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In Cisco HyperFlex Systems, the data platform spans three or more Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series nodes to create a highly available
cluster. Each node includes a Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform controller that implements the distributed file system using
internal flash-based SSD drives and high-capacity HDDs to store data. The controllers communicate with each other over 10
Gigabit Ethernet to present a single pool of storage that spans the nodes in the cluster. Nodes access data through a data layer
using file, block, object, and API plug-ins. As nodes are added, the cluster scales linearly to deliver computing, storage capacity,
and I/O performance.
In the VMware vSphere environment, the controller occupies a virtual machine with a dedicated number of processor cores and
amount of memory, allowing it to deliver consistent performance and not affect the performance of the other virtual machines on
the cluster. The controller can access all storage without hypervisor intervention through the VMware VM_DIRECT_PATH feature.
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It uses the node’s memory and SSD drives as part of a distributed caching layer, and it uses the node’s HDDs for distributed
capacity storage. The controller integrates the data platform into VMware software through the use of two preinstalled VMware
ESXi vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs):
• IO Visor: This VIB provides a network file system (NFS) mount point so that the ESXi hypervisor can access the virtual
disk drives that are attached to individual virtual machines. From the hypervisor’s perspective, it is simply attached to a
network file system.
• VMware vStorage API for Array Integration (VAAI): This storage offload API allows vSphere to request advanced file
system operations such as snapshots and cloning. The controller causes these operations to occur through manipulation
of metadata rather than actual data copying, providing rapid response, and thus rapid deployment of new application
environments.
Limitations
The HX Management Simulator is a virtual instance of the HX storage cluster software. It is designed to provide a working instance
of the vSphere web client plug-in management interface and Command Line Interface (CLI) that individuals can use for
educational purposes.
The simulator does not resemble an actual HX storage cluster. As such, it should not be used for any purpose other than to learn
how to manage the HX platform.
Requirements
Table 1. Requirements
Required Optional
Topology
This content includes preconfigured users and components to illustrate the scripted scenarios and features of the solution. Most
components are fully configurable with predefined administrative user accounts. You can see the IP address and user account
credentials to use to access a component by clicking the component icon in the Topology menu of your active session and in the
scenario steps that require their use.
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Figure 2. Topology
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Get Started
BEFORE PRESENTING
We strongly recommend that you go through this document and work with an active session before presenting in front of a live
audience. This will allow you to become familiar with the structure of the document and content.
Follow the steps to schedule a session of the content and configure your presentation environment.
1. Browse to dcloud.cisco.com, select the location closest to you, and log in with your Cisco.com credentials.
4. Verify that the status of your session is Active in My Dashboard > My Sessions.
6. For best performance, connect to the workstation with Cisco AnyConnect VPN [Show Me How] and the local RDP client on
your laptop [Show Me How]
NOTE: You can also connect to the workstation using the Cisco dCloud Remote Desktop client [Show Me How]. The dCloud
Remote Desktop client works best for accessing an active session with minimal interaction.
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There are two options for performing this scenario, users must select one and proceed:
• Option 1: Create a Virtual Datacenter, Cluster and Hosts via the vSphere client
These two methods, both detailed in this scenario, are mutually exclusive. Once the environment is set up manually, you must use
a different demo session to demonstrate the script, and vice versa.
Steps
Option 1: Create a Virtual Datacenter, Cluster, and Hosts via vSphere Client
1. From the wkst1 desktop, double-click the vSphere Client shortcut . Click Use Windows session credentials and login.
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b. Change the name of the New Datacenter to dCloud-HX-DC and hit Enter.
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e. Click Next through to the vSphere HA screen and click the Disable: Allow VM power on operations that violate
availability constraints radio button.
Figure 9. vSphere HA
o das.ignoreInsufficientHbDatastore
o das.ignoreRedundantNetWarning
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NOTE: These advance settings are done to suppress HA warnings in the virtual center, in a normal production environment they
would not be needed as you would have resilient connection to your hosts and multiple datastore’s presented.
