Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node 14G Manual
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Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node 14G Manual

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Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node 14G
Hardware Configuration and Operating System
Installation Guide - Windows Servers
P/N 302-004-341 REV 04

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  • Page 1 Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node 14G Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers P/N 302-004-341 REV 04...
  • Page 2 MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. USE, COPYING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ANY DELL SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN THIS PUBLICATION REQUIRES AN APPLICABLE SOFTWARE LICENSE. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be the property of their respective owners. Published in the USA.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS Figures Tables Preface Chapter 1 Introduction Overview.....................12 VxFlex OS component requirements............12 VxFlex OS cluster components............12 Physical server requirements............13 Supported operating systems............13 VxFlex OS Gateway server requirements........14 Prerequisites....................14 Connectivity...................14 Java....................15 Hardware and operating systems........... 15 VxFlex OS packages...............15 Supported Internet browsers............
  • Page 4 Where to go from here................59 Chapter 9 Reference material DTK - Hardware Update Bootable ISO............62 Dell OpenManage DRAC Tools (RACADM)........62 Recommended BIOS and firmware settings........64 Troubleshooting the Hardware ISO..........67 Additional resources..............69 Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 5: Figures

    FIGURES R640 and R740xd PCI slots, integrated NICs and BMC port locations....... 35 Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...
  • Page 6 FIGURES Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 7: Tables

    TABLES Server physical requirements..................13 Supported operating systems -VxFlex OS components..........13 VxFlex OS management IP network................31 VxFlex OS data IP network for Subnet #1..............31 VxFlex OS data IP network for Subnet #2..............31 R740xd server configuration for 10/25 GbE, 32xSAS, SFP+/SFP28......36 R740xd server configuration for 10/25 GbE, 12xNVMe, SFP+/SFP28.......
  • Page 8 TABLES Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 9: Preface

    Preface As part of an effort to improve its product lines, Dell EMC periodically releases revisions of its software and hardware. Therefore, some functions described in this document might not be supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use.
  • Page 10 EMC products, go to Dell EMC Online Support at https://support.emc.com. Technical support Go to Dell EMC Online Support and click Service Center. You will see several options for contacting Dell EMC Technical Support. Note that to open a service request, you must have a valid support agreement. Contact your Dell EMC sales representative for details about obtaining a valid support agreement or with questions about your account.

  • Page 11: Introduction

    CHAPTER 1 Introduction The following topics describe the prerequisites for configuring the hardware and the operating system in a Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node environment. Overview......................12 VxFlex OS component requirements..............12 Prerequisites.......................14 Supported hardware configurations..............16 Introduction...

  • Page 12: Overview

    Introduction Overview To prepare a server to be part of a VxFlex Ready Node environment, you are required to perform the following steps. 1. Ensure that the environment meets the prerequisites. 2. Configure the hardware, including the BIOS, BMC (iDRAC) IP address, and ISO installation.

  • Page 13: Physical Server Requirements

    Introduction Physical server requirements Table 1 Server physical requirements Component Requirement Port specifications The following TCP ports are not used by any other application, and are open in the local firewall of the server: MDM: 6611 and 9011 SDS: 7072 (for multiple SDS, ports 7073-7076) VxFlex OS Gateway (includes REST Gateway, VxFlex OS Installation Manager, and SNMP trap sender): 80 and 443 Light Installation Agent (LIA): 9099...

  • Page 14: Vxflex Os Gateway Server Requirements

    Introduction Table 2 Supported operating systems -VxFlex OS components (continued) Operating system Requirement Hypervisors Hyper-V VxFlex OS Gateway server requirements Component Requirement Supported operating systems Windows 2008 R2, 2012 R2, or 2016, including the Visual C++ redistributable 2010 package, 64-bit. Server Core editions are not supported. Every server requires 2 cores and a minimum of 3 GB available RAM.

  • Page 15: Java

    Introduction All root and administrator passwords that you plan to set or use on the server and BMC (iDRAC). To connect via a service PC or laptop computer using SSH/RDP: Ensure that the computer has a functional network port and an available IP address, subnet, and gateway on the management network.

  • Page 16: Disk Prerequisites

    Introduction Disk prerequisites If an H730p/H740p controller card is installed on the server, install the PERCCLI disk utility. iDRAC Service Module If an NVMe device is installed on the server, install the iDRAC Service Module (iSM). For instructions, see Install the iDRAC Service Module on a Windows server on page Supported hardware configurations The supported hardware configurations are listed in the EMC Simple Support Matrix...

