Chapter 1. Automatic Support and Smart Call Home for HyperFlex

This chapter provides information on automatic support and Smart Call Home for Cisco HyperFlex systems.

- Auto Support and Smart Call Home for HyperFlex

Auto Support and Smart Call Home for HyperFlex

You can configure the HX storage cluster to send automated email notifications regarding documented events. You can use the data collected in the notifications to help troubleshoot issues in your HX storage cluster.

Note

Auto Support (ASUP) and Smart Call Home (SCH) support the use of a proxy server. You can enable the use of a proxy server and configure proxy settings for both using HX Connect.

Auto Support (ASUP)

Auto Support is the alert notification service provided through HX Data Platform. If you enable Auto Support, notifications are sent from HX Data Platform to designated email addresses or email aliases that you want to receive the notifications. Typically, Auto Support is configured during HX storage cluster creation by configuring the SMTP mail server and adding email recipients.

Note

Only unauthenticated SMTP is supported for ASUP.

If the Enable Auto Support check box was not selected during configuration, Auto Support can be enabled post-cluster creation using the following methods:

Post-Cluster ASUP Configuration Method

Associated Topic

HX Connect user interface

Configuring Auto Support Using HX Connect

Command Line Interface (CLI)

Configuring Notification Settings Using CLI

REST APIs

Cisco HyperFlex Support REST APIs on Cisco DevNet.

Auto Support can also be used to connect your HX storage cluster to monitoring tools.

Smart Call Home (SCH)

Smart Call Home is an automated support capability that monitors your HX storage clusters and then flags issues and initiates resolution before your business operations are affected. This results in higher network availability and increased operational efficiency.

Call Home is a product feature embedded in the operating system of Cisco devices that detects and notifies the user of a variety of fault conditions and critical system events. Smart Call Home adds automation and convenience features to enhance basic Call Home functionality. After Smart Call Home is enabled, Call Home messages/alerts are sent to Smart Call Home.

Smart Call Home is included with many Cisco service contracts and includes:

- Automated, around-the-clock device monitoring, proactive diagnostics, real-time email alerts, service ticket notifications, and remediation recommendations.

- Proactive messaging sent to your designated contacts by capturing and processing Call Home diagnostics and inventory alarms. These email messages contain links to the Smart Call Home portal and the TAC case if one was automatically created.

- Expedited support from the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). With Smart Call Home, if an alert is critical enough, a TAC case is automatically generated and routed to the appropriate support team through https, with debug and other CLI output attached.

- Customized status reports and performance analysis.

- Web-based access to all Call Home messages, diagnostics, and recommendations for remediation in one place; TAC case status; and up-to-date inventory and configuration information for all Call Home devices.

To ensure automatic communication among your HX storage cluster, you, and Support, see Configuring Smart Call Home for Data Collection.

Chapter 2. Configuring Automatic Support and Smart Call Home for HyperFlex

This chapter provides information on automatic support and Smart Call Home for Cisco HyperFlex systems.

- Configuring Auto Support Using HX Connect

- Configuring Notification Settings Using CLI

Configuring Auto Support Using HX Connect

Typically, Auto Support (ASUP) is configured during HX storage cluster creation. If it was not, you can enable it post cluster creation using the HX Connect user interface.

Procedure

Step 1

Log into HX Connect.

Step 2

In the banner, click Edit settings (gear icon) > Auto Support Settings and fill in the following fields.

UI Element

Essential Information

Enable Auto Support (Recommended) check box

Configures Call home for this HX storage cluster by enabling:

- Data delivery to Cisco TAC for analysis.

- Notifications from Support as part of proactive support.

Send service ticket notifications to field

Enter the email address that you want to receive the notifications.

Terms and Conditions check box

End user usage agreement. The check box must be checked to use the Auto-Support feature.

Use Proxy Server check box

- Web Proxy Server url

- Port

- Username

- Password

Step 3

Click OK.

Step 4

In the banner, click Edit settings (gear icon) > Notifications Settings and fill in the following fields.

UI Element

Essential Information

Send email notifications for alarms check box

If checked, fill in the following fields:

- Mail Server Address

- From Address—Enter the email address used to identify your HX storage cluster in Support service tickets, and as the sender for Auto Support notifications. Support information is currently not sent to this email address.

- Recipient List (Comma separated)

Step 5

Click OK.

Configuring Notification Settings Using CLI

Use the following procedure to configure and verify that you are set up to receive alarm notifications from your HX storage cluster.

Note

Only unauthenticated SMTP is supported for ASUP.

Procedure

Step 1

Log into a storage controller VM in your HX storage cluster using ssh.

Step 2

Configure the SMTP mail server, then verify the configuration.

Email address used by the SMTP mail server to send email notifications to designated recipients.

