StorSimple Appliance Quick Start Guide

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StorSimple Appliance Quick Start Guide

5000 and 7000 Series Appliance

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761-0001-0300 Rev A Content exported from Online Help, 9/15/2012, pg. 2

Getting Started ... 3

Power and Cabling ... 4

Power and Cabling for all models except 7520 ... 4

Power and Cabling for 7520 ... 5

Initial Configuration ... 6

Accessing the Web UI... 8

Using the Setup Wizard ... 9

Welcome ... 9

Restore ...10

Name Settings ...10

Network Interfaces ...11

DNS Settings ...12

Time Settings ...12

Summary ...13

Configuring Cloud ... 17

Cloud Credentials ...17

Cloud Configuration ...20

Configuring Access Control Records ... 22

Configuring Volumes ... 23

Accessing Volumes ... 25

Taking Backups ... 26

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Getting Started

Part no. - 761-0001-0300-A

This content has been exported from StorSimple Online Help Site on September 15, 2012. For the most up-to-date version of this document, please access http://onlinehelp.storsimple.com.

Thank you for purchasing a StorSimple appliance. This quick start guide will walk you through the steps necessary to initially configure your appliance and reach technical support should you encounter any issues. This guide is applicable for all the 5XXX and 7XXX series StorSimple appliances.

It is recommended that you complete the following before using this guide:

 Review and complete the Pre-Installation Checklist. This will help you identify information that will be needed during

the initial configuration of your appliance.

 For the various StorSimple appliance models:

o Review the Safety Guide to ensure that you handle the appliance hardware in the safest possible manner. o Review the Hardware Replacement Guide and follow the steps in the Rack Mount Guide to safely mount the

appliance in the rack.

o Review the Monitoring Indicators Guide and familiarize yourself with the LEDs and other components that

notify you if there are any hardware issues. You should have received the following items in the packaging:

 StorSimple appliance unit

 Power Cords

 SAS cables (if using 7520)

 Crossover Ethernet Cable

 Serial Console Cables

 Rack Mount Kit (All models)

 Documentation

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o Rack Mount Guide (All models)

If you did not receive any of the items listed above, please contact technical support .

Power and Cabling

The power and cabling of your StorSimple appliance can vary based on the actual model. All the models except for the 7520 consist of a single head unit only. The 7520 has a head unit and an EBOD enclosure. The details of power and cabling for these models are covered in the following sections:

 Power and Cabling for all models except 7520

 Power and Cabling for 7520

Power and Cabling for all models except 7520

For the power and cabling of your StorSimple appliance, perform the following steps: 1. Ensure that the power switches on each of the power supplies are in the OFF position.

2. Connect the power cords to both the PCMs (as identified in red in the diagram below) in the head unit.

3. Attach the power cords to the rack power distribution units as shown below. Ensure the two PCMs use separate power sources.

4. Power up the system by flipping the power switches on both the PCMs to the ON position.

Note: : The user should strictly adhere to the power and cabling scheme shown in diagram below to ensure high availability

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Power and Cabling for 7520

The 7520 model has a head unit as well as an EBOD enclosure. For the power and cabling of this model, perform the following steps:

1. Identify the head unit and the EBOD enclosure. The EBOD enclosure has two stickers marked 'EBOD' in its back plane. See the diagram below for guidance.

2. Ensure that the power switches on all the PCMs are in the OFF position.

3. For the head unit, connect the power cords to both the PCMs (as identified in red in the diagram below). 4. Ensure the two PCMs of the head unit use separate power sources.

5. Attach the power cords to the rack power distribution units as shown below. 6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the EBOD enclosure.

7. The EBOD enclosure now needs to be connected to the head unit.

a. Identify Controller 0, Controller 1, EBOD 0 and EBOD 1 in the appliance backplane. See figure below for guidance. b. Use the SAS cables to connect EBOD 0 to Controller 0 and EBOD 1 to Controller 1.

c. Note that SAS port A on Controller 0 should be connected to SAS port A (as identified by a 'CTRL' sticker) on EBOD 0, and SAS port A on Controller 1 to SAS port A (as identified by a 'CTRL' sticker) on EBOD 1.

