Dell 3i Server User Manual
Contents
1. April 2008 Rev A00 Contents Introduction sal Wae QR 2440 0nd hin derk n 2j 5 VMware ESX Server 3iFeatures 5 EaseofDeployment 220085 5 Integrated Management and Health Monitoring 6 Enhanced security A KK KII KK K K K K KI KI KI KI KK 6 Reduced Patch Management LL KK KII 6 Improved Reliability LA KII K K K K K KII IK 7 Rapid Deployment and Provisioning 7 Dell Supported Configurations 7 VMware Infrastructure Architecture 8 Diagram Components 000000 9 Dell Supported VMware Infrastructure 3 5 Configurations gt Az A xy nk week ee ha ed 11 Solution Deployment 4 12 First Boot Experience Simple Setup 12 Configuring the ESX Server 3iSoftware 15 Management Software Installation 17 Install Virtual Infrastructure Client VI Client 18 SolutionLicensing 000000008 20 Licensing Methods 200000 20 Serial Number Registration and Exchange 23 Image Recovery 0 0000 ce K K K K K KK 23 Appendix A Deployment Best Practices Check List 26 Contents Appendix B Enabling and Disabling the VMware ESX Server 3i Software LL LV SK K KI KII K K K K ee eee Appendix C Sample Step by Step Management Network Configuration2. Please consult the VMware ESX Server 3i Setup Guide for complete instructions for these backup and restore commands Solution Guide 37 Appendix F Troubleshooting This section will provide troubleshooting steps for typical issues Symptoms The VMware ESX 3i software will not boot e You receive a No OS found message on power on Resolution e Check the boot order The internal storage device may no longer be selected at the first boot device This can happen if the device has recently been removed due to failure To correct this a Boot the server press lt F2 gt when prompted in the upper right corner of the screen b Once in the setup menu scroll down to Boot Sequence press enter c Make sure Hard drive c is selected press Enter d Scroll down to Hard Disk Drive Sequence press Enter e Select Internal USB or SD Card press Enter and lt ESC gt Save your settings Symptom e You would like to remove the VMware ESX Server 3i data VMF S file system from your local volumes Resolution Consult the VMware ESX Server 31 Setup guide refer to the Configuring Storage Behavior section Symptom e You experience a purple or pink screen while booting or running your ESX Server 3i System Resolution e This is a sign of a serious misconfiguration or system error similar to a blue screen of death for a Windows system or a core dump
3. Solution Guide 25 Appendix A Deployment Best Practices Check List Use the following Dell deployment best practices checklist to aid the deployment of the VMware ESX Server ESX 3i software Rack if applicable and connect your PowerEdge server according to the server deployment guide With the server powered off Connect your ESX Server 3i management network to the first onboard network adapter Connect your Virtual Machine network to the second onboard network adapter Optional Connect your iSCSI based network connection to the third onboard network adapter if applicable For systems with only two onboard network adapters you will need to add a qualified network adapter to your server if your system was not purchased with one With the server powered on 26 Press lt F2 gt during boot to the bios setup screen Consult your system s manual for information specific to these settings e Enable the Virtualization Technology VT feature if available in the PowerEdge system VT feature is required to run 64 bit virtual machines on Intel platforms e Disable Demand Based Power Management feature if available in the PowerEdge Set the universal serial bus USB controller to USB on with BIOS Support if available in the PowerEdge system This enables support for USB devices both during and after the ESX Server boot process Set the ESX server 3i keyboard language Page 13 Set the ESX server 3i server passwo
4. on the screen see Figure 23 This will launch the DRAC configuration utility Select Virtual Media Configuration and press ENTER see Figure 24 Figure 23 Server POST Screen Figure 24 DRAC Configuration Screen 2 Toggle the settings so that they show Detached and Disabled Press ESC and select Save and Exit 34 Solution Guide Remote Access Configuration Utility Copyright 2086 Dell Inc ALL Rights Reserved 1 23 Baseboard Management Controller Revision Remote Access Controller Revision Build 66 61 11 Primary Backplane Firmware Revision IPMI Over LAN e e On NIC Selection Dedicated LAN Parameters Virtual Media Det lt ENTER gt Advanced LAN Par Virtual Flash Disable lt ENTER gt Virtual Media Co lt ENTER gt Smart Card Logon lt ENTER gt LAN User Configuration lt ENTER gt Reset To Default e lt ENTER gt Sustem Event Log Menu e lt ENTER gt Up Down Arrow to select SPACE to change K NOTE To re enable the virtual floppy and CD device use the following settings defaults e Virtual Media Attached e Virtual Flash Disabled Solution Guide 35 Appendix E Configuration Backup and Restore Procedures Dell recommends backing up your VMware ESX Server 3i configuration once your complete initial setup and on routinely on a schedule that fits your datacenter environment Backing up your configuration will capture the license code host serial number and will restore th
5. DRAC Internal Storage Up to two 2 5 SAS SATA disks Solution Guide 7 External Storage iSCSI based EqualLogic PS5000E PS5000X and PS5000VX PowerVault MD3000i and NX1950 PowerVault MD3000 direct attached VMotion not supported For full support details consult VMware s complete Hardware Compatibility List HCL at www vmware com resources guides html To ensure processor compatibility across several servers consult the Dell VMotion compatibility guide at www dell com vmware VMware Infrastructure Architecture VMware Infrastructure consists of the following components see Figure 1 8 Solution Guide Figure 1 VMware Infrastructure Components Using Dell PowerEdge Systems and Storage Systems VMware Infrastructure Client id License server PowerEdge System as v jana ESX Server hosts VirtualCenter H Server 7 VirtualCe Interconnect a Fabric Database Fabric rrr External Storage for Virtual Machines Diagram Components ESX Server allows multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on a single PowerEdge system VirtualCenter Server manages multiple ESX Servers and runs on Windows Server 2003 VirtualCenter is optional and is required for advanced management capabilities such as VMotion DRS and HA VirtualCenter Database stores all of the configuration data about a VMware Infrastructure It is recommended that you use a professional database
