Cisco UCS Director EMC Symmetrix VMAX / VMAX3 Management Guide, Release 6.0

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Book Title

Cisco UCS Director EMC Symmetrix VMAX / VMAX3 Management Guide, Release 6.0

Chapter Title

Managing VMAX

Results

Updated:
September 9, 2016

Chapter: Managing VMAX

Managing VMAX

This chapter contains the following sections:

Summary of Steps

    Step 1   Add the EMC VMAX account(s).

    After adding your account, you have a populated inventory for all reports, including reports for masking views, thin pools, initiator groups, port groups, storage groups, and devices.

    Step 2   Manage the needed pools, groups, devices, and views:
    1. Create the thin pools.
    2. Create all devices: data devices, thin devices, regular devices, and meta devices.
    3. Create the initiator groups.
    4. Create the storage groups.
    5. Create the port groups.
    6. Associate Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST) policies with the storage groups.
    7. Add devices to the storage groups.
    8. Create the masking views.

    VMAX Management

    In a Cisco UCS Director EMC VMAX account, you manage the following pools, groups, devices, and views:

    • Thin pools—Create or delete, expand, bind or unbind, and view details

    • Devices—data devices, thin devices, regular devices, BCV devices, and meta devices

    • Initiator groups—Create or delete, rename, add or remove initiator, replace initiator, set override flags, and view details

    • Storage groups—Create or delete, rename, add or remove device, associate/disassociate FAST policy, and view details

    • Port groups—Create or delete, rename, add or remove port, and view details

    • Masking views—Create or delete, rename, and view details

    Thin Pools

    A new thin pool requires a unique name.

    The buttons on the Thin Pools tab provide the following actions:
    Button Name Description

    Create

    Creates a thin pool.

    Expand

    Expands a thin pool.

    Bind

    Binds a thin pool.

    Unbind

    Unbinds a thin pool.

    View Details

    Views detailed reports on a thin pool.

    Delete

    Deletes a thin pool.

    Creating A Thin Pool

    An EMC VMAX thin pool is a collection of data devices that provide storage capacity for thin devices.

      Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
      Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX data center.
      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
      Step 4   Click the Thin Pools tab.
      Step 5   Click Create.
      Step 6   In the Create Thin Pool dialog box, enter a name in the Thin Pool Name field.
      Step 7   Click Submit.

      Bind a Thin Pool

        Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
        Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX data center.
        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
        Step 4   Click the Thin Pools tab.
        Step 5   Click Bind.
        Step 6   In the Bind Symmetrix Device dialog box, do the following:
        Step 7  
        Name Description

        Select Thin Devices select list

        Select thin devices from the pop up. Use the check box to the left.

        Pre Allocate All check box

        Pre-allocates all thin devices.

        Capacity Type field

        Select the capacity unit in GB, MB, or Cylinder.

        Note    Only visible if Pre Allocate All is not checked.

        Pre Allocate Size field

        The pre-allocation size in GB, MB, or Cylinders.

        Note    Only visible if Pre Allocate All is not checked.
        Note    The Pre Allocate Size option is not available for Symmetric CLI version 8.0, it is only available for version 7.6.1.0.
        Step 8   Click Submit.

        Unbind a Thin Pool

          Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
          Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX data center.
          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
          Step 4   Click the Thin Pools tab.
          Step 5   Click UnBind.
          Step 6   In the UnBind Thin Device from Thin Pool dialog box, do the following:
          Step 7  
          Name Description

          Select Thin Devices select list

          Select thin devices from the pop up. Use the check box to the left.

          Force check box

          Forces unbinding of selected thin devices.

          Step 8   Click Submit.

          Thin Devices

          The maximum size of a VMAX thin device (TDEV) is approximately 240 GB.


          Note

          If you want to create a TDEV greater than this size, combine TDEVs to form a meta device. Each TDEV can be part of only one meta device.

          The buttons on the Thin Devices tab provide the following actions:
          Button Name Description

          Create

          Creates a thin device.

          Delete

          Deletes a thin device.

          View Details

          Views detailed reports on a thin device.

          There is no rename action for a TDEV. The device name is unique and remains the same even if the TDEV becomes a meta device and vice versa.

          Creating a Thin Device

            Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
            Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
            Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
            Step 4   Click the Thin Devices tab.
            Step 5   Click Create.
            Step 6   In the Create Thin Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
            Step 7  
            Name Description

            Device Count field

            The thin device count.

            Emulation drop-down list

            Choose the emulation type for the thin device.

            Capacity Type field

            Select GB, MB, or cylinder.

            Capacity field

            Number of GB, MB, or Cylinders.

            Step 8   Click Submit.
            What to Do Next

            You can select a device and click View Details to see the drill-down report.

