Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex

OS
Version 3.x

Rev 03
November 2019
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2 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CONTENTS

Figures 9

Tables 11

Preface 13

Part 1 Getting Started 15

Chapter 1 Log into VxFlex OS 17

Log in to the VxFlex OS GUI.............................................................................. 18
Log in................................................................................................................ 18
login......................................................................................................19
logout...................................................................................................20
Use SCLI in non-secure mode.............................................................. 20

Part 2 Post-Deployment Activities 21

Chapter 2 Post-deployment tasks 23

Post-deployment task checklist........................................................................ 24
Prepare lockbox files for Java upgrade............................................................. 25
Create the lockbox............................................................................................25
Customer support............................................................................................. 26
Register VxFlex OS system to SRS ..................................................... 26
Email notifications................................................................................30
Configure native users...................................................................................... 33
Configure LDAP users.......................................................................................34
Configure SNMP...............................................................................................35
Enable OpenSSL FIPS compliance.................................................................... 35
Create and map volumes...................................................................................36
Create and map volumes using the CLI................................................ 36
Create and map volumes using the VxFlex OS GUI...............................37
Create and map volumes using the vSphere plug-in............................. 38
Enable storage, create and map volumes—XenServer.........................38
Mount VxFlex OS................................................................................. 40
Associate VxFlex OS volumes with physical disks................................. 41
Post-deployment best practice suggestions..................................................... 45

Part 3 VxFlex OS Performance Fine-Tuning 47

Chapter 3 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning 49

Tune VxFlex OS for best performance.............................................................. 50
Performance tuning post-installation................................................................50
Upgrades............................................................................................. 50
Fine granularity layout performance considerations............................. 50

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 3

Contents

Tuning considerations.......................................................................... 50
VxFlex OS system changes................................................................................51
Using the set_performance_parameters utility for MDM and SDS....... 51
Caching Updates for VxFlex OS 2.x/3.x...............................................52
Read RAM Cache settings for SDS...................................................... 53
Read Flash Cache settings for SDS......................................................54
Jumbo Frames and the potential impact on performance.....................55
Optimize Linux.................................................................................................. 59
Change the GRUB template for Skylake CPUs.................................... 60
Optimize ESXi................................................................................................... 61
Optimize the SVM............................................................................................. 61
Optimizing VM guests.......................................................................................62
I/O scheduler....................................................................................... 62
Paravirtual SCSI controller...................................................................63
VxFlex OS Performance Parameters.................................................................63
RAID controller virtual disk settings.................................................................. 65
Apply Performance Profiles to system components..........................................65

Part 4 Configure and Customize 67

Chapter 4 Creating and Mapping Volumes 69

Volumes............................................................................................................ 70
Add volumes.........................................................................................70
Remove volumes...................................................................................71
Overwrite volume content....................................................................72
Create volume snapshots..................................................................... 72
Remove snapshots............................................................................... 73
Map volumes........................................................................................ 73
Unmap volumes.................................................................................... 74
Increase a volume's size....................................................................... 74
Change Read RAM Cache volume settings.......................................... 75
Set volume bandwidth and IOPS limits.................................................76
Remove a snapshot consistency group ................................................76
Configuring volumes, volume trees, SDCs, and snapshots................................ 76
Restricted SDC mode...........................................................................77
Migrating V-Trees............................................................................................. 78
Migrate volume trees (vTree).............................................................. 80
Pause V-Tree migration........................................................................ 81
Roll back V-Tree migration...................................................................82
Set V-Tree migration priority............................................................... 82
Set V-Tree compression mode..........................................................................82
Snapshot Policies..............................................................................................83
Add Snapshot Policy............................................................................ 84
Remove Snapshot Policy......................................................................84
Edit Snapshot Policy............................................................................ 85
Rename Snapshot Policy..................................................................... 85
Pause/Resume Snapshot Policy.......................................................... 85
Lock/unlock auto-snapshots................................................................85
Apply Performance Profiles to system components..........................................86
Volumes in the vSphere environment................................................................86
Create and map volumes......................................................................86
Map volumes........................................................................................ 87
Unmap a volume...................................................................................88
Add an external SDC to an existing VxFlex OS system......................................88

4 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Contents

Install the SDC on an ESXi server and connect it to VxFlex OS using

esxcli....................................................................................................88
Install SDC on a Linux server and connect it to VxFlex OS................... 89
Install SDC on an AIX server and connect it to VxFlex OS.................... 91
Install SDC on a Windows server and connect it to VxFlex OS............. 92
SDC operations.................................................................................................92
Update the SDC driver with IP address changes.................................. 93
Detecting new volumes........................................................................ 93
Query volumes using drv_cfg...............................................................94
Query tgt objects using drv_cfg...........................................................94
Query GUID using drv_cfg................................................................... 95
Query MDMs using drv_cfg................................................................. 95
Loading a configuration file using drv_cfg............................................96
Adding an MDM using drv_cfg............................................................. 97
Modifying an MDM IP address using drv_cfg.......................................98
Permanent Device Loss state...............................................................99
Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or compute node.100
Run the SDC driver on SLES12.2 with multipath enabled................... 100

Chapter 5 Backend 103

Configuring storage.........................................................................................104
Configuring capacity...........................................................................104
Enter and exit SDS Maintenance Mode............................................................119
Configuring I/O priorities and bandwidth use (advanced)............................... 120
Configure application IOPS and bandwidth (advanced)...................... 120
System IOPS and bandwidth (advanced)............................................ 121
Configuring acceleration.................................................................................. 121
Prepare acceleration devices and software......................................... 121
RFcache (xcache) package installation............................................................ 141
Install the RFcache (xcache) package on physical servers.................. 141
Enable RFcache on ESXi servers......................................................... 141
Increase SVM memory to accommodate additional SDS device...................... 142
Modify an SDS port during I/O........................................................................ 142

Chapter 6 VASA and vVols 145

VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites.............................................. 146
vVols in VxFlex OS...........................................................................................146
Using storage policies...................................................................................... 147
Register the VxFlex OS VASA in the vCenter.................................................. 147
Enable autostart of the VASA provider after reboot........................................ 148

Chapter 7 MDM Cluster 149

Configuring MDM cluster................................................................................ 150
Extend an existing VxFlex OS system................................................. 150
Add Linux servers to the MDM cluster................................................150
Add ESXi servers to the MDM cluster................................................. 151
Replace a cluster member.................................................................. 152
Remove members from the MDM cluster........................................... 159
Configure virtual IP addresses............................................................ 159
Add another IP address subnet to an MDM cluster.............................159
Configure SDC access to the MDM.....................................................161
Configure management session timeout parameters........................... 161
Configure virtual IP addresses using the VxFlex OS Installer........................... 162

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 5

Contents

Chapter 8 Security 165

Approving pending security certificates.......................................................... 166
Default self-signed certificate expires............................................................. 166
Upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway when a custom certificate is used............... 166
Enable LIA security.......................................................................................... 167
Certificate management for VxFlex OS Gateway.............................................167
Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own
trusted certificate...............................................................................167
Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own self-
signed certificate................................................................................169
Non-default certificate use before and after a VxFlex OS Gateway
upgrade.............................................................................................. 170
Configure OpenStack interoperation with the VxFlex OS Gateway.....170
Generate a self-signed certificate using the keytool utility................. 170
Setting up SSH authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway.............................. 171
Configuring SSL component authentication..................................................... 171
Internal component authentication...................................................... 171
External component authentication..................................................... 171
Workflow for self-signed security certificates.................................... 172
Workflow for externally signed security certificates........................... 172
Using Keytool to add certificates to external components.................. 173
Configure SDC access to the MDM................................................................. 175
Approved encryption methods.........................................................................176
Login banner overview.....................................................................................176
Set up a login banner using the CLI..................................................... 177
Upload a login banner using the VxFlex OS Installer............................ 177
Enable/disable preemptive acceptance of the login banner................ 177
Activate preemptive acceptance of the login banner.......................... 178
Change LIA authentication method to LDAP....................................................178
Add LDAP server............................................................................................. 179
Remove LDAP server ......................................................................................179

Chapter 9 User Management 181

MDM and LDAP integration in an AMS managed system.................................182
User roles........................................................................................................ 182
Setting the User Authentication Method......................................................... 183
set_user_authentication_method.......................................................183
Adding and modifying local users.....................................................................184
add_user.............................................................................................184
delete_user.........................................................................................185
modify_user........................................................................................185
query_users........................................................................................186
query_user......................................................................................... 186
reset_password.................................................................................. 186
set_password..................................................................................... 187
disable_admin..................................................................................... 188
Reset the admin user password.......................................................... 188
Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user..................................................... 189
Configure a non-root non-interactive sudo user................................. 189

Chapter 10 Fault reporting features 191

General............................................................................................................192
Configure SNMP properties after deployment................................................ 192
Configure Dynamic Host Name resolution for SNMP in VxFlex OS..................192

6 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Contents

Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties........................................................194

Chapter 11 Add, Remove or Rename Components 199

Adding components to an existing VxFlex OS environment.............................200
Add components using the VxFlex OS Installer.................................. 200
Add components using the VMware deployment wizard.................... 200
Remove VxFlex OS.......................................................................................... 201
Remove VxFlex OS using the VxFlex OS Installer............................... 201
Unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in....................................................... 202
Renaming objects........................................................................................... 202

Chapter 12 Logs 205

Enable automatic log collection.......................................................................206
Set ESXi credentials for auto collect logs....................................................... 206

Chapter 13 LIA 207

Change LIA behavior....................................................................................... 208
Add LIA to a system to enable automated maintenance and upgrades............ 208

Chapter 14 Setting up GUI system preferences 211

Customize system preferences........................................................................212

Part 5 VMware environment specific tasks 217

Chapter 15 VxFlex OS plug-in 219

Configure components....................................................................................220
Configure components—basic........................................................... 222
Configuring components—advanced................................................. 222

Chapter 16 Manually performed tasks 225

Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment.....................................................226
SVM manual memory allocation...................................................................... 227
Managing ESXi servers................................................................................... 228
Modify parameters on ESXi servers................................................... 228
Check the SDC state on ESXi servers................................................230

Part 6 Operating System Patching 231

Chapter 17 Operating System Patching 233

Upgrade the CentOS operating system on SVMs............................................234
Running scripts on hosts—overview.................................................. 234
Run a script on one or more hosts—procedures................................ 235

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 7

Contents

8 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

FIGURES

1 Test ping to ensure mtu setting........................................................................................ 56

2 Show interface output...................................................................................................... 57
3 Adapter properties............................................................................................................ 57
4 Ping output....................................................................................................................... 58
5 Test ping to ensure mtu setting........................................................................................ 59
6 Virtual Machine Properties................................................................................................62
7 Set Volume Use Read RAM Cache window....................................................................... 75
8 Add SDS window............................................................................................................. 108
9 Add Device window showing command validation............................................................ 110
10 System Event Log with failed DIMM................................................................................136
11 FG Storage Pool with DAX device................................................................................... 140
12 Before adding.................................................................................................................. 150
13 After adding..................................................................................................................... 151
14 Set Virtual IPs for VxFlex OS system screen................................................................... 163
15 User Preferences window................................................................................................213

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 9

Figures

10 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

TABLES

1 NVDIMM information table.............................................................................................. 124

2 Local and LDAP user roles and permissions..................................................................... 182
3 User Preferences.............................................................................................................214
4 Plug-in activity matrix..................................................................................................... 220

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 11

Tables

12 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

Preface

As part of an effort to improve its product lines, Dell EMC periodically releases revisions of its
software and hardware. 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 Dell EMC technical support professional if a product does not function properly or
does not function as described in this document.
Note: This document was accurate at publication time. Go to Dell EMC Online Support
(https://support.emc.com) to ensure that you are using the latest version of this document.
Previous versions of Dell EMC VxFlex OS were marketed under the name Dell EMC ScaleIO.
Similarly, previous versions of Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node were marketed under the name Dell
EMC ScaleIO Ready Node.
References to the old names in the product, documentation, or software, etc. will change over
time.
Note: Software and technical aspects apply equally, regardless of the branding of the product.

Related documentation
The release notes for your version includes the latest information for your product.
The following Dell EMC publication sets provide information about your VxFlex OS or VxFlex Ready
Node product:
l VxFlex OS software (downloadable as VxFlex OS Software <version> Documentation set)
l VxFlex Ready Node with AMS (downloadable as VxFlex Ready Node with AMS Documentation
set)
l VxFlex Ready Node no AMS (downloadable as VxFlex Ready Node no AMS Documentation
set)
l VxRack Node 100 Series (downloadable as VxRack Node 100 Series Documentation set)
You can download the release notes, the document sets, and other related documentation from
Dell EMC Online Support.
Typographical conventions
Dell EMC uses the following type style conventions in this document:
Bold Used for names of interface elements, such as names of windows,
dialog boxes, buttons, fields, tab names, key names, and menu paths
(what the user specifically selects or clicks)

Italic Used for full titles of publications referenced in text

Monospace Used for:
l System code
l System output, such as an error message or script
l Pathnames, filenames, prompts, and syntax
l Commands and options

Monospace italic Used for variables

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 13

Preface

Monospace bold Used for user input

[] Square brackets enclose optional values

| Vertical bar indicates alternate selections - the bar means “or”

{} Braces enclose content that the user must specify, such as x or y or

z

... Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from the example

Where to get help

Dell EMC support, product, and licensing information can be obtained as follows:
Product information
For documentation, release notes, software updates, or information about Dell EMC products,
go to Dell EMC Online Support at https://support.emc.com.

Technical support
Go to Dell EMC Online Support and click Service Center. You will see several options for
contacting Dell EMC Technical Support. Note that to open a service request, you must have a
valid support agreement. Contact your Dell EMC sales representative for details about
obtaining a valid support agreement or with questions about your account.

Your comments
Your suggestions will help us continue to improve the accuracy, organization, and overall quality of
the user publications. Send your opinions of this document to [email protected].

14 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 1
Getting Started

This section describes the tasks required to get started with your VxFlex OS system.

Chapter 1, "Log into VxFlex OS"

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 15

Getting Started

16 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 1
Log into VxFlex OS

You can log into VxFlex OS via the GUI or by using the CLI
Post-deployment tasks and configuring and customizing required workflows can be done through
the GUI or CLI.

l Log in to the VxFlex OS GUI...................................................................................................18

l Log in..................................................................................................................................... 18

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 17

Log into VxFlex OS

Log in to the VxFlex OS GUI

Open and log in to the VxFlex OS GUI.
Before you begin
Ensure that:
l The VxFlex OS GUI software is installed on the workstation. To install the VxFlex OS GUI, see
"Install the VxFlex OS GUI."
l You have these credentials (available from the administrator):
n MDM management IP address or hostname
n Username (the admin user exists by default)
n Password (defined during deployment)
Procedure
1. Open the VxFlex OS GUI:
l Linux: Run the script /opt/emc/scaleio/gui/run.sh.
l Windows: Click Start > All Programs > EMC > VxFlex OS GUI
l MacOS: From the command line, run /Applications/VxFlexOS-gui-3.0-
x.x.app/Contents/MacOS/VxFlexOS-gui-3.x.x.x
The initial login screen is displayed.
2. Type the IP address or hostname and click Connect.
If a certificate notice is displayed, review and accept the certificate.

If a login banner is displayed, confirm it to continue.

3. In the login screen, type the username and password, and click Login.
Results
The VxFlex OS GUI is displayed.
After you finish
Users and passwords are configured with the VxFlex OS CLI. For more information, see the
"Security" chapter of the VxFlex OS User Guide.

Log in
To access the CLI, you must first log in to the management system using a terminal application.
If the CLI and the MDM do not reside on the same server, add the --mdm_ip parameter to all CLI
commands.
In a non-clustered environment, use the MDM IP address. In a clustered environment, use the IP
addresses of the master and slave MDMs, separated by a comma. For example:

scli --mdm_ip 10.10.10.3,10.10.10.4 --login --username supervisor1 --password

password1

You will be prompted to enter the password.

18 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Log into VxFlex OS

When using LDAP, include the LDAP domain in the command. For more information on LDAP, see
VxFlex OS User Roles and LDAP Usage Technical Notes. For example:

scli --mdm_ip 10.10.10.3,10.10.10.4 --login --username [email protected]

--password password1 --ldap_authentication

The default user created during setup is the SuperUser, with the admin username.

login
Log the specified user into the management system. Every user must log in before performing CLI
commands.
When a user is authenticated by the system, all commands will be executed with the respective
role until a logout is performed, or until the session expires, by reaching one of the following
timeouts:
l Maximum session length (default: 8 hours)
l Session idle time (default: 10 minutes)
Syntax

scli --login --username <NAME>

[--password <PASSWORD>]
[--ldap_authentication | --native_authentication]
[(--approve_certificate_once | --approve_certificate]
--accept_banner_by_scripts_only

Note: Actual command syntax is operating-system dependent.

Parameters
--username
Username
--password
User password. If you do not type your password, you will be prompted to do so.
Note: In Linux, to prevent the password from being recorded in the history log, leave out
the password flag and enter the password interactively.

--ldap_authentication
Log in using the LDAP authentication method. LDAP authentication parameters should be
configured and LDAP authentication method should be set.
--native_authentication
Log in using the native authentication method (default).
--approve_certificate_once
One-time approval of the MDM's certificate (without adding the certificate to the truststore)
--approve_certificate
Automatic approval of the MDM's certificate for the next commands (adds the certificate to
the truststore)
--accept_banner_by_scripts_only

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 19

Log into VxFlex OS

Preemptive approval of login banner

Examples

scli --login --username siouser1 --password 1!2@3A

Note: During installation using the VxFlex OS Installer or the VMware plug-in, the password for
the admin user is reset, and you should log in with the new password. If you installed VxFlex
OS manually, after logging in the first time with the default password (admin), you must
change the password and log in again. Once that is accomplished, the admin user can create
additional users.
When logging in, if a login banner has been configured and enabled in your system, you are
prompted to press any key, after which the banner is displayed. To continue, enter "q" to quit the
login banner, and then enter "y" to approve the banner.

logout
Log the current user out of the system.
Syntax

scli --logout

Example

scli --logout

Use SCLI in non-secure mode

If you want to run commands in VxFlex OS in non-secure mode, you must first disable the secure
communication setting on every MDM server
About this task
You must make the following change to enable running commands.
Procedure
1. On every MDM server, disable secure communication:
l Windows - In the SCLI conf.txt file, add cli_use_secure_communication=0
l Linux - Run echo cli_use_secure_communication=0 >> ~/.scli/conf.txt

20 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 2
Post-Deployment Activities

This section contains activities that are performed after deployment of a VxFlex OS system.

Chapter 2, "Post-deployment tasks"

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 21

Post-Deployment Activities

22 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 2
Post-deployment tasks

Perform post-deployment tasks described in this section.

After performing these tasks, continue to the "Configure and Customize VxFlex OS" section for
further configuration steps as required.

l Post-deployment task checklist............................................................................................ 24

l Prepare lockbox files for Java upgrade..................................................................................25
l Create the lockbox................................................................................................................ 25
l Customer support................................................................................................................. 26
l Configure native users...........................................................................................................33
l Configure LDAP users........................................................................................................... 34
l Configure SNMP................................................................................................................... 35
l Enable OpenSSL FIPS compliance........................................................................................ 35
l Create and map volumes....................................................................................................... 36
l Post-deployment best practice suggestions..........................................................................45

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 23

Post-deployment tasks

Post-deployment task checklist

Use the following checklist to verify that you complete the required and optional post-deployment
procedures.
Post-deployment procedures

Procedure Notes Mandatory? Done

Add SDS devices After deploying VxFlex OS on ESXi servers Mandatory

with DirectPath device management, use the
vSphere plug-in to add SDS devices.

Add and map volumes Adding and mapping volumes can be Mandatory
performed using various VxFlex OS
management tools.

Review VxFlex OS performance best Recommended

practices

Review VxFlex OS best practice Recommended

configurations

Create a Lockbox, and add the MDM If you want to use SNMP, ESRS, LDAPS, or Optional
credentials to it the Auto Collect Logs feature, your system
must have a Lockbox. Recommended best
practice is to create the Lockbox during
installation with the VxFlex OS Installer when
selecting Set advanced options. Only when
a Lockbox has not been created during
installation, should you manually create a
Lockbox.

Configure EMC Secure Remote Mandatory

Support (ESRS)

Define native users in the system and Optional

change the default admin password.

Define LDAP users (if using VxFlex OS For detailed information about setting up Optional
with LDAP) VxFlex OS with LDAP, see "Configure LDAP
users".

Enable SNMP and configure the If SNMP was not configured during
SNMP trap receiver installation using the advanced options in the
VxFlex OS Installer, it can be configured after
deployment.

Enable FIPS compliance You can enable OpenSSL Federal Information Optional
Processing Standards (FIPS) compliance
implementation in the MDM for
communication between the SDSs and the
SDCs to the MDM. For instructions on how
to enable OpenSSL FIPS compliance
implementation, see "Enable OpenSSL FIPS
compliance."

24 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Post-deployment tasks

Prepare lockbox files for Java upgrade

Before changing the Java version of a node that is running the VxFlex OS Gateway or AMS of
VxFlex OS v2.5 or later, you must prepare lockbox-related files.
About this task
The lockbox in VxFlex OS v2.5 saves files in the Java folder of the VxFlex OS Gateway and the
AMS. These files need to be saved before any Java version update, then pasted back into the
folder.
Procedure
1. From the java\jre<VERSION>\lib\ext (for Windows) or java/
jre<VERSION>/lib/ext (for Linux) Java folder, copy these files to a different folder:
l commons-lang3-3.6.jar
l cryptoj-6.2.3.jar
Note: Only Java 8 is supported.

2. Update the Java version.

3. Paste these files back to the folder from where you copied them.

Create the lockbox

For security reasons, the lockbox is created on the VxFlex OS Gateway during system deployment.
If for some reason, this was not done, you must create a lockbox manually, and then add the MDM
credentials, using FOSGWTool. Lockbox is required for the following features: ESRS, SNMP,
LDAPS and automatic log collection.
Before you begin
l Collect MDM username and password.
About this task
Note: The lockbox can also be created during system deployment, when the VxFlex OS
Installer customized installation procedure is used. This is the preferred method for creating
the lockbox. To configure SNMP alerts during deployment or when setting up the installation,
select Set advanced , enable the Configuration option called Enable alert service. If
the VxFlex OS Installer installation wizard was used to deploy the system, the lockbox was not
created.
Note: To check whether a lockbox already exists, search for the following directory. If the
lck_xml directory exists, a lockbox is configured in the system.
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf
l Windows: C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf
Use FOSGWTool to create or configure a lockbox. Only use FOSGWTool to create a lockbox if no
lockbox exists. To use FOSGWTool, enter the appropriate path, based on your operating system,
and append the commands to the end of the file path:
l Linux FOSGWTool default file path: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/bin/FOSGWTool.sh
l Windows FOSGWTool default file path: C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\bin
\FOSGWTool.bat

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 25

Post-deployment tasks

Procedure
1. Create a lockbox:

<FOSGWTool_PATH> --change_lb_passphrase --new_passphrase

<NEW_PASSPHRASE>

Note: From system version 2.5 and later, the installation process assigns a random
passphrase to this property, and it is highly recommended not to configure or use this
property, because it could create a security breach.

2. Add MDM credentials to the lockbox:

<FOSGWTool_PATH> --set_mdm_credentials --mdm_user <MDM_USERNAME> --

mdm_password <MDM_PASSWORD>

Windows example:

C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\bin\FOSGWTool.bat --
set_mdm_credentials --mdm_user admin --mdm_password Scaleio123

Customer support
Dell EMC provides immediate support via early detection of issues that are communicated by the
Secure Remote Services (SRS) gateway or email alert notifications. You may choose which
method best suits your business requirements.
For SRS configuration, refer to "Register VxFlex OS system to SRS". For information on how to
configure the email alert notifications, refer to "Email notifications".

Register VxFlex OS system to SRS

Your VxFlex OS system is not automatically registered to SRS following deployment. You need to
manually register the VxFlex OS system to SRS.
About this task
The following procedure describes how to register:
Procedure
1. In the web browser, go to the IP address of your system's VxFlex OS Gateway.
2. Log in to the VxFlex OS Gateway.
3. From the Maintain tab, click System Logs & Analysis and select Register VxFlex OS
system to SRS.
The Register VxFlex OS system to SRS dialog box is displayed.
4. Enter the MDM password in the MDM admin password box.
5. Enter the SRS server address in the Server server URL box.
6. Enter a user name in the SRS Username box to register the system with the SRS service.
7. Enter a password in the SRS Password box to register the system with the SRS service.
8. Enter the VxFlex OS Gateway IP address in the VxFlex OS Gateway URL box .

26 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Post-deployment tasks

9. Click the Register to SRS button to register the VxFlex OS system to the SRS.

Requirements for configuring SRS via CLI

Before configuring SRS, ensure that your system meets the following requirements, and that you
have the following information:
l Requirements:
n SRS gateway v3 version 3.08 or higher must be installed and configured. It is recommended
to create at least two SRS gateways and define them as a cluster via the backend server.
n SRS gateway must be reachable from the VxFlex OS Gateway node on port 9443.
n A lockbox has already been created and the MDM credentials have been added.
n Ensure that the VxFlex OS Gateway can reach the SRS gateway by its hostname (not only
by its IP address). For example, use DNS or /etc/hosts.
n The VxFlex OS license must be installed.
n The Gateway Management IP address to be used as the Connect-In IP address must be an
IP address that is accessible from the SRS gateway (for example, in case of NAT). Ensure
that you know this IP address, because you will need it when you perform the registration
procedure.
n On the VxFlex OS Gateway, in the gatewayUser.properties file, set the property
features.enable_ESRS=true
n A web browser is required for this procedure.
l Information:
n One or more IP addresses of the SRS servers.
n SRS user and password credentials for the VxFlex OS command.
n MDM user name and password.

Configure SRS
Enable Secure Remote Support (SRS) for remote support.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have
l One or more IP addresses of the SRS gateway servers. Note that SRS does not currently
support IPv6.
l SRS username and password.
l VxFlex OS Gateway IP address, username, and password.
l The VxFlex OS Management IP address to be used as the Connect-In IP address. It must be an
IP address that is accessible from the SRS gateway (for example, in case of NAT).

Register the system with the SRS gateway via CLI

To enable the SRS feature on your VxFlex OS system, you must add the SRS gateway's certificate
to the trust store, and register your system on the SRS gateway.
Before you begin
Refer to " Requirements for configuring SRS" in this section.
The following REST procedures described are performed using cURL. You may use other similar
tools and their corresponding commands to perform the steps.
A web browser is required for this procedure.

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Post-deployment tasks

About this task

To work with SRS, the Lockbox must be configured, and the MDM credentials must be added. The
Lockbox is required for both SNMP and SRS. Refer to "Create the lockbox" for the procedure of
how to create a lockbox.
Procedure
1. Enable the SRS feature in the gatewayUser.properties file.
a. Use a text editor to open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Gateway server:

VxFlex OS Gateway
installed on Location of gatewayUser.properties file

Windows C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\webapps\ROOT

\WEB-INF\classes\

Linux /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes

b. Change the enable_ESRS feature to "true":

features.enable_ESRS=true
c. Save the file.
2. Add the SRS gateway's SSL certificate to the truststore.
a. Browse to <ESRS_Gateway_IP_address:9443>.
b. View the SHA-1 certificate, and copy it to file. If a root certificate exists, copy it to file as
well.
c. Copy the sha-1.cer file (mandatory) and root.cer file (optional) to the root folder
on the VxFlex OS Gateway.
d. Log in to REST and get a token from the VxFlex OS Gateway. Save a copy of the token
in a text editor.

curl -k -v --basic --user

admin:<mdm_admin_password> https://
<VxFlex_OS_Gateway_IP_address>/api/login

At the very end of the command output, the token is displayed. For example:

"YWRtaW46MTQ4NjQyMzM2jg4MzpmOTdkYzczOTRjMGRjNzFjNT1jNTljMzJiM2U5NWJjNmFh
NA"

e. Using REST, add the SHA-1 certificate to the truststore.

curl -k -v --basic -uadmin:<token_received_from_previous_command> --

form "file=@<path_to_certificate_file>" https://
<VxFlex_OS_Gateway_IP_address>/api/trustHostCertificate/Mdm

f. Optionally, use the same command as the previous step to add the root certificate to the
truststore.
3. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service.

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Option Description
Windows Restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway service
Linux Type the command

service scaleio-gateway restart

4. Register VxFlex OS on the SRS gateway. In command line, use the following FOSGWTool
command:

<FOSGWTool_PATH> --register_ESRS_gateway --scaleio_gateway_ip

<IP_ADDRESS:PORT> --scaleio_gateway_user <USER> --
scaleio_gateway_password <PASSWORD> --ESRS_gateway_ip <IP_ADDRESS> --
ESRS_gateway_user <USER> ‑‑ESRS_gateway_password <PASSWORD> --
connect_in_ip <IP_ADDRESS>

where --ESRS_gateway_user is the user name used for EMC support (typically, an email
address), and --ESRS_gateway_password is its corresponding password. --
connect_in_ip is the MGMT IP address of the current Master MDM.

Results
SRS registration is complete.

Perform other SRS configuration activities

Use FOSGWTool in command line for SRS configuration activities.
About this task
FOSGWTool is located in:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/bin/FOSGWTool.sh
l Windows: C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\bin\FOSGWTool.bat
Procedure
1. The following activities can be performed with FOSGWTool:

Activity Command

To unregister from all SRS <FOSGWTool_PATH> --unregister_esrs_gateway --

gateways, type the command: scaleio_gateway_ip <ip address:port> --
scaleio_gateway_user <user> --
scaleio_gateway_password <password>

To remove a specific SRS <FOSGWTool_PATH> --remove_esrs_gateway --

gateway from the VxFlex OS scaleio_gateway_ip
Gateway configuration, type <scaleio_gateway_ip_address> --
the command: scaleio_gateway_user <scaleio_gateway_user>
--scaleio_gateway_password
<scaleio_gateway_password> --esrs_gateway_ip
<esrs_gateway_ip_address>

To reset the VxFlex OS <FOSGWTool_PATH> --reset_password

Gateway admin password,
type the command:

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Activity Command

To start SRS logic on the <FOSGWTool_PATH> --start_esrs

VxFlex OS Gateway (alerts
will be sent ot the SRS
server), type the command:

To stop SRS logic from <FOSGWTool_PATH> --stop_esrs

running on the VxFlex OS
Gateway (alerts will not be
sent to the SRS server), type
the command:

To check the connection to a <FOSGWTool_PATH> --check_esrs_connectivity

registered SRS gateway
(probing will be done
throughout the servers to find
one that can be connected),
type the command:

To show a list of the available <FOSGWTool_PATH> --help

FOSGWTool commands, type
the command:

Email notifications
Service Requests may be created via an email alert notification that is triggered by alerts sent from
the VxFlex OS system.
VxFlex OS can send an email when alerts are triggered from the system. The email is sent from the
VxFlex OS Gateway via a designated SMTP server to the SRS which then notifies Dell EMC
customer support.
Note: The default setting after an upgrade is SRS. So if you upgrade your system and the
notification method property was set to email, you must update the setting after the upgrade.
There are two ways to configure the email notifications feature:
l Configure the gatewayUser.properties file and then restart the gateway service
l Configure and start the gateway service using the REST API
Note: Verify that a lockbox is configured. If it is not, refer to "Create the lockbox" for steps on
how to manually create a lockbox. After creating the lockbox, you must add MDM credentials
to the lockbox.

Configure email alert notifications

The setting for the notification method can be defined in the gatewayUser.properties file.
About this task
The following steps describe the properties that must be defined if the setting
features.notification_method=email:
Procedure
1. Use a text editor to open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Gateway server:
/opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes
2. Set features.notification_method=email.

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3. Add the following properties under features.notification_method=email:

l notifications.emailSID.1.type=callHome. This is the email notification type.
This is currently the default and the only option at this stage.
l notifications.emailSID.1.SID=<SID email>. This is the email sender
identification. This is the identity shown in the email's "From" field.
l notifications.emailSID.1.username=<SID username>. This is the SMTP
email notification username required when email notification uses SMTP server
authentication.
l notifications.emailSID.1.smtp=<SMTP server name>. The SMTP server's
IP/hostname .
l notifications.emailSID.1.authentication=<true or false>. Enables
SMTP authentication mode for email notification
l notifications.emailSID.1.port=<port number>. Add the port number used
for email notification. Default is 25.

4. Save and close the file.

5. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service

Results
Email notification is now set up to alert customer support with any issues from the VxFlex OS
system.

Configure email alert notification using REST API

You can configure email notifications using the REST API.
About this task
The following steps describe the REST API commands to configure for using email notifications.
Procedure
1. Select the notification method you wish to use:

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

JSESSIONID=<JSESSION_ID>" "https://<IM_IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/
notifications/actions/setNotificationMethod?
notificationMethod=<NOTIFICATION_METHOD>"

where:
l <JSESSION_ID> is the JSESSIONID returned in the response of the
j_spring_security_check command. For more information, see "Working with the
(IM) REST API" in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l <IM_IP_ADDRESS> is the IP address of the VxFlex OS Installer
l <NOTIFICATION_METHOD> is one of the options of the notificationMethod
detailed above.

2. Add the sender identity and optionally configure SMTP server:

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

JSESSIONID=<JSESSION_ID>" "https://<IM_IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/

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notifications/email/actions/setEmailSID?
type=<SID_TYPE>&sid=<SID>&smtpServer=<SMTP_SERVER>&username=<USERNAME>&p
assword=<PASSWORD>&authenticate=<AUTHENTICATE>

where:
l <JSESSION_ID> is the JSESSIONID returned in the response of the
j_spring_security_check command. For more information, see "Working with the
(IM) REST API" in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l <IM_IP_ADDRESS> is the IP address of the VxFlex OS Installer
l <SID_TYPE> is the type of sender identity. See the options available for type above
l <SID> is the email address you which to use for the sender identity
l <SMTP_SERVER> is the SMTP server address, if using SMTP authentication
l <USERNAME> is the username for SMTP authentication
l <PASSWORD> is the password for SMTP authentication
l <AUTHENTICATE> indicates whether you want to use SMTP authentication

3. Start the email feature:

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

JSESSIONID=<JSESSION_ID>" "https://<IM_IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/
notifications/email/actions/start"

where:
l <JSESSION_ID> is the JSESSIONID returned in the response of the
j_spring_security_check command. For more information, see "Working with the
(IM) REST API" in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l <IM_IP_ADDRESS> is the IP address of the VxFlex OS Installer
Note: You must stop the email notification feature before changing its configuration.
After configuring the email notification feature, start the feature so that it begins
sending out email notifications. Any time the feature is stopped, it needs to be started
using this command. The email notification feature automatically restarts after a reboot.

4. You can retrieve the list of sender identity configurations:

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

JSESSIONID=<JSESSION_ID>" "https://<IM_IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/
notifications/email/actions/getEmailSIDs"

where:
l <JSESSION_ID> is the JSESSIONID returned in the response of the
j_spring_security_check command. For more information, see "Working with the
(IM) REST API" in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l <IM_IP_ADDRESS> is the IP address of the VxFlex OS Installer

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5. You can remove an email sender identity:

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

JSESSIONID=<JSESSION_ID>" "https://<IM_IP_ADDRESS>/im/types/
notifications/email/actions/removeEmailSID?type=<SID_TYPE>&sid=<SID>

where:
l <JSESSION_ID> is the JSESSIONID returned in the response of the
j_spring_security_check command. For more information, see "Working with the
(IM) REST API" in the VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l <IM_IP_ADDRESS> is the IP address of the VxFlex OS Installer
l <SID_TYPE> is the type of sender identity. See the options available for type above
l <SID> is the email address you which to use for the sender identity

6. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service.

Configure native users

Configure native users using the VxFlex OS CLI.
About this task
Use the following SCLI commands to create and modify native VxFlex OS users. To run CLI
commands, you must be logged in. Actual command syntax is operating-system dependent. For
more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
SCLI is installed as part of the MDM component and can be found in the following path:
l ESXi: scli
l Linux: scli
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\MDM\bin
l XenServer: siocli
Procedure
1. Log in as an admin user to the CLI:

scli --login --username <NAME> --password <PASSWORD>

where <PASSWORD> is the password used for the first login.

2. (Optional) Change the default admin user password:

scli --set_password --old_password <PASSWORD> --new_password

<NEW_PASSWORD>

3. Add users:

scli --add_user --username <NAME> --user_role <ROLE>

A randomly generated password for the created user is returned.