Syntax: stcli services smtp set [-h] --smtp SMTPSERVER --fromaddress FROMADDRESS

Example:

# stcli services smtp set --smtp mailhost.eng.mycompany.com --fromaddress smtpnotice@mycompany.com
# stcli services smtp show

Step 3

Enable ASUP notifications.

# stcli services asup enable

Step 4

Add recipient email addresses, then verify the configuration.

List of email addresses or email aliases to receive email notifications. Separate multiple emails with a space.

Syntax: stcli services asup recipients add --recipients RECIPIENTS

Example:

# stcli services asup recipients add --recipients user1@mycompany.com user2@mycompany.com
# stcli services asup show

Step 5

From the controller VM that owns the eth1:0 IP address for the HX storage cluster, send a test ASUP notification to your email.

# sendasup -t

To determine the node that owns the eth1:0 IP address, log into each storage controller VM in your HX storage cluster using ssh and run the ifconfig command. Running the sendasup command from any other node does not return any output and tests are not received by recipients.

Step 6

Configure your email server to allow email to be sent from the IP address of all the storage controller VMs.

Chapter 3. Configuring HX Smart Call Home Data Collection

This chapter provides information on how to configure Smart Call Home data collection for Cisco HyperFlex systems.

- Configuring Smart Call Home for Data Collection

Configuring Smart Call Home for Data Collection

Data collection is enabled by default but, you can opt-out (disable) during installation. You can also enable data collection post cluster creation. During an upgrade, Smart Call Home enablement is determined by your legacy configuration. For example, if stcli services asup show as enabled, Smart Call Home is enabled on upgrade.

Data collection about your HX storage cluster is forwarded to Cisco TAC through https. If you have a firewall installed, configuring a proxy server for Smart Call Home is completed after cluster creation.

Note

Smart Call Home does not support the use of a proxy server in deployments where outgoing connections from an HX cluster require to go through a proxy server.

Note

In HyperFlex Data Platform release 2.5(1.a), Smart Call Home Service Request (SR) generation does not use a proxy server.

Using Smart Call Home requires the following:

- A Cisco.com ID associated with a corresponding Cisco Unified Computing Support Service or Cisco Unified Computing Mission Critical Support Service contract for your company.

- Cisco Unified Computing Support Service or Cisco Unified Computing Mission Critical Support Service for the device to be registered.

Procedure

Step 1

Log into a storage controller VM in your HX storage cluster.

Step 2

Register your HX storage cluster with Support.

Registering your HX storage cluster adds identification to the collected data and automatically enables Smart Call Home. To register your HX storage cluster, you need to specify an email address. After registration, this email address receives support notifications whenever there is an issue and a TAC service request is generated.

Syntax:

stcli services sch set [-h] --email EMAILADDRESS

Example:

# stcli services sch set --email name@company.com

Step 3

Verify data flow from your HX storage cluster to Support is operational.

Operational data flow ensures that pertinent information is readily available to help Support troubleshoot any issues that might arise.

Note

Contact TAC to verify connectivity.

# asupcli [--all] ping

--all option runs the commands on all the nodes in the HX cluster.

Step 4

(Optional) Configure a proxy server to enable Smart Call Home access through port 443.

If your HX storage cluster is behind a firewall, after cluster creation, you must configure the Smart Call Home proxy server. Support collects data at the url: https://diag.hyperflex.io:443 endpoint.

1. Clear any existing registration email and proxy settings.

# stcli services sch clear

2. Set the proxy and registration email.

Syntax:

stcli services sch set [-h] --email EMAILADDRESS [--proxy-url PROXYURL] [--proxy-port PROXYPORT] [--proxy-user PROXYUSER] [--portal-url PORTALURL] [--enable-proxy ENABLEPROXY]

Syntax Description

Option

Required or Optional

Description

--email EMAILADDRESS

Required.

Add an email address for someone to receive email from Cisco support. Recommendation is to use a distribution list or alias.

--enable-proxy ENABLEPROXY

Optional.

Explicitly enable or disable use of proxy.

--portal-url PORTALURL

Optional.

Specify an alternative Smart Call Home portal URL, if applicable.

--proxy-url PROXYURL

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy URL, if applicable.

--proxy-port PROXYPORT

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy port, if applicable.

--proxy-user PROXYUSER

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy user, if applicable.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy password, when prompted.

Example:

# stcli services sch set
--email name@company.com
--proxy-url www.company.com
--proxy-port 443
--proxy-user admin
--proxy-password adminpassword

3. Ping to verify the proxy server is working and data can flow from your HX storage cluster to the Support location.

Note

Contact TAC to verify connectivity.

# asupcli [--all] ping

--all option runs the command on all the nodes in the HX cluster.

Step 5

Verify Smart Call Home is enabled.

When Smart Call Home configuration is set, it is automatically enabled.

