EMC VSI for VMware vSphere Path Management · 4 EMC Path Management feature menu ... such as an error message or script ... This plug-in supports all EMC arrays including EMC VNX,

EMC® VSI for VMware vSphere™:Path Management

Version 5.3

Product GuideP/N 300-013-068

REV 03

EMC CorporationCorporate Headquarters:

Hopkinton, MA 01748-9103

1-508-435-1000www.EMC.com

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Copyright © 2012 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Published June, 2012

EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information issubject to change without notice.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” EMC CORPORATION MAKES NOREPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THISPUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY ORFITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicablesoftware license.

For the most up-to-date regulatory document for your product line, go to the Document/Whitepaper Libraryon EMC Powerlink.

For the most up-to-date listing of EMC product names, see EMC Corporation Trademarks on EMC.com.

All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Path Management Version 5.3 Product Guide

Contents

Contents

Figures

Preface

Chapter 1 About EMC Virtual Storage Integrator for VMwarevSphereVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere overview ........ 14Path Management overview ........................................................... 16VMware Native Multipathing Plugin............................................ 17EMC PowerPath/VE ........................................................................ 18Software requirements ..................................................................... 19

VMware vSphere Client ............................................................19Operating systems ......................................................................19VMware vCenter Server ............................................................19VMware ESX and ESXi ..............................................................19EMC PowerPath remote tools (optional) ................................20

Chapter 2 VSI Feature InstallationInstallation overview........................................................................ 22

Before you begin .........................................................................22Installing VSI features ...................................................................... 23

Upgrading....................................................................................23Enabling Virtual Storage Integrator ............................................... 24Disabling Virtual Storage Integrator.............................................. 25Uninstalling Virtual Storage Integrator......................................... 26

EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Path Management Version 5.3 Product Guide 3

Contents

Uninstalling a VSI feature ......................................................... 26Using VSI Feature Manager ............................................................ 27

Chapter 3 Using VSI for vSphere ClientGetting started with VSI .................................................................. 30

Using the VMware vSphere Client interface.......................... 31Path Management............................................................................. 32

Chapter 4 VSI ConfigurationVSI logging ........................................................................................ 40

Setting logging options.............................................................. 40

EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Path Management Version 5.3 Product Guide4

Title Page

Figures

1 VSI Feature Manager ..................................................................................... 272 VSI plug-in features ....................................................................................... 303 Opening an ESX or ESXi host view ............................................................. 314 EMC Path Management feature menu........................................................ 325 Set Multipathing Policy wizard ................................................................... 326 VSI Feature logging........................................................................................ 40


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Figures


Preface

As part of its effort to continuously improve and enhance the performanceand capabilities of the EMC product line, EMC periodically releasesrevisions of its hardware and software. Therefore, some functions describedin this document may not be supported by all revisions of the software andhardware currently in use. For the most up-to-date information on productfeatures, refer to your product release notes.

If a Virtual Storage Integrator feature does not function properly or does notfunction as described in this guide, please contact the EMC CustomerSupport Center for assistance.

Audience This guide is part of the EMC Virtual Storage Integrator for vSpherevCenter™ Client documentation set and is intended for use byVMware administrators and storage administrators duringinstallation, system setup, and routine operations.

Storage administrators working with Virtual Storage Integrator mustbe proficient in the use of the following products:

◆ VMware products:

• VMware vSphere Client 5.0, with VMware vCenter Server 5.x,VMware ESX 4.x, 5.x, and VMware ESXi 4.x, 5.x as installed.

◆ EMC Symmetrix, CLARiiON, Celerra, VNX storage arrays, orVPLEX system as per your Virtual Storage Integrator supportedproduct version and the following applicable software:

• Solutions Enabler (SYMCLI/SYMAPI)

• EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF)

• EMC PowerPath/VE, if installed


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Preface

Requireddocumentation

The following documentation is part of the EMC Virtual StorageIntegrator for vSphere Client documentation set, and is required forVirtual Storage Integrator depending on your installed feature:

◆ EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Storage Viewer Version 5.3 ProductGuide and Release Notes

◆ EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Storage Pool Management Version 5.0Product Guide and Release Notes

◆ EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Path Management Version 5.3 ProductGuide and Release Notes

◆ EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Symmetrix SRA Utilities Version 5.3Product Guide and Release Notes

◆ EMC VSI for VMware vSphere: Unified Storage Management Version5.3 Product Guide and Release Notes