  • Page 17: Configuring The Hardware

    CHAPTER 2 Configuring the Hardware The following topics describe how to configure the hardware, set BMC (iDRAC) IP addresses, and map the ISO for servers in a VxFlex Ready Node environment. Set up the BMC (iDRAC) IP address and BIOS...........18 Verify the status of the system hardware, storage controller, and disks - 14G servers.......................

  • Page 18: Set Up The Bmc (Idrac) Ip Address And Bios

    Configuring the Hardware Set up the BMC (iDRAC) IP address and BIOS Set up the BMC (iDRAC) IP address and set up or validate the BIOS on the VxFlex Ready Node servers. Before you begin Ensure that you have access to, or have the details for: The KVM console The server BMC (iDRAC) IP address The server BMC (iDRAC) subnet mask...
  • Page 19 Configuring the Hardware Enable IP IPv4 = Enabled Enable DHCP = Disabled Static IP Address = Static IP address Static Gateway = Gateway IP address Static Subnet Mask = Subnet mask IP address d. From the IPv6 Settings pane, configure the IPv6 parameter values for the BMC (iDRAC) port.

  • Page 20: Verify The Status Of The System Hardware, Storage Controller, And Disks - 14G Servers

    Procedure 1. From a browser, go to http:// <BMC/iDRAC_IP_address> . 2. In the DELL Console Login window, type the user name and password, and then click Login. The Dashboard displays the high-level status of all hardware devices in the System Health pane.

  • Page 21: Open The Kvm Console - 14G Servers

    Procedure <iDRAC_IP_address> . 1. From your Internet browser, go to https:// 2. In the DELL Console Login window, type the user name and password, and click Login. 3. From the dashboard, click Launch Virtual Console to start a console session.

  • Page 22: Updating The Bios, Firmware And Settings

    Updating the BIOS, firmware and settings VxFlex Ready Node deployments require specific versions of drivers, BIOS, and firmware that have been qualified by Dell EMC. If the servers do not have the correct versions, you must update them. A variety of factors can influence a mismatch between the required versions and the versions installed on the servers, such as firmware updates post server shipment, or a FRU replacement with a different firmware version than in the warehouse.

  • Page 23: Update The Hardware Using The Idrac Virtual Console

    Configuring the Hardware Update the hardware using the iDRAC virtual console The iDRAC Virtual KVM console and Virtual CDROM features, provided by the iDRAC Enterprise license, eliminate the need for physical access to the VxFlex Ready Node servers. The Hardware ISO can be attached as a remote/Virtual CDROM image and configured to perform hardware updates to the VxFlex Ready Node firmware.
  • Page 24 12. For each VxFlex Ready Node server, after the updates are finalized, clear the iDRAC job queue using the iDRAC GUI: a. From your Internet browser, go to https:// <iDRAC_IP_address> . b. In the DELL Console Login window, type these credentials: username: root <password> (for Dell-supplied nodes) or password (for EMC- password: supplied nodes) c.

  • Page 25: Installing The Operating System

    CHAPTER 3 Installing the Operating System The following topics describe the procedures for installing the operating system on a VxFlex Ready Node server. System requirements..................26 Rebuild the M.2 cards as a RAID device............. 26 Map the ISO file on a VxFlex Ready Node 14G server.........27 Install the Windows OS on a VxFlex Ready Node server........27...

  • Page 26: System Requirements

    Installing the Operating System System requirements To deploy on a server in the VxFlex Ready Node environment, the following prerequisites must be met: Note For OS installation guidelines, refer to the operating system vendor's documentation, taking into account the VxFlex Ready Node prerequisites listed in this section. Configure the M.2 device on the BOSS as a RAID 1 device.

  • Page 27: Map The Iso File On A Vxflex Ready Node 14G Server

    5. To verify the ISO file selection, click Virtual Media and view the ISO selection in the drop down list. 6. Reset the server: a. In the main DELL System Setup console window, select Power Rest > System (warm boot) to display the list of keyboard keys with related functionality.
  • Page 28 Installing the Operating System 2. Boot the server by using the DELL Life Cycle Controller feature. 3. During the Windows OS installation, when prompted to select the disk for OS installation, select the 120/240 GB BOSS device. 4. Click Next.

