Emc Visual San

SAN Management using EMC Tools
Part 2
Module 5
EMC Global Education

2004 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.
SAN Management
Module 5: SAN Management using EMC Tools Part 2

After completing this module, you will be able to:
z Identify the components, functions, and services of VisualSAN
z List the components of the VisualSAN architecture
z Navigate the VisualSAN interface
Identify the meanings of icon colorization
Interpret the meanings of symbols in the status bar
z Activate the discovery process
Configure the discovery settings

z Navigate the VisualSAN interface for zone information
z Describe the process for zone creation and implementation
z Identify the VisualSAN utility used for storage provisioning
z List the steps to perform storage provisioning using the
VisualSAN Provision Storage Wizard

SAN Management
Lesson 1: EMC VisualSAN

z Deep integration with CLARiiON arrays
z Unique functionality
z Management Functions
Discovery
Visualization
Central management
Status monitoring
Event monitoring w/alert management
Zone management
Reporting

The EMC VisualSAN Network Management Suite provides management of storage area networks (SANs)
through device discovery and management, switch and port performance and activity analysis, and physical
comparisons between current and past SAN configurations.
The primary features of EMC VisualSAN include:
Automatic discovery of devices based on IP addresses and SNMP protocol; devices include switches, ports,
routers, hosts, host bus adapters (HBAs), and storage systems.
Topographical layout of SAN elements including hosts, storage systems, and their interconnects.
Health monitors that display the number of devices in each status. This status list provides at-a-glance
information for well-functioning as well as problem devices.
User-defined alerts that notify users when a device reaches a predefined condition. Alerts can be sent to a
systems administrator, or any other user, via e-mail or pager, and to another computer via an SNMP trap.
Inventory reporting which lists device characteristics including IP address, model number, serial number, and
so on.
Tracking, recording, and analysis of eligible devices' performance statistics, including a real-time graph
analysis of the most active devices.
Capture of a SAN configuration at a user-defined point in time for comparison, historical reference, and
change management.
Zone control and management through which a set of ports on the same fabric can be managed.
Control of storage provisioning on the CLARiiON arrays. This functionality, new with version 4.0 of
VisualSAN previously had been restricted to Navisphere Manager and Navisphere CLI.
User-defined URL links that can start a device's management software.
SAN Management
Visual SAN Components

z Software components:
z Functional components:
Network Manager
Performance Manager
Configuration Manager
SAN Assistant
Support Center

Web interface
Summary screen
Alert scheduler
Zone visualization
Real time and historical
performance management
Configuration and change
management
Storage Provisioning
VisualSAN consists of the following software components:

Network Manager
Performance Manager
SAN Assistant
Support Center
VisualSAN consists of the following functional components:
Web interface
Summary screen
Alert scheduler
Zone visualization
Real time and historical performance management
Configuration and change management
Storage Provisioning
SAN Management
Network Manager (NSM)

VisualSAN includes several license based components:

Network Manager: The base component allowing for SAN management and monitoring. Beginning with version
4.0, this component also includes Support Link functionality for e-mailing configurations to an authorized support
center. This functionality had been previously included in the Support Center component.
Performance Manager: An optional component for monitoring SAN performance
Configuration Manager: An optional component for viewing SAN changes
SAN Assistant: An optional component for provisioning storage (in prior releases, this component had been
called Path Assistant)
In addition, Support Center installs at the EMC Support Center and allows the support engineer to analyze
uploads from customers sites. This is not available for customer environments.
VisualSAN Network Manager (NSM) discovers, manages, and monitors multi-vendor SAN devices, generating a
topology map that depicts the SAN environment and its interconnects. This drill-down map, viewed via an
intuitive user interface, indicates which devices and interconnects are active and which areas need attention.
VisualSAN Network Manager monitors events, quickly and intelligently distinguishing urgent SAN events and
generating alerts.
VisualSAN Network Manager provides zone management for CLARiiON supported switches and supports node
zoning. Through the VisualSAN Zone Explorer, the user can create, define, and manage storage zones. The
Zone Explorer minimizes SAN complexity by enabling the user to directly define zones, activate zone
configurations, and visualize all zones.
The Network Manager can be used to view extended device attributes and launch management apps such as
Navisphere or the Brocade GUI. Inventory and custom reports are easily generated through the NM console.
Embedded in Network Manager is Support Link. This is a background application that runs at the customer site. It
maintains a baseline capture of the SAN configuration. Support Link provides the ability to update the baseline
capture if the configuration changes. It can be commanded to send an e-mail to the support center with captures
and events up to a specified file size.
SAN Management
Performance Manager (PM)

VisualSAN Performance Manager (PM) is an add-on application within the VisualSAN Network Management
Suite that delivers real-time and historical performance monitoring of SANs and renders this data in an intuitive
visual format with alert generation.
It features an intuitive user interface which can be used to monitor historical trending and predict element
saturation.
VisualSAN Performance Manager provides real time graphs with thresholds and can monitor multiple devices
and statistics. The interface allows access to an historical database and can provide historical graphs.
SAN Management
Configuration Manager (CM)