Relateddocumentation

The following EMC documentation contains information that may behelpful in a Virtual Storage Integrator environment and are availableon the EMC Powerlink website:

EMC Solutions Enabler:

◆ EMC Solutions Enabler Symmetrix Array Controls CLI Product Guide

◆ EMC Solutions Enabler Symmetrix Array Management CLI ProductGuide

◆ EMC Solutions Enabler Symmetrix SRDF Family CLI Product Guide

◆ EMC Solutions Enabler Symmetrix TimeFinder Family CLI ProductGuide

◆ EMC Solutions Enabler Installation Guide

EMC Symmetrix Array:

◆ Using EMC Symmetrix Storage in VMware Infrastructure and vSphereEnvironments TechBook

◆ Storage Pool Management Feature in EMC Virtual Storage IntegratorTechBook

◆ Using VMware vSphere with EMC Symmetrix Storage white paper

◆ Enabling SPC-2 Compliancy on EMC Symmetrix Devices Connected toVMware Environments — Applied Technology white paper

◆ Using EMC SRDF Adapter for VMware vCenter Site RecoveryManager TechBook


Preface

EMC ControlCenter:

◆ EMC ControlCenter Planning and Installation Guide

◆ Symmetrix SRDF Host Component Product Guide

EMC PowerPath:

◆ EMC PowerPath Product Guide

Fibre Channel:

◆ Symmetrix Fibre Channel Product Guide

Conventions used in this documentEMC uses the following conventions for special notices.

Note: A note presents information that is important, but not hazard-related.

CAUTION!A caution contains information essential to avoid data loss ordamage to the system or equipment. The caution may apply tohardware or software.

IMPORTANT!An important notice contains information essential to operation ofthe software. The important notice applies only to software.


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Preface

Typographical conventionsEMC uses the following type style conventions in this document:

Normal Used in running (nonprocedural) text for:• Names of interface elements (such as names of windows,

dialog boxes, buttons, fields, and menus)• Names of resources, attributes, pools, Boolean expressions,

buttons, DQL statements, keywords, clauses, environmentvariables, filenames, functions, utilities

• URLs, pathnames, filenames, directory names, computernames, links, groups, service keys, file systems, notifications

Bold: Used in running (nonprocedural) text for:• Names of commands, daemons, options, programs,

processes, services, applications, utilities, kernels,notifications, system call, man pages

Used in procedures for:• Names of interface elements (such as names of windows,

dialog boxes, buttons, fields, and menus)• What user specifically selects, clicks, presses, or types

Italic: Used in all text (including procedures) for:• Full titles of publications referenced in text• Emphasis (for example a new term)• Variables

Courier: Used for:• System output, such as an error message or script• URLs, complete paths, filenames, prompts, and command

syntax.

Courier bold: Used for:• Specific user input (such as commands)

Courier italic: Used in procedures for:• Variables on command line• User input variables

< > Angle brackets enclose parameter or variable values supplied bythe user

[ ] Square brackets enclose optional values

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

{ } Braces indicate content that you must specify (that is, x or y or z)

... Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from theexample


Preface

Where to get help EMC support, product, and licensing information can be obtained asfollows.

Product information — For documentation, release notes, softwareupdates, or for information about EMC products, licensing, andservice, go to the EMC Powerlink website (registration required) at:

http://Powerlink.EMC.com

Technical support — For technical support, go to EMC CustomerService on Powerlink. To open a service request through Powerlink,you must have a valid support agreement. Please contact your EMCsales representative for details about obtaining a valid supportagreement or to answer any questions about your account.

Your comments Your suggestions will help us continue to improve the accuracy,organization, and overall quality of the user publications. Please sendyour opinion of this document to:

[email protected]


http://powerlink.emc.com

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Preface


1About EMC Virtual

Storage Integrator forVMware vSphere

Invisible Body Tag

This chapter provides a high-level overview of the EMC VirtualStorage Integrator for VMware vSphere™.

Topics include:

IMPORTANT!EMC recommends reading this chapter in its entirety beforeinstalling and configuring the Virtual Storage Integrator forvSphere Client plug-in.

