Dell PowerFlex 4.6.

x
Administration Guide

November 2024
Rev. 2.0
Notes, cautions, and warnings

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

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

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

© 2024 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell Technologies, Dell, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its
subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.
 Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................10
Common PowerFlex terms and associated acronyms.............................................................................................. 10

Chapter 2: Revision history.......................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 3: Initial configuration and setup.................................................................................... 12

Initial configuration............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Enabling SupportAssist............................................................................................................................................... 12
Specifying the installation type.................................................................................................................................13
Verifying the initial configuration............................................................................................................................. 15
Getting started................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Changing your password.................................................................................................................................................. 17

Chapter 4: Performing common tasks.......................................................................................... 18

Deploying and provisioning.............................................................................................................................................. 18
Configuring block storage................................................................................................................................................19
Configuring file storage................................................................................................................................................... 20
Managing components......................................................................................................................................................21
Monitoring system health................................................................................................................................................22
Managing external changes............................................................................................................................................ 23

Chapter 5: Expanding PowerFlex storage.................................................................................... 25

Expand PowerFlex using a CSV file.............................................................................................................................. 25
Adding new components or features by editing the existing CSV file................................................................. 25
Deploy a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file from PowerFlex Manager............................................ 28
Deploy or expand a cluster using REST API commands.......................................................................................... 29

Chapter 6: Displaying system information at a glance.................................................................. 31

Chapter 7: Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment................................................. 35

Protection domains...........................................................................................................................................................35
Add protection domains.............................................................................................................................................35
Configure network throttling....................................................................................................................................35
Inactivate a protection domain................................................................................................................................ 36
Activate a protection domain................................................................................................................................... 36
Remove a protection domain....................................................................................................................................36
Fault sets.............................................................................................................................................................................36
Add fault sets............................................................................................................................................................... 37
Place a fault set in maintenance mode...................................................................................................................37
Exit fault set from maintenance mode................................................................................................................... 37
Cancel protected maintenance mode for fault set..............................................................................................37
Delete fault sets...........................................................................................................................................................38
Storage data servers........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Add storage data servers.......................................................................................................................................... 38

Contents 3
 Configure RMcache ...................................................................................................................................................39
Remove SDSs...............................................................................................................................................................39
Place storage data server in maintenance mode.................................................................................................40
Exit storage data server from maintenance mode.............................................................................................. 40
Cancel entering protected maintenance mode for SDS.................................................................................... 40
Add storage devices................................................................................................................................................... 40
Add acceleration devices............................................................................................................................................41
Storage pools..................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Add storage pools........................................................................................................................................................42
Configure storage pool settings...............................................................................................................................43
Configure RMcache for the storage pool .............................................................................................................43
Using the background device scanner................................................................................................................... 44
Set media type for storage pool.............................................................................................................................. 44
Configuring I/O priorities and bandwidth use...................................................................................................... 45
Acceleration pools............................................................................................................................................................. 45
Add an acceleration pool........................................................................................................................................... 45
Rename an acceleration pool....................................................................................................................................46
Remove an acceleration pool....................................................................................................................................46
Devices................................................................................................................................................................................ 46
Activate devices.......................................................................................................................................................... 46
Clear device errors...................................................................................................................................................... 47
Remove devices........................................................................................................................................................... 47
Rename devices........................................................................................................................................................... 47
Set media type............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Set device capacity limits.......................................................................................................................................... 48
Modify device LED settings...................................................................................................................................... 48
Volumes............................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Add volumes................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Delete volumes.............................................................................................................................................................49
Overwrite volume content........................................................................................................................................ 49
Create volume snapshots.......................................................................................................................................... 49
Set volume bandwidth and IOPS limits.................................................................................................................. 50
Increase volume size...................................................................................................................................................50
Map volumes................................................................................................................................................................ 50
Unmap volumes............................................................................................................................................................ 51
Remove a snapshot consistency group ................................................................................................................. 51
Volume tree vTree migration.....................................................................................................................................51
NVMe targets.................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Add an NVMe target.................................................................................................................................................. 55
Modify an NVMe target.............................................................................................................................................56
Remove an NVMe target...........................................................................................................................................56
Hosts.................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Add an NVMe host...................................................................................................................................................... 57
Map volumes to hosts................................................................................................................................................ 57
Unmap volumes from hosts...................................................................................................................................... 57
Remove hosts...............................................................................................................................................................58
Configure or modify approved host IP addresses............................................................................................... 58
Approve SDCs.............................................................................................................................................................. 58
Rename hosts...............................................................................................................................................................58
Modify an SDC performance profile....................................................................................................................... 59

4 Contents
Chapter 8: Managing file storage................................................................................................ 60
High availability.................................................................................................................................................................. 60
Multitenancy.......................................................................................................................................................................60
Create the tenant.........................................................................................................................................................61
Modify the tenant........................................................................................................................................................ 61
Delete the tenant......................................................................................................................................................... 61
Overview of configuring NAS servers.......................................................................................................................... 61
Create a NAS server for NFS (Linux or UNIX-only) file systems....................................................................62
Create NAS server for SMB (Windows-only) file systems .............................................................................. 62
Change NAS server settings.................................................................................................................................... 63
NAS server networks................................................................................................................................................. 64
NAS server naming services..................................................................................................................................... 64
NAS server sharing protocols...................................................................................................................................66
NAS server protection and events.......................................................................................................................... 67
NAS server settings.................................................................................................................................................... 67
NAS server security ................................................................................................................................................... 70
About file system storage................................................................................................................................................ 71
File-level retention.......................................................................................................................................................73
Create a file system for NFS exports..................................................................................................................... 73
Create a file system for SMB shares...................................................................................................................... 74
Modify file-level retention......................................................................................................................................... 75
Change file system settings......................................................................................................................................76
Create an SMB share..................................................................................................................................................77
Create an NFS export.................................................................................................................................................77
Create a global namespace....................................................................................................................................... 78
More about file systems............................................................................................................................................ 80
File system quotas ..................................................................................................................................................... 83
File protection.................................................................................................................................................................... 84
Create a protection policy......................................................................................................................................... 84
Create snapshot rules................................................................................................................................................ 85
Create a snapshot....................................................................................................................................................... 85
Modify a snapshot.......................................................................................................................................................86
Delete a snapshot........................................................................................................................................................86
Assign a protection policy to a file system............................................................................................................86
Unassign a protection policy.....................................................................................................................................86
Modify a protection policy.........................................................................................................................................87
Delete a protection policy..........................................................................................................................................87
Modify a snapshot rule............................................................................................................................................... 87
Delete a snapshot rule................................................................................................................................................ 87
Refresh a file system using snapshot..................................................................................................................... 87
Restore a file system from a snapshot...................................................................................................................88
Clone NAS server and file system........................................................................................................................... 88
Clone the file system.................................................................................................................................................. 88
Create a thin clone using a snapshot..................................................................................................................... 89

Chapter 9: Protecting a block storage environment.....................................................................90

Snapshots........................................................................................................................................................................... 90
Create snapshots........................................................................................................................................................ 90

Contents 5
 Overwrite volume content from a snapshot.........................................................................................................90
Set bandwidth and IOPS limits for snapshots.......................................................................................................91
Lock and unlock snapshots........................................................................................................................................91
Delete snapshots.......................................................................................................................................................... 91
Map snapshots.............................................................................................................................................................92
Unmap snapshots........................................................................................................................................................ 92
Increase the size of a snapshot............................................................................................................................... 92
Migrate a snapshot vTree......................................................................................................................................... 92
Pause snapshot vTree migration............................................................................................................................. 93
Roll back snapshot vTree migration........................................................................................................................94
Set snapshot vTree migration priority....................................................................................................................94
Snapshot policies...............................................................................................................................................................94
Create a snapshot policy........................................................................................................................................... 95
Remove snapshot policy............................................................................................................................................ 95
Modify snapshot policy.............................................................................................................................................. 95
Rename snapshot policy............................................................................................................................................ 96
Activate snapshot policy............................................................................................................................................96
Pause snapshot policy................................................................................................................................................96
Assign volumes or snapshots to a snapshot policy............................................................................................. 96
Unassign a volume from a snapshot policy........................................................................................................... 96
Remote protection............................................................................................................................................................ 97
Extract and upload certificates................................................................................................................................ 97
Journal capacity...........................................................................................................................................................98
Add a peer system...................................................................................................................................................... 99
Restart the replication cluster................................................................................................................................100
SDRs............................................................................................................................................................................. 100
Replication consistency group.................................................................................................................................101

Chapter 10: Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group...............................................110

Deploying a resource configuration in a resource group........................................................................................ 110
Basic tasks.................................................................................................................................................................... 111
Additional resource group management tasks....................................................................................................129
Preparing a template for a resource group deployment........................................................................................ 138
Basic tasks...................................................................................................................................................................138
Additional template management tasks................................................................................................................147

Chapter 11: Managing resources................................................................................................. 157

Basic tasks.........................................................................................................................................................................158
Discover a resource...................................................................................................................................................159
Viewing resource details........................................................................................................................................... 161
Update resource inventory .....................................................................................................................................165
Viewing a compliance report for a resource....................................................................................................... 165
Updating firmware and software........................................................................................................................... 165
Removing resources.................................................................................................................................................. 173
Additional resource management tasks......................................................................................................................173
Creating a node pool................................................................................................................................................. 173
Modifying a node pool...............................................................................................................................................173
Removing a node pool...............................................................................................................................................174
Viewing the port view details..................................................................................................................................174

6 Contents
 Exporting a compliance report for all resources.................................................................................................174
Exporting a configuration report for all resources and resource groups......................................................175
Importing networks....................................................................................................................................................175
Updating passwords for system components.....................................................................................................176

Chapter 12: Monitoring events and alerts .................................................................................. 178

Events.................................................................................................................................................................................178
Viewing an event........................................................................................................................................................180
Alerts.................................................................................................................................................................................. 180
Viewing and acknowledging an alert...................................................................................................................... 181
Jobs.....................................................................................................................................................................................182

Chapter 13: Configuring system settings................................................................................... 183

User management............................................................................................................................................................183
User roles..................................................................................................................................................................... 183
Local users...................................................................................................................................................................186
Remote users and groups........................................................................................................................................ 187
Directory services...................................................................................................................................................... 188
Single sign-on identity provider configuration ...................................................................................................190
Repositories...................................................................................................................................................................... 196
Compliance versions................................................................................................................................................. 198
OS images....................................................................................................................................................................201
Compatibility management..................................................................................................................................... 202
Getting started................................................................................................................................................................ 202
Networking....................................................................................................................................................................... 203
Networks.....................................................................................................................................................................203
Adding an IP verification port number................................................................................................................. 205
System data networks............................................................................................................................................. 206
Events and alerts............................................................................................................................................................ 206
Configuring an external source .............................................................................................................................207
Modifying an external source.................................................................................................................................208
Configuring a destination........................................................................................................................................ 208
Modifying a destination............................................................................................................................................ 210
Add a notification policy...........................................................................................................................................210
Modify a notification policy...................................................................................................................................... 211
Delete a notification policy...................................................................................................................................... 212
Configuring an audit log policy............................................................................................................................... 212
License management...................................................................................................................................................... 213
Upload a PowerFlex license.....................................................................................................................................213
Uploading other software licenses........................................................................................................................ 214
Security.............................................................................................................................................................................. 214
Adding SSL trusted certificates............................................................................................................................. 214
Adding appliance SSL certificates......................................................................................................................... 214
Adding resource credentials....................................................................................................................................215
Serviceability.................................................................................................................................................................... 220
Generating a troubleshooting bundle................................................................................................................... 220
Back up and restore.................................................................................................................................................. 221
Backup and restore using VM snapshots............................................................................................................ 223
Software upgrade........................................................................................................................................................... 224

Contents 7
 Upgrading PowerFlex Manager from a local repository path.........................................................................224
Editing the upgrade settings.................................................................................................................................. 225

Chapter 14: PowerFlex Manager user interface reference.......................................................... 226

Lifecycle............................................................................................................................................................................ 226
Resource groups....................................................................................................................................................... 226
Templates....................................................................................................................................................................228
Resources......................................................................................................................................................................... 244
Resource health status............................................................................................................................................ 244
Resource operational state.....................................................................................................................................245
Compliance status.....................................................................................................................................................246
Discovery overview...................................................................................................................................................247
Node pools.................................................................................................................................................................. 248
Configuration checks............................................................................................................................................... 248
Settings............................................................................................................................................................................. 249
Backup details............................................................................................................................................................ 249
Network types........................................................................................................................................................... 249

Chapter 15: Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node.......................................................... 251

Preparing a PowerFlex management node for maintenance................................................................................ 251
Perform co-resident PowerFlex controller node maintenance............................................................................252
Return the node to operation...................................................................................................................................... 252
Post-maintenance status..............................................................................................................................................252
Additional maintenance activities................................................................................................................................253
Shutdown or restart a node gracefully................................................................................................................ 253
Power on co-resident system................................................................................................................................ 254
Power off the co-resident system........................................................................................................................255
Running scripts on hosts via PowerFlex Manager..................................................................................................256
Overview of running scripts on hosts.................................................................................................................. 256
Run script on host.....................................................................................................................................................257

Chapter 16: Retrieving logs for the PowerFlex nodes................................................................. 261

Retrieve logs from a VMware ESXi-based operating system............................................................................... 261
Retrieve logs from a Linux-based operating system...............................................................................................261
Retrieve logs from Windows-based operating system........................................................................................... 261
Configure and retrieve operating system crash dumps.........................................................................................262

Chapter 17: Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components............................................................. 263

Retrieve the PowerFlex core component logs ....................................................................................................... 263
Collecting debug information using get_info..................................................................................................... 263
Collect PowerFlex management platform support data..................................................................................265
Collect PowerFlex Manager platform installer support data..........................................................................266
Generating a troubleshooting bundle................................................................................................................... 266
Retrieve PowerFlex core component logs using REST API............................................................................ 267

Chapter 18: Retrieving additional PowerFlex logs...................................................................... 270

Retrieve RAID controller logs from VxFlex Ready Node systems....................................................................... 270
Retrieve system event logs in VxFlex Ready Node servers.................................................................................. 271
Collect logs from the management VM cluster........................................................................................................271

8 Contents
Chapter 19: Enabling audit logging.............................................................................................273
Define the PowerFlex events notification policy..................................................................................................... 273
Define the Ingress notification policy......................................................................................................................... 274
Change Ingress setting to emit audit messages......................................................................................................274

Chapter 20: Managing storage devices using CloudLink.............................................................275

Encrypt the SSD or NVMe storage devices............................................................................................................. 275
Encrypt the devices in CloudLink Center............................................................................................................ 275
Encrypt single devices using the CLI....................................................................................................................275
Verify that SSD or NVMe is encrypted......................................................................................................................276
Manage the SED storage devices............................................................................................................................... 276
Manage the SEDs in CloudLink Center................................................................................................................276
Verify that SED is encrypted........................................................................................................................................277
Add the encrypted devices to an SDS....................................................................................................................... 278
Remove software-encrypted devices from an SDS and remove device encryption...................................... 278

Chapter 21: Understanding NVMe over TCP load balancing........................................................280

Managing system data networks in PowerFlex Manager...................................................................................... 281
Managing system data networks using SCLI............................................................................................................ 281
Managing host groups using SCLI............................................................................................................................... 281
Managing network sets using SCLI............................................................................................................................ 282

Chapter 22: Managing NAS server configuration....................................................................... 284

Managing CEPA pool configuration............................................................................................................................285

Chapter 23: Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi........................................................287

Prepare the VMware ESXi node for mapping NVMe/TCP volumes.................................................................. 288
Enable the NVMe/TCP VMkernel ports..............................................................................................................288
Add NVMe /TCP software storage adapter...................................................................................................... 288
Copy the host NQN.................................................................................................................................................. 288
Add a host to PowerFlex.........................................................................................................................................289
Create a volume........................................................................................................................................................ 289
Map a volume to the host.......................................................................................................................................289
Discover and connect the NVMe/TCP Target.................................................................................................. 289
Perform a rescan of the storage...........................................................................................................................290
Create a VMFS datastore on the NVMe/TCP volume.................................................................................... 290
Migrate the data with Storage vMotion....................................................................................................................290

Contents 9
 1
Introduction
This document provides procedures for using Dell PowerFlex Manager to administer your Dell PowerFlex system. This document
includes content from the online help for PowerFlex Manager, as well as information about other administrative procedures you
might perform outside of PowerFlex Manager.
It provides the following information:
● Initial configuration and setup
● Performing common tasks
● Expanding PowerFlex storage
● Displaying system information at a glance
● Managing block storage
● Managing file storage
● Protecting your storage environment
● Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group
● Managing resources
● Monitoring events and alerts
● Configuring system settings
● PowerFlex Manager user interface reference
● Additional administration activities
The target audience for this document includes system administrators responsible for managing PowerFlex systems.
For additional PowerFlex software documentation, go to PowerFlex software technical documentation.

Common PowerFlex terms and associated acronyms

This section identifies common PowerFlex terms and associated acronyms.

Table 1. Common PowerFlex terms and associated acronyms

Term Acronym
management virtual machine MVM
management data store MDS
PowerFlex management controller PFMC
PowerFlex management platform PFMP
storage data client SDC
storage data server SDS
storage virtual machine SVM
storage data replicator SDR
storage data target SDT

See the PowerFlex glossary for more information about PowerFlex terms and acronyms.

10 Introduction
 2
Revision history
Table 2. Revisions
Date Document revision Description of changes
November 2024 2.0 Updates for release 4.6.1
May 2024 1.0 Initial release

Revision history 11
 3
Initial configuration and setup
This section includes tasks you need to perform when you first begin using PowerFlex Manager.

Initial configuration
The first time you log in to PowerFlex Manager, you are prompted with an Initial Configuration Wizard, which prompts you to
configure the basic settings that are required to start using PowerFlex Manager.
Before you begin, have the following information available:
● SupportAssist configuration details.
SupportAssist refers to secure connect gateway, which is used for call home functionality and remote connectivity.
● Information about whether you intend to use a Release Certification Matrix (RCM) or Intelligent Catalog (IC).
● Information about the type of installation you want to perform, including details about your existing PowerFlex instance when
you intend to import from another PowerFlex instance.
To configure the basic settings:
1. On the Welcome page, read the instructions and click Next.
2. On the SupportAssist page, optionally enable SupportAssist and specify SupportAssist connection settings, and click Next.
3. On the Installation Type page, specify whether you want to deploy a new instance of PowerFlex or import an existing
instance, and click Next.
4. On the Summary page, verify all settings for SupportAssist and installation type. Click Finish to complete the initial
configuration.
After completing the Initial Configuration Wizard, you can get started using PowerFlex Manager from the Getting Started
page.

Enabling SupportAssist
SupportAssist is a secure support technology for the data center. SupportAssist refers to secure connect gateway, which
is used for call home functionality and remote connectivity. You can enable SupportAssist as part of the initial configuration
wizard. Alternatively, you can enable it later by adding it as a destination to a notification policy in Events and Alerts.
PowerFlex Manager provides support through integration with the secure connect gateway, ensuring better alignment with Dell
Technologies services initiatives to enhance the user experience. SupportAssist is the functionality that enables this connection.
When you enable SupportAssist, you can take advantage of the following benefits, depending on the service agreement on your
device:
● Automated issue detection - SupportAssist monitors your Dell Technologies devices and automatically detects hardware
issues, both proactively and predictively.
● Automated case creation - When an issue is detected, SupportAssist automatically opens a support case with Dell
Technologies Support.
● Automated diagnostic collection - SupportAssist automatically collects system state information from your devices and
uploads it securely to Dell Technologies. Dell Technologies Support uses this information to troubleshoot the issue.
● Proactive contact - A Dell Technologies Support agent contacts you about the support case and helps you resolve the issue.
The first time that you access the initial configuration wizard, the connection status displays as not configured.
Ensure you have the details about your SupportAssist configuration.
If you do not enable SupportAssist in the initial setup, you can add it later as a destination when adding a notification policy
through Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
1. Click Enable SupportAssist.
2. From the Connection Type tab, there are two options:

12 Initial configuration and setup

 If you want to: Do the following:
Connect directly to Dell Click Connect Directly.
Technologies.
Connect to a SupportAssist Click Connect via Gateway Server and provide the following details:
gateway server that connects ● The IP and port number that is assigned to the primary and secondary gateway
to Dell Technologies by remote servers. The port number is auto populated to 9443.
access. ● Optionally, click Add Gateway to include an additional gateway server. The
maximum number of gateways is eight.
● If your environment has a proxy server, enter the IP address, port number,
username, and password for the proxy server.
● Enter the access key and PIN for authentication to SupportAssist.
● Optionally, click Test connection to test the connection status.
● Optionally, click Send Test Alert to send a test alert.
3. From the Support Contacts tab, identify the primary support contact by providing their first name, last name, email, and
phone details. Optionally, you can add up to two additional support contacts.
4. From the Device Registration tab, register your device by completing the following steps:
a. Select the type of device registration from the Type menu.
b. Depending on the device registration type, you may have to enter information:

Table 3. Device registration

Device registration type Information required
● PowerFlex rack ● Enterprise License Management Systems (ELMS)
● PowerFlex appliance Software Unique ID (eSWUID)
● Solution serial number
PowerFlex software N/A

5. From the Customize Connection to SupportAssist tab, you can:

a. Click Connect to CloudIQ to enable Dell Technologies to send telemetry data, alerts, and analytics through
SupportAssist.
b. Click Enable Remote Support to enable authorized Dell Technologies support engineers to troubleshoot your system
remotely.
6. From the Re-authenticate SupportAssist tab, click request a New Access Key and PIN to generate an access key and
pin. The AccessKey Portal opens.
a. From the menu, select SERIALNUMBER.
b. Enter the serial number of your device or PowerFlex software and click Submit.
c. Click Generate New Access key.
7. From the Re-authenticate SupportAssist tab, enter the access key and pin.
8. Click Next.
After you complete the initial configuration, go to the Settings page and verify that SupportAssist has been turned on. You may
need to configure the SupportAssist policy explicitly on the Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies page.

Related information
Monitoring events and alerts
License management
Add a notification policy

Specifying the installation type

If you have an existing PowerFlex deployment that you would like to import, you can specify details about this deployment as
part of the initial configuration. Alternatively, if you would like to deploy a new instance, you can bypass the import step as part
of the initial configuration.
The initial configuration wizard supports three different installation workflows:

Initial configuration and setup 13

● No migration required
You would like to deploy a new instance of PowerFlex.
If you would like to use the legacy PowerFlex Installer to provide an installation topology file, click Deploy With Installation
File on the Getting Started page after you complete the initial configuration. See the topic on deploying a PowerFlex
cluster using a CSV topology file in the Dell PowerFlex 4.6.x Install and Upgrade Guide for more information.
● Migration from a core PowerFlex instance that was not managed with PowerFlex Manager
In this workflow, you need to provide the IP and credentials for the PowerFlex MDM cluster. This workflow allows you to
import a PowerFlex 3.6.x instance into PowerFlex Manager.
● Migration from a full PowerFlex Manager environment that had previously been used to manage a PowerFlex instance
In this workflow, you need to provide the IP and credentials for the PowerFlex Manager virtual appliance instance

If you are importing an existing PowerFlex deployment that was not managed by PowerFlex Manager, make sure you have the IP
address, username, and password for the primary and secondary MDMs. If you are importing an existing PowerFlex deployment
that was managed by PowerFlex Manager, make sure you have the IP address, username, and password for the PowerFlex
Manager virtual appliance.
1. Specify the type of installation you want to perform:
● Click I want to deploy a new instance of PowerFlex if you do not have an existing PowerFlex deployment and would
like to bypass the import step.
● Click I have a PowerFlex instance to import if you would like to import a an existing PowerFlex instance that was not
managed by PowerFlex Manager.
Specify whether you are currently running PowerFlex 3.x or PowerFlex 4.x.
For a PowerFlex 3.x system, provide the following details about the existing PowerFlex instance:
○ IP addresses for the primary and secondary MDMs (separated by a comma with no spaces)
○ Admin username and password for the primary MDM
○ Operating system username and password for the primary MDM
○ LIA password
For a PowerFlex 4.x system, indicate whether the PowerFlex instance is used for Production Storage or a
Management Cluster. The Management Cluster use case is applicable for PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack
install types that have a dedicated management cluster with PowerFlex as a shared storage for the datastore hosting the
Management VMs.
Then, provide the following details about the existing PowerFlex instance:
○ IP addresses for all nodes with a primary and secondary MDM
○ System ID for the cluster
○ LIA password
● Click I have a PowerFlex instance managed by PowerFlex Manager to import if you would like to import a an
existing PowerFlex directly from an existing PowerFlex Manager virtual appliance.
Provide the following details about the existing PowerFlex Manager virtual appliance:
○ IP address or DNS name for the virtual appliance
○ Username and password for the virtual appliance
2. Click Next to proceed.
For a full PowerFlex Manager migration, the import process backs up and restores information from the old PowerFlex Manager
virtual appliance. The migration process for the full PowerFlex Manager workflow imports all resources, templates, and services
from a 3.8 instance of PowerFlex Manager. The migration also connects the legacy PowerFlex gateway to the MDM cluster,
which enables the Block tab in the user interface to function.
The migrated environment includes the PowerFlex gateway resource. The operating system hostname and asset/service tag are
set to powerflex.
For a system that has just the PowerFlex software, there is no PowerFlex Manager information available after the migration
completes. The migrated environment does not include resources, templates, and services.

14 Initial configuration and setup

Verifying the initial configuration
Before you complete the initial configuration, you can review all the settings you provided for SupportAssist, compliance, and
installation type.
1. On the Summary page, verify the settings that you configured on the previous pages.
2. To edit any information, click Back or click the corresponding page name in the left pane.
3. If you are importing an existing PowerFlex instance from PowerFlex Manager, type IMPORT POWERFLEX MANAGER.
4. If the information is correct, click Finish to complete the initial configuration.
If you are importing an existing environment, PowerFlex Manager displays a message indicating that the import operation is
in progress. When the import operation is complete, PowerFlex Manager displays the Getting Started page.

After completing the Initial Configuration Wizard, you may need to perform some additional steps. The steps vary depending
on which installation type you selected:
● If you clicked I want to deploy a new instance of PowerFlex on the Installation Type page, you now need to deploy a
new instance of PowerFlex. The Getting Started page provides more information on what to do next.
● If you clicked I have a PowerFlex instance to import on the Installation Type page, you must perform these steps:
1. On the Settings page, upload the compatibility matrix file and upload the latest PowerFlex software catalog.
This catalog only includes the components that are required for an upgrade of PowerFlex.
2. On the Resources page, select the PowerFlex entry, and perform a nondisruptive update.
You do not need a resource group (service) to perform an upgrade of the PowerFlex environment. In addition, PowerFlex
Manager does not support Add Existing Resource Group operations for a PowerFlex software migration. If you want
to be able to perform any deployments, you need a new resource group. Therefore, you must create a new template (or
clone a sample template), and deploy a new resource group from the template.
● If you clicked I have a PowerFlex instance managed by PowerFlex Manager to import on the Installation Type page,
you must perform these steps:
1. On the Settings page, upload the compatibility matrix file and upload the latest repository catalog (RCM or IC).
2. On the Resources page, select the PowerFlex entry, and perform a nondisruptive update.
3. On the Resource Groups page, perform an RCM/IC upgrade on any migrated service that must be upgraded.
The migrated resource groups are initially non-compliant, because PowerFlex Manager is running a later RCM that
includes PowerFlex 4.x. These resource groups must be upgraded to the latest RCM before they can be expanded or
managed with automation operations.

CAUTION: Check the Alerts page before performing the upgrade. Look for major and critical alerts that
are related to PowerFlex Block and File to be sure the MDM cluster is healthy before proceeding.

4. Power off the old PowerFlex Manager VM, the old PowerFlex gateway VM, and the presentation server VM.
The upgrade of the cluster causes the old PowerFlex Manager virtual appliances to stop working.
5. After validating the upgrade, decommission the old instances of PowerFlex Manager, the PowerFlex gateway, and the
presentation server.
Do not delete the old instances until you have had a chance to review the initial configuration and confirm that the old
environment was migrated successfully.

Getting started
The Getting Started page guides you through the common configurations that are required to prepare a new PowerFlex
Manager environment. A green check mark on a step indicates that you have completed the step. Only super users have access
to the Getting Started page.
The following table describes each step:

Initial configuration and setup 15

Table 4. Getting Started steps
Step Description

Upload Compliance File Provide compliance file location and authentication information for use within
PowerFlex Manager. The compliance file defines the specific hardware
components and software version combinations that are tested and certified
by Dell for hyperconverged infrastructure and other Dell products. This step
enables you to choose a default compliance version for compliance or add new
compliance versions.
You can also click Settings > Repositories > Compliance Versions.
NOTE: Before you make an RCM or IC the default compliance version, you
must first upload a suitable compatibility management file under Settings
> Repositories > Compatibility Management.

Define Networks If you plan to perform an advanced CSV-based deployment, this step can be
skipped.
Enter detailed information about the available networks in the environment.
This information is used later during deployments that are based on templates
and resource groups. These deployments use the network information to
configure nodes and switches to have the right network connectivity.
PowerFlex Manager uses the defined networks in templates to specify the
networks or VLANs that are configured on nodes and switches for your
resource groups.
This step is enabled immediately after you perform an initial configuration for
PowerFlex Manager.
You can also click Settings > Networking > Networks.

Discover Resources If you plan to perform an advanced CSV-based deployment, this step can be
skipped.
Grant PowerFlex Manager access to resources (nodes, switches, virtual
machine managers) in the environment by providing the management IP and
credential for the resources to be discovered.
This step is not enabled until you define your networks.
You can also click Resources > Discover Resources.

Manage Deployed Resources (Optional) If you plan to perform an advanced CSV-based deployment, this step can be
skipped.
Add an existing resource group for a cluster that is already deployed and
manage the resources within PowerFlex Manager.
This step is not enabled until you define your networks.
You can also click Lifecycle > Resource Groups > Add Existing Resource
Group.

Deploy Resources If you plan to perform an advanced CSV-based deployment, this step can be
skipped.
Create a template with requirements that must be followed during a
deployment. Templates enable you to automate the process of configuring
and deploying infrastructure and workloads. For most environments, you can
clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex Manager
and make modifications as needed. Choose the sample template that is most
appropriate for your environment.
For example, for a hyperconverged deployment, clone one of the
hyperconverged templates.
For a two-layer deployment, clone the compute-only templates. Then clone one
of the storage templates.

16 Initial configuration and setup

Table 4. Getting Started steps (continued)
Step Description

This step is not enabled until you define your networks.

You can also click Lifecycle > Templates.

Manage PowerFlex License Configure licensing for PowerFlex.

You can also click Settings > License Management.

If you would like to deploy PowerFlex with a CSV file, click Deploy With Installation File. See the topic on deploying a
PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file in the Dell PowerFlex 4.6.x Install and Upgrade Guide for more information.
To revisit the Getting Started page, click Getting Started on the help menu.

Related information
Networking
Discover a resource
Adding an existing resource group
Templates
License management

Changing your password

When you first log in to PowerFlex Manager, you need to set your password. You can also change your password at any time
after the first login.
1. Click the user icon in the upper right corner of PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click Change password.
3. Type the password in the New Password field.
Password rules are:
● Includes fewer than 32 characters
● Includes only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
4. Type the password again in the Verify Password field.
5. Click Apply.

Initial configuration and setup 17

 4
Performing common tasks
This section includes tasks that you perform regularly when using PowerFlex Manager.

Deploying and provisioning

The following table describes common tasks for deploying and provisioning the system and what steps to take in PowerFlex
Manager to initiate each task:

Table 5. Common tasks

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Perform an advanced PowerFlex CSV If you would like to use the legacy PowerFlex Installer to provide an installation
deployment topology file, click Deploy With Installation File on the Getting Started page.
See the topic on deploying a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file in the Dell
PowerFlex 4.6.x Install and Upgrade Guide for more information.
Define a resource group and 1. If you will be managing and updating components other than PowerFlex, upload
infrastructure requirements the compliance file on the Settings > Repositories > Compliance Versions
page.
2. Define the networks you need on the Settings > Networking > Networks
page.
3. Discover the resources required for your deployment on the Resources >
Discover Resources page.
4. Clone a sample template and make changes as needed. Click Lifecycle >
Templates and click Sample templates. Open a sample template and click
More Actions > Clone on the right side of the screen.

For example, for a PowerFlex hyperconverged deployment, clone one of the

PowerFlex hyperconverged templates. For a two-layer deployment, clone one of
the PowerFlex storage-only templates. Then clone one of the PowerFlex compute-
only templates.

You can also create a new template. However, for most environments, you can
simply clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex
Manager.
Deploy a new resource group Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups. On the Resource Groups page, click Deploy
New Resource Group.
You can only deploy a resource group using a published template.

Related information
Repositories
Networking
Resources
Preparing a template for a resource group deployment
Deploying a resource configuration in a resource group

18 Performing common tasks

Configuring block storage
The following table describes common tasks for deploying and managing block storage and what steps to take in PowerFlex
Manager to initiate each task:

Table 6. Common tasks

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Deploy a new block storage 1. If you will be managing and updating components other than PowerFlex, upload
configuration the compliance file on the Settings > Repositories > Compliance Versions
page.
2. Define the networks you need on the Settings > Networking > Networks
page.
3. Discover the resources required for your deployment on the Resources >
Discover Resources page.
4. Clone a sample template and make changes as needed. Click Lifecycle >
Templates and click Sample templates. Open a sample template and click
More Actions > Clone on the right side of the screen.
5. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups. On the Resource Groups page, click
Deploy New Resource Group.

For example, for a PowerFlex hyperconverged deployment, clone one of the

PowerFlex hyperconverged templates. For a two-layer deployment, clone one of
the PowerFlex storage-only templates. Then, clone one of the PowerFlex compute-
only templates.

You can also create a new template. However, for most environments, you can
simply clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex
Manager.
Import an existing block storage Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups and click +Add Existing Resource Group.
configuration
Be sure to upload a compliance file (if necessary), define the networks, and
discover resources before adding the existing resource group.
Manage block storage On the menu bar, click Block, and choose the type of block storage components
you want to manage:
● Protection Domains
● Fault Sets
● SDSs
● Storage Pools
● Acceleration Pools
● Devices
● Volumes
● NVMe Targets
● Hosts

If you create new objects on the Block tab, you need to update the inventory
on the Resources page, and then click Update Resource Group Details on the
Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for any resource group that requires the
updates.

Related information
Repositories
Networking
Discover a resource
Clone a template
Deploying a resource configuration in a resource group
Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

Performing common tasks 19

Configuring file storage
The following table describes common tasks for deploying and managing file storage and what steps to take in PowerFlex
Manager to initiate each task:

Table 7. Common tasks

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Deploy a new file storage configuration 1. Deploy a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group that includes a
PowerFlex cluster that will be associated with the PowerFlex file cluster. When
you deploy the PowerFlex file cluster, the control volumes that are needed for
file enablement are added automatically.
2. If you will be managing and updating components other than PowerFlex, upload
the compliance file on the Settings > Repositories > Compliance Versions
page.
3. Define the networks that you need on the Settings > Networking >
Networks page.
4. Discover the resources required for your deployment on the Resources >
Discover Resources page.
5. Clone a sample template and make changes as needed. Click Lifecycle >
Templates and click Sample templates. Open a sample template and click
More Actions > Clone on the right side of the screen.

For a file storage deployment, clone one of the following sample templates:
● PowerFlex File
● PowerFlex File - SW Only
6. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups. On the Resource Groups page, click
Deploy New Resource Group.

For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must have a minimum of two nodes and a
maximum of 16 nodes.

For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must choose Use Compliance File Linux Image
for the OS Image, Compute Only for the PowerFlex Role. Also, select Enable
PowerFlex File.

The sample templates for file storage configuration pull in the PowerFlex
management and PowerFlex data networks from the associated PowerFlex
gateway. In addition to the PowerFlex management and PowerFlex data networks,
you need to include a NAS management network and at least one NAS data
network. One NAS data network is enough, but, for redundancy, two networks
are recommended.

NOTE: Check the network settings carefully, as they are different for standard
configurations and software-only configurations.

Import an existing file storage Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups and click +Add Existing Resource Group.
configuration
Upload a compliance file (if necessary), define the networks, and discover
resources before adding the existing resource group.

PowerFlex Manager does not support importing existing deployments for software-
only NAS environments.

Manage file storage On the menu bar, click File. Then, choose the type of file components you want to
manage:
● NAS Servers
● File Systems
● SMB Shares

20 Performing common tasks

Table 7. Common tasks (continued)
If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
● NFS Exports
● File Protection

If you create new objects on the File tab, you need to update the inventory on
the Resources page. Then, you need to click Update Resource Group Details on
the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for any resource group that requires the
updates.

Related information
Deploy the PowerFlex file cluster
Managing file storage

Managing components
Once PowerFlex Manager is configured, you can use it to manage the system.
The following table describes common tasks for managing system components and what steps to take in PowerFlex Manager to
initiate each task:

Table 8. Common tasks

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
View network topology 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details tab, click the Port View tab.
Run inventory (nodes, switches, 1. Click Resources and click the All Resources tab.
PowerFlex gateway, and VMware 2. Click the check box for the resource you want to update and then click Run
vCenter cluster) Inventory.
3. After running the inventory, click Update Resource Group Details under
More Actions on the Resource Groups page for any resource group that
requires the updated resource data.
Add an existing resource group Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups and click +Add Existing Resource Group.

Be sure to upload a compliance file (if necessary), define the networks, and
discover resources before adding the existing resource group.
Perform node expansion 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups. On the Resource Groups page, select a
resource group.
2. On the Resource Group Details tab, under Add Resources, click Add Nodes.
The procedure is the same for new resource groups and existing resource groups.
Remove a node 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details tab, under More Actions, click Remove
Resource.
4. Select Delete Resource for the Resource removal type.
Enter service mode (applicable for 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack 2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
only) 3. On the Resource Group Details tab, under More Actions, click Enter
Service Mode.
Exit service mode (applicable for 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack 2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
only) 3. On the Resource Group Details tab, under More Actions, click Exit Service
Mode.

Performing common tasks 21

Table 8. Common tasks (continued)
If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Replace a drive 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. Under Physical Nodes, click Drive Replacement.
Reconfigure MDM roles 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details tab, click Reconfigure MDM Roles under
More Actions.
You can also reconfigure MDM roles from the Resources page. Select a PowerFlex
gateway and click View Details. Then, click Reconfigure MDM Roles.

Related information
Lifecycle
Resource groups
Templates
Resources

Monitoring system health

Once PowerFlex Manager is configured, you can monitor system health.
The following table describes common tasks for monitoring system health and managing software and firmware compliance and
what steps to take in PowerFlex Manager to initiate each task:

Table 9. Common tasks

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Monitor system resources and health On the Dashboard, look at the Overall Performance, Usable Capacity, and Data
Savings sections.

For information about which resource groups are healthy and in compliance, and
which are not, look at the Resource Groups section.
Monitor software and firmware 1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
compliance 2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, click View Compliance Report.
Perform software and firmware From the compliance report, view the firmware or software components. Click
remediation Update Resources to update non-compliant resources.
Generate a troubleshooting bundle 1. Click Settings and click Serviceability.
2. Click Generate Troubleshooting Bundle.

You can also generate a troubleshooting bundle from the Resource Groups page:
1. Click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, click Generate Troubleshooting
Bundle.
Download a report that lists compliance 1. Click Resources.
details for all resources 2. Click Export Report and download a compliance report (PDF or CSV) or a
configuration report (PDF).
View alerts On the menu bar, click Monitoring > Alerts.

Related information
Lifecycle

22 Performing common tasks

Resources

Managing external changes

If you make manual changes outside of PowerFlex Manager, you might need to perform some steps within PowerFlex Manager
to ensure that the external changes are reflected within the user interface and the environment is kept in a healthy state.
The following table describes common tasks for managing external changes and what steps to take in PowerFlex Manager for
each task:

Table 10. Common tasks

If you have... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Manually added VMware NSX to a Click Update Resource Group Details on the resource group, so it will correctly
cluster outside of PowerFlex Manager reflect the environment with VMware NSX, which will be in lifecycle mode.
Manually replaced a node outside of 1. Remove the node from the resource group.
PowerFlex Manager for a resource group
On the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page, select a resource group. On the
in PowerFlex Manager
Resource Group Details page, under More Actions, click Remove Resource.
2. Remove the node from the list of resources.
On the Resources page, click the All Resources tab. From the list of
resources, select the resource, and click Remove.
3. Discover the new node.
On the Resources page, click Discover on the All Resources tab.
4. Update the resource group details.
On the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page, click Update Resource Group
Details.

Manually created additional VLANs on 1. Remove the resource group.

the VDS in vCenter outside of PowerFlex
On the Resource Group Details page, click Remove Resource Group under
Manager
More Actions.
When you click Remove Resource Group, do not select Delete Resource
Group as the Resource Group Removal Type. This action completely tears
down the resource group and makes configuration changes to the nodes,
switch ports, virtual machine managers, and PowerFlex. Instead, select Remove
Resource Group as the Resource Group Removal Type. Then, to keep the
nodes in the inventory, select Leave nodes in PowerFlex Manager inventory
and set state to and choose Managed.
2. Rediscover the resource group.
On the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page, click +Add Existing Resource
Group.

If you do not choose the correct options when you remove the resource group,
you could tear down the resource group and destroy it, or leave the servers in an
unmanaged state, and not be able to add the existing resource group.
Manually created volumes outside of Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
PowerFlex Manager Update Resource Group Details on the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for
any resource group that requires the updated volumes.
Manually deleted volumes outside of Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
PowerFlex Manager Update Resource Group Details on the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page
for any resource group that requires updated information about volumes deleted.
PowerFlex Manager displays a message indicating that the volumes have been
removed from the resource group.

Performing common tasks 23

Table 10. Common tasks (continued)
If you have... Do this in PowerFlex Manager...
Manually added nodes outside of Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
PowerFlex Manager Update Resource Group Details on the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for
any resource group that requires the updated nodes.
Manually removed nodes outside of Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
PowerFlex Manager Update Resource Group Details on the Resource Groups page for any resource
group that requires updated information about nodes deleted. Then, manually
remove the resource on the Resources page by clicking the All Resources tab,
selecting the resource, and clicking Remove.
Renamed objects such as VMware ESXi Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
host, volume, datastore, VDS, port Update Resource Group Details on the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for
group, data center, cluster, and so forth any resource group that requires the updates.

Note that vCLS datastore names are based on cluster names, so any change to a
cluster name renders the vCLS datastore un-recognizable. If you change the cluster
name manually for a deployment, the datastore name hosting the vCLS VMs needs
to be updated. You need to change the vCLS datastore name to match the new
cluster name and then perform an Update Resource Group Details operation. For
example:
● Existing cluster name: cluster1
● vCLS datastore name: powerflex-cluster1-ds-1
● Updated cluster name: cluster1-new
● vCLS datastore name: powerflex-cluster1-new-ds-1

Manually changed the IP address for a 1. Remove the switch.

switch
On the Resources page, click the All Resources tab. From the list of
resources, select the switch, and click Remove.
2. Rediscover the switch.
On the Resources page, click the All Resources tab and click Discover.
3. If the IP address is in use, remove the resource group and add it again.
On the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page, click +Add Existing Resource
Group.

Created new objects on the Block or Click Run Inventory on the Resources page to update the inventory. Then, click
File tab Update Resource Group Details on the Lifecycle > Resource Groups page for
any resource group that requires the updates.

Related information
Lifecycle
Resource groups

24 Performing common tasks

 5
Expanding PowerFlex storage
Add nodes to PowerFlex storage with one of the following methods:
● Expand PowerFlex using a CSV file.
● Expand PowerFlex using REST API commands.

Expand PowerFlex using a CSV file

Take the following into consideration:
● While expanding nodes with SDTs, you may see errors listed in the Events tab. These errors are for the existing
components, such as SDTs in the cluster.
● If SSH keys are used ensure that you use a single SSH key for all nodes when expanding a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV
topology file.
● Download and decompress the Software_Only_Complete_4.6.x..zip file from the Dell Technologies support site.

Adding new components or features by editing the

existing CSV file
Use your PowerFlex system's existing CSV topology file to add components or new features to your system.
The CSV file that is used to deploy a system can be used later, in the following scenarios, for adding features or components to
an existing PowerFlex system:
● Add SDSs, with or without new storage and acceleration devices
● Add MDMs or tiebreakers. The PowerFlex installer adds them to the MDM cluster and configures them automatically.
● Add SDRs for the replication feature
● Add SDCs
● Add SDTs
● Configure storage pools
● Configure PowerFlex system features which can be configured using the CSV file, such as performance profiles,
acceleration, and so on.
To add and configure components and features, make a copy of your system's latest CSV topology file. Add rows or columns,
or edit existing rows and columns. For new features, you can copy columns from the latest complete CSV template, and paste
them into the copy of your system's CSV file. Get the latest complete template, see related information.
The following examples show how you can edit the CSV topology file which can be edited for various system modification
scenarios.
Add storage and acceleration:

Expanding PowerFlex storage 25

Figure 1. Add storage and acceleration to the CSV topology file

Add an MDM and a tiebreaker:

Figure 2. Add an MDM and a tiebreaker to the CSV topology file

Add storage data servers (SDRs) for replication:

26 Expanding PowerFlex storage

Figure 3. Add storage data replicators to the CSV topology file

Add storage data clients (SDCs):

Figure 4. Add SDCs to the CSV topology file

Configure storage pools:

Expanding PowerFlex storage 27

Figure 5. Configure storage pools in the CSV topology file

Related information
Deploy a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file from PowerFlex Manager

Deploy a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file

from PowerFlex Manager
Use the following procedure to deploy a PowerFlex cluster using a CSV topology file.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. On the Getting Started page, click Deploy With Installation File to provide an installation topology file for deployment of
nodes.
3. In the PowerFlex Installer window, click Browse to upload the appropriate artifacts (RPMs) according to the operating
system of your PowerFlex operating system machines.
4. Click Upload Files and click Next when the RPMs have finished uploading.
5. Click Browse to upload an installation CSV topology file that describes the desired topology of PowerFlex.
To view sample files, click the links to the following two example files: PowerFlex_config_example_all fields.csv (all
fields) and PowerFlex_basic_example_minimum fields.csv (minimum fields).
6. Click Upload Installation CSV.
7. Select the I accept the terms of the End User License Agreement (mandatory) check box.
8. Click Next.
9. In the Advanced Settings tab, you can select how you would like to install PowerFlex 4.6.x. You can skip options or force
an overwrite.
10. Select Force overwrite of existing data on devices used for PowerFlex storage.
PowerFlex can be installed on new or clean disks (SDS Devices). If the installation is done on a previously deployed
PowerFlex cluster, or used disks, you must tell the installer to overwrite the older data.

NOTE: If you select this option, the data is erased.

11. Click Next.

12. In the Summary tab, verify all the configurations and click Finish.

28 Expanding PowerFlex storage

13. Click the Go to Events Page button to track the installation progress.

Related information
Adding new components or features by editing the existing CSV file

Deploy or expand a cluster using REST API commands

After you have prepared the CSV topology file, use the REST API to parse it and upload the configuration to PowerFlex
Manager, and then deploy block storage resources using REST API commands. This procedure is only recommended for
advanced users familiar with working with the REST API.
● Ensure that you have prepared the CSV topology file.
● Ensure that you know the load balancer IP address and user credentials of PowerFlex Manager. All the steps performed in
this procedure must be performed using the load balancer IP address. The load balancer IP address is the same IP address
you are using to access PowerFlex Manager.
● Ensure that you have the software packages of the PowerFlex core components that you want to deploy, and the ActiveMQ
package.
● See the Dell Technologies Developer portal for information about working with the REST API.
● Log in using the REST API, and make a note of the Keycloak token that was returned from /auth/login or from /api/
gatewayLogin.
The following procedure provides examples using cURL.
1. Get the configuration from the CSV file, by parsing it using the PowerFlex REST API. Use the command POST /im/
types/Configuration/instances/actions/parseFromCSV, where the body is the CSV file reference. For
example:

curl -v -k -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer

${token}" -F "file=<PATH_TO_CSV_FILE>" https://<IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/Configuration/
instances/actions/parseFromCSV

Where: {token} is the Keycloak token, <PATH_TO_CSV_FILE> is the path to the CSV topology file, and <IP_ADDRESS> is
the PowerFlex Manager IP address.
The command returns a JSON file containing the required cluster configuration. The installation command requires this file in
order to install resources. Save this file.
2. Add packages:
a. Copy the installation packages of the required core components (including ActiveMQ RPM) to: "/usr/local/
tomcat/temp/scaleio".
b. Open the shell, and run the following command:

kubectl get pods -n powerflex | grep block-legacy

c. Make a note of the block-legacy-gateway ID that is returned in the first line of the command output. For example, in this
sample output, the ID is 76594f9459-mqgxj:

block-legacy-gateway-76594f9459-mqgxj 1/1 Running 0 24h

block-legacy-gateway-mds-6696f6dd4c-s9qp8 1/1 Running 0 24h

d. In the shell, run the following command:

kubectl exec --stdin --tty <ID> -n powerflex -- /bin/sh

Where <ID> is the block-legacy-gateway ID obtained in the previous step.

e. In the shell, run the following commands:

apt-get update
apt-get install openssh-client
scp root@<RPM_MACHINE_IPS>:<RPMS_LOCATION>* temp/scaleio

Where <RPM_MACHINE_IPS> is the IP address where the packages are saved, and <RPMS_LOCATION> is the path to
the location of the packages.

Expanding PowerFlex storage 29

3. Install block storage resources using the PowerFlex REST API. Use the command POST /im/types/Configuration/
actions/install, where the body is the configuration that was returned from parsing the CSV file.
If the parameter systemId (type string) is added to the configuration, the cluster is created with the given ID. Otherwise, the
gateway generates an ID.
Optional parameters:
● noUpload—Skip upload package phase (true or false, default if false)
● noInstall—Skip install package phase (true or false, default if false)
● noConfigure—Skip configure phase and repository files (true or false, default if false)
● noSecurityBootstrap—Skip security bootstrap (part of install phase) (true or false, default if true)
● noLinuxDevValidation (true or false, default if true)
● sdsInstances (number, optional)
● extend—extend an existing system (true or false, default if false)
● globalZeroPadPolicy (true or false, default if true)
● forceDeviceTakeover—Clean devices before installing SDS (without it, installation will fail when it runs after uninstall;
must not be used in production) (true or false, optional)
For example:

curl -v -s -k -i -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H

"Authorization: Bearer ${token}" "https://<IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/Configuration/actions/
install?noSecurityBootstrap=false&forceDeviceTakeover=true" -d @<PATH>/config.json

Where: {token} is the Keycloak token, <IP_ADDRESS> is the PowerFlex Manager IP address, and <PATH> is the path to the
JSON configuration file that was output in step 1.
4. Installation is asynchronous and consists of four stages: query, upload, install, and configure. Manually monitor and move
from one phase to the next one, using the commands queryPhaseState and moveToNextPhase. You can also monitor
the progress of each stage by viewing events in PowerFlex Manager.
The following is an example of an installation event:

COMMAND_STARTED_ON_OPERATION_INSTALL_AND_PHASE_QUERY

5. After installation is complete, clear the gateway state. Use the command POST im/types/Command/instances/
actions/clear.
For example:

curl -v -s -k -i -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer

${token}" "https://<IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/Command/instances/actions/clear"

Where: {token} is the Keycloak token, and <IP_ADDRESS> is the PowerFlex Manager IP address.

30 Expanding PowerFlex storage

 6
Displaying system information at a glance
This section introduces the dashboard, which displays a graphical view of the overall health of the system.
The dashboard displays at-a-glance information about overall performance, usable and raw capacity, data savings, resources and
inventory, resource groups, and alerts.

Overall performance and latency

This section displays graphs that show the overall performance (IOPS and bandwidth) and latency for block and file
configurations within the system.

Interpreting usable capacity

This section displays the usable capacity within the system. Used capacity is calculated as the amount of system capacity that is
used as a percentage of the total system capacity. The following diagram is an example of how usable capacity is represented in
the dashboard:

Figure 6. Usable capacity

The following table describes the terminology around capacity that is used in the dashboard:

Table 11. Usable capacity

Capacity Description Example (TB)
Total The total protected (mirrored) space that is available for user data and internal usage. 484.43
capacity
Physical net The physical space on the storage pool after data reduction (if applicable). This includes 31.55
the snapshot space. The physical net is an indication of the quantity of data that is stored
in the system on the storage pool.
Internal The physical space in use by the system for internal use. 8.93
Free The free physical space in the system. 443.93
capacity

Interpreting data savings

This section displays the data savings within the system.

Displaying system information at a glance 31

The following terms around data savings are used in the dashboard:
● Provisioned: The total size of volumes and snapshots including over-provisioning (that is the total logical address range) in
the system.
● Allocated: The logical capacity in use by user data and snapshots in the system.
● Physical net: The amount of storage that the user data and snapshots take after data reduction in the system. The physical
net resides on the storage pools.
The following diagram is an example of how data savings are represented in the dashboard for medium granularity:

Figure 7. Data savings medium granularity

The following diagram is an example of how data savings are represented in the dashboard for fine granularity:

Figure 8. Data savings fine granularity

The following table describes the types of savings with examples:

Table 12. Data saving type

Savings type Description Example
Overall savings The ratio between provisioned and physical net storage. 3.03 or 33%

In medium granularity, this is

104 GB / 34.35 GB = 3.03.

In fine granularity, this is

540.4 TB / 31.55 TB = 17.13.

32 Displaying system information at a glance

Table 12. Data saving type (continued)
Savings type Description Example
Thin provisioning The ratio between provisioned and allocated storage. If 104 GB of storage is
savings provisioned to VMs but
only 34.35 GB is used
on the volumes, the thin
provisioning ratio is 3.03:1
(104 GB/34.35 GB) or 33 %
in medium granularity.

If 540.4 TB of storage
is provisioned to VMs but
only 105.94 TB is used
on the volumes, the thin
provisioning ratio is 5.10:1
(540 TB / 105.94 TB) or 20
% in fine granularity.
Storage efficiency The ratio between the logical space needed (written by the operating The logical space that is
system) compared with the actual physical space that is written to the written is 105.94 TB. After
storage after data reduction (if applicable). data reduction, it actually
writes only 31.55 TB to the
storage pool which is a 3.4
reduction ratio (105.94 TB /
31.55 TB).

Resources/Inventory
This section shows the number of resources in the current inventory:
● VM managers
● Nodes
● Switches
● Protection domains
● Storage pools
● Volumes
● Hosts

Resource groups
This section displays a graphical representation of the resource groups deployed based on status. The number next to each icon
indicates the number of resource groups in a particular state. The resource groups are categorized into the following states:

Table 13. Resource group status

Tab Status Description
Health Healthy The green band on the graphic indicates that the
resource group is successfully deployed.
Degraded The yellow band indicates that resources in a resource
group require corrective action, but does not affect
overall system health. For example, the firmware version
that is installed on a resource in the resource group is not
compliant.
Critical The red band indicates resource groups that have critical
health problems.
Service Mode The yellow band indicates that the resource group has
been placed in service mode.

Displaying system information at a glance 33

Table 13. Resource group status (continued)
Tab Status Description
Compliance Compliant The green band indicates that the resource group is
compliant with the target compliance version.
Out of compliance The yellow band indicates that the resource group is non-
compliant with the target compliance version.

You can monitor node health by viewing the status of the resource group on the Resource Groups page.
If a resource group is in a yellow (or warning) state, it means that one or more nodes is in a warning or failed state. If a resource
group is in a red (or error) state, it indicates that the resource group has fewer than two nodes that are not in a failed state.
To view the status of a failed node component, hover the cursor on the image of the failed component in the resource group.

Alerts
This section lists the current alerts within the system that is categorized by the severity level:
● Critical
● Major
● Minor

34 Displaying system information at a glance

 7
Managing block storage after PowerFlex
deployment
Block storage management involves the configuration of protection domains, fault sets, storage data servers, and storage pools.
In addition, block storage management involves configuring acceleration pools, devices, and volumes, as well as NVMe targets
and hosts.

Related information
Configuring block storage

Protection domains
A protection domain is a set of storage data servers (SDSs) configured in separate logical groups. It may also contain NVMe
target components known as storage data targets (SDTs) and replication components known as storage data replicators
(SDRs). These logical groups allow you to physically and/or logically isolate specific data sets and performance capabilities
within specified protection domains and limit the effect of any specific device failure. You can add, modify, activate, inactivate,
or remove a protection domain in the PowerFlex system.

Add protection domains

A protection domain is a set of SDSs, with (optionally) SDTs and SDRs, configured in separate logical groups. You can add
protection domains to a PowerFlex system.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Protection Domains.
2. Click +Create Protection Domain.
3. In the Create Protection Domain dialog box, enter the name of the protection domain and click Create.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.
You can now add SDSs, fault sets, storage pools, and acceleration pools to the protection domain. Replication can also be set up
to ensure the data is protected and saved to a remote cluster.

Configure network throttling

Configure network throttling to control the flow of traffic over the network.
Network throttling is configured separately for each protection domain. The SDS nodes transfer data between themselves. This
data consists of user data being replicated as part of the RAID protection, and data copied for internal rebalancing and recovery
from failures. You can modify the balance between these types of data loads by limiting the data copy bandwidth. This change
affects all SDSs in the specified protection domain.
NOTE: These features affect system performance, and should only be configured by an advanced user. Contact Dell
Technologies Support before you change this configuration.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Protection Domains.
2. In the list of protection domains, select the relevant protection domain check box, and click Modify > Network Throttling.
3. In the Set Network Throttling for PD dialog box, enter the bandwidth for the following settings, or select Unlimited to
allow for unlimited throughput for that setting:
● Rebalance throughput limit per SDS
● Rebuild throughput limit per SDS
● vTree migration throughput limit per SDS
● Overall throughput limit per SDS

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 35

4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Inactivate a protection domain

Use this procedure for a graceful system shutdown.
NOTE: When you inactivate a protection domain, the data remains on the storage data servers (SDS) SDSs. It is therefore
preferable to remove a protection domain if you no longer need it.
While a protection domain is inactivated, the following activities can take place behind the scenes:
● Determine if there are any current rebuild/rebalance activities taking place. If so, the shutdown will be delayed (unless it is
forced) until they are finished.
● Block future rebuild/rebalance activities.
● Temporarily disable application I/O and disable access to volumes.
● Move the DRL mode of all SDSs to harden, in preparation for restarting the server.
● Reload of all SDSs before re-enabling data access.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Protection Domains.
2. In the list of protection domains, select the relevant protection domain, and click More Actions > Inactivate.
3. In the Inactivate Protection Domain, enter the user password, and click Inactivate.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.
5. Repeat as necessary for each additional protection domain that you want to inactivate.

Activate a protection domain

Activate the protection domain to enable access to data.
Ensure that all storage data servers (SDS), storage data targets (SDTs), and storage data replicators (SDRs) in the protection
domain are connected and have no alerts before activating the protection domain. Otherwise, an unnecessary rebuild may occur.
If necessary, contact Dell Technologies Support support for guidance.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Protection Domains.
2. In the list of protection domains, select the relevant protection domain, and click More Actions > Activate.
3. In the Activate Protection Domain dialog box, click Yes for Force activate and then click Activate to enable access to
the data on the protection domain.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.
5. Repeat as necessary for each additional protection domain that you want to activate.

Remove a protection domain

Remove a protection domain from the PowerFlex system.
Ensure that all SDSs, storage pools, acceleration pools, and fault sets have been removed from the protection domain before
removing it from the system.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Protection Domains.
2. In the list of protection domains, select the relevant protection domain and click More Actions > Delete.
3. In the Delete Protection Domain, click Delete.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Fault sets
Fault sets are logical entities that contain a group of SDSs within a protection domain. A fault set can be defined for a set
of servers that are likely to fail together, for example, an entire rack full of servers. PowerFlex maintains mirrors of all chunks
within a fault set on SDSs that are outside of this fault set so that data availability is assured even if all the servers within one
fault set fail simultaneously.

36 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

Add fault sets
Add a fault set to a protection domain to prevent data loss in case of a single failure.
You must adhere to the following process for creating fault sets:
1. Ensure that a protection domain exists, or add a new one.
2. Ensure that a storage pool and fault sets (with a minimum of three fault units) exist, or add new ones.
3. Add the SDS and designate the protection domain and fault set. At the same time, add the SDS devices into a storage pool.
If you use the automated deployment and installation tools, they follow this order automatically.
You can only create and configure fault sets before adding SDSs to the system. Configuring fault sets incorrectly may
prevent the creation of volumes. An SDS can only be added to a fault set during the creation of the SDS.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Fault Sets.

2. In the right pane, click +Create Fault Set.
3. In the Create Fault Set dialog box, enter a name and select the protection domain, and click Create.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.
The new fault set is a part of the protection domain.

Place a fault set in maintenance mode

Place a fault set into maintenance mode in order to perform non-disruptive maintenance on the group of storage data servers
(SDSs).
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Fault Sets.
2. In the list of fault sets, select the relevant fault set check box and click More Actions > Enter Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Enter Fault Set to Maintenance Mode dialog box, select one of the following maintenance mode options:
● Instant — a node is temporarily removed without building a new copy of the data. During maintenance, the system
only mirrors new writes. After maintenance is complete, the system applies the new writes to the node that was under
maintenance.
● Protected — a third copy is created before entering maintenance mode. This ensures that if there is a node failure
where the second copy of SDS is required, there is still a full backup of the SDS. This leaves no room for discrepancy
between the copies. More storage capacity from the node is required.
4. Click Enter Maintenance Mode.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
6. Optionally, at the top right side of the toolbar, click the Running Storage Jobs icon to check maintenance mode status.

Exit fault set from maintenance mode

Once you have finished performing maintenance tasks, you must manually remove the fault set from maintenance mode.
Once you have finished performing maintenance tasks on the fault set, you must manually remove maintenance mode to return
to normal production.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Fault Sets.
2. In the list of fault sets, select the relevant fault set check box and click More Actions > Exit Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Exit Fault Set from Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Exit Maintenance Mode.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.

Cancel protected maintenance mode for fault set

When entering protected maintenance mode, a third copy of the SDS is created, which can take a long time. You can back out
of this process before entering protected maintenance mode is complete, such as when there is insufficient capacity to create
the third copy.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Fault Sets.
2. In the list of fault sets, select the relevant fault set check box and click More Actions > Abort Enter Protected
Maintenance Mode.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 37

3. In the Abort Enter Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Abort.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.

Delete fault sets

Use the following procedure to delete and verify that the desired fault set is deleted.
Ensure that any configured SDSs have been removed from the fault set that is to be deleted.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Fault Sets.
2. From the list of fault sets, select the fault set that you want to delete.
3. Select More Actions > Delete.
4. In the Delete Fault Set dialog box, verify that the desired fault set will be deleted, and click Delete > Dismiss.

Storage data servers

The storage data server (SDS) manages the capacity of a single server and acts as a back-end for data access. The SDS is
installed on all servers contributing storage devices to PowerFlex. These devices are accessed through the SDS.
SDSs and their devices can be added to a system one by one or in bulk operations. Up to eight IP addresses can be associated
with each SDS. You can associate different types of cache with SDSs. SDSs can be entered into maintenance mode to perform
maintenance operations on the PowerFlex system.

Add storage data servers

Add storage data servers to the PowerFlex system.
● Ensure that at least one suitable storage pool is defined in the required protection domain.
● All devices in a storage pool must be the same media type. Ensure that you know the type of devices you are adding to the
system.
● Ensure that the storage pool to which you are adding devices is configured to receive that media type.
● If you want to add acceleration devices now, ensure that at least one acceleration pool is defined.
Device data is erased when devices are added to an SDS. When adding a device to an SDS, PowerFlex checks that the device
is clear before adding it. If the device is not clear, an error is returned. A device that has been used in the past can be added to
the SDS by using the Force Device Takeover option. When this option is used, any data that was previously saved on the
device is erased.
You can assign a name to the SDS, as well as to the devices. This name can assist in future object identification. This can be
particularly helpful for SDS devices, because the names remain constant, even if the path changes. SDS and device names must
meet the following requirements:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
NOTE: Devices can be tested before going online. Various testing options are available the Advanced area of the window
(default: Test and Activate).

NOTE: Acceleration settings can be configured later from the Block > Acceleration Pools page.

NOTE: You cannot enable zero padding after adding the devices.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.

2. Click + Add SDS.
3. Configure the following settings:
● Enter SDS name
● Select a protection domain
● Select a fault set, if applicable
● Enter SDS port used for communication

38 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

 ● Enter the IP address for SDC, SDS or both and click Add IP.
4. For additional IP addresses, enter the IP address, select the communication role and click Add IP.
5. Expand Advanced for more options. Configure the following options (for advanced users):
● To enable RMcache, select Use Read RAM Cache and enter the size in MB.
● If PowerFlex is running on older systems, click one of the options for Performance Profile: Compact or High.
Otherwise, keep the default as High.
● To force clean a node, select Force Clean SDS.
6. Click Add SDS.
An SDS is added to the system.

Configure RMcache
RMcache uses RAM that is allocated for caching. Its size is limited to the amount of allocated RAM. By default, RMcache
caching is disabled.
● Enable RMcache at the storage pool level for all of the SDSs in the storage pool.
● RMcache must also be enabled at the SDS level.
For a read to be stored in the RAM of a specific SDS, the RMcache feature on that SDS must be enabled, and the relevant
storage pool and the relevant volume must both be configured to use RMcache. Caching only begins after one or more devices
are added to the SDS. The amount of RAM that you may allocate for RMcache is limited and can never be the maximum
available RAM.
Enabling RMcache at the storage pool level allows you to control the cache settings for all SDSs in the storage pool. You can
enable RAM caching for a storage pool and then disable caching on one or more SDSs individually.

NOTE: Only I/Os that are multiples of 4k bytes can be cached.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.

2. In the list of SDSs, select the relevant SDS, and click Modify > Cache Settings.
3. In the SDS Cache Settings dialog box, select Enable Read RMcache. Enter the RMcache cache size.
The minimum RMcache cache size is 128 MB.
4. Click Apply.

Remove SDSs
Remove SDSs and devices gracefully from a system. The removal of some objects in the system can take a long time, because
removal may require data to be moved to other storage devices in the system.
If you plan to replace a device with a device containing less storage capacity, you can configure the device to a smaller capacity
than its actual capacity, in preparation for replacement. This will reduce rebuild and rebalance operations in the system later on.
The system has job queues for operations that take a long time to execute. You can view jobs by clicking the Running Storage
Jobs icon on the right side of the toolbar. Operations that are waiting in the job queue are shown as Pending. If a job in the
queue will take a long time, and you do not want to wait, you can cancel the operation using the Abort button in the Remove
command window (if you left it open), or using the Abort entering Protected Maintenance Mode command from
the More Actions menu.
CAUTION: The Remove command deletes the specified objects from the system. Use the Remove command with
caution.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. In the right pane, select the relevant SDS check box and click More Actions > Remove.
3. In the Remove SDS dialog box, click Remove.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 39

Place storage data server in maintenance mode
Place an storage data server in maintenance mode to perform non-disruptive maintenance on the storage data server.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. In the list of storage data servers, select the relevant storage data server and click More Actions > Enter Maintenance
Mode.
3. In the Enter SDS into Maintenance Mode dialog box, select one of the following options:
● Instant — a node is temporarily removed without building a new copy of the data. During maintenance, the system
only mirrors new writes. After maintenance is complete, the system applies the new writes to the node that was under
maintenance.
● Protected — a third copy is created before entering maintenance mode. This ensures that if there is a node failure
where the second copy of storage data server is required, there is still a full backup of the storage data server. This
leaves no room for discrepancy between the copies. More storage capacity from the node is required.
4. Click Enter Maintenance Mode.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
6. Optionally, at the top right side of the toolbar, click the Running Storage Jobs icon to check maintenance mode status.

Exit storage data server from maintenance mode

After completing maintenance tasks, remove the storage data server from maintenance mode.
Once you have finished performing maintenance tasks on the storage data server, you can manually exit maintenance mode and
return the storage data server to normal production.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. In the list of storage data servers, select the relevant storage data server and click More Actions > Exit Maintenance
Mode.
3. In the Exit SDS from Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Exit Maintenance Mode.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.
After the operation has been completed successfully, the storage data server returns to normal operation, and data deltas
collected on other storage data servers during the maintenance period are copied back to the storage data server.

Cancel entering protected maintenance mode for SDS

When entering protected maintenance mode, a third copy of the SDS is created, which can take a long time. You can back out
of this process before entering PMM is complete, such as when there is insufficient capacity to create the third copy.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. In the list of SDSs, select the relevant fault set check box and click More Actions > Abort entering Protected
Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Abort entering Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Abort.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and then click Dismiss.

Add storage devices

Add storage devices to the PowerFlex system one by one, or in bulk operations. By default, performance tests are performed on
the added devices and the results are saved in the system.
Ensure that at least one suitable storage pool is defined in the required protection domain.
All devices in a storage pool must be the same media type. Ensure that you know the type of devices that you are adding to the
system, and that the storage pool to which you are adding devices is configured to receive that media type.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. Select the relevant SDS from the SDS list.
3. Click Add Device > Storage Device.
4. In the Add Storage Device to SDS dialog box, enter the following required parameters for the storage device:
a. Device path

40 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

 The length of the device path must not exceed 63 characters.
For example, this path for an NVMe drive is not supported because it is too long:
/dev/disk/by-id/Dell_Express_Flash_NVMe_PM1725_1.6TB_SFF_______S2JPNA0J500141
Alternatively, this equivalent name is supported: /dev/disk/by-id/nvme-eui.002538957100082e
b. Name of the device
Assigning a name to a storage device can be particularly helpful for identifying devices in the future because the name
remains constant, even if the path changes. Device names must meet the following requirements:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
c. Select the storage pool.
d. Select the media type of the device: HDD or SSD.
e. Click Add Device.
The device is added to the Devices list.
5. Repeat the process for each additional storage device you wish to add.
6. Expand Advanced for more options; recommended for advanced users only.
7. Under Device tests, select the test option:
● Test and activate device — Read and write test will be run on the device before it is capacity is used.
● Test only — Devices will be tested, but not used.
● Activate without test — The device capacity will be used without any device testing.
By default, PowerFlex tests the performance of the device being added before its capacity can be used, and saves the
results. Two tests are performed: random writes and random reads. When the tests are complete, the device capacity is
added automatically to the storage pool used by the MDM. To modify this behavior, specify one of the test options.
8. Define the device test timeout.
This value is the maximum test run time in seconds. The test stops when it reaches either this limit, or the time it takes
to complete 128 MB of data read/write, whichever is first. When Activate without test is selected, this timeout is
ignored.
9. Select whether to force device takeover.
When devices are added to an SDS, PowerFlex checks that the device is clear before adding it. If the device is not clear, an
error message is returned, and the command fails for that device. If you would like to overwrite existing data on the device
by forcing the command, set Force device takeover to YES.
CAUTION: Select YES with caution, because all data on the device will be destroyed.

10. Click Add Devices.

11. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Add acceleration devices

Add acceleration devices to the PowerFlex system one by one or in bulk operations. By default, performance tests are
performed on the added devices and the results are saved in the system.
Ensure that at least one suitable acceleration pool is defined.
All devices in a storage pool must be the same media type. Ensure that you know the type of devices that you are adding to the
system and that the storage pool to which you are adding devices is configured to receive that media type.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
2. Select the relevant SDS from the SDS list.
3. Click Add Device > Acceleration Device.
4. In the Add Acceleration Device to SDS dialog box, enter the following required parameters for the acceleration device:
a. Device path
The length of the device path name must not exceed 63 characters.
b. Name of the device
Assigning a name to a storage device can be particularly helpful for identifying devices in the future, because the name
remains constant, even if the path changes. Device names must meet the following requirements:
● Contains less than 32 characters

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 41

 ● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
c. Select the acceleration pool.
d. Click Add Device.
The device is added to the Devices list.
5. Repeat the process for each additional acceleration device you wish to add.
6. Expand Advanced for more options; recommended for advanced users only.
7. Under Device tests, select the test option:
● Test and activate device — Read and write test will be run on the device before it is capacity is used.
● Activate without test — The device capacity will be used without any device testing.
By default, PowerFlex tests the performance of the device being added before its capacity can be used, and saves the
results. Two tests are performed: random writes and random reads. When the tests are complete, the device capacity is
added automatically to the storage pool used by the MDM. To modify this behavior, specify one of the test options.
8. Define the device test timeout.
This value is the maximum test run time in seconds. The test stops when it reaches either this limit, or the time it takes
to complete 128 MB of data read/write, whichever is first. When Activate without test is selected, this timeout is
ignored.
9. Select whether to force device takeover.
When devices are added to an SDS, PowerFlex checks that the device is clear before adding it. If the device is not clear, an
error message is returned, and the command fails for that device. If you would like to overwrite existing data on the device
by forcing the command, set Force device takeover to YES.
CAUTION: Select YES with caution, because all data on the device will be destroyed.

10. Click Add Devices.

11. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Storage pools
A storage pool is a set of physical storage devices in a protection domain.
A volume is distributed over all devices residing in the same storage pool. Add, modify, or remove a storage pool in the
PowerFlex system.

Add storage pools

A storage pool is a group of storage devices within a protection domain. Each time that you add devices to the system, you
must map them to either storage pools or to acceleration pools. Create storage pools before you start adding SDSs and storage
devices to the system.
● Familiarize yourself with the types of storage pools that are available, and ensure that you know the media type of the
devices that will be used in the storage pool. Each storage pool must contain devices of only one media type.
● A storage pools with fine granularity data layout, requires an acceleration pool which contains at least one NVDIMM
configured as a DAX device is required. Ensure that you have configured an NVDIMM acceleration pool prior to creating a
fine granularity storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.
2. Click + Create Storage Pool.
3. In the Create Storage Pool dialog box, define the following settings:
a. Define the storage pool name according to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
b. Select the relevant protection domain.
c. Select the media type of the devices in the storage pool: HDD or SSD.
All devices for this storage pool must be of the same media type.
d. If you select SSD, select the Data Layout - Granularity type: Medium or Fine.

42 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

 e. For a fine granularity storage pool, select the relevant Acceleration Pool.
4. To use RMcache for caching, select Use Read RAM Cache.
a. If you are using RMcache, select the Write Handling Mode: Cached or PassThrough.
This defines whether the system stores the data of this storage pool's writes in the SDS RMcache, or not. The default is
to store the write data in cache (cached).
NOTE: The RMcache features are advanced features, and it is usually recommended to accept the default values. You
can configure these features later, if necessary, by clicking Modify > Cache.

5. To enable validation of the checksum value of in-flight data reads and writes, select Use Inflight Checksum.
6. By default, the Use Persistent Checksum is selected to ensure persistent checksum data validation.
NOTE: This option is enabled only when HDD or SSD with medium granularity is selected.

7. Click Create Storage Pool.

8. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Configure storage pool settings

Configure storage pool settings, including checksum, zero padding, and compression.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.
2. In the list of storage pools, select the relevant storage pool, and click Modify > General Settings.
3. In the Storage Pool Settings dialog box, configure the following settings for the storage pool:

Option Description
Enable Rebuild/ By default, the rebuild/rebalance features are enabled in the system because they are essential for
Rebalance system health, optimal performance, and data protection.
CAUTION: Rebuilding and rebalancing are essential parts of PowerFlex and should only
be disabled temporarily, in special circumstances. If rebuilds are disabled, redundancy
will not be restored after failures. Disabling rebalance may cause the system to become
unbalanced even if no capacity is added or removed.

