single HBA card (if dual port cards are being used).

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 27

Figure 24 shows how an 8 port HBA configuration can be configured.

Figure 24. 8 HBA Port Configuration

Networking Configuration for Software iSCSI Storage

To configure the network for software iSCSI storage, create an iSCSI VMkernel port and map it to a physical
network interface card (NIC) that handles iSCSI traffic. Depending on the number of physical NICs that you
use for iSCSI traffic, the networking setup can be different.

Connecting to a Dell MD3600i Storage Array with VMware ESX 4.1.0, 260247
The Dell MD3600i storage array is not currently listed in the VMware SATP driver and therefore requires the
user to manually add the product ID to the SATP in-order to properly configure failover for the MD3600i
storage array. This is accomplished with the following commands before mapping any virtual disks from the
storage array to the ESX host.
From the ESX console, issue the following commands:
#esxcli nmp satp addrule -v DELL -M MD36xxi -s VMW_SATP_LSI
#esxcli nmp satp listrules |grep DELL
Ensure that Dell MD36xxi is listed in the output.

Additional Information
For more information about network configuration for software iSCSI storage, refer to iSCSI SAN
Configuration Guide: Configuring iSCSI Initiators and Storage: Setting Up Software iSCSI Initiators:
Networking Configuration for Software iSCSI Storage in the VMware® vSphere Online Library.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 28

ESX Host Configuration Wizard
5
To use the Automatic Host Configuration utility, navigate to Hosts and Clusters within the vSphere client and
select the ESX host to be configured; Right select the ESX host, and select the Configure ESX Host to Storage
Array option from the pull-down menu. See Figure 25.

Figure 25. ESX Host Configuration Wizard Menu

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 29

This launches the Configure ESX Host to Storage Array wizard. See Figure 26. From this wizard, you can see
how the current ESX host is configured to the storage array (if it is already configured). You can also add a
host or host group, rename a host or host group, remove a host or host group and automatically configure the
ESX host to another storage array.

Figure 26. FC Configure ESX Host to Storage Array Wizard

To automatically configure the ESX host to the Dell MD Storage Arrays, select the storage array to be
configured, and click Suggest. This groups any unassigned HBA ports into pairs and define a new host and
host group for the groups of HBAs Figure 26. When the suggested configuration is correct, click OK to apply
the changes to the storage array or modify the configuration based on the fibre channel zoning rules from the
previous ESX Host SAN Configuration section. Suggested changes will be shown in blue, the Rename and
Remove options only apply to the uncommitted changes. You cannot rename or remote existing configured
hosts or host groups. Existing host and host group configuration changes must be performed from MDSM.
The wizard displays progress while the requested configuration changes are being made. You must manually
close the progress window once the changes are complete. See Figure 29.
NOTE: To use multiple host groups as described, the storage array must have the Storage Partitioning
premium feature enabled.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 30

Figure 27. iSCSI Configure ESX Host to Storage Array View

Figure 28. SAS Configure ESX Host to Storage Array View

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 31

 NOTE: To detect the SAS HBA addresses, the LSI SAS SMI-S provider must be upgraded to the version
included with the install and as described in section Installing the SAS Provider Upgrade. When the
provider is not upgraded, the list of address does not appear and the icon above the servers will be red.
See Figure 28.

Figure 29. Commit Changes

The ESX host has now been configured to the storage array. The next step is to create new virtual disks on the
storage array to be used by the ESX host. New virtual disks are created using the vCenter Plug-in.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 32

Storage Array Summary
Clicking on a storage array from the array manager view displays a summary of the selected
storage array. See Figure 30. This includes information on the status of the storage array, the
number of controllers, the number of failed controllers, the number of drive trays, number of
physical drives, physical drive types, hot spares, and capacity usage. The storage array event log
is also accessible from this tab by clicking on the View Event Log link. See section Figure 43.
Datastores View

Storage Array Event Log for additional event log details.

Figure 30 Storage Array Summary

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 33

Create Disk Group
Selecting the Virtual Disks tab shows a logical view that displays how storage capacity is allocated. This view
also allows you to create new disk groups and virtual disks. Additionally, existing virtual disks and disk groups
can be modified or deleted here. To create a new disk group, click Create Disk Group.