VisualSAN Configuration Manager (CM) is an add-on application within the VisualSAN Network Management
Suite that delivers configuration management tools for comparison, historical reference, change management,
asset management, and replication.
Configuration Manager can create point-in-time configuration captures which may also be automated. The
configuration capture can be used for visual topology comparison. The comparisons can be tailored through a
user defined comparison filter. When a capture is performed it can be compared against a live SAN or up to two
previous captures.
SAN Management
SAN Assistant (PA)

VisualSAN SAN Assistant (PA) enables the user to create a path between a host and a storage system by
creating LU masks that enable authorized HBAs to access specified devices on storage ports. The user can
further secure access to the data by configuring zoning on the switches. On the topology map, the user can
visualize paths by selecting a host or storage system. All valid paths to and from the selected device are
highlighted on the topology map. Through VisualSAN SAN Assistant, it is possible to:
Provision paths between hosts and storage systems for CLARiiON arrays and clusters, specify the storage
system and LUN, configure zones automatically or manually, and create the LUN mask (storage group).
Discover and represent the complete path, including fabrics, switches, ports, HBAs and LUNs, between a
storage system and host.
Visualize the volume and application association between a storage system and host.
View device relationships and hierarchies from a host and storage system point of view.
SAN Management
Support Center (SC)

Support Center runs at the EMC Support Center and has a central database that all support technicians can
access through a web client. This component can compare customer configurations. It imports up to 3 captures
(baseline, updated baseline, and problem) along with modification events using a 1-step process. Technicians
can compare configurations using a topology map, detail tree, and modification history.
Support Center maintains customer information. It tracks customers by a unique ID included in each customer
email. Information about existing customers can be accessed by entering their unique ID in an Open
Customer dialog box.
SAN Management
Lesson 1: Summary
Key points covered in this lesson:
z VisualSAN is comprised of 5 licensed software
components:
Network Manager
Performance Manager
SAN Assistant
Support Center

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Lesson 2: VisualSAN Architecture

VisualSAN
Management Server
VisualSAN gathers CLARiiON array

info through:
CLI (Navisphere)
Components on Server:
VisualSAN Application
Navi CLI
VisualSAN gathers Brocade

switch info through:
SNMP (MIB)
SNMP (API for Control)
Business
Application
Server
VisualSAN gathers Host and
HBA info through:
SNMP (MIB II)
SNMP (QLogic MIB)
CLI (Navi CLI agent)
Fibre
Channel

Ethernet
VisualSAN gathers
Bridge info through:
SNMP (MIB)
VisualSAN gathers
Tape Library info through:
SNMP (MIB)
11
EMC VisualSAN can run either as an application on the management station using local VisualSAN services or, it
can run in a Web browser through a Java applet using the services installed on the management station.
Running VisualSAN through the Web browser is less resource intensive on the local computer since services are
located on another computer.
The application services are a core component of VisualSAN and must be running in order to gain the most
information, in some cases any information, from the SAN devices. Services start automatically after setup and
must be running before starting the application.
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VisualSAN Layers
Software Layers
User Defined
Client
Process
User
Interface
SANDAPI
Discovery
Engine
Service
Device
Manager
Service
Event
Queue
Service
Alert
Repository
Notification Manager
Service
Service
TRAP
Service
Proxy
Service

12
The VisualSAN Network Management Services are:

Discovery Engine Service: Discovers SNMP devices
Device Manager Service: Launched per device type
Out-of-band (SNMP) Device Manager launched on any host
In-band (non-SNMP: HBA/SCSI) Device Managers launched on each HBA resident host, polls devices,
provides status and performance data
Event Queue Service: Central process - All events posted to or received from Event Queue Service
Alert Notification Service: Filters events, sends email, pages, and SNMP Traps
Repository Manager Service: Service providing Fibre & SCSI connectivity information
TRAP Service: Receives and processes SNMP Traps
Proxy Service: Conduit to Network Management Services when in browser UI operational mode
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Display
Network Manager
User Interface
Process
Alert Notification
Service
Repository Manager
Service
Database Service
Performance Manager
Performance Engine
Services (optional)
Monitor
VisualSAN Dataflow
Event Queue
Service
Trap Listener
Service
Device Manager
Service
Windows SNMP
Trap Service
Discover
Third-Party
User Interface
Discovery Engine Service
Device Manager Service
Validate
Performance Manager Configuration Manager

User Interface
User Interface
(optional)
(optional)
License Manager Service
Login Service

