Celerra UBER VSA Guide v1

Celerra UBER Virtual Storage Appliance Guide v1EMC CorporationvSpecialist TeamFebruary 2011

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

a) System Requirements

b) Initial Deployment

c) Troubleshooting

2. Provisioning for vSphere 4.1

a) NFS provisioning

b) iSCSI provisioning

c) Troubleshooting

3. Deploying a 2nd VSA for replication

a) NFS replication

b) iSCSI replication

c) Troubleshooting

4. Installing and Testing EMC Plugins

a) Installing Virtual Storage Integrator (vCenter Plugin)

b) Using Virtual Storage Integrator

5. Further Reading and Advanced Use Cases

SECTION 1.0 – Introduction

This document is intended as a step-by-step guide for downloading and configuring the EMC CelerraUBER Virtual Storage Appliance (VSA) version 3.0. This “UBER VSA” was developed by Nicholas Weaverwith contributions by Clint Kitson both from EMC’s virtualization-focused vSpecialist team. This is amodified version of the EMC Celerra VSA provided by EMC Celerra Engineering. This is intended to be acomprehensive reference document and the definitive guide to installing the UBER VSA. The UBER VSAwas created for educational purposes and is not meant, nor is it supported by EMC, in a productionenvironment. However, the UBER VSA contains all the basic functionality of an actual EMC Celerrarunning the operating system, DART 6.0.

The first section is a step-by-step guide to assist the reader to download, install and operate the UBERVSA as a virtual machine running on VMware Workstation. This document assumes no prior knowledgeof the UBER VSA. However, it does assume that the user has familiarity and knowledge of VMwareWorkstation. At a minimum, the user should have access to VMware Workstation to operate the UBERVSA. Having access to VMware vSphere 4.1 in addition to VMware Workstation is preferred…in fact,VMware vSphere is a requirement for some of the sections that follow the basic deployment section.

The sections that follow the initial deployment section (Section 1) provide step-by-step guides foradvanced deployments of the UBER VSA:

Provisioning in a vSphere 4.1 environment (NFS and iSCSI) Deploying a 2nd VSA for replication (NFS and iSCSI) Installing and Testing the EMC plug-in for vCenter (Virtual Storage Integrator) Advanced use cases and further reading for applications using the UBER VSA.

To summarize, the requirements and recommendations for installing the UBER VSA are as follows:

Microsoft Windows machine running VMware Workstation (recommend Windows 7 running VMware Workstation 7). Celerra VSA can run on VMware Fusion on Mac OS X or VMware Player but this document will focus on operating on VMware

Workstation and VMware vSphere. At least 1GB RAM dedicated to the UBER VSA (in addition to the RAM required to run the host OS and VMware Workstation).

So 4GB minimum recommended for the host machine. VMware vSphere (to run the UBER VSA on ESX and/or to perform some of the advanced functions detailed in later sections).

VMware vSphere v4.1 was used for this document. Network connectivity (to connect the VSA to your network, to download the required software, to access the links referenced

throughout the document, to function in modern society)

This document was developed as a joint project by members of EMC’s vSpecialist team. The projectwas completed in February 2011. We would like to thank the following people for their contribution tothis document:

Heather Boegeman, Tarik Dwiek, Asif Khan, Paul Manning, Jase McCarty, Joel Sprouse andThomas Twyman for writing and editing.

Nicholas Weaver for managing the development of the Celerra UBER VSA. Bernie Baker, Simon Seagrave, Aaron Delp and Chris Horn for document oversight.

SECTION 1.1 - Downloading and Installing the EMC UBER VSA1. Download the installation file directly from Nick Weaver’s blog:

http://nickapedia.com/category/celerravsa/

NOTE: There is both a Workstation ZIP version and a vSphere OVA version. For the scope of thissection, we will focus on installing the VSA on VMware Workstation. Upcoming sections will coverdownloading, installing and operating the VSA in a VMware vSphere environment.

Workstation Version (MD5: a2136179d4d9544e4f8e3b43b7cc182e) vSphere Version OVA (MD5: c3d8abfb536aecca34c83d318c2c3e5f)

2. Save the Workstation Version .zip file to your local machine.

3. Browse to the saved file and extract the contents of the .zip file.4. Within VMware Workstation, Select File > Open > Browse to the location of the .vmx file

5. Before powering on the VM, change both of the Network Adapters to `Host Only` if you want tokeep the VSA entirely Isolated to your laptop/desktop. If you want the VSA to be connected tothe network set the adapters appropriately.

6. Power on the virtual machine.

















7. After the VSA is powered on, a script will walk you through the rest of the configuration.

SECTION 1.2 - Configuring the NetworkThe below configuration is designed to operate the VSA local to the host of the VSA installation. Thisallows for a `lab in a box` configuration using VMware Workstation. Please configure your networkappropriately if planning to use external internet.

8. IP Addresses:Management IP: 192.168.235.25Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0Management Gateway: 255.255.255.0

9. Network Credentials:Hostname: PRODVSA1Domain Name: .localDNS Server: 192.168.235.1NTP Server: Keep blank

10. Once the configuration has completed and the VSA has rebooted you will be prompted with thefollowing:











11. After it has booted, from your local machine, open a browser to the IP of the VSA listed above.If you do not already have Java, or it is outdated, you will be prompted to install.