6. a simple progress bar is displayed Figure 4 VMware ESX Server 3i Loading Modules Loading UMware Hypervisor In the second phase the modules are expanded and executed from memory As they are loaded the module names briefly display on the screen Direct Console User Interface or DCUI Solution Guide 13 Figure 5 VMware ESX Server 3i Executing Modules UMuware ESX Server 3i 3 5 8 Dell Inc PowerEdge Starting UMware ESX Server 3i Loading module ipmi_msghandler Starting config script Once all ESX modules have expanded and executed the server is ready to begin servicing workloads as illustrated in Figure 6 If there is a DHCP server or DHCP proxy configured on your network subnet the ESX server displays the address acquired by the DHCP server Proceed to Management Software Installation on page 17 to install the Virtual Infrastructure Client If a warning is displayed see Figure 7 the ESX Server 3i host was unable to obtain an IP address from your DCHP server The next section explains how to configure this setting K NOTE By default ESX Server 3i does not have a password Dell strongly recommends setting a keyboard language and server password The next section provides information on configuring these settings Figure 6 VMware ESX Server 3i Running Figure 7 VMware ESX Server 3i Running with DHCP with DHCP no address is to mamaye this dost from walt tools to manage this host from tp Deion
7. gt 3 Select your keyboard language then press the lt ESC gt key several times to log out of the DCUI Password Configuration The DCUI supports the configuration of a password to control access to the ESX host settings Dell strongly recommends setting a password to ensure only authorized persons gain access to your ESX host Solution Guide 15 To set the password 1 After boot your server will show the main ESX Server 3i host screen see Figure 6 or Figure 7 From here press lt F2 gt to enter the main DCUI configuration screen see Figure 8 Figure 8 Main DCUI Configuration Screen Configure Root Password Configure Root Password Set lt Enter gt 2 Select Configure Root Password and then press Enter By default the old password field will be grayed out and the first new password field selected Enter the new password twice If the password is accepted you will be back to the main DCUI screen The new password is now set press lt ESC gt to logout Configure Test Reset of Management Network Services The VMware ESX Server 3i kernel supports IPv4 and IEEE 802 10 VLAN tagging for all management network connections configuration of these parameters including IP address gateway subnet mask host name and DNS servers happens through the DCUL Virtual machine network connections additionally support Pv6 All virtual machine network configuration is performed from the VMware management software VM
8. label corresponds with the numbering on the physical system starting at one 30 Solution Guide Figure 19 Network Adapter Selection Screen Network Adapters Embedded NIC 2 3 Press lt ESC gt to return to the main network configuration screen Figure 10 Set Host Name IP address Subnet Mask Default Gateway and VLAN ID 1 With the main management network screen displayed see Figure 10 scroll and select VLAN Optional 2 Enter your desired management VLAN ID If you know that you need to use a specific VLAN ID make sure your network connection uplink is not already tagging at the local switch Specifying a VLAN ID in the ESX software and at your network switch will lead to double VLAN ID tagging which typically leads to a loss of connectivity of your ESX server If you do not know your VLAN ID it is best to leave this field blank Once set press lt ESC gt to return to the main network configuration screen Solution Guide 31 Figure 20 Configure VLAN ID Setting Figure 21 Configure IP Settings Cont iyere Menagereet Netan rb Rotwork CLD 19 Cool iyeration IWS Conf igirat ime Coton IMS Self ines bbreun and eatanrk cew iguration ond netuee l configuration Crm 3 gt Select Speced Mark Selected Ester k Ese Cewe Upton Salse 3 Next from the main network configuration screen Figure 10 select IP Configuration 4 Scroll down to Set static IP address li
9. multiple serial numbers with different license administrators Image Recovery If your VMware ESX Server 3i software becomes non bootable due to a configuration or hardware error you will need to reimage the internal storage device with a new base image This process will restore your server to a bootable state but will not include the per system licensing activation information that originally shipped with your server though this may not be a concern if you are using centralized licensing and have already exchanged your host based license Dell support will be able to help you with the reimaging process and with any licensing issues Please contact Dell support via your typical support channels or via support dell com If you do require a new license from Dell support but need to have the server up and running as soon as possible you may take advantage of the onetime 60 day trial of all enterprise level features including HA and DRS as well as VirtualCenter Server Dell recommends requesting the license as soon as possible following an image recovery to ensure you have your new host based license before the 60 day period expires Typically this process will take much less than 60 days 1 Find the VMware ESX Server 3i Recovery CD that shipped with your system or download the latest version from support dell com as you would download other PowerEdge hardware updates 2 Burn the ISO image if needed place the CD in the internal or an extern