◆ Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere overview ......... 14◆ Path Management overview............................................................. 16◆ VMware Native Multipathing Plugin............................................. 17◆ EMC PowerPath/VE ......................................................................... 18◆ Software requirements ...................................................................... 19

About EMC Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere 13

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About EMC Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere

Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere overviewVirtual Storage Integrator (VSI) is an EMC developed plug-in to theVMware vCenter management software. VSI allows the VMwareadministrator to provision, monitor, and manage VMware vSpheredatastores on EMC storage arrays. It will ease the management of thevirtualized environment. This plug-in supports all EMC arraysincluding EMC VNX, VNXe, VMAX 10K, VMAX 20K, VPLEX, CX4and Celerra. It is available for customers at no charge.

Features are managed by using the VSI Feature Manager. VSIprovides a unified user experience, allowing each of the features to beupdated independently, and new features to be introduced rapidly inresponse to changing customer requirements.

Examples of features available for VSI are Storage Viewer (SV), PathManagement, Storage Pool Management (SPM), Symmetrix storagereplication adapter (SRA) Utilities, and Unified Storage Management.

The SV feature extends the vSphere Client to facilitate the discoveryand identification of EMC Symmetrix®, CLARiiON®, Celerra®,VPLEX™, VNX™, and VNXe™ storage devices that are allocated toVMware ESX/ESXi hosts and virtual machines. SV presents theunderlying storage details to the virtual datacenter administrator bymerging the data of several different storage mapping tools into a fewseamless vSphere Client views.

The Path Management feature for VMware Native Multipathing andPowerPath®/VE provides a mechanism for changing the multipathpolicy for groups of LUNs based on storage class and virtualizationobject.

The SPM feature simplifies the provisioning of Symmetrix VMAX™and VMAXe storage by a VMware administrator. SPM allows aVMware administrator to allocate storage as a resource usingSymmetrix Virtual Pools for ESX Servers, Clusters, and ResourcePools.

The Symmetrix SRA Utilities feature helps users to more efficientlymanage vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) configurations inSymmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF®) environments. It providesSRM diagnostic tools that help users to easily identify configurationerrors. SRA Utilities feature allows users to view and createconsistency groups.



The Unified Storage Management VSI feature provides array-basedstorage management and provisioning for CLARiiON, Celerra, VNX,and VNXe series storage arrays, and allows for virtual machinededuplication, compression, cloning, and extending storage forCelerra arrays.

Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere overview 15

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Path Management overviewThe Path Management feature for EMC VSI for VMware vSphereincludes support for both VMware Native Multipathing Plugin(NMP) and PowerPath/VE.

Currently, the Storage Viewer feature displays multipath propertiesfor both NMP and PowerPath/VE. Those properties include thenumber of paths, the state of those paths, the policy used to managethose paths. The Path Management feature allows you to change themultipath policy and is a first step in allowing the VSI user to managemultiple paths from within the vSphere Client.

The Path Management feature allows a VSI user to change themultipath policy on a multitude of devices, based on both storageclass and virtualization object. For example, all Symmetrix devicesfor a given ESX host can be managed, or all CLARiiON devices for agiven vSphere cluster. This ability will exist for both NMP owned andPowerPath/VE owned devices. This feature will be a valuable assetto administrators who need to maintain consistent multipath policiesacross a large virtual datacenter containing a large number or widevariety of storage devices.

This document describes the behavior and functionality availablewith the Path Management feature for EMC VSI for vSphere Client.The document provides snapshots of the various views, thefunctionality that is available with each of these views, and sampleuse cases.



VMware Native Multipathing PluginBy default, VMware ESX hosts come with NMP enabled to managemultipathed storage. There are several Storage Array Type Plugins(SATP) built into ESX that determine the default Path SelectionPlugin (PSP) that gets used for a given storage device type. The PSP isanalogous to a multipath policy, since it determines how and whenmultiple paths are utilized for a given storage device. As an example,Symmetrix storage has a SATP of VMW_SATP_SYMM, which has aPSP of VMW_PSP_FIXED. Basically, this means that when youconnect a Symmetrix device to an ESX host by using multiple paths,those paths will be managed with a fixed policy. Likewise,CLARiiON storage that does not support ALUA has a SATP ofVMW_SATP_CX, which uses a PSP of VMW_PSP_MRU. This meansthat when you connect a CLARiiON device to an ESX host by usingmultiple paths, those paths will be managed with a 'Most RecentlyUsed' policy. It is possible to alter the default PSP used for a givenSATP by using the esxcli. For example, many customers will changethe VMW_SATP_SYMM to use the VMW_PSP_RR in order to get a'Round Robin' multipathing policy