12. Login to the VSA via Unisphere:Login: NASADMINPassword: NASADMIN

13. Installation and configuration of the VSA is complete! Pat yourself on the back.







Section 2 - Provisioning Celerra VSA Storage on VMware vSphere 4.1Presenting IP based storage from the Celerra VSA is comprised of simple tasks. This document willdemonstrate the steps required to provision storage, make that storage available as an NFS export, oriSCSI target, and attach that storage to VMware vSphere.

Celerra VSA configuration and administration is managed using EMC Unisphere, EMC’s unified storagemanagement platform. Unisphere has straightforward navigation buttons and links to provide quickand easy access to different functions and features on Celerra systems (as well as most other EMCsystems).

SECTION 2.1 - PrerequisitesFor the purposes of this section, the Celerra VSA can run on any of the following VMware products:

VMware vSphere VMware Workstation/Fusion/Player VMware Server

Additionally, a VMware vSphere server must also be available for the purpose of attaching storage.VMware vSphere may be run as a virtual machine on VMware Workstation, provided the host machinesupports VT/AMD-V.

The following instructions will detail how to log into the Celerra VSA. For the purposes of these stepsthe following will be true:

The Celerra VSA has a management IP address of 192.168.1.190 with a hostname of ubervsa The Celerra VSA will have a storage interface (cge0) with an IP address of 192.168.1.191 The vSphere host will have a Management IP address of 192.168.1.189. Attaching storage to

this host will be done through this management address. This configuration will facilitate the process of adding storage, but is not recommended for

production systems.

SECTION 2.2 - Provisioning StorageBefore a vSphere host can use storage, it must be provisioned and presented on the Celerra VSA. Onceprovisioned and presented, storage must be configured on the host(s) that will be accessing it. Log intothe Celerra VSA to begin the provisioning process.

Launch Firefox or other supported browser and enter the IP address of the Celerra VSA configuredduring the initial deployment of the VSA.

NOTE: Different browsers handle untrusted certificates differently. Steps 2-4 demonstrate how toproceed when using Firefox 3.x. The certificate error presented is as a result of the Celerra VSA

generating a self-signed certificate. Because the certificate is self signed workstations accessing theUnisphere interface cannot verify them against a trusted Certificate Authority.

1. A security exception is presented upon first login. Click “I Understand the Risks”

2. Click Add Exception… to accept the certificate.

3. Click Confirm Security Exception. This will allow the browser to load without presenting acertificate error.









4. The primary page displayed when launching the Celerra VSA opens a pop-up window tomanage the Celerra. Most browsers block pop-ups. To allow the Unisphere pop-up, clickoptions, and choose Allow pop-ups for the Celerra VSA (ubervsa below)

5. For subsequent launches, the pop-up will launch automatically. Because pop-ups had to beallowed for this session, click the Start a new EMC Unisphere session.

6. The first time a browser accesses the Celerra VSA, a User Agreement acceptance window ispresented. Click Continue to accept the user agreement. This only occurs the first time abrowser accesses the VSA.

7. Enter the user credentials in the Unisphere login window, followed by clicking Login to gain accessto the Celerra VSA. This is required for all logins to the Celerra VSA.









8. The default Name and Password combination is nasadmin and nasadmin.

9. Upon successful authentication, the main administration screen (All Systems) will appear. Thisinterface can be used to manage multiple Celerra VSAs, in the same manner as using Unisphereto manage multiple Celerra and CLARiiON systems.

SECTION 2.3 – Configuring Networking for Presenting StorageTo present IP-based storage to vSphere; a network interface must be available to associate with NFSand iSCSI storage resources. The Celerra VSA comes preconfigured with 2 virtual NICs. The primaryvNIC is used for Control Station traffic, while the secondary is used for storage traffic.

10. Load the Celerra VSA’s system configuration by selecting the system name or IP address(ubervsa shown) under the All Systems drop down menu. This process selects a specific VSA onwhich to perform actions.









11. Place the mouse over the System drop down, and several items will become available. SelectNetwork to access the network configuration menu.

12. On the Interfaces tab, select Create from the bottom

13. A pop-up window will be presented to enter appropriate settings for the storage interface

14. Enter the settings and select OK.









Section 2.4 - Configuring an NFS file system for use by VMware vSphereAn NFS share/export can be made available to vSphere from the Celerra VSA. NFS storage is file-basedstorage, and is both created, and attached, to vSphere in a different manner than traditional block-based (iSCSI/FC) storage.

15. Select File Systems from the Storage drop down to begin the process.

16. Because NFS resides on a file system, and none are created by default in the VSA, a file systemmust be created. Select Create from the bottom of the File Systems tab to create on

17. To create the file system, either a Storage Pool or Meta Volume can be used. Two StoragePools are pre-created in the Celerra UBER VSA. Select one of the available Storage Pools,provide a file system name, select amount of storage to allocate, and use server_2. Click OK tocreate the file system.









18. The file system has been created, but has not yet been shared by the Celerra VSA. To share thefile system, select NFS from the Sharing drop down.

19. Select Create from the bottom of the NFS Exports tab to create an export.

20. Select the file system created in step 3, and provide a path (/FileSystem-NFS in this case). Note:vSphere hosts require root access to the presented NFS export. Enter the IP address of thevSphere host in the Read/Write, Root, and Access Hosts fields. Click OK to create the export.