            BCV Devices

            The buttons on the BCV Devices tab provide the following actions:
            Button Name Description

            Create

            Creates a BCV device.

            Delete

            Deletes a BCV device.

            Creating a BCV Device

              Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
              Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
              Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
              Step 4   Click the BCV Devices tab.
              Step 5   Click Create.
              Step 6   In the Create BCV Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
              Step 7  
              Name Description

              Device Count field

              The BCV device count.

              Emulation drop-down list

              Choose the emulation type for the BCV device.

              Configuration drop-down list

              Choose the configuration for the BCV device.

              Capacity Type field

              Select GB, MB, or cylinder.

              Capacity field

              Number of GB, MB, or Cylinders.

              Step 8   Click Submit.

              Data Devices

              The buttons on the Data Devices tab provide the following actions:
              Button Name Description

              Create

              Creates a data device. Note: This action applies to VMAX only.

              Delete

              Deletes a data device. Note: This action applies to VMAX only.

              View Details

              Views detailed reports on a data device. Note: This action applies to VMAX only.

              Creating a Data Device

                Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
                Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                Step 4   Click the Data Devices tab.
                Step 5   Click Create.
                Step 6   In the Create Data Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
                Step 7  
                Name Description

                Device Count field

                The data device count.

                Disk Group field

                The disk group name.

                Emulation drop-down list

                Choose the emulation type for the data device.

                Configuration field

                Choose the configuration for the data device.

                Capacity Type field

                Select the capacity unit in GB, MB, or Cylinder.

                Capacity field

                The capacity in GB, MB, or Cylinders.

                Step 8   Click Submit.
                What to Do Next

                You can select a device and click View Details to see the drill-down report.

                Regular Devices

                The maximum size of a VMAX regular device is approximately 240 GB.


                Note

                If you want to create a regular device greater than this size, combine regular devices to form a meta device. Each regular device can be part of only one meta device.

                The buttons on the Regular Devices tab provide the following actions:
                Button Name Description

                Create

                Creates a regular device.

                Delete

                Deletes a regular device.

                View Details

                Views detailed reports on a regular device.

                There is no rename action for a regular device. The device name is unique and remains the same even if the regular device becomes a meta device and vice versa.

                Creating a Regular Device

                  Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                  Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                  Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                  Step 4   Click the Regular Devices tab.
                  Step 5   Click Create.
                  Step 6   In the Create Regular Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
                  Step 7  
                  Name Description

                  Device Count field

                  The regular device count.

                  Disk Group select button

                  Select the Disk Group

                  Emulation drop-down list

                  Choose the emulation type for the regular device.

                  Configuration drop-down

                  Choose the configuration.

                  Capacity Type field

                  Select GB, MB, or cylinder.

                  Capacity

                  Number of GB, MB, or Cylinders.

                  Step 8   Click Submit.
                  What to Do Next

                  You can select a device and click View Details to see the drill-down report.

                  Meta Devices

                  A meta device enables you to aggregate thin devices or regular devices to increase the device size.

                  You can create a meta device with a thin device as the head and create other thin devices as members, or you can create a meta device with a regular device as the head and create other regular devices as members. The total meta device size is the combination of the head size and all the member device sizes.


                  Note

                  There is no delete action for a meta device. Removing the members from a meta device results in a thin device.

                  The buttons on the Meta Devices tab provides the following actions:
                  Button Name Description

                  Create Meta

                  Creates a new meta device.

                  Add Device to Meta

                  Adds a device to meta.

                  Remove Device from Meta

                  Removes a device from meta.

                  Dissolve

                  Disolves the selected meta.

                  View Details

                  Views detailed reports on a meta member device.

                  Creating a Meta Device

                    Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                    Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                    Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                    Step 4   Click the Meta Devices tab.
                    Step 5   Click Create Meta.
                    Step 6   In the Create Meta Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
                    Step 7  
                    Name Description

                    Select Device Type drop-down list

                    Click Select Thin Device, Regular Device, BCV+TDEV, or BCV+R.

                    Select Thin Device select button

                    Visible when Thin Device is selected. Select device from list.

                    Select Regular Device select button

                    Visible when Regular Device is selected. Select device from list.

                    Select BCV Thin Device select button

                    Visible when BCV+TDV is selected. Select device from list.

                    Select BCV Regular Device select button

                    Visible when BCV+R is selected. Select device from list.

                    Select Meta Type drop-down list

                    Select the meta type

                    Select Member Device(s) select button

                    Click Select.

                    In the Select dialog box, choose the device or devices by clicking in the associated check box, and click Select.

                    Step 8   In the Create Meta Device dialog box, click Submit.