10. networks configuration from the DCUI is not supported 1 After boot the server will show the main ESX Server 3i host screen Figure 6 or Figure 7 From here press lt F2 gt to enter the main DCUI configuration screen see Figure 8 16 Solution Guide 2 Scroll down to Configure Management Network in the main DCUI customization screen see Figure 9 and press Enter to display the main Management network configuration screen see Figure 10 Figure 9 Network Summary Screen Figure 10 Main Network Configuration Screen Additional Setup Steps Dell recommends the following steps 1 Backup your configuration using the procedures outlined in Appendix E Configuration Backup and Restore Procedures Management Software Installation Beyond the basic configuration of management connectivity VMware requires a second Windows management station for configuration and day to day management The ESX 31 server can be managed by directly connecting the server through VMware Infrastructure Client or by adding the server to VMware VirtualCenter VMware VirtualCenter provides many to many management of more than one ESX server VMware Infrastructure Client is available free of charge with the ESX Server 3i and ESX Server 3 products VirtualCenter is available for purchase from Dell VMware has also included a 60 day trial version of VirtualCenter on the VMware ESX Server 3i Companion CD that shipped with your server Configuring
11. too hitp 172 17 13 213 CM 188 154 0 1 Maruaing DEP Tnakup Tel n You may le enable to access thie weten sul l yon ewlen ne Ite ma1arer k configurat ins lt F2 Cuntowize Syston 4F12 gt Stet Sowa Testart CFI Comtumion Syetow CFAR Shet PounsMesiart i 14 Solution Guide Configuring the ESX Server 3i Software The following section describes how to edit the ESX server host settings via the DCUI The DCUI can be used to e Configure keyboard language Set modify DCUI Password e Configure test reset Management Services Enable disable Lock Down Mode View Dell Support information View ESX system logs e Restart ESX Management Services e Reset customized settings Configure Keyboard Language The DCUI supports keyboard languages styles English default French German Japanese and Russian Dell strongly recommends setting the keyboard language before setting the ESX password Setting the password and then changing the keyboard language may result in loss of the ability to log in to the DCUI again If this should happen you may need to reimage your internal storage device further resulting in the loss of your settings Please contact Dell support if you find yourself in this situation To set the keyboard language 1 At the main ESX Server 3i host screen see Figure 6 or Figure 7 press lt F2 gt to enter the configuration screen 2 Scroll down to Configure Keyboard and then press lt Enter
12. AL LL LAV VII ZIK KII KII K K KI KI eee ee Appendix D Modifying Remote Access Console Virtual Media Status K K KI K K KI K K K K K KI Appendix E Configuration Backup and Restore Procedures Appendix F Troubleshooting Appendix G Related Documents Contents Introduction Dell PowerEdge servers enabled with VMware ESX Server 3i represent the next generation of servers designed specifically for virtualization Through its close partnership with VMware Dell is able to offer qualified VMware based virtualization solutions optimized for today s active data centers With its hardware like footprint VMware ESX Server 31 offers a standards based management solution designed for reduced deployment time centralized management and increased security When coupled with energy efficient Dell PowerEdge servers you can also take advantage of reduced power and cooling needs the latest in CPU technologies reduced server downtime and greater reliability This guide will help you understand the differences between ESX Server 31 and ESX Server 3 versions of VMware s Virtual Infrastructure 3 VI3 products as they are deployed on Dell servers how to deploy manage license and support your solution and Dell s deployment best practices A deployment best practices checklist is also provided see Appendix A Deployment Best Practices Check List on page 26
13. K NOTE Although this guide will help you use your ESX Server 3i enabled PowerEdge server you are also encouraged to review the information provided by VMware www vmware com VMware ESX Server 3i Features Ease of Deployment VMware ESX Server 3i is sold as an OEM product pre installed on Dell servers Because ESX Server 3i is pre installed your server can be deployed within minutes by simply connecting a keyboard monitor and mouse and by enabling basic Ethernet based connectivity for management traffic there is no need to configure local storage install ESX from CD or configure the server via the service console With server data center deployments often handled by several technicians and engineers through a formal deployment process eliminating these steps may save time and simplify IT deployment flows Solution Guide 5 Integrated Management and Health Monitoring Tightly integrated with the Dell PowerEdge platforms VMware ESX Server 31 uses the standards based Common Interface Model CIM to monitor graphically the PowerEdge server on which it is running and provide up to date system health information This information is available for one or more servers within the Virtual Infrastructure Client VI Client and includes the following data internal storage array physical and logical drive health and analog system parameters such as cooling fan speeds and system board ambient temperature readings The ESX Server 31 kern