SECTION 2.5 - Mount the created NFS file system to an ESX hostMounting an NFS datastore to vSphere requires IP connectivity between the Celerra VSA and a vSpherehost’s VMkernel and Management Network. The process detailed below is a basic configuration fordemonstration purposes only. To configure NFS storage for a production environment, please refer tothe following resources:

VMware: Best Practices for running VMware vSphere on Network Attached Storagehttp://vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMware-NFS-BestPractices-WP-EN.pdf

EMC: Introduction to Using EMC Celerra with VMware vSphere 4 – Applied Best Practices Guidehttp://www.emc.com/collateral/hardware/white-papers/h6337-introduction-using-celerra-vmware-vsphere-wp.pdf

VirtualGeek: A “Multivendor Post” to help our mutual NFS customers using VMwarehttp://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/06/a-multivendor-post-to-help-our-mutual-nfs-customers-using-vmware.html

Now let’s continue with the implementation.

21. Log into vCenter Server and select a host to add NFS storage to. This can also directly beperformed on an ESX(i) host.

22. Select the Configuration tab, followed by Storage (under hardware), then click Add Storage

23. Two types of storage can be added to vSphere hosts. Block based storage (iSCSI/FS) and filebased storage (NFS). Select Network File System and press Next >.

















24. Go to the Locate Network File System dialog box.25. Enter the IP address for the cge0 interface you entered in Step 13 in Section 2.4.26. Provide the export path created in Step 6 of the Configure an NFS file system for use by

VMware vSphere section.27. Provide a datastore name (FileSystem-NFS in this case). Press Next.

28. Review the settings entered, and press Next

29. The storage is now visible in the vSphere client and available to the vSphere host.









Section 2.6 - Configuring an iSCSI LUN on VMware vSphere for a VMFS volumeIn contrast to NFS storage, block based storage can also be presented to vSphere hosts with the CelerraVSA. Because the Celerra VSA is a VM, and Fibre Channel is not available, iSCSI can be used to provideblock-based storage. VSphere supports both hardware and software iSCSI adapters. vSphere’s nativesoftware iSCSI adapters will be used in this demo, and the below steps detail their configuration. Touse the native software iSCSI adapter, it must be enabled.

The process detailed below is a basic configuration for demonstration purposes only. To configureiSCSI storage for a production environment, please refer to the following references:

VMware: iSCSI SAN Configuration Guidehttp://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_40_iscsi_san_cfg.pdf


VirtualGeek: A “Multivendor Post” on using iSCSI with VMware vSpherehttp://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/09/a-multivendor-post-on-using-iscsi-with-vmware-vsphere.html


30. From the vSphere client select Configuration, then Storage Adapter















31. Select Configure.

32. Select Enabled.

33. Select Add.


32. Select Enabled.

33. Select Add.


32. Select Enabled.

33. Select Add.

34. Enter the cge0 address as the iSCSI Server (192.168.1.191 in this case), with 3260 as the Portaddress (default)

35. The iSCSI Server will be visible

36. When prompted to rescan the host bus adapter, select Yes.

37. Switch to the Unisphere interface, and select the Sharing dropdown.

38. Choose the iSCSI wizard











39. Select server_2 as the Data Mover, and select Next.

40. Click Create Target.

41. Choose server_2 and press Next.

42. Enter a name for the iSCSI target (ubervsa in this case) and press Next









43. Select the interface, followed by clicking Add, then Next.

44. Press Submit to commit the changes and create the iSCSI target.

45. Upon completion, press Next to continue.







46. Select the iSCSI target created (ubervsa in this case) and press Next.

47. Select Create File System

48. Select the server_2 Data Mover







49. Choose Storage Pool

50. Pick a storage pool (2 are created by default) and press Next.

51. Give the File System a Name, amount of space to utilize, and any additional attributes.







52. Press Submit

53. The Overview/Results page will confirm that the iSCSI filesystem has been created. Press Next.

54. Now that the filesystem has been created, press Next.

52. Press Submit



52. Press Submit



55. Enter the LUN information

56. Select Grant to give the ESX(i) host access to the LUN.

57. Press Next



57. Press Next



57. Press Next

58. If CHAP is to be used, it can be configured here. For the purposes of this demo configuration,CHAP will not be used. Select Next.

59. Select Finish to complete the process.

60. Select Close to close the wizard.







61. In the vSphere client, select Configuration, Storage, and click Add Storage

62. Select Disk/LUN and select Next

63. The iSCSI LUN will be visible. Select it and press Next >.







64. Press Next

65. Give the iSCSI datastore a name and press Next >.

66. Enter the block size and press Next >.

64. Press Next



64. Press Next



67. Select Finish

68. The datastore will be visible in the vSphere Configuration tab under storage

69. Select Properties to modify Storage I/O Control (SIOC) settings

67. Select Finish



67. Select Finish



70. Enable Storage I/O Control (SIOC) by selecting Enabled

71. Select Close complete the configuration of iSCSI properties.

SECTION 2.6 - Troubleshooting Celerra VSA storage on VMware vSphereTroubleshooting Celerra VSA storage that is presented to VMware vSphere is a straightforwardprocess. Because the Celerra VSA only presents IP based storage (NFS/iSCSI) there are finite number ofcritical items to verify are working properly.

1. Verify IP connectivityBecause IP connectivity between the vSphere host and the Celerra VSA is critical, the first stepis to verify proper IP communication is occurring.

Log into the vSphere host console. In ESX, log into the console using appropriate credentials. InESXi log into the host, and press ALT+F1 to get to the troubleshooting console. Appropriatecredentials are required a second time when using the troubleshooting console.











