Dell EMC Unity Installation and Service - Participant Guide

DELL EMC UNITY
INSTALLATION AND
SERVICE
PARTICIPANT GUIDE
PARTICIPANT GUIDE
© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page i
Dell EMC Unity Installation and Service
Table of Contents
Install and Initialize ................................................................................... 6
Dell EMC Unity XT Storage Systems ....................................................... 6
Procedure Overview ............................................................................................................ 7

Locating Installation Documentation .................................................................................... 8
Racking, Cabling and Power-Up Dell EMC Unity XT ............................................................ 9
Assign IP Address.............................................................................................................. 10
InitCLI.exe.......................................................................................................................... 12
Dell EMC Connection Utility and initCLI Utilities ................................................................. 13
Dell EMC Unisphere Initial Configuration Wizard ............................................................... 14
Copyright ........................................................................................................................... 15
Admin and Service Password ............................................................................................ 16
DNS Server........................................................................................................................ 17
Proxy Server ...................................................................................................................... 19
NTP Servers ...................................................................................................................... 20
Licenses ............................................................................................................................ 21
Storage Pools .................................................................................................................... 22
Alert Settings ..................................................................................................................... 24
Dell EMC Support Credentials ........................................................................................... 25
Customer Information ........................................................................................................ 26
EMC Secure Remote Services - ESRS .............................................................................. 27
ESRS Configuration Requirements .................................................................................... 28
Configure ESRS - Integrated.............................................................................................. 30
Configure ESRS - Centralized............................................................................................ 36
NAS Servers ...................................................................................................................... 39
Results............................................................................................................................... 41
Deploying a Dell EMC UnityVSA ............................................................ 42
Dell EMC UnityVSA Architecture........................................................................................ 43

Dell EMC Unity XT to Dell EMC UnityVSA Comparison ..................................................... 45
Page ii © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Product Offerings and Deployment Types .......................................................................... 46

Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment Requirements ................................................ 48
Deploy Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP System .................................................................. 49
Monitor Initial Boot Status Using vSphere Summary .......................................................... 56
Initializing a Dell EMC UnityVSA System ........................................................................... 57
Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment: Adding Virtual Disks ..................................... 58
Demonstration: Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment and Initial Configuration ........ 60
Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Deployment ................................................................. 61
Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Deployment Requirements .......................................... 62
Deploy Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) System ............................................................ 64
Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Systems: Adding Virtual Disks ..................................... 75
Service Tasks .......................................................................................... 77
Storage System Service Tasks Overview .......................................................................... 78

Collect Service Information ................................................................................................ 79
Save Configuration ............................................................................................................ 80
Restart Management Server .............................................................................................. 81
Reinitialize ......................................................................................................................... 82
Change Service Password ................................................................................................. 83
Shutdown Storage System ................................................................................................. 84
Enable or Disable SSH ...................................................................................................... 85
Hardware Upgrade............................................................................................................. 86
Storage Processor Tasks ................................................................................................... 87
Reboot ............................................................................................................................... 88
Monitoring the SP Reboot Process .................................................................................... 89
Reimaging the Storage Processor ..................................................................................... 90
Reset and Hold .................................................................................................................. 91
Alerts and Logs....................................................................................... 92
Understanding Unity Events - Alerts................................................................................... 93

Alert Severity Levels .......................................................................................................... 94
Alert Details ....................................................................................................................... 95
Alerts with Unity XT Dial Home Feature ............................................................................. 97
© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page iii

Receive New Alert Remotely from Support ........................................................................ 98

Install UDoctor Packs ......................................................................................................... 99
Understanding Unity XT Events - Jobs............................................................................. 102
Understanding Unity XT Events - Logs ............................................................................ 103
License and Software Upgrades .......................................................... 104
Dell EMC Unity XT License Upgrade ............................................................................... 105

Dell EMC Unity OE Software Upgrades ........................................................................... 106
Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT OE Software Upgrades ............................................. 108
Automated Software Downloads ...................................................................................... 109
Automated Software Download Staging Process ............................................................. 110
Dell EMC Unity XT Upgrades - Drive Firmware ................................................................ 111
Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT Drive Firmware Upgrade ........................................... 113
Dell EMC Unity XT Language Packs Upgrade ................................................................. 114
Dell EMC Unity XT System Limits .................................................................................... 115
CRU Replacements ............................................................................... 116
Dell EMC Unity XT Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs) ................................................ 117

Dell EMC Replacement Documents on the Support Page................................................ 118
SolVe CRU Replacement Procedures.............................................................................. 119
Dell EMC Unity Info Hub .................................................................................................. 120
Identifying Storage System and CRU Status Using Unisphere - Summary Page ............. 121
Identifying Storage System and CRU Status Using Unisphere - Enclosures .................... 122
Demonstration: Introduction to Dell EMC Unity XT Using Unisphere ................................ 123
Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT UEMCLI and Unisphere Component Identification .... 124
Demonstration: SolVe Desktop CRU Procedures............................................................. 125
Appendix ............................................................................................... 126
Page iv © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 5