Enable Inflight Inflight checksum protection mode can be used to validate data reads and writes in storage pools, in
Checksum order to protect data from data corruption.
Enable Persistent Persistent checksum can be used to support the medium granularity layout in protecting the storage
Checksum device from data corruption. Select validate on read to validate data reads in the storage pool.
NOTE: If you want to enable or disable persistent checksum, you must first disable the
background device scanner from the storage pool.

Enable Zero When zero padding policy is enabled, it ensures that every read from an area previously not written
Padding Policy to returns zeros. Zero padding policy is enabled by default on fine granularity-based storage pools and
cannot be changed. For medium granularity storage pools, the zero padding policy can be modified only
if the storage pool is empty and has no SDS devices added to it.
Enable For fine granularity storage pools, inline compression allows you to gain more effective capacity.
Compression
4. Click Apply.

Configure RMcache for the storage pool

RMcache uses RAM that is allocated for caching. The size is limited to the amount of allocated RAM. By default, RMcache
caching is disabled.
RMcache must also be enabled for each SDS in the storage pool.
RMcache caching only begins once storage devices have been added to the SDSs. It is possible to enable RMcache for a
storage pool and then disable caching on one or more SDSs individually.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 43

 NOTE: Only I/Os that are multiples of 4K bytes can be cached.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.

2. In the list of storage pools, select the check box of the relevant storage pool, and click Modify > Cache.
3. In the Storage Pool Cache Settings dialog box, select Enable Read RMcache.
4. Click Apply.

Using the background device scanner

The background device scanner scans devices in the system to check for errors.
You can enable and disable the background device scanner, as well as reset the background device scanner counters.
Information about errors is provided in event reports.

Reset error counters

Reset the background device scanner error counters for the specified storage pools. There are counters for data comparison
errors and fixed read errors.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.
2. In the list of storage pools, select the relevant storage pool check box, and click More Actions > Reset Error Counters.
3. In the Reset Error Counters dialog box, select the relevant option:
● Reset Fixed Read Error Counters — This counter tracks errors that are automatically fixed.
● Reset Compare Error Counters — This counter tracks read errors.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation completed successfully and click Dismiss.

Enable the background device scanner

Enable the background device scanner to check for errors on the devices in the specified storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.
2. In the list of storage pools, select the relevant storage pool check box, and click More Actions > Background Device
Scanner.
3. In the Set Background Device Scanner for Storage Pool dialog box, select the relevant option for the following settings.
By default, all options are selected.
● Enable Background Device Scanner
● Fix Local Device Errors— automatically fixes device errors.
● Compare Data— compare between primary and secondary copies of data.

NOTE: Zero padding must be enabled in order to set the background device scanner to data compare mode.

● If Compare Data is selected, select or clear Fix Local Device Errors.

● Bandwith Limit in KB/S. Default=3072 KB/S

NOTE: High bandwidth may create negative impact on system performance and should be used carefully and
in extreme cases only—for example, when there is an urgent need to check certain devices. When setting the
background device scanner bandwidth, you should take into account the maximum bandwidth of the devices.

4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set media type for storage pool

Update the media type of the storage pool. All devices in the storage pool will be this media type.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.

44 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

2. In the list of storage pools, select the relevant storage pool check box, and click Modify > Media Type.
3. In the Set Media Type for Storage Pool dialog box, from the Media Type list, select the media type for the storage pool.
● HDD
● SSD
● Transitional— The media type is defined per device rather than at the storage pool level, to allow for migration of
devices from one storage pool to another.
4. Select the Overwrite SDS device media type check box to overwrite the current device media type set for the SDS.
5. Click Apply.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Configuring I/O priorities and bandwidth use

PowerFlex includes advanced settings which control I/O priorities and bandwidth use, which can be used to fine-tune system
performance. It is recommended to retain default settings, unless you are an advanced user.

Configure IOPS and bandwidth

PowerFlex includes advanced settings that control I/O priorities and bandwidth use and can be used to fine-tune system
performance. This includes bandwidth and concurrent I/Os for rebuild, rebalance, migration and protected maintenance mode.

NOTE: These features affect system performance, and should only be configured by an advanced user.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Storage Pools.

2. In the list of storage pools, select the relevant storage pool check box, and click Modify > IO Priority.
3. In the Set IO Priority for Storage Pool dialog box, for each of the tabs—Rebuild, Rebalance, Migration, and
Maintenance Mode—select one of the following IO Priority options:
● Unlimited — I/Os are not limited
● Limit concurrent IO — limit the number of allowed concurrent I/Os to the value entered in the Concurrent I/O limit
field
● Favor Application IO — limit the number of allowed concurrent I/Os to the values entered in the Concurrent I/O limit
and Bandwidth I/O limit fields, regardless of user I/O
4. Click Apply and click Dismiss.

Acceleration pools
An acceleration pool is a group of acceleration devices within a protection domain. PowerFlex only supports acceleration of fine
granularity storage pools.
Fine granularity acceleration uses NVDIMMs devices configured to fine granularity storage pools. Configure NVDIMM
acceleration pools for fine granularity acceleration.

Add an acceleration pool

Add an acceleration pool to a protection domain to accelerate fine granularity storage performance.
Ensure that PowerFlex and acceleration devices are prepared before adding acceleration pools. SPDM/NVDIMM must be
configured as DAX (acceleration) devices.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Acceleration Pools.
2. Click +Create Acceleration Pool.
3. In the Create Acceleration Pool dialog box, specify a name for the acceleration pool.
4. Select the following information from the relevant menus:
● Pool type: Select NVDIMM or SSD for the acceleration pool type.

NOTE: Dell PowerEdge R660 and R760 servers uses software-defined persistent memory (SDPM). If you are using
SDPM, select NVDIMM for the pool type.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 45

 ● Protection Domain: select the protection domain to be accelerated.
5. In the Add Devices area, select the devices that will be used for acceleration:

Option Description
Add acceleration devices from Optionally, select the Add Devices To All SDSs check box to add acceleration
all SDSs that contribute to the devices from all SDSs in the protection domain. Otherwise, select acceleration devices
relevant acceleration pool. one by one.
Add devices one by one. Enter the path and name of each acceleration device, select the SDS on which the
device is installed, and then click Add Devices. Repeat for all desired acceleration
devices in the acceleration pool.
6. Click Create.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Rename an acceleration pool

Rename an acceleration pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Acceleration Pools.
2. In the acceleration pools list, select the desired acceleration pool.
3. Click Rename.
4. In the Rename Acceleration Pool dialog box, enter the new name for the acceleration pool, and click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove an acceleration pool

Delete an acceleration pool from PowerFlex.
Remove all acceleration devices from the acceleration pool before deleting the acceleration pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Acceleration Pools.
2. In the list of acceleration pools, select the desired acceleration pool.
3. Click Delete.
4. In the Delete Acceleration Pool dialog box, click Delete.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Devices
Storage devices or acceleration devices are added to an SDS or to all SDSs in the system.
There are two types of devices: storage devices and acceleration devices.

Activate devices
Activate one or more devices that were added to a system using the Test only option for device tests.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, select the check boxes of the required devices, and click More Actions > Activate.
3. In the Activate Device dialog box, click Activate.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

46 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

Clear device errors
Perform this procedure when device errors have been rectified, but the errors have not been cleared automatically by the
system.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, select the check boxes of the relevant devices, and click More Actions > Clear Errors.
3. In the Clear device errors dialog box, click Clear Errors.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove devices
Use this procedure to remove a storage or acceleration device.
Before removing an NVDIMM or SDPM acceleration device, remove all storage devices that are being accelerated by the
persistent memoru. Then, remove the NVDIMM or SDPM from its acceleration pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, find the device that you want to remove, make a note of the SDS in which it is installed, and the
storage pool or acceleration pool to which it belongs.
This information will be useful for adding the device back to the system later.
3. Select the required device, and click More Actions > Remove.
4. In the Remove Device dialog box, verify that you have selected the desired device, and click Remove.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
A rebuild/rebalance occurs. For each device that was removed from the SDS, the corresponding cell in the Used Size
column counts down to zero, and then the device disappears from the Devices list.

Rename devices
Use this procedure to change the name of a device.
You can view the current device name by displaying the Name column in the device list. The Name column is hidden, by default.
When no device name has been defined, the name is set by default to the device's path name.
The device name must adhere to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, select the required device, and click Modify > Rename.
3. In the Rename Device dialog box, enter the new name, and click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set media type

Set a device media type as SSD or HDD.
Ensure that you are adding the correct device to the system.
All devices in a storage pool must be the same media type. Set the media type for a device before adding it to a storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, select the relevant device, and click Modify > Set Media Type.
3. Select the media type that corresponds to the device.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 47

Set device capacity limits
Prior to replacing a storage device with a storage device of a smaller capacity, set the capacity limit of the device being
removed to the capacity of the new device. Capacity will be decreased, but the size of the disk remains unchanged.

NOTE: The capacity assigned to the storage device must be smaller than its actual physical size.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.

2. In the list of devices, select the relevant device, and click Modify > Set Capacity Limit.
3. In the Set Capacity Limit dialog box, enter the capacity and select a unit type (MB or GB).
This dialog box displays the maximum capacity available for the device.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Modify device LED settings

Set a device's LED to blink or turn it off. This feature can help you physically identify a device in the system chassis.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Devices.
2. In the list of devices, select the relevant device, and click Modify > LED Settings.
3. In the Set device LED settings dialog box, do one of the following:
● To turn on the device's LED, select the On check box.
● To turn off the device's LED, clear the On check box.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Volumes
Define, configure and manage volumes in the PowerFlex system.

Add volumes
Use the following procedure to add volumes. Dell Technologies highly recommends giving each volume a meaningful name
associated with its operational role.
There must be at least three SDS nodes in the system and there must be sufficient capacity available for the volumes.
PowerFlex objects are assigned a unique ID that can be used to identify the object in CLI commands. The default name for each
volume object is its ID. The ID is displayed in the Volumes list or can be obtained using a CLI query. Define each volume name
according to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
To add one or multiple volumes, perform these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. Click + Create Volume.
3. In the Create Volume dialog box, configure the following items:
a. Enter the number of volumes to be created.
● If you type 1, enter a name for the volume.
● If you type a number greater than 1, enter the Volume Prefix and the Starting Number of the volume. This number
will be the first number in the series that will be appended to the volume prefix. For example, if the volume prefix
is Vol%i% and the starting number value is 100, the name of the first volume created will be Vol100, the second
volume will be Vol101, and so on.
b. Select either Thin (default) or Thick provisioning options.

48 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

 c. Enter the volume size in GB (basic allocation granularity is 8 GB).
d. Select a storage pool.
4. Click Create.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
To use the created volume, you must map it to at least one host. If the restricted SDC mode is enabled for the system, you must
approve SDCs prior to mapping volumes to them.

Delete volumes
Remove volumes from PowerFlex.
Ensure that the volume that you are deleting is not mapped to any hosts. If it is, unmap it before deleting it. In addition, ensure
that the volume is not the source volume of any snapshot policy. You must remove the volume from the snapshot policy before
you can remove the volume.
To prevent causing a data unavailability scenario, avoid deleting volumes or snapshots while the MDM cluster is being upgraded.
CAUTION: All data is erased from a deleted volume.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.

2. In the list of volumes, select the required volume, and click More Actions > Delete.
3. In the Delete Volume dialog box, verify the volumes to be removed, and click Delete.
4. In the warning dialog box, click Delete.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Overwrite volume content

Overwrite the contents of a volume with content from another volume.
At least two volumes per vTree are required.
NOTE: For ore information regarding vTrees, see the Dell PowerFlex 4.6.x Technical Overview.

NOTE: Use this command carefully, since this will overwrite data on the target volume or snapshot.

NOTE: If the destination volume is an auto snapshot, the auto snapshot must be locked before you can continue to
overwrite volume content.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the required volume, and click More Actions > Overwrite Content.
3. In the Overwrite Content of Volume dialog box, in the Target Volume tab, the selected volume details are displayed. Click
Next.
4. In the Select Source Volume tab, do the following:
a. Select the source volume from which to copy content.
b. Click the Time Frame button and select the interval from which to copy content. If you choose Custom, select the date
and time and click Apply.
c. Click Next.
5. In the Review tab, review the details and click Overwrite Content.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Create volume snapshots

PowerFlex lets you to create instantaneous snapshots of one or more volumes.
The Use secure snapshots option prohibits deletion of the snapshots until the defined expiration period has elapsed.
When you create a snapshot of more than one volume, PowerFlex generates a consistency group by default. The snapshots
under the consistency group are taken simultaneously for all listed volumes, thereby ensuring their consistency. You can view
the consistency group by clicking View Details in the right pane and then clicking the Snapshots Consistency Group tab in
the left pane.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 49

 NOTE: The consistency group is for convenience purposes only. No protection measures are in place to preserve the
consistency group. You can delete members from the group.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the relevant volumes, and then click More Actions > Create Snapshot.
3. In the Create snapshot of volume dialog box, enter the name of the snapshot. You can accept the default name, or give
the new snapshot a name according to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
4. Optionally, configure the following parameters:
● To set read-only permission for the snapshot, select the Read Only check box.
● To prevent deletion of the snapshot during the expiration period, select the Use secure snapshot check box, enter the
Expiration Time, and select the time unit type.
5. Click Create.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set volume bandwidth and IOPS limits

Setting bandwidth and IOPS limits for volumes lets you control the quality of service (QoS). Bandwidth and IOPS limits are set
on a per-host basis.
Ensure that the volumes are mapped before you set these limits.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the relevant volume, and then click More Actions > Set Limits.
3. In the Set IO limits for volume dialog box, enter the required values for Bandwidth Limits and IOPS Limits, or select the
corresponding Unlimited check box.
● The number of IOPS must be larger than 10.
● The volume network bandwidth is in MB/s.
● The I/O limits are applied to every mapped SDC.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Increase volume size

You can increase (but not decrease) the capacity of one or more volumes at any time, as long as there is enough capacity for
the volume size to grow.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the volume, and click Modify > Resize.
3. In the Resize Volume dialog box, enter the new volume size, and select a unit type. (The basic allocation granularity is 8
GB.)
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Map volumes
Mapping exposes the volume to the specified host, effectively creating a block device on the host. You can map a volume to one
or more hosts.
Volumes can only be mapped to one type of host: either SDC or NVMe. Ensure that you know which type of hosts are being
used for each volume, to avoid mixing host types.
For Linux-based devices, the scini device name may change on reboot. Dell Technologies recommends that you mount a
mapped volume to the PowerFlex unique ID, which is a persistent device name, rather than to the scini device name.
To identify the unique ID, run the command ls -l /dev/disk/by-id/.

50 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

You can also identify the unique ID using VMware. In the VMware management interface, the device is called EMC Fibre
Channel Disk, followed by an ID number starting with the prefix eui.

NOTE: You cannot map a volume if the volume is an auto snapshot that is not locked.

NOTE: You cannot map the volume on the target of a peer system if it is connected to a replication consistency group.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.

2. In the list of volumes, select one or more volumes, and click Mapping > Map.
3. A list of the hosts that can be mapped to the selected volumes is displayed. If a volume is already mapped to a host, only
hosts of the same type, NVMe or SDC, are listed. If the volume is not mapped to a host, click NVMe or SDC to set the type
of hosts to be listed.
4. In the Map Volume dialog box, select one or more hosts to which you want to map to the volumes.
5. Click Map.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Unmap volumes
Unmap one or more volumes from hosts.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the relevant volumes, and then click Mapping > Unmap volumes.
3. Select the host from which to remove mapping to the volumes.
4. Click Unmap.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove a snapshot consistency group

Remove a consistency group with all its snapshots.

NOTE: You cannot remove a consistency group that contains auto snapshots.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.

2. In the list of volumes, select the relevant volume, and then in the right pane, click View Details.
3. In the left pane, click Snapshots Consistency Group.
4. Select the required consistency group.
5. Click Remove SCG.
6. In the Remove SCG dialog box, click Remove SCG.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Volume tree vTree migration

Migration of a volume tree (vTree) allows you to move a vTree to a different storage pool.
Migration of a vTree frees up capacity in the source storage pool. For example, you can migrate a vTree from an HDD-based
storage pool to an SSD-based storage pool, or to a storage pool with different attributes such as thin or thick.
There are several possible reasons for migrating a vTree to a different storage pool:
● To move the volumes to a different storage pool type
● To move to a different storage pool or protection domain due to multitenancy
● To decrease the capacity of a system by moving out of a specific storage pool
● To change from a thin-provisioned volume to a thick-provisioned volume, or the reverse
● To move the volumes from a medium granularity storage pool to a fine granularity storage pool
● To clear a protection domain for maintenance purposes, and then return the volumes to it
During vTree migration, you can run other tasks such as creating snapshots, deleting snapshots, and entering maintenance
mode.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 51

 NOTE: You cannot create snapshots when migrating a vTree from a medium granularity storage pool to a fine granularity
storage pool.
When a user requests a vTree migration, the MDM begins the process by estimating whether the destination storage pool has
enough capacity for a successful migration. The MDM bases the estimation on its information about the current capacity of
the vTree. If there is insufficient capacity at the destination based on that estimate, migration does not start. (An advanced
option allows you to force the migration even if there is insufficient capacity at the destination, with the intention to increase
the capacity as required during the migration.) The MDM does not reserve the estimated capacity at the destination (since the
capacity of the source volume can grow during migration and the reserved capacity does not guarantee success). The MDM
does not retain source capacity once it has been migrated, but releases it immediately.
Use the following table to understand which vTree migrations are possible, and under what specific conditions:

Figure 9. vTree Migrations

vTree migration can take a long time, depending on the size of the vTree and the system workload. During migration, the vTree
is fully available for user I/O. vTree migration is done volume block by volume block. When a single block has completed its
migration, the capacity of the block at the source becomes available, and it becomes active in the destination storage pool.
During migration, the vTree has some of its blocks active in the source storage pool, and the remaining blocks active in the
destination storage pool.
NOTE: You can speed up the migration by adjusting the volume migration I/O priority (QoS). The default favors
applications with one concurrent I/O and 10 MB/sec per device. Increasing the 10 MB/sec setting increases the migration
speed in most cases. The maximum value that can be reached 25 MB/sec. The faster the migration, the higher the impact
might be on applications. To avoid significant impact, the value of concurrent I/O operations per second should not be
increased.
When migrating from a medium granularity storage pool to a fine granularity storage pool, volumes must be zero padded.
You can pause a vTree migration at any time, in the following ways:
● Gracefully—to allow all data blocks currently being migrated to finish before pausing.
● Forcefully—to stop the migration of all blocks currently in progress.
Once paused, you can choose to either resume the vTree migration, or to roll back the migration and have all volume blocks
returned to the original storage pool.
vTree migration might also be paused internally by the system. System pauses happen when a rebuild operation begins at either
the source or destination storage pool. If the migration is paused due to a rebuild operation, it remains paused until the rebuild
ends. If the system encounters a communication error that prevents the migration from proceeding, it pauses the migration and
periodically tries to resume it. After a configurable number of attempts to resume the migration, the migration remains paused,
and no additional retries will be attempted. You can manually resume migrations that were internally paused by the system.
Concurrent vTree migrations are allowed in the system. These migrations are prioritized by the order in which they were
invoked, or by manually assigning the migration to the head or the tail of the migration queue. You can update the priority of a
migration while it is being run. The system strives to adhere to the priority set by the user, but it is possible that volume blocks
belonging to migrations lower in priority are run before ones that are higher in priority. This can happen when a storage pool that

52 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

is involved in migrating a higher priority block is busy with other incoming migrations, and the storage pools involved in lower
priority migrations are available to run the migration.

Migrate a volume tree (vTree)

Migrate a volume and all of its snapshots to a different storage pool. Volumes undergoing migration remain available for I/O.

NOTE: vTree migration is a long process and can take days or weeks, depending on the size of the vTree.

The following limitations apply:

● Migration between storage pools with different data layouts is only allowed if there is a single volume in the vTree.
● vTrees containing a manually created snapshot cannot be migrated.
● You cannot migrate a volume that is a source volume of a snapshot policy between storage pools with different data layouts.
● Volumes involved in replication cannot be migrated.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the volume that you want to migrate.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Migrate vTree.
6. In the Migrate vTree dialog box, in the TARGET area, select the destination storage pool.
Ensure that you select a storage pool with enough capacity for the vTree size.
7. Optionally, expand Advanced to select one or several of the following advanced options:

Option Description
Add migration to the Give this vTree migration the highest priority in the migration priority queue.
head of the migration
queue
Ignore destination Allow the migration to start regardless of whether there is enough capacity at the destination,
capacity or not.
Enable compression Compression is done by applying a compression-algorithm to the data.
Convert vTree from... Convert a thin-provisioned vTree to thick-provisioned, or vice-versa, at the destination,
depending on the provisioning of the source volume.
NOTE: SDCs with a version earlier than v3.0 do not fully support converting a thick-
provisioned vTree to a thin-provisioned vTree during migration; after migration, the vTree
will be thin-provisioned, but the SDC will not be able to trim it. These volumes can be
trimmed by unmapping and then remapping them, or by restarting the SDC. The SDC
version will not affect capacity allocation, and a vTree converted from thick to thin
provisioning will be reduced in size accordingly in the system.

Save current vTree The provisioning state is returned to its original state before the migration took place.
provisioning state during
migration
8. Click Migrate vTree.
The vTree migration is initiated. The vTree appears in both the source and the destination storage pools.
9. At the top right of the window, click the Running Storage Jobs icon and check the progress of the migration of the vTree.
10. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Pause vTree migration

You can pause a vTree migration at any time.
The following methods can be used to pause vTree migration:
● Gracefully—allows all data blocks currently being migrated to finish migration before pausing.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 53

● Forcefully—stops the migration of all blocks currently in progress.

CAUTION: The forceful method carries a potential risk of data loss.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.

2. In the list of volumes, select the volume for which you want to pause migration.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Pause migration.
6. In the Pause VTree Migration dialog box, select the required option:
● Gracefully
● Forcefully
7. Click Pause Migration.
If you selected to pause the migration gracefully, migration status is displayed. Once paused, you can choose to roll back the
vTree migration, or resume the migration using the VTree menu.
8. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Resume a vTree migration

You can resume a vTree migration that was paused at any time.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the volume where migration was paused.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Resume migration.
6. In the Resume VTree Migration dialog box, click Resume Migration.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Roll back vTree migration

When a vTree migration is paused, you can roll back the migration so that the volume and all of its snapshots are returned to the
source storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the volume for which you want to roll back migration.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Roll back Migration.
6. In the Migrate vTree dialog box, verify the source and target for the rollback, and click Roll back Migration.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
The migration resumes in the reverse direction. Any data already migrated to the destination storage pool is now migrating back
to the source storage pool.

Set vTree migration priority

Specify whether a vTree migration will be at the beginning or at the end of the migration queue.

NOTE: This feature is available only when there is more than one vTree migration currently in the queue.

1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.

2. In the list of volumes, select the relevant volume.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Set Priority.

54 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

6. In the Set VTree Migration Policy dialog box, select whether to move the current vTree migration to the head or to the
tail of the migration queue, and click Set Priority.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove a vTree
You can remove a vTree from PowerFlex, as long as it is unmapped.
Ensure that the vTree is unmapped.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Volumes.
2. In the list of volumes, select the volume that you want to remove.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Remove.
6. In the Remove VTree dialog box, click Remove VTree.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

NVMe targets
NVMe targets (or SDT components) must be configured on the PowerFlex system side, in order to use NVMe over TCP
technology.
The NVMe target (or SDT component) is a frontend component that translates NVMe over TCP protocol into internal
PowerFlex protocols. The NVMe target provides I/O and discovery services to NVMe hosts configured on the PowerFlex
system. A minimum of two NVMe targets must be assigned to a protection domain before it can serve NVMe hosts, to provide
minimal path resiliency to hosts.
TCP ports, IP addresses, and IP address roles must be configured for each NVMe target (or SDT component). You can assign
both storage and host roles to the same target IP addressess. Alternatively, assign the storage role to one target IP address,
and add another target IP address for the host role. Both roles must be configured on each NVMe target.
● The host port listens for incoming connections from hosts, over the NVMe protocol.
● The storage port listens for connections from the MDM.
Once the NVMe targets have been configured, add hosts to PowerFlex, and then map volumes to the hosts. Connect hosts to
NVMe targets, preferably using the discovery feature.
On the operating system of the compute nodes, NVMe initiators must be configured. Network connectivity is required between
the NVMe targets and the NVMe initiators, and between NVMe targets (or SDT components) and SDSs.

Add an NVMe target

Add an NVMe target (or SDT component) to PowerFlex.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > NVMe Targets.
2. Click + Add NVMe Target.
3. In the Add NVMe Target dialog box, configure the following settings:
a. For Target Name, enter a name for the NVMe target (or SDT component).
b. For Protection Domain, select a protection domain.
c. Accept the default TCP ports, or modify them if necessary.
● Storage Port listens for incoming connections from the MDM, and is only open on an IP address configured with the
storage role. Default=12200
● I/O Port listens for incoming connections for I/O, and is only open on an IP address configured with the host role.
Default=4420 (which conforms to the NVMe over TCP standard)
● Discovery Port listens for incoming discovery connections, and is only open on an IP address configured with
the host role. Default=8009 (which conforms to the NVMe over TCP standard. Use zero to disable the discovery
service.)
d. For Target IPs, enter an IP address, and then select a role for the IP address from the Target IPs Roles menu. Click
Add Target IP, and repeat this step until all IP addresses are configured.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 55

4. Click Add.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
The CLI for PowerFlex also provides options for adding an SDT to a fault set.

sio@localhost [/home/sio] $ scli --add_sdt --help

Usage: scli --add_sdt --sdt_ip <IP> [--sdt_ip_role <ROLE>] [--storage_port <PORT>] [--
nvme_port <PORT>] [--discovery_port <PORT>] [--sdt_name <NAME>] (--protection_domain_id
<ID> | --protection_domain_name <NAME>) [--fault_set_id <ID> | --fault_set_name <NAME>]
[--profile <PROFILE>] [--force_clean [--i_am_sure]]
Description: Add an SDT
Parameters:
--sdt_ip <IP> A comma separated list of IP addresses assigned
to the SDT
--sdt_ip_role <ROLE> A comma separated list of roles assigned to each
SDT IP address
Role options: storage_only, host_only, or
storage_and_host
--storage_port <PORT> Port assigned to the SDT (default: 12200)
--nvme_port <PORT> Port to be used by the NVMe hosts (default: 4420)
--discovery_port <PORT> Port to be used by the NVMe hosts for discovery
(default: 8009)
Set to 1 in order to indicate no use of
discovery port
--sdt_name <NAME> A name to be assigned to the SDT
--protection_domain_id <ID> Protection Domain ID
--protection_domain_name <NAME> Protection Domain name
--fault_set_id <ID> Fault Set ID
--fault_set_name <NAME> Fault Set name
--profile <PROFILE> Set the performance profile from the following
options: compact | high_performance
The default is high_performance
--force_clean Clean a previous SDT configuration
--i_am_sure Preemptive approval

Modify an NVMe target

Modify the configuration of an NVMe target (or SDT component).
1. On the menu bar, click Block > NVMe Targets.
2. In the list of NVMe targets, select the required NVMe target, and click Modify.
3. In the Modify NVMe Target dialog box, modify the desired fields.
4. Optionally, add more target IP addresses, by clicking Add Target IP.
5. Click Modify NVMe Target.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove an NVMe target

Remove an NVMe target (or SDT component) from PowerFlex.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > NVMe Targets.
2. In the list of NVMe targets, select the required NVMe target, and click Remove.
3. In the Remove NVMe Target dialog box, verify that you are removing the desired NVMe target, and click Remove.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Hosts
Hosts are entities that consume PowerFlex storage for application usage. There are two methods of consuming PowerFlex block
storage: using the SDC kernel driver, or using NVMe over TCP connectivity. Therefore, a host is either an SDC or an NVMe
host.
Once a host is configured, volumes may be mapped to it. In each case, hosts must be mapped to volumes.

56 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

Add an NVMe host
Add an NVMe host to PowerFlex.
● Ensure that you have the host's NVMe Qualified Name (NQN). If you do not know the NQN, see the documentation for the
host operating system.
● Ensure that the host is connected to the Ethernet switch.
● Ensure that the host is configured with the correct VLAN ID and routing rules.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. Click + Add Host.
3. In the Add NVMe Host dialog box, enter a hostname in the Host Name field.
4. In the Host NQN field, enter the NQN string for the host.
5. In the Number of Paths Per Volume field, enter the maximum number of paths to be provided between the host and each
volume (default is 4).
6. In the Number of System Ports per Protection Domain field, enter the maximum number of ports to be provided
between the host and each protection domain (default is 10).
7. Click Add.
8. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
9. Configure the host operating system to connect to the cluster's NVMe discovery service on one or more of the NVMe
targets.
The CLI for PowerFlex also provides options for adding a host group:

sio@localhost [/home/sio] $ scli --add_nvme_host --help

Usage: scli --add_nvme_host --nvme_host_nqn <NQN> [--host_name <NAME>] [--

max_number_paths <VALUE>] [--max_number_sys_ports <VALUE>] [--host_os_full_type <OS>] [--
host_group_name <ID> | --host_group_id <NAME>] | --force
Description: Add a NVMe Host to the system
Parameters:
--nvme_host_nqn <NQN> NVMe Host NQN
--host_name <NAME> Host name
--max_number_paths <VALUE> Maximal number of paths allowed per mapped volume
Valid range: 2-8. Default: 4
--max_number_sys_ports <VALUE> Maximal number of System Ports allowed per
Protection Domain
Valid range: 2-128. Default: 10
--host_os_full_type <OS> NVMe Host OS type
Options: generic (default) or powerflex
--host_group_id <ID> Host Group ID
--host_group_name <NAME> Host Group name
--force Force NQN, ignore all NQN formating rules.

Map volumes to hosts

Map hosts to volumes.
Volumes can only be mapped to one type of host: either SDC or NVMe. Ensure that you know which type of hosts are being
used for each volume, to avoid mixing host types.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Mapping > Map.
3. In the Map Hosts to Volumes dialog box, select the volumes to be mapped to the selected hosts, and click Map.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Unmap volumes from hosts

Remove mapping between volumes and hosts.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Mapping > Unmap.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 57

3. In the Unmap dialog box, ensure that the correct host is selected.
4. Click Unmap.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Remove hosts
Remove hosts from PowerFlex.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Remove.
3. In the Remove Host dialog box, ensure that you have selected the correct host for removal.
NOTE: You can only remove hosts with unmapped volumes. For SDCs, the host must be disconnected from the
PowerFlex cluster before it can be removed.

4. Click Remove.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Configure or modify approved host IP addresses

When the system's restricted host (SDC) mode is set to approved IP restriction, configure host IP addresses before
mapping volumes to the hosts.
Ensure that the hosts have been approved by GUID.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Modify > Modify Approved IP Addresses.
3. In the Modify Approved IP addresses dialog box, enter the IP address of the hosts, and click Add IP Address. Repeat this
step for additional addresses.
You can add up to a total of four IP addresses.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Approve SDCs
When the restricted host (SDC) mode is set to GUID restriction, approve SDCs before mapping them to volumes.
For more information about the restricted host feature, see the Dell PowerFlex 4.6.x Technical Overview or Dell PowerFlex 4.6.x
Security Configuration Guide.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select one or more hosts and click Modify > Approve.
3. In the Approve host dialog box, verify that the hosts listed are the ones that you want to approve, and click Approve.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Rename hosts
Use this procedure to rename hosts.
The host name must adhere to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Modify > Rename.
3. In the Rename Host dialog box, enter the new name, and click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

58 Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment

Modify an SDC performance profile
SDC performance profiles are set by default to high and can be changed to compact. The compact setting may impact the
system performance.
The default setting configures a predefined set of parameters for very high-performance use cases.
NOTE: Performance tuning is very case-specific. To prevent undesirable effects, Dell Technologies highly recommends that
you thoroughly test all changes. For further assistance, contact Dell Technologies Support.
1. On the menu bar, click Block > Hosts.
2. In the list of hosts, select the relevant host, and click Modify > Modify Performance Profile.
3. In the Modify Performance Profile Host dialog box, select the desired performance profile: High or Compact.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Managing block storage after PowerFlex deployment 59

 8
Managing file storage
File storage management involves creation and configuration of NAS servers, representation of a set of storage resources as
network file storage, and the use of snapshots for protection of those file system resources.

Related information
Configuring file storage

High availability
New NAS servers are automatically assigned on a round-robin basis across the available nodes.
The primary node acts as a marker to indicate the node that the NAS server should be running on, based on this algorithm. Once
provisioned, the primary node for a NAS server never changes. Backup node, on which the NAS server is backed up for fault
tolerance purposes. This means that the NAS server will be moved to this node during any failover event, the node is chosen
during NAS server creation by automatic load balancing logic.

Multitenancy
NAS servers can be used to enforce multitenancy. This is useful when hosting multiple tenants on a single system, such as for
service providers.
Since each NAS server has its own independent configuration, it can be tailored to the requirements of each tenant without
impacting the other NAS servers on the same system. Also, each NAS server is logically separated from each other, and clients
that have access to one NAS server do not inherently have access to the file systems on the other NAS servers. File systems
are assigned to a NAS server upon creation and cannot be moved between NAS servers.
If customers want to put their NAS Server in a private namespace, then they must select a tenant from the drop-down field, to
indicate NAS Server is going to be a member of the selected/specified tenant.
NOTE: To enable multi-tenancy on existing NAS Servers would require removing the File-interfaces before associating the
NAS Servers with a tenant. This may cause loss of access to clients connected to these NAS Servers.
● If a customer does not select any tenant while creating the NAS server, then created NAS server will reside in the default
namespace.
● Create tenant with unique set of VLAN IDs (exclusive to this tenant and should not be used elsewhere in PowerFlex
Manager)
● The NAS server clone action creates a new cloned NAS server which will be attached to the same tenant as the original NAS
server.
● File Interface details need to be configured explicitly after creating the clone, as this configuration is not being done in the
NAS Clone Creation process.
● Modify NAS Server with Tenant workflow.
○ NAS server object is a private data object for a particular tenant, shifting the object between multiple tenants may not be
advisable for security reasons.
○ Currently supporting two types of modify workflow.
￭ Default tenant to a specific tenant
￭ Specific tenant to a default tenant

NOTE: Both these operations are possible only if the NAS server is not associated with any File Interface. There
may be loss of access to connected NAS clients during dissociate/associate of File interface operation from the NAS
server in an existing system.

● PowerFlex file cluster can have up to 4087 tenants.

● 2048 number of NAS Servers can be part of one tenant.

60 Managing file storage

● One NAS Server can be associated one tenant only.
● One Tenant can have up to 4087 VLANs.
● One VLAN can be mapped to one tenant only.
● PowerFlex file tenant can be deleted only if no NAS servers are associated with it.
● PowerFlex file tenants will allow complete network isolation:
○ Two NAS Servers on different tenants may share same IP subnet.
○ There shall be no way to access one NAS Servers shares or exports through another NAS Server that is on a different
tenant.
● If PowerFlex system doesn't have any tenants created or user removed all the defined tenants then multitenant feature will
not be enforced, which means user can still go without multitenant (default option)

Create the tenant

Use the following procedure to create the tenant.
Ensure that the VLANs are created or configured in the networking switches.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > NAS Servers > Tenants > Create.
3. Provide names and VLAN IDs.
Multiple VLAN IDs can be added as comma separated values.
4. Click Create.

Modify the tenant

Use the following procedure to modify the tenant.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > NAS Servers > Tenants.
3. Select the tenant from the list and click Modify.
4. Modify the required field and click Apply.

Delete the tenant

Use the following procedure to delete the tenant.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > NAS Servers > Tenants.
3. Select the tenant from the list and click Delete.
4. Click Remove from the Remove Tenant window.

Overview of configuring NAS servers

NAS servers provide access to file systems. Each NAS server supports Windows (SMB) file systems, Linux/UNIX (NFS)
exports, or both.
To provide isolated access to a file system, you can configure a NAS server to function as independent file server with
server-specific DNS, NIS, and other settings. The IP address of the NAS server provides part of the mount point that users and
hosts use to map to the file system storage resource, with the share name providing the rest. Each NAS server exposes its own
set of files systems through the file system share, either SMB or NFS.
Once a NAS server is running, you can create and manage file systems and shares on that NAS server.
You can create file system only if there is a NAS server running on the storage system. The types of file systems that you can
create are determined by the file sharing protocols (SMB, NFS, or multiprotocol) enabled for the NAS server.

Managing file storage 61

Create a NAS server for NFS (Linux or UNIX-only) file systems
You create NAS servers before creating file systems.
Ensure that the NAS network information is available.
1. Select File > NAS Servers.
2. Select + Create NAS Server, and enter the information in the wizard.

Wizard Description
Screen
Details Select a protection domain, and enter a NAS server name, description, and network information. Starting
with this release, you can configure a file interface using IPv6 addressing. This support extends to both
Production and Backup roles. IPv6 is just for front-end client connectivity access.
NOTE: You cannot reuse VLANs that are being used for the management and storage networks.

Sharing Select Sharing Protocol

Protocol
Select NFSv3, or NFSv4, or both.
NOTE: If you select SMB and an NFS protocol, you automatically enable the NAS server to support
multiprotocol.
Unix Directory Services (naming services)
You can configure the naming services with a combination of local files and NIS, or LDAP.
You can choose to enable Secure NFS here.
Secure NFS requires the following:
● At least one NTP server must be configured to synchronize the date and time. It is recommended that
you set up a minimum of two NTP servers per domain to avoid a single point of failure.
● A Unix directory service (UDS)
● One or more DNS servers
● Either an AD or custom realm must be added for Kerberos authentication
● A keytab file must be uploaded to your NAS server when using a custom realm in a Kerberos
configuration
DNS
DNS information is mandatory when:
● Joining an AD domain, but optional for a stand-alone NAS server.
● Configuring Secure NFS.
DNS can also be used to resolve hosts defined on NFS export access lists.

User Select automatic user mapping, or enable the default account for both a Windows and Linux user.
Mapping
Summary Review the content and select Back to go back and make any corrections.
3. Select Create NAS Server to create the NAS server.
The Status window opens, and you are redirected to the NAS Servers page once the server is listed on the page.
Once you have created the NAS server for NFS, you can continue to configure the server settings.
If you enabled Secure NFS, you must continue to configure Kerberos.
Select the NAS server to continue to configure, or edit the NAS server settings.

Create NAS server for SMB (Windows-only) file systems

You create a NAS server before creating file systems.
Obtain the following information:
● Ethernet port, IP address, subnet mask/prefix length, gateway information for the NAS server.

62 Managing file storage

 NOTE: IP address and subnet mask/prefix length are mandatory. Starting with this release, you can configure a file
interface using IPv6 addressing. This support extends to both Production and Backup roles. IPv6 is just for front-end
client connectivity access.

● VLAN identifier, if the switch port supports VLAN tagging.

NOTE: You cannot reuse VLANs that are being used for the management and storage networks.

● If you are configuring a stand-alone NAS server, obtain the workgroup and NetBIOS name. Then define what to use for the
stand-alone local administrator of the SMB server account.
● If you are joining the NAS server to the Active Directory (AD), ensure that NTP is configured on your storage system. Then
obtain the SMB computer name (used to access SMB shares), Windows domain name, and the username and password of a
domain administrator or user who has a sufficient domain access level to join the AD.
1. Select File > NAS Servers.
2. Select + Create NAS Server, and enter the information in the wizard.

Wizard Description
Screen
Details Enter a NAS server name, description, and network details.
Sharing Select Sharing Protocol
Protocol
Select SMB.
NOTE: If you select SMB and an NFS protocol, you automatically enable the NAS server to support
multiprotocol. Multiprotocol configuration is not described in this help system.
Windows Server Settings
Select Standalone to create a stand-alone SMB server or Join to the Active Directory Domain to
create a domain member SMB server.
If you join the NAS server to the AD, optionally Select Advanced to change the default NetBios name and
organizational unit.
DNS
If you selected to Join to the Active Directory Domain, it is mandatory to add a DNS server.
Optionally, enable DNS if you want to use a DNS server for your stand-alone SMB server.
User Mapping
Keep the default Enable automatic mapping for unmapped Windows accounts/users, to support
joining the active directory domain. Automatic mapping is required when joining the active directory
domain.

Summary Review the content and select Back to go back and make any corrections.
3. Select Create NAS Server.
The Status window opens, and you are redirected to the NAS Servers page once the server is added.
Once you have created the NAS server for SMB, you can continue to configure the server settings, or create file systems.
Select the NAS server to continue to configure or edit the NAS server settings.

Change NAS server settings

You can change NAS server configuration settings or modify the NAS server properties. In addition, you can remove the NAS
server, move a NAS server to another node, or swap roles between the primary and the secondary nodes.
1. Go to the File > NAS servers page.
2. Select a NAS server in the list to make changes to the NAS server configuration settings.
3. Select the checkbox next to the name of the NAS server, and select:

Option Description
Modify To modify the NAS server name or description or Tenant (optional).

Managing file storage 63

 Option Description
Remove To remove the NAS server from the system. This option is not available if file systems have been
created on the NAS server. You must remove all file systems from the NAS server before it can be
deleted.
Move NAS Server To move the NAS server from one node to another node (when a cluster contains more than two
nodes).
Swap Nodes To swap roles between the primary and the secondary nodes for the selected NAS Server.
Repurpose PowerFlex file users can clone the NAS server for environment repurposing.

NAS server networks

You can add production, and backup file interfaces to a NAS server, and create routes to external services from File > NAS
Servers > [nas server] > Network.

File interfaces
Presents the NAS server file interfaces.
You can add more interfaces, and define which will be the preferred interface to use with the NAS server. PowerFlex assigns a
preferred interface by default, but you can set which interface to use first for production and backup, and IPv4, and IPv6.
Select Ping and enter an IP address or host name to test the connectivity from the NAS server to an external resource.
Select the interface to modify or delete it. All properties of the file interface can be modified.

Routes to external services

You can add, modify, and delete the network routes between the NAS server and the supported external services.
The Destination is the IP address of the external service.

NAS server naming services

You modify or configure naming services from File > NAS Servers > [nas server] > Naming Services.
Modify or configure the following naming services for the selected NAS server.

DNS
DNS is required for Secure NFS.
You cannot disable DNS for:
● NAS servers that support multiprotocol file sharing.
● NAS servers that support SMB file sharing and that are joined to an Active Directory (AD).

UDS with NIS

You will need the NIS domain name, and the IP addresses for each of the NIS servers.

UDS with LDAP

LDAP must adhere to the IDMU, RFC2307, or RFC2307bis schemas. Some examples include AD LDAP with IDMU, iPlanet,
and OpenLDAP. The LDAP server must be configured properly to provide UIDs for each user. For example, on IDMU, the
administrator must go in to the properties of each user and add a UID to the UNIX Attributes tab.

64 Managing file storage

You can configure LDAP to use anonymous, simple, and Kerberos authentication.

Table 14. Authentication types

Authentication type About
Anonymous Specify the Base DN, and the Profile DN for the iPlanet/OpenLDAP server.
Simple Specify the following:
● If using AD, LDAP/IDMU:
○ Bind DN in LDAP notation format; for example,
cn=administrator,cn=users,dc=svt,dc=lab,dc=com.
○ Base DN, which is the same as the Fully Qualified Domain Name (for example,
svt.lab.com).
○ Profile DN.
● If using the iPlanet/OpenLDAP server:
○ Bind DN in LDAP notation format; for example,
cn=administrator,cn=users,dc=svt,dc=lab,dc=com.
○ Password.
○ Base DN. For example, if using svt.lab.com, the Base DN would be
DC=svt,DC=lab,DC=com.
○ Profile DN for the iPlanet/OpenLDAP server.
Kerberos If using Kerberos authentication, you must perform the following steps before setting LDAP
to use Kerberos authentication:
1. From the Naming Services card, configure the DNS server used to join and unjoin a
Kerberos server to a realm.
2. From the Security card, configure the Kerberos realm.
Use either of the following methods to configure Kerberos:
● Authenticate to the SMB domain. With this option, you can either authenticate using
the SMB server account or authenticate with other credentials.
● Configure a custom realm to point to any type of Kerberos realm (Windows, MIT,
Heimdal). With this option, the NAS server uses the custom Kerberos realm defined in
the Kerberos subsection of the NAS server's Security tab.

NOTE: If you use NFS secure with a custom realm, you must upload a keytab file.

You can also configure LDAP with SSL (LDAP Secure) and can enforce the use of a Certificate Authority certificate for
authentication.

Local files
Local files can be used instead of, or in addition to DNS, LDAP, and NIS directory services.
To use local files, configuration information must be provided through the files listed in PowerFlex Manager. If you have not
created your own files ahead of time, use the download arrows to download the template for the type of file you need to
provide, and then upload the edited version.
To use local files for NFS, FTP access, the passwd file must include an encrypted password for the users. This password is
used for FTP access only. The passwd file uses the same format and syntax as a standard Unix system, so you can leverage
this to generate the local passwd file. On a Unix system, use useradd to add a new user and passwd to set the password for
that user. Then, copy the hashed password from the /etc/shadow file, add it to the second field in the /etc/passwd file,
and upload the /etc/passwd file to the NAS server.

Managing file storage 65

NAS server sharing protocols
You define the NAS server sharing protocols from File > NAS Servers > [nas server] > Sharing Protocols.

SMB server
This section contains options for configuring a Windows server.
If you are configuring SMB with Kerberos security, you must select to Join to the Active Directory Domain.
If you select to Join to the Active Directory Domain, you must have added a DNS server. You can add a DNS server from the
Naming Services card.
If the Windows Server Type is set to Join to the Active Directory Domain, then Enable automatic mapping for
unmapped Windows accounts/users must be selected in the User Mapping tab.

NFS server
This section contains options for configuring an NFS, or NFS secure server for Linux or UNIX support.

Table 15. Options for configuring NFS server

Task Description
Extend the Linux or UNIX credential Select or clear Enable extended Unix credentials.
to enable the storage system to ● If this field is selected, the NAS server uses the User ID (UID) to obtain the primary
obtain more than 16 group GIDs. Group ID (GID) and all group GIDs to which it belongs. The NAS server obtains the
GIDs from the local password file or UDS.
● If this field is cleared, the UNIX credential of the NFS request is directly extracted
from the network information that is contained in the frame. This method has better
performance, but it is limited to including up to only 16 group GIDs.
NOTE: With secure NFS, the UNIX credential is always built by the NAS server, so
this option does not apply.

Specify a Linux or UNIX credential In the Credential cache retention field, enter a time period (in minutes) for which
cache retention period. access credentials are retained in the cache. The default value is 15 minutes.
NOTE: This option can lead to better performance, because it reuses the UNIX
credential from the cache instead of building it for each request.

You can configure Secure NFS when you create or modify a multiprotocol NAS server or one that supports Unix-only shares.
Secure NFS provides Kerberos-based user authentication, which can provide network data integrity and network data privacy.
There are two methods for configuring Kerberos for secure NFS:
● Use the Kerberos realm (Windows realm) associated with the SMB domain configured on the NAS server, if any. If you
configure secure NFS using this method, SMB support cannot be deleted from the NAS server while secure NFS is enabled
and configured to use the Windows realm.
This method of configuring secure NFS requires fewer steps than configuring a custom realm.
● Configure a custom realm to point to any type of Kerberos realm (AD, MIT, Heimdal). If you configure secure NFS using this
method, you must upload the keytab file to the NAS server being defined.

FTP
FTP or Secure FTP can only be configured after a NAS server has been created.
Passive mode FTP is not supported.
FTP access can be authenticated using the same methods as NFS or SMB. Once authentication is complete, access is the same
as SMB or NFS for security and permission purposes. The method of authentication that is used depends on the format of the
username:
● If the format is domain@user or domain\user, SMB authentication is used. SMB authentication uses the Windows
domain controller.

66 Managing file storage

● For any other single username format, NFS authentication is used. NFS authentication uses local files, LDAP, NIS, or local
files with LDAP or NIS. To use local files for NFS, FTP access, the passwd file must include an encrypted password for the
users. This password is used for FTP access only. The passwd file uses the same format and syntax as a standard Unix
system, so you can leverage this to generate the local passwd file. On a Unix system, use useradd to add a new user
and passwd to set the password for that user. Then, copy the hashed password from the /etc/shadow file, add it to the
second field in the /etc/passwd file, and upload the /etc/passwd file to the NAS server.

User mapping
If you are configuring a NAS server to support both types of protocols, SMB and NFS, you must configure the user mapping.
When configured for both types of protocol, the user mapping requires that the NAS server is joined with an AD domain. You
can configure the SMB server with AD from the SMB Server card.
If the Windows Server Type is set to Join to the Active Directory Domain, then you must select Enable automatic
mapping for unmapped Windows accounts/users.

NAS server protection and events

You can enable Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) for the file servers using NDMP from the File > NAS Servers >
[nas server] > Protection card.
The Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) provides a standard for backing up file servers on a network. Once NDMP is
enabled, a third-party Data Management Application (DMA), such as Dell Networker, can detect the PowerFlex NDMP using the
NAS server IP address.
The NDMP username is always ndmp.

NAS server settings

PowerFlex Manager allows you to configure a Common Event Publishing Agent (CEPA) configuration for NAS servers to receive
event notifications. CEPA is a part of the Dell Common Event Enabler (CEE) package, which runs on Windows or Linux servers.
The CEE framework is used to provide a working environment for the CEPA facility. It consists of two parts—Common Antivirus
Agent (CAVA) and CEPA.
CEPA includes the following subfacilities:
● Auditing—A mechanism for delivering postevents to registered consumer applications in a synchronous manner. Events are
delivered individually in real-time.
● Backup—A mechanism for delivering postevents in bulk mode to backup applications. A backup-specific delivery cadence is
based on either a time period or a number of events.
● Content or quota management (CQM)—A mechanism for delivering preevents to registered consumer applications in a
synchronous manner. Events are delivered individually in real-time, allowing the consumer application to exercise business
policy on the event.
● Indexing—A mechanism for delivering events to Splunk Enterprise or the Splunk Cloud in asynchronous mode. The delivery
cadence is based on either a time period or a number of events.
● MessageExchange—A mechanism for delivering postevents in asynchronous mode, when needed, without consumer use of
the CEPA API. Events are published from CEPA to the RabbitMQ CEE_Events exchange. A consumer application creates a
queue for itself in the exchange from which it can retrieve events.
● Common Asynchronous Publishing Service (VCAPS)—A mechanism for delivering postevents in asynchronous mode. The
delivery cadence is based on a time period or a number of events.
NOTE: If both CQM events and Auditing events are present, CEPA delivers events to the CQM application first, and then
delivers events to the Auditing application.
For more information about CEE CEPA, see Using the Common Event Enabler on Dell Technologies support.
CEPA is a mechanism where applications can register to receive event notification and context from the PowerFlex file system.
The event publishing agent delivers the event notification and associated context in one message to the consumer application.
The context may consist of file metadata or directory metadata that is needed to decide business policy.
You can associate CEPA configurations with NAS servers through event publishers. The event publishers can be grouped in
event publisher pools.

Managing file storage 67

Event publishers
The events publisher specifies one to three publishing pools and enables configuration of advanced settings.
● Pre-Events Failure Policy—Determines the pre-event behavior if PowerFlex File cannot reach the CEPA Server.
○ Ignore (default)—Consider preevents acknowledged when CEPA servers are offline.
○ Deny—Deny user access when a corresponding pre-event request to CEPA servers failed.
● Post-Events Failure Policy—Determines the post-event behavior if PowerFlex File cannot reach CEPA Server.
○ Ignore—Continue and tolerate lost events.
○ Accumulate (default)—Continue and persist lost events in an internal buffer.
○ Guarantee—Persist lost events, deny file systems access when the buffer is full.
○ Deny—Deny access to file systems when CEPA servers are offline.
● Connectivity and protocol settings
○ HTTP and Port—HTTP and 12228, by default
○ Microsoft RPC and Accounts—Enabled and SMB, by default
○ Heartbeat and Timeout—10 sec and 1000 millisecond, by default
In the Event Publishers tab, you can create, modify, delete, associate, or dissociate CEPA event publishers.

Creating event publishers

1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Event Publishers.
2. Click Create.
The Create Events Publisher window is displayed.
3. Enter a name for the event publisher.
4. In the list of publishing pools displayed below, select the check box next to the publishing pool name you want to add to the
event publisher.
You can add only three publishing pools to an event publisher.
5. Click Next.
6. In the Configure Events Publisher tab, select the required Pre-Events Failure and Post-Events Failure policies.
7. Ensure that the default value for HTTP port is 12228, Heartbeat is 10 seconds, and Timeout is 1000 milliseconds.
8. Select the Using SMB Server Account and click Create Event Publisher.
NOTE: If Microsoft RPC is selected and the NAS server is a stand-alone SMB server, set the custom user account.
Otherwise, the CEPA connectivity fails.

Associating event publishers with NAS servers

Ensure that the NAS server is SMB enabled to associate an event publisher file with it.
PowerFlex Manager can apply event publishers to multiple NAS servers. This association, in turn, helps save time in creating
CEPA configurations every time you want to associate an event publisher file with a NAS server. To apply the CEPA
configuration to a NAS server, provide the file CEPA publisher details—ID and name, while creating the NAS server.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Event Publishers.
2. Select the check box next to the event publisher that you want to associate with the NAS server.
3. Click Associate.
The Associate Event Publisher to NAS Servers window is displayed.
4. In the Select NAS Servers tab, select the NAS servers with which you want to associate the event publisher and click
Next.
5. In the Configure File Systems tab, enable the SMB, NFS, or both options for the NFS servers.
NOTE: Both the SMB and NFS options can be enabled only for multiprotocol NAS servers.

6. Click Next to go the Summary tab.

The list of NAS servers that you selected for association with the event publisher is displayed.
7. Click Associate to complete the process of associating the event publisher with the NAS servers.

68 Managing file storage

 You can view the list of NAS servers that are associated with the event publisher in the Select NAS Servers tab. The
number of NAS severs associated with the event publisher is displayed on the NAS Settings > Event Publishers page.

Disassociating event publishers

The disassociate option allows you to disassociate the existing NAS servers or associate new servers with the event publishers.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Event Publishers.
2. Select the check box next to the event publisher that you want to disassociate from the NAS server.
3. Click Disassociate.
The Disassociate Event Publisher to NAS Servers window is displayed.
4. In the Select NAS Servers tab, select the NAS servers with which you want to associate the event publisher. Alternatively,
clear the check box next to the NAS server you want to disassociate from the event publisher.
5. Click Disassociate.
The updated number of NAS servers disassociated or associated with the event publisher is displayed on the NAS Settings
> Event Publishers page.

Deleting event publishers

Before deleting event publishers, ensure that the event publishers are disabled for the NAS server.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Event Publishers
2. Select the check box next to the event publisher that you want to delete.
3. Click Delete.
A message to confirm the deletion is displayed.
4. Click OK to confirm.

Event publishing pools

The publishing pool specifies which events must trigger notifications and to which servers they must be sent. There can be up
to five CEPA servers. These servers can be specified by IPv4 address or FQDN. The available events fall into three categories:
● Pre-Events—When an operation is requested, the NAS server sends a notification and waits for approval before allowing the
operation to occur.
● Post-Events—NAS server sends a notification after an operation occurs.
● Post-Error-Events—NAS server sends a notification if an operation generates an error.

Creating event publisher pools

To configure CEPA, you must create a publishing pool and events publisher.
The publishing pool specifies which events must trigger notifications and the servers to which the notifications must be sent.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Publishing Pools.
2. Click Create.
The Create Events Publishing Pool window is displayed.
3. Enter a name and an FQDN or IP for the publishing pool.
4. Click Next to select the preevents for which you want the notifications.
5. Click Next to select the postevents.
6. Click Next to select the post-error-events.
7. Click Finish to save the publishing pool.

Deleting publishing pools

Before deleting the CEPA publishing pools, ensure that the event publishers that are associated with the CEPA pool are deleted
first.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Settings > Publishing Pools
2. Select the check box next to the publishing pool that you want to delete.

Managing file storage 69

3. Click Delete.
A message to confirm the deletion is displayed.
4. Click OK to confirm.

NAS server security

You can configure the security settings for a NAS server from the File > NAS Servers > [nas server] > Security card.

Kerberos
Kerberos is a distributed authentication service designed to provide strong authentication with secret-key cryptography. It
works on the basis of "tickets" that allow nodes communicating over a non-secure network to prove their identity in a secure
manner. When configured to act as a secure NFS server, the NAS server uses the RPCSEC_GSS security framework and
Kerberos authentication protocol to verify users and services.
● Using Kerberos with NFS requires that DNS and a UDS, are configured for the NAS server and that all members of the
Kerberos realm are registered in the DNS server.
● For authentication Kerberos can be configured with either a custom realm, or with Active Directory (AD).
● The storage system must be configured with an NTP server. Kerberos relies on the correct time synchronization between
the KDC, servers, and the client network.

Configuring Kerberos for Secure NFS

If you are configuring Kerberos for Secure NFS, be aware of the following:
● If configuring the NAS server for NFS only, you must configure the NAS server with a custom realm. If you have configured
the NAS server with NFS and SMB, you can use either the AD or custom realm.
● Using LDAPS or LDAP with Kerberos is recommended for increased security.
● A DNS server must be configured at the NAS-server level. All members of the Kerberos realm, including the KDC, NFS
server, and NFS clients, must be registered in the DNS server.
● The NFS client hostname FQDN and NAS server FQDN must be registered in the DNS server. Clients and servers must be
able to resolve any member of the Kerberos realm's FQDNs to an IP address.
● The FQDN part of the NFS client SPN must be registered in the DNS server.
● A keytab file must be uploaded to your NAS server when configuring Secure NFS.
NOTE:
● Use the Retrieve Ketyab File to download a keytab file you have previously uploaded to the NAS server.
● Use the Upload the Keytab File to upload the keytab file after you have validated the content.

Antivirus (Common AntiVirus Agent (CAVA))

Available for SMB servers only.
Common AntiVirus Agent (CAVA) provides an antivirus solution to clients using a NAS server. It uses an industry-standard SMB
protocol in a Microsoft Windows Server environment. CAVA uses third-party antivirus software to identify and eliminate known
viruses before they infect files on the storage system.
Antivirus software is important because the storage system is resistant to the invasion of viruses because of its architecture.
The NAS server runs data access in real-time using an embedded operating system. Third parties are unable to run programs
containing viruses on this operating system. Although the operating system software is resistant to viruses, Windows clients
that access the storage system require virus protection. Virus protection on clients reduces the chance that they will store an
infected file on the server, and protects them if they open an infected file. This antivirus solution consists of a combination of
the operating system software, CAVA agent, and a third-party antivirus engine. The CAVA software and a third-party antivirus
engine must be installed on a Windows Server in the domain.
Antivirus support for CAVA is disabled by default. To enable CAVA:
1. Click the Disabled button and click Apply.
2. If you do not have a current CAVA configuration file available:
a. Click Retrieve Current Configuration.
b. Complete the CAVA configuration file template.

70 Managing file storage

3. Upload the CAVA current configuration file.
4. Click Enabled to start antivirus support.

Managing an event publisher configuration

Events Publishing allows third-party applications to register to receive event notification and context from the storage system
when accessing file systems with the SMB or NFS protocols. The Common Event Publishing Agent (CEPA) delivers to the
application both event notification and associated context in one message. Context may consist of file metadata or directory
metadata that is needed for the business policy.
You must define at least one event option (pre-, post-, or post-error event) when Events Publishing is enabled.
● Pre-event notifications are sent before processing an SMB or NFS client request.
● Post-event notifications are sent after a successful SMB or NFS client request.
● Post-error event notifications are sent after a failed SMB or NFS client request.

Enabling event publisher settings

When an events publisher is created, events publishing on a NAS server can be enabled. Multiple NAS servers can use the same
events publisher.
1. Go to File > NAS Servers > NAS Servers
2. Select the check box next to the NAS server name for which you want to enable the event publisher.
3. On the right, click View Details.
4. Go to Security > Events Publishing.
5. Enable the event publisher and select the required event publisher from the Event Publisher drop-down.
6. Select the Enable for all existing file systems under this NAS server option.
7. Select the required protocol—SMB, NFS, or both.
8. Click Apply.

About file system storage

A file system represents a set of storage resources that provide network file storage.
The storage system establishes a file system that Windows users or Linux/UNIX hosts can connect to and use for file-based
storage. Users access a file system through its shares, which draw from the total storage that is allocated to the file system.

Managing file storage 71

Figure 10. File system storage access

The following table describes the components of file system storage:

Table 16. File system storage components

Component Description
NAS server A file server configured with its network interfaces and other settings exclusively exporting the set of
specified file systems through mount points called shares. Client systems connect to a NAS server on
the storage system to get access to the file system shares. A NAS server can have more than one file
system, but each file system can only be associated with one NAS server.
File system A manageable container for file-based storage that is associated with the following properties:
● A specific quantity of storage.
● A particular file access protocol (SMB, NFS, or multiprotocol).
● One or more shares (through which network hosts or users can access shared files or folders).
Share or export A mountable access point to file system storage that network users and hosts can use for file-based
storage.
Windows users or A user, host, netgroup, or subnet that has access to the share and can mount or map the resource. For
Linux/UNIX hosts Windows file systems, access to the share is based on share permissions and ACLs that assign privileges
to objects defined in Active Directory. For Linux/UNIX file systems, access is permitted based on NFS
access settings.

72 Managing file storage

Shares and exports
Shares represent mount points through which users or hosts can access file system resources. Each share is associated with a
single file system and inherits the file system protocol (SMB or NFS) established for that file system. Shares of a multiprotocol
file system can be either SMB or NFS.
Access to shares is determined depending on the type of file system:
● Windows (SMB) shares: Access is controlled by SMB share permissions and the ACLs on the shared directories and files. For
example, you can configure share permissions using the Microsoft Computer Management utility.
○ Active Directory SMB servers: Configure access for users and groups using Windows directory access controls. User/
group authentication is performed through Active Directory.
○ Stand-alone SMB servers: Manage a stand-alone SMB server within a workgroup from a Microsoft Windows host.
● Linux/UNIX (NFS) exports: Hosts access is defined by the NFS access control settings of the NFS export. Use PowerFlex to
configure access for individual Linux/UNIX hosts or IP address subnets.
All shares within a single file system draw from the total quantity of storage allocated for the file system. Consequently, storage
space for shares is managed at the file system level.

File-level retention
File-level retention protects files from modification or deletion until a specified retention period.
Protecting a file system using file-level retention enables you to create a permanent and unalterable set of files and directories.
File-level retention ensures data integrity and accessibility, simplifies archiving procedures for administrators, and improves
storage management flexibility.
There are two levels of file-level retention:
● Enterprise: Protects data from changes that are made by users and storage administrators using SMB, NFS, and FTP. An
administrator can delete a file-level retention enterprise file system which contains locked files.
● Compliance: Protects data from changes that are made by users and storage administrators using SMB, NFS, and FTP.
An administrator cannot delete a file-level retention compliance file system which contains locked files. File-level retention
compliance complies with SEC rule 17a-4(f).
File-level retention enterprise is intended for self-regulated archiving while file-level retention compliance is intended to assist
those companies that must comply with regulations such as SEC rule 17a-4(f). The main difference is that file-level retention
compliance performs write verification to ensure the quality and accuracy of the storage media recording process and prevents
any modification or deletion of protected files by administrators.
The following restrictions apply:
● File-level retention is available on PowerFlex Manager 4.6 and later.
● Once file system is created, file-level retention cannot be enabled, disabled, or changed to another type.
● File-level retention compliance does not support restoring from a snapshot.
● When refreshing using a snapshot, both file systems must be at the same file-level retention level.
● A cloned file system has the same file-system retention level as the source and cannot be modified.
● GNS creation is not allowed for a file-system retention enabled file system.
File-level retention is configured during file system creation.

Create a file system for NFS exports

You can create a file system for NFS exports.
Make sure that there is a NAS server that is configured to support the NFS protocol.
1. Select File > File Systems.
2. Click + Create File System.
The Create File System wizard launches.
3. Select an NFS enabled NAS server for the file system.
4. Specify the file system details, including the file system name and size, minimum size is 3 GB, maximum size is 256 TB.

Managing file storage 73

 NOTE: All thin file systems, regardless of size, have 1.5GB reserved for metadata upon creation. For example, after
creating a 100GB thin file system, the system immediately shows 1.5GB used. When the file system is mounted to a host,
it shows 98.5GB of usable capacity.

This is because the metadata space is reserved from the usable file system capacity.

5. Configure the initial export for the file system.

NOTE: You can add NFS exports to the file system at later time.

6. Configure security, access permissions, and host access for the system.

Option Description
Minimum Select Sys to allow users with non-secure NFS, or Secure NFS to mount and NFS export on the file
Security system. If you are not configuring Secure NFS you must select this option.
If you are creating a file system with Secure NFS, then you can choose from the following options:
● Kerberos to allow any type of Kerberos security for authentication (krb5/krb5i/krb5p).
● Kerberos with Integrity to allow both Kerberos with integrity and Kerberos with encryption security
for user authentication (krb5i/krb5p).
● Kerberos with Encryption to allow only Kerberos with encryption security for user authentication
(krb5p).
Default The default access that is applied to the hosts unless the hosts are configured with a different access
Access permission.
Add Host Enter hosts individually, or you can add hosts by uploading a properly formatted CSV file. You can download
the CSV file first to obtain a template.

Option Description
Local The path to the file system storage resource on the storage system. This path specifies the unique location of
path the share on the storage system.
● Each NFS share must have a unique local path. PoweFlex automatically assigns this path to the initial export
created within a new file system. The local path name is based on the file system name.
● Before you can create more exports within an NFS file system, create a directory to share from a Linux/
UNIX host that is connected to the file system. Then you can create an export from PowerFlex Manager and
set access permissions accordingly.
Export The path used by the host to connect to the export. PowerFlex creates the export path that is based on the IP
path address of the host, and the name of the export. Hosts use either the file name or the export path to mount or
map to the export from a network host.
7. Optionally, add a protection policy to the file system.
If you are adding a protection policy to the file system, the policy must have been created before creating the file system.
Only snapshots are supported for protection for file systems. Replication is not supported on file system.
8. Review the summary and click Create File System.
The file system is added to the File System tab. If you created an export simultaneously, then the export displays in the
NFS export tab.

Create a file system for SMB shares

A file system must be created on the NAS server before you can create an SMB share.
Make sure that there is a NAS server that is configured to support the SMB protocol.
1. Select File > File Systems and click + Create File System.
2. Continue to work through the Create File System wizard.

Option Description
Select NAS Select a NAS server enabled for SMB.
Server

74 Managing file storage

 Option Description
Advanced SMB Optionally choose from the following:
Settings ● Sync Writes Enabled
● Oplocks Enabled
● Notify on Write Enabled
● Notify on Access Enabled
File System Provide the file system name, and the size of the file system.
Details
The file system size can be from 3 GB to 256 TB.
NOTE: All thin file systems, regardless of size, have 1.5GB reserved for metadata upon creation.
For example, after creating a 100GB thin file system, immediately shows 1.5GB used. When the file
system is mounted to a host, it shows 98.5GB of usable capacity.

This is because the metadata space is reserved from the usable file system capacity.

SMB Share Optionally, configure the initial SMB Share. You can add shares to the file system after the initial file
system configuration.
Protection Optionally, provide a protection policy for the file system.
Policy NOTE: PowerFlex supports snapshots for file storage protection. Replication protection is not
supported for file systems. If a protection policy is set for both replication and snapshot protections,
PowerFlex implements the snapshot policy on the file system, and ignores the replication policy for
the file system.

Summary Review the summary. Go back to make necessary updates.

3. Click Create File System.
The file system is displayed in the File System list, and if you created an SMB Share, it is displayed in the SMB Share list.

Modify file-level retention

Retention period parameters can be set at file system creation or modified later.
Modifying retention period parameters does not affect files that are locked.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > File Systems.
3. Select the file system to modify, and click View Details > File-Level Retention.
4. Set the retention period parameters:
● Minimum retention period: Specifies the shortest for which a file-level retention enabled file system can be protected.
The default value is one day.
● Default retention period: Used when a file is locked and a retention period is not specified. The default value for
enterprise is unlimited, and for compliance is one year.
● Maximum retention period: Specifies the longest period for which a file-level retention enabled file system can be
protected. The default value is unlimited.
5. Optionally, set the advanced settings:
● Automatic file locking: The system default for automatic file locking is disabled. Users can specify whether to
automatically lock files in a file-level retention enabled file system, as well as policy interval for how long after files
are modified before the files are automatically locked. When enabled, auto-locked files are set with the default retention
period value.
● Automatic file deletion: You can specify whether to automatically delete locked files after their retention period is expired.
The first scan for locating files for deletion is seven days after the feature is enabled.
6. Click Apply.
Microsoft Windows does not have a native UI/CLI to set retention periods and lock files. Users in an SMB environment
should use the Dell file-level retention toolkit. Using this, you can administer and monitor files on file-level retention enabled
file systems. Install the toolkit on a Windows client in the same domain as the file-level retention file system you need to
access.
For Linux users, use the following command to set the retention period of the file: #touch -at<time><filename>

Managing file storage 75

 NOTE: Contact Dell Technologies Services to download the toolkit.

Change file system settings

You can change file system configuration settings, modify the file system properties, delete the file system, and perform
additional actions on a file system.
1. Go to the File > File systems page.
2. Click on a file system in the list to make changes to the file system configuration settings.
3. Click the checkbox next to the name of the file system and click:

Table 17. File system configuration settings

Option Description
Modify To modify the file system name, description, or size.
Access policy (Applies to multiprotocol file systems only.) File system
access policy option. Value is one of the following:
● native (default)-When this policy is selected, UNIX mode
bits are used for UNIX/Linux clients, and Windows
permissions (ACLs) are used for Windows clients.
● UNIX-When this policy is selected, UNIX mode bits are
used to grant access to each file on the file system.
● Windows-When this policy is selected, permissions that
are defined in Windows ACLs are honored for both
Windows and UNIX/Linux clients (UNIX mode bits are
ignored).
Locking policy (Applies to multiprotocol file systems only.) File system
locking policy option. This policy controls whether NFSv4
range locks must be honored. Value is one of the following:
● mandatory (default)-Uses the SMB and NFSv4 protocols
to manage range locks for a file that is in use by
another user. A mandatory locking policy prevents data
corruption if there is concurrent access to the same
locked data.
● advisory -In response to lock requests, reports that
there is a range lock conflict, but does not prevent
the access to the file. This policy allows NFSv2 and
NFSv3 applications that are not range-lock-compliant to
continue working, but risks data corruption if there are
concurrent writes.
Folder rename policy Folder rename policy (Applies to multiprotocol file systems
only.) File system folder rename policy option. This policy
controls the circumstances under which NFS and SMB
clients can rename a directory. Value is one of the following:
● forbiddenSmb (default)-Only NFS clients can rename
directories without any restrictions. An SMB client
cannot rename a directory if at least one file is opened in
the directory or in one of its subdirectories.
● allowedAll -All NFS and SMB clients can rename
directories without any restrictions.
● forbiddenAll-NFS and SMB clients cannot rename a
directory if at least one file is opened in the directory
or in one of its subdirectories.
Protection To perform one of the following operations:
● Assign or unassign a protection policy
● Create a snapshot
● Restore the file system from a snapshot

76 Managing file storage

 Table 17. File system configuration settings (continued)
Option Description
Repurpose PowerFlex file users can clone the NAS file system for
environment repurposing.
More actions To perform one of the following operations:
● Remove - To remove the file system from the NAS
server. This option is not available if NFS exports or SMB
shares have been created on the file system
● Refresh quotes

Create an SMB share

You can create an SMB share on a file system that has been created with an SMB-enabled NAS server.
1. Select File > SMB Shares.
2. Click + Create SMB Share and continue to work through the Create SMB Share wizard.

Option Description
Select File Select a file system that has been enabled for SMB.
System
Select a Optionally, select one of the file system snapshots on which to create the share.
snapshot of the
Only snapshots are supported for file system protection policies. Replication is not supported for file
file system
systems.

SMB share Enter a name, and local path for the share. When entering the local path:
details ● You can create multiple shares with the same local path on a single SMB file system. In these cases,
you can specify different host-side access controls for different users, but the shares within the file
system have access to common content.
● A directory must exist before you can create shares on it. If you want the SMB shares within the
same file system to access different content, you must first create a directory on the Windows
host that is mapped to the file system. Then, you can create corresponding shares using PowerFlex
Manager. You can also create and manage SMB shares from the Microsoft Management Console.
PowerFlex Manager also created the SMB Share path, which uses the host to connect to the share.
The export path is the IP address of the file system, and the name of the share. Hosts use either the file
name or the share path to mount or map to the share from a network host.

Advanced SMB Enable one or more of the Advanced SMB settings.

properties ● Continuous availability
● Protocol encryption
● Access-based enumeration
● Branch cache enabled
Decide which objects are available when the share is offline.

3. Click Next.
Once you create a share, you can modify the share from PowerFlex Manager or using the Microsoft Management Console.
To modify the share from PowerFlex Manager, select the share from the list on the SMB Share page, and click Modify.

Create an NFS export

You can create an NFS export on a file system has been created with an NFS-enabled NAS server.

1. Select the File > NFS Exports tab.

2. Click + Create NFS Export.
The Create NFS Export wizard launches.

Managing file storage 77

3. Enter the requested information while noting the following:
● Snapshots must have been created before creating the NFS export.
● Local Path must correspond to an existing folder name within the file system that was created from the host-side.
● The value specified in the NFS Export Details, Name field, along with the NAS server name, constitutes the name by
which hosts access the export.
● NFS export names must be unique at the NAS server level per protocol. However, you can specify the same name for an
SMB share, and NFS exports.
4. Once you approve the settings, click Create NFS Export.
The NFS Export displays on the NFS Export page.

Create a global namespace

You can create a global namespace (GNS) to allow the NAS user to access a single namespace supported by the NAS cluster
with a single export.
A global namespace provides a virtual view of shared folders by grouping shares or exports that are located on different servers
into one or more logical namespaces. This virtual view gives you a single entry point to access multiple file systems.
With the global namespace feature enabled, client hosts with correct access permission can access existing and newly added file
systems without needing to explicitly map/mount them on each client.
When you create a global namespace, you have the option to set up a single mount point or single export that consists of
several file systems that may be SMB or NFS.
PowerFlex file services support a multi-protocol global namespace for both SMB and NFSv4 clients. The GNS infrastructure
does not support NFSv3 clients, however they can access the shares directly. Also, NAS server supports creating multiple
namespaces.
Configure at least one NAS server before you attempt to create a global namespace.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Click Create Global Name Space and enter the following information in the wizard:

Option Description
NameSpace for NFS For NFS only. The namespace provides access over the NFS(nfsv4) protocol only.
NameSpace for SMB For SMB only. The namespace provides access over the SMB protocol only.
NameSpace for both NFS and SMB For SMB and NFS. The namespace provides access over both NFS and SMB
protocols.
3. Click Next.
4. Choose a NAS server on which to create the GNS and click Next.
A NAS server can host multiple namespaces.