                    Adding a Device to Meta

                      Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                      Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                      Step 4   Click the Meta Devices tab.
                      Step 5   Choose a device from the Device Name column.
                      Step 6   Click Add Device to Meta.
                      Step 7   In the Add Device to Meta dialog box, complete the following fields:
                      Step 8  
                      Name Description

                      Select Member Device(s) pop-up list

                      Choose a member device to be added to the meta device.

                      Step 9   Click Submit.

                      Removing a Meta Device

                        Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                        Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                        Step 4   Click the Meta Devices tab.
                        Step 5   Choose a device from the Device Name column.
                        Step 6   Click Remove Device from Meta.
                        Step 7   In the Remove Device from Meta dialog box, complete the following fields:
                        Step 8  
                        Name Description

                        Select Member Device(s) drop-down list

                        Choose a member device to be removed from the meta device.

                        Step 9   Click Submit.

                        Dissolving a Meta Device

                          Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                          Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose the VMAX system.
                          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                          Step 4   Click the Meta Devices tab.
                          Step 5   Choose a device from the Device Name column.
                          Step 6   Click Dissolve.
                          Step 7   Click Submit to dissolve the meta device.

                          Meta Member Devices

                          A meta member device (also referred to as a Meta LUN) is a LUN that is composed of several elements (LUNs). Meta member devices are similar to private LUNs. A meta member device is used by the system and is not available directly to any host. For example, you cannot place a meta member device into a storage group. There are two types of meta member devices:

                          • Concatenated Meta LUN—Creates a larger LUN from smaller LUNs and when performance is not a high priority.

                          • Striped Meta LUN—Creates a higher performance LUN (for example, when working with a large file system for a database).

                            Note
                            The Add Member to Meta dialog box is modified to include two additional inputs if the selected meta head configuration is striped.
                            1. Protect - Check Box
                            2. BCV Device - Tabular popup with list of available BCV devices

                          Adding a Device to Meta (Striped Configuration)

                            Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                            Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX system.
                            Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                            Step 4   Click the Meta Devices tab.
                            Step 5   Choose a device from the Device Name column.
                            Step 6   Click Add Device to Meta.
                            Step 7   In the Add Device to Meta dialog box, complete the following fields:
                            Step 8  
                            Name Description

                            Select Member Device(s) pop-up list

                            Choose a member device(s) to be added to the meta device.

                            Protect Data check box

                            If the Protect Data option is enabled, select the BCV Meta device from the tabular pop-up.

                            Select BCV Meta Device pop-up list

                            Select a BCV Meta device head node from the tabular pop-up.

                            Step 9   Click Submit.

                            Initiator Groups

                            A VMAX initiator group is a collection of host bus adapters (HBAs) that work together. Initiator groups that contain other initiator groups are considered cascaded initiator groups.

                            You can add, replace, or remove host initiators for an initiator group.

                            A new initiator group requires the following parameters:

                            • Initiator group type

                            • Initiator group name

                            • Initiator type

                            • Initiator name

                            • Consistent LUN (on/off)

                            The buttons on the Initiator Groups tab provide the following actions:
                            Button Name Description

                            Create

                            Creates an initiator group.

                            Rename

                            Renames an initiator group.

                            Delete

                            Deletes an initiator group.

                            Add Initiator

                            Adds a host initiator.

                            Replace Initiator

                            Replaces a host initiator.

                            Remove Initiator

                            Removes a host initiator.

                            Override Flags

                            Overrides flags for volume set addressing, common serial numbers, disabling Q rest on UA, SPC2 protocol versions, environment set, AS400s, avoid reset broadcast, opening VMS, SSCI support1, and SCS13.

                            View Details

                            Views detailed reports on an initiator group.

                            Creating an Initiator Group

                              Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                              Step 2   Choose the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                              Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                              Step 4   Click the Initiator Group tab.
                              Step 5   Click Create.
                              Step 6   In the Create Initiator Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                              Step 7  
                              Name Description

                              Initiator Group Type drop-down list

                              Choose Standard or Cascaded. Standard is the default initiator group type.

                              If you chose Cascaded, continue to Step 10.

                              Initiator Group Name field

                              The initiator group name.

                              Initiator Type drop-down list

                              Choose iSCSI or FCP. iSCSI is the default initiator type.

                              Initiator Name field

                              The initiator name.

                              Consistent LUN check box

                              Check this check box if you want to use a consistent LUN. Unchecked is the default.

                              Step 8   For a cascaded initiator group, complete the following fields:
                              Name Description

                              Select Parent Initiator Group select button

                              Select a parent initiator group from the pop-up.

                              Select Child Initiator Group select button

                              Select child initiator group from the pop-up.

                              Step 9   Click Submit.