  • Page 29: Network Architecture And Physical Connectivity

    CHAPTER 4 Network Architecture and Physical Connectivity The following topics provide networking requirements and connectivity information for VxFlex Ready Node. Networking connectivity architecture and cabling best practice (R640, R740XD servers)......................30 Network prerequisites..................30 Network Architecture and Physical Connectivity...

  • Page 30: Networking Connectivity Architecture And Cabling Best Practice (R640, R740Xd Servers)

    Network Architecture and Physical Connectivity Networking connectivity architecture and cabling best practice (R640, R740XD servers) This topic describes connectivity architecture, cabling best practice information, and cable connection examples from typical VxFlex Ready Node configurations in order to help you plan your network. Note If you are not familiar with VxFlex Ready Node system architecture, refer to the "Architecture"...

  • Page 31: Vxflex Os Management Ip Network

    Network Architecture and Physical Connectivity The switches must have sufficient available network ports to accommodate the following: Data network 10/25 GbE switches: Two 10/25 GbE ports per node, per switch Management network switches: One 1/10 GbE and one BMC (iDRAC) port per node.
  • Page 32 Network Architecture and Physical Connectivity Table 5 VxFlex OS data IP network for Subnet #2 (continued) Item Description Comments IP address The pools of IP addresses used for static allocation for For clarity, the pool for the following groups: second subnet is Subnet #2 referred to as 1.

  • Page 33: Port Configuration

    CHAPTER 5 Port Configuration The following topics describe the port designations for VxFlex Ready Node servers and provide instructions for configuring the ports. Determine the 2U1N node type................34 R640 and R740xd server NIC and BMC (iDRAC) port locations......34 PowerEdge R640 and R740xd port designations - Windows......

  • Page 34: Determine The 2U1N Node Type

    Procedure 1. From your Internet browser, go to http:// <BMC/iDRAC_IP_address> . 2. In the DELL Console Login window, type the user name and password, and click Login. 3. In the navigation pane, select System Inventory Hardware inventory, and >...
  • Page 35 Port Configuration Figure 1 R640 and R740xd PCI slots, integrated NICs and BMC port locations Integrated (iDRAC) NICs iDRAC Integrated (iDRAC) NICs Data cables are connected to two switches for high availability, via the nodes' 10 GbE, 25 GbE, or 100 GbE ports. Management interfaces are connected to a switch on a separate management network using onboard and BMC (iDRAC) ports.

  • Page 36: Poweredge R640 And R740Xd Port Designations - Windows

    Port Configuration Note The application\client network will have to run on those same two ports. If there are only 4*10G onboard ports: The left port is used for management The left port, and the third port from the left are used for VxFlex OS data The second port from the left, and the right port are used for application\client traffic PowerEdge R640 and R740xd port designations - Windows...

  • Page 37: R740Xd Server Configuration For 10/25 Gbe, 12Xnvme, Sfp+/Sfp28

    Port Configuration Table 7 R740xd server configuration for 10/25 GbE, 12xNVMe, SFP+/SFP28 Description VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex VxFlex OS Not in Use (iDRAC) Data1 Client Client Management Monitoring Network Network Data2 Network Port1 Port2 Network Data1 Port1 Customer Customer Data2...

  • Page 38: R640 Server Configuration For 10/25 Gbe, 1/2Cpu, Sfp+/Sfp28

    Port Configuration Table 9 R740xd server configuration for 10 GbE, 3xGPU (M60)/ 2xGPU (M10), SFP + (continued) Description VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex VxFlex OS Not in Use (iDRAC) Data1 Client Client Management Monitoring Network Network Data2 Network Port1 Port2 from...

  • Page 39: Configure The Ports

    Port Configuration Table 11 R640 server configuration for 10/25 GbE, 1/2CPU, SFP+/SFP28 (continued) Description VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex OS VxFlex VxFlex OS Not in Use (iDRAC) Data1 Client Client Management Monitoring Network Network Data2 Network Port1 Port2 Speed 1 GB 10/25 GbE 10/25 GbE 10/25 GbE...
  • Page 40 Port Configuration 3. Repeat the previous steps for every VxFlex OS role that you want to activate. 4. Configure the IP addresses for every network adapter: a. Right-click the network adapter, and select Properties. b. In the Networking tab > This connection uses the following items field, select the correct Internet protocol version, and then click Properties.
  • Page 41 Port Configuration Results The network configuration on the Windows node is complete. For Windows servers using the X710 network controller, continue by changing the driver parameters for each port on the NIC. Otherwise, continue on to disk configuration procedures. Configure the ports...
  • Page 42 Port Configuration Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 43: Installing The Drivers

    CHAPTER 6 Installing the drivers The following topics contain information regarding VxFlex OS drivers. Install the VxFlex OS drivers................44 Change the driver parameters................45 Installing the drivers...