8. Power up the EBOD enclosure first by flipping the power switches on both the PCMs to the ON position.

9. Verify that the EBOD enclosure is powered up by checking the EBOD controller LEDs (green LED) have turned ON. 10. Finally, power up the head unit by flipping both the PCM switches to the ON position.

11. Verify that the system is up by checking the appliance controller LEDs have turned ON.

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Initial Configuration

Connect all of your appliance network interfaces to the LAN, and connect your computer to the LAN. Be sure to connect identical interfaces on each controller, i.e. if you use MGMT and DATA1, be sure that both MGMT and DATA1 on both controllers are connected. See the diagram below to locate the MGMT and DATA ports.

Perform the following steps to initially configure your appliance.

 Connect your computer to the appliance serial console using the supplied serial cables. Ensure that both the serial ports are connected. The serial ports (shown in the above diagram) in either of the controllers can be identified by the wrench icon.

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 Press ENTER a few times until the ‘StorSimple (? for help) >’ prompt appears.

 At the prompt, type ‘setup’ to configure the MGMT interface. This will show the current configuration of the management interface.

 Enable the interface by typing ‘yes’. Now supply the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address.

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 Make a note of the URL presented in this screen for the next steps in configuration.

 To disable unsecure web access, you can use the 'http [on | off]' serial console command. This will ensure that the network traffic is directed over a secure channel. For a comprehensive list of serial console commands, please refer to the Serial Console User Guide.

Accessing the Web UI

Access to the appliance Web UI requires a browser that supports Silverlight. The supported versions of the browser are Internet Explorer (v7 or later), Chrome (v12 or newer) and Firefox (3.5 or later).

 Open your browser to this URL to access the appliance web UI:

o http://<IP_address_of_MGMT_interface>,note that the address may be

https://<IP_address_of_MGMT_interface> depending upon whether the http access is enabled/ disabled.

 Login using the default username as "admin" and the default password as "password".

 After you have supplied these values, click the ‘Login’ button.

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 It is a best practice to change the password of your admin account after your first login; please refer to the Appliance Web UI User Guide for the steps on how to do so.

Using the Setup Wizard

Upon successfully authenticating, your appliance will guide you through a setup wizard. The various steps required in configuring the appliance via the Setup Wizard are as shown below:

 Welcome  Restore  Name Settings  Network Interfaces  DNS Settings  Time Settings  Summary Welcome

It is recommended that you open up the Quick Start Guide by clicking the link present in the page so as to quickly enable you to set up your appliance. The setup wizard will allow you to either configure the system from the ground up or restore from a previously saved configuration backup.

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Restore

The first step in the setup wizard process is to determine whether you want to apply a new configuration, or restore the configuration using a configuration backup taken from another device.

If you wish to restore the configuration, choose the configuration backup file you wish to restore from, and click ‘Restore Configuration’. This will populate the remainder of values in the setup wizard, and also re-create additional configuration items including cloud storage service accounts, volume access groups, and other items.

Note: Configuration restore can only be done on a system that has no configuration applied. If you complete the setup wizard without using the restore configuration function, you will not be able to use it later.

Note: The ‘Configuration Import’ option is available under the ‘Manage’ drawer. This feature will allow the user to import

configuration elements (those not configured via Setup Wizard) from a known configuration. To learn more about this feature, please refer to the StorSimple Web UI User Guide.

To continue with configuration, click the ‘Next’ button.

Name Settings

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Network Interfaces

The next step is to configure the network interfaces. Refer to the diagram showing the back of the appliance in section Initial Configuration or the labels on the back of the appliance, to identify the interfaces. The user has to configure one management and can configure up to three data network interfaces.

For each interface, configure:

 Interface state (enabled or disabled) – When checked, an interface is enabled. The appliance will attempt to use this

interface. It is recommended that only those interfaces that are connected to the network and used be enabled. Disable any interfaces you are not using.