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Post-deployment tasks

4. (Optional) Log in with the new user and then change its password:

scli --login --username <NAME> --password <PASSWORD>

scli --set_password --old_password <OLD_PASSWORD> --new_password

<NEW_PASSWORD>

This is optional because the VxFlex OS GUI, CLI, or REST will enforce a password change if
a user logs in with the original password.

Configure LDAP users

Configure LDAP users if you are using LDAP with VxFlex OS.
About this task
For more information on using LDAP with VxFlex OS, see the "Security" section. To run SCLI
commands, you must be logged in. Actual command syntax is operating-system dependent. For
more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
Procedure
1. Create Active Directory (AD) groups that correspond to the user roles offered by VxFlex
OS.
2. Use the CLI to add LDAP service to the MDM:

scli --add_ldap_service --ldap_service_uri <URI> --ldap_base_dn

<LDAP_DN>

Note: VxFlex OS systems support authentication by up to eight LDAP servers. When

multiple LDAP servers are used, add each one separately using this command.

3. Use the CLI to assign an LDAP group to the user role:

scli --assign_ldap_groups_to_roles (--ldap_service_id <LDAP_SERVICE_ID>

| --ldap_service_name <LDAP_SERVICE_NAME>) [--administrator_role_dn
<LDAP_GROUP_DN>] [--security_role_dn <LDAP_GROUP_DN>] [--
backend_config_role_dn <LDAP_GROUP_DN>] [--frontend_config_role_dn
<LDAP_GROUP_DN>] [--monitor_role_dn <LDAP_GROUP_DN>]

4. Use the CLI to set the system to mixed authentication method, LDAP and native:

scli --set_user_authentication_method --native_and_ldap_authentication

5. Log in again to apply these changes.

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Configure SNMP
Configure Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for error reporting, if it was not
configured during installation.
Before you begin
Ensure that a lockbox has already been created and that the MDM credentials have been added to
it.
About this task
Enable the SNMP feature in the gatewayUser.properties file.
Procedure
1. Use a text editor to open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Installer/VxFlex OS Gateway server:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes
l Windows: C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF
\classes\
2. Locate the parameter features.enable_snmp and edit it as follows:

features.enable_snmp=true

3. To add the trap receiver IP address or host name (to configure trap receivers using host
names see "Configure Dynamic Host Name resolution for SNMP in VxFlex OS"), edit the
parameter snmp.traps_receiver_ip.
The SNMP trap receivers’ IP address parameter supports up to two comma-separated or
semi-colon-separated host names or IP addresses.
4. You can optionally change the following parameters:

Option Description
snmp.sampling_frequency The MDM sampling period. The default is 30.
snmp.resend_frequency The frequency of resending existing traps. The default is 0,
which means that traps for active alerts are sent every
sampling cycle.

5. Save and close the file.

6. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Linux: Run the command service scaleio-gateway restart
l Windows: Restart the gateway service.

Enable OpenSSL FIPS compliance

Enable the implementation of OpenSSL Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
compliance in the MDM for communication between the external components, including the
VxFlex OS GUI, VxFlex OS Gateway, and CLI, to the MDM. It is also enabled for any other usage of
the OpenSSL library.

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Post-deployment tasks

Before you begin

The MDM must be hosted on Linux with the OpenSSL package installed.
Procedure
1. On each host running VxFlex OS, open the configuration file of each component with a text
editor.
The configuration file is /opt/emc/scaleio/<COMPONENT>/cfg/conf.txt, where
<COMPONENT> is the lowercase name of the component (e.g. "sds").
2. Add the parameter security_enable_fips=1 to the file.
3. Save and close the file
4. Open the SCLI configuration file with a text editor:
The configuration file is located at: ~/.scli/conf.txt.
5. Add the parameter security_enable_fips=1 to the file.
6. Save and close the file.
7. On each host, restart each component's service:

service scaleio-<COMPONENT> restart

8. Verify that OpenSSL FIPS compliance has been enabled by running:

cat /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled

If it has been enabled correctly, the output should be 1.

Create and map volumes

Create volumes from devices added to SDS nodes, and then map the volumes to SDC nodes.
You can create and map volumes using various management tools, including the CLI, VxFlex OS
GUI, vSphere web plug-in, and REST API.
Creating and mapping volumes is necessary before applications can access the volumes. In
addition, you may create additional volumes and map them as part of the maintenance of the
virtualization layer.

Create and map volumes using the CLI

Use the CLI to create a volume and map it to an SDC.
About this task
Use the following SCLI commands to create and map volumes. For more details on SCLI command
usage, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
Procedure
1. Create a volume:

scli --add_volume --size_gb <SIZE> --volume_name <VOL_NAME> --

protection_domain_name <PD_NAME> --storage_pool_name <SP_NAME>

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2. Map a volume to an SDC:

scli --map_volume_to_sdc --volume_name <VOL_NAME> --sdc_ip <SDC_IP>

Create and map volumes using the VxFlex OS GUI

Use the VxFlex OS GUI to create a volume and map it to an SDC.
Before you begin
Ensure that you can authenticate to the VxFlex OS GUI with an admin user.
About this task
For more information on creating and mapping volumes using the VxFlex OS GUI, see the user
documentation.
Procedure
1. Open the VxFlex OS GUI and log in with credentials:
l Linux: Run the script /opt/emc/scaleio/gui/run.sh.
l Windows: Click Start > All Programs > VxFlex OS GUI
The VxFlex OS GUI is displayed.
2. Create volumes:
a. In the Frontend > Volumes view, select a Storage Pool to which to add the volume.
b. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Add Volume.
The Add Volume window is displayed.

c. To create more than one volume, select Create multiple volumes and type the number
of volumes in the Copies box.
d. Type a name in the Name box.
e. To start from a specific number other than 1, type it in the Start numbering at box.
This number will be the first number in the series that will be appended to the volume
name.

f. Type a number in the Size box, representing the volume size in GB (allocation granularity
is 8 GB).
g. Select Thick (default) or Thin provisioning options.
h. Enable or disable the Read RAM Cache feature by selecting or clearing Use Read RAM
Cache.
i. Click OK.
3. Map volumes to an SDC:
a. In the Frontend > Volumes view, select the volumes.
b. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Map Volumes.
The Map Volumes window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes that will be
mapped.

c. In the Select Nodes panel, select one or more SDCs to which you want to map the
volumes.

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Post-deployment tasks

d. Click Map Volumes.

The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is
recommended to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you
can see the result of the operation.

Create and map volumes using the vSphere plug-in

Use the vSphere plug-in to create a volume and map it to an SDC.
Procedure
1. To open the plug-in, on the vSphere Web Client home tab, click the VxFlex OS icon.
2. On the Storage Pools screen, click Actions > Create volumes.
3. In the Create Volume dialog box, enter the volume information.
4. To map the volume to ESXi servers, select Map volume to ESXs.
5. In the Select ESXs area, select the clusters or ESXi servers to which this volume should be
mapped.

Enable storage, create and map volumes—XenServer

Enable storage in the XenServer environment.
Before you begin
You must issue the command line commands from the Master MDM node, either directly, or via
SSH. Ensure that you have the authentication credentials. You can also use the VxFlex OS GUI.
About this task
The VxFlex OS CLI is installed as part of the MDM component and can be found in the following
path on XenServer: siocli
Note: All VxFlex OS CLI commands for XenServer begin with siocli. When you use CLI
commands described in the remainder of the system documentation, replace scli with
siocli in the documented commands.
After VxFlex OS is installed, follow these steps to add and map volumes, and enable their use in
HA. This procedure is relevant for XenServer v6.5 and v7.x.
Procedure
1. If you did not add storage devices during the deployment procedures, add them now:
l You must add at least one device to at least 3 SDSs, with a minimum of 100 GB free
storage capacity per device.
l Balance the total device capacity over all SDSs.

a. Log in to the VxFlex OS cluster:

siocli --login ---username <MDM_USERNAME> --password <MDM_PASSWORD>

b. Add devices using the following command:

siocli --add_sds_device --sds_ip <IP> --protection_domain_name <NAME>

--storage_pool_name <NAME> --device_path <DEVICE_PATH>

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Example:

siocli --add_sds_device --sds_ip 192.168.212.10 --

protection_domain_name default --storage_pool_name default --
device_path g

2. Add a volume:

siocli --add_volume --protection_domain_name <NAME>--storage_pool_name

<NAME> --size_gb <SIZE> --volume_name <NAME>

Example:

siocli --add_volume --protection_domain_name default --

storage_pool_name default --size_gb 16 --volume_name vol01

3. Map a volume to an SDC:

siocli --map_volume_to_sdc --volume_name <NAME> --sdc_ip <IP>

Example:

siocli --map_volume_to_sdc --volume_name vol01 --sdc_ip 192.168.212.19

You can use the VxFlex OS GUI or the CLI --query_all command to see the installed
nodes and storage.
4. Get the host UUID by running the following command:

xe host-list

5. Edit the file /etc/lvm/lvm.conf by editing the lines that start with types, and adding
"scini", 16 inside the square brackets.
Example:

types = ["nvme", 64, "mtip32xx", 64, "scini", 16]

6. For XenServer v7.x (only), edit /etc/lvm/master/lvm.conf, as follows:

a. Locate the lines that begin with types.
b. In each of these lines, add this string inside the square brackets: "scini", 16

types = ["nvme", 64, "mtip32xx", 64, "scini", 16]

7. Use the retrieved host UUID while running the sr-create command.
Note: VxFlex OS provides a unique ID to each volume. It is highly recommended to use
the unique ID when running on XenServer. For example, the VxFlex OS volume name in

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the hypervisor is /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-emc-

vol-4a7987a751237ae0-3d467d3900000000.
Example

xe sr-create host-uuid=09fa5d27-aa08-4c71-86bb-71dc73e9f59f content-

type="ScaleIO" name-label="ScaleIO" shared=true device-
config:SCSIid=emc-vol-4a7987a751237ae0-3d467d3900000000 type=lvmohba

Note: To add a shared storage repository, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

l All nodes in the XenServer Center Storage Pool must be installed with SDC.
l The VxFlex OS volume to be used as the shared SR must be mapped to all SDCs in the
Storage Pool.

Results
You can now start using your storage.

Mount VxFlex OS
The exposed VxFlex OS volumes are connected to the servers via the network. To configure
mounting options of VxFlex OS devices, follow the instructions for your specific Linux-based
operating system, below.
About this task
Use persistent device names since the /dev/sciniX names are not guaranteed to persist
between reboots. How to use persistent device names is described in full in "Associating volumes
with physical disks".
To mount VxFlex OS:
Procedure
1. Determine the /dev/disk/by-id correlation to /dev/sciniX:

ls -l /dev/disk/by-id/ |grep scini

Output similar to the following appears:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Mar 2 05:35 emc-

vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f0330000000a -> ../../scinia
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Mar 2 05:35 emc-
vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f03200000009 -> ../../scinib
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Mar 2 05:35 emc-
vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f02c00000003 -> ../../scinic

2. Run the mount command:

mount /dev/disk/by-id/<EMC-vol-id>

Example:

mount /dev/disk/by-id/emc-vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f0330000000a /
mnt_scinia

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 Post-deployment tasks

3. To make the mount command persistent, edit the /etc/fstab file according to the
instructions for your operating system:
l RHEL 6.x:
a. In /etc/fstab, use a text editor to add the VxFlex OS mount lines:

/dev/disk/by-id/emc-vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f0330000000a /
mnt_scinia ext4 defaults 0 0

b. In /etc/rc.local, use a text editor to add the mount commands:

mount /mnt_scinia

l RHEL 7.x:
In /etc/fstab, use a text editor to add _netdev to the VxFlex OS mount lines.
Example:

/dev/disk/by-id/emc-vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f0330000000a /mnt_scinia
ext4 defaults,_netdev 0 0

Ensure that you comply with the netdev and syntax rules for your file system, as
described in the man page.
l SLES:
In /etc/fstab, use a text editor to add nofail to the VxFlex Ready Node mount lines.
Example:

/dev/disk/by-id/emc-vol-7ec27ef55b8f2108-85a0f0330000000a /mnt_scinia
ext3 nofail 0 0

Ensure that you comply with the nofail and syntax rules for your file system, as
described in the man page.

Associate VxFlex OS volumes with physical disks

You can associate VxFlex OS volumes with physical disks.
This following procedures describe how to associate volumes with physical disks.
To get VxFlex OS volume information, run the scli --query_all_volumes (or --query_all
or --query_volume) command.
Output similar to the following appears:

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Post-deployment tasks

This output shows the Volume ID and name, and other volume information.

Volume information - Linux

You can retrieve volume information from the SDC host.
On the SDC host, run the following command to get the operating system volume information that
correlates to the VxFlex OS scini device name:

ls -l /dev/disk/by-id/ |grep scini

Output, similar to the following appears:

This output shows the scini volume name and the volume ID.
By matching the volume ID in both outputs, you can match the operating system names, sciniX,
with the VxFlex OS volume name.
For example:
l scinia = fac22a6300000000 = vol0
l scinic = fac22a6400000001 = vol1
Alternatively, run the sg_inq /dev/sciniX SCSI query command (requires that the sg3_utils
be installed on the Linux host). The result of this command includes the EMC volume ID at the
bottom of the output, as illustrated:

Note:
The product identification remains as ScaleIO (not VxFlex OS).

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 Post-deployment tasks

Add VxFlex OS devices to Linux LVM physical volumes

Add VxFlex OS devices to Linux LVM physical volumes.
Procedure
1. In the /etc/lvm/lvm.conf file add the following line:

types = [ "scini", 16 ]

2. When VxFlex OS scini devices are used, add the following filter:

filter = [ "a|/dev/scini*|", "r/.*/" ]

3. After configured, the lvmdiskscan command should yield results similar to the following:

/dev/scinia [ 96.00 GiB] LVM physical volume

/dev/scinib [ 320.00 GiB] LVM physical volume
/dev/scinic1 [ 56.00 GiB]
/dev/scinid [ 32.00 GiB]
1 disk
1 partition
2 LVM physical volume whole disks
0 LVM physical volumes

4. Continue with normal LVM steps.

Volume information - Windows

You can retrieve volume information from the MDM.
About this task
The sg_inq.exe file was added to the MSI installation and can be found at C:\Program Files
\EMC\ScaleIO\SDC\diag\.
Procedure
1. Run the sg_inq HardiskX SCSI query command.
The result of this command includes the EMC volume ID at the bottom of the output.
2. On the MDM, get the VxFlex OS volume information:

C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg --query_vol

Output similar to the following is displayed:

3. From the Windows command prompt, run this command:

wmic diskdrive get deviceid,serialnumber | findstr "EMC"

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Post-deployment tasks

Output similar to the following is displayed:

\\.\PHYSICALDRIVE13 EMC-0b246c9a755ca3dd-6acb988500000004
The first part of the output is the disk name. In our example: PHYSICALDRIVE13
The second part is the disk serial number. The last set of the second part (after the dash) is
the VxFlex OS volume ID. In our example: 6acb988500000004
After you finish
You can also get the volume ID from the VxFlex OS GUI by displaying the Identity pane of the
volume's properties sheet from Frontend > Volumes

Volume information - AIX

On AIX servers, associate the VxFlex OS volume ID with the AIX physical device.
About this task
Retrieve the CuAt volume value:
Procedure
1. On the SDC host, run the following command to get the operating system volume
information:

#odmget -q "name like scinid* and attribute=vol_id" CuAt

Output, similar to the following, is displayed:

CuAt:
name = "scinid0"
attribute = "vol_id"
value = "e120a92d00000000"
type = "R"
generic = "D"
rep = "s"
nls_index = 22
[root@cnode02 /]#odmget -q "name like scinid* and attribute=vol_id" CuAt

CuAt:
name = "scinid2"
attribute = "vol_id"
value = "e120a92f00000002"
type = "R"
generic = "D"
rep = "s"
nls_index = 22

CuAt:
name = "scinid8"
attribute = "vol_id"
value = "e120a93500000008"
type = "R"
generic = "D"
rep = "s"
nls_index = 22

CuAt:
name = "scinid0"
attribute = "vol_id"
value = "e120a92d00000000"
type = "R"
generic = "D"

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 Post-deployment tasks

rep = "s"
nls_index = 22

You can get information for a single volume, by using this command:

#odmget -q "name=scinid0 and attribute=vol_id" CuAt

2. Match the value of the value field with the VxFlex OS volume ID.

Post-deployment best practice suggestions

After you've deployed the VxFlex OS system, refer to the recommended guides for best practice
suggestions.
About this task
Recommended guides for best practice suggestions:
l Performance Fine Tuning section for an overview of how to enhance VxFlex OS performance
l Security Configuration Guide for an overview of the security settings to ensure VxFlex OS
security
l Run the system analysis report as described in the Deployment Guide

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 45

Post-deployment tasks

46 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 3
VxFlex OS Performance Fine-Tuning

This section provides an overview of the different tasks required to enhance VxFlex OS
performance.

Chapter 3, "VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning"

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 47

VxFlex OS Performance Fine-Tuning

48 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 3
VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

This section provides an overview of VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning.

l Tune VxFlex OS for best performance.................................................................................. 50

l Performance tuning post-installation.................................................................................... 50
l VxFlex OS system changes.................................................................................................... 51
l Optimize Linux...................................................................................................................... 59
l Optimize ESXi........................................................................................................................61
l Optimize the SVM..................................................................................................................61
l Optimizing VM guests........................................................................................................... 62
l VxFlex OS Performance Parameters..................................................................................... 63
l RAID controller virtual disk settings...................................................................................... 65
l Apply Performance Profiles to system components.............................................................. 65

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Tune VxFlex OS for best performance

You can improve theVxFlex OS system performance in terms of IOPs, latency, and bandwidth, by
making environment-specific fine-tunings on the operating system, network, and VxFlex OS
components.
Note: Performance tuning is very case-specific. To prevent undesirable effects, it is highly
recommended to thoroughly test all changes. For further assistance, contact https://
support.emc.com.

Performance tuning post-installation

This section describes steps to take after completing a successful installation to enhance
performance.

Upgrades
For any VxFlex OS upgrade from 2.x to 3.x, profile parameters are preserved during the upgrade. If
Fine Granularity is configured and the profile was compact, it changes to high performance. For a
clean 3.x install, high performance is the default. Users should implement performance tunings by
following the guidelines described in this document.

Fine granularity layout performance considerations

Fine granularity layout enables 4KB granularity and compression.
The benefit of the more efficient FG layout (pools) that allow 4KB granularity plus compression vs.
1MB of MG layout (pool) come at some performance cost. In most cases (but not all) FG will be
slower than MG. In FG layout, when compression is enabled, Reads are slower than in cases where
compression is disabled. There are exceptions to these rules. For example Write Response Time is
similar in FG and MG. Another exception is using snaps. In FG the snaps have no impact on the
performance of applications and workloads running during the snap creation. In MG snaps might
have an impact on performance in some cases.
For this reason, in cases that are very sensitive to performance and do not require snaps, MG
would be a better choice. It would also be a good option for cases where the data is
uncompressible for example if it is already compressed or if the data is encrypted by the
application.

Tuning considerations
In version 3.x, high_performance profile is the default. Medium Granularity configuration can be
changed to compact which would require less memory and CPU resources, however it may have
some impact on the performance of the setup. With Fine Granularity configuration, including a
mixed Fine and Medium Granularity, only high_performance profile is allowed.
The main difference between the high_performance (default) and compact profiles are the
amount of server resources (CPU and memory) that are consumed. A high_performance profile
(or configuration) will always consume more resources.
This document will describe commands using the VxFlex OS command line interface (scli) to
quickly and easily modify the desired performance profile.
Users will achieve optimum performance by always setting the performance profile to
high_performance. A complete list of parameters comparing the Default and the
high_performance profiles is available in the "Performance Parameters".

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

VxFlex OS system changes

This section describes the various system changes available for enhancing VxFlex OS
performance.

Using the set_performance_parameters utility for MDM and SDS

New installation procedures have been instituted from v2.x and later that eliminate many of the
manual tasks involved with performance tuning VxFlex OS.
The following table describes the commands for specific tasks:
Task Command

To view current settings Execute the

command:

scli –-
query_performan
ce_parameters

Default is High_performance. If otherwise, execute the command to Execute the

change to High_performance command:

scli --
set_performance
_parameters
--all_sds --
all_sdc --
apply_to_mdm --
profile
high_performanc
e

To change the profile back to compact Execute the

command:

scli --
set_performance
_parameters
--all_sds --
all_sdc --
apply_to_mdm --
profile compact

To view full parameter settings for an MDM Execute the

command:

scli --
query_performan
ce_parameters
--print_all

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Task Command

To view full parameter settings of a specific SDS (this also shows the Execute the
MDM settings) command:

scli --
query_performan
ce_parameters
--sds_name
<NAME> --
print_all

To view full parameter settings of a specific SDC (this also shows the Execute the
MDM settings) command:

scli --
query_performan
ce_parameters
--sdc_name
<NAME> --
print_all

Note: Refer to the "Performance Parameters" for a list containing all default and performance
profile parameters.

Caching Updates for VxFlex OS 2.x/3.x

VxFlex OS offers the following types of caching, for the purpose of enhancing system
performance:
l RAM Read Cache (using a server’s DRAM memory)
l DAS Cache or Cachecade (for information on DAS Cache, see VxFlex Ready Node
documentation)
l Read Flash Cache (using SSDs or flash PCI cards)
Note: SSDs used for caching cannot be used for storage purposes.

The following table summarizes information about the caching modes provided by the system.

Mode Description Considerations Default

Setting

RAM Read Read-only RAM Read cache, the fastest type of caching, Disabled
Cache caching uses RAM that is allocated for caching. Its
(rmcache) performed by size is limited to the amount of allocated
server RAM. RAM.
RMCache should only be used for HDD pools.

Read Flash Read-only Read Flash Cache uses the full capacity of Disabled
Cache caching SSD or flash PCI devices (up to eight) to
(RFCache) performed by provide a larger footprint of read-only LRU
one or more (least recently used) based-caching resources
dedicated for the SDS. This type of caching reacts
SSD devices quickly to workload changes to speed up HDD
or flash PCI Read performance.
drives in the
server.

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Mode Description Considerations Default

Setting

Several SSD devices can be allocated to a

shared cache pool, and therefore the cache
size is limited in size only to the amount of
SSDs allocated for this purpose.
Note: The RFCache driver must be
installed during deployment. Caching
devices can be defined either during the
installation process, or after deployment.

DAS Cache Read and DAS Cache uses the full capacity of one or Disabled
write-back more SSD devices to provide a large footprint
caching of both read and write-back caching
performed by resources to the SDS. This caching mode
one or more moves "hot" (active) chunks of data from
dedicated HDDs to cache, for Read and Write buffering.
SSD devices For write-back caching, the write is
in the server temporarily written to the SSD, which is much
faster than an HDD, allowing faster response
of the SDS to write acknowledgment. One
SSD device can accelerate several HDDs (in
DAS Cache they are called "Volumes").
Striping the Cache on two devices is not
supported in the VxFlex Ready Node solution.
Note: If a fault occurs in the caching
device before the writes have been
offloaded, all the HDD devices cached by
DAS Cache acquire failed status, and a
rebuild process commences in VxFlex OS.
Once the rebuild is over, the caching disk
can be replaced, all caching has stopped
in the storage pool, and the HDD
members in the storage pool can be
cleared of errors.

Read RAM Cache settings for SDS

From version 2.x Read RAM Cache is disabled by default on the Storage Pool. Recommendation:
Keep it disabled for SSD/Flash pools. For HDD pools, Read RAM Cache can help increase
performance. If the node is storage only (in other words; is the node is only used for VxFlex OS),
then the recommendation is to turn on Read RAM Cache for HDD pools and use as much of the
server DRAM as possible.
In a converged configuration (where VxFlex OS is sharing the server with other applications),
depending on the available DRAM resources, it may also help to turn on Read RAM Cache for HDD
pools and increase the cache size from the default.
If users wish to enable/disable Read RAM Cache, perform either of the following steps. Read RAM
Cache may be enabled/disabled on the Protection Domain, or for each SDS in the cluster.

Task Command

To enable Read RAM cache Run one of the following commands:

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Task Command

l
scli --set_rmcache_usage --
protection_domain_name <domain NAME> --
storage_pool_name <pool NAME> --use_rmcache
[--dont_use_rmcache]

l
scli --enable_sds_rmcache [--
disable_sds_rmcache] --sds_name <NAME>

Note: Using this command would be required for every

SDS in the cluster.

To increase the amount of Run the following command:

Read RAM cache
scli --set_sds_rmcache_size ((--sds_id <ID> | --
sds_name <NAME> | --sds_ip <IP> [--sds_port
<PORT>]) | (--protection_domain_id <ID> | --
protection_domain_name <NAME>)) --
rmcache_size_mb <SIZE> [--i_am_sure]

Where --rmcache_size_mb is the size of rmcache in MB, and

the range is between 128MB-300GB.
It is important to ensure that Read RAM cache is enabled at all
levels (PD, SP, and SDS). When rmcache is properly enabled,
query output will look like this:

Read Flash Cache settings for SDS

Read Flash Cache is available from version 2.x and later. This feature is a Read Cache used to
increase read performance and buffers writes to increase the performance of Read-after-Write
I/Os. It allows users to create and configure an "RFcache" device for any SSD or Flash card.
VxFlex OS will cache user data depending on the mode selected. This feature can greatly improve
performance for specific workloads. The RFcache device is also referred to as an accelerated
device.
To create an RFcache device and configure it, use the following steps:
1. Create an RFcache device (Recommendation: create 1 device per SDS).

scli --add_sds_rfcache_device --sds_name <NAME> --rfcache_device_path

<device_path> --rfcache_device_name <RFcache device NAME>

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

2. Set the RFcache parameters (Recommendation: these parameters have a great impact on
performance, therefore use the defaults).

scli --set_rfcache_parameters --protection_domain_name <domain NAME> --

rfcache_pass_through_mode pass_through_write_miss

Note: The default settings are; Passthrough mode = Write_Miss, Page Size 64 KB, Max IO
size 128 KB.
3. Enable acceleration of a Storage Pool—accelerate all SDS devices that are in the pool:

scli --set_rfcache_usage --protection_domain_name <domain NAME> --

storage_pool_name <pool NAME> --use_rfcache

For Read Flash Cache, the available modes are as follows:

l pass_through_none
l pass_through_read
l pass_through_write
l pass_through_read_and_write
l pass_through_write_miss
The default caching mode is “write-miss”. In this mode, it is essentially a write-through option
where only reads and updates are cached. This mode buffers writes to the data that was already in
cache.
For more information related to using and configuring Read Flash Cache, refer to the VxFlex OS
Deployment Guide and VxFlex OS User Guide at https://support.emc.com.

Jumbo Frames and the potential impact on performance

When enabling jumbo frames, one can expect approximately 10% improvement in performance if
all network components fully support jumbo frames. If some network components do not fully
support jumbo frames, it is recommended to use the default setting; mtu 1,500.
Prior to activating mtu settings on the logical level, set Jumbo frames = mtu 9000 on the physical
switch ports that are connected to the server. Failure to do so may lead to network “disconnects”
and packet drops.
Refer to your relevant vendor guidelines on how to configure jumbo frame support.

Jumbo Frame configuration for Linux

Configure Jumbo Frames for NIC cards in the Linux-based VxFlex OS servers.
About this task
Perform the following steps, for all the NIC cards in the VxFlex OS system:
Procedure
1. Run the ifconfig command to get the NIC information.
2. Depending on the OS, run the command:

Operating System Command

RHEL/CentOS Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg- <NIC_NAME>

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Operating System Command

SLES Edit /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-<NIC_NAME>

3. Add parameter mtu=9000 to the file.

4. To apply the changes, type: service network restart
5. Execute ifconfig again to verify that the settings have been changed.
6. To test the command, type: ping –M do –s 8972<DESTINATION_IP_ADDRESS>
Output should look similar to this:
Figure 1 Test ping to ensure mtu setting

Jumbo Frame configuration for Windows

Configure Jumbo Frames for NIC cards in the Windows-based VxFlex OS servers.
About this task
Perform the following steps, for all the NIC cards in the VxFlex OS system:
Procedure
1. Change the Maximum Transmission Unit (mtu) setting to 9,000, or the highest
value that is supported by the switch and the connected nodes.
2. Determine the appropriate NIC name by typing the command:

netsh interface ipv4 show interface

Output similar to the following appears:

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Figure 2 Show interface output

In this example, index 17 is the appropriate network.

3. Type the command:

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface <network_ID> mtu=9000

store=persistent

where, network_ID is the ID from the output in the previous step; in this case, the ID is 17.
4. In the Advanced tab of the Adapter Properties dialog for your vendor and driver, change
the value of Jumbo Packet to 9000, as illustrated in the following figure:
Figure 3 Adapter properties

5. Click OK.
The network connection may disconnect briefly during this phase.
6. Verify that the configuration is working, by typing the command:

ping –f –l 8972 <Destination_IP_Address>

Output similar to the following should be displayed:

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Figure 4 Ping output

Note: Ensure that the switch supports 10 GB Ethernet.

Jumbo Frame configuration for ESXi

Configure Jumbo Frames for NIC cards in the ESXi-based VxFlex OS servers.
About this task
Perform the following steps, for all the NIC cards in the VxFlex OS system:
Procedure
1. Change the Maximum Transmission Unit (mtu) setting to 9,000 on the vSwitches
and on the SVM (be sure to make the change in /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-
ethX):
a. Type the command:

esxcfg-vswitch -m 9000 <vSwitch>

b. Create VMKernel with jumbo frames support by typing the following commands:
a. esxcfg-vswitch -d

b. esxcfg-vswitch -A vmkernel# vSwitch#

c. esxcfg-vmknic -a -i <ip address> -n <netmask> -m 9000 <portgroup

name>

Note: Changing Jumbo Frames on a vSwitch will not change the VMKernel MTU size.
For older vCenter versions, check to ensure the MTU setting has been changed. If not
successful, users may need to delete and recreate the VMKernel. For newer vCenter
versions, modify the MTU of VMKernel by using the vsphere web client.

Jumbo Frame configuration for Storage Virtual Machine

Configure Jumbo Frames for NIC cards in the Storage Virtual Machine (SVM)-based VxFlex OS
servers.
About this task
Perform the following steps, for all the NIC cards in the VxFlex OS system:

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Procedure
1. Edit the /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-<NIC_NAME>.
2. Add parameter mtu=9000 to the file.
3. To apply the changes type:

service network restart

4. Execute ifconfig command again to confirm that the settings have been changed.
5. To test the command type:

ping –M do –s 8972 <DESTINATION_IP_ADDRESS>

Output should look similar to the following:

Figure 5 Test ping to ensure mtu setting

Optimize Linux
When using the SSD devices, it is recommended that the I/O scheduler of the devices be modified.
Type the following on each server, for each SDS device:

echo noop > /sys/block/<device_name>/queue/scheduler

For example:

echo noop > /sys/block/sdb/queue/scheduler

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

When CPUs have more than twelve physical cores and more performance is required from the
node. For example: when CloudLink is being used for SW encryption or when Fine Granularity is
being used and more performance per node is required, type the following:

scli --set_performance_parameters --all_sds --tech --sds_number_os_threads 12

Note: To make these changes persistent after reboot, either create a script that runs on boot,
or change the kernel default scheduler via kernel command line.

Change the GRUB template for Skylake CPUs

For Skylake GPUs on PowerEdge 14G models running RHEL 7.2 or later, change the GRUB
template on every node to ensure that the CPUs maintain good performance in terms of latency.
Procedure
1. Open the GRUB template for editing:

vim /etc/default/grub

2. Find the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX configuration option and append the following to the line:

intel_idle.max_cstate=1 intel_pstate=disable

Example:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="crashkernel=auto rd.lvm.lv=rhel/root
rd.lvm.lv=rhel/swap rhgb intel_idle.max_cstate=1
intel_pstate=disable quiet"

3. Compile the new GRUB:

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/redhat/grub.cfg

4. Stop and then disable tuned:

systemctl stop tuned

systemctl disable tuned

5. Run reboot to reboot the node.

6. Ping the node to ensure that the GRUB change was implemented.
The ping time should be in the 0.03 ms range.
7. Repeat the procedure on every 14G node with a Skylake CPU.

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Optimize ESXi
To improve I/O concurrency, users may increase the per device queue length value on a per data
store basis. Per device queue length is referred to as “No of outstanding IOs with competing
worlds” in the display output.
Use the following command to increase the queue length;

esxcli storage core device set -d <DEVICE_ID> -O <Outstanding IOs>

where, <Outstanding IOs> can be a number ranging from 32-16384 (the default=32). We
recommend increasing queue length to 256.
Example:

esxcli storage core device set -d eui.16bb852c56d3b93e3888003b00000000 -O 256

Optimize the SVM

Optimize the SVM
Procedure
1. Configure the CPU and memory assigned to the Storage Virtual Machine (SVM).
l In general, 8 vCPUs are sufficient, but this may vary in your environment. It is
recommended to increase vCPUs to 12 if CloudLink is installed. Note this is only relevant
if the CPU has 12 or more physical cores.
l Cores per socket should be set to maximum so all vCPU will be allocated to a single
virtual socket.

2. From the Resources tab of the Virtual Machine Properties window, select Reserve all
guest memory (All locked).
The Virtual Machine Properties window is displayed:

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Figure 6 Virtual Machine Properties

Optimizing VM guests
Select the VM guest to optimize.

I/O scheduler
When using SSD devices, it is recommended that you modify the devices' I/O scheduler.
Type the following on each server, for each SDS device:

echo noop > /sys/block/<device_name>/queue/scheduler

Example:

echo noop > /sys/block/sdb/queue/scheduler

Note: For most Linux distributions, NOOP is not the default. Different Linux versions have
different default values. For RHEL7 and SLES 11/12, the default value is deadline, but for older
versions, the default is CFQ.

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Paravirtual SCSI controller

The Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) controller should be used on guest VMs for high performance. It is
important that users choose the correct PVSCSI controller, because choosing the wrong controller
can adversely affect performance.
Current PVSCSI queue depth default values are 64 for the device and 254 for the adapter. Users
can increase the PVSCSI queue depth to 256 for the device and 1024 for the adapter inside a
Windows virtual machine.
Windows virtual machine:
1. From the command line run:

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\pvscsi\Parameters

\Device /v DriverParameter /t REG_SZ /d
"RequestRingPages=32,MaxQueueDepth=254"

2. Reboot the virtual machine.

3. Verify the successful creation of a registry entry:
a. Open the registry editor by running the REGEDIT command from the command line.
b. Browse to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\pvscsi\Parameters
\Device.
c. Verify that the DriverParameter key exists with a value of RequestRingPages=32,
MaxQueueDepth=254.
Linux guests:
1. Edit the vmw_pvscsi.conf file:

echo "options vmw_pvscsi cmd_per_lun=254 ring_pages=32" > /etc/modprobe.d/

vmw_pvscsi.conf

2. Re-run vmware-config-tools.pl:

vmware-config-tools.pl

You can add up to 4 PVSCSI controllers per guest. Allocating different VxFlex OS volumes to
different PVSCSI controllers can help realize the maximum potential of guest performance.
It is strongly recommended that you review this VMware Knowledge Base article (article 2053145)
so that you can make educated decisions regarding PVSCSI values.

VxFlex OS Performance Parameters

The following table describes all values for the v3.x “high_performance" and "compact” profiles
and is applicable to installations on all of the platforms discussed in this document.

