Release Notes and User Guide DataCore vsphere Installation Manager 2.07

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1 Cumulative Change Summary Date 1.0 release Apr 18, 2016 Added direct link to VMware download site for Virtual Infrastructure extension (VIX) in Prerequisites Apr 21, release Jun 28, 2016 Added information regarding 10.0 Release Notes Jul 8, 2016 Updated HVSAN version Aug 24, release Nov 3, release Apr 25, release Aug 7, release Dec 5, 2017 Reordered steps in the Using the vsphere Manager section Feb 1, 2018 Release Notes and User Guide DataCore vsphere Installation Manager 2.07 This document includes the following sections: Overview Configuration Notes Installation and Upgrade Instructions Known Issues Using the vsphere Installation Manager Enhancements and Fixes Basic overview Important system requirements and configuration notes for this release Steps for installing and upgrading A list of known issues and possible workarounds Instructions for using the manager A list of enhancements and fixes in this release Overview The DataCore vsphere Installation Manager (vim) fully automates the installation of DataCore Hyperconverged Virtual SAN (HVSAN) on one or more ESXi hosts in a vsphere environment by performing discovery and pre-installation checks, configuring the ESXi virtual infrastructure, installing the software and pooling available storage resources all in accordance with known best practices for successful deployments. It will group the installed HVSAN instances and then (optionally) register vcenter in the HVSAN configuration. The vim is intended for use with new deployments. However, it can be used to extend (add additional HVSAN instances to) existing deployments of HVSAN configured manually or via the (now deprecated) vsphere Deployment Wizard (for HVSAN releases prior to PSP7) after these installations have been fully upgraded to PSP7. Refer to the Upgrading Existing Configurations section of this document for more details. Configuration Notes Download Package Included in the self-extracting, executable download package (HyperconvergedVirtualSANforvSphere.exe) are: The DataCore vsphere Installation Manager (vsphereinstallationmanager.exe) Release Notes and User Guide for the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager (this document)

2 Prerequisites and Configuration Notes A VMware vsphere environment with vcenter Server o vcenter Server versions 6.0 and 6.5 are supported. o The vcenter Server must have SSO (Single Sign On) enabled and will be connected to in order to manage the deployment process. VMware ESXi hosts o At least one unused disk; this will be used for Hyperconverged Virtual SAN pools. o At least one unused NIC; this will be used for ports. o A datastore on each ESXi server with enough space to install SANsymphony software on the virtual machine. A minimum size of 100 GB is required. This datastore should be visible only to one ESXi host in the datacenter vsphere Installation Manager o The vsphere Installation Manager can be run from any machine that can connect to the vcenter Server. o For the HVSAN instances, a Windows Server 2012 R2 or 2016 ISO installation image must be available to the manager and the manager must be able to connect to the ESXi hosts. o Supported operating systems for the HVSAN instances are Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2, o The Administrator password provided in the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager for HVSAN instances must adhere to the Microsoft s Windows password complexity requirements. o VMware VIX API for Windows 64-bit operation systems (Version X) must be previously installed before running the vsphere Installation Manager. Login to the VMware support site and download here. o Microsoft Windows.NET (Note: the vsphere Installation Manager will install this version if it is not present). During the Hyperconverged Virtual SAN software installation, some additional firewall ports will be opened for DataCore software to function properly on the virtual machine. See Windows Security Settings Disclosure for more information. If using network firewalls, ensure access to the required ports is provided. When deploying a DataCore Hyperconverged Virtual SAN, the wizard automatically configures certain parameters on the DataCore Servers per the iscsi best practices (see FAQ 1626): o - Changes the TcpAckFrequency registry key Disable Delay ACK section o - Changes the TcpNoDelay registry key Nagle's algorithm section o - Creates a new transport filter TCP Global Settings section, New-NetTransportFilter settings A log vspheredeploymentlog.txt is created in the installation folder (C:\Program Files\DataCore\vSphereInstallationManager) the first time that the wizard is run. This log provides a history of the deployment including: virtual machine parameters that were entered in the wizard, any errors that occurred while running the wizard and during deployment, the names of DataCore Server virtual machines and the hosts on which they were created, and the progress of the deployment. Information is appended each subsequent time the wizard is run. Two logs are created on the DataCore Server virtual machines during deployment. The log datacorewizardinstall.txt contains a history of the configuration of the DataCore Server virtual machine and the optimizations that were performed. The log datacorewizardnetwork.txt contains a history of the network configuration. These logs are saved in the folder C:\Windows\Temp.