14. VMware ESX Server 3i Dell Solution Guide DOLL Notes Notices and Cautions K NOTE A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer NOTICE A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem Information in this document is subject to change without notice 2008 Dell Inc All rights reserved Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc is strictly forbidden Trademarks used in this text Dell the DELL logo PowerVault and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc VMware ESX Server and VMotion are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware Inc in the United States and or other jurisdictions EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation AMD Opteron is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices Inc Microsoft Windows SQL Server and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and or its affiliates Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products Dell Inc disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own Portions of this document Copyrighted VMware Inc 2008
15. al CD DVD drive 3 Remove all USB based storage devices not present when you received the system Failure to do so could lead to an error during the image recovery process Solution Guide 23 4 Turn on the system and press lt F11 gt one time boot menu during the power on system test POST The system will display Entering Boot Menu in the upper right corner of the screen and continue with the POST process 5 Once finished with the initial boot you will see a text menu of all bootable storage devices K NOTE If you see any reference to Virtual Media in the list you must follow the procedure in Appendix D Modifying Remote Access Console Virtual Media Status to disable the Dell Remote Access Console DRAC virtual media devices or else you will receive an error during the image recovery process Select the optical device where your recovery CD is located For internal optical drives you will select the device listed in Figure 15 and press ENTER Figure 15 Server Boot Device Menu Figure 16 Recovery CD Loading 6 The recovery environment will start see Figure 16 You should expect a delay when the progress bar reaches the far right Once the recovery environment is completely loaded the system will be ready to begin the recovery process see Figure 17 Press ENTER twice to confirm that you want to reimage the internal storage device Remember this process will erase all configuration information fro
16. ation you must log into the server using the VI Client and or VirtualCenter The steps below will show you how to make changes Please consult the VMware ESX Server 3i documentation for VirtualCenter instructions 1 Install the VI Client as discussed in the Install Virtual Infrastructure Client VI Client section of this document 2 Log into your ESX Server 3i host click Configuration Licensed Features E click Edit in the top License Source section If you purchased the Standard or Enterprise version of ESX Server 31 enter the address of your license server on the Use Licensing Server line only if you have already recorded the existing host based license code as previously described If you have no already done so proceed to the next section to convert your host based license into a centralized licensing server license Consult VMware s documentation to set up your license server K NOTE You must use all licensing information in accordance with VMware s End User Licensing Agreement 22 Solution Guide Serial Number Registration and Exchange To access your software subscription services and or advanced VMware software features you must register the serial number of your ESX Server 3i server with VMware Registration must be completed within 30 days of purchase using VMware registration website www vmware com code dell If you have multiple serial numbers you can register all the codes to one license administrator or
17. certificate is not trusted and communication cannot be secured You receive this notification because your host does not have a public key from VMware Click Ignore to proceed past the warning optionally you may elect to always ignore this warning by clicking the Always Ignore check box Solution Guide 19 Solution Licensing Licensing Methods VMware ESX Server 3i offers four methods for licensing your host These methods provide the flexibility needed to serve large and small organizations as well as the capability to test drive the enterprise level features of ESX Server 31 for a limited period of time These methods are Evaluation Licensing When operating without a purchased license your system will have an evaluation license allowing 60 days of enterprise level feature usage At the end of the 60 day period the system will continue to function but the enterprise level features will disable allowing only basic one to one VI Client host management If you would like to continue using these features please contact Dell to purchase a license The procedure below will help you install your new license code once received Host based Licensing License Code Factory default As shipped from Dell your system will come pre activated with a license code entitling you to use the features entitled by the version you purchased This license will also allow you to try for 60 days the enterprise level features if you did
18. d gt s lt backup filename gt l lt backup filename gt The portnumber and protocol options are optional If you exclude them the defaults are port 443 and protocol HTTPS 36 Solution Guide If you do not specify a password in the command line you will be prompted for one when the command executes EX vicfg cfgbackup server 172 17 13 211 username root s backupdate dat If you are running the RCLI the backup file will be placed locally Restoring the Configuration of your ESX 3i Host To restore a host s configuration data 1 Power off any virtual machines that are running on the host you want to restore Optional Restore the host to the build number used when the backup file was created The backup process does not support restoring to later builds though this can be overridden this requirement by using the f option Use at your own risk On a host other than the one you want to restore start the RCLI log in Run the vicfg cfgbackup command with the l flag to load and restore the backup file to the host The portnumber and protocol options are optional If you exclude them the defaults are port 443 and protocol HTTPS If you do not specify a password in the command line you will be prompted for one when the command executes EX vicfg cfgbackup server 172 17 13 211 username root l backupdate dat Following a successful restore the system will reboot using the new configuration
