Dell Unity™ Family

Configuring vVols
Version 5.x

Part Number: H14975

May 2023
Rev. 08
Notes, cautions, and warnings

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

Additional resources..................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 1: Manage VMware virtual volume datastores................................................................... 6

VMware virtual volumes.....................................................................................................................................................6
vVols workflow.....................................................................................................................................................................6
Create a dynamic pool........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Create a traditional pool in physical deployments....................................................................................................... 8
Create a pool in virtual deployments.............................................................................................................................. 9
About VMware host configurations................................................................................................................................ 9
vCenter server and ESXi host connections to VMware datastores..................................................................9
Add a VMware vCenter server or ESXi host.........................................................................................................10
Change ESXi host properties..................................................................................................................................... 11
Change vCenter properties........................................................................................................................................ 11
Capability profiles................................................................................................................................................................11
Create a capability profile.......................................................................................................................................... 12
Change a capability profile.........................................................................................................................................13
Overview of configuring NAS servers...........................................................................................................................13
Create a NAS server for UNIX-only file sharing (NFS)...................................................................................... 14
Create a NAS server for multiprotocol file sharing (SMB and NFS)...............................................................15
Change NAS server properties................................................................................................................................. 16
Protocol endpoints.............................................................................................................................................................17
NAS protocol endpoint servers.......................................................................................................................................17
Change VMware protocol endpoint information........................................................................................................ 17
vVol datastores...................................................................................................................................................................18
Create a VMware vVol datastore.............................................................................................................................18
Change a vVol datastore............................................................................................................................................ 18
About vVol objects.......................................................................................................................................................19
About VASA support......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Add the system as a VASA provider....................................................................................................................... 20
Manage vVol snapshots...................................................................................................................................................20

Chapter 2: Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI...................................................22

Create a NAS server.........................................................................................................................................................22
Change NAS server settings.....................................................................................................................................24
Manage VMware NAS protocol endpoint servers..................................................................................................... 27
Create protocol endpoint servers............................................................................................................................27
View VMware protocol endpoint servers...............................................................................................................27
Delete protocol endpoint servers............................................................................................................................ 28
Manage host configurations........................................................................................................................................... 29
Create host configurations....................................................................................................................................... 30
View host configurations........................................................................................................................................... 32
Change host configuration settings........................................................................................................................33
Delete host configurations........................................................................................................................................ 35
Manage host initiators..................................................................................................................................................... 35

Contents 3
 Create initiators............................................................................................................................................................37
View initiators...............................................................................................................................................................38
Change initiator settings............................................................................................................................................39
Manage VMware vCenter............................................................................................................................................... 40
Create VMware vCenter............................................................................................................................................ 41
Delete an existing vCenter server........................................................................................................................... 43
View all vCenter servers............................................................................................................................................ 43
Refresh all vCenter servers...................................................................................................................................... 44
Manage ESXi hosts...........................................................................................................................................................45
Create an ESXi host....................................................................................................................................................45
Change ESXi host credentials.................................................................................................................................. 46
Delete ESXi host credentials.....................................................................................................................................47
View all existing ESXi hosts...................................................................................................................................... 47
Discover all ESXi hosts...............................................................................................................................................48
Refresh an ESXi host..................................................................................................................................................49
Manage capability profiles...............................................................................................................................................49
Create a capability profile..........................................................................................................................................52
View capability profiles...............................................................................................................................................52
Change capability profiles......................................................................................................................................... 53
Delete capability profiles............................................................................................................................................54
Manage VMware protocol endpoints........................................................................................................................... 55
View protocol endpoints............................................................................................................................................55
Manage vVol datastores..................................................................................................................................................56
Create vVol datastores.............................................................................................................................................. 57
View vVol datastores..................................................................................................................................................58
Manage vVol datastore allocation........................................................................................................................... 59
Change vVol datastores............................................................................................................................................ 60
Delete vVol datastores...............................................................................................................................................62
Manage vVol objects........................................................................................................................................................ 63
View vVol objects........................................................................................................................................................ 64
Delete vVol objects..................................................................................................................................................... 65
Create vVol snapshots............................................................................................................................................... 66
Restore vVol snapshots............................................................................................................................................. 67

Chapter 3: Troubleshooting, Tips, and Best Practices................................................................. 68

Troubleshooting VMware vVol datastores on Unity................................................................................................. 68
Failed to deploy VM to a vVol datastore of sufficient size............................................................................... 68
vVols inaccessible after registering a second vCenter...................................................................................... 68
File vVol creation failure—Failed to create directory.........................................................................................68
vVols changes fail during an SP reboot................................................................................................................. 69
vVol operations time out under high stress loads............................................................................................... 69
VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) support....................................................................................................... 69
VMware Horizon support................................................................................................................................................ 69

4 Contents
 Preface

As part of an improvement effort, revisions of the software and hardware are periodically released. Therefore, some functions
described in this document might not be supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use. The product
release notes provide the most up-to-date information on product features. Contact your technical support professional if a
product does not function properly or does not function as described in this document.

Where to get help

Support, product, and licensing information can be obtained as described below.

Product information
For product and feature documentation or release notes, go to Unity Technical Documentation at: dell.com/unitydocs.

Troubleshooting
For information about products, software updates, licensing, and service, go to Support (registration required) at: dell.com/
support. After logging in, locate the appropriate product page.

Additional resources 5
 1
Manage VMware virtual volume datastores
Topics:
‡ VMware virtual volumes
‡ vVols workflow
‡ Create a dynamic pool
‡ Create a traditional pool in physical deployments
‡ Create a pool in virtual deployments
‡ About VMware host configurations
‡ Capability profiles
‡ Overview of configuring NAS servers
‡ Protocol endpoints
‡ NAS protocol endpoint servers
‡ Change VMware protocol endpoint information
‡ vVol datastores
‡ About VASA support
‡ Manage vVol snapshots

VMware virtual volumes

Virtual Volumes (vVols) are a VMware object type that corresponds to a Virtual Machine (VM) disk, and its snapshots and
fast-clones. There are different types of vVol objects, including Config-vVol, Data-vVol (equivalent to VMDK), Memory-vVol,
and Swap-vVol.
On the storage system, vVols reside in vVol datastores, also known as storage containers. vVol datastores are another type of
VMware datastore, in addition to VMFS and NFS datastores, which allow vVols to map directly to a storage system. Whereas
VMware VMFS and NFS datastores are managed and provisioned at the LUN or file system-level, vVol datastores are more
granular: VMs or virtual disks can be managed independently. You can create vVol datastores based on one or more underlying
storage pools and then allocate a specific portion of the pool to be used for the vVol datastore and its associated vVols.
VMware vSphere 6.0 and later uses Storage Policy-Based Management (SPBM) to define application or VM-specific storage
requirements. These storage policies dictate which storage containers are compatible with vVols. A capability profile, configured
by the storage administrator, is a set of performance characteristics for a vVol datastore/storage container on the storage
system. These characteristics are based on the underlying storage pools and include three categories of capabilities:
” Service level-based provisioning
” Usage tags
” Storage properties
” Host IO limits
Capability profiles are populated through the VMware vStorage API for Storage Awareness (VASA) protocol from the storage
system into vSphere or vCenter. These capability profiles map to VMware vVol storage policy profiles. When a storage policy
is selected in vSphere or vCenter, only those vVol datastores compatible with these policies will appear as eligible storage
containers for the virtual volume.
NAS and SCSI Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are access points for ESXi host I/O communication from VMs to their vVol datastores
on the storage system.

vVols workflow
Creating virtual volumes involves several steps in Unisphere. This prepares the storage system for the deployment of virtual
volumes from the ESXi host.

6 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

The minimum number of drives to use for a dynamic pool is the selected RAID width plus one drive.
Before you create a dynamic pool:
” If you have a hybrid model, find out whether the storage system is licensed for FAST Cache. To do this, select the Settings
icon, and then select Software and Licenses > License Information. If the storage system is licensed for FAST Cache, it
appears in the License Management table and you can choose whether to use it for the pool.
” If you have a hybrid model, find out whether the storage system is licensed for FAST VP. To do this, select the Settings icon,
and then select Software and Licenses > License Information. If the storage system is licensed for FAST VP, it appears
in the License Management table and you can choose whether to use it for the pool.
” Decide what RAID protection to use for the pool.
” Decide how many hot spare drives you want to use for the pool. The default is 1/32 (reserve 1 drive capacity for every 32
drives as a spare). You can also choose 2/32 (reserve 2 drives capacity for every 32 drives as spares).
” Decide whether to create a capability profile that has capabilities which are based on the pool configuration. To use the
capability profile for VMware vVols, you must assign specific usage tags, which are propagated to the VMware vSphere
environment, and can be used in policy profiles. The virtualization administrator and storage administrator should work
together to define these tags.

About this task

NOTE: Once a dynamic pool is created, you cannot change either the RAID type or hot spare configuration. Also,
you cannot shrink a dynamic pool or change its storage characteristics without deleting the storage resources that are
configured in the pool and the pool itself. However, you can add drives to expand the pool.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select Pools.
2. Select the Add icon.
3. Follow the steps in the wizard.
The number and types of drives you can choose is based on the RAID configuration, which you can optionally update by
clicking Change. You can also set or change the hot spare capacity as part of changing the RAID configuration.
NOTE: For dynamic storage pools, the Unused Drives value in the Tiers tab does not include HDD system drives. For
traditional storage pools, the Unused Drives value in the Tiers tab includes HDD system drives.

Create a traditional pool in physical deployments

Prerequisites
All pools created with All-Flash models running Unity OE version 4.1.x or earlier and hybrid models running Unity OE version 5.1.x
or earlier, support traditional pools only. With newer All-Flash models, you can create a traditional pool using the Unisphere CLI
and REST API.
Before you create a traditional pool:
” If you have a hybrid model, find out whether the storage system is licensed for FAST Cache. To do this, select the Settings
icon, and then select Storage Configuration > FAST Cache. If the storage system is licensed for FAST Cache, you can
choose whether to use it for the pool.
” If you have a hybrid model, find out whether the storage system is licensed for FAST VP. To do this, select the Settings icon,
and then select Storage Configuration > FAST VP. If the storage system is licensed for FAST VP you can choose which
storage tiers to add to the pool.
” Decide whether to change the suggested RAID type of the tiers.
” Decide whether to create a capability profile that has capabilities based on the pool configuration. To use the capability
profile for VMware vVols, you must assign specific usage tags, which are propagated to the VMware vSphere environment,
and can be used in policy profiles. The virtualization administrator and storage administrator should work together to define
these tags.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select Pools.
2. Select the Add icon.
3. Follow the steps in the wizard, taking into account the following considerations:

8 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

 ” On the Tiers screen, you can only select multiple storage tiers if the system is a hybrid model that is licensed to use
FAST VP. The wizard displays a maximum usable capacity for each selected tier, which it calculates based on the default
RAID configuration. You can optionally change the RAID configuration for all selected tiers.
” The number and types of drives you can choose is based on the RAID configuration.

Create a pool in virtual deployments

Prerequisites
All pools created in virtual deployments are traditional pools.
Before you create a traditional pool:
” From the storage administrator, obtain information about the underlying characteristics of the drives to use in the pool.
You will use this information to assign tiers to the virtual disks that do not already have them assigned. You can create a
multi-tier pool if the system has multiple underlying drive types.
” Decide whether to create a capability profile for VMware vVols that has capabilities based on the pool configuration. To use
the capability profile, you must assign specific usage tags, which are propagated to the VMware vSphere environment, and
can be used in policy profiles. The virtualization administrator and storage administrator should work together to define these
tags.

About this task

NOTE: You cannot shrink a pool or change its storage characteristics without deleting the storage resources configured in
the pool and the pool itself. However, you can add drives to expand the pool.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select Pools.
2. Select the Add icon.
3. Select the tiers and virtual disks to use in the pool. Each virtual disk must have an assigned tier. If the virtual disks you want
to include in the pool do not have assigned tiers, you must assign one. The tier you select for a virtual disk must be based on
the underlying drive characteristics.
4. Optionally create a VMware capability profile for use by vVols, and specify usage tags for that profile.

About VMware host configurations

A host configuration defines a communication path through which a specific host or range of hosts can access storage
resources. It also provides a mechanism by which you can manage access to storage resources by configuring the level of
access permitted for particular host configurations.
Unisphere provides VMware discovery capabilities to collect virtual machine and datastore storage details from vSphere and
display them in the context of the storage system. This automates the iSCSI target discovery for ESXi hosts to access the
storage. In Unisphere, you can provision storage for a VMware datastore and configure access to the relevant ESXi host. The
storage system then automatically connects to the ESXi host and configures the relevant datastore access. When you modify or
delete a datastore in Unisphere, the storage system automatically updates the ESXi host to include the change or remove the
datastore. If vCenter or ESXi host is created as a manual host, these automation tasks will not work. For vVol datastores, the
Unity system must be registered as a VASA provider on the host to support this automation. You can register the Unity system
as a VASA provider when adding host access in Unisphere.
NOTE: By default, the storage system automatically polls for updated configuration information every 24 hours. You can
also choose to poll for updated configuration information at any time by selecting the polling options under More Actions
of the appropriate VMware host tab.

vCenter server and ESXi host connections to VMware datastores

After you create a VMware datastore and configure access to it for a particular host configuration, you can connect the
vCenter server or ESXi host to the storage resource using one of the following methods:

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 9

Table 1. Host access configuration methods
Datastore type Method of connection
VMFS datastores Use vSphere to re-scan for new storage devices. When the
VMware datastore appears as an accessible storage device,
add each VMFS datastore to the ESXi host.
NFS datastores Use vSphere to add new network file system storage,
specifying the following:
” IP address of the associated NAS server
” Export path to the datastore
vVol datastores Hosts that have access to the respective NAS protocol
endpoints or SCSI protocol endpoints will have access to the
vVols File or vVols Block datastores that use these protocol
endpoints.

NOTE: Automatic registration of the datastore in vCenter or the ESXi host is only available for automatically discovered
hosts. For vVols datastores, the Unity system must be registered as a VASA provider on the host for automatic datastore
registration in vCenter or vSphere. If you want to set up manual registration of a datastore on the ESXi host, you must
manually register the host on the Unity system instead of using autodiscover.

Add a VMware vCenter server or ESXi host

Prerequisites
Obtain the following information:
” Network name or IP address of the vCenter server or the ESXi host. Ensure that the vCenter server is available on the local
network.
” User name and password of a VMware administrator account with access to the vCenter server.

Steps
1. Under Access, select one of the following:
” VMware > vCenters
” VMware > ESXi Hosts
2. Select Add.
3. On the Add vCenter or Add ESXi Host window:
a. Enter the relevant details.
NOTE: Starting with Unity OE version 5.3 and later, Unity will retrieve and validate the vCenter certificate. If
the certificate is valid but not already trusted, a confirmation dialog, Verify Certificate, appears and shows the
content of the certificate and asks whether to trust it. If Accept is selected, Unity adds the certificate to its
trust store and does not show the dialog the next time for this vCenter. If Cancel is selected, Unity does not
add the certificate to its trust store and the adding vCenter operation cannot be continued. If the certificate is
invalid (for example, expired), the Invalid Certificate dialog appears and the adding vCenter operation cannot be
continued. The certificate issue must be fixed and the certificate verified before the operation can be tried again.
vCenter certificates can be viewed and removed from Unity's trusted certificate store using existing Unisphere
CLI commands. For information about the Unisphere CLI commands, see the Dell Unity Unisphere Command Line
Interface User Guide.

b. Click Find.
NOTE: After you have specified ESXi Hosts, you can also open the Find ESXi Hosts window which gives you an
additional option of synchronizing with vCenter before clicking Find to discover entries:
” Select VMware > vCenters (select a vCenter) More Actions > Find ESXi Hosts.
” Select the Sync with vCenter checkbox if the ESXi hosts have been modified within the last hour in vCenter.
” Click Find.