Compon New Name (CLI) Min Max Value Compac High

ent Value t Perform
ance

MDM mdm_net_alloc_rcv_buffer_wait_ms 100 10000 500 500

MDM mdm_net_break_do_io_loop 0 100 0 5

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Compon New Name (CLI) Min Max Value Compac High

ent Value t Perform
ance

MDM mdm_number_sdc_receive_umt 1 100 5 5

MDM mdm_number_sds_receive_umt 1 100 20 20

MDM mdm_number_sds_send_umt 1 100 10 10

MDM mdm_number_sds_keepalive_receive 1 100 10 10

_umt

MDM mdm_sds_capacity_counters_update 1 120 1 1

_interval

MDM mdm_sds_capacity_counters_polling_ 1 120 5 5

interval

MDM mdm_sds_volume_size_polling_interv 1 120 15 15

al

MDM mdm_sds_volume_size_polling_retry_ 1 120 5 5

interval

MDM mdm_number_sds_tasks_umt 1 2048 1024 1536

MDM mdm_initial_sds_snapshot_capacity 1 10*1024 1024 1024

MDM mdm_sds_snapshot_capacity_chunk_ 1 50*1024 5*1024 5*1024

size

MDM mdm_sds_snapshot_used_capacity_t 1 99 50 50
hreshold

MDM mdm_sds_snapshot_free_capacity_th 101 1000 200 200

reshold

SDS mdm_number_sockets_per_sds_ip 1 8 1 2

SDS mdm_sds_keepalive_time 2000 3600000 5000 5000

SDS sds_number_network_umt 2 16 4 8

SDS sds_tcp_send_buffer_size 4 128*1024 0 0

(dynami
c)

SDS sds_tcp_receive_buffer_size 4 128*1024 0 0

(dynami
c)

SDS sds_max_number_asyncronous_io_pe 1 2000 8 60

r_device

SDS sds_number_sdc_io_umt 100 500 100 500

SDS sds_number_sds_io_umt 100 500 100 500

SDS sds_number_sds_copy_io_umt 100 164 164 164

SDS sds_number_copy_umt 100 164 164 164

SDS sds_number_os_threads 1 32 4 8

SDS sds_number_sockets_per_sds_ip 1 8 1 4

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 VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

Compon New Name (CLI) Min Max Value Compac High

ent Value t Perform
ance

SDS sds_net_break_do_io_loop 0 100 0 5

SDS sds_number_io_buffers 1 10 2 5

SDS sds_net_alloc_rcv_buffer_wait_ms 100 10000 1000 1000

SDC sdc_tcp_send_buffer_size 4 128*1024 512 4*1024

SDC sdc_tcp_receive_buffer_size 4 128*1024 512 4*1024

SDC sdc_number_sockets_per_sds_ip 1 8 1 2

SDC sdc_number_network_os_threads 1 10 2 8

SDC sdc_max_inflight_requests 1 10000 100 100

SDC sdc_max_in_flight_data 1 10000 10 10

SDC sdc_number_io_retries 1 100 12 12

SDC sdc_volume_statistics_interval 1000 600000 5000 5000

SDC sdc_optimize_zero_buffers 0 1 (TRUE) 0 0

(FALSE) (FALSE) (FALSE)

SDC sdc_number_unmap_blocks 1 200 100 100

SDC sdc_number_non_io_os_threads 1 16 3 3

RAID controller virtual disk settings

RAID controller virtual disk settings and optimal policies regarding each type of disk.
For SSDs in use by a RAID controller
1. Create the Virtual Disk as a RAID0 device.
2. Disable the PD Cache for the HDD
3. Set the VD Caching attributes as NRWTD (No Read Ahead, Write Through, Direct).
Note: For VxFlex Ready Node based install, refer to the VxFlex Ready Node
documentation. The virtual disk configuration guidelines are different for external caching
solutions such as DAS Cache.

Apply Performance Profiles to system components

You can use the VxFlex OS GUI to apply performance profiles to system components.
About this task
The default configures a predefined set of parameters for very high performance use cases. When
a container is provided in the command (System/Protection Domain/Fault Set), all the objects
currently in the container are configured.
Note: For a complete list of parameters controlled by the profiles, refer to "VxFlex OS
Performance Fine-Tuning ".
The profiles are applied separately to:
l SDSs

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VxFlex OS performance fine-tuning

l SDCs
l MDM cluster
Note: After changing the performance profile of an SDS (on an SVM), you must perform
manual memory allocation on the SVM, as described in the VxFlex OS Deployment Guide.
To apply a profile to system components, perform the following steps:
Procedure
1. Depending on the system component that you want to configure, in either the Backend >
Storage or Frontend > SDCs view, navigate to, and select the desired objects.
Note: If you want to apply the Performance Profile to MDMs, select the System object.

2. Right-click the object and select Set Performance Profile for XXX, where XXX represents
one of the following:
l MDMs
l All SDSs
l SDS
l All SDCs
l SDC

The Set Performance Profile for window is displayed.

3. Select a profile from the drop-down list, and click OK.

66 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 4
Configure and Customize

This section provides answers to common questions or scenarios when working with theVxFlex OS
system.

Chapter 4, "Creating and Mapping Volumes"

Chapter 5, "Backend"

Chapter 6, "VASA and vVols"

Chapter 7, "MDM Cluster"

Chapter 8, "Security"

Chapter 9, "User Management"

Chapter 10, "Fault reporting features"

Chapter 11, "Add, Remove or Rename Components"

Chapter 12, "Logs"

Chapter 13, "LIA"

Chapter 14, "Setting up GUI system preferences"

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Configure and Customize

68 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 4
Creating and Mapping Volumes

The following topics describe how to create volumes from devices added to SDS nodes, and then
to map the volumes to SDC nodes. Devices may have been added during, or after, the installation
process.

l Volumes.................................................................................................................................70
l Configuring volumes, volume trees, SDCs, and snapshots.....................................................76
l Migrating V-Trees................................................................................................................. 78
l Set V-Tree compression mode.............................................................................................. 82
l Snapshot Policies.................................................................................................................. 83
l Apply Performance Profiles to system components.............................................................. 86
l Volumes in the vSphere environment.................................................................................... 86
l Add an external SDC to an existing VxFlex OS system.......................................................... 88
l SDC operations..................................................................................................................... 92

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

Volumes
You can define, configure and manage volumes in the VxFlex OS system.

Add volumes
Add volumes to a system.
Before you begin
There must be at least three SDS nodes in the system and there must be sufficient capacity
available.
Note: For the minimum size of an SDS, see "System Requirements" in the Getting to Know
guide .
About this task
The adding and mapping volume process is necessary, as part of the getting started process,
before applications can access the volumes. In addition, you may create additional volumes and
map them as part of the maintenance of the virtualization layer.
You can configure the caching option when creating the volumes, or you can change the Read
RAM Cache feature later. If you want to enable the caching feature, ensure that the feature is also
enabled in the backend of the system, for the corresponding Storage Pool and SDSs. For more
information, see "Change Read RAM Cache volume settings".
Define volume names according to the following rules:
l Contains less than 32 characters
l Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
l Is unique within the object type
VxFlex OS objects are assigned a unique ID that can be used to identify the object in CLI
commands. You can retrieve the ID via a query, or via the object’s property sheet in the VxFlex OS
GUI. It is highly recommended to give each volume a meaningful name associated with its
operational role.
To add one or multiple volumes, perform these steps:
Procedure
1. In any of the Frontend > Volumes views, navigate to the Storage Pool to which you want to
add the volume, and select it.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Add Volume.
3. In the Add Volume window, if you want to create more than one volume, select Create
multiple volumes and type the number of volumes you would like to add in the Copies box.
l If you type 1, only one volume will be created (optional—can be left blank).
l If you type a number greater than 1, the characters %i% will be added to the Name box,
and multiple volumes will be created, accordingly.
The volumes will be named and numbered automatically, starting from 1. If you want the
numbering to start from a different number, type it in the Start numbering at box, as
described in step 5. The remaining options in the window will be assigned to all the
volumes created in this operation.
4. Type a name for the volume:
l If you are adding one volume, enter the name in the Name box.

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 Creating and Mapping Volumes

l If you are adding multiple volumes, enter the base name in the Base name box.
The volumes will all be created with the same name, and a number will be appended
instead of the characters %i%. These characters can be positioned anywhere in the
name. The names that will be created are displayed in the right pane of the window, as
shown in the figure later in this topic.
5. If you want the numbering to start from a specific number other than 1, type it in the Start
numbering at box.
This number will be the first number in the series that will be appended to the volume name.
For example, if the Name is Vol%i% and the Start numbering at value is 100, the name of
the first volume created will be Vol100, and the second volume will be Vol101, and so on.
6. Type a number in the Size box, representing the volume size in GB (basic allocation
granularity is 8 GB).
7. Select either Thick (default) or Thin provisioning options.
8. If you want to enable the RMcache feature (disabled by default), select Use RMcache.
9. Click OK.
Note: The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is
recommended to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you
can see the result of the operation.

After you finish

To use the created volume, you must map it to (at least) one SDC. If the restricted SDC mode is
enabled for the system, you must approve SDCs prior to mapping volumes to them. For more
information on approving SDCs, see "Approve SDCs using the VxFlex OS GUI" . For more
information on mapping volumes, see "Map a volume to an SDC".

Remove volumes
Remove volumes from Storage Pools.
Before you begin
Ensure that the volume you are removing is not mapped to any SDCs. If it is, unmap it before
removing. For information, see "Unmap volumes". Also, ensure that the volume is not the source
volume of any Snapshot Policy. You must first remove the volume from the Snapshot Policy before
you can remove the volume.
About this task
If you want to remove a volume’s related snapshots, or just the snapshots, see "Remove
Snapshots".
Best practice is to avoid deleting volumes or snapshots while the MDM cluster is being upgraded,
to avoid causing a Data Unavailability status.
Note: Removal of a volume erases all the data on the corresponding volume.

Procedure
1. In any of the views of the Frontend > Volumes view, navigate to the volume or volumes you
want to remove, and select them.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Remove.
The Remove Volumes window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes that will be
removed.
3. Click OK.

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Overwrite volume content

You can overwrite the contents of a volume with the content from another volume.
About this task
Note: If the destination volume is an auto snapshot, it must be locked before you can continue
to overwrite volume content. This is also relevant to auto snapshots. You can't overwrite a
volume if it is an unlocked.
Procedure
1. In any of the Frontend > Volumes views, navigate to the Storage Pool.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Overwrite Content .
3. In the Overwrite volume content window, select the source volume from which to
overwrite the content of the volume.

4. In the Overwrite volume content dialog box, in the Password Confirmation field, enter
the admin password.
5. Click OK.

Results
The content from the volume is overwritten.

Create volume snapshots

Take a snapshot of one or more volumes.
About this task
This topic describes how to take a snapshot of one or more volumes.
When specifying more than one volume (a list), a consistency group is generated by default, and
can be viewed in the snapshot’s property sheet. The snapshots under the consistency group are
taken simultaneously for all listed volumes, thus ensuring their consistency.
You can accept the default name, or define snapshot names according to the following rules:
l Contains less than 32 characters
l Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
l Is unique within the object type
VxFlex OS objects are assigned a unique ID that can be used to identify the object in CLI
commands. You can retrieve the ID via a query, or via the object’s property sheet in the VxFlex OS
GUI.
Note:
The consistency group is for convenience purposes ONLY. There are no protection measures
to conserve the consistency group. You can delete members from it.
To take a snapshot, perform these steps:
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes view, navigate to the volumes, and select them.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Snapshot Volume.

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 Creating and Mapping Volumes

The Snapshot Volume window is displayed, showing the volumes for which snapshots will
be created.
3. In the Index box, type the number that you want to append to the snapshot names.
4. If you want the snapshots to belong to a consistency group, ensure that the Create
Consistency Group check box is selected.
5. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Remove snapshots
You can remove a volume together with its snapshots, or remove individual snapshots.
About this task
Before removing a volume or snapshots, you must ensure that they are not mapped to any SDCs.
If they are, unmap them before removing them. Snapshots are unmapped in the same way as
volumes are unmapped. For information, see "Unmap volumes".
Best practice is to avoid deleting volumes or snapshots while the MDM cluster is being upgraded,
to avoid causing a Data Unavailability status.
Note: Removal of a volume or snapshot erases all the data on the corresponding volume or
snapshot.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes > V-Trees view, navigate to the volume from which you want to
remove snapshots, and select it.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select one of the following options:
l To remove both the parent volume and all volumes that were created as snapshots of the
specified volume or one of its descendants, select Remove with Descendants
l To retain the parent volume, and remove only its snapshots, select Remove
Descendants Only
The Remove Volumes window is displayed, showing a list of the objects that will be
removed.
3. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Map volumes
Map one or more volumes to SDCs.
About this task
Mapping exposes the volume to the specified SDC, effectively creating a block device on the SDC.
For Linux devices, the scini device name can change on reboot. It is recommended to mount a
mapped volume to the VxFlex Ready Node unique ID, a persistent device name, rather than to the
scini device name.
To identify the unique ID, run the ls -l /dev/disk/by-id/ command. For more information,
see "Associate VxFlex OS volumes with physical disks". You can also identify the unique ID using

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

VMware. In the VMware management interface, the device is called EMC Fibre Channel Disk,
followed by an ID number starting with the prefix eui.
Note: You can't map a volume if the volume is an auto snapshot that is not locked.

To map volumes, perform these steps:

Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes view, navigate to the volumes, and select them.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Map.
The Map Volumes window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes that will be mapped.
3. In the Select Nodes panel, select one or more SDCs to which you want to map the volumes.
l You can use the search box to find SDCs.
l If you select an SDC that is already mapped to the volume, a green icon will appear in the
mapping matrix on the right side of the window.

4. Click Map Volumes.

Note: The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is
recommended to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you
can see the result of the operation.

Unmap volumes
Unmap one or more volumes from SDCs.
Procedure
1. In any of the Frontend > Volume views, navigate to the volumes, and select them.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Unmap Volumes.
The Unmap Volumes window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes that will be
unmapped.
3. If you want to exclude some SDCs from the unmap operation, in the Select Nodes panel,
select one or more SDCs for which you want to retain mapping.
You can use the search box to find SDCs
4. Click Unmap Volumes.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Increase a volume's size

You can increase (but not decrease) the capacity of one or more volumes at any time, as long as
there is enough capacity for the volume size to grow.
About this task
Procedure
1. In Frontend > Volumes, select the Volumes or Volumes Monitor view.
2. Navigate to the volumes, and select them.
3. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Increase Volumes’ Size.

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 Creating and Mapping Volumes

The Increase Volumes’ Size window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes that will be
modified.
4. In the New Size box, type a number representing the new volume size in GB (basic
allocation granularity is 8 GB).
5. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Change Read RAM Cache volume settings

Enable or disable Read RAM Cache per volume.
About this task
By default, Read RAM Cache is disabled on volumes.
Note: RMcache should only be used for HDD pools.

To change Read RAM Cache settings on volumes, perform these steps:

Procedure
1. In Frontend > Volumes, select the Volumes or Volumes Monitor view.
2. Navigate to the volumes, and select them.
3. Right-click the volumes and select Settings > Set Read RAM Cache.
The Set Volume Use Read RAM Cache window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes
that will be modified.
4. Select or clear the Use Read RAM Cache check box as follows:
l To disable Read RAM Cache on the volumes, clear the check box.
l To enable Read RAM Cache on the volumes, select the check box.
5. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.
Figure 7 Set Volume Use Read RAM Cache window

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

Set volume bandwidth and IOPS limits

Set bandwidth and IOPS limits for volumes on a per-SDC basis. This enables you to control the
quality of service (QoS).
Before you begin
Ensure that the volumes are mapped before you set these limits.
About this task
Procedure
1. In Frontend > Volumes view, select the Volumes or Volumes Monitor view.
2. Navigate to the volumes, and select them.
3. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Set Limits.
The Set Volume Limits window is displayed, showing a list of the volumes to be modified.
4. In the Bandwidth Limits and IOPS Limits boxes, type the required values, or select the
corresponding Unlimited check box.
l The number of IOPS must be larger than 10.
l The volume network bandwidth is in MB/sec.

5. In the Select Nodes panel, select the SDCs to which you want to apply the changes.
6. Click Set Limits.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Remove a snapshot consistency group

Remove a consistency group with all its snapshots using the VxFlex OS GUI.
About this task
Note: You can't remove the consistency group if it contains auto snapshots.

Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes > V-Trees view, navigate to the snapshot whose consistency
group you want to remove, and select the snapshot.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Remove Consistency Group.
The Remove Consistency Group window is displayed, showing the selected snapshot.
3. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window. It is recommended
to keep the window open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the result of
the operation.

Configuring volumes, volume trees, SDCs, and snapshots

This section contains procedures for adding, removing, and managing volumes and snapshots. It
explains how to remove volumes, create snapshots, and set volume bandwidth and IOPS limits. It

76 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Creating and Mapping Volumes

also describes setting the SDC restriction mode and how to approve SDCs before mapping
volumes.

Restricted SDC mode

Enabling restricted SDC mode gives you more control over VxFlex OS.
Restricted SDC mode is set at the system level. When enabled, you must approve SDCs prior to
mapping volumes to them. The restricted SDC setting has the following modes:
l No restriction — Volumes can be mapped without pre-approving SDCs.
l GUID restriction — SDCs are approved using their GUID. Only once the SDC is approved can it
be used for mapping volumes.
l Approved IP restriction — SDCs must be approved using their GUID and IP address. Only once
the SDC is approved using both GUID and IP address can it be used for mapping volumes.
You can set the restricted SDC mode using the VxFlex OS GUI, CLI, or REST API.
Note: In a system that has been upgraded and already has volumes mapped to SDCs, if you
want to enable restricted SDC mode, you must first approve the SDCs and only then enable
restricted SDC mode.

Set the system's restricted SDC mode using the VxFlex OS GUI
Use the VxFlex OS GUI to set the restricted SDC mode.
About this task
The system's restricted SDC mode can also be set using the CLI or the REST API. For details, see
the CLI Reference Guide or the REST API Reference Guide.
Note: In a system that has been upgraded and already has volumes mapped to SDCs, if you
want to enable restricted SDC mode, you must first approve the SDCs and only then enable
restricted SDC mode.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > SDCs view, right-click on the System and select Set Restricted SDC
Mode.
2. In the Set Restricted SDC Mode dialog box, select one of the following options and click
OK.
l No restriction
l GUID restriction
l Approved IP restriction
Results
The restricted SDC mode is set for the system. If you enabled restricted SDC mode by selecting
either GUID restriction or Approved IP restriction, you must configure approved
SDCs before you can map volumes.

Approve SDCs using the VxFlex OS GUI

When the system's restricted SDC mode is set to GUID restriction, you must approve SDCs before
you can map volumes.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > SDCs view, right-click on one or several SDCs that you want to approve
and select Approve SDC.

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

2. In the Approve SDC window, verify that the SDCs listed are the ones you want to approve
and click OK.
Results
The SDCs are approved and you can map volumes. The Approved IPs column in the Frontend >
SDCs displays which SDCs are approved.

Configure approved SDC IP addresses using the VxFlex OS GUI

When the system's restricted SDC mode is set to approved IP restriction, you must
configure SDC IP addresses before you can map volumes.
Before you begin
Ensure that the SDCs have been approved by GUID.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > SDCs view, right-click on the SDCs that you want to approve and select
Configure Approved IP Addresses.
2. In the Configure Approved IP Addresses window, add the IP addresses of the SDCs you
want to approve.
You can click the Add IP Address button to add up to a total of four IP addresses.
3. Click OK and then click Close.
Results
The SDC IP addresses are approved and you can map volumes. The Approved IPs column in the
Frontend > SDCs view displays which SDC are approved.

Manual SDC configuration/verification

If there are problems connecting to a VxFlex OS system after a reboot, users can modify the
drv_cfg.txt file or use the drv_cfg utility to ensure that the SDC reconnects to the MDM
automatically upon node restart/reboot.
To do this, perform one of the following procedures:
l Edit /bin/emc/scaleio/drv_cfg.txt and change the #MDM line to include each IP
address for any node(s) containing an MDM in your cluster.
For example, change the line:
From:
#mdm 10.20.30.40
To:
mdm 10.108.158.48,10.108.158.49
where .48 is the master node, and .49 is the slave node. The Tie-Breaker node should not be
included.
l Use the drv_cfg binary or drv_cfg.exe on Windows to re-attach the MDM.
l Rescan all volumes using the drv_cfg utility.

Migrating V-Trees
Migrating a V-Tree allows you to move the V-Tree to a different Storage Pool.
Migrating a V-Tree frees up capacity in the source Storage Pool. For example, from an HDD
Storage Pool to an SSD Storage Pool or different attributes (for example, from thin to thick). For
more information, see "Volume Tree" in the Getting to Know Guide.

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 Creating and Mapping Volumes

There are several motives for migrating a V-Tree to a different Storage Pool:
l In order to move the volumes to a Storage Pool with a different performance tier
l To move to a different Storage Pool or Protection Domain due to multitenancy
l To decrease the capacity of a system by moving out of a specific Storage Pool
l To change from a thin-provisioned volume to a thick-provisioned volume or the reverse
l In order to move the volumes from a Medium Granularity Storage Pool to a Fine Granularity
Storage Pool
l To clear a Protection Domain for maintenance and then return the volumes to it
During V-tree migration, you can run other tasks such as creating snapshots, deleting snapshots,
and entering maintenance mode.
Note: You cannot create snapshots when migrating from a Medium Granularity Storage Pool
to a Fine Granularity Storage Pool.
When the user requests a V-Tree migration, the MDM first estimates whether the destination
Storage Pool has enough capacity for the migration to complete successfully. The MDM bases the
estimation on its information of the current capacity of the V-Tree. If there is insufficient capacity
at the destination based on that estimate, migration does not start. (An advanced option allows
you to force the migration even if there is insufficient capacity at the destination, with the
intention to increase the capacity as required during the migration.) The MDM does not reserve
the estimated capacity at the destination (since the capacity of the source volume can grow
during migration and the reserved capacity does not guarantee success). The MDM does not hold
onto source capacity once it has been migrated, but releases it immediately.
Use the following table to understand which V-Tree migrations are possible and under what
specific conditions:

V-Tree migration can take a long time, depending on the size of the V-Tree and the system
workload. During migration, the V-Tree is fully available for user I/O. V-Tree migration is done
volume block by volume block. When a single block has completed its migration, the capacity of
the block at the source becomes available, and it becomes active in the destination Storage Pool.
During migration, the V-Tree has some of its blocks active in the source Storage Pool and the
remaining blocks active in the destination Storage Pool.
Note: You can speed up the migration by adjusting the volume migration I/O priority (QoS).
The default favors applications with one concurrent I/O and 10 MB/sec per device. Increasing
the 10 MB/sec increases the migration speed in most cases. The maximum value that can be
reached 25 MB/sec. The faster the migration, the higher the impact might be on applications.

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Creating and Mapping Volumes

To avoid significant impact, the value of concurrent I/O operations per second should not be
increased.
When migrating from a Medium Granularity Storage Pool to a Fine Granularity Storage Pool,
volumes must be zero padded. For more information on zero padding, see "Storage Pools" in the
Getting to Know Guide.
You can pause a V-Tree migration at any time, in the following ways:
l Gracefully: To allow all data blocks currently being migrated to finish before pausing.
l Forcefully: To stop the migration of all blocks currently in progress.
Once paused, you can choose to resume the V-Tree migration, or to roll back the migration and
have all volume blocks returned to the original Storage Pool.
V-Tree migration can also be paused internally by the system. System pauses happen when a
rebuild operation begins at either the source or destination Storage Pool. If the migration is paused
due to a rebuild operation, it remains paused until the rebuild ends. If the system encounters a
communication error that prevents the migration from proceeding, it pauses the migration and
periodically tries to resume it. After a configurable number of attempts to resume the migration,
the migration remains paused and no additional retries will be attempted. You can manually resume
migrations that were internally paused by the system.
Concurrent V-Tree migrations are allowed in the system. These migrations are prioritized by the
order in which they were invoked, or by manually assigning the migration to the head or the tail of
the migration queue. You can update the priority of a migration while it is being run. The system
strives to adhere to the priority set by the user, but it is possible that volume blocks belonging to
migrations lower in priority are run before ones that are higher in priority. This can happen when a
Storage Pool that is involved in migrating a higher priority block is busy with other incoming
migrations and the Storage Pools involved in lower priority migrations are available to run the
migration.

Migrate volume trees (vTree)

Migrate a volume and all of its snapshots to a different Storage Pool. Volumes undergoing
migration remain available for I/O.
Before you begin
Note the following limitations:
l vTree migration is a long process and can take days or weeks, depending on the vTree's size.
l Migration between Storage Pools of different data layouts is only allowed if there is a single
volume in the vTree. (If you manually created a snapshot, the vTree cannot be migrated).
l You cannot migrate a volume that is a source volume of a Snapshot Policy between Storage
Pools of different data layouts.
l

l Volumes involved in replication cannot be migrated.

Procedure
1. In the left pane, click Configuration > Volumes.
2. In the right pane, select the relevant volume and then in the Details pane, click the vTree
tab.
3. Click the vTree button and select Migrate vTree.
4. In the Migrate vTree of <volume name> dialog box, select the destination Storage Pool.
The Storage Pool's free capacity is displayed. Ensure that you select a Storage Pool with
enough capacity for the vTree size.

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5. Optionally, expand Advanced to select one or several of the following advanced options:

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

Save current vTree The provisioning state is returned to it's original state before the
provisioning state migration took place.
during migration

6. Click Migrate Vtree.

7. Verify that the operation completed successfully and click Dismiss.
Results
The vTree migration is initiated and the vTree appears in both the source and the destination
Storage Pools.

Pause V-Tree migration

You can pause a V-Tree migration at any time.
About this task
The following ways are used to pause the V-Tree migration:
l Gracefully: To allow all data blocks currently being migrated to finish migration before pausing.
l Forcefully: To abort the migration of all blocks currently in progress and carries a potential risk
to data.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes view, select the V-Trees display.
2. Expand the list of Protection Domains and Storage Pools and select the V-Tree whose
migration you want to pause.
To easily identify the V-Tree, search the Migration column for the following icon, which

indicates volumes that are currently being migrated:

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3. Right-click the volume and select Pause V-Tree Migration.

4. In the Pause V-Tree Migration dialog box, select whether you want to pause gracefully or
forcefully and click OK.
If you selected to pause the migration gracefully, the migration icon is colored blue until the
migration pauses successfully. A gray migration icon indicates that the migration is paused.
Once paused, you can choose to roll back the V-Tree migration or resume the V-Tree
migration from the Command menu.

Roll back V-Tree migration

You can roll back to the source Storage Pool.
About this task
When a V-Tree migration is paused, you can roll back the migration so that the volume and all of its
snapshots are returned to the source Storage Pool.
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes view, select the V-Trees display.
2. Expand the list of Protection Domains and Storage Pools and select the V-Tree whose
migration you wish to roll back.
To easily identify the V-Tree, search the Migration column for the following icon, which

indicates a V-Tree migration that is currently paused:

3. Right-click the volume and select Roll back V-Tree migration.
The migration resumes in the reverse direction so that any data already migrated to the
destination Storage Pool is now migrating to the source Storage Pool.

Set V-Tree migration priority

Set the priority of a V-Tree migration to be at the head or the tail of the migration queue.
About this task
Procedure
1. In the Frontend > Volumes view, select the V-Trees display.
2. Expand the list of Protection Domains and Storage Pools and select the V-Tree whose
migration priority you want to set.
To easily identify the V-Tree, search the Migration column for the following icon, which

indicates volumes that are currently being migrated:

3. Right-click the volume and select Set V-Tree Migration Priority.
4. In the Set V-Tree Migration Policy dialog box, select whether to move the current V-Tree
migration to the head or the tail of the migration queue and click OK.

Set V-Tree compression mode

You can enable compression per V-Tree for Fine Granularity Storage Pools.
About this task
Compression is done by applying a compression-algorithm to the data. For more information on
compression mode, see "V-Trees" on the Getting to Know guide.

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Procedure
1. From Frontend > Volumes > V-Tree Migration view or V-Tree Capacity Utilization view,
drill down to the relevant volume.
2. Right-click on the volume and select Set V-Tree Compression Mode.
The Set V-Tree Compression Mode dialog box is displayed.
3. Select the Enable Compression check-box.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Are you sure? dialog box, click OK.
6. Click Close.
Results
Compression mode is enabled for the V-Tree.

Snapshot Policies
Snapshot Policies enable you to define policies where you can configure the number of snapshots
to take at a given time for one or more volumes.
The snapshots are taken according to the rule defined. You can define the time interval in-between
two rounds of snapshots as well as the number of snapshots to retain, in a multi-level structure.
For example take snapshots every x minutes/hours/days/weeks. There are one to six levels, with
the first level having the most frequent snapshots.
Example:
Rule: Take snapshots every 60 minutes
Retention Levels:
l 24 snapshots
l 7 snapshots
l 4 snapshots
After defining the parameters, you must then select the source volume to add to the Snapshot
Policy. You can add multiple source volumes to a Snapshot Policy, but a specific volume can only
be the source volume of a single policy. Only one volume per VTree may be used as a source
volume of a policy (any policy). For more information on V-Trees, see "Snapshots" in the Getting
to Know Guide.
When you remove the source volume from the policy, you must choose how to handle auto-
snapshots. Snapshots created by the policy are referred to as auto-snapshots. Your selection
depends on if there are locked auto snapshots.
l If the source volume has no auto snapshots, it doesn’t matter if you select Detach auto
snapshots or Remove auto snapshots.
l If the source volume has auto snapshots but none of them are locked, you can choose to
detach all snapshots. They become regular snapshots as if the user created them manually. If
you select Remove auto snapshots, they are deleted.
l If the source volume has locked auto snapshots, you can choose to detach all snapshots. They
become regular snapshots, as if the user created them manually. If you remove them, those
that are not locked are removed, while the auto snapshots which are locked are detached.

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Add Snapshot Policy

You can create Snapshot Policies that include the time interval and number of snapshots per
retention level, and then add source volumes to the policy.
About this task
Note: Create paused policy is optional

Procedure
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Click Add New Policy.
The New Policy dialog box is displayed.
3. Enter a name in the Policy Name box.
4. Select the Create Paused Policy check box to put policy on hold.
5. Enter the time interval to take snapshots in the Take snapshot every box.
6. Enter the number of snapshots to keep according to the time interval defined in the
Retention Levels box.
7. Click Create.
8. Select one or more volumes to add to the snapshot policy.
9. Click Add and then Close.

Remove Snapshot Policy

You can remove a snapshot policy.
About this task
Procedure
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Select the relevant policy and from the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select
View/Edit Policy details.
3. In the Source Volumes section, drill down from the protection domain to the connected
volumes.
4. Right-click on the volume and select Remove source Volume.
The Remove Source Volumes from Snapshot Policy dialog box is displayed.
5. (Optional) From Choose how to handle auto snapshots already created for removed
source volumes select Detach auto snapshots or Remove auto snapshots.
6. Click OK and then Close.
7. Click Close.
8. Right-click on the snapshot policy and select Remove policy
The Remove Snapshot Policy dialog box is displayed.
9. Click OK and then Close.

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Edit Snapshot Policy

You can edit a Snapshot Policy as well as add/remove a volume to/from the policy.
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Select the relevant policy and from the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select
View/Edit Policy details.
3. Click Edit policy to update the policy fields.
4. Click Add Volumes to select or clear source volumes and then click Add.
5. Click Close.

Rename Snapshot Policy

You can rename the Snapshot Policy.
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Select the relevant policy and from the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select
Rename Policy
The Rename Snapshot Policy dialog box is displayed.
3. Enter a new name for the policy in the Snapshot Policy Namebox.
4. Click OK.
The policy is renamed.

Pause/Resume Snapshot Policy

You can pause or resume an active Snapshot Policy.
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Select the relevant policy and from the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select
Pause Policy or Resume Policy
The Pause Snapshot Policy or Resume Snapshot Policy dialog box is displayed.
3. Click OK.
The policy is paused or resumed to active state.

Lock/unlock auto-snapshots
You can lock/unlock auto-snapshots.
About this task
Procedure
1. From Frontend > Volumes, select the Snapshot Policy view.
2. Select the relevant policy and from the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select
View/Edit Policy details.
3. From the Source Volumes pane, click the Auto Snapshots grouped by Storage Pools or
the Auto Snapshots grouped by time button .
4. Drill down to the relevant snapshot and then right-click and select Lock Snapshot or
Unlock Snapshot.
The Lock/Unlock Auto Snapshots dialog is displayed.
5. Click OK to confirm you would like to lock/unlock the selected Snapshots.

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Apply Performance Profiles to system components

You can use the VxFlex OS GUI to apply performance profiles to system components.
About this task
The default configures a predefined set of parameters for very high performance use cases. When
a container is provided in the command (System/Protection Domain/Fault Set), all the objects
currently in the container are configured.
Note: For a complete list of parameters controlled by the profiles, refer to "VxFlex OS
Performance Fine-Tuning ".
The profiles are applied separately to:
l SDSs
l SDCs
l MDM cluster
Note: After changing the performance profile of an SDS (on an SVM), you must perform
manual memory allocation on the SVM, as described in the VxFlex OS Deployment Guide.
To apply a profile to system components, perform the following steps:
Procedure
1. Depending on the system component that you want to configure, in either the Backend >
Storage or Frontend > SDCs view, navigate to, and select the desired objects.
Note: If you want to apply the Performance Profile to MDMs, select the System object.

2. Right-click the object and select Set Performance Profile for XXX, where XXX represents
one of the following:
l MDMs
l All SDSs
l SDS
l All SDCs
l SDC

The Set Performance Profile for window is displayed.

3. Select a profile from the drop-down list, and click OK.

Volumes in the vSphere environment

The following topics describe how to use the VxFlex OS plug-in to add, map, and unmap volumes in
the vSphere environment. You can map volumes to SDCs in the same step, or you can map the
volume after it has been created.

Create and map volumes

About this task
Volumes are created from devices in a Storage Pool.

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Procedure
1. From the Storage Pools screen, click Actions > Create volume.
The Create Volume dialog appears.
2. Enter the following information:
l Volume name: Enter a name for the new volume.
l Number of volumes to create: Enter the number of volumes to create. Multiple volumes
appear as volume_name-X.
l Volume size: Enter the size of the volume. This must be in multiples of 8 GB.
l Volume provisioning: Select thick or thin provisioning.
l Use RAM Read Cache: Select to enable RAM Read Cache for the created volumes. Use
of RAM Read Cache is determined by the policy for the Storage Pool and the volume.
l Obfuscation Select whether the volume should be obfuscated.

3. To map the volume to ESXs, perform the following steps:

a. Select Map volume to ESXs.
b. In the Select ESXs area, select the clusters or ESXs to which this volume should be
mapped.
c. Click OK.
d. Enter the password for the VxFlex OS administrative user.
The following figure illustrates multiple volumes created:

Map volumes
About this task
Manually map volumes after they have been created, from the Volumes screen.
Procedure
1. From the Volumes screen, select a volume to map, then choose Actions > Map a volume.
2. In the Map Volume to ESXs dialog box, select the clusters or ESXis to which this volume
should be mapped.
3. To configure the LUN identifier manually, select Manually configure LUN identifier to and
enter the identifier ID.
4. Click OK.

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Unmap a volume
About this task
You can use the VxFlex OS plug-into unmap a volume from an ESXi.
Procedure
1. From the Volumes screen, select the volume to unmap, and click Actions > Unmap volume.
2. In the Unmap Volume from ESXis dialog box, select the ESXis or clusters from which to
unmap the volume, then click OK.

Add an external SDC to an existing VxFlex OS system

You can add an external SDC to an existing VxFlex OS system.
During manual installation, you can install the SDC according to the operating system-specific
instructions in the following section, and it will be connected to the existing VxFlex OS system.

Install the SDC on an ESXi server and connect it to VxFlex OS using esxcli
Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system during initial deployment activities.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
l A GUID string for the SDC. These strings can be generated by tools that are freely available
online. The GUID needs to conform to OSF DCE 1.1. The expected format is xxxxxxxx-xxxx-
xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx where each x can be a digit (0–9) or a letter (a–f).
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on an ESXi server using
esxcli in command line. Alternatively, you can install the external SDC using the vSphere VxFlex OS
plug-in.
Note: This procedure requires two server reboots.

Procedure
1. On the ESXi on which you are installing the SDC, set the acceptance level:

esxcli --server=<SERVER_NAME> software acceptance set --

level=PartnerSupported

where <SERVER_NAME> is the ESXi on which you are installing the SDC.
2. Install the SDC:

esxcli software vib install –d “<SDC_PATH>”

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where <SDC_PATH> is the absolute path to the SDC VIB.

3. Get permission to reboot the ESXi server, and perform a reboot to load the SDC driver on
the server.
4. Set the IP address of the MDM:

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=<XXXXXX> IoctlMdmIPStr=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>"

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM
l <XXXXXX> is the user-generated GUID string

5. Reboot the ESXi server again.

Results
The SDC is installed on the ESXi server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install SDC on a Linux server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on a Linux server. On
most servers (with the exception of hLinux), you can install the external SDC using the VxFlex OS
Installer. For more information about adding components to an existing system, see the Deploy
VxFlex OS Guide.
The steps in the procedure below are relevant for Linux RHEL/CentOS/Oracle Linux operating
systems. Deployment on other operating systems require the modifications described in the
following table:

OS Modifications required

Ubuntu/hLinux/OL Before installing VxFlex OS, ensure that you have followed the
required preparation procedures relating to various types of Linux
operating systems.

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OS Modifications required

l VxFlex OS component packages are delivered as TAR files. Before

installing, perform the following:

1. Untar all the packages: tar -xvf <tar_file>

This yields SIOB files.
2. Extract the DEB from the SIOB files: siob_extract
<siob_file>
3. The DEB file is in the following format: EMC-ScaleIO-
mdm-3.0-
X.<build>.<operating_system>.X.X.x86_64.deb
You will use the extracted DEB files for the installation.
l Some commands are a bit different, noted where applicable.