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g. Click Next through the Host Summary window, no changes are required.
h. In the License window, select the only available VMware vSphere 6 Enterprise Plus license and click Next.
j. In the Choose Resource Pool window, click Next (no changes necessary).
k. Click Finish.
6. Repeat Step 5 to create three more hosts, incrementing the IP address by 1 each time (198.18.134.202 to .204) and leaving
all other parameters the same.
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NOTE: Wait until all of the tasks in the Recent Tasks bar have completed before proceeding to Scenario 2. Proceeding prior to
the completion of all the tasks will break the session.
This concludes the activities in this scenario. Do not continue with Option 2 if you have completed Option 1.
The purpose of this section is to use a script to configure the cluster. The script will not work if you have already manually created
the data center, cluster and added the hosts in the previous section – you will need to spin up a new session.
1. From the wkst1 desktop, double-click the vSphere Client shortcut . Click Use Windows session authentication and
login.
2. Click Hosts and Clusters from the side menu – there are no Data Centers, Clusters or Hosts in vc1.dcloud.cisco.com.
4. Double-click the Scenario 1 – Virtual Center Setup file and watch as the configured components drop into the vSphere
hierarchy.
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NOTE: Wait until all of the tasks in the Recent Tasks bar have completed before proceeding to Scenario 2. Proceeding prior to
the completion of all the tasks will break the session.
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There are two options for performing this scenario, users must select one and proceed:
These two methods, both detailed in this scenario, are mutually exclusive. Once the environment is set up manually, you must use
a different demo session to demonstrate the script, and vice versa.
Steps
1. Open a new Chrome tab and click the [Deploy] Cisco HX Data bookmark. Log in (admin/springpath).
4. Enter the IP addresses of the Hypervisor (198.18.134.201) and the Storage Controller (198.18.134.205).
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6. Scroll down to Hypervisor Credentials and change the root Password to cisco123.
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9. Click Validate to confirm access to all the configured appliances, then click OK on the pop-up.
10. Click the Save Configuration File link to save the configuration. Click Save in the resulting window.
12. Click F5 to refresh the page manually until the deployment completes.
NOTE: The deployment page will refresh itself, but may not go to the correct link. When the Configuring Cluster percentage
reaches 100%, redirect the page to https://198.18.134.205/ if it does not happen automatically. It will probably take 10-15
minutes for the Configuring Cluster percentage to reach 100%.
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This concludes the activities in this scenario. Do not continue with Option 2 if you have completed Option 1.
The purpose of this section is to use a script to create the Cisco HX Storage Cluster. The script will not work if you have already
manually created the cluster in the previous section – you will need to spin up a new session.
NOTE: To streamline the flow of the demo, run the Xpress – Four Node Cluster Creation script instead of the Scenario 2 – HX
Cluster Creation script in Step 4. This script will create all four hosts, instead of three. Then skip the Expand HX Cluster
section of Scenario 3. Use this alternate method only if you are already familiar with the demo flow.
1. From the wkst1 desktop, double-click the vSphere Client shortcut . Click Use Windows session authentication and
login.
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2. Click Hosts and Clusters from the side menu and review the existing hosts.
NOTE: Wait approximately 10 minutes for the ESX Agents resource pool to be created and populated. You will notice that the last
VM ending 204 is not currently within the ESX Agents resource group. Once you add the last host, in the Expand HX
Cluster section in Scenario 3, it will move into the ESX Agents group.
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5. You will see a number of tasks running and completing in the Recent Tasks in the vSphere Client.
6. The script window will finally display the following message once completed.
7. Open a Chrome tab and click the [Deploy] Cisco HX shortcut if the HX Data Platform is not already open. Login if necessary
(admin/springpath).
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Steps
The purpose of this section is to show how simple it is to create a new datastore and then how it is automatically mounted onto all
hosts with the HX Storage Cluster.
1. Open a new Chrome tab and click the vSphere Web Console shortcut. If Chrome is not already open, from the wkst1
2. If a security warning is generated, click Advanced, then Proceed to the vSphere Web Client.
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9. In the resulting pop-up, enter HX-Datastore1 in the Datastore Name field and 50 in the Size field, then click OK.