Figure 31. Storage Array Virtual Disks

The Create Disk Group link launches a wizard to walk you through creating a new disk group (Figure 26).
During this process, you must choose from the available free drives, the drives that make up the new disk
group, and select the RAID level to be used.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 34

Figure 32. Create Disk Group Dialog Box

Formatting Virtual Disks

Before you format virtual disks with VMFS datastores, you must plan how to set up storage for the ESX/ESXi
systems, including deciding on the number of virtual disks to use and the size of the virtual disks.
NOTE: For more information about making virtual disk decisions, including predictive
schemes, adaptive schemes, and disk shares, refer to the iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide:
Using ESX/ESXi with an iSCSI Storage Area Network: Making LUN Decisions in the VMware®
vSphere Online Library.

 When you are deciding how to format the virtual disks, keep in mind the following considerations:
 Make sure that each virtual disk has the correct RAID level and storage characteristics for applications in
the virtual machines that use that virtual disk. Make sure that each virtual disk contains only one VMFS
datastore.
 When multiple virtual machines access the same VMFS datastore, use disk shares to prioritize virtual
machines.
 Fewer, larger virtual disks are appropriate for the following reasons:
 More flexibility to create virtual machines without asking the storage administrator for more space.
 More flexibility for resizing virtual disks, doing snapshots, and so on.
 Fewer VMFS datastores to manage.
 More, smaller virtual disks are appropriate for the following reasons:
 Less wasted storage space.
 Different applications might need different RAID characteristics.
 More flexibility, as the multipathing policy and disk shares are set per virtual disk.
 Use of Microsoft Cluster Service requires that each cluster disk resource is in its own virtual disk.
 Better performance because there is less contention for a single virtual disk.

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Decision-Making Schemes
When the storage characterization for a virtual machine is not available, you can use either the predictive
scheme or the adaptive scheme to decide on the virtual disk size and number of virtual disks to use.

Using the Predictive Scheme to Make virtual disk Decisions

1 Create several virtual disks with different storage characteristics.
2 Build a VMFS Datastore on each virtual disk. Label each Datastore according to its characteristics.
3 Allocate virtual disks to contain the data for virtual machine applications in the VMFS datastores built
on virtual disks with the appropriate RAID level for the applications' requirements.
4 Use disk shares to distinguish high-priority virtual machines from low-priority virtual machines.
NOTE: Disk shares are relevant only within a given host. The shares assigned to virtual machines on one
host have no effect on virtual machines on other hosts.

5 Run the applications to determine whether virtual machine performance is acceptable.

Using the Adaptive Scheme to Make Virtual Disk Decisions

1 Create a large virtual disk, such as RAID 1+0 or RAID 5, with write caching enabled.
2 Build a VMFS datastore on that virtual disk.
3 Place four or five virtual disks on the VMFS datastore.
4 Run the applications to determine whether disk performance is acceptable.
 If performance is acceptable, you can place additional virtual disks on the VMFS datastore.
 If performance is not acceptable, create a new, larger virtual disk, and repeat the process. You can use a
different RAID level. Use migration so that you do not lose virtual machines when you re-create the virtual
disk.

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Creating a Virtual Disk
After a new disk group was created, you can create new virtual disks from the free capacity in the disk group.
To create a new virtual disk, perform these steps:
1 Click Create Virtual Disk link.
The Create Virtual Disk wizard appears. See Figure 33

Figure 33. Create Virtual Disk Dialog Box

2 In the Name text box, type the virtual disk name.

3 From the Disk Group drop-down list, select the disk group to use for the new virtual disk.
4 In the Size text box, type the size of the new virtual disk, and select the rate from the drop-down list.
5 In the I/O settings area, select the I/O characteristics of the virtual disk.
6 Click OK to create the virtual disk.

Snapshots Premium Feature

When the Snapshots premium feature is enabled on the storage array, these additional options are available in
the Commands area:
 Create Snapshot – Create a new snapshot of a base virtual disk.
 Disable Snapshot – Disable the snapshot of a base virtual disk.
 Recreate Snapshot – Re-create a disabled snapshot.
 Delete – Delete a snapshot of a virtual disk.