CoreOS Before installing VxFlex OS, ensure that you have followed the
required preparation procedures relating to various types of Linux
operating systems.
l VxFlex OS component CoreOS packages are delivered as TAR
files. Before installing, perform the following:

1. Untar all the packages: tar -xvf <tar_file>

This yields SIOB files.
2. Extract the BSX from the SIOB files: siob_extract
<siob_file>
3. The BSX file is in the following format: EMC-ScaleIO-
mdm-3.0-X.<build>.CoreOS.x86_64.bsx
You will use the extracted BSX files for the installation.
l Some commands are a bit different, noted where applicable.

Procedure
1. Install the GPG key on every server on which SDC will be installed. From the VxFlex OS
installation folder, run the following command on every server:

rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-ScaleIO

2. In command line, install the SDC:

l RHEL/CentOS /Oracle Linux

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> rpm -i <SDC_PATH>.rpm

l CoreOS

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> ./<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>.bsx

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM

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l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located

Results
The SDC is installed on the Linux server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

Install SDC on an AIX server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
These instructions are relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding
SDCs to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on an AIX server. The
VxFlex OS Installer cannot be used.
Procedure
1. In command line, install the SDC:

MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> rpm -i <SDC_PATH>.rpm

where
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM.
l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located.
The SDC package is in a format similar to this: EMC-ScaleIO-sdc-3.0-
X.<build>.aix7.aix7.2.ppc.rpm

Results
The SDC is installed on the AIX server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the recommended post-deployment tasks described in this
guide. It is highly recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system
immediately after deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in
production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

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Install SDC on a Windows server and connect it to VxFlex OS

Install the SDC with the appropriate parameters to connect it to an existing VxFlex OS system.
This procedure is relevant both for adding more SDCs to an existing system, and for adding SDCs
to a 2-layer system when deploying a new system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have:
l The virtual IP address or MDM IP address of the existing system. If an MDM virtual IP address
is not in use, obtain the IP addresses of all the MDM managers.
l Login credentials for the intended SDC host
l The required installation software package for your SDC's operating system (available from the
zipped software packages that can be downloaded from the Customer Support site)
About this task
The following procedure explains how to manually install an external SDC on a Windows server.
Alternatively, you can install the external SDC using the VxFlex OS Installer. For more information
about adding system components to an existing system, see the Configure and Customize VxFlex
OS Guide.
Note: This procedure requires a server reboot.

Procedure
1. On the Windows server on which you are installing the SDC, run the following command in
command line:

msiexec /i <SDC_PATH>.msi MDM_IP=<LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS>

where
l <SDC_PATH> is the path where the SDC installation package is located
l <LIST_VIP_MDM_IPS> is a comma-separated list of the MDM IP addresses or the
virtual IP address of the MDM

2. Get permission to reboot the Windows server, and perform a reboot to load the SDC driver
on the server.
Results
The SDC is installed on the Windows server and is connected to VxFlex OS.
After you finish
In newly deployed systems, perform the post-deployment tasks described in this guide. It is highly
recommended to run the VxFlex OS system analysis tool to analyze the system immediately after
deployment, before you provision volumes, and before using the system in production.
In existing systems, map volumes to the new SDCs that you added to the system.

SDC operations
Many SDC operations use drv_cfg. The drv_cfg command line is a local CLI utility that affects only
the client on which the SDC is running. Possible SDC operations include updating the SDC driver
with IP changes, detecting new volumes, querying volumes, loading a configuration file, adding an
MDM, modifying an MDM IP address, enabling support of PDL state, and more.

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Update the SDC driver with IP address changes

Procedure
1. Edit drv_cfg.txt and change the IP address in the last line to the new IP address.
Location of drv_cfg.txt:
l Linux: /etc/emc/scaleio/
l Windows: In the following registry key - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM
\CurrentControlSet\services\scini\Parameters\mdms

Note:
On ESXi, GUID and MDM lists are stored as module parameters, and not in a
drv_cfg.txt file. To modify these parameters, use esxcli commands.

2. Save and close the file.

3. Type the following command:

/etc/init.d/scini restart

Note: ESXi guidelines described in the VxFlex OS plug-in chapter.

Detecting new volumes

Command
drv_cfg --rescan
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --rescan

Description/Notes
Volumes are always exposed to the operating system as devices with the prefix scini (such
as /dev/scinia, /dev/scinib and so on). Unique names can be found under /dev/disk/by-
id/.
VxFlex OS periodically scans the system to detect new volumes. You can initiate a scan for the
most up-to-date status on a particular SDC node. This command is unique because it is not a CLI
command, but rather a command issued on the specific SDC.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: refer to the vSphere Client VMWare guidelines on how to detect new storage. If
troubleshooting is needed, contact customer support.

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For further details on how to set the mounting options see "Mount VxFlex OS".

Query volumes using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --query_vols
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_vols

Description/Notes
This utility retrieves information about all known active volume objects in kernel mode. You can use
this utility to determine which volumes are mapped, and the ID of each volume in VxFlex OS.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_vols

Query tgt objects using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --query_tgts
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_tgts

Description/Notes
This utility retrieves information about all known active tgt objects (SDSs) in kernel mode.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".

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Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_tgts

Query GUID using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --query_guid
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_guid

Description/Notes
This utility retrieves the unique ID of the kernel module. The utility can be used to verify that all
SDC GUIDs in the system are unique.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".
Note:
If the SDC was removed and reinstalled, the GUID of the SDC will be different to its original
GUID. In such a case, you may need to remove the SDC, if two SDCs now have the same
GUID.

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_guid

Query MDMs using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --query_mdms
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_mdms

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Description/Notes
This utility retrieves information about all known MDM objects in kernel mode. This utility is
typically used to determine to which MDM an SDC is connected.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_mdms

Loading a configuration file using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --load_cfg_file
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.
This command can not be used on ESXi servers. Instead, follow the steps described in "Modify
parameters on ESXi servers".

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
--load_cfg_file <FILE_NAME>

Description/Notes
This utility reads a configuration file containing MDM IP addresses, and calls the kernel to connect
to them.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".
The configuration file that is loaded when using the drv_cfg --load_cfg_file utility is not
persistent; when you restart the SDC, the changes will be lost.
To make the changes persistent, perform either of the following:
l Install the SDC on every server that will expose VxFlex OS volumes to the application running,
by executing the following command:

MDM_IP=<IP of the MDM> rpm –i <full rpm file path>

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l Use the following drv_cfg command:

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip
--ip <EXISTING_MDM_IP_ADDRESS> --new_mdm_ip
<NEW_MDM_IP_ADDRESSES>

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
--load_cfg_file /etc/emc/scaleio/drv_cfg.txt

Adding an MDM using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --add_mdm
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server.
This command can not be used on ESX servers. Instead, follow the steps described in
"Modifying parameters on ESXi servers" in the VxFlex Ready NodeAMS User Guide.

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --add_mdm
--ip <MDM_IP_ADDRESS_LIST>

Description/Notes
This utility calls the kernel module to connect to an MDM. This command is typically used in cases
where an SDC is connected to more than one VxFlex OS system.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".
Note:
Extending your VxFlex OS system with another MDM requires that you update all SDCs in your
system with the new MDM IP address. Run the drv_cfg utility with the --mod_mdm_ip
option (see "Modifying an MDM IP address using drv_cfg"), and to make the change
persistent, use the --file parameter. In addition, any additional objects or systems which
interface with the MDM must also be updated. For more information, see "Modifying an
MDM's management IP address" in the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

Parameters
Parameter Description

--ip <MDM_IP_ADDRESS_LIST> List of IP addresses (comma delimited) for

this Master or Slave MDM

Optional:

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Parameter Description

--file <CONFIG_FILE_NAME> Name of the configuration file to which the

MDM information should be written

--only_cfg Do not call the kernel to actually connect

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --add_mdm
--ip 10.100.22.20,10.100.22.30
--file /etc/emc/scaleio/drv_cfg.txt

Modifying an MDM IP address using drv_cfg

Command
drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip
Note:
This is not a CLI command, but rather an executable that is run on the SDC server. This
command can not be used on ESX servers. Instead, follow the steps described in "Modify
parameters in ESXi servers".

Syntax

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip
--ip <EXISTING_MDM_IP_ADDRESS>
--new_mdm_ip <NEW_MDM_IP_ADDRESSES> [--file <CONFIG_FILE_NAME>]
["‑""‑"only_cfg]

Description/Notes
This utility calls the kernel to modify an MDM’s IP address list. It is typically used in cases when an
MDM IP address has changed, or when MDMs are added/removed from/to the system. The
command must be run on every SDC in the system. To bring the changes into effect, a server
restart is required.
Location of drv_cfg command:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg
l ESXi: Refer to "Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or Compute node".
Note:
Extending your VxFlex OS system with another MDM requires that you update all SDCs in your
system with the new MDM IP address.

Parameters
Parameter Description

--ip <EXISTING_MDM_IP_ADDRESS> One of the existing MDM IP addresses

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Parameter Description

--new_mdm_ip The new IP address list (comma delimited) for

<NEW_MDM_IP_ADDRESSES> this MDM. If you want to retain the existing
address(es), include them in this list.

Optional:

--file <CONFIG_FILE_NAME> The name of the configuration file to which

the MDM information should be written

--only_cfg Do not call the kernel to actually connect

Example

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip
--ip 10.100.20.20
--new_mdm_ip 10.100.20.20,10.100.20.30,10.100.20.40

Permanent Device Loss state

When the MDM has disconnected from the SDC and a volume mapped to this SDC has
experienced an I/O error, the ESXi host continuously sends I/Os to the device to determine if the
device has become accessible. This can subsequently cause a high I/O-error load that can lead to
the host freezing. In cases where the device is disconnected long-term, such as when the entire
MDM cluster is down during a network upgrade, the SDC can change the volume state to
Permanent Device Loss (PDL) to prevent more I/O errors coming from the ESXi.
PDL is an ESXi state, which, once enabled, is supported in VxFlex OS. Once the ESXi host loses
connectivity with a device, if a timeout value is reached, the ESXi will be notified that the device is
in a PDL state. The timeout value can be manually set. Once a device is in a PDL state, the ESXi
host no longer attempts to re-establish connectivity or issue commands to the device.
Recovering a device from PDL state is described in the VMware documentation for your operating
system version. The following link is for ESXi v6.5: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-
vSphere/6.5/com.vmware.vsphere.storage.doc/GUID-A513D44C-71DE-47ED-
B781-327F78659404.html
Use the instructions that match your environment.

Enabling support of PDL state on the ESXi

Enable support of Permanent Device Loss (PDL) state on the ESXi host.
Procedure
1. On the ESXi host:

esxcli system module parameters set –m scini

"<<PREVIOUS_MODULE_PARAMS>> bBlkDevIsPdlActive=1
blkDevPdlTimeoutMillis=<TIMEOUT_VALUE>"

where:
l <<PREVIOUS_MODULE_PARAMS>> is any previous module parameters being used for
this ESXi host.
l <TIMEOUT_VALUE> is the timeout time in milliseconds. Its value can be 1000-3600000
(default is 60000) and including it in the command is optional.

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2. Reboot the host.

Disabling support of PDL state on the ESXi

Disable support of Permanent Device Loss (PDL) state on the ESXi host.
Procedure
1. On the ESXi host:

esxcli system module parameters set –m scini

"<<PREVIOUS_MODULE_PARAMS>> bBlkDevIsPdlActive=0"

where <<PREVIOUS_MODULE_PARAMS>> is any previous module parameters being used

for this ESXi host.
2. Reboot the host.

Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or compute node

Update the SDC parameters to maintain SDC-MDM communication.
About this task
This procedure describes how to use the VMware plug-in to update the SDCs that are needed to
maintain SDC-MDM communication.
Procedure
1. From the plug-in Advanced tasks menu, click Update SDC parameters, and follow
instructions to complete the process.
2. Check that the SDC parameters were updated by running this command on each ESXi:

cat /etc/vmware/esx.conf |grep scini|grep -i mdm

Run the SDC driver on SLES12.2 with multipath enabled

Run the SDC driver on SLES12.2 with multipath enabled
Procedure
1. On the SLES machine where the SDC is running, open /etc/udev/rules.d/20-
scini.rules for editing
2. In the first line at the end add:

ENV{ID_WWN}="%c"

The line should read like this:

KERNEL=="scini*[!0-9]", SUBSYSTEM=="block", PROGRAM="/bin/emc/scaleio/

drv_cfg --query_block_device_id --block_device $tempnode", SYMLINK
+="disk/by-id/emc-vol-%c", ENV{ID_BUS}="scsi", ENV{ID_SERIAL}="%c",
ENV{ID_WWN}="%c"

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3. Open /etc/multipath.conf and add the following:

defaults {
retain_attached_hw_handler "no"
}

This option is turned off by default on RHEL 7.x

4. From the command line, run dracut -f.
This includes the changes in initrd.
5. Restart the system.

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102 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 5
Backend

You can configure and monitor the storage and devices in the VxFlex OS system.

l Configuring storage............................................................................................................. 104

l Enter and exit SDS Maintenance Mode................................................................................ 119
l Configuring I/O priorities and bandwidth use (advanced).................................................... 120
l Configuring acceleration.......................................................................................................121
l RFcache (xcache) package installation.................................................................................141
l Increase SVM memory to accommodate additional SDS device........................................... 142
l Modify an SDS port during I/O............................................................................................ 142

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Backend

Configuring storage
Add and remove storage devices, and configure storage features.

Configuring capacity
Add, remove, and configure capacity.
The following topics explain how to add, remove, activate, and inactivate capacity, activate
devices, clear device errors, and set device capacity limits.
The Dashboard Capacity tile, some Backend table views (such as Capacity Usage,
Configuration), and Property Sheets help you to better understand the amount of raw capacity
and net free capacity currently available in the system.

Add, remove, activate, and inactivate Protection Domains

You can add, remove, activate, and inactivate Protection Domains. Inactivating a Protection
Domain does not remove it from the system, but it makes all data stored in that Protection Domain
inaccessible to the system. The inactivation feature is a much more effective way to shut down
nodes, and is preferable to shutting them down manually.
About this task

Add a Protection Domain

Add a Protection Domain to a VxFlex OS system.
Before you begin

About this task

Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, right-click the System row and select Add Protection
Domain.
The Add Protection Domain window is displayed.
2. Type a name in the Name box, and click OK.
When the operation is complete, the Protection Domain is active. You can now add SDSs,
Fault Sets, Storage Pools, and Acceleration Pools to the Protection Domain. Before you add
storage devices, ensure that at least one suitable Storage Pool is defined in the Protection
Domain.

Activate a Protection Domain

Activate an inactive Protection Domain.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, use the drop-down list at the top right side of the window
to ensure that the table is displaying rows according to By SDSs.
2. Select one or more Protection Domains.
3. Right-click the Protection Domains and select Activate.
The Activate Protection Domain window is displayed.
4. Click OK.

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Inactivate a Protection Domain

Inactivate a Protection Domain.
About this task
Note: If you inactivate a Protection Domain, the data remains on the SDSs, and therefore, it is
preferable to remove a Protection Domain if you no longer need it.
When the inactivation feature is in effect, the following activities can take place, behind the
scenes:
l Determine if there are any current rebuild/rebalance activities taking place. If so, the shutdown
will be delayed (unless it is forced) until they are finished.
l Block future rebuild/rebalance activities.
l Quiesce (temporarily disable) application I/O and disable access to volumes.
l Move the DRL mode of all SDSs to harden, in preparation for restarting the server.
l Reload of all SDSs before re-enabling data access.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, use the drop-down list at the top right side of the window
to ensure that the table is displaying rows according to By SDSs.
2. Right-click the Protection Domain and select Inactivate.
The Inactivate Protection Domain window is displayed.
3. If you want to force deactivation, select the Force check box.
Use the Force option with caution.
4. Click OK.
If a confirmation window appears, confirm the operation, and type your password if
requested to do so.

Remove a Protection Domain

Remove a Protection Domain from a VxFlex OS system.
Before you begin
Ensure that all child nodes have been removed from the Protect Domain before removing it from
the system.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, use the drop-down list at the top right side of the window
to ensure that the table is displaying rows according to By SDSs.
2. Verify that you have removed all child nodes from the Protection Domain.
3. Right-click the Protection Domain and select Remove.
4. Click OK.
5. If a confirmation window appears, confirm the operation, and type your password if
requested to do so.

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Setting number of concurrent I/O

Set the number of concurrent I/O per protection domain that has a fine granularity layout.
1. From Backend > Storage, right-click on the relevant protection domain.
2. Select Settings > Fine Granularity Layout > Set Number of Concurrent I/O
The Set Protection Domain Number of Concurrent I/O dialog box is displayed.
3. Enter a valid range between 64-1000 in the Number of concurrent I/O box.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Are you sure? dialog box, click OK.

Add SDSs
SDSs and their devices can be added to a system one by one, or in bulk operations, using the Add
SDS command. You can associate up to eight IP addresses to each SDS. By default, performance
tests are performed on the added devices, and the results are saved in the system.
Before you begin
Ensure that at least one suitable Storage Pool is defined in the required Protection Domain. If you
want to add Acceleration devices now, ensure that at least one Acceleration Pool is defined in the
Protection Domain, as well.
All devices in a Storage Pool must be the same media type. Ensure that you know the type of
devices that you are adding to the system. Ensure that the Storage Pool to which you are adding
devices is configured to receive that media type.
About this task
Device data is erased when devices are added to an SDS. When adding a device to an SDS, VxFlex
OS will check that the device is clear before adding it. An error will be returned, per device, if it is
found not to be clear. A device that has been used in the past can be added to the SDS by using
the Force Device Takeover option. When this option is used, any data that was previously
saved on the device will be lost. For more information, see "Configuring direct attached storage" in
the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
Fields that contain orange explanation marks are mandatory.
You can assign a name to the SDS, as well as to the devices. This name can assist in future object
identification. This can be particularly helpful for SDS devices, because the name will remain
constant, even if the path changes. SDS and device names must meet the following requirements:
l Contains less than 32 characters
l Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
l Is unique within the object type
Note: Devices can be tested before going online. Various testing options are available the
Advanced area of the window (default: Test and Activate ).
Note: Acceleration settings can be configured later, using the Backend > Devices By Pools
view.
Note: You cannot enable zero padding after adding the devices. For more information, see
"Storage Pools" in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, navigate to the desired Protection Domain, and select it.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, choose the Add option, then Add
SDS.

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 Backend

The Add SDS to Protection Domain dialog box is displayed.

3. Optionally, type a name for the SDS in the Name box.
4. In the IP addresses table, enter IP addresses, and select the corresponding communication

roles in the relevant check boxes. Click to add more rows to the table.
5.
Use the New Devices table to add storage devices. Click to add rows to the table. You
must add at least one storage device to the new SDS at this stage. Add a new row for each
device, and enter the required parameters in each row.
You can add more devices later.
Note: If you want to add an SDS without any devices, you can do so using the CLI. To
run CLI commands, you must be logged in. Actual command syntax is operating-system
dependent. For more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

6. Optionally, add acceleration devices to the SDS, using the Acceleration Devices table. Click

to add rows to the table. Add a new row for each device, and enter the required
parameters in each row.
7. The Advanced option provides additional items, such as device testing, forced device
takeover, and Read RAM Cache acceleration options. Optionally, click its Expand button to
display and configure them (recommended for advanced users only).
8. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the dialog box. It is
recommended to keep it open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the
result of the operation.
9. Click Close.
If you chose the Test only advanced option, activate the devices as described in "Activate
devices".

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Backend

Figure 8 Add SDS window

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

1 Add another SDS 6 Storage devices and

their properties

2 Add another SDS by 7 Acceleration devices

duplicating the values and their properties
in the right panel of
the window

3 Remove the selected 8 Add object/row

SDS from the window

4 List of SDSs that will 9 Remove object/row

be added to the
Protection Domain

5 SDS properties 10 Advanced testing,

forced device
takeover, and
acceleration options

Add storage devices

Storage devices can be added to a system one by one, or in bulk operations, using the Add
Device command. By default, performance tests are performed on the added devices, and the
results are saved in the system.
Before you begin
Ensure that at least one suitable Storage Pool is defined in the required Protection Domain.
All devices in a Storage Pool must be the same media type. Ensure that you know the type of
devices that you are adding to the system, and that the Storage Pool to which you are adding
devices is configured to receive that media type.

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 Backend

About this task

Device data is erased when devices are added to an SDS. When adding a device to an SDS, VxFlex
OS will check that the device is clear before adding it. An error will be returned, per device, if it is
found not to be clear. A device that has been used in the past can be added to the SDS by using
the Force Device Takeover option. When this option is used, any data that was previously
saved on the device will be lost. For more information, see "Configuring direct attached storage" in
the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
Fields that contain orange explanation marks are mandatory.
You can assign a name to devices. This can be particularly helpful for identifying SDS devices in
the future, because the name will remain constant, even if the path changes. Device names must
meet the following requirements:
l Contains less than 32 characters
l Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
l Is unique within the object type
Note: Devices can be tested before going online. Various testing options are available the
Advanced area of the window (default: Test and Activate ).
Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, navigate to the desired SDS, and select it.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, choose the Add Device option.
The Add device to SDS dialog box is displayed.
3.
In the New Devices table, add storage devices. Click to add more rows to the table,
and enter the required parameters in each row.
4. The Advanced option provides additional items, such as device testing and forced device
takeover. Optionally, click its Expand button to display and configure them (recommended
for advanced users only).
5. Click OK.
The progress of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the dialog box. It is
recommended to keep it open until the operation is completed, and until you can see the
result of the operation.
6. Click Close.
If you chose the Test only option, activate the devices as described in "Activate devices".

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Backend

Figure 9 Add Device window showing command validation

Activate devices
Activate a device that was inactivated, or that was added to a system using the Test only
option.
About this task
Use the Activate Device command in the following situations:
l Storage devices were added to the system using the Test only option for Device Tests, and
successfully passed the tests.
l Storage devices were inactivated, and you want to bring them back online.
Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, navigate to the device or devices in the table, and select the
corresponding rows.
2. Right-click and select Activate.

Remove SDSs and devices

Remove SDSs and devices gracefully from a system. The removal of some objects in the system
can take a long time, because removal may require data to be moved to other storage devices in
the system.
About this task
If you plan to replace a device with a device containing less storage capacity, you can configure
the device to a smaller capacity than its actual capacity, in preparation for replacement. This will
reduce rebuild and rebalance operations in the system later on. For more information, see Setting
device capacity limits on page 113.
The system has job queues for operations that take a long time to execute. You can view the jobs
in the Planned Rebuilds and Planned Rebalancing table views. Operations that are waiting in the

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 Backend

job queue are shown as Pending. If a job in the queue will take a long time, and you do not want to
wait, you can cancel the operation using the Abort button in the Remove command window (if you
left it open), or using the Abort command from the Command menu.
The Remove command deletes the specified objects from the system. Use the Remove command
with caution.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to the desired object in the table, and select its
row.
2. Right-click the row and select the desired Remove command.
In the confirmation window, click OK.The progress of the operation is displayed at the
bottom of the window. It is recommended to keep the window open until the operation is
completed, and until you can see the result of the operation. For some objects, an Abort
button is available in the window, which can be used if you decide to abort the operation.
The is also an Abort command accessible from the Command menu.
3. Click Close.

Add Storage Pools

Add Storage Pools to a VxFlex OS system. A Storage Pool is a group of devices within a Protection
Domain.
Before you begin
l Before adding a Storage Pool, familiarize yourself with the types of Storage Pool that are
available, and ensure that you know the media type of the devices that will be used in the
Storage Pool. Each Storage Pool must contain devices of only one media type. For more
information, see the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
l For Storage Pools with Fine Granularity data layout, at least one NVDIMM configured as a DAX
device is required. In addition, ensure that you have already configured an NVDIMM
Acceleration Pool.
About this task
Create Storage Pools before you start adding storage devices to the system, because each time
that you add devices to the system, you must map them to either Storage Pools or Acceleration
Pools.
Note: You cannot enable zero padding to Medium Granularity Storage Pools after adding the
devices. For more information, see "Storage Pools" in the Getting to Know VxFlex OS Guide.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, select the required Protection Domain.
2. Right-click the Protection Domain, choose Add, then Add Storage Pool.
The Add Storage Pool dialog box is displayed.
3. Type a name in the Name field.
4. Select a media type: HDD or SSD.
All the devices that you add to this Storage Pool must be the same type of device.
5. If you selected SSD, choose a Data Layout type:
l Medium Granularity
a. Optionally, select Use Read RAM Cache to use Read RAM Cache for caching.

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Backend

Note: The Read RAM Cache features are advanced features, and it is usually
recommended to accept the default values. You can configure these features
later, if necessary, using the Configure Read RAM Cache command. For
more information about Read RAM Cache features, see "Managing RAM read
cache".
b. Select the required Write Handling Mode: Cached or Passthrough.
l Fine Granularity
a. Select the relevant option from the Acceleration Pool list.
b. Select the Enable Compression check box, to enable compression.

6. Select the Use Inflight Checksum checkbox to enable validation of the checksum value of
in-flight data reads and writes.
7. Click OK.

Compression Mode for Fine Granularity Storage Pools

You can enable Compression Mode for Fine Granularity Storage Pools.
In-line compression reduces the data footprint and allows you to gain more effective capacity from
less physical hardware (SSDs).
Set Default Compression Mode
You can set the Default Compression Mode of Fine Granularity Storage Pools
Procedure
1. From Backend > Storage, drill down to the relevant Protection Domain or Storage Pool
2. Right-click on the Storage Pool and select Settings > Fine Granullarity Layout > Set
Default Compression Mode.
The Set Storage Pool Deault Compression Mode dialog box is displayed.
3. Select the Enable Compression check-box.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Are you sure? dialog box, click OK.
6. Click Close.
Results
Compression Mode is now enabled for the Fine Granularity Storage Pool.

Enable and disable Rebuild/Rebalance (advanced)

Use the Rebuild/Rebalance features to maintain system health. optimal performance and data
protection.
About this task
By default, Rebuild and Rebalance features are enabled in the system, because they are essential
for system health, optimal performance, and data protection. These features should only be
disabled temporarily in very specific circumstances, and should not be left disabled for long periods
of time. Rebuild and Rebalance features are enabled and disabled per Storage Pool.
NOTICE Rebuilding is an essential part of VxFlex OS, which provides protection for your data.
It is not recommended to disable the Rebuild feature, except in very special circumstances.
Rebalancing is an essential part of VxFlex OS, and should only be disabled, temporarily, in
special circumstances. Disabling rebalance may cause the system to become unbalanced even

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if no capacity is added or removed. For example, during a recovery from an SDS or device
failure, some rebalance activity may be needed to ensure optimal balancing.
To enable or disable Rebuild and Rebalance features, perform these steps:
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pools.
2. Right-click the Storage Pool and select Enable/Disable Rebuild/Rebalance.
The Enable or Disable Rebuild and Rebalance window is displayed.
3. Select or clear the options that you require (selected=enable; clear=disable), and click OK.

Clear device errors

Clear device errors.
About this task

Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, navigate to the device in the table, and select its row.
2. Right-click the row and select Clear Device Errors.

Setting device capacity limits

In circumstances when you need to replace a storage device in your system with a storage device
of a smaller capacity, you should first set the capacity limit of the device to be removed to less
than its full capacity.
About this task
In such a case, capacity will be decreased, but the size of the disk remains unchanged. The
capacity assigned to the storage device must be smaller than its actual physical size.
Note: Decreased capacity is shown on the Dashboard, using pale gray, on the outer ring on
the Capacity tile.
Procedure
1. In one of the Backend views, navigate to the device in the table, and select its row.
2. Right-click the row and select Settings, then Set Device Capacity Limit.
3. Type the desired value and click OK.

Configure Read RAM Cache (advanced, Backend)

The Read RAM Cache feature improves your system’s application performance for storage-related
activities. By default, caching is disabled.
About this task

To use Read RAM Cache, you need to configure settings at two levels:
l Storage Pool—controls Read RAM Cache for all the SDSs in the selected Storage Pool.
Caching can be enabled or disabled, and either Cached (default) or Passthrough Write
Handling modes can be selected. When Read RAM Cache is enabled in a Storage Pool, the
feature is enabled at Storage Pool level. However, caching must also be set to Enabled in each
SDS in the Storage Pool. Caching will only begin once storage devices have been added to the
SDSs. It is possible to enable RAM caching for a Storage Pool and then disable caching on one
or more SDSs individually.
l Per SDS—controls Read RAM Cache for one or more SDSs. Caching can be enabled or
disabled for the specified SDS, and the capacity allocated for caching on an SDS can be

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specified. Caching will only begin after one or more storage devices are added to the SDSs.
Ensure that the feature is also enabled at Storage Pool level.
Note: By default, Read RAM Cache is disabled in all volumes. You can enable them from
the Frontend > Volumes view.
Note: Only I/Os that are multiples of 4k bytes can be cached.

To configure caching, perform these steps:

Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pools.
2. Right-click the selected Storage Pools, select Configure Caching and then Configure
Read RAM Cache.
The Configure Read RAM Cache dialog box appears. The right pane of the lists the Storage
Pools that you are configuring.
3. Select or clear the Read RAM Cache Enabled check box (selected=used; clear=not used).
4. Click OK.
Read RAM Cache at Storage Pool level is done. To configure the feature at SDS level, go to
the next step.
5. To enable, disable, or configure cache size for SDSs, in the Backend > Storage view,
navigate to, and select the desired SDS(s).
6. Right-click the SDS and select Configure Caching and then Configure Read RAM Cache.
The Configure Read RAM Cache window appears. The right pane of the window lists the
SDSs that you are configuring.
7. Select or clear the Read RAM Cache Enabled checkbox (selected=enable; clear=disable).
8. If necessary, edit the value in the Read RAM Cache Size box (default=128 MB).
9. Click OK.

Configure inflight checksum protection

Inflight checksum protection mode can be used to validate data reads and writes in Storage Pools,
in order to protect data from data corruption.
About this task
To modify this setting, perform the following steps:
Procedure
1. In any of the Backend views, navigate to, and right click the desired Storage Pool.
2. From the context-sensitive menu, select Configure Inflight Checksum.
The Configure Inflight Checksum window is displayed.
3. Do one of the following:
a. To enable the Checksum feature, select the Enable Inflight Checksum check box.
b. To disable the Checksum feature, clear the Enable Inflight Checksum check box.
4. Click OK.

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Using the background device scanner

The background device scanner scans devices in the system to check for errors.
You can enable and disable the background device scanner, as well as reset the background device
scanner counters. Information about errors will be provided in event reports. For more information
about viewing events, see "Viewing events" in the Monitoring VxFlex OS Guide.

Enable and disable the background device scanner

The scanner can be enabled on all the devices in the specified Storage Pool.
About this task
There are two modes: device only mode, and data comparison mode:
l Device only—Perform read operations. Fix from peer on errors. This is the default mode for
both Fine and Medium Granularity for all new Storage Pools.
l Data comparison—Perform the device-only test, and compare the data content with peer.
Zero padding must be enabled in order to set the background device scanner to data
comparison mode.
To enable or disable the background device scanner, follow these steps:
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pools.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Set Background Device
Scanner Mode.
The Configure Storage Pool Background Device Scanner window is displayed. The right
pane of the window displays the Storage Pools that you are configuring.
3. For the Enable Background Device Scanner option, perform one of the following:
l To enable the scanner, select the check box, and proceed to the next step.
l To disable the scanner, clear the check box, and click OK to finish.
4. Select an option (selected=enable; clear=disable):
a. Device only
b. Data comparison
5. In the Bandwidth Limit box, accept the default or type a number in KB per second (per
device).
The given value should be in the range 10 KB-10 MB (default = 1 MB).
Note: High bandwidth should be used very carefully for extreme cases only (such as an
urgent need to check some devices), as it may create negative impact on system
performance. Setting the background device scanner bandwidth should take into
account maximum bandwidth of the devices.

6. Click OK.

Reset the background device scanner counters

You can reset background device scanner error counters for specified Storage Pools. Counters for
data comparison errors, or corrected read errors, or both counter types can be reset.
About this task

To reset counters, follow these steps:

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Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pools.
2. Right-click the Storage Pools and select Reset Background Device Scanner Counters.
The Reset Background Device Scanner Counters window is displayed. The right pane of
the window shows the Storage Pools that you are configuring.
3. Select or clear the option that you require, or both options (selected=enable; clear=disable).
4. Click OK.

Configuring Oscillating Failure counters

Oscillating failure handling provides the ability to handle error situations, and to reduce their
impact on normal system operation.
This feature detects and reports various oscillating failures, in cases when components fail
repeatedly and cause unnecessary failovers. You can configure the time interval associated with
each window type, and the number of failures allowed before reporting commences for each
window type, per counter.
You can reset specified oscillating failure counters to zero. This can be useful when you have fixed
a problem and want to ensure that an alert is no longer active in the system.

Configure Oscillating Failure counter parameters

Configure Oscillating Failure counter parameters for the entire system, or for specific Protection
Domains or Storage Pools.
About this task

Procedure
1. Perform one of the following:

Option Description
To configure counter parameters for all In the Backend > Storage view, select the
SDCs, Protection Domains or Storage Pools System icon.
in the system:
To configure counter parameters for a In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to,
specific Protection Domain or Storage Pool: and select the desired Protection Domain or
Storage Pool.

2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Set Oscillating Failure
Properties.
3. Perform one of the following:

Option Description
For system level: In the For All box, select an option: SDCs,
Protection Domains, orStorage Pools.
For a Protection Domain or a Go to the next step.
Storage Pool:

4. In the Counter Type box, select a counter. Options vary, depending on the item selected in
the previous step.
5. In the Window Type box, select an option for the sliding window interval: Short, Medium or
Long.

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6. Perform one of the following:

Option Description
If you want to remove the selected Select the Remove the counter check box.
counter definition from the system:
If you want to modify the threshold Enter a number in the fields for:
for the selected counter definition: l failures (the maximum number of failures per
time interval before reporting begins)
l seconds (the number of seconds per time
interval)

7. Click OK.
The currently configured counter parameters are displayed in the corresponding Property
Sheet, in the Oscillating Failure Parameters section.

Reset Oscillating Failure counters

You can reset specified oscillating failure counters to zero. This can be useful when you have fixed
a problem and want to ensure that an alert is no longer active in the system. You can reset
counters for the entire system, per Protection Domain, or per Storage Pool.
About this task
l To reset oscillating failure counters for all SDCs, Protection Domains or Storage Pools in the
system, go to step 1.
l To reset counters for a specific Protection Domain or Storage Pool, in the Backend > Storage
view, navigate to and select the relevant Protection Domain or Storage Pool.
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, select the System icon.
2. Right-click and select Reset Oscillating Failure Counters.
3. In the For All box, select an option.
If you want to reset counters for all object types, select Objects.
4. Perform one of the following:
l For a specific counter, in the Counter Type box, select the required counter.
l For all counters, in the Counter Type box, select None, and select the Reset All
Counters check box.
5. Click OK.
To reset counters for a specific Protection Domain or Storage Pool, perform the following
steps:
6. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Protection Domain or
Storage Pool.
7. Right-click and select Reset Oscillating Failure Counters.
8. Perform one of the following:
l For a specific counter, in the Counter Type box, select the required counter.
l For all counters, select the Reset All Counters check box.
9. Click OK.

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View Oscillating Failure counters

View Oscillating Failure counters for network related issues, for SDCs, for SDSs and for devices.
About this task
You can view Oscillating Failure counters for network related issues, for SDCs, for SDSs and for
devices in the following ways:
l Network:
1. In the Backend > Storage view, select the System icon.
2. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Download Network Failure
Counters.
3. Browse to the location in which the file will be saved, and click OK. A JSON file containing the
counters is saved in the location that you specified.
l In Windows, view the file in a text editor, such as Notepad++.
l In Linux, use the more command to view the file (for example, more
Oscillating_Network_Failures_Counters_2016-01-28-13-31-57.json)
l SDCs:
1. In the Frontend > SDCs view, select the required SDC.
2. Open the Property Sheet, and click the Oscillating Failure Counters section.
Note: When there are no oscillating failures counters for SDC, the Oscillating Failures
Counters section displays None Found.
l SDSs and devices:
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to and select the required SDS or device.
2. Open the Property Sheet, and click the Oscillating Failure Counters section.
a. If there is an active alert, you can view the oscillating failures alert in the Alerts section
of the Property Sheet.
Note: When there are no oscillating failures counters for SDS or device, the
Oscillating Failures Counters section displays None Found.