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10. Observe the creation of the new datastore in the Datastores window – 100% free and available for use.
Expand HX Cluster
The purpose of this section is to show how simple it is to add additional HX Nodes to your Cisco HX Cluster.
NOTE: Do not perform this section if you used the Xpress – Four Node Cluster Creation script in Scenario 2.
1. Within the vSphere Web Console, click Cisco HX Data Platform and see that there are 3 Converged Nodes. Note the total
storage.
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2. Open a Chrome tab and click the [Expand] Cisco HX bookmark. Login if necessary
(admin/springpath).
3. Enter the IP address of the Hypervisor (198.18.134.204) and the Storage Controller (198.18.134.208).
8. Enter the parameters as shown in the following figure, and click Validate, then OK.
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9. Click Deploy.
NOTE: It will take approximately 5-10 minutes for the node to be added. During that time, it will appear that nothing is happening.
10. Wait 5-10 minutes. Click the vSphere Web Client tab and watch as the VM comes online and gets moved to the ESX Agents
resource group.
11. Go back to the [Expand] Cisco HX tab, where the Cluster Summary shows that the fourth appliance/hypervisor is online.
13. Click the back arrow to return to the vCenter Inventory Lists menu.
14. Click Cisco HX Data Platform and see that there are four Converged Nodes and the total storage has increased.
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18. Click Hosts and show that the new host is connected to the HX-Datastore1 as soon as it joins the HX Cluster.
The purpose of this section is to import a VM onto the newly created datastore via an OVF template.
1. Click the Back arrow three times to reach the vCenter Inventory Lists menu.
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2. Select Clusters.
3. Click dCloud-HX-Cluster.
5. Click Allow.
8. Click Open.
9. Click Next.
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15. Select Thin Provision from the Select virtual disk format drop-down.
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22. Wait for the tasks to finish, which takes approximately 3 minutes.
23. Click the Back arrow to get to the vCenter Inventory Lists.
25. Click the newly created HX-VM-1, then click the Summary tab and scroll down to see that it is deployed on HX-Datastore1.
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The purpose of this section is to create a native snapshot of a VM. Native snapshots provide efficient point-intime copies for
backup and remote-replication purposes. Unlike with enterprise shared storage, data center administrators do not have to install a
complex storage network, worry about logical unit numbers (LUNs), or require a storage administrator to configure the data
platform.
2. Click Cisco HX Data Platform > Snapshot Now on the resulting menu.
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4. Monitor the Create virtual machine native snapshot task in the Recent Tasks bar until completed.
The purpose of this section is to show how quickly the size of a datastore can be changed.
3. Click hx-storage-cluster.
4. Click Manage > Datastores. The size of the existing datastore is 50.00 GB.
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7. Refresh if necessary until the size change takes effect (this only takes a few seconds.)
Ready Clones of a VM
The purpose of this section is to demonstrate using the ReadyClone feature to quickly create multiple clones of a deployed VM.
Fast, space-efficient clones help users provision new applications from existing templates or deployments with little use of storage.
Thin provisioning allows deployment of more virtual machines with existing storage, maximizing efficiency and making storage a
pay-as-you-go operation.
3. Right-click HX-VM1 and select Cisco HX Data Platform > ReadyClones from the menu.
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• Number of clones: 10
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5. Click OK.
6. Wait a minute and click Refresh. The VMs come online one by one.
7. Click the back button to return to vCenter Inventory Lists and click Cisco HX Data Platform.
8. Click hx-storage-cluster.
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14. Show the graphs, which show the spike in activity resulting from the new VMs.
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The purpose of this section is to show that even if a host goes down, connectivity to the VMs do not go down.
1. In the vSphere client, click dCloud-HX-Cluster and show which VMs are running on each host. Note particularly that some of
the VMs are running on 198.18.134.201.
2. On the laptop, outside of the demo workstation, open a Chrome browser and login to the dcloud home page –
dcloud.cisco.com.
4. Click My Dashboard.
7. Expand hx-node1.
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10. Return to the vSphere client. Within minutes the VMs are up, and those that were running on host .201 earlier have migrated
to other hosts.
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