19. eed to specify one or more DNS suffixes in the DNS suffixes section If you would like to specify a DNS suffix you may enter it using the last entry on this screen This should be blank if a FQDN was specified in the previous step With configuration complete press ENTER to save your settings Press lt ESC gt to exit the network setting screen and press Y to indicate that you understand saving your modified setting will require the management network to be restarted causing a momentary loss of connectivity to the management network only VM networks will not be affected Solution Guide 33 Appendix D Modifying Remote Access Console Virtual Media Status In order to recover the ESX 31 image the virtual media of the Dell Remote Access Controller must be disabled internal storage device must be the only USB based storage device present in the system If you purchased the Dell Remote Access Controller DRAC you will need to disable the virtual devices floppy and CD DVD presented to all operating systems by the DRAC If you receive a fatal error during recovery Figure 18 it is most likely because these devices are still active attached The following steps will show you how to disable these devices The process may be reversed to re enable these devices 1 Boot the server During POST press lt CTRL gt lt E gt when you see Remote Access Configuration Utility AND Press lt CTRL gt lt E gt for Remote Setup
20. el also supports SNMP alerting a widely adopted management protocol SNMP support allows you to integrate your PowerEdge systems into your existing management infrastructure In addition VMware s software is now able to take advantage of power monitoring capabilities offered by Dell PowerEdge servers You can monitor instantaneous power usage and input voltages as well as cumulative power max current and max power usage since last reset For more information about systems management with VMware ESX Server 3i on Dell PowerEdge servers and a comprehensive management guide greatly expanding on the architecture out of band management and baseboard management controller BMC capabilities of this solution please visit www dell com vmwate Enhanced security With a service console based on a hardened Linux distribution ESX Server software already helps provide a secure virtualization environment ESX Server 3i further enhances security by eliminating the service console altogether which simplifies the process of securing the IT infrastructure by reducing the number of open network ports and preventing other programs that can compromise security from being installed Reduced Patch Management Removal of the service console in ESX Server 3i simplifies patch management reducing VMware support costs simplifying IT processes and maintenance scheduling and improving host security 6 Solution Guide Improved Reliability Hard dr
21. elow 10 Determine the licensing mode that will best suit the deployment environment and design the licensing infrastructure accordingly Determine the type of storage local SCSI SAS SATA iSCSI or Fibre Channel SAN for hosting virtual machines that will best suit the deployment environment and design your storage infrastructure accordingly Determine the number of logical unit numbers LUNs size of the LUNs RAID level of the LUNs and the number of storage groups Determine the number of virtual machines that will run on the ESX Servers and their corresponding workloads Size the resource requirements for the virtual machines such as the microprocessor requirements memory size and networking For more information on general sizing and scaling studies see the documentation available on the Dell and VMware Alliance website at www dell com vmware gt Resources gt White Papers For articles on performance and sizing see the VMware documentation website at www vmware com support pubs Solution Guide e Gather the required network information such as IP addresses network masks and gateway addresses If you are using DRS or the HA feature determine the hosts that will be a part of such a cluster and allocate shared storage accordingly e Determine the appropriate networking configuration for management virtual machines and iSCSI optional Virtual local area networks VLANs can be used to efficiently isolate tra
22. ffic Dell Supported VMware Infrastructure 3 5 Configurations If you use Fibre Channel storage you can have a single Fibre Channel HBA connected to a Fibre Channel switch that in turn provides paths to both storage processors SPs on the Fibre Channel storage unit see Figure 2 To provide maximum protection against a single failure at the HBA Fibre Channel switch or SP level it is recommended that you use two Fibre Channel HBAs on the ESX Server host connected to separate Fibre Channel switches that provide redundant paths to SPs on the storage unit Figure 2 VMware Infrastructure Configurations with Dell PowerEdge Systems and Dell EMC Fibre Channel SAN VMware Infrastructure Client oz a Ethernet Fabric VirtualCenter Server ESX Server Host Fibre Channel Switch Dell EMC SAN CX3 20 CX3 40 CX3 80 Dell EMC SAN CX3 20 CX3 40 CX3 80 Redundant Fibre Channel Switch Solution Guide 11 For a cost effective solution you can opt for an iSCSI SAN environment see Figure 3 It is recommended that you use two iSCSI initiators on the ESX Server host connected to two separate Ethernet switches that provide redundant paths to SPs on the storage unit Figure 3 VMware Infrastructure Configurations with Dell PowerEdge Systems and iSCSI SAN VMware Infrastructure Client VirtualCenter Server Ethernet Fabric ESX Server Host Ethernet Switch Redundant Ethernet Switch goiit i