New Installation Instructions 1) Download the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager executable (vsphereinstallationmanager.exe) to any machine that can connect to the vcenter Server and run it.

3 New Installation Instructions 1) Download the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager executable (vsphereinstallationmanager.exe) to any machine that can connect to the vcenter Server and run it. Accept the terms of the license agreement to continue. Two shortcuts (DataCore vsphere Installation Manager and the DataCore vsphere Discovery and Transition Tool) will be created on the desktop. Double click the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager shortcut to start the manager. Accept the terms of the license agreement to continue. 2) In the vcenter Authentication dialog box, enter the fully-qualified vcenter Server name. The default port used to connect is To use a different port number, append a colon and manually add the new port number to the address (for example, vcenter01.mydomain.com:1234). Enter the username and password for the vcenter administrator account. Click Login to start the wizard. If upgrading a previous installation or adding new HVSAN nodes, follow the instructions below. Upgrading Existing Configurations Upgrading Existing Installations to PSP7 Note: All virtual machines in the DataCore Server Group must be upgraded to PSP7 or greater before adding additional HVSAN instances to an existing configuration. To upgrade existing HVSAN instances to the latest version of DataCore HVSAN software (PSP7): 1) Download the DataCore Hyperconverged Virtual SAN for Windows product and the PSP7 Release Notes from the DataCore Support website. Copy the executable to any server that has access to the DataCore server group. Read the Upgrade section of the Release Notes for important upgrade considerations. 2) Click the executable to open the DataCore Deployment Wizard and select the Hyperconverged Virtual SAN option.

To add new HVSAN nodes: 1) Uninstall the previous version (DeploymentWizardforvSphere), using Windows Add/Remove Programs feature.

4 3) Next select the Update Deployment Scenario. This will begin the upgrade for all virtual machines in the DataCore Server Group. Adding new HVSAN Instances using the vsphere Installation Manager Note: all HVSANinstances in the DataCore Server Group must be upgraded to PSP7 or greater before beginning these steps. To add new HVSAN nodes: 1) Uninstall the previous version (DeploymentWizardforvSphere), using Windows Add/Remove Programs feature. 2) Install the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager using the new installation instructions above. 3) Click on the DataCore vsphere Discovery and Transition Tool shortcut on on the desktop. A pop-up will prompt for logging into vcenter. Enter vcenter credentials using a fully qualified domain name and an administrator account and click the Connect button. A drop-down menu will be displayed with a list of available datacenters. Select the datacenter with the HVSAN configuration.

4) Click the Discover button. Each virtual machine configured will be scanned to collect configuration information. When the discovery process is complete, close the discovery tool.

Using the vsphere Installation Manager 1) After installing the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager executable, enter the credentials to connect to the vcenter server.

5 4) Click the Discover button. Each virtual machine configured will be scanned to collect configuration information. When the discovery process is complete, close the discovery tool. 5) Click the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager shortcut to open the manager. Using the vsphere Installation Manager 1) After installing the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager executable, enter the credentials to connect to the vcenter server. Access to the vcenter Server is provided by logging in with vcenter administrator account credentials (IP address or fully qualified domain name, ex. TestServer1.MyDomain.com) and the port to use for installation.the port must be unblocked by firewalls. After authenticating these credentials, the vsphere Installation Manager will be launched. 2) Note: if there are multiple vcenter datacenters available, a Datacenter Selection dialog box will pop up. Select a datacenter to continue.

6 After logging in, the vsphere Installation Manager main panel is displayed. 3) In the DataCore Hyperconverged Virtual Machine section, review the default settings; optionally modify parameters by clicking the geabutton. Defaults are: a. Server Memory (12 GB), b. Server Disk Size (100 GB) c. Number of Virtual Cores (4) d. Time Zone that the HVSAN instances will run in. e. Administrator Password. Note: this password will be used for both the local Windows Administrator and as the DcsAdmin password on the DataCore Servers. Enter it a second time to confirm. The DcsAdmin account is a local administrator account created for the use of DataCore service accounts required for HVSAN software. The password will be identical on all DataCore Server virtual machines created in this wizard session. (Passwords for all DataCore Server virtual machines in the same server group must be the same.) 4) Select a datastore from the vcenter Inventory for each ESXi host on which a DataCore Server virtual machine will be created. Expand each ESXi host and select the datastore, then click ADD >>. The host and datastore will be listed in the Deploy To Hosts box. Continue adding all the hosts and datastores to deploy to. All DataCore Server virtual machines that