Create a VM storage policy for Virtual Volumes

Define the VM storage policy in the vSphere Client using the Create VM Storage Policy wizard and
enable datastore specific rules for VVols in VxFlex OS.
Before you begin
l Verify that the VASA storage provider is registered and active
Procedure
1. In the vSphere Client, open the Create VM Storage Policy wizard.
a. Click Menu > Policies and Profiles.
b. Under Policies and Profiles, click VM Storage Policies.
c. Click Create VM Storage Policy.
2. In the Name and description page, enter the vCenter server, policy name, and description,
and click Next.

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3. In the Policy structure page, under Datastore specific rules, select Enable rules for VxFlex
OS VVols storage.
4. In the VxFlex OS VVols rules page, define storage placement rules for the target VVols
datastore.
In the Placement tab, from the Tier drop-down menu, select the appropriate storage policy.

Tier Used for storage type

Compression enabled Fine granularity layout

Gold Medium granularity layout, SSD drives

Silver Medium granularity layout, cached

Bronze Medium granularity layout, HDD

5. In the Storage compatibility page, review the list of Storage Pools that match the policy
you selected in the previous page.
6. In the Review and finish page, review the storage policy settings and click Finish.
Results
The new VM storage policy compatible with VVols appears on the storage policy list. You can now
associate this policy with a virtual machine, or designate the policy as default.

Enter and exit SDS Maintenance Mode

Place an SDS in Maintenance Mode in order to perform non-disruptive maintenance on the SDS.
About this task
This topic explains how to put an SDS into Maintenance Mode, in order to perform non-disruptive
maintenance on the SDS, and how to cancel Maintenance Mode when you are finished.
Maintenance Mode lets you restart a server that hosts an SDS, without initiating data migration or
exposing the system to the danger of having only a single copy of data. The system displays the
SDSs that are in Maintenance Mode at any given time (but does not provide the total number of
SDSs).
While SDSs are in Maintenance Mode, you should avoid both unnecessary rebuilds and operations
that require taking an SDS offline temporarily. It is recommended to use Maintenance Mode when
there is relatively low system activity, as the time it takes for an SDS to exit Maintenance Mode
depends on the amount of data that needs to be synchronized back into the server. This might
impact performance.
Maintenance Mode is targeted for short maintenance windows. If a long window is required, we
recommend that you drain the node and then deal with the maintenance.
Note: Functional operations, such as configuration, cannot be performed on an SDS while it is
in Maintenance Mode. If an active full copy is lost, its data will be unavailable until the SDS is
brought back into the system, but that data will not be lost; it will be rebuilt using the
temporary copy.
Procedure
1. To put an SDS into Maintenance Mode, perform these steps:
a. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired SDS.
b. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Enter Maintenance Mode.
The Enter Maintenance Mode window is displayed.

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c. If you want to force entry into Maintenance Mode even though there is insufficient
space or degraded/failed capacity, select the corresponding check box:
l Force Insufficient Space—allow entry into maintenance mode, even without enough
available capacity
l Force Degraded or Failed—allow entry into maintenance mode, even with degraded
or failed data

d. Click OK.
The status area at the bottom of the window indicates when the operation is complete.
Once the SDS is in Maintenance Mode, this will be indicated both on the Dashboard, and in

Backend tables and Property Sheets, using the symbol, and the Maintenance Mode
color code (green).
2. To put an SDS back into regular service (cancel Maintenance Mode), perform these steps:
a. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired SDS.
b. From the Command menu or context-sensitive menu, select Exit Maintenance Mode.
The Exit Maintenance Mode window is displayed.

c. If you want to force exit from Maintenance Mode even though there is a failed SDS,
select the Force Failed SDS check box.
d. Click OK.
The status area at the bottom of the window indicates when the operation is complete.
Once the operation has been successfully completed, the SDS returns to normal operation,
and data deltas collected on other SDSs during the maintenance period are copied back to
the SDS.

Configuring I/O priorities and bandwidth use (advanced)

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

Configure application IOPS and bandwidth (advanced)

Configure the number of concurrent Rebuild, Rebalance and Migration of jobs, along with the
bandwith used for these jobs.
About this task
Priority can be given to different types of I/Os in the system, including application I/Os. The
number of concurrent Rebuild, Rebalance and Migration of jobs can be configured, along with
bandwidth used for these jobs. I/O prioritization is configured per Storage Pool.
NOTICE These features affect system performance, and should only be configured by an
advanced user.
Give priority to Application I/Os during Rebuild, Rebalance and Migration of jobs, by performing
these steps:
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storageview, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pool.

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2. Right-click the Storage Pool and select Settings > Set I/O Priority.
3. Select Favor Application I/O for Rebalance, Rebuild and Migration, and click OK.

System IOPS and bandwidth (advanced)

You can prioritize different types of I/O in the system, as well as configure network throttling per
Protection Domain.

I/O prioritization
About this task
Priority can be given to different types of I/Os in the system. The number of concurrent Rebuild
and Rebalance jobs can be configured, and bandwidth for Rebalance jobs can be configured. You
can also control I/O priority for Migration. Refer to "V-Tree migration" for more information. If the
Dynamic Bandwidth Throttling option is selected, additional items can be configured, such
as Application IOPS threshold, Application bandwidth threshold, and
Application threshold quiet period. Default values for these features are provided in
the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
NOTICE These features affect system performance, and should only be configured by an
advanced user.
Configure I/O prioritization for Rebuild, Rebalance and Migration by performing these steps:
Procedure
1. In the Backend > Storage view, navigate to, and select the desired Storage Pool.
2. Right-click the Storage Pool and select Settings > Set I/O Priority.
3. Select the desired options and edit values, and click OK.

Configuring acceleration
VxFlex OS supports different types of acceleration to enhance storage performance. Depending
on your system, you can configure VxFlex OS for acceleration using NVDIMM, RFcache or
RMcache.

Prepare acceleration devices and software

Prepare NVDIMM acceleration devices so that they can be used to accelerate Fine Granularity
Storage Pools. If the xcache package was not installed during initial deployment, install the
package on SDSs where the RFcache feature will be used to accelerate Medium Granularity
Storage Pools.
Note: The NVDIMM Interleaving setting should be disabled in the BIOS by default (configured
in the relevant VxFlex iDM). To verify or set, refer to the following: https://www.dell.com/
support/manuals/us/en/04/poweredge-t640/nvdimm-n_ug_pub/bios-configuration-
settings-for-nvdimm-n?guid=guid-a69462d3-b86c-4f6b-903e-269f19af591f&lang=en-us

Add acceleration pools

You can add Acceleration Pools to a Protection Domain, to accelerate Storage Pool performance.
About this task
An Acceleration Pool is a group of acceleration devices within a Protection Domain.

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Procedure
1. In the Backend > Devices view, select the required Protection Domain.
2. Right-click the Protection Domain and select Add Acceleration Pool.
The Add Acceleration Pool window is displayed.
3. Enter a name in the Acceleration Pool Name box.
4. Select a pool type.
l For Fine Granularity data layout, select NVDIMM. You must have at least one NVDIMM
installed in order to select this option.
l For Medium Granularity data layout, select SSD. You must have at least one SSD
installed that can be used for the RFcache feature in order to select this option.
5. Click Add Devices and then click the Add device icon to add a row to the New Devices
table.
6. Enter the following information in the relevant row of the table:
l In the Path cell, enter the location of the acceleration device
l In the Name cell, enter the name of the acceleration device
l From the SDS drop-down list, select the relevant SDS

7. Click Advanced and configure the optional settings:

l Test and activate device
l Device test timeout: x seconds
l Force devices takeover (takes over devices that were previously used in a VxFlex OS
system.

8. If you want to add more devices, click the Add device icon again and configure the fields in
the new row.
9. Click OK.
Results
The Acceleration Pool has been created, and acceleration devices have been added to it.
After you finish
For RFcache Acceleration Pools, ensure that caching is enabled, using the Configure Caching >
Set Read Flash Cache Policy command. This feature can be enabled at Protection Domain,
Storage Pool, or SDS level.

Add acceleration device on RHEL nodes

You can add an one or more acceleration devices to an SDS.
Before you begin

When adding NVDIMMs to a node, the enumeration of the DAX devices may change in the node.

Name: /dev/dax0.0 Path: /dev/dax2.0 Original-path: /dev/dax0.0 ID:

ff9e65d600010000 Acceleration Pool: ac1, Capacity: 15.7 GB (16052 MB), Used:
2.9 GB (3003 MB), State: Normal

When adding a new NVDIMM DAX path to the acceleration pool it fails with the error:

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cli --add_sds_device --sds_id <SDS-ID> --acceleration_pool_name ac1 --

device_path /dev/dax2.0 Error: MDM failed command. Status: A device with
the given
This is a very common scenario where the name of the device changes, especially in Linux and any
disk including NVDIMM devices. To fix this, run the following command:

scli --update_sds_original_paths --sds_id <SDS-ID>

The update is displayed:

Name: /dev/dax0.0 Path: /dev/dax2.0 Original-path: /dev/dax2.0 ID:

ff9e65d600010000 Acceleration Pool: ac1, Capacity: 15.7 GB (16052 MB), Used:
2.9 GB (3003 MB), State: Normal

Also if the current SDS device includes the name field, you must update it to match the new path
so that it is refected in the GUI. For example:

scli --rename_device --sds_id <SDS-ID> --device_path /dev/dax2.0 --

new_name /dev/dax2.0 Successfully renamed device to /dev/dax2.0

The following steps describe how to update from two to four NVDIMMs
1. Gracefully shutdown node (place SDS in maintenance mode and move application workload to
othernode)
2. Add two NVDIMMs
3. Boot up node.
4. Login and run Exit SDS maintenance mode from the GUI or CLI.
5. Run the following command:

scli --update_sds_original_paths --sds_id <SDS-ID>

6. For each existing NVDIMM DAX mount point run the command:

scli --rename_device --sds_id <SDS-ID> --device_path /dev/dax2.0 --

new_name /dev/dax2.0

Note: This is only required if name was assigned.

7. Run ndctl to create the DAX device. Repeat for each new device.
8. Add the /dev/daxDevice name to Acceleration pool
Procedure
1. From Backend > Devices, select an SDS.
2. At the top right side of the window, ensure that the display is set to By Pools.
3. Expand the desired Storage Pool, right-click the SDS where the device is installed, and
select Add Acceleration Device.
The Add acceleration device to SDS dialog box is displayed.
4. In the table, add the following information:
l In the Path cell, enter the location of the acceleration device

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l In the Name cell, enter the name of the acceleration device

l From the Acceleration Pool drop-down list, select the Acceleration Pool to which to add
the device
5. Click Advanced and configure the optional settings:
l Test and activate device
l Device test timeout: x seconds
l Force devices takeover (takes over devices that were previously used in a VxFlex OS
system.

6. If you want to add more devices, click the Add device icon again and configure the fields in
the new row.
7. Click OK.

Prepare the DAX devices

If the deployment will be using NVDIMM devices for acceleration, perform the following tasks to
prepare the NVDIMMs as DAX acceleration devices.
NVDIMM information table
Before you prepare the NVDIMM as a DAX device, create or print the following NVDIMM
information table. Use it to record the information that you discover while performing the following
task. You will need the information to add the acceleration device to VxFlex OS.
Note: If the failed and replacement NVDIMM share a column, the value for both entries must be the same.

Table 1 NVDIMM information table

Item Replacement NVDIMM

Serial Number

Device name (NMEM)

Namespace

DAX device name (chardev)

Acceleration device path

Prepare an NVDIMM as a DAX device in a Linux system

Prepare a new or replacement NVDIMM as a DAX device before adding it to the SDS in a Linux
system. This step is optional when replacing an NVDIMM battery.
Before you begin
If the node is running on RHEL 7.6 or higher, ensure that the package kmod-redhat-
nfit-3.10.0_957-1.el7_6.x86_64.rpm is installed.
The package can be downloaded from this location.
For more information, see here.
About this task
Note: If you replaced the system board, perform the following steps for each NVDIMM
mounted on the server.
Procedure
1. Using SSH, log in to the Linux server.

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2. View information for the new/replacement NVDIMM:

dmidecode --type memory | grep "Non-" -B 3 -A 3 | grep -E 'Locator|

Serial' | grep -v Bank

Output similar to the following appears:

Locator: A7
Serial Number: 17496594
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 174965AC
3. Find the serial number in the output and record it in the NVDIMM information table.
4. Display the correlation between the ID and NMEM device name of each NVDIMM mounted
on the server:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].dimms[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "nmem1",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-174965ac",
"handle": 4097,
"phys_id": 4370,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
{
"dev": "nmem0",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-17496594",
"handle": 1,
"phys_id": 4358,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
5. In the output from the previous step, find the device (dev) with the id that partially
correlates with the serial number you discovered previously for the failed device.
For example:
l The NVDIMM output displays serial number 16492521 for the NVDIMM device.
l In the previous step, the output displays the ID of device nmem0 as
802c-0f-1746-802c-0f-1711-16492521.

Serial number Device ID

Locator: A7 "dev": "nmem0",

Serial Number: 16492521 "id": "802c-0f-1711-16492521",
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 1649251B

In the above example, the NMEM name is nmem0.

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6. Record the NMEM name in the Device name row of the NVDIMM information table.
7. Correlate between the NMEM DIMM and the namespace/DAX device:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].dimms[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "nmem1",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-174965ac",
"handle": 4097,
"phys_id": 4370,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}
{
"dev": "nmem0",
"id": "802c-0f-1722-17496594",
"handle": 1,
"phys_id": 4358,
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 30
}
}

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].regions[].namespaces[]'

{
"dev": "namespace1.0",
"mode": "raw",
"size": 17179869184,
"sector_size": 512,
"blockdev": "pmem1",
"numa_node": 1
}
{
"dev": "namespace0.0",
"mode": "raw",
"size": 17179869184,
"sector_size": 512,
"blockdev": "pmem0",
"numa_node": 0
}

8. In the output displayed in the previous step, locate the namespace that correlates with the
NMEM name and DIMM serial number, and record it in the NVDIMM information table.
In the above example, nmem0's namespace is namespace0.0.
9. Destroy the default namespace that was created for the replacement NVDIMM, using the
namespace discovered in the previous step:

ndctl destroy-namespace namespaceX.0

For example, if the replacement NVDIMM maps to namespace0.0, the command is:

ndctl destroy-namespace namespace0.0

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10. Create a new, raw nmem device using the region associated with namespace of the failed
device, as recorded in the NVDIMM information table:

ndctl create-namespace -r regionX -m raw -f

For example, if the NVDIMM you replaced mapped to region 0, the command is:

ndctl create-namespace -r region0 -m raw -f

11. Convert the namespace device to the acceleration device name of type /dev/daxX.X:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespaceX.X –-mode=devdax –align=4K

For ndctl build 62 or later, run:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespaceX.X –-mode=dax –align=4K --no-

autolabel

where namespaceX.X is the actual namespace of the NVDIMM.

For example, to convert namespace0.0 to /dev/dax0.0, where /dev/daxX.X is the
acceleration device name, depending on the ndctl build run:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespace0.0 –-mode=dax –align=4K

or

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespace0.0 –-mode=dax –align=4K --no-

autolabel

Note: --no-autolabel is only required for RHEL7.6.

12. Record the acceleration device name in the NVDIMM information table.
13. Run the namespace-to-dax-device correlation command to find the DAX device name
of the replacement NVDIMM:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].regions[].namespaces[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "namespace1.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "c59d6a2d-7eeb-4f32-b27a-9960a327e734",
"daxregion": {
"id": 1,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [

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{
"chardev": "dax1.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 1
}
{
"dev": "namespace0.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "eff6429c-706f-469e-bab4-a0d34321c186",
"daxregion": {
"id": 0,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [
{
"chardev": "dax0.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 0
}

The DAX device name appears in the output as the chardev value.
In the example output above, the DAX device name is dax0.0.

14. Record the DAX device name in the NVDIMM information table.
15. Find the full acceleration device path:

ls -ltr /dev/ | grep dax

The following output should appear:

/dev/daxX.X

For example:

/dev/dax0.0

16. Record the acceleration device path in the NVDIMM information table.
Results
You are now ready to add the DAX device to the NVDIMM Acceleration Pool.

Check NVDIMM capacity compatibility for future upgrades

Check your system for the recommended NVDIMM capacity, to prepare it in advance for future
upgrades of Fine Granularity Storage Pools. You will not be able to upgrade your system to
versions higher than v3.0.1 unless sufficient NVDIMMs are installed in the system.
Before you begin
l Ensure that you have the tool for checking upgrade readiness:
FlexOS_PreUpgrade_Readiness_Checker.py. It is supplied with the VxFlex OS
complete software package, and on the Dell EMC support site.
l Ensure that the server from which you will run the tool has the following:

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n Linux operating system (the tool cannot be used on Windows-based servers)

n Access to the MDM
n Python version 2.7 or higher must be installed
n VxFlex OS CLI is installed
l Ensure that you know the IP addresses of the MDMs, and know the user name and password
required for accessing them.
l Ensure that your user role includes monitor privileges. Monitor privileges are used to query the
system for SDSs that require additional NVDIMMs.
About this task
If your VxFlex OS system does not contain enough NVDIMM capacity to support Fine Granularity
Storage Pools in VxFlex OS versions later than v3.0.1, your system will generate alerts to warn you
about this issue. You will not be able to upgrade your system to versions higher than v3.0.1 until
you have addressed this issue. You can check your system now to find out if it has enough
NVDIMM capacity. If there is insufficient capacity, Dell EMC recommends that you contact your
account manager now in order to prepare your hardware in advance for future software versions.
Procedure
1. Save the FlexOS_PreUpgrade_Readiness_Checker.py tool on the MDM, or on a
node with connectivity with the MDM.
2. In command line, run the command:

FlexOS_PreUpgrade_Readiness_Checker.py [-h] --username <USERNAME> [--

password <PASSWORD>] [--cli_executable <CLI_BIN>] [--
use_nonsecure_communication] [--mdm_ip <MDM_IP_ADDRESSES>]

where:
<USERNAME> is the user name used to query the MDM
<PASSWORD> is the user's password
<CLI_BIN> is the location of the VxFlex OS CLI on the server
<MDM_IP_ADDRESSES> is a comma-separated list of MDM IP addresses

The tool will output one of the following messages:

l Your system has insufficient NVDIMM capacity on SDS {XXX} to support
future version upgrades. The required total NVDIMM capacity for the
upgrade is {YYY}. Contact your account manager for more information.

(This message may appear several times, depending on the number of SDSs with
insufficient NVDIMM capacity.)
l System is ready for upgrade

If the output is System is ready for upgrade, no further actions are required now.
Your system contains enough NVDIMM capacity to support Fine Granularity storage
acceleration in future software versions.
If the output is Your system has insufficient NVDIMM capacity on SDS
{XXX} to support future version upgrades. The required total NVDIMM
capacity for the upgrade is {YYY}. Contact your account manager for
more information., continue to the next step.
3. Use one of the following methods to determine which SDSs need more NVDIMM capacity.

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Option Procedure
CLI a. Prepare a list of the SDSs in your system. You can use the --query_all_sds
to collect this information. For example:

scli --query_all_sds

b. Using the CLI, run the following command for every SDS that uses NVDIMM
acceleration for Fine Granularity storage:

scli --query_sds (--sds_id <ID> | --sds_name <NAME> | --sds_ip <IP>)

For example:

scli --query_sds --sds_name sds1948

Look for output similar to the following:

Acceleration device information (total 2 devices)

1: Name: N/A Path: /dev/dax0.0 Original-path: /dev/dax0.0 ID
dfef27800010000
Acceleration Pool: accp1, Capacity: 15.7 GB (16052 MB), Used: 21.7 GB
(22170 MB), State: Normal

c. If the Used value is greater than the Capacity value, as shown in the output
example above, more NVDIMM capacity is required in order to upgrade the
system.
d. Make a note of all the SDSs where more NVDIMM capacity is required.

GUI a. In the GUI, open the Monitor > Alerts view, and look for alerts for insufficient
NVDIMM capacity for future version upgrades.
b. Prepare a list of all the SDSs where these alerts occur.

4. Contact your account manager for sales and technical assistance.

Add NVDIMM in an ESXi environment

Add NVDIMMs for acceleration in an ESXi environment.

Prerequisites for adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 system

Meet the following prerequisites before adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 based VxFlex OS
system.
Before you begin adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi 6.7 based VxFlex OS system, ensure the
following:
l You are using VMware version 6.7 for the ESXi host and the vCenter server.
l The VM version of your SVM is version 14 or higher.
l The firmware of the NVDIMM is updated to the version supported by your server. For example,
for compatible Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, use NVDIMM firmware version 9324 or higher.
l The ESXi host can detect the NVDIMM.
l You calculate required NVDIMM capacity, according to number of FG devices and their size.

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l There is enough NVDIMM capacity on the ESXi host.

Verify that the ESXi host can detect the NVDIMM

Before adding an NVDIMM to an ESXi-based VxFlex OS system, verify that the ESXi host can
detect the NVDIMM.
Before you begin
Procedure
1. Login to the vCenter.
2. Select your ESXi host.
3. Navigate to the Summary tab.
4. In the Hardware section, verify that the required amount of Persistent Memory is listed.

Calculate required NVDIMM and RAM capacity for FG SDS

Use the following formulas to calculate the necessary capacity for NVDIMM and RAM.
About this task
Note: When adding NVDIMM capacity to the SVM, the complete capacity of the NVDIMM
must be allocated in a single device when adding to the SVM. For example 16 GB*2 of
NVDIMM will be added as 31 GB (rounded down, since VMware uses some of the capacity for
datastore management).
Procedure
1. Calculate the required NVDIMM and RAM capacity using the following table, where X is the
total capacity of SDS devices used for the FG storage pool, and Y is the total RAM needed:

FG capacity Required Required RAM Additional Total RAM

NVDIMM capacity memory for (rounded)
capacity (rounded) MDM, LIA, and
SVM OS

51.2 TB 32 GB NVDIMM >41 GB MDM: 5.4 GB 53 GB

(in SVM it will LIA: 350 MB
be 31 GB)
OS Base: 1 G
51.2 TB < X < 64 GB NVDIMM >41 GB Buffer : 1 G 53 GB < Y < 73 GB
96 TB
(in SVM it will <64.5 GB
be 62 GB)

96 TB < X < 128 96 GB NVDIMM >64.5 GB 87 GB

TB
(in SVM it will <81.5 GB
(122.88 is actual be 93 GB)
limit)

2. Alternatively, you can calculate NVDIMM capacity and RAM capacity using the following
formulas:
Note:
The calculation is in binary MiB, GiB, and TiB

l NVDIMM_capacity_in_GiB = ((100 * Number_Of_Drives) + (700 * Capacity_in_TiB))/

1024

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l RAM_capacity_in_GiB = 10 + ((100 * Number_Of_Drives) + (550 * Capacity_in_TiB))/

1024

Enter the SDS into Maintenance Mode

Place the SDS into Maintenance Mode before adding the NVDIMM.
Procedure
1. Check that the VxFlex OS system is in an optimal state:
a. From the VxFlex OS GUI Monitor > Alerts view, ensure that there are no SDS
disconnect messages.
b. If the node is an MDM cluster member, in the Dashboard > Management tile, verify that
the cluster is optimal.
2. In Backend > Storage > By SDSs view, right-click the SDS you are upgrading and select
Enter Maintenance Mode.
3. In the Enter Maintenance Mode window, ensure there are no errors, and then click OK.
The status area at the bottom of the window indicates when the operation is complete.
Once the SDS is in Maintenance Mode, this will be indicated both on the Dashboard, and in

Backend tables and Property Sheets, using the symbol, and the Maintenance Mode
color code (green).

Use vCenter to shut down the SVM

In vCenter, shut down the Storage VM (SVM) before adding the NVDIMM.
Procedure
1. In vCenter, verify that the SDS data IP address matches the SVM IP address.
2. Log in to vCenter using the vSphere client, and locate the relevant IP address or SVM name
(which should include the host serial number).
Note: Verify that the SVM IP address displayed in vCenter is the same as the SVM
management IP address you recorded.

3. Select the SVM, and from the Basic Tasks pane select Shut down the virtual machine.
4. In the VxFlex OS GUI Alerts view, verify that you received an alert that the SDS is
disconnected. If the SVM is a cluster member, also verify that you received an alert that the
MDM cluster is being degraded.

Add an NVDIMM device to a VxFlex OS system

Use the vCenter client and the VxFlex OS GUI to add an NVDIMM device to VxFlex OS.
Procedure
1. Add the NVDIMM device to the Storage VM (SVM):
a. Edit the SVM settings.
b. Add a new NVDIMM device.
c. Set the desired size of the NVDIMM device according to the following:

Number of NVDIMMs Capacity

2 31 GB

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Number of NVDIMMs Capacity

4 62 GB

6 93 GB

Note:
vCenter does not allow adding more than three virtual NVDIMM devices .If you are
expanding NVDIMM capacity, add a second NVDIMM device based on the rules
above.

d. If additional RAM is needed (see Calculate required NVDIMM and RAM capacity for FG
SDS on page 131), modify the memory size to match the necessary value.
e. Click OK.
2. In the vCenter client view, expand the server and select the Storage VM (SVM). Power-on
the SVM manually.
3. Using the VxFlex OS GUI, verify the following:
a. In the Monitor > Alerts view, verify that no SDS disconnect messages appear.
Note: After the SVM has powered on, it might take approximately 10-20 seconds for
the SDS to power up and remove the disconnection alerts.

b. If the node was an MDM cluster member, in the Dashboard > Management, verify that
the cluster is no longer degraded and that no alert on a degraded cluster appears.
Note: If "could not connect to HOST" alerts appear, wait a few minutes for the alerts
to disappear.

4. In the Backend > Storage > By SDSs view, right-click the SDS and select Exit
Maintenance Mode.
5. In the Action window, click OK.
6. Wait for the rebuild/rebalance operations to complete.
The SVM is now operational and you can add the NVDIMM capacity using the next set of
steps.
7. Create a namespace on the NVDIMM:
a. Connect using SSH to the SVM.
b. Run the following:

ndctl create-namespace -f -e namespace0.0 --mode=dax --align=4K

c. Perform these steps for creating a namespace for every node with an NVDIMM device.
8. Create an Acceleration Pool for the NVDIMM devices:
a. Connect using SSH to the Master MDM.
b. Use the SCLI to create the Acceleration Pool:

scli --add_acceleration_pool --protection_domain_name <PD_NAME> --

media_type NVRAM --acceleration_pool_name <ACCP_NAME>

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c. For each SDS with NVDIMM, add the NVDIMM devices to the Acceleration Pool:

scli --add_sds_device --sds_name <SDS_NAME> --device_path /dev/dax0.0

--acceleration_pool_name <ACCP_NAME> --force_device_takeover

9. Create a Storage Pool for SSD devices accelerated by NVDIMM Acceleration Pool with Fine
Granularity data layout:
a. Connect using SSH to the Master MDM and run the following SCLI command:

scli --add_storage_pool --protection_domain_name <PD_NAME> --

storage_pool_name <SP_NAME> --media_type SSD --compression_method
normal --fgl_acceleration_pool_name <ACCP_NAME> --fgl_profile
high_performance --data_layout fine_granularity

10. Add SSD devices to the Fine Granularity Storage Pool that you created.
11. Set the Spare Capacity for the Fine Granularity Storage pool based on the number of nodes
of equal capacity, allowing for at least one node to fail.
Ten nodes of 20-TB SSD capacity each use a 10% Spare policy.

Removing acceleration devices

Acceleration devices must be removed in a graceful manner. Specific procedures are required for
NVDIMM acceleration devices and for RFcache acceleration devices.

Remove an RFcache acceleration device

Remove an RFcache acceleration device from an Acceleration Pool.
About this task
To remove an RFcache acceleration device from the system, perform these steps:
Procedure
1. From the Backend > Devices view, right-click the Storage Pool being accelerated by the
device, and choose Configure Cache, and then Set Read Flash Cache Policy.
2. In the Set Read Flash Cache Policy window, clear the Enable Read Flash Cache check
box, and click OK.
3. When the status shows that the operation was successful, click Close.
4. From the Backend > Devices view, navigate to the corresponding Acceleration Pool, and
locate the device that you want to remove.
5. Right-click the device, and choose Remove.
6. In the dialog box that is displayed, click OK.
7. When the status shows that the operation was successful, click Close.
8. In some cases, a rebuild/rebalance begins.
Use the Dashboard view to determine when that is complete. The device is removed from
the VxFlex OS system. You may now either remove the physical drive from the system, or
add it to the SDS as a storage device. If you have other RFcache acceleration devices
installed in the SDS, or in other SDSs in the Storage Pool, set the Read Flash Cache policy
back to Enabled at both levels.

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Physically remove an NVDIMM from a node

To remove an NVDIMM from a node, identify the NVDIMM to be removed and then use the GUI to
remove it from the VxFlex OS system. The procedures that follow are for removing a failed device,
which is the most common scenario for removing an NVDIMM device.
Identify a NVDIMM-N module and correlate its storage devices in a Linux system
Identify the failed NVDIMM-N memory module and the correlating storage devices that interact
with the module in the VxFlex OS Fine Granularity Storage Pool in a Linux-based system. This task
is also required when replacing the NVDIMM battery on the node or replacing the system board.
Before you begin
Ensure that you know:
l The IP address of the iDRAC port.
l The username and password for the iDRAC portal.
About this task
Note: In the following task, the term "failed NVDIMM" also refers to all NVDIMMs mounted on
the server in cases of a failed NVDIMM battery or failed system board.
Procedure
1. From a web browser go to http://<iDRAC_IP_address>.
2. In the Dell Console Login window, enter the username and password, and then click Login.
The Dashboard displays the high-level status of all hardware devices in the System Health
pane. The Memory icon should display an alert, signifying a failed device.

3. Double-click the icon of the failed memory device to display more information about the
failed NVDIMM.

4. From the Maintenance tab, select System Event Log.

The System Event Log displays events with color-coded severity levels. The event for the
failed DIMM displays the slot number of the DIMM module that failed.
In the following example, the error occurred on DIMM-A7, meaning that the DIMM is located
in slot A7.

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Figure 10 System Event Log with failed DIMM

5. Record the slot number of the failed NVDIMM device in the NVDIMM information table.
Note: If the slot number points to a regular DIMM as faulty, use the DIMM replacement
procedure instead.

6. From the Dell console main window, select System > Inventory > Hardware Inventory.
7. Expand the entry for the relevant DIMM.
The console displays information regarding the DIMM you identified in the previous steps.
The DIMM's PrimaryStatus should appear as Degraded.
8. Using SSH, log in to the Linux server.
9. View information for the faulty DIMM:

dmidecode --type memory | grep "Non-" -B 3 -A 3 | grep -E 'Locator|

Serial' | grep -v Bank

Output similar to the following appears:

Locator: A7
Serial Number: 16492521
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 1649251B

The example output displays the DIMM's Type Detail as Non-Volatile, signifying that it is an
NVDIMM. The output also displays the NVDIMM serial numbers.
10. In the command output, find the Locator and Serial Number, and record their values in
the NVDIMM information table.
11. Display the list of DIMMs mounted on the server:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].dimms'

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Output similar to the following should appear:

[
{
"dev": "nmem1",
"id": "802c-0f-1711-1649251b",
"handle": 4097,
"phys_id": 4370,
"state": "disabled",
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 32
}
},
{
"dev": "nmem0",
"id": "802c-0f-1711-",
"handle": 1,
"phys_id": 4358,
"state": "disabled",
"health": {
"health_state": "ok",
"temperature_celsius": 255,
"life_used_percentage": 32
}
}
]
12. In the output from the previous step, find the device (dev) with the id that partially
correlates with the serial number you discovered previously for the failed device.
For example:
l The NVDIMM output displays serial number 16492521 for the NVDIMM device.
l In the previous step, the output displays the ID of device nmem0 as
802c-0f-1746-802c-0f-1711-16492521.

Serial number Device ID

Locator: A7 "dev": "nmem0",

Serial Number: 16492521 "id": "802c-0f-1711-16492521",
Locator: B7
Serial Number: 1649251B

In the above example, the NMEM name is nmem0.

13. Record the NMEM name in the Device name row of the NVDIMM information table.
14. To help correlate nmem mapping, region, and namespace configuration information, enter:

ndctl list -Dvvv | jq '.[].regions[]'

Output similar to the following appears:

{
"dev": "region1",
"size": 17179869184,
"available_size": 0,
"max_available_extent": 0,
"type": "pmem",
"numa_node": 1,

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"mappings": [
{
"dimm": "nmem1",
"offset": 0,
"length": 17179869184,
"position": 0
}
],
"persistence_domain": "unknown",
"namespaces": [
{
"dev": "namespace1.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "0a438fbc-91e4-427d-8068-1f26330d85cc",
"daxregion": {
"id": 1,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [
{
"chardev": "dax1.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 1
}
]
}
{
"dev": "region0",
"size": 17179869184,
"available_size": 0,
"max_available_extent": 0,
"type": "pmem",
"numa_node": 0,
"mappings": [
{
"dimm": "nmem0",
"offset": 0,
"length": 17179869184,
"position": 0
}
],
"persistence_domain": "unknown",
"namespaces": [
{
"dev": "namespace0.0",
"mode": "devdax",
"map": "dev",
"size": 16909336576,
"uuid": "38cbd555-3f5b-4f4f-8d83-bf77db75553d",
"daxregion": {
"id": 0,
"size": 16909336576,
"align": 4096,
"devices": [
{
"chardev": "dax0.0",
"size": 16909336576
}
]
},
"numa_node": 0
}
]
}

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The order of the list in the output reflects the order for correlating between an NMEM
DIMM and a namespace/DAX device. For example, in the above output:
l The first block of devices is the DIMMs. Under each DIMM, there is an NMEM device
grouping. In the example output, the device groupings are nmem1 and nmem0. Each
bracket contains a device.
l Each grouping also displays the region corresponding to the NMEM device group. In the
example output, the regions are region1 and region0.
l The order of the NMEM devices correlates to the namespace grouping that follows, in
which nmem1 correlates to namespace1.0 and nmem0 correlates to namespace0.0.
l The output displaying the namespace also includes the DAX device name (chardev),
which is displayed as daxX.X.
15. In the output from the previous step, locate the namespace and subsequent DAX device
name (chardev) that correlates with the NMEM and DIMM serial number displayed in the
output in Step 11.
In the above example, where nmem0's namespace is namespace0.0, the DAX device name is
dax0.0.

16. Record the device's region, namespace and DAX device name in the NVDIMM information
table.
Results
You have discovered the region, namespace and DAX device name for the storage devices that
interact with the failed NVDIMM (or, in the case of a failed NVDIMM battery, all NVDIMMs
mounted on the server). You can now remove these storage devices from the NVDIMM
Acceleration Pool and FG Storage Pool.
Remove the storage devices from VxFlex OS in a Linux system
Remove the storage devices that interact with the failed NVDIMM from the relevant VxFlex OS FG
Storage Pool and Acceleration Pool in a Linux-based system.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have admin rights for accessing the VxFlex OS GUI. If necessary, the customer
can give you the credentials.
About this task
Note: In the following task, the term "failed NVDIMM" also refers to all NVDIMMs mounted on
the server in cases of a failed NVDIMM battery or failed system board.
Procedure
1. Log in to the VxFlex OS GUI as an admin user.
2. Go to Backend > Storage > Acceleration view.
3. Expand the SDSs in the Protection Domains.
4. In the Accelerated On column, find the FG Storage Pool that contains the DAX devices you
discovered in the previous task and recorded in the NVDIMM information table.
For example, if you discovered DAX device name dax0.0, in the Accelerated On column look
for /dev/dax0.0.
In the following image, /dev/dax0.0 is located in FG Storage Pool sp2_FG. It is also located
in Acceleration Pool accp_for_sp2_NVDIMM.

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Figure 11 FG Storage Pool with DAX device

5. Record the name of the FG Storage Pool, the Acceleration Pool, the storage devices, and
the DAX devices in the relevant rows in the NVDIMM information table.
In the above example, the information you need to record is:
l Storage Pool: sp2_FG
l Acceleration Pool: accp_for_sp2_NVDIMM
l Storage devices: /dev/sdb, dev/sdc
l Acceleration devices: /dev/dax0.0, /dev/dax1.0.