Install and Initialize

Dell EMC Unity XT Storage Systems
Page 6 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Procedure Overview
Install DPE in cabinet Attach SPs to network
Install optional DAEs Power up the system
Cable DAEs to DPE Verify status LEDs
Shown here are the basic steps that are required to get a Dell EMC Unity XT
physical storage system powered up.
1. Use the Dell EMC Unity XT Hardware Installation Guide, available on

https://www.dell.com/support to install the disk processor enclosure (DPE) into
the cabinet using provided rail kits. Obtain the help of a second person to install
the DPE into the rack or use a mechanical lift.
2. Follow the guide to install any optional disk array enclosures (DAEs) and cable
them to the DPE.
3. Attach the Storage Processor (SP) management ports to the network of the end
user and power the system up.
4. When the SP Fault LED flashes Blue for 3 s and Amber for 1 s, the system is
ready to be initialized. Use the Dell EMC Unity Connection Utility for the
initialization.

Locating Installation Documentation
Download Installation documents from SolVe, under Customer Support

Procedures > Installations. Select the type of installation you are performing and
generate the procedure. The document is downloaded to your home directory, such
as C:\Users\[username]\Desktop\SolVe Desktop
Output\UNITY\UNITY_Installation.

Racking, Cabling and Power-Up Dell EMC Unity XT
Movie:
The web version of this content contains a movie.

Assign IP Address
Step 1 Download the Unity Connection Utility
Discovers Unity system and configures IP information

Available from support.emc.com or Unity All-Flash and Hybrid InfoHub site
Step 2 Install the Connection Utility on a Windows host
Includes 32-bit Java SE update 60

Need to stop host firewall services
Step 3 Locate and record the PSNT on the configuration worksheet
Now that the Dell EMC Unity XT system is ready to be configured, look at the
options for configuring the system network information.
• If you have an enabled DHCP, the storage system automatically acquires an IP

address when you power it up. No further action is required. You can open a
web browser and point it to the DHCP acquired address to open Unisphere.
• If the customer requires a static IP address for the storage system, download
and install the Dell EMC Unity Connection Utility or use the InitCLI tool.
• Use the Dell EMC Unity Connection Utility software to discover and configure
Unity XT systems with IP networking and hostname information. The
Connection Utility is available for download at https://www.dell.com/support or
the Dell EMC Unity All-Flash and Hybrid Info Hub site. It must be installed on a
Windows host. The installer package includes the 32-bit JAVA Platform
Standard Edition 1.8 Update 60. You may need to stop host firewall services to
be able to discover storage systems using the Connection Utility.
• Before you run the Connection Utility, download and complete the Dell EMC
Unity Family Configuration Worksheet. The Connection Utility requires the
Product Serial Number Tag (PSNT), a user-defined IP address, subnet mask,

and gateway. The PSNT is in the packing materials that came with the system
or on the tag on the front of the DPE.

InitCLI.exe
To discover the Dell EMC Unity XT system to be configured on the network.
Initcli discover [-output <nvp | csv>] [-timeout <value>]
C:\> initcli discover –output

csvFNM00153100351,FNM00153100351,SP_A,Ready to be
configured,auto,,auto, fe00::260:1608:99f5:bc44|64|
Configure the discovered Dell EMC Unity system.
Initcli configure –id <value> -ipv4 <static -addr <value> [-

mask <value>] [-gateway <value>] > [-name <value>]
C:\> initcli configure –id FNM00153100351 –ipv4 static –addr

10.126.91.10 –mask 255.255.255.0 –gateway 10.126.91.1 –
name FNM00153100351Configuring storage system FNM00153100351
Another way to assign an IP address to the Unity XT storage system is to use the
Dell EMC Unity InitCLI tool. It is installed on a Windows host and run from the
Windows command prompt. The advantage to the InitCLI tool is that it does not
require the host to run the Java platform. A disadvantage is that the tool does not
support configuring IPv6 or DHCP addresses. The InitCLI tool is available on
https://www.dell.com/support. The tool must be run from a Windows host on the
same subnet as the Unity storage system. There are two parameters, initcli
discover and initcli configure. The discover parameter searches the
network for available systems to be configured. It lists the information about the
system, including its serial number (ID or PSNT) as shown in the first example with
the red box. The output qualifier specifies the output format as NVP (Name Value
Pair) or CSV (Comma-Separated Value). In this case, the CSV format was chosen.
You can then configure the Unity system that it discovered. Use the configure
parameter and specify the serial number of the system or PSNT, the IP address,
subnet mask, gateway, and a friendly name. In this case, the PSNT is also used for
the friendly name.