5. Select a file system to create the GNS.

Option Description
Create new Filesystem Create a dedicated file system to host the GNS.
(Recommended)
Select from available General Type Select an existing file system. Do not select the existing NFS file system if the file
Filesystems system root has already been exported.
6. Specify GNS details for the namespace:

Option Description
Name of the The name allows remote hosts to connect to the Global Namespace over the network.
server
Description Optional description for the namespace.
Local Path Local path relative to the NAS server. This path is the local path to the storage resource or any
existing subfolder of the storage resource that is shared over the network. The path is relative to the

78 Managing file storage

 Option Description
NAS Server and must start with the file system's mountpoint path, which is the file system name.
For example, to share the top level of a file system named powerflexfs1, which is mounted on the /
powerflexfs1 mountpoint on the NAS Server, use / powerflexfs1 in the path parameter.
NOTE: The Namespace Path is generated based on the interface of the selected NAS server and
namespace server name.

7. Review the Summary page and choose one of the following options to create the GNS.
● Run in the background
● Add to the Job List to schedule later

The root shares and exports are automatically created on the file system.

NOTE: These shares and exports cannot be deleted without deleting the namespace.

Modify a namespace server

You can modify the configuration of a namespace server after it is created.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Select the namespace server from the list and click Modify.
The Modify Global Namespace wizard launches.
3. Modify the Description, Type of Namespace and Client Cache Timeout as needed.
The default client cache timeout is 300 seconds. The client cache timeout is the amount of time that clients cache
namespace root referrals. A referral is an ordered list of targets that a client system receives from a namespace server
when the user accesses a namespace root or folder with targets in the namespace. You can adjust how long clients cache a
referral before requesting a new one.

Remove a namespace server

You can remove a namespace server if it is no longer needed.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Select the namespace server from the list and click Remove.

Create a link for a GNS

You can create a link for a global namespace. The Global Namespace Link object holds information about the related remote
locations, which the namespace targets. A link can only have one target.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Select the namespace server from the list and click View Details.
3. Click Create Link and enter the following information in the wizard:

Option Description
Local path A path name relative to the namespace root (without a forward slash or trailing slash). Remote
hosts use this path to connect to the target file system.
Description (Optional) Description of the link.
Client Cache Timeout Client cache timeout is the amount of time that clients cache namespace root referrals. A
(Seconds) referral is an ordered list of targets that a client system receives from a namespace server
when the user accesses a namespace root or folder with targets in the namespace.
Add Target UNC Select the target from UNC path from the available exports or shares, or add the target UNC
(Universal Naming path manually.
Convention) Path

Managing file storage 79

Modify a namespace server link
After you create a namespace server, you can modify the link.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Select the namespace server from the list and click View Details.
3. Select the link from the list and click Modify.
4. Optionally, modify the description and client cache timeout of the link, as well as the Target UNC Path.

Remove a link and target

You can remove the link and target for a namespace server after it is created.
1. Select the File > Global Name Space tab.
2. Select the namespace server from the list and click View Details.
3. Select the link and target from the list and click Remove.

Restore a Global Name Space

If necessary, you can restore a global namespace.
Restore is needed when you have a namespace that is in an error or inactive state. Ensure that you have a snapshot available
for restore.
The namespace will be created automatically after you restore the snapshot.

More about file systems

You can create, view, access, and manage file systems from the File > File Systems page.
A NAS server must be created before you can create a file system.
The NAS server must support the sharing protocol for which you are creating the file system. If you are creating a file system
with NFS exports, the NAS server must support the NFS protocol. If you are creating a file system with SMB shares, the NAS
server must support the SMB protocol.
You can choose to create SMB shares or NFS exports the first time you create the file system, or you can create SMB shares
and NFS exports on a file system after it has been created.

Advanced settings for file systems that support SMB

These advanced settings can be configured for a file system that will be used for SMB shares.

Table 18. SMB file system advanced settings

Setting Description
Sync Writes Enabled When you enable the synchronous writes option for a Windows (SMB) or multiprotocol
file system, the storage system performs immediate synchronous writes for storage
operations, regardless of how the SMB protocol performs write operations. Enabling
synchronous writes operations enables you to store and access database files (for
example, MySQL) on storage system SMB shares. This option guarantees that any
write to the share is done synchronously and reduces the chances of data loss or file
corruption in various failure scenarios, for example, loss of power.
This option is disabled by default.
NOTE: The synchronous writes option can have a significant impact on
performance. It is not recommended unless you intend to use Windows file systems
to provide storage for database applications.

Oplocks Enabled (Enabled by default) Opportunistic file locks (oplocks, also known as Level 1 opslock)
enable SMB clients to buffer file data locally before sending it to a server. SMB clients

80 Managing file storage

Table 18. SMB file system advanced settings (continued)
Setting Description
can then work with files locally and periodically communicate changes to the storage
system rather than having to communicate every operation over the network to the
storage system. This is enabled by default for Windows (SMB) and multiprotocol file
systems. Unless your application handles critical data or has specific requirements that
make this mode or operation unfeasible, leaving the oplocks enabled is recommended.
The following oplocks implementations are supported:
● Level II oplocks, which informs a client that multiple clients are accessing a file, but
no client has yet modified it. A level II oplock lets the client perform read operations
and file attribute fetches by using cached or read-ahead local information. All other
file access requests must be sent to the server.
● Exclusive oplocks, which informs a client that it is the only client opening the file.
An exclusive oplock lets a client perform all file operations by using cached or
read-ahead information until it closes the file, at which time the server must be
updated with any changes that are made to the state of the file (contents and
attributes).
● Batch oplocks, which informs a client that it is the only client opening the file. A
batch oplock lets a client perform all file operations by using cached or read-ahead
information (including opens and closes). The server can keep a file opened for
a client even though the local process on the client machine has closed the file.
This mechanism curtails the amount of network traffic by letting clients skip the
extraneous close and open requests.
Notify on Write Enabled Enable notification when a file system is written to.
This option is disabled by default.

Notify on Access Enabled Enable notification when a file system is accessed.

This option is disabled by default.

Settings for file systems that support NFS

Select Sys to allow users with non-secure NFS, or Secure NFS to mount and NFS export on the file system. If you are not
configuring Secure NFS you must select this option.
If you are creating a file system with Secure NFS, then you can choose from the following options:
● Kerberos to allow any type of Kerberos security for authentication (krb5/krb5i/krb5p).
● Kerberos with Integrity to allow both Kerberos with integrity and Kerberos with encryption security for user authentication
(krb5i/krb5p).
● Kerberos with Encryption to allow only Kerberos with encryption security for user authentication (krb5p).

Table 19. Settings for file systems that support NFS

Access setting Description
No Access No access permitted to the storage resource or share.
Read-only Hosts have permission to view the contents of the storage resource or share, but not
to write to it.
Read/Write Hosts have permission to read and write to the NFS datastore or share.
NOTE: ESXI hosts must have Read//Write access in order to mount an NFS
datastore using NFSv4 with Kerberos NFS owner authentication.

Read/Write, allow Root Hosts have permission to read and write to the storage resource or share, and
to grant revoke access permissions (for example, permission to read, modify and
execute specific files and directories) for other login accounts that access the
storage. The root of the NFS client has root access to the share.
NOTE: Unless the hosts are part of a supported cluster configuration, a void
granting Read/Write access to more than one host.

Managing file storage 81

Table 19. Settings for file systems that support NFS (continued)
Access setting Description

NOTE: VMware ESXi hosts must have Read/Write, allow Root access in order
to mount an NFS datastore using NFSv4 with NFS Owner:root authentication.

Read-only, allow Root (NFS Exports) Hosts have permission to view the contents of the share, but not to write to it. The
root of the NFS client has root access to the share.

Advanced properties for SMB shares

A file system must be configured to support SMB protocol before you can create a share.

Table 20. Advanced SMB properties

Option Description
Continuous Availability Gives host applications transparent, continuous access to a share following a failover of
the NAS server on the system (with the NAS server internal state saved or restored
during the failover process).
NOTE: Enable continuous availability for a share only when you want to use
Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol clients with the specific share.

Protocol Encryption Enables SMB encryption of the network traffic through the share. SMB encryption is
supported by SMB 3.0 clients and above. By default, access is denied if an SMB 2 client
attempts to access a share with protocol encryption enabled.
You can control this by configuring the RejectUnencryptedAccess registry key on the
NAS Server. 1 (default) rejects non-encrypted access and 0 allows clients that do not
support encryption to access the file system without encryption.

Access-Based Enumeration Filters the list of available files and directories on the share to include only those to
which the requesting user has read access.
NOTE: Administrators can always list all files.

Branch Cache Enabled Copies content from the share and caches it at branch offices. This allows client
computers at branch offices to access the content locally rather than over the WAN.
Branch Cache is managed from Microsoft hosts.

Offline Availability Configures the client-side caching of offline files:

● Manual: Files are cached and available offline only when caching is explicitly
requested.
● Programs and files opened by users: All files that clients open from the share are
automatically cached and available offline. Clients open these files from the share
when they are connected to it. This option is recommended for files with shared
work.
● Programs and files opened by users, optimize for performance: All files that
clients open from the share are automatically cached and available offline. Clients
open these files from the share's local cache, if possible, even when they are
connected to the network. This option is recommended for executable programs.
● None: Client-side caching of offline files is not configured.

SMB and NFS configuration details

The following table provides some details you will need when creating files systems, SMB shares, or NFS exports.

Table 21. SMB and NFS configuration details

Option Description
Name The name provided for the export or share, along with the NAS server name
is the name by which the hosts will access the export or share.

82 Managing file storage

Table 21. SMB and NFS configuration details (continued)
Option Description

NFS export, and SMB share names must be unique at the NAS server level
per protocol. However, you can specify the same name for SMB shares and
NFS exports.

Local path The path to the file system storage resource on the storage system. This
path specifies the unique location of the share on the storage system.
SMB shares
● An SMB file system allows you to create multiple shares with the same
local path. In these cases, you can specify different host-side access
controls for different users, but the shares within the file system will all
access common content.
● A directory must exist before you can create shares on it. Therefore,
if you want the SMB shares within the same file system to access
different content, you must first create a directory on the Windows host
that is mapped to the file system. Then, you can create corresponding
shares using Unisphere. You can also create and manage SMB shares
from the Microsoft Management Console.
NFS exports
● Each NFS export must have a unique local path. PowerFlex
automatically assigns this path to the initial export created within a new
file system. The local path name is based on the file system name.
● Before you can create additional exports within an NFS file system,
you must create a directory to share from a Linux/UNIX host that
is connected to the file system. Then, you can create a share from
PowerFlex Manager and set access permissions accordingly.
SMB share path or export path The path used by the host to connect to the share or export.
PowerFlex Manager creates the export path based on the IP address of the
file system, and the name of the export or share. Hosts use either the file
name or the export path to mount or map to the export or share from a
network host.

File system quotas

You can set quotas on a file system from the File > File System > [file system] > Quotas card.
You can track and limit drive space consumption by configuring quotas for file systems at the file system or directory level. You
can enable or disable quotas at any time, but it is recommended that you enable or disable them during non-peak production
hours to avoid impacting file system operations.

NOTE: You cannot create quotas for read-only file systems.

Quotas are supported on SMB, NFS, FTP, NDMP, and multiprotocol file systems.
You can set the following types of quotas for a file system.

Table 22. Types of quotas

Type Description
User quotas Limits the amount of storage that is consumed by an individual user storing data on
the file system.
Tree quota Tree quotas limit the total amount of storage that is consumed on a specific directory
tree. You can use tree quotas to:
● Set storage limits on a project basis. For example, you can establish tree quotas
for a project directory that has multiple users sharing and creating files in it.
● Track directory usage by setting the tree quota hard and soft limits to 0 (zero).

Managing file storage 83

Table 22. Types of quotas (continued)
Type Description

NOTE: If you change the limits for a tree quota, the changes take effect
immediately without disrupting file system operations.

User quota on a quota tree Limits the amount of storage that is consumed by an individual user storing data on
the quota tree.

Quota limits
To track space consumption without setting limits, set Soft Limit and Hard Limit to 0, which indicates no limit.

Table 23. Quota limits

Type Descriptions
Hard A hard limit is an absolute limit on storage usage.
If a hard limit is reached for a user quota on a file system or quota tree, the user cannot write
data to the file system or tree until more space becomes available. If a hard limit is reached
for a quota tree, no user can write data to the tree until more space becomes available.

Soft limit A soft limit is a preferred limit on storage usage.

The user is allowed to use space until a grace period has been reached.
The user is alerted when the soft limit is reached, until the grace period is over. After that, an
out of space condition is reached until the user gets back under the soft limit.

Quota grace period

The quota grace period provides the ability to set a specific grace period to each tree quota on a file system. The grace period
counts down the time between the soft and hard limit, and alerts the user about the time remaining before the hard limit is met.
If the grace period expires you cannot write to the file system until more space has been added, even if the hard limit has not
been met.
You can set an expiration date for the grace period. The default is 7 days, alternatively you can set the grace period expiration
date to an infinite amount of time and the grace period will never expire, or for specified number of days, hours or minutes.
Once the grace period expiration date is met, the grace period will no longer apply to the file system directory.

File protection
PowerFlex file uses thin clone and snapshots for protecting the file system data and clone for repurposing the NAS server.

Create a protection policy

Create a protection policy to provide local protection for your file systems.
Each protection policy can include up to 16 snapshot rules. A rule can be included in multiple policies.
1. Click File > File Protection > Protection Policies.
2. From the File Protection window, click + Create.
3. From the Create Protection Policy panel, set the new policy name.
4. Select the snapshot rules you want to include in the policy or create a new snapshot rule.
5. Click Create Policy.

84 Managing file storage

Create snapshot rules
Create snapshot rules to control parameters such as the frequency of snapshot creation and snapshots retention period.
If you want to create a new snapshot rule in addition to the existing rules, it is recommended to review the business
requirements with an administrator before proceeding. This can help in achieving and maintaining consistent policies across
the system.
1. Click File > File Protection.
2. From the File Protection window, click Snapshot Rules.
3. Click + Create.
4. From the Create Snapshot Rules panel, enter a name for the new rule.
5. Set the following:
a. Select the days to create the snapshot.
b. Set the frequency:
● For a snapshot to be taken at a fixed interval, select this option and set the number of hours after which a snapshot
will be created.
● For a snapshot to be taken at a particular time of the selected days, select the Time of day option and set the time
and time zone.
c. Set the retention period.
d. For file snapshots, select the file snapshot access type.
The supported file snapshot access types are Protocol (Read-Only) and Snapshot for creating snapshot rules.
6. Click Create.

Create a snapshot
Creating a snapshot saves the state of the file system and all files and data within it at a particular point in time. You can use
snapshots to restore the entire file system to a previous state.
Before creating a snapshot, consider:
● Snapshots are not full copies of the original data. Do not rely on snapshots for mirrors, disaster recovery, or high-availability
tools. Because snapshots are partially derived from the real-time data of the file systems, they can become inaccessible if
the storage resource becomes inaccessible.
● Although snapshots are space efficient, they consume overall system storage capacity. Ensure that the system has enough
capacity to accommodate snapshots.
● When configuring snapshots, review the snapshot retention policy that is associated with the storage resource. You may
want to change the retention policy in the associated rules or manually set a different retention policy, depending on the
purpose of the snapshot.
● Manual snapshots that are created with PowerFlex Manager are retained for one week after creation (unless configured
otherwise).
● If the maximum number of snapshots is reached, no more can be created. In this case, to enable creation of new snapshots,
you are required to delete existing snapshots.
1. Click File > File Systems.
2. Select the check box of the relevant file system to select it and click Protection > Create Snapshot.
3. In the Create Snapshot of File System panel, enter a unique name for the snapshot, and set the Local Retention Policy.
NOTE: Retention period is set to one week by default. You can set a different retention period or select the No
Automatic Deletion for indefinite retention.

4. Click the File Snapshot Access Type.

For file systems, you can create three access types. The default access type is Protocol (Read-Only) protocol.
● Protocol (read-only): Creates read-only snapshot that can be mounted and accessed later through NFS export or SMB
share.
● Snapshot: Creates read-only auto mounted snapshot accessible through the snapshot directory in the file system.
● Protocol (read-write): Creates a read write snapshot that can be mounted and accessed later through NFS export or
SMB share.
5. Click Create Snapshot.

Managing file storage 85

 NOTE: You can also create snapshots by selecting the file system View Details option. Click File > File Systems, and
select the file systems from the list, click View Details > Snapshots > + Create Snapshot.

Modify a snapshot
Use the following procedure to modify a snapshot.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > File Systems.
3. Select the file systems from the list, click View Details > Snapshots and select the snapshot to modify.
4. Click Modify.
5. Click Apply.

Delete a snapshot
Use the following procedure to delete a snapshot.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > File Systems.
3. Select the file systems from the list, click View Details > Snapshots and select the snapshot to delete.
4. Click Delete.
5. Click OK on the warning screen.

Assign a protection policy to a file system

Assign a protection policy to one or more file systems to apply the snapshot rules included in the policy to the file systems.
The protection policy automatically performs snapshot operations based on the specified parameters.
If a protection policy that meets your data protection requirements is available, you can assign it to a file system at any time.
You can assign protection policy to a file system during the resource creation or at a later stage.
1. To assign a protection policy to an existing system:
a. Click File > File Systems
b. Select the check box of the file system to which you want to assign a protection policy.
NOTE: You can select multiple file systems.

c. Click Protection > Assign Protection Policy.

d. From the Assign Protection Policy panel, click the protection policy.
e. Click Apply.
2. To assign a protection policy to multiple file systems:
a. Click File > File Systems > Protection > Assign Protection Policy.
b. From the Assign Protection Policy panel, select the file systems and select the relevant objects from the protection
policy list.
c. Click Apply.

Unassign a protection policy

Removing the protection policy from a file system results in the following:
● Scheduled snapshots, which are based on the rules associated with the policy.
● Existing snapshots are retained in the system, based on the snapshot rule settings when they were created.
1. Click File > File Systems.
2. Select the check box of the storage resource from which you want to unassign a protection policy.
3. Click Protection > Unassign Protection Policy.

86 Managing file storage

4. Click Unassign to confirm.

Modify a protection policy

Modify a protection policy by adding and removing snapshot rules.
Changing the settings of a protection policy applies the new settings to all objects to which the protection policy is assigned. If
you need to change the protection policy for one resource, it is recommended to create a new protection policy, and assign it to
that resource instead.
1. Click File > File Protection > Protection Policies.
2. Select the check box next to the relevant policy and click Modify.
3. In the Properties panel, you can modify the following parameters:
● Policy name
● Description
● Selected snapshot rules
4. Click Apply.

Delete a protection policy

Detach the protection policy from every file system before you delete.
1. Click File > File Protection > Protection Policies.
2. Select the check box next to the relevant policy and click Delete.

Modify a snapshot rule

1. Click File > File Protection > Snapshot Rules.
2. Select the snapshot rule from the list and click Modify.
3. Modify the required values and click Apply.

Delete a snapshot rule

Detach the snapshot rule from all the policies before you delete.
1. Click File > File Protection > Snapshot Rules.
2. Select the snapshot rule from the list and click Delete.
3. From the Delete Snapshot Rule page, click Delete.

Refresh a file system using snapshot

The content of the snapshot is replaced with the current content of the file system from which the snapshot was taken. You
can create a duplicate of the production environment.
NOTE: Because the refresh operation replaces the contents of a file system, it is recommended to take a snapshot of the
file system before refreshing it. Creating a backup allows you to revert to a previous point in time.
Before refreshing a snapshot, it is mandatory to shut down the application and unmount the file system that is running on the
production host, and then flush the host cache to prevent data corruption during the refresh operation.
1. Click File > File Systems and select the check box from the list that you want to restore.
2. Click View Details > More Actions > Refresh using snapshot.
3. From the Refresh Snapshot panel, click Refresh.

Managing file storage 87

Restore a file system from a snapshot
The restore operation is used to reconstruct an environment following an event that may have compromised its data.
You can use the restore operation to replace the contents of a file system storage resource with data from a snapshot that was
taken directly from that storage resource. Restoring resets the data in that storage resource to the point in time at which the
snapshot was taken. When restoring a file system, the source for the restore must be a snapshot that was taken directly from
the storage resource that you are restoring.
Before restoring a snapshot, it is mandatory to shut down the application and unmount the file system that is running on the
production host, and then flush the host cache to prevent data corruption during the restore operation.
1. Click File > File Systems and select the check box from the list that you want to restore.
2. Click Protection > Restore from snapshot.
3. In the Restore File System from Snapshot panel, select the snapshot to use for the restore operation.
4. Select whether to create a backup snapshot of the restored object (the option is selected by default).
NOTE: Because the restore operation replaces the contents of a storage resource, it is recommended to create a
snapshot prior to restoring. Creating a backup allows you to revert to the original data.

5. Click Restore.
NOTE: You can also restore the file system by selecting the file system snapshot from the Snapshots view. Click File
> File Systems, and select the file systems from the list, click View Details, and click More Actions > Restore from
Snapshot.

Clone NAS server and file system

PowerFlex file users can clone their NAS server and file system for environment repurposing.
Any existing NAS server can be cloned. When performing a clone NAS server operation, a new NAS Server or file systems are
created. By default, the NAS server is cloned to the same primary and secondary nodes as the parent NAS server. The NAS
server can be moved later if the user wants a different primary or backup node. The user can select the file systems to clone;
the default is no file systems. The user can delete or modify the parent or ancestor NAS server without impacting the cloned
NAS server. The cloned NAS server is created with an empty network configuration, and the user must configure it through
PowerFlex Manager. The NFS export and SMB share are also cloned during the NAS server cloning operation.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > NAS Servers.
3. Select the NAS server that you want to clone, and click Repurpose > Clone NAS Server.
4. From the Create NAS Server Clone window, provide a name for the clone and select the file systems to clone.
5. Click Create.
The cloned NAS server is now added to the NAS server list.
NOTE: File interface details must be configured explicitly after creating the clone, as this configuration is not performed
in the NAS clone creation process.

6. Select the cloned NAS server and click View Details > Network > File Interface > +Add.
7. Provide the interface information and click Add.
8. For routes to external services, Select the cloned NAS server and click View Details > Network > Routes to External
Services > +Add
9. Provide the information and click Add.

Clone the file system

Any existing file system can be cloned as a thin clone.
When you perform a thin clone file system operation, a new user file system is created. You can select any file system and
clone it. Select the NAS server where the cloned file system can be created. By default, the file system thin clone is created
on the same NAS server. The cloned file system supports all lifecycle operations (snap, clone, restore, extend, shrink, delete) of

88 Managing file storage

the original file system. You can delete or modify the parent or ancestor file system without impacting the cloned file system.
File-level retention is enabled in the cloned file system if the original file system is file-level retention that is enabled.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > File Systems.
3. Select the file system that you want to clone, and click Repurpose > Thin Clone File System.
4. From the Create Thin Clone window, select the NAS server from the drop-down list and provide the name (should be
unique).
NOTE: Select a NAS server from the same storage pool. The target cloned file system is restricted to the NAS servers
which are within the source storage pool.

NOTE: Events publishing can only be enabled when events are configured on the selected NAS server.

5. Click Clone.
The cloned file system is now added to the file system list.
6. If the file system is enabled with a global namespace, activate a cloned namespace after it is cloned:
a. Click File > Global Namespace and select the cloned namespace.
b. Click Activate.
c. Provide the unique global namespace and click Apply.

Create a thin clone using a snapshot

Thin clones are writeable copies of a snapshot.
Unlike a full clone, a thin clone is a space efficient copy that shares data blocks with its parent object and not a full backup of
the original resource.
Thin clones retain full read access to the original resource. You can modify the data within the thin clone while preserving the
original snapshot.
Using thin clones, you can establish hierarchical points in time to preserve data over different stages of data modifications. If
the parent resource (snapshot) is deleted, the thin clone is unaffected.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click File > File Systems.
3. Select the file systems from the list, click View Details > Snapshots and select the snapshot to create the thin clone.
4. Click Repurpose > Create Thin Clone Using Snapshot.
5. Select the NAS server from the drop-down menu and provide the required information.
6. Click Clone.
7. To view the new thin clone, go to the file system list.

Managing file storage 89

 9
Protecting a block storage environment
Use local and remote protection features to protect your block storage.

Snapshots
A snapshot is a copy of a volume at a specific point in time. With snapshots, you can overwrite the contents of the volume, map
to a host, and set bandwidth and IOPS limits.

Create snapshots
PowerFlex lets you to create instantaneous snapshots of one or more volumes.
The Use secure snapshots option prohibits deletion of the snapshots until the defined expiration period has elapsed.
When you create a snapshot of more than one volume, PowerFlex generates a consistency group by default. The snapshots
under the consistency group are taken simultaneously for all listed volumes, thereby ensuring their consistency. You can view
the consistency group by clicking View Details in the right pane and then clicking the Snapshots Consistency Group tab in
the left pane.
NOTE: The consistency group is for convenience purposes only. No protection measures are in place to preserve the
consistency group. You can delete members from the group.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list, select the relevant volumes, and click More > Create Snapshot.
3. In the Create snapshot of volume dialog box, enter the name of the snapshot. You can accept the default name, or create
a snapshot a name according to the following rules:
● Contains less than 32 characters
● Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
● Is unique within the object type
4. Optionally, configure the following parameters:
● To set read-only permission for the snapshot, select the Read Only check box.
● To prevent deletion of the snapshot during the expiration period, select the Use secure snapshot check box, enter the
Expiration Time, and select the time unit type.
5. Click Create Snapshot.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Overwrite volume content from a snapshot

The contents of a volume can be overwritten with the content from another volume, using a snapshot.
● If the destination volume is an auto snapshot, the auto snapshot must be locked before you can continue to overwrite
volume content.

NOTE: Use this command very carefully, since this will overwrite data on the target volume or snapshot.

NOTE: If the destination volume is an auto snapshot, the auto snapshot must be locked before you can continue to
overwrite volume content.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the snapshot to be overwritten, and then click More Actions > Overwrite Content.

90 Protecting a block storage environment

 The Target Volume tab in the Overwrite Content of Volume dialog box displays the details of the volume that will be
overwritten.

3. Click Next.
4. In the Select Source Volume tab, do the following:
a. Select the source volume from which to copy content.
b. Click Time Frame, and then select the interval from which to copy content. If you choose Custom, select the date and
time and click Apply.
c. Click Next.
5. In the Review tab, review the details and then click Overwrite Content.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set bandwidth and IOPS limits for snapshots

Setting bandwidth and IOPS limits for snapshots lets you control the quality of service (QoS). Bandwidth and IOPS limits are set
on a per-host basis.
Ensure that the snapshots are mapped before you set these limits.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the relevant snapshot, and then click More Actions > Set Limits.
3. In the Set IO limits for volume dialog box, enter the required values for Bandwidth Limits and IOPS Limits, or select the
corresponding Unlimited check box.
● The number of IOPS must be larger than 10.
● The volume network bandwidth is in MB/s.
● The I/O limits are applied to every mapped SDC.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and then click Dismiss.

Lock and unlock snapshots

You can lock auto snapshots (snapshots created automatically by a snapshot policy) so that they are not removed by the auto
removal process. You can unlock the snapshots later, so that they can be automatically removed.
NOTE: If a snapshot policy is displayed for the snapshot in the Snapshot Policy column of the snapshots list, it is an auto
snapshot.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the desired snapshot, and then click More Actions > Lock Snapshot/Unlock Snapshot.
3. In the Lock/Unlock snapshot dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Delete snapshots
Remove snapshots of volumes from PowerFlex.
Ensure that the snapshot that you are removing is not mapped to any hosts. If the snapshot is mapped, unmap it before
removing it. In addition, ensure that the snapshot is not the source volume of any snapshot policy. You must remove the volume
from the snapshot policy before you can remove the snapshot.
To prevent causing a data unavailability scenario, avoid deleting volumes or snapshots while the MDM cluster is being upgraded.
CAUTION: Removing a snapshot erases all the data in the corresponding snapshot.

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.

2. In the list of snapshots, select the desired snapshot, and then click More Actions > Delete.
3. In the Delete Volume dialog box, select an option:
● Delete volume
● Delete volume with all its snapshots

Protecting a block storage environment 91

4. Click Delete.
5. In the next dialog box confirming the snapshots to remove, verify that you are deleting the correct snapshots, and click
Delete.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Map snapshots
Mapping exposes the snapshot to the specified host, effectively creating a block device on the host. You can map a snapshot to
one or more hosts.
For Linux-based devices, the scini device name may change on reboot. Dell Technologies recommends that you mount a
mapped volume to the /dev/disk/by-id unique ID, which is a persistent device name, rather than to the scini device
name.
To identify the unique ID, run the /dev/disk/by-id/ command.
You can also identify the unique ID using VMware. In the VMware management interface, the device is called EMC Fibre
Channel Disk, followed by an ID number starting with the prefix eui.
NOTE: You cannot map a volume if the volume is an auto snapshot that is not locked, and you cannot map the volume on
the target of a peer system if it is connected to an RCG..
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select one or more snapshots, and then click Mapping > Map.
3. In the Map Volume dialog box, select one or more hosts to which you want to map the snapshots.
4. Click Map, and click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.

Unmap snapshots
Unmap one or more snapshot volumes from hosts.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the relevant snapshots, and click Mapping > Unmap.
3. Select the host from which to remove mapping to the snapshots.
4. Click Unmap, and click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Increase the size of a snapshot

You can increase (but not decrease) the capacity of one or more snapshots at any time, as long as there is enough capacity for
the size to grow.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the snapshot, and then click Modify > Resize.
3. In the Resize Volume dialog box, enter the new volume size, and select a unit type. (The basic allocation granularity is 8
GB.)
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Migrate a snapshot vTree

You can migrate a volume tree (vTree) for a snapshot to a different storage pool. Volumes undergoing migration remain available
for I/O.

NOTE: vTree migration is a long process and can take days or weeks, depending on the size of the vTree.

The following limitations apply:

92 Protecting a block storage environment

● Migration between storage pools with different data layouts is only allowed if there is a single volume in the vTree.
● vTrees containing a manually created snapshot cannot be migrated.
● You cannot migrate a volume that is a source volume of a snapshot policy between storage pools with different data layouts.
● Volumes involved in replication cannot be migrated.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the desired snapshot.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Migrate vTree.
6. In the Migrate vTree dialog box, in the TARGET area, select the destination storage pool.
The storage pool's free capacity is displayed. Ensure that you select a storage pool with enough capacity for the vTree size.
7. Optionally, select one or more of the following advanced options:

Option Description
Add migration to the Give this vTree migration the highest priority in the migration priority queue.
head of the migration
queue
Ignore destination Allow the migration to start regardless of whether there is enough capacity at the destination.
capacity
Enable compression A compression algorithm is applied to the data.
Convert vTree from... Convert a thin-provisioned vTree to thick-provisioned, or a thick-provisioned vTree to thin-
provisioned at the destination, depending on the provisioning of the source volume.
NOTE: SDCs with a version earlier than v3.0 do not fully support converting a thick-
provisioned vTree to a thin-provisioned vTree during migration; after migration, the vTree
will be thin-provisioned, but the SDC will not be able to trim it. These volumes can
be trimmed by unmapping and then remapping them, or by restarting the SDC. The
SDC version will not affect capacity allocation and a vTree converted from thick to thin
provisioning will be reduced in size accordingly in the system.

Save current vTree The provisioning state is returned to its original state before the migration took place.
provisioning state during
migration
8. Click Migrate vTree.
The vTree migration is initiated. The vTree appears in both the source and the destination storage pools.
9. At the top right of the page, click the Running Storage Jobs icon, and check the progress of the migration.
10. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Pause snapshot vTree migration

PowerFlex allows you to pause a vTree migration at any time.
You can pause vTree migration using the following methods:
● Gracefully—allows all data blocks currently being migrated to finish migration before pausing the overall migration.
● Forcefully—aborts the migration of all blocks currently in progress.

CAUTION: This method carries a potential risk of data loss.

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.

2. In the list of snapshots, select the desired snapshot.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Pause Migration.
6. In the Pause VTree Migration dialog box, select the desired option, and then click Pause Migration.

Protecting a block storage environment 93

 If you selected to pause the migration gracefully, the migration state is displayed. Once paused, you can choose to roll back
the vTree migration or resume the vTree migration from the VTree menu.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.

Roll back snapshot vTree migration

When a snapshot volume tree (vTree) migration is paused, you can roll back the migration so that the volume and all of its
snapshots are returned to the source storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the snapshots list, select the desired snapshot.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Rollback Migration.
6. In the Roll back VTree Migration dialog box, verify the source and target for the rollback, and then click Rollback
Migration.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set snapshot vTree migration priority

Specify whether a vTree migration will be at the beginning or at the end of the migration queue.
This feature is only available when there is more than one vTree migration currently in the queue.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshots.
2. In the list of snapshots, select the desired snapshot.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. In the left pane, click the VTree tab.
5. In the left pane, from the VTree menu on the right, select Set Priority.
6. In the Set VTree Migration Policy dialog box, select whether to move the current vTree migration to the head or to the
tail of the migration queue, and then click Set Priority.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Snapshot policies
Snapshot policies enable you to define policies for the number of snapshots that PowerFlex takes of one or more defined
volumes at a given time.
Snapshots are taken according to the defined rules. You can define the time interval between two rounds of snapshots, as
well as the number of snapshots to retain, in a multi-level structure. For example, take snapshots every x minutes/hours/days/
weeks. You can define a maximum of six levels, with the first level having the most frequent snapshots.
For example:
Rule: Take snapshots every 60 minutes
Retention Levels:
● 24 snapshots
● 7 snapshots
● 4 snapshots
After defining the parameters, select the source volume to add to the snapshot policy. You can add multiple source volumes to
a snapshot policy, but only a single policy per source volume is allowed. Only one volume per vTree may be used as a source
volume of a policy (any policy).
When you remove the source volume from the policy, you must choose how to handle snapshots. Snapshots created by the
policy are referred to as auto snapshots. This is indicated if a snapshot policy is displayed for the snapshot.
● If the source volume has auto snapshots, you cannot unassign the source volume from the snapshot policy. You can remove
auto snapshots from Snapshots.

94 Protecting a block storage environment

● If the source volume has auto snapshots but none of them are locked, you are prompted to confirm that you would like to
delete all auto snapshots. If any of the auto snapshots are locked, the locked auto snapshots are just detached from the
snapshot policy, but not deleted. You can manually delete auto snapshots. It doesn't matter if the auto snapshot is locked or
not, you can still delete.

Create a snapshot policy

Create snapshot policies with a maximum of six retention rules that each specify a retention period and number of snapshots to
retain, and then add source volumes to the policy.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.
2. Click Create Snapshot Policy.
3. In the Create Snapshot Policy dialog box, assign the policy a name and the time interval between snapshots.
4. Create retention rules:
a. In the Retention field, add the number of snapshots to retain.
A retention period is created for the specified number of snapshots times the snapshot interval.
b. Optionally, to create an additional retention rule, click Add Retention and repeat the previous step. Each rule is based on
the specified number of snapshots times the previous retention period.
Up to six retention rules can be created.
5. Optionally, clear the Read Only check box to cancel read-only access. This check box is selected by default.
6. Optionally, select the Secured check box to prevent the snapshots created by the policy from being modified or deleted
before the end of the expiration date.
7. Click Create or Create and Activate to add the snapshot policy to PowerFlex.
If created, but not activated, the snapshot policy shall be paused.
8. In the Snapshot Policy was successfully added dialog box, click Assign volume to snapshot policy.
9. In the Select volumes you wish to assign to the policy window, select one or more volumes, and click Assign Policy.
10. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Remove snapshot policy

Remove a snapshot policy to stop PowerFlex from automatically creating snapshots for the specified volumes. You cannot
remove snapshot policies that are secured.

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.

2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy.
3. Ensure that all source volumes are unassigned from the selected snapshot policy, and click More Actions > Delete.
4. In the Remove Snapshot Policy dialog box, click Remove.
5. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Modify snapshot policy

PowerFlex allows you to modify the parameters of snapshot policies, when required.

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.

2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and then click Modify > Modify Policy.
3. In the Modify Snapshot Policy dialog box, change the desired parameters:
a. In the Retention field, set the number of snapshots to retain.
A retention period is created for the specified number of snapshots times the snapshot interval.
b. Optionally, to create an additional retention rule, click Add Retention and repeat the previous step. Each rule is based on
the specified number of snapshots times the previous retention period.
Up to six retention rules can be created.
c. Optionally, clear the Read Only check box to cancel read-only access. This check box is selected by default.
d. Optionally, select the Secured check box to prevent the snapshots created by the policy from being modified or deleted
before the end of the expiration date.
4. Click Modify.

Protecting a block storage environment 95

5. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Rename snapshot policy

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.

2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and click Modify > Rename.
3. In the Rename Snapshot Policy dialog box, enter a new name and click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Activate snapshot policy

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.

2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and click More Actions > Activate.
3. In the Activate Snapshot Policy dialog box, click Activate.
4. Verify in the State column that the snapshot policy is active, and click Dismiss.

Pause snapshot policy

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.

2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and click More Actions > Pause.
3. In the Pause Snapshot Policy dialog box, click Pause.
4. Verify in the State column that the snapshot policy is in paused state, and click Dismiss.

Assign volumes or snapshots to a snapshot policy

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.
2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and click More Actions > Assign Volumes.
3. In the Assign Voumes to Snapshot Policy dialog box, select the volumes or snapshots that you want to assign to the
policy, and click Assign Policy.

Unassign a volume from a snapshot policy

When you unassign volumes from a snapshot policy, the source volume is detached from the snapshot policy and all (unlocked)
auto snapshots of the source volume are deleted.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Snapshot Policies.
2. In the list of snapshot policies, select the relevant policy, and click More Actions > Unassign Volumes.
3. In the Unassign Volumes from Snapshot Policy dialog box:
a. To detach the snapshot policy from a volume, select the check box of the relevant volume.
b. Optionally, to delete auto snapshots of the selected volume, select the Delete related snapshots check box.
4. Click Unassign Policy.
5. In the Unassign Volumes From Snapshot Policy dialog box, click Yes.
NOTE: If the auto snapshots are locked, they are detached from the snapshot policy, but not deleted. To remove the
locked auto snapshots from the system, manually remove the snapshots by navigating to Protection > Snapshots.
Select the desired snapshots, and click Delete.

96 Protecting a block storage environment

Remote protection
PowerFlex enables native asynchronous replication for PowerFlex storage-only and hyperconvered configurations. Remote
protection is an optional feature which ensures data protection of the PowerFlex environment. It creates a remote copy of one
volume from one cluster to another.
Replication is used to quickly and easily recover from a physical or logical disaster, to migrate data, to test data at a remote site,
or to offload backup. The PowerFlex implementation is designed to allow a sub-minute RPO reducing the data-loss to minimal if
there is disaster recovery. As with all other PowerFlex data services, replication is elastic, can scale online by adding or removing
nodes, is flexible, and easy to manage. It enables instant test and failover operations.
When replicating between systems it is recommended to have the same storage pool type, disk capacity and type, and
performance capabilities between the local and remote sites. While replication between medium granularity (MG) to fine
granularity (FG) storage pools is fully supported, account for the performance characteristics of each storage pool. PowerFlex
does not support replication of volumes mapped to NVMe hosts.
The following workflow summarizes setup of remote replication. See specific procedures for detailed steps.
1. Install the remote (target) PowerFlex system.
2. Extract a certificate on each PowerFlex system and copy it to its peer system.
3. Configure journal capacity. Journal capacity is a percentage of the total storage capacity. There are several factors that
should be considered when defining it:
● Journal capacity must be allocated to be able to add SDRs to the system.
● Before configuring journal capacity, ensure that there is enough space in the storage pool.
● The journal capacity depends on the change rate and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). Data writes are accumulated in
the journal until half the RPO time has been reached, to ensure that data is not lost and a consistent copy is maintained
between the volumes.
● When the total storage capacity in the system increases, a small percentage is needed for the journal capacity.
● As application workload increases, more journal capacity must be added, accordingly.
4. Ensure that SDRs are installed and added to the source and peer systems.
● The SDR component is typically installed during installation of PowerFlex. It manages replication activity within the
system, and between the source and target. Dell Technologies recommends that you install at least three SDRs per
system, for failure or backup purposes. Within the system, the SDR channels the I/O writes from the host to the source
journal. Simultaneously, it also sends the data to the SDS to be logged. As data accumulates in the source journal, the
system decides when to close the journal (this is usually at half the RPO time) in order to be ready to transfer the data
to the target journal. At the target site, the SDR is also responsible for applying the data from the target journal to the
target volume.
5. Define peer (target) systems from the source side.
6. Create and activate replication consistency groups (RCGs).
● An RCG is a set of volumes which must maintain a consistent copy on the remote (target) site where write order is
maintained between volumes. This pair shares the same attributes.
● The volumes to be replicated must be the same size on source and target systems. If the network is up, the systems
should be connected.

Extract and upload certificates

On both source and target replication systems, extract the root certificate and copy it to the peer system. This procedure is
required to allow communication and data transfer between the systems.
Ensure that you have admin user credentials for command line access to both PowerFlex systems.
1. In command line, log in to the source system:

scli --login --username <M&O UI user> --password <M&O UI password> --

management_system_ip <M&O UI IP>

2. Extract the root certificate:

scli --extract_root_ca --certificate_file <FILE_PATH>

where <FILE_PATH> is the location where the certificate will be saved, and the file name. For example: /opt/
source_sys.crt
3. Copy the certificate file to the target system.

Protecting a block storage environment 97

4. On the target system, perform steps 1 and 2.
5. Copy the target system's certificate file to the source system.
6. On the source system, add the certificate for the target system:

scli --add_trusted_ca <PATH_TO_LOCAL_COPY_OF_TARGET_CERT>

where <PATH_TO_LOCAL_COPY_OF_TARGET_CERT> is the copy of the target system's certificate that you copied to
the source system.
7. On the target system, add the source system's certificate:

scli --add_trusted_ca <PATH_TO_LOCAL_COPY_OF_SOURCE_CERT>

where <PATH_TO_LOCAL_COPY_OF_SOURCE_CERT> is the copy of the source system's certificate that you copied to
the target system.

Journal capacity
You should consider several factors when allocating journal capacity.
Journal capacity is defined as a percentage of the total storage capacity in the storage pool and must equal at least 28 GB per
SDR. In general, journal capacity should be at least 5% of replicated usable capacity in the protection domain, including volumes
used as source and targets. It is important to assign enough storage capacity for the replication journal.
The amount of capacity needed for the journal is based on the following factors:
● Minimal requirements—108 GB multiplied by the number of SDR sessions. The number of SDR sessions is equal to the
number of SDRs plus one. The extra SDR session is to ensure that a new session can be allocated for an SDR during a
system upgrade.
● The capacity needed to sustain an outage—application WAN bandwidth multiplied by the planned WAN outage. In general,
journal capacity in the protection domain should be at least 5% of the application pool. If the application has a heavy I/O
load, larger capacity should be used. Similarly, if a long outage is expected, a larger capacity should be allocated. If there
are replicated volumes in more than one storage pool in the protection domain, this calculation should be repeated for
each storage pool, and the allocated journal capacity in the protection domain must at least equal the sum of the size per
application pool.
Use the following steps to calculate exactly how much journal capacity to allocate:
1. Select the storage pools from which to allocate the journal capacity. The journal is shared between all of the replicated RCGs
in the protection domain. Journal capacity should be allocated from storage pools as fast as (or faster than) the storage pool
of the fastest replicated application in the protection domain. It should use the same drive technology and about the same
drive count and distribution in nodes.
2. Consider the minimal requirements needed (28 GB multiplied by the number of SDR sessions) and the capacity needed to
sustain an outage. Journal capacity will be at least the maximum of these two factors.
3. Take into account the expected outage time. The minimal outage allowance is one hour, but at least three hours are
recommended.
4. Calculate the journal capacity needed per application: maximal application throughput x maximum outage interval.
5. Since journal capacity is defined as a percentage of storage pool capacity, calculate the percentage of capacity based on the
previously calculated needs.
For example:
● An application generates 1 GB/s of writes.
● The maximal supported outage is 3 hours (3 hours x 3600 seconds = 10800 seconds).
● The journal capacity needed for this application is 1 GB/s x 10800 s = ~10.547 TB.
● Since the journal capacity is expressed as a percentage of the storage pool capacity, divide the 10.547 TB by the size of the
storage pool, which is 200 TB: 100 x 10.547 TB/200 TB = 5.27%. Round this up to 6%.
● Repeat this for each application being replicated.
When a protection domain has several storage pools and several replicated applications, the journal capacity should be
calculated as in the example above, and the capacity can be divided among all the storage pools (provided they are fast
enough). For higher availability, the journal capacity should be allocated from multiple storage pools.
NOTE: When storage pool capacity is critical, capacity cannot be allocated for new volumes or for expanding existing
volumes. This behavior must be taken into account when planning the capacity available for journal usage. The volume

98 Protecting a block storage environment

 usage must leave enough capacity available in the storage pool to allow provisioning of journal volumes. The plan should
account for the storage pool staying below critical capacity even when the journal capacity is almost fully utilized.
It is important to note that since journal capacity is defined as a percentage of the total storage capacity in the storage pool,
increasing the total storage capacity by adding devices will increase the journal capacity. Similarly, if you decrease the total
storage capacity by removing devices from the storage pool, the journal capacity will automatically decrease.

Add journal capacity

Set the percentage of storage pool capacity that is allocated for journal capacity.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Journal Capacity.
2. Click Add Journal Capacity.
3. In the Add Journal Capacity dialog box, search for, and select the required storage pool.
4. Enter a percentage for the journal capacity.
5. Click Add.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Modify journal capacity

Reset the journal capacity according to the updated storage device size.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Journal Capacity.
2. In the list of storage pools, select the required storage pool and click Modify.
3. In the Storage Pool dialog box, enter the updated percentage for journal capacity.
4. Click Modify to update the journal capacity.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Delete journal capacity

Delete journal capacity from a storage pool.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > Journal Capacity.
2. Select the required storage pool from the list, and click Delete.
3. In the Delete Journal Capacity dialog box, click Delete.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Add a peer system

On the source system, add the connection information of the target system (remote site) to enable replication between the
peer systems.
Obtain the system ID of both source and target systems, using command line. The system ID is displayed immediately after login.
You can also obtain it by running the command scli --query_all.
1. On the source system, on the menu bar, click Protection > Peer Systems.
2. Click Add Peer System.
3. In the Add Peer System dialog box, enter the connection information of the peer system:
a. Enter the peer system's name.
b. Enter the system ID of the remote site.
c. Accept the default, or enter the port number that will be used to connect the systems.
d. Enter the MDM IP address of the remote site.
Either enter the remote system's virtual IP address, or enter both primary and secondary MDM IP addresses, using the
Add IP option.
e. Click Add Peer to initiate a connection with the peer system.
After adding peer system at source and before adding peer system at the target, the peer state is Not Authorized.
4. Repeat steps 1–3 on the target system.

Protecting a block storage environment 99

After the peer system has been set up on both systems, the state of the peers should show that they are connected.
NOTE: If connection is not successful, verify that both source and target systems have a copy of their peer's certificate.

Restart the replication cluster

This task describes how to restart the nodes in the replication cluster.
Inactivate the protection domain first on the source and then on the target system.
In case of 2-way replication, inactivate the protection domains in any order. Ignore error messages that appear in the active
protection domain. To avoid lengthy synchronization times or running out of journal capacity, it is advisable to activate the
replication cluster quickly.
1. Shut down all nodes within the replication cluster.
2. Power on all nodes within the replication cluster.
3. Activate the protection domain first on the target and then on the source system.
4. Validate that the RCG in the replication cluster returns to a working state.

SDRs
Storage Data Replicators (SDRs) are responsible for processing all I/Os of replication volumes.
All application I/Os of replicated volumes are processed by the source SDRs. At the source, application I/Os are sent by the
SDC to the SDR. The I/Os are sent to the target SDRs and stored in their journals. The target SDRs’ journals apply the I/Os to
the target volumes. A minimum of two SDRs are deployed at both the source and target systems to maintain high availability. If
one SDR fails, the MDM directs the SDC to send the I/Os to an available SDR.

Add SDR
Add an additional SDR to an existing PowerFlex system, or add back a new SDR if a previously existing SDR was removed. A
minimum of two SDRs are required on each replication system. Each SDR must be configured with one or more IP addresses and
roles.
The SDR communicates with several components, including: SDC (application), SDS (storage) and remote SDR (external).
When an IP address is added to an SDR, the role or roles of the IP address must be defined. The IP address role determines the
component with which that IP address communicates. For example, the application role means that the associated IP address is
used for SDR-SDC communication. By default, all the roles are selected for an IP address.
SDR components must be deployed as resources before you can add them using this procedure.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > SDRs.
2. Click Add SDR.
3. In the Add SDR dialog box, enter the connection information of the SDR:
a. Enter the SDR name.
b. If necessary, modify the SDR port number.
c. Select the relevant protection domain.
d. Enter the IP address of the SDR.
e. Select one or more roles, for example, default: all roles are selected.
f. If the SDR has more than one IP address, click Add IP to add more IP addresses and their roles.
g. Click Add SDR to initiate a connection with the peer system.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Modify IP address role

Update the role of an IP address configured on the SDR.
The SDR communicates with several components, including: SDC (application), SDS (storage) and remote SDR (external).
When an IP address is added to an SDR, the role or roles of the IP address must be defined. The IP address role determines the
component with which that IP address communicates. For example, the application role means that the associated IP address is
used for SDR-SDC communication. The default setting is all roles.

100 Protecting a block storage environment

1. On the menu bar, click Protection > SDRs.
2. In the list of SDRs, select the relevant SDR, and click Modify > Modify IP Role
3. In the Modify IPs Role dialog box, select or clear the desired roles for the IP address.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Modify an SDR performance profile

The SDR performance profile is set to high by default, but can be modified. Ensure that your system's architecture is equipped
to handle enhanced system performance of SDR activities.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > SDRs.
2. In the list of SDRs, select the relevant SDR, and click Modify > Modify Performance Profile.
3. In the Modify Performance Profile SDR dialog box, click either High or Compact.
4. Click Apply.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Enter SDR into maintenance mode

Place the SDR in maintenance mode prior to performing maintenance on the SDR.
There must be at least two SDRs installed on each system.
When maintenance mode is activated, the MDM changes the mapping and distributes the I/Os to the remaining SDRs.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > SDRs.
2. In the list of SDRs, select the desired SDR, and click More Actions > Enter Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Enter SDR to Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Enter Maintenance Mode.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Exit SDR from maintenance mode

Remove the SDR from maintenance mode. This returns the SDR to regular operation.
When maintenance mode is deactivated, the MDM changes the mapping and resumes distribution of the I/Os to the SDR.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > SDRs.
2. In the list of SDRs, select the relevant SDR check box, and click More Actions > Exit Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Exit SDR from Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Exit Maintenance Mode.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Replication consistency group

Replication Consistency Group (RCG) is an entity that includes a set of consistent volume pairs. The volume on the source
from a single protection domain is replicated to a remote volume from a single protection domain on the target. This creates a
consistent pair of volumes.
When replication is first activated for an RCG, the target volumes need to be synchronized with the source volumes. For each
volume pair, the entire contents of each source volume are copied to the corresponding target volume. When there is more than
one volume pair in the RCG, the order in which the volumes are synchronized is determined by the order in which the volume
pairs were created. The initial synchronization occurs while all applications are running and performing I/O. Any writes to an
area of the volume that has already been synchronized will be sent to the journal. Writes to an area of the volume that has not
already been synchronized will be ignored, as the updated content will be copied over eventually as part of the synchronization.
The initial synchronization can also take place while the system is offline, however the application I/O must first be paused.
You can add and manage RCGs on both the source and target systems.

Protecting a block storage environment 101

Replication direction and mapping
Use this table as a reference for replication direction and default access to volumes according to a subsequent RCG operation
and action of the PowerFlex system.
The replication involves two peers, system A and system B. When the replication is set up, system A is set as source and system
B is set as target. The following replication direction refers to the initial direction A->B and to changes to that direction.

Table 24. Replication direction and mapping

Subsequent RCG Possible actions Replication direction/access Access to volumes
operations
Normal Switchover/test failover/ A to B Access to the volumes is
failover allowed only through the
source (system A)
Remove

After failover Reverse/restore N/A - data is not replicated By default access to the
volume is allowed through
Remove
the original target (system
B).
It is possible to enable
access through the original
source (system A).

After failover + reverse Switchover/test failover/ B to A Access to the volumes is

NOTE: Switchover and failover allowed only through the
test failover are only original target (system B)
Remove
possible after the peers
are synchronized.

After failover + restore Switchover/test failover/ A to B Access to the volumes is

NOTE: Switchover and failover allowed only through the
test failover are only source (system A)
Remove
possible after the peers
are synchronized.

After switchover Switchover/test failover B to A Access to the volumes is

stop/failover allowed only through the
original target (system B)
Remove

After test failover Switchover/test failover/ A to B Access to the volumes

failover is allowed through both
systems (system A and
Remove
system B)

Create a replication consistency group

Create a replication consistency group (RCG) and add it to the system. Replication occurs between volumes, and RCGs maintain
consistency between volume pairs in an RCG.
● Volumes in an RCG pair must be exactly the same size.
● Protection domains must be configured on both source and target systems.
The recovery point objective (RPO) configured in RCGs defines the maximum amount of time during which data is lost. Dell
Technologies recommends setting a low RPO to ensure that minimal data is lost during a possible compromise of data transfer
from source to target. If for example, if one minute is set as the RPO, you will not lose more than 30 seconds of data. There is
no replication unless the source volume is consistent with the data from the target volume.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click Add RCG.
3. In the Add RCG wizard, enter the information for the RCG:

102 Protecting a block storage environment

 a. On the Properties page:
● Enter the RCG Name.
● Enter the number of RPO (recovery point objective) seconds or minutes. This is the amount of time of data loss is
tolerated if replication between the systems is compromised.

NOTE: It is recommended to enter the minimum amount of time the feature allows, which is 15 seconds.

● Select the Source Protection Domain.

● Select the Target System.
● Select the Target Protection Domain.
● Click Next .
b. On the Provisioning Type page:
● If you have not defined volumes to receive replicated data in the target system, select Auto Provisioning.
● If you have already defined volumes to receive replicated data in the target system, select Manual Provisioning.
c. For auto provisioning only, on the Replication Pairs page, perform the following:
● Click the desired volume in the Source column.
● Select a type: Thick or Thin.
● Select a storage pool from the target system.
● Click Add Pair. The volume pair is added.
● Click Next.
● On the Map Volumes page, select a volume on the target side.
● Select a host to which to map the volume.
● Click Next, and go to step 3(e).
● Click Next.
d. For manual provisioning only, on the Replication Pairs page, perform the following:
● Select the desired volume in the Source column, and then in the Target column, select the target volume (only
volumes of the same size are displayed).
● Click Add Pair. The volume pair is added.
● Click Next.
e. On the Summary page, ensure that the correct source and volume pair are defined, and then click Create and Activate
or Create.
The Create and Activate option creates the RCG and starts replication. The Create option creates the RCG but does
not activate it. You can activate it later from Protection > RCGs > More Actions > Activate.
4. Optionally, at the top right of the window, click the Running Jobs icon, and check the progress of the initial copy state.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Map RCG target volumes to hosts

Designate which hosts can access the RCG from the target volumes.
This option is only enabled from the target RCG.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. In the Map RCG Target Volume dialog box, click the relevant RCG check box, and click Mapping > Map.
3. Select one or more volumes on the left and click >> to add them to the selection list on the right.
Optionally, filter the list of the volumes by entering a search string in the Filter box.
4. Click Next.
5. Select the host(s) that you want to map to the selected volumes.
Optionally, filter the list of the hosts by entering a search string in the Filter box.
6. Click Next.
7. Assign the Access Mode to the hosts that will be mapped to the target volumes.
a. To assign the Read Only mode to a set of mappings, select the mappings and click Read Access at the top of the page.
b. To assign the No Access mode to a set of mappings, select the mappings and click No Access at the top of the page.
NOTE: Read Access mode applies to all platforms, except Windows clusters, which require the No Access mode.

Protecting a block storage environment 103

8. Click Finish.

Unmap a host from RCG target volumes

Unmap a host from RCG target volumes.
This option is only enabled from the target RCG.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click Mapping > Unmap.
3. In the Unmap RCG dialog box, select the relevant host check boxes to unmap them from the RCG volumes, and click
Unmap.

Set the target to inconsistent mode

Set the target to inconsistent mode to pause the apply process from target journal to target volume until the source journal has
completed sending data to the target journal. If there is no consistent image on the target journal, the system does not apply it.
NOTE: Dell Technologies recommends taking a snapshot of the target before setting the target to inconsistent mode. The
snapshot can later be used for recovery purposes, using a consistent snapshot.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click Modify > Set Target to Inconsistent Mode.
3. In the Set Target to Inconsistent Mode RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set the target to consistent mode

If the target is set to inconsistent mode, set it back to consistent mode. As data is transferred from source to target, the SDR
verifies that the data in the journal is consistent with the data from the source. The SDR then sends an apply command to the
journal to prompt the SDR to send data to the volume.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click Modify > Set Target to Consistent Mode.
3. In the Set Target to Consistent Mode RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Modify the recovery point objective

Update the recovery point objective (RPO) time as required.
The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) defines the maximum amount of time during which data is lost. Dell Technologies
recommends setting a low RPO to ensure that minimal data is lost during a possible compromise of data transfer from source to
target. If for example, you set one minute as the RPO, you will not lose more than 30 seconds of data.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click Modify > Modify RPO.
3. In the Modify RPO for RCG dialog box, modify the RPO time, and click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Add a replication pair to an RCG

Add a replication pair to an existing replication consistency group (RCG).
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and then click Modify > Add Pair.
3. In the Add Pairs wizard, perform the following:
a. On the Provisioning Type page:
● If you have not defined volumes to receive replicated data in the target system, select Auto Provisioning.

104 Protecting a block storage environment

 ● If you have already defined volumes to receive replicated data in the target system, select Manual Provisioning.
b. For auto provisioning only, on the Replication Pairs page, perform the following:
● Click the desired volume in the Source column.
● Select a type: Thick or Thin.
● Select a storage pool from the target system.
● Click Add Pair. The volume pair is added.
● Click Next.
● On the Map Volumes page, select a volume on the target side.
● Select a host to which to map the volume.
● Click Next, and go to step 3d.
● Click Next.
c. For manual provisioning only, on the Replication Pairs page, perform the following:
● Select the desired volume in the Source column, and then in the Target column, select the target volume (only
volumes of the same size are displayed).
● Click Add Pair. The volume pair is added.
● Click Next.
d. On the Summary page, ensure that the correct source and volume pair are defined, and click Add Pairs.
4. Optionally, at the top right of the window, click the Running Jobs icon, and check the progress of the initial copy state.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and then click Dismiss.

Pause replication for an RCG

Pause replication for a replication consistency group (RCG). The pause command stops the transfer of data from the source to
the target.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Pause.
3. In the Pause RCG dialog box, click one of the following options:
● Stop Data Transfer—this option saves all the data in the source journal volume until there is no longer any available
capacity
● Track Changes—this option enables manual slim mode where only metadata in the source journal volumes is saved
4. Click Pause.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Resume replication for an RCG

Resume replication for a replication consistency group (RCG). The resume command resumes the transfer of data from the
source to the target.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Resume.
3. In the Resume RCG dialog box, click Resume.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Create a snapshot of an RCG volume

Create a local snapshot of a volume that is in a replication consistency group (RCG). The latest image of the volume is used for
the snapshot. When creating a snapshot, the RCG enters freeze mode.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. In the right pane, select the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Create Snapshots.
3. In the Create Snapshots RCG dialog box, click Create Snapshots.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Protecting a block storage environment 105

Add an RCG snapshot policy
Create snapshot policies with a maximum of six retention rules that each specify a retention period and number of snapshots to
retain, and then add source volumes from the replication consistency group (RCG) to the policy.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. From the RCGs list, select the desired RCG, and click More Actions > Add Snapshot Policy.
3. In the Create Snapshot Policy dialog box, assign the policy a name and the time interval between snapshots.
4. Create retention rules:
a. In the Retention Rules area, add the number of snapshots to retain.
A retention period is created for the specified number of snapshots times the snapshot interval.
b. Optionally, to create an additional retention rule, click Add Retention and repeat the previous step. Each rule is based on
the specified number of snapshots times the previous retention period.
Up to six retention rules can be created.
5. Optionally, clear the Read Only check box to cancel read-only access. This check box is selected by default.
6. Optionally, select the Secured check box to prevent the snapshots created by the policy from being modified or deleted
before the end of the expiration date.
7. Click Create or Create and Activate to add the snapshot policy to PowerFlex.
8. In the Snapshot Policy was successfully added dialog box, click Assign volume to snapshot policy.
9. In the Select volumes you wish to assign to the policy window, select the desired volumes, and then click Assign
Policy.
10. Verify that the operation has finished successfully, and click Dismiss.

Perform a failover
If the system is not healthy, you can fail over the source role to the target system. When the source is compromised, data from
the host stops sending I/Os to the source volume, replication is then stopped and the target system takes on the source role.
The host on the target starts sending I/Os to the volume. The target takes on the role of source, and the source takes on the
role of target.
Before performing a failover, stop the application and unmount the file systems at the source (if the source is available). Target
volumes can only be mapped after performing a failover.
There are two options when choosing to fail over an RCG:
● Switchover—This option is a complete synchronization and failover between the source and the target. Application I/Os are
stopped at the source, and then source and target volumes are synchronized. Access mode is changed of the target volumes
to the target host, roles are switched, and finally, the access mode of the new source volumes is changed to read/write.
● Latest PIT—The system prevents any writes to the source volumes.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and then click More Actions > Failover.
3. In the Failover RCG dialog box, select one of the following options: Switchover (Sync & Failover) or Latest PIT: (date
& time).
4. Click Apply Failover.
5. In the RCG Sync & Failover dialog box, click Proceed.
6. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
7. From the upper right, click the Running Jobs icon and check the progress of the failover.

Reverse replication
When the RCG is in failover or switchover mode, you can reverse or restore the replication. Reversing replication changes the
direction, so that the original target becomes the source. All data at the original source is overwritten by the data at the target
side. This option may be selected from either source or target systems.
This option is available when RCG is in failover mode, or when the target system is not available. It is recommended to take a
snapshot of the original source before reversing the replication for backup purposes.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Reverse.

106 Protecting a block storage environment

3. In the Reverse Replication RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Restore replication
When the replication consistency group is in failover or switchover mode, you can reverse or restore the replication. Restoring
replication maintains the replication direction from the original source and overwrites all data at the target side. This option may
be selected from either source or target systems.
This option is available when an RCG is in failover mode, or when the target system is not available. Dell Technologies
recommends taking a snapshot of the original destination for backup purposes, before restoring replication.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Restore.
3. In the Restore Replication RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Test Failover
Test failover of the latest copy of snapshots of source and target systems before performing a failover.
Replication is still running and is in a healthy state.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and then click More Actions > Test Failover.
3. In the RCG Test Failover dialog box, click Start Test Failover.
4. In the RCG Test Failover using target volumes dialog box, click Proceed.
5. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Stop a failover test

Stop a failover test that is currently in progress.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More > Test Failover Stop.
3. Click Approve.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Freeze an RCG
The freeze command stops the writing of data from the target journal to the target volume. This option is used while creating a
snapshot or copy of the replicated volume.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Freeze Apply.
3. Click Freeze Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Unfreeze an RCG
The unfreeze apply command resumes data transfer from the target journal to the target volume.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Unfreeze Apply.
3. Click Unfreeze Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Protecting a block storage environment 107

Activate an RCG
The activate command starts the initial copy process of replication for the replication consistency group (RCG), and activates
replication of the RCG.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Activate.
3. In the Activate RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
5. Click View Details. On the Topology tab, check that the replication status is Active.
Click View Details. On the Topology tab, the replication status should be Active.

Terminate replication in an RCG

The terminate command stops replication in the replication consistency group (RCG). The configuration of the RCG is
maintained.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Terminate.
3. In the Terminate RCG dialog box, click Apply.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.
5. Click View Details. On the Topology tab, check that the replication status is Inactive.

Delete an RCG
Delete an RCG.
If you no longer require replication of the pairs in an RCG, you can delete it.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click More Actions > Delete.
3. In the Delete RCG dialog box, verify that you have selected the desired RCG, and click Delete.
4. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Pause creation of an initial copy

Pause replication of an initial copy from source to target.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click View Details.
3. Click the Volume Pairs tab.
4. Select the volume pair for which you want to pause copying.
5. Click Initial Copy > Pause Initial Copy.
6. In the Pause Initial Copy dialog box, click Pause Initial Copy.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Resume creation of initial copy

Resume replication of an initial copy from source to target.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click View Details.
3. Click the Volume Pairs tab.
4. Select the volume pair for which you want to resume copying.
5. Click Initial Copy > Resume Initial Copy.
6. In the Resume Initial Copy dialog box, click Resume Initial Copy.

108 Protecting a block storage environment

7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Set copying priority

Set the priority order for copying volume pairs. Set the highest priority for pairs to be copied first, or set the lowest priority for
pairs to be copied last.
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click View Details.
3. Click the Volume Pairs tab.
4. Select the relevant volume pair.
5. Click Initial Copy > Set Priority.
6. In the Set Priority for Pair dialog box, select Default or High and click Save.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Unpair from RCG

Remove a pair from a replication consistency group (RCG).
1. On the menu bar, click Protection > RCGs.
2. Click the relevant RCG check box, and click View Details.
3. Click the Volume Pairs tab.
4. Select the volume pair that you want to remove from the RCG.
5. Click Unpair.
6. In the Remove Pair from RCG dialog box, click Remove Pair.
7. Verify that the operation has finished and was successful, and click Dismiss.

Protecting a block storage environment 109

 10
Performing lifecycle operations for a
resource group
This section provides tasks for deploying resource groups and building templates.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.

Deploying a resource configuration in a resource

group
This section includes tasks for deploying and managing system resources in a resource group.
A resource group is a PowerFlex Manager object representing the infrastructure that is configured during a deployment.
This object persists in PowerFlex Manager if the infrastructure is required. A resource group is viewed and interacted with
to perform compliance, health, and life cycle management on the deployed infrastructure. PowerFlex Manager supports the
deployment of three types of PowerFlex resource groups:
● Hyperconverged resource groups
● Storage-only resource groups
● Compute-only resource groups
NOTE: Standard users see only the details of the resource groups that they created or for which they have permission.

The Resource Groups page displays the resource groups that are in the following states in both Tile and List view.

Table 25. Resource group states

State Description
Healthy The resource group is successfully deployed and is healthy.
Warning One or more resources in the resource group requires corrective action.
Critical The resource group is in a severely degraded or nonfunctional state and requires
attention.
Pending The deployment is scheduled for a later time or date.
In Progress The resource group deployment is in progress, or has other actions currently in
process, such as a node expansion or removal.
Cancelled The resource group deployment has been stopped. You can update the resources or
retry the deployment, if necessary.
Incomplete The resource group is not fully functional because it has no volumes that are
associated with it. Click Add Resources to add volumes.
Service Mode The resource group is in service mode.
Lifecycle Mode The resource group is in life-cycle mode. Resource groups in life cycle mode
are enabled with health and compliance monitoring, and non-disruptive upgrade
features only.
Managed Mode The resource group is in managed mode. Resource groups in managed mode are
enabled with health and compliance monitoring, non-disruptive update, automated
resource addition, and automated resource replacement features.

On the Resource Groups page, you can:

● Click Deploy New Resource Group to deploy a new resource group.

110 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 NOTE: Standard users are allowed to deploy only those resource groups they have created or for which they have
permissions.

● Click Add Existing Resource Group to add an existing resource group.

To switch views, click the Tile View icon or List View icon .
To view the resource groups based on a particular resource group state, select an option from the Filter By drop-down list.
Alternately, in the Graphical view, click the graphic in a particular state.
In the Tile view, each square tile represents a resource group and has the status of the resource group at the bottom of
the graphic. The state icon on the graphic indicates the state of the resource group. The components in blue indicate the
component types that are in the deployment. The components that are in gray indicate the component types that are not in the
resource group.
In the List view, the following information displays:
● Status—Status of the resource group.
● Name—Name of the resource group.
● Deployed By—Name of the user who deployed the resource group.
● Deployed On—Date and time when the resource group is deployed.
● Components—Components used in the resource group.
Click the resource group in the List view or Tile view to view the following information about the resource group in the right
pane:
● Resource group name and description to identify the resource group.
● Name of the user who deployed the resource group.
● Date and time when the resource group is deployed.
● Name of the reference template that is used in the resource group.
● Number of resources that are in the resource group for deployment, based on component type (cluster or node).
Click View Details to view more details about the resource group. You can also generate troubleshooting bundles from the
resource group details page.
Click the resource group name in the List view to open the Resource Group Details page.
Click Update Resources to update the firmware of all nodes in the resource group that are not compliant.

Related information
Configuring block storage
Deploying and provisioning

Basic tasks
This section provides basic tasks for resource group management.

Deploying a resource group

Deployment is the automated process of selecting and configuring specific resource requirements that are outlined in a template
using the integrated automation workflows provided with PowerFlex Manager. You cannot use a template that is in a draft state
to deploy a resource group. Publish the template before using it to deploy a resource group.
1. On the menu bar, click one of the following:
● Lifecycle > Resource Groups. Then, click Deploy New Resource Group.
● Lifecycle > Templates. Then, click Deploy.
The Deploy Resource Group wizard opens.
2. On the Deploy Resource Group page, perform the following steps:
a. From the Select Published Template list, select the template to deploy a resource group.
b. Enter the Resource Group Name (required) and Resource Group Description (optional) that identifies the resource
group.
c. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 111

 You cannot select a minimal compliance version when you deploy a new resource group, since it only includes server
firmware updates. The compliance version for a new resource group must include the full set of compliance update
capabilities. PowerFlex Manager does not show any minimal compliance versions in the Firmware and Software
Compliance list.
PowerFlex Manager checks the VMware vCenter version to determine if it matches the VMware ESXi version for the
selected compliance version. If the ESXi version is greater than the vCenter version, PowerFlex Manager blocks the
resource group deployment and displays an error. PowerFlex Manager instructs you to upgrade vCenter first, or use a
different compliance version that is compatible with the installed vCenter version.
NOTE: Changing the firmware repository might update the firmware level on nodes for this resource group. The
global default firmware repository maintains the firmware on the shared devices.

d. Indicate Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template by selecting one of the
following options:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
i. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriveReplacer users to the list displayed.
ii. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
iii. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
iv. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and
all LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
3. Click Next.
4. On the screens that follow the Deployment Settings page, configure the settings, as needed for your deployment.
5. Click Next.
6. On the Schedule Deployment page, select one of the following options and click Next:
● Deploy Now—Select this option to deploy the resource group immediately.
● Deploy Later—Select this option and enter the date and time to deploy the resource group.
7. Review the Summary page.
The Summary page gives you a preview of what the resource group will look like after the deployment.
8. Click Finish when you are ready to begin the deployment. If you want to edit the resource group, click Back.
PowerFlex Manager displays a message indicating that a new job is being created for this resource group.
PowerFlex Manager creates a configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-so.conf for a storage-only resource group
and a configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-svm.conf for a hyperconverged resource group. PowerFlex Manager
maintains default values in a conf file for resource group deployment settings. If you have an old sysctl.conf file from a
previous release, it will override these settings. If you need to customize these settings, you can do it in sysctl.conf.

Related information
Lifecycle
Viewing resource group details
Adding components to a resource group
Build and publish a template
Component types
Removing a resource group

Adding an existing resource group

You can add an existing resource group to discover and import hardware resources that were not originally deployed with
PowerFlex Manager.
Ensure that the following conditions are met before you add an existing resource group:
● The vCenter, PowerFlex gateway, CloudLink Center, and hosts must be discovered in the resource list.
● You must have a resource group that includes the manager MDMs prior to importing other resource groups. The first
resource group that you import must include the manager MDMs so that PowerFlex Manager has the manager MDM
credentials.

112 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

● The PowerFlex File gateway must be deployed on the same PowerFlex Manager appliance before you add an existing
resource group for NAS. You must have a protection domain that maps to a PowerFlex gateway with PowerFlex file nodes in
the current resource inventory.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups and then click + Add Existing Resource Group.
2. On the Add Existing Resource Group page, enter a resource group name in the Name field.
3. Enter a description in the Description field.
4. Select the Type for the resource group.
The choices are Hyperconverged, Compute Only, Storage Only, and PowerFlex File.
PowerFlex Manager checks to see whether there are any vCLS VMs on local storage. If it finds any, it puts the resource
group in life cycle mode and lets you migrate these VMs to shared storage.

5. To specify the compliance version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance
list or select Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
You cannot specify a minimal compliance version when you add an existing resource group, since it only includes
server firmware updates. The compliance version for an existing resource group must include the full set of compliance
update capabilities. PowerFlex Manager does not show any minimal compliance versions in the Firmware and Software
Compliance list.
NOTE: Changing the compliance version might update the firmware level on nodes for this resource group. Firmware on
shared devices is maintained by the global default firmware repository.

6. Specify the resource group permissions under Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this
template? by performing one of the following actions:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriveReplacer users to the list.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
7. Click Next.
8. Choose one of the following network automation types:
● Full Network Automation
● Partial Network Automation
When you choose Partial Network Automation, PowerFlex Manager skips the switch configuration step, which is normally
performed for a resource group with Full Network Automation. Partial network automation allows you to work with
unsupported switches. However, it also requires more manual configuration before a deployment can proceed successfully.
If you choose to use partial network automation, you give up the error handling and network automation features that are
available with a full network configuration that includes supported switches.

In the Number of Instances box, provide the number of component instances that you want to include in the template.

9. On the Cluster Information page, enter a name for the cluster component in the Component Name field.
10. Select values for the cluster settings:
For a hyperconverged or compute-only resource group, select values for these cluster settings:
a. Target Virtual Machine Manager—Select the vCenter name where the cluster is available.
b. Data Center Name—Select the data center name where the cluster is available.

NOTE: Ensure that selected vCenter has unique names for clusters in case there are multiple clusters in the
vCenter.

c. Cluster Name—Select the name of the cluster you want to discover.

d. OS Image—Select the image or choose Use Compliance File ESXi image if you want to use the image provided with
the target compliance version. PowerFlex Manager filters the operating system image choices to show only ESXi images
for a hyperconverged or compute-only resource group.
For a storage-only resource group, select values for these cluster settings:

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 113

 a. Target PowerFlex Gateway—Select the gateway where the cluster is available.
b. Protection Domain—Select the name of the protection domain in PowerFlex.
c. OS Image—Select the image or choose Use Compliance File Linux image if you want to use the image provided with
the target compliance version. PowerFlex Manager filters the operating system image choices to show only Linux images
for a storage-only resource group.
For a PowerFlex file resource group, select values for these cluster settings:
a. Target PowerFlex Gateway—Select the gateway where the cluster is available.
b. OS Image—Choose Use Compliance File Linux image for a PowerFlex file resource group.
11. Click Next.
12. On OS Credentials page, select the OS credential that you want to use for each node, SVM, and MVM.
You can select one credential for all nodes, SVMs or MVMs, or choose credentials for each item separately. You can create
the operating system credentials on the Credentials Management page under Settings.
PowerFlex Manager validates the credentials before it creates the resource group. This validation makes it possible for
PowerFlex Manager to run a full inventory on all nodes, SVMs, and MVMs before creating the resource group.
PowerFlex Manager runs the inventory on all nodes, SVMs, and MVMs for which the credentials are valid. The resource
group uses any nodes, SVMs, and MVMs for which it has a successful inventory. For example, if you have four nodes, and
one node has an invalid operating system password, PowerFlex Manager adds the three nodes for which the credentials are
valid and ignores the one with an invalid password.

