Related Manuals for Dell PowerEdge VRTX
Summary of Contents for Dell PowerEdge VRTX
- Page 1 Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion Dell Engineering December 2015 A Dell Technical White Paper...
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Page 2: Revisions
Initial release Copyright © 2015 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. -
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Revisions ........................................2 Introduction ....................................4 Overview of PowerEdge VRTX shared storage expansion configurations ................ 5 Prerequisites for upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage ............... 6 Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage expansion ..............8 Troubleshooting ..................................25 Shared PERC 8 External cards fail to function ...................... -
Page 4: Introduction
This document provides instructions on upgrading VRTX chassis to support shared storage expansion. Shared storage expansion is a new feature of PowerEdge VRTX that allows customers to add additional shared storage infrastructure to the chassis. This feature has one or two Shared PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 8 External cards installed in the VRTX chassis, connecting to Dell PowerVault MD1200 or MD1220 direct attached storage enclosures. -
Page 5: Overview Of Poweredge Vrtx Shared Storage Expansion Configurations
Overview of PowerEdge VRTX shared storage expansion configurations The Dell PowerEdge VRTX system supports the following three storage expansion configurations: Single Shared PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 8 External card configuration This configuration consists of single Shared PERC External card in the VRTX chassis connecting to one of two MD1200 or MD1220 storage enclosures. -
Page 6: Prerequisites For Upgrading Poweredge Vrtx To Support Shared Storage
Prerequisites for upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage The following requirements must be met before upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage expansion: Hardware requirements Ensure that you have met the following hardware requirements before upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage expansion: a. - Page 7 Note: This table might not include the latest versions. For the latest firmware and driver baseline, see Dell PowerEdge VRTX Storage Subsystem Compatibility Matrix at Dell.com/poweredgemanuals. Table 2 Minimum baseline firmware and driver versions required Component Version Chassis Management Controller (CMC) firmware Chassis infrastructure firmware 2.21 Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
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Page 8: Upgrading Poweredge Vrtx To Support Shared Storage Expansion
2. Download the latest firmware and driver version from Dell.com/support/home. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to support shared storage expansion Follow the steps in this section to upgrade PowerEdge VRTX to support storage expansion. Note: Ensure DUPs (Dell Update Packages) for the required storage components are downloaded. - Page 9 Chassis Overview → Chassis Controller → Update b. In the Firmware Update page, in the Chassis Infrastructure Firmware section, in the Update Targets column, select the option, and click Apply Chassis Infrastructure Firmware. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 10 Note: If the chassis contains two Shared PERC 8 Internal controllers, ensure that both are updated to the same firmware version. a. Download the Windows update package of the Shared PERC 8 firmware for Dell PowerEdge VRTX from Dell.com/support/home. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 11 Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product.
- Page 12 Removing and installing Shared PERC 8 External card Shared PERC 8 External card 2. Card connector on the system board 3. Expansion card latch 4. Metal standoff 5. Release tab 6. Divider unit Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 13 11. Turn on the PowerEdge VRTX chassis by performing the following steps: a. Reconnect the chassis power supply units (PSUs) to the electrical outlets. Note: Note that CMC will automatically turn on. b. When CMC is ready, log in to the CMC GUI and turn on the chassis.
- Page 14 Note: The specified cabling topology must be followed for fault tolerance to function. Ensure that both the VRTX chassis and storage enclosures are disconnected from the electrical outlets. For information about cables that are supported on Dell PowerVault MD1200 and MD1220, see Table 1 in the document.
- Page 15 Connecting Single Shared PERC 8 External card configuration (non-fault tolerant) to one enclosure. Figure 4 Single Shared PERC 8 External card configuration (non-fault tolerant) to one enclosure Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 16 Connecting Single Shared PERC 8 External card configuration (non-fault tolerant) to two enclosures. Figure 5 Single Shared PERC 8 External card configuration (non-fault tolerant) to two enclosures Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 17 Dual Shared PERC 8 External non-fault tolerance mode Note: In dual Shared PERC 8 External non-fault tolerance mode, the two Shared PERC 8 External controllers are independent and cannot communicate with each other. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 18 Connecting fault tolerant dual Shared PERC External card configuration to one enclosure. Figure 7 Fault tolerant dual Shared PERC External card configuration to one enclosure Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 19 Connecting fault tolerant dual Shared PERC External card configuration to two enclosures. Figure 8 Fault tolerant dual Shared PERC External card configuration to two enclosures Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 20 19. Update the PowerVault MD1200 or MD1220 storage enclosures firmware to the required minimum baseline by performing the following steps: Note: You can download the firmware updates for your storage enclosure using Dell Update Package available at Dell.com/support/home. a. In the left pane, click Chassis Overview → Storage → Update.
- Page 21 For example, the active controller is Shared PERC 8 (Integrated 1) and the peer controller is Shared PERC 8 (Integrated 2). Recently logged storage events. Note: For more information, see Online Help. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 22 On the Storage Setup Troubleshooting page, you can: View the following attributes when the controller is in fault-tolerant mode: > Two Shared PERCs detected > Two expanders detected > Shared PERCs and expanders correctly cabled Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 23 Unmap — Select to remove the VA assignment from a slot. > The VA is mapped or unmapped from the selected server slot based on the selected action. 25. Create, assign, and manage Virtual Disk (VD) by performing the following steps: Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion...
- Page 24 Warning Thresholds for the enclosure. 27. Turn on the server blades. a. Before turning on the blade servers, Dell recommends that you set up all the components of internal and external shared storage, verify the firmware versions, and check the health status of the VRTX shared storage infrastructure.
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Page 25: Troubleshooting
Perform the following steps to recover the virtual disk: Caution: Follow the safety precautions to prevent electrostatic discharge. Turn off the system, check the cable connections, and reseat the physical disks. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion... -
Page 26: Shared Perc 8 Card Boots Into Safe Mode
3. Turn on the system, and log in to Chassis Management Controller. 4. Use the CMC to import or clear the foreign configuration that is detected. Note: For information about importing or clearing foreign configuration, see the Dell Chassis Management Controller for Dell PowerEdge VRTX User’s Guide at Dell.com/poweredgemanuals. -
Page 27: Troubleshooting A Controller
Discard Pinned Cache, and Disable RAID Controller are available in the drop-down menu. Note: Displays an error message if the blades are turned on. The command fails if the blade is turned on. Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion... -
Page 28: Troubleshooting Enclosure Management Modules (Emm)
Troubleshooting Enclosure Management Modules (EMM) Caution: Dell recommends that you turn off the host server before turning off the enclosure to prevent loss of data. If the EMM status LED is solid or blinking amber (two or four times per sequence), perform the following troubleshooting steps: a. -
Page 29: Getting Help
Getting Help 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. -
Page 30: A Additional Resources
Additional resources For more information about the PowerEdge VRTX system components, see the following documents on Dell Support site: • Chassis Management Controller Version 2.1 for Dell PowerEdge VRTX User’s Guide • Dell Shared PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 8 for VRTX User’s Guide.