Ping the storage interface configured in Section 2.4.

2. Verify host access (NFS)For a vSphere host to properly mount an NFS export presented from the Celerra VSA, the hostmust have appropriate rights assigned to the NFS export.

Log into Unisphere and select the Celerra VSA (ubervsa here)

Select NFS from the Sharing dropdown menu.

Select the NFS Export, and click Properties.











A properties dialog box will open. Ensure that the vSphere host’s IP network is listed in theRead/Write, Root, and Access hosts sections.A properties dialog box will open. Ensure that the vSphere host’s IP network is listed in theRead/Write, Root, and Access hosts sections.A properties dialog box will open. Ensure that the vSphere host’s IP network is listed in theRead/Write, Root, and Access hosts sections.

3. Verify host access (iSCSI)For a vSphere host to properly mount an iSCSI volume presented from the Celerra VSA, thehost’s iSCSI initiator must be included in the iSCSI volume’s list of approved initiators. Thisprocess is very similar to the process of zoning Fibre Channel HBAs on a Fibre Channel SAN.


Select iSCSI from the Sharing dropdown menu.

Select the presented iSCSI volume

Ensure the vSphere host’s iSCSI initiator is connected to the iSCSI volume











SECTION 3.0 – Deploying a 2nd UBER VSA for ReplicationIn this section, we will create a pair of VSAs and perform some basic replication sessions between thetwo virtual devices. First, we will setup NFS replication (file system replication) and second, we willsetup iSCSI replication (block level replication using LUNs). Although not necessary, it would be usefulfor the reader to get some background on EMC Celerra architecture and its components (such as thefunction of the data movers, solution enablers, Unisphere, etc).

SECTION 3.1 - Setting up the Replication EnvironmentPreliminary Tasks

1. Setting up the Source Celerra VSAFollow the steps outlined in Section 1 to set up your initial (SOURCE) Celerra VSA, using yourown IP addresses and naming conventions.

2. Setting up your initial (SOURCE) VolumesFollow the steps outlined in Section 2 to set up your initial (SOURCE) NFS and iSCSI volumes.

3. Setting up the Target Celerra VSAFollow the steps outlined in Section 1 to set up your secondary (TARGET) Celerra VSA, usingyour own IP addresses and naming conventions.

4. Verify Connectivity to the Secondary (Target) Celerra VSA

5. From the Home Screen of Unishpere for your source VCS, select "Run Ping Test"6. Ping the Remote VSA

NOTE: Be sure you can ping both the control station IP address and the data mover IP addressand/or the FQDN (fully qualified domain name) of both components.

SECTION 3.2 - Creating the Target iSCSI File System for File-System ReplicationSetting up the target volumes differs for NFS and iSCSI, depending on which you are setting up.

NFS - As detailed below, you do not need to set up a target File System for NFS replication. Infact, it is recommended to let the Replication Wizard set it up for you; this will ensure that thetarget file system is of the appropriate size and the Read Only flag is set.

iSCSI - For iSCSI, you do need to create the File System and LUN ahead of time. The target LUNmust have the Read Only flag set, and must be of the same size as the source.

7. On your TARGET Celerra VSA, use the menus to select Storage > File Systems

8. Create a File System for the Target iSCSI LUN by clicking Create at the bottom of the window.

9. Enter File System Details

10. Use the dialog box to create the File System that will provide the capacity for the iSCSI LUN.

Note: In the example above, the Storage Capacity has been entered as 5072 MB, or 5 GB. Due todisk geometry, the resulting size of the File System may be smaller than the value you enter here.

11. Click OK.12. Verify File System Creation

13. Verify your File System was created without errors.

Note: The size of the file System in the example above - it is not listed as 5 GB, but instead as 4.953GB. This is significant, as the LUN created in the following steps must have the same size as itssource LUN. Be sure to note the exact size of the source LUN prior to creating File Systems or LUNson the remote (TARGET) Celerra VSA.

Section 3.3 - Creating the Target iSCSI LUN for Block-Level Replication14. Navigate to the iSCSI Panel

15. On the TARGET Celerra VSA, use the menus to select Sharing ---> iSCSI.16. Create Your Target LUN by clicking the Create button at the bottom of the window.

17. Enter LUN Details

18. Use the dialog to select the Data Mover and Target.19. Give your new LUN a unique LUN number ( '0' in the example above), and select the File System

that will provide the capacity for the LUN.

Note: The LUN must be marked as "Read Only'. Also note that the size enetered in MB must be thesame as the size of the SOURCE LUN on the SOURCE Celerra VSA.

20. Click OK.21. Verify LUN Creation

22. Ensure your LUN was created without errors.

SECTION 3.4 - Configuring ReplicationOnce your File Systems and LUNS are set up, creating replication relationships between Celerra devicesis essentially a three step process.

I. Create the target Celerra network server.This identifies the remote Celerra network servers you will be working with, and stores yourlogin credentials for administrative tasks on the remote device.

II. Create a Data Mover Interconnect.This step sets up a network session between the local and remote Data Movers.

III. Create your replication relationship.During this step, you identify the source volume / LUN / File System you want to replicate, anddefine the characteristics of the replication.

These three tasks can be performed manually using various dialogs and screens in Unisphere, oralternatively all three can be accomplished using the Replication Wizard. The remainder of this sectionwalks the reader through each step of the process manually. Then, at Section 3.8, we will walk throughthe process of automatically configuring the parameters using the Replication Wizard.