Dell EMC Connection Utility and initCLI Utilities
Movie:

Dell EMC Unisphere Initial Configuration Wizard
On systems with the appropriate Fast Cache license, there is also a

step to create FAST Cache and Pools.
Once a management IP address has been assigned to the storage system, the
user can open an Internet browser session and log in to Unisphere with the default
credentials of admin/Password123#.
Unisphere launches the Initial Configuration Wizard to walk the user through the
initial setup and prepare the system for use. After the initial setup is concluded, the
wizard can be launched at any time from the settings window.
Use the information on the Dell EMC Unity Family Configuration Worksheet that
was filled out (when discovering and initializing the system) to complete the
configuration.

Copyright
The Copyright page requires users to check the Accept license agreement box
to continue.

Admin and Service Password
It is a recommended practice to change the Admin and Service passwords when

initializing the storage system. To use the same password for both Admin and
Service, check the box for Set service password to the same as admin
password.
Tip: The default passwords are admin/Password123# and

service/service.

DNS Server
If you are running the storage system on a dynamic network that includes DHCP
and DNS servers, select Obtain DNS server address automatically to have the
system automatically accept one or more IP addresses for the DNS servers. In
order to obtain automatic DNS entries, your network must be equipped to answer
requests for DNS entries using DHCPv4 for IPv4 networks and DHCPv6 and/or
Router Advertisement RDNSS option (RFC-5006) for IPv6 networks.
If you are not running the storage system on a dynamic network, or choose to
provide a static IP address for the DNS server manually, select Configure DNS
server address manually, select Add and specify the IP address of the DNS
server.
To reorder the available DNS servers, select a DNS server in the list and select
Move Up or Move Down. DNS servers are used in the order that they appear in
the list. If the top server becomes unavailable, the storage system uses the next
one, and so on.
To remove a DNS server from the list, select the DNS server and click Remove.

To disable DNS for the system, select Disable DNS on the storage system and
click Next. This setting impacts management connectivity for the storage system.
Any setting that is configured with a network address will not be resolved to its IP
address. The settings does not affect DNS for the NAS servers.

Proxy Server
Configure a Proxy Server to receive important service information for storage

systems that cannot connect to the Internet directly.
Select the box to Connect to a proxy server. When the box is selected, enter the
protocol to be used by selecting the radio button (HTTPS is the default).
• Selecting the Nonsecure (HTTP) option uses port 3128 by default. This HTTP
protocol supports all service tasks including upgrade notifications.
• Selecting the Secure (SOCKS) option uses port 1080 by default. This HTTP
protocol supports all service tasks including upgrade notifications.
You should select SOCKS if your IT environment does not allow the use of HTTP.
Technical advisories and notifications about software, firmware, and language pack
upgrades are not supported with the SOCKS protocol.
Then enter the mandatory IP Address and optional username and password.

NTP Servers
The next step is to configure NTP. This can be done during the Initial
Configuration wizard, or users can select the Settings icon and then select
Management > System Time and NTP.
To enable NTP synchronization, click Add and specify the IP address of the NTP
server.
NTP is used to synchronize the storage system time with other nodes in the
domain or network. The specified NTP time server must be accessible through the
default gateway that is associated with the Unisphere management interface.
Time settings may vary by up to one minute between the storage system and the
NTP server. If the difference between the current system (UTC) time and the NTP
server time is too large (approximately 17 minutes), you cannot configure an NTP
server during initial configuration. In Windows environments, Active Directory
domain controllers typically provide the NTP services.

Licenses
Adding licenses provides users the ability to use the feature. From this menu, users
can select Get License Online or in the case where the license has already been
downloaded and saved, Install License.
If you are not sure of which licenses have been installed, select the View License
option. Once the licenses are added, different options may appear in the menus,
depending on the system.

Storage Pools
The example shows the wizard on a All-Flash array. A Hybrid array allows
users to configure FAST Cache and Pools in this step.
During initial configuration, users can configure Pools to be used as the underlying
storage.
A pool is a set of drives that provide specific storage characteristics for the
resources that use them. For example, the pool configuration defines the types and
capacities of the drives in the pool. Before you create storage resources, you must
configure at least one pool.
A pool is required for any storage resource or NAS server you create. It is
recommended that you create at least one pool now, although it is not required.
For physical deployments, the pool configuration also defines the RAID
configurations (RAID types and stripe widths) for these drives.
Users can set the amount of Spare Space a dynamic pool reserve at time of
creation.
• Spare Space is labeled Hot Spare Capacity in Unisphere.

• Either 1 or 2 drives per 32 drives can be reserved as Spare Space, regardless
of RAID level.
• Spare Space reservation cannot be changed after pool creation.