13
Here we see the services and other components in VisualSAN and where they fit within the application
architecture. In order to create the topology display, VisualSAN begins with user and application validation. The
discovery step relies on the Discovery Engine and Device Manager services. After extracting and logging events,
alerts are created and the repository is updated. Finally, the display components create and display the topology
map and other visuals.
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VisualSAN Services

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Services are designed to facilitate application development. The Services window will display the VisualSAN
services and their current status. All of the services are Java-based, the binaries are encapsulated in JAR files.
Note: The services are bound to the default IP address of the Management host. In a multi-homed machine there
could be login issues if an IP address is lost or changed.
The services provide support for these functions on the management station:
License management (License Service)
Device management (DM)
Performance management (PM)
Proxy management (PS)
Repository management (RM)
Mapping (TS)
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Repository Manager Service

z Receives device status events
z Processes the events producing connectivity information
z Processing components:
Fibre Channel Connectivity Service (FCS)
Processes in-band (HBA) and out-of-band (SNMP device) information to
produce fabric topology
SCSI Device Service (SDS)

Processes SCSI information
SCSI Information obtained via the HBA device manager
Adds SCSI/JBOD connectivity to the fabric topology

15
The Repository Manager service receives and processes incoming events.
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Event Queue Service

z Central service for all posted events
Device Manager posts heartbeat & status events

Repository Manager posts network element information
Alert Notification Service posts alert notification information
SANDAPI allows for non-NM service event posting
z Central service for event delivery to client processes
Repository Manager receives device status events

Alert Notification Service receives all events:
Correlators determine if an alert should be sent
User Interface receives

Element events
ANS alert notification events
SANDAPI allows for non-NM client to receive events

Client event backlog is configurable ensuring no events are lost
z Logs all events to the database
16
The Event Queue service queries the other services, listening for events to be recorded into the Repository.
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Discovery Engine Service

z Discovers all SNMP devices
Performed out-of-band, over Ethernet using SNMP requests
Configurable characteristics
Ethernet IP addresses or ranges
Poll timeout and discovery retry attempts
Rediscovery Interval
z Communicates discovered devices to the Device
Manager Service or Client Service

17
The DiscoveryEngineApi class allows a Client to start & stop discovery, modify the IP Address ranges,
retrieve discovery and complete information, etc.
The DiscoveryEngineListenerApi class allows the Discovery Engine Service to notify the client when
discovery is started & completed, when new devices are added, when the Discovery Engine Service has
been shutdown, etc.
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Device Manager Service

z The Device Manager Service (DMS) is the Windows
service that contains all of the individual Device

Manager objects
z The DMS loads the devicemgr.properties file
File is formatted as single lines containing the fully qualified

class path to each class that the DMS will load
Comment lines may be entered by preceding the text with a #

18
When the DMS starts, it will attempt to load each Device Manager (DM) defined within the devicemgr.properties
file. If a class cannot be found an error is output to the log file and the loading of other classes continues. The
DMS will then start its scheduler in order to schedule each class (Object) to do its job.
What is a Device Manager?
A Device Manager (DM) is a class that monitors a device for information
The DM knows nothing of the system architecture
Monitors a device and reads all pertinent information about that device
Formats the information into a standard format
Reports when a device is not responding
Reports performance information about a device if available
Device Managers are written to interface with and gather information from specific devices. Some Examples:
Silkworm Monitors Silkworm devices
ClariionDM Monitors CLARiiON devices
GenericHostDM Monitors host devices
DMS and DM notes:
The DMS will poll the DMs once every 2 minutes (configurable) for a heartbeat
The heartbeat is hidden from the DM since this is just a call to getStatusInfo
Any DM that does not answer a heartbeat will be assumed failed and thus be set to critical
The performance polling rate and the status polling rates are independent
A DM can have custom polling rates per device
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VisualSAN Agents
z Report connectivity information to a VisualSAN Server
z SAN attached
z Windows, Solaris and Linux based agents
z Used for reporting only, cannot run application on
remote machine

19
Installing Agents enables VisualSAN to monitor SAN hosts more effectively by collecting information about the
SANs Fibre Channel connectivity. This information is not available without the VisualSAN Agent.
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Lesson 2: Summary
z VisualSAN has several software layers
z The VisualSAN dataflow model is:
ValidateDiscoverMonitorProcessDisplay
z Two ways to interact with VisualSAN:
Application on the management station
Web browser running a java applet communicating to the
management station

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Lesson 3: VisualSAN Configuration (Post-Install)

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When VisualSAN 4.0 is started for the first time, the user will be prompted via the Configuration Wizard to define
the IP discovery range and e-mail notification parameters. These values may be altered at a later time through
the VisualSAN interface.
Step 1 in the Configuration Wizard defines the IP Addresses to include in the discovery process. Click Add to
open the Add Discovery Addresses dialog. The user has the option of adding a single address or a range of
addresses. When Add a Single Address is selected, a single address field is opened and the address can be
entered. When Add an Address Range is selected, address fields for the beginning and ending addresses will
be opened. An SMTP read community other than the default of Public may be selected in this dialog box. After
entering the addresses click OK to proceed.
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Configuration Wizard - Step 1 Completed

