Dell EMC XC Xpress Hyper-Converged Appliance Deployment Guide for ESXi This document contains deployment information for the Dell EMC XC430 Xpress.
Revisions Date Description June 2017 Initial release September 2017 Update to Fabric Manager name and to limit document to XC Xpress. The information in this publication is provided “as is.” Dell Inc. makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Table of contents Revisions.............................................................................................................................................................................2 1 2 Overview.......................................................................................................................................................................5 1.1 Documentation resources...................................................................................................
7 8 A Managing your cluster using Prism ............................................................................................................................27 7.1 Adding your Xpress cluster to vCenter .............................................................................................................28 7.2 Running virtual machines on the default container ..........................................................................................28 7.3 Prism monitoring software ......
1 Overview The Dell EMC XC430 Xpress system is a hyper-converged appliance based on the Dell EMC XC430 paired with Nutanix software. The Dell EMC XC430 Xpress hardware platform supports two Intel Xeon v4 processors, up to 12 DIMMs, and one SSD and three HDDs.
1.3 About XC430 Xpress IT infrastructure The XC430 Xpress appliance is designed so that a small IT staff can install and manage the entire IT infrastructure. In this context, we have a management network and a production network. Warning: Network communication between the Controller VM (CVM) and the host appliance leverages the 192.168.5.x IP subnet on a private virtual network. You cannot use the 192.168.5.x IP subnet for your production or iDRAC management networks.
2 Installing hardware You must have filled out the Deployment Checklist, prior to any of the following tasks. 2.1 Installation summary The following tasks outline the XC Xpress installation process and the details of each task follow below. 1. Unpack the Dell EMC XC430 appliances. 2. Install Dell EMC XC430 Xpress appliance into the rack. For more information about installing the server into the rack, see the rack documentation included with your solution. 3.
2.3.1 Dell EMC XC430 Xpress with 1Gbe switch Use this for entry-level 1 Gbe only switch configurations. Connections for a Dell EMC XC430 Xpress with 1Gbe switch. 1. Management network (iDRAC network) 2.3.2 2.Production network Dell EMC XC430 Xpress with 10 Gbe switch Use this for 10 Gbe configurations. Connections for a Dell EMC XC430 Xpress with 10Gbe 1. Management network (iDRAC network) 2.4 2.
Refer to the Dell EMC XC430 Xpress Hyper-Converged Appliance Service and Installation Manual for a depiction of this model and other relevant information. Go Dell.com/xcseriesmanuals and download the Dell EMC XC430 Xpress Hyper-converged Appliance Deployment Checklist. This is the same checklist included in this document, but it is easy to print out. Note: Dell EMC recommends printing and filling out this Deployment checklist prior to deploying this solution.
3 Configuring iDRAC for remote network access (Recommended) Use the following optional procedure to configure iDRAC network settings to enable remote access. This task assumes you have: Note: After you have assigned an IP Address to the iDRAC, you can open a browser and browse to the IP assigned to the iDRAC. Monitor, keyboard and mouse temporarily connected to the Xpress appliance. Alternatively, connect using KVM over IP IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway: optionally, a DNS server IP address 1.
c. Set Enable IPMI Over LAN to Enabled. Note: It is not required to set the iDRAC IP information at this time. You can do it during cluster creation. 6. Scroll down the iDRAC Settings menu and configure the IPv4 Settings. This is where you can configure your iDRAC IP addresses. 7. To return to the iDRAC Settings page, click Back. 8. To return to the System Setup page, click Finish. 9. To save changes, click Yes. 10. After it reports that the settings were saved successfully, click Yes.
3.1 Logging in to Dell iDRAC (Recommended) Use the following procedure to launch a virtual console: Note: This procedure may require Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed on the management workstation you are using to remotely manage the connected appliances. If the management workstation does not launch with default settings, select settings and select the Java option. You can use Java version 8 (1.8.0) or later. 1.
