Chapter 9. Planning For Remote Support And Call Home; Remote Support Connections; Remote Access Through A Dedicated Network Connection - IBM XIV Gen3 Series Planning Manual

Chapter 9. Planning for remote support and call home

This information describes what you must know to plan for remote support and
call home connections.

Remote support connections

XIV Remote Support Center is a management system used by authorized IBM
service representatives to provide remote support and problem-determination
assistance over a secure network interface, either before or after parts are called out
by the internal diagnostic tests of the IBM XIV Storage System. IBM authorized
personnel use remote support connections to perform real-time problem analysis
and isolation.
Remote access uses one of the following two methods:
v A secure, high-speed, dedicated connection through a virtual private network
v A modem and dedicated, analog telephone line.
The security features differ among these methods, including the direction of the
connection.

Remote access through a dedicated network connection

Remote access over a dedicated network connection is the preferred method for
obtaining remote support. When using this method, the XIV system is connected to
the XIV Remote Support Center through one of the virtual private network (VPN)
ports or management ports on the patch panel.
The XIV Remote Support Center provides a high level of security for remotely
supported XIV systems through encryption, authentication, authorization, auditing,
and field-proven security components.
The XIV Remote Support Center has three components:
v The XIV remote support client is software that is installed on the XIV system and
v The front servers serve as a hub at which the XIV systems and the
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(VPN) or management port on the XIV system. This is the preferred remote
support method.
Note: The modem is no longer supported as part of the rack configuration for
Indonesia and Brazil. For more information, contact your IBM planning
representative.
handles remote support connectivity. It relies on a single outgoing TCP
connection and is not able to receive inbound connections of any kind. The XIV
remote support client is controlled by using the IBM XIV command-line interface
(XCLI) and starts a connection, terminates a connection (due to timeout or
customer request), and attempts to reconnect when the connection is terminated
unexpectedly.
remote-support back server connect. The front servers are located in an IBM
DMZ and receive and maintain connections from the XIV remote support client
and the back server. The front servers are strictly inbound and do not initiate
any outbound communication. No sensitive information is stored on the front
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