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EMC PowerPath/VENew in VMware vSphere 4.0, the Pluggable Storage Architecture(PSA) allows third-party storage vendors to develop multipathsoftware to be leveraged in the ESX host. EMC PowerPath/VE is anexample of a MultiPath Plugin (MPP) or Multipath EnhancementModule (MEM), based on the PSA of vSphere 4.0. WhenPowerPath/VE is installed, it can replace the NMP SATP for certainstorage devices. By default, according to the claim rules establishedby PowerPath/VE, all EMC storage devices will be owned byPowerPath/VE after it is installed. NMP continues to exist on the ESXhost and it will continue to any storage devices that are not owned byPowerPath/VE. It is even possible to switch devices from beingmanaged by PowerPath/VE back to being managed by NMP(although this defeats the point of installed PowerPath/VE). Theadvantage of having PowerPath/VE is that it is programmed for bestpractices and immediately improves path discovery, path selection(from a basic round robin to adaptive), and predictability.

While NMP is managed from the ESX console by using esxcli,PowerPath/VE is managed by a remote command line utility,rpowermt.exe. This CLI is installed with the PowerPath/VE RemoteTools kit, which is a requirement for this feature to work withPowerPath/VE.



Software requirementsThis section describes the software requirements for Virtual StorageIntegrator for VMware vSphere version 5.0.

VMware vSphere ClientVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere version 5.0 requiresVMware vSphere Client V4.0 Update 1 or later. The VMwaresoftware must be installed prior to installing VSI features.

Operating systemsVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere is supported on thesame operating systems supported by the VMware vSphere Client.Currently, this includes only Microsoft Windows operating systems.The VMware Infrastructure Compatibility Matrixes with the completelist of supported operating systems can be found at the VMwarewebsite:

http://www.vmware.com

Note: For x64 operating systems, all installed software components will bex86 images that are running in compatibility mode.

VMware vCenter ServerThe vSphere Client is used to connect to a vCenter Server thatmanages the entire virtual datacenter, including any number of ESXor ESXi hosts. Virtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere version5.0 is supported with VMware vCenter Server 4.0 Update 1 or later.

Attempting to connect to a version of VMware vCenter Server earlierthan this results in changes to the vSphere Client that VSI does notsupport.

VMware ESX and ESXiVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere: Path Managementversion 5.0 is supported with VMware ESX and ESXi version 4.0Update 1 or later. Connection must be through the vCenter Server to

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access the Path Management wizard, since the Path Managementfeature leverages the vCenter task functionality. The PathManagement feature will be disabled when the vSphere Client isconnected directly to an ESX/ESXi host.

EMC PowerPath remote tools (optional)In order for the Path Management feature to work withPowerPath/VE, the PowerPath/VE remote tools must be installed onthe client where VSI is running. The Path Management featurerequires PowerPath/VE remote tools version 5.4 SP2 (also referred toas version 5.4.2). If the software is not installed, or an older version isinstalled, then the Path Management feature will continue tofunction, but the user will not be able to operate on PowerPathowned devices.When PowerPath/VE is installed on an ESX/ESXihost, VSI presents important multi-path details for a given device,such as the mutlipath policy employed, the number of active paths,the number of dead paths, and so on.

Note: For VSI to obtain and present PowerPath/VE multi-path details for theunderlying storage, the PowerPath remote tools for Windows package mustbe installed. VSI currently supports PowerPath Remote Tools version 5.4 SP2(also referred to as version 5.4.2) or later. If this software is not installed, VSIfeatures will still install successfully, but the PowerPath details will not beavailable. The Path Management feature is supported only when connectingto a vCenter Server. If the vSphere Client is connected directly to anESX/ESXi server, the Path Management feature will be disabled. The vCenteruser is required to have the Host.Cim.CimInteraction permission set.The vCenter Administrator role includes this permission by default.


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VSI Feature Installation

Invisible Body Tag

This chapter explains how to install, enable, disable, and uninstall theVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere plug-in features.Topics include:

◆ Installation overview......................................................................... 22◆ Installing VSI features ....................................................................... 23◆ Enabling Virtual Storage Integrator ................................................ 24◆ Disabling Virtual Storage Integrator............................................... 25◆ Uninstalling Virtual Storage Integrator .......................................... 26◆ Using VSI Feature Manager ............................................................. 27

VSI Feature Installation 21

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Installation overviewThis chapter describes how to install VSI for VMware vSphereversion 5.0 plug-in features, enable/disable the VSI plug-in, uninstallthe VSI for VMware vSphere version 5.0, and disable/uninstallseparate VSI features by using the Feature Manager.

