EMC D-VXR-OE-23 - Dell VxRail Operate 2023

To temporarily remove a node with a specific serial number from the VxRail cluster, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Identify the Node with Serial Number "V0730040000000":

In the vSphere Client interface, navigate to the Hosts and Clusters view.

Expand the VxRail-DC and then the VxRail-Cluster.

Locate the Node:

Click on each host (e.g., vcluster730-esx01, vcluster730-esx02, vcluster730-esx03, vcluster730-esx04) and check the Summary tab to identify the node with the serial number V0730040000000.

The Summary tab provides details about the hardware, including the serial number.

Put the Node in Maintenance Mode:

Right-click on the identified node.

Select Maintenance Mode > Enter Maintenance Mode.

Select Ensure Accessibility and click OK.

Remove the Node from the Cluster:

Once the node is in maintenance mode, right-click the node again.

Select Remove from Inventory.

Confirm the action by clicking Yes or OK when prompted.

Verify the Node Removal:

Ensure that the node is no longer listed under the VxRail-Cluster.

Check the overall health and status of the cluster to confirm that it is functioning properly without the removed node.

To protect the vSAN storage against unauthorized access for both data on disk and in-flight, enable vSAN data-at-rest encryption and data-in-transit encryption. Follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to vSAN Cluster Settings:

In the left-hand navigation pane, expand VxRail-DC and select VxRail-Cluster.

Click on the Configure tab.

Enable vSAN Data-at-Rest Encryption:

Under the vSAN section, select Services.

Click on Data-at-Rest Encryption.

Click Edit to configure encryption settings.

Ensure that the Enable Data-at-Rest Encryption checkbox is selected.

Choose the vSphere Native Key Provider that has already been configured.

Click Apply to enable data-at-rest encryption.

Enable vSAN Data-in-Transit Encryption:

Under the same vSAN section, select Services.

Click on Data-in-Transit Encryption.

Click Edit to configure encryption settings.

Ensure that the Enable Data-in-Transit Encryption checkbox is selected.

Click Apply to enable data-in-transit encryption.

Verify Configuration:

Return to the vSAN > Services section.

Ensure that both Data-at-Rest Encryption and Data-in-Transit Encryption are enabled and show as active.

Verify that there are no error messages indicating configuration issues.

Steps using the Simulator:

Login to vSphere Client:

Open the simulator and navigate to the vSphere Client interface.

Log in using the credentials:

Username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Navigate to vSAN Settings:

In the vSphere Client interface, expand VxRail-DC and select VxRail-Cluster.

Click on the Configure tab on the right.

Enable Data-at-Rest Encryption:

Under vSAN, click Services.

Find Data-at-Rest Encryption and click Edit.

Check the box for Enable Data-at-Rest Encryption.

Select the vSphere Native Key Provider.

Click Apply.

Enable Data-in-Transit Encryption:

Still under vSAN > Services, find Data-in-Transit Encryption and click Edit.

Check the box for Enable Data-in-Transit Encryption.

Click Apply.

Verification:

Check the status of both encryption services under vSAN > Services to ensure they are enabled and operational.

To resolve the issue of health monitoring being disabled and enable the relevant service, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to VxRail Manager:

In the vSphere Client interface, expand VxRail-DC and then VxRail-Cluster.

Select VxRail Manager.

Access VxRail Health Monitoring Settings:

Click on the Configure tab.

Under VxRail, select Health.

Enable Health Monitoring:

Find the option for Health Monitoring.

If it is disabled, click Edit or the relevant button to enable it.

Ensure that Enable Health Monitoring is checked.

Click Apply or OK to save the changes.

Verify Health Monitoring Status:

Go back to the Summary tab or the appropriate section in VxRail Manager.

Verify that the health monitoring status is now enabled and shows as healthy.

Steps using the Simulator:

Login to vSphere Client:

Open the simulator and navigate to the vSphere Client interface.

Log in using the credentials:

Username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Navigate to VxRail Manager:

In the vSphere Client interface, expand VxRail-DC and then VxRail-Cluster.

Select VxRail Manager.

Enable Health Monitoring:

Click on the Configure tab.

Under VxRail, select Health.

Click Edit to modify the health settings.

Check the box for Enable Health Monitoring.

Click Apply or OK to save the changes.

Verify:

Go back to the Summary tab in VxRail Manager.

Ensure that the warning message about health monitoring being disabled is no longer present and that health monitoring is active.

To upgrade a VxRail cluster to the latest recommended version at a dark site (an environment without internet access), follow these steps:

Log in to VxRail Manager:

Open a web browser and navigate to the VxRail Manager URL.

Log in using the credentials:

Username: root

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Check Current Version and Compatibility:

Once logged in, navigate to the Dashboard to view the current version of VxRail.

Verify compatibility with the target upgrade version by reviewing the VxRail Release Notes or Upgrade Guide for your specific version.

Download Upgrade Bundle:

Since the site is dark, download the necessary upgrade bundle from Dell EMC’s support site using another system with internet access.

Save the upgrade bundle to a portable storage device (USB drive, external HDD, etc.).

Upload the Upgrade Bundle to VxRail Manager:

Connect the portable storage device to a local machine within the dark site.

In VxRail Manager, navigate to the Internet Upgrade section.