23. for a Linux based system Contact Dell Support for technical assistance 38 Solution Guide Appendix G Related Documents Documents related to this and other Dell VMware products are located at www dell com vmware Support Documents e VMware Software Compatibility Matrix for Dell Servers e VMotion and 64 bit Virtual Machine Compatibility Guide for Dell Servers Dell PowerVault NX1950 Configuration Guide for VMware ESX Server Dell PowerVault MD3000i Configuration Guide for VMware ESX Server e VMware Infrastructure 3 5 for Dell PowerEdge Systems Deployment Guide e VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 x Software for Dell PowerEdge Servers Release Notes Dell Power Solutions Articles Dell PowerSolutions Magazine articles related to VMware and Virtualization Tested and Supported Configurations e Dells Virtualization Reference Architecture Guide White papers and case studies are also available from this web site Current documentation for Dell qualified VMware configurations is available on the Dell and VMware Alliance website at www dell com vmware e EMC Support Matrix ESM on the EMC website at www emc com horizontal interoperability e VMware ESX Server 3 5 and VirtualCenter 2 5 Installation Guide Administration Guide Scripting User s Manual technical resources and knowledge base are on the VMware documentation website at www vmware com support pubs Dell VMware Hardware Compatibility Guides a
24. hypervisor for a one time boot on your system 1 Tum on your server 2 The Dell Splash Screen appears When the splash screen appears press lt F11 gt to enter the one time boot menu option 3 The menu entry changes to Entering Boot Menu confirming your selection 4 The boot menu displays several boot options Using the arrows select Hard Drive C then use the right arrow key to select SD Card 5 Press lt Enter gt to boot to the internal secure digital SD card Enable Recurring Boot to ESX Server 3i v3 5 Follow the steps given below to enable the system to always boot your server to ESX Server 31 1 Turn on your server 2 The Dell Splash Screen appears Press lt F2 gt to launch the setup menu 3 After you complete the system boot the system BIOS configuration menu appears 4 Select Hard Disk Boot Sequence then select SD Card Multi Card Press the hyphen key to move the SD Card up in the order 28 Solution Guide 5 Press lt Enter gt then lt Esc gt and then lt Enter gt again to save these changes NOTICE Dell recommends not to modify other settings unless you are familiar with the settings Modifying settings could cause your system to fail to boot function properly 6 Restart your server Disable Recurring Boot to ESX Server 3i v3 5 Repeat the steps for Enable Recurring Boot to ESX Server 31 v3 5 but use the hyphen key lt gt in step 4 to move the Integrated Storage Device to the
25. i TEESE liin lig Dell EMC AX150i CX3 10c CX3 Dell EMC AX150i CX3 10c CX3 20c CX3 40c or Dell PowerVault 20c CX3 40c or Dell PowerVault MD3000i NX1950 MD3000i NX1950 Solution Deployment First Boot Experience Simple Setup The following procedure describes how to perform the basic setup of your server and assumes that you have already connected a keyboard monitor and mouse and that you have connected the first onboard NIC to your management network The network should have a valid DHCP server and should be the same network you plan to use when you install the required management software on a second machine Ensure the infrastructure between the two systems is working correctly prior to working with your server and the VMware management software 12 Solution Guide If the system is currently set to boot to another operating system such as Linux or Windows use the information in Appendix B Enabling and Disabling the VMware ESX Server 3i Software on page 28 to set ESX as the primary boot operating system To set up your server 1 Power on your server 2 Press lt F11 gt at boot and select the internal storage device as the one time boot device located under Hard Drives in the menu K NOTE If you ordered VMware ESX Server 3i as the primary operating system the boot order of the system is already set to boot the VMware software In the first phase of booting the software loads the compressed ESX modules into memory and
26. is code upon restore This is important if you ever need to use the recovery CD to restore the ESX 31 image because the server s license code this code is not stored on the server or recovery media To backup or restore the configuration information you must use the Remote Command Line Interface RCLI The RCLI is available in two forms e Asa virtual appliance virtual machine that is imported to and run from an existing ESX server VMware Workstation and VMware Player e Asa package that is installed to and run from a Windows or Linux machine Both of these packages are available for download from the VMware site For information about setting up and running the RCLI see the Systems Management with VMware ESX Server 31 software on Dell PowerEdge Servers Guide as well as the VMware ESX Server 3i Setup and VMware ESX Server 31 Configuration guides The backup and restore steps below will assume you have already imported the RCLI to a server other than the one you want to backup or restore or you have installed the Windows or Linux management APIs Backing up the Configuration of your ESX 3i Host To back up a host s configuration data 1 Start the RCLI and log in 2 Run the vicfg cfgbackup command with the s flag to save the host configuration to the specified backup filename vicfg cfgbackup server lt 31 host ip gt portnumber lt port_number gt protocol lt protocol_type gt username root password lt root_passwor