7 are created will be added to the same server group. To undo host selections, choose the hosts in the Deploy To Hosts box and click << REMOVE. 5) In the Networking for Hyperconverged Virtual Machines panel, network information is displayed. During the deployment process, each virtual machine will be created with one management port, two target ports, and two mirror ports. The management network is used for HVSAN communications and is the network (TCP/IP) through which they communicate status with one another and the Management Console connects. Networks (iscsi) for storage mirroring and target functions will be configured automatically. The mirroring networks provides iscsi target and initiator between DataCore Servers for mirrors. The target networks provide iscsi targets on DataCore Servers for front-end paths. IP addresses may be modified, but must be available for all networks. Additionally, the management network will be pinged during validation. After installation, additional ports may be added if needed. Note: Checking the optional DHCP checkbox will automatically configure the management network information. 6) In the Microsoft Windows Installation section, enter the installation parameters: a. The Windows Installation Media location (must be an ISO image and accessible to the vsphere Installation Manager). b. Optionally, enter a valid Windows Server Key. This step may be skipped and a license key may be activated at a later time. 7) The Register in SANsymphony checkbox default setting registers the vcenter Server to each HVSAN instance after the deployment process is complete. This may be disabled by unchecking this box before deploying.

8) Click Deploy to begin the process of deploying the DataCore Server virtual machines. After confirming the configuration, Microsoft Windows.NET 4.6.1 will be installed, if needed.

8 8) Click Deploy to begin the process of deploying the DataCore Server virtual machines. After confirming the configuration, Microsoft Windows.NET will be installed, if needed. Next, the Deployment Progress window will open and show the current step of the deployment process for all DataCore Server virtual machines being created. The deployment of all DataCore Server virtual machine instances occurs in parallel. In vcenter, DataCore Server virtual machines will be created, configured and powered on. Note: Deployment may take some time, while the process performs several steps: creates the VMs, installs the Windows operating system, VMware tools, and DataCore Hyperconverged Virtual SAN software, and performs subsequent configuration on the DataCore Server Group.. When the process is complete, the Finish button will be enabled. An installation log (vspheredeploymentlog.txt) is updated with progress information, as well. Monitor the progress of the deployment tasks. If the deployment does not complete within a reasonable amount of time, connect to the virtual machines through vcenter and check the status. Note: If the installation fails for any reason before completion, close the wizard, clear datastores, virtual switches, and virtual switch port groups that may have already been created. Restart the installation procedure. Adding Additional DataCore Virtual Machines Open the DataCore vsphere Installation Manager. A pop-up will be displayed asking for confirmation that the new DataCore Server virtual machines are to be added to the existing Server Group.

Starting DataCore Software on the DataCore Server Virtual Machines Perform these steps on a DataCore Server virtual machine or from a remote DataCore Management Console: 1) Click the DataCore desktop

9 Starting DataCore Software on the DataCore Server Virtual Machines Perform these steps on a DataCore Server virtual machine or from a remote DataCore Management Console: 1) Click the DataCore desktop shortcut. 2) Refer to Connecting to a Server Group in this guide to connect to the server group and begin using the software. Use the local Administrator account or the DcsAdmin account that was created during the installation. 3) After connecting to the management console, open the DataCore Help from the Ribbon>Home tab. The Help opens to the Welcome topic. Click the link to the Getting Started topic which will guide you in performing additional configuration steps. (If the server has no Internet access, open the Local Help from the Apps Menu.) Known Issues Windows Licensing on Virtual Machines: A valid license key may be entered during installation of each virtual machine or this can be left blank and activated at a later time. However if an invalid key is entered, the virtual machine will not continue installing. In this case, close the wizard, clear datastores, virtual switches, and virtual switch port groups that may have already been created. Restart the installation procedure. Windows ISO File Location: The DataCore Deployment Wizard will not display any warnings or error messages if an invalid Windows ISO File Location is entered, and the deployment process will not continue. Restart the deployment with the correct path. If the Register in SANsymphony check box is unchecked in the main vsphere Installation Manager panel, after deployment, manually perform these two tasks: a) Set the Hypervisor Host in the HVSAN instance s server setting b) Manually log the ESXi hosts initiators into each target port for each HVSAN instance. Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 2.07 Enhancement: New and improved wizard for ease of configuration, following configuration best practices. Problem: The installer ISO image could not be uploaded to a temporary datastore, and an exception ( Request Cancelled ) occurred. Cause: An expired or untrusted ceritificate on the vcenter caused the connection to be forcibly closed. Resolution: A code change was made to ignore certificate errors when uploading the installer file. Problem: If the DataCore Deployment Wizard deployment failed, an error message Failed to cleanup temporary files from the shared datastore. was displayed. Cause: Deletion of the ISO image from the datastore failed because it was unmounted incorrectly from the CD drive and didn't get unlocked. Resolution: A code change was made that fixed the unmounting procedure. Problem: When connecting to vcenter, an error The request was aborted. Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel. was displayed. Cause: The error occurred when TLS 1.2 was configured as the only security protocol on the vcenter, because the wizard did not support this protocol. Resolution: Replaced the obsolete Web Services framework with the WCF framework for communication with the vcenter. The WCF provides support for TLS 1.2.

Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 1.6.5 Enhancement: Added support for Microsoft Windows Server 2016 and Microsoft vcenter 6.5. Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 1.

Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 1.6 Enhancement: Preserve log files from virtual machines by copying them to the server running the vsphere wizard.

10 Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere Enhancement: Added support for Microsoft Windows Server 2016 and Microsoft vcenter 6.5. Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere Enhancement: Added the capability to extend the initially established configuration by deploying additional DataCore virtual machines. Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 1.6 Enhancement: Preserve log files from virtual machines by copying them to the server running the vsphere wizard. Problem: The DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere installation did not complete the Deploying process. Cause: A function waiting on a task to complete didn t exit even though the task was complete. Resolution: A code change was made to poll to verify that the operation has completed, and if it has, continues on to the next operation. Problem: A NullReference exception occurred when attempting to set server port properties. Cause: The code was not checking for a null value for one of the parameters in the set server port function. Resolution: A code change was made to check for this null parameter. Problem: Entering network IP addresses for iscsi ports using the slash notation format with a 0 for the bits reserved for network addressing, for example: /0, resulting in a node being inaccessible and caused installation steps to fail. Cause: An IP address with a /0 is invalid. Resolution: A code change was made to add additional checks for invalid IP addresses. Problem: The vsphere wizard incorrectly set the subnet mask on a guest virtual machine. Cause: The IP slash notation information was not included in the configuration file used to install SANsymphony. Resolution: A code change was made to add this information to the configuration file. Problem: In some configurations, the vsphere Deployment Wizard did not complete the installation of SANsymphony on a virtual machine. Cause: On some ESX installations, CD drives could not be discovered because the specific names were language-specific. Resolution: A code change was made to use device keys generated by ESX, rather than the device name to discover the CD drive. Problem: The deployment task stopped during installation, and an error Datacenter not found. Deployment stopped. was displayed. Cause: The vcenter session was dropped or timed out. Resolution: A code change was made to keep the connection alive by sending requests periodically. Enhancements/Fixes in DataCore Deployment Wizard for vsphere 1.1 Problem: The deployment wizard displayed invalid characters in an error dialog box. Cause: The format wasn't printing the variable value instead displaying the variable name. Resolution: A code change was made to print the variable value instead of the name. Problem: The deployment wizard was stuck waiting in the "Preparing Network Settings" step. Cause: The ISO image was not mounted, so the script that modifies the network settings could not be accessed. Resolution: Added a check to confirm the ISO image is mounted before setting up the network. Problem: Virtual machines could not be created when vsphere presented local disks as non-local causing some datastores to not be displayed in the vcenter Inventory options. Cause: Local disks were attached on an external controller, making them appear as non-local. Only datastores created on local disks were presented. Resolution: Present all datastores, except those that are shared on more than two ESXi hosts. Datastores must now be selected manually. DataCore Software Corporation 6300 NW 5th Way Fort Lauderdale, Florida Phone: info@datacore.com Copyright DataCore Software Corporation. All rights reserved. DataCore, the DataCore logo and SANsymphony are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Release Notes and User Guide: DataCore SANsymphony Storage Replication Adapter 1.1

Release Notes and User Guide: DataCore SANsymphony Storage Replication Adapter 1.1 Release Notes Cumulative Change Summary Date Original 1.0 release July 11, 2012 Added references to SANsymphony Help Topics, FAQs and other documents; Removed sections to create SRA User Guide August 17,