13. Click Next.

The list of resources available in the cluster is displayed on the Inventory Summary page.
14. Review the inventory on the Inventory Summary page.
The summary shows all nodes that are available. If a node is not available, it might be because this node does not match the
Type you selected for the resource group (Hyper-converged, Compute only, Storage only, or PowerFlex File).
Depending on how the node is configured, the summary might show additional inventory information. For example, for a node
that has NVDIMM compression, the summary shows additional information about the acceleration pool and compression
settings.
If the resources are discovered and in an available state, the Available Inventory displays the components as Yes. An
unavailable PowerFlex gateway is shown as No.
If the credentials are invalid for a node or SVM, or if you have a network connectivity problem, PowerFlex Manager displays
No in the Available Inventory column for the node, and displays an error message to notify you about the problem.
PowerFlex Manager cannot update firmware and software versions for PowerFlex clusters that do not have available
PowerFlex Gateways. If expected PowerFlex Gateways are not shown as available, you can discover the gateways and run
the wizard again.
NOTE: PowerFlex Manager retrieves the hostname value from iDRAC and not the operating system. If the hostname
field is not updated in iDRAC, an incorrect value can be displayed in PowerFlex Manager. Certain operating systems
require extra packages that are installed for iDRAC to update the correct hostname.
15. Click Next.
16. On the Network Mapping page, review the networks that are mapped to port groups and make any required edits.
PowerFlex Manager attempts to select the correct network based on the VLAN ID, subnet, or IP ranges entered in
PowerFlex Manager. If PowerFlex Manager finds only one network for a given network type, it selects the network
automatically. If it finds more than one, you must select the network from the Network drop-down list. The OS Installation
network does not get a VLAN ID.
NOTE: If the OS install VLAN is not already configured in your environment, add it. This network is required to perform
node expansions. This network is typically added during PowerFlex Manager configuration.
If there are any port groups for which you do not want PowerFlex Manager to manage access, leave those port groups
cleared. If no network is selected for a particular port group, PowerFlex Manager leaves it out of the deployment data and
does not add it to the nodes.

17. To import many general-purpose VLANs from vCenter, perform these steps:
a. Click Import Networks on the Network Mapping page.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Import Networks wizard. In the Import Networks wizard, PowerFlex Manager lists
the port groups that are defined on the vCenter as Available Networks. You can see the port groups and the VLAN IDs.
b. Optionally, search for a VLAN name or VLAN ID.

114 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 PowerFlex Manager filters the list of available networks to include only those networks that match your search.
c. Click each network that you want to add under Available Networks. If you want to add all the available networks, click
the check box to the left of the Name column.
d. Click the double arrow (>>) to move the networks you chose to Selected Networks.
PowerFlex Manager updates the Selected Networks to show the ones that you have chosen.
e. Click Save.
18. Click Next.
19. Review the Summary page and click Finish when you are ready to add the resource group.
PowerFlex Manager displays a message indicating that a new job is being created for this resource group.
The process of adding an existing resource group causes no disruption to the underlying hardware resources. It does not
shut down any of the nodes or the vCenter.
For an existing resource group, the Reference Template field shows Generated Existing Resource Group Template
on the Resource Group Details page. You can distinguish existing resource groups from new resource groups that were
deployed with PowerFlex Manager.
When PowerFlex Manager must put a resource group in lifecycle mode, the Summary page for the Add Existing Resource
Group wizard displays a warning message indicating the reason.
In some situations, an imported configuration might not meet the minimal requirements for lifecycle mode. In this case,
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to add the resource group.
When you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager matches the hosts, vCenter, and other items it finds with
discovered resources in the resource list. If you missed a component initially, you can change your resource inventory, and
update the resource group to reflect these changes. Go back to the resources list, select the component, and mark it as
Managed by selecting Change resource state to Managed. Then, perform an Update Resource Group Details operation on
the resource group to pull in the missing component.
When you deploy an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager reserves any IP addresses from vCenter or the PowerFlex
gateway that it needs. If you later tear down the resource group, it releases those IP addresses so that they can be reused.
If you add an existing resource group that supports NSX-T or NSX-V, PowerFlex Manager displays a banner indicating that
the resource group supports a limited set of actions. Most resource group actions are disabled for an NSX-T or NSX-V
configuration, except the ability to update the firmware and software components, remove resources (or the resource group as
a whole), and update resource group details.
When you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager checks to see whether there are any vCLS VMs on local storage.
If it finds any, it displays a banner on the Resource Group Details page indicating that it has put the resource group in lifecycle
mode and gives you the opportunity to migrate the VMs to shared storage.
PowerFlex Manager creates a configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-so.conf for a storage-only resource group and a
configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-svm.conf for a hyperconverged resource group. PowerFlex Manager maintains
default values in a conf file for resource group deployment settings. If you have an old sysctl.conf file from a previous release, it
will override these settings. If you need to customize these settings, you can do it in sysctl.conf.

Related information
Getting started
Lifecycle
Support for full and partial network automation
Migrating vCLS VMs to shared storage

Updating a resource group with new firmware and software

You can update resource group components with new firmware and software versions.
If you are updating the CloudLink Agent, it must be the same version as the CloudLink Center.
CAUTION: Check the Alerts page before performing the upgrade. Look for major and critical alerts related to
PowerFlex Block and File to be sure the MDM cluster is healthy before proceeding.
If the new firmware and software catalog causes the PowerFlex gateway or CloudLink Agent to become non-compliant,
you must upgrade the PowerFlex gateway or CloudLink Center first from the Resources page with the target RCM or IC.
PowerFlex Manager blocks some of the resource group actions in this situation. For example, PowerFlex Manager disables scale
up or scale down, firmware upgrade, the ability to delete the resource group, network scale up, and node actions.
1. On the Resource Groups page, click the Non-Compliant link, or click View Compliance Report.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 115

2. On the Node Compliance Report page, click the Change button.
3. On the Change Compliance File page, choose the Preferred Compliance File.
4. Review the Compatibility setting. If it shows Recommended or Supported, you can proceed with the change. If it shows
Not Allowed, PowerFlex Manager blocks the change. Review the alert for details about recommended or supported paths.
5. Type CHANGE COMPLIANCE FILE in the confirmation box and click Save.
6. On the Node Compliance Report page, choose the components to be upgraded.
7. Click Update Resources.

Related information
Upgrading a PowerFlex gateway

Viewing a compliance report

PowerFlex Manager enables you to view a compliance report and perform firmware and software updates as needed. You can
update software and firmware components for a new resource group that PowerFlex Manager deploys or an existing resource
group that was not originally deployed by PowerFlex Manager.
If you want to update only the firmware on the nodes, select a minimal compliance version with firmware only as the target
version for the resource group before you proceed.
The update process handles node, BIOS, firmware, ESXi driver updates, and ESXi upgrades automatically.
PowerFlex Manager does not upgrade vCenter itself. However, it checks the vCenter version to determine if it matches the
ESXi version. If the ESXi version is greater than the vCenter version, PowerFlex Manager blocks the ESXi host upgrade and
displays an error.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select a resource group to view the compliance report.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Resource Group Details page is displayed.
4. On the Resource Group Details page, click View Compliance Report.
The Node Compliance Report page is displayed.
You can also view the compliance status on this page.
When you view a compliance report, PowerFlex Manager checks to see whether there are any vCLS VMs on local storage. If
it finds any, it displays a banner at the top of the report and gives you the opportunity to migrate the VMs to shared storage.
5. Click Change to modify the target compliance version.
a. Select the Preferred Compliance File.
b. Review the Compatibility setting. If it shows Recommended or Supported, you can proceed with the change. If
it shows Not Allowed, PowerFlex Manager blocks the change. Review the alert for details about recommended or
supported paths.
c. If the change is either recommended or supported, type CHANGE COMPLIANCE FILE if you are ready to proceed.
d. Click Save.
6. Click Firmware Components to view the firmware components.
7. Click Software Components to view the software components.
For compute-only and storage-only resource groups, PowerFlex Manager lists the software components that are available
for update under the Components drop-down list. For hyperconverged resource groups, PowerFlex Manager displays the
following subcategories of software components that are available for update:
● Node Software lists the ESXi drivers that are installed if you choose to update.
● SVM Software lists the embedded operating system packages that are installed if you choose to update.
● MVM Software lists the embedded operating system packages that are installed if you choose to update.
8. Select one or more noncompliant nodes, and click Update Resources.
The PowerFlex gateway must first be compliant before you update the PowerFlex components for a node. If a node is
already compliant, it is disabled and cannot be selected.
If you are planning to perform an upgrade on all the nodes in a PowerFlex rack or PowerFlex appliance, click the box in the
upper left corner of the Firmware Components tab to select all the nodes in the resource group.

9. Specify when to apply the resource updates and click Apply:

116 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 ● To perform an update right away, choose Allow PowerFlex Manager to perform firmware and software updates
now.
For a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group, specify the type of update you want to perform by selecting one
of the following options:
○ Instant Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates quickly. PowerFlex Manager does not migrate the data.
○ Protected Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates that require longer than 30 minutes in a safe and
protected manner. When you use protected maintenance mode, PowerFlex makes a temporary copy of the data so
that the cluster is fully protected from data loss. Protected maintenance mode applies only to hyperconverged and
storage-only resource groups.
For a non-disruptive update, PowerFlex Manager performs updates for PowerFlex nodes within a single resource group in
a serialized workflow. The workflow updates one node at a time.
To perform a disruptive update on a compute-only resource group, specify the number of nodes to update in parallel by
choosing a number for Nodes to update in parallel. By updating nodes in parallel, you can make the update process go
much faster than it would if the nodes were updated one at a time. If you want to update nodes in parallel, make sure
that your cluster has been set up in such a way that it can handle multiple resources going into maintenance mode at the
same time. In addition, if you have any VMs that would block auto-migration, you'll need to power these down manually.
● To perform an update later, choose Schedule firmware and software updates.
For a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group, specify the type of update you want to perform by selecting one
of the following options:
○ Instant Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates quickly. PowerFlex Manager does not migrate the data.
○ Protected Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates that require longer than 30 minutes in a safe and
protected manner. When you use protected maintenance mode, PowerFlex makes a temporary copy of the data so
that the cluster is fully protected from data loss. Protected maintenance mode applies only to hyperconverged and
storage-only resource groups.
To perform a disruptive update on a compute-only resource group, specify the number of nodes to update in parallel by
choosing a number for Nodes to update in parallel. By updating nodes in parallel, you can make the update process go
much faster than it would if the nodes were updated one at a time. If you want to update nodes in parallel, make sure
that your cluster has been set up in such a way that it can handle multiple resources going into maintenance mode at the
same time. In addition, if you have any VMs that would block auto-migration, you'll need to power these down manually.
● To perform a disruptive update right away for a full hyperconverged deployment, choose Allow PowerFlex Manager to
perform disruptive updates now.
PowerFlex Manager does not support disruptive updates for the PowerFlex management platform (PFMP).
The full system upgrade process is faster. This process should take a matter of hours. However, the nodes and all of the
data are unavailable while the upgrade is in process.
If you are certain that you want to proceed, type REBOOT ALL NODES AT ONCE.
For a full system upgrade, PowerFlex Manager ensures that the PowerFlex gateway is used only by this resource group,
and checks to see whether any other VMs are running in the cluster. PowerFlex Manager stops the process if these
conditions are not met.

10. If you encounter any errors while performing firmware or software updates, you can view the PowerFlex Manager logs for
the resource group. On the Resource Group Details page, click Generate Troubleshooting Bundle.
This action creates a compressed file that contains:
● PowerFlex Manager application logs
● SupportAssist logs
● PowerFlex gateway logs
● iDRAC life-cycle logs
● Dell PowerSwitch switch logs
● Cisco Nexus switch logs
● VMware ESXi logs
● CloudLink Center logs
The logs are for the current resource group only.
Alternatively, you can access the logs from a VMware console, or by using SSH to log in to PowerFlex Manager.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 117

Related information
Lifecycle

Entering and exiting service mode

PowerFlex Manager enables you to put a node in service mode when you must perform maintenance operations on the node.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
When you put a node in service mode, you can specify whether you are performing short-term maintenance or long-term
maintenance work. The option that you use for long-term maintenance depends on the PowerFlex version you are using.
PowerFlex Manager detects when a node is in VMware ESXi or PowerFlex maintenance mode. It automatically places the node
in service mode and also ensures that the resource group itself goes into service mode.
If the node has a VMware NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, PowerFlex Manager does not enable you to enter service mode.
PowerFlex Manager also does not enable you to enter service mode if the PowerFlex gateway used in the resource group is
being updated on the Resources page.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group and click View Details in the right pane.
3. Click Enter Service Mode under More Actions.
4. Select one or more nodes on the Node Lists page and click Next.
You can only place multiple nodes in service mode simultaneously if all the nodes are in the same fault set.
In a PowerFlex file resource group, only one node at a time can be put in service mode.

5. Specify the type of maintenance that you want to perform by selecting one of the following options:
● Instant Maintenance Mode enables you to perform short-term maintenance that lasts less than 30 minutes. PowerFlex
Manager does not migrate the data.
● Protected Maintenance Mode enables you to perform maintenance that requires longer than 30 minutes in a safe
and protected manner. When you use protected maintenance mode, PowerFlex makes a temporary copy of the data
so that the cluster is fully protected from data loss. Protected maintenance mode applies only to hyperconverged and
storage-only resource groups.
6. Click Finish.
PowerFlex Manager displays a yellow warning banner at the top of the Resource Groups page. The Service Mode icon
displays for the Deployment State and Overall Resource Group Health, and for the Resource Health for the selected
nodes.
7. When you are ready to leave service mode, click More Actions > Exit Service Mode.

Replacing a drive
You can replace a failed drive in a deployed node. PowerFlex Manager supports the replacement of SSD and NVMe drives for
PowerFlex storage-only nodes and hyperconverged nodes.
Ensure that you have a replacement drive and can access the node.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
PowerFlex Manager supports drive replacement for:
● Nodes that have NVDIMM compression enabled.
● SSD for HBA330 controllers.

NOTE: RAID controllers are not supported.

● CloudLink-enabled PowerFlex nodes with self-encrypting drives (SEDs) or software encryption.

If the node has an NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, PowerFlex Manager does not enable you to replace a drive.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group and click View Details in the right pane.
3. Scroll down to the Physical Nodes section of the page.
4. Under Physical Nodes, click Drive Replacement.

118 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 PowerFlex Manager displays the Node List panel in the Drive Replacement wizard.
5. Click the node for which you want to perform a drive replacement.
6. Click Next.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Select Drive panel. Any empty slots are shown in gray. The slots that have drives are
shown in black.
7. Select the drive that you want to replace by clicking the drive slot in the hardware image, or select the drive from the table.
Be sure to click the correct drive, because the drive replacement process is irreversible.

The color for the selected drive changes to blue and the table below the hardware image is selected. The table shows details
about the selected drive. To help you pick the correct drive, PowerFlex Manager provides the iDRAC name for the drive, the
PowerFlex drive name, and the serial number.
8. Optionally, click Launch iDRAC GUI to see iDRAC details about the selected drive before proceeding.
When you launch iDRAC, the iDRAC user interface opens in a different tab. Log in and go to the drive details.

9. Optionally, click Blink LED to cause the selected drive to blink.

PowerFlex Manager turns on the blinking LED on the selected drive and keeps it blinking until you pull the disk out. A new
disk is not in a blinking state. PowerFlex Manager is not able to determine whether the drive is blinking. If the drive is already
blinking, you can click Unblink LED to turn off the blinking LED.
10. Click Next when you are ready to delete the drive.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Confirmation page. PowerFlex Manager provides details about the drive and shows a
hardware image again with the drive that is selected in blue.
11. Review the information carefully under Confirm Drive Replacement to be sure that you have selected the correct drive. If
you are certain that you want to proceed, type REMOVE DRIVE.
12. Click Confirm.
PowerFlex Manager puts the resource group into the In Progress state and updates the Recent Activity to show that a
drive removal operation is started. After several minutes, if the node ejection is successful, PowerFlex Manager places the
resource group and the node in service mode and deletes the drive from the storage pool. The resource group and the node
remain in service mode until the drive is replaced in the node, and the drive replacement process has completed. During this
period, PowerFlex Manager does not enable you to enter service mode for the node, or perform another drive replacement
within the same resource group.
PowerFlex Manager displays a banner at the top of the Resource Group Details page to notify you that a drive
replacement is in process for the selected drive.
For NVMe disks, PowerFlex Manager initiates a job to instruct iDRAC to delete the NVMe disk safely from the operating
system.
If the drive ejection process fails, PowerFlex Manager displays a banner at the top of the Resource Group Details page to
notify you that the initial step to eject the drive failed. When the delete drive step fails in the drive replacement process, the
banner displays a Retry Drive Replacement option to help you to restart the drive replacement process.
If there is a failure, the resource group and the node do not remain in service mode. Instead, they return to the previous
state that the resource group was in before you attempted the drive replacement.
13. Pull the disk out of the slot, and insert the new disk.
14. On the disk replacement banner at the top of the Resource Group Details page, click Actions>Complete Drive
Replacement.
PowerFlex Manager opens the Complete Drive Replacement wizard and runs inventory on the node. It takes a couple of
minutes to get the updated inventory for the node.
After getting the updated inventory, PowerFlex Manager displays the Found New Drive page or the Continue Without
Drive page. If PowerFlex Manager finds the new drive, it displays the drive that is selected in green on the Found New
Drive page.
If PowerFlex Manager does not find the new drive, it displays the Continue Without Drive page. If you are certain that you
want to proceed without a new drive, type CONTINUE WITHOUT DRIVE. If you proceed, the node is taken out of service
mode with fewer drives, which might impact the capacity and performance of the resource group. Click Confirm to finish
the process without adding a drive.
15. Click Complete to finish the disk replacement process.
PowerFlex Manager puts the resource group into the In Progress state and updates the Recent Activity to show that a
complete drive replacement operation is started. Then, PowerFlex Manager replaces the drive in the resource group, and
takes the resource group and the node out of service mode.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 119

 When the drive addition is complete, PowerFlex Manager displays a banner at the top of the resource group to notify you
that the drive replacement is complete. PowerFlex Manager enables the Reconfigure MDM Roles and Drive Replacement
options again. The resource group returns to the previous state after the drive replacement successfully completes.

Replacing NVDIMM node or battery

PowerFlex Manager supports replacement of faulty NVDIMM and NVDIMM batteries.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group and click View Details in the right pane.
3. Scroll down to the Physical Nodes section of the page.
4. Under Physical Nodes, click NVDIMM Replacement.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Node List panel in the NVDIMM Replacement wizard.
5. Click Next.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Select Component panel. All the available NVDIMMs are displayed under the NVDIMM
header while the available NVDIMM batteries are displayed under NVDIMM Battery.
6. Select the NVDIMM or battery that you want to replace.
A message is displayed prompting you to ensure that the node selection is correct as the NVDIMM replacement process is
irreversible.
7. Enter REMOVE NVDIMM and click Confirm to proceed with the NVDIMM replacement. To replace an NVDIMM battery,
enter REMOVE NVDIMM BATTERY.
A message stating the removal or addition of the NVDIMM or battery, with the node and slot numbers, is displayed on the
Resource Groups page. The status of the resource group and the individual node is "In Progress". The log details are also
displayed in the Recent Activity section on the right side of the page.
A job for the replacement of the battery is created. Click the jobs icon at the upper right hand-side of the menu bar to view
the details of the job.
After the NVDIMM or battery is replaced, the host and SVM are turned off. After the physical replacement of the NVDIMM
and the battery, the status of the host and node on the Resource Groups page display service mode. Also, the option
Discover Replacement NVDIMM is displayed on the page. When the NVDIMM is replaced physically, click Discover
Replacement NVDIMM. The Discover Replacement NVDIMM turns on the node and does a system erase of the
NVDIMMs. On completion of the discovery, the log displays the status as "Complete" and the option Complete NVDIMM
Replacement is displayed.
8. Click Complete to complete the replacement process.
After the NVDIMM is replaced, you can create virtual hardware for the NVDIMM device, remove the SDS from maintenance
or service mode, and turn on the SVM.
After the new NVDIMM node or battery is added, a message indicating the completion of the NVDIMM node or battery is
displayed on the Resource Groups page. And, Dismiss option is displayed for dismissing the task.

Completing NVDIMM replacement

On the Complete NVDIMM Replacement page, you can view details of the node at the top. The details are—the compliance
status, inventory update, name, and size of the NVDIMM node. When you add a node, the Inventory Update column displays
"Adding" next to the node that is added. A firmware update is initiated only if the NVDIMM device is noncompliant.
If an NVDIMM is removed and not added back, the Inventory Update column displays "Missing" next to the missing node
name.
You also see the list of NVDIMM batteries that are replaced, at the bottom of the page. The battery details are—name of the
battery, device ID, enabled state, health, and operational status of the battery.

Reconfiguring MDM roles

PowerFlex Manager enables you to change the MDM role for a node in a PowerFlex cluster. For example, if you add a node to
the cluster, you might want to switch the MDM role from an existing node to the new node.
You can launch the wizard for reconfiguring MDM roles from the Resource Groups page or from the Resources page. The
nodes that are listed and the operations available are the same regardless of where you launch the wizard.

120 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Each fault set can have a maximum of one MDM role (management or tiebreaker). PowerFlex Manager blocks your role
assignments if the reconfigured roles do not conform to PowerFlex best practices.
1. To access the wizard from the Resource Groups page:
a. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
b. Select a resource group that has the PowerFlex gateway for which you want to reconfigure MDM roles.
c. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Resource Group Details page is displayed.
d. On the Resource Group Details page, click Reconfigure MDM Roles under More Actions.
The MDM Reconfiguration page is displayed.
2. To access the wizard from the Resources page:
a. On the menu bar, click Resources.
b. Select the PowerFlex gateway for which you want to reconfigure MDM roles.
c. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Details page is displayed for the selected PowerFlex gateway.
d. On the Details page, click Reconfigure MDM Roles.
The MDM Reconfiguration page is displayed.
3. Review the current MDM configuration for the cluster.
4. Find each MDM role that you want to reassign and choose the new Host Name or IP address for the role in the Select New
Node for MDM Role list.
You can reassign multiple roles at one time.
5. Click Next.
The Summary page is displayed.
6. Type CHANGE MDM ROLES to confirm your changes.
7. Click Finish.

Related information
Viewing PowerFlex system details

Migrating vCLS VMs to shared storage

When you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager checks to see whether there are any vSphere Cluster Services
(vCLS) VMs on local storage. If it finds any, it puts the resource group in lifecycle mode and lets you migrate the VMs to shared
storage.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
After you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager displays a warning banner to notify you that the resource group is
in lifecycle mode. You can then migrate the vCLS VMs to shared storage by launching the Migrate vCLS VMs wizard.
You can launch the wizard for migrating vCLS VMs to shared storage from the More Actions section of the Resource Group
Details page. You can also launch the wizard from the warning banner at the top of the Resource Group Details page or from
the warning banner at the top of the Node Compliance Report. The operations available are the same regardless of where you
launch the wizard.
When you migrate vCLS VMs, PowerFlex Manager automatically creates two resource group volumes and maps these volumes
to datastores. The resource group volume names follow the convention of powerflex-resource group-vol-<NUMBER>,
where <NUMBER> is the next available digit that has not been taken. The datastore names follow the convention of
powerflex-<CLUSTER_NAME>-ds-<NUMBER>, where <CLUSTER_NAME> is the name of the vCenter cluster and the
<NUMBER> is the next available digit. Examples of generated resource group volumes are: powerflex-resource group-vol-1 and
powerflex-resource group-vol-2. Examples of generated resource group datastores are: powerflex-Hyperconverged-DKIM-ds-1
and powerflex-Hyperconverged-DKIM-ds-2.
CAUTION: Do not rename the automatically generated resource group volumes and datastores. If for some
reason, the names have been changed, PowerFlex Manager creates new resource group volumes and datastores,
as needed, that use the correct naming conventions. Also, be sure not to migrate vCLS VMs manually to a
nonheartbeat datastore. This action activates lifecycle mode and requires a migration. In this case, volumes and
datastores may be created with new names and digits (for example, powerflex-resource group-vol-3, powerflex-
resource group-vol-4, and so forth).
1. To access the wizard from the More Actions section of the Resource Group Details page:

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 121

 a. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
b. Select a resource group that is in lifecycle mode because it includes vCLS VMs that are on local storage.
c. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Resource Group Details page is displayed.
d. In the right pane, click Migrate vCLS VMs under More Actions.
The Migrate vCLS VMs wizard is displayed.
2. For a compute-only resource group, select a protection domain from the Protection Domain field.
The Protection Domain field is not displayed for a hyperconverged resource group, since it is already defined by the
resource group.

3. For a hyperconverged or compute-only resource group, select a storage pool in the Storage Pool drop-down.
The list of storage pools available for selection is filtered to list the storage pools in the selected protection domain.

4. Review the Destination Datastores. The destination datastores are the two heartbeat datastores that PowerFlex Manager
creates automatically when you migrate the vCLS VMs to shared storage.
PowerFlex Manager also creates two resource group volumes and maps these volumes to the destination datastores.
Only two datastores and resource group volumes are created. If you already have existing datastores, PowerFlex Manager
adds the new datastores to the list. If you already have datastores with the same names in the same cluster, PowerFlex
Manager does not create new ones, but simply uses the ones that exist already.

5. Type MIGRATE VCLS VIRTUAL MACHINES to confirm.

6. Click Confirm.
After the migration, PowerFlex Manager takes the resource group out of lifecycle mode, and the full set of resource group
actions are available.

Related information
Adding an existing resource group
Viewing PowerFlex system details

Adding components to a resource group

You can add one or more node, volume, or network components to a new resource group that PowerFlex Manager deploys, or
to an existing resource group not deployed by PowerFlex Manager.
You can add components to a resource group for which deployment was successful or to a failed resource group deployment.
You do not need to go back to the original template from which the resource group was originally deployed. Standard users can
add components only to a resource group for which they have permission.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group and click View Details in the right pane.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, in the right pane, click one of the following options from the Add Resources menu:
● Add Nodes —Add one or more nodes to the resource group
● Add Volumes—Add one or more volumes to the resource group
● Add Network—Add one or more networks to the resource group

If a node has an NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, PowerFlex Manager removes the Add Resources button under Resource
Actions.
If the PowerFlex gateway used in the resource group is being updated on the Resources page, PowerFlex Manager also
removes the Add Resources button.
If the PowerFlex gateway used in the resource group is being updated on the Resources page, PowerFlex Manager does not
allow you to add a node.

Related information
Component types
Deploying a resource group

122 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Adding nodes to a resource group
To add a node to a resource group:
1. On the Resource Groups page, click Add Resources and choose Add Nodes.
2. In the Duplicate Node wizard:
a. From the Resource to Duplicate list, select a node.
Select a node that is of the same type as the other nodes within the resource group.
b. In the Number of Instances box, enter the number of node instances that you want to add to the resource group.
PowerFlex Manager requires a minimum of two nodes in a NAS cluster. You can expand the cluster up to a maximum of
16 nodes.
c. Click Next.
d. Under PowerFlex Settings, specify the PowerFlex Storage Pool Spare Capacity setting by choosing one of the
following options:
● Recommended Spare Capacity <n>% sets the spare capacity to 1 divided by the current number of Storage Data
Servers (SDSs) in the protection domain, plus the number of nodes that you want to duplicate. For example, if you
have three SDSs and you want to add one more node instance, the recommended spare capacity is set to 25 percent
based on the formula 1/4.
● Current Spare Capacity <n>% sets the spare capacity to 1 divided by the current number of SDSs in the protection
domain. For example, if you have three SDSs in the protection domain, the current spare capacity is set to 34
percent, based on the formula 1/3, rounded up.
e. Under OS Settings, set the Host Name Selection to Auto-Generate, Specify at Deployment Time, or Reverse
DNS Lookup.
f. If you choose Specify at Deployment, provide a name for the host in the Host Name field. If you choose Auto-
Generate, specify a template for the name in the Host Name Template field.
For an existing resource group that was not deployed by PowerFlex Manager, the Host Name Selection option is
automatically set to Specify at Deployment Time and you must type the hostname.
g. If you are adding a node to a hyperconverged resource group, specify the Host Name Selection under SVM OS
Settings and provide details about the hostname, as you did for the OS Settings.
h. In the IP Source box, provide an IP address. For an existing resource group that was not deployed with PowerFlex
Manager, the default choice is User Entered IP and the IP settings for each network default to Manual Entry.
However, you can change the setting to PowerFlex Manager Selected IP.
If the Multi-Network Selection option is selected and the IP source is PowerFlex Manager Selected IP, the IPs are
assigned sequentially from all the networks of that type. If an IP cannot be assigned from any of the multiple networks
of the selected type, an error is displayed. If the IP source is User Entered IP, a generic name is displayed for the IP
Source setting. For example: "PowerFlex Management IP Source".
If multi networking is not enabled and the IP source is User Entered IP, the name of the network is displayed as on
the Network Settings page. If the selected IP Source setting is of Manual Entry type, the IP you entered is validated
against all the networks of the selected type. An error is displayed when the IP is not validated in one of the networks.
Under Hardware Settings, the Target Boot Device option is automatically set to Use Local Flash Storage for
Dell PowerFlex for an existing hyperconverged or compute-only resource group that was not deployed by PowerFlex
Manager.
i. Under Hardware Settings, in the Node Source box, select Node Pool or Manual Entry.
For an existing resource group that was not deployed by PowerFlex Manager, the node source defaults to Manual Entry,
but you can change it to Node Pool.
j. In the Node Pool box, select the node pool. Alternatively, if you chose Manual Entry, select the specific node in the
Choose Node box.
You can view all user-defined node pools and the global pool. Standard users can see only the pools for which they have
permission.
For an existing resource group that was not deployed by PowerFlex Manager, the Node Pool defaults to Global.
k. Under PowerFlex Settings, specify the Fault Set for a node:
● Select PowerFlex Manager Selected Fault Set to have PowerFlex Manager choose the fault set name based on
the template settings.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 123

 ● Select fault-set-name to choose one of the fault sets in the resource group.
You can add nodes within a fault set, but PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to add a new fault set within the same
resource group. To add a new fault set, you must deploy a separate resource group with settings for the fault set you
want to create.
l. Click Next.
m. Review the Summary page and click Finish.
If the node you are adding has a different type of disk than the base deployment, PowerFlex Manager displays a banner
at the top of the Summary page to inform you of the different disk types. You can still complete the node expansion.
However, your resource group may have suboptimal performance.
Based on the component type, the required settings and properties are displayed automatically and can be edited as
permitted for a node expansion.

3. Click Save.

Adding volumes to a resource group

Use this procedure to create new volumes or add existing volumes to a resource group.
You can create new volumes for a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group. Alternatively, you can add existing volumes
to a compute-only resource group or hyperconverged resource group. PowerFlex Manager allows you to create up to 50 new
volumes at a time for a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group.
A compute-only resource group consumes volumes that are provided by a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group.
Initially, there are no volumes for a new resource group. The resource group is in an incomplete state until you add volumes. Add
at least one volume to a resource group to get it out of the incomplete state. If the resource group is a VMware ESXi cluster
that has VMware High Availability (HA) enabled, you need at least two volumes.
NOTE: For a hyperconverged resource group, PowerFlex Manager does not put the resource group in an incomplete state,
because it automatically creates two resource group volumes that are mapped to two heartbeat datastores.
After you create the volumes in a storage-only resource group, they are added to PowerFlex, but not mapped. When you add
the volumes to a compute-only resource group, PowerFlex maps the volumes and creates the datastores.
For a hyperconverged resource group, the added volumes are mapped to the datastore. PowerFlex Manager requires you to
enter the datastore name for each new volume that must be added. This is because PowerFlex Manager also creates an ESXi
cluster and vCenter datastore for a hyperconverged resource group.
PowerFlex Manager allows you to enable compression when adding volumes to a storage-only or hyperconverged resource
group.
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to add volumes to a PowerFlex file (NAS) resource group.
To add volumes to a resource group:
1. On the Resource Groups page, click Add Resources and choose Add Volumes.
2. To add existing volumes to a compute-only or hyperconverged resource group, select Add Existing Volumes and follow
these steps:
a. Click Select Volumes to choose the volumes you want to add.
b. Enter a volume or datastore name search string in the Search Text box.
c. Optionally, apply additional search criteria by specifying values for the Size, Type, Compression, and Storage filters.
d. Click Search.
PowerFlex Manager updates the results to show only those volumes that satisfy the search criteria. If the search returns
more than 50 volumes, refine the search criteria to return only 50 volumes.
e. Click the checkbox for each volume you want to add.
f. Click the >> button to select the volumes.
To remove a selected volume, click the checkbox for the volume to remove and click the << button.

g. When you are ready to add the selected volumes, click Add.
h. After you have selected the volumes that you want to add, define a template for datastore names in the Datastore
Name Template field and click Next.
The template must include a variable that allows PowerFlex Manager to produce a unique datastore name.

124 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

3. To create new volumes for a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group, select Create New Volumes and follow these
steps:
If you want to create a single volume with a specified name:

a. Click + Add Volume to add a new volume section.

PowerFlex Manager adds a new volume section to the Add Volume wizard.

b. In the Volume Name field, select Specify Name.

c. In the New Volume Name field, type the volume name.
d. In the Datastore Name field, select Create New Datastore to create a new datastore, or select a datastore.
e. In the New Datastore Name field, type the name for the datastore.
f. In the Storage Pool drop-down, choose the storage pool where the volume will reside.
g. Select the Enable Compression check box to take advantage of the PowerFlex NVDIMM compression feature.
h. In the Volume Size (GB) field, select the size in GB. The minimum size is 8 GB and the value you specify must be
divisible by eight.
i. In the Volume Type field, select thick or thin.
A thick volume provides a larger amount of storage in advance, whereas a thin volume provides on-demand storage and
faster setup and startup times.
If you enable compression on a hyperconverged or storage-only resource group with the granularity of the storage pool
set to fine, the only option for Volume Type is thin. This is the case regardless of whether you deploy a compressed or
non-compressed volume.

If you want to create multiple volumes that share a common naming pattern:

a. Click + Add Volume to add a new volume section.

PowerFlex Manager adds a new volume section to the Add Volume wizard.

b. In the Volume Name field, select Auto Generate Name.

c. In the Volume Name Template field, define the template for volume names.
The template must include a variable that allows PowerFlex Manager to produce a unique volume name.
d. In the How Many Volumes field, select the number of volumes you want to create.
The number must not be greater than 50.

e. In the Datastore Name Template field, define a template for datastore names.
The template must include a variable that allows PowerFlex Manager to produce a unique datastore name.
f. In the Storage Pool drop-down, choose the storage pool where the volume will reside.
g. Select the Enable Compression check box to take advantage of the PowerFlex NVDIMM compression feature.
h. In the Volume Size (GB) field, select the size in GB. The minimum size is 8 GB and the value you specify must be
divisible by eight.
i. In the Volume Type field, select thick or thin.
A thick volume provides a larger amount of storage in advance, whereas a thin volume provides on-demand storage and
faster setup and startup times.
If you enable compression on a hyperconverged or storage-only resource group with the granularity of the storage pool
set to fine, the only option for Volume Type is thin. This is the case regardless of whether you deploy a compressed or
non-compressed volume.

4. Optionally, click Add volume again to add another volume section. Then, provide the required information for that section.
5. Click Next once you have included information about all of the volumes you want to add.
6. On the Summary screen, review the volume details to be sure that everything looks correct.
If you added existing volumes, you can click View Volumes to review the list of volumes previously selected.

7. Click Finish.
The resource group moves to the In Progress state and the new volume icons appear on the Resource Group Details
page. You may see multiple volume components while the add operation is still in progress. One the operation is complete,
you will see just one volume component with the count updated.
After the deployment completes successfully, you can click View Volumes in the Storage list on the Resource Group
Details page to search for volumes that are part of the resource group.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 125

 The PowerFlex user interface shows the new volumes under the storage pool. For a storage-only resource group, the
volumes are created, but not mapped. For a compute-only or hyperconverged resource group, the volumes are mapped to
SDCs. In the vSphere client, you can see the volumes in the storage section and also see the hosts that are mapped to the
volumes, once the mappings are in place.

Related information
Resize a volume
Viewing and selecting volumes

Adding a network to a resource group

You can update the workload network by adding a network to a resource group. Alternatively, you can add a static route to allow
nodes to communicate across different networks. The static route can also be used to support replication in storage-only and
hyperconverged resource groups.
1. On the Resource Group Details page, click Add Resources and choose Add Network.
The Add Network window is displayed. All used resources and networks are displayed under Resource Name and
Networks.
2. Click Add Additional Network to add an additional network:
a. From the Available Networks list, select the network, and click Add.
The selected network is displayed under Network Name. You can define a new network by clicking Define a New
Network. For more information, see Defining a network.
b. Select Port Group from the Select Port Group list.
c. Click Save.
NOTE: You cannot remove an added network using PowerFlex Manager.

3. Click Add Additional Static Route to add an additional static route:

a. Click Add New Static Route.
b. Select a Source Network.
The source network must be a PowerFlex data network or a replication network.

c. Select a Destination Network.

The destination network must be a PowerFlex data network or a replication network.

d. Type the IP address for the Gateway.

e. Click Save.

Resize a volume
After adding volumes to a resource group, you can resize the volumes.
For a storage-only resource group, you can increase the volume size. For a VMware ESXi compute-only resource group, you can
increase the size of the datastore that is associated with the volume. For a hyperconverged resource group, you can increase
the size of both the volume and the datastore.
If you resize a volume in a storage-only resource group, you must update the datastore size in the corresponding VMware ESXi
compute-only resource group. The datastore size cannot exceed the size of the volume.
1. On the Resource Groups page, click the volume component and choose Volume Actions > Resize.
2. Choose the volume that you want to resize:
a. Click Select Volume.
b. Enter a volume or datastore name search string in the Search Text box.
c. Optionally, apply additional search criteria by specifying values for the Size, Type, Compression, and Storage filters.
d. Click Search.
PowerFlex Manager updates the results to show only those volumes that satisfy the search criteria. If the search returns
more than 50 volumes, you must refine the search criteria to return only 50 volumes.
e. Select the row for the volume you want to resize.
f. Click Apply.
3. Update the sizing information:

126 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 If you are resizing a volume for a hyperconverged resource group, perform these steps:

a. In the New Volume Size (GB) field, specify a value that is greater than the current volume size.
b. Optionally, select Resize Datastore to increase the size of the datastore.
If you are resizing a volume for a storage-only resource group, enter a value in the New Volume Size (GB) field. Specify a
value that is greater than the current volume size. Values must be in multiples of eight, or an error occurs.

If you are resizing a volume for a compute-only resource group, review the Volume Size (GB) field to see if the volume size
is greater than Current Datastore Size (GB). If it is, PowerFlex Manager expands the datastore size.

4. Click Save.

Related information
Adding volumes to a resource group

Removing resources from a resource group

You can remove resources that were previously added to a resource group.
If you are removing a node that is fulfilling a Meta Data Manager (MDM) role, verify that you will have at least two MDMs and
one tiebreaker in the cluster after the removal of the node. When you remove a node, PowerFlex Manager puts a standby node
in place of the one that you removed. For a storage-only resource group, the platform minimum is four nodes in the cluster. This
enables you to scale down to three nodes for a component replacement.
If the node has an NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, you can remove the node information that PowerFlex Manager displays for
the resource group, but not delete the node from the resource group entirely. If the PowerFlex gateway used in the resource
group is being updated on the Resources page, PowerFlex Manager does not enable you to remove resources from the
resource group.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select a resource group from which you want to delete resources.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
4. On the Resource Group Details page, in the right pane, under More Actions, click Remove Resource.
5. In the Remove Resource dialog box, select the node that you want to remove and click Next.
6. Select the Resource removal type:
● Delete Resource makes configuration changes to the nodes, switch ports, virtual machine managers, and PowerFlex to
unconfigure those components, and returns the components to the available inventory.
● Remove Resource removes deployment information, but does not make any configuration changes to the nodes, switch
ports, virtual machine managers, and PowerFlex, and returns the components to the available inventory.
7. If you choose Remove Resource, perform the following steps:
a. To keep the node in the inventory, select Leave resource in PowerFlex Manager inventory and set state to and
select the state:
● Managed
● Unmanaged
● Reserved
b. To remove the node, select Remove resource from the PowerFlex Manager inventory.
c. Click Remove.
8. If you choose Delete Resource, perform the following steps:
a. If you are certain that you want to proceed, type DELETE RESOURCE.
b. Click Delete.
When you delete a node from a resource group, PowerFlex Manager performs the following steps to clean up the underlying
components associated with the node:
1. Reconfigures the MDM cluster to ensure that the cluster is in good, working order. This step is necessary only if the node is
part of an MDM cluster.
If necessary, PowerFlex Manager reconfigures the MDM role for each node to be a manager or tiebreaker when you perform
a scale down operation. PowerFlex Manager rebalances the roles as needed for a new resource group or for an existing

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 127

 resource group. PowerFlex Manager applies the required role changes for nodes that are within the same resource group or
in a different resource group.
2. If the node is on the list of SDSs, it removes the node from the list of SDSs within PowerFlex, The node might only be
removed from the SDS list if the spare capacity is sufficient, and the environment provides enough space.
3. Deletes the SVM for the node
4. Deletes the virtual networking configuration
5. Removes the host from vCenter (hyperconverged resource groups only)
6. Removes the operating system on the node
7. Removes the node from the SDC list within PowerFlex
When deleting a node for a hyperconverged resource group that has compression, PowerFlex Manager removes the DAX from
the acceleration pool.
If you remove a node that is CloudLink enabled from a hyperconverged or storage-only resource group, PowerFlex Manager also
performs these cleanup tasks:
● Unencrypts the drives on the server.
● Removes the machine from the machine group.
● Removes IP addresses from approved networks.
PowerFlex Manager does not remove the machine groups or keystores. The machine groups and keystores can be reused for
subsequent deployments.
After a node is deleted from a resource group, the Resource Group Details page shows the cluster without the removed node,
and updates the MDM roles to reflect the new configuration.

Adding NVMe/TCP storage access

PowerFlex Manager enables you to add NVMe/TCP storage access to nodes in a resource group. When you add storage access,
it installs the SDT (Storage Data Target) package on all nodes in the resource group.
NVMe storage access is only supported for a resource group that is on PowerFlex 4.0. In addition, the option to add NVMe
storage access is only available if the resource group was deployed with the SDC Only option selected for Client Storage
Access in the template.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select the resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, under More Actions, click Add NVMe Storage Access.
4. Review the list of nodes.
5. Type ADD SDT TO NODES to confirm your changes.
6. Click Confirm.

Replacing the operating system for a node

PowerFlex Manager automates the process of converting nodes from embedded operating system based on CentOS to
embedded operating system based on SLES. You can use the Replace Node OS wizard to convert nodes from CentOS to
SLES.
The Replace Node OS wizard is only available for hyperconverged and storage-only resource groups that have at least one
node with the CentOS operating system.
The action is blocked if the resource group has fewer than four nodes. The action is also blocked for nodes in lifecycle mode.
The automated conversion process applies only to managed nodes.
A manual process may be possible for nodes that are in lifecycle mode. Contact your support representative for details about
whether a manual procedure may be suitable for your environment.
The conversion preserves configurations such as CloudLink, fine granularity, and replication.
The conversion backs up and restores PowerFlex Manager SSH keys only. Any additional SSH keys are not considered during
the conversion process. If you manually added SSH keys to your nodes, these are not preserved. Instead, new ones are
generated for the SLES operating system. The authorized_keys file is also not preserved as part of the OS conversion process.
If you set up password-less SSH to CentOS Linux nodes or SVMs, this configuration is broken during the conversion. Any SSH
keys added to authorized_keys are lost during the conversion and should be manually backed up and restored.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.

128 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group and click View Details in the right pane.
3. Click Replace Node OS under More Actions.
4. Specify the type of update operation you want to perform by selecting one of the following options:
● Instant Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates quickly. PowerFlex Manager does not migrate the data.
● Protected Maintenance Mode (selected by default) enables you to perform updates that require longer than 30
minutes in a safe and protected manner. When you use protected maintenance mode, PowerFlex makes a temporary
copy of the data so that the cluster is fully protected from data loss. Protected maintenance mode applies only to
hyperconverged and storage-only resource groups. It can take more than an hour for each node to complete the
operating system migration operation.
For resource groups with fault sets enabled, you can perform operating system replacement on nodes in different fault
sets. In addition, you can choose only nodes in a single fault set for operating system replacement. If you choose multiple
nodes in the same fault set, the operation is performed in a parallel manner. This operation should succeed if the MDM
reconfiguration is successfully performed with another node in a different fault set. However, it may fail if the MDM
reconfiguration fails. When two nodes are selected for operating system replacement that are part of same fault set, the
MDM roles are swapped within the fault set. Due to the operating system replacement, a node may not be accessible
during MDM reconfiguration. PowerFlex Manager does not allow the cluster to go to one node mode, so this may lead to
an error.

5. Select one or more nodes in the Available Nodes list and click the arrow icon (>>) to move these items to the Selected
Nodes list.
The Available Nodes list shows the nodes in the resource group, along with the name, IP address, MDM role, fault set (if
applicable), and operating system for each node. Only nodes that have CentOS nodes are selectable. The check boxes for
SLES nodes are disabled.
Not all nodes in the deployment will be displayed unless all the nodes have CentOS as the operating system type. If you
migrate from 3.8.x to 4.6.x, you will likely have only CentOS nodes in the resource group. In this case, on the very first
attempt at operating system migration, all the nodes will be CentOS. If you choose to add a SLES node before attempting
the operating system replacement, the resource group will have a mix of operating systems on the nodes (CentOS and SLES
nodes). Nonetheless, the SLES nodes will not be displayed in Replace Node OS wizard.
NOTE: The only scenario where SLES nodes will be displayed along with CentOS nodes is when the operating system
migration operation fails on a previous attempt. To allow you to retry the operation on the failed nodes, all nodes will be
displayed, irrespective of the operating system type.
PowerFlex Manager shows all the SDSs in a storage-only resource group and all the SVMs for a hyperconverged resource
group. For a hyperconverged resource group, the operating system field shows the operating system for the SVM.
You can optionally add a filter to control which nodes appear in the list.

6. Type REPLACE OPERATING SYSTEM to confirm your changes.

7. Click Submit.
When you complete the wizard, PowerFlex Manager starts a new job to perform the node replacement operation. Once the
operation is initiated, PowerFlex Manager displays a View job option to allow you to navigate to the job.
The progress of the operation is displayed in Recent Activity. Step-by-step user interface logs for the operating system
replacement operation can be found under Activity logs on the Resource Group page
In the table on the Resource Group Details page, you can see whether the update succeeded or failed for each node. A node
will be left in service mode if the operation fails. If you see a failure, you can click Replace Node OS to try the operation again.
NOTE: If you renamed an MDM from the default name, the MDM name reverts to the default name after the operating
system is replaced. You can rename the MDM either through the CLI or REST API. See the Dell PowerFlex Manager 4.6.x
CLI Reference Guide or the Dell PowerFlex API Documentation.

Additional resource group management tasks

This section provides additional tasks for resource group management.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 129

Redeploying a resource group
You can redeploy a resource group that failed to deploy because of errors. Standard users can redeploy only a failed resource
group that they have deployed.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, select a resource group in an error state and click View Details in the right pane.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, in the right pane, under More Actions, click Retry.
4. Click Yes when a confirmation message appears.
If necessary, PowerFlex Manager reconfigures the MDM role for each node to be a manager or tiebreaker when you perform
a retry operation. PowerFlex Manager rebalances the roles as needed for a new resource group or for an existing resource
group. PowerFlex Manager applies the required role changes for nodes that are within the same resource group or in a
different resource group.

Edit resource group information

You can edit information about a resource group such as the resource group name, description, and who has access to the
resource group information.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. On the Resource Groups page, click the resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, in the right pane click Modify.
4. In the Modify Resource Group Information dialog box, modify the Resource Group Name and Resource Group
Description that identifies the resource group.
● To update the firmware and software running on the nodes when you deploy a resource group that uses this template,
select Firmware and Software Compliance.
If you select a minimal compliance version for a resource group, PowerFlex Manager puts the resource group in lifecycle
mode and restricts the actions that can be performed. In lifecycle mode, the resource group supports monitoring, service
mode, and compliance upgrade operations only. All other resource group operations are blocked.

NOTE: Changing the firmware repository might update the firmware level on nodes for this resource group. The
global default firmware repository maintains firmware on shared devices.

5. Set the OS Image for the resource group.

You can optionally select a custom operating system image that will be used for future add node operations on the resource
group. The custom image must be added to the OS Image Repositories tab on the Settings > Compliance and OS
Repositories page.
PowerFlex Manager filters the list of images available for selection to include only those images that are suitable for the
current resource group. For example, if you are editing a hyperconverged resource group, PowerFlex Manager only allows
you to choose ESXi images.

6. Specify the permissions for this resource group under Who should have access to the resource group deployed from
this template? by performing one of the following actions:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriverReplacer users to the list displayed.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
7. Click Save.

130 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Viewing resource group details
You can view the state of a resource group at the component level. You can view the component topology and connections in a
selected resource group template. You can view component logs, display the port view, place a component in service mode, and
replace a disk.
If the resource group state is incomplete, a banner at the top of the page indicates that you must add volumes to make it fully
functional. In some cases, you may only need to run Update Resource Group Details to ensure that the resource group is
complete.
To view the details of a resource group component, scroll down on the Resource Group Details page. The following
information is displayed based on the resource types in the resource group:

Table 26. Resource group details

Resource type Description
Clusters View the following information about the clusters in the VMware vCenter environment:
● Health
● Data Center Name
● Cluster Name
● Asset/Service Tag
● Management IP
PowerFlex Gateways View the following information about the gateways that are part of the resource group:
● Health
● System Name
● Primary MDM IP
● Management IP
● Virtual IP
● Total Storage Pools
Provides the number of storage pools in the resource group. If the resource group has
storage pools, PowerFlex Manager also lists the granularity setting and acceleration
pool for each storage pool.
In PowerFlex, the storage pools enable the generation of different storage tiers. A
storage pool is a physical storage device in a protection domain. Each storage device
belongs to one (and only one) storage pool.
The resource group deployment results in the creation of a separate storage pool for
each type of disk (SSD/NVMe or hard drive) found in the nodes. The deployment
process adds the disks from the nodes to the appropriate storage pools based on the
expected types for each pool.
● Protection Domain
In PowerFlex, a protection domain is a logical entity that contains a group of Storage
Data Servers (SDSs) that provide backup to each other. Each SDS belongs to one
(and only one) protection domain. Each protection domain is a unique set of SDSs. It
may also contain SDTs and SDRs.

CloudLink View the following information about the CloudLink Centers participating in the resource
group:
● Health
● Hostname
● Management IP
● Machine Group
● Keystore
When a resource group is deployed, if CloudLink has clustered CloudLink Centers,
PowerFlex Manager shows all CloudLink Centers on the Resource Group Details page.
PowerFlex Manager ensures that the resource group deployment succeeds as long as at
least one CloudLink Center in the cluster is working.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 131

Table 26. Resource group details (continued)
Resource type Description
Storage View details about the storage volumes added for the resource group. Click View
Volumes to search for volumes and see the following information about the volumes:
● Name
● Size
● Type
● Compression
● Storage Pool
● Datastore
Physical Nodes View the following information about the nodes that are part of the resource group:
● Health
● Asset/Service Tag
● iDRAC IP/Hostname
● PowerFlex Mode
The mode for each node is one of the following:
○ Hyper-converged includes both SDS and SDC components.
○ Storage Only includes only the SDS component.
○ Compute Only includes only the SDC component.
● MVM Hostname
For a hyperconverged resource group, PowerFlex Manager adds IP addresses for the
MVM to the node IP list. PowerFlex Manager appends (MVM) to all network names
for the MVM. If there are no MVM hostnames, the MVM Hostname column is not
shown.
● Associated IPs
● MDM Role
The MDM role is the metadata manager role. The MDM role applies only to those
nodes that are part of a PowerFlex cluster. The MDM role is one of the following:
○ Primary: The MDM in the cluster that controls the SDSs and SDCs. The primary
MDM contains and updates the MDM repository, the database that stores the SDS
configuration, and how data is distributed between the SDSs. This repository is
constantly replicated to the secondary MDMs, so they can take over with no delay.
Every PowerFlex cluster has one primary MDM.
○ Secondary: An MDM in the cluster that is ready to take over the primary MDM
role if necessary.
○ Tie Breaker: An MDM whose sole role is to help determine which MDM is the
primary.
○ Standby MDM: A standby MDM can be called on to assume the position of a
manager MDM when it is promoted to be a cluster member.
○ Standby Tie Breaker: A standby node that is prepared to take over as a
tiebreaker.
● Fault Set: A logical group of SDSs within a protection domain that defines by the way
it is grouped where the copies of data exist. If there is no fault set, this column is not
shown.

View all settings

View All Settings allows you to view the settings configured on the resources in a resource group for deployment.
When you click View All Settings, the Resource Group Deployment Settings page shows each top-level component on a
separate tab. Click on a tab for a component to see the details for the component. By displaying the details on separate tabs,
PowerFlex Manager greatly improves the performance when you are working with a resource group that includes a large number
of nodes.

132 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

For a PowerFlex resource group, the VMware Cluster section of the Settings page shows the PowerFlex Settings section,
and the Target PowerFlex Gateway should specify the gateway that is included with the resource group.
For a PowerFlex resource group, the Use Local Storage For Dell PowerFlex property is set to true within the OS Settings
section for any node in an existing PowerFlex resource group deployment, and for the nodes in a new PowerFlex resource group
deployment.

Generate troubleshooting bundle

Generate Troubleshooting Bundle allows you to generate a compressed file of logs to use for troubleshooting. The following
logs are included:
● ASM deployer
● iDRAC life cycle
● Dell PowerSwitch switch
● Cisco Nexus switch
● VMware ESXi
● CloudLink Center
● NAS
● Standard output logs from all pods
● Kubernetes logs about pods, services, deployments, secrets, drivers, and volumes

View compliance report

View Compliance Report allows you to view the software or firmware compliance report.

Add resources
Add Resources allows you to add nodes, volumes, and networks to a resource group.

More actions
Under More Actions, you can perform the following tasks:

Table 27. More actions

Click... To...
Update Resource Group Update resource group definition.
Details
Enter Service Mode Put nodes in service mode so that maintenance operations can be performed.
Exit Service Mode Take nodes out of service mode.
Reconfigure MDM Roles Change the MDM role for a node in a PowerFlex cluster. For example, if you add a node
to the cluster, you might want to switch the MDM role from an existing node to the new
node.
Remove Resource Group Remove a resource group that is no longer required.
PowerFlex Manager supports two types of removal:
● Delete the entire resource group, which deletes the deployment information and makes
any required configuration changes for components that are associated with the
resource group. This includes making destructive changes such as unconfiguring the
nodes in the resource group and powering them down.
● Delete the deployment information for the resource group without making any
configuration changes to the deployed components.

Remove Resource Removes resources from a resource group.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 133

Table 27. More actions (continued)
Click... To...
Retry Redeploy a failed or canceled resource group. This button is only visible when a resource
group is in a critical state.
If you see a resource group fail for any reason, try clicking Retry to correct the problem.
For example, a server deployment might fail with a ChangeBootOrderByInstanceID
failed message. You can correct this failure by retrying the resource group.

Cancel Cancel the resource group.

Resource actions
Under Resource Actions, you can perform the following tasks:

Table 28. Resource actions

Click... To...
Add Resources Select the type of the resources that you want to add to the resource group.
If you must input data for the template that is used to create the running resource group,
click Confirm Resource Group Settings. In the Update Resource Group Component
window, enter values for all displayed fields. Click Save.

Remove Resource Remove resources from a resource group.

Resource group information

In the Resource Group Information box on the right, you can view the following information:
● Overall Resource Group Health—Displays the health of the resource group. The following information determines the
overall resource group health:
○ Resource Health —Displays the health monitoring of resources.
○ Compliance—Displays if the resources are firmware or software-compliant. This option is applicable only if you have
enabled firmware or software update on the resource group.
○ Deployment State—Indicates if the deployment of the resource group completed successfully.

● Deployed By—Displays the name of the user who deployed the resource group.
● Deployed On—Displays the date and time when the resource group is deployed.
● Reference Template—Displays the name of the reference template that is used in the resource group.

NOTE: For existing resource groups, the name displays as User Generated Template and not a template name from
the inventory.

● User Permissions—Displays one of the following:

○ Enabled—Indicates that the permission is granted for one or more standard users to deploy this resource group.
○ Disabled—Indicates that the permission is not granted for the standard users to deploy this resource group.

Recent activity
Recent Activity displays component deployment status and information about the current deployed resource group.
You can also click the Port View tab to display port view details.
If you want to see the current firmware or software repository that is in use, look at Target Version. To change the compliance
version, click Change Target.
If you select a minimal compliance version for a resource group, PowerFlex Manager puts the resource group in lifecycle mode
and restricts the actions that can be performed. In lifecycle mode, the resource group supports monitoring, service mode, and
compliance upgrade operations only. All other resource group operations are blocked.

134 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Related information
Deploying a resource group
Updating firmware and software

Viewing all settings

The View All Settings option lets you display the settings that are used to configure the resources in the deployment of a
resource group.
When you click View All Settings, the Resource Group Deployment Settings page shows each top-level component on a
separate tab. Click on a tab for a component to see the details for the component. By displaying the details on separate tabs,
PowerFlex Manager greatly improves the performance when you are working with a resource group that includes a large number
of nodes.
You can see all settings that are defined for the clusters and nodes, as well as storage. To search for volumes within the
resource group, you can click View Volumes under Storage.
During volume operations, the Resource Group Deployment Settings page displays additional information about the volume
operations that are in progress. If you create a new volume or add an existing volume, or resize a volume, the page provides
details that can be helpful for troubleshooting. For example, if you specified an invalid name template string variable, the
Resource Group Deployment Settings page indicates that this is the cause of a volume not being added.

Viewing and selecting volumes

Use this procedure to search for volumes in a resource group, and optionally select volumes for an add or resize operation.
You can use the volume search dialog to search for volumes using various types of search criteria. You can search by volume
name or datastore name, as well as by volume type, compression setting, and storage pool name.
You can launch the volume search dialog from various places with the PowerFlex Manager user interface. You can launch the
dialog from the following locations:
● Storage section of the Resource Group Details page
● View All Settings page
● Add Volumes wizard
● Resize Volume wizard
When you perform a search, PowerFlex Manager updates the results to show only those volumes that satisfy the search criteria.
If the results would include more than 50 volumes, you must refine the search criteria to return only 50 volumes.
After performing a search in the Add Volumes wizard, you can select one or more existing volumes to add to a resource group.
In the Resize Volume wizard, you can select the volume that you want to resize.
Identify the naming patterns that are used for the volumes and datastores within the resource group, so you can easily enter a
search pattern.
1. To access the Volumes dialog from the Storage section of the Resource Group Details page:
a. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
b. Select a resource group.
c. On the Resource Group Details page, click View Volumes in the Storage section.
You can also click View Volumes in the Storage section of the View All Settings page, which is also available from the
Resource Group Details page.
The Volumes dialog is displayed.
2. To access the Volumes dialog from the Add Volumes wizard:
a. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
b. Select a resource group.
c. On the Resource Groups page, click the Add Resources button and choose Add Volumes.
d. When PowerFlex Manager displays the Add Volume wizard, click Add Existing volumes.
e. Click Select Volumes.
The Select Existing Volumes dialog is displayed.
3. To access the Volumes dialog from the Resize Volume wizard:
a. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
b. Select a resource group.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 135

 c. On the Resource Groups page, click the volume component and choose Volume Actions > Resize.
d. Click Select Volume.
The Select Volume dialog is displayed.
4. Provide the search criteria needed to filter the results to show 50 volumes or fewer:
a. Enter a volume or datastore name search string in the Search Text box.
b. Optionally, select a Size range.
c. Optionally, Thick or Thin for the Type.
d. Optionally, select Enabled or Disabled for the Compression setting.
e. Optionally, select a specific Storage Pool.
f. Click Search.
PowerFlex Manager updates the results to show only those volumes that satisfy the search criteria. If the search returns
more than 50 volumes, you must refine the search criteria to return only 50 volumes.
g. If you are viewing volumes, click Close when you are done looking at the search results.
5. If you are adding existing volumes, you can select one or more volumes to add:
a. Select each volume you want to add.
b. Click >> to add the volumes.
To remove a selected volume, click the checkbox for the volume to remove and click <<.

c. When you are ready to add the selected volumes, click Add.
6. If you are selecting a volume for a resize operation, you can select the volume that you want to resize and click Apply.

Related information
Adding volumes to a resource group

Updating the details for a resource group

When new resources are added or removed outside of PowerFlex Manager, you can update the resource group details to pull in
those changes. If nodes are removed externally, updating the resource group details does not pull in the changes.
You can update the details for a new resource group that was deployed with PowerFlex Manager, or for an existing resource
group that includes resources that were not originally deployed with PowerFlex Manager.
If the PowerFlex gateway used in the resource group is currently being updated on the Resources page, PowerFlex Manager
does not enable you to update the resource group details.
Whenever you update the resource group details, PowerFlex Manager pulls in a representation of the components from the
vCenter cluster, PowerFlex gateway, or CloudLink Center that was specified for the resource group. These components might
include new nodes, volumes, SVMs, or MVMs. When a new component is added to the definition of a resource group, PowerFlex
Manager does not modify the component.
If the CloudLink Center for the resource group shuts down, PowerFlex Manager loses communication with the CloudLink
Center. If the CloudLink Center is part of a cluster, PowerFlex Manager moves to another CloudLink Center when you update
the resource group details.
Before you update the details for a resource group, ensure that you run inventory for the vCenter and the PowerFlex gateway.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select the resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, under More Actions, click Update Resource Group Details.
4. Review the OS Credentials page, and click Next.
PowerFlex Manager shows all nodes, SVMs, and MVMs, along with their credentials. This enables you to update the
username and password if it has changed for any of these items.

5. Review the Inventory Summary page, and click Next.

PowerFlex Manager does a rediscovery of the resource group, and tracks whether items are new to the resource group.
In the Inventory Update column, PowerFlex Manager shows which items are added, removed, or kept as is within the
resource group:
● Adding indicates that an item was added externally and will now be added to the resource group.
● Removing indicates that an item was removed externally and will now be removed from the resource group.
● No Change indicates that an item was not modified externally and will be kept in the resource group.

136 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

6. Review the Summary page, and click Finish.
PowerFlex Manager checks the configuration and inventory of selected resources to ensure that everything is configured
properly. The resource group is moved to the In Progress state, and any new component types are displayed on the
Resource Group Details page. Recent Activity shows that a new deployment started.

Confirming resource group settings

If a PowerFlex Manager upgrade added new required fields to components within the template from which a resource group was
deployed, the Confirm Resource Group Settings button is displayed on the Resource Groups page. Although confirming
resource group settings is not mandatory, certain resource group or resource functions are not available until this step is
complete.
Click Confirm Resource Group Settings to launch the Upgrade Resource Group Components window. Fields in this
window vary depending on which components contain newly required settings. Complete all the displayed fields, and click Save.

Removing a resource group

You can remove a resource group that is no longer required. PowerFlex Manager supports two types of removal:
● Delete the entire resource group, which deletes the deployment information and also makes any required configuration
changes for components that are associated with the resource group.
● Remove just the deployment information for the resource group without making any configuration changes to the deployed
components.

If the node has an NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, you can remove the deployment information for a resource group, but not
delete the resource group entirely. PowerFlex Manager also does not allow you to delete a resource group if the PowerFlex
gateway used in the resource group is currently being updated on the Resources page.
Standard users can delete only the resource groups that they have deployed.
To remove a resource group, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select the resource group.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, under More Actions, click Remove Resource Group.
4. In the Remove Resource Group dialog box, select the Resource group removal type:
● Delete Resource Group makes configuration changes to the nodes, switch ports, virtual machine managers, and
PowerFlex to unconfigure those components. Also, it returns the components to the available inventory.
● Remove Resource Group removes deployment information, but does not make any configuration changes to the nodes,
switch ports, virtual machine managers, and PowerFlex. Also, it returns the components to the available inventory.
5. If you choose Remove Resource Group, perform the following steps:
a. To keep the nodes in the inventory, select Leave nodes in PowerFlex Manager inventory and set state to and select
the state:
● Managed
● Unmanaged
● Reserved
b. To remove the nodes, select Remove nodes from the PowerFlex Manager inventory.
c. Click Remove.
6. If you choose Delete Resource Group, perform the following steps:
a. Select Delete Clusters(s) and Remove from vCenter to delete and remove the clusters from vCenter.
b. Select Remove Protection Domain and Storage Pools from PowerFlex to remove the protection domain and
storage pools that are created during the resource group deployment.
If you select this option, you must select the target PowerFlex gateway. The PowerFlex gateway is not removed.
PowerFlex Manager removes only the protection domain and storage pools that are part of the resource group. If
multiple resource groups are sharing a protection domain, you might not want to delete the protection domain.
For a compression enabled resource group, PowerFlex Manager deletes the acceleration pool and the DAX devices when
you delete the resource group.

c. Select Delete Machine Group and remove from CloudLink Center to clean up the related components in CloudLink
Center.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 137

 CloudLink Center cleanup includes the deletion of the machine group, keystore, and approved network that is related to
the resource group being deleted. These components are removed from CloudLink Center only if all the machines that
are associated to the machine group are deleted first. If all the machines that are related to this machine group are not
removed, the cleanup does not succeed as there are machines associated with the machine group.

d. If you are certain that you want to proceed, type DELETE RESOURCE GROUP.
e. Click Delete.

Related information
Deploying a resource group

Canceling a resource group

Canceling a resource group stops a scheduled/pending, or in-process resource group deployment. After canceling a resource
group, you can update the content and retry the deployment later.
1. On the menu bar, click Lifecycle > Resource Groups.
2. Select a resource group that is in In Progress or Pending state.
3. On the Resource Group Details page, click Cancel under More Actions.
4. On the Cancel Deployment page, click Cancel Deployment.
You cannot cancel existing resource groups or resource groups that are used for managing the firmware.
When you cancel a deployment, a banner displays at the top of the screen that displays a warning.

Preparing a template for a resource group deployment

This section includes tasks for preparing a template that will be used to deploy a set of infrastructure resources in a resource
group.
A template is an object in PowerFlex Manager that represents resource types and their required configuration and topology.
A template specifies requirements for the deployment of a set of infrastructure resources through PowerFlex Manager's
automation workflows.
On the Templates page, you can access the default sample templates or create templates that meet your specific
requirements. For most environments, you can clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex Manager
and edit as needed. Choose the sample template that is most appropriate for your environment.
PowerFlex Manager allows you to create templates that support hyperconverged, storage-only, and compute-only resource
group deployments.
After you create a template, PowerFlex Manager saves the template in a draft state. You must publish the template before
deploying it.
Lifecycle administrators can view and use only those templates for which they have been granted permission by a super user.

Related information
Deploying and provisioning

Basic tasks
This section provides basic tasks for template management.

Clone a template
The Clone feature allows you to copy an existing template into a new template. A cloned template contains the components
that existed in the original template. You can edit it to add additional components or modify the cloned components.
For most environments, you can clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex Manager and edit as
needed. Choose the sample template that is most appropriate for your environment. If you already created a template using the
Add a template option, skip this task.

138 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

To clone an existing template:
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. Click Sample Template > Select and click the PowerFlex-File-SW Only template from the list.
You can also click Clone on the My Templates page if you want to clone one of your own templates, rather than one of the
sample templates.

3. In the Clone Template dialog box, enter a template name in the Template Name box.
4. Select a template category from the Template Category list. To create a template category, select Create New Category.
5. In the Template Description box, enter a description for the template.
6. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
7. Indicate Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template by selecting one of the following
options:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriveReplacer users to the list.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
8. Click Next.
9. On the Additional Settings page, provide new values for the Network Settings, PowerFlex Gateway Settings, and
Node Pool Settings.
NOTE: For more information about different networks available for PowerFlex file deployment software, see the
PowerFlex file network enhancement and flexibility topic in related information.

10. Click Finish.

11. See the Edit a Template topic, in related information, for modifying the cluster components: Node (Software only),
PowerFlex cluster, and PowerFlex file cluster.

Related information
Configuring block storage

Sample templates
This topic lists the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex Manager.

Table 29. Sample templates

Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required
Compute - ESXi A standard ESXi compute-only node 2 0 2
deployment.
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Compute - ESXi 100 Gb An ESXi compute-only node deployment. 2 0 2

100 GB networking deployment.

This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 139

Table 29. Sample templates (continued)
Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required
Compute - ESXi - Partial A standard ESXi compute-only node 2 0 2
Network deployment with partial network automation.
The partial network feature allows you to
work with unsupported switches. If you
choose to use the partial network feature,
you give up the error handling and network
automation features that are available with
a full network configuration that includes
supported switches.
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Compute- A Linux compute-only node deployment with 2 0 2

Linux-25gb-2Data-Trunked these characteristics:

● Management and customer networks on

two ports in mode1 bond (interface1 port1
and interface2 port2)
● Two networks (data 1 and data 2) as SDC-
SDS traffic on the other 2 ports
● 25 gig NIC
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.
This template was called Compute - Linux in
previous releases.

Compute- A Linux compute-only node deployment with 2 0 4

Linux-25gb-4Data-Trunked these characteristics:

● Management and customer networks on

two ports in mode1 bond (interface1 port1
and interface2 port1)
● Two networks (data 2 and data 3) on
interface1 port2
● Two networks (data 1 and data 4) on
interface2 port2
● 25 gig NIC
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Compute- A Linux compute-only node deployment with 2 0 4

Linux-100gb-4Data- these characteristics:
Trunked
● Management and customer networks on
two ports in mode1 bond (interface1 port1
and interface2 port1)
● Two networks (data 2 and data 3) on
interface1 port2
● Two networks (data 1 and data 4) on
interface2 port2
● 100 gig NIC
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

140 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Table 29. Sample templates (continued)
Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required
Compute- A Linux compute-only node deployment with 2 0 2
ESXi-25gb-2Data-Trunked these characteristics:
● Management and customer networks on
two ports set to "Route based on physical
NIC load" (interface1 port1 and interface2
port1)
● Two networks (interface1 port2: data2 and
interface2 port2: data1) as SDC-SDS traffic
on the other 2 ports
● 25 gig NIC
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Compute - Linux - Partial A standard Linux compute-only node 2 0 2

Network deployment with partial network automation.
The partial network feature allows you to
work with unsupported switches. If you
choose to use the partial network feature,
you give up the error handling and network
automation features that are available with
a full network configuration that includes
supported switches.
This template requires that hyperconverged or
storage-only nodes be deployed first.

Hyperconverged An ESXi standard hyperconverged node 3 0 2

deployment.

Hyperconverged - 100 Gb An ESXi hyperconverged node deployment 3 0 2

with 100 GB networking.
Nodes require Mellanox CX5 or CX6 interface
cards.

Hyperconverged - A standard ESXi hyperconverged node 3 0 2

Compression deployment with compression-enabled.
Requires NVDIMM in nodes.

Hyperconverged - A standard ESXi hyperconverged node 3 0 2

Encryption deployment with CloudLink encryption.
Requires CloudLink Center in environment.

Hyperconverged - Leaf- An ESXi hyperconverged node deployment 3 0 2

Spine with networking without a vPC.
This is the most common leaf-spine
configuration.

Hyperconverged - Partial A standard ESXi hyperconverged node 3 0 2

Network deployment with partial network automation.
The partial network feature allows you to
work with unsupported switches. If you
choose to use the partial network feature,
you give up the error handling and network

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 141

Table 29. Sample templates (continued)
Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required

automation features that are available with

a full network configuration that includes
supported switches.

Hyperconverged - A standard ESXi hyperconverged node 3 0 3

Replication deployment with replication enabled. Two networks
for data.
One network
for replication.

Management - CloudLink A two node CloudLink Center cluster 2 2 N/a

Center deployment, for use in encryption templates.

PowerFlex File A PowerFlex file cluster deployment. 2 0 Four PowerFlex

Data networks
One NAS File
Data network
NOTE:
Two NAS
File Data
networks
are
recommend
ed for
redundancy
.

PowerFlex File - SW Only A PowerFlex file cluster deployment in a 2 0 1

software-only environment.

Storage A standard storage-only node deployment. 3 0 2

Storage-25gb-4Data- A storage-only node deployment with these 3 0 4

Trunked characteristics:
● Management network in mode1 bond, on all
4 ports
● Four Data networks, each not in a bond
● 25 gig NIC
● interface1 port1: management, data1
● interface1 port2: management, data2
● interface2 port1: management, data3
● interface2 port2: management, data4
This template was called Storage-NoBonding
in previous releases.

Storage-100gb-4Data- A storage-only node deployment with these 3 0 4

Trunked characteristics:
● Management network in mode1 bond, on all
4 ports
● Four Data networks, each on different port
● 100 gig NIC
● interface1 port1: management, data1

142 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Table 29. Sample templates (continued)
Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required
● interface1 port2: management, data2
● interface2 port1: management, data3
● interface2 port2: management, data4
Storage-25gb-2Host-Data- A storage-only node deployment with these 3 0 4
Trunked characteristics:
● Management network in mode1 bond on 2
ports
● Two networks (Data 1 and Data 2) as SDC-
SDS traffic
● Two networks (Data 3 and Data 4) as SDS-
SDS traffic
● 25 gig NIC
● interface1 port1: management, data1 SDC-
SDS traffic
● interface1 port2: data3 SDS-SDS traffic
● interface2 port1: management, data2 SDC-
SDS traffic
● interface2 port2: data4 SDS-SDS traffic
Storage-100gb-2Host- A storage-only node deployment with these 3 0 4
Data-Trunked characteristics:
● Management network in mode1 bond on 2
ports
● Two networks (Data 1 and Data 2) as SDC-
SDS traffic
● Two networks (Data 3 and Data 4) as SDS-
SDS traffic
● 100 gig NIC
● interface1 port1: management, data1 SDC-
SDS traffic
● interface1 port2: data3 SDS-SDS traffic
● interface2 port1: management, data2 SDC-
SDS traffic
● interface2 port2: data4 SDS-SDS traffic
Storage - Perf, No HA A storage-only non-HA management node 3 0 2
Management deployment.

Storage with NVMe/TCP A storage-only node deployment with NVMe/ 3 0 2

TCP.

Storage - 100 Gb A storage-only node deployment with 100 GB 3 0 2

networking.
Nodes require Mellanox CX5 or CX6 interface
cards.

Storage - Compression A storage-only node deployment with 3 0 2

compression enabled.
Requires NVDIMM in nodes.

Storage - Encryption A storage-only node deployment with 3 0 2

encryption enabled.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 143

Table 29. Sample templates (continued)
Template name Description Minimum Minimum Minimum
number of number of number of
nodes VMs data networks
required required required
Storage - Partial Network A storage-only node deployment with partial 3 0 2
network deployment.
The partial network feature allows you to
work with unsupported switches. If you
choose to use the partial network feature,
you give up the error handling and network
automation features that are available with
a full network configuration that includes
supported switches.

Storage - Replication A storage-only node deployment with 3 0 2

replication enabled.
Configures storage data replicator (SDR) and
journal capacity.