27. ives represent one of the greatest sources of hardware failures in data center environments Shared storage arrays fibre channel or iSCSI are better suited for virtual machine VM and data storage than local hard drives providing higher levels of performance and increased single point of failure recovery Additionally solid state internal storage is easier to configure than other hard drive less solutions such as Boot from SAN Because shared storage arrays are required to take advantage of ESX Server 31 enterprise and standard level features Dynamic Resource Scheduling DRS and High Availability HA server local hard drives are not needed Rapid Deployment and Provisioning Dell offers VMware ESX Server 3i pre installed direct from the Dell factory enabling greatly simplified data center deployment and provisioning For the first time VMware users have the ability to go from box to rack to processing workloads in minutes Dell Supported Configurations Server PowerEdge R805 Processors Two Dual Quad Core AMD Opteron 2200 2300 Memory Min Max 8 GB 128 GB Storage Adapters for Internal PERC 6 i Integrated Disks SAS 6 iR Integrated Storage Adapter for External SAS 5 E Disks PERC 6 E Fibre Channel HBA All supported Fibre Channel HBAs required for SAN connectivity only Networking Four integrated network ports All supported peripheral NICs Dell Remote Access DRAC 5 required Controller
28. m your internal solid state storage After reimaging you will need to reconfigure your VMware ESX Server software and import any virtual machines you would like to run on this system 24 Solution Guide Figure 17 Beginning Recovery Process Figure 18 Error other devices found ental lation perat io Feileet The instal lation operation kes s evetere a Fata Roceveru Gti lity rere lesta 11 isg Where ESX Server Ji 3 5 6 from this There le nere thes one O58 device comerted te the Recovers CD witt tn ew stine wanton Plesse disconeert sl euterne USA starese version oo your computer devices ent try eqe le installation of kare the Recovery ESX Server 3N 3 5 0 Ch you will be able to tie server without errors as Ses configuration settinge K NOTE If you see a fatal error Figure 18 double check that no other USB based storage devices are connected to the system and that the virtual media devices present on the DRAC have been disabled see Appendix D Modifying Remote Access Console Virtual Media Status 7 Once the recovery process completes press ENTER to reboot your server The server will reboot and launch the VMware ESX Server 3i software If this does not happen you will need to reassign order of your boot devices placing the internal storage highest in the boot order list Consult your server s manual for these steps 8 Set the correct licensing mode as instructed in the Solution Licensing section
29. ne and press SPACE to select Enter your IP address subnet mask and gateway Press ESC to exit this screen K NOTE Although your new settings will be shown on the main network configuration screen they will NOT take effect until you exit this screen by pressing lt ESC gt again You may do this now if your settings are complete however most users will need to continue below to enter your network s DNS settings Figure 22 Configure DNS Settings DNS Configuration Obtain DNS server addr to Use the following DNS server addresses and hostname Primary Server 172 17 28 18 Alternate Server 172 17 28 254 Hostname EmbedESX1 UMwareFarm lab lt Up Down gt Select lt Space gt Mark Selected lt Enter gt OK lt Esc gt Cancel 32 Solution Guide From the Configure Management Network screen see Figure 10 select DNS Settings You will notice the current settings are summarized on the right of the screen press ENTER to enter the configuration screen see Figure 22 Because you have set an IP address statically you will not have the option to use DHCP supplied information for the primary and secondary DNS servers If you decide to use DHCP for the IP address you will be able to select either option Enter a fully qualified domain name FQDN for your host Press lt ESC gt to return to the main network configuration screen You may also enter only a host name in this field but if you do you will n
30. not purchase the enterprise product At the end of the 60 day period the system will continue to function at the level your purchased license warrants You may purchase an upgrade license from Dell if you would like to continue using the trial features The procedure below will help you install your new license code once received Host based Licensing License File This method allows users to import a VMware provided license file to enable host based licensing commonly used by other VI3 products this licensing method enables backward compatibility with other VI3 products License Server Centralized Licensing This licensing method is for enterprise users who are using HA DRS etc This method is commonly referred to as centralized licensing because the VI3 features are licensed on demand from a central location when an ESX host requests them If a feature license is available when requested the central 20 Solution Guide license server grants access to the feature When no longer needed the feature license is checked back into the license pool for reuse Some VI3 features are only available via centralized licensing due to their multi host nature Users who purchased standard and enterprise versions of ESX Server 3i will need to convert their host based license code into a license server license This procedure is discussed in the Solution Licensing of this document as well as in VMware s ESX Server 3i documentation The procedu
31. rd Page 13 Optional Configure redundant VMware management network adapters Page 25 Set a static IP address subnet mask gateway and VLAN for the management connection s in the DCUI Page 26 Solution Guide Set host name and DNS server settings Page 26 Optional Set DNS Suffix s Page 26 Install Virtual Infrastructure Client to manage your server Page 15 Review licensing options Page 17 Record host based licensing code store in safe place Page 18 e Optional Convert host based license code to centralized license code e Optional Add converted license to centralized license server e Optional Change licensing mode of ESX Server 3i host to Use License Server enter IP address of central license server page 19 Solution Guide 27 Appendix B Enabling and Disabling the VMware ESX Server 3i Software Selected systems come preinstalled with VMware ESX Server 3i on internal flash storage If this software was ordered as the primary OS the system will automatically boot to it If the software was ordered as the secondary OS the system will automatically boot to it and the ESX Server 3i software will be disabled by default The procedures below will help you modify the boot device and boot order so that you will be able to boot the ESX Server 3i software Enable One Time Boot to ESX Server 3i v3 5 The following instructions walk you through the process of enabling the VMware ESX Server 3i