  • Page 44: Install The Vxflex Os Drivers

    Navigate to the driver pack you unzipped to Drive C, and find the corresponding folder with the NIC vendor's name. e. Open the appropriate OS folder operating system (Win2012 or Win2016). f. Double-click the Dell driver.EXE file and follow the drive installation wizard to install the driver. Note If you are installing Intel NIC drivers for Windows 2012 R2, you must include IANS (Intel Advanced Network Services) if you intend to use VLANs.

  • Page 45: Change The Driver Parameters

    Installing the drivers Change the driver parameters On Windows servers using the Intel X710 network controller, change the driver parameters for every port on the NIC to prevent a continuous rebuild/rebalance or MDM failover on the node. Procedure 1. Open Network and Sharing Center. 2.
  • Page 46 Installing the drivers Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 47: Preparing Disks

    CHAPTER 7 Preparing Disks The following topics describe how to prepare disks so that they can be added to VxFlex OS SDS devices. Adding disks to a VxFlex OS SDS............... 48 Verify the disk controller type................48 Enable PERCCLI on a Windows server...............

  • Page 48: Adding Disks To A Vxflex Os Sds

    Procedure <BMC/iDRAC_IP_address> . 1. From your Internet browser, go to http:// 2. In the DELL Console Login window, type the user name and password, and click Login. The Integrated Remote Access Controller screen appears. 3. In the navigation pane, select Storage Controllers.

  • Page 49: Enable Perccli On A Windows Server

    The administrator password to the server on which PERCCLI is to be installed Internet access to enable you to download the PERCCLI utility Procedure 1. Download PERCCLI from http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/ Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=3PHVH. 2. Extract the ZIP file. 3. Copy the executable files, perccli.exe and perccli64.exe, to:...

  • Page 50: Verify The Storage And Disk Controller Status

    Preparing Disks Node contains Caching options HDD for storage Mix of HDD and SSD for storage Caching not used Mix of HDD and SSD, where some RFcache HDDs or SSDs are for storage and others provide acceleration Before creating VDs, you must gather some information on the disks/devices on each node.

  • Page 51: Create Virtual Devices For Hdd With Perccli

    Preparing Disks Output similar to the following is displayed: If the output confirms that VDs exist on the node, perform the next step to remove them. Otherwise, skip the step. 4. Remove all existing VDs from the node: perccli64.exe /c0/vall del The VDs are removed.

  • Page 52: Create Virtual Devices For Ssd With Perccli

    Preparing Disks Output similar to the following is displayed: Controller = 0 Status = Success Description = Add VD Succeeded Results The VD was created successfully. After you finish Continue with the procedure that referred you to this topic. Create virtual devices for SSD with PERCCLI Use PERCCLI to create virtual devices (VDs) for SSDs on a VxFlex Ready Node server.
  • Page 53 Preparing Disks Output similar to the following is displayed: 3. Verify that all the devices have a virtual device created on them. In the Drive Information output, the device state displayed as "Onln" in the State column shows that the device has a virtual device created on it. 4.

  • Page 54: Retrieve Device Paths In A Windows Server With Hba330 Controller

    Preparing Disks After you finish After creating VD on Windows servers, proceed with the instructions for retrieving the device path that match the type of controller card in your server (HBA330 or H730p/ H740p). Retrieve device paths in a Windows server with HBA330 controller Retrieve the device paths in a Windows-based VxFlex Ready Node server with HBA330 controller card.

  • Page 55: Retrieve Device Paths In A Windows Server With An H730P/H740P Controller

    Preparing Disks WARNING Do not change the state of an Initialized device. Contact your Administrator for support. Retrieve device paths in a Windows server with an H730p/ H740p controller Retrieve the device paths in a Windows-based VxFlex Ready Node server with an H730p/H740p controller card.
  • Page 56 Preparing Disks a. Run: wmic diskdrive get deviceid,scsitargetid,interfacetype | findstr /c:"SCSI" Output similar to the following is displayed: b. In the SCSITargetId column, find the VD number. c. Match PhysicalDriveX under DeviceI D on the same line. In the above output, the PHYSICALDRIVE6 attribute shows the SCSITargetId value as 3.