The manual process is useful for understanding how the replication works. But if you are interested injust getting the replication working, we recommend skipping to Section 3.8.

23. Create the Target Celerra Network Server

NOTE: This process must be completed on both the local and remote Celerra VSA network servers.

24. Navigate to the Replication Panel

25. Using the menus, select Replicas ---> Replications.26. Click the Tab labeled "Celerra Network Servers". You should see the local Celerra represented in

the panel.

27. Click Create

28. Enter the Details for the Remote Celerra VSA

29. Click OK.30. Confirm the Celerra Network Server was Created Successfully

31. Complete the Process on the remote Celerra VSA.

32. You must now manually create an entry for the local Celerra VSA on the Control Station of theremote Celerra VSA.

SECTION 3.5 - Creating a Data Mover InterconnectThis process must be completed on both the local and remote Celerra VSA network servers.

33. Navigate to the Tab Labeled 'DM Interconnects'. You should see a 'loopback' interconnectalready listed.

34. Click Create

35. Enter the Details of the Interconnect Celerra Network Server (the remote Celerra VSA) to whichyou are connecting.

NOTE: Here are some definitions of the terms used in this exercise Data Mover Interconnect Name - a name to identify the relationship. Be sure to choose a

name that allows you to understand the direction of the relationship. Data Mover - the local Data Mover establishing the connection. Interfaces - one or more network interfaces that will participate in the network session. Name Service Interface Names - A comma-separated list of the name service interface

names available for the local side of the interconnect. [This can be left blank.] Peer Data Mover - the Data Mover on the remote Celerra VSA to which you are establishing

a session. Peer Interfaces - Network Interfaces on the remote Data Mover.

Peer Name Service Interface Names - A comma-separated list of the name service interfacenames available for the local side of the interconnect. [This can be left blank.]

36. (Optional) Set a Schedule and Bandwidth limits

NOTE: Setting a Schedule is not necessary - By default, all available bandwidth is used at all timesfor the interconnect.

37. Click OK.38. Verify the Interconnect Created Without Errors

39. Repeat the Process in Reverse on the Remote Celerra VSA

NOTE: You must now manually create an interconnect for the local Celerra VSA on the ControlStation of the remote Celerra VSA.

SECTION 3.6 - Initiating File-System Replication (NFS)40. Navigate to the Replications Tab

41. Click Create

42. Select 'Replicate a File System'

43. Click Continue44. Select the Remote Celerra Network Server

45. Enter Replication Details

NOTE: Be sure to enter a name that reminds you of the direction of replication.

46. Select the storage pools on the remote Celerra VSA that will be used to create the target FileSystem. Click Help for a description of any of the fields.

47. Click OK.48. Verify the Replication Created Without Error

49. Verify the Replication on the Remote Celerra VSA

NOTE: If successful up to this point, the replication will appear in the Replications Tab of the remote(TARGET) Celerra VSA as well.

SECTION 3.7 – Initating Block-Level Replication ( iSCSI)50. Navigate to the Replications Tab

51. Click Create

52. Select 'Replicate an iSCSI LUN'

53. Click Continue

54. Select the Destination Celerra Network Server

NOTE: By default, the local (SOURCE) Celerra is selected in the dialog. You must change this to theremoet (TARGET) Celerra to select your target iSCSI LUN.

55. Enter the Replication Details

56. Be sure to enter a name that informs you of the direction of replication.

Note: The size of the source and destination LUNs are the same. If the LUNS are of different size, orif the target LUN is not set to 'Read-Only, the replication will fail to establish.

57. Click Help for a description of any of the fields.58. Click OK.59. Verify the Replication Created Without Errors

60. Verify the Replication on the Remote Celerra VSA

NOTE: If successful up to this point, the replication will appear in the Replications Tab of the remote(TARGET) Celerra VSA as well.

SECTION 3.8 - Using the Replication Wizard - NFS1. Navigate to the Replications Tab

2. Click the 'Replication Wizard' link at the left.

3. Select 'File System' for Replication Type.

4. Select Next5. Select 'Ongoing File System Replication'

6. Click Next

7. Create Destination Celerra

8. Select the Destination Celerra Network Server (TARGET)

NOTE: If you have not already created a destination Celerra, you may do so here.

9. Click 'New Destination Celerra’10. Enter Destination Celerra Details

11. Enter the name and IP address of the destination (TARGET) Celerra in this field.12. Click Next.

13. Enter NasAdmin Credentials

NOTE: You must store your NasAdmin (or equivalent) credentials here to perform furtheradministrative actions on the destination (TARGET) Celerra.

14. Enter Name of Local Celerra VSA

NOTE: The Wizard will automatically create the appropriate entries for Celerra Network Servers onthe remote side; this saves you the time of doing it yourself, as outlined in the previous section(s).

15. The IP address is already filled in for you, simply enter the name of the local Celerra.16. Click Next.

17. Confirm Your Actions

18. Confirm that you have entered all the data appropriately.19. Click Submit.20. Wait for Confirmation of Successful Creation.

21. Click Next

22. Select the Remote Celerra Network Server.

23. Click Next24. Create the Interconnect

NOTE: If not already established, a network session (called an Interconnect) must be establishedbetween the local and remote Celerra Network Servers.