10 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

4. From the list of discovered entries, select the relevant ESXi hosts, and click Next.
5. To register the Unity system as a VASA provider with the vCenter, select Register VASA Provider and enter the Unity
Unisphere credentials.
6. On the Summary page, review the ESXi hosts, and click Finish.

Change ESXi host properties

Steps
1. Under Access, select VMware > ESXi Hosts.
2. On the General tab, edit the description of the host.
3. On the Network Addresses tab, select an IP network address and click the Edit icon. Check the checkbox for any network
addresses that should be ignored by the host. For example, you may want to ignore any network addresses used exclusively
for system management.
4. On the Initiators tab:
a. Select an initiator that you want the ESXi host to Ignore.
Once an initiator is ignored, ESXi hosts will no longer be able to access any storage from it.
b. Select an iSCSI initiator and select the Edit icon to change the CHAP properties.

Change vCenter properties

Steps
1. Under Access, select VMware > vCenters.
2. Select a vCenter server and click the Edit icon.
3. Edit the description of the vCenter server.
4. Edit the VMware administrator account credentials that the storage system uses to access the vCenter server.

Capability profiles
A vVol datastore is associated with one or more capability profiles. A capability profile is a set of storage capabilities for a vVol
datastore. These capabilities are derived based on the underlying pools for the vVol datastore. The vVol datastore will show
as compatible storage in vCenter or the vSphere Web Client if the associated capability profiles meet VMware storage policy
requirements. Capability profiles must be created before you can create a vVol datastore. Capability profiles can be created at
the time of pool creation (recommended), or can be added to an existing pool later.
You can define a capability profile in the following ways:

Table 2. Storage capabilities

Service level-based provisioning (physical deployments) Expected service level for the pool:
” Platinum
| Single-tiered Flash pool
” Gold
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Flash and SAS drives
| Single-tiered pool with SAS RAID 10
” Silver
| Multitiered pool with a mix of SAS and NL-SAS
| Single-tiered pool with SAS RAID 5 or RAID 6
” Bronze
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Flash and NL-SAS
| Single-tiered pool with NL-SAS
Service level-based provisioning (virtual deployments) Expected service level for a virtual pool:
” Gold

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 11

Table 2. Storage capabilities (continued)
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance
and Performance tiers
| Single-tiered Extreme Performance pool
” Silver
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance,
Performance, and Capacity tiers
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Performance and
Capacity tiers
| Single-tiered Performance pool
” Bronze
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance
and Capacity tiers
| Single-tiered Capacity pool
Usage tags Usage tags can be applied to capability profiles to designate
them and their associated vVol datastores for a particular use.
For example, a vVol datastore may be tagged for vVols and
VMs that support a particular application. The virtualization
administrator and storage administrator should collaborate to
define these usage tags.
Storage properties Supported storage properties include:
” Drive type:
| Extreme Performance [Flash]
| Performance [SAS]
| Capacity [NL-SAS]
| Multitier [mixed]
| Extreme Multitier [mixed with Flash]
” RAID type (physical deployments only):
| RAID5
| RAID6
| RAID10
| Mixed
” FAST Cache (physical deployments only):
| Enabled
| Disabled
” FAST VP tiering policy:
| Highest Available Tier
| Start High then Auto-Tier
| Auto-Tier
| Lowest Available Tier
” Space Efficiency

Create a capability profile

Prerequisites
Before creating a capability profile, you must create the pools that will be used by the vVol datastore.
It is recommended that you create capability profiles during pool creation. You can also add them to existing pools using the
following method.

NOTE: You must create a capability profile before you can create a vVol datastore.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Capability Profiles.
2. Click the Add icon.

12 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

3. Enter a Name for the capability profile, and optionally add a Description.
4. Select the underlying Pool for the capability profile.
5. Optionally, enter any Usage Tags that will be used to identify how the associated vVol datastore should be used. For
example, enter a particular application name or business unit that this datastore should be used for. The virtualization admin
and the storage admin should work together to define usage tags.

Change a capability profile

About this task
Change an existing capability profile.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Capability Profiles.
2. Click the Edit icon.
3. On the Details tab, edit the Name and Description.
4. On the Constraints tab, edit the Usage Tags.
5. Click Apply.

Overview of configuring NAS servers

Before you can provision a VMware NFS datastore or file system storage, a NAS server that is appropriate for managing the
storage type must be running on the system. A NAS Server is a file server that uses the SMB protocol, NFS protocol, or both
to share data with network hosts. It also catalogs, organizes, and optimizes read and write operations to the associated file
systems.
Configuring a NAS server requires specifying the following information:
” SP that the NAS server will run on.
” Pool used to store the NAS server's configuration data, such as anti-virus configurations, NDMP settings, network
Interfaces and IP addresses.
” IP addresses that will be assigned to the NAS server to allow network hosts to access the shared data.

Performance balancing with NAS servers (physical deployments only)

You can balance the performance load on the storage system's SPs by choosing which NAS servers run on each SP, and which
file systems are associated with which NAS server. For example, if you plan to provide file systems for two high-load database
applications, you can choose to run a separate NAS server on each SP, and provision the storage for each application from a
separate NAS server. This balances system performance by ensuring that the applications draw their processing resources from
separate SPs.

File sharing with NAS servers

You can create NAS servers that support different types of file sharing. The table below describes the available NAS server
configurations.

Table 3. NAS server configurations by operating environment

Operating Environment NAS server function Recommended configuration options
Unix-only environment Provide only NFS access to file On the Sharing Protocols tab of the Create a NAS Server
system data. wizard, select Linux/Unix shares (NFS).
Windows-only environment Provide only SMB access to file On the Sharing Protocols tab of the Create a NAS Server
system data. wizard, select Windows shares (SMB, CIFS).

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 13

Table 3. NAS server configurations by operating environment (continued)
Operating Environment NAS server function Recommended configuration options
Balanced Unix and Provide both SMB and NFS 1. Make sure an NTP server is configured for the system.
Windows environment access to the same file systems 2. Do the following in the Create a NAS Server wizard:
data. ” On the Sharing Protocols tab, select Multiprotocol.
” Join the NAS server to a Windows Active Directory
domain.
” Configure local files, a Unix Directory Service (UDS), or
both. If you configure local files with a UDS , the system
queries the local files first. The UDS can be LDAP or
NIS.
” Configure DNS.
3. Optionally customize the mappings between Windows
user accounts and Unix user accounts by modifying and
uploading a user mapping file with advanced naming rules
(ntxmap). You only need to do this when the names of the
same users follow different naming rules in Windows and
Unix.
Unix environment with the Provide NFS access to file 1. Follow the steps in the Balanced Unix and Windows
ability to access file system system data and optionally environment row for creating a NAS server and optionally
data through SMB provide SMB access to the customizing the mappings between Windows user accounts
same file system data for some and Unix user accounts.
user accounts. 2. On the NAS server properties page for the new NAS
server, select Sharing Protocols > Multiprotocol, and
then configure a default Unix user account. All unmapped
Windows accounts will be mapped to this user account.
3. When you create file systems for the NAS server, It is
recommended that you specify a file system access policy
of Unix.
Windows environment with Provide SMB access to file 1. Follow the steps in the Balanced Unix and Windows
the ability to access file system data and optionally environment row for creating a NAS server and optionally
system data through NFS provide NFS access to the same customizing the mappings between Windows user accounts
file system data for some user and Unix user accounts.
accounts. 2. On the NAS server properties page for the new NAS
server, select Sharing Protocols > Multiprotocol, and
then optionally do either of the following:
” Select Enable automatic mapping for unmapped
Windows accounts. When you select this option, the
system generates a Unix UID for each Windows users
that is not already mapped to a Unix account through
a directory service (LDAP or NIS) or local files. This
functionality allows for the retention of file system
quotas for each unmapped Windows user. (File system
quotas are based on the Unix UID.)
” Select Enable default account for unmapped users
and configure a default Unix user account. All unmapped
Windows accounts will be mapped to this Unix user
account and will share the same file system quotas.
3. When you create file systems for the NAS server, It is
recommended that you specify a file system access policy
of Windows.

Create a NAS server for UNIX-only file sharing (NFS)

Prerequisites
Obtain the following information:
” (Optional) Name of the tenant to associate with the NAS server.

14 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

” Name of the pool to store the NAS server's metadata.
” Storage Processor (SP) on which the NAS server will run.
” IP address information for the NAS server.
” VLAN ID, if the switch port supports VLAN tagging. If you associate a tenant with the NAS server, you must choose a VLAN
ID.
” (Optional) UNIX Directory Service (UDS) information for NIS or LDAP, or local files. This can be used to resolve hosts
defined on NFS share access lists.
” (Optional) DNS server information. This can also be used to resolve hosts defined on NFS share access lists.
” (Optional) Replication information.

About this task

It is recommended that you balance the number of NAS servers on both SPs.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select File > NAS Servers.
2. Select the Add icon.
3. On the General and Interface pages, specify the relevant settings. Note the following:
” On the General page, the Server name identifies the NAS server. It is not a network name.
” Optionally select a tenant to associate with the NAS server.
NOTE: Once you create a NAS server that has an associated tenant, you cannot change this association.
” On the Interface page, optionally select a VLAN. If you selected a tenant on the General page, you must select a VLAN.
The list of VLANs represent the VLANs associated with the selected tenant.
4. On the Sharing Protocols page:
” Select Linux/Unix shares (NFS).
” Select whether to enable NFSv3, NVSv4, or both.
” Optionally enable support for Virtual Volumes (vVols).
” Optionally click Configure secure NFS to enable secure NFS with Kerberos. When you enable secure NFS for a NAS
server that supports Unix-only file sharing, you must configure a custom Kerberos realm.
5. On the Unix Directory Service page, configure one of the following directory services (optional unless you are configuring
secure NFS):
” Local files
” NIS
” LDAP
” Local files and NIS
” Local files and LDAP
If you configure local files with NIS or LDAP, the system queries the local files first. You can configure LDAP to use
anonymous, simple, and Kerberos authentication. You can also configure LDAP with SSL (LDAP Secure) and can enforce the
use of a Certificate Authority certificate for authentication.
6. On the DNS page, optionally configure DNS for the NAS server.
7. On the Replication page, optionally select a replication mode and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for the NAS server.

Create a NAS server for multiprotocol file sharing (SMB and NFS)
Prerequisites
When you create a NAS server that supports multiprotocol file sharing, it must be joined to an Active Directory (AD). This
requires that an NTP server is configured on the storage system.
Obtain the following information:
” (Optional) Name of the tenant to associate with the NAS server.
” Name of the pool to store the NAS server's metadata.
” Storage Processor (SP) on which the NAS server will run.
” IP address information for the NAS server.
” VLAN ID, if the switch port supports VLAN tagging. If you associate a tenant with the NAS server, you must choose a VLAN
ID.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 15

” AD information, including the SMB computer name (used to access SMB shares), and either the domain administrator's
credentials or the credentials of a user of the domain who has privileges for joining the AD. You can optionally specify the
NetBIOS name and organizational unit. The NetBIOS name defaults to the first 15 characters of the SMB server name. The
organizational unit defaults to OU=Computers,OU=EMC NAS servers.
” UNIX Directory Service (UDS) information for NIS, LDAP, or local files. The UDS provides the UNIX UID and GUID for AD
users.
NOTE: You can configure mappings for some users in the UDS and let the others be mapped through the default
account.
” DNS server and domain information.
” Replication information (optional).

About this task

It is recommended that you balance the number of NAS servers on both SPs.
You cannot disable multiprotocol file sharing for a NAS server once a file system is created on that NAS server.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select File > NAS Servers.
2. Select the Add icon.
3. On the General and Interface pages, specify the relevant settings while noting the following:
” On the General page, the Server name identifies the NAS server. It is not a network name.
” Optionally select a tenant to associate with the NAS server.
NOTE: Once you create a NAS server that has an associated tenant, you cannot change this association.
” On the Interface page, optionally select a VLAN. If you selected a tenant on the General page, you must select a VLAN.
The list of VLANs represent the VLANs associated with the selected tenant.
4. On the Sharing Protocols page:
” Select Multiprotocol, and join the NAS server to the AD.
” Optionally click Advanced to change the default NetBios name and organizational unit.
” Select whether to enable NFSv3, NFSv4, or both.
” Optionally enable support for Virtual Volumes (vVols).
” Optionally click Configure secure NFS to enable secure NFS with Kerberos. When you enable secure NFS, you can
choose to authenticate using the Windows Kerberos realm (that is, the Windows domain) configured on the NAS server,
or you can configure and use a custom realm.
NOTE: It is recommended that you use LDAPS with secure NFS.

5. On the Unix Directory Service page, configure one of the following directory services:
” Local files
” NIS
” LDAP
” Local files and NIS or LDAP
If you configure local files with NIS or LDAP, the system queries the local files first. You can configure LDAP to use
anonymous, simple, and Kerberos authentication. You can also configure LDAP with SSL (LDAP Secure) and can enforce the
use of a Certificate Authority certificate for authentication.
6. On the DNS page, configure DNS for the NAS server.
7. On the Replication page, optionally select a replication mode and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for the NAS server.

Change NAS server properties

About this task

Steps
1. Under Storage, select File > NAS Servers.
2. Select the relevant NAS server, and then select the Edit icon.
3. On the General tab:

16 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

 ” Change the NAS server name.
” Select SP Owner to transition from one SP to the other SP for this NAS server. For example, you may want to do this if
you have an overloaded SP, and want to reduce the load by moving the server to the other SP.
4. On the Network tab:
” Select the Interfaces & Routes sub-tab to add, change, delete, or verify NAS server interfaces, enable or disable IP
packet reflect for the NAS server, or change the NAS server's preferred interfaces. Select an interface, and then select
Show external routes for interfaces to access the per-interface routing table, where you can add, change, or delete
the selected interface's routes for responding to client requests.
” Select the Routes to External Services sub-tab to add, change, or verify NAS server routes for external service
requests, or to configure default gateways.
5. On the Naming Services tab, configure DNS and either configure the UNIX Directory Service (UDS) for the NAS server
(LDAP or NIS) or use local files. Alternatively, you can use local files with a UDS. In this case, the system checks the local
files first.
6. On the Sharing Protocols tab:
” Select the FTP sub-tab to enable or disable FTP or SFTP, or to change FTP or SFTP properties.
7. On the Protection & Events tab:
” Select the NDMP Backup sub-tab to enable or disable NDMP, and to change the NDMP password.
” Select the DHSM sub-tab to enable or disable Distributed Hierarchical Storage Management (DHSM) and to change the
DHSM password.
” Select the Events Publishing sub-tab to enable or disable Events Publishing, create or modify an event pool, and create
or modify events policy settings.
8. On the Replication tab, optionally select a replication mode and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for the NAS server.

