Deployment Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell EMC PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Deployment Guide
- Contents
- Before you begin
- Mount the enclosures in the rack
- Connect to the management network
- Cable host servers to the storage system
- Cabling considerations
- Connecting the enclosure to hosts
- Host connection
- Connect power cables and power on the storage system
- Perform system and storage setup
- Record storage system information
- Using guided setup
- Web browser requirements and setup
- Access the PowerVault Manager
- Update firmware
- Use guided setup in the PowerVault Manager Welcome panel
- Perform host setup
- Host system requirements
- Windows hosts
- Configuring a Windows host with FC HBAs
- Configuring a Windows host with iSCSI network adapters
- Configuring a Windows host with SAS HBAs
- Linux hosts
- Configuring a Linux host with FC HBAs
- Configure a Linux host with iSCSI network adapters
- Attach a Linux host with iSCSI network adapters to the storage system
- Assign IP addresses for each network adapter connecting to the iSCSI network
- Register the Linux host with iSCSI network adapters and create volumes
- Enable and configure DM Multipath on the Linux host with iSCSI network adapters
- Create a Linux file system on the volumes
- SAS host server configuration for Linux
- VMware ESXi hosts
- Fibre Channel host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- iSCSI host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- Attach an ESXi host with network adapters to the storage system
- Configure the VMware ESXi VMkernel
- Configure the software iSCSI adapter on the ESXi host
- Register an ESXi host with a configured software iSCSI adapter and create and map volumes
- Enable multipathing on an ESXi host with iSCSI volumes
- Volume rescan and datastore creation for an ESXi hosts with iSCSI network adapters
- SAS host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- Citrix XenServer hosts
- Fibre Channel host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- iSCSI host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- Attach a XenServer host with network adapters to the storage system
- Configure a software iSCSI adapter on a XenServer host
- Configure the iSCSI IQN on a XenServer host
- Enable Multipathing on a XenServer host
- Register a XenServer host with a software iSCSI adapter and create volumes
- Create a Storage Repository for a volume on a XenServer host with a software iSCSI adapter
- SAS host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- Troubleshooting and problem solving
- Locate the service tag
- Operators (Ops) panel LEDs
- Initial start-up problems
- Cabling for replication
- SFP+ transceiver for FC/iSCSI ports
- System Information Worksheet
- Setting network port IP addresses using the CLI port and serial cable
VMware ESXi hosts
Ensure that the HBAs or network adapters are installed and the latest supported BIOS is installed.
Fibre Channel host server configuration for VMware ESXi
The following sections describe how to configure Fibre Channel host servers running VMware ESXi:
Prerequisites
● Complete the PowerVault Manager guided system and storage setup process.
● Refer to the cabling diagrams within this guide before attaching a host to the storage system; careful planning ensures a
successful deployment.
● Install the required version of the VMware ESXi operating system and configure it on the host.
Attach an ESXi host with FC HBAs to the storage system
Perform the following steps to attach the ESXi host with Fibre Channel (FC) HBAs to the storage system:
1. Ensure that all HBAs have the latest supported firmware and driversas described on the Dell Support portal . For a list of
supported standard FC HBAs,see the Dell EMC ME4 Storage Matrix on the Dell website. For OEMs, contact your hardware
provider.
2. Use the FC cabling diagrams to cable the host servers either by using switches or attaching them directly to the storage
system.
3. Login to the VMware vCenter Server and add the newly configured ESXi host to the appropriate datacenter.
4. On the Configure tab, select Storage > Storage Adapters.
5. Verify that the required FC storage adapters are listed, then record the HBA’s WWN as listed under Properties.
6. If the hosts are connected to the storage system by FC switches, implement zoning to isolate traffic for each HBA by doing
the following (skip this step if hosts are directly connected to the storage system):
a. Use the FC switch management interface to create a zone for each server HBA. Each zone must contain only one HBA
WWN and all the storage port WWNs.
b. Repeat sub-step a for each FC switch.
NOTE: The Dell EMC PowerVault ME4 Series storage systems support single initiator/multiple target zones.
Register an ESXi host with FC HBAs and create and map volumes
Perform the following steps to register the ESXi host with Fibre Channel (FC) HBAs, create volumes, and map volumes storage
system:
1. Log in to the PowerVault Manager.
2. Access the Host Setup wizard:
● From the Welcome screen, click Host Setup.
● From the Home topic, click Action > Host Setup.
3. Confirm that you have met the listed prerequisites, then click Next.
4. Type a hostname in the Host Name field.
5. Using the information from step 5 of Attach an ESXi host with FC HBAs to the storage system on page 57, select the FC
initiators for the host you are configuring, then click Next.
6. Group hosts together with other hosts.
a. For cluster configurations, group hosts together so that all hosts within the group share the same storage.
● If this host is the first host in the cluster, select Create a new host group, then provide a name and click Next.
● If this host is being added to a host group that exists, select Add to existing host group. Select the group from the
dropdown list, then click Next.
Perform host setup
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