Deployment Guide
Table Of Contents
- Dell EMC PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Deployment Guide
- Contents
- Before you begin
- Mount the enclosures in the rack
- Connect to the management network
- Cable host servers to the storage system
- Cabling considerations
- Connecting the enclosure to hosts
- Host connection
- Connect power cables and power on the storage system
- Perform system and storage setup
- Record storage system information
- Using guided setup
- Web browser requirements and setup
- Access the PowerVault Manager
- Update firmware
- Use guided setup in the PowerVault Manager Welcome panel
- Perform host setup
- Host system requirements
- Windows hosts
- Configuring a Windows host with FC HBAs
- Configuring a Windows host with iSCSI network adapters
- Configuring a Windows host with SAS HBAs
- Linux hosts
- Configuring a Linux host with FC HBAs
- Configure a Linux host with iSCSI network adapters
- Attach a Linux host with iSCSI network adapters to the storage system
- Assign IP addresses for each network adapter connecting to the iSCSI network
- Register the Linux host with iSCSI network adapters and create volumes
- Enable and configure DM Multipath on the Linux host with iSCSI network adapters
- Create a Linux file system on the volumes
- SAS host server configuration for Linux
- VMware ESXi hosts
- Fibre Channel host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- iSCSI host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- Attach an ESXi host with network adapters to the storage system
- Configure the VMware ESXi VMkernel
- Configure the software iSCSI adapter on the ESXi host
- Register an ESXi host with a configured software iSCSI adapter and create and map volumes
- Enable multipathing on an ESXi host with iSCSI volumes
- Volume rescan and datastore creation for an ESXi hosts with iSCSI network adapters
- SAS host server configuration for VMware ESXi
- Citrix XenServer hosts
- Fibre Channel host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- iSCSI host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- Attach a XenServer host with network adapters to the storage system
- Configure a software iSCSI adapter on a XenServer host
- Configure the iSCSI IQN on a XenServer host
- Enable Multipathing on a XenServer host
- Register a XenServer host with a software iSCSI adapter and create volumes
- Create a Storage Repository for a volume on a XenServer host with a software iSCSI adapter
- SAS host server configuration for Citrix XenServer
- Troubleshooting and problem solving
- Locate the service tag
- Operators (Ops) panel LEDs
- Initial start-up problems
- Cabling for replication
- SFP+ transceiver for FC/iSCSI ports
- System Information Worksheet
- Setting network port IP addresses using the CLI port and serial cable
Perform host setup
This section describes how to perform host setup for Dell EMC PowerVault ME4 Series storage systems.
Dell EMC recommends performing host setup on only one host at a time.
For a list of supported HBAs or iSCSI network adapters, see the Dell EMC PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Support
Matrix.
For more information, see the topics about initiators, hosts, and host groups, and attaching hosts and volumes in the Dell EMC
PowerVault ME4 Series Storage System Administrator’s Guide.
Topics:
• Host system requirements
• Windows hosts
• Linux hosts
• VMware ESXi hosts
•
Citrix XenServer hosts
Host system requirements
Hosts connected to ME4 Series controller enclosures must meet the following requirements:
Depending on your system configuration, host operating systems may require that multipathing is supported.
If fault tolerance is required, then multipathing software may be required. Host-based multipath software should be used in any
configuration where two logical paths between the host and any storage volume may exist simultaneously. This includes most
configurations where there are multiple connections to the host or multiple connections between a switch and the storage.
About multipath configuration
ME4 Series storage systems comply with the SCSI-3 standard for Asymmetrical Logical Unit Access (ALUA).
ALUA-compliant storage systems provide optimal and non-optimal path information to the host during device discovery. To
implement ALUA, you must configure your servers to use multipath I/O (MPIO).
Windows hosts
Ensure that the HBAs or network adapters are installed, the drivers are installed, and the latest supported BIOS and firmware
are installed.
Configuring a Windows host with FC HBAs
The following sections describe how to configure a Windows host with Fibre Channel (FC) HBAs :
Prerequisites
● Complete the PowerVault Manager guided system and storage setup process.
● Refer to the cabling diagrams within this guide before attaching a host to the storage system; careful planning ensures a
successful deployment.
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Perform host setup 43