                              Storage Tiers

                              Tiered storage allows you to assign different categories of data to different types of storage media to reduce your total storage cost and maintenance.

                              The buttons on the Storage Tiers tab provides the following actions:
                              Button Name Description

                              Create

                              Creates a storage tier.

                              Modify

                              Modifies a storage tier.

                              Add Thin Pool

                              Adds a thin pool to a storage tier.

                              Remove Thin Pool

                              Removes a thin pool from a storage tier.

                              Add Disk Group

                              Adds a disk group to a storage tier.

                              Remove Disk Groups

                              Removes disk groups from a storage tier.

                              Rename

                              Renames a storage tier.

                              Delete

                              Deletes a storage tier.

                              View Details

                              Views the details of a storage tier.

                              Creating a Storage Tier

                                Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                Step 5   Click Create.
                                Step 6   In the Create Storage Tier dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                Name Description

                                Storage Tier Name field

                                Enter a name for the storage tier.

                                Storage Tier Type drop-down list

                                Choose Disk Group Provisioned or Virtual Provisioned.

                                Include Type drop-down list

                                Choose Static or Dynamic.

                                Configuration Type drop-down list

                                Choose RAID-1, RAID-5 (3+1), RAID-5 (7+1), RAID-6(6+2), or RAID-6(14+2).

                                Select Technology drop-down list

                                Choose EFD, FC, or SATA.

                                Select Disk Group pop-up

                                Choose a disk group from the list.

                                Bind to Thin Pool pop-up

                                Only available when Virtual Provisioned option is selected in Storage Tier Type. Select from list.

                                Externally Provisioned check box

                                Only available when Virtual Provisioned option is selected in Storage Tier Type.

                                Check box if an externally provisioned Storage Tier is needed.
                                Step 7   Click Submit.

                                Modifying a Storage Tier

                                  Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                  Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                  Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                  Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                  Step 5   Choose a storage tier.
                                  Step 6   Click Modify.
                                  Step 7   In the Modify Storage Tier dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                  Name Description

                                  Select Technology drop-down list

                                  Choose EFD, FC, or SATA.

                                  Step 8   Click Submit.

                                  Adding a Thin Pool

                                    Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                    Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                    Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                    Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                    Step 5   Choose a storage tier.
                                    Step 6   Click Add Thin Pool.
                                    Step 7   In the Add Thin Pool to Storage Tier dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                    Name Description

                                    Select Thin Pool pop-up

                                    Choose a thin pool.

                                    Step 8   Click Submit.

                                    Removing a Thin Pool

                                      Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                      Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                      Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                      Step 5   Choose a storage tier.
                                      Step 6   Click Remove Thin Pool.
                                      Step 7   In the Remove Thin Pool dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                      Name Description

                                      Select Thin Pool pop-up

                                      Choose a thin pool to remove from the storage tier.

                                      Step 8   Click Submit.

                                      Adding a Disk Group

                                        Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                        Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                        Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                        Step 5   Choose a storage tier.
                                        Step 6   Click Add Disk Group.
                                        Step 7   In the Add Disk Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                        Name Description

                                        Select Disk Group pop-up

                                        Choose a disk group to be added to the storage tier.

                                        Propogate check box

                                        If checked, propagates changes to all storage tiers.

                                        Step 8   Click Submit.

                                        Renaming a Storage Tier

                                          Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
                                          Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                          Step 4   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                          Step 5   Choose a storage tier.
                                          Step 6   Click Rename.
                                          Step 7   In the Rename Storage Tier dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                          Name Description

                                          Enter New Name field

                                          The new name of the storage tier.

                                             
                                          Step 8   Click Submit.

                                          Deleting a Storage Tier

                                            Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                            Step 2   Select the pod that contains the VMAX Solution Enabler account.
                                            Step 3   Select the VMAX account.
                                            Step 4   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                            Step 5   Click the Storage Tiers tab.
                                            Step 6   Choose a storage tier.
                                            Step 7   Click Delete.
                                            Step 8   In the Delete Storage Tier dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                            Name Description

                                            Force check box

                                            If checked, forces the deletion of the storage tier that has pools or disk groups.

                                            Step 9   Click Submit.

                                            Storage Groups

                                            A VMAX storage group is a collection of Symmetrix logical volumes that are used by an application, a server, or a collection of servers.

                                            Storage groups present storage to hosts and are also used for FAST policies.

                                            In ,Cisco UCS Director you can create VMAX storage groups that are either Empty or Cascaded. A cascaded group can be contained within a masking view to present storage resources to an entire cluster.

                                            The buttons on the Storage Groups tab provide the following actions:
                                            Button Name Description

                                            Create

                                            Creates a storage group. Note: For VMAX3, Create is modified to set the FAST setting while creating the storage group. This is applicable only for VMAX3. No impact on existing VMAX operation

                                            Delete

                                            Deletes a storage group.