# stcli services sch show

Step 6

Enable Auto Support (ASUP) notifications.

Typically, Auto Support (ASUP) is configured during HX storage cluster creation. If it was not, you can enable it post cluster creation using HX Connect or CLI.

If Smart Call Home is disabled, enable it manually.

# stcli services sch enable

Chapter 4. HyperFlex Smart Call Home CLI Commands

This chapter provides reference information on the HyperFlex Smart Call Home CLI commands.

- stcli services sch Commands

- stcli services sch clear Command

- stcli services sch disable Command

- stcli services sch enable Command

- stcli services sch ping Command

- stcli services sch set Command

- stcli services sch show Command

stcli services sch Commands

This section lists and describes the Cisco Smart Call Home (SCH) commands. Smart call home provides continuous monitoring, proactive diagnostics, alerts, service ticket notifications, and remediation recommendations about the HX storage cluster to the designated ASUP customer contacts. It also provides a means to provide the information through HTTPS and a proxy server, if needed.

Note

If your HX storage cluster is behind a firewall, a proxy server is required for access.

The stcli services cli support both HTTP and HTTPS proxy.

stcli services sch [-h] {enable | disable | show | ping | clear | set}

Syntax Description

Option

Required or Optional

Description

clear

One of set required.

Clears the smart call home configuration.

disable

One of set required.

Disables smart call home.

enable

One of set required.

Enables smart call home.

ping

One of set required.

Pings the smart call home endpoint.

set

One of set required.

Commands for smart call home registration, including proxy server for HTTPS access

show

One of set required.

Shows the smart call home configuration.

Command Default

None. One option from the set is required.

Usage Guidelines

Accompany the stcli services sch command with one of the positional arguments enclosed in { } or optional arguments enclosed in [ ].

stcli services sch clear Command

Removes the smart call home email and proxy settings from the storage cluster configuration.

stcli services sch clear [-h]

Command Default

No additional options.

Usage Guidelines

Run the stcli services sch clear command to remove the smart call home notification email and proxy settings from storage cluster configuration.

# stcli services sch clear

stcli services sch disable Command

Disables HX smart call home.

stcli services sch disable [-h]

Command Default

No additional options.

Usage Guidelines

Run the stcli services sch disable command.

# stcli services sch disable

stcli services sch enable Command

Enables HX smart call home. See stcli services sch set to configure the notification email address.

stcli services sch enable [-h]

Command Default

No additional options.

Usage Guidelines

Run the stcli services sch enable command.

# stcli services sch enable

stcli services sch ping Command

Pings the Smart Call Home endpoint.

stcli services sch ping [-h]

Command Default

No options.

Usage Guidelines

Run the stcli services sch ping command.

This example shows:

# stcli services sch ping

ping to callhome endpoint was successful

stcli services sch set Command

Configures the smart call home service required contact and proxy server.

Important

Please enter password when prompted.

The stcli services cli support both HTTP and HTTPS proxy.

stcli services sch set [-h] --email EMAILADDRESS [--proxy-url PROXYURL] [--proxy-port PROXYPORT] [--proxy-user PROXYUSER] [--portal-url PORTALURL] [--enable-proxy ENABLEPROXY]

Syntax Description

Option

Required or Optional

Description

--email EMAILADDRESS

Required.

Add an email address for someone to receive email from Cisco support. Recommendation is to use a distribution list or alias.

--enable-proxy ENABLEPROXY

Optional.

Explicitly enable or disable use of proxy.

--portal-url PORTALURL

Optional.

Specify an alternative Smart Call Home portal URL, if applicable.

--proxy-url PROXYURL

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy URL, if applicable.

--proxy-port PROXYPORT

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy port, if applicable.

--proxy-user PROXYUSER

Optional.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy user, if applicable.

Specify the HTTP or HTTPS proxy password, when prompted.

Command Default

None. Email address is required. Proxy server is not configured by default.

Usage Guidelines

Accompany the stcli services sch set command with an email recipient address. Set the proxy server if your HX storage cluster is behind a firewall.

To use the smart call home service, ensure it is enabled. See the stcli services sch show and stcli services sch enable commands.

# stcli services sch set --email alias@mycompany.com

stcli services sch show Command

Shows the smart call home configuration, this includes configured notification email and proxy settings, and whether smart call home is enabled or disabled.

stcli services sch show [-h]

Command Default

No additional options available.

Usage Guidelines

Run the stcli services sch show command to list the applied smart call home settings.

This sample response indicates that smart call home is enabled, but the email addresses and proxy settings are not configured.

# stcli services sch show

proxyPort: 0
proxyUser:
enabled: True
proxyPassword:
cloudEnvironment: production
proxyUrl:
emailAddress:
portalUrl:
cloudAsupEndpoint: https://diag-hyperflex.io/

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