Troubleshooting the Dell PowerVault MD-Series Storage Array Configuring the Ethernet Management Port
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Contents About this Document ..................................................................................................... 4 Managing the MD-Series Storage Array ................................................................................ 5 Out-of-Band Management vs. In-Band Management.............................................................. 5 Setting Up Management Using MD Storage Manager .............................................................
About this Document To understand the scope and organization of this document, refer to the following table.
Managing the MD-Series Storage Array One of the most critical issues in establishing an efficient storage management architecture is placing data traffic and management traffic on the proper networks. When setting up management on any Dell PowerVault MD-Series storage array, Dell recommends that you always separate management traffic from the server-to-storage array data path using different subnetworks, or subnets. This management method is commonly called out-of-band management.
Figure 1. MD Storage Manager Summary View Figure 2.
Figure 3. MD Storage Manager Configure Management Ports NOTE: IPv4 and IPv6 are both supported protocols on the MD-series iSCSI storage arrays. Whichever one you use, be aware of the following: It is possible to enable both IPv6 and IPv4 on your host server. However, Dell recommends that you disable the one you are not using before setting up your storage array. Having both enabled may cause miscommunication between the storage array and host server.
Troubleshooting the Ethernet Management Port The Ethernet management ports on the MD-series RAID controllers allow you to manage your storage array via a separate management network from the host server data path (known as out-of-band management). Dell recommends always using out-of-band management to manage your storage array. Locating the Management Port Each RAID controller module contains a 100/1000 Mbps Ethernet management port.
Recognizing Issues Involving the Ethernet Management Port Problems occurring due to misconfigured or nonfunctional Ethernet management ports on your storage array's RAID controller modules can appear in a number of different ways.
Figure 5. Enclosure Status LEDs (Front) Table 2. Enclosure Status LED Values LED Enclosure status Function Solid blue: Blinking blue: Solid amber: Blinking amber: Enclosure power Solid green: Figure 6.
Table 3.
No link LEDs visible on RAID controller (rear) If you are using a network switch, verify that it is powered on and Ethernet ports on both the network switch and RAID controller are active. Also, make sure the storage array enclosure is powered on. Reduced throughput If you have connectivity but are experiencing reduced throughout, make sure your iSCSI port is not connecting to the host server through a slower-thanexpected speed.
Duplicate or multiple management port IP addresses are appearing (non-DHCP host server) If DHCP is not enabled, multiple storage arrays connecting to a network will default to the same management IP address, causing IP address duplication errors. To fix this problem, add each storage array to the network individually and change its IP addresses to non-default values before adding another storage array.
How do I know if my Ethernet management ports correctly configured? To verify that your management ports are functional, use the ping command from your management station to connect to the IP addresses of each Ethernet management port on the storage array. A successful ping means the ports are configured and ready to use. However, you cannot verify you are able to manage the storage array until you have an array properly configured and running.
Using a Serial Cable to Configure Your Management Port When other troubleshooting steps fail, using a serial cable to connect to your Ethernet management port is an option. Perform the following steps on any management station with a serial port available. A serial debug cable is available from your Dell support representative. 1. Connect the PS/2 connecter on the serial debug cable to the serial debug port on RAID controller. (See Figure 3 for serial port location.) 2.
Troubleshooting Management Port Device Discovery Issues If your Ethernet management ports are properly configured but you are having problems discovering storage arrays or RAID controller modules, refer to the following table below. NOTE: Many device discovery problems are similar to those detailed in Table 1 for the Ethernet management port, although they occur during the discovery process. Table 6.
module to determine whether a fault condition is indicated. Automatic Discovery fails on an IPv4 subnetwork Automatic discovery of storage arrays is not supported on IPv4-enabled subnets. Verify the following: you can successfully ping the management ports on the storage array - the management ports are on separate subnets than your management station - If both are true, manually add the storage array(s) to MD Storage Manager (see Manually Adding a Storage Array to MD Storage Manager).
existing management view in MD Storage Manager. Perform these steps: 1. Obtain the IP address of the RAID controller you are adding. If the IP address is unknown, see Using a Serial Cable to Configure Your Management Port. 2. Start MD Storage Manager and select the MD storage array containing the RAID controller. 3. From the Setup tab in the Array Management Window, select Add Storage Arrays. 4. In the Select Addition Method, select Manual. 5.