Add a template
The Create feature allows you to create a template, clone the components of an existing template into a new template, or
import a pre-existing template.
For most environments, you can clone one of the sample templates that are provided with PowerFlex Manager and edit as
needed. Choose the sample template that is most appropriate for your environment.
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. On the Templates page, click Create.
3. In the Create dialog box, select one of the following options:
● Clone an existing PowerFlex Manager template
● Upload External Template
● Create a new template
If you select Clone an existing PowerFlex Manager template, select the Category and the Template to be Cloned.
The components of the selected template are in the new template.
For PowerFlex software file storage, ensure that you select PowerFlex-File-SW only template.
4. Enter a Template Name.
5. From the Template Category list, select a template category. To create a category, select Create New Category from the
list.
6. Enter a Template Description (optional).
7. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
8. Specify the resource group permissions for this template under Who should have access to the resource group
deployed from this template? by performing one of the following actions:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific life-cycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriveReplacer users to the displayed list.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all life-cycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
9. Click Next.
10. In Additional Settings provide the new values for the following settings:

144 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 ● Network
● PowerFlex Gateway
● Node Pool
11. Click Finish.

Build and publish a template

After creating a template using the Create feature, you use the template builder page to build and publish the customized
template. Publishing a template indicates that a template is ready for deployment.
1. Click Modify Template.
2. To add a component type to the template, click Add Node, Add Cluster, or Add VM at the top of the template builder.
The corresponding <component type> component dialog box appears.
3. If you are adding a node, choose one of the following network automation types:
● Full Network Automation
● Partial Network Automation
When you choose Partial Network Automation, PowerFlex Manager skips the switch configuration step, which is normally
performed for a resource group with Full Network Automation. Partial network automation allows you to work with
unsupported switches. However, it also requires more manual configuration before deployments can proceed successfully.
If you choose to use partial network automation, you give up the error handling and network automation features that are
available with a full network configuration that includes supported switches.

In the Number of Instances box, provide the number of component instances that you want to include in the template.

4. If you are adding a cluster, in the Select a Component box, choose one of the following cluster types:
● PowerFlex Cluster
● VMware Cluster
● PowerFlex File Cluster
5. If you are adding a VM, in the Select a Component box, choose one of the following cluster types:
● CloudLink Center
● PowerFlex Gateway
6. Under Related Components, perform one of the following actions:
● To associate the component with all existing components, click Associate All.
● To associate the component with only selected components, click Associate Selected and then select the components
to associate.
Based on the component type, specific settings and properties appear automatically that are required and can be edited.
7. Click Save to add the component to the template builder.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 6 to add additional components.
9. After you finish adding components to your template, click Publish Template.
A template must be published to be deployed. It remains in draft state until published.
After publishing a template, you can use the template to deploy a resource group on the Resource Groups page.

Related information
Support for full and partial network automation
Deploying a resource group

Edit a template
You can edit an existing template to change its draft state to "published" for deployment or to modify its components and their
properties.
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. Open a template, and click Modify Template.
3. Make changes as required to the settings for components within the template.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 145

 Based on the component type, required settings and properties are displayed automatically. You can edit these settings by
performing these steps:

PowerFlex Manager facilitates sending the active RCM version to the Data Items portal. The compliance file includes the
RCM and intelligent catalog (IC). When multiple resource groups run on different compliance files besides the default
PowerFlex Manager compliance file, all the active and default RCM and IC versions are sent to the Data Items portal. If
PowerFlex Manager is not managing any resource groups, then the default RCM of PowerFlex Manager is sent to the data
items section of the Embedded SupportAssist Enabler. By default, this information is sent every Saturday at 02:00 AM UTC.
NOTE: If an RCM associated with the template is modified, a wrench icon with the text, Modified, is displayed.
However, if the update file is moved or deleted, the wrench icon with the text, Needs Attention, is displayed.

a. To edit PowerFlex cluster settings, select the PowerFlex Cluster component and click Modify. Make the necessary
changes and click Save.
b. To edit the VMware cluster settings, select the VMware Cluster component and click Modify. Make the necessary
changes, and click Save.
c. To edit node settings, select the Node component and click Modify. Make the necessary changes, and click Save.
4. Optionally, click Publish Template to make the template ready for deployment.

Related information
Component types

(Optional) Edit template information

Optionally, edit the information for a template, with the following procedure:
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. On the Templates page, click the template that you want to edit and click Modify Template in the right pane.
3. On the template builder page, in the right pane, click Modify.
4. In the Modify Template Information dialog box, enter a template name in the Template Name field.
5. Select a template category from the Template Category list. To create a template category, select Create New Category.
6. In the Template Description box, enter a description for the template.
7. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
8. Indicate Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template by selecting one of the following
options:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriverReplacer users to the displayed list.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
9. Click Save.

Deploying a resource group

Deployment is the automated process of selecting and configuring specific resource requirements that are outlined in a template
using the integrated automation workflows provided with PowerFlex Manager. You cannot use a template that is in a draft state
to deploy a resource group. Publish the template before using it to deploy a resource group.
1. On the menu bar, click one of the following:
● Lifecycle > Resource Groups. Then, click Deploy New Resource Group.
● Lifecycle > Templates. Then, click Deploy.
The Deploy Resource Group wizard opens.
2. On the Deploy Resource Group page, perform the following steps:

146 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 a. From the Select Published Template list, select the template to deploy a resource group.
b. Enter the Resource Group Name (required) and Resource Group Description (optional) that identifies the resource
group.
c. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
You cannot select a minimal compliance version when you deploy a new resource group, since it only includes server
firmware updates. The compliance version for a new resource group must include the full set of compliance update
capabilities. PowerFlex Manager does not show any minimal compliance versions in the Firmware and Software
Compliance list.
PowerFlex Manager checks the VMware vCenter version to determine if it matches the VMware ESXi version for the
selected compliance version. If the ESXi version is greater than the vCenter version, PowerFlex Manager blocks the
resource group deployment and displays an error. PowerFlex Manager instructs you to upgrade vCenter first, or use a
different compliance version that is compatible with the installed vCenter version.
NOTE: Changing the firmware repository might update the firmware level on nodes for this resource group. The
global default firmware repository maintains the firmware on the shared devices.

d. Indicate Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template by selecting one of the
following options:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
i. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriveReplacer users to the list displayed.
ii. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
iii. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
iv. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and
all LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
3. Click Next.
4. On the screens that follow the Deployment Settings page, configure the settings, as needed for your deployment.
5. Click Next.
6. On the Schedule Deployment page, select one of the following options and click Next:
● Deploy Now—Select this option to deploy the resource group immediately.
● Deploy Later—Select this option and enter the date and time to deploy the resource group.
7. Review the Summary page.
The Summary page gives you a preview of what the resource group will look like after the deployment.
8. Click Finish when you are ready to begin the deployment. If you want to edit the resource group, click Back.
PowerFlex Manager displays a message indicating that a new job is being created for this resource group.
PowerFlex Manager creates a configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-so.conf for a storage-only resource group
and a configuration file called /etc/sysctl.d/powerflex-svm.conf for a hyperconverged resource group. PowerFlex Manager
maintains default values in a conf file for resource group deployment settings. If you have an old sysctl.conf file from a
previous release, it will override these settings. If you need to customize these settings, you can do it in sysctl.conf.

Related information
Lifecycle
Viewing resource group details
Adding components to a resource group
Build and publish a template
Component types
Removing a resource group

Additional template management tasks

This section provides additional tasks for template management.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 147

Add cluster component settings to a template
To deploy a PowerFlex compute-only node or a PowerFlex hyperconverged node, you must add VMware and PowerFlex cluster
components settings to a template. For a PowerFlex storage-only node deployment, you must add cluster settings for the
PowerFlex cluster component only. For a PowerFlex file deployment, you must add cluster settings for the PowerFlex file cluster
component.
1. On the template builder page, click Add Cluster.
2. In the Cluster Component dialog box, from the Select a Component list, select VMware cluster, PowerFlex Cluster, or
PowerFlex File Cluster.
3. Under Related Components, select the components that you want to map to the selected cluster instance.
4. Click Continue.
5. Under Cluster Settings, specify the settings that you want to configure on the cluster components and click Add.

Related information
Cluster component settings

Add a new interface

Use the Add New Interface feature to create a network interface to match to a network card on a node when deploying a
template.
PowerFlex Manager supports a network layout for hyperconverged, compute-only, and storage-only deployments. This network
layout allows you to use trunk ports and port channels for data networks, instead of access ports. In this type of configuration,
both data networks are on both NICs, teamed or bonded together in the operating system. For a hyperconverged or compute-
only deployment, the first port on both interfaces is for trunk traffic, whereas the second port is for data 1 and data 2. For a
storage-only deployment, the first port is for trunk traffic and data 1, whereas the second port is for data 2. PowerFlex Manager
still supports the legacy network layout, but the sample templates use the new configuration.
1. On the node component page, under Network Settings, click Add New Interface.
2. Enter the following information for the new interface:
● Port Layout—Select the NIC type from the list.
For a VMware ESXi deployment with an NVIDIA card, you must select the two port, 25-gigabit NIC type.

The second interface ports 1 and 2 are automatically replicated to the first interface. This replication applies to sample
templates as well. If you manually create a template from scratch and choose the networks for the interfaces, the second
interface's port 1 and 2 are not automatically replicated to the first interface.
3. Enter the network VLANs for each port.
a. Click Choose Networks for a port.
b. To add one or more networks to the port, select Add Networks to this Port, then click the check box for each network
you want to add from the Available Networks list. Alternatively, click the check box in the upper left corner next to the
Name label to select all the available networks.
If you want to filter the list by network type, select a Network Type, then enter a name or VLAN ID to search.
Click >> to move the selected items to the Selected Networks list on the right.
c. To mirror network settings from another port for which you have already chosen the network VLANs, select Mirror this
Port with Another Port. Then, select the other interface and port from which you want to mirror this port.
d. Click Save.
4. To view the list of nodes that match the network configuration parameters, click Validate Settings.
The list of nodes is filtered according to the target boot device and NIC type settings specified.
When you enable PowerFlex settings for the node, the Validate Settings page filters the list of nodes according to the
supported storage types (NVMe, All flash, and HDD). Within the section for each storage type, the nodes are also sorted by
health, with the healthy (green) nodes displayed first and the critical (red) nodes displayed last.

NOTE: If you select the same network on multiple interface ports or partitions, PowerFlex Manager creates a team or bond
on systems with the VMware ESXi operating system. This configuration enables redundancy.

148 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Add a new static route
Use the Add New Static Route feature to create a static route in a template.
A static route allows nodes to communicate across different networks. The static route can also be used to support replication
in storage-only and hyperconverged resource groups.

1. On the node component page, under Network Settings, click Enabled under Static Routes.
2. Click Add New Static Route.
3. Enter the following information for the static route:
● Source Network—Select the PowerFlex data network or replication network that is the source.
If you add or remove a network for a port, the Source Network list still shows the old networks. In order to see the
changes, you must save the node settings and edit the node again.
● Destination Network—Select the PowerFlex data network or replication network that is the destination for the static
route.
● Gateway—Enter the IP address for the gateway.

Configure VDS settings

Use the Configure VDS Settings feature to create the virtual distributed switch (VDS) settings for the VMware cluster
component in a template.
You can specify the port group names or have PowerFlex Manager specify them for you.
1. On the VMware cluster component page, under vSphere VDS Settings, click Configure VDS Settings.
2. To specify the port group names, click User Entered Port Groups and click Next:
a. Provide the name for each VDS under VDS Naming.
For each VDS, click Create VDS... and type the VDS name.
b. Click Next.
c. On the Port Group Select page, for each VDS, click Create Port Group... and type the port group name. Initially, the
port group name defaults to the name of the network, but you can type over the default to suit for your requirements.
Alternatively, you can click Select and choose an existing port group.
d. Click Next.
3. To have PowerFlex Manager assign the port group names for you, click Auto Create All Port Groups and click Next:
PowerFlex Manager determines the VDS order based on the following criteria:
a. PowerFlex Manager first considers the number of port groups on each VDS.
b. PowerFlex Manager considers whether a management port group is present on a particular VDS.
c. PowerFlex Manager considers the network type for port groups on a VDS.
d. PowerFlex Manager considers the network name for port groups on a VDS.

a. Provide the name for each VDS under VDS Naming.

For each VDS, click Create VDS... and type the VDS name.
b. Click Next.
c. On the Port Group Select page, review the port group names automatically assigned for the networks.
d. Click Next.
4. On the Advanced Networking page, optionally change the MTU Size for the Hypervisor Management and vMotion
networks.
PowerFlex Manager allows you to select 1500 or 9000 as the setting for either network. The default setting for the
Hypervisor Management network is 1500. The default setting for the vMotion network is 9000.

5. Review the settings on the Summary page and click Finish.

View template details

View more details about the topology of the components in the template builder.
1. On the Templates page, select a template.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 149

2. In the right pane, click View Details.
3. To view all the component settings, click More Actions > View All Settings in the right pane.
The Template Settings page shows each top-level component on a separate tab. Click a tab for a component to see the
details for the component.
NOTE: If an RCM is mapped to the template and is modified, a wrench icon with the text, "Modified", is displayed.
However, if the update file is moved or deleted, the wrench icon with the text, "Needs Attention", is displayed.

Related information
Component types

Export a template
To export a template:
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. Select the template that you want to export.
3. Click Export.
4. In the Export Template to ZIP File window, enter values as follows:
a. Enter a name for the template file in the File Name.
b. If you have set an encryption password, select Use Encryption Password from Backup Setting to use that password.
To set an encryption password, clear this option.
c. If you clear Use Encryption Password from Backup Setting, two additional fields display. Enter a new password in
the Set File Encryption Password field and enter the password again to confirm it.
5. Click Export to download the file. Select a location to save the file and click OK.

Import a template
The Import Template feature allows you to import the components of an existing template and its component configurations
into a template. For example, you can create a template that defines a specific cluster and node topology and import
this template definition into another template. After importing, you can modify the component properties of the imported
components.
Editing an imported template does not affect the original template.
As an alternative to this procedure, you can also start from a new template and import an existing template as you create it. This
is a better approach to use. To do this, you select Create, then choose Clone an existing VxFlex Manager template in the
wizard.
To import a template, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. On the Templates page, select the template into you want to import an existing template and click Edit in the right pane.
3. On the Template Builder page, in the right pane, click Import Template.
4. In the Import Template dialog box, select a specific template from the Select a template list and click Import.

Upload an external template

To upload a template, perform the following steps:
1. On the Templates page, click Create.
2. In the Create dialog box, select Upload External Template.
The Upload External Template page appears.
3. Click Browse to select the exported file from your directory.
4. Select the Use Encryption Password from Backup Settings check box, if you have set the encryption password in
Backup and Restore.
Clear the Use Encryption Password from Backup Settings check box if you have not set the encryption password in
Backup and Restore.

150 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 If you clear the Use Encryption Password from Backup Settings, you must enter the encryption password in the
Encryption Password field.
5. Enter the template name in the Template Name field.
6. Select a template category from the Template Category list.
If you want to create a template category, select Create New Category.
7. In the Template Description box, enter a description for the template.
8. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
NOTE: Changing the firmware repository might update the firmware level on nodes for this resource group. Firmware
on shared devices is maintained by the global default firmware repository.

9. Indicate Who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template by selecting one of the following
options:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
a. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriverReplacer users to the list displayed.
b. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
c. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
d. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.
● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and all
LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
10. Click Upload and Continue.
The Additional Settings page appears.
11. On the Additional Settings page, provide new values for the Network Settings, OS Settings, Cluster Settings,
PowerFlex Gateway Settings, and Node Pool Settings.
12. Click Finish.

Deploy a CloudLink Center

Use this task to deploy a CloudLink Center. Although PowerFlex Manager supports up to three instances of CloudLink Center,
two are recommended.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
Ensure the following:
● Hypervisor management or PowerFlex management networks are added to PowerFlex Manager.
● A VMware vCenter with a valid data center, cluster, network, and datastore is discovered.
1. On the menu bar, click Templates > Sample Templates.
2. On the Sample Templates page, click Management - CloudLink Center.
3. Click More Actions > Clone.
4. In the Clone Template wizard, do the following:
a. Enter a template name.
b. From the Template Category list, select a template category. To create a category, select Create New Category from
the list.
c. Enter a Template Description (optional).
d. To specify the version to use for compliance, select the version from the Firmware and Software Compliance list or
choose Use PowerFlex Manager appliance default catalog.
e. Specify the resource group permissions for this template under Who should have access to the resource group
deployed from this template?:
● To restrict access to super users, select Only PowerFlex SuperUser.
● To grant access to super users and some specific lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select the PowerFlex
SuperUser and specific LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer option, and perform the following steps:
i. Click Add User(s) to add one or more LifecycleAdmin or DriverReplacer users to the list displayed.
ii. Select which users will have access to this resource group.
iii. To delete a user from the list, select the user and click Remove User(s).
iv. After adding the users, select or clear the check box next to the users to grant or block access.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 151

 ● To grant access to super users and all lifecycle administrators and drive replacers, select PowerFlex SuperUser and
all LifecycleAdmin and DriveReplacer.
f. Click Next.
5. On the Additional Settings page, do the following:
a. Under Network Settings, select Hypervisor Network (PowerFlex management network).
b. Under OS Settings, select CLC credential or click + to create a credential with root or CloudLink user.
c. Under Cloudlink Settings, do the following:
i. Select the secadmin credential from the list or click + to create a secadmin credential and do the following:
i. Enter Credential Name.
ii. Enter User Name as secadmin.
iii. Leave the Domain empty.
iv. Enter the password for secadmin in Password and Confirm Password.
v. Select V2 in SNMP Type.
vi. Click Save.
ii. Select a license file from the list based on the types of drives or click + to upload a license through the Add
Software License page.

NOTE: For SSD/NVMe drives, upload a capacity-based license. For SED drives, upload an SED-based license.

d. Under Cluster Settings, select Management vCenter.

e. Click Finish.
6. Select the VMware Cluster and click Edit > Continue.
a. Under Cluster Settings, select Datacenter Name, and then select Cluster Name from the drop-down list.
b. Under vSphere Network Settings, select the hypervisor management port group or PowerFlex management port
group.
c. Click Save.
NOTE: To deploy a CloudLink Center from PowerFlex Manager, you need a Management vCenter, Datacenter, and
Cluster along with DvSwitch port groups for PowerFlex management or hypervisor management.

7. Select the VM and click Edit > Continue (by default, the number of CloudLink instances is two and PowerFlex Manager
supports up to three instances).
a. Under VM Settings select the Datastore and Network from the drop-down list.
b. Under Cloudlink Settings select the following:
i. For Host Name Selection, either select Specify At Deployment Time to manually enter at deployment time or
Auto Generate to have PowerFlex Manager generate the name.
ii. Enter the vault passwords.
NOTE: Other details such as OS credentials, NTP, and secadmin credentials are auto populated.

8. Under Additional Cloudlink Settings, you can choose either or both of the following settings:
● Configure Syslog Forwarding
a. Select the check box to configure syslog forwarding.
b. For Syslog Facility, select the syslog remote server from the list.
● Configure Email Notifications
a. Select the check box to configure email alerts.
b. Specify the IP address of the email server.
c. Specify the port number for the email server. The default port is 25. Enter the port numbers in a comma-separated
list, with values between 1-65535.
d. Specify the email address for the sender.
e. Optionally, specify the username and password.
9. Click Save.
10. Click Publish Template and click Yes to confirm.
11. In the Deploy Resource Group wizard, do the following:
a. Select the published template from the drop-down list, and enter Resource Group Name and description.
b. Select who should have the access to the resource group and click Next.
c. Provide Hostname and click Next.
d. Select Deploy Now or Schedule deployment and click Next.

152 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 e. Review the details in Summary page and click Finish.

Deploy the PowerFlex file cluster

Perform this task to deploy the PowerFlex file cluster.

Deploy a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group that includes a PowerFlex cluster that will be associated with the
PowerFlex file cluster. When you deploy the PowerFlex file cluster, the control volumes that are needed for file enablement will
be added automatically.
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. On the Templates page, click Create.
3. In the Add a Template wizard, click Clone an existing PowerFlex Manager template.
4. For Category, select Sample Templates. For Template to be Cloned, select PowerFlex File or PowerFlex File - SW
Only. Click Next.
5. On the Template Information page, provide the template name, template category, template description, firmware and
software compliance, and who should have access to the resource group deployed from this template. Click Next.
6. On the Additional Settings page, enter new values for the Network Settings, PowerFlex Gateway Settings, OS
Settings, and Node Pool Settings.
For the Network Settings in a PowerFlex file cluster template, you must provide a NAS Management network and two
NAS Data networks.
For the OS Settings, you must choose Use Compliance File Linux Image.
For the PowerFlex Gateway Settings, select block-legacy-gateway.

7. Click Finish.
8. After creating the template, click Templates, select the cloned template, and click Modify Template.
9. Edit the PowerFlex cluster, PowerFlex file cluster, and node components as needed and click Save.
10. Publish the template and deploy the resource group.
NAS volumes are shown during the deployment, and then compressed to one icon with a number based on the number of nodes.
For example, you might see the number 4 for a two-node NAS compute-only deployment. Each time you expand the deployment
by adding another node, the number is incremented to show that another volume is added.

Related information
Configuring file storage

Cluster settings for the PowerFlex cluster

This table describes the most important cluster settings for the PowerFlex cluster in a NAS deployment.

Table 30. Cluster settings

Setting Description
Target PowerFlex Gateway Choose the block-legacy-gateway.

Cluster settings for the PowerFlex file cluster

This table describes the most important cluster settings for the PowerFlex file cluster.

Table 31. Cluster settings

Setting Description
PowerFlex File Gateway Name of the PowerFlex file gateway.
Number of Protection Domains Number of protection domains you want to use in this
template.

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 153

Table 31. Cluster settings (continued)
Setting Description
Protection Domain <n> One or more protection domains provided by the
PowerFlex cluster deployed as part of the storage-only or
hyperconverged resource group.
This setting will be empty if you have not yet deployed the
storage-only or hyperconverged resource group.

Storage Pool <n> One or more storage pools provided by the PowerFlex cluster
deployed as part of the storage-only or hyperconverged
resource group.
This setting will be empty if you have not yet deployed the
storage-only or hyperconverged resource group.

Node settings (PowerFlex file template)

This table describes the most important node settings for the PowerFlex File template.

Table 32. Node settings

Setting Description
Number of Instances For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must have a minimum of two nodes
and a maximum of 16 nodes.

When you deploy a NAS template, PowerFlex Manager automatically

creates control volumes for the deployment. Two of the volumes are
common and are mapped to every node (one for the NAS cluster
and the other for the Postgres cluster). The other volumes (SVDM
volumes) are mapped separately to each of the nodes added.

The control volumes are special NAS cluster volumes that cannot be
deleted or modified. These control volumes are hidden from view in
the management software appliance.
Related Components Choose All Components.
OS Settings: OS Image For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must choose Use Compliance File
Linux Image.
OS Settings: PowerFlex Role Choose Compute Only.
OS Settings: Enable PowerFlex File This option must be selected for NAS.
OS Settings: Switch Port Configuration Choose Port Channel (LACP Enabled) or Trunk Port. Port
Channel (LACP Enabled) is the preferred option.

Port Channel is not supported with this template.

OS Settings: Teaming and Bonding Configuration Choose Mode 4 (IEEE 802.3ad policy) for Port Channel (LACP
Enabled).
Network Settings The PowerFlex file template pulls in the PowerFlex management and
PowerFlex data networks from the associated PowerFlex gateway.
To ensure that the PowerFlex file resource group works properly, you
need to deploy a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group first
that includes the target gateway.

In addition to the PowerFlex management and PowerFlex data

networks, you need to include a NAS management network and at
least one NAS data network. One NAS data network is enough, but,
for redundancy, two networks are recommended.

154 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

Table 32. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description
By default, the template includes two interfaces with two ports on
each interface. The second interface mirrors the first interface.

Node settings (PowerFlex File-SW Only template)

This table describes the most important node settings for the PowerFlex File-SW Only template.

Table 33. Node settings

Setting Description
Number of Instances For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must have a minimum of 2
nodes and a maximum of 16 nodes. Software-only NAS nodes also
need to be discovered with a resource type of Node (Software
Management).

The operating system has to be installed and configured manually

for each software-only node. The software-only nodes must also
have base networking configured. PowerFlex Manager takes care
of provisioning the NAS application-level components on top of the
operating system.

When you deploy a PowerFlex File-SW Only template, PowerFlex

Manager automatically creates control volumes for the deployment.
Two of the volumes are common and are mapped to every node (one
for the NAS cluster and the other for the Postgres cluster). The
other volumes (SVDM volumes) are mapped separately to each of
the nodes added.

The control volumes are special NAS cluster volumes that cannot be
deleted or modified. These control volumes are hidden from view in
the management software appliance.
Related Components Choose All Components.
OS Settings: OS Image For a PowerFlex file cluster, you must choose Use Compliance File
Linux Image.
OS Settings: PowerFlex Role Choose Compute Only.
OS Settings: Enable PowerFlex File This option must be selected for NAS.
OS Settings: Switch Port Configuration Choose Port Channel (LACP Enabled) or Trunk Port. Port
Channel (LACP Enabled) is the preferred option.

Port Channel (standard port channel with LACP disabled) is not

supported with this template.
OS Settings: Teaming and Bonding Configuration Choose Mode 4 (IEEE 802.3ad policy) for Port Channel (LACP
Enabled).
Network Settings The PowerFlex File-SW Only template pulls in the PowerFlex
management and PowerFlex data networks from the associated
PowerFlex gateway. To ensure that the PowerFlex file resource
group works properly, you need to deploy a storage-only or
hyperconverged resource group first that includes the target
gateway.

In addition to the PowerFlex management and PowerFlex data

networks, you need to include a NAS management network and at

Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group 155

Table 33. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description
least one NAS data network. One NAS data network is enough, but,
for redundancy, two networks are recommended.

By default, the software-only template includes six interfaces with a

single network VLAN on each interface. These interfaces could be
for six physical NICs, or for a single physical NIC.

For a software-only deployment, the interfaces do not have a one-

to-one relationship with the physical NIC ports. In the case of a
software-only deployment, PowerFlex Manager does not know about
the physical NICs. It only knows about the networks in the operating
system.

Delete a template
The Delete Template option allows you to delete a template from PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Templates.
2. Select the template that you want to delete. Click More Actions > Delete Template in the right pane.
3. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

156 Performing lifecycle operations for a resource group

 11
Managing resources
This section includes tasks for discovering and managing resources in the PowerFlex Manager inventory.
A resource is a physical and virtual data center object that PowerFlex Manager interacts with, including but not limited to nodes,
network switches, VM managers (for example, VMware vCenter), and element managers (for example, CloudLink Center).
The Resources page displays detailed information about all the resources and node pools that PowerFlex Manager has
discovered and inventoried. You can perform various operations from the All Resources and Node Pools tabs.
NOTE: Depending upon the number of resources, it might take few minutes to display the discovered resources every time
you run the inventory.
The All Resources tab displays the following information about the resources that are discovered and managed in PowerFlex
Manager:

Table 34. All Resources tab

Field name Description
Health Indicates the resource health.

Compliance Indicates if the resource firmware and software compliance state is Compliant,
Non-compliant, Update required, or Update failed.
Compliance is determined by the firmware/software version for the selected
resource, based on the default compliance version. Click the compliance status to
view the compliance report.

OS Hostname Indicates the resource hostname.

This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings
only.
NOTE: PowerFlex Manager retrieves the hostname value from iDRAC and
not the operating system. If the hostname field is not updated in iDRAC, an
incorrect value might display in PowerFlex Manager. Certain operating systems
require additional packages to be installed for iDRAC to update the correct
hostname.

Resource Name Indicates the name of the resource.

Management IP Indicates the resource IP address. Click the IP address to open the Element
Manager.

Asset/Service Tag Indicates the resource service tag.

This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings
only.

Deployment Status Indicates if the resource deployment status is In Use, Not in use, Available,
Updating resource, or Pending Updates.
Click the deployment status to view resource group details.

Managed State Indicates the resource state.

If you did not upload a license file in the Initial Configuration Wizard, PowerFlex
Manager is configured for monitoring and alerting only. All resources are restricted
to the Unmanaged resource state, and you cannot change the state to Managed
or Reserved.

Managing resources 157

Table 34. All Resources tab (continued)
Field name Description
Model Indicates the resource manufacturer name and model number.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings
only.

To filter the resources that display, click the toggle filters icon on the Resources page.

Table 35. Resources page filters

To filter based on... Select a value...
Resource Type ● Element Manager
● Node (Hardware/Software Management)
● Switches
● VM Manager
● PowerFlex Gateway
● Node (Software Management)
Health ● Healthy
● Warning
● Critical
● Unknown
● Service Mode
Resource Groups Allows you to choose one or more resource groups.
Resource State Managed, Unmanaged, or Reserved
Node Pool Lets you choose Global or one or more node pools.

On the Resources page, you can also perform the following tasks:

Table 36. Resources page tasks

Task How to perform
Discover new resources Click Discover Resources.
Manually run an inventory operation on a Select a resource and click Run Inventory. After running the inventory, you
resource and update PowerFlex Manager with can perform an Update Resource Group Details operation on any resource
the latest resource details group that requires the updated resource data.
Remove a resource from PowerFlex Manager Click Remove.
Update the firmware or software of a resource Select one or more resources and click Update Resources.
Export a compliance details report for all Click Export Report and select a report format.
resources to a CSV or PDF file
Modify the current state of a resource Select a resource and click Change resource state to.
You can change the state to Managed, Unmanaged or Reserved.

View detailed information about a resource Select the resource. In the right pane, click View Details.
View a firmware and software compliance Select the resource. In the right pane, click the link corresponding to
report for a resource Compliance field.
Update password for a resource Select the resource and click Update Password.

Basic tasks
This section provides basic tasks for resource management.

158 Managing resources

Discover a resource
A resource must be discovered in PowerFlex Manager in order for PowerFlex Manager to manage it.
Before you start discovering a resource, complete the following:
● Gather the IP addresses and credentials that are associated with the resources.
● Ensure that both the resources and PowerFlex Manager are connected to the network.
A resource in PowerFlex Manager is categorized into one of the following groups: Element Manager, Node (Hardware/Software
Management), Switch, VM manager, PowerFlex gateway, Node (Software Management) or PowerFlex System.
1. Access the Discovery Wizard by performing either of the following actions:
● On the Getting Started page, click Discover Resources.
● On the menu bar, click Resources. On the Resources page, click Discover Resources on the All Resources tab.
2. On the Welcome page of the Discovery Wizard, read the instructions, and click Next.
3. On the Identify Resources page, click Add Resource Type, and perform the following steps:
a. From the Resource Type list, select a resource that you want to discover.
● Element Manager, for example, CloudLink Center.
● Node (Hardware / Software Management)
● Switch
● VM Manager
● PowerFlex Gateway
● Node (Software Management)
● PowerFlex System
If you want to discover a PowerFlex software node or management VM (MVM) node with a credential that uses SSH key
pairs, you must add the public keys to the nodes manually before performing the discovery. If you do not add the public
keys first, the discovery fails.
The PowerFlex System resource type is used to discover an MDS gateway.
For a PowerFlex 4.x system, indicate whether the PowerFlex instance will be used for Production Storage or a
Management Cluster.

b. Enter the management IP address (or hostname) of the resources that you want to discover in the IP/Hostname Range
field.
To discover one or more nodes by IP address, select IP Address and provide a starting and ending IP address.
To discover one or more nodes by hostname, select Hostname and identify the nodes to discover in one of the following
ways:
● Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) with a domain suffix.
● Enter the FQDN without a domain suffix.
● Enter a hostname search string that includes one of the following variables:

Table 37. Hostname search strings

Variable Description
${num} Produces an automatically generated unique number.
${num_2d} Produces an automatically generated unique number that
has two digits.
${num_3d} Produces an automatically generated unique number that
has three digits.

If you use a variable, you must provide a start number and end number for the hostname search.

c. Select one of the following options from the Resource State list:

Table 38. Resource state

Option Description
Managed Select this option to monitor the firmware version compliance, upgrade
firmware, and deploy resource groups on the discovered resources. A managed

Managing resources 159

 Table 38. Resource state (continued)
Option Description
state is the default option for the switch, vCenter, element manager, and
PowerFlex gateway resource types.
Resource state must be set to Managed for PowerFlex Manager to send alerts
to SupportAssist.

Unmanaged Select this option to monitor the health status of a device and the firmware
version compliance only. The discovered resources are not available for a
firmware upgrade or deploying resource groups by PowerFlex Manager. This
option is the default for the node resource type.
If you have yet not uploaded a license, PowerFlex Manager is configured
for monitoring and alerting only. In this case, Unmanaged is the only option
available.

Reserved Select this option to monitor firmware version compliance and upgrade
firmware. The discovered resources are not available for deploying resource
groups by PowerFlex Manager.

d. To discover resources into a selected node pool instead of the global pool (default), select an existing or create a node
pool from the Discover into Node Pool list. To create a node pool, click the + sign to the right of the Discover into
Node Pool box.
e. Select an existing or create a credential from the Credentials list to discover resource types. To create a credential,
click the + sign to the right of the Credentials box. PowerFlex Manager maps the credential type to the type of
resource that you are discovering. The credential types are as follows:
● Element Manager
● Node (Hardware/Software Management)
● Switch
● VM Manager
● PowerFlex Gateway
● Node (Software Management)
● PowerFlex System

The default node (Hardware/Software Management) credential type is Dell PowerEdge iDRAC Default.

f. If you want PowerFlex Manager to automatically reconfigure the iDRAC nodes it finds, select the Reconfigure
discovered nodes with new management IP and credentials check box. This option is not selected by default,
because it is faster to discover the nodes if you bypass the reconfiguration.
g. To have PowerFlex Manager automatically configure iDRAC nodes to send alerts to PowerFlex Manager, select the Auto
configure nodes to send alerts to PowerFlex Manager check box.
4. Click Next.
You might have to wait while PowerFlex Manager locates and displays all the resources that are connected to the managed
networks.
To discover multiple resources with different IP address ranges, repeat steps 2 and 3.

5. On the Discovered Resources page, select the resources from which you want to collect inventory data and click Finish.
The discovered resources are listed on the Resources page.

Related information
Getting started
Configuring block storage
Resource health status
Compliance status

160 Managing resources

Discover a PowerFlex system
Perform this task to discover a PowerFlex system.
The Management Data Store (MDS) and cluster for a PowerFlex system are not automatically discovered when you perform a
migration on the Initial Configuration wizard. Therefore, you must bring in these resources after migration.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
Before you start discovering a PowerFlex system, complete the following:
● Gather the IP addresses and credentials that are associated with the resource.
● Ensure that both the resource and PowerFlex Manager are connected to the network.
● The MDS cluster must be installed manually before you attempt to do the discovery of the PowerFlex system on the
Resources page.
1. Access the Discovery Wizard by performing either of the following actions:
● On the Getting Started page, click Discover Resources.
● On the menu bar, click Resources. On the Resources page, click Discover Resources on the All Resources tab.
2. On the Welcome page of the Discovery Wizard, read the instructions, and click Next.
3. On the Identify Resources page, click Add Resource Type, and perform the following steps:
a. From the Resource Type list, select PowerFlex System.
For a PowerFlex 4.x system, indicate whether the PowerFlex instance will be used for Production Storage or a
Management Cluster.

b. Enter the management IP addresses of the LIA nodes in the MDM Cluster IP Address field. You must provide the IP
addresses for all the nodes in a comma-separated list. The list should include a minimum of three nodes and a maximum
of five nodes.
If you forget to add a node, the node will not be reachable after discovery. To fix this problem, you can rerun the
discovery later to provide the missing node. You can enter just the one missing node, or all the nodes again. If you enter
IP addresses for any nodes that were previously discovered, these nodes are ignored on the second run.

c. For the System ID, specify the same System ID provided when you created the MDS cluster.
d. Select an existing credential or create a new one from the Credentials list. The credential must be a PowerFlex
Management System credential. Be sure to provide the LIA password that was used for the original setup. The LIA
password is required for the mTLS configuration.
4. Click Next.
5. On the Summary page, click Finish.
After you complete the discovery, you should see a PowerFlex System resource on the Resources page. The OS
Hostname and Asset/Service tag are set to powerflex-mds. The discovery process also performs a bootstrap process
that generates the required certificates and places them on the MDS nodes. Once you have completed the steps to discover
a PowerFlex system, you must use the login certificate (not a username and password) to log in to the MDMs.
6. SSH to the two SVMs associated with the powerflex-mds system. Run scli --add_certificate --
certificate_file /opt/emc/scaleio/mdm/cfg/mgmt_CA.pem.

Viewing resource details

Standard users can view details only for resources that are part of node pools for which they have permissions.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click a resource for which you want to view details.
3. In the right pane, click View Details. The Details page displays detailed information about the resource and associated
components.
For the PowerFlex rack Intelligent Physical Infrastructure (IPI) cabinet, you can view information including system name and
location, model number, IP address, cabinet temperature, and humidity details.
For PowerEdge servers, you can also see performance details, including system usage, CPU usage, memory usage, and I/O
usage. Performance usage values are updated every five minutes.
For a PowerFlex gateway, you can view MDM cluster, storage, and node details.
For supported switches, you can view packet count by port for all ports or a specific port. The packet count for all ports
shows the average packet count for all the ports in that switch.

Managing resources 161

 For storage only and hyperconverged nodes, you can view details of the NIC interfaces, port connections, firmware/
software revisions, CPUs, memory, and local storage.

Viewing node details

From the Node Details page, you can:
● Open the remote console of the node’s Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC).
● View recent activities performed on the node.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, select a node from the resources list to view its details.
3. In the Details pane, click View Details.
The View Details page displays the detailed information about the node on the following tabs:
● Network Interfaces
● Port View
● Firmware/Software Revisions
● CPUs
● Memory
● Local Storage

NOTE: You can select one of the following options from the Filter By list.

○ Logical Disks
○ Physical Disks
To see which disks are self-encrypting drives (SED), look at the Security Status. The value Encryption Capable
indicates that the disk is an SED. The value Not Capable indicates that the disk is not an SED.
On the Resources page for the node, filter by "Physical Disks" to view the details of the Vault Optimized Storage
Solution (VOSS) under the PCIe Extender section.

Viewing VMware vCenter details

You can view details for VMware vCenter.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click VMware vCenter from the resource list to view the details.
In the right pane, you can see the basic information about the VMware vCenter, such as power state, management IP
address, data centers, clusters, hosts, and virtual machines.
3. In the Details pane, under vCenter Details, expand vCenter > Datacenter > Cluster to view the lists of nodes and
applications.

Opening the iDRAC remote console

To simplify routine node maintenance, you can open a remote console to the node’s Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller
(iDRAC) directly from PowerFlex Manager.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click a node.
3. In the Details pane, click View Details.
4. Click Launch iDRAC GUI.

162 Managing resources

Viewing PowerFlex system details
You can view performance metrics and storage details for a PowerFlex system.
PowerFlex Manager stores up to 15 GB of PowerFlex gateway PowerFlex system metrics. Once this threshold is exceeded,
PowerFlex Manager automatically purges the oldest data to free up space.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click a PowerFlex system resource from the list to view its details.
The right pane displays basic information about the resource, such as the unused and spare space for PowerFlex. It also
shows the number of protection domains, volumes, storage data clients (SDC), and storage data servers (SDS).
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Details page displays detailed information about the PowerFlex System resource on the following tabs:
● MDM Cluster: Displays details about the MDM roles within the cluster.
● Storage: Displays the protection domain, storage pools, volumes, and mapped storage data clients.
● Nodes: Displays the protection domain, type (SDS or SDC), connection, name, IP address for the SDS or SDC, and fault
set.
The Details page also allows you to launch a wizard to see the status of a recent upgrade or reconfigure the MDM roles in
the PowerFlex cluster.
4. Click the MDM Cluster tab to see information about the MDM roles within the cluster.
5. Click the Storage tab. For each storage pool within a protection domain, PowerFlex Manager shows the granularity setting
and acceleration pool. For each volume within a storage pool, PowerFlex Manager shows the Compression and Type
settings.
For a storage pool that has compression disabled, the granularity is set to medium. For a storage pool that has compression
enabled, the granularity is set to fine.
For volumes, you may see a different number in the Volumes column on the Resources tab than you see for the total
number of reported volumes on the Volumes page on the Block tab. The count of volumes that are listed on the PowerFlex
system details view is the "vTree" count (volume + snapshots). The count of volumes that are listed on the Block tab is just
the count of volumes.

To search for volumes associated with the gateway:

a. Enter a volume or datastore name search string in the Search Text box.
b. Optionally, select a Size range.
c. Optionally, select Thick or Thin for the Type.
d. Optionally, select Enabled or Disabled for the Compression setting.
e. Optionally, select a specific Storage Pool.
f. Click Search.
PowerFlex Manager updates the results to show only those volumes that satisfy the search criteria. If the search returns
more than 50 volumes, you must refine the search criteria to return only 50 volumes.

Related information
Reconfiguring MDM roles
Migrating vCLS VMs to shared storage

Viewing PowerFlex file gateway details

You can view details for the PowerFlex file gateway.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click a PowerFlex file gateway resource from the list to view its details.
The right pane displays basic information about the resource, such as the cluster IP address, node count, and the number of
protection domains for which the file capability has been enabled.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Details page displays detailed information about the PowerFlex file gateway resource. Nodes displays the cluster name
and IP address. In addition, it shows the name, management IP, protection domain, and storage pool for each node in the
cluster.

Managing resources 163

Viewing PowerFlex rack IPI cabinet details
The IPI cabinet contains an appliance that is configured to provide information about power, thermals, alerts, and all components
in the cabinet's physical infrastructure. PowerFlex Manager uses SNMPv2 to poll the IPI appliance status and send results about
temperature and humidity to be viewed in PowerFlex Manager.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex rack offering only.
● If your cluster is running on several nodes, you must add the IP address of each node to the SNMP network management
system (NMS) section in the Panduit Appliance UI.
● Ensure that PowerFlex Manager discovers the IPI cabinet. You can verify by clicking the list of resources and checking that
the IPI cabinet is present.
You can view additional cabinet details in the IPI appliance management application.
To view the details for the IPI cabinet, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click the row containing the IPI cabinet.
3. In the right pane, click View Details. The Details page displays detailed information about the IPI cabinet, including system
name and location, model number, and IP address. It also displays cabinet temperature and humidity details.
4. To view additional details, click Launch IPI Cabinet Manager to launch the IPI appliance management application.

Viewing CloudLink Center details

You can view details for CloudLink Center.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
To view the details for CloudLink Center, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click the row containing the CloudLink Center.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Details page displays detailed information about the CloudLink Center resource on the following tabs:
● Summary: Displays cluster details, system performance, alarms, pending machines, and security events. If CloudLink has
clustered CloudLink Centers, PowerFlex Manager shows all CloudLink Centers.
● Machines: Displays machine groups and machines.
● Approved Networks: Displays a list of the names and IP addresses for all approved networks going in and out of the
CloudLink Center.
The Details page displays information that is similar to information provided in the CloudLink application. All the data is
based on the last inventory, as indicated by the Last Inventory timestamp shown on the Details page under Resource
Information. Whenever the inventory is updated, either automatically or manually, any changes that are made in the
CloudLink Center are reflected in the Details page.
4. To view additional details, click Launch Console to launch the CloudLink application.

Viewing NVDIMM details

To view NVDIMM details for a node, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click the row containing a node that has NVDIMM compression.
3. In the right pane, click View Details.
The Details page displays detailed information about the node.
4. Click the Memory tab.
The Memory tab shows the NVDIMM modules and all DIMMs in the server. The DIMMs with rank 1 are the NVDIMM
devices. The NVDIMMs shown in the top section of the Memory tab provide the name of each NVDIMM Module, as
well as the Battery Enabled State, Battery Health State, Battery Operational Status, Remaining Rated Read Write
Endurance, and Size for the module.
All of the data is based on the last inventory.

164 Managing resources

Update resource inventory
You can run inventory to incorporate changes that are made to resource data outside of PowerFlex Manager. After running the
inventory to incorporate these changes into the Resources page, you can update the details on any resource group that needs
to include the new resource data.
Superusers can run the inventory on any resources. Lifecycle administrators can run the inventory only on resources that are
part of a node pool for which they have permission.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the Resources page, click the All Resources tab.
3. From the list of resources, click a resource, and in the Details pane, click Run Inventory.
The resource state changes to Pending. When the inventory is complete, the resource state changes to Available. See
PowerFlex Manager logs to view the start time and end time of the resource inventory operation.

Viewing a compliance report for a resource

Perform the following steps to view a compliance report for a single resource:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. Select the resource for which you want to view the compliance report.
3. In the right pane, click the link corresponding to the Compliance option.
The Compliance Report page displays.
NOTE: If an RCM is mapped to the resource group and is modified, a wrench icon with the text, "Modified", is displayed.
However, if the update file is moved or deleted, the wrench icon with the text, "Needs Attention", is displayed.
4. Select the Firmware Components option to view the details of the firmware available on the selected resource.
For example, a switch.
5. Select the Software Components option to view the software components in the compliance report or to update the
software components for a resource. If the resource is in the In Use state, it redirects you to the Resource Groups page.
6. To update the non-compliant resources, click Update Resource.
NOTE: If there is no compliance version attached to the resource, you cannot perform the firmware update or software
update.

Related information
Updating firmware and software
Exporting a compliance report for all resources

Updating firmware and software

You can update the firmware and software of shared resources from the Resources page.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
A firmware or software update on a node that is part of a cluster is successful only if the node is set to maintenance mode.
PowerFlex Manager sets nodes in a cluster to maintenance mode before performing an update. To ensure that the node remains
in maintenance mode, ensure that there are other nodes available in the cluster to host the virtual machines of the node being
updated.
A firmware update on a VMware cluster is successful only if the cluster is properly configured for HA. For example, the host
system can be set in maintenance mode and the virtual machines can be moved from one host to another in the cluster.
CAUTION: Check the Alerts page before performing the upgrade. Look for major and critical alerts before
proceeding.
If any resources are not compliant with the default compliance catalog, you can update the firmware or software to the
minimum recommended level.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. Select the check box for one or more resources and click Update Resources.

Managing resources 165

3. On the Update Details page, confirm that all the information is correct. For a PowerFlex gateway, you must reconfigure one
or more nodes before proceeding with the upgrade.
4. Click Next.
5. On the Summary page, select one of the following options:
● Allow PowerFlex Manager to perform firmware and software updates now—Select this option to update the
firmware and software immediately.
PowerFlex Manager applies the firmware updates and reboots the selected resources immediately. If the resource is in
use, this update could be disruptive.
● Schedule firmware and software updates—Select this option and then select the date and time to update the
firmware and software.
PowerFlex Manager applies the firmware updates at the selected date and time and reboots the selected resources. If
the resource is in use, this update could be disruptive.

6. If you are updating a PowerFlex gateway, type UPDATE POWERFLEX to confirm that you are ready to proceed with the
update.
7. Click Finish.

Related information
Viewing resource group details
Viewing a compliance report for a resource
Upgrading a PowerFlex gateway

Upgrading a PowerFlex gateway

You can update the firmware and software of a PowerFlex gateway from the Resources page.
Upgrading the PowerFlex gateway is a two-step process. When you upgrade the PowerFlex gateway for a deployed resource
group from the Resources page, PowerFlex Manager upgrades the PowerFlex gateway version. Then it automatically upgrades
all the SDSs for all the resource groups that are tied to the Gateway.
Any nodes that require reconfiguration prior to an upgrade are shown in the Needs Attention section of the wizard. If you
choose to reconfigure all the nodes, you can proceed with the upgrade process. If you select only a few of the nodes, PowerFlex
Manager reconfigures these nodes, but does not proceed with the upgrade process until you have reconfigured the remaining
nodes. You must reconfigure all the nodes before you can complete the upgrade process.
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to downgrade the PowerFlex gateway.
NOTE: PowerFlex Manager requires the LIA password to be the same as the MDM cluster or PowerFlex gateway admin
password. If it is different, during the upgrade of PowerFlex storage-only components using PowerFlex Manager, PowerFlex
Manager will reset the LIA password to be the same as the MDM cluster or PowerFlex gateway admin password.

CAUTION: Check the Alerts page before performing the upgrade. Look for major and critical alerts related to
PowerFlex Block and File to be sure the MDM cluster is healthy before proceeding.
1. Choose the PowerFlex gateway from the Resources page.
You cannot upgrade more than one PowerFlex gateway at a time.
2. Click Update Resources.
3. On the Update Details page, check the Needs Attention section to see whether any of the nodes must be reconfigured
before upgrade. Select any nodes that you want to reconfigure. To select all nodes, click the box to the left of SDS Name.
4. Click Next.
5. On the Summary page, choose Allow PowerFlex Manager to perform non-disruptive updates now or Schedule
non-disruptive updates to run later.
Specify the type of update you want to perform by selecting one of the following options:
● Instant Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates quickly. PowerFlex Manager does not migrate the data.
● Protected Maintenance Mode enables you to perform updates that require longer than 30 minutes in a safe and
protected manner.
6. If you only selected a subset of the nodes for reconfiguration, confirm the reconfiguration by typing RECONFIGURE NODES.
Otherwise, confirm the update action by typing UPDATE POWERFLEX.

166 Managing resources

 If you reconfigured only a subset of the nodes, you must restart the wizard later to reconfigure the remaining nodes before
you can complete the upgrade process.

7. Click Finish.
8. Go to the Resource Groups page to update any resource groups that are not in compliance with the new version of
PowerFlex.
The PowerFlex gateway upgrade process performs some health prechecks to confirm that the resource group is healthy before
the upgrade. If the resource group is not healthy, the PowerFlex gateway upgrade is not successful.
After a successful upgrade, the PowerFlex gateway should be in compliance with the new target version. However, the
nodes in the resource group may require additional maintenance. In this case, you must update any resource groups that are
noncompliant from the Resource Groups page.
When you initiate a PowerFlex gateway update, PowerFlex Manager upgrades both the Gateway RPM and the software
components that are non-compliant.

Related information
Updating a resource group with new firmware and software
Updating firmware and software

Upgrading CloudLink Center

Depending on the upgrade, follow the procedures in this section.

CloudLink upgrade prerequisites

Before upgrading to CloudLink version 8.1 or later, existing CloudLink Centers and agents must be at a version 7.1.9 or higher.
This is necessary to avoid agent upgrade failures.
Ensure that the following prerequisites are met prior to the upgrade:
NOTE: For CloudLink users, verify sleep 60 exists in /opt/emc/extra/pre_run.sh on all the storage data server
nodes that are encrypted.

VMs
● All CloudLink Center VMs must have at least 6 GB of vRAM, 4 vCPUs, and 64 GB disk space before you upgrade.

NOTE: If a CloudLink Center VM does not have enough resources for the upgrade, a System does not meet
requirements error occurs.

● CloudLink Center cluster servers must be online and must be synchronized with each other.

Backups
Dell Technologies recommends that you back up CloudLink Center before starting the upgrade process.

CloudLink licenses
Before starting the upgrade process, check that the licenses are valid.

CloudLink Center clusters

The upgrade process upgrades all servers in a cluster. Before starting the upgrade process, ensure that all the CloudLink VMs
are accessible and all hosts are connected. Verify that the license is valid and has not expired.
NOTE: It is recommended to set the CloudLink vault to Auto Unlock mode before starting the upgrade process.

Group policy and CloudLink Agent

If the CloudLink Agent installation is handled by a group policy in an Active Directory environment, the CloudLink Agent group
policy object must be updated with the new CloudLink Agent MSI file.

Managing resources 167

Take a snapshot of the CloudLink Center VM
Use this procedure to take a snapshot of the CloudLink Center VM.
1. Log in to the single VMware vCSA or controller VMware vCenter.
2. Go to the CloudLink Center VM, right-click on the VM, click Snapshots > Take Snapshot.
3. Enter a name for the snapshot.
4. Clear the Snapshot the virtual machine memory check box.
5. Click OK.

Upgrade to CloudLink Center 7.1.9

Use this procedure to upgrade CloudLink Center 7.1.9.
Upgrading CloudLink is a two-step process. After the CloudLink Center upgrade completes successfully, the PowerFlex nodes
require additional maintenance because the CloudLink Agent is not in compliance with the new version for the service. In this
case, you need to update any services that are non-compliant from the Resource Groups page.
NOTE: This procedure is only required if the system is using CloudLink Center. Any system running PowerFlex 4.0 or later
will be on CloudLink 7.1.x or a later release.
If you are upgrading CloudLink 7.1.9 to 8.1.x, see Upgrade CloudLink Center 7.1.9 or later to 8.1.x.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
For CloudLink users, verify sleep 60 exists in /opt/emc/extra/pre_run.sh on all the storage data server nodes that are
encrypted.
If you want to upgrade to 7.1.5 or later, your CloudLink environment must be at version 7.1.x. For more information about
upgrading to version 7.1.5 or later, see the appropriate section in CloudLink upgrade prerequisites.
Ensure that the CloudLink vault is set to Auto Unlock mode. This setting allows CloudLink Center to unlock immediately after
the upgrade so that all CloudLink Agents can be upgraded. To check if the CloudLink vault is set to the Auto Unlock mode,
perform the following:
1. Expand SYSTEM.
2. Click Vault and verify Unlock Mode is set to Auto.
CAUTION: Be sure that your CloudLink cluster is in a healthy state before performing the upgrade. If it is not in
a healthy state, the upgrade will proceed, but it will not succeed.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Go to the Resources tab, select All Resources, and select a CloudLink Center to upgrade. You only need to upgrade a
single node of a CloudLink Center cluster.
3. Click Update Resources. Ensure to upgrade only one VM.
4. Select Allow PowerFlex Manager to perform firmware and software updates now or Schedule firmware and
software updates.
5. Click Apply and click Yes to confirm.
6. Go to the Lifecycle page to update any encrypted resource groups that are not in compliance with the new version of the
CloudLink Center.
NOTE: CloudLink Agents upgrade is part of firmware or software components upgrade. You need to update any
services that are non-compliant from the Resource Groups page.

7. Run an inventory on the second CloudLink Center after you upgrade the first CloudLink Center to ensure that all CloudLink
Centers are on the same version as specified by the .
8. Repeat step 1 through 7 for the second node.

Upgrade CloudLink Center 7.1.9 or later to 8.1.x

Use the procedures in this section to upgrade from CloudLink 7.1.9 or later to CloudLink Center 8.1.x or later.
CloudLink 8.1.x uses a different operating system than the previous versions, requiring an in-place replacement of the CloudLink
Center. A standard CloudLink Center deployment consists of two instances and can support up to four instances.
NOTE: The procedures in this section are applicable for upgrade paths from CloudLink Center 7.1.9 or later (within 7.1.x
releases) to CloudLink Center 8.1.x or later.

168 Managing resources

Consider the following prior to the upgrade:
● For a successful upgrade, the existing CloudLink Centers and agents must be on version 7.1.9 or later.
● Halt or pause any automated interactions with the CloudLink Center cluster.
● Modifications during the CloudLink Center replacement may cause deltas to not be captured and may result in data
unavailability or data loss.
● CloudLink Agents are upgraded during the corresponding resource group upgrades.

NOTE: This procedure only upgrades the CloudLink Center. The CloudLink Agent is upgraded during the upgrade of
their respective resource groups. CloudLink Agent 7.1.x is permitted to connect to CloudLink Center 8.1.x and unlock
disks or volumes. However, you cannot perform new encryption or decryption of existing disks. This is based on default
deployments by PowerFlex Manager. If your deployment has a custom configuration, contact Dell Technologies Support
prior to the upgrade.

Prerequisites
● Administrator credentials for VMware vCenter where the CloudLink VMs are hosted.
● Secadmin credentials for the CloudLink deployment.
● CloudLink Center console password to configure for a new deployment.
● CloudLink Center 8.1.x OVA. Download from Dell Technologies support site or from the packaged compliance file.
● Hostnames (not fully qualified domain name), IP addresses, netmasks, and gateway for all CloudLink Centers.
● DNS server IP address.

Disable the anti-affinity rules on CloudLink Center

Use this procedure to disable the anti-affinity rules on CloudLink Center.
Use this procedure to temporarily remove or disable the anti-affinity rules that prevent CloudLink VMs from residing on the
same host. This is to prevent the DRS from actively moving any CloudLink Centers during the replacement sequence. If the
anti-affinity rules do not exist, proceed with the manual upgrade.
1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client using the administrator credentials (or a user with permissions to modify the necessary
rules).
2. Browse to the cluster and click Configure.
3. Under Configuration, select VM/Host Rules, and locate the CloudLink anti-affinity rules and click Edit....
4. From the Edit VM/Host Rule|Cluster name window, clear Enabled and click OK.

Replace the initial CloudLink cluster

Use this procedure to replace the CloudLink 7.1.9 cluster.
Before you replace the initial CloudLink cluster, record the existing IP addresses, netmask, and gateway of the existing
CloudLink cluster.
1. From the CloudLink 7.1.9 web console, generate a CloudLink backup:
a. Browse to the IP address or hostname of one of the CloudLink Center VMs.
b. Log in using the secadmin credentials.
c. Navigate to System > Backup.
d. To generate a new key and backup file, click Generate New Backup.
e. Download both the key and backup file and store together. These files are required while restoring. If you have a
CloudLink 7.1.9 cluster, backup from one of the cluster members is sufficient.
2. Power off the CloudLink 7.1.9 VM from step 1. The connected nodes are connected to another member of an existing
cluster.
3. Deploy a new CloudLink 8.1.x OVA:
a. From the VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA and click Menu > Shortcuts > Hosts and Clusters.
b. From PFMC datacenter, right-click PFMC Cluster and select Deploy OVF Template.
c. Select the local file and click Upload Files.
d. Select the CloudLink OVA and click Open > Next and enter the name.
e. Click Next thrice and select the datastore and virtual disk format: Thin Provision.
f. Click Next, select the CloudLink Center associated VLAN, and click Next > Finish.

Managing resources 169

4. Before powering on the CloudLink 8.1.x VM for the first time, configure the network settings to retrieve the same static IP
address which was originally assigned to the now powered down 7.1.9 CloudLink Center (from step 2):
a. Navigate to the VM from the vCenter inventory.
b. On the Configure tab, expand Settings, select vApp options, and click Edit....
c. From OVF Details > OVF Environment transport , select the VMware Tools check box, and click OK.
d. Under OVF Settings, ensure that View OVF Environment and OVF Environment Transport: VMware Tools and
Installation boot are disabled as VM is in a powered off state.
e. Under Properties, click ADD and create separate entries for the following values. Ensure you add the key ID and label as
specified in the following table for all labels.

Table 39. Key IDs and labels

Key ID Label
cl.interface.0.ip.4.netmask IPv4 netmask
cl.interface.0.ip.4.gateway IPv4 gateway
cl.interface.0.ip.4.address IPv4 address
cl.hostname (optional) Hostname (optional)

After each entry, click Save.

f. For each item created in the previous step, select Set Value and set the static IP address, gateway, netmask, and
hostname (optionally).
g. Snapshot the setting values (if desired).
5. Power on the CloudLink 8.1.x VM:
a. From the VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA, click Menu > Shortcuts > Hosts and Clusters.
b. From PFMC datacenter, click PFMC cluster, and right-click CloudLink 8.1 VM.
c. Click Power > Power ON.
6. Once the CloudLink VM boots up, the IP configuration should be set as the static IP address and the web console should be
reachable.
7. Browse to the hostname or IP address of the powered on CloudLink Center 8.1.x.
8. From Boot Terms and EULA, accept the terms and conditions and set the secadmin credential password (use recorded
value).
9. The initial configuration window appears on top of the main console view.
10. To set the login password to the existing CloudLink 7.1.9 VM login password, click Change password.
11. Set the console password to the existing CloudLink 7.1.9 VM password. This may be defined as a CloudLink console or an OS
user. Click Change Console Password.
12. If you configured the optional hostname parameter, the INITIAL CONFIGURATION wizard contains the value. If not,
a randomly affixed name appears. If you intend to modify the hostname, enter a name and click Next. The INITIAL
CONFIGURATION wizard reloads and may take a minute or so to reconnect. You may have to refresh the browser.
13. Click Next and wait for the browser to refresh.
14. Click Deployment Type and select Restore from Backup.
15. Select CloudLink 7.1.5+ for Backup File Version and set CloudLink Data is backed up to Yes. Click Next.
A warning appears, directing to restore only on standalone node (future nodes are added as cluster members).
16. Click Next.
17. When prompted for the server name or IP address, retain the pre-populated IP address of the new VM and click Next.
18. To upload the key file and backup file, click Folder, browse and select the key or backup file, and click Open. Click Restore.
Wait for a couple of minutes until restore completes successfully.
19. Log in and check if the restore is successful with CloudLink Center 8.1.x.
20. Confirm the configuration data (DNS, NTP, etc) from the previous instance, such as, the time servers. Click Server > Time.

Replace additional CloudLink Center VM members

Use this procedure to replace additional CloudLink Center VM members.
Before you replace the initial CloudLink Center VM, record the existing IP addresses, netmask, and gateway of the existing
CloudLink Center VM.

170 Managing resources

1. Power off the CloudLink 7.1.9 VM cluster member:
a. From VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA and click Menu > Shortcuts > Hosts and Clusters.
b. From PFMC datacenter, navigate to PFMC Cluster > CloudLink 7.1.9 VM and click Power > Shut Down Guest OS,
and click Yes.
The connected nodes are connected to another member of an existing cluster. This may be one of the already replaced
members or any remaining CloudLink Center 7.1.x. To verify the PowerFlex node or cluster connectivity, use SSH to log in to
a PowerFlex node with encrypted disks, and issue a svm status command. It may take several minutes for the agent to
connect successfully to another CloudLink Center including an 8.1.x instance.
2. Deploy a new CloudLink 8.1.x OVA:
a. From the VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA and click Menu > Hosts and Clusters.
b. From PFMC datacenter, right-click PFMC Cluster and select Deploy OVF Template.
c. Select the local file and click Upload Files.
d. Select the CloudLink OVA and click Open > Next and enter the name.
e. Click Next > Next > Next and select the datastore and virtual disk format: Thin Provision.
f. Click Next, select the CloudLink Center associated VLAN, and click Next > Finish.
3. Before powering on the CloudLink 8.1.x VM for the first time, configure the network settings to retrieve the same static IP
address which was originally assigned to the now powered down 7.1.9 CloudLink Center (in step 1):
a. Navigate to the VM from the vCenter inventory.
b. On the Configure tab, expand Settings and select vApp options, and click Edit....
c. Under OVF Environment transport, select the VMware Tools check box, and click OK.
d. Under OVF Details for the OVF Environment Transport, click OVF Settings, and ensure that View OVF
Environment and OVF Environment Transport: VMware Tools and Installation boot are disabled as VM is in a
powered off state.
e. Under Properties, click ADD and create separate entries for the following values. Ensure you add the key ID and label as
specified in the following table for all labels.

Table 40. Key IDs and labels

Key ID Label
cl.interface.0.ip.4.netmask IPv4 netmask
cl.interface.0.ip.4.gateway IPv4 gateway
cl.interface.0.ip.4.address IPv4 address
cl.hostname (optional) Hostname (optional)

After each entry, click Save.

f. For each item created in the previous step, select Set Value and set the static IP address, gateway, netmask, and
hostname (optionally).
g. Snapshot VM after setting values (if desired).
4. Power on the CloudLink 8.1.x VM:
a. From the VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA, click Menu > Shortcuts > Hosts and Clusters.
b. From PFMC datacenter, click PFMC cluster, and right-click CloudLink 8.1 VM.
c. Click Power > Power ON.
5. Once the CloudLink VM boots up, the IP configuration should be set as the static IP address and the web console should be
reachable.
6. Browse to the hostname or IP address of the powered on CloudLink Center 8.1.x.
7. From Boot Terms and EULA, accept the terms and conditions and set the secadmin credential password (use recorded
value).
8. The initial configuration window appears on top of the main console view.
9. To set the login password to the existing CloudLink 7.1.9 VM login password, click Change password.
10. Set the console password to the existing CloudLink 7.1.9 VM password. This may be defined as a CloudLink console or a OS
user. Click Change Console Password.
11. If you configured the optional hostname parameter, the INITIAL CONFIGURATION wizard contains the value. If not,
a randomly affixed name appears. If you intend to modify the hostname, enter a name and click Next. The INITIAL
CONFIGURATION wizard reloads and may take a minute or so to reconnect. You may have to refresh the browser.
12. Click Next and wait for the browser to refresh.

Managing resources 171

13. Click Deployment Type and select Add as a Cluster Member, and click Next.
14. Modify the Leaf Cert option to Disabled.
15. When prompted for the server name or IP address, retain the pre-populated IP address of the new VM and click Next.
16. Enter the DNS Server value and click Next.
17. Enter the IP address of the first cluster member replaced along with the secadmin credentials and click Join Cluster.
This process takes a few minutes to complete.
18. Using the CloudLink UI, locate and populate the following information. Skip parameters where defaults or no custom
configuration is specified.

Table 41. CloudLink Center VM information

CloudLink parameters Navigation path Do the following
SNMP Server > SNMP Add remaining IP addresses (if more
than one).
Syslog Server > Syslog Add hosts, port, facility, and protocol.
DNS Server > DNS Add remaining IP addresses (if more
than one).
NTP Server > Time Add the NTP server addresses.
TLS Server > TLS If the customer has deployed a custom
certificate, the customer must provide
the corresponding files for the format
selected (PEM - certificate and key,
signed PEM - certificate, PKCS12 -
certificate and password).
Backup System > Backup Set the backup prefix and configure
the backup store (if not local,
provide the password to restore
the configuration). If the customer
has configured a non-local backup
location, the customer must provide the
associated credentials.
E-mail notifications System > Email Notifications Modify the configuration and populate
with recorded data. Server type, server
address, port, sender address, and
user (enter the customer-provided
password). Add the recipient address.
If this is configured with a sending
account, the customer must provide
the credentials (including password).

19. Repeat this process for the remaining cluster members (up to four).

Enable the anti-affinity rules on CloudLink Center

Use this procedure to enable the anti-affinity rules on CloudLink Center.
Use this procedure to temporarily enable the anti-affinity rules that prevent CloudLink VMs from residing on the same host.
Perform this procedure only if the anti-affinity rules were disabled prior to the upgrade.
1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client using the administrator credentials (or a user with permissions to modify the necessary
rules).
2. From VMware vSphere Client, log in to the vCSA, click Menu > Shortcuts > Hosts and Clusters.
3. Browse to the cluster and click Configure.
4. Under Configuration, select VM/Host Rules, and locate the CloudLink anti-affinity rules and click Edit....
5. In the new dialog box, select Enabled and click OK to enable the anti-affinity rules.

172 Managing resources

Removing resources
Only super users can remove resources from PowerFlex Manager.
To remove a resource from PowerFlex Manager, perform the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the Resources page, click the All Resources tab.
3. From the list of resources, select one or more resources, and click Remove.
4. Click OK when the confirmation message appears.
If you remove a node, the node state changes to Pending and it powers off.
NOTE: Before you add new nodes using an existing iDRAC IP address in inventory, ensure that you remove the old nodes
from PowerFlex Manager before discovering the new nodes.

Related information
Resource health status
Compliance status

Additional resource management tasks

This section provides additional tasks for resource management.

Creating a node pool

You can create a node pool on the Resources page.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources. Click the Node Pools tab.
2. On the Node Pools page, click Create.
The Create Node Pool wizard starts.
3. On the Welcome page, read the instructions, and click Next.
4. On the Node Pool Information page, enter a name and description for the node pool. Click Next.
5. On the Add Nodes page, select the nodes that you want to add to the node pool. Click Next.
6. On the Assign Users page, select the users that you want to grant access rights to the node pool. Click Next.
7. On the Summary page, review the node pool configuration and click Finish.

Modifying a node pool

You can modify the details for a node pool on the Resources page.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources. Click the Node Pools tab.
2. On the Node Pools page, click Modify.
The Modify Node Pool wizard starts.
3. To change the name and description of the node pool, in the left pane, click Node Pool Information. Make the updates and
click Save.
4. To add or remove nodes from the node pool, in the left pane, click Add Nodes. Make the updates and click Save.
5. To add or remove the access rights to the node pool, in the left pane, click Assign Users. Make the updates and click Save.

Managing resources 173

Removing a node pool
You can remove a node pool on the Resources page.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources. Click the Node Pools tab.
2. On the Node Pools page, select one or more node pools to delete. Click Remove.
3. Click OK when the confirmation message appears.

Viewing the port view details

Port view is a PowerFlex Manager feature that is associated with a resource group deployment. It enables you to view the
physical network configuration characteristics and topology from the network interface cards to upstream switches, highlighting
such details as switch ports, VLANs, and network identifiers such as MAC addresses.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
You can access port view from both the Resources and Resource Groups pages. Port view provides connectivity information
for both new and existing resource groups.
The Port View page displays the following information:
● Topology information for all networks and VLANs deployed in a resource group
● Network connections between the devices
● Health of the resources
● Connection details section with information about the network devices
Port View is only available for PowerFlex nodes and is not available for management VMs, such as CloudLink Center.
PowerFlex Manager does not show switch connectivity for deployments with partial network automation.
To view the port view details:
1. On the Resource Groups page, view the details for a resource group and click Port View. If you are accessing the port
view from the Resources page, select a node that is in a Deployed state and click View Details on the right pane first.
If you select a node that is not in a deployed state, only the interface card information is displayed.

2. To view device details such as hostname, model name, and management IP address, or information about associated devices,
click the specific ports or devices.
3. To view information about intermediate devices in port view, ensure that the devices are discovered and available in the
inventory. Sometimes, connectivity cannot be determined for an existing resource group because the switches have not yet
been discovered. In this case, you see only the node in port view, but you do not see connectivity information. You can
correct this by going back and discovering the switches, and updating the resource group again.
PowerFlex Manager cannot discover interface cards that do not have integrated LLDP support (such as Intel X520).

4. To filter information based on the connectivity, select an option from the Display Connections list. Show All Connections
is the default option.

Exporting a compliance report for all resources

You can download a CSV or PDF report that lists compliance details for all resources.
The CSV report includes all information and can be imported into a database for querying.
The PDF format contains a subset of information to make it easier to read. It measures each resource against a specified
compliance file version. For each resource, it lists the components, the current and expected software or firmware version, and
whether the component is compliant.
To download a compliance report for all resources:
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. Click Export Report.
3. Select either Export Compliance PDF Report or Export Compliance CSV Report from the drop-down list.
The selected report downloads.

174 Managing resources

Related information
Viewing a compliance report for a resource
Resource health status
Compliance status

Exporting a configuration report for all resources and resource

groups
You can download a PDF report that lists configuration details for all resources and resource groups.
The configuration report shows the result of various configuration checks that PowerFlex Manager performs against the
system. You can use the report to troubleshoot your resources and resource groups.
The report shows the following kinds of information:

Table 42. Configuration report

Column name Description
Resource Name Provides the name of the resource for which the checks have been run. This
column corresponds to the Resource Name shown on the Resources page.
Asset/Service Tag Provides the asset or service tag of the resource for which the checks have been
run. This column corresponds to the Asset/Service Tag shown on the Resources
page.
Management IP Specifies the Management IP of the resource for which the check is run. For a
PowerFlex cluster, the management IP address is the MDM cluster IP address. For
a PowerFlex gateway, the management IP address is the PowerFlex gateway IP
address.
Result Shows the result of the check (PASS or FAIL).

Severity Indicates the severity of the check. The severity is based on the result. The severity
levels are INFO, WARNING, HIGH, or CRITICAL. If the result is PASS, the severity
is INFO. If the result is FAIL, the severity depends on the type of check. PowerFlex
Manager supports only CRITICAL checks.
Details Provides a description of the check that was run.
Affected Resources Gives a list of the IP addresses or unique identifiers of resources that are impacted
by the check. The list of affected resources helps with troubleshooting.

1. On the menu bar, click Resources.

2. Click Export Report.
3. Select Export Configuration PDF Report from the drop-down list.
The selected report downloads.

Related information
Configuration checks

Importing networks
You can import a large number of general-purpose VLANs from vCenter.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
After importing networks, you can add them to templates or resource groups. You can also import networks when you add an
existing resource group.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, click the VMware vCenter from which you want to import networks.
3. In the right pane, click Import Networks.

Managing resources 175

 PowerFlex Manager displays the Import Networks wizard. In the Import Networks wizard, PowerFlex Manager lists the
port groups that are defined on the vCenter as Available Networks. You can see the port groups and the VLAN IDs.
4. Optionally, search for a VLAN name or VLAN ID.
PowerFlex Manager filters the list of available networks to include only those networks that match your search.
5. Click each network you want to add under Available Networks. If you want to add all the available networks, click the
check box to the left of the Name column.
6. Click the double arrow (>>) to move the networks you chose to Selected Networks.
PowerFlex Manager updates the Selected Networks to show the ones you have chosen.
7. Click Save.
PowerFlex Manager creates a job to add the networks. The job may finish quickly, so you may not see on the Jobs page.
Go to Settings > Networks to see the imported networks.

Updating passwords for system components

You can update the passwords for some system components from PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, select one or more resources of the same type for which you want to change passwords.
For example, you could select one or more iDRAC nodes or you could select one or more PowerFlex gateway components.
3. Click Update Password.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Update Password wizard.
4. On the Select Components page, select one or more components for which you want to update a password and click
Next.
The component choices vary depending on which resource type you initially selected on the Resources page.
5. On the Select Credentials page, create a credential or change to a different credential having the same username.
6. Click Finish and click Yes to confirm the changes.

Updating passwords for nodes

You can update the passwords for one or more nodes from PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, select one or more nodes for which you want to change the passwords.
3. Click Update Password.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Update Password wizard.
4. On the Select Components page, specify which passwords you want to update for the selected nodes by clicking one or
more of the following check boxes.
● iDRAC Password
● Node Operating System Password
● SVM Operating System Password
● MVM Operating System Password
The option to update passwords for SVMs and MVMs will only appear if a node is in a resource group.

5. Click Next.
6. On the Select Credentials page, create a credential with a new password or change to a different credential.
a. Open the iDRAC, OS Password, SVM Password, or MVM Password object under the Type column to see credential
details for each node you selected on the Resources page.
The SVM Password and MVM Password sections do not appear if there is nothing to show for SVMs or MVMs.

b. To create a credential that has the new password, click the plus sign (+) under the Credentials column.
Specify the Credential Name and the User Name for which you want to change the password. Enter the new password
in the Password and Confirm Password fields.

c. To modify the credential, click the pencil icon for the nodes under the Credentials column and select a different
credential.
d. Click Save.

176 Managing resources

 You must perform the same steps for the node operating system and SVM operating system password changes. For a node
operating system credential, only the OS admin credential type is updated.

7. Click Finish.
8. Click Yes to confirm.
PowerFlex Manager starts a new job for the password update operation, and a separate job for the device inventory. The
node operating system, SVM, and MVM operating components are updated only if PowerFlex Manager is managing a cluster
with these components. If PowerFlex Manager is not managing a cluster with these components, these components are not
displayed and their credentials are not updated. Credential updates for iDRAC are allowed for managed and reserved nodes only.
Unmanaged nodes do not provide the option to update credentials.