32. re located on VMware s website www vmware com resources guides html Solution Guide 39 40 Solution Guide
33. res below will help you retrieve your license code from each server and will familiarize you with how the licensing methods discussed here are reflected in your software Please consult VMware s documentation for further information about VMware software licensing configuration VMware offers two methods to retrieve this code via the DCUI and via the VI Client Both methods are discussed below To View License Code from DCUI The license code is available from the DCUI along with other support information see Figure 14 1 From the main DCUI screen see Figure 11 press lt F2 gt Log into your server 2 Seroll down to the View Support Information menu your license code will appear here Dell strongly recommends recording this code in a safe place K NOTE Figure 11 shows the server operating with an evaluation license Solution Guide 21 Figure 14 DCUI Support Screen View Support Information For Assistance contact Dell Technical Support at http support dell com Support information can also be found in your server s hardware owner s manua I Service Tag USPTOB 4 Miew Support Information License Evaluation umbprint SHAL SF BE 26 52 D DB CA FO EE DF 41 8C 83 DB 0 2 BE To Modify Licensing Configuration from Virtual Infrastructure Client only The DCUI will allow read only access to the current licensing status of your system To make changes to your licensing configur
34. such as Microsoft SOL Server or Oracle for the VirtualCenter database License Server authorizes ESX Server hosts and the VirtualCenter server per the purchased license keys and licensing agreement It is recommended to install the license server on the VirtualCenter host This can also reside on a separate host License server is required when using a centralized licensing model but is not required for host based licensing For more information on the different licensing configurations see the Solution Guide 9 Installation Guide and Upgrade Guide for ESX Server 3 under VMware Infrastructure 3 on the VMware documentation website at www vmwatre com support pubs VMware Infrastructure Client installs on a system running a supported Windows operating system and is the primary tool to manage an ESX Server host by directly connecting to it or through the VirtualCenter server Virtual Machine Storage stores virtual machine configuration and virtual disk files This can be either an internal storage local to the ESX Server or an external storage that can be shared by multiple ESX Servers Advanced features such as VMotion DRS and HA require that the virtual machine s disk and configuration files are stored on external shared storage VMware Infrastructure Web Access a web interface for managing virtual machines and accessing remote consoles Guidelines Before deploying VMware Infrastructure follow the guidelines b
35. the many to many management software VMware VirtualCenter is beyond the scope of this document but a complete getting started guide and instruction manual can be found in VMware s documentation Solution Guide 17 Install Virtual Infrastructure Client VI Client 1 Download the VI Client directly from your ESX Server 3i host Point the web browser of your Windows management server to the IP address of your ESX Server 3i host The IP address of your server is displayed on the main screen of your server see Figure 11 Figure 11 Main Console Screen UMware ESX Server 3i 3 5 8 Dell Inc PowerEdge 18 Solution Guide 2 The browser will display a webpage see Figure 12 Click on the Download VMware Infrastructure client link and install the download Figure 12 Download VI Client Screen Figure 13 VMware Infrastructure Client Login Screen VMware Infrastructure Chent VMware Infrastructure Client Lebabie hmm rps gyer an anter the IP address or host name e aceasta enter the IP address or name of a 1P address Hamer __ 17 13 213 ser name a T77 e Password a Con J ome te 3 Once complete launch the VMware Infrastructure Client by specifying the IP address of your ESX Server 3i host a user name of root default and the password you specified in the DCUI earlier section or blank no password if you did not specify one 4 You will receive a certificate warning you that the SSL
36. top of the boot order instead of the SD Card Solution Guide 29 Appendix C Sample Step by Step Management Network Configuration This appendix guides you through a sample management network setup with the following parameters e Redundant management NICs on board NICs e Static address of 172 17 13 211 24 255 255 255 0 gateway 172 17 13 1 e Host name of EmbedESX1 VMwareFarm lab e DNS servers 172 17 28 10 and 172 17 28 252 Configure Redundant Management NICs 1 With the main management network screen displayed see Figure 10 scroll and select Network Adapters 2 By default the first LAN On Motherboard LOM NIC is automatically selected as the management network NIC This example configures two NICs to help guard against loss of management network connectivity due to NIC failure Scroll to the second LOM listed Embedded NIC 2 in the list Figure 19 and press the SPACE bar to select adding an X to the box in front of the NIC To maximize your redundancy you may want to select one LOM and one NIC port of an add on Ethernet card Note the status of all NICs is listed here This will help you determine basic connectivity with your upstream switches however this status does not imply connectivity at the IP address level Also note the relationship of the Device Name and Hardware Label the device name follows a Linux kernel numbering schema by starting its numbering at zero while the hardware
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