Protocol endpoints
Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are access points for ESXi host communication to the storage system. These endpoints establish a
datapath on-demand for virtual machines and their respective vVol datastores. I/O from VMs is communicated through the PE
to the vVol datastore on the storage system. A single protocol endpoint can multiplex I/O requests from a large number of VM
clients to their virtual volumes. Protocol endpoints are automatically created when a host is granted access to a vVol datastore.
NAS protocol endpoints are created and managed on the storage system and correspond to a specific NFS-based NAS server.
A File vVol will be bound to the associated NAS PE every time that VM is powered on. When the VM is powered off, the vVol is
unbound from the PE.
SCSI protocol endpoints can utilize any iSCSI interface or Fibre Channel connection for IO. Two iSCSI PEs are created for
every ESXi host-to-vVol datastore (storage container) pair; this ensures high-availability. The Block vVol will be bound to the
associated SCSI PE every time that the VM is powered on. When the VM is powered off, the PE is unbound. SCSI protocol
endpoints are like LUN mount points that allow I/O access to vVols from the ESXi host to the storage system.

NAS protocol endpoint servers

VMware protocol endpoint servers are NFS-based NAS servers that are enabled to provide an I/O path from the VMware host
to the respective File vVol datastore on the storage system.
You can enable a NAS server for vVols in the Create a NAS server wizard. The IP address assigned to the NAS server at
creation time becomes the Advertised IP address for the NAS protocol endpoint. When enabling vVols on an existing NAS
server, you can select which IP address should be the Advertised IP address from the list of IP interfaces already created for
the NAS server. The system selects one of the NAS PEs automatically based on which will maximize throughput.

Change VMware protocol endpoint information

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Protocol Endpoints.
2. Click the Edit icon.
3. On the General tab, edit the description of the protocol endpoint.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 17

4. On the Host Access tab, change your selections of which hosts have access to use the protocol endpoint.

vVol datastores
vVols reside in vVol datastores, also known as storage containers, which are comprised of storage allocations from one or more
capability profiles. Capability profiles are built on top of one or more underlying pools. You can create vVol datastores based on
one or more capability profiles and then allocate a specific amount of space from the capability profile to the vVol datastore.
Each vVol datastore has one or more capability profiles that describe its performance and capacity characteristics, such as drive
type, FAST VP tiering policy, and space efficiency policy. These characteristics are derived based on the underlying pool. When
a virtual volume is created in vSphere, it is assigned a storage policy profile. vSphere filters the compatible and incompatible
available vVol datastores (from one or more storage systems) when the vVol is being created based on these profiles. Only vVol
datastores that support the storage policy profile are considered compatible storage containers for deploying the vVol.

Create a VMware vVol datastore

Prerequisites
You must create capability profiles before creating a vVol datastore.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Datastores.
2. Click the Add icon.
3. On the Type page, select vVOL (File) or vVOL (Block).
4. Enter a Name and optionally a Description for the vVol datastore.
5. Select one or more capability profiles that will be used by the vVols datastore.
a. Optionally, click on the current size or Edit in the Datastore Size (GB) column to adjust the space allocated from the
pool to each selected capability profile.
b. Adjust the size and/or unit of measure (TBs or GBs) of the capability profile.
c. Click OK.
6. Select the hosts that will have Access to the datastore.

Change a vVol datastore

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Datastores.
2. Select the datastore and click the Edit icon.
3. On the General tab, edit the Name and Description. Click Apply.
4. On the Capability Profiles tab, edit the selected capability profiles used for the vVol datastore.
To change the size of an existing capability profile:
a. Click on the current size in the Datastore Size (GB) column for the capability profile.
b. Adjust the size and/or unit of the capability profile.
c. Click OK.
To add a new capability profile:
a. Click Add to add a new capability profile to the vVol datastore.
This will open a new window with the list of available capability profiles on the system.
b. Select a new capability profile for the vVol datastore and click OK.
To delete an existing capability profile not currently in use:
a. Select the capability profile.
b. Click the Delete icon.
5. On the Host Access tab, edit the hosts that have access to the datastore.

18 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

About vVol objects

Types of vVol objects

Virtual volumes are encapsulations of virtual machine files, virtual disks, and their derivatives. There are several types of vVol
objects that correspond to an individual virtual volume, including a VMDK vVol (data vVol), Config vVol, Memory vVol, and Swap
vVol.

Table 4. Types of vVols

VMDK (data) vVol The VMDK vVol, displayed as Data vVol in Unisphere, contains the vDisk file, or the hard disk drive,
for the VM.
Config vVol The Config vVol contains settings, configuration, and state information for the VM. This
includes .vmx, nvram, and log files.
Memory vVol The Memory vVol contains a complete copy of the VM memory as part of a with-memory VM
snapshot.
Swap vVol The Swap vVol is created when VMs are powered on and contain copies of the VM memory pages
that are not retained in memory.

VMDK (data) vVol snapshots

Unity supports native snapshots of individual VMDK (data) vVols. Once a VM is created and a corresponding snapshot is taken
in either vSphere or Unisphere, these snapshots are visible on the Snapshots tab of the VMDK (data) vVol Properties page. A
data vVol snapshot created on the Unity system cannot be restored through vSphere, but a snapshot created through vSphere
(using VASA) can be restored on Unity or in vSphere.

NOTE: Snapshot schedules are not supported for vVol snapshots.

NOTE: Data vVol snapshots created on Unity are not visible to vSphere. Some vSphere workflows, such as data migration
with vMotion, will remove all data vVol snapshots for the corresponding VMDKs. The removed data for these vVol
snapshots cannot be restored once deleted.

About VASA support

The VMware vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) is a set of APIs that provides storage awareness to VMware vSphere
clients. It enables vSphere clients to request and display basic information on the storage system and the storage resources
it exposes to the virtual environment. Using the VASA protocol, you can configure the vSphere client to view information
on physical storage system objects that are associated with the storage system datastores. This information includes storage
policies and properties, such as tiering and RAID level. You can also view the health status of these components in vSphere.
Changes in the health status or information about storage resources reaching space capacity thresholds are reported as VASA
alarms in the vSphere client.
VASA has introduced new APIs to support virtual volumes (vVols) starting with vSphere 6.0. These updated VASA APIs enhance
storage system awareness of individual VM disks. This enables the storage system to perform operations on individual VM disks
such as snapshots and clones.
Starting with release 5.1.0 and later, Unity supports subordinate VMCA (VMware Certificate Authority) signed certificates
for VASA 2.0 and 3.0. Unity stores the signed certificate in its trust store and validates VASA requests against the signed
certificate. In releases prior to 5.1.0, Unity only supports self-signed VMCA certificates.
NOTE: The Unity system can be registered as a VASA provider automatically in vSphere when corresponding vCenter and
ESXi hosts are created, and the option to add Unity as a VASA provider is enabled. Unity can only be registered as a VASA
provider for one vCenter server at a time.
Starting with release 5.3 and later, when you add a new vCenter to Unity, Unity retrieves and validates the vCenter certificate
before it establishes an HTTPS connection. If the certificate is valid but not already in Unity's trust store, you are shown the
certificate content which you can either accept or reject. Accepting the certificate makes Unity trust it and add it to the Unity
trust store. If the certificate is invalid (for example, expired), you are shown the certificate content but cannot continue with
the adding vCenter operation. You must fix the certificate issue and verify the certificate before trying the operation again.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 19

Also, performing any operation to an existing vCenter that needs to establish a connection initiates the certificate verification
process. If the certificate cannot be trusted, an alert that the certificate is either not trusted or not valid is generated. Fix the
certificate issue and verify the certificate.

Add the system as a VASA provider

NOTE: The Unity system is registered as a VASA provider automatically in vSphere when corresponding vCenter and ESXi
hosts are granted access to the system.
For the vCenter server to communicate with the system, add the system as a storage provider in the vSphere client. Use the
following information:
” Name - Name of the storage provider that will appear in the vSphere client. You can choose to use any name you want.
” URL - The VASA Provider service URL. The URL must be in the following format: https://<management IP address>:
8443/vasa/version.xml
” Login - Unisphere user name with the Administrator or VM Administrator role. It is recommended that you specify a user
account with the VM Administrator role. Note the following syntax:
| For local users: ORFDO XVHU QDPH!
| For LDAP users: GRPDLQ! XVHU QDPH!
” Password - The password associated with the user account.
For more information on adding a storage provider, refer to the VMware documentation.
NOTE: If you create VM Storage Policies in vSphere during the same vSphere login session where you added the storage
system as a VASA provider, rule set labels may appear as ID strings instead of the correct rule set names. Logging out of
vSphere and logging back in may resolve this issue.

Manage vVol snapshots

Create and restore native vVol snapshots for VMDK data vVol objects.

Prerequisites
It is recommended that you manage vVol snapshots through vSphere directly. However, you can create and restore native
snapshots for VMDK data vVols through Unisphere if you want to restore individual disks on a VM from a snapshot.

NOTE: Before restoring a vVol snapshot, the virtual machine that contains the vVol must be powered off in vSphere.

NOTE: Data vVol snapshots created on Unity are not visible to vSphere. Some vSphere workflows, such as data migration
with vMotion, will remove all data vVol snapshots for the corresponding VMDKs. The removed data for these vVol
snapshots cannot be restored once deleted.

About this task

Data vVol snapshots cannot be restored through vSphere, but a data vVol snapshot created in VASA-connected vSphere can be
restored through either Unisphere or vSphere.

Steps
1. Under Storage, select VMware > Virtual Volumes.
2. To create a new vVol snapshot in Unisphere:
a. Select a specific data (VMDK) virtual volume object and click the Edit icon. The data vVol Replica Type must be Base.
b. On the Snapshots tab of the data (VMDK) vVol properties page, select the Add icon.
c. In the Create Snapshot window, specify the relevant information.
d. Click OK.
This will create a new snapshot for the vVol. If you did not specify a snapshot name, the system will use the default
naming convention of UTC_date_time.
3. To restore an existing vVol snapshot:

20 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores

 NOTE: Remember to power off the VM for the vVol before completing this task.

a. Select a specific data (VMDK) vVol and click the Edit icon.
b. On the Snapshots tab for the data (VMDK) vVol properties page, select a snapshot.
c. Select More Actions > Restore.
d. Select the appropriate snapshot from the dialog box and click OK.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores 21

 2
Manage VMware virtual volume datastores
with CLI
Topics:
‡ Create a NAS server
‡ Manage VMware NAS protocol endpoint servers
‡ Manage host configurations
‡ Manage host initiators
‡ Manage VMware vCenter
‡ Manage ESXi hosts
‡ Manage capability profiles
‡ Manage VMware protocol endpoints
‡ Manage vVol datastores
‡ Manage vVol objects

Create a NAS server

Create a NAS server.

NOTE: The NFSv3 protocol is enabled by default when creating a NAS server.

Format
QHW QDV VHUYHU FUHDWH QDPH YDOXH! VS YDOXH! ^ SRRO YDOXH! _ SRRO1DPH YDOXH!`
> WHQDQW YDOXH!@ > PS6KDULQJ(QDEOHG ^QR _ \HV > DXWR8VHU0DSSLQJ(QDEOHG ^\HV _ QR`@>
XQL['LUHFWRU\6HUYLFH ^ORFDO _ OGDS _ QLV _ ORFDO7KHQ1LV _ ORFDO7KHQ/GDS _ QRQH`@ >
GHIDXOW8QL[8VHU YDOXH!@ > GHIDXOW:LQGRZV8VHU YDOXH!@`@ > UHSO'HVW ^\HV > EDFNXS2QO\ ^\HV
_ QR`@ _ QR`@ > HQDEOH3DFNHW5HIOHFW ^\HV _ QR`@

Action qualifiers
Qualifier Description
QDPH Specifies the NAS server name.
NOTE: NAS server names can contain alphanumeric characters, a single dash, and a
single underscore. Server names cannot contain spaces or begin or end with a dash.
You can create NAS server names in four parts that are separated by periods (example:
aa.bb.cc.dd). Names can contain up to 255 characters, but the first part of the name
(before the first period) is limited to 15 characters.

VS Specifies the parent SP for the NAS server. Value is SPA or SPB.
SRRO Specifies the ID of the storage pool for the NAS server.
SRRO1DPH Specifies the name of the storage pool for the NAS server.
WHQDQW Specifies the tenant identifier.

22 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Qualifier Description

NOTE: If a tenant is not specified, the NAS server is created in the default network
namespace.

PS6KDULQJ(QDEOHG Indicates whether multiprotocol sharing mode is enabled. Value is yes or no (default).
XQL['LUHFWRU\6HUYLFH Directory Service used for querying identity information for Unix (such as UIDs, GIDs, net
groups). Valid values are:
” QLV
” OGDS
” ORFDO
” QRQH (default)
” ORFDO7KHQ1LV
” ORFDO7KHQ/GDS
DXWR8VHU0DSSLQJ(QDEOHG Indicates whether a Windows user who is not mapped to a known Unix/Linux username is
allowed to access the NAS server's files Valid values are:
” \HV— The system generates an internal UID for the Windows user and allows access to
the NAS server's files through Windows.
” QR (default)— The Windows authentication fails unless there is a default Unix username
configured.
GHIDXOW8QL[8VHU Default Unix user name or Unix ID that grants file access in the multiprotocol sharing mode.
This user name or ID is used when the corresponding Unix/Linux user name or ID is not
found by the mapping mechanism.
The Unix ID format is @uid=xxxx,gid=yyyy@, where xxxx and yyyy are the decimal numerical
values of the UID and the primary GID, respectively. When using this ID, the user does not
need to be defined in the UDS.

GHIDXOW:LQGRZV8VHU Default Windows user name that grants file access in the multiprotocol sharing mode. This
user name is used when the corresponding Windows user name is not found by the mapping
mechanism.
UHSO'HVW Replication destination settings for the NAS server. When this option is set to \HV, only
mandatory parameters may be included. All other optional parameters will be inherited from
the source NAS server. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR (default)
EDFNXS2QO\ Indicates whether to create NAS server as backup only. The backup only NAS server
cannot be a production site, which means both planned failover and unplanned failover are
disallowed in a backup only NAS server associated replication session. Valid values:
” \HV
” QR
HQDEOH3DFNHW5HIOHFW Indicates whether the reflection of outbound (reply) packets through the same interface
that inbound (request) packets entered is enabled. Valid values are:
” \HV (default)
” QR

Example
The following command creates a NAS server with these settings:
” Name is NasServer_1.
” Associated with SP A.
” Associated with storage pool pool_0.
” IP Packet Reflect is enabled.
” The ID of the new NAS server is ID nas_1.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 23

XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV VHUYHU FUHDWH QDPH 1DV6HUYHUB
VS VSD SRRO SRROB HQDEOH3DFNHW5HIOHFW \HV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' QDVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Change NAS server settings

Modify an existing NAS server.

Format
QHW QDV VHUYHU ^ LG YDOXH _ QDPH YDOXH ` VHW > QDPH YDOXH!@ > VS ^VSD _
VSE`@ > PS6KDULQJ(QDEOHG ^\HV _ QR`@ > XQL['LUHFWRU\6HUYLFH ^OGDS _ QLV _ QRQH`@ >
DXWR8VHU0DSSLQJ(QDEOHG ^\HV _ QR`@ >^ GHIDXOW$FFHVV'LVDEOHG _ > GHIDXOW8QL[8VHU YDOXH!@ >
GHIDXOW:LQGRZV8VHU YDOXH!@`@ > HQDEOH3DFNHW5HIOHFW ^\HV _ QR `@ > UHSO'HVW ^\HV _ QR `@ >
EDFNXS2QO\ ^\HV _ QR`@ > SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ2YHUULGH ^ QR _ \HV `@> SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ,3Y
^ DXWR _ YDOXH!`@ > SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ,3Y ^ DXWR _ YDOXH!`@ > SUHIHUUHG%DFNXS,3Y ^DXWR
_ YDOXH!`@ > SUHIHUUHG%DFNXS,3Y ^DXWR _ YDOXH!`

Object qualifiers
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the NAS server to change.
QDPH Type the name of the NAS server to change.