Before you beginBefore you begin to install a VSI feature, read the followinginstallation requirements and considerations.

VSI for VMware vSphereVSI for VMware vSphere version 5.0 is a plug-in to VMware vCenterthat provides a single management interface used for managing EMCstorage within the vSphere environment. VSI features can be addedand removed from VSI independently, providing flexibility forcustomizing VSI user environments. Features install separately andcontain the complete VSI plug-in framework for using that feature.Features can be managed by using the VSI Feature Manager.

Install VMware vSphere ClientVMware vSphere Client version 4.0 Update 1 or later must beinstalled on the same host as VSI. VSI will not install if the VMwarevSphere Client is not already installed.



Installing VSI featuresAfter you have installed the VMware vSphere Client, you can installVSI for VMware vSphere features:

1. Download the desired VSI for VMware vSphere feature .zip filefrom the support link on the Powerlink® website at:

Home > Support > Software Downloads and Licensing >Downloads V > Virtual Storage Integrator

2. Unzip the file that you downloaded from Powerlink and run thesetup.exe file. The installation wizard copies all of the necessaryfiles.

Each feature installs separately and contains all of the necessarycomponents for that feature.

No configuration or input is required during the installation otherthan accepting the prompts to move forward with the install. Theinstallation directory cannot be changed due to the fact that thevSphere Client requires the plug-in files to be placed in a specificlocation.

UpgradingWhen VSI version 3.x or later is installed, you can upgrade thesoftware to a newer version by using the install wizard. The upgradeto version 5.3 will not retain any of the configuration options, but thelog files will be retained for Storage Viewer and the Solutions Enablerserver.

Note: For VSI PowerPath Management, you can upgrade from version 4.x orlater.

IMPORTANT!After upgrading VSI, it is possible that certain features will beremoved and must be reinstalled. For example, if you werepreviously using the SPM functionality and you installed the VSI5.3 Storage Viewer feature, you will lose the SPM functionality. Youwill need to install the VSI 5.0 SPM feature separately to restorethat functionality.

Installing VSI features 23

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Enabling Virtual Storage IntegratorTo enable the VSI plug-in:

1. Launch VMware vSphere Client and from the top menu selectPlugins > Manage Plugins. Locate the EMC Virtual StorageIntegrator in the list of available plug-ins. Right-click the EMCVirtual Storage Integrator listing and select Enabled. The statuswill change from Disabled to Enabled. The VSI loadsautomatically. This process does not require a restart of vSphereClient.

2. Select Close to exit the Plug-in Manager.



Disabling Virtual Storage IntegratorIf you no longer want to use the VSI plug-in, but do not want touninstall it, you can simply disable it:

1. To disable the plug-in, launch vSphere Client and from the topmenu select Plugins > Manage Plugins. Locate the EMC VirtualStorage Integrator in the list of available plug-ins. Right-click theEMC Virtual Storage Integrator listing and select Disable. Thestatus will change from Enabled to Disabled. This process doesnot require a restart of vSphere Client.

2. Select Close to exit the Plug-in Manager.

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Uninstalling Virtual Storage IntegratorVSI can be uninstalled by using the Windows Add or RemovePrograms utility. This will remove the VSI framework and the VSIfeature. Before uninstalling VSI, exit VMware vSphere Client in alluser sessions on the client host.

To uninstall VSI by using the Add or Remove Programs utility, followthese steps:

1. Open the Add or Remove Programs utility in the Control Panelby selecting Start > Settings > Control Panel.

2. When the list of currently installed programs loads, select EMCVirtual Storage Integrator for VMware vSphere.

Note: Using the Add/Remove Programs to uninstall the VSI plug-inremoves all installed VSI features at once. No individual selection ispossible.

3. Select Change/Remove and follow the dialogs presented.

Uninstalling a VSI featureThe VSI feature can be repaired or removed by running theinstaller.exe that was downloaded from the PowerLink website. If theremove option is selected, this will remove the VSI feature only. TheVSI framework remains installed and listed under Add/RemovePrograms.



Using VSI Feature ManagerAfter enabling the VSI plug-in, click the EMC VSI icon located in theSolutions and Applications menu to open the VSI home view. SelectFeature Manager from the Settings tree menu. Installed VSI featuresdisplay in a list. Figure 1 on page 27 shows an example.