25. Click 'New Interconnect.'

26. Provide a Name for the local Interconnect

27. Click Next28. Provide a Name for the Remote Interconnect

NOTE: As with the Network Servers, the Replication Wizard will also automatically create theInterconnect on the remote server for you.

29. Click Next

30. (Optional) Provide a Schedule and Bandwidth Limits

31. Click Next32. Confirm Your Selections

33. Click Submit

34. Select Your Local Interconnect

35. Click Next36. Select the Source and Destination interface(s) that will participate in this replication scheme

37. Click Next


39. Enter a Name for the replication scheme40. Be sure to select the correct Source File System41. Click Next42. Select the Destination Storage Pool(s)

NOTE: The remote (TARGET) Celerra can create a File System for replication.

43. Click Next

44. (Optional) Modify the Update Policy

45. Click Next46. (Optional) Select Tape Transport

47. Click Next

48. Confirm Your Selections

49. Click Finish50. Verify the Replication Completed

51. Click Close52. View the replication scheme in Unisphere

Section 3.9 - Using the Replication Wizard - iSCSI1. Navigate to the Replications Tab

2. Click the 'Replication Wizard' link on the left sidebar

3. Select 'iSCSI LUN' for Replication Type

4. Select Next5. Create Destination Celerra

6. Select the Destination Celerra Network Server (TARGET)

NOTE: If you have not already created a destination Celerra, you may do so here.

7. Click 'New Destination Celerra'

8. Enter Destination Celerra Details

9. Enter the name and IP address of the destination (TARGET) Celerra in this field10. Click Next11. Enter NasAdmin Credentials

NOTE: You must store your NasAdmin (or equivalent) credentials here to perform furtheradministrative actions on the destination (TARGET) Celerra.

12. Enter Name of Local Celerra VSA

13. The Wizard will go ahead and create the appropriate entries for Celerra Network Servers on theremote side; this saves you the time of doing it yourself, as outlined in the previous section(s).

14. The IP address is already filled in for you, simply enter the name of the local Celerra,.15. Click Next and confirm your actions

16. Confirm that you have entered all the data appropriately17. Click Submit

18. Wait for Confirmation of Successful Creation. Click Next

19. Select the Remote Celerra Network Server. Click Next

20. Create the Interconnect

NOTE: If not already established, a network session (called an Interconnect) must be establishedbetween the local and remote Celerra Network Servers

21. Click 'New Interconnect' and provide a name for the local Interconnect

22. Click Next

23. Provide a Name for the Remote Interconnect

NOTE: As with the Network Servers, the Replication Wizard will also automatically create theInterconnect on the remote server for you.

24. Click Next25. (Optional) Provide a Schedule and Bandwidth Limits

26. Click Next

27. Confirm Your Selections and then click Submit

28. Select Your Local Interconnect and click Next

29. Select the Source and Destination Interface(s) that will participate then click Next


31. Enter a Name for the replication32. Be sure to select the correct Source iSCSI LUN and target33. Click Next

34. Select the Destination LUN and Target then click Next

NOTE: The remote (TARGET) iSCSI LUN must be of the same size as the local (SOURCE) LUN

35. (Optional) Modify the Update Policy then click Next

36. Confirm Your Selections then click Finish

37. Verify the Replication Completed then click Close

38. View the Replication scheme in Unisphere

SECTION 3.10 - TroubleshootingSetting up iSCSI

1. Enable iSCSI

NOTE: Enable iSCSI for the Data Mover using the "Manage Settings" link on the iSCSI screen.

2. Binding Your Target

3. If you create the iSCSI target manually (without using the wizard), you must be sure to enter theIP address to which it will be bound. This is labeled "Network Portal" in the dialog box above.

4. Issues Creating a Replication - Target volumeSetting up the target volumes differs for NFS and iSCSI, depending on which you are setting up.

NFS - As detailed below, you do not need to set up a target File System for NFS replication.In fact, it is recommended to let the Replication Wizard set it up for you; this will ensurethat the target file system is of the appropriate size and the Read Only flag is set.

iSCSI - For iSCSI, you do need to create the File System and LUN ahead of time. The targetLUN must have the Read Only flag set, and must be of the same size as the source. Seebelow to verify the properties of your source LUN.

1. Navigate to the iSCSI Panel

2. From the Menu, select Sharing --> iSCSI.3. Select the Source LUN

4. Right-click your source LUN and select Properties.

5. Verify the Properties of the Source LUN

NOTE: Check the Properties of the source LUN to ensure you have recorded its name and size.The target LUN you will set up for replication on the remote Celerra VSA must be exactly thesame size. It is helpful to record the size in your notes as you are creating the LUN to ensure youknow the exact value you used during creation. In the example shown above, the original valueused was 4992 MB, so use the same value to create the Target iSCSI LUN for replication.

6. Click Cancel to close the dialog.

SECTION 4.0 - Installing VSI Plug-insDownload the VSI Storage Viewer (SV) and Unified Storage Management plug-ins from EMC PowerLink.If you do not have a PowerLink account, please create one now so that you can download thenecessary components.

1. Uncompress the zip files into a folder and execute installation.2. Start vSphere Client and enable plug-ins and configure access to VSA storage3. Download the Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) packages (2)4. Locate the tow CLI package on EMC Powerlink:

Home > Support > Software Downloads and Licensing > Downloads T-Z > Virtual StorageIntegrator

5. Download the Storage Viewer and Unified Storage Management packages anddocumentation

SECTION 4.1 - Installing Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI)6. Execute the self-extracting executable to a sub-directory of your choice and start the install

by clicking on the auto install file

7. At the install screen, click “Next” and accept the license agreement terms and click “Next”to start the install. Notice that if Solution Enabler software is not already installed, this willbe done automatically.