Action qualifiers
Qualifier Description
QDPH Shared folder server name.
VS Owner SP. Valid values are:
” spa
” spb
PS6KDULQJ(QDEOHG Indicates whether multiprotocol sharing mode is enabled. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
NOTE: You cannot disable multiprotocol file sharing for a NAS server once a file
system is created on that NAS server.

XQL['LUHFWRU\6HUYLFH Directory Service used for querying identity information for Unix (such as UIDs, GIDs,
net groups). Valid values are:
” QLV
” OGDS
GHIDXOW$FFHVV'LVDEOHG Disables file access when no user mapping mechanism is found.
DXWR8VHU0DSSLQJ(QDEOHG Indicates whether a Windows user who is not mapped to a known Unix/Linux
username is allowed to access the NAS server's files Valid values are:
” \HV. The system generates an internal UID for the Windows user and allows
access to the NAS server's files through Windows.

24 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Qualifier Description
” QR (default). The Windows authentication fails unless there is a default Unix
username configured.
GHIDXOW8QL[8VHU Default Unix user name or Unix ID that grants file access in the multiprotocol sharing
mode. This user name or ID is used when the corresponding Unix/Linux user name or
ID is not found by the mapping mechanism.
The Unix ID format is @uid=xxxx,gid=yyyy@, where xxxx and yyyy are the decimal
numerical values of the UID and the primary GID, respectively. When using this ID, the
user does not need to be defined in the UDS.

GHIDXOW:LQGRZV8VHU Default Windows user name that grants file access in the multiprotocol
sharing mode. This user name is used when the corresponding Windows user
GHIDXOW:LQGRZV8VHU name is not found by the mapping mechanism.
HQDEOH3DFNHW5HIOHFW Indicates whether the reflection of outbound (reply) packets through the same
interface that inbound (request) packets entered is enabled. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
UHSO'HVW Replication destination settings for the NAS server. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
EDFNXS2QO\ Indicates whether the NAS server is used as backup. Only a replication destination
NAS server can be set as backup only. This attribute reflects that the NAS server
cannot be the production site. This means both planned failover and unplanned
failover are disallowed in the backup only NAS server associated replication session.
Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ2YHUULGH Override the replicated production interfaces "preferred interface" settings. Valid
values are:
” \HV
” QR
SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ,3Y Production IPv4 preferred interface settings. The interface must be IPv4 and belong
to this server. Valid values are:
” <interface ID>
” DXWR
SUHIHUUHG3URGXFWLRQ,3Y Production IPv6 preferred interface settings. The interface must be IPv6 and belong
to this server. Valid values are:
” <interface ID>
” DXWR
SUHIHUUHG%DFNXS,3Y Backup and DR test IPv4 preferred interface settings. The interface must be IPv4
and belong to this server. Valid values are:
” <interface ID>
” DXWR
SUHIHUUHG%DFNXS,3Y Backup and DR test IPv6 preferred interface settings. The interface must be IPv6
and belong to this server. Valid values are:
” <interface ID>
” DXWR

Example 1
The following command updates NAS server nas_1 with these settings:
” Enables multiprotocol sharing.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 25

” Uses LDAP as the Unix Directory Service.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV VHUYHU LG QDVB VHW
PS6KDULQJ(QDEOHG \HV XQL['LUHFWRU\6HUYLFH OGDS

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' QDVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 2
The following command changes the replication settings for NAS server nas_1.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV VHUYHU LG QDVB VHW UHSO'HVW
\HV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' QDVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 3
The following command changes the storage processor to SPB for NAS server nas_1.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV VHUYHU LG QDVB VHW VS VSE

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

:$51,1* 0RGLI\LQJ WKH 1$6 VHUYHU V 63 GLVUXSWV DQ\ UXQQLQJ 1'03 MREV DQG PD\ DOVR
UHVXOW LQ GDWD XQDYDLODELOLW\ IRU VRPH FOLHQW FRQILJXUDWLRQV RWKHU WKDQ 1)6 Y Y
DQG Y DQG 60% &$ 7KH 1'03 MREV PXVW EH UHVWDUWHG DIWHU WKH 63 PRGLILFDWLRQ LV
FRPSOHWHG
$UH \RX VXUH \RX ZDQW WR PRGLI\ WKH GHIDXOW 63"
\HV QR \HV

,' QDVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

NOTE:
” When the SP is being modified, the NAS server health attribute is updated to INFO, and the health details attribute
is updated to 7UDQVLWLRQLQJ WR RWKHU 6WRUDJH 3URFHVVRU. When the SP modification completes, the NAS
server health and health details are reverted back to the previous values.
” A change to the SP cannot be performed on a NAS Server that is part of an active VDM File Import operation.
The Import operation must be completed before the SP can be changed. Otherwise, the following error occurs:
)DLOHG &DQQRW FRPSOHWH WKH RSHUDWLRQ EHFDXVH WKH UHVRXUFH LV XQGHU LPSRUW (UURU
&RGH [ D .
” A change to the SP cannot be performed on a NAS Server that is part of an active replication session. Pause
the replication session, perform the SP change, and then resume the replication session. Otherwise, the following
error occurs: &DQQRW PRGLI\ WKH 1$6 VHUYHU V 6WRUDJH 3URFHVVRU ZKHQ WKHUH DUH QRQ SDXVHG
UHSOLFDWLRQ VHVVLRQV RQ WKH 1$6 VHUYHU RU LWV ILOH V\VWHPV (UURU &RGH [ .

26 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Manage VMware NAS protocol endpoint servers
VMware protocol endpoint servers are NFS-based NAS servers enabled to provide an I/O path from the VMware host to it's
respective File vVol datastore on the storage system.
When creating a NAS protocol endpoint server, you can choose which IP address the NAS PE will use from the list of IP
interfaces already created for the NAS server. It is recommended that you enable at least two NAS servers for vVols, one
on each SP, for high availability. The system will select one of these NAS PEs automatically based on which will maximize
throughput.

Table 5. Protocol endpoint server attributes

Attribute Description
,' VMware protocol endpoint identifier.
1$6 VHUYHU Identifier of the associated NAS server for NAS PEs.
1$6 VHUYHU LQWHUIDFH Identifier of the NAS server IP interface to be used by the
VMware NAS protocol endpoint server.

NOTE: Only one VMware protocol endpoint server per NAS server is supported.

Create protocol endpoint servers

Create VMware protocol endpoints servers for File vVols.

Format
QHW QDV YPZDUHSH FUHDWH > DV\QF@ ^ VHUYHU YDOXH! _ VHUYHU1DPH YDOXH!` LI YDOXH!

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
VHUYHU Type the identifier of the NAS server.
VHUYHU1DPH Type the name of the NAS server.
LI Type the name of the identifier for the NAS IP interface to be used by the VMware protocol endpoint server.

Example
The following example creates a protocol endpoint server on NAS server "nas_1" with the IP interface "if_1".
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV YPZDUHSH FUHDWH VHUYHU QDVB
LI LIB

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 3(6B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View VMware protocol endpoint servers

View VMware protocol endpoints servers for File vVols.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 27

Format
QHW QDV YPZDUHSH >^ LG YDOXH! _ VHUYHU YDOXH! _ VHUYHU1DPH YDOXH!`@ VKRZ

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the identifier of the NAS protocol endpoint server.
VHUYHU Type the identifier of the associated NAS server.
VHUYHU1DPH Type the name of the associated NAS server.

Example
The following example shows the details for all of the VMware protocol endpoint servers on the system.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV YPZDUHSH VKRZ GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 3(6B
1$6 VHUYHU QDVB
1$6 VHUYHU LQWHUIDFH LIB

Delete protocol endpoint servers

Delete a VMware protocol endpoints server.

Format
QHW QDV YPZDUHSH LG YDOXH! GHOHWH > DV\QF@ > IRUFH@

Object qualifiers
Qualifier Description
LG Type the identifier or the VMware protocol endpoint server to be deleted.

Action qualifiers
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
IRUFH Unconditionally removes all VMware NAS protocol endpoints using the VMware protocol endpoint server and
unbinds all virtual volumes using the protocol endpoint server.

Example
The following example deletes VMware NAS protocol endpoint server "PES_0".

28 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG QHW QDV YPZDUHSH ±LG 3(6B GHOHWH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage host configurations

Hosts are the clients or servers in your network that access storage on the system. Host configurations are logical connections
through which hosts or applications can access storage resources. Before a host can access storage, you must define a
configuration for it and associate it with a storage resource. Create a host configuration for each host, host subnetwork
(subnet), or network group (netgroup) that will access storage resources on the system.
You can create the following types of host configurations:
” Individual host configurations — Enable you to define and control access to storage resources on a host-by-host basis.
” Subnet and netgroup configurations — Enable you to define and control access to storage resources for multiple hosts or
network segments.
Each host configuration is identified by an ID.
The following table lists the attributes for host configurations.

Table 6. Host configuration attributes

Attribute Description
,' ID of the host configuration.
1DPH Name of the host configuration.
'HVFULSWLRQ Brief description of the host configuration.
7HQDQW Tenant with which the host is associated.
$GGUHVV Hostname or IP address associated with the host, IP address of the subnet, or name of the
netgroup.
NOTE: This information is required when connecting hosts to network shares on the system.

1HWPDVN Subnet mask for the host.

7\SH Type of host configuration. Value is one of the following:
” KRVW — A host defines and controls access to storage resources on a host-by-host basis.
” VXEQHW — A subnet is a logical grouping of connected network devices. Devices on a
subnet share contiguous ranges of IP addresses. A subnet mask, or network mask, defines
the boundaries of an IP subnet.
You can associate a host configuration with a subnet mask to define and control storage access
for hosts on a particular network segment.
” QHWJURXS — A netgroup is a named sets of hosts, users, or domains on a network. A
netgroup can provide a way to reference sets of Linux/UNIX hosts collectively for accessing
storage over NFS.
You can create a host configuration for a netgroup to define and control storage access for
multiple Linux/UNIX hosts or users through a single configuration.

26 W\SH Type of operating system (OS) running on the host. You can enter any value you want. Here are
suggestions for some of the common operating systems:
” XQGHILQHG — OS is not specified (default) or unknown.
” RWKHU — Other.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2003.
” ZLQ[S — Windows XP.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2008.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 29

Table 6. Host configuration attributes (continued)
Attribute Description
” ZLQYLVWD — Windows Vista.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2012.
” HV[ — VMware ESX.
” UHGKDW — Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
” VOHV — SUSE Linux Enterprise.
” ZLQ — Windows 7.
” K\SHUY — Microsoft Hyper-V.
” VRODULV — Solaris.
,JQRUHG DGGUHVV A comma-separated list of host IP addresses to exclude from data access.
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state of the host. The health state code appears in parentheses. Value is one of the
following:
” 8QNQRZQ — Status is unknown.
” 2. — Working correctly.
” 2. %87 — Working correctly, but there could be a problem.
” 'HJUDGHG :DUQLQJ — Working and performing all functions, but the performance
may not be optimum.
” 0LQRU IDLOXUH — Working and performing all functions but overall performance is
degraded. This condition has a minor impact on the system and should be remedied at some
point, but does not have to be fixed immediately.
” 0DMRU IDLOXUH — Failing and some or all functions may be degraded or not working.
This condition has a significant impact on the system and should be remedied immediately.
” &ULWLFDO IDLOXUH — Failed and recovery may not be possible. This condition has
resulted in data loss and should be remedied immediately.
” 1RQ UHFRYHUDEOH HUURU — Completely failed and cannot be recovered.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information. See Appendix A, Reference, for health information details.
0DQDJHPHQW W\SH Indicates the way the host is managed. Value is one of the following:
” 90ZDUH — The host is managed through VMware web services.
” 2WKHU — The host is automatically created on the storage system.
” 0DQXDO — The host is created manually.
$FFHVVLEOH /81V A comma-separate list of LUNs that are accessible to the host.
+RVW /81 ,'V Comma-separated list of HLUs (Host LUN identifiers), which the corresponding hosts use to
access the LUN.
+RVW JURXS Host group that the host is in.

Create host configurations

Create a host configuration to establish a connection between the system and hosts that access the system.

Format
UHPRWH KRVW FUHDWH QDPH YDOXH! > GHVFU YDOXH!@ > WHQDQW YDOXH!@ W\SH ^KRVW > DGGU
YDOXH!@ > LJQRUHG$GGU YDOXH!@ > RV7\SH YDOXH! @ _ VXEQHW DGGU YDOXH! > QHWPDVN
YDOXH!@ _ QHWJURXS DGGU YDOXH!`

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
QDPH Specifies the name of the host configuration.

30 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Qualifier Description
GHVFU Specifies a brief description of the host configuration.
W\SH Specifies the type of host configuration. Value is one of the following:
” KRVW — A host defines and controls access to storage resources on a host-by-host basis.
” VXEQHW — A subnet is a logical grouping of connected network devices. Devices on a subnet share
contiguous ranges of IP addresses. A subnet mask, or network mask, defines the boundaries of an IP
subnet.
You can associate a host configuration with a subnet mask to define and control storage access for
hosts on a particular network segment.
” QHWJURXS — A netgroup is a named sets of hosts, users, or domains on a network. A netgroup can
provide a way to reference sets of Linux/UNIX hosts collectively for accessing storage over NFS.
You can create a host configuration for a netgroup to define and control storage access for multiple
Linux/UNIX hosts or users through a single configuration.

WHQDQW Specifies the identifier of the tenant with which the host is to be associated.
NOTE: If not specified, the host is created in the default network namespace and the tenant attribute
will be blank.

DGGU Specifies the hostnames or IP addresses associated with the host, IP addresses of the subnet, or the name
of the netgroup. Separate each value with a comma.
” Format: <IP address>/[<prefix length>].
” Default prefix length for IPv4 addresses is 24 and for IPv6 addresses is 64.
NOTE: This information is required when connecting hosts to network shares on the system.

LJQRUHG$GGU Specifies a list of IP addresses associated with the host that are excluded from data access. Separate each
value with a comma.
QHWPDVN Specifies the subnet mask for the host configuration.
RV7\SH Specify the type of operating system (OS) running on the host. You can enter any value you want. Here are
suggestions for some of the common operating systems:
” XQGHILQHG — OS is not specified (default) or unknown.
” RWKHU — Other.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2003.
” ZLQ[S — Windows XP.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2008.
” ZLQYLVWD — Windows Vista.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2012.
” HV[ — VMware ESX.
” UHGKDW — Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
” VOHV — SUSE Linux Enterprise.
” ZLQ — Windows 7.
” K\SHUY — Microsoft Hyper-V.
” VRODULV — Solaris.

Example 1
The following command creates a host configuration for a host with these settings:
” Name is MyHost.
” Description is “accounting”.
” IP address is 10.64.74.10.
” OS is Windows XP.
The host configuration receives ID Host_1014:

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 31

XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH KRVW FUHDWH ±QDPH 0\+RVW ±GHVFU
³DFFRXQWLQJ´ W\SH KRVW ±DGGU RV7\SH ZLQ[S

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' +RVWB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 2
The following command creates a host configuration for a subnet with these settings:
” Name is MySubnet.
” Description is “subnet1”.
” IP address is 192.168.10.0.
” Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.
The host configuration receives ID Subnet_1015:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH KRVW FUHDWH ±QDPH 0\6XEQHW ±GHVFU
³VXEQHW ´ W\SH VXEQHW ±DGGU ±QHWPDVN

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 6XEQHWB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 3
The following command creates a host configuration for a subnet with these settings:
” Name is IPv6Subnet.
” Description is “V6_HE_Subnet”.
” IPv6 address is 2001:db8:c25:
” Prefix length is 48.
The host configuration receives ID NetGroup_1023:
XHPFOL G UHPRWH KRVW FUHDWH QDPH ,3Y 6XEQHW GHVFU 9 B+(B6XEQHW W\SH VXEQHW
DGGU GE F

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 1HW*URXSB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View host configurations

View details about a host configuration. You can select the ID of the host configuration or the host type.