Creating a Snapshot of a Base Virtual Disk

1 Highlight the base virtual disk, and click Create Snapshot in the Command area.
The Snapshot wizard appears.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 37

Figure 34. Create Snapshot Dialog Box

2 Change one or more of the snapshot attributes:

 Snapshot Name – the name of the new snapshot virtual disk.
 Snapshot Repository Name – the name of the new repository virtual disk.
 Percent of Base Virtual Disk – the percentage of the base virtual disk to use for the repository.
 Disk Group – the name of the disk group in which to place the repository virtual disk.
NOTE: After the size of the snapshot exceeds the percentage of the base virtual disk, the snapshot fails.
The snapshot is no longer available for use until it is re-established by re-creating it. See Re-creating a
Snapshot.

Disabling a Snapshot
To temporarily deactivate a snapshot so that it can be used again later, highlight the snapshot virtual disk in the
Virtual Disks tree, and click Disable Snapshot in the Command area. The snapshot process stops, but the
relationship remains between the snapshot and the base virtual disk and the repository virtual disks.

Re-creating a Snapshot
To re-establish a deactivated snapshot, click Recreate Snapshot in the Commands area. A new copy of the base
virtual disk that can be used as the snapshot is created.
NOTE: Re-creating a snapshot disables the original snapshot before the new snapshot is created.

Deleting a Snapshot
Select the snapshot virtual disk in the Virtual Disks tree, and click Delete in the Commands area.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 38

Creating a Virtual Disk Copy
When the Virtual Disk Copy premium feature is enabled on a storage array managed by the vCenter Plug-in,
the Virtual Disk Copy tab appears next to the Mappings tab. This tab allows the management of virtual disk
copies on the selected storage array. See Figure 35.

Figure 35. Virtual Disk Copy Management

From this tab, all virtual disk copy operations are displayed along with the current status of all virtual disk
copies. From the Commands area, the following options are available: Create Virtual Disk Copy, Recopy, Stop,
Change Virtual Disk Copy Parameters, Remove Copy, and Refresh. To create a new virtual disk copy, click
Create Virtual Disk Copy in the Commands area, which launches the Virtual Disk Copy wizard. From this
wizard, select the source virtual disk to use for the virtual disk copy.
NOTE: While the virtual disk copy is being established, the source virtual disk is read-only to the host to
which the virtual disk copy is presented. When the Snapshot premium feature is enabled, the vCenter
Plug-in uses the feature to create a snapshot of the source virtual disk before the virtual disk copy is
initiated and the virtual disk copy operation uses the snapshot virtual disk to establish the virtual disk
copy with. This allows for continued read-write operations to the source virtual disk from the host during
the establish period.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 39

Figure 36. Create Virtual Disk Copy Dialog Box

1 Click Next to select the target virtual disk for the virtual disk copy and select the copy priority to use.

Figure 37. Virtual Disk Copy Target Dialog Box

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 40

After the virtual disk copy is established, it can be managed from the Virtual Disk Copy tab. To stop a copy
operation that is occurring, select the copy set to modify and click Stop in the Commands area. To recopy an
existing in the , click the copy set, and click the Recopy link. To delete a copy set, select the copy set to modify,
and click the Remove Copy link. This removes the virtual disk copy relationship between the two virtual disks,
but does not modify or delete the target virtual disk that still contains a copy of the original data from the
source virtual disk.

Remote Replication
When the Remote Replication premium feature is enabled on the storage array, the Remote Replication tab
appears within the vCenter Plug-in. From this tab, existing remote replication pairs are displayed along with
the Commands area which allows for creation of new replication pairs, suspending an existing replication pair,
resuming a replication pair, removing a replication pair, testing replication communications, or change
replication parameters.

Figure 38. Remote Replication View

Create Remote Replication Procedure

The following procedure details the steps required to create a remote replication using the vCenter Plug-in.
NOTE: To create a remote replication, both storage arrays (local and remote) must be added to the
array manager view. See Figure 14.

1 From the Remote Replication tab, click the Create Remote Replication link.
2 Click Next after reading the introduction wizard page.
3 From the Virtual Disk tree view, select the source virtual disk for the mirror relationship and click Next.
4 Select the remote storage array for the mirror.
5 From the drop-down list, select the secondary virtual disk to be the target of the source remote
replication.
6 Choose the write mode for the remote mirror and click Next.
7 Review the summary information on the Confirmation page and click Finish to establish the mirror
relationship. See Figure 39.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 41

Figure 39. Remote Replication Confirmation Dialog Box

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 42

Mapping a Virtual Disk
After creating new virtual disks, use the Mappings tab to present the virtual disks to the ESX host for use. See .
From this view, you can manage hosts, host groups, and virtual disk mappings. To present a new virtual disk to
an ESX host, click the Add Mapping link to start the Add Mapping wizard.