                                            Rename

                                            Renames a selected storage group.

                                            Remove Device

                                            Removes a device from a storage group.

                                            Add Device

                                            Adds a new device to a selected storage group.

                                            Associate FAST Policy

                                            Associates a FAST policy with a selected storage group.

                                            Disassociate FAST Policy

                                            Disassociates a FAST policy from a selected storage group.

                                            Reassociate FAST Policy

                                            Reassociates a FAST policy to a selected storage group.

                                            Modify FAST Priority

                                            Modifies the storage group priority in a FAST Policy.

                                            Modify FAST Settings

                                            Modifies the FAST settings in a storage group. Note: VMAX3 Only

                                            View Details

                                            Views detailed reports on a storage group.

                                            Remove Storage Group

                                            Removes a Child Storage Group from a Parent Storage Group.

                                            Creating an Empty Storage Group

                                              Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                              Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                              Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                              Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                              Step 5   Click Create.
                                              Step 6   In the Create Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                              Name Description

                                              Storage Group Type drop-down list

                                              Choose the default option Empty Storage Group.

                                              Storage Group Name field

                                              The storage group name.

                                              Note    In addition to the previously mentioned fields, the following two fields are used in VMAX3.

                                              Storage Resource Pool

                                              Select FAST SRP to associate to storage group.

                                              Storage Level Objective

                                              Select SLO to associate to storage group.

                                              Step 7   Click Submit.

                                              Creating a Cascaded Storage Group

                                              A cascaded storage group can contain one or more child storage groups.
                                                Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                Step 5   Click Create.
                                                Step 6   In the Create Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                Name Description

                                                Storage Group Type drop-down list

                                                Choose Cascaded Storage Group.

                                                Select Parent Storage Group field

                                                The parent storage group.

                                                Child Storage Group field

                                                The child storage group.

                                                Step 7   Click Submit.
                                                What to Do Next

                                                Add devices and associate FAST policies to the storage group.

                                                Deleting a Storage Group

                                                  Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                  Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                  Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                  Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                  Step 5   Select a Storage Group and click Delete.
                                                  Step 6   In the Delete Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                  Name Description

                                                  Force check box

                                                  If checked, deletes the selected storage group even if it contains devices.

                                                  Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                  Renaming a Storage Group

                                                    Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                    Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                    Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                    Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                    Step 5   Select a Storage Group and click Rename.
                                                    Step 6   In the Rename Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                    Name Description

                                                    Enter New Name field

                                                    The new name of the storage group.

                                                    Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                    Removing a Device from a Storage Group

                                                      Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                                      Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                      Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                      Step 5   Select a Storage Group and click Remove Device.
                                                      Step 6   In the Remove Device dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                      Name Description

                                                      Select Devices pop-up

                                                      Choose a device to remove from the storage group.

                                                      Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                      Adding a Device to a Storage Group

                                                        Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                        Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                        Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                        Step 5   Select a Storage Group
                                                        Step 6   Click Add Device.
                                                        Step 7   In the Add Devices to Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                        Name Description

                                                        Device Type drop-down list

                                                        To add a VMAX device, choose either Thin Device or Regular Device.

                                                        To add a VMAX3 device, choose Thin Device. Note: The Regular device is not available for VMAX3.

                                                        Select Devices pop-up

                                                        Choose one or more devices to add to storage group.

                                                        Host LUN ID type in field

                                                        If the LUN ID is not specified, Host LUN ID is auto generated in HEXA.

                                                        Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                        Associating a FAST Policy to a Storage Group

                                                          Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                                          Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                          Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                          Step 5   Click a Storage Group and then clickAssociate FAST Policy.
                                                          Step 6   In the Associate FAST Policy to Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                          Name Description

                                                          Select FAST Policy pop-up

                                                          Choose a FAST policy to associate to a storage group.

                                                          Storage Group Priority field

                                                          The priority of the storage group. The range is from 1 to 3.

                                                          Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                          Disassociate a FAST Policy from a Storage Group

                                                            Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                                            Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                            Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                            Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                            Step 5   Click a Storage Group associated to a FAST Policy and then click Disassociate FAST Policy.
                                                            Step 6   Click Submit.

                                                            Reassociate a FAST Policy from a Storage Group

                                                              Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                                              Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                              Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                              Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                              Step 5   Click a Storage Group associated to a FAST Policy and then click Reassociate FAST Policy.
                                                              Step 6   In the Reassociate FAST Policy to Storage Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                              Name Description

                                                              Select FAST Policy pop-up

                                                              Choose a FAST policy to reassociate to a storage group.