Format
UHPRWH KRVW >^^ LG YDOXH! _ QDPH YDOXH!` _ W\SH ^KRVW _ VXEQHW _ QHWJURXS`_ KRVWJURXS
YDOXH! _ KRVWJURXS1DPH YDOXH!`@ VKRZ

32 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Specify the host ID.
QDPH Specify the host name.
W\SH Specifies the host type. Valid values are:
” KRVW
” VXEQHW
” QHWJURXS
KRVWJURXS Specifies the host group id to use as a filter.
KRVWJURXS1DPH Specifies the host group name to use as a filter.

Example
The following command lists all host configurations on the system:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH KRVW VKRZ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,'
1DPH 0\+RVW
'HVFULSWLRQ WKLV LV P\ KRVW
7HQDQW WHQDQWB
7\SH KRVW
$GGUHVV
1HWPDVN
26 W\SH ZLQ[S
,JQRUHG DGGUHVV
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.

,'
1DPH 0\6XEQHW
'HVFULSWLRQ WKLV LV P\ VXEQHW
7HQDQW
7\SH VXEQHW
$GGUHVV
1HWPDVN
26 W\SH
,JQRUHG DGGUHVV
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.

Change host configuration settings

Change the settings for a host configuration.

Format
UHPRWH KRVW ^ LG YDOXH! _ QDPH YDOXH!` VHW > QDPH YDOXH!@ > GHVFU YDOXH!@ > DGGU
YDOXH!@ > LJQRUHG$GGU YDOXH!@ > QHWPDVN YDOXH!@ > RV7\SH YDOXH!@ > DGG/XQV YDOXH! >
KOXV YDOXH! @@ > UHPRYH/XQV YDOXH!@

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 33

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG ID of the host configuration to change.
QDPH Name of the host configuration to change.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
QDPH Specifies the new name for the host configuration.
GHVF Specifies the new description of the host configuration.
DGGU Specifies the hostnames or IP addresses associated with the host, IP addresses of the subnet, or the
network addresses of the netgroup. Separate each value with a comma.
” For subnet type, specifies the new IP address of the subnet.
” For netgroup, specifies the new netgroup's name.
” Format: <IP address>/[<prefix length>].
” Default prefix length for IPv4 addresses is 24 and for IPv6 addresses is 64.
NOTE: This information is required when connecting hosts to network shares on the system.

LJQRUHG$GGU Specifies a list of IP addresses associated with the host that are excluded from data access. Separate each
value with a comma.
QHWPDVN Specify the subnet mask for the host configuration.
RV7\SH Specify the type of operating system (OS) running on the host. You can enter any value you want. Here are
suggestions for some of the common operating systems:
” XQGHILQHG — OS is not specified or unknown.
” RWKHU — Other.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2003.
” ZLQ[S — Windows XP.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2008.
” ZLQYLVWD — Windows Vista.
” ZLQ VUY — Windows Server 2012.
” HV[ — VMware ESX.
” UHGKDW — Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
” VOHV — SUSE Linux Enterprise.
” ZLQ — Windows 7.
” K\SHUY — Microsoft Hyper-V.
” VRODULV — Solaris.
DGG/XQV Specify a comma-separated list of LUN friendly IDs for LUNs to add to the host.
KOXV Specifies the comma-separated list of Host LUN identifiers to be used by the corresponding hosts which
were specified in the OXQ+RVWV option. The number of items in the two lists must match. However, an
empty string is a valid value for any element of the Host LUN identifiers list, as long as commas separate the
list elements. Such an empty element signifies that the system should automatically assign the Host LUN
identifier value by which the corresponding host will access the LUN.
If not specified, the system will automatically assign the Host LUN identifier value for every host specified in
the OXQ+RVWV argument list.

UHPRYH/XQV Specify a comma-separated list of LUN friendly IDs for LUNs to remove from the host.

34 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Example
The following command updates the description of host configuration 1014 to indicate that it now holds the payroll database:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH KRVW ±LG VHW GHVFU
³$FFRXQWLQJ´ ±RV7\SH ZLQ[S

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,'
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Delete host configurations

Delete a host configuration.
NOTE: Deleting a host configuration breaks the block-based (Fibre Channel or iSCSI) storage connections associated with
the configuration. Hosts that use the configuration for NFS-based storage connections, such as NFS shares, revert to the
default access privileges for any storage resources that they can access.

Format
UHPRWH KRVW ^ LG YDOXH! _ QDPH YDOXH!` GHOHWH

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG ID of the host configuration to delete.
QDPH Name of the host configuration to delete.

Example
The following command deletes host configuration 1014:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH KRVW ±LG GHOHWH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage host initiators

After you create a host configuration for controlling host access to storage on the system, you need to create one or more
initiators for each host configuration that accesses the storage system. Each initiator represents the initiator on the host, which
will connect to the storage system. There are two types of initiators, Fibre Channel (FC) and iSCSI.
A FC initiator contains the WWN of an HBA on the host. This WWN is not the WWN of the host.
An iSCSI initiator contains the IQN (iSCSI Qualified Name) used by the host, and optionally the CHAP authentication password
associated with the host. explains how to configure reverse (two-way) CHAP authentication on the system.
Each initiator is identified by an ID.
The following table lists the attributes for initiators.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 35

Table 7. Initiator attributes
Attribute Description
,' Host initiator ID.
+RVW Name of the parent host.
8,' FC WWN or iSCSI IQN of the initiator.
,QLWLDWRU W\SH The type of initiator. Value is one of the following:
” )&
” L6&6,
3RUWV ORJJHG LQ Comma-separated list of array target ports that the initiator is logged into.
,JQRUHG Indicates whether the initiator is ignored for data access to the host. Value is one of the
following:
” <HV — The initiator is ignored.
” 1R — The initiator is not ignored.
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state of the system. The health state code appears in parentheses. Value is one of
the following:
” 8QNQRZQ — Status is unknown.
” 2. — Working correctly.
” 2. %87 — Working correctly, but there could be a problem.
” 'HJUDGHG :DUQLQJ — Working and performing all functions, but the
performance may not be optimum.
” 0LQRU IDLOXUH — Working and performing all functions but overall
performance is degraded. This condition has a minor impact on the system and should
be remedied at some point, but does not have to be fixed immediately.
” 0DMRU IDLOXUH — Failing and some or all functions may be degraded or not
working. This condition has a significant impact on the system and should be remedied
immediately.
” &ULWLFDO IDLOXUH — Failed and recovery may not be possible. This
condition has resulted in data loss and should be remedied immediately.
” 1RQ UHFRYHUDEOH HUURU — Completely failed and cannot be recovered.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information. See Appendix A, Reference, for health information details.
&+$3 XVHUV List of CHAP accounts configured for the initiator.
6RXUFH W\SH The source initiator type. Values are:
” +3$XWRWUHVSDVV - HP with Auto-trespass
” 2SHQ1DWLYH (default) - Open native (such as CLARiiON Open)
” 6*, - Silicon Graphics
” +31R$XWRWUHVSDVV- HP without Auto-trespass
” 'HOO
” )XMLWVX6LHPHQV
” 7UX - Compaq Tru64
)DLORYHU PRGH The failover mode for the initiator. Values are:
” $XWR7UHVSDVV- Any media access to the non owning SP is rejected.
” 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\- A command failure during I/O is sent to the non-owning SP.
” '03- Quiet trespass on I/O to non owning SP.
” 3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\- Some commands, e.g. Test Unit Ready, returns PAR status.
” $/8$(default) - Initiators are permitted to send I/O to a LUN regardless of which SP
actually owns the LUN.
/81= HQDEOHG Specifies whether LUNZ is enabled. Values are:
” \HV (default)
” QR
8QLW VHULDO QXPEHU Indicates the unity serial number. Values are:

36 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Table 7. Initiator attributes (continued)
Attribute Description
” $UUD\ (default)
” /81
For SCSI-3 interfaces, the Unity Serial Number page (Vital Product Data page 0x80)
reports the serial number for the array or LUN.

Create initiators
Create an FC or iSCSI initiator and assign it to a host configuration.

Format
UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU FUHDWH ±KRVW YDOXH! XLG YDOXH! W\SH ^LVFVL_IF` > VRXUFH7\SH
^+3$XWRWUHVSDVV _ 2SHQ1DWLYH _ 6*, _ +31R$XWRWUHVSDVV _ 'HOO _ )XMLWVX6LHPHQV _ 7UX `@
> IDLORYHU0RGH ^$XWR7UHVSDVV _ 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\ _ '03 _ 3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\ _ $/8$`@ >
OXQ](QDEOHG ^\HV _ QR`@ > XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU ^$UUD\ _ /81`@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
KRVW Identifies the host configuration to which to assign the initiator.
XLG Specifies the FC WWN or the iSCSI IQN of the host to which to assign the initiator.
W\SH Specifies the type of initiator. Value is one of the following:
” LVFVL
” IF
VRXUFH7\SH Specify the source type for the initiator. Valid values are:
” +3$XWRWUHVSDVV - HP with Auto-trespass
” 2SHQ1DWLYH (default) - Open native (such as CLARiiON Open)
” 6*, - Silicon Graphics
” +31R$XWRWUHVSDVV- HP without Auto-trespass
” 'HOO
” )XMLWVX6LHPHQV
” 7UX - Compaq Tru64
IDLORYHU0RGH Specify the failover mode for the initiator. Valid values are:
” $XWR7UHVSDVV- Any media access to the non owning SP is rejected.
” 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\- A command failure during I/O is sent to the non-owning SP.
” '03- Quiet trespass on I/O to non owning SP.
” 3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\- Some commands, e.g. Test Unit Ready, returns PAR status.
” $/8$ (default) - Initiators are permitted to send I/O to a LUN regardless of which SP actually
owns the LUN.
OXQ](QDEOHG Set whether LUNZ will be enabled. Valid values are:
” \HV (default)
” QR
XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU Specify the Unit Serial Number. Valid values are:
” $UUD\ (default)
” /81
For SCSI-3 interfaces, the Unity Serial Number page (Vital Product Data page 0x80) reports the
serial number for the array or LUN.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 37

Example 1
The following command creates an FC initiator for host configuration 1014. The FC initiator receives ID 1021:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU FUHDWH KRVW XLG
& ) )' & ) )' W\SH IF

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,'
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 2
The following command creates an iSCSI initiator for host configuration Host_3. The iSCSI initiator receives ID 1022:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VVO3ROLF\ DFFHSW UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU
FUHDWH KRVW +RVWB XLG LTQ FRP IDQF\ ZLQ W\SH LVFVL

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,'
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 3
The following command creates an iSCSI initiator for "Host_3" with:
” A source type of "OpenNative"
” A failover mode of "PassiveAlwaysReady"
” LUNZ disabled
” And an "Array" Unit Serial Number
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU FUHDWH KRVW
+RVWB XLG LTQ FRP PLFURVRIW ZLQ W\SH LVFVL VRXUFH7\SH 2SHQ1DWLYH IDLORYHU0RGH
3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\ OXQ](QDEOHG QR XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU $UUD\

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' +RVW,QLWLDWRUB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View initiators
View a list of initiators. You can filter on the initiator ID, host ID, or whether the initiator is registered.

Format
UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU >^ LG YDOXH! _ KRVW YDOXH! _ XQUHJLVWHUHG`@ VKRZ

38 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the initiator.
KRVW Type the ID of a host configuration to view the initiators assigned to the host configuration.
XQUHJLVWHUHG Specifies unregistered initiators.

Example
The following command lists the details of all initiators on the system:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU VKRZ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' +RVW,QLWLDWRUB
+RVW +RVWB
8,' LTQ FRP PLFURVRIW FQHQIDQZ O F FRUS HPF FRP
,QLWLDWRU W\SH LVFVL
3RUWV ORJJHG LQ VSEBHWK VSDBHWK
,JQRUHG QR
+HDOWK 6WDWH 2.
+HDOWK 'HWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV UHTXLUHG
&+$3 XVHUV
6RXUFH W\SH 2SHQB1DWLYH
)DLORYHU PRGH $/8$
/81= \HV
8QLW VHULDO QXPEHU $UUD\

Change initiator settings

Modify an already created initiator.

Format
UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU LG YDOXH! VHW > LJQRUHG ^\HV _ QR`@ > KRVW YDOXH!@ > VRXUFH7\SH
^+3$XWRWUHVSDVV _ 2SHQ1DWLYH _ 6*, _ +31R$XWRWUHVSDVV _ 'HOO _ )XMLWVX6LHPHQV _ 7UX `@
> IDLORYHU0RGH ^$XWR7UHVSDVV _ 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\ _ '03 _ 3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\ _ $/8$`@ >
OXQ](QDEOHG ^\HV _ QR`@ > XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU ^$UUD\ _ /81`@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Specifies the ID of the initiator

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
LJQRUHG Specifies whether the initiator is ignored for data access to the host. Valid values are:
” \HV — The initiator is ignored.
” QR — The initiator is not ignored.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 39

Qualifier Description
KRVW Identifies the host configuration to which the initiator is assigned. View host configurations explains
how to view the IDs of host configurations on the system.
VRXUFH7\SH Specify the source type for the initiator. Valid values are:
” +3$XWRWUHVSDVV — HP with Auto-trespass
” 2SHQ1DWLYH — Open native (such as CLARiiON Open)
” 6*, — Silicon Graphics
” +31R$XWRWUHVSDVV — HP without Auto-trespass
” 'HOO
” )XMLWVX6LHPHQV
” 7UX — Compaq Tru64
IDLORYHU0RGH Specify the failover mode for the initiator. Valid values are:
” $XWR7UHVSDVV — Any media access to the non owning SP is rejected.
” 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\ — A command failure during I/O is sent to the non-owning SP.
” '03 — Quiet trespass on I/O to non owning SP.
” 3DVVLYH$OZD\V5HDG\ — Some commands, e.g. Test Unit Ready, returns PAR status.
” $/8$ — Initiators are permitted to send I/O to a LUN regardless of which SP actually owns the
LUN.
OXQ](QDEOHG Set whether LUNZ will be enabled. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU Specify the Unit Serial Number. Valid values are:
” $UUD\
” /81
For SCSI-3 interfaces, the Unity Serial Number page (Vital Product Data page 0x80) reports the
serial number for the array or LUN.

IRUFH Specify to bypass the validation of setting a new host when there are already storage resources
associated with the host and attached to the initiator.
If you want to delete a stale initiator for which the associated host has LUN access and as such
those LUNs cannot be deleted, you will need to ignore the associated host by setting the stale
initiator to an empty host with this IRUFH option.

Example
The following command changes the source type, failover mode, LUNZ settings, and Unit Serial Number of the initiator:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG UHPRWH LQLWLDWRU LG +RVW,QLWLDWRUB VHW
VRXUFH7\SH +3$XWRWUHVSDVV IDLORYHU0RGH 3DVVLYH1RW5HDG\ OXQ](QDEOHG \HV XQLW6HULDO1XPEHU
$UUD\

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage VMware vCenter

Manage VMware vCenter servers.
The following table lists the attributes for VMware vCenter.