Figure 40. Virtual Disk Mapping View

1 Select the host group or host to which to map the new virtual disk.
2 Select the virtual disk number to use and virtual disk to be mapped.
3 Click OK
NOTE: When your storage array uses multiple groups of HBAs per ESX host, the new virtual disks should
be balanced across all hosts/host groups. Do not add all the virtual disks to a single host/host group; no
I/O balancing can occur in this case.

After the virtual disks have been mapped to the ESX host, the storage adapters on the ESX host must be
rescanned to detect the new storage virtual disks. This action is accomplished from Hosts and Clusters view >>
Configuration tab >> Storage Adapters for the ESX host being configured. See Figure 41.
NOTE: You may need to run the Rescan, from vCenter, twice to detect all of the new storage virtual
disks that have been mapped to the ESX host.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 43

Figure 41. Storage Adapters Rescan

From this view, the user can also verify that the correct number of paths have been configured. By right-
clicking on one of the devices listed under the storage adapter and selecting Manage Paths, a window opens
and shows the number of paths for the target device. There should be 4 paths to each device with two Active
and two Standby as shown in Figure 42.

Figure 42. Physical Disk Path Configuration

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 44

Datastores View
After datastores are created on storage array virtual disks, the Datastores View tab can be used to understand
the mapping of datastores to storage array virtual disks. The intent of this view is to provide you with a quick
status and view of the datastores and their underlying storage virtual disks.
Use this view to identify the storage array where the datastore resides and the associated storage array virtual
disk. You can view the health status of the virtual disk, the associated host/host group, RAID level, capacity
and datastore free space. This view also displays the details of the datastore, such as the extent, LUN number,
and health status.
The Datastores View, Figure 43 is context sensitive, so selecting a VM in the tree only displays storage
elements for the selected VM.

Figure 43. Datastores View

Storage Array Event Log

The vCenter Plug-in allows you to view the Event Log for a storage array, as shown in Figure 53. To access
the event log, click View Event Log in the storage array Summary window. You can set filters in the Event
Log to show either critical events or all events. You can view the details for a selected event. By default, the
Event Log retrieves the most recent 100 events, but from the Retrieve the most recent events drop-down list,
you can specify the number of events for the Event Log to retrieve.
NOTE: The event log might contain some duplicate entries.

 After changing the number of events to retrieve, click Update.

 After changing the Event Log settings, click Save as, and click Close.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 45

Figure 44. Event Log Viewer

Manually Unregistering the vCenter Plug-in

If the vCenter Plug-in needs to be removed, the following procedure can be used when it is not possible to
uninstall the vCenter Plug-in from the application server.
1 Start a web browser and navigate to the IP address of the vCenter server with /mob appended to the IP
address (example: http://192.168.51.21/mob).
2 Click the content link to navigate to the available ServiceContent.
3 Click the ExtensionManager link to display a list of registered extensions
4 Click the UnregisterExtension link and enter the extension name to be unregistered from the list of
available extensions (example: Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in)
5 Click the Invoke Method link to unregister the extension.
6 The vSphere client must be restarted to reflect the changes.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 46

Figure 45. Manual Unregister Extension

Uninstall the vCenter Plug-in

The vCenter Plug-in can be uninstalled using the supplied uninstaller located on the application server at
C:\Program Files\Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-
in\Uninstall Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-In\Uninstall Dell MD
Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in.exe
or from the application server run Add/Remove Programs (Programs and Features on Windows 2008) and
select the vCenter Plug-in package to uninstall the vCenter Plug-in and SMI-S provider packages.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 47

Troubleshooting vCenter Plug-in Issues
6
This section describes how to open and read vCenter Plug-in log file, provides answers to some frequently
asked questions, and describes and, describes how to resolve some common problems you might encounter
with the vCenter Plug-in.

Application Server Logs

All procedures that are performed from the vCenter Plug-In are logged in to the following log file on the
application server:
C:\Program Files\Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management
Plug-in\jetty\logs\
vCenter2-logx.y.csv
The file is archived every 24 hours and stored for 10 days, after which the file is overwritten. The file is in
CSV format. You can open the file and view it in Notepad, CVSed, or a similar viewer.
NOTE: If the file is locked, you can create a copy of the file with a different name, open the copied file,
and it view it.