When creating pools on a Dell EMC Unity XT All-Flash storage system running Dell
EMC Unity XT OE v4.2 or higher, all pools that are created on the array are
Dynamic Pools by default. All storage resources and software features that are
supported on Dell EMC Unity XT are supported on Dynamic Pools.
Dynamic Pools are supported on Dell EMC Unity XT All-Flash physical hardware
only (models: Unity XT 380F, 480F, 680F, and 880F for example). Dynamic Pools
are not supported on the Dell EMC UnityVSA.
Traditional Pools continue to be supported but can only be created using UEMCLI
or REST API on the All-Flash systems.

Alert Settings
Use the Alerts Settings option to configure your system to send alert notifications
in email. Users use this information to determine if a storage system is in need of
maintenance.
Select + (Add) to launch the Alert Email Configuration window.

1. Enter the email addresses and severity level of alerts for each user who will
receive the alert notification emails.
2. Specify the language the system uses to send the alert emails.
3. Specify the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) email server for the alert
emails.
4. Optionally, select Bypass proxy settings for SMTP server to bypass the
global proxy server settings typically used for SMTP emails.
5. Select the Encryption Level (SSL method) for the email server.
6. Specify the Authentication Type (and authentication credentials).
7. Choose Send Test Email to verify that the SMTP server and destination email
addresses are valid.

Dell EMC Support Credentials
Provided the system is registered in the install base, Dell EMC support credentials
are not required here. Dell EMC employees can use their RSA SecurID credentials
to configure ESRS on the system. Email verification using the access code is
disabled is no support credentials are entered.
The Dell EMC Support Credentials apply to all EMC support services, including:
• EMC Secure Remote Services

• Dell EMC Online Support
• Viewing support contracts
If necessary, go to https://support.emc.com to review your account profile. This

step requires Internet connectivity to run.

Customer Information
The Customer Information page is used to keep up-to-date contact information to

ensure that Dell EMC Support has the most accurate information for contacting you
in response to an issue.
Customer information is critical for responding quickly to any support issues that
may come up. The contact receives system alert reminders to update their contact
information every six months.

EMC Secure Remote Services - ESRS
When configuring ESRS, users are presented with two options:

• Integrated: This is the Dell Technologies recommended and default method for
configuring ESRS. Integrated provides two-way outbound and inbound
connectivity to the storage system for problem notification and resolution.
Integrated ESRS runs on the storage system and does not require a stand-
alone gateway server.
• Centralized ESRS: This configuration requires the network address of the
ESRS Gateway server that is used to connect to the Dell EMC enterprise and
ensures that port 9443 is open between the Gateway server and the storage
system.
For more information about ESRS, click here.

ESRS Configuration Requirements
Integrated ESRS
• Network traffic (HTTPS) must be permitted on ports 443 and 8443 (outbound) to
the Support Center.
• Indicate a Policy Manager during configuration (optional).
• Indicate a proxy server for the storage system to connect to during configuration
(optional).
For configuring Integrated ESRS, network traffic (HTTPS) must be permitted on

ports 443 and 8443 (outbound) to the Support Center. Failure to open port 8443
results in significant performance impact (30–45 percent). Failure to open both
ports may result in a delay in resolving issues with the end device.
If your ESRS implementation includes a Policy Manager for more control over
remote access to the storage system, you must indicate this when you configure
the ESRS feature. A Policy Manager is applicable only to Integrated ESRS with
Outbound/Inbound connectivity. If the ESRS implementation includes a proxy
server for the storage system to connect to a Policy Manager, you must indicate
this when you configure the ESRS feature.
Centralized
• Network traffic (HTTPS) must be permitted on port 9443 between the Unity
system and the ESRS Gateway server.
• Network traffic over port 443 is required for ESRS functionality.
• The ESRS gateway server operating environment must be version 3.12.00.04
or later.
Only add or remove a storage system from a gateway server with the Unisphere
ESRS configuration wizard. Never manually add or remove a Unity XT system from
an ESRS Gateway server.

Prerequisites for ESRS
As prerequisites for enabling ESRS on the storage system, you must have the
following:
• Operating environment (OE) version 4.0 or later.

• At least one DNS server must be configured on the storage system.
• Unrestricted access to Support Center (https://support.emc.com/) over the
Internet using HTTPS (for non-proxy environments).
• Online Support Full-access account (requires specific credentials that are
associated with the site ID, which is associated with the system serial number).
• Do not use dynamic IP addresses (DHCP) for any components of the ESRS
Gateway servers, Policy Manager servers, or managed devices.
• Network traffic over port 443 is required for ESRS functionality and is required
for remote support personnel to perform many break/fix tasks using ESRS.
• SSL checking, certificate verification, and certificate proxying are not permitted
for ESRS network traffic.
If you use DHCP to assign IP addresses to any ESRS components (ESRS

Gateway servers, Policy Manager servers, or managed devices), they must have
static IP addresses. Leases for the IP addresses that those devices use cannot be
set to expire. It is recommended that you assign static IP addresses to those
devices you plan to have managed by ESRS.