40 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Table 8. VMware vCenter attributes
Attribute Description
,' ID of the VMware virtual center
$GGUHVV Domain name or IP address of VMware vCenter.
8VHU QDPH Name of the administrator account on the VMware vCenter.
3DVVZRUG Password of the administrator account on the VMware
vCenter.
'HVFULSWLRQ Description of the VMware vCenter.
9$6$ SURYLGHU VWDWH Indicates whether the system is registered as a VASA provider
in vCenter. Values are:
” 5HJLVWHUHG
” 1RW UHJLVWHUHG
” 1RW VXSSRUWHG
NOTE: Automatic VASA registration is not supported on
vSphere versions earlier than 6.0. The storage system can
be registered as a VASA provider with only one vCenter at
a time.

/RFDO XVHUQDPH The username of the local account that vSphere will use to
register the system as a VASA provider.
NOTE: It is recommended that you create a new user
with the XVHU DFFRXQW command and set the role to
vmadmin.

/RFDO SDVVZRUG The password of the local account that vSphere will use to
register the system as a VASA provider.

Create VMware vCenter

Adds the vCenter credentials and discovers any ESXi host managed by that vCenter. The vCenter credentials are stored in the
storage system. In order to execute this command, the user must have account on the storage system.

Format
YLUW YPZ YF FUHDWH DGGU YDOXH! XVHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ SDVVZG YDOXH! _ SDVVZG6HFXUH` >
GHVFU YDOXH!@ > UHJLVWHU9DVD3URYLGHU ^\HV ORFDO8VHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ ORFDO3DVVZG YDOXH! _
ORFDO3DVVZG6HFXUH` _ QR`@

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DGGU Domain name or IP address or domain name of the VMware vCenter.
XVHUQDPH Specify the VMware administrator username used to access the VMware vCenter.
SDVVZG Specify the VMware administrator password used to access the VMware vCenter.
SDVVZG6HFXUH Specify the password in secure mode. The user will be prompted to input the password.
GHVFU Specify the description of the VMware vCenter server.
UHJLVWHU9DVD3URYLGHU Specify to register the system as a VASA provider with this vCenter server. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 41

Qualifier Description
ORFDO8VHUQDPH Specify the username of the system account that will be used by vCenter to register the
system as a VASA provider.
NOTE: It is recommended that you create a new user with the XVHU DFFRXQW
command and set the role to vmadmin. The storage system can be registered as a VASA
provider with only one vCenter at a time.

ORFDO3DVVZG Specify the password of the system account that will be used by vCenter to register the
system as a VASA provider.
ORFDO3DVVZG6HFXUH Specify the VASA password in secure mode, which requires the user to input the password
when prompted.

Example 1
The following command adds virtual center credentials:
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ YF FUHDWH DGGU
XVHUQDPH DGPLQLVWUDWRU#YVSKHUH ORFDO SDVVZG [[[ GHVFU $GG Y&HQWHU

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 9&B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 2
The following command adds a vCenter and registers the storage system as a VASA provider.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ YF FUHDWH ±DGGUHVV
±XVHUQDPH URRW ±SDVVZG [[[ ±GHVFU $GG YLUWXDO FHQWHU ±UHJLVWHU9DVD3URYLGHU \HV ±
ORFDO8VHUQDPH DGPLQ ±ORFDO3DVVZG 3DVVZRUG

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 9&B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Set the credentials or description of an existing vCenter server

Modifies the credentials or description of the existing vCenter server. In order to execute this command the user must have an
account on the storage system.

Format
YLUW YPZ YF LG YDOXH! VHW > DGGU YDOXH!@ > XVHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ SDVVZG YDOXH! _
SDVVZG6HFXUH` @ > GHVFU YDOXH!@

Object qualifier

Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the VMware vCenter server.

42 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Action qualifier

Qualifier Description
DGGU Specifies the new IP address or domain name of the VMware vCenter server.
XVHUQDPH Specifies the VMware administrator username.
SDVVZG Specifies the VMware administrator password.
SDVVZG6HFXUH Specifies the password in secure mode - the user will be prompted to input the password.
GHVFU Specifies the new description of the VMware vCenter server.

Example
The following command specifies the new description of the VMware vCenter server:
XHPFOL YLUW YPZ YF LG 9&B VHW GHVFU 7KLV Y&HQWHU PDQDJHV (6;L KRVWV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 9&B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Delete an existing vCenter server

Removes an existing VMware vCenter server and its associated ESXi hosts.
NOTE: If the Unity system is registered as a VASA provider in vCenter and you delete the vCenter from Unity, the Unity
system will be unregistered as a VASA provider from vCenter.

Format
YLUW YPZ YF LG YDOXH! GHOHWH

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the VMware vCenter server.

Example
The following example deletes an existing vCenter server and any of its associated ESXi hosts.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ YF LG 9&B GHOHWH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View all vCenter servers

Displays a list of configured VMware vCenter servers.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 43

Format
YLUW YPZ YF > LG YDOXH!@ VKRZ

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the VMware vCenter server.

Example
The following example shows a list of all vCenter servers.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ YF VKRZ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' 9&B
$GGUHVV
'HVFULSWLRQ 7KLV Y&HQWHU PDQDJHV (6;L KRVWV
9$6$ SURYLGHU VWDWH \HV

Refresh all vCenter servers

Rescan details of all configured VMware vCenter servers.

Format
YLUW YPZ YF UHIUHVK > VFDQ+DUGZDUH@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Specify the ID of the vCenter. If not specified, all attached vCenters are refreshed.
VFDQ+DUGZDUH Specify to rescan hardware changes (this takes additional time).

Example
The following example rescans all vCenters.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ YF UHIUHVK VFDQ+DUGZDUH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

44 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Manage ESXi hosts
Manage VMware ESXi hosts.
The following table lists the attributes for ESXi hosts.

Table 9. ESXi host attributes

Attribute Description
,' ID of the ESXi host.
1DPH Name of the ESXi host.
$GGUHVV Domain name or IP address of ESXi host.
9LUWXDO FHQWHU Identifier of the VMware VCenter server managing the ESXi
host.
8VHUQDPH Name of the user account on the ESXi host.
3DVVZRUG Password of the user account on the ESXi host.
'HVFULSWLRQ Description of the ESXi host.
1)6Y VXSSRUWHG Indicates if the NFSv4 protocol is supported for the host.
Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
1)6 XVHUQDPH Displays the NFS user authentication information configured
for the ESXi host. The same username should be configured
on the VMware NFS datastore in order to enable secure NFS
access with Kerberos for that datastore.

Create an ESXi host

Adds a VMware ESXi host.

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ FUHDWH DGGU YDOXH! ^ YF YDOXH! _ XVHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ SDVVZG YDOXH! _
SDVVZG6HFXUH` ` > GHVFU YDOXH! @ @ > UHVROYH&RQIOLFWV ^ \HV _ QR ` @

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DGGU Domain name or IP address of the ESXi host.
YF Identifies the VMware vCenter server.
XVHUQDPH Specifies the username used to access the VMware ESXi host.
SDVVZG Specifies the password used to access the VMware ESXi host.
SDVVZG6HFXUH Specifies the password in secure mode - the user will be prompted to input the password.
GHVFU Specifies the description of the VMware ESXi host.
UHVROYH&RQIOLFWV Specifies the option to resolve IP address or initiator conflicts interactively. Valid values are yes or no
(default).

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 45

Example 1
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ FUHDWH DGGU
XVHUQDPH URRW SDVVZG [[[ GHVFU 0\ (6;L KRVW

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' (6;B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Example 2
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ FUHDWH DGGU YF
90ZDUH9&B UHVROYH&RQIOLFWV \HV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

7KH (6; KRVW WR EH FUHDWHG KDV ,3 DGGUHVVHV DQG RU ,QLWLDWRUV DOUHDG\ SUHVHQW LQ DQ
H[LVWLQJ KRVW
7KH ,' RI WKH H[LVWLQJ KRVW LV +RVWB
7KH ,3 DGGUHVVHV LQ FRQIOLFW DUH
7KH ,QLWLDWRUV LQ FRQIOLFWV DUH LTQ FRP YPZDUH WHVW
LTQ FRP YPZDUH WHVW

:$51,1* WKH H[LVWLQJ KRVW KDV ,3 DGGUHVVHV DQG RU ,QLWLDWRUV QRW IRXQG LQ WKH (6; KRVW
WR EH FUHDWHG ,I \RX FRQWLQXH ZLWK WKH (6; KRVW FUHDWLRQ WKRVH ,3 DGGUHVVHV DQG RU
,QLWLDWRUV ZLOO EH UHPRYHG DQG FDQ QR ORQJHU EH XVHG IRU VWRUDJH DFFHVV
7KH ,3 DGGUHVV QRW LQ WKH (6; KRVW DUH
7KH ,QLWLDWRUV QRW LQ WKH (6; KRVW DUH LTQ FRP YPZDUH WHVW

'R \RX ZDQW WR FRQYHUW WKH H[LVWLQJ KRVW WR WKH (6; KRVW"
<HV QR \HV

,' (6;B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Change ESXi host credentials

Changes ESXi host credentials and/or description. In order to execute this command the user must have account on the storage
system.

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ LG YDOXH! VHW > GHVFU YDOXH! @ > XVHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ SDVVZG YDOXH! _
SDVVZG6HFXUH ` @ > DGGU YDOXH! @

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the VMware ESXi host.

46 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
GHVFU Specifies the comment or description.
XVHUQDPH Specifies the username used to access the VMware ESXi host.
SDVVZG Specifies the password used to access the VMware ESXi host.
SDVVZG6HFXUH Specifies the new password in secure mode - the user will be prompted to input the password.
DGGU Specifies the domain name or IP address of the ESXi host in order for Unisphere to contact the ESXi host
directly.
NOTE: This is only applicable for standalone ESXi hosts.

Example
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ LG (6;B VHW GHVFU
&KDQJLQJ (6;L KRVW GHVFULSWLRQ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' (6;B
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Delete ESXi host credentials

Deletes ESXi host credentials. This will also remove access from the specified host to any VMware datastores or protocol
endpoints that are associated with it.

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ LG YDOXH! GHOHWH

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the ESXi host.

Example
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ LG (6;B GHOHWH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View all existing ESXi hosts

Displays a list of all configured VMware ESXi hosts.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 47

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ >^ LG YDOXH! _ YF YDOXH!`@ VKRZ

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the VMware ESXi host.
YF Identifies the VMware vCenter server.

Example
The following example shows how to display all of the ESXi hosts on the vCenter connected to the system.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ YF 9&B VKRZ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' (6;B
1DPH QOSF DD EE FRP
Y&HQWHU 9&B
$GGUHVV
'HVFULSWLRQ
1)6Y VXSSRUWHG \HV
1)6 XVHUQDPH URRW

,' (6;B
1DPH QOSF [[ \\ FRP
Y&HQWHU 9&B
$GGUHVV
1)6Y VXSSRUWHG QR
1)6 XVHUQDPH

Discover all ESXi hosts

Lists all VMware ESXi hosts on the specified VMware vCenter server.

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ GLVFRYHU ^ YF YDOXH! _ YF$GGU YDOXH! XVHUQDPH YDOXH! ^ SDVVZG YDOXH! _
SDVVZG6HFXUH` ` > FUHDWH$OO @

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
YF Identifies the existing VMware vCenter.
YF$GGU IP address or domain name of the VMware vCenter.
XVHUQDPH Specifies the name of the VMware vCenter.
SDVVZG Specifies the password of the VMware vCenter
SDVVZG6HFXUH Specifies the password in secure mode - the user will be prompted to input the password.

48 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Qualifier Description
FUHDWH$OO Adds all discovered ESXi hosts automatically.

Example
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ GLVFRYHU YF 9&B

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

1DPH QOSF XV GJ FRP

1DPH QOSF XV GJ FRP

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Refresh an ESXi host

Rescans details of a VMware ESXi host.

Format
YLUW YPZ HV[ > LG YDOXH!@ UHIUHVK > VFDQ+DUGZDUH@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Identifies the ESXi host. If an ID is not specified, all virtualization objects are rescanned.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
VFDQ+DUGZDUH Specify to rescan hardware changes also (takes additional time).

Example
The following command rescans the hardware to discover additional ESXi hosts.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG YLUW YPZ HV[ UHIUHVK VFDQ+DUGZDUH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage capability profiles

A capability profile is a group of storage capabilities that are applicable for vVol datastores. You must create one or more
capability profiles before creating vVol datastores.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 49

Capabilities are automatically derived from the underlying storage pool and are determined by the pool properties. Usage tags
are assigned by the storage admin.
There are three ways to profile storage capabilities for a pool:

Table 10. Storage capabilities

Capability name Description
Service level-based provisioning (physical Expected service level for the pool:
deployments) ” Platinum
| Single-tiered Flash pool
” Gold
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Flash and SAS drives
| Single-tiered pool with SAS RAID 10
” Silver
| Multitiered pool with a mix of SAS and NL-SAS
| Single-tiered pool with SAS RAID 5 or RAID 6
” Bronze
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Flash and NL-SAS
| Single-tiered pool with NL-SAS
Service level-based provisioning (virtual Expected service level for a virtual pool:
deployments) ” Gold
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance and
Performance tiers
| Single-tiered Extreme Performance pool
” Silver
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance, Performance,
and Capacity tiers
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Performance and Capacity tiers
| Single-tiered Performance pool
” Bronze
| Multitiered pool with a mix of Extreme Performance and Capacity
tiers
| Single-tiered Capacity pool
Usage tags Usage tags can be applied to capability profiles to designate them and
their associated vVol datastores for a particular use. For example, a vVol
datastore may be tagged for vVols and VMs that support a particular
application. The virtualization administrator and storage administrator
should collaborate to define these usage tags.
Storage properties Supported storage properties include:
” Drive type:
| Extreme Performance [Flash]
| Performance [SAS]
| Capacity [NL-SAS]
| Multitier [mixed]
| Extreme Multitier [mixed with Flash]
” RAID type (physical deployments only):
| RAID5
| RAID6
| RAID10
| Mixed
” FAST Cache (physical deployments only):
| Enabled
| Disabled
” FAST VP tiering policy:
| Highest Available Tier
| Start High then Auto-Tier

50 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Table 10. Storage capabilities (continued)
Capability name Description
| Auto-Tier
| Lowest Available Tier
” Space Efficiency:
| Thick
| Thin

Table 11. Capability profile attributes

Attribute Description
,' Capability profile identifier.
1DPH Capability profile name.
'HVFULSWLRQ Capability profile description.
90ZDUH 88,' VMware UUID of the capability profile.
6WRUDJH SRRO Associated storage pool identifier.
6HUYLFH OHYHO Service level of the underlying storage pool. Valid values are:
” 3ODWLQXP
” *ROG
” 6LOYHU
” %URQ]H
8VDJH WDJ Comma-separated list of user-defined tags. Each tag is an alphanumeric
string value.
'ULYH W\SH Specifies the drive type of the underlying storage which is determined by
the storage pool. Valid values are:
” &DSDFLW\7LHU
” 3HUIRUPDQFH7LHU
” ([WUHPH3HUIRUPDQFH7LHU
” 0XOWL7LHU
” ([WUHPH0XOWL7LHU

5$,' OHYHO (physical deployments only) Specifies the RAID level of the underlying storage pool. Valid values are:
” 5$,'
” 5$,'
” 5$,'
” 0L[HG

)$67 &DFKH (physical deployments only) Indicates whether or not FAST Cache is enabled on the underlying storage
pool. Valid values are:
” 2Q
” 2II
)$67 93 SROLF\ Comma-separated list of FAST VP storage policies for the underlying
storage pool. Valid values are:
” 6WDUW KLJK WKHQ DXWR WLHU
” $XWR WLHU
” +LJKHVW DYDLODEOH WLHU
” /RZHVW DYDLODEOH WLHU
6SDFH HIILFLHQF\ Comma-separated list of available space efficiency policies for the
underlying storage pool. Valid values are:
” 7KLFN
” 7KLQ
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 51

Table 11. Capability profile attributes (continued)
Attribute Description
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information.