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The selected addresses have been entered. If additional ranges or addresses need to be added, the Add function
must be executed again. When all ranges and addresses have been added click Next to proceed.
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Configuration Wizard - Step 2

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Step 2 of the Configuration Wizard allows the user to exclude addresses from the discovery process. To add
addresses to the exclusion list click Add. As with the inclusion list, the exclusion list may contain single
addresses or ranges of addresses. Select either Exclude a Single Device or Exclude an Address Range, and
enter the appropriate IP addresses. When the addresses have been entered, click OK to proceed.
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Configuration Wizard - Step 2 Completed

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If additional ranges or addresses need to be added to the exclusion list, the Add function must be executed
again. When the exclusion list is complete click Next to proceed to step 3 of the Configuration Wizard.
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Step 3 of the Configuration Wizard requires identification of the customers Mail Server and a valid customer email address.
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The final step in the initial configuration is to commit the entries made in the three previous steps to the database.
Click Finish to close the Configuration Wizard and launch the VisualSAN application.
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Lesson 3: Summary
z VisualSAN configuration is initiated with first logon after
installation
z Environment discovery can be done by input of a single
IP address or a range of addresses
z The SNMP community string can be changed during the
initial configuration (default is public)

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Lesson 4: VisualSAN GUI Navigation

1
5
(User Interface w/ Topology Map)
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The features of the main window of VisualSAN are:

1. A menu bar to access features and settings
2. A taskbar with single-click links to commonly used features
3. Rollup panels that display at-a-glance information on features and devices
4. A content panel, also known as the application area, that is populated with major feature components (In this
case the Topology Map which presents a visual representation of all devices discovered and their Fibre
Channel interconnections)
5. A Details Pane that provides content-specific information on the device selected in the content panel, visible
when the Topology Map is displayed in the Content Panel
6. A status bar that displays the status of SNMP discovery, devices, and the add-on modules
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Understanding Icons
OK
Warning
Critical
Unknown

(User Interface w/ Device Summary)
29
The device icons, a number of which are pictured here, appear on the Topology Map, SAN Devices List and
Tree, and other device trees throughout the application. When a devices status changes from normal to another
status, the device color changes and a status icon is added to the graphic.
The high-level meanings of the color and status icons are as follows:
OK: Device is OK and functioning properly
Warning: Device is warning of a condition that may impact its ability to function
Critical: Device is critical and is not operating properly due to a failure
Unknown: Device is unknown or unreachable
User defined devices are assigned unknown status after creation. Since VisualSAN is not actively monitoring
these devices, their status must be manually changed.
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Status Bar
The Status Bar contains quick-view reference information in these areas:
1
1. SNMP Discovery Progress Fuel-bar

2. Device Summary Total and by Status
3. Performance Manager Module - Performance Capable
Objects/Devices with Live Graph, Monitoring & Data Recording
Status
4. Configuration Manager Module Operational Status
5. VisualSAN Management Station Information Hostname & Host
IP Address
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The status bar is divided into these 5 subsections:

1. This section will track the progress of an active discovery session. A message will be displayed when a
discovery session is complete. Another possible message here will be SNMP Discovery Not Running, this
does not indicate an error but an ideal discovery state.
2. The summary totals will list the total number of devices found (), along with a breakdown by status showing,
from left to right, OK, critical, changed, unknown and suppressed.
3. The performance section will list, from left to right, the number of devices that can track performance
information, the number of devices displaying on a Live Graph, the number of devices monitoring
performance data, and the number of devices logging performance data to the database.
4. This colored icon indicates that VisualSAN is connected to the Configuration Manager. If connectivity to the
CM service is lost, the icon will be dimmed.
5. The last area lists the name and IP address of the VisualSAN Management Station.
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Integrated Functionality
1

31
All functions can be accessed from the Network Management interface. These include:
Zoning, which is included in Network Manager
Performance Manager
SAN Assistant
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Topology Map Navigation Tools

32
Overview display a miniature map of entire network in a separate window

Refresh Layout Update the map with new information
Layout Options Display the devices in one of four arrangements
Fit in Window Zoom out or fit as much of the map into the panel as possible
Grid Overlay a grid on the map
Select Use the mouse pointer to select a device or connection
Pan Use the mouse to scroll the map
Center and Zoom In Use the mouse pointer to zoom into an area of the map
Center and Zoom Out Use the mouse pointer to zoom out of an area of the map
Marquee Zoom Use the mouse pointer to select an area of the map and zoom in
Interactive Zoom Use the mouse pointer to zoom in and out of an area of the map
Zoom In Zoom in to the center of the map area on display
Zoom Out Zoom out of the map area on display
Save as Image Save the topology map or selected devices to an image file
Add Device Add either a user-defined or SNMP device
Show Links Display links for selected device
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Device Properties