Updating passwords for PowerFlex gateway components

You can update the passwords for one or more PowerFlex gateway components from PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Resources.
2. On the All Resources tab, select one or more PowerFlex gateway components for which you want to change the
passwords.
3. Click Update Password.
PowerFlex Manager displays the Update Password wizard.
4. On the Select Components page, select PowerFlex Password.
5. Click Next.
6. On the Select Credentials page, create a credential with a new password or change to a different credential.
a. Open the PowerFlex object under the Type column to see details about each gateway you selected on the Resources
page.
b. To create a credential that has the new password, click the plus sign (+) under the Credentials column.
Specify the Credential Name, as well as the Gateway Admin User Name and Gateway OS User Name for which you
want to change passwords. Enter the new passwords for both users and confirm these passwords.

c. To modify the credential, click the pencil icon for one of the nodes under the Credentials column and select a different
credential.
d. Click Save.
7. Click Finish.
8. Click Yes to confirm.
PowerFlex Manager starts a new job for the password update operation, and a separate job for the device inventory. If
PowerFlex Manager is managing a cluster for any of the selected PowerFlex gateway components, it updates the credentials for
the Gateway Admin User and Gateway OS User, as well as any related credentials, such as the LIA and lockbox credentials. If
PowerFlex Manager is not managing the cluster, it only updates the credentials for the Gateway Admin User and Gateway OS
User.

Managing resources 177

 12
Monitoring events and alerts
This section includes tasks for monitoring events and alerts from resources that are installed or automatically discovered.
Event and alert monitoring provides information regarding occurrences in your system.
An event is a notification that something happened in the system. Events monitor configuration changes, activities of the
system, faults, and errors in the system and send notifications accordingly to inform the administrator.
An event that requires attention generates an alert as well. Other events can update or clear an alert when the system detects a
change in the condition that needs attention.
An alert is a state in the system which is usually on or off. Alerts monitor serious events that require user attention or action.
Although the events may be interesting for troubleshooting purposes, it is not necessary to monitor events. Whereas an alert is
a summation of one or more events that need or needed attention.
The Monitoring menu displays the events, alerts, and jobs on your system.

Related information
Enabling SupportAssist

Events
An event is a notification that something happened in the system. An event happens at a single point in time and has a single
timestamp. An event may be unique or be part of a series.
Each event message is associated with a severity level. The severity indicates the risk (if any) to the system, in relation to the
changes that generated the event message.
PowerFlex Manager stores up to 3 million events or events that are up to 13 months old. Once this threshold is exceeded,
PowerFlex Manager automatically purges the events to free up space. The threshold is reviewed daily.
NOTE: An event is published each day that lists the events which have been removed that day.

Events severity level

The severity levels are as follows:

Table 43. Events severity level

Severity level Explanation Example
Information Informs you of events that you should be aware of, but The volume is created.
that do not put the system at risk (no urgency).
Minor Indicates a failure that may result from an acceptable The Device media type is
condition (for example user error), but can also indicate mismatched.
a possible failure.
Major An error alarm raised by the system. This error requires The device failed.
your attention. The system is stable but could be
degraded.
Critical A major error alarm raised by system. The system The storage pool is running out of
requires immediate attention. Some data may be capacity.
unavailable.

178 Monitoring events and alerts

Event default and advanced fields
The default and advanced fields are as follows:

Table 44. Event default and advanced fields

Field Description Example
Timestamp The time the event occurred in the following 2022-04-03T13:49:18.709Z
format:

YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss.sss

Severity A predefined severity level that is associated INFORMATION

with an event.
Event ID A unique identifier specific to the event B46b66c8c79e4a2a
instance that is always 16 digits.
Code A unique event code that is always eight digits 80120001
and identifies a specific event.
Event Name An alphanumeric descriptive name for the MISCELLANEOUS
event that is unique.
Description A free text description of the event. Successfully initialized the
Discovery Manager

Sub system A resource domain that identifies the area MANAGEMENT

that the alert relates to. The resource domains
are:
● Management
● Block
● File
● Compute
● Network
● Security
Resource Type The type of resource that is involved in the basic-system-config
event.
Resource Name The name of the resource that is involved in asm manager
the event.
Resource ID The system specific ID of the resource asmcore
involved in the event.
Category There are six categories of events that help STATE_CHANGED
you to filter:
● Security
● Audit
● Software
● Hardware
● Maintenance
● State changed
Service Name The name of the service that generated the mdm_gw
event.
Details Extra details that are relevant to the [cmd: login, user: admin]
operation, for example, user command URL or
a list of command parameters.
Originator Application Name The name of the application that generated REST
the event. This field can be null.

Monitoring events and alerts 179

Table 44. Event default and advanced fields (continued)
Field Description Example
Message A message that describes the event. Successfully initialized the
Discovery Manager

Viewing an event
You can view an event in PowerFlex Manager.
1. Go to Monitoring > Events.
The Events page opens which displays a list of system events. You can add one or more filters to control the list of events
displayed.
2. Select the event that you want to view.
NOTE: You can reset the default and advanced field columns by clicking the Reset Columns icon.

Alerts
An alert is a state in the system which is usually on or off. Alerts monitor serious events that require user attention or action.
When an alert is no longer relevant or is resolved, the system automatically clears the alerts with no user intervention. This
action ensures that cleared alerts are hidden from the default view so that only relevant issues are displayed to administrators.
Cleared alerts can be optionally displayed through table filtering options. Alerts can also be acknowledged which removes the
alert from default view. Acknowledging an alert does not indicate that the issue is resolved. You can view acknowledged alerts
through the table-filtering options.

Alert severity level

The severity levels are as follows:

Table 45. Alert severity levels

Severity level Explanation Example
Information An information level informs you of things that happen NDU
in the system that do not require action.
Minor A minor level informs you that action is required but is This Storage Pool contains devices
not urgent. that are not being accelerated.

Major A major level informs you that action is required soon. The MDM certificate is about to
expire.

Critical A critical level informs you that the system requires The MDM certificate has expired.
immediate attention.

Alert default and advanced fields

The default and advanced fields are as follows:

Table 46. Alert default and advanced fields

Field Description Example
Description A message that describes the alert. The MDM cluster is degraded, and
data is not protected.

System impact A free text, description of the system Risk of cluster unavailability
impact of the alert.

180 Monitoring events and alerts

Table 46. Alert default and advanced fields (continued)
Field Description Example
Repair Flow Free text, actions that you can take in order Check that all MDM cluster nodes are
to repair the issue. functioning correctly, and fix and
replace faulty nodes, if necessary,
to return to full protection

Alert Details Any extra details that are relevant to the Percentage of SP capacity usage
object and or incident involved.
Associated Events A list of events that modified the life cycle [object Object]
of the alert.
Resource ID The ID of the resource that is associated 86fb0000000000
with the alert.
Resource Name The name of the resource that is associated sds212
with the alert. This is usually the resource
that is involved with raising the event.
Resource Type The type of resource that is associated with sdses
the alert. this is usually the resource that is
involved with raising the event.
Last Updated The UTC date and time that the alert was 2022-04-28T07:58:46.16Z
last updated.
Timestamp The UTC date and time that the alert was 2022-04-28T07:58:46.16Z
initially raised.
Acknowledged status The acknowledged status indicates Y
whether the alert is acknowledged or
unacknowledged.

The total number of alerts that can be sent to Secure Remote Services gateway from the PowerFlex Manager dispatcher
service is restricted to 200 per day. The threshold for the number of alerts for a particular event is set to three per hour. After
the first three alerts are sent, if fourth alert is generated for the same event, it is not sent to the Secure Remote Services.
However, if the alerts are sent from two different systems running iDRAC, the alerts are sent to the Secure Remote Services
gateway.
A new threshold alert is triggered from PowerFlex Manager when the threshold of 200 alerts per 24 hrs is crossed per day and
is automatically sent to Secure Remote Services gateway. Similarly, a new alert is triggered from PowerFlex Manager and sent
to Secure Remote Services gateway when threshold of three alerts per hour for same alert type, symptom code, or resource is
reached.

Viewing and acknowledging an alert

You can view and acknowledge an alert in PowerFlex Manager. When you acknowledge an alert, PowerFlex Manager removes
the alert from the default view. Acknowledging an alert simply indicates that you have seen the alert. It does not indicate that
the issue is resolved. You can view acknowledged alerts through the table filtering options.
1. Go to Monitoring > Alerts.
The Alerts page opens and displays a list of system alerts. You can add one or more filters to control the list of alerts
displayed.
2. Select the alert that you want to view or acknowledge.
NOTE: You can reset the default and advanced field columns by clicking the Reset Columns icon.

3. You can:
● Click Acknowledge to acknowledge an alert.
● Click Unacknowledge to remove an alert acknowledgment.

Monitoring events and alerts 181

Jobs
In PowerFlex Manager, you can view the details of discovery, firmware update, inventory, and resource group deployment jobs.
Only a user with an administrator role can view jobs.
The Jobs page displays the following information about the jobs that are scheduled or running in PowerFlex Manager:
● State — Displays one of the following states that is based on the job status:
○ Error —Job has completed with errors (job is complete but failed on one or more resources).
○ Scheduled—Job is scheduled to run at a specific time. It can be scheduled to run at a single time or at several times as
a recurring job.
○ In progress—Job is running.
● Job Name—Identifies the name of the job.
● Started By—Displays the name of the user who started the job.
● Start Time—Displays the date and time when the job is scheduled to run.
● Time Elapsed—Displays the time that has elapsed from the start time to the end time of a job instance.
● Details—Displays the detail of a job instance.
If a job scheduled is a one-time job, after execution, it is not listed in the Jobs page.
To cancel the job, select the job that you want to cancel, and click Cancel.
To filter for a job, click the filter icon.

182 Monitoring events and alerts

 13
Configuring system settings
This section provides information about configuring settings for PowerFlex Manager.
Only a user with the administrator role can configure certain settings.
Go to Settings to complete the following tasks:
● Manage local users, LDAP users, and directory services
● Manage compliance versions, OS images, and compliance management versions
● Define networks and specify the port numbers that PowerFlex Manager should use to verify IP addresses
● Configure settings for events and alerts, including notification policies, inputs, destinations, and alert severities
● Upload a production license for PowerFlex, as well as other software licenses
● Configure security settings, including SSL trusted certificates, appliance SSL certificates, and resource credentials
● Perform serviceability operations, such as generating a trouble-shooting bundle and performing a backup
● Upgrade the management software

User management
The User Management page allows you to manage local users, LDAP users, and directory services.
Under Settings > User Management, you can find three pages:
● Local Users
● LDAP Users
● Directory Services

User roles
User roles control the activities that can be performed by different types of users, depending on the activities that they perform
when using PowerFlex Manager.
Ensure that you configure the active directory before assigning roles. The roles that can be assigned to local users and LDAP
users are identical. Each user can only be assigned one role. If an LDAP user is assigned directly to a user role and also to a
group role, the LDAP user is provided with permissions of both roles.

NOTE: User definitions are not imported from earlier versions of PowerFlex and must be configured again.

The following table summarizes the activities that can be performed for each user role:

Table 47. User roles and activities

Role Description Activities
SuperUser A SuperUser can perform all system ● Manage storage resources
operations. ● Manage lifecycle operations, resource groups,
templates, deployment, backend operations
● Manage replication operations, peer systems, RCGs
● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
● Manage users, certificates
● Replace drives
● Hardware operations
● View storage configurations, resource details
● View platform configuration, resource details
● System monitoring (events, alerts)
● Perform serviceability operations

Configuring system settings 183

Table 47. User roles and activities (continued)
Role Description Activities
● Update system settings
SystemAdmin A SystemAdmin can perform all operations, ● Manage storage resources
except for user management and security ● Manage lifecycle operations, resource groups,
ones. templates, deployment, backend operations
● Manage replication operations, peer systems, RCGs
● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
● Replace drives
● Hardware operations
● View storage configurations, resource details
● View platform configuration, resource details
● System monitoring (events, alerts)
● Perform serviceability operations
● Update system settings
StorageAdmin A StorageAdmin can perform all storage- ● Manage storage resources
related front-end operations including ● Manage replication operations, peer systems, RCGs
element management of already setup NAS ● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
and block systems. For example: create ● Replace drives
volume, create file system, manage file- ● Hardware operations
server user quotas.
● View storage configurations, resource details
NOTE: Operations such as create ● View platform configuration, resource details
storage pool, create file-server, and add ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
NAS node cannot be performed by
StorageAdmin, but can be performed by
the LifecycleAdmin role.

LifecycleAdmin A LifecycleAdmin can manage the life cycle ● Manage lifecycle operations, resource groups,
of hardware and PowerFlex systems. templates, deployment, backend operations
● Replace drives
● Hardware operations
● View resource groups and templates
● System monitoring (events, alerts)
ReplicationManager The ReplicationManager is a subset of the ● Manage replication operations, peer systems, RCGs
StorageAdmin role, for work on existing ● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
systems for setup and management of ● View storage configurations, resource details
replication and snapshots. (volume, snapshot, replication views)
● System monitoring (events, alerts)
SnapshotManager SnapshotManager is a subset of ● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
StorageAdmin, working only on existing ● View storage configurations, resource details
systems. This role includes all operations ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
required to set up and manage snapshots.

SecurityAdmin The SecurityAdmin manages PowerFlex role- ● Manage users, certificates

based access control (RBAC), and LDAP user ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
federation. It includes all security aspects of
the system.

DriveReplacer This is a subset of the Technician role. The ● Replace drives

DriveReplacer can perform only operations ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
required for a drive replacement.

Technician The Technician can perform all hardware ● Replace drives

FRU operations on the system, including ● Hardware operations
entering a node into maintenance mode. ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
● Perform serviceability operations

184 Configuring system settings

Table 47. User roles and activities (continued)
Role Description Activities
Monitor The Monitor role has read-only access to the ● View storage configurations, resource details
system, including topology, alerts, events, ● View platform configuration, resource details
and metrics. ● System monitoring (events, alerts)

Support The Support role is a special kind of ● Manage storage resources

SystemAdmin (all activities except for user/● Manage lifecycle operations, resource groups,
security management operations) to be used templates, deployment, backend operations
only by Dell Technologies support staff ● Manage replication operations, peer systems, RCGs
and developers. This user role has access ● Manage snapshots, snapshot policies
to undocumented, special operations and ● Replace drives
options for common operations, required only
● Hardware operations
for support purposes.
● View storage configurations, resource details
NOTE: This special role should be ● View platform configuration, resource details
used only by Dell Technologies support. ● System monitoring (events, alerts)
It opens special, often dangerous, ● Perform serviceability operations
commands for advanced troubleshooting. ● Special Dell Technologies Support operations

Mapping PowerFlex 4.0 or later roles to legacy roles

For reference, the tables below map user and group roles from earlier releases to the roles used in the current release.

Role mapping per legacy user interface

Table 48. Role mapping
Legacy role (prior to version PowerFlex 4.0) New role (from PowerFlex 4.0 and later)
PowerFlex Monitor Monitor
PowerFlex Back-end configurator LifecycleAdmin
PowerFlex Front-end configurator StorageAdmin
PowerFlex Configurator SystemAdmin
PowerFlex Security SecurityAdmin
PowerFlex Administrator StorageAdmin
PowerFlex local Super User SuperUser
PowerFlex technician commands Support
PowerFlex Manager Administrator SuperUser
PowerFlex Manager Read only Monitor
PowerFlex Manager Standard owner LifecycleAdmin
PowerFlex Manager Standard member LifecycleAdmin
PowerFlex Manager Operator DriveReplacer
NAS Storage admin StorageAdmin
NAS Administrator StorageAdmin

Legacy LDAP users and groups

LDAP user role permissions were modified in PowerFlex version 4.0. For reference purposes, the following table shows the
mapping of legacy users and groups to the roles now supported by PowerFlex.

Configuring system settings 185

Prior to PowerFlex version 4.0, PowerFlex mapped LDAP users and groups to actual roles. This mapping allowed assignment of
multiple roles to a single group. Assignment of multiple roles to a group is no longer supported.
All legacy roles have a proximate hierarchy. The group's single role is the highest ranking role.

Table 49. LDAP hierarchy

Ranking Legacy PowerFlex LDAP role (earlier than v4.0) PowerFlex v4.0 or PowerFlex v4.0 or
later group role later group role
without security with security officer
officer permissions permissions
1 Super User N/A (local user) N/A (local user)
2 Administrator Admin SuperUser
3 Configurator Admin SuperUser
4 Front-end config and back-end config Admin SuperUser
5 Front-end config or back-end config StorageAdmin or SuperUser
LifecycleAdmin
6 Monitor Monitor SecurityAdmin
Not ranked Security Officer (SE) SecurityAdmin SecurityAdmin

Local users
You can create and manage local users within PowerFlex Manager.

Creating a user
Perform this task to create a local user and assign a role to that user.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click User Management.
2. Click Local Users.
3. On the Local Users page, click Create.
4. Enter a unique User Name to identify the user account.
5. Enter the First Name and Last Name of the user.
6. Enter the Email address.
7. Enter a New Password that a user enters to access PowerFlex Manager. Confirm the password in the Verify Password
field.
The password must be at least 8 characters long and contain one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one number, and
one special character. Passwords cannot contain a username or email address.
8. In the User Role box, select a user role. Options include:
● SuperUser
● SystemAdmin
● StorageAdmin
● LifecycleAdmin
● ReplicationManager
● SnapshotManager
● SecurityAdmin
● DriveReplacer
● Technician
● Monitor
● Support
9. Select Enable User to create the account with an Enabled status, or clear this option to create the account with a
Disabled status.
10. Click Submit and click Dismiss.

186 Configuring system settings

PowerFlex Manager creates the new user with the specified password. The first time you login with the new user and password,
PowerFlex Manager asks you to change the password.

Modifying a user
Perform this task to edit a PowerFlex Manager user profile.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click User Management.
2. Click Local Users.
3. On the Local Users page, select the user account that you want to edit.
4. Click Modify. For security purpose, confirm your password before editing the user.
5. You can modify the following user account information from this window:
● First Name
● Last Name
● User Role
● Email
● Enable User
If you select the Enable user check box, the user can log in to PowerFlex Manager. If you disable the check box, the user
cannot log in.

6. Click Submit and click Dismiss.

Deleting a user
Perform this procedure to remove an existing local user.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click User Management.
2. Click Local Users.
3. On the Local Users page, select one or more user accounts to delete.
4. Click Delete.
Click Apply in the warning message to delete the user. Click Dismiss.

Resetting the password for a user

You can reset the password for a local user in PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click User Management.
2. Click Local Users.
3. On the Local Users page, select one user account to reset the password.
4. Click Reset Password.
5. Enter New Password and Verify Password.
6. If you wish to set the password as a temporary one, check Temporary Password.
7. Click Apply and click Dismiss.

Remote users and groups

You can add and modify remote users and groups in PowerFlex Manager. Remote users are users tied to an LDAP directory
service or to an SSO identity provider.
For LDAP configurations, the LDAP realm name must not exceed the 155 character limit defined by Microsoft.

Configuring system settings 187

Add remote users or groups
Add remote users or groups to PowerFlex, and assign roles to them. Remote users are users tied to an LDAP directory service
or to an SSO identity provider.
When you add users and groups, you can also assign roles to the users and groups. The roles control access permissions for the
corresponding LDAP user or group. The users and groups must also be configured in the LDAP directory service or SSO identity
provider. On the PowerFlex side, these users and groups are mapped to PowerFlex roles.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click Remote Users/Groups.
3. Click Add.
4. In the Add Remote User/Group dialog box, select a Type option.
● User—a user definition will be configured for an individual user.
● Group—a group definition will be configured for a specific group.
5. Select the LDAP directory service or SSO identity provider in the Provider drop-down.
6. In the User Name box, enter the user or group name.
7. In the User Role box, select the role to be assigned to the user or group. Options include:
● SuperUser
● SystemAdmin
● StorageAdmin
● LifecycleAdmin
● ReplicationManager
● SnapshotManager
● SecurityAdmin
● DriveReplacer
● Technician
● Monitor
● Support
8. Click Apply.

Modify a remote user or group

You can modify the user role of a user or group tied to an LDAP directory service or an SSO identity provider. User roles control
access permissions to the corresponding user or group.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Remote Users.
2. Click Modify.
3. In the Modify Remote User/Group dialog box, change the user role by selecting one of the User Role options:
● SuperUser
● SystemAdmin
● StorageAdmin
● LifecycleAdmin
● ReplicationManager
● SnapshotManager
● SecurityAdmin
● DriveReplacer
● Technician
● Monitor
● Support
4. Click Apply.

Directory services
You can create a directory service that PowerFlex Manager can access to authenticate users.
An Active Directory or Open LDAP user is authenticated against the specific directory domain to which a user belongs.

188 Configuring system settings

The Directory Services page displays the following information about PowerFlex Manager active directories:
● LDAP configuration
● User search settings
● Group search settings
From this page, you can:
● Add a directory service (only available when no service is defined in the system)
● Modify a directory service
● Remove a directory service

Add a directory service

Add a directory service for user authentication.
Perform the following procedure to add a directory service to PowerFlex:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click Directory services.
3. Click Add.
4. For LDAP Configuration, configure the following:
a. In the Address box, enter the address of the authentication server.
The address must be specified in URL-like format:
● Enter ldap://HOSTNAME or IP ADDRESS for a plaintext LDAP connection.
● Enter ldaps://HOSTNAME or IP ADDRESS for a secure LDAP connection.
For example: ldap://100.68.68.1
b. In the Bind DN box, enter the bind distinguished name attributes.
The Bind Distinguished Name (DN) uniquely identifies an entry and its position in the hierarchy of entries contained in a
directory server.
For example: CN= <your AD user account>,CN=Users,DC=asm,DC=delllabs,DC=net.
c. In the Bind DN Password box, enter the Bind DN password.
This is the password used to access the LDAP server.
d. In the Timeout box, enter a value in milliseconds.
For example: 1000
5. For User Search Settings, configure the following:
a. In the Username LDAP Attribute box, enter the name of an LDAP attribute that is mapped as the username. For many
LDAP servers, it can be uid. For Active Directory, it can be sAMAccountName or cn. The attribute should be filled in
for all LDAP users you want to import from LDAP to PowerFlex.
For example: sAMAccountName
b. In the ID Attribute box, enter the ID attribute for users.
For example: sAMAccountName
c. In the Object Class box, enter an object class.
For example: top,person,organizationalPerson,user
d. In the Search Path box, enter the search path.
The search path is used to identify and retrieve entries in the directory information tree that match a set of criteria.
For example: CN=Users,DC=asm,DC=delllabs,DC=net
6. For Group Search Settings, configure the following:
a. In the Group Member Attribute box, enter a group member name.
For example: member
b. In the Group ID Attribute box, enter the group ID.
For example: cn
c. In the Group Object Class box, enter the group object class.
For example: group
d. In the Group Search Path box, enter the group search path.
The search path is used to identify and retrieve entries in the directory information tree that match a set of criteria for
groups.
For example: CN=Users,DC=asm,DC=delllabs,DC=net

Configuring system settings 189

7. Click Test Connection.
If the test is successful, the Submit button will become active. If the test fails, you will not be able to proceed until you fix
the connectivity issue.
8. When you have finished making your changes, click Submit.

Modify a directory service

The Modify option allows you to edit the existing directory service settings.
Perform the following procedure to edit the settings:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click Directory services.
3. Click Modify.
4. In the LDAP Settings dialog box, edit the desired fields.
Note that the Bind DN Password must be reentered.
5. When you have finished making your changes, click Test Connection.
If the test is successful, the Submit button becomes active. If the test fails, you will not be able to proceed until you fix the
connectivity issue.
6. Click Submit.

Remove a directory service

The Remove option allows you to remove the directory service configuration from PowerFlex.
Perform the following procedure to remove a directory service:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click Directory services.
3. Click Remove.
4. In the warning dialog box, click Submit.

Single sign-on identity provider configuration

You can configure single sign-on (SSO) authentication through an identity provider (IdP) using the SAML 2.0 and OIDC
protocols. This configuration makes it possible for users to take advantage of SSO capabilities.
You can add up to three IdPs for SSO authentication through PowerFlex Manager.
The supported IdPs and protocols are described in the following table:

Table 50. Supported IdPs and protocols

IdP SAML OIDC
Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services Y N
Microsoft Azure Y Y
Keycloak N Y
Okta Y Y
PingOne Y N

Add an identity provider

Add an SSO Identity Provider (IdP) for PowerFlex Manager to enable users to take advantage of single sign-on (SSO)
capabilities through other applications.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.

190 Configuring system settings

3. Click Add.
The Add Identity Provider (IdP) window opens.
4. Under Name, provide a name for the identity provider and click Next.
5. Under Service Provider, choose a method to download the service provider metadata for PowerFlex:
● To download the metadata as a file, select Download File and click Download SP Metadata (XML).
● To copy the metadata, click Manual Copy and click Copy for each piece of metadata.
6. Configure PowerFlex as the service provider within the IdP.
NOTE: To configure PowerFlex as the service provider within the IdP, you must log in to the portal of the IdP.

7. Under Service Provider, select the I have configured PowerFlex as a SP in my IdP using the metadata above
checkbox and click Next.
8. Under IdP Setup, upload the identity provider metadata so that PowerFlex can establish a connection to the identity
provider.
a. To upload the metadata as a file, select Upload File and specify the file location.
b. To retrieve the metadata from a URL, select URL and specify the following URL: https://hostname/
FederationMetadata/2007-06/FederationMetadata.xml
The URL is always the same, except for the hostname, which you must specify for your environment.
c. Click Next.
9. Under Claims Mapping, review the attribute mappings that are imported from the identity provider.
a. Check the attribute mappings to ensure they are correct.
b. Click Next.
10. Under Summary, review the details and click Finish.
After you add an identity provider, PowerFlex Manager adds it to the list of identity providers on the SSO Identity Provider
(IdP) Configuration page.
In addition, PowerFlex Manager updates the login page to show a login button with the new identity provider. You can see this
button the next time you log in PowerFlex Manager.

Set up Powerflex single sign-on with Microsoft Active Directory Federation

Services
To set up PowerFlex single sign-on with Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), you must first add ADFS as an
IdP through PowerFlex Manager.
You must then download the service provider metadata for PowerFlex. After you complete this step, log in to the ADFS portal,
configure PowerFlex as the service provider, and choose an access control policy. You must then return to PowerFlex Manager
to complete the setup of single sign-on.

Add Active Directory Federation Services as an identity provider

Add an SSO Identity Provider (IdP) for PowerFlex Manager to enable users to take advantage of single sign-on (SSO)
capabilities through other applications.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Click Add.
The Add Identity Provider (IdP) window opens.
4. Under Name, provide a name for the identity provider and click Next.
5. Under Service Provider, choose a method to download the service provider metadata for PowerFlex:
● To download the metadata as a file, select Download File and click Download SP Metadata (XML).
● To copy the metadata, click Manual Copy and click Copy for each piece of metadata.

Configure Powerflex as a service provider for Active Directory Federation Services

You must upload the root CA certificate for ADFS.
1. Log in to the Active Directory Federation Services portal with the security or administrator role.

Configuring system settings 191

2. Under ADFS, go to the Relying Party Trusts folder.
3. Under Actions, click Add Relying Party Trust....
4. On the Welcome screen, select Claims aware and click Start.
5. On the Select Data Source screen, select Import data about the relying party from a file.
6. In the Federation metadata file location field, specify the location of the downloaded service provider metadata file and
click Next.
NOTE: If you copied the metadata instead of downloading the file, select Enter data about the relying party
manually and input the copied metadata.

7. On the Specify Display Name screen, enter the name that you would like to use for the service provider and click Next.
8. On the Choose Access Control Policy screen, choose a policy and click Next.
9. On the Ready to Add Trust screen, click Next.
10. On the Finish screen, select Configure claims insure policy for this application and click Close.
11. On the Relying Party Trusts screen, under Actions select the display name for the newly created service provider, and
click Edit Claim Insurance Policy....
12. Click Add Rule... to add the following LDAP attribute rule:
a. For the Claim rule template, select Send LDAP Attributes as Claims.
b. For the Claim rule name, enterLDAP attributes.
c. For the Attribute store, select Active Directory.
d. For the Mapping of LDAP attributes to outgoing claim types, select the following attributes:

Table 51. LDAP attributes and outgoing claim types

LDAP attribute Outgoing claim type
Email-Addresses Email Address
SAM-Account-Name Name ID
Surname Surname
Given-Name Given Name

e. Click Finish.
13. Click Add Rule... to add the following custom rule:
a. For the Claim rule template, select Send Claims Using a Custom Rule.
b. For the Claim rule name, enter Get groups.
c. For the Custom rule, paste in the following string:

c:[Type == "http://schemas.microsoft.com/ws/2008/06/identity/claims/
windowsaccountname", Issuer == "AD AUTHORITY"] => add(store = "Active Directory",
types = ("http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/claims/Group"), query = ";tokenGroups;{0}",
param = c.Value);

d. Click Finish.
14. Click Add Rule... to add another custom rule:
a. For the Claim rule template, select Send Claims Using a Custom Rule.
b. For the Claim rule name, enter Claim of groups membership.
c. For the Custom rule, paste in the following string:

c:[Type == "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/claims/Group"] => issue(Type = "Group",

Issuer = c.Issuer, OriginalIssuer = c.OriginalIssuer, Value = c.Value, ValueType =
c.ValueType);

d. Click Finish.
15. Click OK.

192 Configuring system settings

Upload the PowerFlex metadata file
You must upload the metadata file through PowerFlex Manager to ensure that PowerFlex can establish a connection to the IdP.
1. In PowerFlex Manager, go back to the Add Identity Provider (IdP) window.
2. Under Service Provider, select the I have configured PowerFlex as a SP in my IdP using the metadata above
checkbox and click Next.
3. Under IdP Setup, upload the identity provider metadata so that PowerFlex can establish a connection to the identity
provider.
a. To upload the metadata as a file, select Upload File and specify the file location.
b. To retrieve the metadata from a URL, select URL and specify the following URL: https://hostname/
FederationMetadata/2007-06/FederationMetadata.xml
The URL is always the same, except for the hostname, which you must specify for your environment.
c. Click Next.
4. On the Settings page, review the attribute mappings are imported from the identity provider.
a. Check the attribute mappings to be sure they are correct.
b. Click Next.
c. Review the Summary page and click Finish.
After you add ADFS as an IdP, it is added to the list of IdPs on the SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration page in
PowerFlex Manager.
In addition, PowerFlex Manager updates the login page to show a login button with ADFS. You can see this button the next time
you log in PowerFlex Manager.

Set up PowerFlex single sign-on with Microsoft Azure

To set up PowerFlex single sign-on with Microsoft Azure, you must first add Microsoft Azure as an IdP through PowerFlex
Manager.
You must then download the service provider metadata for PowerFlex. After you complete this step, log in to the Microsoft
Azure portal and configure PowerFlex as the service provider. You must then return to PowerFlex Manager to complete the
setup of single sign-on.

Add Microsoft Azure as an identity provider

You must add Microsoft Azure as an IdP and download the service data for PowerFlex through PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Click Add.
The Add Identity Provider (IdP) window opens.
4. Under Name, provide a name for the identity provider and click Next.
5. Under Service Provider, choose a method to download the service provider metadata for PowerFlex:
● To download the metadata as a file, select Download File and click Download SP Metadata (XML).
● To copy the metadata, click Manual Copy and click Copy for each piece of metadata.

Configure PowerFlex as a service provider for Microsoft Azure

You must export the PowerFlex metadata file and edit it to include additional attributes.
You have 15 minutes from when the SP Metadata (XML) file is downloaded from PowerFlex until the Federation Metadate
XML file is uploaded to complete the procedure, or a timeout may occur. If there is a timeout, see the Troubleshooting a timeout
error topic.
1. Using an editor, open the SP Metadata XML file, replace any occurrence of the string keycloak-http with the
PowerFlex Manager IP address, and save the file.
2. Log in to the Microsoft Azure Portal.
3. Go to App registrations.
4. Under Owned applications, select the Microsoft Azure application that PowerFlex uses.

Configuring system settings 193

5. Click the link beside Managed Application in local directory.
6. Go to Manage > Single sign-on.
7. Select SAML.
8. From the menu, click Upload metadata file.
9. To import the metadata file, browse and select the file, and then click Add.
10. Check that the URL contains the PowerFlex system IP and click Save.
11. Exit the import screen.
12. In the SAML-based Sign-On screen window, go to the SAML Certificates section, and download the Federation
Metadate XML file by clicking Download..
The file name that is created contains the application name with an .xml extension. The file is downloaded to the
Downloads directory. In this case, the Federation Metadate XML directory.
13. Go to the Federation Metadate XML file, open it in a text editor and edit it to include the additional attributes as
follows:
a. Before </IDPSSODescriptor>, add the following lines:

<Attribute xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion"
Name="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/emailaddress"
NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:uri" FriendlyName="E-Mail
Address"/>
<Attribute xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion"
Name="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/givenname"
NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:uri" FriendlyName="Given
Name"/>
<Attribute xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion"
Name="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/surname"
NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:uri"
FriendlyName="Surname"/>

b. Click Save.
You must now leave the Microsoft Azure portal. Go back to PowerFlex Manager and upload the Federation Metadate XML
file to PowerFlex.

Related tasks
Troubleshooting a timeout error

Upload the PowerFlex metadata file

You must upload the metadata file through PowerFlex Manager to ensure that PowerFlex can establish a connection to the IdP.
1. In PowerFlex Manager, go back to the Add Identity Provider (IdP) window.
2. Under Service Provider, select the I have configured PowerFlex as a SP in my IdP using the metadata above
checkbox and click Next.
3. Under IdP Setup, select Upload File.
4. Browse and select the Federated Metadata XML file and click Next.
You must now leave PowerFlex Manager. Go back to the Microsoft Azure portal to create a group claim.

Create a group claim

You must create a group claim to manage user authorization to the application.
1. In the Microsoft Azure portal, go back to the SAML-based Sign on window.
2. From the left navigation , click Single sign-on.
The Set up Single Sign On with SAML window opens.
3. From the Attributes & Claims window, click Edit.
4. Select + Add a group claim.
5. From the Group Claims window, complete the following steps:
a. For Which groups associated with the user should be returned to the claim?, select Groups assigned to the
application.

194 Configuring system settings

 b. For Source attribute, select Group ID.
c. Expand Advanced options.
d. Select the Customize the name of the group claim check box.
e. For Name (required), enter Group.
f. Click Save.

Assign a user or group to the application

The user and or group you assign is given access to authenticate to PowerFlex through PowerFlex Manager.
1. In the Microsoft Azure portal, from the SAML-based Sign on window, go to the left side navigation, and click Users and
groups.
2. In the Add Assignment window, click Users and groups.
3. Select the check box beside the users and groups that should be assigned.
4. Click Assign.
You must now leave the Microsoft Azure portal. Go back to PowerFlex Manager and provide permissions to the remote users
and groups you created.

Provide permissions to remote users and groups

You can provide permissions to users and groups that are based on their role. The roles control access permissions for the
corresponding group.

You must not connect to SSO from PowerFlex Manager before you assign permissions.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager using the local administrator rights.
2. Go to Settings > User Management > Remote users/Groups.
3. Click Add.
a. Select the type.
If you select the Group type for the Group Name, enter the group-id that is taken from Microsoft Azure (not the Group
Name).
If you select the User type for the User Name, enter the username that is defined in Microsoft Azure.
b. Select the provider.
c. Select a role.
d. Click Apply.
After you add Microsoft Azure as an IdP, it is added to the list of IdPs on the SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration
page in PowerFlex Manager.
In addition, PowerFlex Manager updates the login page to show a login button with Microsoft Azure. You can see this button the
next time you log in PowerFlex Manager.

Troubleshooting a timeout error

If a timeout error occurs, you can log in to PowerFlex Manager and create the IdP again.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. On the menu bar, click Settings.
3. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
4. Select the IdP and click Delete.
5. Add the IdP.
6. Export the Federation Metadate XML file.
7. Import the Federation Metadate XML file that you downloaded from Microsoft Azure to PowerFlex.
8. Import the exported Federation Metadate XML file that you created in step 7 to Microsoft Azure.
In the Microsoft Azure portal, update the entity-id by reimporting the PowerFlex metadata file through the application.

Configuring system settings 195

Modify an identity provider
The Modify option allows you to edit the existing identity provider settings.
Perform the following procedure to edit the settings:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Select an identity provider.
4. Optionally, change the name for the identity provider.
5. Optionally, enable or disable the identity provider.
6. Click Apply.

Enable or disable an identity provider

You can disable an identity provider after the initial configuration. If needed, you can also reenable the provider after it has been
disabled.
Perform the following procedure to enable or disable an identity provider:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Click Enable or Disable.

Delete an identity provider

You can delete an identity provider if you no longer need it.
Perform the following procedure to delete an existing identity provider:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings.
2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Click Delete.

Update the certificate for an identity provider

You can update the certificate for an identity provider if it is about to expire.

1. On the menu bar, click Settings.

2. In the left pane, click User Management, then in the right pane, click SSO Identity Provider (IdP) Configuration.
3. Check the Status column to see if any of the identity providers are about to expire.
4. If an identity provider is about to expire, select the identity provider and click Update Certificate in the details pane to the
right of the list of providers.

Repositories
On the Repositories page, you can load compliance files, operating system images, and compatibility management files.
You can load compliance files and specify a default version for compliance checking on the Compliance Versions tab. You
can load multiple compliance files into PowerFlex Manager with different operating system images included. The compliance
file includes operating system images for ESXi and PowerFlex. When you add a compliance file, these images are automatically
added to the OS Images tab. If necessary, you can also create your own operating system image repositories. You can also load
the compatibility management file on the Compatibility Management tab to allow PowerFlex Manager to determine which
upgrade paths are valid and which are not.
On the Compliance Versions tab, click Add to load a compliance version. Click Change to change the default compliance
version to a new file.

196 Configuring system settings

You cannot make a minimal compliance version the default version for compliance checking, since it includes only server
firmware updates. The default version must include the full set of compliance update capabilities. PowerFlex Manager does not
show any minimal compliance versions in the Default Version drop-down list.
The Compliance Versions tab displays the following information:

Table 52. Compliance version fields

Field Description
State Displays an icon indicating one of the following states:
● Pending—The compliance file download process is in progress.
● Downloading—The compliance file is being downloaded and PowerFlex Manager
provides the percentage complete for the download operation.
● Unpacking—The compliance file is being unpacked and provides the percentage
complete for the unpacking operation.
● Synchronizing—The compliance file is being synchronized with the management
software after unpacking.
● Available—The compliance file is downloaded and copied successfully.
● Error—There is an issue downloading the compliance file.
● Needs Approval—The compliance file is unsigned and needs approval for use.
Version Displays the compliance version.
Source Displays the share path of the compliance version in a file share.
Signature Displays whether the digital signature on the compliance file is signed or unsigned.
File Size Displays the size of the compliance file in GB.
Type Displays Minimal if the compliance file only contains firmware updates, or Full if it
contains firmware and software updates.
View bundles Displays details about any bundles added for the compliance version.
Available Actions Select an option for a compliance file that is in an Error state:
● Delete the compliance version
● Resynchronize a compliance version
Select an option for a compliance file that is in a Needs Approval state:
● Allow unsigned file
● Delete

Use the OS Image Repositories tab to create operating system image repositories and view the following information:

Table 53. Operating system image repositories

Field Description
State Displays the following states:
● Available—The operating system image repository is downloaded and copied
successfully.
● Pending—The operating system image repository download process is in
progress.
● Error—There is an issue downloading the operating system image repository.
Repository Displays the repository name.
Image Type Displays the operating system type.
Source Path Displays the share path of the repository in a file share.
In Use Displays True (the operating system image repository is in use) or False (the
operating system image repository is not in use).
Available Actions Select an option to delete or resynchronize.

You cannot perform any actions on repositories that are in use. However, you can delete repositories that are in an Available
state, but not in use and not set as a default version.

Configuring system settings 197

All the options are available only for repositories in an Error state. The Resynchronize option appears only when you must
perform a backup and restore of a previous image.
Use the Compatibility Management tab to load the compatibility management file. To facilitate upgrades, PowerFlex Manager
uses information that is provided in the compatibility matrix file to determine which upgrade paths are valid and which are
not. When you attempt an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager warns you if the current version of the software is incompatible with
the target version, or if any of the RCM or IC versions that are currently loaded are incompatible with the target compliance
versions.

Related information
Configuring block storage
Deploying and provisioning

Compliance versions
PowerFlex Manager displays the following information about the compliance versions:

Table 54. Compliance versions

Field Description
State Displays an icon indicating one of the following states:
● Pending—The compliance file download process is in progress.
● Downloading—The compliance file is being downloaded and PowerFlex Manager
provides the percentage complete for the download operation.
● Unpacking—The compliance file is being unpacked and provides the percentage
complete for the unpacking operation.
● Synchronizing—The compliance file is being synchronized with the management
software after unpacking.
● Available—The compliance file is downloaded and copied successfully.
● Error—There is an issue downloading the compliance file.
● Needs Approval—The compliance file is unsigned and needs approval for use.
Version Displays the compliance version. If one or many components in the RCM are
modified, a wrench icon and the text, "Modified" is displayed next to the name of
the RCM. But, if the file is deleted from the file share after a component is updated,
the wrench ion with the text, "Modified | Needs Attention", is displayed.
Source Displays the share path of the compliance version in a file share.
Signature Displays whether the digital signature on the compliance file is signed or unsigned.
File Size Displays the size of the compliance file in GB.
Type Displays Minimal if the compliance file only contains firmware updates, or Full if it
contains firmware and software updates.
View bundles Displays details about any bundles added for the compliance version.
Available Actions Select an option if the compliance file is in an Error or Needs Approval state:
● Delete the compliance version
● Resynchronize a compliance version
● Allow unsigned file

Select the compliance version to view the following information about the firmware package:
● Bundles—Displays the number of bundles available in the firmware package.
● Components—Displays the number of software components available in the firmware package.
● Created On—Displays the date when the compliance version was created.
● Last Updated—Displays the date when the compliance version was last updated.
● Resource Groups Affected—Displays the resource groups in which the firmware is used.
● Additional Components:
○ VMware ISO—Displays the date and time when the VMware ISO component was added.
○ Filename—Displays the file name of the VMware ISO component added.

198 Configuring system settings

 ○ VMware Upgrade Depot—Displays the date and time when the VMware patch depot file component was added.
○ Filename—Displays the file name of the VMware patch depot file component added.
From this page, you can:
● Add a compliance file.
A compliance file can be large and take some time to download and unpack. To help you monitor the progress of the
downloading and unpacking operations, PowerFlex Manager provides percentage complete information for these operations
in the State column on the Compliance Versions tab.
● Select Default Version and choose a version from the drop-down list to set it as the default for compliance.
● Select a compliance version from the list, and click the delete icon in the same row to remove the version.
If you remove a compliance version, the version is deleted from the appliance not from the file share.
● Select a version from the list, and, in the right pane, click View Bundles to view the firmware and software bundles available
in the compliance version.

Add a compliance file

A compliance file must be in an available state for PowerFlex Manager to add the file.
1. From the Getting Started page, click Upload Compliance File.
Alternatively, click Settings > Repositories. On the Repositories page, select the Compliance Versions tab, and click
Add.

2. In the Add Compliance File dialog, select one of the following options:
● Download from SupportAssist (Recommended)—Select this option to import the compliance file that contains the
firmware bundles you need.
○ Download from local network path—Select this option to download the compliance file from a CIFS file share. This
option is intended for sites that do not have Internet accessibility to SupportAssist.
3. If you selected Download from SupportAssist (Recommended), click the Available Compliance Files drop-down list,
and select the file.
Before downloading a compliance file from SupportAssist, you must configure SupportAssist. To configure the
SupportAssist, you must enable SupportAssist in the Initial Configuration wizard.
If you are downloading a compliance file from SupportAssist, the file type is a ZIP or TAR.GZ file.
If you are downloading a compliance file from the Dell Technologies support site the file will be called
Software_Only_Complete_4.6.x_xxx.zip

NOTE: The XML file type is not supported as a download option.

4. If you selected Download from local network path, perform the following:
● In the File Path box, enter the location of the compliance file. Use the following format:
○ CIFS share for ZIP file: \\host\share\filename.zip
○ CIFS share for TAR.GZ file: \\host\share\filename.tar.gz
● If you are using a CIFS share, enter the User Name and Password.
● Mark the target upgrade catalog as the default version for compliance checking.
Download the 3.6.x and the 4.6 software catalogs. PowerFlex requires the catalog for the version that the system is on and
the target version.

5. Click Save.
PowerFlex Manager unpacks the compliance file as a repository that includes the firmware and software bundles that are
required to perform any updates.
If the compliance file contains an embedded ISO file for an operating system image (such as for an VMware ESXi or
PowerFlex image), the download process unpacks the file and adds it to the operating system image repository.
A compliance file can be large and take some time to download and unpack. To help you monitor the progress of the
downloading and unpacking operations, PowerFlex Manager provides percentage complete information for these operations
in the State column on the Compliance Versions tab.

Configuring system settings 199

Changing the compliance file
To perform upgrades against a different compliance version, you can change the compliance file.
1. To change the default compliance version, click Change on the Compliance and OS Repositories page.
To change the target version for a resource group, click Change Target on the Resource Group Details page or click
Change on the Node Compliance Report.
2. Choose the Preferred Compliance File.
3. Review the Compatibility setting. If it shows Recommended or Supported, you can proceed with the change. If it shows
Not Allowed, PowerFlex Manager blocks the change. Review the alert for details about recommended or supported paths.
4. If the change is either recommended or supported, type CHANGE COMPLIANCE FILE if you are to proceed.
5. Click Save.

Adding a compliance component

The VMware ESXi image and the patch depot file are no longer available on the Dell support site. Customers need to procure
the VMware ESXi image and the patch depot file from the Broadcom support portal and upload the files to the RCM or IC on
PowerFlex Manager before creating a template, deployment, compliance, or a non-disruptive upgrade operation with VMware
ESXi. Once the appropriate image and file are downloaded, use PowerFlex Manager to add the additional components to the
new compatible RCM or IC. This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance (IC) and PowerFlex rack (RCM) offerings
only.
The VMware patch depot file must match the VMware ESXi base version of the RCM or IC.
1. Click Settings > Repositories > Compliance Versions.
2. From the Compliance Versions tab, select the RCM or IC and click Add Component.
3. In the Add Compliance Component window, leave the default VMware Components setting for Type of components
being added.
4. In the Add VMware Installation ISO section, enter the file path of the VMware installation ISO file, user name, and
password. Click Test Connection to verify that the file path is valid and can be accessed.
5. In the Add VMware Upgrade Depot Zip section, enter the file path of the VMware patch depot file, user name, and
password. Click Test Connection to verify that the file path is valid and can be accessed.
6. Click Add.
PowerFlex Manager tracks the addition of VMware ISO and patch depot files under the Hardware category on the Monitoring
> Events page. The Additional Components in the Compliance and OS Repositories window displays the VMware ISO and
patch depot file name, date, and time at which the VMware ISO and patch depot files are added.

Firmware repository types

The Resources page displays devices that are validated against the default repository.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.
There are two types of firmware repositories:

Table 55. Firmware repository types

Repository Description
Default The default firmware repository is applied to all devices that are not in a resource
group.
To set a default firmware repository, you must download a compliance file from
either SupportAssist or an internal share through PowerFlex Manager. If you set
a default compliance version, you can view compliance with this repository on the
Resources page.
Devices with firmware levels below the minimum firmware that is listed in the
default compliance version are viewed as non-compliant (out of compliance).

Service level This repository is applied only to nodes that are in service and assigned the service
level firmware repository.

200 Configuring system settings

Table 55. Firmware repository types (continued)
Repository Description

Devices with firmware levels below the minimum firmware level that is listed in the
service level repository are marked as non-compliant. When a service level firmware
repository is assigned to a resource group, the firmware validation is checked only
against the service level firmware repository and the default firmware repository
checks are no longer applied to the devices associated with this resource group.

Viewing firmware and software bundles details

To view the firmware and software bundles details:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click Compliance and OS Repositories.
2. Click the Compliance Versions tab, select a repository, and then click View Bundles.
A list of system and software bundles is displayed.
3. Click Firmware Bundles to view the firmware or system bundles.
4. Click Software Bundles to view the software bundles.
You can see the following information regarding bundles:
● Name—Name of the firmware or software update package.
● Version—Version of the firmware or software update package.
● Date and Time—Date and time when the firmware or software update package was downloaded.

Uploading VMware ESXi software bundle

You can upload the ESXi software bundle as a single .zip format file, from the RCM details page.
1. Click Settings > Compliance Versions.
2. On the Compliance Versions page, select the RCM version for which you want to view and upload the ESXi software
bundle.
3. On the right side of the Compliance Versions page, click View Details.
The RCM details page is displayed.
4. Click the Software Bundles tab.
5. Select the ESXi version for which you want to upload the software bundle and click View.
The ESXi software bundle details page is displayed.
6. Click Upload Software Depot.
The Upload Software Depot window is displayed.
7. Select the Download from local network path option as size of the files exceed 500 MB.
8. Enter the path and user credentials to access the file on the local network drive.
9. Enter Modify Compliance File to confirm the upload and click Proceed.
After the software is upgraded, the modified icon is displayed next to the ESXi software version you selected for the
upgrade. The upgraded version number and the modified icon are also displayed next to all the components that are
upgraded in the ESXi bundle. On completion of the upgrade process, a "modified" folder is created in the shared network
location. The folder contains the VIBs and zipped format of the software depot bundle.
10. Verify if all the upgraded files are present in the "modified" folder in the shared network location.
For RCM version 3.7.5, the supported VMware ESXi version is 7.Ou3 and for RCM version 3.8, the supported ESXi version is
8.0.2.

OS images
To add an OS image repository:
1. On the Repositories page, click OS Images, and then click Add.
2. In the Add OS Image Repository dialog box, enter the following:
a. In the Repository Name box, enter the name of the repository. The repository name must be unique.
b. In the Image Type box, enter the image type.

Configuring system settings 201

 c. In the Source Path and Filename box, enter the path of the OS image file name in a file share.
To enter the CIFS share, see the format that is used in the following example: \\host\lab\isos\filename.iso

d. If you are using the CIFS share, enter the User Name and Password to access the share.
3. Click Add.
After adding an OS image, you can modify it or remove it by selecting the image, then clicking Modify or Remove.

Resynchronizing an OS image repository

Use the resynchronize option to restore the OS image from the database after a backup and restore.
If an operating system image was uploaded as a part of an ISO file, you must resynchronize the OS image repository from
the OS Image Repositories tab. However, if the operating system image was uploaded as a part of a compliance ZIP file, go
to the Compliance Versions tab and resynchronize the ZIP file. The following procedure provides steps for performing the
resynchronization from the OS Image Repositories tab.
To resynchronize the OS image repository for an operating system image that was uploaded as part of an ISO file:
1. On the Repositories page, click OS Images.
2. Click Resynchronize for a repository in an Error state.
The Resynchronize OS Repository page is displayed.
3. Enter the user credentials and click Test Connection to test the network connection.
NOTE: You cannot edit the Source Path and Filename.

4. Click Resynchronize.
The repository state changes to Copying state.

Compatibility management
To facilitate upgrades, PowerFlex Manager uses information that is provided in the compatibility matrix file to determine which
upgrade paths are valid and which are not.
When you attempt an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager warns you if the current version of the software is incompatible with the
target version, or if any of the RCM or IC versions that are currently loaded are incompatible with the target compliance
versions. To determine which paths are valid and which are not, PowerFlex Manager uses information that is provided in the
compatibility matrix file. The compatibility matrix file maps all the known valid and invalid paths for all previous releases of the
software.
When you first install PowerFlex Manager, the software does not have the compatibility matrix file, so you must upload the
file before performing any updates. You must upload the latest compatibility matrix file to ensure that PowerFlex Manager has
access to the latest upgrade information.
You can download the file from SupportAssist or upload it from a local directory path. The file has a GPG extension and an
associated compatibility version number.
If you are uploading from a local directory path, ensure that you have access to a valid compatibility matrix file that has the GPG
extension. If you are using SupportAssist, ensure that SupportAssist has been properly configured.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Compatibility Management.
2. Click Edit Settings.
3. Click Download from Dell Technologies SupportAssist if you are using SupportAssist.
4. Click Upload from Local to use a local file. Then, click Choose File to select the GPG file.

Getting started
If you want to return to the Getting Started page, you can launch it from the Settings page.
The Getting Started page guides you through the common configurations that are required to prepare a new PowerFlex
Manager environment. A green check mark on a step indicates that you have completed the step. Only super users have access
to the Getting Started page.

202 Configuring system settings

Networking
On the Networking page, you can define, edit, or delete a network. You can also verify which IP addresses are in use before
deployment.

Related information
Getting started
Configuring block storage
Deploying and provisioning

Networks
The Networks page displays information about networks that are defined in PowerFlex Manager, including:
● Name
● Network Type
● VLAN ID
● IP Address Setting
● Starting IP Address
● Ending IP Address
● Role
● IP Address in Use
On the Networks page, you can:
● Define or modify an existing network.
● Delete an existing network.
● Click Export All to export all the network details to a CSV file.
● Export network details for a specific network. To export the specific network details, select a network, and then click
Export Network Details.
● Click a network to see the following details in the Summary tab:
○ Name of the user who created and modified the network.
○ Date and time that the network was created and last modified.
● Sort the column by network names, click the arrow next to the column header. You can also refresh the information about
the page.
If you select a network from Networks list, the network details are displayed.
For a static network, the following information is displayed:
● Subnet Mask
● Gateway
● Primary DNS
● Secondary DNS
● DNS Suffix
● Last Updated By
● Date Last Updated
● Created By
● Date Created
● Static IP Details
For a DHCP network, the following information is displayed:
● Last Updated By
● Date Last Updated
● Created By
● Date Created
You can filter the IPs by selecting any of the following options from the View drop-down list, under the Static IP Address
Details section:

Configuring system settings 203

● All IP Addresses
● IP Addresses in Use
● Available IP Addresses
You can also select the links under the IP Address in Use column. The IPs are automatically filtered based on the IP addresses
In Use criteria.

Defining a network
Adding the details of an existing network enables PowerFlex Manager to automatically configure nodes that are connected to
the network.
Ensure that the following conditions are met before you define the network:
● PowerFlex Manager can communicate with the out-of-band management network.
● PowerFlex Manager can communicate with the operating system installation network in which the appliance is deployed.
● PowerFlex Manager can communicate with the hypervisor management network.
● The DHCP node is fully functional with appropriate PXE settings to PXE boot images from PowerFlex Manager in your
deployment network.
To define a network, complete the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click Networks.
The Networks page opens.
3. Click Define. The Define Network page opens.
4. In the Name field, enter the name of the network. Optionally, in the Description field, enter a description for the network.
5. From the Network Type drop-down list, select one of the following network types:
● General Purpose LAN
● Hypervisor Management
● Hypervisor Migration
● Hardware Management
● PowerFlex Data
● PowerFlex Data (Client Traffic Only)
● PowerFlex Data (Server Traffic Only)
● PowerFlex Replication
● NAS File Management
● NAS File Data
● PowerFlex Management
For a PowerFlex configuration that uses a hyperconverged architecture with two data networks, you typically have two
networks that are defined with the PowerFlex data network type. The PowerFlex data network type supports both client and
server communications. The PowerFlex data network type is used with hyperconverged resource groups.
For a PowerFlex configuration that uses a two-layer architecture with four dedicated data networks, you typically have two
PowerFlex (client traffic only) VLANs and two PowerFlex data (server traffic only) VLANs. These network types are used
with storage-only and compute-only resource groups.

6. In the VLAN ID field, enter a VLAN ID between 1 and 4094.

NOTE: PowerFlex Manager uses the VLAN ID to configure I/O modules that enable network traffic to flow from the
node to configured networks during deployment.

7. Optionally, select the Configure Static IP Address Ranges check box, and then do the following:
NOTE: The Configure Static IP Address Ranges check box is not available for all network types. For example, you
cannot configure a static IP address range for the operating system installation network type. You cannot select or clear
this check box to configure static IP address pools after a network is created.

a. In the Subnet box, enter the IP address for the subnet. The subnet is used to support static routes for data and
replication networks.
b. In the Subnet Mask box, enter the subnet mask.
c. In the Gateway box, enter the default gateway IP address for routing network traffic.
d. Optionally, in the Primary DNS and Secondary DNS fields, enter the IP addresses of primary DNS and secondary DNS.

204 Configuring system settings

 e. Optionally, in the DNS Suffix field, enter the DNS suffix to append for hostname resolution.
f. To add an IP address range, click Add IP Address Range. In the row, indicate the role in PowerFlex nodes for the IP
address range and then specify a starting and ending IP address for the range. For the Role, select either:
● Server or Client: Range is assigned to the server and client roles.
● Client Only: Range is assigned to the client role on PowerFlex hyperconverged nodes and PowerFlex compute-only
nodes.
● Server Only: Range is assigned to the server role on PowerFlex hyperconverged nodes and PowerFlex storage-only
nodes.
Repeat this step to add IP address ranges based on the requirement. For example, you can use one range for SDC and
another for SDS.
NOTE: IP address ranges cannot overlap. For example, you cannot create an IP address range of 10.10.10.1–
10.10.10.100 and another range of 10.10.10.50–10.10.10.150.

8. Click Save.

Modifying a network
If a network is not associated with a template or resource group, you can edit the network name, the VLAN ID, or the IP address
range.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click Networks.
The Networks page opens.
3. Select the network that you want to edit and click Modify. The Modify Network page opens.
4. Edit the information in any of the following fields: Name, VLAN ID, IP Address Range.
For a PowerFlex data or replication network, you can specify a Subnet IP address for a static route configuration. The
subnet is used to support static routes for data and replication networks.

5. Click Save.
You can also view details for a network or export the network details by selecting the network, then clicking View Details or
Export Network Details.

(Optional) Deleting a network

You cannot delete a network that is associated with a template or resource group.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click Networks.
3. In the Networks page, click the network that you want to delete, and click Delete.
4. Click OK when the confirmation message is displayed.

Adding an IP verification port number

You must verify what IP addresses are in use before they are deployed. PowerFlex Manager uses default ports 22, 80, and 135
for verification.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click Networking.
2. Under IP Verification Port Number, click Edit.
3. In the Port Numbers Used for IP Verification box, add or remove the port numbers used by PowerFlex Manager to verify
the IP addresses.
Port numbers must be entered in comma-separated list, and must be between 1 and 65535.
4. Click Save.
To remove a port number, click X to the right of the port number.

Configuring system settings 205

System data networks
The System Data Networks page displays information about system data networks for use with NVMe/TCP. This information
includes:
● Name
● Network
● Network Mask
On the System Data Networks page, you can:
● Add a system data network.
● Rename a system data network.
● Remove a system data network.

Adding a system data network

Use this procedure to add a new data network for NVM/TCP host connectivity.
To add a system data network, complete the following steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click System Data Networks.
The System Data Networks page opens.
3. Click Add. The Create System Data Network page opens.
4. In the Name field, enter the name of the network.
5. In the Network field, enter the IP address of the network.
6. In the Network Mask field, enter the network mask.
7. Click Create.

Renaming a network
After you have added a system data network, you can edit the network name.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click System Data Networks.
The System Data Networks page opens.
3. Select the network that you want to edit and click Rename. The Rename System Data Network page opens.
4. Edit the information in the System Data Network Name.
5. Click Apply.

Removing a system data network

After you have added a system data network, you can delete it, if necessary.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Networking.
2. Click System Data Networks.
The System Data Networks page opens.
3. Click the network that you want to delete, and then click Remove.
4. Click OK when the confirmation message is displayed.

Events and alerts

A source is used to configure the receiving of external events and syslog content.
A destination is used to configure the ability to send events and alerts information out. A destination is always external.
SupportAssist, email, SNMP, and remote syslog are considered destinations.

206 Configuring system settings

Notification policies define what information is sent to each destination. Events and alerts exist irrespective of whether
notification policies are created.
SNMP sources are not automatically discovered and must be configured to receive events about these sources. PowerFlex
Manager is preconfigured and events, and alerts are automatically available. Resources in the PowerFlex rack, PowerFlex
appliance, and VxFlex Ready Node are automatically discovered. Any future resources, for example, switch replacements or
additional nodes, are considered external and must be added manually as sources.

Related information
Enabling SupportAssist

Configuring an external source

You must define a source to enable PowerFlex Manager to receive an external event. You need not create a source to receive
PowerFlex events.
External resources such as iDRAC, CloudLink, and Dell or Cisco Switches have to be discovered on the Resources page either
in a managed or unmanaged state.
Alerts received from external resources like iDRAC, CloudLink, and Dell or Cisco Switches are seen only on Events Page.
PowerFlex related alerts can be seen on both the Alerts and Events pages.
A syslog source can only go to a syslog destination and does not display in events. An SNMP source, either V2 or V3, displays in
events even without a defined notification policy.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. From the Sources pane, click Add.
The Add Source window opens.
3. Enter a source name and description.
4. Configure either SNMP, syslog, or audit log forwarding:
● If you select SNMPV2c:
a. Enter the community string by which the source forwards traps to destinations.
b. Enter the same community string for the configured resource. During discovery, if you selected PowerFlex Manager
to automatically configure iDRAC nodes to send alerts to PowerFlex Manager, enter the community string that is used
in that credential here.
● If you select SNMP V3:
a. Enter the username, which identifies the ID where traps are forwarded on the network management system.

NOTE: The username must be at most 16 characters.

b. Select a security level from the following:

Table 56. Security levels

Security Level Details Description authPassword privPassword
Minimal noAuthNoPriv No authentication Not required Not required
and no encryption
Moderate authNoPriv Messages are Required Not required
authenticated but not
encrypted

(Password-based
encryption with
message digest
(MD5) with at least
eight characters)
Maximum authPriv Messages are Required Required
authenticated and
encrypted

Configuring system settings 207

 Table 56. Security levels (continued)
Security Level Details Description authPassword privPassword
(MD5 and Data
Encryption Standard
(DES) both with
at least eight
characters)

PowerFlex supports SNMP v3 alerts only for iDRAC.

● If you select Syslog, click Enable Syslog.
● If you select Audit Log, click Enable Audit Log Retention. You can retain audit logs locally for 15 days.
5. Click Submit.

Related tasks
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Modifying an external source

You can edit the information about how PowerFlex Manager receives an event.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. From the Sources pane, click the source that you want to modify.
The Edit Source window opens.
3. Edit the information and click Submit.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Configuring a destination
Define a location where the event and alert data that PowerFlex Manager processes should be sent.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. From the Destinations pane, click Add.
The Create New Destination Protocol window opens.
3. From the Destination Properties window:
a. Enter the destination name and description.
b. From the Destination Type menu, select either SNMP V2c, SNMP V3, Syslog, Email (SMTP), Webhook, or Audit
Log.
4. Click Next.
The Protocol Settings window opens.
5. Depending on the destination type, enter the following information:

208 Configuring system settings

Destination Protocol settings
type
SNMP V2c ● Network Name/IP Address
● Port
● Community string
SNMP V3 ● Network Name/IP Address
● Port
● Username
● Security level:
○ Minimal - no more information required
○ Moderate - MD5 authentication password required
○ Maximum - MD5 authentication and DES privacy passwords required
Syslog ● Network Name/IP Address
● Port
● Protocol
○ UDP
○ TCP
● Facility
○ All
○ Authentication
○ Security and authentication
Email (SMTP) ● Destination name
● Description
● Destination Type
○ Server Type:
￭ SMTP
￭ SMTP over SSL
￭ SMTPS SMARTTLS
○ Server IP or FQDN
○ Port
○ Sender address and up to five recipient addresses
○ If you choose to use credentials enter:
￭ Username, password, sender address and up to five recipient addresses
● Send Test Email
● Test Email Server Connection
Webhook ● Destination name
● Description
● Destination Type
○ Select Webhook.
○ You can have up to three webhook destinations.
● Webhook Destination API URL
○ For example, if you want to configure a webhook destination for BigPanda, you must specify the
BigPanda endpoint here.
○ You can get this URL from the BigPanda site.
● Enable Credentials
● Credentials
○ For example, for BigPanda, the credential you use must have an App Key and a Token string. You
can generate these values on the BigPanda site and then copy them to the App Key and Token
fields.
● Test Webhook
Audit Log ● Destination name
● Description
● Destination Type

Configuring system settings 209

 Destination Protocol settings
type
○ Select Audit Log.
○ You can have up to four audit log destinations.
● Audit Log Network Name or IP Address
● Port
● Protocol
○ User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
○ Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
6. Click Save.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Modifying a destination
You can edit the information about where event and alert data that is processed by PowerFlex Manager should be sent.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. From the Destinations pane, click the destination whose information you want to modify.
The Edit Source window opens.
3. Edit the information and click Submit.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Add a notification policy

When you add a notification policy, you define the rules for processing events or alerts from sources, and to which destinations
that information should be sent.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. Click Create New Policy.
3. Enter a name and a description for the notification policy.
4. From the Source Type menu, select how you want events and alerts to be received. The source type options are:
● Snmpv2c
● Snmpv3
● Syslog
● Powerflex
● Auditlog
PowerFlex related alerts are generated and forwarded to a webhook destination when the notification policy is configured
with the Source Type set to Powerflex.

210 Configuring system settings

5. From the Resource Domain menu, select the resource domain that you want to add a notification policy to. The resource
domain options are:
● All
● Management
● Block (Storage)
● File (Storage)
● Compute (Servers, Operating Systems, virtualization)
● Network (Switches, connectivity etc.)
● Security (RBAC, certificates, CloudLink etc.)
6. Select the check box beside the severity levels that you want to associate with this policy. The severity indicates the risk (if
any) to the system, in relation to the changes that generated the event message.
7. Select the required destination. You can choose one or more destinations. For a webhook, you can have up to three
destinations defined. For audit logs, you can configure up to four destinations.
NOTE: The audit log policy is disabled by default. Click Configure Now to configure and activate the audit log policy.

8. Click Submit.
After adding a notification policy, you might need to perform additional configuration steps. For example, If you are setting up
a notification policy for a webhook destination that uses BigPanda, you can optionally configure BigPanda to show the severity
levels from PowerFlex Manager. To do this, you must configure the status mapping on the BigPanda site. Map the major and
minor severity values from PowerFlex Manager to the Warning status for BigPanda.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Modify a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Related information
Enabling SupportAssist

Modify a notification policy

You can modify certain settings that are associated with a notification policy.
You cannot modify the source type or destination once it is assigned to a notification policy.
1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
2. Select the notification policy that you want to modify.
3. You can choose to modify the notification policy in the following ways:
● To activate or deactivate the policy, click Active.
● To modify the policy, click Modify. The Edit Notification Policy window opens.
4. Click Submit.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Delete a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Configuring system settings 211

Delete a notification policy
Use this procedure to delete a notification policy.

NOTE: Once a notification policy is deleted, it cannot be recovered.

1. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.

2. Select the notification policy that you want to delete.
3. Click Delete.
You receive a message to confirm if you want to delete the policy.
4. Click Submit and click Dismiss.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy
Configuring an audit log policy

Configuring an audit log policy

Audit log is a collection of various events that occur in a system. Audit logs facilitate detection and response to cyber threats.
By default, an audit log policy is disabled.
In PowerFlex Manager, the audit log contains details of the following events:
● User authentication and authorization
● System configuration and security policy changes
● Security events
Security Information and Event Manager (SIEM) manages log collection, log analysis, log forensics, real-time alerting, user
activity monitoring and retention. About four SIEM can be sent over a secured connection.
Administrators can collect events and alerts from remote systems, also called sources and store them on a central server. The
Audit Log Converter receives the events and alerts and forwards them in an encrypted form to the remote SIEM.
The Audit Logging Enabler is required to send logs in real-time on an automated basis. The audit logs are persistent for 10 to 90
days. Audit logs sent through SIEM have a retention period of 12 to 18 months.
1. Go to Events and Alerts > Notification Policies > Policies > Audit Log Policy.
2. Click Configure Now.
The Audit Log Policy window opens.
3. Select and existing destination to forward the audit logs, from the Destination drop-down or click Create Destination to
create a destination in the Add Destination window.
You can create up to four audit log destinations.
NOTE: You can skip this step if you do not want to forward the audit logs.

4. Click Enable Audit Logs to create a source of the type Audit Log.
5. Click Save.

Related tasks
Configuring an external source
Modifying an external source
Configuring a destination
Modifying a destination
Add a notification policy
Modify a notification policy

212 Configuring system settings

Delete a notification policy

License management
You can upload a Management Data Store (MDS) license and a single production license for the whole PowerFlex system. You
can also upload other software licenses (for example, for CloudLink).
No license is required for the first 90 days of use. During this period, you are running PowerFlex in trial mode.
You can only upload an MDS license if an MDS Gateway has been discovered.
When you deploy a PowerFlex cloud-based cluster, you are provided with a free evaluation license. This license gives you
90 days to use the cloud-based storage cluster. After 90 days, the storage is preserved. However, you are not allowed to
make configuration changes to the deployment. Once the evaluation license has expired, you must purchase a subscription or
permanent license to continue using the cluster with the full range of capabilities.
PowerFlex Manager shows the start date and end date for both evaluation and subscription licenses on the License
Management page. This allows you to see when your license will expire. Evaluation licenses apply only to cloud deployments,
whereas subscription licenses apply to both cloud and on-premises deployments.

Related information
Getting started
Enabling SupportAssist

Upload a PowerFlex license

You can upload PowerFlex licenses in PowerFlex Manager.
You can upload a PowerFlex license file for two use cases:
● Production license for a single system and if you have a PowerFlex appliance or PowerFlex rack
● Management data store (MDS) license for the PowerFlex management controller
In either case, the license is a single file.
No license is required for the first 90 days of use. During this period, you are running PowerFlex in trial mode, and all features
are enabled. PowerFlex Manager shows an alert on the Monitoring > Alerts page when you are running in trial mode.
Consider the following prior to uploading a PowerFlex license:
● You must deploy the MDM cluster before uploading a PowerFlex license. You must discover an MDS gateway before
uploading an MDS license.
● For information on obtaining and activating the PowerFlex capacity license, see the Dell PowerFlex Licensing Guide.

1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.

2. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click License Management.
3. Click PowerFlex License.
4. To upload an MDS license, click Choose File to Browse in the Management Data Store (MDS) License section, select
the license file, and click Open.
5. Click Save.
6. To upload a production license for PowerFlex, click Choose File to Browse in the Production License section, select the
license file, and click Open.
7. Click Save.
When you upload a license file, PowerFlex Manager checks the license file to ensure that it is valid.
After the upload is complete, PowerFlex Manager stores the license details and displays them on the PowerFlex Manager
License page. You can see the installation ID, system name, and SWID for PowerFlex. In addition, you can see the total licensed
capacity and the license capacity left.

Configuring system settings 213

Uploading other software licenses
You can also upload other software licenses, in addition to the licenses required for PowerFlex. For example, you might want to
upload a license for CloudLink.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click License Management.
2. Click Other Software Licenses.
3. Click Add.
4. Click Choose File and select the license file.
5. Choose the Type of license you want to upload.
6. Click Save.
To remove a license, select it and click Remove.

Security
On the Security page, you can upload SSL trusted certificates for connecting to Active Directory, as well as appliance SSL
certificates that ensure data secure transmission for PowerFlex Manager. You can also define credentials for the resources that
PowerFlex Manager accesses and manages.

Adding SSL trusted certificates

You can upload a trusted SSL certificate from a certificate authority (CA). You can use a trusted SSL certificate to establish a
secure LDAP connection to Active Directory.

Before you upload a trusted SSL certificate, you must obtain the certificate file. The file must contain an X.509 certificate in
PEM format. It must start with ---BEGIN CERTIFICATE--- and end with ---END CERTIFICATE---.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Security.
2. Click SSL Trusted Certificates.
The SSL Trusted Certificates page opens.
3. Click Add.
4. Click Choose File and select the SSL certificate.
5. Provide a Name for the certificate. The name must be a single word.
6. To upload the certificate, click Save.
To delete an SSL trusted certificate, select the certificate and click Delete.

Adding appliance SSL certificates

Uploading an SSL certificate for the appliance ensures secure transmission by encrypting data that PowerFlex Manager sends
over the web. It also provides authentication and ensures that data is routed to its intended endpoint and prevents users from
receiving browser security errors.
To upload an SSL certificate, you typically perform the steps in the process:
1. Generate a certificate signing request (CSR) from the PowerFlex Manager user interface. Generating a CSR using a third
party certificate tool is unsupported.
2. Download the CSR.
3. Submit the CSR to a certificate authority (CA). The CA provides a valid SSL certificate.
4. Upload the SSL certificate to PowerFlex Manager.

214 Configuring system settings

Generating a certificate signing request
A certificate signing request (CSR) includes information (such as domain name, locale) that certificate authorities require to
provide a valid SSL certificate. After generating the CSR, download the encrypted text, and then submit it to a certificate
authority. The certificate authority provides a valid SSL certificate for you to upload.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Security.
2. Click Appliance SSL Certificates.
The Appliance SSL Certificates page opens.
3. Click Generate Certificate Signing Request.
a. In the Distinguished Name (www.domain.com) box, enter a distinguished name in the format www.domain.com (for
example, dellpowerflex.com).
b. In the Business Name box, enter a business name where the certificate is recorded.
c. In the Department Name box, enter a department name of the organizational unit (for example, IT, HR, or Sales) for
which the certificate is generated.
d. In the Locality (Town/City) box, enter a locality name in which the organization is located.
e. In the State (Province/Region) box, enter a state name in which the organization is located (do not abbreviate).
f. From the Country list, select a country in which the organization is located.
g. In the Email box, enter a valid email address.
h. Click Generate.
4. Click Download Certificate Signing Request, and then copy the text that is displayed. To receive a valid SSL certificate,
submit this text to a certificate authority.

Downloading the certificate signing request

After generating the certificate signing request (CSR), download the resulting text and submit it to a certificate authority. The
certificate authority provides an SSL certificate for you to upload to PowerFlex Manager.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then Security.
2. Click Appliance SSL Certificates.
The Appliance SSL Certificates page opens.
3. Click Download Certificate Signing Request.
4. To receive a valid SSL certificate, copy the displayed text and then submit it to a certificate authority.
After the certificate authority provides the SSL certificate, upload it to PowerFlex Manager.

Uploading an SSL certificate

Before you upload an SSL certificate, generate and download a certificate signing request (CSR). To receive a valid
SSL certificate, submit the CSR to a certificate authority. Save the certificate to a local network share. The file must
contain an X.509 certificate in PEM format. The file must start with ---BEGIN CERTIFICATE--- and end with ---END
CERTIFICATE---.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Security.
2. Click Appliance SSL Certificates.
The Appliance SSL Certificates page opens.
3. Click Choose File under SSL Certificate and select an SSL certificate.
4. Click Choose File under Trusted CA Certificate and select an SSL certificate.
5. To upload the certificate, click Save.

Adding resource credentials

PowerFlex Manager requires a root-level username and password to access and manage nodes, switches, VMware vCenter,
element managers, PowerFlex gateway, and operating system resources.
The Credentials Management page displays the following information about the credentials:
● Name—A user-defined name that identifies the credentials.
● Type—A type of resource that uses the credential.
● Resources—The total number of resources to which the credential is assigned.

Configuring system settings 215

From the credential list, click a credential to view its details in the Summary tab:
● Name of the user who created and modified the credential.
● Date and time that the credential was created and last modified.
On the Credentials Management page, you can:
● Create credentials
● Edit existing credentials
● Delete existing credentials

Create credentials
Perform this procedure to create credentials:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click Security.
2. Click Resource Credentials.
The Credentials Management page opens.
3. Click Create.
4. In the Create Credentials dialog box, from the Credential Type drop-down list, select one of the following resource types
for which you want to create the credentials:
● Node
● Switch
● vCenter
● Element Manager
● PowerFlex Gateway
● OS Admin
● OS User
● PowerFlex Management System
The OS Admin and OS User credential types apply to deployed items, not to PowerFlex Manager itself.