The feature status automatically displays as enabled. To disable oruninstall a particular feature, use the right-click menu and selectDisable or Uninstall.

Disabled features remain fully installed and can be enabled for lateruse. Uninstalled features are permanently removed once the vSphereClient is closed and must be reinstalled separately.

To enable a disabled feature at a later time, use the Feature Managerright-click menu again and select Enable.

Figure 1 VSI Feature Manager

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3

Using VSI for vSphereClient

Invisible Body Tag

This chapter explains how to use the Virtual Storage Integrator forVMware vSphere plug-in feature software with the VMware vSphereClient interface. Topics include:

◆ Getting started with VSI.................................................................... 30◆ Path Management .............................................................................. 32

Using VSI for vSphere Client 29

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Using VSI for vSphere Client

Getting started with VSIUse the EMC VSI for VMware vSphere to connect to a vCenter Server.Open the VMware vSphere Client and from the Home menu, clickthe EMC VSI icon located in the Solutions and Applications menu toopen the VSI plug-in. Select Feature Manager from the Settings treemenu. All installed VSI features display in a list. Figure 2 on page 30shows an example with multiple features installed and enabled.“Using VSI Feature Manager” on page 27 provides information onusing Feature Manager to disable or uninstall features.

Figure 2 VSI plug-in features

◆ Settings — This panel provides access to the Feature Managerfunction, which can be used to manage the separate plug-infeatures. It also provides access to logging information for eachinstalled feature. “VSI logging” on page 40 provides informationfor using the VSI logging function.



◆ Features — With Storage Viewer installed, this panel lists all ofthe storage arrays and servers that VSI has knowledge of, andallows for the discovery of new arrays and the deletion ofpreviously discovered arrays.

Using the VMware vSphere Client interfaceThe VSI for vSphere Client provides context-sensitive storageinformation depending on the object that is selected from thenavigation tree located in the left-hand pane. If an ESX/ESXi host isselected from the left-hand pane, as shown in Figure 3 on page 31,information for the host displays in the right-hand pane. Differentinformation appears when a virtual machine is selected in theleft-hand pane.

Figure 3 Opening an ESX or ESXi host view

Getting started with VSI 31

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Path ManagementThe EMC Path Management feature menu is accessed from theright-click menu when an ESX Host or ESX Cluster is selected. SelectSet Multipathing Policy... to open the Path Management wizard, asshown in Figure 4 on page 32. The Path Management wizard aidsyou in selecting multipathing policies for classes of storage devices.

.

Figure 4 EMC Path Management feature menu

Figure 5 Set Multipathing Policy wizard



The Set Multipathing Policy page is the first in the wizard. It presentstwo distinct areas of control, one for VMware NMP and the other forEMC PowerPath/VE. Figure 5 on page 32 provides an example.

Note: If Powerpath/VE is not installed or unlicensed, then that portion of thescreen is not available.

Since NMP is always available with ESX Server, this portion of thepage should always be enabled. The PowerPath/VE portion of thepage is enabled only if all of the following PowerPath/VEcomponents are in place:

1. EMC PowerPath/VE must be installed on the ESX hosts inquestion. If not, a warning message will be posted and thisportion of the page will be disabled.

2. EMC PowerPath Remote Tools for Windows must be installed onthe client host (where vSphere Client is running). If not, awarning message will be posted and this portion of the page willbe disabled.

3. EMC PowerPath/VE must be licensed on the ESX hosts inquestion. If not, a warning message will be posted and thisportion of the page will be disabled.

Storage class selectionTo select the desired policy for the native multipathing owneddevices, use the drop-down box to select which storage classes toapply the multipathing changes to. When a specific storage class isselected, such as All Symmetrix Devices, a new drop-down boxappears in the next row so that additional storage classes can beselected. If a general storage class is selected, such as All EMCDevices, then only the one drop-down box will be needed.

For NMP, the following storage classes are available:

◆ All Devices

◆ All EMC Devices

◆ All Symmetrix Devices

◆ All CLARiiON Devices

◆ All VPLEX Devices

◆ All VNX Devices

Path Management 33

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For PowerPath/VE, the following storage classes are available:

◆ All Devices

◆ All EMC Devices

◆ All Symmetrix Devices

◆ All CLARiiON Devices

◆ All VPLEX Devices

◆ All VNX Devices

◆ All 3rd Party Devices

Multipathing policy selectionOnce a storage class is selected, the multipathing policy drop-downbox will be enabled for editing. It is possible to not change themultipathing policy even if a storage class is selected by using the DoNot Change option.