                                                              Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                              Modifying a FAST Storage Group Priority

                                                                Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                                Step 5   Click a Storage Group associated to a FAST Policy and the click Modify Fast Priority.
                                                                Step 6   In the Modify FAST Storage Group Priority dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                Name Description

                                                                Storage Group Priority field

                                                                Enter the priority of the storage group. The valid range is from 1 to 3.

                                                                Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                Modifying FAST Settings

                                                                  Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                  Step 2   In the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                  Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX3 account.
                                                                  Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                                  Step 5   Click a Storage Group and the click Modify Fast Settings.
                                                                  Step 6   In the Modify FAST Settings dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                  Name Description

                                                                  Storage Resource Pool

                                                                  Select the SRP

                                                                  Service Level Objective

                                                                  Select the SLO.

                                                                  Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                  Removing a Storage Group

                                                                    Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage .
                                                                    Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                    Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                    Step 4   Click the Storage Groups tab.
                                                                    Step 5   Select a Storage Group and click Remove Storage Group.
                                                                    Step 6   In the Remove Child Storage from Parent Storage dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                    Name Description

                                                                    Child Storage Group pop-up

                                                                    Choose a child storage group to remove from the parent storage group.

                                                                    Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                    Port Groups

                                                                    A VMAX port group is a collection of front-end ports.

                                                                    The buttons on the Port Groups tab provide the following actions:
                                                                    Button Name Description

                                                                    Create

                                                                    Creates a new port group.

                                                                    Rename

                                                                    Renames a port group.

                                                                    Delete

                                                                    Deletes a port group.

                                                                    Add Port

                                                                    Adds a new port to a selected group.

                                                                    Remove Port

                                                                    Removes a port from a group.

                                                                    View Details

                                                                    Views detailed reports on a selected port group.

                                                                    Creating a Port Group

                                                                      Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                      Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                      Step 4   Click the Port Groups tab.
                                                                      Step 5   Click Create.
                                                                      Step 6   In the Create Port Group dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                      Name Description

                                                                      Port Group Name field

                                                                      The port group name.

                                                                      Select Port Group Name pop-up

                                                                      Select port(s) to be included in Port Group. Click Select.

                                                                      Continue to Step 9.

                                                                      Step 7   In the Select Items dialog box, select a director port for Port Group.
                                                                      Step 8   Click Select.
                                                                      Step 9   In the Create Port Group dialog box, click Submit.

                                                                      Masking Views

                                                                      VMAX designates three types of auto-provisioning groups: storage groups, port groups, and initiator groups. These three groups work together as a masking view.

                                                                      The masking view ensures that the target initiators in an initiator group can access the target storage resources in a storage group by means of the target ports in a port group.

                                                                      Masking views are also useful for making changes to how the storage is presented. Changes to groups that belong to a masking view, such as adding a device or port, are automatically reflected in the masking view.

                                                                      The buttons on the Masking Views tab provide the following actions:
                                                                      Button Name Description

                                                                      Create

                                                                      Creates a masking view.

                                                                      Rename

                                                                      Renames a masking view.

                                                                      View Details

                                                                      Views detailed reports on a masking view.

                                                                      Delete

                                                                      Deletes a masking view.

                                                                      Creating a Masking View

                                                                      Before You Begin

                                                                      You must create a storage group, initiator group, host LUN, and port group in the system.

                                                                      You must attach devices to the storage group.

                                                                        Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                        Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                        Step 4   Click the Masking Views tab.
                                                                        Step 5   Click Create.
                                                                        Step 6   In the Create Masking Views dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                        Name Description

                                                                        Masking View Name field

                                                                        The masking view name.

                                                                        Select Storage Group Name pop-up

                                                                        Choose the Storage Group.

                                                                        Host LUN ID field

                                                                        The host LUN ID.

                                                                        Note   

                                                                        If a LUN ID is not specified, the Host LUN ID is autogenerated.

                                                                        Select Initiator Group Name pop-up

                                                                        Choose the Initiator Group.

                                                                        Select Port Group Name pop-up

                                                                        Choose the Port Group.

                                                                        Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                        Fully Automated Storage Tiering Overview

                                                                        FAST automatically moves the data to high-performance storage tiers and moves the inactive data to low-cost, but high-capacity storage tiers. Policies dictate how the performance and cost are optimized while the automation of FAST means that your storage system has no added management constraints compared with slower and more expensive systems. A FAST system always monitors and identifies the current activity levels of your data and moves the active data and inactive data to the most appropriate storage tier (according to your policy).

                                                                        FAST Policies Overview

                                                                        A FAST policy is a set of tier usage rules that are applied to your storage groups. A FAST policy describes up to three tiers and assigns an upper usage limit for each tier. The usage limit specifies the maximum percentage of the storage group that the FAST controller can allocate to a particular tier. Policy settings allow you to control and manage automated activity.