5. In the Credential Name field, enter the name to identify the credential.
6. Click Enable Key Pairs to enable login with SSH key pairs:
To enable key pairs for the Node or Switch credential type:
a. Import an existing key:
i. Click Import SSH Key Pair.
ii. Click Choose File and browse to the file that contains your public and private keys, and select the private key.
iii. Type a name for the key pair.
iv. Click Import.
To enable key pairs for the OS Admin or OS User credential type:
a. To create a key:
i. Click Create a new key.
ii. Click Create & Download Key Pair..
iii. Type a name for the key pair.
iv. Click Create.
The private key file (id_rsa) will be downloaded on your downloads folder. Click the Download Public Key button to
download the public key file (id_rsa.pub).
b. To import an existing key:
i. Click Import existing key.
ii. Click Import SSH Key Pair.
iii. Click Choose File and browse to the file that contains your public and private keys.
iv. Type a name for the Key Pair Name field.
v. Click Import.

If you enable SSH key pairs for a Node or Switch credential and use that credential for discovery, PowerFlex Manager uses
public or private RSA key pairs to SSH into your node or switch securely, instead of using a username and password. If you
enable SSH key pairs for an OS user or OS Admin credential and use that credential for a deployment,PowerFlex Manager
uses RSA public/private key pairs for the deployment operations.

216 Configuring system settings

 NOTE: PowerFlex Manager does not consume SSH keys for all component types. For example, if you enable SSH key
pairs for an admin credential, the SSH keys are not used for the deployment of a CloudLink Center VM. In this case, the
username and password would be used instead for all communication.
7. In the Domain box, optionally specify an LDAP domain for the user.
8. In the User Name field, enter the username for the credential.
root is the only valid username for root-level credentials on nodes (iDRAC). You can add iDRAC users with a username
other than root.
For the OS User credential type, you can enter a user other than root. For the embedded operating system, this user
account must have SSH enabled and have sudo access. For ESXi, the account must be configured with the administrator
role on the local server permission setting, which should enable SSH and other tools like esxcli. You can add existing resource
groups with a nonroot user.
The account on the SVM and/or storage-only nodes for the OS User credential type must have a /home directory and
have the correct group permissions. For example, if the account were pfxm_admin, the home directory would be: /home/
pfxm_admin
Here is an example showing the requirements for a pxflex user in the pxflex-grp group on an SVM:

[root@svm-dkim-hc-node1 home]# ls -alhtr

total 0
drwxr-xr-x. 3 root root 20 Feb 26 16:03 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 pxflex pxflex-grp 22 Feb 26 16:10 pxflex
dr-xr-xr-x. 17 root root 224 Feb 26 16:37 ..
[root@svm-dkim-hc-node1 home]# cd pxflex/
[root@svm-dkim-hc-node1 pxflex]#
[root@svm-dkim-hc-node1 pxflex]#
[root@svm-dkim-hc-node1 pxflex]# pwd
/home/pxflex

For the OS Admin credential type, the User Name field is disabled because the user is assumed to be root. You must use
the root user for new deployments.
Provide two usernames for the PowerFlex gateway credential type:
● Gateway Admin User Name
● Gateway OS User Name
The Gateway admin user is the REST API administrator. The Gateway operating system user is the SSH login user. The
Gateway admin user must be the admin user, and the Gateway operating system user must be root.

9. In the Password and the Confirm Password boxes, enter the password for the credential.
NOTE: When the SSH key pair feature is enabled, the switch credential does not require the Password option.

For the PowerFlex gateway credential type, provide two passwords:

● Gateway Admin Password
● Gateway OS Password
PowerFlex Manager allows you to supply different passwords for the Gateway admin and Gateway OS users. The passwords
are validated when you discover the PowerFlex gateway on the Resources page. The discovery fails if the passwords were
not specified correctly on the Credentials Management page. PowerFlex Manager does not update the Gateway Admin
and Gateway operating system passwords on the node itself. However, if you change the password manually for either of
these users, you can update the password on the Credentials Management page, and PowerFlex Manager ensures that
subsequent operations on the resource group use the new password.
Optionally, provide additional settings for VMware vCenter and element manager, and for switch credentials:

● For VMware vCenter and element manager, in the Domain box, optionally enter the domain ID.
● For switch credentials, under Protocol, optionally click one of the following connection protocols that are used to access
the resource from remote:
○ Telnet
○ SSH

NOTE: SSH is enabled on supported switches by default.

10. To configure trap receiving for SNMPv2:

Configuring system settings 217

 a. Under SNMP Configuration, select V2 as the SNMP type.
b. Click + beside the SNMP v2 Community String box.
The SNMP v2 Community String page opens.
c. Enter the community string by which PowerFlex Manager receives traps from devices and by which it forwards traps to
destinations.
d. Click Save.
NOTE: You can add more than one community string. For example, add more than one if the community string by which
PowerFlex Manager receives traps differs from the community string by which it forwards traps to a remote destination.

11. To configure trap receiving for SNMPv3:

a. Under SNMP Configuration, select V3 as the SNMP type.
b. Click + beside the SNMP V3 User box.
The SNMP V3 User page opens.
c. Enter the Username, which identifies the ID where traps are forwarded on the network management system.
NOTE: The username must be at least 16 characters.

d. Select a Security Level from the following:

● Minimal - No additional information is required.
● Moderate - Provide an MD5 Authentication Password which is at least eight characters.
● Maximum - Provide an MD5 Authentication Password and a DES Privacy Password which is at least eight
characters.
You can add more than one user.
NOTE: You can only select SNMPv3 for nodes. Select the Auto configure nodes to send alerts to PowerFlex
Manager check box to discover iDRACs.

12. Click Save.

Modify credentials
Perform this procedure to modify credentials:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and click Security.
2. Click Resource Credentials.
The Credentials Management page opens.
3. Select a credential that you want to edit, and click Modify.
4. Modify the credential information in the Modify Credentials dialog box.
5. Click Save.

Remove credentials
Perform this procedure to remove credentials:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Security.
2. Click Resource Credentials.
The Credentials Management page opens.
3. On the Credentials Management page, select the credential that you want to delete, and click Remove.
4. Click OK when the confirmation message appears.

Converting a private key from PuTTY format to OpenSSH format

Perform this procedure to convert a private key from PuTTY to OpenSSH format.
1. Navigate to the folder where PuTTY was installed.
2. Double-click puttygen.exe to open the PuTTY Key Generator.
3. Click File > Load private key on the menu bar.
4. Select the private key that you want to convert to OpenSSH format and click Open.

218 Configuring system settings

5. Click Conversions > Export open SSH key on the menu bar.
6. Click Save to save the key.
The key should now be in OpenSSH format.
7. Copy the public key content that is displayed on the Key tab in the PuTTY Key Generator.
You need this content so you can copy it to the nodes.

Configuring SSH key pairs

Perform this procedure to configure SSH key pairs for nodes and switches.

1. To configure an SSH key pair for a software-only node, run these commands:

# below command will generate SSH Key pair in /tmp directory

ssh-keygen -m PEM -b 2048 -t rsa -f /tmp/sshkey-key1 -q -N ""

# To copy public key to software only node

ssh-copy-id -i /tmp/sshkey-key1.pub [email protected]

# Keys can be copied for both root and non-root users

2. To configure an SSH key pair for a Cisco Nexus switch, run these commands to add the public key:

username pfxmsvc password <password> role priv-15

username pfxmsvc sshkey ssh-rsa

AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDWxvVQ9PgfFI3NMsg3TsR9G89ykZ3UEyciz47hcXH/
YXNakva5PV5l7ubHY4nUxKj3zpVHXg/Bq9zRK5lQFs4KGC5eaYB9nm2xEwhuhpvsCvROo8SzjjTNRcpok2EMD/
3VhuZAWdaXITSukq2D1Ek5W7qeE0LiLSC+2s0u6iPTU5KHs3mrELbRlxpVxnHQtrgUZnsLvkxwzuEnBKWNIEZ0
6HoDLP1vBCaYJslE5iDseUCZstWvFbvkaeE4FOrqohllAhVGVH19B6Q38ijVjLAwjXX03a6IQqeWj+JkpHpB61
vMsAqqje4pm9VFzAY2NAcvoBo7Oab+52qA1vJTCbG7

username pfxmsvc passphrase lifetime 99999 warntime 14 gracetime 3

3. To configure an SSH key pair for an OS10 switch, run these commands to add the public key:

username pfxmsvc password <password> role sysadmin priv-lvl 15

username pfxmsvc sshkey "ssh-rsa

AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDWxvVQ9PgfFI3NMsg3TsR9G89ykZ3UEyciz47hcXH/
YXNakva5PV5l7ubHY4nUxKj3zpVHXg/Bq9zRK5lQFs4KGC5eaYB9nm2xEwhuhpvsCvROo8SzjjTNRcpok2EMD/
3VhuZAWdaXITSukq2D1Ek5W7qeE0LiLSC+2s0u6iPTU5KHs3mrELbRlxpVxnHQtrgUZnsLvkxwzuEnBKWNIEZ0
6HoDLP1vBCaYJslE5iDseUCZstWvFbvkaeE4FOrqohllAhVGVH19B6Q38ijVjLAwjXX03a6IQqeWj+JkpHpB61
vMsAqqje4pm9VFzAY2NAcvoBo7Oab+52qA1vJTCbG7"

Note that the quotes must be used as shown in the command line above.

4. To configure an SSH key pair for iDRAC, perform these steps:

a. Connect to iDRAC.
b. Choose iDRAC Settings > Users > Edit/Add User > SSH Key Configuration > SSH Key (Edit).
c. Add the public key.

Configuring system settings 219

Serviceability
On the Serviceability page, you can generate a troubleshooting bundle and also perform a backup of the appliance. To restore
from a backup, you need to run a script outside of PowerFlex Manager. The user interface does not support the ability to
restore from a backup.

Generating a troubleshooting bundle

A troubleshooting bundle is a compressed file that contains logging information for PowerFlex Manager managed components. If
necessary, download the bundle and send it to Dell Technologies Support for issue debugging.
The troubleshooting bundle includes the following logs:
● ASM deployer
● iDRAC life cycle
● Dell PowerSwitch switch
● Cisco Nexus switch
● VMware ESXi
● CloudLink Center
● NAS
● Standard output logs from all pods
● Kubernetes logs about pods, services, deployments, secrets, drivers, and volumes
● PowerFlex Block logs
NOTE: You can generate troubleshooting bundles from the Resource Groups page too.

1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Serviceability.

2. Click Generate Troubleshooting Bundle.
3. Select Include PowerFlex File Core Dump logs to include core dump logs.
The NAS directory structure, nodes, and files are always collected regardless of whether this box is checked. When it is
checked, the additional NAS core dump is collected.

4. Select a PowerFlex Log Level:

● Default Node Logs
● Default Node Logs plus additional MDM information
● Latest Logs only (Most recent copy of all logs)
5. Select a Node Selection:
● Logs from all nodes
● Select Specific Nodes
If you select the Select Specific Nodes option and select the number of nodes for which you want to generate the log, the
View/Select Nodes button is displayed. Click the button to view the list of nodes in the Node Selection window. Select
the required nodes from the Available Nodes list and click >> to view them in the Selected Nodes list. Click Save to
return to the Generate Troubleshooting bundle page.
For the Select Specific Nodes option, Generate is enabled only if a node is selected in the Node Selection window.

6. Choose a Delivery Option:

Option Description
Send to Configured If you are using SupportAssist, Send to Configured SupportAssist is selected by default.
SupportAssist Leave this default setting. If SupportAssist is not configured, this option is disabled.
Download to Share Provide a path using the following format with credentials: CIFS:\
\1.1.1.1\uploadDirectory. Enter a username and password, and click Test Connection
to verify the connection to the CIFS share before generating the bundle.
Download Locally Download the troubleshooting bundle to a local file: \\IP Address\Any folder
7. Click Generate.

220 Configuring system settings

Sometimes, the troubleshooting bundle does not include log information for all the nodes. The log collection may appear to
succeed, but the log for one or more of the nodes may be missing. You may see an error message in the scaleio.trace.log file
that says Could not run get_info script. If you see this message, you may need to generate the troubleshooting
bundle again to include information for all the logs.

Back up and restore

Performing a backup saves all user-created data to a remote share from which it can be restored. To restore from a backup, you
need to run a script outside of PowerFlex Manager. The user interface does not support the ability to restore from a backup.
Perform frequent backups to guard against data loss and corruption. The best practice is to take a snapshot of PowerFlex
Manager every time you perform a restore.
The Backup page displays information about the last backup operation that was performed on PowerFlex Manager. The
information provided applies to both manual and automatically scheduled backups and includes the following:
● Last backup date
● Last backup status
● Back up directory path to a CIFS share
● Back up directory username

The Backup page also displays information about the status of automatically scheduled backups (enabled or disabled).
On this page, you can:
● Manually start an immediate backup
● Edit general backup settings
● Edit automatically scheduled backup settings

After performing a backup operation, you need to run a script outside of PowerFlex Manager to restore from the backup. The
user interface does not support the ability to restore from a backup.

Editing backup settings and details

You can change the location where backup files are saved or the password that is required to access a backup file.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Serviceability.
2. Click Backup.
The Backup page opens.
3. Click Backup Settings.
4. Indicate the network share location where the backup file is saved, enter a backup directory path in the Backup Directory
Path box.
Use the following format:
● CIFS—\\host\share
5. If the username and password are required to access the network share, enter a username and password in the Backup
Directory User Name and Backup Directory Password boxes.
6. Click Test Connection to confirm that the backup settings you provided are correct.
7. To open the backup file, enter a password in the Encryption Password box.
8. To verify the encryption password, enter the password in the Confirm Encryption Password box.
9. To schedule automatic backups, next to Scheduled Backups, select Enabled. To discontinue automatically scheduled
backups, deselect Enabled.
10. To specify the days on which backup must occur, select the days under Frequency.
11. From the Run Time drop-down list, select the time.
12. Click Save.

Configuring system settings 221

Backing up
In addition to automatically scheduled backups, you can manually run an immediate backup.
1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Serviceability.
2. Click Backup.
The Backup page opens.
3. Click Backup Now.
4. Select one of the following options:
● To use the general settings that are applied to all backup files, select Use Backup Directory Path and Encryption
Password from Settings and Details.
● To use custom settings:
a. In the Backup Directory Path box, enter a file path where the backup file is saved. Use this format:
○ CIFS—\\host\share

b. Optionally, enter a username and password in the Backup Directory User Name and Backup Directory Password
boxes, if they are required to access the location you provided.
c. Click Test Connection to confirm that the backup settings you provided are correct.
d. In the Encryption Password box, enter a password that is required to open the backup file, and verify the
encryption password by entering the password in the Confirm Encryption Password box.
5. Click Backup Now.

Restoring
Restoring PowerFlex Manager returns user-created data to an earlier configuration that is saved in a backup file. To restore
from a backup, you need to run a script outside of PowerFlex Manager. The user interface does not support the ability to
restore from a backup.
Before you begin the restore procedure, you need to satisfy these prerequisites:
● The restore cluster must be exactly the same PowerFlex version and Kubernetes version.
● The restore cluster must have exactly the same IP addresses and configuration.
The cluster configuration must be the same as the cluster configuration where the backup was taken.
○ All Kubernetes nodes must have the same IP addresses.
○ All Kubernetes nodes must have the same names.
○ All LoadBalancer IP addresses must be the same.
CAUTION: Restoring an earlier configuration restarts PowerFlex Manager and deletes data created after the
backup file to which you are restoring. Any running jobs could be terminated as well.
1. Login to the node where the PowerFlex Manager platform (PFMP) installer was initially run.
2. Run the restore script that is included with the installer bundle:

./restore_backup.sh

3. Provide details as needed to complete the execution of the script.

You will be prompted to provide the SSH username and password. In addition, you will be asked to specify whether the
passwords are the same for all nodes, and also provide the location of the backup file and the encrypted password for the
file. You may also be asked to provide the CIFS username and password. The CIFS credentials may not be required for a CIFS
share that allows for anonymous access.
NOTE: The passwords must be in base64 encoded format.

To complete the execution of the restore script, you must specify whether the restore operation will be performed on an
existing cluster or a new cluster.
Here is a snippet that shows a sample run of the restore script:

[root@sheetal-installer scripts]# ./restore_backup.sh

/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/paramiko/transport.py:236:
CryptographyDeprecationWarning: Blowfish has been deprecated "class":
algorithms.Blowfish, Installation logs are available at <Bundle root>/PFMP_Installer/

222 Configuring system settings

 logs/ directory. More detailed logs are available at <Bundle root>/atlantic/logs/
directory. PFMP Installer is about to reset a PFMP cluster based on the configuration
specified in the PFMP_Config.json.

Please enter the ssh username for the nodes specified in the
PFMP_Config.json[root]:root

Are passwords the same for all the cluster nodes[Y]?:Y

Please enter the ssh password for the nodes specified in the PFMP_Config.json.
Password:

Please enter backup file location - Example CIFS: \\1.2.3.4\Lab\backup\file.tgz

Please enter CIFS username. Press enter to skip if username is not

required:administrator

Please enter CIFS password(base64 encoded). Press enter to skip if username is not
required: UmFpZDR1cyE=

Please enter encryption password for backup file (base64 encoded): UmFpZDR1cyE=

Perform restore on existing cluster? Please enter yes/y or no/n :

The restore process prints out status information until the restore is complete.

Backup and restore using VM snapshots

If the PowerFlex management platform (PFMP) is running on VMs, you can backup and restore using VMware VM snapshots, as
long as you perform some steps to shut down the database and VMs.
If the cluster is deployed on VMWare VMs, you can simply take the snapshots from the vSphere Client user interface, or you
can use a CLI command on the ESX system that is hosting the VMs.
For VM snapshots, the database and VMs need to be shut down first before reliable snapshot(s) can be taken.
CAUTION: When you shut down the database and VMs, you effectively shut down the PFMP. The user interface
will not be accessible and any running jobs will fail when the system comes back on. The VMs should be shut
down and snapshots taken once the database is shut down.
Follow the steps below to shut down the database and VMs. For every command listed below, you first need to set the k alias
and namespace.
1. Set the k alias and default namespace:

# Run this to make it easier to run the rest of the code and set the default
namespace.
alias k="kubectl -n $(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E 'platform|pgo|helmrepo' |
cut -d' ' -f1)"
kubectl config set-context default --namespace=$(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E
'platform|pgo|helmrepo|docker' | cut -d' ' -f1)

2. Verify the pgo controller pod and all database pods are up and running with no errors in the logs:

# Get the PostgreSQL operator pod and PostgreSQL cluster pods to verify.
echo $(kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/control-plane=pgo" --no-
headers -o name && kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/instance"
--no-headers -o name) | xargs kubectl get -o wide

3. Gracefully shut down the database cluster:

# Trigger a shutdown
k patch $(k get postgrescluster -o name) --type merge --patch '{"spec":{"shutdown":
true}}'

4. At this point, you can shut down the VMs to take snapshots and adjust resources, as needed. Follow the next steps after the
VMs are powered back on.

Configuring system settings 223

5. Verify the shutdown occurred:

# Verify the shutdown

# Only the PostgreSQL operator pod "pgo" should remain when running this command.
echo $(kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/control-plane=pgo" --no-
headers -o name && kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/instance"
--no-headers -o name) | xargs kubectl get -o wide

6. Run this command to start the cluster back up:

# Trigger a shutdown
k patch $(k get postgrescluster -o name) --type merge --patch '{"spec":{"shutdown":
false}}'

7. Verify the startup occurred:

# Verify the database pods started and are in a running state

echo $(kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/control-plane=pgo" --no-
headers -o name && kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/instance"
--no-headers -o name) | xargs kubectl get -o wide

To restore to the previous point in time, you can revert the VMs from the snapshots in the vSphere Client user interface.

Software upgrade
When a new version of the management software becomes available, you can upgrade to that version from the Software
Upgrade page.

Upgrading PowerFlex Manager from a local repository path

You can upgrade the management software from a .TGZ file on a local repository path.
Before you begin, ensure that you:
● Take a backup of PowerFlex Manager settings.
● Upload the latest compatibility matrix file to ensure that PowerFlex Manager has access to the latest upgrade information.
When you attempt an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager warns you if the current version of the software is incompatible with the
target version, or if any of the RCM or IC versions that are currently loaded on the management software are incompatible with
the target compliance versions. To determine which paths are valid and which are not, PowerFlex Manager uses information
that is provided in the compatibility matrix file. The compatibility matrix file maps all the known valid and invalid paths for all
previous releases of the software. Before proceeding with an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager notifies you if any of the following
situations is detected:
● No upgrade is required. This situation occurs when the current and target versions are the same. You still can force an
upgrade, if needed.
● The upgrade path that you are attempting to perform is a valid path. The source version of PowerFlex Manager is compatible
with the target version and the source version of the RCM or IC is also compatible with the target version.
● The source version of PowerFlex Manager is compatible with the target version. However, the source version of the RCM
or IC is not compatible with the target version. Your resource groups may go into lifecycle mode until you perform an RCM
or IC upgrade. PowerFlex Manager puts a resource group in lifecycle mode if the resource group’s RCM or IC is not within a
year of the target PowerFlex Manager launch. You can mitigate a resource group that is in lifecycle mode by upgrading to a
compliance version that is within a year of the current PowerFlex Manager launch.
● The upgrade path that you are attempting to perform is not supported.
The compatibility matrix file is required for all upgrades. When you first install PowerFlex Manager, the software does not have
the compatibility matrix file, so you must upload the file before performing any upgrades.
1. If you are using PowerFlex rack, log in to Dell Technologies Download Center. Then, go to the section for PowerFlex
Manager.
2. If you are using PowerFlex appliance, log in to Dell Technologies Support. Then, enter your service tag to be taken to
available downloads.
3. Download the PowerFlex management platform .TGZ file.
4. Copy the PowerFlex management platform .TGZ file to a share drive location.

224 Configuring system settings

5. On the menu bar, click Settings, and then click Software Upgrade.
6. Click Management Software Upgrade.
7. On the Management Software Upgrade page, you can see the Current Management Software Version and check the
Available Management Software Version field to see if a newer version of PowerFlex Manager is available.
8. Click Edit Settings.
a. To upgrade from a specific version on a local repository path, select Update Software from local repository path, and
enter the path in the Repository Path box.
b. Enter the username and password.
c. Click Save.
9. At the top of the Management Software Upgrade page, click Upgrade Now.
After you click Upgrade Now, a dialog box displays with a warning message indicating whether the upgrade path is valid.
10. Under Management Credentials, optionally override the default username and password for the nodes hosting PowerFlex
Manager. The upgrade requires access to the nodes hosting PowerFlex Manager. Provide a single user that has superuser
privileges for all nodes. You can enter the username for the first row in the table, and the changes you make will be applied
to all the nodes. Enter the password for each of the nodes.
11. Type UPDATE POWERFLEX MANAGER if you want to proceed with the update. If you want to perform an update even if
none is required, type FORCE UPDATE.
12. Click Yes to update PowerFlex Manager.
The update process displays messages indicating the progress of the update. Depending on which services were upgraded,
you may be required to login once again, after the upgrade process is complete.
After upgrading to PowerFlex Manager, you may notice that resource groups that are tied to the PowerFlex gateway are no
longer in compliance. To bring the resource groups into compliance, you may need to upgrade them. In this case, you will need to
change to a later RCM or IC and upgrade the resource groups.
If you do not want to upgrade the resource groups, you do not need to perform the upgrade.

Editing the upgrade settings

To edit the upgrade settings:
1. On the menu bar, click Settings and then click Software Upgrade.
2. Click Management Software Upgrade.
3. Click Edit Settings.
a. To update to the latest version using SupportAssist, select Update Software from configured Dell SupportAssist.
b. To upgrade from a specific version on a local repository path, select Update Software from local repository path, and
enter the path in the Repository Path box.

You can upgrade from a .tgz file on a network share. This option provides an easy way to update the software in a dark
site. Provide a path using one of the following formats:

Table 57. Path for network shares

For... Use this path...
CIFS \\IP Address\Any folder\file-name.tgz

FTP ftp://IP Address/Any folder/file-name.tgz

HTTP http://IP Address/Any folder/file-name.tgz

HTTPS http://IP Address/Any folder/file-name.tgz

c. Optionally, provide a User Name and Password.
The username and password are only used with CIFS. All other local repository paths must specify public share locations.
d. Click Save.
4. On the Management Software Upgrade page, you can view the updated settings for Current Management Software
Version, Available Management Software Version, and Repository Path.
5. To perform the upgrade, click Upgrade Now. A message displays confirming that you want to update the software.
6. Click Upgrade Software.
7. Click Yes.
8. Depending on which services were upgraded, you may be required to login again once the upgrade process is complete.

Configuring system settings 225

 14
PowerFlex Manager user interface reference
This section provides reference details for various parts of the user interface for PowerFlex Manager.
The topics in this section are organized according to the main tabs within the user interface.

Lifecycle
This section provides reference information for the Resource Groups and Templates pages.

Related information
Managing components
Monitoring system health
Managing external changes
Deploying a resource group
Adding an existing resource group
Viewing a compliance report

Resource groups
This section provides reference information for the Resource Groups page.

Related information
Managing components
Managing external changes

Resource group states

Table 58. Resource group states
Icon Resource group state Description
Healthy The resource group was deployed successfully, and the
resources are firmware compliant and healthy.
Warning One or more resources in the resource group require
corrective action. This state does not affect overall system
health. For example, the firmware running on the resource is
not at the required level or not compliant.
Critical Resource group deployment has failed due to some issues.

Pending Resource group deployment is scheduled for a later time or

date.
In Progress Resource group deployment is in progress.

Canceled Resource group deployment was canceled.

Incomplete The resource group is not fully functional because it has no

associated volumes. Click Add Resources to add volumes.

226 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 58. Resource group states (continued)
Icon Resource group state Description
Service Mode The resource group has been placed in service mode because
one of the nodes within the resource group was put into
service mode. If a node is in ESXi maintenance mode or
PowerFlex maintenance mode, PowerFlex Manager detects
this situation and automatically places the node in service
mode and also ensures that the resource group itself goes into
service mode. If a node is in PowerFlex maintenance mode
for more than 30 minutes, PowerFlex Manager sends a critical
alert to SupportAssist.
Lifecycle Mode The resource group supports health and compliance
monitoring, service mode, and non-disruptive updates. All
other resource group operations are blocked. Lifecycle
mode controls the operations that can be performed for
configurations that have limited support.
Managed Mode The resource group supports health and compliance
monitoring, non-disruptive updates, automated resource
addition, and automated resource replacement features.

Existing resource groups

If you already have a cluster deployed that includes Dell-based hardware, you can discover and import these hardware resources
as an existing resource group. Even though these resources were not originally deployed with PowerFlex Manager, you can take
advantage of the health monitoring, compliance, and update features.
When you add an existing resource group for a PowerFlex cluster, PowerFlex Manager matches up the hosts, vCenter, and
other items it finds with discovered resources in the resource list.
Only managed or reserved resources are included in the resource group. Any resource discovered as Unmanaged is missing
from the resource group. If a component is missing, you can change your resource inventory, and update the resource group to
reflect these changes. Go to the resources list, select the component, and mark it as Managed by selecting Change resource
state to Managed. Then perform an Update Resource Group Details operation on the resource group to pull in the missing
component.
Each node is identified as a PowerFlex host if the inventory for the node shows that it is present in a gateway, and it is properly
configured as a Storage Data Client (SDC) and Storage Data Server (SDS) node. A PowerFlex host has the Use Node for Dell
PowerFlex check box set to True in the operating system settings for the node within the resource group deployment settings.
You can perform most of the actions on an existing resource group that are available within PowerFlex Manager for a new
resource group. For some configurations, PowerFlex Manager displays a yellow banner for the resource group to indicate that
some features are not available.
PowerFlex Manager enables you to add an existing resource group for an environment using VMware NSX-T or NSX-V. Most
resource group actions are disabled for an NSX-T or NSX-V configuration, except the ability to update the firmware and
software components, remove resources (or the resource group as a whole), and update resource group details.
When you add an existing resource group for a CloudLink configuration, you choose a single CloudLink Center as the target for
the resource group. If the CloudLink Center for the resource group shuts down, PowerFlex Manager loses communication with
the CloudLink Center. If the CloudLink Center is part of a cluster, PowerFlex Manager moves to another CloudLink Center when
you update the resource group details.

Lifecycle mode
If you add an existing resource group that includes an unsupported configuration, PowerFlex Manager might put the resource
group in lifecycle mode. This mode limits the actions that you can perform within the resource group.
Lifecycle mode allows the resource group to perform only monitoring, service mode, and compliance upgrade operations. All
other resource group operations are blocked when the resource group is in lifecycle mode. Lifecycle mode is used to control the
operations that can be performed for configurations that have limited support.
When you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager puts the resource group in lifecycle mode if the configuration you
want to import includes any of the following:

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 227

● Invalid server inventory
● Missing network settings
The minimum required IP addresses are one data IP and one PowerFlex IP for a storage-only resource group, and one data
IP, one PowerFlex IP, and one ESXi IP for a hyperconverged resource group.
● Unsupported NIC (a 1 GB QLogic NIC, for example)
● Unsupported server configurations (an unsupported SD Boot device, for example)
● Unsupported NIC teaming policies, an unsupported switch port configuration, or an unsupported access facing port
configuration
● Network configuration without a PXE VLAN setting
● No switch configuration
● PowerFlex MDM cluster without virtual IPs
● vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) VMs on local storage
When you add an existing resource group, PowerFlex Manager checks to see whether there are any vSphere Cluster Services
(vCLS) VMs on local storage. If it finds any, it puts the resource group in lifecycle mode and lets you migrate the VMs to shared
storage.
PowerFlex Manager also puts a resource group in lifecycle mode if you select a minimal compliance version that includes
firmware only for the resource group.
When PowerFlex Manager must put a resource group in lifecycle mode, the Summary page for the Add Existing Resource
Group wizard displays a warning message indicating the reason.
In some situations, an imported configuration might not meet the minimal requirements for lifecycle mode. In this case,
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to add the resource group.
For missing virtual IPs or no switch connectivity, you can correct the error and use Update Resource Group Details to take
the resource group out of lifecycle mode.
If you have manually added NSX to a cluster outside of PowerFlex Manager, click Update Resource Group Details on the
resource group, so it will correctly reflect the environment with NSX, which will be lifecycle mode.

Templates
This section provides reference information for the Templates page.

Related information
Getting started
Managing components

Managing templates
On the Templates page, you can view information about templates in a list or tile view. To switch between views, click the tile
icon or list icon at the top of the Templates page. When in tile view, you can view the templates under a category by
clicking the graphic that represents the category.
Users with standard permissions can view details of only those templates for which the administrator has granted permission.
Templates - My Templates List View
The My Templates page displays the details of the templates that you have created.

Table 59. My Templates page

Field Description
+ Add a Template Allows you to add a template.

After you add a template, you can add node, cluster, and VM
components on the template builder page.
Export All Allows you to export all templates to a CSV file.

228 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 59. My Templates page (continued)
Field Description
Filter By Allows you to filter and view templates based on the template
category.
State Displays the state of the template - Draft or Published.
Category Displays the template category.
Name Displays the template name.
Last Deployed On Displays the date when the template was last deployed.
Components Displays the components in the template.

Templates - Sample Templates

The Sample Templates page displays the default templates that you can use in your environment.

Table 60. Templates - Sample Templates page

Field Description
Name Displays the template name.
Components Displays the components in the template.

Templates
On the Templates page, the right pane displays the name of the template, icons of components in the template, and the
following details for a selected template:

Table 61. Templates page

Field Description
Edit Click to edit the template.
Delete Click to delete the template.
View Details Click to view the details of the template, such as components
in the template.
Clone Click to clone the template.
Export Template Click to export the template to a GPG file. You can use the
exported template to duplicate the settings.
Created On Displays the date and time when the template was created.
Created By Displays the name of the user who created the template.
Updated On Displays the date and time when the template was updated.
Updated By Displays the name of the user who updated the template.

Building a template overview

The template builder allows you to build a customized template by configuring both physical and virtual components. On the
template builder page, you can set the component properties. For example, you can create a template that provisions only
physical nodes with operating systems on them.
NOTE: A newly created or a cloned template appears in a draft state on the Template page and remains in the same state
until published.
You can configure node, cluster, and VM components in a template.
The template builder page displays a graphical representation of the topology that is created within a particular template. From
this page, you can:
● Add node, cluster, and VM components to a template

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 229

● Build and publish a template
● Delete a template
● Import a template
● Deploy a resource group (this feature is available only on published templates)

Component types
Components (physical or virtual or applications) are the main building blocks of a template.
PowerFlex Manager has the following component types:
● Node (Software/hardware and software only)
● Cluster
● VM

Related information
Adding components to a resource group
Edit a template
Deploying a resource group
View template details

Node settings
This table describes the following node settings: hardware, BIOS, operating system, and network.

Table 62. Node settings

Setting Description
Full network automation Enables you to perform deployments with full network automation. This
feature allows you to work with supported switches, and requires less manual
configuration. Full network automation also provides better error handling
since PowerFlex Manager can communicate with the switches and identify
any problems that may exist with the switch configurations.

Partial network automation Enables you to perform switchless deployments with partial network
automation. This feature allows you to work with unsupported switches,
but requires more manual configuration before a deployment can proceed
successfully. If you choose to use partial network automation, you give up the
error handling and network automation features that are available with a full
network configuration that includes supported switches.
For a partial network deployment, the switches are not discovered,
so PowerFlex Manager does not have access to switch configuration
information. You must ensure that the switches are configured correctly,
since PowerFlex Manager does not configure the switches for you. If your
switch is not configured correctly, the deployment may fail and PowerFlex
Manager is not able to provide information about why the deployment failed.
For a partial network deployment, you must add all the interfaces and ports,
as you would when deploying with full network automation. However, you
do not need to add the operating system installation network, since PXE
is not required for partial network automation. PowerFlex Manager uses
virtual media instead for deployments with partial network automation. The
Switch Port Configuration can be set to Port Channel (LACP enabled)
or Trunk. If Port Channel (LACP enabled) is used, the LACP fallback or
LACP ungroup option must be configured on the port channels.

Component Name Indicates the node component name

Drive Encryption Type Specifies the type of encryption to use when encryption is enabled. The
encryption options are:

230 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description

● Software encryption
● Self-encrypting drive (SED)

Number of Instances Enter the number of instances that you want to add.
If you select more than one instance, a single component representing
multiple instances of an identically configured component is created.
Edit the component to add extra instances. If you require different
configuration settings, you can create multiple components.

Related Components Select Associate All or Associate Selected to associate all or specific
components to the new component.
Import Configuration from Reference Click this option to import an existing node configuration and use it for the
Node node component settings. On the Select Reference Node page, select the
node from which you want to import the settings and click Select.
OS Settings
Host Name Selection If you choose Specify At Deployment Time, you must type the name for
the host at deployment time.
If you choose Auto Generate, PowerFlex Manager displays the Host Name
Template field to enable you to specify a macro that includes variables that
produce a unique hostname. For details on which variables are supported, see
the context-sensitive help for the field.
If you choose Reverse DNS Lookup, PowerFlex Manager assigns the
hostname by performing a reverse DNS lookup of the host IP address at
deployment time.

OS Image Specifies the location of the operating system image install files. You can use
the image that is provided with the target compliance file, or specify your
own location, if you created additional repositories.
To deploy a compute-only or storage-only resource group with the Linux
image that is provided with a compliance file, choose Use Compliance File
Linux image. If you want to deploy a NAS cluster, you must also choose Use
Compliance File Linux image.
To deploy a storage-only resource group with Red Hat Enterprise Linux,
you must create a repository on the Settings page and specify the path
to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux image on a file share. Dell Technologies
recommends that you use one of your own images that are published from
the customer portal at Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
For Linux, you may include one node within a resource group. For ESXi, you
must include at least two nodes.
NOTE: If you select an operating system from the OS Image drop-down
menu, the field NTP Server displays. This field is optional, but it is
highly recommended that you enter an NTP server IP to ensure proper
time synchronization with your environment and PowerFlex Manager.
Sometimes when time is not properly synchronized, resource group
deployment failure can occur.

OS Credential Select an OS Admin or OS User credential that you created on the

Credentials Management page. Alternatively, you can create a credential
while you are editing a template. If you select a credential that was created on
the Credentials Management page, you do not need to type the username
and password, since they are part of the credential definition.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 231

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description

PowerFlex Manager allows to specify a non-root user instead of the root

user when you configure a template for a compute-only, storage-only, or
hyperconverged deployment.

NTP Server Specifies the IP address of the NTP server for time synchronization.
If adding more than one NTP server in the operating system section of a node
component, be sure to separate the IP addresses with commas.

Use Node For Dell PowerFlex Indicates that this node component is used for a PowerFlex deployment.
When this option is selected, the deployment installs the MDM, SDS, and
SDC components, as required for a PowerFlex deployment in a VMware
environment. The MDM and SDS components are installed on a dedicated
PowerFlex VM (SVM), and the SDC is installed directly on the ESXi host.
To deploy a PowerFlex cluster successfully, include at least three nodes in
the template. The deployment process adds an SVM for each hyperconverged
node. PowerFlex Manager uses the following logic to determine the MDM
roles for the nodes:
1. Checks the PowerFlex gateway inventory to see how many primary
MDMs, secondary MDMs, and tiebreakers are present, and the total
number of SDS components.
2. Adds the number of components being deployed to determine the overall
PowerFlex cluster size. For example, if there are three SDS components
in the PowerFlex gateway inventory, and you are deploying two more, you
will have a five node cluster after the deployment.
3. Adds a single primary MDM and determines how many secondary MDMs
and tiebreakers should be in the cluster by looking at the overall cluster
size. The configuration varies depending on the size of the cluster:
● A three-node cluster has one primary, one secondary, and one
tiebreaker.
● A five-node cluster has one primary, two secondaries, and two
tiebreakers.
4. Determines the roles for each of the new components being added, based
on the configuration that is outlined above, and the number of primary,
secondary, and tiebreakers that are already in the PowerFlex cluster.
At deployment time, PowerFlex Manager automatically sets up the DirectPath
I/O configuration on each hyperconverged node. This setup makes the
devices available for direct access by the virtual machines on the host and
also sets up the devices to run in PCI passthrough mode.
For each SDS in the cluster, the deployment adds all the available disks from
the nodes to the storage pools created.
For each compute-only or hyperconverged node, the deployment installs the
SDC VIB.
When you select this option, the teaming and failover policy for the cluster
are automatically set to Route based on IP hash. Also, the uplinks are
configured as active and active, instead of active and standby. Teaming is
configured for all port groups, except for the PowerFlex data 1 and PowerFlex
data 2 port groups.
If you select the option to Use Node For Dell PowerFlex, the Local Flash
Storage for Dell PowerFlex option is automatically selected as the Target
Boot Device under Hardware Settings.

PowerFlex Role Specifies one of the following deployment types for PowerFlex:
● Compute Only indicates that the node is only used for compute
resources.
● Storage Only indicates that the node is only used for storage resources.

232 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description
● Hyperconverged indicates that the node is used for both compute and
storage resources.
If you select an ESXi image type in the OS Image field, the PowerFlex Role
must be set to Compute Only or Hyperconverged. If you add a compute-
only node, only the SDC is added. If you add a hyperconverged node, both the
SDC and SDS are added.
If you select a Red Hat Enterprise Linux image type in the OS Image field,
the PowerFlex Role must be set to Storage Only. If you add a storage-only
node, only the SDS is added. The only prerequisites for a storage-only node
are that the iDRAC must have an IP address and a credential. PowerFlex
Manager takes care of all other configuration steps that are required for
the node. For each node, PowerFlex Manager configures the MDM roles as
needed and configures the SDS RPMs. Once the cluster is set up, PowerFlex
Manager adds every node as an SDS. Then, it adds all available disks for the
SDS device, adds a storage pool, and adds all disks to the storage pool.
If you are creating a compute-only or hyperconverged template, be sure to
include both the VMware Cluster and PowerFlex Cluster components in
the template builder. If you are creating a storage-only template, do not
include a VMware Cluster component in the template builder. Only the
PowerFlex Cluster component is required for a storage-only template.
For a NAS template, be sure to select Compute Only as the role and add
both the PowerFlex Cluster and PowerFlex File Cluster components to
the template.

Enable PowerFlex File Enables NAS capabilities on the node. If you want to enable NAS on the nodes
in a template, you need to add both the PowerFlex Cluster and PowerFlex
File Cluster components to the template.
This option is only available if you choose Use Compliance File Linux Image
as the OS Image and then choose Compute Only as the PowerFlex Role.
If Enable PowerFlex File is selected, you must ensure that the template
includes the necessary NAS File Management and NAS File Data networks.
If you do not configure these networks on the template, the template
validation fails.

Client Storage Access Determines how clients access storage.

For a storage-only role, select one of the following options:
● Storage Data Client (SDC) Only
● SDC and NVMe/TCP Initiator
For a compute-only role the Client Storage Access control is not displayed,
and the client access is set to SDC automatically.
For a hyperconverged role, the Client Storage Access control is not displayed,
and the client access is set to SDC/SDS automatically.

Enable Compression Enables compression on the protection domain.

This option allows you to take advantage of PowerFlex NVDIMM (non-volatile
inline memory module) compression. You can enable compression on a
storage-only or hyperconverged resource group. Compression is supported
for new resource group deployments, and existing resource groups. You can
also enable compression for storage-only and hyperconverged nodes when
performing a scale up of a resource group.
If you select this option, PowerFlex Manager looks for nodes that have
at least two NVDIMMs installed, and SSD or NVMe, and have persistent
memory. Fine granularity is not supported on HDDs.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 233

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description

If compression is enabled, the template adds fields to the PowerFlex Cluster

Settings to allow you to specify an acceleration pool name and granularity
setting for the storage pool. The storage pool must be set to fine granularity.
The compression method at the storage pool level is overridden by the setting
at the volume level.
PowerFlex Manager creates the acceleration pool and sets the granularity
according to PowerFlex Cluster Settings when you deploy the resource
group.

Enable Encryption Enables disk encryption on the node.

This option allows you to take advantage of CloudLink encryption. You can
enable CloudLink encryption on a storage-only or hyperconverged resource
group. Encryption is supported for new resource group deployments, and
existing resource groups. You can also enable encryption for storage-only
and hyperconverged nodes when performing a scale up of a resource group.
A resource group cannot mix encrypted and unencrypted nodes. Scale up
of a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group is supported, with the
new nodes using the same encryption settings as the nodes already in the
resource group.
If you select this option, PowerFlex Manager looks for servers with 12 cores
or more for CloudLink deployments.
After encryption is enabled, the template displays a warning message
indicating that the template is missing some data. The template adds the
Cloud Link Center Settings section to the PowerFlex cluster component to
allow you to specify the required data.
Some PowerFlex nodes might not be selected for deployment, depending on
the encryption type that is selected. For example, if you choose Software
Encryption, you cannot include a PowerFlex node with only SEDs. If you
choose Self Encrypting Drive, you cannot include a PowerFlex node with
only software encryption drives.
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to mix SEDs and software encryption
drives in the same protection domain. Servers do not typically have this drive
combination, but PowerFlex Manager verifies the drives and uses only servers
of the specified type.
Validate Settings detects PowerFlex nodes that do not match the specified
Drive Encryption Type.

Enable Replication Enables replication for a storage-only or hyperconverged resource group.

Replication allows you to mirror the data across different geographical sites
using native volume-level asynchronous replication.
PowerFlex Manager deploys and configures the storage data replicator (SDR)
on all SDS nodes. PowerFlex Manager configures the journal capacity before
adding the SDR.
If you enable replication for a template, you must have two different
replication networks attached to the template before you can publish it.
When replication is enabled, PowerFlex Manager lets you set the Journal
Capacity at the time you deploy the resource group, or when you add a node
to the resource group.

Drive Encryption Type Specifies the type of encryption to use when encryption is enabled.
The options are:
● Software Encryption
● Self Encrypting Drive (SED)

234 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description

Some nodes might not be selected for deployment, depending on the

encryption type selected. For example, if you choose Software Encryption,
you cannot include a node with only SEDs. Similarly, if you choose Self
Encrypting Drive, you cannot include a node with only software encryption
drives.
PowerFlex Manager does not allow you to mix SEDs and software encryption
drives in the same protection domain. Servers should not typically have this
mix, but PowerFlex Manager checks for this and uses only servers of the type
you specify.
Validate Settings detects nodes that do not match the specified Drive
Encryption Type.

Switch Port Configuration Specifies whether Cisco virtual PortChannel (vPC) or Dell Virtual Link
Trunking (VLT) is enabled or disabled for the switch port.
For hyperconverged templates, the options are:
● Port Channel turns on vPC or VLT.
● Port Channel (LACP enabled) turns on vPC or VLT with the link
aggregation control protocol enabled.
For storage-only templates, the options are:
● Port Channel (LACP enabled) turns on vPC or VLT with the link
aggregation control protocol enabled.
● Trunk Port enables a networking configuration that does not use vPC or
VLT.
For compute-only templates that use a Linux operating system image, the
options are:
● Port Channel (LACP enabled) turns on vPC or VLT with the link
aggregation control protocol enabled.
● Trunk Port enables a networking configuration that does not use vPC or
VLT.
For compute-only templates that uses an ESXi operating system image, the
Switch Port Configuration setting includes these options:
● Port Channel turns on vPC or VLT.
● Port Channel (LACP enabled) turns on vPC or VLT with the link
aggregation control protocol enabled.
● Trunk Port enables a networking configuration that does not use vPC or
VLT.
Teaming And Bonding Configuration The teaming and bonding configuration options depend on the switch port
configuration selected.
For hyperconverged and compute-only templates, the following options are
available:
● If you choose Port Channel (LACP enabled) or Port Channel as the
switch port configuration, the only teaming and bonding option is Route
Based on IP hash.
● If you choose Trunk Port as the switch configuration, there are three
teaming and bonding options:
○ Route Based on originating virtual port
○ Route Based on physical NIC load
○ Route Based on Source MAC hash
For storage-only templates, the following options are available:

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 235

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description
● If you choose Port Channel (LACP enabled) as the switch port
configuration, the only teaming and bonding option is Mode 4 (IEEE
802.3ad policy).
● If you choose Trunk Port as the switch configuration, you have the
following teaming and bonding options:
○ Mode 1 (active-backup policy)
○ Mode 6 (ALB Adaptive policy)
For a non-bonded storage-only template, you need to select Trunk
Port for Switch Port Configuration setting, not Port Channel (LACP
enabled). For the Teaming and Bonding Configuration setting, you
typically select Mode 1 for most deployments.

Transmit Hash Policy The option is available for storage-only and compute-only Linux nodes only
when the Teaming And Bonding Configuration is set to Mode 4 (EEE 802
3ed policy). Mode 4 is the bond with LACP and supports the following load
balancing options:
● LACP in layer 2 & 3
● LACP in layer 3 & 4
LACP in layer 3 & 4 is the default option

Hardware Settings

Target Boot Device Specifies the target boot device.

● Local Flash Storage: Installs the operating system to either the
SATADOM or the BOSS flash storage device present in the node.
With the Local Flash Storage option, only nodes with a BOSS storage
controller and two attached hard drives or SATADOM are selected to be
deployed as part of the resource group, depending on the Dell PowerEdge
servers used.
For PowerEdge servers that support BOSS, during deployment PowerFlex
Manager creates RAID 1 with the two hard drives attached to the BOSS
controller.
● Local Flash Storage for Dell PowerFlex: Installs the operating system
to either the SATADOM or the BOSS flash storage device that is present
in the node and configures the node to support PowerFlex.
If you select the option to Use Node for Dell PowerFlex under OS
Settings, the Local Flash Storage for Dell PowerFlex option is
automatically selected as the target boot device.

Node Pool Specifies the pool from which nodes are selected for the deployment.
BIOS Settings
System Profile Select the system power and performance profile for the node.
User Accessible USB Ports Enables or disables the user-accessible USB ports.
Number of Cores per Processor Specifies the number of enabled cores per processor.
Virtualization Technology Enables the additional hardware capabilities of virtualization technology.
Logical Processor Each processor core supports up to two logical processors. If enabled, the
BIOS reports all logical processors. If disabled, the BIOS reports only one
logical processor per core.
Execute Disable Enables or disables execute disable memory protection.
Node Interleaving Enable or disable the interleaving of allocated memory across nodes.

236 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description
● If enabled, only nodes that support interleaving and have the read/
write attribute for node interleaving set to enabled are displayed. Node
interleaving is automatically set to enabled when a resource group is
deployed on a node.
● If disabled, any nodes that support interleaving are displayed. Node
interleaving is automatically set to disabled when a resource group is
deployed on a node. Node interleaving is also disabled for a resource group
with NVDIMM compression.
● If not applicable is selected, all nodes are displayed irrespective of whether
interleaving is enabled or disabled. This setting is the default.
Network Settings
Multi-Network Selection Select the check-box to include multiple management networks of the same
type. If you select multiple networks of the same type without selecting the
check box, an error is displayed when you publish the template. The multiple
network selection is supported on the following networks:
● Hypervisor Management
● PowerFlex Management
● Hypervisor Migration
● Replication Networks
Number of Replication Networks Per Node This option is displayed only if the Multi-Network Selection and Enable
Replication check boxes are enabled. Select the number of networks you
want to add to the port. For example, if the selected number is 2, you can
assign one network each to two ports—Port 1 and Port 2. It is recommended
that the number of selected networks is always even.
Add New Interface Click Add New Interface to create a network interface in a template
component. Under this interface, all network settings are specified for a node.
This interface is used to find a compatible node in the inventory. For example,
if you add Two Port, 100 gigabit to the template, when the template
is deployed PowerFlex Manager matches a node with a two-port 100-gigabit
network card as its first interface.
To add one or more networks to the port, select Add Networks to this
Port. Then, choose the networks to add, or mirror network settings defined
on another port.
To see network changes that are previously made to a template, you can click
View/Edit under Interfaces. Or, you can click View All Settings on the
template, and then click View Networks.
To see network changes at resource group deployment time, click View
Networks under Interfaces.

Add New Static Route Click Add New Static Route to create a static route in a template. To
add a static route, you must first select Enabled under Static Routes. A
static route allows nodes to communicate across different networks. The
static route can also be used to support replication in a storage-only or
hyperconverged resource group.
A static route requires a Source Network and a Destination Network, and
a Gateway. The source and destination network must each be a PowerFlex
data network or replication network that has the Subnet field defined.
If you add or remove a network for one of the ports, the Source Network
drop-down list does not get updated and still shows the old networks. In
order to see the changes, save the node settings and edit the node again.

Validate Settings Click Validate Settings to determine what can be chosen for a deployment
with this template component.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 237

Table 62. Node settings (continued)
Setting Description

The Validate Settings wizard displays a banner to when one or more

resources in the template do not match the configuration settings that are
specified in the template. The wizard displays the following tabs:
● Valid ( number ) lists the resources that match the configuration settings.
● Invalid ( number ) lists the resources that do not match the configuration
settings.
The reason for the mismatch is shown at the bottom of the wizard.
For example, you might see Network Configuration Mismatch as
the reason for the mismatch if you set the port layout to use a 100-Gb
network architecture, but one of the nodes is using a 25 GB architecture.
If you set the encryption method to use self-encrypting drives (SEDs), but
the nodes do not have these drives, you might see Self Encrypting
Drives are required but not found on the node,
or software encryption requested but only available
drives are SED.

After entering the information about operating system Installation (PXE) network in the respective field as described in the table
above, PowerFlex Manager untags vLANs entered in the operating system installation network on the switch node facing port.
For vMotion and hypervisor networks, PowerFlex Manager tags these networks on the switch node-facing ports for the entered
information. For rack node, PowerFlex Manager configures the vLANs on node facing ports (untag PXE vLANs, and tag other
vLANs).
If you select Import Configuration from Reference Node, PowerFlex Manager imports basic settings, BIOS settings, and
advanced RAID configurations from the reference node and enables you to edit the configuration. Some BIOS settings might
no longer apply once new BIOS settings are applied. PowerFlex Manager does not correct these setting dependencies. When
setting advanced BIOS settings, use caution and verify that BIOS settings on the hardware are applicable when not choosing
Not Applicable as an option. For example, when disabling an SD card, the settings for internal SD card redundancy become not
applicable.
You can edit any of the settings visible in the template, but keep in mind that many settings are hidden when using this option.
For example, only ten out of many BIOS settings that you can see and edit using template are displayed. However, you can
configure all BIOS settings. If you want to edit any of the settings that are not visible through the template feature, edit them
before importing or uploading the file.
For storage only and hyperconverged nodes, the required SDPM or NVDIMM storage capacity is specified in the following table.

Table 63. SDPM or NVDIMM storage capacity

Node storage capacity SDPM/NVDIMM capacity required (in GB)
(in TB)
Less than or equal to 32
46.08
Less than or equal to 64
92.16
Less than or equal 96
to122.88
Less than or equal to145 128

Cluster component settings

This table describes the cluster component settings.

Table 64. Cluster component settings

Field name Description
Select a Component Select VMware Cluster or PowerFlex Cluster.

238 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 64. Cluster component settings (continued)
Field name Description
Component Name Indicates the cluster component name.
Related Components Select Associate All or Associate Selected to associate all or specific
components to the new component.
Cluster settings (for the VMware cluster component)
Target Virtual Machine Manager Select virtual machine manager from the Target Virtual Machine Manager list.

Data Center Name Select the data center name from Data Center Name list.

Cluster Name Select a new cluster name from Cluster Name list.

New Cluster Name Select new cluster name from New Cluster Name list.

Cluster HA Enabled Enables or disables a highly available cluster. You can either select or clear (default)
the check box.

Cluster DRS Enabled Enables or disables distributed resource scheduler (DRS). You can either select or
clear (default) the check box.

PowerFlex settings (for the PowerFlex cluster component)

Target PowerFlex Gateway Select a target PowerFlex gateway, which acts as an endpoint for PowerFlex
API calls. During the provisioning process, PowerFlex Manager connects to the
PowerFlex gateway and uses its APIs to configure all SDS and SDC parameters.

Protection Domain Name Provide a name for the protection domain. You can automatically generate the
name (recommended), or specify a new name explicitly. A protection domain is a
logical entity that contains a group of SDSs that provide backup for each other.
Each SDS belongs to only one protection domain. Each protection domain is a
unique set of SDSs. A protection domain may also contain SDTs and SDRs.
If you automatically generate the protection domain name or specify a new name
explicitly for a hyperconverged or storage-only template, the PowerFlex cluster
must have at least three nodes before you can publish the template and deploy it
as a resource group. However, if you select an existing protection domain that
is associated with another previously deployed hyperconverged or storage-only
resource group, and this protection domain has at least three nodes, PowerFlex
Manager recognizes the new template as valid if the cluster has fewer than three
nodes. You can publish the template successfully and deploy it as a resource group,
since the protection domain it uses has enough nodes.
NOTE: A compute-only resource group only requires a minimum of two nodes,
since it does not have a protection domain.
If you choose Compute Only as the PowerFlex Role for the node component, the
PowerFlex settings do not include the Protection Domain Name field.

New Protection Domain Name Specify a new name for the protection domain.

Protection Domain NameTemplate If you choose to generate the protection domain name automatically, PowerFlex
Manager fills this field with a default template that combines static text with
variables for several pieces of the autogenerated name. If you modify the template,
be sure to include the ${num} variable to ensure that the name is unique.
For details on the rules for defining a template, see the contextual help that
appears when you hover over the field.
If you choose Compute Only as the PowerFlex Role for the node component, the
PowerFlex settings do not include the Protection Domain Name Template field.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 239

Table 64. Cluster component settings (continued)
Field name Description
Acceleration Pool Name Provide a name for the acceleration pool. You can automatically generate the name
(recommended) or select from a list of existing acceleration pools.
You can add acceleration pools to a protection domain to accelerate storage pool
performance. An acceleration pool is a group of acceleration devices within a
protection domain.

Acceleration Pool Name Template Define a template for generating the acceleration pool name automatically.
PowerFlex Manager fills this field with a default template that combines static
text with variables for several pieces of the autogenerated name. If you modify the
template, be sure to include the $(num) variable to ensure that the name is unique.
For details on the rules for defining a template, see the contextual help that
appears when you hover over the field.

Storage Pool Name Provide a name for the storage pool. You can automatically generate the name
(recommended), select from a list of existing storage pools for the selected
protection domain, or specify a unique storage pool name. If you choose to
automatically generate a name, you are prompted to define a storage pool name
template.
Storage pools allow the generation of different storage tiers in PowerFlex. A
storage pool is a set of physical storage devices in a protection domain. Each
storage device belongs to one (and only one) storage pool.
The number of storage pools that are created at deployment time depends on the
number of disks available.

Number Of Storage Pools Select up to 6 storage pools per protection domain.

The maximum number of nodes that can be added to a protection domain is 32. The
maximum number of drives that can be added to a storage pool is 320.

Granularity Set the granularity for compression by selecting Fine or Medium. The granularity
setting applies to the storage pool.

Storage Pool Disk Type Allows you to select the disk type - hard drive, SSD, or NVMe.

Storage Pool Name Template Define a template for generating the storage pool name automatically. PowerFlex
Manager fills this field with a default template that combines static text with
variables for several pieces of the autogenerated name. If you modify the template,
be sure to include the ${num} variable to ensure that the name is unique.
For details on the rules for defining a template, see the contextual help that
appears when you hover over the field.
If you choose Compute Only as the PowerFlex Role for the node component, the
PowerFlex settings do not include the Storage Pool Name Template field.

Enable Fault Sets Enables deployment with fault sets.

This option allows you to deploy a fault set enabled resource group with a new
protection domain or an existing protection domain.

Fault Set Name Specify the fault set name. You can automatically generate the name
(recommended), select from a list of existing fault sets for the selected protection
domain, or specify a unique fault set name. If you choose to automatically generate
a name, you are prompted to define a fault set name template.

Fault Set Name Template If you choose to generate the fault set name automatically, PowerFlex Manager fills
this field with a default template that combines static text with variables for several
pieces of the autogenerated name. If you modify the template, be sure to include
the ${num} variable to ensure that the name is unique.

240 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 64. Cluster component settings (continued)
Field name Description

For details on the rules for defining a template, see the contextual help that
appears when you hover over the field.

Number of Fault Sets Specifies the number of fault sets to create at deployment time. PowerFlex requires
a minimum of three fault sets for a protection domain, with at least two nodes in
each fault set.
For a new protection domain name, you must specify a number between 3 and 16.
Each fault set acts as a single fault unit. If a fault set goes down, all nodes within
the fault set go down as well.
For an existing protection domain name, you must specify a number between 1 and
16. This allows you to add more fault sets to an existing protection domain. If the
selected protection domain already has 3 fault sets, for example, you can specify a
number as low as 1, to include an additional fault set for this protection domain.
PowerFlex Manager ensures that each new deployment has only one MDM role for
each fault set. For example, if you deploy 3 fault sets, one has the primary MDM,
another has the secondary MDM, and the third has the tiebreaker. You can use
the Reconfigure MDM Roles wizard to change the MDM role assignments after
deployment.

CloudLink Center Settings

Target CloudLink Center Specifies the target CloudLink Center for an encrypted node. The Cloud Link
Center Settings are only available when the Enable Encryption option is
selected in the OS Settings for the node component. For any CloudLink Center
that has encryption, you must either add an existing resource group to PowerFlex
Manager, or use PowerFlex Manager to create the CloudLink encryption machine
groups and keystores.
PowerFlex Manager is only able to create the machine groups and keystores if the
CloudLink Center exists in the management cluster. Ensure that CloudLink Center is
available on the resource page.
If you select an existing protection domain under the PowerFlex Settings, you
must choose a Target CloudLink Center. The other CloudLink Center settings
are not available, and PowerFlex Manager uses the machine group and keystore
settings for the selected target.
If you automatically generate the protection domain name or specify a new
protection name explicitly, you can set the Machine Group Name and Keystore
Name settings with the template.
When you deploy a template with CloudLink settings, PowerFlex Manager creates
the machine groups and keystores, and then assigns the machine groups to
keystores and networks. Next, it adds the machines to the machine groups, and
encrypts the drives. After deployment, you can see the machines that are added to
machine groups by clicking View Details on the Resources page.
When defining a template, you choose a single CloudLink Center as the target
for the deployed resource group. If the CloudLink Center for the resource group
shuts down, PowerFlex Manager loses communication with the CloudLink Center.
If the CloudLink Center is part of a cluster, PowerFlex Manager moves to another
CloudLink Center when you update the resource group details.

Machine Group Name Allows you to provide a name for the machine group. The Machine Group Name is
only available if you automatically generate the protection domain name or specify a
new protection name explicitly. You can automatically generate the machine group
name or specify a new machine group name explicitly.

New Machine Group Name Specify a new name for the machine group.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 241

Table 64. Cluster component settings (continued)
Field name Description
Keystore Name Allows you to provide a name for the keystore. The Keystore Name is only
available if you automatically generate the protection domain name or specify a
new protection name explicitly. You can automatically generate the keystore name
or specify a new keystore name explicitly. Alternatively, you can choose an existing
keystore from the list.

Keystore Name Template Specify a new name for the keystore.

vSphere VDS Settings

Configure VDS Settings Click Configure VDS Settings to create the virtual distributed switch (VDS)
settings for the VMware cluster component in a template. PowerFlex Manager
displays a wizard that allows you to provide a name for each VDS. The wizard also
lets you specify how you want the port group names to be created. You can let
PowerFlex Manager automatically create port group names based on the names of
the networks, or you can enter the port group names yourself.
To see VDS settings previously configured for a template, you can click View VDS
Settings under vSphere VDS Settings.
NOTE: When working with VMware vCenter in a multi data center
configuration, VMware vSphere distributed switch names (vDS) must be
unique. Work with the Logical Configuration Survey contact to plan vDSs based
on the data center design.

PowerFlex File Settings

PowerFlex File Gateway Specifies the name of the NAS gateway.

Number of Protection Domains Determines the number of protection domains that are used for PowerFlex file
configuration data. Control volumes will be created automatically for every node
in the PowerFlex file cluster, and spread across the number of protection domains
specified for improved cluster resiliency. To add data volumes, you need to use the
tools provided on the File tab.
You can have between one and four protection domains.

Protection Domain <n> Includes a separate section for each protection domain used in the template.

Storage Pool <n> Includes a separate section for each storage pool used in the template.

Related information
Add cluster component settings to a template

VM settings
The table describes VM settings for the CloudLink Center and the PowerFlex gateway.

Table 65. VM settings

Field name Description
Select a Component Select CloudLink Center or PowerFlex Gateway.
Number of Instances Select the number of instances of the VM that you want to deploy.
Related Components Select Associate Selected and select the VMware Cluster check box to
associate the selected VMware cluster with the CloudLink Center.
VM Settings
Specify Datastore Specify the storage location.

242 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 65. VM settings (continued)
Field name Description
Specify Network Select the network type.
CloudLink Settings
Host Name Selection Defines how the hostname is selected at deployment time. There are two options:
● Auto Generate - Select to autogenerate the hostname at deployment time.
● Specify at Deployment Time - Select to provide a unique hostname at
deployment time.
OS Credential Select the operating system credential used to set the username and password on
the operating system that is installed.
NTP Server Specify the IP address of the NTP server for time synchronization. If adding more
than one NTP server, ensure that you separate the IP addresses with commas.
Secadmin Credential Select the secadmin credential, an element manager credential, which is used to set
the password for the secadmin user of the CloudLink Center. The password should
be minimum of ten characters with at least one special character.
Vault Password Specify up to three unique passwords for the CloudLink Vault. You must specify
at least one. The password should be minimum of ten characters with at least one
special character.
Confirm Vault Password Retype the vault password.
License File Upload a new or additional software license file. If additional, the resource is added
to your current total resources.
Additional CloudLink Settings
Configure Syslog Forwarding Select the check box to send syslog messages from the CloudLink to a remote
network management system.
Syslog Facility Select the remote server where the syslog messages are forwarded to.
Configure Email Notifications Select the check box to configure email alerts.
Server Address Specify the IP address of the email server.
Port Specify the port number for the email server. The default port is 25. The port
numbers must be entered in comma-separated list and must be 1–65535.
Sender Address Specify the email address for the sender.
User Name Specify the required username.
Password Specify the required password.
Confirm Password Retype the password.
PowerFlex Gateway Settings
Host Name Selection Defines how the hostname is selected at deployment time. There are two options:
● Auto Generate - Select to autogenerate the hostname at deployment time.
● Specify at Deployment Time - Select to provide a unique hostname at
deployment time.
PowerFlex Credential Select the operating system credential used to set the username and password.
NTP Server Specify the IP address of the NTP server for time synchronization. If adding more
than one NTP server, ensure that you separate the IP addresses with commas.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 243

Support for full and partial network automation
This topic lists the supported configurations for full and partial network automation.

Table 66. Supported configurations for full and partial network automation
Template components Full network automation Partial network automation

(Requires manual switch

configuration)
OS Images ESXi, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux ESXi, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise
Linux
PowerFlex roles Hyperconverged, compute-only, storage-only Hyperconverged, compute-only,
storage-only (CentOS only)
Switch Port Configuration ● Port channel (LACP enabled) ● Port channel (LACP enabled)
● Port channel ● Trunk Port
● Trunk port
Target Boot Device ● Local flash storage for Dell PowerFlex Local flash storage for Dell
PowerFlex
Network Settings ● Static bonding NIC port design or LACP bonding ● LACP bonding NIC port design
NIC port design ● 25 GB
● 10 GB, 25 GB, 100 GB ● No PXE network (using iDRAC
● Required PXE network virtual media)
● Network Automation Type: Full ● Network Automation Type:
Partial

Related information
Adding an existing resource group
Build and publish a template

Resources
This section provides reference information for the Resources page.

Related information
Deploying and provisioning
Managing components
Monitoring system health

Resource health status

PowerFlex Manager assigns health status to the resources based on the conditions described in the following table.

Table 67. Resource health status

Icon Health status Description
Healthy Indicates that there is no issue with the resource and it is working as expected.

Warning Indicates that the resource is in a state that requires corrective action, but does not
affect overall system health. For example, the firmware running on the resource is not
at the required level or not compliant.

244 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 67. Resource health status (continued)
Icon Health status Description

For supported switches, a warning health status might be because the SNMP
community string is invalid or not set correctly. In this case, PowerFlex Manager is
unable to perform health monitoring for the switch.
NOTE: If the resource group has VMware ESXi and is set to maintenance mode, a
message is displayed in the View Details pane.

Critical Indicates that an issue requiring immediate attention exists in one of the following
hardware or software components in the device:
● Battery
● CPU
● Fans
● Power supply
● Storage devices
● Licensing
For supported switches, a critical health status might indicate that the power supply is
not working properly or a CPU has overheated.
NOTE: If the resource group is in a power off state, a message displays in the
View Details pane.

Unknown Indicates that the resource status is unknown.

For example, for a supported switch, an unknown status might indicate that the
switch has been turned off or is still being discovered.

Pending Indicates that the resource status is pending.

Service Mode Indicates that the resource is in Service Mode.

NOTE: If the resource fails to exit Service Mode, an informational message
displays in the recent activity.

Related information
Discover a resource
Removing resources
Exporting a compliance report for all resources

Resource operational state

After initiating resource discovery, PowerFlex Manager assigns one or more of the states to the resources. These operational
states display on the Resources page, in the Deployment Status column of the All Resources tab.

Table 68. Deployment status

Deployment status Description

Not In Use Resource is available for deployment.

Available Resource is available. Applies only to switches, virtual machine, or gateway.

Deploying Resource is in the process of being deployed in a resource group.

In Use Resource is deployed in a resource group.

Pending Updates One or more of the following tasks are in progress:

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 245

Table 68. Deployment status (continued)
Deployment status Description

● Discovering resource
● Determining resource details, including firmware version
● Applying template to the resource
● Updating firmware
● Removing resource from PowerFlex Manager inventory

Deployment Failed Resource group deployment failed.

Cancelled Resource group deployment is cancelled.

PowerFlex Manager keeps track of which resources it is managing. These operational states display on the Resources page, in
the Managed State column of the All Resources tab.

Table 69. Managed state

Managed state Description

Managed Indicates that PowerFlex Manager manages the firmware on that node, and the node
can be used for deployments.

Unmanaged Indicates that the resource is not managed by PowerFlex Manager.

By default, the operational state for all discovered nodes is Unmanaged. If you want
to perform firmware updates or deployments on a discovered node, you need to
select the node and change the operational state to Managed.
If you have not yet uploaded a license file, PowerFlex Manager is configured
for monitoring and alerting only. All resources are restricted to the Unmanaged
resource state, and you cannot change the state to Managed or Reserved.

Reserved Indicates that PowerFlex Manager only manages the firmware on that particular
node, but that node cannot be used for deployments. You can assign a host to the
reserved state only if the host has been discovered, but is not part of a resource
group.

Compliance status
PowerFlex Manager assigns one of the following firmware statuses to the resources:

Table 70. Compliance status

Firmware status Description

Compliant The firmware running on the resource is compliant with the

firmware version that is specified in the default compliance
version.

Non–Compliant The firmware running on the resource is less than or greater

than the firmware version specified in the default compliance
version. Indicates that firmware update is required.

Update Required The firmware running on the resource is less than the
minimum firmware version recommended in the default
compliance version. Indicates that firmware update is
required.

246 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Related information
Discover a resource
Removing resources
Exporting a compliance report for all resources

Discovery overview
You can discover new resources or existing resources that are already configured within your environment. After discovery, you
can deploy resource groups on these resources from a template. Only administrator-level users can discover resources.
By default, the operational state for all discovered nodes is Unmanaged. If you want to perform firmware updates or
deployments on a discovered node, select the node and change the operational state to Managed.
If you have not yet uploaded a license, PowerFlex Manager is configured for monitoring and alerting only. In this case, all the
resources are restricted to the Unmanaged resource state, and you cannot change the state to Managed or Reserved.
For some resources such as nodes, the default credentials are prepopulated in PowerFlex Manager. If the credentials are
changed from the defaults, add the credential to PowerFlex Manager with the new login information.

Element Manager discovery

The IPI cabinet is discovered as an element manager. Once PowerFlex Manager discovers the IPI cabinet, you can view cabinet
details or you can open the IPI appliance management application to view more details.
The CloudLink Center is discovered as an element manager. If you create your own username in CloudLink Center, you need
the SecAdmin access role and the local user type for the new user to complete discovery. The client user type does not work
for discovery in PowerFlex Manager. If one member of a cluster of CloudLink Center is shut down, the inventory still succeeds
because PowerFlex Manager falls back to inventorying the other CloudLink Center members if the first one is down.

Node discovery
PowerFlex Manager supports PowerFlex node discovery and allows you to onboard nodes by configuring the initial management
IP address and iDRAC credentials. To perform initial discovery and configuration, verify that the management IP address is set
on the node and that PowerFlex Manager can access the IP address through the network. While configuring IP addresses on the
node, verify that PowerFlex Manager can access any final IP address in a range used for hardware management, to complete
discovery of these nodes.
PowerFlex Manager also allows you to use name-based searches to discover a range of nodes that were assigned IP addresses
by DHCP to iDRAC. You can search for a range of DNS hostnames or a single hostname within the Discovery Wizard. After
you perform a name-based discovery, PowerFlex Manager operations to the IDRAC continue to use name-based IP resolution,
since DHCP may assign alternate addresses.

Switch discovery
If you attempt to discover a Cisco switch with terminal color configured, the discovery fails. To discover the switch successfully,
disable the terminal color option by running configure no terminal color persist.

VM manager discovery
A VMware vCenter is discovered as a VM manager. PowerFlex Manager users with the administrator role can discover a
vCenter in PowerFlex Manager. A vCenter read-only user can discover a vCenter in PowerFlex Manager only after the following
requirements are met:
● The vCenter user who is specified in the vCenter credential is granted the
VirtualMachine.Provisioning.ReadCustSpecs and StorageProfie.View privileges.
● The permission containing these privileges is granted to that user on the root vCenter object and the Propogate to
children property is set to True.
PowerFlex Manager allows you to deploy new hyperconverged and compute-only resource groups and add existing resource
groups to a vCenter that has an Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) configuration. ELM connects multiple vCenter servers,

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 247

allowing you to search across servers and perform other vCenter management functions. ELM does not provide clustering
or redundancy.
If you are working with a vCenter that has an enhanced linked mode configuration, you must discover only the vCenter to which
you want to deploy or add an existing resource group. You do not need to discover the other vCenters that are connected
through the enhanced linked mode configuration.

Node pools
In PowerFlex Manager, a node pool is made up of nodes that are grouped for specific use cases such as business units or
workload purposes. An administrator can specify which users can access these node pools.
Standard users can view details only for node pools for which they have permission.
From the Node Pools tab, you can view existing node pools.
Users with an administrator role can create, edit, or delete node pools.
Click a node pool from the list to view detailed information about the following tabs:
● Nodes: Displays the number of nodes that are associated with the node pool.
● Users: Displays the number of users with access rights to the node pool.

Configuration checks
When you initiate a resource group action, PowerFlex Manager performs critical configuration checks to ensure that the system
is healthy before proceeding. A configuration check failure may result in the resource group action being blocked. You can
export a PDF report at any time that shows detailed system health and configuration data. When you generate the report,
PowerFlex Manager initiates the full set of configuration checks and reports the results.

Configuration checks for switches

Dell Networking OS9 switches are not covered by the configuration checks.

Table 71. Configuration checks

Configuration check Resource group actions blocked if the check fails
PowerFlex gateway is powered off None
PowerFlex cluster state is not normal ● Add node
● Add volume
● Delete node
● Delete resource group
● Add resource group with an existing PowerFlex cluster
● Compliance upgrade
● Enter service mode
● Drive replacement
Secondary MDMs have a status not equal to normal ● Add nodes
● Add volumes
● Delete node
● Delete resource group
● Add resource group with an existing PowerFlex cluster
● Compliance upgrade
● Enter service mode
● Drive replacement
SDS registered data network IP address count does not equal ● Compliance upgrade
2 or 4 ● Enter service mode
● Drive replacement
● Reconfigure MDM roles

248 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

Table 71. Configuration checks (continued)
Configuration check Resource group actions blocked if the check fails
SDS has a state not equal to connected ● Add volume
● Compliance upgrade
● Reconfigure MDM roles
SDS interfaces have incorrect MTU sizes ● Add node
● Add resource group with an existing PowerFlex cluster
● Compliance upgrade
● Reconfigure MDM roles
VMware ESXi vmks are not configured with an MTU size of ● Add node
9000 ● Add resource group with an existing PowerFlex cluster
● Compliance upgrade
Interfaces are not configured with an MTU size of 9216, and ● Add node
QOS is enabled with MTU size ● Add resource group with an existing PowerFlex cluster
● Compliance upgrade
SDS has a Performance Profile not equal to High Performance None
SDC has a Performance Profile not equal to High Performance None

Related information
Exporting a configuration report for all resources and resource groups

Settings
This section provides reference information for the Settings page.

Backup details
PowerFlex Manager backup files include the following information:
● Activity logs
● Credentials
● Deployments
● Resource inventory and status
● Events
● Initial setup
● IP addresses
● Jobs
● Licensing
● Networks
● Templates
● Users and roles
● Resource module configuration files
● Performance metrics

Network types
You can manage various network types in PowerFlex Manager.
● General Purpose LAN—Used to access network resources for basic networking activities.
● Hypervisor Management—Used to identify the management network for a hypervisor or operating system that is deployed
on a node.