8. Click “Finish” to complete the installation

SECTION 4.2 - Installing the Unifed Storage Management Plug-in for VMware1. Open the .zip file and execute the setup.exe file

2. At the install screen, click “Next”

3. Choose to accept the License agreement and click “Next”4. Choose “Install” to initiate the installation.5. Choose “Finish” to complete the installation.

SECTION 4.3 - Configuring the VSI Plug-in with the UBER VSAAfter the VSI plug-in has been installed, you will need to point the plug-in to the management interfacethat you configured as part of the UBER VSA installation. You will need the following information:

Management (Control Station) IP Address Username Password

1. To configure the UBER VSA, start the vSphere client (this assumes that the plug-inframework is already installed)

2. From the “Home” screen, click the following in the left pane below:Solutions > Applications >EMC > Unified Storage Management in the left pane.

3. Click the Add button to continue.4. Choose EMC Celerra and click Next

5. Fill in the blanks for Control Station IP, Username, and Password6. Click the “Configure DHSM” radio button7. Select “Create New DHSM User”

NOTE: By clicking the “Create New DHSM User” button, you are telling the system to create alocal account that will enable the deduplication and compression feature that is supported bythe plug-in.

8. The next screen will prompt you for the DHSM User information as well as an IP address thatwill be allowed to exploit the Dedupe and Compress feature. We recommend a usernamedhsm_vmware and a password of your choosing.

Note: The client IP address field will be automatically populated with your client’s IP address

9. After you click Finish, you will notice the following tasks in your vSphere Client:

10. You will see a screen similar to the following which should indicate that the plug-in has nowbeen configured to work with your UBER VSA installation.

NOTE: The “ID Field” above will fail to show as system Serial Number as the UBER VSAinstallation does not have a serial number configured. This is expected behavior.

SECTION 4.5 - Using the VSI Plug-in to Provision an NFS-Based DatastoreOne of the benefits that the VSI plug-in offers is NFS provisioning directly from the VI Client. The plug-in will create an NFS datastore using the UBER VSA, assign export permissions, reconfigure the ESXkernel to use the EMC Recommended settings (optional), and mount the datatstore to one or morehosts in the cluster.

1. We want to create a datastore that is mounted by all hosts in a given resource pool. Right clickthe resource pool and choose the following:EMC -> Unified Storage -> Provision Storage

2. Choose Network File System and click Next

3. Enter a Datastore Name and then choose the corresponding Control Station, Data Mover, andNetwork Interface to present the storage from (aside from the Datastore Name, configurationinformation will be automatically populated and user selectable

NOTE: This tool is designed to support multiple storage systems working with a single VirtualCenter instance which is why you have options.

4. Choose “Create New NFS Export” and click Next

5. Choose a storage pool from which to create the datastore6. Select an initial capacity and if you wish, enable Virtual Provisioning. You will need to set a

maximum capacity up to which the filesystem can grow.

7. Before you click “Finish” – click the Advanced button. This is the screen you can use to modifythe NFS export permissions (by default, all hosts in your resource pool will have access – butyou may want to use subnet-based export permissions). Also, you will see the checkbox to “SetTimeout Settings” – this will update the ESX kernel settings to match EMC’s Best Practicerecommendations for this configuration.

8. After you get things setup the way you want, click OK and then Finish

NOTE: You will see tasks kicked off when the NFS datastore is created and then, when each of theESX hosts mount the datastore

9. NFS storage has been successfully provisioned and is now available for use by the cluster!

SECTION 4.6 - Using the VSI Plug-In to create Array-Based ClonesThe VSI plug-in also supports two kinds of cloning – full and fast. Full clones are 1:1 full copies and canbe created on any datastore that the UBER VSA is serving. The benefit to using the plug-in to performthis task is that array (or in this case VSA) resources are used to copy data from one datastore toanother (or within the same datastore), reducing both ESX server network traffic and CPU resources.

1. To create a Full clone, select the Virtual Machine you would like to clone and then right-clickand choose the following:EMC -> Unified Storage -> Full Clone

2. Pick your cluster / resource pool and click Next. You will be presented with a screen that allows youto create multiple copies of the Virtual Machine with a standardized naming convention. Note thatthe “Max” limit next to Clone Count is a function of resources available to the ESX cluster and not alimitation of the plug-in. You can choose the specific Datastore to create the clone in and alsopower-on the VM’s when the clone(s) have completed.

3. Tasks are created and you can track their status from copy to power-up to completion:

NOTE: Fast clones are different than full clones in that they are designed to be very space efficient.They are similar to linked clones in that they are based on a parent image. Fast clones generate adelta file that just stores changes and metadata. As such, they require very little storage space. Fastclones are required to be placed in the same datastore as the original, or source, image.Additionally, a fast clone cannot be compressed.

1. To create a Fast Clone, select the Virtual Machine you would like to clone and then right-clickand choose EMC -> Unified Storage -> Fast Clone.

2. Pick your cluster / resource pool and click Next. You will be presented with a screen that allowsyou to create multiple copies of the Virtual Machine with a standard naming convention. The“Max” limit next to Clone Count is a function of resources available to the ESX cluster and not alimitation of the plug-in.Notice the plug-in can also be used in conjunction with VMware View.