4 Getting ready for cluster setup The next steps are done using a management workstation, not the appliance. Connect the management workstation for cluster set up to the same production network subnet where the XC Xpress appliance resides. Before you start this section, make sure you have completed the Deployment checklist and read the prerequisites sections in the Appendix. If you have any issues, see the Troubleshooting sections prior to calling Technical Support.
You must set Java to high, to lower security settings. 3. Click OK. 4.2 Downloading Google Chrome Nutanix recommends using the Google Chrome web browser for downloading content from the Nutanix portal and managing your XC430 Xpress cluster. Note: If your default browser is not set to Chrome, temporarily change your default browser to Chrome for the cluster set up. 4.3 Setting up Nutanix Support Portal If you are new to Nutanix Support, create a personal profile on the Nutanix Support Portal.
Note: The Nutanix Customer Portal is also required to access some of the advanced Nutanix documentation. To set up your Nutanix Support Portal, complete the following tasks: 1. Go to the Nutanix Support Portal at http://portal.nutanix.com and click Register Now. 2. Register by typing data in appropriate boxes. 3. In the Serial Number box, type the Service Tag number of your Dell EMC XC430 Xpress.
4. A file called FoundationApplet-offline.zip is downloaded locally to your system. 5. Save this download to a folder on your management workstation. 4.5 Downloading Fabric Manager Fabric Manager is a network validation tool. To download: 1. 2. 3. 4. Go to https://dell.com/xcseriesmanuals From the dialog box, select the XC430 Xpress appliance. On the left side, click Drivers & downloads. Next to View all available updates for Dell XC430 Xpress Hyper-converge Appliance, click Change OS. 5.
5 About Fabric Manager Fabric Manager validates and report the requirements that verify network readiness and ensures a smooth deployment. Run the tool using the management workstation. This tool confirms if your network switch is a validated switch and validates network configuration settings are ready to begin deployment. At this point, run Fabric Manager to validate your switch. For more information about Fabric Manager, see the Fabric Manager for XC Xpress User’s Guide found at Dell.
6 About cluster creation The following tasks outline the details of creating the cluster using Nutanix Foundation. For the sections below refer to the Deployment Checklist for required information. 6.1 Discovering appliances with Nutanix Foundation Applet The Nutanix Foundations Applet provides a graphical user interface for discovering the XC430 Xpress appliances. 1. From the management workstation, navigate to the folder where you downloaded the Nutanix Foundation zip file. 2.
Nutanix Foundation Launcher dialog box showing Serial Numbers and Status. 5. Select a single XC Xpress appliance with the Status “Free” in the Foundation Applet, and click Launch Foundation. 6.2 Displaying discovered appliances After you have discovered the XC Xpress appliances using the Foundation Applet, the browser displays all discovered XC appliances. Note: XC and XC Xpress appliances cannot exist in the same cluster.
View all discovered XC Xpress appliance. 1. Select the check box next to the Service Tag for the Xpress appliance that you want to be a part of this cluster. The network interfaces are automatically checked. Note: The maximum number of appliances for an XC430 Xpress cluster is four (4). Note: The default redundancy factor is 2 and cannot be changed with XC Xpress configurations. 2. Click Next.
6.3 Defining the cluster For the sections below refer to the Deployment checklist for required information. New Cluster Setup screen. 1. On the New Cluster Setup screen, under Cluster Information, do the following: a. In the Cluster Name box, type a name for the cluster. b. In the IP Address box, type an IP address for the cluster. c. Do not configure IPMI. d. In the NTP Server Address box, type the NTP server address. e. In the DNS Server IP box, type the DNS server IP address. f. Select a time zone. 2.
6.4 Setting up the appliance Node Setup screen. 1. On the Node Setup page, manually enter the IP addresses and hostnames for each appliance. 2. Click Validate Network. 3. If network validation fails, check to see if you have duplicate IP addresses. Correct any errors and click Validate Network again. 6.5 Selecting images 1. On the Selecting Imaging Type dialog box, click Single Hypervisor. Note: The Multi Hypervisor option is not supported on Xpress.