Figure 46. vCenter Plug-in Log view

Additional log files that are useful for technical support to resolve issues are also maintained in this directory,
but these files are generally not in a user-friendly format.
 vCenter2debug-x.log.y -- Debug log used by technical support
 jetty-service.log -- Jetty service log, used by technical support
 <date/time stamp>.request.log -- Log of IP addresses for all Jetty service requests from
clients

The Installation Log Not Show that the Pegasus Service Started
Verify that the cimserver service was started from services.msc window.
NOTE: In the event one of these services crash or is stopped, the CIMOM service must be started before the Jetty service or
no updates/modifications will occur.

I Cannot Communicate with the Application Server

1 Check the firewall settings to verify that the Jetty TCP port is enabled. If the Jetty TCP port is not
enabled, enable it.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 48

 2 Verify that the cimserver/Pegasus server service is started on the application server. If the
cimserver/Pegasus server service is stopped, start it.
3 Verify that the Jetty6-Service is started on the application server. If the Jetty6-Service is stopped, start it.
NOTE: If the vCenter Plug-In will be installed on the same system as an active vCenter Server, and
VMware Update Manager is installed, the port number 8084 for the plug-in must be changed from the
default to an unused port number.

I Cannot Create or Delete Objects

Verify that the user ID has the required storage administrator privileges assigned for the user’s role. For more
information about storage administrator roles, go to “Configuring Storage Administrator Roles” on page 10

How Can I Maximize Client Performance

The Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Management Plug-in is a client-side, intensive application, so a fast CPU
client, with sufficient memory to avoid page swapping, provides the best environment for running the vSphere
client.

How Do I Suppress Slow Script Warning Messages

Depending on the size of the storage array being managed, some of the views might generate a slow script
warning message and delay the processing of the view. These warning messages can be suppressed by
applying the following registry change on the storage array the vSphere client is being run from as detailed in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/175500 Knowledge Base article from Microsoft.
 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
 DWORD MaxScriptStatements set to 0xFFFFFFFF

I Cannot Make Changes to a Storage Array?

You can make changes to the storage array only when the password in the vCenter Plug-in matches the
password set on the storage array.
 When the passwords do not match, such as when the storage array password is changed, but the
password in the vCenter Plug-in is not changed, you can run passive commands from the vCenter Plug-in
to the storage array, but active commands to the array will fail.
 The vCenter Plug-in displays the properties of the storage array whether the passwords match or do not
match.
After you change the password on the storage array, change the password in the Plug-in so that the vCenter
Plug-in password matches the storage array password. Resolving a Password Mismatch describes how to
resolve a password mismatch.

The vCenter Plug-in Does Not Show the New Storage Array Name after
a Clear Configuration Operation in MDSM
You can perform a Clear Configuration operation in Modular Disk Storage Manager (MDSM) in two ways:
 The Clear Configuration operation on a disk group only deletes the virtual disk configuration. The
storage array name does not change, so the vCenter Plug-in still sees the same storage array name.
 The Clear Configuration operation on a storage array clears the entire configuration and changes the
storage array name to the default name. After a Clear Configuration operation, the vCenter Plug-in
considers the storage array to be a first-time installation. For the vCenter Plug-in to recognize the storage
array, perform the following actions:
a Remove the storage array from the vCenter Plug-in.
b In MDSM, rename the storage array.
c Re-add the storage array to the vCenter Plug-in.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 49

The vCenter Plug-in Displays Incorrect Error Messages
Incorrect error codes might appear because of the limited return codes from the SMI-S Provider. When you
troubleshoot incorrect error codes, make sure you include all detailed information about the errors.

Please send your feedback to [email protected].

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 50

Getting Help
7
Contacting Dell
For customers in the United States, call 800-WWW-DELL (800-999-3355).
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your
purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.

Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country
and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support,
or customer service issues:
1 Visit support.dell.com.
2 Click your country/region at the bottom of the page. For a full listing of country/region click All.
3 Click All Support from Support menu.
4 Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
5 Choose the method of contacting Dell that is convenient for you.

Dell MD Storage Array vCenter Plug-in | 51