 Interface State Type - this parameter allows you to isolate iSCSI traffic from cloud storage traffic.This can be one of

the following –

o Cloud Enabled - When checked, the appliance will use this interface to communicate to the Cloud. o iSCSI Enabled - When checked, the appliance will use this interface to communicate to the iSCSIdevice.

 Interface IP address – Specify the IP address that should be used by this interface.

 Interface subnet mask – Specify the subnet mask that should be used by this interface.

 Interface default gateway – Specify the default gateway that should be used by this interface when attempting to communicate with nodes that are not within the same IP address space (subnet). The default gateway must be in the same address space (subnet) as the interface IP address as determined by the subnet mask.

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Note: To ensure proper operation, verify the interface speed and duplex on the switch that each appliance interface is

connected to. Switch interfaces should either negotiate to or be configured for Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps) and full-duplex. Interfaces operating at slower speeds or in half-duplex will result in performance issues.

Note: If you wish to isolate iSCSI traffic from cloud storage traffic, connect DATA interfaces to your iSCSI network with no

default gateway, and other DATA interfaces to your public network with Internet access with a correct default gateway.

Note: It is recommended that you enable portfast on each of the switch ports that your appliance will be connecting to.

This will ensure that network connectivity can be established quickly in the event of a failover, which will minimize disruptions and downtime. For more information on portfast on Cisco networking devices, please see:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps700/products_tech_note09186a00800b1500.shtml.

DNS Settings

Specify a primary and secondary DNS server using their IP addresses. Secondary DNS servers are not required, but are highly recommended. DNS servers are required, because they are used when your appliance attempts to communicate with your cloud storage service providers.

Your appliance will automatically attempt to validate connectivity to your DNS servers using ping. If your DNS servers do not respond to ping, or if ping is being blocked on your network, uncheck the box next to ‘Verify DNS Servers’.

When you are finished, click the ‘Next’ button.

Time Settings

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© 2012 StorSimple, Inc. When specifying multiple NTP servers, specify one on each line, each separated by pressing the ‘Enter’ or ‘Return’ key. NTP servers are required, as your appliance must synchronize time with your cloud storage service providers. Ensure that your network allows NTP traffic to pass from your data center to the Internet. If this is not possible, specify an internal NTP server, such as a Microsoft Windows Server domain controller.

When finished, click ‘Next’.

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After clicking 'Finish', you will have to wait until the settings get applied.

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Configuring Cloud

Configuring cloud requires that you have already created an account with your cloud storage service provider. The cloud storage accounts will provide you with the access material necessary to continue with the configuration of your appliance. Configuring a cloud is a two-step process that is discussed in the following sections:

 Cloud Credentials

 Cloud Configuration

Cloud Credentials

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 Name- Provide a name for your cloud credential.

 Provider - Select the cloud provider from the dropdown list.

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 Access Key and Secret Key – Enter the credentials. Depending on the specific cloud provider selected, a different set of fields may be presented to the user. Click on 'Verify'.

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Cloud Configuration

Click ‘Create Cloud Configuration’ to add a cloud configuration. Note that multiple cloud configurations can be created for the same cloud credential. Click on plus icon or the associated text to create a new Cloud Configuration.

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Name -

Supply a name for your Cloud Configuration.

 Primary Cloud Credential - Associate a Primary Cloud Credential with this configuration. This credential is used when the data is tiered to the cloud or any Cloud Snapshots are taken for this volume.

 Backup Cloud Credential - Choose a Cloud Credential to use for Cloud Clones that are taken for this volume.

 QoS Template - Select a QoS template from the dropdown that would enforce bandwidths on Cloud Configuration based on the time of the day and day of the week. If you do not choose, a 'default' QoS template will be used.

 Enable Monitoring - It is recommended that you click the ‘Enable Monitoring’ checkbox for each cloud account to allow you to filter cloud-specific monitoring charts down to individual clouds.

Note: Your StorSimple appliance supports monitoring a maximum of 30 objects, where an object is either a cloud

configuration or a volume.