2. Click Continue.
Image Selection screen. 3. On the Image Selection screen, click Skip. Note: The Hypervisor is factory installed and should not be changed. Important: Carefully proceed through the Select Image section. Your hypervisor preferences are factory installed and the image selection process should be skipped.
6.6 Creating a cluster The imaging process is shown under Cluster Creation Status on the Cluster Creation progress screen. Observe the image process under Cluster Creation Status. This process takes approximately 15 minutes depending on the configuration. Use the log link to monitor the cluster creation progress. After completion, you are presented with the following screen: Cluster creation successful screen. 1. On the Create Cluster screen, click Prism, and a new web browser launches. 2.
Note: If you enabled PULSE, your cluster must be able to connect to the external Pulse servers for automatic case creation. If applicable with your network layout, configure your HTTP proxy settings for external communication. 6.6.1 Understanding PULSE This section assumes you have read the two Nutanix KB articles outlined in the Deployment Checklist. See these KB articles to understand PULSE. 6.6.
7 Managing your cluster using Prism Important: Congratulations on creating your cluster. Dell EMC recommends that you log in to Prism and use 1-click update to install the latest recommended AOS version. Updating prior to putting your newly created cluster in production is strongly recommended. To see how to use Prism to update your AOS, see the Acropolis Administrators Guide. Nutanix Prism is the one-click infrastructure management interface for XC clusters.
Password credentials Follow your password security procedures to save your password. You cannot log in without the proper password. 7.1 Adding your Xpress cluster to vCenter Go to the Nutanix Portal and download the Nutanix vSphere Administration Guide for Acropolis (using vSphere Web Client) to add you Xpress cluster to vCenter. Note: The installable version of ESXi is installed in evaluation mode. Make sure that you license your hypervisor using your VMware documentation within the trial period. 7.
3. On the Diagram tab, under Summary, you can view your storage pools and created container. Important: Run virtual machines on cluster containers only. 7.3 Prism monitoring software To monitor the health of a cluster, VMs, performance, alerts, and events; the Nutanix web console provides a range of status-check features. 1. For more information about monitoring with the Nutanix web console, view the Web Console Guide document on the Nutanix documentation portal. 2.
8 Getting Help 8.1 Contacting Dell Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. If you do not have an active internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical assistance, or customer-service issues: 1. Go to Dell.com/support. 2.
8.3 Quick Resource Locator Use the Quick Resource Locator (QRL) to get immediate access to system information and how-to videos. This can be done by visiting Dell.com/QRL or by using your smartphone or tablet and a model-specific Quick Resource (QR) code located in your documentation. To try out the QR code, scan the following image. Quick Resource Locator 8.4 Documentation Documentation is found at Dell.com/xcseriesmanuals.
A Installation prerequisites A.1 ESXi installation requirements The Dell EMC Xpress solution requires the following. Detail of each are in the following sections. A.2 Network Time Protocol (NTP) Domain Name Server (DNS) vCenter (Required for configuring Xpress features.) About Network Time Protocol (NTP) Dell EMC recommends using accurate time on the hypervisor and the Controller VM (CVM) on all XC Xpress clusters, regardless of the hypervisor type (ESXi, KVM, or Hyper-V) being run.
3. On the NTP Servers dialog box, do one of the following. a. To add an NTP server, in the NTP Server box, type the server IP address or fully qualified host name and then click Add. The name or address is added to the HOST NAME OR IP ADDRESS list (below the NTP Server field). b. To delete an NTP server entry, in the Servers list, click the delete (x) icon for that server. c. In the dialog box that appears to verify the action; click OK. The server is removed from the list. d. Click Close. A.
Important: If you have connectivity issues discovering appliances in the Foundation applet verify the following ports are open. For the Foundation applet to work properly, you must open the following ports for both IPv4 and IPv6 on the local system from which the Foundation applet is launched: UDP on port 13000 (Nutanix discovery protocol) TCP on ports 8000 (Foundation GUI) TCP on 9442 (proxy) TCP on 9443 (applet control) Verify HTTP proxy is configured in Nutanix Prism.