6. Remove the storage devices you identified in the previous step from the relevant Storage
Pool:
Note: Ensure that you remove only the storage devices impacted by the failed NVDIMM.

a. Navigate to Backend > Devices view and find the SDS with the storage devices you
identified in the previous step.
b. Right-click the storage devices you identified in the previous step, select Remove, and
then click OK.
Note: You can select all the relevant storage devices and remove them
simultaneously.
A confirmation message appears when the process is complete, and a rebuild/rebalance
operation may be triggered.

c. In GUI Dashboard view, wait until the rebuild/rebalance operation is complete and all
counters are at 0.
7. Remove the acceleration devices corresponding to the failed NVDIMM from the relevant
Acceleration Pool:

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 Backend

a. In Backend > Devices view in the relevant Storage Pool, right-click the acceleration
devices you identified previously, select Remove, and then click OK.
A confirmation message appears when the process is complete.
8. If you are replacing the NVDIMM battery, perform the previous steps for every NVDIMM
module mounted on the server.
Results
The acceleration devices and storage devices associated with the faulty NVDIMM have been
removed from the Acceleration Pool and Storage Pool.

RFcache (xcache) package installation

If the RFcache (xcache) package was not installed during the initial system deployment, you can
also install the RFcache (xcache) package on physical or virtual servers in an existing VxFlex OS
system. The package is required on SDSs in order to accelerate Medium Granularity data layout
Storage Pools.

Install the RFcache (xcache) package on physical servers

You can install the RFcache (xcache) package on physical servers using VxFlex OS Installer and
the CSV topology file.
About this task
To install RFcache, perform the following:
Procedure
1. Update the RFcache fields in the CSV file used to deploy the system, as described in the
"Preparing the CSV topology file" section of the Deploy VxFlex OS Guide.
2. Follow the instructions in "Add components in the VxFlex OS Installer".

Enable RFcache on ESXi servers

You can manually enable RFcache on ESXi servers using the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
About this task
You must first copy the RFcache (xcache) package to the SVMs, and then use the VxFlex OS
plug-in to configure its use.
Procedure
1. Copy the RFcache package (xcache) to all SVMs running an SDS:

EMC-ScaleIO-xcache-x.x-x.0.slesxx.x.x86_64

2. Install the file:

rpm -i EMC-ScaleIO-xcache-x.x-x.0.slesxx.x.x86_64

3. From the VxFlex OS plug-in, click SDSs.

4. Right-click an SDS, and select Add devices to a single SDS.
5. Click a device in the Use for drop-down list, and select RFcache.

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Backend

6. Click OK.
7. Repeat the previous steps for every SDS on which you want to enable RFcache.

Increase SVM memory to accommodate additional SDS device

When adding additional disks to an SDS, you may need to add additional memory to the SVM.
About this task
After an initial partial population of disks (less than the SDS full capacity), when adding more
disks, you may need to add SVM memory. If the SDS doesn't have enough memory, error
messages will be displayed.
(You can avoid this procedure by using the deployment wizard to allocate adequate memory during
initial deployment.)
Perform this procedure in a maintenance window.
Procedure
1. From the VxFlex OS GUI, put an SDS in maintenance mode.
2. From the vCenter, power off the SVM.
3. From the vCenter, edit the SVM and increase the SVM memory by 300 MB for each 5 TB of
added storage capacity.
4. Power on the SVM.
5. From the VxFlex OS GUI, remove the SDS from maintenance mode.
6. Wait for the rebalance to complete.
7. Repeat the entire procedure for each SVM, one-at-a-time.

After you finish

You can now use any of the VxFlex OS management tools to add more drives to the SDS.

Modify an SDS port during I/O

You can modify an SDS port while there is I/O running without interrupting I/O.
About this task
Note: Sometimes, your network topology needs to be prepared for the addition of new port,
and this may take some time. VxFlex OS does not prevent unnecessary degraded status or
disconnection of SDS. Therefore, in such situations, it is recommended to place the SDS in
Maintenance Mode before commencing this procedure.
Procedure
1. On the SDS, perform one of the following as appropriate for your operating system:

Operating system Task

Linux Run the script: /opt/emc/scaleio/sds/bin/
close_firewall_port.sh
Windows From command line, run the batch file C:\Program Files\EMC
\scaleio\sds\bin\close_firewall_port.bat

2. Open the following SDS file with a text editor, and change the port number shown there to
the new port number:

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 Backend

Operating System File name

Linux /opt/emc/scaleio/sds/bin/port
Windows C:\Program Files\EMC\scaleio\sds\bin\port

3. Open the following SDS configuration file with a text editor:

Operating System File name

Linux /opt/emc/scaleio/sds/cfg/conf.txt
Windows C:\Program Files\EMC\scaleio\sds\cfg\conf.txt

4. Add the parameter tgt_port = <NEW_PORT_NUM> to the file, where

<NEW_PORT_NUM> represents the new port number.
5. Perform one of the following:

Operating Task
System
Linux Run the script: /opt/emc/scaleio/sds/bin/
open_firewall_port.sh
Windows From command line, run the batch file C:\Program Files\EMC
\scaleio\sds\bin\open_firewall_port.bat

6. On the SDS, perform one of the following:

Operating System Task

Linux Run the command:

Pkill sds

Windows From command line, run the command:

net stop sds_service & net start sds_service

7. On the MDM, modify the SDS port using the command:

scli --modify_sds_port (--sds_id <ID> | --sds_name <NAME> | --sds_ip

<IP>) --new_sds_port <PORT>

For example, for an SDS called "sds198" where the new port number is 7071, type:

scli --modify_sds_port --sds_name sds198 --new_sds_port 7071

Note: If you modify the SDS port on the MDM first, instead of following the above
procedure, I/O errors might be encountered.

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144 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 6
VASA and vVols

Configure VxFlex OS to use VMware's vSphere API for Storage Awareness (VASA).

l VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites................................................................... 146

l vVols in VxFlex OS............................................................................................................... 146
l Using storage policies.......................................................................................................... 147
l Register the VxFlex OS VASA in the vCenter....................................................................... 147
l Enable autostart of the VASA provider after reboot.............................................................148

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VASA and vVols

VxFlex OS VASA's limitations and prerequisites

Note the following limitations when using VxFlex OS's VASA.
Limitations
l Deployment of VxFlex OS's VASA is not prevented on ESXi 5.5, despite the fact that VMware
no longer supports ESXi 5.5.
l The maximum number of volumes is 200K (4,096 mapped volumes per ESXi).
l The VASA can be mapped to a single instance of VxFlex OS.
l A cluster may contain a single VASA provider or three Vasa providers.
l The VASA provider may be installed only on a node which contains an SDC.
l The VASA should be registered with a single vCenter.
l The VASA provider hostname must begin with a letter character.
l The maximum snapshot hierarchy of a vVol is 31.
Before you begin
Ensure that:
l Oracle Java Development Kit 1.8.x must be installed on every host that will run the VASA
provider, and no other Java distribution should be installed.
l For each VASA VM, the DNS server is configured and all ESXis, vCenters, and VASA Storage
Virtual Machines (SVM) are registered on it.
l Each VASA VM's hostname must match the VASA FQDN.
l All components of your environment, including ESXis and vCenters, have their time
synchronized.
l A Storage Data Client (SDC) is installed on the ESXi on which you want to deploy VASA.
l VxFlex OS is deployed and registered in the vCenter.

vVols in VxFlex OS
When the VASA provider is installed in the VxFlex OS system, you can use and manage vVols using
VxFlex OS.
Once the VASA provider is registered, you can create vVols. For more information, see: https://
docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.0/com.vmware.vsphere.storage.doc/
GUID-8D9CC612-6B5A-436D-BB63-67DDFED19747.html and https://docs.vmware.com/en/
VMware-vSphere/6.7/com.vmware.vsphere.storage.doc/GUID-8D9CC612-6B5A-436D-
BB63-67DDFED19747.html.
By default, vVols are not visible in the VxFlex OS GUI. In order to have the vVols displayed, you
must change the system preferences to show externally managed volumes. For more information
on changing system preferences, see Customize system preferences on page 212. Once the
externally managed volumes are visible, you can see the vVols listed in the VxFlex OS GUI
Frontend view. Note that management of the vVols from the VxFlex OS GUI is prohibited.
Logs are located in the following directory: /opt/emc/scaleio/vasa/logs/. For support, you
can use the script /opt/emc/scaleio/vasa/get_vasa_info.sh, which creates a tar.gz
archive in the /tmp directory. It includes the following diagnostic information on VASA:

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 VASA and vVols

l Actual process environment

l Command line
l File with additional environment variables
l VASA logs

Using storage policies

A virtual machine that runs on a Virtual Volumes datastore requires a VM storage policy. A VM
storage policy is a set of rules that contains placement and quality-of-service requirements for a
virtual machine.
VxFlex OS has its own specific set of rules for assigning storage policies to Storage Pools. For
more information on creating storage policies, see Create a VM storage policy for Virtual Volumes
on page 118.

Register the VxFlex OS VASA in the vCenter

Register the VxFlex OS VASA as a Storage Provider in the vCenter.
About this task
When using one instance of the VASA, register it in the vCenter. When you are using three
instances of the VASA provider, you must register at least two out of the three VASA providers. In
that case, one of the two VASA providers is displayed in the vSphere Web Client in Active state
and the other is displayed in Standby state.
Procedure
1. When using vSphere 6.0, 6.0 U1, and 6.0 U2, enable TLSv1.0:
a. Edit the /opt/emc/scaleio/vasa/setenv.sh.
b. Delete the following parameters from the file: -Dserver.ssl.enabled-
protocols=TLSv1.2, -Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1.2, and
Dserver.ssl.protocol=TLS.
c. Restart the VASA service:

service vasa-provider-vxflexos restart

2. In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the Hosts and Clusters inventory object.
3. Locate the vCenter inventory object and select it.
l In vSphere 6.0: Click the Manage tab, and click Storage Providers.
l In vSphere 6.5: Click the Configure tab, and click More > Storage Providers.
4. Click the Register a Storage Provider icon.
5. In the New Storage Provider dialog, define the connection information for the storage
provider:
a. Enter a name for the VASA provider.
b. Enter the VASA URL: https://<VASA_FQDN>/version.xml where <VASA_FQDN> is
the fully-qualified domain name of the VASA, as registered in the DNS server.
c. Enter the MDM admin username and password.

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VASA and vVols

6. Click OK to complete the registration.

7. Click Yes to confirm the VASA certificate.
Results
The vCenter Server has registered the VxFlex OS VASA as a storage provider.
After you finish
Verify that the status of the VASA Storage Provider in the Storage Provider table is online. If the
status is offline, it most likely indicates an issue with the DNS or a communication issue with the
ESXis.

Enable autostart of the VASA provider after reboot

Enable automatic restarting of the VASA provider service after reboot.
Procedure
1. Connect with SSH to each VASA provider host.
2. Run the following command to enable automatic restart of the VASA provider service after
reboot:

systemctl enable vasa-provider-vxflexos

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CHAPTER 7
MDM Cluster

You can configure the MDM cluster in the VxFlex OS system.

l Configuring MDM cluster.....................................................................................................150

l Configure virtual IP addresses using the VxFlex OS Installer................................................162

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MDM Cluster

Configuring MDM cluster

You can configure the MDM cluster to allow for efficient load balancing to enable high availability
of the servers that are configured within the cluster. You can add members, replace or remove
members as well as update configuration settings. Members refer to the servers within the cluster.

Extend an existing VxFlex OS system

Options for adding nodes to an existing system.
You can add nodes to an existing system, as well as extend the MDM cluster from a 3-node to a 5-
node cluster. Depending on your system, you can use the VxFlex OS Installer (for physical servers)
or the vSphere plug-in (for ESXi servers).
These topics are described in the sections of the Deploy VxFlex OSGuide:
l "Extend an existing VxFlex OS system"
l "Extend the MDM cluster from 3 to 5-node"

Add Linux servers to the MDM cluster

You can add Linux servers to the MDM cluster to expand your 3-node cluster mode to a 5-node
cluster mode.
About this task
This procedure describes how to add Linux servers to the MDM cluster in the CSV topology file.
Procedure
1. Obtain the CSV topology file from one of the following options:
l CSV used to deploy the v2.0 system in its current 3-node cluster mode
l Complete or minimal CSV (provided in the ISO, or can be downloaded from the VxFlex
OS Installer) and fill-in the current system topology fields in the CSV
2. Edit, and save the CSV with one of these options:
l Add two new hosts (two new lines) to the system topology, and in the Is MDM/TB
column for those lines, designate one as a Slave and one as a Tie Breaker (TB) role
l In the Is MDM/TB column of two existing hosts that were not part of the MDM cluster,
add a Slave and a Tie Breaker (TB) role. This option is displayed in the following figure
Note: If you need to change the roles of the current nodes, do so only after adding to
the cluster.

Figure 12 Before adding

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 MDM Cluster

Figure 13 After adding

3. In the Packages tab, upload all VxFlex OS packages, per the host OS.
4. In the Install tab, select the edited CSV file, and select Add to existing system from the
drop-down menu.
5. Click Upload installation CSV.
6. Start the installation, and monitor as normal.

Add ESXi servers to the MDM cluster

You can add additional ESXi servers, and assign them roles within the cluster.
About this task
When you add a new MDM manager, to ensure continued SDC-MDM communication, you must
update the SDCs in the system with the new MDM IP address. You can do this using the vSphere
plug-in, as described in "Update the SDC parameters".
Procedure
1. If the ESXi servers to be added do not have the SDC component, install the SDC on each of
the servers, as described in the "Update the SDC parameters".
2. From the Basic tasks section, click Deploy VxFlex OS environment.
The VxFlex OS VMware deployment wizard runs. If you exited the wizard before completing
the deployment, the wizard continues from the point you left off.
NOTICE
The deployment wizard assumes that you are using the provided VxFlex OS OVA
template to create the Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs).

3. In the Select Installation screen, select Add servers to a registered VxFlex OS system,
and select the system you want to extend.
4. In the Select Management Components screen, select 5-node mode.
5. In the Manager MDM and Tie Breaker MDM fields, select the nodes to add to the cluster.

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MDM Cluster

6. Click Next, and continue the deployment.

Note:
When adding components, the wizard adjusts the displayed screens to options that are
relevant to the current VxFlex OS system.

Update the SDC parameters in VMware based HCI or compute node

Update the SDC parameters to maintain SDC-MDM communication.
About this task
This procedure describes how to use the VMware plug-in to update the SDCs that are needed to
maintain SDC-MDM communication.
Procedure
1. From the plug-in Advanced tasks menu, click Update SDC parameters, and follow
instructions to complete the process.
2. Check that the SDC parameters were updated by running this command on each ESXi:

cat /etc/vmware/esx.conf |grep scini|grep -i mdm

Replace a cluster member

You might need to replace a member of an MDM cluster to replace a faulty server or change the
server IP address.
The current server is the server that needs to be replaced.
If you have an extra server to replace the current server, then there is no need to change the
cluster mode (3-node or 5-node). If you do not have an additional server, you will need to reduce
the cluster mode, from 5-node to 3-node, or from 3-node to single node.

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 MDM Cluster

Note:
It is not recommended to use single mode in production systems, except in temporary
situations.
Tthe following rules are true regardless of the circumstances:
l To remove a cluster member, you first need to make it a standby, then remove the standby. To
add a member to a cluster, you first make it a standby, then add the standby to the cluster.
l The cluster must always have 5, 3, or 1 members, never any other amount. For a further
understanding of this subject, see "The MDM cluster" in the Architecture section of Getting to
Know VxFlex OS. Proceed to the section that describes your environment:
n "Replace a cluster member by adding a new server"
n "Replace a cluster member without adding a new server to the cluster"

Add a new server to the MDM cluster

Add or replace a server to the MDM cluster.
About this task
This procedure describes how to replace or add a new member to the MDM cluster.
Before you begin, perform the following:
l Assign the necessary IP addresses to the replacement server.
l Install the MDM package on the server.
In this example, we are replacing the server whose IP address is 10.3.1.179, currently a member
of a 5-node MDM cluster, with a server a server whose IP address is 10.3.1.57, which is
currently external to any VxFlex OS system. This process can be used to replace any role in the
MDM cluster.
Procedure
1. Check that the current server (179) is not the Master MDM by running the following
command:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

# scli --query_cluster
Cluster:
Mode: 5_node, State: Normal, Active: 5/5, Replicas: 3/3
Master MDM:
Name: mdm17, ID: 0x5d07497754427fd0
IPs: 10.3.1.17, 192.168.1.17, Management IPs: 10.3.1.17, Port: 9011
Version: 2.0.972
Slave MDMs:
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm18, ID: 0x5843c4d16d8f1082
IPs: 10.3.1.18, 192.168.1.18, Management IPs: 10.3.1.18, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm179, ID: 0x7380b70e2f73d346
IPs: 10.3.1.179, 192.168.1.179, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3

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MDM Cluster

IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011

Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972

In this case server 179 is a Tie Breaker.

2. If the current server is the Master MDM, change its state using the
switch_mdm_ownership command, as described in the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
3. Make the replacement MDM server a standby MDM, and assign it a name (mdm57, in our
example) by running the following command, on the Master MDM:

scli --add_standby_mdm --mdm_role tb --new_mdm_ip

10.3.1.57,192.168.1.57 --new_mdm_management_ip
10.3.1.57 --new_mdm_name mdm57

4. You can see the result of the command by running the following command:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

# scli --query_cluster
Cluster:
Mode: 5_node, State: Normal, Active: 5/5, Replicas: 3/3
...
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm179, ID: 0x7380b70e2f73d346
IPs: 10.3.1.179, 192.168.1.179, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Standby MDMs:
Name: mdm57, ID: 0x073e4c8b1d20d124, Tie Breaker
IPs: 10.3.1.57, 192.168.1.57, Port: 9011

mdm57 has been added as a standby MDM. When it is a standby MDM, it can be added to
the cluster.

5. Replace the current mdm179 with the standby mdm57 by running the following command:

scli --replace_cluster_mdm --remove_tb_name mdm179

--add_tb_name mdm57

The following output is displayed:

Successfully replaced the cluster MDM

The current server has been replaced.

Reassign a member within the MDM cluster

You can reassign a member to a new role within the MDM cluster.
About this task
This procedure describes how to remove a member and then add the node back and reassign it to
a different role within the cluster. You must first reduce the amount of nodes in the cluster,

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 MDM Cluster

change to a 3-node cluster and then add the member back to the cluster and reassign it to its new
role.
In the following example, we are removing the current server whose IP address is 10.3.1.179,
currently a Tie Breaker member of a 5-node MDM cluster. To retain a majority in the MDM cluster,
we must also remove one of the Slave MDMs in the cluster, in this case the MDM whose IP
address is 10.3.1.19. This process can be used to replace any role in the MDM cluster.
Procedure
1. Verify that the current server (179) is not the Master MDM:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

# scli --query_cluster
Cluster:
Mode: 5_node, State: Normal, Active: 5/5, Replicas: 3/3
Master MDM:
Name: mdm17, ID: 0x5d07497754427fd0
IPs: 10.3.1.17, 192.168.1.17, Management IPs: 10.3.1.17, Port: 9011
Version: 2.0.972
Slave MDMs:
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm18, ID: 0x5843c4d16d8f1082
IPs: 10.3.1.18, 192.168.1.18, Management IPs: 10.3.1.18, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm179, ID: 0x7380b70e2f73d346
IPs: 10.3.1.179, 192.168.1.179, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972

In this case server 179 is a Tie Breaker.

2. If the current server is the Master MDM, change its state using the
switch_mdm_ownership command, as described in the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.
3. Switch to a 3-node cluster:

scli --switch_cluster_mode --cluster_mode 3_node

--remove_tb_name mdm179 --remove_slave_mdm_name mdm19

The following output is displayed:

Successfully switched the cluster mode.

4. To view the result of the command, run:

scli --query_cluster

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MDM Cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

# scli --query_cluster
Cluster:
Mode: 3_node, State: Normal, Active: 3/3, Replicas: 2/2
...
Slave MDMs:
Name: mdm18, ID: 0x5843c4d16d8f1082
IPs: 10.3.1.18, 192.168.1.18, Management IPs: 10.3.1.18, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Standby MDMs:
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451, Manager
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011
Name: mdm179, ID: 0x7380b70e2f73d346, Tie Breaker
IPs: 10.3.1.179, 192.168.1.179, Port: 9011

The cluster has been changed to 3-node mode, as a Slave MDM (mdm19) and a TB MDM
(tb179) have been removed and are now standby MDMs.
Now that the current server is a standby MDM, it can removed from VxFlex OS.

5. Remove the current server from VxFlex OS:

scli --remove_standby_mdm --remove_mdm_name mdm179

The following output is displayed:

Successfully removed the standby MDM.

6. To view the result of the command, run:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

Cluster:
Mode: 3_node, State: Normal, Active: 3/3, Replicas: 2/2
...
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Standby MDMs:
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451, Manager
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011

The current server is no longer a standby MDM.

7. Reassign IP addresses to the current server, as required.
In our case, we will assign the following IP address to the current server: 10.3.1.57.

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 MDM Cluster

8. Add the current server (57) back to the system as a standby MDM, and assign it the name
mdm57:

scli --add_standby_mdm --mdm_role tb --new_mdm_ip

10.3.1.57,192.168.1.57 --new_mdm_management_ip
10.3.1.57 --new_mdm_name mdm57

The output similar to the following is displayed:

Successfully added a standby MDM. Object ID 13c925450656db74

9. To view the result of the command, run:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

Cluster:
Mode: 3_node, State: Normal, Active: 3/3, Replicas: 2/2
...
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Standby MDMs:
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451, Manager
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011
Name: mdm57, ID: 0x13c925450656db74, Tie Breaker
IPs: 10.3.1.57, 192.168.1.57, Port: 9011

The server mdm57 is now a standby MDM, so it can be promoted to the MDM cluster.
10. Switch to 5-node cluster by adding the standby MDMs to the cluster:

scli --switch_cluster_mode --cluster_mode 5_node

--add_slave_mdm_name mdm19 --add_tb_name mdm57

The following output is displayed:

Successfully switched the cluster mode.

11. To view the result of the command, run:

scli --query_cluster

The output similar to the following is displayed:

Cluster:
Mode: 5_node, State: Normal, Active: 5/5, Replicas: 3/3
Master MDM:
Name: mdm17, ID: 0x5d07497754427fd0
IPs: 10.3.1.17, 192.168.1.17, Management IPs: 10.3.1.17, Port: 9011
Version: 2.0.972

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Slave MDMs:
Name: mdm18, ID: 0x5843c4d16d8f1082
IPs: 10.3.1.18, 192.168.1.18, Management IPs: 10.3.1.18, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm19, ID: 0x26ee566356362451
IPs: 10.3.1.19, 192.168.1.19, Management IPs: 10.3.1.19, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Tie-Breakers:
Name: mdm20, ID: 0x6dfe1c5f4062b5b3
IPs: 192.168.1.20, 10.3.1.20, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972
Name: mdm57, ID: 0x13c925450656db74
IPs: 10.3.1.57, 192.168.1.57, Port: 9011
Status: Normal, Version: 2.0.972

12. When changing an MDM IP address, it is mandatory to update and restart the all the SDCs
in the system as well.
a. Update the IP addresses:
Windows:

C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip

--ip <EXISTING_MDM_IP_ADDRESS>
--new_mdm_ip <NEW_MDM_IP_ADDRESSES>

Linux:

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --mod_mdm_ip
--ip <EXISTING_MDM_IP_ADDRESS>
--new_mdm_ip <NEW_MDM_IP_ADDRESSES>

b. Restart the SDC.

c. Verify the changes:
Windows:

C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sdc\bin\drv_cfg --query_mdms

Linux:

/opt/emc/scaleio/sdc/bin/drv_cfg --query_mdms

The output similar to the following should appear:

Retrieved 1 mdm(s)
MDM-ID 043925027bbed30e SDC ID 28c5479b00000000 INSTALLATION ID
7214f7ca647c185b IPs [0]-9.4.4.12 [1]-9.4.4.11

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Remove members from the MDM cluster

You can change from 5-node to 3-node mode, or 3-node to single node mode
There are different scenarios for replacing a server, depending on whether an extra server is
available to temporarily take over the role of the one being replaced, or not. For more information
on changing servers, refer to "Replace a cluster member".

Configure virtual IP addresses

Configure virtual IP addresses for the MDMs in VxFlex OS.
You can configure virtual IP addresses during deployment or post-deployment. Use the following
management tools to configure virtual IP addresses:

Management tool Actions Notes

VxFlex OS Installer Add virtual IP addresses only. For details, see the
deployment documentation.

vSphere Web plug-in Add virtual IP addresses only. For details, see the VxFlex OS
User Guide.

CLI Add, modify, and remove For details, see the VxFlex OS
virtual IP addresses. CLI Reference Guide.

REST API Add, modify, and remove For details, see VxFlex OS
virtual IP addresses. REST API Reference Guide.

Add another IP address subnet to an MDM cluster

Add an IP network to an existing MDM cluster.
About this task
This procedure describes how to add another IP address subnet for use by the MDM cluster. This
addresses scenarios where the MDM cluster uses a single network, or when an existing network
needs to be replaced by a different one or to simply add another network (to an already multiple-
network cluster). The MDM supports up to 8 networks.
Note: The procedure describes an example for a for 3-node cluster, however, the procedure
for a 5-node cluster is similar.
Procedure
1. Query the system to get the current cluster state/health:

scli --query_cluster

Cluster status is returned, where you can identify the Master, the Slave, and the Tie
Breaker.
2. Switch to single cluster mode:

scli --switch_cluster_mode --cluster_mode 1_node --remove_slave_mdm_id

<mdm_slave_id> --remove_tb_id <tb_id>

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3. Remove the standby MDM:

scli --remove_standby_mdm --remove_mdm_id <mdm_slave_id>

4. Remove the Tie Breaker:

scli --remove_standby_mdm --remove_mdm_id <tb_id>

5. Add the MDM as standby with its IP addresses (including the additional IP addresses):

scli --add_standby_mdm --new_mdm_ip ip_1<,ip_2,...> --mdm_role manager

--new_mdm_management_ip ip_1<,ip_2,...> --allow_asymmetric_ips --
force_clean

For example:

scli --add_standby_mdm --new_mdm_ip 10.89.9.6,10.89.11.6 --mdm_role

manager --new_mdm_management_ip 10.89.9.6,10.89.11.6 --
allow_asymmetric_ips --force_clean

6. Add the Tie Breaker as standby with its IP addresses (including the additional IP addresses):

scli --add_standby_mdm --new_mdm_ip ip_1<,ip_2,...> --mdm_role tb --

new_mdm_management_ip ip_1<,ip_2,...> --allow_asymmetric_ips --
force_clean

7. Switch cluster operation back to a 3-node cluster:

scli --switch_cluster_mode --cluster_mode 3_node --add_slave_mdm_id

<slave_id> --add_tb_id <tb_id>

For example:

scli --switch_cluster_mode --cluster_mode 3_node --add_slave_mdm_id

0x4520631c7262bbf1 --add_tb_id 0x3cde0ef516f61162

8. Query the system to get the current cluster state/health.

scli --query_cluster

Cluster status is returned, where you can check that the cluster is configured and operating
as expected.
9. Switch MDM ownership to verify cluster functionality:

scli --switch_mdm_ownership --new_master_mdm_id <new_master_mdm_id>

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For example:

scli --switch_mdm_ownership --new_master_mdm_id 0x4520631c7262bbf1

10. Query the system to get the current cluster state/health.

scli --query_cluster

Cluster status is returned, where you can check that the cluster is operating as expected.
11. Add IP addresses for the Master MDM (presently Slave MDM) by following steps 2, 3, 5, 7,
and 8.
12. Optional: Switch MDM ownership back to the original MDM:

scli --switch_mdm_ownership --new_master_mdm_id MDM_ID

Configure SDC access to the MDM

You can configure SDC access to the MDM through the system.
To harden SDC access to the MDM, it is possible to restrict access, pending approval of the SDC
by the system. The default system setting is full access (restricted SDC mode is disabled). When
the restricted SDC mode is enabled, volumes can only be mapped to “approved” SDCs. Approval is
obtained by issuing the --add_sdc command for each SDC. You can set restricted mode before
or after SDCs have been added to your network.
You can use the following commands:

Action Command

Enable or disable restricted SDC mode set_restricted_sdc_mode command

Add an SDC to the approved list, when --add_sdc

restricted SDC mode is enabled

For more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

Configure management session timeout parameters

You can configure the management session idle timeout on each MDM as required by your
organization.
When a user is authenticated by the system, all commands are performed with the user's
respective role until a logout is performed, or until the session expires by reaching one of the
following timeouts:
l Maximum session length (default: 8 hours)
l Session idle time (default: 10 minutes)
You can modify these parameters, by editing the MDM conf.txt file:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/mdm/cfg/conf.txt
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\mdm\cfg\conf.txt

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1. To configure maximum session length, edit the value of the

user_session_hard_timeout_secs parameter. The minimum is 10 seconds, maximum 10
years, and default 8 hours.
2. To configure session idle time, edit the value of the user_session_timeout_secs
parameter. The minimum is 10 seconds, maximum 3 months, default 10 minutes.
3. After changing the parameters, restart the MDM slaves. After the MDM slaves are up, reassign
the Master MDM to one of the slaves and then restart the MDM service (delete and create
service).
4. To ensure persistence, make these changes on every MDM.

Configure virtual IP addresses using the VxFlex OS Installer

Configure virtual IP addresses using the Maintain menu in the VxFlex OS Installer.
Before you begin
For data networks using IPv6, if you plan to implement a floating virtual IP address for the MDM,
disable the IPv6 DAD setting on the server's relevant interfaces, using the command:

sysctl net.ipv6.conf.<interface_name>.dad_transmits=0

About this task

You can assign a virtual IP address for each possible MDM manager, which is used for
communications between the MDM cluster and SDCs. Only one virtual IP address can be mapped
to each NIC, with a maximum of four virtual IP addresses per system. The VxFlex OS Installer can
be used to assign new virtual IP addresses only; to change or remove existing virtual IP addresses,
use the appropriate CLI commands.
Procedure
1. From the VxFlex OS Installer, select Maintain.
2. Select Set Virtual IPs.
3. In the Set Virtual IPs for VxFlex OS system screen, type the MDM password.

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Figure 14 Set Virtual IPs for VxFlex OS system screen

4. For each MDM that you wish to set a virtual IP address, enter a virtual IP address and the
NIC to which it will be mapped. For each new virtual IP address, enter the virtual IP address
and NIC name for each MDM to which it will be mapped.
With the VxFlex OS Installer, you can configure NIC names that contain the following
characters only: a-z, A-Z, 0-9. If a NIC name contains the "-" or "_" character (for example
eth-01), don't use VxFlex OS Installer. Configure this IP address with the CLI
modify_virtual_ip_interfaces command and the --
new_mdm_virtual_ip_interface <INTF> parameter.
5. Click Set Virtual IPs.
Results
The virtual IP address is configured and all of the SDCs are updated with the new virtual IP
address. See section VxFlex OS plug-in for information on "Configuring virtual IP addresses -
VxFlex OS plug-in".

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164 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 8
Security

The following topics describe how to configure security for the VxFlex OS system.

l Approving pending security certificates............................................................................... 166

l Default self-signed certificate expires..................................................................................166
l Upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway when a custom certificate is used....................................166
l Enable LIA security...............................................................................................................167
l Certificate management for VxFlex OS Gateway................................................................. 167
l Setting up SSH authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway...................................................171
l Configuring SSL component authentication..........................................................................171
l Configure SDC access to the MDM..................................................................................... 175
l Approved encryption methods............................................................................................. 176
l Login banner overview......................................................................................................... 176
l Change LIA authentication method to LDAP........................................................................ 178
l Add LDAP server..................................................................................................................179
l Remove LDAP server .......................................................................................................... 179

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Security

Approving pending security certificates

Approve pending security certificates, and view approved certificates in the System Settings
window.
About this task
Note: When there are pending certificates in the system, they are listed in the Backend >
Storage view > State Summary table, and in the Monitor > Alerts view.
Procedure
1. From the System Settings menu in the top right corner, select System Settings.
The System Settings window appears, showing approved and pending certificates.
2. Scroll to connections that are Pending Approval, and expand the rows.
3. For each one, scroll to the bottom of the information about the required certificate, and
click Confirm.

Default self-signed certificate expires

The default self-signed security certificate used on the VxFlex OS Gateway expires after
approximately one year. A new one can be created using the Java keytool utility.
The self-signed security certificate used on the VxFlex OS Gateway expires after approximately
one year, and needs to be replaced. If your self-signed security certificate expires, you can create
a new one using the Java keytool utility.
When you upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway, the self-signed certificate is automatically replaced
with a new one, and therefore will only need to be replaced after one year from the upgrade date.

Upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway when a custom certificate is

used
Save a copy of the certificate before upgrading the VxFlex OS Gateway.
If a custom security certificate is used on the VxFlex OS Gateway (Windows and Linux
environments), you must save a copy of the file where certificates are stored ( *.keystore file)
and the catalina.properties file before you upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway. After the
upgrade is complete, you must copy these files back to their original location.
The default file locations, per operating system, are:
Linux:
/opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/catalina.properties
/opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/certificates/.keystore
Windows (64 bit):
C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\catalina.properties
C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\certificates\.keystore

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Enable LIA security

You can enable LIA security.
Procedure
1. In the VxFlex OS Installer, select the Maintain tab.
2. Click Security Settings and select Enable LIAs Security.
3. Enter the MDM password in the Confirm Enable LIAs security of your VxFlex OS system
box.
4. Click Enable LIAs Security.

Certificate management for VxFlex OS Gateway

This section explains how to replace the VxFlex OS Gateway’s self-signed security certificate with
your organization’s “trusted” certificate, and how to create a new “trusted” certificate. The
VxFlex OS Gateway automatically creates its own self-signed security certificate when it is
installed or upgraded. If your organization has no special security certificate requirements, you can
keep working with the default certificate.

Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own trusted
certificate
Create your own trusted certificate, and then replace the default certificate with the one that you
created.
Procedure
1. Find the location of keytool on your server, and open it.
It is a part of the Java (JRE or JDK) installation on your server, in the bin directory. For
example:
l C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_25\bin\keytool.exe
l /usr/bin/keytool
2. Generate your RSA private key:

keytool -genkey -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keyalg RSA -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>

a. If you want to define a password, add the following parameters to the command. Use the
same password for both parameters.

-storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: Specify a directory outside the VxFlex OS Gateway installation directory for
the newly created keystore file. This will prevent it from being overwritten when the
VxFlex OS Gateway is upgraded or reinstalled.

3. If you already have a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), skip this step.

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If you need a CSR, generate one by typing the following command. (If you did not define a
keystore password in the previous step, omit the password flags.)

keytool -certreq -keyalg RSA -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -file certreq.txt -

keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -
keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

4. If you already have an SSL certificate, skip this step.

If you need an SSL certificate, use your CSR to obtain a new certificate from a third-party
trusted SSL certificate provider. Save the certificate file on your server, outside the VxFlex
OS Gateway installation directory.
5. Import the Trusted Root, by typing this command. (If you did not define a keystore
password, omit the password flags.)

keytool -import -alias root -keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -

trustcacerts -file <LOCATION OF_YOUR_root.cer_FILE> -storepass
<KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: The certificate must be in x.509 format.

If a message appears saying that the root is already in the system-wide store, import it
anyway.
6. Import the intermediate certificates, by typing the command. (If you did not define a
keystore password, omit the password flags.)

keytool -import -alias intermediateCA -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -trustcacerts -file
<LOCATION_OF_YOUR_intermediate.cer_FILE> -storepass <keystore password>
-keypass <keystore password>

You must provide a unique alias name for every intermediate certificate that you upload with
this step.

7. Install the SSL Certificate under the same alias that the CSR was created from
(<YOUR_ALIAS> in previous steps), by typing the command (if you did not define a
keystore password, omit the password flags):

keytool -import -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keystore

<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE> -trustcacerts -file
<LOCATION_OF_SSL_CERTIFICATE> -storepass <keystore password> -keypass
<keystore password>

8. Edit the following items in the file <VxFlex_OS_GATEWAY_INSTALLATION DIRECTORY>

\conf\catalina.properties:
a. keystore.file=<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>
b. keystore.password=<PASSWORD_DEFINED_DURING_KEYSTORE_CREATION>
If you did not define a password, the default password is changeit.
9. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.

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 Security

l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Replacement of the security certificate is complete.

Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own self-signed
certificate
Replace the default self-signed security certificate with your own self-signed security certificate.
About this task
Procedure
1. Find the location of keytool on your server, and open it.
It is usually a part of the Java (JRE or JDK) installation on your server, in the bin directory.
For example:
l C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_25\bin\keytool.exe
l /usr/bin/keytool

2. Generate your RSA private key:

keytool -genkey -alias <YOUR_ALIAS> -keyalg RSA -validity 360 -keysize

2048 -keystore <PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>

a. If you want to define a password, add the following parameters to the command. Use the
same password for both parameters.