Configure ESRS - Integrated
Complete the form for Contact Information.
Readiness Check
It is recommended that users perform a readiness check prior to configuring ESRS.

The check verifies the system’s network connectivity to configure ESRS. Users
receive a Warning and/or Error if there are issues. If a user does not specify valid
Dell EMC Support Credentials the Readiness Check can still proceed. Always test
connectivity after configuring ESRS.
The Readiness Check allows users to continue even though Support credentials have
not been configured
Select Integrated Option
The first step is to select either the Integrated option or the Centralized option. In
this case Integrated is chosen.
To enable remote dial-in, check the box for Outbound/Inbound connectivity

Network Check
Click Next to conduct the Network Check.

Contact Information

Email Verification
Since there are no support credentials entered, all fields for Email Verification are
not active. The only active configuration is “Alternative for Support personnel only”.
Alternative for Support
Enter your employee RSA Credentials and Site ID for the system you are
configuring. The system goes through the configuration process. Users may have
to reenter their RSA credentials again.

Results
The results should be available after about 15 to 20 minutes. By default, the system
sends collected ESRS data to CloudIQ.

Important: It is possible to upgrade from ESRS One way to ESRS

Two-way configuration. However, downgrading from ESRS Two way
to ESRS One way is not supported.

Configure ESRS - Centralized
Centralized ESRS Readiness Check
Enter your ESRS Gateway IP Addresses, since the example is configuring ESRS
HA configuration, we require a primary and a secondary ESRS Gateway that are in
a cluster.
Successful Readiness Check
The example displays a successful Readiness Check for Centralized ESRS

Configuration.

Gateway and RSA Credentials
Configure your Gateway Network IPs and Dell EMC Employee RSA Credentials.

Centralized ESRS Validation
After about 15 or 20 minutes, go to the System Tasks > Overview and validate a
successful connection has been established for Centralized ESRS.

NAS Servers
Before you can provision a VMware NFS datastore or file system storage, a NAS
server that is appropriate for managing the storage type must be running on the
system. A NAS server is a file server that uses the CIFS protocol, NFS protocol, or
both to catalog, organize, and transfer files within designated shares.
Configuring a NAS server requires specifying the following information:
• Name of the NAS server

• The storage pool used to store the NAS server's configuration data, such as
anti-virus configurations, NDMP settings, network Interfaces and IP addresses
• The SP on which the NAS server runs
• The IP interfaces that the NAS server uses for outgoing connections to hosts
• The NAS server sharing protocols (SMB, NFS or multiprotocol)
• Management Settings (DNS, Windows AD, Unix Directory Services)
You can balance the performance load on the storage system's SPs by choosing
which NAS servers run on each SP, and which file systems are associated with

which NAS server. For example, if you plan to provide file systems for two high-
load database applications, you can choose to run a separate NAS server on each
SP, and provision the storage for each application from a separate NAS server.
This balances system performance by ensuring that the applications draw their
processing resources from separate SPs. You can create NAS servers that support
different types of file sharing.

Results
The Results page is the last step and displays the choices that are made during
the Initial configuration Wizard. Always verify the selections. If changes must be
made, select one of the available options that are shown in blue text to edit.

Deploying a Dell EMC UnityVSA

Dell EMC UnityVSA Architecture
Protocols
Resources provided Block
Management
from Pools
Data Services File
Pools Deploy
OVA File Datastores
Multi-core Cache
Software
Multi-core RAID
Defined Storage pools are provisioned from the vDisks
Backend Protocols
vDisks are added to the UnityVSA

vDisks
VMware vSphere VMF

ESXi datastores built
Backend storage is Dell EMC or 3rd party arrays S
from backend LUNs
NF and File Systems
Physical Storage with RAID Protection S
RAID 5 (4+1) RAID 6 (6+2)

Protocols: FC/iSCSI (BLock) and NFS (File)
The Dell EMC UnityVSA (Dell EMC Unity Virtual Storage Appliance) is a unified
Software Defined Storage (SDS) solution that runs atop the VMware vSphere
platform.
The Dell EMC Unity storage software stack, running on purpose built hardware, is
virtualized and encapsulated into an OVA file. The OVA package can be deployed
in an ESXi host.
Reliable block storage is provided to the Dell EMC UnityVSA through:

• A RAID card that is associated with the hypervisor and host hardware (direct
attached storage)
• An external RAID protected storage array (Dell EMC arrays or third-party
storage arrays).
RAID protection is provided at the physical level – Dell EMC UnityVSA adds no
RAID protection on top of the virtual disks.
Storage is provisioned to the ESXi host using Fibre Channel/iSCSI (block) or NFS
(file).

