23/7/2021 Azure StorSimple 8k Maintenance Mode updates | NYC Azure Storage Consulting

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Home > "On IT" Blog > April 19th, 2017

Azure StorSimple 8k Maintenance Mode updates

How to perform Maintenance Mode update on your Azure StorSimple 8k device
Posted on April 19th, 2017 in Microsoft Azure

StorSimple is Microsoft’s on premises iSCSI SAN that extends seamlessly to the cloud
providing 500 TB of disk space to on-premises file servers, users, and applications with a 4
RU footprint.

From time to time, Microsoft makes software and firmware updates available to the device.
System administrators choose when to deploy these updates at a convenient time.

The device software updates are non-intrusive and require no down time. Under the hood,
CAU (Cluster Aware Updating) is used to patch the passive node (controller), reboot it,
seamlessly failover the device (clustered roles) to the other node (controller), patch the other
node, and we’re all set.

The device also gets some disk and SAS controller firmware updates that require a
‘Maintenance Mode’ update. When there’s available Maintenance Mode update, you’ll see a Privacidad - Condiciones

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message in the Azure classic portal under the device Maintenance page similar to:

This is a process that require down time. Here’s how we recommend you go about it:

Schedule a 2 hour down time window. All volumes on the device will be unavailable for the
duration of this update. Although the process takes less than 1 hour, it’s a common
practice to schedule a bit more time to allow for any unexpected scenarios.
On the file servers receiving volumes from this StorSimple device, offline all the iSCSI
volumes from this device in Disk Management.
Connect to StorSimple via the serial cable, open the serial interface in Putty for example,
select the correct COM port at 115,200 speed
Put the device in Maintenance Mode using this PowerShell cmdlet:

Enter-HcsMaintenanceMode

wait for the device to reboot (both controllers)

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Note that the Azure portal will show the controllers in Maintenance Mode during this time:

After controllers’ reboot, log back in:

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Identify available updates by using this PowerShell cmdlet:

Get-HcsUpdateAvailability

this should show available Maintenance Mode updates (TRUE)

Start the update using this PowerShel cmdlet:

Start-HcsUpdate

The device may reboot several times during this process

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Monitor the update using this PowerShell cmdlet:

Get-HcsUpdateStatus

until you get negative response from both controllers:

Finally, exit Maintenance Mode by using this PowerShell cmdlet:

Exit-HcsMaintenanceMode

and wait for the device to reboot.

The Azure portal will show information similar to the following image under the device’s
Maintenance page.

See this post for a full reference of StorSimple 8k updates.

For more information on StorSimple updates or Hybrid Cloud Storage, contact our NJ and
NYC based Azure Consulting team.

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