For NMP, the multipathing policy options will not change accordingto storage class, but will change according to the ESX Server.

Currently, with ESX Server 4.0 the NMP multipathing policy optionsare:

◆ Do Not Change

◆ Fixed

◆ Most Recently Used (MRU)

◆ Round Robin (RR)

With ESX Server 4.1, the NMP multipathing policy options are:

◆ Do Not Change

◆ Fixed

◆ Fixed with Array Preference



With ESX Server 5.0, the NMP multipathing policy options are:

◆ Do Not Change

◆ Fixed





Note: The functionality in the Fixed with Array Preference policy from ESX4.1 was rolled into the Fixed policy in ESX 5.0 and later.

For PowerPath/VE, the multipathing policy options depend on thestorage class that is selected.

For All Symmetrix Devices, the multipathing options are:

◆ Least Blocks (lb)

◆ Least I/O (li)

◆ Round Robin (rr)

◆ Symmetrix (Best Practices):

• The “Most Recently Used (MRU)” policy is not an option forSymmetrix devices, since the MRU policy goes against bestpractices.

• When setting the NMP policy to “Round Robin (RR)” forSymmetrix devices, VSI - Path Management skips thegatekeeper devices, since best practice dictates that those havea policy of “Fixed”. In this case, the gatekeeper device is anySymmetrix device under 10MB in capacity.

◆ Stream IO (si)

◆ Symmetrix Optimization (so)

For All CLARiiON Devices, the multipathing options are:


◆ Least I/O (li)


◆ Stream IO (si)

◆ CLARiiON Optimization (so)

For all other storage classes (that is, VPLEX, third-party, and so on),the multipathing options are:


◆ Least I/O (li)


◆ Stream IO (si)

◆ Adaptive (ad)

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Set Multipathing Policy Summary pageThis page summarizes the multipathing policy changes that will bemade. The vSphere object that is the context of the operation appears,as well as any policy changes for both PowerPath/VE and NMP.

When the Finish button is clicked, the multipathing policy changesexecute on a device-by-device basis. Each policy change for eachdevice represents a task in the vSphere Client Recent Tasks monitor.



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4

VSI Configuration

Invisible Body Tag

This chapter explains the configuration options available for VirtualStorage Integrator for VMware vSphere. Topic includes

◆ VSI logging.......................................................................................... 40

VSI Configuration 39

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VSI Configuration

VSI loggingVSI for vSphere Client provides a feature logging function forconfiguring log levels and storing logs. Select Logging from theSettings tree menu to display logging configuration options. Figure 6on page 40 shows an example. The various VSI log files are located ondisk at:

$APPDATA%\EMC\Virtual Storage Integrator\vSphere4\Logs

Figure 6 VSI Feature logging

Setting logging optionsThe General/Logging display provides the following options:

◆ Select a Log File from the Log Files drop-down box for thedesired VSI loaded feature.

◆ To view previous log files that are stored by date, clear the ActiveLogs Only checkbox. Select files by using the Log Filesdrop-down box.

◆ Click the File icon to open the Log files directory:


VSI Configuration

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\ApplicationData\EMC\Virtual Storage Integrator\vSphere4\Logs

◆ Click the Auto-Load icon to enable/disable auto-load. Whenenabled, a log file will be monitored and loaded into the viewer asit is modified.

◆ Click the Scroll Lock icon to enable/disable scroll lock. Whenenabled, the scroll lock feature causes the log viewer to notautomatically scroll to the bottom of the log file whenever it isappended.

◆ Click the Search log files icon to open the Find window tosearch log files for standard or regular expressions. Search canmatch case, whole word, or the start of a word.

◆ Select the Compress file icon to create a zip archive of the logfiles to save in another location.

◆ Log files can be set to one of several different log levels byselecting the Log Levels drop-down box:

• Off — No log entries will be written.

• Fatal — Only fatal errors will be written.

• Error — Only error messages will be written.

• Warn — Warning and error messages will be written.

• Info — All information including error and warning messageswill be written. This is the default value.

• Debug — Informative messages as well as errors andwarnings will be written for any general operations that occur.

VSI logging 41

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VSI Configuration