33
Each device in the SAN has a set of properties associated with it that can be accessed by right-clicking on it and
selecting Properties from the menu.
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Device Properties (Contd)

34
The tabs that are displayed in the properties window differ depending on the device selected. Shown here is the
display for a storage system. Hosts will have a tab for adapters, and switches will have a tab for ports.
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35
While a global polling rate exists, this may be altered for individual devices. Each device also has a comment tab
associated with it.
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36
Each device has a default number of attributes. Some of these attributes are system values, while some are
user-editable. The user can also define attributes and add them to the list.
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Device Properties Add Management

37
Management of a device by a program external to VisualSAN can be set through the management tab. Notice
that a link exists to launch the website for the manufacturer. In the next slides, an additional link will be created to
the array-based Management software - Navisphere. To begin this process, click the Add button.
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Device Properties Add Management (Contd)

38
Define the display name and the path to the device management software. Here, a link has been set to the
Browser-based Navisphere software residing within an array.
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Device Properties Add Management (Contd)

39
With the array-based Management link created, it can be launched from this dialog box. It can also be easily
launched from the main VisualSAN 4.0 GUI. Click OK to close the dialog box.
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Device Properties Management

40
With the link set, right-clicking the device and selecting Manage Device and selecting the newly created item will
start the application at the specified location.
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Lesson 4: Summary
z The VisualSAN status bar provides a quick glance
detailed reference of the monitored environment
z Within the VisualSAN GUI there are 4 primary icon
signals:
OK
Warning
Critical
Unknown

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Lesson 5: Discovery Configuration

z Device discovery configuration includes
Selecting IP address ranges for discovery
Selecting IP addresses to be excluded from discovery
Selecting the discovery process interval (how often the
discovery process is performed)
Selecting the SNMP read communities

42
Using IP addresses and the SNMP read community, the application services search for devices that support the
SNMP protocol and match an IP address and the SNMP Read Community entered. After a device is discovered,
EMC VisualSAN monitors it through frequent polling.
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SNMP Discovery Settings

43
Discovery runs on a perpetual basis so new devices can be discovered in a timely manner. The frequency with
which the application discovers new devices is based on the discovery settings. Device discovery automatically
runs when the application is started and at each discovery interval. However, device discovery can be started
manually at any time.
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SNMP Discovery Settings (Contd)

44
To ensure that particular devices are not discovered, enter their IP addresses on the Exclude tab of the SNMP
Discovery Settings dialog box. Discovered devices will be shown in the Discovered tab.
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Global Device Polling Rate

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The application periodically checks, or polls, the status of discovered devices based on a defined polling rate,
either a global rate for all devices or at a device-specific rate. At each polling interval, the discovery service
checks that the device is still online and verifies its status.
To ensure that devices are polled according to their defined polling rate, the polling rate must either be equal to
the heartbeat rate, or be a value which is divisible into the heartbeat rate. For example, if the default heartbeat
rate is 1 hour (or 60 minutes), the polling rate could be set to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 10 minutes, and so on.
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Specific Device Polling Rate

46
Individual polling periods can be set for each discovered device on the Polling tab of the devices Device
Properties dialog box. If the global polling rate is not set to always override the device-specific settings, a
devices specific polling period overrides the global polling period.
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Live Event Monitor

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VisualSAN allows the user to view the events that are currently being posted via the Live Event Monitor, and the
events that have already been posted and recorded into the Event Database via the Event Log Viewer. There
are multiple ways to show the Live Event Monitor (such as via the toolbar or the menu bar).
The Events - Live Viewer is a real-time listing of events that are posted to the applications event queue. When
devices are polled according to the device polling interval, the event queue and the viewer are updated.
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Event Log Viewer

48
The events that are stored in the database can also be viewed. To activate the Events Log Viewer, select the
application from the VisualSAN Explorer rollup application
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Lesson 5: Summary
z Discover configuration includes:
Selecting IP addresses to included or exclude
How frequently the discovery polling should occur
Changing of SNMP read strings as required by site-specific
policies

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Lesson 6: VisualSAN Zoning

z Displays and allows switch zoning information
Supports B-series and M-series switches
z 30 minute zoning information refresh rate
Zoning changes performed by other apps will be reflected in
VisualSAN
z B-series security enforced