-storepass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD> -keypass <KEYSTORE_PASSWORD>

Note: Specify a directory outside the VxFlex OS Gateway installation directory for
the newly created keystore file. This will prevent it from being overwritten when the
VxFlex OS Gateway is upgraded or reinstalled.

3. Edit the following items in the file VxFlex_OS_GATEWAY_INSTALLATION DIRECTORY>

\conf\catalina.properties:
a. keystore.file=<PATH_TO_NEW_KEYSTORE_FILE>
b. keystore.password=<PASSWORD_DEFINED_DURING_KEYSTORE_CREATION>
If you did not define a password, the default password is changeit.
4. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Results
Replacement of the security certificate is complete.

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Security

Non-default certificate use before and after a VxFlex OS Gateway upgrade

When using a non-default security certificate, you must perform certain actions before and after
upgrading the VxFlex OS Gateway.
About this task
If a non-default security certificate is used on the VxFlex OS Gateway in Windows and Linux
environments (for example, if the certificate is signed by the user organization CA), you must save
a copy of the certificate and the catalina file before the upgrade, and restore them to their original
location after the upgrade.
Procedure
1. Before commencing the VxFlex OS Gateway upgrade, locate the *.keystore file and the
catalina.properties file, and save a copy of them in another location.
The default file locations, per operating system, are:
l Linux:
n /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/catalina.properties
n /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/conf/certificates/.keystore
l Windows (64 bit):
n C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\catalina.properties
n C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\conf\certificates
\.keystore

2. After the upgrade is complete, copy these files back to their original location.

Configure OpenStack interoperation with the VxFlex OS Gateway

Configure the VxFlex OS Cinder driver to verify the VxFlex OS Gateway SSL certificate.
About this task
The OpenStack VxFlex OS Cinder driver communicates with the VxFlex OS Gateway through
HTTPS (in other words, over SSL). By default, the driver ignores the gateway SSL certificate
verification. However, the VxFlex OS Cinder driver can be configured to verify the certificate.
Note: You can generate a self-signed certificate (.PEM file), using the keytool utility.

To enable certificate verification, add the following parameters to the file /etc/cinder/
cinder_scaleio.config on the Cinder node:
verify_server_certificate=true
server_certificate_path=<PATH_TO_PEM_FILE>

Generate a self-signed certificate using the keytool utility

Generate self-signed certificates using the keytool utility. The certificates can by used by the
OpenStack VxFlex OS driver to communicate with the VxFlex OS Gateway.
About this task
To generate a self-signed certificate using the keytool utility, perform the following steps:

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Procedure
1. Create a keystore file (.JKS):

keytool -genkeypair -keysize 1024 -alias herong_key -keypass keypass -

keystore herong.jks -storepass jkspass

2. Export the keystore file to a .PEM file:

keytool -exportcert -alias herong_key -keypass keypass -keystore

herong.jks -storepass jkspass -rfc -file keytool_crt.pem

The certificate is stored in the file <keytool_crt.pem>. During configuration of the

Cinder driver, the path to this .PEM file is required.

Setting up SSH authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway

A manually generated public-private key pair can be used to perform SSH key authentication,
instead of passwords, between the VxFlex OS Gateway and VxFlex OS system servers. For more
information, see “Using SSH authentication on the VxFlex OS Gateway” in the VxFlex OS
Deployment Guide.

Configuring SSL component authentication

VxFlex OS uses SSL authentication to authenticate both internal system components, and
communication between the MDM and external components such as the VxFlex OS Gateway,
VxFlex OS GUI clients, vSphere plug-in, and CLI clients. Secure communication is typically
installed and configured by default during system deployment.
Note:
If your system has been upgraded from a version earlier than version 2.0, or if secure
communication between components was disabled during installation, follow the instructions
provided in the section “Switching to secured authentication mode” in the VxFlex OS
Deployment Guide.

Internal component authentication

When this feature is enabled, the MDM generates a self-signed certificate for itself, and the SDSs
generate certificates signed by the MDM’s certificate. The MDM has a single certificate for the
entire cluster. The certificate is stored in the MDM repository.
Each SDS has its own SSL certificate file:
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/sds/cfg/sds_certificate.pem
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\sds\cfg\sds_certificate.pem
When an SDS is added to the cluster, the MDM receives a CSR (Certificate Signing Request)
from the SDS, signs it with its own internal certificate and returns it to the SDS to be stored in
its local key-store. If the SDS disconnects and reconnects, the MDM must authenticate it.

External component authentication

Secure communications can be performed between the MDM and the following external
components, and are typically enabled during deployment of the system:

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Security

l VxFlex OS Gateway—The VxFlex OS Gateway maintains the SSL certificates for itself and for
the following components:
n SNMP
n REST API
n VxFlex OS Installer
l vSphere plug-in
l VxFlex OS GUI
l CLI

Workflow for self-signed security certificates

About this task
The system generates and signs self-signed certificates automatically when secure communication
is enabled, and no user intervention is required. If you want to replace these certificates with new
self-signed ones, follow this workflow:
Procedure
1. Run the command scli --generate_mdm_certificate.
To run CLI commands, you must be logged in. Actual command syntax is operating-system
dependent. For more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

2. When using the CLI, on the first connection to the MDM, the CLI will display the MDM's
certificate and will prompt the user to approve the certificate.
Upon approval, the trusted certificate will be saved.
3. When using the VxFlex OS GUI, approve the MDM certificate at login, and then approve
other certificates using the System Settings menu, Renew Certificates option.

Workflow for externally signed security certificates

About this task
The system generates and signs self-signed certificates automatically when secure communication
is enabled, and no user intervention is required. If you want to replace these certificates with ones
signed by an external Certificate Authority, follow this workflow:
Procedure
1. Log in to the system using the scli --login command as either a root user (on Linux) or
as an administrator (on Windows).
2. Generate a CSR file, using the command scli --generate_mdm_csr_file --
target_mdm_ip <IP_ADDRESS>.
A file called mdm-target_hostname.csr will be created in the location:

a. Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/mdm/cfg
b. Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\mdm\cfg
To run CLI commands, you must be logged in. Actual command syntax is operating-
system dependent. For more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

3. Submit the CSR file created in the previous step to your Certificate Authority.
The Certificate Authority must sign your CSR and return two files to you:

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 Security

a. Certificate for your MDM

b. Certificate Authority “Trusted” or “Root” certificate
4. Save the signed certificate for the MDM in the location:
a. Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/mdm/cfg
b. Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\mdm\cfg
5. Manually change the MDM certificate’s file name to mdm_signed_certificate.pem.
6. Run the following script on the directory:

./apply_signed_certificate.py --mdm_ip <IP_address> --local_mdm_ip

<IP_address>

where --mdm_ip is the IP address of the Master MDM, and --local_mdm_ip is the IP
address of the MDM where you want to change the certificate.
If the remote read-only feature is enabled on the MDM, add --skip_cli_command to the
command, and later, while logged in with security permissions, run the command scli --
replace_mdm_security_files.
Note:
This step changes the MDM certificate, and might cause a brief single point of failure
period (switch ownership).

7. For all external components that will communicate with the MDM (VxFlex OS GUI, CLI,
vSphere Plugin, REST, VxFlex OS Installer) add the Trusted or Root certificate from the
Certificate Authority to each component.
The Trusted/Root certificate must be added to the file called truststore.jks, using
Keytool.
For more information, see "Using Keytool to add certificates to external components".

8. When using the CLI, on the first connection to the MDM, the CLI will display a message
similar to the following:

[root@112CC-4~]# scli --login --username admin --password Scaleio018

Certificate required for issuer: /C=US/ST=MA/L=Hopkinton/O=EMC-
Scaleio1213/CN=Scaleio018
Please add the certificate with scli --add_certificate

Add the Trusted/Root certificate using the --add_certificate command. For more
information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

Using Keytool to add certificates to external components

This topic explains how to add Certificate Authority certificates to VxFlex OS external
components. The truststore.jks file located on all components saves all the MDM/LIA
certificates approved by the client. The file's location depends on the management client and
operating system:

VxFlex OS Gateway
l Linux:

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/opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes/certificates
l Windows (64-bit):
C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF\classes
\certificates

VxFlex OS GUI
l Linux:
/opt/emc/scaleio/gui/certificates
l Windows:
C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\EMC\scaleio\certificates

vSphere
l Linux:
$HOME/.vmware/scaleio/certificates
l Windows:
C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\VMware\scaleio\certificates
\truststore.jks
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming\VMware
\scaleio\certificates

Using Keytool
Use the Java Keytool utility to modify or view the content of the trust store file. The remainder of
this topic lists some useful Keytool commands. Keytool is a part of the Java (JRE or JDK)
installation and can be found in the bin directory.You can add -storepass changeit to all
commands that require a password. The password for the trust store is "changeit" (Java default).
Note:
The certificate alias must be unique in the trust store file. We usually use the certificate's full
subject.
For example: givenname=mdm, ou=asd, o=emc, l=hopkinton, st=massachusetts, c=us,
cn=centos-6.4-adi5
l List the certificates in the trust store:

keytool -list -v -keystore [path_to_certificates_folder]/truststore.jks

Example:

keytool -list -v -keystore C:\Users\cj\AppData\Roaming\EMC\scaleio

\certificates\truststore.jks

l Check a particular entry using an alias:

keytool -list -v -keystore [path_to_certificates_folder]/truststore.jks -

alias [unique_alias] -storepass changeit

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Example:

keytool -v -list -keystore C:\Users\cj\AppData\Roaming\EMC\scaleio

\certificates\truststore.jks \truststore.jks -alias "givenname=mdm,
ou=asd, o=emc, l=hopkinton, st=massachusetts, c=us, cn=centos-6.4-adi5"

l Add a new trusted certificate to the trust store:

keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias [unique_alias] -file

[path_to_the_certificate_file] -keystore [path_to_certificates_folder]/
truststore.jks

Example:

keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias "givenname=mdm, ou=asd, o=emc,

l=hopkinton, st=massachusetts, c=us, cn=centos-6.4-adi5" -file c:\temp
\centos-6.4-adi5.cer -keystore C:\Users\cj\AppData\Roaming\EMC\scaleio
\certificates\truststore.jks

l Delete a certificate from the trust store:

keytool -delete -alias [unique_alias] -keystore

[path_to_certificates_folder]/truststore.jks

Example:

keytool -delete -alias "givenname=mdm, ou=asd, o=emc, l=hopkinton,

st=massachusetts, c=us, cn=centos-6.4-adi5" -keystore C:\Users\cj\AppData
\Roaming\EMC\scaleio\certificates\truststore.jks

l Export a certificate from the trust store:

keytool -export -alias [unique_alias] -file [certificate_file_path] -
keystore [path_to_certificates_folder]/truststore.jks
Example:

keytool -export -alias "givenname=mdm, ou=asd, o=emc, l=hopkinton,

st=massachusetts, c=us, cn=centos-6.4-adi5" -file c:\temp\centos-6.4-
adi5.cer -keystore C:\Users\cj\AppData\Roaming\EMC\scaleio\certificates
\truststore.jks

Configure SDC access to the MDM

You can configure SDC access to the MDM through the system.
To harden SDC access to the MDM, it is possible to restrict access, pending approval of the SDC
by the system. The default system setting is full access (restricted SDC mode is disabled). When
the restricted SDC mode is enabled, volumes can only be mapped to “approved” SDCs. Approval is
obtained by issuing the --add_sdc command for each SDC. You can set restricted mode before
or after SDCs have been added to your network.
You can use the following commands:

Action Command

Enable or disable restricted SDC mode set_restricted_sdc_mode command

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Add an SDC to the approved list, when --add_sdc

restricted SDC mode is enabled

For more information, see the VxFlex OS CLI Reference Guide.

Approved encryption methods

A specific set of encryption methods are approved for use with your system. These approved
methods are:

l TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
l TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
l TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
l TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256

Note: In order to use CURL with VxFlex OS Gateway v2.0.0.3 and higher on a
server running RHEL6, upgrade the NSS package to 3.21.0. (using YUM ).

Login banner overview

A login banner is a text file that is displayed upon login to the system. It can be used to
communicate messages or to obtain user consent to real-time monitoring of information and
retrieval of stored files.
When the login banner is set up, it appears during the system login process before the login
credential prompts. The login banner displays differently in the VxFlex OS GUI and CLI interfaces:
l VxFlex OS GUI:
n When logging in, the login banner is displayed, and must be approved.
l CLI:
n When logging in, the user is prompted to press any key, after which the banner is displayed.
n To continue, the banner must be approved.
Limitations:
l Only users with administrative security rights can set up, update, or remove the login banner.

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l Supported in Windows and RHEL operating systems.

l Text files up to 16 bytes are supported.
l Only one login banner is supported.

Set up a login banner using the CLI

Use the CLI to set up, modify, or stop displaying a login banner.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have access to the IP address of the Master MDM.
Procedure
1. Log in to VxFlex OS using the IP address of the Master MDM.
2. Perform the desired operation:

Option Description
Create (or a. Create a text file (or modify an existing file) with the message that
modify) a new you want to display in the login banner.
banner
b. Run the following command:

scli --set_login_banner --filename <FILENAME>

where <FILENAME> is the path of the login banner text file.

The login banner is displayed the next time a user logs in to VxFlex OS.

Stop displaying a. Run the following command:

the banner
scli --set_login_banner --remove_banner

Upload a login banner using the VxFlex OS Installer

Use the Installer to upload a login banner that displays upon logging into the VxFlex OS system.
About this task
The MDM credentials are stored in the Lockbox
Procedure
1. In the VxFlex OS Installer, select the Maintain tab.
2. Click Security Settings and select Set Login Banner.
3. In the Set Login Banner for VxFlex OS system, type the MDM password.
4. Click Set Login Banner

Enable/disable preemptive acceptance of the login banner

Preemptive acceptance of the login banner allows the user to bypass the login banner, for
example, when running scripts. A user with admin security rights can enable or disable the option

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Security

of preemptive acceptance. By default, preemptive acceptance is enabled and the login banner can
be bypassed using a CLI command.
Before you begin
To enable or disable the preemptive acceptance option, you must have administrative rights.
Procedure
1. Log in to VxFlex OS:

scli --login --username admin --password <PASSWORD>

2. Run the following command to enable preemptive acceptance:

scli --set_cli_login_banner_preemptive_acceptance --enable

3. Run the following command to disable preemptive acceptance:

scli --set_cli_login_banner_preemptive_acceptance --disable

Activate preemptive acceptance of the login banner

When preemptive acceptance of the login banner is enabled (default), you can log in to VxFlex OS
in a special way that activates preemptive acceptance of the login banner.
Before you begin
Preemptive acceptance of the login banner is enabled.
Procedure
1. Log in to VxFlex OS with the accept_banner_by_scripts_only parameter:

scli --login --username <USERNAME> --accept_banner_by_scripts_only

where <USERNAME> is the user running the script.

Change LIA authentication method to LDAP

Use the VxFlex OS Installer to change the LIA authentication method to LDAP.
About this task
After upgrade, you can update the configuration from a native user to LDAP user. You first must
add an LDAP Server to the system.
Procedure
1. In the web browser, go to the IP address of your system's VxFlex OS Gateway.
2. Log in to the VxFlex OS Gateway.
3. From the Maintain tab, click Security Settings and select Change LIAs authentication
method to LDAP.
The Change LIAs authentication method to LDAP for VxFlex OS system window is
displayed.

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4. Enter the admin password to the MDM in the MDM admin password box.
5. Enter the user name in the LDAP User Name box.
6. Enter the password to access the LDAP server in the LDAP password box.
7. SelectForce LDAP authentication mode to force users to enter LDAP User Name and
LDAP password when logging in to the VxFlex OS system.
8. Click Change LIAs authentication method to LDAP.
Results
Use LDAP credentials to login to system.

Add LDAP server

Add LDAP servers to your VxFlex OS system post installation.
About this task
Note: You can only add a max of eight servers.

Procedure
1. In the web browser, go to the IP address of your system's VxFlex OS Gateway.
2. Log in to the VxFlex OS Gateway.
3. From the Maintain tab, click Security Settings and select Add LDAP Server
The Add LDAP Server to VxFlex OS system dialog box is displayed.
4. Enter the admin password to the MDM.in the MDM admin password box.
5. Enter the URI of the LDAP server in the Server URI box.
6. Enter the LDAP group identifier that you can retrieve from the LDAP server in the Group
box.
7. Enter the LDAP BaseDN identifier that you can retrieve from the LDAP server in the
BaseDN box. Run the query on the server to retrieve the Base DN.
8. Click Add LDAP Server.

Remove LDAP server

You can remove LDAP servers from the VxFlex OS system.
Procedure
1. In the web browser, go to the IP address of your system's VxFlex OS Gateway.
2. Log in to the VxFlex OS Gateway.
3. From the Maintain tab, click Security Settings and select Remove LDAP Server
The Remove LDAP Server from VxFlex OS system dialog box is displayed.
4. Enter the admin password to the MDM in the MDM admin password box.
5. Enter the URI of the LDAP server in the LDAP Server URIbox.
6. Click Remove LDAP Server.

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CHAPTER 9
User Management

The following topics describe how to create and manage users.

l MDM and LDAP integration in an AMS managed system..................................................... 182

l User roles.............................................................................................................................182
l Setting the User Authentication Method............................................................................. 183
l Adding and modifying local users......................................................................................... 184
l Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user..........................................................................189

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MDM and LDAP integration in an AMS managed system

VxFlex OS supports local domain user authentication, and LDAP domain authentication. In addition,
secure authentication is used between system internal and external components. This chapter
provides the CLI commands used to create and manage VxFlex OS users. The REST API can also
be used to configure LDAP. For more information, see the operations for MDM clusters in the
VxFlex OS REST API Reference Guide.
l To set up local domain users, follow the instructions in this chapter.
l To set up LDAP users, see a detailed explanation in the document VxFlex OS User Roles and
LDAP Technical Notes. In general, the following steps must be performed:
1. Add LDAP service to the MDM.
2. Create Active Directory (AD) groups that correspond to the user roles offered by VxFlex OS.
3. Set the system-wide authentication method (use with caution, because it is complex to roll-
back this operation).
4. Log in again to apply the changes that you made.

User roles
The authorization permissions of each user role are defined differently for local authentication, and
for LDAP authentication. Although the role names are similar, the permissions granted to them are
not.
User roles defined in the LDAP domain are mutually exclusive, with no overlap—with the exception
of the Configurator role. If you want to give an LDAP user permission to perform both monitoring
and configuration roles, for example, assign that user to both the Backend/Frontend Configurator
and Monitor LDAP groups.
The Configurator and Super User roles do not exist at all for LDAP.
The following table describes the permissions that can be defined for local domain users and for
LDAP domain users.

Table 2 Local and LDAP user roles and permissions

Configure user
User role Query Configure parameters credentials

Local LDAP Local LDAP Local LDAP

Monitor Yes Yes No No No No

Configurator (this role is Yes Not Yes Not No Not

only applicable for local applicabl (an applicable applicabl
users) e aggregation of e
both Frontend
and Backend
Configurator)

Backend Configurator Yes No Yes No No

Backend operations only
(Protection Domains,
Storage Pools, Fault Sets,

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 User Management

Table 2 Local and LDAP user roles and permissions (continued)

Configure user
User role Query Configure parameters credentials

Local LDAP Local LDAP Local LDAP

SDSs, Devices, other

system settings)

Frontend Configurator Yes No Yes No No

Frontend operations only
(Volumes, SDCs,
Snapshots)

Administrator Yes No Yes No May configure

Configurator and
Monitor users

Security Roles No No No No May define

Administrator
users and control
LDAP

Super User Yes Not Yes Not Yes Not

(only one Super User is applicabl applicable applicabl
allowed per system, and e e
it must be a local user)

Setting the User Authentication Method

set_user_authentication_method
Set the user authentication method for the system.
WARNING Use this command with caution. The operation is complex to roll back.

Note: For details about setting up LDAP, refer to the VxFlex OS User Roles and LDAP Usage
Technical Notes.
Syntax

scli --set_user_authentication_method (--ldap_authentication | --

native_authentication | --native_and_ldap_authentication)
[--i_am_sure]

Parameters
--ldap_authentication
LDAP-based authentication method where users are managed on an LDAP-compliant server.
Configure LDAP service and LDAP user before switching to this authentication method.
--native_authentication
Native authentication method where users are managed locally in the system

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--native_and_ldap_authentication
A hybrid authentication method. Both LDAP and Native users may log in to the system after it
is set.
--i_am_sure
Skip the safety questions for command execution. (For example: “This could damage the
stored data. Are you sure?”)

Example

scli --set_user_authentication_method --native_and_ldap_authentication --

i_am_sure

Adding and modifying local users

Users with the administrator role can manage system users, including adding new users and
deleting existing users, modifying user credentials, and resetting user passwords.
The following CLI commands allow you to manage local users.

add_user
Add a user to the system. A randomly generated password for the created user is returned.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Each user name should conform to the following rules:
1. Contains fewer than 32 characters
2. Contains only alphanumeric and punctuation characters (when punctuation characters are
being used, you may need to use the " or ' characters in order to allow it).
3. Is unique within the object type
Syntax

scli --add_user --username <NAME> --user_role {Monitor | Configure |

BackEndConfigure | FrontEndConfigure | Security | Administrator}

Parameters
--username <NAME>
User name to add to the system

--user_role {Monitor | Configure | BackEndConfigure | FrontEndConfigure |

Security | Administrator}
Role of the user: Monitor, Configurator, Backend Configurator, Frontend Configurator,
Security, or Administrator. For information on user roles, see the VxFlex OS User Guide.

Example

scli --add_user --username siouser2 --user_role Configure

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delete_user
Delete the specified user from the system.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Syntax

scli --delete_user (--user_id <ID> | --username <NAME>)

Parameters
--user_id <ID>
ID of the user to be deleted
--username <NAME>
Username of the user to be deleted

Example

scli --delete_user --username siouser2

modify_user
Modify the user role of the specified user in the system.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Syntax

scli --modify_user (--user_id <ID> | --username <NAME>) --user_role {Monitor

| Configure | BackEndConfigure | FrontEndConfigure | Security | Administrator}

Parameters
--user_id <ID>
User ID of the user to modify
Note: The user ID is displayed when you create the user. To find this ID at a later time, use
the query_user command.

--username <NAME>
User name of the user to modify

--user_role {Monitor | Configure | BackEndConfigure | FrontEndConfigure |

Security | Administrator}
Role of the user: Monitor, Configurator, Backend Configurator, Frontend Configurator,
Security, or Administrator. For information on user roles, see the VxFlex OS User Guide.

Example

scli --modify_user --username siouser3 --user_role Monitor

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User Management

query_users
Display all the users defined in the system, with their roles and user ID.
Syntax

scli --query_users

Parameters
None.
Example

scli --query_users

query_user
Display information about the specified user.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Syntax

scli --query_user (--user_id <ID> | --username <NAME>)

Parameters
--user_id <ID>
User's ID number
Note: The user ID is displayed when you create the user. To find this ID at a later time, use
the query_user command.

--username <NAME>
Name of the user

Example

scli --query_user --username sio_user

reset_password
Generate a new password for the specified user. The user must change the password again after
logging in with the generated password.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Syntax

scli --reset_password (--user_id <ID> | --username <NAME>)

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 User Management

Parameters
--user_id <ID>
User ID of the user whose password will be reset
Note: The user ID is displayed when you create the user. To find this ID at a later time, use
the query_user command.

--username <NAME>
User name of the user whose password will be reset

Example

scli --reset_password --username siouser3

set_password
Change the password of the user currently logged in to the system.
This command is available only to administrator users.
Syntax

scli --set_password [--old_password <OLD_PASSWORD>] [--new_password

<NEW_PASSWORD>]

Parameters
None.
--old_password <OLD_PASSWORD>
User's current password
--new_password <NEW_PASSWORD>
User's new password

Note: In Linux, to prevent the password from being recorded in the history log, omit the
old_password or new_password flag and enter the password interactively.

Example

scli --set_password --old_password 1!2@3A --new_password P9*7&6

Password rules
The password must conform to the following rules:
1. Contains between six and 31 characters.
2. Contains characters from at least three of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special
characters (!@#$ …)
3. The current password is not allowed.

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User Management

disable_admin
Disables the default Superuser.
The Superuser is the default user for setting up the system, and has all the privileges of all user
roles. In some cases you may need to disable the Superuser in order to ensure that all users are
associated with specific user roles.
Note: To re-enable the Superuser, use the reset_admin command.

Syntax

scli --disable_admin
[--i_am_sure]

Parameters
--i_am_sure
Skip the safety questions for command execution.

Example

scli --disable_admin --i_am_sure

Reset the admin user password

You can reset the password of the default admin user (Superuser) using the combination of a file
written to the MDM and the reset_admin CLI command.
Before you begin
Ensure that you are using the admin user with Superuser permissions.
About this task
Note: The procedure refers only to the default admin user with Superuser permissions, which
was created during the system setup.
Procedure
1. Create a text file named MDM_SERVICE_MODE on the MDM in the location corresponding to
your operating system:
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\MDM\logs\MDM_SERVICE_MODE
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/mdm/logs/MDM_SERVICE_MODE

2. In the body of the file, type the text Reset Admin, and save the file.
3. From the CLI, run the reset_admin command:

scli --reset_admin

Results
The admin user password is reset to admin.

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 User Management

reset_admin
Reset the default Superuser.
Reset the password of the default admin user with Superuser permissions.
reset_admin

scli --reset_admin
[--i_am_sure]

Syntax

scli --reset_admin
[--i_am_sure]

Parameters
--i_am_sure
Skip the safety questions for command execution.

Example

scli --disable_admin --i_am_sure

Deploying VxFlex OS using a non-root user

VxFlex OS can be deployed or extended in Linux environments using a non-root sudo user in non-
interactive mode.
Sudo is a program that allows a user to run or install a program as the root user. A sudo user can
be created to deploy VxFlex OS.
In order to successfully deploy or extend VxFlex OS with a non-root user, the non-root user must
meet the following conditions:
l The username included in the CSV file must already exist.
l The non-root user must be a sudo user.
l The non-root user must be in non-interactive mode.
l The requirement for TTY must be disabled.
In the CSV file used for deployment, you must indicate that you are intending to use a sudo non-
root username by appending the string "(sudo)" to the user name in the Username field. For
example, if you are using a non-root user with the username "non_root", enter the string
"non_root(sudo)" in the username field of the CSV file.

Configure a non-root non-interactive sudo user

In Linux, you can deploy or extend VxFlex OS with a non-root user. You must configure a non-root
sudo user in non-interactive mode.
Before you begin

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User Management

About this task

The following procedure details one method for configuring a non-root non-interactive sudo user.
Perform the commands from the operating system console of where you want the VxFlex OS
Gateway to deploy VxFlex OS.
Procedure
1. Create a user group named "admin".

groupadd admin

2. Create a user named "non_root" and add it to the admin group.

useradd -G admin non_root

3. Change the password of the non_root user.

passwd non_root

When prompted, enter the new password and then confirm it by entering it again.
4. Open the sudoers /etc/sudoers file for editing.

vi /etc/sudoers

5. Search the sudoers file for "## Same thing without a password".

:s/## Same thing without a password

6. In the line below the search result, add the text %admin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL to
the file.
7. Search the sudoers file for "Defaults requiretty", and replace it with Defaults !
requiretty.
8. Exit the vi editor by typing the following command to exit: :wq!
9. Create a hidden directory in the non_root user's home directory to store the SSH
configuration.

mkdir /home/non_root/.ssh

10. Copy the SSH configuration from the root user to the non_root user's directory.

cp -rf /root/.ssh/* /home/non_root/.ssh/

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CHAPTER 10
Fault reporting features

The following topics describe how to configure fault reporting features in the VxFlex OS system.

l General................................................................................................................................ 192
l Configure SNMP properties after deployment..................................................................... 192
l Configure Dynamic Host Name resolution for SNMP in VxFlex OS...................................... 192
l Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties............................................................................ 194

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Fault reporting features

General
SNMP traps are implemented as part of the VxFlex OS Gateway, using SNMP v2. UDP transport is
used for SNMP, and the default port for trap communication is 162. The SNMP feature is disabled
by default. If you want to use the SNMP feature, enable it by editing the
gatewayUser.properties file. For more information, see "Configure SNMP properties after
deployment" in the Customize and Configure Guide
The SNMP trap sender uses a proprietary/custom MIB called scaleio.mib. This MIB file is
located on the VxFlex OS Gateway server, in the webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes folder
under the VxFlex OS Gateway installation directory. All traps are sent using a single notification
type with a unique identification number (OID). All the SNMP traps contain variable bindings for
severity; alert type, which is the alert classification text ; the ID of the source object for which the
alert was created; and an action code, which is the event number.
When using HP OpenView, ensure that the Dell EMC MIB file is loaded together with the VxFlex
OS MIB file, or save the Dell EMC MIB file in same directory as the VxFlex OS MIB file.
The alerts are calculated based on MDM polling. A trap will be sent the first time that an event
occurs, and will be sent again if the resend interval has passed and the alert is still in effect. The
resend frequency parameter can be configured using the Settings window in the VxFlex OS GUI.
Only SNMP traps are supported, and are initiated by the VxFlex OS SNMP traps manager.
GET/SET operations are not supported (or more specifically, GET/GET NEXT/GET BULK/SET/
INFORM/RESPONSE).
In addition to SNMP traps, alert messages are also displayed in the VxFlex OS GUI.
To enable SNMP-based fault reporting, both the VxFlex OS Gateway and the and the SNMP trap
receivers must be configured. Traps can be sent to up to two SNMP trap receivers. The VxFlex OS
Gateway service must be restarted after configuration.

Configure SNMP properties after deployment

These procedures are mandatory for VMware-based systems where the SNMP feature is required.
For other operating systems, configuration can be done either during deployment, or afterwards,
using the instructions in this section.
The following procedures are required to enable the SNMP feature:
1. Create the Lockbox
2. Configure SNMP

Configure Dynamic Host Name resolution for SNMP in VxFlex

OS
Dynamic Host Name resolution and SNMP must be configured in the VxFlex OS Gateway and on
the DNS server to enable SNMP to forward traps to the SNMP trap receiver.
Before you begin
Ensure that SNMP is already enabled and that SNMP traps are being received by at least one
SNMP trap receiver, configured with an IP address.
About this task
The following procedures are required in order to set up a Dynamic Host Name resolution:

192 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Fault reporting features

l On the VxFlex OS Gateway, add the host name of the SNMP trap receiver to the appropriate
parameter in the gatewayUser.properties file
l On the DNS server, configure the SNMP trap receiver properties, in order to support dynamic
host name resolution
l On the DNS server, reduce the "Time To Live" (TTL) setting for the SNMP trap receiver
Procedure
1. On the VxFlex OS Gateway, open the gatewayUser.properties file.
l From Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/ classes/
gatewayUser.properties
2. Add the host name of the SNMP trap receiver to the property
snmp.traps_receiver_ip=. If there is more than one IP address or host name, use a
comma-separated list.
3. Save the file and restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service.
4. Verify that traps are being received at all configured trap receiver hosts.
5. On the DNS server, configure dynamic host name resolution support for the trap receiver.
6. On the DNS server, reduce the TTL setting for the trap receiver. For example, on Windows,
perform the following:
a. Open the DNS manager window.
b. Click View, and select the Advanced option.
c. Right-click the trap receiver, and select Properties. A window similar to the following is
displayed:

d. At the bottom of the window, in the Time to live (TTL) field, change the value from one
hour to one or two seconds.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 193

Fault reporting features

e. Click OK.
Results
Dynamic Host Name resolution configuration is complete.

Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties

Configure VxFlex OS Gateway properties and additional VxFlex OS features, using the
gatewayUser.properties file.
Procedure
1. Using a text editor, open the gatewayUser.properties file, located in the following
directory on the VxFlex OS Gateway server:

VxFlex OS Gateway Location of gatewayUser.properties file

operating system
Windows C:\Program Files\EMC\ScaleIO\Gateway\webapps\ROOT
\WEB-INF\classes\
Linux /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/classes

2. Edit the file with the desired changes, as follows:

Use case Property Action Example

Enable or disable the add.sds.with.for Default: false add.sds.with.force.on.nex

reuse of previously used ce.on.next.run To enable, set to true. t.run=true
devices in the following
To disable, set to false.
use cases:
Note: After finishing and
l Add SDS devices that
marking the deployment as
were used in a
complete, the flag will revert
previous VxFlex OS.
to false, so you will need to
system. (Adding them
set it again for future
without the true flag
deployments, as necessary.
will cause deployment
failure.)
l Extend a system with
an SDS whose
devices were used in
a previous system.
l Extend a system by
adding SDSs that are
already installed on
hosts

Use a VxFlex OS mdm.ip.addresses Add the IP addresses of the mdm.ip.addresses=10.76.60

Gateway that did not system's MDM Master and Slaves, .232;10.76.60.233;10.76.6
initially deploy your separated by semicolons, to this 0.234;10.76.30.10;10.76.3
VxFlex OS system property. Both management and 0.11;10.76.30.12
data IP addresses must be listed.

Enable or disable the features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_IM=false

VxFlex OS Installer IM To disable, set to false.

194 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Fault reporting features

Use case Property Action Example

You can completely disable the use

of the VxFlex OS Installer default
port, 443, by setting both this
property and the
features.enable_gateway
property to false.

Enable VxFlex OS features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_gateway=f

Gateway gateway To disable, set to false alse

You can disable the use of the

default port, 443, by setting both
this property and the
features.enable_IM to
false.

Enable SNMP features.enable_ Default: false features.enable_snmp=true

snmp To enable, set to true

Enable SRS or email alert features.notific Default: srs features.notification_met

notifications ation_method To disable, set to none hod=srs

To enable SRS, set to srs

To enable email notifications, set
to email
Perform additional configurations
for the other email notification
properties in this configuration
file.

Set email notification notifications.em Default (only option currently notifications.emailSID.1.

type ailSID.1.type available): callHome type=callHome

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

SID: email sender ailSID.1.SID [email protected]
identification (identity
shown in the email's
"From" field)

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

user name, required only ailSID.1.usernam username=user123
when email notification e
uses SMTP server
authentication

Set email notification notifications.em notifications.emailSID.1.

SMTP server name ailSID.1.smtp smtp=mailhub.lss.emc.com

Enable SMTP notifications.em Default: false notifications.emailSID.1.

authenticated mode for ailSID.1.authent To disable, set to false authenticate=false
email notification icate
To enable, set to true
In addition, configure the user
name, using the property
notifications.emailSID.1.
username, and configure the

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 195

Fault reporting features

Use case Property Action Example

password using REST API, as

described in the Configure and
Customize VxFlex OS Guide

Set a custom port for notifications.em Default: 25 notifications.emailSID.1.

email notification ailSID.1.port port=25
(optional; will override
default port number 25)

To restrict login to LDAP gateway- Default: false gateway-

users only (disable local admin.disable.lo To enable, set to true admin.disable.local.login
user login) cal.login =true
For more information about
setting up the VxFlex OS Gateway
admin login credentials for using
LDAP server\servers, see the
VxFlex OS User Roles and LDAP
Usage Technical Notes.

Change the name of the vasa.provider.re Default: vasa-rs vasa.provider.replica.set

VASA Provider replica plica.set.name .name=vasa-rs
set. When there are
three VASA Providers, a
replica set is created
during deployment to
facilitate communication
between VASA
Providers.

Enable or disable features.enable_ Default: true features.enable_vasa_moni

monitoring of VASA vasa_monitor tor=true
Providers

Set the list of IP vasa.provider.ip A comma-separated list of IP vasa.provider.ips=<ip>,<i

addresses for VASA s addresses of all the VASA p>,...
Providers Providers. The installation process
sets this property, but it can also
be set manually.

Set the port of the VASA vasa.provider.mo Default: 8080 vasa.provider.monitor.por

Providers' REST service, nitor.port t=8080
in order to monitor the
page http://
<ip>:<port>/
actuator/health

Set the number of vasa.provider.mo Default: 60 vasa.provider.monitor.int

seconds to sleep nitor.interval.s erval.seconds=60
between each sample econds

When installing VASA in a vmware In a Linux environment, default: vmware=false

VMware environment, false.
set this property to false In a VMware environment, default:
in order to enable true
extending the system

196 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Fault reporting features

Use case Property Action Example

with the VxFlex OS When installing VASA in a VMware

Installer. environment, set the value to
false.