A.5 Important information about SATADOM The SATA Disk‐On‐Motherboard (SATADOM) shipped with XC Xpress Series appliances is intended as an appliance boot device. Note: Write intensive activities and processes leveraged by XC Xpress appliances, are designed to take place on the SSDs and HDDs and not the boot device. The hypervisor boot device is not designed for application use.
A.7 Setting up the name Server (DNS) in Prism 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in to Prism. Click the Gear icon. Select Name Servers. Specify the Server Host name or IP Address (DNS IP) address and then click Add. 5. Click Close. A.8 Creating bare metal recovery image To maintain a fast and efficient bare metal recovery option, Dell EMC recommends leveraging the Rapid Appliance System Recovery (RASR) tool.
1. Insert a USB disk device that is 16 GB or greater into one of the appliance’s available USB slots. 2. In the IDRAC console, boot to SD Card. 3. Select Local SD Card. This boots to RASR Recovery screen. 4. Select Option 2 – creating USB key. Note: This process may take 20 minutes or more depending on the speed of the USB device.
B Introduction to troubleshooting Use this troubleshooting section to resolve any issues you may encounter during deployment. Use these steps before you call Dell EMC Customer Support. B.1 Foundation Applet issues B.1.1 Unable to launch the Nutanix Foundation Applet from management workstation. Error in launching the Nutanix Foundation Applet. 1. Ensure Nutanix recommended JRE is installed on management workstation. See Downloading Java Runtime Environment. 2.
B.2 Desired appliances are not discovered in Foundation Launcher. Appliances are not discovered using Foundation Launcher. B.2.1 Ensure management workstation is connected on the same production network. 1. Ensure all network cables are connected. For more information, see Installing hardware. 2. If using the 10 Gbe switch, ensure the correct Small Form factor Pluggable (SFP) is connected. For supported cabling, see Dell EMC XC430 Xpress Series Support Matrix. 3.
7. After the First time Boot Script (FTBU) completes successfully wait five minutes before you launch the Nutanix Foundation Applet. You can find the Nutanix First Time Boot Script procedure in section 4.1. Note: The wait allows the CVM to complete boot up sequence on the appliance. 8. Run Fabric Manager on management workstation to identify any other potential network issues affecting discovery process. 9.
Example of a log showing when a cluster does not create successfully. 3. Call Dell EMC Technical Support. Warning: This process should not be done on production systems. Any data on the appliance will be destroyed and is not recoverable. Factory reset resets the system to the state it was when it left the factory. B.4 Unable to connect external networks/sites including websites, or PULSE 1. Verify HTTP proxy is configured in Prism.
C Deployment checklist Use this worksheet to collect your deployment data prior to installation. For more information about Xpress documentation, including Acropolis guides, see the Xpress Support Matrix at www.dell.com/xcseriesmanuals and select your Xpress appliance. C.1 Default / set up cluster credentials The default cluster credentials for the system differ from those stated at the beginning of all Nutanix documentation. See Table 2 for default cluster credentials, which are specific to the system.
Network IP addresses (Per Cluster) WARNING: Network Communication between the Controller VM (CVM) and the host appliance leverages the 192.168.5.x IP subnet on a private virtual network. You cannot use the 192.168.5.0.x IP subnet for your production or iDRAC management networks.
Downloads Nutanix Foundation Applet downloaded Download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 (1.8.0) or later Download Google Chrome (Optional) Download Fabric Manager for XC Xpress Credentials Use your corporate security policies to manage passwords. This is a list to show you what you need during the deployment process.
Nutanix management account users User name User name User name User name Registration and configuration options Nutanix Portal Registration Configured iDRAC (all appliances) Configured DNS Configured NTP Update Acropolis (1-click update) Note: Dell EMC recommends updating the AOS version prior to putting your newly created cluster in production. To see how to use Prism to update your AOS, see the Nutanix Acropolis Administrator’s Guide.