50
VisualSAN not only has the ability to display Fibre Channel switch zoning information in the User Interface
Topology Map, it also allows the user to perform zone control commands, such as to create an alias or zone.
This ability to zone a fabric is limited to the B-series and M-series switches at this time.
With the default configuration settings, the alias, zone, and zone set information is obtained every thirty minutes;
it is not an item that is polled for at the switches polling rates.
If any zoning information related to any non-active Zone Set is changed via another application (not VisualSAN),
VisualSAN will not reflect these changes until the next discovery cycle, which could be as long as the set
discovery interval (30 minute interval default value).
Any changes related to an active Zone Set made through another application will be reflected by VisualSAN if
these conditions are met:
FabricWatch is installed and operating on at least one of the Fabric switches related to the change
The Fabrics FabricWatch-installed switch is configured to send SNMP Traps to the VisualSAN Management
Station
The Fabrics FabricWatch installed switch is configured to send SNMP Traps of Event Trap Level 5.
Status information for B-series switches is obtained via SNMP. Zoning is done via the Brocade
Application Programmer Interface (API) and requires a username and password.
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Accessing Zone Settings

51
When VisualSAN is installed, the username and password for discovered switches is assumed to be the Brocade
default (admin and password.) The Zone Settings configuration user interface window can be used to modify the
username and password information for each switch.
Each discovered Fibre Channel switch will be shown in the display. To modify a username and/or a password
for a particular switch, simply select the switch in the display window, type in a valid username and password,
and click the OK button.
Note: Failure to connect to a particular fabric may be a result of many things. The most common reasons are:
An incorrect username/password combination is entered
The maximum number of API connections to the Brocade API are already established
The firmware revision of the fabric switches is not supported.
When a proper connection is made to each fabric, VisualSAN will obtain the zoning information. At this point, full
zone visualization is possible.
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Zone Visualization

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The Zone Visualization Rollup is a convenient mechanism for display of the fabric aliases, zones, and zone sets
(configs). It also serves as a color-keyed legend to assist in the identification of each item displayed.
To display the Zone Visualization rollup, simply select the Zone Visualization sub-menu option from the View
Menu Bar, Topology option.
The Zone Visualization rollup initially shows no items - to show aliases, zones, and/or zone sets, click the button
to the left of the ?, or simply right-mouse-click in the empty space to show the selection menu
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Zone Visualization (Contd)
Active
Inactive
Alias
Zone
Zone
Set

53
With devices visible in the Topology Map, the new menu functionality includes the ability to change the color of
the selected item or remove the item from the Topology Map. Also, double-clicking an item in the list brings up
the Color Chooser dialog for that particular item. The Zone Visualization display also displays the type and
activity level of each item.
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Zone Visualization Topology Map

54
Zone Visualization can also be obtained by right-clicking on the Topology Map and making a menu selection.
Zone Visualization: View Alias, View Zone, and View Zone Set menus, show all aliases, zones and zone sets for
all discovered fabrics.
If a fabric-filtered list is desired, right-clicking a fabric object or fabric switch will list only those aliases, zones
and zone sets which apply to that selection.
The VisualSAN Menu Bar Map selection also contains the Zone Visualization menu. When any alias, zone or
zone set is chosen via this menu, the Zone Visualization rollup is automatically activated. The Topology Map
menu also allows the user to bring up the Zone Explorer application.
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Zone Explorer

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The Zone Explorer application is designed to incorporate all of the Zone Visualization and Control functionality of
VisualSAN into one convenient user interface.
To activate the Zone Explorer, simply click on the Zone Explorer toolbar item or choose Zone Explorer from the
View menu.
The Zone Explorer Zone Visualization pane incorporates the same Zone Visualization functionality as the Zone
Visualization rollup. In addition, after selecting any alias, zone or zone set in the Zoning Network Tree Hierarchy
View, the View on Map button is activated, allowing the user to view the selected item on the Topology Map. The
right-mouse-click menu for each item in the Zoning Network Tree Hierarchy View also incorporates this View on
Map functionality.
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Zone Control Topology Map

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To create aliases or zones from the Topology Map, select the objects to be zoned and then right-click on one of
them. Select Create Alias or Create Zone from the Zone Control sub-menu .
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Zone Control Topology Map (Contd)

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When creating a Zone, the Create Zone dialog appears, requiring the user to enter a zone name, select a fabric
from the list of fabrics and select the type of zoning to implement. World Wide Port Zoning is the supported
CLARiiON zoning scheme.
Note: If a fabric or switch is selected along with the other devices to be zoned, the Fabrics dropdown selection
will not be available selecting a switch or a fabric automatically fills in this field.
When the OK button is clicked, the user will be prompted for the username and password for the fabric in which
the zone or alias will be created. After an initial change to a particular fabric, the user will not be prompted for
username and password for any subsequent changes. When multiple switches are ISLed (Inter-Switch Linked)
together, VisualSAN requires the passwords for each switch in the Fabric to be identical.
The process for creation of an alias is identical to the zone creation process.
The Topology Map right-click menu also allows the user to add or remove selected devices from existing aliases
or zones. However, the Topology Map does not allow the user to manipulate zone sets this activity must be
done in Zone Explorer.
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Zone Explorer Components

1
2
4
3
5

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Components of Zone Explorer components are:

1.The Menu Bar
2.The Tool Bar
3.The Zoning Network Tree Hierarchy View - displays the complete hierarchy of Fabrics and their
corresponding aliases, zones, and zone sets. Context-sensitive right-click functionality is implemented in this
view.
4.The Zone Summary View - displays a summary of information pertaining to the selected item in the Zoning
Network Tree view.
5.The Zone Visualization pane
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Zone Explorer File Menu

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There are three menu choices on the File menu:

Commit: Any changes, additions, and deletions of aliases, zones, or zone sets made to any fabric in Zone
Explorer are not activated until they are committed to the fabric switch(es). This function is also available on the
toolbar.
Discard Changes: Any uncommitted modifications are discarded and Zone Explorer reverts to the currently
active zoning configuration.
Close: Exits Zone Explorer. This function is not available on the toolbar.
The Commit and Discard Changes functionalities are activated when the user makes a change (addition,
modification, deletion) to the discovered fabric zoning information. At this point, the zoning information in Zone
Explorer will not be updated until either the changes have been committed to the Fabric, or the Discard Changes
button is used to restore the discovered information.
Note: Changes will be reflected in the Zoning Network Hierarchy tree. Before they are committed in Zone
Explorer, the following symbols represent modifications to zone objects:
Before it is committed to the fabric, it is shown with a + next to it
A modified alias, zone, or zone set will have a ~ next to it
A deleted item will have a next to it
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Zone Explorer View Menu

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There are three menu choices on the View menu:

1.Show Toolbar: Shows/Hides the Tool Bar. This function is not available on the toolbar.
2.View on Map: Shows/Hides the alias, zone or zone set that is selected in the Zoning Network tree. This
function is also available on the toolbar.
3.Show Active Zones: Shows/Hides active zones for all fabrics on the Topology Map. Zone Visualization
pane and rollup are updated. This function is not available on the toolbar.
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Zone Explorer Control Menu

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There are five menu choices on the Control menu:

1.Create has three choices on a sub-menu:
New Alias - Launches the Create Alias dialog. This function is also available on the toolbar.
New Zone - Launches the Create Zone dialog. This function is also available on the toolbar.
New Zone Set - Launches the Create Zone Set dialog. This function is also available on the toolbar.
2.Activate/Deactivate: Makes the selected zone set active (if not active) or inactive (if active). This function is
also available on the toolbar.
3.Delete: Deletes the selected alias, zone, or zone set. This function is also available on the toolbar.
4.Modify: Launches the Modify... dialog for the selected alias, zone or zone set. This function is also available
on the toolbar.
5.Remove: Removes the selected alias from a zone, the selected zone from a zone set, or the selected device
from an alias. This function is also available on the toolbar.
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Zone Hierarchy View Fabric Selected

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If a fabric is selected, the fabric ID, active zone set, and total number of alias, zone and zone sets in the fabric
are shown.
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Zone Hierarchy View Zone Selected

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If a zone is selected, the zone components are listed, whether they are ports, aliases, etc.
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Zone Explorer Creating Zones/Aliases

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Creation of an alias or zone via the Create Alias or Create Zone dialog boxes is similar to what was described in
the Zone Control Topology Map described earlier, with these differences:
The Fabrics dropdown box is not selectable when the Create Alias or Create Zone dialog is launched.
The Members section of the dialog is not automatically populated. The user is required to manually select
the items to include in the alias or zone.
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Zone Explorer Creating Zone Sets

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In addition to aliases and zones, the user can create zone sets. The Create Zone Set dialog requires the user to
enter a zone set name and select the zones that will be members of the new zone set.
Modifying an alias, zone or zone set launches the Modify Alias, Modify Zone or Modify Zone Set dialogs,
respectively. These dialogs are identical to their Create dialog counterparts, showing the current members of the
selected item to modify.
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Lesson 6: Summary
z Zoning and refresh of information is communicated from
VisualSAN via SNMP
z Both M and B-series switches are supported
z By default, a 30 minute zoning information refresh rate
is set

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Lesson 7: Storage Provisioning Wizard

z Storage Provisioning Wizard
z Selecting objects in Storage Provisioning Wizard
Hosts
LUNs
Storage Path
Zones

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Lesson 7 Contents
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Storage Provisioning Wizard

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As part of the path configuration process, first create a path from a host to a storage system. This pathing is
achieved via LUN masking, the process by which certain LUNs are made available to certain hosts. To define the
path, select an eligible device (either a host, cluster, storage system, logical unit, or fabric) in the topology map or
device tree, right-click it, and select Provision Storage. Instead of right-clicking, select Provision Storage from
the Settings menu.
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Storage Provisioning Select Host

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In the Storage Provisioning Wizard Step 1 dialog box select the Host to create volume access for (if a cluster
is selected, select a single host and complete all 5 steps for the first host and then repeat this procedure for each
additional host in the cluster.) Click Next.
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Storage Provisioning Select LUNs