Select Local Upgrade and browse to the location of the upgrade bundle on your local machine.

Upload the upgrade bundle.

Perform the Upgrade:

After the bundle is uploaded, follow the on-screen prompts to begin the upgrade process.

The upgrade wizard will guide you through pre-upgrade checks, including verifying compatibility and ensuring cluster health.

Monitor the Upgrade Progress:

The upgrade process will take some time. Monitor the progress via the VxRail Manager interface.

Ensure there are no errors or issues reported during the upgrade.

Post-Upgrade Verification:

Once the upgrade is complete, verify that the VxRail Manager and vCenter report the new version correctly.

Check the health and status of the cluster to ensure all components are operational.

Steps using the Simulator:

Login to VxRail Manager:

Open the simulator and navigate to the VxRail Manager interface.

Use the provided credentials to log in:

Username: root

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Navigate to Upgrade Section:

In the VxRail Manager interface, click on Internet Upgrade or Software Upgrade.

Upload the Upgrade Bundle:

Select Local Upgrade.

Click Browse and select the upgrade bundle from your local machine.

Click Upload to start the upload process.

Initiate the Upgrade:

Once the upload is complete, follow the prompts to start the upgrade.

Confirm the pre-upgrade checks and proceed.

Monitor Upgrade Process:

Monitor the upgrade status in the VxRail Manager interface.

Wait for the upgrade to complete and ensure there are no issues.

Verify Upgrade Completion:

After the upgrade, verify the new version in the VxRail Manager dashboard.

Check the health status of the cluster to ensure everything is running smoothly.

To create the required vSAN storage policy in the vSphere Client for a VxRail stretched cluster, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to Storage Policies:

From the home screen, go to Policies and Profiles in the left-hand navigation pane.

Click on VM Storage Policies.

Create a New Storage Policy:

Click Create VM Storage Policy.

Enter the name as vSAN Stretched Cluster.

Click Next.

Configure Policy Rules:

In the Policy Structure section, choose Enable tag-based placement rules if needed.

Click Next.

Add vSAN Rules:

In the Storage Compatibility section, click Add rule and select vSAN.

Configure the following:

Primary level of failures to tolerate (PFTT): 1 failure - RAID 1 (Mirroring)

Secondary level of failures to tolerate (SFTT): 1 failure - RAID 1 (Mirroring)

Failures to Tolerate: 1

Provisioning type: Thick Provisioning

Ensure "Force Provisioning" is enabled. This allows the VM to be provisioned even if the current resources do not satisfy the policy.

Set Data Services:

Skip the Data Services section if not applicable.

Click Next.

Review and Finish:

Review the policy settings.

Click Finish to create the storage policy.

Apply the Storage Policy to VMs:

Navigate to the VMs section.

Select the VMs that need the new storage policy.

Right-click and select VM Policies > Edit VM Storage Policies.

Choose the vSAN Stretched Cluster policy for the applicable disks.

To prepare the system for maintenance mode and avoid unnecessary vSAN re-synchronization, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to the Host:

In the vSphere Client interface, navigate to Hosts and Clusters.

Expand the VxRail-DC and then the VxRail-Cluster.

Select the Host for Maintenance:

Select the host you plan to put into maintenance mode (e.g., vcluster730-esx01.edu.local, vcluster730-esx02.edu.local, etc.).

Enter Maintenance Mode:

Right-click on the selected host and select Enter Maintenance Mode.

In the Enter Maintenance Mode window, you will have several options for vSAN data migration. To avoid unnecessary re-synchronization, choose Ensure Accessibility.

Ensure Accessibility: This option makes sure that the data remains accessible during maintenance but does not immediately trigger full data migration. It is the best choice to avoid unnecessary re-synchronization during a short maintenance window.

Confirm Maintenance Mode:

Click OK to confirm the selection and put the host into maintenance mode.

Verify the Host Status:

Monitor the status to ensure the host enters maintenance mode without triggering excessive re-synchronization.

Before the VxRail Market can be accessed via the VxRail Plugin, an active Dell Technologies support account must be linked to VxRail Manager. This linkage is necessary to verify entitlements and ensure that the user has access to the latest updates, support resources, and additional software available through the VxRail Market.

To calculate the additional vSAN capacity consumed when a 100 GB VM is vMotioned from Cluster-A to Cluster-B, consider the following:

Cluster-A: FTT = 2 and FTM = Erasure Coding (RAID 6), which uses approximately 1.5 times the data size, thus 100 GB VM uses about 150 GB of vSAN capacity.

Cluster-B: FTT = 2 and FTM = Mirroring (RAID 1), which uses 3 times the data size, thus 100 GB VM uses 300 GB of vSAN capacity.

The difference in vSAN capacity consumed between Cluster-B and Cluster-A is: 300 GB (Cluster-B) - 150 GB (Cluster-A) = 150 GB

So, Cluster-B consumes 150 GB more vSAN capacity than Cluster-A.

The maximum number of remote vSAN data stores a client cluster can mount using vSAN HCI Mesh is 6. VMware vSAN HCI Mesh allows for the mounting of remote vSAN datastores to provide flexible storage solutions and scalability. This feature enables multiple clusters to share storage resources efficiently.

References:

VMware vSAN HCI Mesh Documentation

Dell VxRail Technical Guide