                                                                        Creating a FAST Policy

                                                                          Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                          Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                          Step 4   Click the Fast Policies tab.
                                                                          Step 5   Click Create.
                                                                          Step 6   In the Create FAST Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                          Name Description

                                                                          Fast Policy Name field

                                                                          The FAST policy name.

                                                                          Storage Tier Name pop-up

                                                                          Choose a storage tier.

                                                                          Max Storage Group Capacity of Tier (%) field

                                                                          The upper limit of space allowed for a tier in a policy as a percentage of total storage group capacity. The valid range is from 1 to 100.

                                                                          Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                          Adding Storage Tiers

                                                                            Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                            Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                            Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                            Step 4   Click the FAST Policies tab.
                                                                            Step 5   Select a FAST Policy.
                                                                            Step 6   Click Add Storage Tiers.
                                                                            Step 7   In the Add Storage Tiers to Fast Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                            Name Description

                                                                            Select Storage Tier pop-up

                                                                            Choose a storage tier.

                                                                            Max Storage Group Capacity of Tier (%) field

                                                                            The upper limit of space allowed for a tier in a policy as a percentage of total storage group capacity. The valid range is from 1 to 100.

                                                                            Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                                            Removing Storage Tiers from a FAST Policy

                                                                              Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                              Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                              Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                              Step 4   Click the FAST Policies tab.
                                                                              Step 5   Select a FAST Policy.
                                                                              Step 6   Click Remove Storage Tiers.
                                                                              Step 7   In the Remove Storage Tiers From Fast Policy dialog box, select the following button:
                                                                              Name Description

                                                                              Select Storage Tier button

                                                                              Removes a storage tier from the FAST policy.

                                                                              Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                                              Modifying Storage Tiers

                                                                                Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                                Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                                Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                                Step 4   Click the FAST Policies tab.
                                                                                Step 5   Select a FAST Policy.
                                                                                Step 6   Click Modify Storage Tiers.
                                                                                Step 7   In the Modify Storeage Tiers in a Fast Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                                Name Description

                                                                                Select Storage Tier button

                                                                                Modifies a storage tier in a FAST policy.

                                                                                Max Storage Group Capacity of Tier (%) field

                                                                                The upper limit of space allowed for a tier in a policy as a percentage of total storage group capacity. The valid range is from 1 to 100.

                                                                                Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                                                Renaming a FAST Policy

                                                                                  Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                                  Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                                  Step 3   Click the Systems tab.
                                                                                  Step 4   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                                  Step 5   Select a FAST Policy.
                                                                                  Step 6   Click Rename.
                                                                                  Step 7   In the Rename FAST Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                                  Name Description

                                                                                  Enter New Fast Policy Name field

                                                                                  The new FAST policy name.

                                                                                  Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                                                  Deleting a FAST Policy

                                                                                    Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                                    Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose the VMAX pod.
                                                                                    Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                                    Step 4   Click the FAST Policies tab.
                                                                                    Step 5   Select a FAST Policy.
                                                                                    Step 6   Click Delete.
                                                                                    Step 7   In the Delete Fast Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                                    Name Description

                                                                                    Force check box

                                                                                    If checked, deletes any policy that contains storage tiers.

                                                                                    Step 8   Click Submit.

                                                                                    FAST Controller Overview

                                                                                    FAST can be configured to operate in AUTO_APPROVE mode, where Cisco UCS Director automatically executes data movements based on the defined policy. However, it can operate in USER_APPROVE mode, where all change plans recommended must be explicitly approved prior to being executed.

                                                                                    Modifying FAST Controller Settings

                                                                                      Step 1   Click Physical and choose Storage.
                                                                                      Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                                      Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                                      Step 4   Click the FAST Controller tab.
                                                                                      Step 5   Click Modify FAST Controller Setting.
                                                                                      Step 6   In the Modify FAST Controller Setting dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                                      Name Description

                                                                                      Data Movement Approval Mode drop-down list

                                                                                      Choose USER_APPROVE or AUTO APPROVE. USER APPROVE is the default selection.

                                                                                      Max Simultaneous Device Moves field

                                                                                      The number of maximum simultaneous device moves permitted. The valid range is 2 to 32.

                                                                                      Max Devices Moves Per Day field

                                                                                      The number of maximum simultaneous device moves permitted per day. The valid range is 2 to 200.

                                                                                      Min Initial Workload Period (hrs) field

                                                                                      The minimum initial workload period (in hours). The valid range is 2 to the current value.

                                                                                      Workload Analysis Period (hrs) field

                                                                                      The workload analysis period (in hours). The valid range is 2 to 672.

                                                                                      Swap Not Visible Devices drop-down list

                                                                                      Choose Enable or Disable to not swap visible devices.

