Deployment Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server Deployment Guide
- Introduction
- Solution Overview
- Solution Deployment
- Introduction to solution deployment
- Deployment prerequisites
- Predeployment configuration
- Operating system deployment
- Installing roles and features
- Verifying firmware and software compliance with the support matrix
- Updating out-of-box drivers
- Changing the hostname
- Configuring host networking
- Joining cluster nodes to an Active Directory domain
- Deploying and configuring a host cluster
- Best practices and recommendations
- Recommended next steps
- Deployment services
- References
- Appendix A: Persistent Memory for Azure Stack HCI
NOTE: Install the storage-replica feature if Azure Stack HCI operating system is being deployed for a stretched
cluster.
NOTE: Hyper-V and the optional roles installation require a system restart. Because subsequent procedures also require a
restart, the required restarts are combined into one (see the Note in the "Changing the hostname" section).
Verifying firmware and software compliance with the
support matrix
Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server are validated and certified with certain firmware versions that are related
to the solution infrastructure components.
Use the validated firmware and software, as specified in the support matrix, to ensure that the solution infrastructure remains
supported and delivers optimal performance.
You can verify compliance and update the nodes with an Azure Stack HCI online or offline catalog by using Dell EMC
OpenManage Integration with Windows Admin Center. To verify compliance and to update firmware and drivers on a
stand-alone node, see the Dell EMC HCI Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server—Managing and Monitoring the Solution
Infrastructure Life Cycle.
Updating out-of-box drivers
For certain system components, you might have to update the driver to the latest Dell Technologies supported version.
About this task
NOTE: This section is optional if you are using OpenManage Integration with Windows Admin Center to update the nodes.
Steps
1. Run the following PowerShell command to retrieve a list of all driver versions that are installed on the local system:
Get-PnpDevice | Select-Object Name, @{l='DriverVersion';e={(Get-PnpDeviceProperty -
InstanceId $_.InstanceId -KeyName 'DEVPKEY_Device_DriverVersion').Data}} -Unique |
Where-Object {($_.Name -like "*HBA*") -or ($_.Name -like "*mellanox*") -or ($_.Name
-like "*Qlogic*") -or ($_.Name -like "*X710*") -or ($_.Name -like "*intel*") -or
($_.Name -like "*Broadcom*")}
2. Update the out-of-box drivers to the required versions, if necessary.
For the latest Dell Technologies supported versions of system components, see the Support Matrix for Microsoft HCI
Solutions.
Download the driver installers from https://www.dell.com/support or by using the Dell EMC Azure Stack HCI Solution
Catalog.
NOTE:
The QLogic FastLinQ adapter does not have an in-box driver in Windows Server 2016. Install the driver before
attempting host network configuration.
3. Attach a folder containing the driver DUP files to the system as a virtual media image:
a. In the iDRAC virtual console menu, click Virtual Media.
b. In the Create Image from Folder window, click Create Image.
c. Click Browse, select the folder where the driver DUP files are stored, and, if required, change the name of the image.
d. Click Create Image.
e. Click Finish.
f. From the Virtual Media menu, select Connect Virtual Media.
g. Select Map Removable Disk, click Browse, and select the image that you created.
h. Click Map Device.
After the image is mapped, it appears as a drive in the host operating system.
4. Go to the driver DUP files and run them to install the updated out-of-box drivers.
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Solution Deployment