Create a capability profile

Create a capability profile for vVol datastores.

Format
VWRU FRQILJ FS FUHDWH > DV\QF@ QDPH YDOXH! > GHVFU YDOXH!@ SRRO YDOXH! > XVDJH7DJ
YDOXH!@

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
QDPH Type a name for the capability profile.
NOTE: The name may contain alphanumeric values, a hyphen, an underscore, and a period. It cannot start
with hyphen or period, and cannot consist only of digits.

GHVFU Type a description for the capability profile.

SRRO Specify the identifier of the storage pool the capability profile is based on.
XVDJH7DJ Type a comma-separated list of user-specified usage tags. Each tag is an alphanumeric string value.

Example
The following command creates a capability profile with these settings:
” Specifies a capability profile name of "CapabilityProfile1"
” Specifies that the capability profile is based on "pool_1"
” Specifies the usage tag as "Production"
” Not specified to be created in asynchronous mode
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU FRQILJ FS FUHDWH QDPH
&DSDELOLW\3URILOH SRRO SRROB XVDJH7DJ 3URGXFWLRQ

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' FSB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View capability profiles

Displays a list of existing capability profiles and their characteristics.

Format
VWRU FRQILJ FS > LG YDOXH!@ VKRZ

52 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the capability profile.

Example
The following command displays a list of existing capability profiles and their characteristics.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU FRQILJ FS VKRZ GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' FSB
1DPH &DSDELOLW\3URILOH
'HVFULSWLRQ
90ZDUH 88,' H H E G D
6WRUDJH SRRO SRROB
6HUYLFH OHYHO *ROG
8VDJH WDJ ([FKDQJH 2/73
'ULYH W\SH ([WUHPH0XOWL7LHU
5$,' OHYHO 0L[HG
)$67 &DFKH 2II
)$67 93 SROLF\ 6WDUW KLJK WKHQ DXWR WLHU $XWR WLHU +LJKHVW DYDLODEOH WLHU
/RZHVW DYDLODEOH WLHU
6SDFH HIILFLHQF\ 7KLQ 7KLFN
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV UHTXLUHG

Change capability profiles

Modify an existing capability profile.

Format
VWRU FRQILJ FS LG YDOXH! VHW > DV\QF@ > QDPH YDOXH!@ > GHVFU YDOXH!@ >^ DGG8VDJH7DJ
YDOXH! _ UHPRYH8VDJH7DJ YDOXH!`@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the capability profile to be modified.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
QDPH Type a name for the capability profile.
NOTE: The name may contain alphanumeric values, a hyphen, an underscore, and a period. It
cannot start with hyphen or period, and cannot consist only of digits.

GHVFU Type a description for the capability profile.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 53

Qualifier Description
DGG8VDJH7DJ Comma-separated list of user-specified usage tags to be added to the specified capability profile. Each
tag is an alphanumeric string value.
UHPRYH8VDJH7DJ Comma-separated list of user-specified usage tags to be removed from the specified capability profile.
Each tag is an alphanumeric string value.

Example
The following command changes the name of capability profile "cp_1".
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU FRQILJ FS LG FSB VHW QDPH
&DSDELOLW\3URILOH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' FSB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Delete capability profiles

Deletes specified capability profiles.

Format
VWRU FRQILJ FS > LG YDOXH!@ GHOHWH > DV\QF@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the capability profile.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.

Example
The following command deletes capability profile cp_1.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU FRQILJ FS LG FSB GHOHWH

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

54 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Manage VMware protocol endpoints
Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are access points for ESX/ESXi host communication to the storage system. These endpoints establish
a datapath on-demand for virtual machines and their respective vVol datastores. I/O from VMs is communicated through the PE
to the vVol datastore on the storage system. A single protocol endpoint can multiplex I/O requests from a large number of VM
clients to their virtual volumes.
NAS protocol endpoints are created and managed on the storage system and correspond to a specific NFS-based NAS server.
It is recommended that you enable at least two NAS servers for vVols, one for each SP, for high availability. A File vVol will be
bound to the associated NAS PE every time that VM is powered on. When the VM is powered off, vVols are unbound from the
PE.
SCSI protocol endpoints correspond to a specific iSCSI interface or Fibre Channel connection. The Block vVol will be bound to
the associated SCSI PE every time that the VM is powered on. When the VM is powered off, the PE is unbound. SCSI protocol
endpoints are like LUN mount points that allow I/O access to vVols from the ESXi host to the storage system.

Table 12. Protocol endpoint attributes

Attribute Description
,' VMware protocol endpoint identifier.
1DPH Protocol endpoint name.
7\SH Type of protocol endpoint. Valid values are:
” 6&6,
” 1$6
90ZDUH 88,' VMware UUID of the protocol endpoint.
([SRUW SDWK (NAS PEs only) Export path to the PE.
,3 DGGUHVV IP address of the NAS server for File PEs.
::1 The World Wide Name for Block PEs.
'HIDXOW 63 Identifier for the preferred SP. Valid values are:
” 63$
” 63%
&XUUHQW 63 Identifier for the current SP. Valid values are:
” 63$
” 63%
1$6 VHUYHU Identifier of the associated NAS server for NAS PEs.
90ZDUH 1$6 3( VHUYHU (NAS PEs ID of the corresponding VMware NAS PE server.
only)
99RO GDWDVWRUH (NAS PEs only) ID of the vVol datastore using the PE.

+RVW (SCSI PEs only) Comma-separated list of identifiers for hosts that use the PE.
/81 ,' Logical Unit Number for the protocol endpoint on the host.
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information.

View protocol endpoints

Displays a list of existing protocol endpoints and their characteristics.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH SH > LG YDOXH!@ VKRZ

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 55

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the protocol endpoint.

Example
The following example shows the detail for all protocol endpoints on the system.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH SH VKRZ GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UIF FD F E D
1DPH VFVLBSHB
7\SH 6&6,
90ZDUH 88,' UIF FD F E D
([SRUW SDWK
,3 DGGUHVV
::1 &$ & % $
'HIDXOW 63 63$
&XUUHQW 63 63$
1$6 6HUYHU
90ZDUH 1$6 3( VHUYHU
99RO GDWDVWRUH
+RVW +RVWB
/81 ,'
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH SURWRFRO HQGSRLQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV
UHTXLUHG

Manage vVol datastores

vVols reside in vVol datastores, also known as storage containers, which are comprised of storage allocations from one or more
capability profiles. Capability profiles are built on top of one or more underlying storage pools. You can create vVol datastores
based on one or more capability profiles and then allocate a specific amount of space from the capability profile to the vVol
datastore.
Each vVol datastore has one or more capability profiles that describe its performance and capacity characteristics, such as
drive type, FAST VP tiering policy, and space efficiency policy (thick or thin). These characteristics are derived based on
the underlying storage pool. When a virtual volume is created in vSphere, it is assigned a storage policy profile. vSphere
filters the compatible and incompatible available vVol datastores (from one or more storage systems) when the vVol is being
created based on these profiles. Only vVol datastores that support the storage policy profile are considered compatible storage
containers for deploying the vVol.

Table 13. vVol datastore attributes

Attribute Description
,' vVol datastore identifier.
1DPH vVol datastore name.
'HVFULSWLRQ vVol datastore description.
90ZDUH 88,' VWware UUID of the vVol datastore.
7\SH Type of vVol datastore. Valid values are:
” )LOH
” %ORFN
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state of the vVol datastore. Value is one of the following:

56 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Table 13. vVol datastore attributes (continued)
Attribute Description
” 8QNQRZQ - Health is unknown.
” 2. - Operating normally.
” 2. %87
| Storage resource allocation from one or more pools has exceeded the 85% threshold.
| Storage resource allocation from one or more pools has exceeded the 95% threshold.
” 'HJUDGHG :DUQLQJ
| Pool performance is degraded on one or more of the underlying storage pools for the
virtual volume.
| Storage resource allocation from one or more pools has exceeded the 95% threshold,
and the storage resource is oversubscribed.
” 0DMRU IDLOXUH
| The storage resource has failed due to one or more failed storage pools.
| The storage resource is unavailable due to one or more unavailable servers.
| The storage resource is unavailable and requires a Storage Integrity Check.
” &ULWLFDO IDLOXUH - One or more of the underlying storage pools for a virtual
volume is offline.
” 1RQ UHFRYHUDEOH HUURU - Resource unavailable due to one or more unavailable
storage pools.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Detailed health state for the vVol datastore.
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH Comma-separated list of identifiers of capability profiles supported by the vVol datastore.
Each identifier with a " 1RW XVHG " suffix indicates that this profile can be removed from
the vVol datastore.
6WRUDJH SRRO ,' Comma-separated list of identifiers of storage pools used for the vVol datastore.
7RWDO FDSDFLW\ Total capacity of the vVol datastore.
7RWDO FXUUHQW Total current allocation of the vVol datastore in all associated storage pools.
DOORFDWLRQ
7RWDO XVHG FDSDFLW\ Total used capacity of the vVol datastore.
&UHDWLRQ WLPH Time when the vVol datastore was created.
+RVWV Hosts that have access to the datastore.
/DVW PRGLILHG WLPH Time when the vVol datastore was last modified.

Create vVol datastores

Create a datastore for VMware vVols.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV FUHDWH > DV\QF@ QDPH YDOXH! > GHVFU YDOXH!@ FS YDOXH! VL]H
YDOXH! W\SH ^ EORFN _ ILOH ` > KRVWV YDOXH!@

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
QDPH Type a name for the vVol datastore.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 57

Qualifier Description

NOTE: The name may contain alphanumeric values, a hyphen, an underscore, and a period. It cannot start with
hyphen or period, and cannot consist only of digits.

GHVFU Type a brief description for the vVol datastore.

FS Specify the list of identifiers of capability profiles supported by the vVol datastore.
VL]H Specify the list of allocation sizes. Specify one allocation for the amount of total space available for vVol provisioning
on the vVol datastore for the specified capability profile. If there are multiple capability profiles, the list should
include allocation size respective to each capability profile.
W\SH Specify the vVol datastore type. Valid values are:
” EORFN
” ILOH
KRVWV Specify the comma-separated list of hosts that will have access to the vVol datastore. For a list of eligible hosts,
refer to View host configurations.

Example
The following command creates a vVol datastore with these settings:
” A vVol datastore name of "Engineering department"
” Associates the "cp_1" and "cp_2" capability profiles with this vVol datastore
” Allocates 10 GBs and 12 GBs from capability profiles cp_1 and cp_2, respectively, to the vVol datastore
” Grants access for "Host_1" and "Host_2" to the datastore
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV FUHDWH ±QDPH
³(QJLQHHULQJ GHSDUWPHQW´ ±FS FSB FSB ±VL]H * * ±W\SH ILOH ±KRVWV ³+RVWB +RVWB ´

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UHVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

View vVol datastores

Display a list of existing vVol datastores and their characteristics.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV > LG YDOXH!@ VKRZ

Object qualifiers
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the vVol datastore.

Example
The following command displays a list of vVol datastores and their characteristics.

58 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV VKRZ GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UHVB
1DPH 3HUIRUPDQFH
'HVFULSWLRQ
90ZDUH 88,' H H E G D
7\SH %ORFN
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV
UHTXLUHG
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH FSB FSB 1RW XVHG
6WRUDJH SRRO SRROB SRROB
7RWDO FDSDFLW\ *
7RWDO FXUUHQW DOORFDWLRQ *
7RWDO XVHG FDSDFLW\ *
+RVWV +RVWB
&UHDWLRQ WLPH
/DVW PRGLILHG WLPH

,' UHVB
1DPH HQJLQHHULQJ
'HVFULSWLRQ
90ZDUH 88,' UIF H I D G G EH G F G
7\SH ILOH
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV
UHTXLUHG
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH FSB FSB
6WRUDJH SRRO SRROB SRROB
7RWDO FDSDFLW\ *
7RWDO FXUUHQW DOORFDWLRQ
7RWDO XVHG FDSDFLW\
&UHDWLRQ WLPH
/DVW PRGLILHG WLPH

Manage vVol datastore allocation

Manage the allocation of storage to vVol datastores.

Table 14. vVol datastore allocation attributes

Attribute Description
,' vVol datastore allocation identifier.
99RO GDWDVWRUH vVol datastore identifier.
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH Identifier of the associated capability profile.
6WRUDJH SRRO Comma-separated list of identifiers of storage pools
associated with the capability profile.
6L]H Amount of total space available for vVol provisioning for a
particular capability profile on the vVol datastore.
&XUUHQW DOORFDWLRQ Quantity of primary storage currently allocated for the vVol
datastore for vVols provisioned with a particular capability
profile on the vVol datastore.
6L]H XVHG Amount of space used by virtual volumes provisioned with a
particular capability profile on the vVol datastore.
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state of the vVol datastore allocation.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 59

View vVol datastore allocation details
Displays existing vVol datastore allocations.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV DOORF ^ LG YDOXH! _ YYROGV YDOXH! >^ SRRO YDOXH! _ FS
YDOXH!`@` VKRZ

Object qualifier

Qualifier Description
LG Type the allocation identifier of the vVol datastore.
YYROGV Type the ID of the vVol datastore.
SRRO Type the ID of the storage pool.
FS Type the ID of the capability profile.

NOTE: To obtain the ID of the vVol datastore and it's associated pool and capability profile IDs, refer to View vVol
datastores.

Example
The following command shows the allocation details for the vVol datastore "vvol_1" from pool "pool_1", including associated
capability profile IDs, current size of the storage pool, and current size allocated to the vVol datastore from the storage pool.
XHPFOL VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV DOORF YYROGV YYROGVB SRRO SRROB VKRZ GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' FSDB
99RO GDWDVWRUH UHVB
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH FSB
6WRUDJH SRRO SRROB
6L]H *
&XUUHQW DOORFDWLRQ *
6L]H XVHG *
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV UHTXLUHG

Change vVol datastores

Modify an existing vVol datastore.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV LG YDOXH! VHW > DV\QF@ > QDPH YDOXH!@ > GHVFU YDOXH!@ >^ DGG&S
YDOXH! VL]H YDOXH! _ PRGLI\&S YDOXH! VL]H YDOXH! _ UHPRYH&S YDOXH!`@ >^ KRVWV
YDOXH!_ > DGG+RVWV YDOXH!@ > UHPRYH+RVWV YDOXH!@` > IRUFH@@

60 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the vVol datastore to be modified.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.
QDPH Type a name for the vVol datastore.
NOTE: The name may contain alphanumeric values, a hyphen, an underscore, and a period. It cannot
start with hyphen or period, and cannot consist only of digits.

GHVFU Type a new description for the vVol datastore.