                                                                                      Allow Only Swap drop-down list

                                                                                      Choose Enable or Disable the ability to swap only devices.

                                                                                      FAST VP Data Movement Mode drop-down list

                                                                                      Choose to enable or disable (None) the FAST VP Data Movement Mode. Auto is the default mode.

                                                                                      FAST VP Data Relocation Rate field

                                                                                      The FAST VP Data Relocation Rate value. The valid range is 1 to 10.

                                                                                      Thin Pool Reserved Capacity (%) field

                                                                                      The Thin Pool Reserved Capacity (%) ) value. The valid range is 1 to 80.

                                                                                      VP Allocation By FAST policy field

                                                                                      Choose the Thin Pool Reserved Capacity (%) value. The default value is Enabled.

                                                                                      FAST VP Time to Compress (Days) field

                                                                                      The FAST VP Time to Compress (Days) value. The valid range is from 40 to 400 days or never.

                                                                                      FAST VP Compression Rate field

                                                                                      The FAST VP Time to Compress (Days) value. The valid range is from 1 to 10.

                                                                                      Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                                      FAST Status Overview

                                                                                      The FAST Status tab allows to you modify the FAST state of your storage tiers by choosing either the Disk Group Provisioned option or the Virtual Group Provisioned option.

                                                                                      Modifying the FAST State

                                                                                        Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                                        Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                                        Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX account.
                                                                                        Step 4   Click the FAST Status tab.
                                                                                        Step 5   Click Modify FAST State.
                                                                                        Step 6   In the Modify VMAX FAST State dialog box, complete the following fields:
                                                                                        Name Description

                                                                                        FAST Type drop-down list

                                                                                        Choose FAST Type to change the state.

                                                                                        Enable check box

                                                                                        If checked, enables the FAST state.

                                                                                        Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                                        Renaming FAST SLO

                                                                                          Step 1   Choose Physical > Storage.
                                                                                          Step 2   On the Storage pane, choose a VMAX pod.
                                                                                          Step 3   In the Navigation pane, click the VMAX3 account.
                                                                                          Step 4   Click the FAST SLO tab.
                                                                                          Step 5   Click Rename.
                                                                                          Step 6   In the Rename FAST SLO Name dialog box, complete the following field:
                                                                                          Name Description

                                                                                          New SLO Name field

                                                                                          Type in a new SLO name.

                                                                                          Step 7   Click Submit.

                                                                                          VMAX Properties File

                                                                                          In earlier UCSD releases, when executing VMAX workflows, sometimes you will see the following error:

                                                                                          The SYMAPI database file is already locked by another process.

                                                                                          This happens when executing multiple Tasks/Actions concurrently.

                                                                                          To overcome this issue, you must resubmit the SR/action.

                                                                                          To reduce the user intervention in handling such scenarios, we have added logic to re-submit the task/action automatically. The new logic will resubmit the Task/Action the specified number of times.

                                                                                          These configurations can be configured in the vmax.properties file, available in the /opt/infra/inframgr folder.

                                                                                          The vmax.properties file consists of following parameters:

                                                                                          emc.vmax.retryMessages

                                                                                          This parameter sets the error messages. If this error message is captured for any of the Tasks/Actions, the same Tasks/Actions will be executed.

                                                                                          Default Error Message: The SYMAPI database file is already locked by another process

                                                                                          Note    More than one message can be added by separating with a comma as the delimiter.

                                                                                          emc.vmax.maxIterationCount

                                                                                          This parameter specifies the maximum number of attempts to be tried if the VMAX response contains the message specified in the property mentioned above.

                                                                                          Default value: 20

                                                                                          emc.vmax.sleepTime

                                                                                          This parameter sets the time (in ms) the retry operation waits before it connects to the VMAX device to execute the command.

                                                                                          Default value: 30000 ms (30 sec)

                                                                                          VMAX Sym Device Inventory Collection

                                                                                          UCSD collects the sym device inventory for every 500 devices. This also can be configured using vmax.properties file.

                                                                                          emc.vmax.inventory.symdev.count

                                                                                          If VMAX inventory is configured using multi node setup. This will be useful to reduce the inventory time if VMAX has a large number of sym devices.

                                                                                          Default value: 500

                                                                                          Editing the vmax.properties File

                                                                                          The procedure to edit the vmax.properties file is:

                                                                                            Step 1   Log in to the UCSD appliance using root credentials.
                                                                                            Step 2   cd /opt/infra/inframgr. This is to change the directory
                                                                                            Step 3   Type vi vmax.properties and enter.
                                                                                            Step 4   Change the desired property and save the file. The changes will be reflected immediately.

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