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The Storage Provisioning Wizard Step 2 dialog box appears. Select a radio button to filter the list of selectable
LUNs.
Select one of the following options:
All logical units: to display all logical units physically connected to the host
Unassigned logical units: to display the logical units physically connected to the selected host and not in
any LUN masks with other hosts
Logical units used by cluster: to display only logical units that are in a LUN mask with one or more
members of the cluster
Select the checkbox of the LUNs to associate with the host or cluster. Note that LUNs must be selected from the
same storage system.
Click Next.
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Storage Provisioning Customize Search

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To locate LUNs that are not listed, click Search Criteria to enter specific details about the LUNs to be located.
The results of the search are added to the list.
Click Next.
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Storage Provisioning Select Storage Group

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In the Storage Provisioning Wizard Step 3 dialog box, select one of the following options:
Create new storage group and type the name of the storage group to be created. This new group is created
in Navisphere Manager and is available for use in VisualSAN.
Use Existing Storage Group and select an existing group from the list. These groups are created in
Navisphere Manager for CLARiiON storage systems and are detected by VisualSAN.
For more information on a storage group, select the group and click Properties.
Click Next.
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Storage Provisioning Zone Paths

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On the Storage Provisioning Wizard Step 4 dialog box select one of the following options:
Automatic Zoning to use an existing zone or create a zone through an existing fabric. The available fabrics
appear in the tree when this option is chosen.
The Automatic Zoning tree displays the fabric to which the selected host is connected, its HBA port,
and the storage ports potentially visible to the HBA port. A green check mark precedes a storage port if it
is already zoned in the selected zone set. Otherwise, if the ports are not already zoned, click on their
checkboxes to include them.
Click Configure Zone Set to verify or change the zone set to which this zone belongs. The active zone
set appears by default. Expand a fabric tree and select the desired zone. For more information on a
fabric, such as the HBA and storage port to which it connects, click Details.
Click Configure Zoning to make modifications to the selected zone. In the Zoning dialog box, select the
zone set to which the zone is added. Select either Create New Zone and type the name of the zone or
Use Existing Zone and select an existing zone.
Manual Zoning to use other tools, such as Zone Explorer, to configure the zone for this path.
Click Next.
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Storage Provisioning Commit Changes

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The Storage Provisioning Wizard Step 5 dialog box displays the changes that will take effect when Finish is
clicked. If satisfied with these changes, click Finish.
No settings that are created in the wizard are committed to the appropriate devices until Finish is clicked. The
progress of the desired changes is tracked with the current operation highlighted.
After each step is completed it will be identified as completed by a green check mark. At the completion of the
entire operation the Cancel button is replaced with a Close button.
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Lesson 7: Summary
z The workflow for storage provisioning with VisualSAN is:
Select host
Select LUNs
Select storage group
Select zone paths
Commit changes

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Module 5: Summary
Key points covered in this module:
z Identify VisualSAN components, services, functions and high-level
architecture
z Navigate the VisualSAN interface
Identify the meanings of icon colorization
Interpret the meanings of symbols in the status bar
z Activate the discovery process
Configure the discovery settings

z Identify the components of the VisualSAN interface used for:
zone visualization
zone creation
z Identify the switches qualified for use with VisualSAN
z Describe the process for zone creation and implementation
z List the steps to perform storage provisioning using the
VisualSAN Provision Storage Wizard

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SAN Management using EMC Tools

EMC Global Education

Module 5: SAN Management using EMC Tools Part 2

Configure the discovery settings

VisualSAN Provision Storage Wizard

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Lesson 1: EMC VisualSAN

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Visual SAN Components

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VisualSAN consists of the following software components:

Network Manager (NSM)

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VisualSAN includes several license based components:

Performance Manager (PM)

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Configuration Manager (CM)

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SAN Assistant (PA)

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Support Center (SC)

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Lesson 2: VisualSAN Architecture

VisualSAN gathers CLARiiON array

VisualSAN gathers Brocade

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The VisualSAN Network Management Services are:

Discovery Engine Service

Device Manager Service

Performance Manager Configuration Manager

License Manager Service

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Repository Manager Service

SCSI Device Service (SDS)

Adds SCSI/JBOD connectivity to the fabric topology

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The Repository Manager service receives and processes incoming events.

Event Queue Service

Device Manager posts heartbeat & status events

z Central service for event delivery to client processes

Repository Manager receives device status events

User Interface receives

SANDAPI allows for non-NM client to receive events

Discovery Engine Service

z Communicates discovered devices to the Device

Manager Service or Client Service

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Device Manager Service

service that contains all of the individual Device

File is formatted as single lines containing the fully qualified

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Lesson 3: VisualSAN Configuration (Post-Install)

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Configuration Wizard - Step 1 Completed

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Configuration Wizard - Step 2

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Configuration Wizard - Step 2 Completed