3. You are presented with a warning – it’s just a reminder that Fast-type clones and the sourceimage cannot be compressed. Click YES


SECTION 4.7 - Using the VSI Plug-in to Compress a Virtual MachineThe VSI plug-in can also be used to compress individual Virtual Machine images that are located on theUBER VSA (or another EMC Unified storage platform). Compression reduces the amount of storagespace consumed by a Virtual Machine that has been created using a thick format.

1. To compress a Virtual Machine, right click on the Virtual Machine and choose the following:EMC -> Unified Storage -> Compress


SECTION 5.0 - Deploy the Celerra UBER VSA in vSphere 4.1This section will discuss how to deploy the Celerra VSA within an ESX environment instead of aWorkstation environment.

1. First step is to download the OVA version from Nick Weaver’s website. You will see 2 versions (azip file for VMware Workstation and an ova file for vSphere). See Section 1 for more details.http://nickapedia.com/2010/10/04/play-it-again-sam-celerra-uber-v3-2/

2. Download the file labeled “vSphere version OVA.” If you are not familiar with working withOVA, please review it at this time.http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf10/ovftool_10_userguide.pdf

3. Log into your ESX/ESXi host using the vSphere Client from which you will be running the OVA.4. Once logged in, click on the ‘File’ option from the menu and select ‘Deploy OVA Template’. This

will launch a step-by-step wizard to allow you to choose options of how to deploy this OVA.

5. The first screen of the wizard allows you to select the location of the OVA file you downloadedby browsing to the location on your local machine or network share. Once selected, click ‘Next’

6. The next screen will provide details on the OVA selected. This will list information such asversion, download size, description, etc. Click ‘Next’

7. Accept the license agreement. Note that it lists in all caps that this VSA is not intended to beused in a production environment. Click ‘Accept’ and then click ‘Next’

8. The next screen allows you to name the VSA. You can keep the default name or give it a labelthat is more relevant to your lab/environment. It will also allow you to choose the location.Once finished, click ‘Next’

9. Next you are given the option to choose a host/cluster. Once finished click ‘Next’

10. This next screen allows you to choose a resource pool. Once finished click ‘Next’

11. The next screen allows you to choose the Datastore on which to store the VSA. After selectingthe appropriate datastore, click ‘Next’

12. Next, you are given an option of how you want to store the virtual disks of the VSA. The defaultoption is thick-provisioned, which will consume 40GB of disk. We recommend selecting ‘Thinprovisioned format’ in order to make more efficient use of disk space. This will only consumecapacity on demand, with about 6GB used on initial deployment. Click ‘Next’ once finished

SECTION 5.1 – Implementing a Celerra VSA NetworkThis section shows the user how to choose the networks that are to be mapped to the VSA’s networkconnections. Let’s discuss briefly how the Celerra VSA network connections work.

There are two default network connections for the Celerra VSA. The first one is the ‘‘Management’network connection used for connectivity to the Control Station and it also provides access toUnisphere Manager. The second network connection is used as the interface by which the Data Moverpresents NFS, CIFS, and iSCSI traffic to the ESX hosts.

The VSA also gives you the ability to add additional network interfaces for the ability to createaggregate devices or to allow for greater throughput than the default 1Gb Ethernet connection.

Finally, there are additional private internal loop-back adapters that are used by the Celerra VSA. Forsimplicity, you can keep both network connections mapped to the same VM network. In a productionenvironment, you obviously will want to separate the management traffic from the data traffic.

1. Select the appropriate VM networks and then click ‘Next’

2. Now we have come to the final page of the wizard. This page provides a summary of theoptions you selected in the previous pages. You can review and ensure that you have theproper settings before deployment. If you are satisfied with the options, click ‘Finish’

3. Now the VSA will be deployed

4. You can see the Celerra VSA now listed in the inventory

SECTION 5.2 – Further Reading Virtual Geek (Chad Sakac): http://virtualgeek.typepad.com Nickapedia (Nicholas Weaver): http://nickapedia.com Techhead (Simon Seagrave): http://www.techhead.co.uk

SECTION 5.3 - Advanced Use-Cases (SRM in a Box)One of the advantages of using the Celerra VSA is that you can deploy two UBER VSAs and setup aVMware SRM (Site Recovery Manager) environment to emulate a Disaster Recovery scenario byreplicating virtual machines from one VSA to the other. SRM is an automated Disaster Recoveryfailover runbook and testing tool. The Celerra VSA enables a user to emulate a failover without needingtwo separate physical hosts. If you are unfamiliar with SRM, please read about it at the following site:http://www.vmware.com/products/site-recovery-manager/.

You will need to install the two VSA’s as well as two instances of VCenter, one ESXi node perVCenter instance and some additional networking. You will also want to install a few VM’s withineach ESXi node. All this can be done within Workstation. Nick Weaver has produced aninformative video on the full setup and testing here: http://nickapedia.com/2010/10/07/lights-camera-replication-uber-srm-video-guide/

The video contains an overall diagram of the “SRM in a Box” configuration. This configuration iscomprised of a ‘Production Site’ and a ‘Recovery Site’. Within each site is a VCenter instance, anSRM instance, a Celerra VSA and an ESXi server. You will also see that there are some VMs setupwithin the ESXi servers. The diagram also shows the four separate networks required in order toseparate Management, Storage, VM, and Replication traffic.

Documents

Celerra UBER VSA Guide v1