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-761-0001-0300 Rev A Content exported from Online Help, 9/15/2012, pg. 22

• Data-at-rest Encryption Key- If enabled, supply an encryption key. Supply the key data from a key generated using your key management system or a passphrase. Remember to keep this information in a safe place.

Note: The encryption keys cannot be changed once the cloud configuration is created. Click the ‘Save’ button to save your

cloud configuration.

Configuring Access Control Records

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 Click the ‘Add New Record’ button.

 Supply a name for the record in the ‘Name’ field.

 Select the CHAP user to enforce authentication. If you do not want to enforce CHAP authentication, select 'Any User' from the dropdown.

 For the IQN field, supply a unique value. Wild cards are not allowed.

 When you have finished supplying parameters for your access control record, click the green checkmark next to the name to save it.

Repeat this process for each of the servers in your environment that will be consuming storage volumes from this appliance.

Note: At least one of CHAP or IQN should be specified for the box to behave correctly in the presence of multiple access

records.

Configuring Volumes

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 Name - Type a name.

 Type - Specify the application that will be using the volume from the dropdown list.

 Cloud Configuration - Choose the cloud configuration to be used for this volume from the dropdown list.

 Access Type - Specify ‘Read-Write’ for the volume access type.

 Capacity - Specify the capacity of the volume. The maximum allowable value is 102,400 GB.

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 Enable Monitoring - Click the checkbox next to ‘Enable Monitoring’ if you wish to have reports that show data only from statistics collected against this individual volume as described above in the cloud configurations section.

 Daily CloudSnap - This option enabled by default will automatically create a volume group. The volume group will also have an associated policy that will execute daily and generate a Cloud Snapshot of the data associated with this volume.

Next, click the ‘Security’ tab. Perform the following steps to manage the access control records associated with this volume:

 Click the ‘Add new record’ button.

 Specify the access control record to allow access to the volume.

 Leave the ‘Preferred LUN’ at ‘No Preference’, unless you need to explicitly set the LUN value used by the volume (this value will be used unless there is a conflict with another volume).

 Click the green checkmark next to the access control record that you selected.

 Finally click the ‘Save’ button to complete the volume creation.

Accessing Volumes

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© 2012 StorSimple, Inc. Management snap-in to initialize your volumes. Next, configure them to use the NTFS file system with a 64KB allocation unit size, supply a drive letter, and perform a quick format.

For more information on using the Disk Management Snap-in to create volumes, see the section titled "Partitions and Volumes" at the following URL:

 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd163556

If you are using VMware, access your server using vSphere client. Navigate to Configuration

→

Storage to add storage. In the wizard, set the Disk/LUN types as default; supply the iSCSI device, and review the disk layout. Provide a unique datastore name and adjust values and capacity as needed. For more information on using the Microsoft iSCSI initiator, see the section titled “Connecting to an iSCSI target device” at the following URL:

 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee338480(WS.10).aspx

iSCSI connectivity can be verified on the appliance by using the ‘Connected Initiators’ page found under ‘Manage’ in the management GUI once you have connected your server to the appliance using the iSCSI initiator, as shown below.

Taking Backups

Snapshots, Cloud Snapshots, and Cloud Clones are used to provide point-in-time protection of volumes, off-site backup copies, and improve recoverability while minimizing restore times. The backups can be created by using:

 the Data Protection Console installed on your Windows Host Computer.

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Contacting Technical Support

Please contact technical support to create your account and to receive your credentials at:

 ftp://ftp.storsimple.com.

This will allow you access to software upgrades and software packages including the StorSimple SharePoint Database Optimizer (SSDO), the StorSimple Data Recover Console (SDRC) for SharePoint and Exchange and the StorSimple Data Protection for managing Snapshots, Cloud Snapshots, and Cloud Clones.

Should you encounter any issues with your StorSimple appliance, please do not hesitate to contact StorSimple Technical Support at:

 Telephone: 1-855-2STORSIMPLE (1-855-278-6774)

 Email: [email protected]

StorSimple Appliance Quick Start Guide