VMware vSphere datastores are built from file systems (NFS) or LUNs (VMFS)
provisioned by the backend.
vDisks for the Dell EMC UnityVSA are created from the provisioned ESXi
datastores.
Dell EMC UnityVSA storage pools can then be provisioned from the vDisks. Dell
EMC Unity storage resources (block, file, and VMware datastores) can be
provisioned to hosts using the storage pools. Dell EMC UnityVSA provision block
storage to hosts only using the iSCSI protocol.

Dell EMC Unity XT to Dell EMC UnityVSA Comparison
The table shows the features that a Dell EMC UnityVSA system supports. Some of
the features that rely on specific physical hardware are not supported by the Dell
EMC UnityVSA.
* = supported
Feature Dell EMC UnityVSA Dell EMC

Unity XT
SMB * *
NFS * *
FAST VP Tiering capability * *
Asynchronous Unified replication * *
Unisphere HTML 5 UI + REST API * *
Host I/O Limits (QoS) * *
Monitoring and Reporting * *
Thin Reporting * *
vVols * *
FAST Cache not supported *
Data at REST Encryption (D@RE) not supported *
Fibre Channel not supported *
Synchronous Replication not supported *

Product Offerings and Deployment Types
There are two offerings of the Dell EMC UnityVSA available: the Community and
Professional Editions.
• Each license supports specific capacity, CPU, and memory capabilities.
• Depending on the version, there are two types of deployments: Single-SP (one
node) or Dual-SP (two nodes).
License Type Capacity CPU Memory Deployment Type
Community Edition 4 TB 2-core 12 GB Single-SP
Professional 50 TB 2-core 12 GB Single and Dual-SP

Edition
Professional 350 TB 2-core 12 GB Dual-SP

Edition
Professional 350 TB 12-core 96 GB Dual-SP

Edition
Community Edition has a free perpetual license that can only be applied to a
UnityVSA Single-SP deployment with a maximum of 4 TB storage.
The Professional Edition licenses can be applied to both Single-SP and Dual-SP
deployments and support various storage capacity, CPU, and memory options.
• The Dual-SP deployment supports a maximum of 12-core and 96 GB memory
per-SP and up to 350 TB of storage.
• The Single-SP deployment does not support a 350 TB storage capacity license.
Before the deployment, the user must download the Open Virtualization Appliance
(OVA) file) to a system that has access to the vSphere environment. For the
Professional Edition version, the user selects the file from the available downloads
at the product support site (a support account is required). The Community Edition
version can be downloaded from the Community Network site.

Licenses can be obtained through the initial configuration wizard or the global
settings window in Unisphere. The user must provide the virtual system UUID and
the license authorization code (LAC) ID to download the license file locally.
Important: The Dell EMC Unity Cloud Edition also enables the
deployment of a Dell EMC UnityVSA with VMware Cloud on AWS. All
the listed licenses and deployment options are also available for this
offering.

Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment Requirements
A 64-bit ESXi host is required for a Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP deployment. The
table shows the ESXi host minimum requirements.
ESXi Host Minimum Requirements

Configuration
Operating System ESXi 6.0 or later *
CPU Xeon E6 Series Dual-core 64-bit x86 Intel 2 GHz+ (or

equivalent).
Memory 18 GB (for ESXi 6.0), or 20 GB (for ESXi 6.5+)
Network Interfaces Four 1 GbE or four 10 GbE (recommended)
RAID RAID Controller: NV Cache - 512 MB (1 GB recommended),

battery backed (recommended)
Datastore NFS and VMFS supported. Full SSD datastore

recommended.
The Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP deployment supports the Community or the 50
TB Professional Edition licenses.
* Only Dell EMC UnityVSA 5.1 OVA package files can be deployed in a
vSphere 7.0 environment. For updated details on the system
requirements, see the Dell EMC UnityVSA: A Detailed Review white
paper at the product Info hub site.

Deploy Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP System
The deployment of a Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP is only done through the
vSphere environment client interfaces. The user must launch a web client session
directly to the ESXi server or the vCenter server that manages the ESXi host. This
page shows the deployment steps on a vCenter server.
Deploy OVF Template
Launch a browser session to the vCenter server IP address, and log in using
credentials of an account with administrator privileges.
Standard tools in the vSphere web client are used for the deployment.
1. Right click on the ESXi server you want to deploy the OVA on.
2. Select Deploy OVF Template (an OVA file is synonymous with OVF template)
from the submenu.
Then follow the steps that the wizard uses to configure and deploy the virtual
appliance on the ESXi host.

Select OVA File
Select an OVA file from a remote URL or upload it from a location accessible from
your system.
To upload a template that is already downloaded to the local system:

1. Select Local File and the UPLOAD FILES option.
2. Browse to the file location accessible to the local system. Select the OVA file.
3. Select Open. The selected file is displayed on the wizard.
Select Name/Folder
Enter a name to identify the virtual appliance and a location in the vSphere
inventory.