3. Save and close the file.

4. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service:
l Windows: From the Windows Services window, restart the EMC ScaleIO Gateway.
l Linux: Type the following command:

service scaleio-gateway restart

Results
Configuration is complete.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 197

Fault reporting features

198 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 11
Add, Remove or Rename Components

The following topics describe how to add or remove components from the VxFlex OS system, or
rename components.

l Adding components to an existing VxFlex OS environment................................................. 200

l Remove VxFlex OS.............................................................................................................. 201
l Renaming objects................................................................................................................ 202

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 199

Add, Remove or Rename Components

Adding components to an existing VxFlex OS environment

You can expand your VxFlex OS environment as you require.
This section describes how to add components to an existing VxFlex OS installation.
In physical environments, you add components with the VxFlex OS Installer. In VMware
environments, you add components with the VMware deployment wizard.

Add components using the VxFlex OS Installer

You can add components using the VxFlex OS Installer
About this task
You first need to update the CSV topology file with the new components, then you can use the
VxFlex OS Installer to add them.
The secure communication mode of components must match the mode of the system to which the
components are being added. If they do not match, you must either change the mode of the
components to be added or change the mode of the system so that they match.
Procedure
1. Follow the procedure described in "Customizable installation using CSV file - hyper-
converged system" or "Customizable installation using CSV file - 2-layer system" in the
Deploy VxFlex OS Guide.
Note:
Use the same LIA password that was configured during initial installation.

2. In the Upload CSV stage, browse to the updated CSV file, and select Add to existing sys.
3. Upload the CSV, and continue as normal.

Add components using the VMware deployment wizard

You can add VxFlex OS components to an existing system using the VMware deployment wizard.
About this task
Note: The following procedure cannot be used to add an SDS component to an existing SVM.
To do so, contact Dell EMC Support.
Procedure
1. From the Basic tasks section of the screen, click Deploy VxFlex OS environment.
The VxFlex OS VMware deployment wizard begins. If you exited the previous deployment
before completion, you will be able to return from where you left off.
NOTICE The deployment wizard assumes that you are using the provided VxFlex OS
OVA template to create the Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs).

2. In the Select Installation screen, select Add servers to a registered VxFlex OS system,
and select the system you want to extend.
3. Continue with the deployment steps, adding the new nodes.
You can skip steps that do not need to be changed.
Note: When adding components, the wizard adjusts the displayed screens to options
that are relevant to the current VxFlex OS system.

200 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Add, Remove or Rename Components

4. Complete the deployment.

Note: After extending an existing SVM with a new VxFlex OS role/component, you must
perform manual memory allocation on the SVM, as described in "SVM manual memory
location" in the Deployment Guide.

Remove VxFlex OS
You can remove VxFlex OS components and the vSphere plug-in from servers.
To uninstall VxFlex OS, use the VxFlex OS Installer. This requires that the LIA be installed in all
nodes to be changed.
When removing RFcache (the xcache package) on a Windows server, a server restart is
necessary after the removal.
To unregister the vSphere plug-in, see "Unregistering the VxFlex OS plug-in".

Remove VxFlex OS using the VxFlex OS Installer

You can remove VxFlex OS using the VxFlex OS Installer.
About this task
All VxFlex OS components in the system that are being accessed are removed. This information is
attained from the LIA that is installed on every node.
Procedure
1. Log in to the web client, as described in "Install with the VxFlex OS Installer" from the
Deployment Guide.
2. From the VxFlex OS Installer, select the Maintain tab.
3. In the Maintenance operation screen, type the authentication credentials, then click
Retrieve system topology.
The system topology is displayed.
4. Click the Show Uninstall button link, and confirm enabling this option.
The uninstall operation may take some time, depending on your system topology. This
operation cannot be rolled back.
5. Click Uninstall.
A confirmation dialog is displayed.
NOTICE
Uninstalling an SDC component requires a machine restart. If you are uninstalling SDC
components on Windows servers, select to enable automatic restart (on those servers
only). Alternatively, you can manually restart these servers after removing the SDC.
On Linux servers, if the kernel module is busy, perform a manual restart.

6. Enter the MDM password, select to reboot servers (optional), and click Uninstall.
7. To monitor the uninstallation progress, click Monitor.
8. When the uninstallation is complete, click Mark operation completed.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 201

Add, Remove or Rename Components

Unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in

Remove a registered vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
About this task
To remove the currently registered VxFlex OS plug-in, perform the following:
Procedure
1. Run the script to remove the VxFlex OS plug-in:
a. From the folder where you extracted the current VxFlex OS plug-in ZIP file (for example:
EMC-ScaleIO-vSphere-plugin-installer-3.0-X.<build>.X.zip), use
PowerCLI to run the VxFlex OS plug-in script (for example:
VxFlexOSPluginSetup.ps1).
b. Select option 2, Unregister VxFlex OS plug-in.
2. Enter the vCenter credentials and confirm the script actions.
3. Log out, then log back in to the vSphere web client.
4. The VxFlex OS plug-in is no longer registered.

Renaming objects
About this task
Object names are used to identify the objects in the VxFlex OS GUI, and can also be used to
specify objects in CLI commands. You can view an object’s name in its Property Sheet, in the
Identity section.
Note: It is not possible to rename a Read Flash Cache device using this command.

You can define object names according to the following rules:

1. Contain less than 32 characters
2. Contain only alphanumeric and punctuation characters
3. Be unique within the object type
When a name has not been defined, the system may display default system-defined names, as
follows:
l SDC—its first IP address
l SDS—its first IP address
l Device—the path to the device
l All other objects—the object’s ID
Note: A name must be assigned to a volume when it is initially created. You can rename the
volume later, using the Rename command.
Procedure
1. Depending on the object type, in the Backend > Storage or any of the Frontend views,
navigate to the object in the table, and select its row.
2. Right-click the object and select Rename.
An editing window is displayed, showing the current name, and an editable field for the new
name.

202 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Add, Remove or Rename Components

3. Type the new name in the field, and click OK.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 203

Add, Remove or Rename Components

204 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 12
Logs

The following topics describe how to configure logs in the VxFlex OS system.

l Enable automatic log collection........................................................................................... 206

l Set ESXi credentials for auto collect logs............................................................................206

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 205

Logs

Enable automatic log collection

You can enable auto collect logs in the VxFlex OS system.
Automatic log collection allows the VxFlex OS Gateway to automatically collect information from a
VxFlex OSVxFlex OS system when alerts of severity level 5 (critical) are raised.
The log is saved to a known directory under a name which includes the date the log was created,
the alert name and severity.
For this feature to work, the MDM credentials and LIA password must be defined in the lockbox. If
a LIA password is not defined in the lockbox, an error appears when selecting the Auto Collect
Logs checkbox.

Set ESXi credentials for auto collect logs

Select the files to collect from the VxFlex OS system according to your requirements.
1. From the Maintain tab, click System Logs & Analysis and select Set ESXi Credentials for
Auto Collect Logs.
The Confirm Set Credentials of your VxFlex OS system dialog box is displayed.
2. Enter the admin password to the MDM in the MDM admin password box.
3. Select the option according to the files that you require from the VxFlex OS system:
l Collect debug information
n Latest logs only - collects the files that are checked in the Show Collected Information
drop-down list.
n Add repositories - collects all the files from the Show Collected Information drop-
down list. We recommend this option, as all files are collected.
When both options are selected, the files that are checked in the Show Collected
Information drop-down list are collected.
l Collect exceptions only - only the All exp.* files option is collected.
4. Select Include all nodes in log collection to collect logs from all nodes in your VxFlex OS
system.
5. Click Set Credentials to save the log configuration settings.

206 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 13
LIA

The following topics describe how to configure LIA in the VxFlex OS system.

l Change LIA behavior........................................................................................................... 208

l Add LIA to a system to enable automated maintenance and upgrades.................................208

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 207

LIA

Change LIA behavior

You can change the default behavior of the LIA by editing its configuration file.
The default location of the LIA configuration file is host operating system dependent, as follows:
l Windows: C:\Program Files\emc\scaleio\LIA\cfg\conf.txt
l Linux: /opt/emc/scaleio/lia/cfg/conf.txt
The following are some values relevant to LIA behavior:

lia_token=5
lia_enable_install=1
lia_enable_uninstall=1
lia_enable_configure_fetch_logs=1

To restrict which VxFlex OS Gateway IP addresses can access the LIA, add those IP addresses
to this line in the conf.txt file:

lia_trusted_ips=<IP_ADDRESS_1>,<IP_ADDRESS_2>

To set this during LIA installation, set the TRUSTED_IPS environment variable. For example:

TRUSTED_IPS=1.2.3.4,5.6.7.8 rpm -i lia.rpm

Add LIA to a system to enable automated maintenance and

upgrades
Add the LIA, a component that is required to use the VxFlex OS Installer to upgrade and maintain
VxFlex OS physical server system components.
Before you begin
To determine if the LIA is installed, run the following command on any server in the system:

rpm -qa | grep -i LIA

If LIA is not installed, you must install it before proceeding.

About this task
Physical machine upgrade uses the VxFlex OS Installer (part of the VxFlex OS Gateway), together
with the LIA of the new version, to orchestrate the upgrade.
Procedure
1. Install the LIA component on every node, by running the following command:

TOKEN=<LIA_password> rpm -i <full rpm path to LIA file>

208 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 LIA

Example:

TOKEN=Scaleio123 rpm -i EMC-ScaleIO-lia-3.0-

X.<build>.<flavor>.x86_64.rpm

The password must meet the following criteria:

l Between 6 and 31, ASCII-printable characters
l No blank spaces
l Include at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
Note: If you use special characters on a Linux-based server, you must escape them
when issuing the command.
The LIA password must be identical in all LIAs within the same system

2. Import the system installation ID into the LIA:

a. Create the following file:
/opt/emc/scaleio/lia/cfg/installation_id.txt

b. Query the MDM for the installation ID by running the following command:

scli --query_all|grep "Installation ID"

c. Copy the installation ID into the new file.

d. Restart the LIA service by running the following command:

pkill lia

3. Repeat the previous steps on every node in the system.

Results
LIA is installed.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 209

LIA

210 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 14
Setting up GUI system preferences

Set up your preferences for using the VxFlex OS GUI.

l Customize system preferences............................................................................................ 212

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 211

Setting up GUI system preferences

Customize system preferences

Use VxFlex OS GUI to customize various features.
About this task
You can customize various features in the VxFlex OS GUI using the User Preferences window.
The following features can be customized:
l Refresh data rate
l Clear host history from previous sessions
l Calculation of I/O workload average rate shown on the Dashboard
l System clock display
l Advanced display mode for Dashboard, Backend internal views, Frontend internal views, and
Property Sheet
l Log level
Procedure
1. From any location in the VxFlex OS GUI, open the System Settings menu in the top right
corner, and select User Preferences.
The User Preferences window is displayed.
2. Edit the options according to your needs, and click Apply.

212 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Setting up GUI system preferences

Figure 15 User Preferences window

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 213

Setting up GUI system preferences

Table 3 User Preferences

Item Description

General: Controls the rate at which data displayed in the

Refresh data every n seconds VxFlex OS GUI is refreshed, in seconds (Default: 10
seconds)
The refresh occurs at least at the specified rate. It
is not intended to be used as a means of limiting
client traffic, although it would actually do so.

Login: When selected, the VxFlex OS GUI does not save

Clear host history and present host connection details from previous
sessions

Dashboard I/O workload: Controls the time period used when averages are
Average calculation will include the last computed and displayed by the VxFlex OS GUI
n seconds (default: 10 seconds)

Show advanced dashboard When selected, (default), includes more details on

some tiles in the Dashboard view.
The toggle buttons switch between the statistics
displayed in large fonts and small fonts. The upper
button toggles between average values and sample
values. The lower button toggles between display of
bandwidth or IOPs in large fonts on this tile.

The symbol means that the number displayed

is the average taken during the last n seconds. n can
be configured in Dashboard I/O Workload in this
window.

The symbol means that the number displayed is

from the last data sample that was taken. The
period between automatic refreshes can be
configured in Dashboard I/O Workload in this
window.

System Clock Show system clock on the Dashboard

Show Property Sheet in advanced mode Displays additional details in Property Sheets:
l Capacity section—Snapshot Capacity Reserved
l Rebuild/Rebalance—Data Movement Jobs
l RAM Read Cache—Cache Evictions, Cache
Entry, and Cache Skip tables
These details are usually only relevant for advanced
users and technical support purposes.

Frontend Internals: Displays additional information for VVols

Show VVols

Backend Internals: Displays additional options for Backend table views.

Show internal Backend views These options are recommended only for advanced
users and technical support purposes.

214 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 Setting up GUI system preferences

Table 3 User Preferences (continued)

Item Description

Support: Controls the type of data saved in system logs,

Log level which may be required by Customer Support for
troubleshooting purposes. The default setting
recommended for regular operation is Info. Other
options include: Trace, Debug, Warn, and Error.
Note: Trace and Debug options may affect
system performance, and are usually only
recommended for technical support purposes.

For more information about logs, see your system's

Log Collection Technical Notes.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 215

Setting up GUI system preferences

216 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 5
VMware environment specific tasks

This section contains VMware environment specific tasks.

Chapter 15, "VxFlex OS plug-in"

Chapter 16, "Manually performed tasks"

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 217

VMware environment specific tasks

218 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 15
VxFlex OS plug-in

The following topics describe how to configure VxFlex OS plug-in

.

l Configure components........................................................................................................ 220

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 219

VxFlex OS plug-in

Configure components
You can configure settings for VxFlex OS from the VxFlex OS plug-in.
There are two levels of component configurations:
l Basic: The basic configurations are all performed the same way. The process is described just
once.
l Advanced: Each advanced configuration setting has a unique dialog box, which is described in
"Configuring components-advanced".
The following table lists the activities you can perform and categorizes each as basic or advanced:

Table 4 Plug-in activity matrix

Perform this
Object activity Basic or advanced Access from this screen

System Deploy VxFlex Advanced. See the VxFlex OS

OS Deployment Guide.

Register an Basic. Enter the system

existing system Master MDM IP address, user
name, and password.

Unregister a Basic
system

Update system Basic. Enter new username

credentials and password.

Configure Advanced
virtual IPs

VxFlex OS Register/ Basic. Enter IP address,

Gateway Update operating system username,
Gateway and operating system
password.

Open Gateway Basic. Navigates to the

VxFlex OS Installer.

Protection Create a Basic

Domain Protection
Domain

Remove a Basic
Protection
Domain

Storage Create a Basic

Pool Storage Pool

Remove a Basic
Storage Pool

Configure Read Basica

RAM Cache

220 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 VxFlex OS plug-in

Table 4 Plug-in activity matrix (continued)

Perform this
Object activity Basic or advanced Access from this screen

SDS Add a device to Advanced

an SDS

Remove a Basic
device from an
SDS

SDC Install SDC on Advanced. See the VxFlex OS

ESX Deployment Guide.

Upgrade SDC Advanced

Update SDC Advanced. See the VxFlex OS

Parameters Deployment Guide.

Volume Create and map Advanced

volumes

Map a volume Advanced

Remove a Basic
volume (must
be unmapped
first)

Unmap a volume Advanced

Configure Read Basica

RAM Cache

Fault Set Create a Fault Basicb

Set

Device Clear a device Basic

error
Note:
Removes
the error
message.
Can be
performed
only after
clearing the
error.

Add a device to Advanced

an SDS

Remove a Basic
device from an
SDS

a. For Read RAM Cache to work on a volume, both the volume and its Storage Pool must have
the feature enabled.

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 221

VxFlex OS plug-in

Table 4 Plug-in activity matrix (continued)

b. When defining Fault Sets, you must follow the guidelines described in "Fault Sets". Failure
to do so may prevent creation of volumes.

Configure components—basic
Create a Protection Domain in the VxFlex OS system from the VxFlex OS plug-in.
About this task
Basic configuration activities are all performed in a similar manner. All activities are performed
from the Actions menu in each screen and by entering simple information.
Following is an example on how to create a Protection Domain from the VxFlex OS Systems
screen.
Procedure
1. From the VxFlex OS Systems screen, click Actions > Create Protection Domain:

Note: You can also click the action icons in the menu or right-click the item to
choose options from a list.

2. In the Create Protection Domain dialog box, enter a name for the Protection Domain, and
then click OK.
The process is similar for the rest of the basic activities.
Note: If you intend to enable zero padding on a Storage Pool, you must do so before you
add any devices to the Storage Pool. For more information, see "Storage Pools" in the
Getting to Know Guide.

Configuring components—advanced
This section describes how to use the VxFlex OS vSphere plug-in to perform activities that require
a little more attention.

Register an existing system

Use the VxFlex OS plug-in to register an existing VxFlex OS.
About this task
Enter the following information of the existing VxFlex OS system.

222 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

 VxFlex OS plug-in

Procedure
1. From the main VxFlex OS plug-in window, click Register VxFlex OS system.
2. Enter the following information, then click OK:
a. Master MDM IP: The IP address of the existing system's Master MDM
b. User name: The username of the existing system
c. Password: The password of the existing system

Volumes in the vSphere environment

The following topics describe how to use the VxFlex OS plug-in to add, map, and unmap volumes in
the vSphere environment. You can map volumes to SDCs in the same step, or you can map the
volume after it has been created.

Add devices to an SDS—VxFlex OS plug-in

Use the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in to add devices to an SDS in VxFlex OS.
About this task
In a DirectPath-based system, you add devices only after the deployment. In an RDM/VMDK-
based VxFlex OS, you can add devices during and after the deployment.
You can add a Storage device or an Acceleration device to an SDS or to all SDSs in the system. For
a Storage device, you must define the Storage Pool and Media Type for each device you add. For
Acceleration device, you must select the Acceleration Pool (which may be RFCache or NVDIMM)
for each device added. For Fine Granularity (FG), an Acceleration device must be configured with
NVDIMM. For more information on FG, see "Data layout" in the Getting to Know Guide.
All data on added devices will be erased.
Note: If you intend to enable zero padding on a Storage Pool, you must do so before you add
any devices to the Storage Pool.
Procedure
1. From the SDSs screen of the VxFlex OS plug-in, select one of the following:
l Right-click a specific SDS, and then select Add devices to a single SDS.
l Right-click any SDS, and then select Add devices to VxFlex OS system.
The Add Device dialog box is displayed. All devices that can be attached to the selected
SDS are listed. For the system view, all SDSs are listed, and you can choose devices to add
for each SDS. It may take a few moments to load the list of devices from the vCenter.
2. Add devices:
l One-at-a-time:
a. Select whether the device should be used for storage or to provide acceleration.
b. Select the Storage Pool to which the devices should be assigned.
c. To enable the use of devices that may have been part of a previous VxFlex OS
system, select Allow the take over of devices with existing signature.
d. Click OK.
l All devices on a server at once:
a. Click Select all devices.
b. Select whether to use the devices for storage or to provide acceleration.
c. Select the Storage Pool to which the devices should be assigned.

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VxFlex OS plug-in

d. To enable the use of devices that may have been part of a previous VxFlex OS
system, select Allow the take over of devices with existing signature.
e. Click Assign.
3. Confirm the action by typing the VxFlex OS password.
4. When the add operation is complete, click Close.
Results
The devices are added.

Upgrading an SDC—VxFlex OS plug-in

Upgrading an SDC is performed with the VxFlex OS plug-in. This topic is described in the Upgrade
VxFlex OSGuide.

Modify SDC-MDM communication parameters on SDCs

When MDM IP addresses have been added or changed, use the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in to
update the SDCs with system parameters that are needed to ensure continued SDC-MDM
communication.
Procedure
1. From the VxFlex OS plug-in Advanced tasks menu, click Update SDC parameters, and
follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
2. Ensure that the parameters were updated on the SDC by running this command on each
ESXi host:

cat /etc/vmware/esx.conf |grep scini|grep -i mdm

Configuring virtual IP addresses—VxFlex OS plug-in

Configure virtual IP addresses in the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in.
Procedure
1. From the VxFlex OS Systems screen, click Actions and select Configure virtual IPs.
2. In the Configure virtual IPs dialog box, select the network and enter a virtual IP address.
After you finish
To update the SDC configuration, update the SDC parameters. For more information, see
"Updating SDC parameters".

224 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 16
Manually performed tasks

The following tasks describe how to manually perform certain tasks in your VxFlex OS
environment.

l Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment......................................................................... 226

l SVM manual memory allocation...........................................................................................227
l Managing ESXi servers........................................................................................................228

Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS 225

Manually performed tasks

Clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment

For 2-layer systems, or ESXi-based systems, clean the VxFlex OS VMware environment in order to
perform a clean installation. This procedure is recommended for cases when previously defined
networks will be used again, or when VxFlex OS components such as SDCs that ran on other
networks exist in the environment.
Before you begin
Before you begin, unmap and delete any VxFlex OS volumes in your system.
If necessary, unregister VxFlex OS from within the vSphere VxFlex OS plug-in, and delete all the
VxFlex OS SVMs.
Procedure
1. Close the existing PowerCLI sessions, set PowerCLI to Run as administrator, and then
open a new session.
2. Using the PS1 script, unregister the VxFlex OS plug-in.
3. Stop the vSphere web client service:
VC Linux: service-control --stop vsphere-client
4. Delete the contents of the VxFlex OS plug-in folder.
The vSphere web client (Virgo) plug-in folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg

\vsphere-client\vc-packages\vsphere-client-serenity

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-
client-serenity

5. Delete the scaleio folder or its contents.

The scaleio folders are located at:

vCenter Operating Path to file

system

6.x Windows C:\Users\vspherewebclientsvc\AppData\Roaming

\VMware\scaleio

Linux /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/scaleio

6. Start the vSphere web client service:

VC Linux: service-control --start vsphere-client
7. Clear your web browser's cache and cookies, or open a different web browser.
8. Using the PS1 script in PowerCLI, register the VxFlex OS plug-in.
Note: Do not press ENTER at this point.

9. After you have logged in to the vSphere web client to complete the registration and you see

the VxFlex OS icon , press ENTER in the PowerCLI session.

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 Manually performed tasks

This stops the embedded Tomcat server.

10. If necessary, remove the SDC module parameters and VIB from the ESXi servers:
a. Connect to each ESXi server via SSH.
b. Run:

~ # esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p ""

~ # esxcli software vib remove -n scaleio-sdc-esx6.0

c. Reboot each ESXi server.

11. Proceed to the procedures for re-registering the VxFlex OS plug-in, and then deploy VxFlex
OS.

SVM manual memory allocation

Manual memory allocation for SVMs is required in a number of scenarios. However, when using the
plug-in for a clean deployment, SVM memory allocation is performed automatically.
About this task
The formula for calculating SVM memory requirements can be found in the Getting to Know VxFlex
OS Guide.
In the following cases, SVM memory allocation must be performed manually:
l Manual deployment on VMware.
l Extending an existing SVM with a new VxFlex OS role/component, whether this is being done
with the plug-in or manually.
Workaround: Perform all the parts of step 1 and step 2 before extending the additional role/
component on the SVM. Perform the steps on one SVM at a time.
l Changing the SDS performance profile, post deployment.
Workaround: Perform all the parts of step 1, one SVM at a time.
Procedure
1. For SVMs that are SDS-only, perform the following:
a. Move the SDS to maintenance mode (MM).
b. Shut down the SVM.
c. Increase SVM memory, according to the formula below.
d. Power up the SVM.
e. Exit MM.
2. For SVMs that are MDM (Master, Slave, or TB, may contain SDS, also):
a. Start with Slaves and TBs:
a. Move the SDS to maintenance mode (MM).
b. Shut down the SVM.
c. Increase SVM memory, according to the formula below.
d. Power up the SVM.

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Manually performed tasks

e. Exit MM.

b. Proceed with the Master MDM:

a. Switch ownership, so the Master MDM is now a Slave MDM.
b. Move the SDS to maintenance mode (MM).
c. Shut down the SVM.
d. Increase SVM memory, according to the formula below.
e. Power up the SVM.
f. Exit MM.

Managing ESXi servers

Using the following procedures, you can modify parameters on ESXi servers and check the SDC
state on ESXi servers.

Modify parameters on ESXi servers

Use esxcli commands on an SDC running on an ESXi server to update parameters.
About this task
The following esxcli commands can be used in the following cases:
l MDM IP addresses need to be added to the existing list on an SDC
l MDM IP addresses need to be replaced on an SDC
l The SDC’s GUID needs to be changed
Specifically, the SDC’s GUID or IP address needs to be identified, and then used to add or modify
the MDM IP addresses or GUID (depending on the parameter that you want to modify). If you
want to add additional MDM IP addresses to existing ones, you must list both old and additional IP
addresses in the esxcli command.
For more information about SDC tuning, see VxFlex OS Performance Fine-Tuning Technical Notes.
If the current configuration of VxFlex OS is registered with a v2.0 VMware plug-in, you can use the
plug-in Update SDC parameters to update the MDM IP addresses. For more information, see the
VxFlex OS Deployment Guide.
Note: These procedures require a server restart to apply the new configuration. The
configuration will remain persistent after future server restarts.
To configure MDM IP addresses on the SDC, perform these steps:
Procedure
1. Find the SDC’s GUID and the MDM IP addresses configured on the ESX, by typing the
command:

esxcli system module parameters list -m scini

2. In the output of the command, find the existing GUID and MDM IP addresses.

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 Manually performed tasks

For example, in the output excerpt below, the GUID and IP addresses are marked in bold:

IoctlIniGuidStr string
39b89295-5cfc-4a42-bf89-4cc7e55a1e5b Ini Guid, for example:
12345678-90AB-CDEF-1234-567890ABCDEF

IoctlMdmIPStr string
9.99.101.22,9.99.101.23 Mdms IPs, IPs for MDM in same cluster should be
comma-separated. To configure more than one cluster use '+' to separate
between IPs.For Example:
10.20.30.40,50.60.70.80+11.22.33.44. Max 1024 characters

3. To configure the MDM IP addresses on the SDC, type the command

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=<GUID> IoctlMdmIPStr=<MDM_IPS>"

where <GUID> is the existing SDC GUID that you identified in the previous step, and
<MDM_IPS> is the list of MDM IP addresses. A maximum of 1024 characters is allowed.

a. To replace the old MDM IP addresses with new MDM IP addresses, omit the old
addresses from the command.
b. To add MDM IP addresses to the existing IP addresses, type both the existing IP
addresses and the new IP addresses in the command.
MDM IP addresses for MDMs in same cluster must be comma-separated. To configure
more than one cluster, use '+' to separate between IP addresses in different clusters. For
example:

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=39b89295-5cfc-4a42-bf89-4cc7e55a1e5b
IoctlMdmIPStr=10.20.30.40,50.60.70.80+11.22.33.44"

4. To apply the new configuration, restart the ESX server.

To change the GUID of the SDC, perform these steps:
5. Find the SDC’s GUID and the MDM IP addresses configured on the ESX, by typing the
command

esxcli system module parameters list -m scini

6. In the output of the command, find the existing GUID and MDM IP addresses.
For example, in the output excerpt below, the GUID and IP addresses are marked in bold:

IoctlIniGuidStr string
39b89295-5cfc-4a42-bf89-4cc7e55a1e5b Ini Guid, for example:
12345678-90AB-CDEF-1234-567890ABCDEF

IoctlMdmIPStr string 9.99.101.22,9.99.101.23 Mdms IPs, IPs for MDM in same

cluster should be comma-separated. To configure more than one cluster

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Manually performed tasks

use '+' to separate between IPs.For Example:

10.20.30.40,50.60.70.80+11.22.33.44. Max 1024 characters

7. To change the GUID on the SDC, type the command

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=<NEW_GUID> IoctlMdmIPStr=<MDM_IPS>

where <NEW_GUID> is the new SDC GUID, and <MDM_IPS> is the list of MDM IP
addresses that you identified in the previous step. You must include these IP addresses in
the command.
For example:

esxcli system module parameters set -m scini -p

"IoctlIniGuidStr=28a78184-4beb-4a42-bf89-4cc7e55a1e5b IoctlMdmIPStr=
9.99.101.22,9.99.101.23"

8. To apply the new configuration, restart the ESX server.

Check the SDC state on ESXi servers

Use esxcli commands on an SDC running on an ESXi server to check the current state of the SDC.
To display the SDC state on the ESX server, type the following command:

esxcli system module list |grep scini

The following examples show typical outputs of the command:

l Output where driver is installed and enabled to load, but not loaded:

Name Is Loaded Is Enabled

----------------------------- --------- ----------
scini false true

l Example of SDC in correct state (enabled and loaded):

Name Is Loaded Is Enabled

----------------------------- --------- ----------

scini true true

230 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

PART 6
Operating System Patching

Use the VxFlex OS Gateway to run scripts that patch hosts' operating systems in a safe and
orchestrated manner.

Chapter 17, "Operating System Patching"

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Operating System Patching

232 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS

CHAPTER 17
Operating System Patching

Run scripts on servers hosting VxFlex OS components, for patching purposes.

l Upgrade the CentOS operating system on SVMs................................................................ 234

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Operating System Patching

Upgrade the CentOS operating system on SVMs

Use the VxFlex OS Installer to upgrade the SVM's CentOS operating system to the latest security
level of operating system security patching. This procedure only upgrades the operating system on
the SVM. It does not upgrade VxFlex OS.
Note: SVM operating system patching is applicable even if the SVM replacement procedure
was performed. The latest patch bundle has the latest security patches that were released
after the latest version of VxFlex OS was officially launched (the refresh of the package is
done on a monthly basis based on continuous security scans and input from customers).
Use the VxFlex OS Installer to upgrade the CentOS operating system on multiple SVMs. This
procedure is required when upgrading an ESXi-based VxFlex OS system where SVMs are currently
running on CentOS 7.5. (VxFlex OS v3.0, or v3.0.0.x)
Ensure that you have the latest SVM operating system upgrade ZIP file. It is available from the
support site, on the VxFlex OS page: https://support.emc.com/products/33925.
The patch_script file that you require is part of the VMware complete software package
(which is in the Complete SW download ZIP) and also as a separate artifact that is refreshed from
time to time (usually once a month). The ZIP file name is:
SVM_OS_Patching_package_MMDDYYYY.zip

Running scripts on hosts—overview

VxFlex OS can be used to run user-provided scripts on servers hosting MDM or SDS components.
This feature is supported on Linux-based (bare-metal or virtual) nodes only.
The VxFlex OS Installer can be used to run a user-provided script on a host where VxFlex OS is
deployed. This feature can be used for any purpose external to the VxFlex OS system, such as
running a set of CLI commands, patching an operating system, and more. The feature allows the
running of scripts in a safe manner, both from a security and a data integrity perspective.
VxFlex OS Installer orchestrates the running of the script, ensuring that SDSs are placed in
Maintenance Mode, to protect data during the process. In addition, parallel execution of scripts is
only permitted on SDSs located in different Protection Domains. After the scripts have been run
on an SDS, it exits Maintenance Mode.
Optionally, servers can be set to reboot after execution of the script. The process can also run a
verification script either after the reboot, or after execution of the script, when no reboot is
required.
Workflow overview (for reference purposes only)
The execution phase of this feature can be summarized as follows:
1. The system validates the following:
l The patching script exists on the node after it was uploaded from the gateway host
l No failed capacity exists
l Sufficient spare capacity exists
l The MDM cluster is in a valid state
2. Run the script on one host, using the following priorities:
a. SDS only hosts, each time on a single SDS, unless the option In parallel on
different Protection Domains is enabled
b.

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 Operating System Patching

c. MDMs
Note: The script will not run on a master MDM. A switch-over MDM command will be
run prior to running the script on a master MDM. The script will not be run in parallel on
multiple MDMs or s.
3. SDS enters Maintenance Mode.
4. The script runs on the host.
5. The host reboots (if configured to do so).
6. The validation script runs on the server (if configured to do so).
7. SDS exits Maintenance Mode.

Run a script on one or more hosts—procedures

Run a script on one or multiple hosts where VxFlex OS is deployed, using the VxFlex OS Installer.
Before you begin
l Prepare the script file to be run on one or more servers hosting SDSs or MDMs, and optionally,
a verification script to be run automatically after execution of the script. Specific file names
are required for use of this feature. IM can only upload scripts up to 500 MB in size. Name the
files as follows:
n Script: patch_script
n Verification script: verification_script
l This feature is only supported on Linux-based (bare-metal or virtual) nodes.
l Ensure that you have the IP address and login credentials for the VxFlex OS Gateway and the
Master MDM.
l Ensure that you have the login credentials for the LIA.
l Ensure that you have enough disk space to run the script.
About this task
l This procedure is a long operation that cannot be rolled back automatically.
l Certificate approval messages may be displayed during the procedure. Approve all the
certificates, and click Retry failed to complete the operation.
Procedure
1. Configure the VxFlex OS Installer to upload files from the VxFlex OS Gateway host to all
selected hosts.
Note: Alternatively you can copy the script file to each host in the system under the file
path ~/lia/bin/<folder>. Follow the steps to make sure the script file runs on each
of the hosts.
a. Verify that all components in the VxFlex OS system are upgraded to the latest version.
b. On the VxFlex OS Gateway host, go to /opt/emc/scaleio/gateway/webapps/
ROOT/WEB-INF/classes/gatewayUser.properties file.
c. Uncomment the following lines (verification script is optional):

os.patching.is.upload.needed=true (Default is false)

os.patching.patch.script.source.path=<enter the full path to the file>
os.patching.verification.script.source.path=<enter the full path to
the file>

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Operating System Patching

Example of VxFlex OS Gateway on Linux:

os.patching.is.upload.needed=true
os.patching.patch.script.source.path=/opt/patch_script
os.patching.verification.script.source.path=/opt/verification_script

Example of VxFlex OS Gateway on Windows:

os.patching.is.upload.needed=true
os.patching.patch.script.source.path=C:\\temp\\patch_script
os.patching.verification.script.source.path=C:\\temp\
\verification_patch

d. Restart the VxFlex OS Gateway service.

For example, in ESXi:
systemctl stop scaleio-gateway.service and systemctl start
scaleio-gateway.service
e. Copy the patch_script and verification_script files to the relevant folder on
the gateway host.
f. In the Security settings of the files, allow read, write and execute permissions.

2. In your browser, navigate to the IP address of the VxFlex OS Gateway, and log in.
3. Click the Maintain tab.
4. Enter the IP address and login credentials for the Master MDM, and for LIA.
5. At the bottom right of the screen, click Retrieve system topology.
The system topology is displayed.
6. Click System Logs & Analysis, and select the Run Script on Hosts option.
The Run script on hosts dialog box is displayed.
7. Enter the MDM password again.
8. For Running script on options, select one from the following:

Option Description
Entire System Run the script on all MDM and SDS nodes in the system.
If you choose this option, you can also choose whether to run the script
at the same time on SDSs that belong to different Protection Domains.
To do so, select the check box for In parallel on different Protection
Domains.

Protection Run the script on MDM and SDS nodes in a single Protection Domain.
Domain Select the required Protection Domain from the drop-down list.
Fault Set Run the script on MDM and SDS nodes in a single Fault Set. Select the
required Fault Set from the drop-down list.
SDS Run the script on a single SDS. Select the required SDS from the drop-
down list.

9. For Running configuration, select the Stop process on script failure option, if desired.
If problems occur, see the troubleshooting notes following these steps.

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 Operating System Patching

10. In the Script time-out box, enter the number of minutes that should elapse before the
VxFlex OS Installer stops waiting for a response about the running script, and prints a
timeout message.
11. In the Verification script box, select one of the following:

Option Action
Run a verification script after the script. Select Run
If a reboot is performed, the verification script is executed after the
reboot.

Do not run a verification script after the script Select Do not run

12. In the Post script action box, select one of the following:

Option Action
Reboot the server after execution of the script Select Reboot
Do not reboot the server after execution of the script Select Do not reboot

13. Click Run Script on Hosts.

14. Click the Monitor tab, - validate state starts.
During this phase, the system verifies certificates and builds an execution phase for the
nodes list.
15. Click Start execute phase - the execute phase starts.
16. When the execute phase is complete, click Mark operation completed.
Troubleshooting notes:
If a failure in executing the patch_script occurs, it may be due to one of the following
reasons. Rectify the problem and then try again.
l Script timeout
l Script file permissions
l Syntax error in the script
l Degraded capacity, or MDM cluster in degraded state
l An SDS is already in Maintenance Mode

Results
Upgrade of the CentOS operating system on all SVMs except for the VxFlex OS Gateway is now
complete. Upgrade the VxFlex OS Gateway using the steps described in "Deploy and replace the
VxFlex OS Gateway SVM operating system using the VxFlex OS plug-in" in the Upgrade VxFlex OS
Guide.

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238 Configure and Customize Dell EMC VxFlex OS