PowerFlex Manager user interface reference 249

● Hypervisor Migration—Used to manage the network that you want to use for live migration. Live migration enables you to
move running virtual machines from one node of the failover cluster to different node in the same cluster.
● OS Installation—Allows static or DHCP network for operating system imaging on nodes.
● Hardware Management—Used for out-of-band management of hardware infrastructure
● PowerFlex Data—Used for data traffic between storage data servers (SDS) and storage data clients (SDC)
● PowerFlex Data (Client Traffic Only)—Used for storage data client traffic only
● PowerFlex Data (Server Traffic Only)—Used for storage data server traffic only
● PowerFlex Replication—Used to support PowerFlex replication
● NAS File Management—Used to support PowerFlex file management traffic
● NAS File Data—Used to support PowerFlex file data traffic
● PowerFlex Management—Used for PowerFlex system management

250 PowerFlex Manager user interface reference

 15
Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node
This section includes procedures for preparing and maintaining a PowerFlex controller node.
NOTE: For non-PowerFlex appliance and non-PowerFlex rack deployments, the PowerFlex controller node is a co-resident
node that hosts only a storage data server (SDS) and a PowerFlex management platform node.

Preparing a PowerFlex management node for

maintenance
Before updating, upgrading, or rebooting a PowerFlex management node, the pods running on the PowerFlex node must be
properly terminated or moved.
1. SSH to the PowerFlex controller node
2. Label the node for maintenance mode.
a. To display existing node status and role type, run the following command:

kubectl get nodes

Example output:
NAME STATUS ROLES AGE VERSION
node1 Ready control-plane,etcd,master 24h v1.25.3+rke2r1
node2 Ready control-plane,etcd,master 24h v1.25.3+rke2r1
node3 Ready control-plane,etcd,master 24h v1.25.3+rke2r1

b. Label the node for maintenance by running the following command:

kubectl label node <NAME> cmo.maintenance.mode=true

kubectl label node node1 cmo.maintenance.mode=true

3. Verify if the node is a primary MDM.

scli --query_cluster
If this command returns cluster information, switch ownership to the secondary MDM (check the output of the above
command for cluster information), and proceed to step 3a. Otherwise, perform maintenance on the co-resident PowerFlex
controller node.

a. Log in to the PowerFlex cluster.

scli --login --username admin --management_system_ip <powerflex manager IP>
b. Use scli to switch cluster ownership.
scli --switch_mdm_ownership --new_primary_mdm_name <mdm_name>

Related information
Perform co-resident PowerFlex controller node maintenance

Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node 251

Perform co-resident PowerFlex controller node
maintenance
Use the following maintenance mode procedure for co-resident PowerFlex controller node:
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Go to Block > SDSs and select the check box of the SDS you are working on.
3. Click More Actions and select Enter Maintenance Mode.
4. Select Instant or Protected maintenance mode.
5. To remove the PowerFlex node from the service,
a. Log in to the node using SSH.
b. Run the following command:
kubectl drain<NAME>--ignore-daemonsets --delete-emptydir-data
6. The node is now ready for maintenance, perform updates as necessary including reboot. When maintenance is complete,
return the node to operation. For more information, see Return the node to operation.

Related information
Preparing a PowerFlex management node for maintenance

Return the node to operation

To return the node to the operation, perform the following steps:
1. SSH to the PowerFlex controller node.
2. To return the node to service, wait for the node to rejoin the cluster, and then check with the following command from a
different node that is part of the PowerFlex management cluster.
kubectl get nodes
Continue to wait, if the status is other than Ready, SchedulingDisabled.
3. To bring the node back into service, run the following command:
kubectl uncordon <NAME>
4. Check the status by running the following command:
kubectl get nodes
Wait for status to report Ready before moving on.
5. If this is a PowerFlex co-resident management node:
a. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
b. Go to Block/SDSs and select the checkbox of the SDS you are working on.
c. Click More Actions and select Exit Maintenance Mode.
6. Remove maintenance mode labels from the PowerFlex node.
kubectl label node<NAME>cmo.maintenance.mode-
For example, kubectl label node<node1>cmo.maintenance.mode-

7. Run the following command to discover the monitor port of the application:
kubectl get services monitor-app -n powerflex -o jsonpath="{.spec.ports[0].nodePort}
{\"\n\"}"
8. To view the monitor application, open a web browser to http://<pfmp node IP>:<port_from_previous_step>.
9. Wait until the PowerFlex management platform status indicator light goes green before moving on to the next node.

Post-maintenance status
1. Check PowerFlex node status to confirm all the PowerFlex nodes in ready state:
kubectl get nodes

252 Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node

2. Check pods status.
kubectl get pods
3. If any pods remain in CrashLoopBackOff for more than three minutes, contact Dell Technical Support for further
assistance.
4. Check the status of the PowerFlex Manager database:
Expected output (cluster node names may vary):

kubectl exec -n powerflex -c database $(kubectl get pods -n powerflex -l='postgres-

operator.crunchydata.com/role=master, postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/instance-set'
| grep Running | cut -d' ' -f1) -- sh -c 'patronictl list'

Additional maintenance activities

This section includes procedures for performing general maintenance, such as shutting down and restarting nodes.

Shutdown or restart a node gracefully

When performing tasks on a node that require it to be shutdown or restarted, do so gracefully.
Operating system upgrades and patches, as well as other maintenance activities, like part replacement, require shutting down or
rebooting a node.

Gracefully shut down or reboot a node

Prepare the node for a patching or maintenance operation (such as a part replacement) by entering the node into maintenance
mode and shutting down/rebooting the node in a graceful fashion.

NOTE: Do not use -f in the shutdown or reboot command.

1. When shutting down/rebooting a node that is a primary MDM (manager), it is recommended that you manually switch MDM
ownership to a different node:
a. From the PowerFlex CLI (SCLI), run:

scli --query_cluster

b. If the IP addresses of the node are included in the --query_cluster output, the faulty node has a role of either MDM
or tiebreaker, in addition to its SDS role.
If the IP address of the node is located in the primary MDM role, a switch-over action is required.
c. Switch MDM ownership to a different node:

scli -switch_mdm_ownership (-new_primary_mdm_id <ID> | --new_primary_mdm_ip <IP> |

--new_primary_mdm_name <NAME>)

The node remains in the cluster. The cluster will be in degraded mode after it is powered off, until the faulty component
or patch operation in the node is fixed and the node is powered back on.
d. Verify that the cluster status shows that the node is not the primary MDM anymore:

scli --query_cluster

Output similar to the following should appear, with the relevant node configuration and IP addresses for your deployment:

Cluster:
Mode: 5_node, State: Normal, Active: 5/5, Replicas: 3/3
Virtual IP Addresses: 9.20.10.100, 9.20.110.100
Primary MDM:
ID: 0x775afb2a65ef1f02
IP Addresses: 9.20.10.104, 9.20.110.104, Management IP Addresses:
10.136.215.239, Port: 9011, Virtual IP interfaces: sio_d_1, sio_d_2

Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node 253

 Version: 2.0.13000
Secondary MDMs:
ID: 0x5b2e9f273b7af9b0
IP Addresses: 9.20.10.105, 9.20.110.105, Management IP Addresses:
10.136.215.223, Port: 9011, Virtual IP interfaces: sio_d_1, sio_d_2
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.13000
ID: 0x5828f65b15e778f1
IP Addresses: 9.20.10.102, 9.20.110.102, Management IP Addresses:
10.136.215.232, Port: 9011, Virtual IP interfaces: sio_d_1, sio_d_2
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.13000
Tiebreakers:
ID: 0x6618e0b804644ca4
IP Addresses: 9.20.10.101, 9.20.110.101, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.13000
ID: 0x12534ccb3d28fee3
IP Addresses: 9.20.10.103, 9.20.110.103, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.13000

In the example output, the primary MDM IP addresses are:

IP Addresses: 9.20.10.104, 9.20.110.104, Management IP Addresses: 10.136.215.239

The secondary IP addresses are:

IP Addresses: 9.20.10.105, 9.20.110.105, Management IP Addresses: 10.136.215.223

IP Addresses: 9.20.10.102, 9.20.110.102, Management IP Addresses: 10.136.215.232

2. Move all applications to a different node:

● On an VMware ESXi node that is not a cluster member, and that is not configured for HA and DRS, migrate the VMs to
another VMware ESXi.
● On a Linux node, migrate the applications (or the VMs, if the node is running a hypervisor).
3. Log in to PowerFlex Manager as an admin user.
4. On the menu bar, click Block > SDSs.
5. Select the relevant SDS and click More Actions > Enter Maintenance Mode.
6. In the Enter SDS <name> into Maintenance Mode dialog box, select one of the following options:
● Instant
● Protected
7. Click Enter Maintenance Mode.
8. In the confirmation message dialog box, click Dismiss.
9. If you are applying a patch:
a. Run the patch.
b. Reboot the node, if necessary.

Return the node to operational state

Perform the following steps to return the node you upgraded in the previous task to operational state:
1. Click Block > SDSs.
2. Select the check box for the node in maintenance mode, go to More Actions and select Exit Maintenance Mode.
3. Wait until the SDS's state displays as Healthy.
4. Wait for the rebuild/rebalance operations to complete.
The node is now operational.

Power on co-resident system

Use the following procedure to power on the co-resident system.
1. Power on all SDS nodes.
2. Log in to primary MDM using SSH.
3. Validate if the cluster status is normal by running the following command:

254 Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node

 scli --query_cluster
4. Log in to all nodes running PowerFlex management platform processes.
5. From each PowerFlex management platform node, check for the status of exported volumes using lsblk command until
the partitions are displayed under the scinia device.
If partitions are not visible, but the cluster reports as healthy, use the partprobe command to rescan the attached block
devices.
6. Run the following command to check the status of the rke2-server process on all the PowerFlex management platform
nodes:
systemctl status rke2-server
If the status is active, go to the next step. If status is shown as activating repeat the status check until active. If status is
failed, attempt to start the service (systemctl start rke2-server).

7. Once rke2-server is running, make sure all PowerFlex management platform nodes are in a ready state kubectl get nodes.
If a message is displayed, wait for a few minutes and verify again. After nodes are indicated as ready, perform the next step.
8. Restore the PowerFlex Manager database.
a. Run the following command to set up the alias and default context:

alias k="kubectl -n $(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E 'platform|pgo|helmrepo' |

cut -d' ' -f1)"
kubectl config set-context default --namespace=$(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E
'platform|pgo|helmrepo|docker' | cut -d' ' -f1)

b. Run the following command to restart the database:

k patch $(k get postgrescluster -o name) --type merge --patch '{"spec":{"shutdown":

false}}'

9. Run the following command to get the service port for the PowerFlex management platform monitor utility (if you do not
have it already):

kubectl get services monitor-app -n powerflex -o jsonpath="{.spec.ports[0].nodePort}

{\”\n\”}"

10. Access the PowerFlex management platform monitor utility by pointing a browser to any management IP of a PowerFlex
management platform node with the port obtained in step 9. For example, http://<node IP>:<port>/.

NOTE: The IP cannot be the ingress or any other service IP within the cluster.

11. In the browser, click the PowerFlex management platform status in the upper-right. Wait for all entries to turn green.
12. In case the status remains red or the PowerFlex Manager user interface is not accessible after 15 to 20 minutes, contact Dell
Technical Support for further assistance.

Power off the co-resident system

Use the following procedure to power off the co-resident system.
Complete the following tasks before powering off any nodes.
1. Stop all external workloads. It is recommended to unmount all volumes for non-PowerFlex management platform co-resident
SDCs.
2. Log in to any initial release node using SSH.
3. Stop the PowerFlex Manager database.
NOTE: Once this is run, the PowerFlex Manager user interface is unavailable, and you cannot authenticate to the MDM
cluster.

a. Run the following command to set up an alias for kubectl and a default context view:

alias k="kubectl -n $(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E 'platform|pgo|helmrepo' |

cut -d' ' -f1)"

Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node 255

 kubectl config set-context default --namespace=$(kubectl get pods -A | grep -m 1 -E
'platform|pgo|helmrepo|docker' | cut -d' ' -f1)

b. Run the following command to shut down the database:

k patch $(k get postgrescluster -o name) --type merge --patch '{"spec":{"shutdown":

true}}'

4. Run the following command to verify the database shutdown:

Only the PostgreSQL operator pod pgo should remain when running this command.

echo $(kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/control-plane=pgo" --no-

headers -o name && kubectl get pods -l="postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/instance"
--no-headers -o name) | xargs kubectl get -o wide

5. Power off all hosts.

NOTE: Hosts running PowerFlex management platform processes take longer than simple SDS nodes.

Running scripts on hosts via PowerFlex Manager

You can run operating system patch commands or firmware updates that are managed by scripts on servers hosting PowerFlex
components.

Overview of running scripts on hosts

PowerFlex can be used to run user-provided scripts on nodes hosting MDM or SDS components. This feature is supported on
Linux-based (bare-metal or virtual) nodes only.
The PowerFlex Installer can be used to run a user-provided script on a node where PowerFlex is deployed. This feature can be
used for any purpose external to the PowerFlex system, such as running a set of CLI commands, patching an operating system,
and more. The feature allows the running of scripts in a safe manner, both from a security and a data integrity perspective.
PowerFlex Installer orchestrates the running of the script, ensuring that SDSs are placed in maintenance mode, to protect data
during the process. In addition, parallel execution of scripts is only permitted on SDSs located in different Protection Domains.
After the scripts have been run on an SDS, it exits maintenance mode.
Optionally, servers can be set to reboot after execution of the script. The process can also run a verification script either after
the reboot, or after execution of the script, when no reboot is required.
The execution phase of this feature can be summarized as follows:
1. The system validates the following:
● The patching script was uploaded to the node.
● No failed capacity exists.
● Sufficient spare capacity exists.
● The MDM cluster is in a valid state.
2. Run the script on one host, using the following priorities:
a. SDS only hosts, each time on a single SDS, unless the option In parallel on different Protection Domains
is enabled
b. Tiebreaker
c. MDMs

NOTE: The script will not run on a primary MDM. A switch-over MDM command will be run prior to running the
script on a primary MDM. The script will not be run in parallel on multiple MDMs or tiebreakers.

3. SDS enters maintenance mode.

4. The script runs on the host.
5. The host reboots (if configured to do so).
6. The validation script runs on the node (if configured to do so).

256 Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node

7. SDS exits maintenance mode.

Run script on host

Use this method to run a script on all or some of the Linux-based nodes with an optional reboot and an optional verification
script.
CAUTION: PowerFlex Manager is required to perform run script on the host operation. A target script is run
without validation or verification.
The script files must be stored in the folder node folder: /opt/emc/scaleio/lia/bin. The script file used to run script on
the host operation must be named as patch_script.
If verification is required, a script to verify the work can be written and named verification_script.
The filenames are hard coded and cannot be changed: patch_script and verification_script. The scripts are required
to have these names. Alternatively, they can be uploaded by PowerFlex Manager to the PowerFlex node.
To copy the script file onto the block-legacy-gateway pods, use the kubectl cp command from any of the PowerFlex
management platform hosts or VMs.
For example,
kubectl cp -n powerflex patch_script block-legacy-gateway-0:/usr/local/tomcat/temp/
kubectl cp -n powerflex patch_script block-legacy-gateway-1:/usr/local/tomcat/temp/
The scripts can be either taken from a gateway local folder or downloaded from HTTP or HTTPS share.
A list of SdsIds or mdmIds can be provided to explicitly choose the PowerFlex nodes to run on.

Table 72. API command

API command Required parameters Optional parameters
/im/types/ Either one of the following ● isRebootRequired: Indicates if each node reboot is
Configuration/ parameters is mandatory: required after running the patch script (values: true/
actions/ false)
● pdIds: Run on all PowerFlex
liaRunOsPatching
nodes that are part of the
NOTE: Before running NOTE: All nodes running PowerFlex
following protection domains (PD
the liaRunOsPatching Ids), in decimal format. management platform processes are skipped for
command, log in to ● fsIds: Run on all PowerFlex reboots. The action must be performed manually.
PowerFlex and get the nodes that are part of the ● isVerificationScriptRequired: Indicates if the
system configuration. For following fault sets (FS Ids), in verification script is run on each node (values: true/
more information, see the decimal format. false)
example workflow below. ● sdsIds: Run on all SDSs listed by ● isRunningInParallelOnPds: Indicates if the operation
Ids, in decimal format is run in a parallel way on nodes that belong to
● mdmIds: Run on all MDMs listed different PDs (values: true/false)
by Ids, in decimal format ● isStopProcessingOnScriptFailure: Indicates if the
● executeOnAllSdss: Run on all entire operation must be stopped if there is a script
SDSs (true/false) failure (values: true/false
● TimeoutMs: Indicates timeout value for running the
NOTE: All nodes running
patch script in milliseconds
PowerFlex management
● isUploadFileNeeded: Indicates if the gateway upload
platform processes are scripts to the PowerFlex nodes (values: true/false)
skipped for reboots. The
action must be performed The following fields are relevant when
isUploadFileNeeded is true:
manually.
○ patchScriptFilePath: Either the local folder name
● executeOnAllMdms: Run on all on the block-legacy-gateway pods or an http/
MDMs (true/false) https URL of the patch script
○ verificationScriptFilePath: Either the local folder
name on the block-legacy-gateway pods or an
http/https URL of the verification script
○ maintenanceModeType: Maintenance Mode type
(values: IMM/PMM)

Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node 257

Table 72. API command
API command Required parameters Optional parameters
○ verificationScriptTimeoutSec: Verification script
timeout in seconds
○ rebootTimeoutSec: Node reboot timeout in
seconds

The following are the example commands that are used during run script on the host process:
1. Obtain an access token from the PowerFlex Manager instance. The easiest method is to create a shell script that can be
sourced to add the proper variables to the user environment

INGRESS_IP=<powerflex manager IP>

INGRESS_USER=<powerflex manager user>
INGRESS_PASSWORD=<powerflex manager password>

a. Get JWT token with POST /rest/auth/login.

TOKEN=$(curl -s -k --location --request POST "https://${INGRESS_IP}/rest/auth/

login" --header "Accept: application/json" --header "Content-Type: application/
json" --data "{\"username\": \"${INGRESS_USER}\",\"password\": \"${INGRESS_PASSWORD}
\"}")

b. Parse out the access token which is used to call the API and is valid for 5 minutes by default.

ACCESS_TOKEN=$(echo "${TOKEN}" | jq -r .access_token)

c. Parse out the refresh token which can be used to get a new JWT token if the access token has expired. It is valid for 30
minutes by default.

REFRESH_TOKEN=$(echo "${TOKEN}" | jq -r .refresh_token)

NOTE: The expiration time for access token is five minutes. If required, the above file can be sourced to refresh all
variables.

2. Get the JSON of a system configuration, which will be the payload of the patch command (need to replace liaPassword and
mdmPassword manually from null to some string).
a. Create and save a JSON file like the following, replacing MDM addresses, MDM user, and MDM password with the
appropriate values.

{
"mdmIps":["<MDM IP-1>","<MDM-IP2>"],
"mdmUser":"<mdm user>",
"mdmPassword":"<mdm password>”,
"securityConfiguration":
{
"allowNonSecureCommunicationWithMdm":"true",
"allowNonSecureCommunicationWithLia":"true",
"disableNonMgmtComponentsAuth":"false"
}
}

b. Insert the output of this command (with fixed passwords) into the config.json file:

curl -s -X POST -k -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data <json file>

-H "Authorization: Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}" https://<powerflex manager IP>/im/types/
Configuration/instances > config.json

3. Run the patch command (loading the config.json):

NOTE: The cookiefile stores session cookies which keep the command flow directed to the same gateway pod.

curl -v -k -c cookiefile -X -i POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H

"Authorization:

258 Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node

 Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}" "https://<powerflex manager IP>/im/types/Configuration/
actions/liaRunOsPatching?executeOnAllSdss=true
&isRebootRequired=true&isPatchScriptRequired=true&isVerificationScriptRequired=true&pa
tchScriptFilePath=”https://
<ipaddress>/patch_script”&verificationScriptFilePath=”https://<ip-address>/
verification_script”&maintenanceModeType=IMM&rebootTimeoutSec=600" -d @config.json

4. Query command state by running the following command:

curl -k -b cookiefile -X GET -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @config.json

-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" "https://10.234.89.250/im/types/ProcessPhase/
actions/queryPhaseState" | jq
{
"phaseStatus": "idle",
"phase": "idle",
"numberOfRunningCommands": 0,
"numberOfPendingCommands": 0,
"numberOfCompletedCommands": 0,
"numberOfAbortedCommands": 0,
"numberOfFailedCommands": 0,
"failedCommands": []
}

or
{
"phaseStatus": "running",
"phase": "execute",
"numberOfRunningCommands": 1,
"numberOfPendingCommands": 1,
"numberOfCompletedCommands": 35,
"numberOfAbortedCommands": 0,
"numberOfFailedCommands": 0,
"failedCommands": []
}

or
{
"phaseStatus": "completed",
"phase": "validate",
"numberOfRunningCommands": 0,
"numberOfPendingCommands": 0,
"numberOfCompletedCommands": 2,
"numberOfAbortedCommands": 0,
"numberOfFailedCommands": 0,
"failedCommands": []
}

Look for:

{
"phaseStatus": "completed",
"phase": "execute",
"numberOfRunningCommands": 0,
"numberOfPendingCommands": 0,
"numberOfCompletedCommands": 37,
"numberOfAbortedCommands": 0,
"numberOfFailedCommands": 0,
"failedCommands": []
}

5. Move to NextPhase by running the following command.

curl -k -b cookiefile -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d ''

-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" https://10.234.89.250//im/types/ProcessPhase/
actions/moveToNextPhase

6. Cancel the phase by running the following command

curl -k -b cookiefile -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d

'' -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" https://10.234.89.250/im/types/Command/
instances/actions/abort

Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node 259

7. Clear the phase by running the following command

curl -k -b cookiefile -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d

'' -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" https://10.234.89.250/im/types/Command/
instances/actions/clear

8. Move to idle phase by running the following command

curl -k -b cookiefile -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d ''

-H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" https://10.234.89.250/im/types/ProcessPhase/
actions/moveToIdlePhase

Logs
Gateway pod log locations:
● /usr/local/tomcat/logs/scaleio.log
● /usr/local/tomcat/logs/scaleio-trace.log
LIA log location: /opt/emc/scaleio/lia/logs/trc.x
NOTE: Special switch to keep the script in the node when troubleshooting or testing:
1. Edit file /usr/local/tomcat/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes/gatewayInternal.properties
2. Find the field "ospatching.delete.scripts=false"
3. Change to true for troubleshooting (Default is false)

260 Maintenance for a PowerFlex controller node

 16
Retrieving logs for the PowerFlex nodes
This section describes how to retrieve logs from an operating system running on PowerFlex nodes.

Retrieve logs from a VMware ESXi-based operating

system
Use this task to retrieve the logs from a VMware ESXi-based PowerFlex node.
Ensure that you have access to the following:
● IP address of the node
● Password for the root user
When the operating system is started, the ESXi operating system logs are collected in the system-defined folders /var/log
and /scratch/log/ on the local drive.
1. Log in to the PowerFlex node.
2. From ESXi, run the scp command to collect the ESXi operating system logs from the following folders on the local drive:
● /var/log
● /scratch/log/
For additional data, see VMware KB article - VMware KB-653: Collecting diagnostic information for VMware ESX/ESXi.

Retrieve logs from a Linux-based operating system

Use this task to retrieve the logs from a Linux-based PowerFlex node.
Ensure that you have access to the following:
● IP address of the node
● Password for the root user
● Grab Utility, downloadable from the Dell Technologies Support site
When the Linux server is started, the Linux logs are collected in the system-defined directory /var/log, on the local drive.
Operating system logs are also collected automatically when running the get_info log collection process.
For information on running get_info, see Collecting debug information using get_info.
1. Log in to the PowerFlex node.
2. Run the scp command to collect the Linux operating system logs from the /var/log directory on the local drive.
The /var/log folder provides logs for preliminary system investigation.
3. To retrieve full logs, including customer- and OS-related information, run the Grab utility.

Retrieve logs from Windows-based operating system

Use this task to retrieve the logs from a Windows-based PowerFlex node.
Ensure that you have access to the following:
● IP address of the node
● Password for the administrator user
● Grab utility available on the Dell Technologies Support site.
1. Log in to the PowerFlex node.
2. Run the Windows Event Viewer.

Retrieving logs for the PowerFlex nodes 261

 The Event Viewer screen displays Event Viewer (Local) as the root node.
3. In the navigation pane, go to the Windows Logs node and select the System sub node.
The Actions pane is displayed on the right side of the screen.
4. From the Actions pane, click Save All Events As.
The navigation tree with your local folders is displayed.
5. Browse to the intended location on your local drive, give the file an appropriate name, and select the file format.
6. Click Save.
The Windows OS-related log files are saved on your local drive.
The file on the local drive provides logs for preliminary system investigation.
7. To retrieve full logs, including customer and OS-related information, run Grab utility.

Configure and retrieve operating system crash dumps

Use this task to configure and retrieve the operating system crash dumps.
Ensure that you have access to a web browser.
1. Open your web browser.
2. To configure and retrieve the crash dumps, click an appropriate link that matches with your operating system:

Operating System Link for crash dump configuration procedure

ESXi Configuring an ESXi/ESX host to capture a VMkernel coredump
Linux (RedHat) How to troubleshoot kernel crashes, hangs, or reboots with kdump on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Linux (SLES) Configure crashkernel memory for kernel core dump analysis
Windows Generate a kernel or complete crash dump
3. To analyze the crash dumps, click an appropriate link that matches with your operating system:

Operating System Link for crash dump configuration procedure

Linux (RedHat) How can I use crash to send Red Hat some vmcore pre-analysis information before or while uploading
the vmcore image?
Linux (SLES) Generating a Kernel Core Dump Analysis File
Windows How to read the small memory dump file that is created by Windows if a crash occurs

262 Retrieving logs for the PowerFlex nodes

 17
Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components
You can retrieve the log files for PowerFlex components manually or automatically. You can collect the logs of one component
at a time, or of all system components at one time. You can also enable automatic log collection that collects logs automatically
when triggered by system alerts.

Retrieve the PowerFlex core component logs

You can retrieve the PowerFlex component logs manually, directly from the component server, one node at a time.
Ensure that you have the following user login credentials:
● IP address of the node
● Password for the root user in ESXi- and Linux-based systems and the administrator user in Windows-based systems
The PowerFlex logs relate to specific components (MDM, SDS, SDR, SDT, or LIA) on each server node and its operating system
environment.
1. SSH or RDP to the PowerFlex node.
In ESXi-based PowerFlex, log in to the Linux-based SVM.
2. Run the script for the PowerFlex component.

Operating System Run this script

ESXi or Linux
/opt/emc/scaleio/<PowerFlex component>/diag/get_info.sh

where the value of the PowerFlex component is mdm, sds, sdr, sdt, or lia
Windows
"C:\Program Files\EMC\scaleio\sdc\diag\get_info.bat" -f

The get_info syntax is explained fully in Collecting debug information using get_info.
● If the selected node is the primary MDM, use the flags -u <MDMuser> -p <MDMpassword>, instead of -f.
● If the selected node contains more than one PowerFlex component, running any script will gather logs for all components
on that node.
When the log collection process is complete, an archive file (either TGZ or ZIP) containing the logs of all PowerFlex
components in the node, is created in a temporary directory. By default, the directory is /tmp/scaleio-getinfo on
Linux hosts or C:\Windows\Temp\ScaleIO-getinfo on Windows hosts.
3. Verify that output similar to the following is returned, which shows that the process of log collection was completed
successfully:
bundle available at '/tmp/scaleio-getinfo/getInfoDump.tgz'
NOTE: The script can generate numerous lines of output. Therefore, look for this particular line in the output.
4. Retrieve the log file.

Collecting debug information using get_info

The get_info script is a debug utility which allows a technician to collect debug information for customer support analysis.
You can run the script once at a given time. If there is insufficient drive space then the script will not run.

Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components 263

Syntax

get_info.sh [OPTIONS]

Optional parameters:
-a, --all
Collect all data
-A, --analyse-diag-coll
Analyze diagnostic data collector (diag coll) data
-b[COMPONENTS], --collect-cores[=COMPONENTS]
Collect existing core dumps of the space-separated list of user-land components, COMPONENTS
(default: all user-land components)
For example, -b'mdm sds' (no space between option name and COMPONENTS)
For example, --collect-cores='mdm sds' (separate option name and COMPONENTS with a
single equal sign, "=")
-d OUT_DIR, --output-dir=OUT_DIR
Store collected bundle under directory OUT_DIR (default: <WORK_DIR>/scaleio-getinfo, see --work-
dir for the value of <WORK_DIR>)
-f, --skip-mdm-login
Skip query of PowerFlex login credentials
The parameters -k NUM and --max-cores=NUM collects up to NUM core files from each component
(default: all core files)
Implies --collect-cores -l, --light
Generate light bundle (not recommended)
--ldap-authentication
Log in to PowerFlex using LDAP-based authentication
-m NUM, --max-traces=NUM
Collect up to NUM PowerFlex trace file from each component (default: all files)
--management-system-ip=ADDRESS
Connect to SSO or management at ADDRESS for PowerFlex login (default: scli default)
--mdm-port=PORT
Connect to MDM using PORT for SCLI commands (default: scli default)
-n, --use-nonsecure-communication
Connect to the MDM in non-secure mode
-N, --skip-space-check
Skip free space verification
--overwrite-output-file
Overwrite output file if it already exists
-p PASSWORD, --password=PASSWORD
Use PASSWORD for PowerFlex login (default: scli default)
--p12-password=PASSWORD
Encrypt PowerFlex login PKCS#12 file using PASSWORD (default: scli default)
--p12-path=FILE
Store PowerFlex login PKCS#12 file as FILE (default: scli default)
-q, --quiet, --silent

264 Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components

 Do not output messages to stdout
-r, --mdm-repository
Collect MDM repository files
-s, --skip-sdbg
Skip collection of SDBG output
-S, --pause-core-generation
Pause core generation of PowerFlex components during data collection
--tech
Include technician option in help message
-u USERNAME, --username=USERNAME
Use USERNAME for PowerFlex login (default: scli default)
-w WORK_DIR, --work-dir=WORK_DIR
Use directory WORK_DIR for temporary files (default: /tmp)
-x FILE, --output-file=FILE
Store collected bundle as FILE (default: getInfoDump). Appropriate file name suffix (.tgz, .zip) is added
automatically
If FILE is '-', write bundle to standard output (implies --quiet)
-z, --zip
Use zip format for the collected bundle
-h, --help
Show this help message and exit

Collect PowerFlex management platform support data

Use the following procedure to collect PowerFlex management platform support data if the central log collection from
PowerFlex Manager is not available or you are troubleshooting PowerFlex management platform install problems.
1. If required, transfer the data collection executable, pfmp_support to all PowerFlex management platform cluster member
hosts.
The data collection utility file is available in the PowerFlex management platform installer and Dell Technologies support site.
To get the utility file from the PowerFlex management platform installer, go to the PFMP_Installer/scripts directory.
To download the data collection utility from the support site, search for PFMP log collection Script file on the Dell
Technologies Support site.
NOTE: Depending on the transfer method, add the execution permissions using the chmod +x <file name>
command.

2. On one of the cluster member nodes, execute the data collection utility as a user with superuser permissions, such as user
root.
In the following example, the utility's executable exists under /root.

# /root/pfmp_support
estimating required space
cleaning up temporary directories
collecting kubernetes data
collecting shared kubernetes data
collecting server data
collecting general hardware data
collecting network data
collecting storage data
preparing files for collection
generating bundle
cleaning up temporary directories
bundle available at '/tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz'

Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components 265

3. If the PowerFlex management platform cluster consists of more than one node, on each of the remaining nodes, execute the
utility as a user with superuser permissions, such as user root, skipping shared Kubernetes data collection.

# /root/pfmp_support --skip-kubernetes-shared
estimating required space
cleaning up temporary directories
collecting kubernetes data
collecting server data
collecting general hardware data
collecting network data
collecting storage data
preparing files for collection
generating bundle
cleaning up temporary directories
bundle available at '/tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz'

4. From all cluster member nodes, provide the resulting support bundle files to Dell Technologies Support.
By default, bundle files are named /tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz.

Collect PowerFlex Manager platform installer support data

Use the following procedures to collect the PowerFlex Manager platform installer support data.
1. On the PowerFlex Manager Platform (PFMP) installer host, execute the data collection utility, pfmp_support, as a user
with superuser permissions, such as user root.
The utility is available in the location where the installer was extracted, under the PFMP_Installer/scripts directory.
NOTE: The PowerFlex management platform installer is a set of scripts and installer containers used to deploy the
PowerFlex management platform and the PowerFlex Manager applications that run on the platform.
In the following example, the PFMP installer was extracted under /tmp/PFMP2-4.0.0-161.

# /tmp/PFMP2-4.0.0-161/PFMP_Installer/scripts/pfmp_support
estimating required space
cleaning up temporary directories
collecting kubernetes data
collecting shared kubernetes data
collecting server data
collecting general hardware data
collecting network data
collecting storage data
preparing files for collection
generating bundle
cleaning up temporary directories
bundle available at '/tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz'

2. Provide the resulting support bundle file to PowerFlex Support.

By default, bundle files are named /tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz.

Generating a troubleshooting bundle

A troubleshooting bundle is a compressed file that contains logging information for PowerFlex Manager managed components. If
necessary, download the bundle and send it to Dell Technologies Support for issue debugging.
The troubleshooting bundle includes the following logs:
● ASM deployer
● iDRAC life cycle
● Dell PowerSwitch switch
● Cisco Nexus switch
● VMware ESXi
● CloudLink Center
● NAS
● Standard output logs from all pods

266 Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components

● Kubernetes logs about pods, services, deployments, secrets, drivers, and volumes
● PowerFlex Block logs
NOTE: You can generate troubleshooting bundles from the Resource Groups page too.

1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Serviceability.

2. Click Generate Troubleshooting Bundle.
3. Select Include PowerFlex File Core Dump logs to include core dump logs.
The NAS directory structure, nodes, and files are always collected regardless of whether this box is checked. When it is
checked, the additional NAS core dump is collected.

4. Select a PowerFlex Log Level:

● Default Node Logs
● Default Node Logs plus additional MDM information
● Latest Logs only (Most recent copy of all logs)
5. Select a Node Selection:
● Logs from all nodes
● Select Specific Nodes
If you select the Select Specific Nodes option and select the number of nodes for which you want to generate the log, the
View/Select Nodes button is displayed. Click the button to view the list of nodes in the Node Selection window. Select
the required nodes from the Available Nodes list and click >> to view them in the Selected Nodes list. Click Save to
return to the Generate Troubleshooting bundle page.
For the Select Specific Nodes option, Generate is enabled only if a node is selected in the Node Selection window.

6. Choose a Delivery Option:

Option Description
Send to Configured If you are using SupportAssist, Send to Configured SupportAssist is selected by default.
SupportAssist Leave this default setting. If SupportAssist is not configured, this option is disabled.
Download to Share Provide a path using the following format with credentials: CIFS:\
\1.1.1.1\uploadDirectory. Enter a username and password, and click Test Connection
to verify the connection to the CIFS share before generating the bundle.
Download Locally Download the troubleshooting bundle to a local file: \\IP Address\Any folder
7. Click Generate.
Sometimes, the troubleshooting bundle does not include log information for all the nodes. The log collection may appear to
succeed, but the log for one or more of the nodes may be missing. You may see an error message in the scaleio.trace.log file
that says Could not run get_info script. If you see this message, you may need to generate the troubleshooting
bundle again to include information for all the logs.

Retrieve PowerFlex core component logs using REST API

Use the following procedures to collect logs using REST API.
● The (PFMP) cluster must be present.
● The PowerFlex cluster must be deployed.
● The cluster must be able to communicate with any host instance in the PowerFlex cluster. To test the connection, ping from
a PowerFlex node to the data IP addresses of the instances.
● Ensure that you have mdm_ips, mno_username, mno_password, and mno_ip.
1. To log in to M&O, run the following API command:
POST https://<mno_ip>/rest/auth/login
For example:

token=$(curl -k --silent 'https://<mno_ip>/rest/auth/login' --header 'Accept:

application/json' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"username":
"<mno_username>","password": "<mno_password>"}' |jq -r '.access_token'); echo $token

Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components 267

 Save the access token received in the output.
2. To get configuration, run the following API command:
POST https://<mno_ip>/im/types/Configuration/instances
For example:

curl --silent -k -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer ${token}" -H

'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{ "mdmIps":["10.234.177.103","10.234.177.153"],
"mdmUser":<mno_username>, "mdmPassword":"<mno_password>",
"securityConfiguration":{ "allowNonSecureCommunicationWithMdm":"false",
"allowNonSecureCommunicationWithLia":"false", "disableNonMgmtComponentsAuth":"false"
} }' https://<mno_ip>/im/types/Configuration/instances>config.json

Save the output of the request. This output is a JSON representation of the system configuration.
3. Add the M&O login information to the JSON. The get info script requires the login information to perform certain queries, to
provide this information, add the following key value pairs to JSON:

mnoUser : “<mno_username>”
mnoPassword : “<mno_password>”
mnoIp : “<mno_ip>”

For example:

{
“mnoUser” : “<mno_username>” ,
“mnoPassword”: “<mno_password>” ,
“mnoIp: “<mno_ip>”
“snmpIp”: null
… (rest of the json)
}

4. To collect logs, run the following API command:

POST https://<mno_ip>/im/types/NodeInfo/instances/actions/collectLogs
To run the collect logs request, ensure that you have a valid token and the configuration JSON. For more optional attributes,
go to step 7.

curl -k -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer ${token}" -H 'Content-Type:

application/json' -d @config.json https://<mno_ip> /im/types/NodeInfo/instances/
actions/collectLogs

5. To monitor the log collection process, run the following API command:
GET https://<mno_ip>/im/types/ProcessPhase/actions/queryPhaseState
Monitor the phaseStatus value and wait until the operation is complete.

For example:

curl -s -k -X GET -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $

{token}" https://<mno_ip> /im/types/ProcessPhase/actions/queryPhaseState

Output example:

{"phaseStatus":"completed","phase":"query","numberOfRunningCommands":0,"numberOfPendin
gCommands":0,"numberOfCompletedCommands":6,"numberOfAbortedCommands":0,"numberOfFailed
Commands":0,"failedCommand

6. To download the logs, run the following API command:

GET https://<mno_ip>/im/types/NodeInfo/instances
For example:

curl -s -k -i -X GET -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer

${token}" https://<mno_ip>/im/types/NodeInfo/instances -o "get_info.zip"

In this example, the logs are downloaded to the current working directory under the name "get_info.zip".

268 Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components

7. (Optional) Add the following optional attributes to the log collection request as query parameters:
● targetIPs—Filter the result to only part of the nodes (by their IPs)
● copyRepositories—Copy MDM repositories (true/false, default is false)
● liteVersion(lite version)—Collect trc.0, exp.0, and umt.0 files only and repository files (true/false, default is false)
● copyBinaries—Collect MDM, SDS, SDR, SDT, LIA binaries and core dumps (true/false, default is false)
● collectSdbgScreens (true/false, default is false)
For example:

curl -k -X -i POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:

Bearer ${token}" "https://<mno_ip>/im/types/NodeInfo/instances/actions/collectLogs?
copyRepositories=true&targetIPs=10.55.118.61&targetIPs=10.55.118.62"

8. To clear the operation and move to idle, run the following API commands:
POST https://<mno_ip>/im/types/Command/instances/actions/clear
https://<mno_ip>/im/types/ProcessPhase/actions/moveToIdlePhase
After the log collection operation is complete, mark the completed operation as completed to allow the other jobs to run.

For example:

curl -s -k -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -d '{}' -H "Authorization:

Bearer ${token}" https://<mno_ip>/im/types/Command/instances/actions/clear

curl -s -k -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -d '{}' -H "Authorization:

Bearer ${token}" https://<mno_ip>/im/types/ProcessPhase/actions/moveToIdlePhase

Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components 269

 18
Retrieving additional PowerFlex logs
This section contains instructions for retrieving RAID controller, vSphere PowerFlex plug-in, PowerFlex Installer, and system
event logs.

Retrieve RAID controller logs from VxFlex Ready Node

systems
Perform this procedure to retrieve the RAID controller logs from ESXi- and Linux-based servers in a VxFlex Ready Node system.
Ensure that you have access to the following:
● IP address of the node
● Password for the root user in ESXi-based and Linux-based systems and the administrator user in Windows-based systems
● The RAID controller utility, which is enabled (for details, see the Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation
Guide of your system)
1. SSH or RDP to the VxFlex Ready Node.
2. Retrieve the controller information:

Operating Run this command

System
ESXi
/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show all > <file_name>

Example:

/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show all > /var/tmp/store/RAIDinfo.txt

Linux
/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show all > <file_name>

Example:

/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show all > /var/tmp/store/

RAIDinfo.txt

3. Retrieve the Show Events log file:

Operating Run this command

System
ESXi
/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show events file=<file_name>

Example:

/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show events file=/var/tmp/store/

RAIDevents.txt

Linux
/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show events file=<file_name>

270 Retrieving additional PowerFlex logs

 Operating Run this command
System

Example:

/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show events file=/var/tmp/store/

RAIDevents.txt

You can retrieve the RAIDevents.txt file from your local drive.
4. Retrieve the Termlog log file:

Operating Run this command

System
ESXi
/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show termlog file=<file_name>

Example:

/opt/lsi/perccli/perccli /call show termlog file=/var/tmp/store/

RAIDtermlog.txt

Linux
/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show termlog file=<file_name>

Example:

/opt/MegaRAID/perccli/perccli64 /call show termlog file=/var/tmp/store/

RAIDtermlog.txt

You can retrieve the RAIDtermlog.txt file from your local drive.

Retrieve system event logs in VxFlex Ready Node

servers
Perform this procedure to access the system events logs (SEL) in a VxFlex Ready Node server.
Ensure that you have access to the following:
● IP address of the iDRAC port
● Login credentials for the iDRAC (admin/admin as default username/password)
1. From a web browser, go to http://<IP_address_iDRAC_port>.
2. In the Console Login window, type the user name and password, then click Login.
3. To view the event log, select View Logs in the Quick Launch Tasks pane.
The System Event Log is displayed with color-coded severity levels.
4. To save the event log, click the Save As button at the bottom of the table.
The event log is saved in a .CSV file.
The power supply- and fan-related errors in Event Log may be intermittent in nature, and therefore may display repetitive
events for one module. For such errors, it is recommended that you remove the module and replace it in its socket. This
might be a connection-related issue.

Collect logs from the management VM cluster

Perform the following procedure to collect logs from the management VM cluster.
1. SSH as root to the management installer node.

Retrieving additional PowerFlex logs 271

2. Run the following command: /opt/dell/pfmp/PFMP_Installer/scripts/pfmp_support

installer-30:/opt/dell/pfmp/PFMP_Installer/scripts # ./pfmp_support
estimating required space
cleaning up temporary directories
collecting kubernetes data
collecting shared kubernetes data
collecting server data
collecting general hardware data
collecting network data
collecting storage data
preparing files for collection
generating bundle
cleaning up temporary directories
bundle available at '/tmp/powerflex-pfmpsupport/pfmpSupport.tgz'

272 Retrieving additional PowerFlex logs

 19
Enabling audit logging
This section describes how to enable audit logging in PowerFlex Manager.
The procedures in this section explain how to enable logging for PowerFlex events and Ingress audit messages so this
information can be forwarded to an external Security Information and Event Manager (SIEM).

Define the PowerFlex events notification policy

Use this procedure to define a notification policy to forward events in the PowerFlex system to the rsyslog-forwarder (also
known as the syslog-listener). Then, the rsyslog-forwarder forwards the events to the external destinations that are defined in
the policy.
For this policy, you do not need to define a source, since the required source for PowerFlex events is a built-in feature.
1. Add a destination:
First, you must add the identified Security Information and Event Manager (SIEM) server as a destination.

a. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.

You can also use the following REST API: dispatch-destinations/post
b. From the Destinations pane, click Add.
The Create New Destination Protocol window opens.
c. Enter the destination name and description.
d. From the Destination Type menu, select Syslog.
e. Click Next and enter the IP, port, and protocol (TCP) of the target SIEM. Ensure that the SIEM IP, port, and protocol are
reachable.
2. Create a new policy:
The new policy defines the rules for processing PowerFlex event messages from sources and specifies to which destination
that information should be sent.

a. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.

You can also use the following REST API: dispatch-policies/post
b. Click Create New Policy.
c. Enter a name and a description for the notification policy. For the policy name, you can enter: Powerflex events to
external Syslog
d. Set the Source Type to Powerflex_events.
e. From the Resource Domain menu, select the resource domain for the notification policy. The resource domain options
are:
● All
● Management
● Block (Storage)
● File (Storage)
● Compute (Servers, Operating Systems, virtualization)
● Network (Switches, connectivity etc.)
● Security (RBAC, certificates, CloudLink etc)
f. Select the check box beside the severity levels that you want to associate with this policy.
The severity indicates the risk (if any) to the system, in relation to the changes that generated the event message.

g. Select the destination that is created in the previous step and click Submit.

Enabling audit logging 273

Define the Ingress notification policy
Use this procedure to define a notification policy to forward Ingress audit messages. The purpose of this policy is to capture
POST, PUT, and DELETE requests of signed-in users passing through the Ingress Controller and send them to the rsyslog-
forwarder (also known as the syslog-listener). The rsyslog-forwarder then forwards them to the external destinations.
1. Add a syslog source, if you do not have one already:
a. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
You can also use the following REST API: dispatch-sources/post
b. From the Sources pane, click Add.
The Add Source window opens.
c. Enter a source name and description. For the name, you can enter Ingress.
d. For the type, select Syslog and click Enable Syslog.
2. Create a destination, if you do not have one already.
You can use the destination that you created to define the event to syslog audit notification policy from the previous
procedure.
3. Create a new policy:
a. Go to Settings > Events and Alerts > Notification Policies.
You can also use the following REST API: dispatch-policies/post
b. Click Create New Policy.
c. Enter a name and a description for the notification policy. For the policy name, you can enter: Powerflex Ingress
to external Syslog
d. Set the Source Type to Syslog.
e. Set the Facility to Auditlog.
f. Select the check box beside the severity levels that you want to associate with this policy.
The severity indicates the risk (if any) to the system, in relation to the changes that generated the audit messages.

g. Select the destination that is created in the previous step and click Submit.

Change Ingress setting to emit audit messages

Use this procedure to ensure that requests of signed-in users are sent.
This procedure provides the steps that are required to turn the silent flag off (set it to false) in the Ingress audit plug-in. If
this flag is not turned off, the audit messages that are related to POST, PUT, and DELETE requests of signed-in users passing
though the Ingress Controller will not be sent.
1. Log in to one of the management and orchestration cluster nodes with kubectl permissions. Then, copy and paste the
following script for enabling or disabling the silent flag:

kubectl get cm -n kube-system lua-audit-conf -o yaml > ./lua-audit-conf.current.yaml

sed 's/"silent": true/"silent": false/g' ./lua-audit-conf.current.yaml > ./lua-audit-
conf.silent-off.yaml
sed 's/"silent": false/"silent": true/g' ./lua-audit-conf.current.yaml > ./lua-audit-
conf.silent-on.yaml
echo "Copy + Paste either:"
echo "kubectl apply -f ./lua-audit-conf.silent-on.yaml --force"
echo "OR:"
echo "kubectl apply -f ./lua-audit-conf.silent-off.yaml --force"

2. Run the following command to start the audit:

kubectl apply -f ./lua-audit-conf.silent-off.yaml --force

3. Wait one minute.

4. To ensure the configuration changes made are reflected across all nodes, you must now refresh the user interface. To
refresh the user interface, quickly press F5 or Ctrl+R on the browser while on the user interface five times.
All Ingress audit messages are now forwarded to the configured SIEM servers.

274 Enabling audit logging

 20
Managing storage devices using CloudLink
This section describes how to manage the storage devices using CloudLink.
This capability is available on the PowerFlex appliance and PowerFlex rack offerings only.

Encrypt the SSD or NVMe storage devices

Encrypt SSDs or NVMes using one of the following methods.
CAUTION: Never attempt to encrypt or erase the devices that are currently attached to the SDS. Devices should
only be encrypted before they are added to the SDS, or after removing them from the SDS. Any existing data on
the device will be destroyed as a result of this procedure.

Encrypt the devices in CloudLink Center

Encrypt the device in CloudLink Center.
1. Click Agent > Machines.
2. Select the checkbox for the required machine.
3. Click Actions > Encrypt
4. Select the check box next to the device you want to encrypt.
5. Click Encrypt.
6. Repeat for each SSD requiring encryption.

Encrypt single devices using the CLI

Use this procedure to encrypt single devices using the CLI:
1. Connect to the SDS node using SSH.
2. Run the following command to encrypt the new drive.

svm encrypt <device_name>

where <device_name> is a variable.

For example:

svm encrypt /dev/sdX

or

svm encrypt /dev/nvmeXn0

After about 60 seconds, the new device will be encrypted.

Encrypt multiple devices using the CLI

Use this procedure to encrypt multiple devices using the CLI.
1. Connect to the SDS node using SSH.
2. Encrypt the drives.
● SAS-based SSDs:

Managing storage devices using CloudLink 275

 a. Select the devices for encryption.
For example, /dev/sdX, where X could be a b c - z.

b. Run the following command:

for i in b c {j..o} {r..v};do svm -y encrypt /dev/sd$i;done

● NVMe-based SSDs:
a. Select the devices for encryption.
For example, /dev/nvmeXn1, where X could be 0 1 2 - 24.

b. Run the following command:

for i in {0..3} 6 7 {10..13} 16 17;do svm -y encrypt /dev/nvme$[i]n1;done

After about 60 seconds, the new device will be encrypted.

Verify that SSD or NVMe is encrypted

Find the new device path of the SSD or NVMe and confirm that the device is encrypted.
1. Run the following command to find the new device path:

svm status

Output similar to the following should be displayed:

● SSD: /dev/mapper/svm_sdh
● NVMe: /dev/mapper/svm_nvme6n1
2. In CloudLink Center, click Agents > Machines.
3. In the Devices area, verify that the drive is visible and has a status of Encrypted.

Manage the SED storage devices

Manage the SEDs (self-encrypting devices) using one of the following methods:
CAUTION: Never attempt to manage or erase the devices that are currently attached to the SDS. Devices should
only be managed before they are added to the SDS, or after removing them from the SDS. Any existing data on
the device will be destroyed as a result of this procedure.

Manage the SEDs in CloudLink Center

Manage the device from CloudLink Center.
1. Click Agent > Machines.
2. Select the check box next to the SED you want to manage.
3. Click Actions > Manage SED.
The Manage SED dialog box is displayed. It is populated with the first unmanaged SED device. You can add different device
to encrypt.
4. Click Manage.
5. Repeat for each SED requiring encryption.

Manage single SEDs using the CLI

Manage individual devices using the CLI:
1. Connect to the SDS node using SSH.

276 Managing storage devices using CloudLink

2. Run the following command to discover the unencrypted and unmanaged SEDs:

svm status

3. Run the following command so that CloudLink will control the SED device:

svm manage /dev/sdX

For example:

svm manage /dev/sdh

4. Run svm status again to verify that the device is now managed:
The output should be similar to the following:

[root@rr5-o25-r650-node-03 ~]# svm status

State: Connected (server 100.65.23.225)
Group: Default
Policy: Manual
AES-NI HW acceleration: Yes

Volumes:
/ unencrypted
swap unencrypted

Devices:
/dev/sdf managed (sed SZ: 1788G MOD: KPM6WRUG1T92 SPT:
Yes )
/dev/sdd managed (sed SZ: 1788G MOD: KPM6WRUG1T92 SPT:
Yes )
/dev/sdb managed (sed SZ: 3577G MOD: KPM6WVUG3T84 SPT:
Yes )
/dev/sde managed (sed SZ: 1788G MOD: KPM6WRUG1T92 SPT:
Yes )
/dev/sdc managed (sed SZ: 3577G MOD: KPM6WVUG3T84 SPT:
Yes )
/dev/sdb unencrypted (sds SN:94917674 )
/dev/sdc unencrypted (sds SN:94917675 )
/dev/sdd unencrypted (sds SN:94917676 )
/dev/sde unencrypted (sds SN:94917677 )
/dev/sdf unencrypted (sds SN:94917678 )
/dev/sdg encrypted (sds SN:94917679 /dev/mapper/
svm_sdg)
/dev/sdh encrypted (sds SN:94917680 /dev/mapper/
svm_sdh)
/dev/sdi encrypted (sds SN:94917681 /dev/mapper/
svm_sdi)
/dev/sdj encrypted (sds SN:94917682 /dev/mapper/
svm_sdj)
/dev/sdk encrypted (sds SN:94917683 /dev/mapper/
svm_sdk)

NOTE: The status of the SED devices is displayed in the output as managed, but unencrypted.

Verify that SED is encrypted

Find the new device path and confirm that the SED is encrypted.
1. In CloudLink Center, click Agents > Machines.
2. Select the host of the encrypted device.
3. Use the device name listed in the svm status command output to perform the following verification checks:
● In the Devices area, verify that the drive is visible and has a status of Encrypted HW.
● In the SED area, verify that the drive's status is displayed as Managed.

Managing storage devices using CloudLink 277

Add the encrypted devices to an SDS
After the devices are encrypted, in the PowerFlex Manager add them to the relevant PowerFlex SDS. For software-encrypted
SSDs, use their new /dev/mapper/.. path when adding the device. SEDs use the normal /dev/sdX path.
NOTE: Do not add a software-encrypted SSD using its original path (/dev/…). Doing so can stop the device encryption
(device erasure, in terms of CloudLink), and this can corrupt the data on the device.

Remove software-encrypted devices from an SDS and

remove device encryption
Use this task to remove a device from an SDS and remove the device's encryption. Use this task for both software-encrypted
devices and SEDs.
CAUTION: Never attempt to manage or erase the devices that are currently attached to the SDS. Devices should
only be managed before they are added to the SDS, or after removing them from the SDS. Any existing data on
the device will be destroyed as a result of this procedure.

278 Managing storage devices using CloudLink

1. Remove the device from the SDS:
● PowerFlex CLI:
Use the SCLI --remove_sds_command. For example:

scli --remove_sds_device --sds_name MY_SDS --device_path /dev/mapper/svm_sdX

or

scli --remove_sds_device --sds_name MY_SDS --device_path /dev/mapper/svm_nvmeXn1

● PowerFlex Manager:
For more information, see Remove devices.

2. Remove the encryption through CloudLink Center GUI or using the svm erase command:

NOTE: Removing (erasing) a device from CloudLink destroys all data on the device.

svm erase <device_name>

For example:

svm erase /dev/sdX

or

svm erase /dev/nvmeXn0

3. Confirm that the device was erased.

Managing storage devices using CloudLink 279

 21
Understanding NVMe over TCP load
balancing
PowerFlex supports load balancing with NVMe over TCP.

Persistent discovery
The persistent discovery controller ensures that the host remains connected to the discovery service after discovery. If at
any point there is a change in the discovery information that is provided to the host, the discovery controller returns an
asynchronous event notification (AEN) and the host requests the updated Discovery log page.
Here are some examples of changes in discovery information:
● A new volume is mapped to the host from a new protection domain.
● A new storage data target (SDT) is added to the system.
● Load balancing wants to move the host connection from one storage data target to another.
When configuring NVMe hosts, ensure that every host is connected for discovery at most once per subnet (data IP address
subnet). To use this functionality, ensure that the host operating system supports the Persistent Discovery Controller, and
that the Persistent Discovery flag is set in the discovery. (See the respective operating system for the NVMe over TCP host
configuration.)

NVMe over TCP hosts network awareness

Hosts are connected to the storage through Layer-2 or Layer-3 network. While the storage does not manage or need to be
aware of the network configuration, there are some aspects of the network that impact the storage.
Load balancing takes the data network/subnet into consideration to ensure there is a balance between the host connections on
each data network with a specific subnet for improved performance.
In Layer-3 networks, the system must have routing tables configured.
Multiple objects need to be defined for load balancing to work:

Table 73. Defined objects for load balancing

Object Description
Host subnet Networks or subnets used to connect hosts to storage, which
can be either layer 2 or layer 3 (routed). You might have
to define the data networks before starting the deployment
itself. Maximum supported data networks are 4 (in Dell
PowerFlex appliance and Dell PowerFlex rack) and 8 in the
software-only offering.
System data network System-wide object that applies to all protection domains.
Once a resource group is deployed, configure system data
networks/subnets to be used to connect hosts initiator
to the storage data target. Maximum allowed system data
networks are 8. Configure two or four system data networks
for PowerFlex rack and PowerFlex appliance. The number
that you need depends on the number of PowerFlex data
(SDS-SDS and SDS-SDT communication) networks that are
configured for the deployment.

If you have not defined the system data network, by default, a host can reach all system data networks. Ignoring the data
networks/subnets may result in unequal load between the host initiator ports and nonoptimized I/O performance with the

280 Understanding NVMe over TCP load balancing

PowerFlex system. In addition, it may impact the path resiliency if not all the host initiator ports can connect to the system. For
Layer-3 networks, the system must have routing tables configured.

Managing system data networks in PowerFlex

Manager
The NVMe over TCP load balancer uses the data networks for balancing the host connections. This section summarizes the
steps that you must perform in PowerFlex Manager to add, rename, or remove system data networks.

Table 74. Add, rename, or remove data networks in PowerFlex Manager

If you want to... Do this in PowerFlex Manager
Add system data networks 1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Networking.
2. Click System Data networks.
3. Enter the required information and click Save.
Rename system data networks 1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Networking.
2. Click System Data networks.
3. Select the network and click Rename.
4. Rename the network and click Apply.
Remove system data networks 1. On the menu bar, click Settings > Networking.
2. Click System Data networks.
3. Select the network and click Remove.
4. Click Remove to remove the network.

Managing system data networks using SCLI

This section provides the SCLI commands that you need to perform to add, rename, or remove system data networks.

Table 75. Using SCLI to manage data networks

If you want to... Use this SCLI command
Add system data networks
scli --add_system_network --network_ip
<IP> --network_mask <IP> [--network_name
<NAME>] (--host_group_id <ID> | --
host_group_name <NAME>)

Rename system data networks

scli --rename_system_network (--
network_id <ID> | --network_name <NAME>)
--new_name <NAME>

Remove system data networks

scli --remove_system_network (--
network_id <ID> | --network_name <NAME>)

Managing host groups using SCLI

This section provides the SCLI commands that you must perform to add, modify, rename, remove, or query host groups.
This feature is allowed only using SCLI. It is not available in PowerFlex Manager.
The host group holds a subgroup of existing networks that are accessible to a group of hosts. Each host group is associated
with a set of system networks. Each host may be associated with multiple host groups. By default, a host is part of the default
host group until you create a new host group and associate the host to the new host group. By default, a host supports all data

Understanding NVMe over TCP load balancing 281

networks and you do not need to configure the host groups. The maximum number of host groups that are allowed per system
is 1024.

Table 76. Managing host groups using SCLI

If you want to... Use this SCLI command
Add host group
scli --add_host_group [--host_group_name
<NAME>] [(--network_id <ID> | --
network_name <NAME>)] [(--host_nqn <NQN>
| --host_id <ID> | --host_name <NAME>)]

Modify host group

scli --modify_host_group (--host_group_id
<ID> | --host_group_name <NAME>) [(--
network_id <ID> | --network_name <NAME>)]

Rename host group

scli --rename_host_group (--host_group_id
<ID> | --host_group_name <NAME>) [--
new_name <NAME>]

Remove host group

scli --remove_host_group (--host_group_id
<ID> | --host_group_name <NAME>)

Assign host to group

scli --assign_host_to_host_group (--
host_nqn <NQN> | --host_id <ID> | --
host_name <NAME>) (--host_group_id <ID> |
--host_group_name <NAME>)

Remove host from group

scli --remove_host_from_host_group (--
host_nqn <NQN> | --host_id <ID> | --
host_name <NAME>)

Query host group

scli --query_host_group (--host_group_id
<ID> | --host_group_name <NAME>)

Query all host group

scli --query_all_host_group

Managing network sets using SCLI

This section provides the SCLI commands that you need to perform to add, modify, rename, remove, or query network sets.
This feature is allowed only using SCLI. It is not available in PowerFlex Manager.
A network set is a set of networks that are connected to the same switch. This switch is configured for balancing the I/O traffic
between access switches by associating system data networks to network set. The load balancer takes care of the distribution
of networks over network sets.
For example, if a system is defined with two system data networks (192.168.150.0 and 192.168.151.0), then you could create two
network sets and associate 192.168.150.0 with network set 1 and 192.168.151.0 to network set 2.
Each system data network belongs to exactly one network set. If the network was not assigned to a network set, the network
will be considered a network set of its own.
Use the default network set and do not manually create the network set. Creating network sets is applicable for a software-only
deployment.

282 Understanding NVMe over TCP load balancing

Table 77. Managing network sets using SCLI
If you want to... Use this SCLI command
Add network set
scli --add_network_set [--
network_set_name <NAME>] [(--network_id
<ID> | --network_name <NAME>)]

Modify network set

scli --modify_network_set (--
network_set_id <ID> | --network_set_name
<NAME>) [(--network_id <ID> | --
network_name <NAME>)]

Rename network set

scli --rename_network_set (--
network_set_id <ID> | --network_set_name
<NAME>) --new_name <NAME>

Remove network set

scli --remove_network_set (--
network_set_id <ID> | --network_set_name
<NAME>)

Query network set

scli --query_network_set (--
network_set_id <ID> | --network_set_name
<NAME>)

Query all network sets

scli --query_all_network_set

Understanding NVMe over TCP load balancing 283

 22
Managing NAS server configuration
Events Publishing allows third-party applications to register to receive event notification and context from the storage system
when accessing file systems by using the SMB or NFS protocols. The Common Event Publishing Agent (CEPA) delivers to the
application both event notification and associated context in one message. Context may consist of file metadata or directory
metadata that is needed for business policy.
You must define at least one event option (pre-, post-, or post-error event) when Events Publishing is enabled.
● Pre-event notifications are sent before processing an SMB or NFS client request.
● Post-event notifications are sent after a successful SMB or NFS client request.
● Post-error event notifications are sent after a failed SMB or NFS client request.

Table 78. NAS server attributes and descriptions

Attributes Description
NAS server Identifies the associated NAS server.
Enabled Identifies whether Events Publishing is enabled on the NAS Server. Valid values
are:
● yes
● no (default)
Pre-event failure policy The policy applied when a pre-event notification fails. Valid values are:
● ignore (default)—Indicates that when a pre-event notification fails, it is
acknowledged as being successful.
● deny—Indicates that when a pre-event notification fails, the request of the
SMB or NFS client is not performed by the storage system. The client receives
a 'denied' response.
Post-event failure policy The policy applied when a post-event notification fails. The policy is also applied to
post-error events. Valid values are:
● ignore (default)—Continue and tolerate lost events.
● accumulate—Continue and use a persistence file as a circular event buffer for
lost events.
● guarantee—Continue and use a persistence file as a circular event buffer for
lost events until the buffer is filled, and then deny access to file systems where
Events Publishing is enabled.
● deny—On CEPA connectivity failure, deny access to file systems where
Events Publishing is enabled.
HTTP port The HTTP port number used for connectivity to the CEPA server. The default
value is 12228. The HTTP protocol is used to connect to CEPA servers. It is not
protected by a username or password.
HTTP enabled Identifies whether connecting to CEPA servers by using the HTTP protocol is
enabled. When enabled, a connection by using HTTP is tried first. If HTTP is either
disabled or the connection fails, then connection through the MS-RPC protocol
is tried if all CEPA servers are defined by a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
When an SMB server is defined in a NAS server in the Active Directory (AD)
domain, the NAS server's SMB account is used to make an MS-RPC connection.
Valid values are:
● yes(default)
● no
Username When using the MS-RPC protocol, you must provide the name of a Windows user
allowed to connect to CEPA servers.

284 Managing NAS server configuration

Table 78. NAS server attributes and descriptions (continued)
Attributes Description
Password When using the MS-RPC protocol, you must provide the password of the
Windows user that is defined by the username.
Heartbeat Time interval (in seconds) between scanning CEPA servers to detect their online
or offline status. The default is 10 seconds. The range is from 1 through 120
seconds.
Timeout Time in milliseconds (millisecond) to determine whether a CEPA server is offline.
The default is 1,000 millisecond. The range is from 50 millisecond through 5,000
millisecond.
Health state Health state of Events Publishing. The health state code appears in parentheses.
Valid values are:
● OK (5)—The Events Publishing service is operating normally.
● OK_BUT (7)—Some CEPA servers configured for the NAS server cannot be
reached.
● Minor failure (15)—The Events Publishing service is not functional.
● Major failure (20)—All CEPA servers configured for the NAS server cannot be
reached.

Managing CEPA pool configuration

Event pools configure the types of events published by the NAS Server, and the addresses of CEPA servers.
Events Publishing must be enabled for both the NAS server and the file system. Certain types of events can be enabled for
either the NFS protocol, the SMB protocol, or both NFS and SMB on a file system basis.

Table 79. Events publishing attributes and descriptions

Attributes Description
Pre-events Lists the selected pre-events. The NAS server sends a request event notification to the CEPA
server before an event occurs and processes the response. The valid events are defined in the
table that follows.
Post-events Lists the selected post-events. The NAS server sends a notification after an event occurs. The
valid events are defined in the table that follows.
Post-error events Lists the selected post-error events. The NAS server sends notification after an event generates
an error. The valid events are defined in the table that follows.

Table 80. Events publishing attributes, definitions, and protocols

Attributes Definition Protocol
OpenFileNoAccess Sends a notification when a file is opened for ● SMB/CIFS
a change other than read or write access (for ● NFS (v4)
example, read or write attributes on the file).
OpenFileRead Sends a notification when a file is opened for ● SMB/CIFS
read access. ● NFS (v4)
OpenFileReadOffline Sends a notification when an offline file is ● SMB/CIFS
opened for read access. ● NFS (v4)
OpenFileWrite Sends a notification when a file is opened for ● SMB/CIFS
write access. ● NFS (v4)
OpenFileWriteOfflin Sends a notification when an offline file is ● SMB/CIFS
e opened for write access. ● NFS (v4)
OpenDir Sends a notification when a directory is opened. SMB/CIFS

Managing NAS server configuration 285

Table 80. Events publishing attributes, definitions, and protocols (continued)
Attributes Definition Protocol
FileRead Sends a notification when a file read is received NFS (v3/v4)
over NFS.
FileWrite Sends a notification when a file write is received NFS (v3/v4)
over NFS.
CreateFile Sends a notification when a file is created. ● SMB/CIFS
● NFS (v3/v4)
CreateDir Sends a notification when a directory is created. ● SMB/CIFS
● NFS (v3/v4)
DeleteFile Sends a notification when a file is deleted. ● SMB/CIFS
● NFS (v3/v4)
DeleteDir Sends a notification when a directory is deleted. ● SMB/CIFS
● NFS (v3/v4)
CloseModified Sends a notification when a file is changed ● SMB/CIFS
before closing. ● NFS (v3/v4)
CloseUnmodified Sends a notification when a file is not changed ● SMB/CIFS
before closing. ● NFS (v3/v4)
CloseDir Sends a notification when a directory is closed. SMB/CIFS
RenameFile Sends a notification when a file is renamed. ● SMB/CIFS
● NFS (v3/v4)
RenameDir Sends a notification when a directory is ● SMB/CIFS
renamed. ● NFS (v3/v4)
SetAclFile Sends a notification when the security SMB/CIFS
descriptor (ACL) on a file is changed.
SetAclDir Sends a notification when the security SMB/CIFS
descriptor (ACL) on a directory is changed.
SetSecFile Sends a notification when a file security change NFS (v3/v4)
is received over NFS.
SetSecDir Sends a notification when a directory security NFS (v3/v4)
change is received over NFS.

Limits
● One event pool can have maximum of five CEPA server addresses.
● One event publisher can have a maximum of three event pools.
● One NAS server can have only one event publisher associated with it.

286 Managing NAS server configuration

 23
Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware
ESXi
This section contains instructions for migrating a VMFS datastore from SDC to NVMe over TCP using Storage vMotion.
PowerFlex offers the following options for migrating from SDC to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi:
● Online migration using Storage vMotion (VMFS only), as described in this section
The standard way of using Storage vMotion to move storage now also supports switching protocols by migrating to a new
datastore.
● Offline conversion (VMFS only)
Offline conversion is a new option for converting an existing VMFS datastore from SCSI (SDC) to NVMe over TCP without
having to copy all the data over the network. This option is covered in this KB: SCSI to NVMe offline VMFS datastore
migration steps

Dell Technologies recommends using VMware Storage vMotion to migrate data from a volume that is presented by SDC to one
presented by NVMe over TCP.
This migration is intended for VMDK (noncluster) customers who want to convert their SDC to NVMe over TCP.
Linux environments, VMware ESXi clusters, and RDMs are not included in this section.

Requirements
See the following VMware product documentation links for information about Storage vMotion requirements and limitations:
Storage vMotion requirements and limitations
See the following VMware product documentation links for information about requirements and limitations of VMware NVMe
Storage: Requirements and limitations of VMware NVMe storage
Requirements for VMware NVMe storage
See the following VMware KB article for more details about storage migration (Storage vMotion), with the virtual machine
powered on: Migrating virtual machines with raw device mappings
Ensure that you satisfy these requirements before you begin the migration:
● Ensure the VMware ESXi version is 7.0u3 or later.
● Ensure the PowerFlex version is 4.5.x.

Workflow
The following steps summarize the workflow that you need to follow to migrate fro SDC to NVMe over TCP using Storage
vMotion:
1. Create and map a new volume of equal or greater size than the current VMFS datastore via NVMe over TCP to the same
host.
2. Scan for the newly mapped volume.
3. Create a new datastore on the NVMe over TCP volume.
4. Perform the standard data migration using Storage vMotion by using a non-disruptive process.

Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi 287

Prepare the VMware ESXi node for mapping
NVMe/TCP volumes
Before migrating the data, you must prepare the VMware ESXi node for mapping NVMe/TCP volumes.
Ensure that you satisfy these requirements before you begin:
● You must have an NVMe over TCP target supported PowerFlex system (version 4.5.x or later).
● Deployed VMware ESXi compute-only nodes.
● The host must be at VMware ESXi version 7.0U3 or higher.

Enable the NVMe/TCP VMkernel ports

Use this procedure to enable the NVMe/TCP VMkernel ports.
1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client.
2. Click Home/Inventory and select the host.
3. Select Configure > VMkernel adapters.
4. Edit PowerFlex-Data 1.
5. Select the NVMe over TCP check box and click OK.
6. Repeat these steps for the remaining PowerFlex data networks.
7. Repeat the steps for the remaining hosts in the cluster.

Add NVMe /TCP software storage adapter

Use this procedure to add an NVMe/TCP software storage adapter.
1. Log in to the VMware vSphere Client.
2. Click Home > Inventory > Hosts and Clusters.
3. In the VMware vSphere console, browse to the customer data center, compute-only cluster, and select the added host.
4. From the right pane, click Configure > Storage Adapters.
5. From the right pane, click Add Software Adapter.
6. Click Add NVMe over TCP adapter.
7. Select the first Virtual switch VMNIC and click OK.
8. Click Add NVMe over TCP adapter.
9. Select the second Virtual switch VMNIC and click OK.

Copy the host NQN

Use this procedure to copy the host NQN to the copy buffer. The host NQN details are required when you add the host to
PowerFlex.
1. Log in to VMware vSphere Client.
2. Select the first host.
3. From the right pane, click Configure > Storage Adapters.
4. Select the first VMware NVMe over TCP storage adapter. For example, vmhba6x.
5. From the pane, select Controllers/Add Controller.
The host NQN is listed at the top of the form.

6. Click COPY and place the host NQN in the copy buffer.
7. Click CANCEL.
8. Repeat the steps for all the hosts.

288 Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi

Add a host to PowerFlex
Use this procedure to add a host to PowerFlex.
1. Log in to PowerFlex Manager.
2. Click Block > Hosts.
3. Click +Add Host.
4. Enter the hostname and paste the host NQN from the copy buffer.
5. Enter the Number of Paths Per Volume. The default number of paths is four per volume, and the maximum number of
paths is eight per volume.
6. Enter the Number of System Ports per Protection Domain. The default number of system ports is 10 per protection
domain, and the maximum number of system ports is 16 per protection domain.
7. Click Add.

Create a volume
Use this procedure to create a volume.
1. From PowerFlex Manager, click Block > Volumes.
2. Click +Create Volume.
3. Enter the number of volumes and the name of the volumes.
4. Select Thick or Thin. Thin is the default.
5. Enter the required volume size in GB, specifying the size in 8 GB increments.
6. Select the NVMe storage pool and click Create.

Map a volume to the host

Use this procedure to map a volume to the host.
1. From PowerFlex Manager, click Block > Volumes.
2. Select the volume check box and click Mapping > Map.
3. Select the protocol NVMe.
4. Select the check box for the host to which you are mapping the volume.
5. Click Map.

Discover and connect the NVMe/TCP Target

Use the procedure to discover and connect the NVMe over TCP Target PowerFlex system. Use the esxcli command to
perform the operation.
1. Log in to the ESXi server using ssh.
2. Run the discovery query on each adapter:

#esxcli nvme fabrics discover -a vmhba6x -i 192.168.x.x -p 8009

#esxcli nvme fabrics discover -a vmhba6y -i 192.168.x.y -p 8009

In the first example above, 6x is the first NVMe over TCP software adapter and 6y is the second NVMe over TCP software
adapter.
In the second example above, 192.168.x.x is first data IP Address and 192.168.x.y is second data IP Address, depends on
which VMNIC is enabled for which software NVMe over TCP adapter.

3. Connect to the PowerFlex system by appending “-c” to the discovery query command.

#esxcli nvme fabrics discover -a vmhba64 -i 192.168.x.x -p 8009 -c

#esxcli nvme fabrics discover -a vmhba65 -i 192.168.x.y -p 8009 -c

Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi 289

4. Get the controller list by verifying the connected controllers.

#esxcli nvme controller list

Perform a rescan of the storage

Use this procedure to perform a rescan of the storage.
1. In the vSphere Client object navigator, browse to a host, a cluster, a data center, or a folder that contains hosts.
2. From the right-click menu, select Storage > Rescan Storage.
3. Specify the extent of the rescan.

Option Description
Scan for New Storage Rescan all adapters to discover new storage devices. If new devices are discovered, they
Devices appear in the device list.
Scan for New VMFS Rescan all storage devices to discover new datastores that have been added since the last
Volumes scan. Any new datastores appear in the datastore list.

Create a VMFS datastore on the NVMe/TCP volume

Use this procedure to create a VMFS datastore on the NVMe/TCP volume.
1. Log in to vCenter.
2. Select Home/Inventory and select the storage icon.
3. Right-click the CO cluster and select Storage/New Datastore.
4. Select VMFS and click NEXT.
5. Enter the name of the datastore and select a host from the list.
6. You should see a new disk called NVMe TCP Disk (eui.######).
7. Select the disk and click NEXT.
8. Select VMFS 6 and click NEXT.
9. Leave the default configuration unless you have been otherwise instructed and click NEXT.
10. Review your selections and click FINISH.

Migrate the data with Storage vMotion

After you prepared the node, you can migrate the data with Storage vMotion.
Follow the standard VMware procedure to migrate the virtual machines from an SDC-based datastore to an NVMe/TCP-based
datastore: Migrate a virtual machine to new storage

290 Migrating to NVMe over TCP on VMware ESXi