Select Compute Resource
Select the ESXi host where the virtual storage appliance must be deployed.
Review Configuration
Verify the OVF template details, including that the OVA image is signed by Dell
EMC. Ignore the invalid certificate warning.

Select Storage
Select a datastore from the list of datastores in which to create the virtual disks
that are used to store the VM configuration files.
For optimal performance, ensure that the datastore selected for deployment and
the datastore that is used with virtual disks for user data storage do not share the

same physical disks. Failure to follow this recommendation can lead to system and
I/O performance degradation.
Select a disk format for provisioning the virtual disks. Dell Technologies
recommends Thick Provision Eager Zeroed.
Select Networks
Configure the destination networks the deployed virtual appliance should use.
Configure the network mappings for the data and management ports making sure
that:
• The management network is on a network accessible by the workstation that is
used to access Unisphere.
• The data networks are on networks accessible by the host that will attach to the
Dell EMC UnityVSA.
Customize Template
Customize the system name and the network settings for the Dell EMC UnityVSA.

1. Enter a user-friendly name for the Dell EMC UnityVSA. Leave this field blank to
use the default name: An automatically generated serial number for Dell EMC
UnityVSA.
2. If you want to use static IPv4 addresses, enter the IPv4 management settings.
If you want to use dynamic IP addresses, leave these fields blank for automatic
configuration using DHCP. In the example, a static IP address, subnet mask,
and gateway were configured for the virtual appliance.
3. If you want to use static IPv6 addresses, enter the IPv6 management settings.
In the example, the fields were left blank for automatic configuration using
DHCP.
If you do not have a dynamic network and you do not specify a static IP address,
you must manually initialize the system after the OVF template is deployed.
Ready to Complete
Confirm the settings, select the Power on after deployment checkbox if available,
and then click Finish to deploy the OVF template.


Monitor Initial Boot Status Using vSphere Summary
From the vSphere client, select the new Dell EMC UnityVSA system.
Open the Summary tab to view information about the virtual appliance. Select
Power On to start the VM, if it is not already powered on.
The initial boot process can take between 20 to 60 minutes depending on the
configuration. While the VM is starting up, the DNS Name field on the Summary
page shows the status "Booting."
The user can monitor the boot process by launching the web console.
The Dell EMC UnityVSA is fully up and running, when the DNS Name field is
updated to display the system name.

Initializing a Dell EMC UnityVSA System
A static IP address can be assigned to the Dell EMC UnityVSA management

interface when the OVA package is deployed using the OVF Template wizard. If
the system is deployed on a dynamic network with a DHCP server and a DNS
server, an IP address can be assigned automatically to the management interface.
Alternatively, you can use other methods to manually assign a static IP address to
the management port once the system is deployed:
• From the vSphere web client interface, it is possible to run svc_initial_config
commands from the Console tab to initialize the management port.
− Launch the vSphere Console to the virtual appliance and login using the
service account (service/service).
− Run the svc_initial_config command to assign an IPv4 static address.
UnityVSA console > svc_initial_config -4 "ipv4_address
ipv4_netmask ipv4_gateway"
− Run the svc_initial_config command to assign an IPv6 static address.

UnityVSA console > svc_initial_config -6 "ipv6_address
ipv6_prefix_length ipv6_default_gateway"
• You can also assign an IP address to the Dell EMC UnityVSA using the
Connection Utility.
− Run the svc_diag command from the vSphere Console and, from the
output, identify the Dell EMC UnityVSA system serial number.
− Use the Connection Utility to discover a list of systems, find the Dell EMC
UnityVSA serial number in the list, and assign an IP address.

Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment: Adding Virtual

Disks
After the deployment, the user must add at least one virtual disk to the system for
user data. Up to 16 disks (system limit) can be added to the system as storage for
user data is needed.
In vSphere, edit the settings of the Dell EMC UnityVSA system. On the Virtual
Hardware tab, select Add New Device > Hard Disk.
1. Enter the size for the virtual disk. The minimum virtual disk size is 10 GB. The
maximum storage capacity must not exceed the size that the UnityVSA edition
and version allows.
2. Select the datastore. Creating the virtual disks for user data on a different
datastore than the datastore used for the VM system configuration data is
recommended. The Disk File field shows the corresponding selection.

3. Select the disk provisioning format for the virtual disk.

4. Optionally select the SCSI controller for the disk. Only 12 virtual disks for user
data can be connected to the first VMware paravirtual SCSI controller.
Warning: When a Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP is deployed, three

virtual disks (.vmdk) are automatically created for the virtual appliance
system data. These virtual disks are identified as 1 to 3. Do not modify
or delete these disks.