DGG&S Type the list of identifiers of new capability profiles the vVol datastore will support.
PRGLI\&S Type the list of identifiers of capability profiles already supported by the vVol datastore and specify the new
allocated sizes for each.
VL]H Specify the list of allocation sizes. Specify one allocation for the amount of total space available for vVol
provisioning on the vVol datastore for the specified capability profile. If there are multiple capability profiles,
the list should include allocation size respective to each capability profile.
UHPRYH&S Type the list of identifiers of capability profiles you would like to remove from the vVol datastore.
NOTE: This command can only used on capability profiles that are not currently in use by existing
virtual volumes.

KRVWV Specifies the comma-separated list of hosts that have access to VVol datastore. It overwrites the existing
host access settings.
DGG+RVWV Specifies the comma-separated list of hosts to be added with access to VVol datastore. It's incremental
change to the existing host access settings.
UHPRYH+RVWV Specifies the comma-separated list of hosts to be removed from access to VVol datastore. It's incremental
change to the existing host access settings.
IRUFH Type to unconditionally unbind all virtual volumes that are currently bound to a protocol endpoint associated
with a particular host.
NOTE: If host access is changed or removed for a vVol datastore, the associated protocol endpoints
are automatically unbound.

Example 1
The following command modifies the following settings of a vVol datastore:
” Changes the description of the vVol datastore to "My new description"
” Changes the name of the vVol datastore to "MyNewName"
” Associates the capability profile "cp_1" with vVol datastore "res_1"
” Allocates 10 GBs of space from the pool to capability profile "cp_1"
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV LG UHVB VHW
QDPH 0\1HZ1DPH GHVFU 0\ QHZ GHVFULSWLRQ DGG&S FSB VL]H *

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UHVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 61

Example 2
The following command adds access to Host_11 to the vVol datastore.
NOTE: Although Host_2, Host_3, and Host_14 already have access to the vVol datastore, because new host Host_11 is
being added, the full list of hosts that should have access to the vVol datastore must be specified.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV LG UHVB VHW
KRVWV +RVWB +RVWB +RVWB +RVWB

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UHVB
2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Delete vVol datastores

Deletes specified vVol datastores and their associated virtual volumes.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV > LG YDOXH!@ GHOHWH > DV\QF@ > IRUFH ^ \HV _ QR`@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the vVol datastore.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
IRUFH Delete the vVol datastore and any of its associated vVols. Valid values are:
” \HV
” QR
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.

Example
The following command deletes vVol datastore res_1 as well as its virtual volumes.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYROGV LG UHVB GHOHWH
IRUFH \HV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

62 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Manage vVol objects
Virtual volumes are encapsulations of virtual machine files, virtual disks, and their derivatives. There are several types of vVol
objects that correspond to an individual virtual volume, including a VMDK vVol (data vVol), Config vVol, Memory vVol, and Swap
vVol.

Table 15. Types of vVols

VMDK (Data) vVol The VMDK vVol, displayed as Data vVol in Unisphere, contains
the vDisk file, or the hard disk drive, for the VM.
Config vVol The Config vVol contains settings, configuration, and state
information for the VM. This includes vmx, nvram, and log
files.
Memory vVol The Memory vVol contains a complete copy of the VM
memory as part of a with-memory VM snapshot.
Swap vVol The Swap vVol is created when VMs are powered on and
contain copies of the VM memory pages that are not retained
in memory.

Table 16. vVol attributes

Attribute Description
,' Virtual volume identifier.
1DPH Virtual volume name.
7\SH Type of virtual volume. Valid values are:
” 'DWD
” &RQILJ
” 0HPRU\
” 6ZDS
” 2WKHU
5HSOLFD W\SH Virtual volume replica type. Valid values are:
” %DVH
” 3UHSDUHG 6QDS
” 5HDG\ 6QDS
” )DVW &ORQH
3DUHQW Identifier of the base/parent virtual volume for the snap, prepared snap, or fast-clone.
+HDOWK VWDWH Health state of the virtual volume.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV Additional health information for the virtual volume.
'DWDVWRUH Identifier of the datastore associated with the virtual volume.
6WRUDJH SRRO Identifier of the storage pool that contains the virtual volume.
&DSDELOLW\ Identifier of the capability profile associated with the virtual volume.
SURILOH
3ROLF\ SURILOH Name of the VMware vSphere policy profile.
&RPSOLDQW Indicates whether the virtual volume is compliant with the VMware vSphere policy profile.
6L]H Size of the virtual volume.
&XUUHQW Total current allocation of the virtual volume.
DOORFDWLRQ
%RXQG WR Comma-separated list of protocol endpoint identifiers to which the virtual volume is bound. An empty
value indicates an unbound virtual volume.

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 63

Table 16. vVol attributes (continued)
Attribute Description
%LQGLQJ GHWDLOV Binding details of the protocol endpoint to which the virtual volume is bound.
” For virtual volumes bound to NFS protocol endpoints, this displays the full NFS paths.
” For virtual volumes bound to iSCSI protocol endpoints, this displays the virtual volume iSCSI
secondary ID.
” For unbound virtual volumes, this value is empty.
9LUWXDO PDFKLQH Identifier of the virtual machine.
90 KDUG GLVN Name of the associated VM hard disk.
63 RZQHU Name of the storage processor where the vVol is placed.
&UHDWLRQ WLPH Date and time the virtual volume was created.

View vVol objects

Display a list of existing vVol datastores and their characteristics.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO ^> LG YDOXH! _ > YP YDOXH!@ > FS YDOXH!@ > SRRO YDOXH!@ >
GDWDVWRUH YDOXH!@ > SH YDOXH!@ > SDUHQW YDOXH!@ > ERXQG@ > QRQFRPSOLDQW@ ` VKRZ

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the virtual volume.
QDPH Type the virtual volume name.
YP Type the ID of the associated VM for the virtual volume.
FS Type the ID of the capability profile associated with the virtual volume.
SRRO Type the ID of the storage pool that contains the virtual volume.
GDWDVWRUH Type the ID of the associated vVol datastore.
SH Type the ID of the protocol endpoint for which you want to see bound virtual volumes.
SDUHQW Type the ID of the parent virtual volume.
ERXQG Specify in order to display a list of only bound virtual volumes.
QRQFRPSOLDQW Specify in order to display only a list of virtual volumes not compliant with their respective VMware policy
profiles.

Example
The following example displays the details of all vVols for the VM with the ID VM_1.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO ±YP 90B VKRZ
GHWDLO

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

,' UIF GH G E E DGE HE E H

1DPH +DUG GLVN

64 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

 7\SH 'DWD
5HSOLFD W\SH %DVH
3DUHQW
+HDOWK VWDWH 2.
+HDOWK GHWDLOV 7KH FRPSRQHQW LV RSHUDWLQJ QRUPDOO\ 1R DFWLRQ LV UHTXLUHG
'DWDVWRUH UHVB
6WRUDJH SRRO SRROB
&DSDELOLW\ SURILOH FSB
3ROLF\ SURILOH 90ZDUH SROLF\ SURILOH
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Delete vVol objects

Deletes the specified existing vVol objects.
NOTE: Deletion of vVol objects must be exclusively confirmed by the user. The following confirmation message will display:

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\HV QR

The default in silent mode is \HV.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO LG YDOXH! GHOHWH > DV\QF@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Type the ID of the virtual volume.
QDPH Type virtual volume name.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
DV\QF Run the operation in asynchronous mode.

Example
The following command deletes the virtual volume with the ID naa.6006016005603c009370093e194fca3f.
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO ±LG
QDD F H IFD I GHOHWH

9LUWXDO YROXPH GHOHWLRQ ZLOO DOVR XQELQG DQG GHOHWH DVVRFLDWHG VQDSVKRWV DQG IDVW

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 65

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\HV QR
\HV

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Create vVol snapshots

Learn how to create native snapshots of a VMDK (data) vVol object.
Create snapshots of a VMDK, or data, virtual volume.
NOTE: A vVol snapshot created in Unity cannot be restored with vSphere, but a vVol snapshot created with VASA-
connected vSphere can be restored with either Unity or vSphere.

NOTE: Data vVol snapshots created on Unity are not visible to vSphere. Some vSphere workflows, such as data migration
with vMotion, will remove all data vVol snapshots for the corresponding VMDKs. The removed data for these vVol
snapshots cannot be restored once deleted.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO ^ LG YDOXH! _ QDPH YDOXH!` FUHDWH6QDS > VQDS1DPH YDOXH!@ >
DV\QF@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Specify the ID of the virtual volume.
QDPH Specify the name of the virtual volume.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
VQDS1DPH Optionally specify the preferred name of the new snapshot. If not provided, the system will
assign a name with the default naming convention UTC_date_time.
DV\QF Specify to run the operation in asynchronous mode.

Example
The following example creates a snapshot for virtual volume "naa.600601606ab04d003ba396e2c2db4fe3" with the snapshot
name "backup-snap".
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO LG
QDD DE G ED H F GE IH FUHDWH6QDS VQDS1DPH EDFNXS VQDS

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66 Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI

Restore vVol snapshots
Learn how to restore an existing snapshot of a VMDK (data) vVol object.
Restore existing snapshots of a VMDK, or data, virtual volume that were created in either Unisphere or vSphere.

NOTE: The associated VM for the vVol must be powered off in vSphere before restoring any snapshots.

NOTE: A vVol snapshot created in Unity cannot be restored with vSphere, but a vVol snapshot created with VASA-
connected vSphere can be restored with either Unity or vSphere.

Format
VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO ^ LG YDOXH! _ QDPH YDOXH!` UHVWRUH ^ VQDS YDOXH! _ VQDS1DPH
YDOXH!` > DV\QF@

Object qualifier
Qualifier Description
LG Specify the ID of the virtual volume.
QDPH Specify the name of the virtual volume. If the vVol name is not unique, use the LG qualifier.

Action qualifier
Qualifier Description
VQDS Specify the ID of the vVol snapshot from which you want to restore the VMDK (data) vVol.
VQDS1DPH Specify the name of the vVol snapshot from which you want to restore the VMDK (data) vVol.
DV\QF Specify to run the operation in asynchronous mode.

Example
The following example restores snapshot ID "naa.600601606ab04d00a27149d01a8a4f15" for virtual volume
"naa.600601606ab04d003ba396e2c2db4fe3" .
XHPFOL G X /RFDO MRH S 0\3DVVZRUG VWRU SURY YPZDUH YYRO LG
QDD DE G ED H F GE IH UHVWRUH VQDS QDD DE G D G D D I

6WRUDJH V\VWHP DGGUHVV

6WRUDJH V\VWHP SRUW
+7736 FRQQHFWLRQ

2SHUDWLRQ FRPSOHWHG VXFFHVVIXOO\

Manage VMware virtual volume datastores with CLI 67

 3
Troubleshooting, Tips, and Best Practices
Topics:
‡ Troubleshooting VMware vVol datastores on Unity
‡ VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) support
‡ VMware Horizon support

Troubleshooting VMware vVol datastores on Unity

This section describes possible issues and workarounds, limitations, and things to be aware of when deploying vVol datastores
on the storage system. For a detailed list of system limits, refer to the Simple Support Matrix on the support site. For a
complete list of all issues, refer to the Release Notes.

Failed to deploy VM to a vVol datastore of sufficient size

When deploying virtual volumes to vVol datastores on the storage system, the virtual volume files take up additional overhead
beyond the size of the VMDK itself (data-vvol). This overhead can lead to failures when deploying new VMs to vVol datastores,
even though the combined vDisk sizes are less than the overall size of the vVol datastore. This is especially true when VMs are
powered on (swap-vvol) and has snapshots (memory-vvol).
For example, if the vVol datastore is 50 GB and currently has a virtual volume that is 25 GBs, attempting to deploy a new virtual
volume of 20 GBs may fail due to the overhead.
It is recommended that you reserve 10-20% of the vVol datastore size as free space.

vVols inaccessible after registering a second vCenter

If a second vCenter server registers the Unity system as a VASA provider when there is already a registered vCenter, this may
cause the vVol datastores to be inaccessible and thus VM operations to fail. To change vCenters, unmount all datastores and
unregister the VASA provider from the original vCenter before registering the system as a VASA provider for the new vCenter.
Alternatively, to use multiple vCenters with Unity, you should deploy Platform Services Controller (PSC) as a separate
appliance (refer to the VMware documentation for details: https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2015/03/vcenter-server-6-
topology-ha.html/). You can then install multiple vCenter appliances and configure them all to use the same PSC. In this
configuration, each vCenter uses the same PSC CA certificate allowing you to register Unity as the VASA Provider on multiple
vCenter servers.

File vVol creation failure—Failed to create directory

When deploying a File vVol in vSphere and the VMware limit of eight maximum NFS datastore mounts is exceeded, vSphere
returns a vague error message such as:
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+RVWVYF RVIV &UHDWH'LUHFWRU\ )DLOHG WR FUHDWH GLUHFWRU\ QHZ YP &DQQRW &UHDWH )LOH
This error message is less intuitive than the vSphere error that displays when deploying an NFS datastore that exceeds this
limit: 1)6 KDV UHDFKHG WKH PD[LPXP QXPEHU RI VXSSRUWHG YROXPHV
For instructions on increasing the limit of eight maximum NFS mounts in vSphere, refer to the following VMware Knowledge
Base article: https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2239

68 Troubleshooting, Tips, and Best Practices

vVols changes fail during an SP reboot
vVol changes made in vSphere may appear to have failed when Unity has an SP reboot..
Some vVol operations initiated through vSphere, such as SPBM migrations, may appear to fail if there is a concurrent SP reboot
on the Unity system. This occurs because during an SP reboot, VASA is temporarily unavailable. Errors such as the following
may display in vSphere:

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In most of these cases, the operations did complete successfully on Unity, but vSphere was not unable to get an accurate
status through VASA. Occasionally, the operations also fail on Unity and error messages similar to the following may display in
Unisphere:

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UHERRWHG GXULQJ WDVN H[HFXWLRQ

Restart the vSphere operation once the Unity system comes back online after the SP reboot.

vVol operations time out under high stress loads

With high-stress workloads where many VMs are created/booted in parallel, such as a bootstorm in a VDI environment, sporadic
timeouts of vVols operations may occur. This is more likely to occur on arrays that use NL-SAS system drives.
Adjust the settings in vSphere to reduce the number of possible concurrent vVols operations.

VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) support

In vSphere 6.0 and later, there are three different modes for how the Certificate Authority (CA) provisions certificates for ESXi
hosts and vCenter servers:
1. Using the VMCA (default).
2. Using the VMCA as a subordinate CA to a custom certificate authority.
NOTE: With some 6.x and 7.0 versions of vCenter, vCenter may fail to register Unity as a VASA Provider (VP) when
you replace a VMCA root certificate with a subordinate CA. Refer to VMware KB article https://kb.vmware.com/s/
article/2123386 for more information.
3. Using a custom CA as the direct root CA.
The Unity system supports the default configuration where the VMCA provisions certificates as the root certificate authority,
as well as the option to use the VMCA as a subordinate CA to a custom certificate. ESXi hosts and vCenter servers are
authenticated by ensuring that the client certificate presented to the array has been signed by a trusted CA, which must be the
VMCA for Unity systems.
Refer to the following VMware KB article for more details on CA modes for vSphere 6.0 and later:
https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-60/index.jsp#com.vmware.vsphere.security.doc/GUID-4D658104-1D80-441D-
B6BA-4CBBCD0EDD3C.html
NOTE: Unity vVol datastores do not support full vVol datastore isolation between independent vSphere components using
the VASA control path.

VMware Horizon support

The current Unity vVol implementation has not yet been fully certified for use with VMware Horizon View for Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure (VDI). It is recommended that you use VDI and Unity when deploying less than 500 desktops.

Troubleshooting, Tips, and Best Practices 69