  • Page 57: Additional Configurations

    CHAPTER 8 Additional Configurations The following topics describe additional configurations that are required for the installation process. Install OpenManage Essentials................58 iDRAC Service Module..................58 Where to go from here..................59 Additional Configurations...

  • Page 58: Install Openmanage Essentials

    Additional Configurations Install OpenManage Essentials Dell EMC OpenManage Essentials (OME) is a web-based console that simplifies hardware monitoring and firmware maintenance on VxFlex Ready Node servers. If your system does not use AMS, it is recommended that you install OME.

  • Page 59: Where To Go From Here

    Additional Configurations Where to go from here Continue by deploying the VxFlex OS system. For instructions, see the VxFlex Ready Node Windows Quick Start Guide . Where to go from here...
  • Page 60 Additional Configurations Hardware Configuration and Operating System Installation Guide - Windows Servers...

  • Page 61: Reference Material

    CHAPTER 9 Reference material This section contains additional information that may be required for the procedures described in this document. DTK - Hardware Update Bootable ISO............... 62 Reference material...

  • Page 62: Dtk - Hardware Update Bootable Iso

    Guide. Update the hardware using remote RACADM You can install and execute the Dell RACADM tool from any management system with access to the iDRAC network. The remote RACADM command set is useful in this situation to mount and execute the Hardware ISO to a large number of VxFlex Ready Node servers.
  • Page 63 Do not reboot the VxFlex Ready Node server while the update process is being performed! The iDRAC will be reset several times during the update process. This causes the iDRAC virtual console viewer to close, virtual media to disconnect, and the Dell OpenManage DRAC Tools (RACADM)

  • Page 64: Recommended Bios And Firmware Settings

    Reference material iDRAC browser window to be unavailable for several minutes during each reset. The hardware update scripts will continue to run from RAM on the server. The update script will generate a log indicating whether each configuration and firmware flash is successful. 12.

  • Page 65: Hardware Iso Configuration Settings

    The Hardware ISO runs a script that automatically forces the server to install the necessary firmware updates. This firmware is consistent with the qualified Dell EMC VxFlex Ready Node Driver and Firmware Matrix, located at https://support.emc.com/products/42216. Some of the firmware listed in the table is dependent on the VxFlex Ready Node hardware configuration.
  • Page 66 Reference material Table 12 Hardware ISO configuration settings (continued) Description Setting Value System Change Tracking BIOS.MiscSettings.InSystem Disabled Characterization CPU Virtualization Features BIOS.ProcSettings.ProcVirtu Enabled alization CPU Cores BIOS.ProcSettings.ProcCores All CPU X2APIC Mode BIOS.ProcSettings.ProcX2Api Enabled CPU Turbo Engagement BIOS.ProcSettings.Controlled Disabled Turbo System Power Profile BIOS.SysProfileSettings.SysP PerfOptimized rofile...

  • Page 67: Troubleshooting The Hardware Iso

    Reference material Troubleshooting the Hardware ISO This section describes troubleshooting procedures for problems you may encounter while using the Hardware ISO. Troubleshoot general iDRAC failures When problems occur with iDRAC or Lifecycle Controller jobs, you can delete all jobs with a single iDRAC command. All of the completed jobs, plus any orphaned pending jobs, are deleted, and the data manager service on the iDRAC is restarted.
  • Page 68 /bundleapplicationlogs/apply_components.log 3. You can also view the script for the Hardware ISO, which is useful in helping to identify and troubleshoot log entries: less /opt/dell/toolkit/systems/drm_files/apply_bundles.sh Results The script attempts to configure several boot order commands, regardless of the hardware configuration of the VxFlex Ready Node server. This allows the script to support multiple hardware platform configurations.

  • Page 69: Additional Resources

    VxFlex Ready Node product, documentation, advisories, downloads, and white papers, visit https://support.emc.com/products/42216. Dell Lifecycle Controller (LC) With the launch of the Dell PowerEdge 13th-generation servers in September 2014, Dell enhanced embedded management without the need to install a software-based Additional resources...
  • Page 70 Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) The Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) includes a set of utilities, sample scripts, and sample configuration files that you can use to deploy and configure Dell systems. You can use the DTK to build script-based and RPM-based installation for deploying large number of systems on a pre-operating system environment in a reliable way, without changing their current deployment processes.

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