Demonstration: Dell EMC UnityVSA Single-SP Deployment

and Initial Configuration
Movie:

Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Deployment
The deployment of a Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) requires at least two 64-bit
ESXi hosts running vSphere version 6.5 or later. The virtual storage appliance SPs
are deployed on the separate ESXi hosts. The ESXi hosts must be managed by the
same vCenter Server data center.
0 - vmnic0 ESXi Host 3 HB0 - Heartbeat 0
1 - vmnic1 HB1 - Heartbeat 1

Tie Breaker Node (TBN)
2 - vmnic2 CMI - Common Message Interface

Network HB0 Network HB1
ESXi Host 1 ESXi Host 2
Virtual Virtual
Network Network
UnityVSA-SPA UnityVSA-SPB
0 0
Virtual Virtual
Management Network Network Management
Data Data
Distributed Distributed
Switch Network Switch
1 1 Network HB0
Network HB0 VLAN 2 VLAN 2
CMI CMI
VLAN 1 VLAN 1
Network HB1 Network HB1
VLAN 3 2 2 VLAN 3
Storage HB0 Storage HB0

Storage
Storage HB1 Storage HB1
IP or FC IP or FC
Network
When deploying the Dell EMC UnityVSA HA on an on-premises vSphere

environment, the user can choose whether to also install a Tie Breaker Node
(TBN). The TBN provides increased protection from network failures, because it
resolves situations where one SP cannot detect the other SP.
TBN is a minimal VM on a separate ESXi host running a network heartbeat client.

The node exchanges heartbeat messages with both SPA and SPB. The TBN is not
required for deploying a Dell EMC UnityVSA HA system, however, Dell EMC highly
recommends its use.

Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Deployment Requirements
The table shows the minimum ESXi host requirements for the Dual-SP
deployments.
ESXi Host 2-core UnityVSA 12-core UnityVSA

Configuration
Operating ESXi 6.5 or later * ESXi 6.5 or later *

System
CPU Intel Xeon Silver 4110 or Higher Intel Xeon Silver 4110 or
Higher
Memory 36 GB for ESXi 6.5+ (each host) 120 GB for ESXi 6.5+ (each
host)
Network Three 10 GbE (one physical port Three 10 GbE (one physical
Interfaces for SP management and I/O port for SP management and
ports, and two for inter-SP I/O ports, and two for inter-SP
network) network)
RAID RAID card 512 MB NV Cache, RAID card 512 MB NV Cache,

battery backed (recommended) battery backed (recommended)
Datastore NFS and VMFS supported. NFS and VMFS supported.

Recommended one full SSD Recommended one full SSD
shared datastore and a separate shared datastore and a
full-SSD local swap datastore. separate full-SSD local swap
datastore.
The Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) deployment supports the 50 TB and the 350
TB Professional Edition licenses.

* Only Dell EMC UnityVSA 5.1 OVA package files can be deployed in a
vSphere 7.0 environment. For updated details on the system
requirements, refer to the Dell EMC UnityVSA Installation Guide
white paper at the product Info hub site.

Deploy Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) System
The deployment of a Dell EMC UnityVSA HA system is only done through the
UnityVSA HA Deployment Utility. The user must download the application from
the product support site to the local system along with the UnityVSA OVA file. If
installing Tie Breaker Node, also download the TBN OVA package.
Select On-Premise
Install the UnityVSA HA Deployment Utility on a machine with access to the

vSphere environment, and launch the application.
Select the Deployment Utility for UnityVSA in On-Premises VMware Data

Center option.

Select Deployment Method
Select the deployment method for the Dell EMC UnityVSA HA.
You can deploy a brand new Dual-SP virtual storage appliance with or without the
additional TBN protection.
In our example, the option to install a new UnityVSA HA without TBN is selected.
However, Dell Technologies recommend the deployment with TBN to avoid split
brain scenario.
You can also install a Tie Breaker to an existing Dell EMC UnityVSA HA
deployment.

Connect vCenter Server
Connect to the vCenter Server that manages the ESXi hosts in your environment.
1. Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) or the IP address of the
vCenter Server.
2. Provide the login credentials of an account with administrative privileges.
3. Select Connect to access the vCenter Server.

Select OVA File
Select the OVA package to install, and the supported virtual hardware configuration
per SP VM.
1. Browse to the file location accessible to the local system. Select the OVA file.
Select Open. The selected file is displayed on the wizard.
2. Select the wanted virtual hardware configuration. In the example, the 2-core, 12
GB memory was selected.

Select ESXi Hosts
Select a separate ESXi host for each SP deployment. For high availability reasons,
do not deploy both SPs to a single ESXi host.
In the example, hosts esxi-4 was selected as the SPA host and esxi-5 was selected
as the SPB host.

Select Storage
Select a datastore to save the virtual storage appliance configuration for each SP,
and a shared datastore for both.
• Select two datastores - one datastore for each SP. These datastores are used
to create its private system drive. Each SP needs at least 60 GB space for
private system data.
• Select one shared datastore for a shared system drive between both SPs. The
shared datastore needs at least 40 GB of free space.

Select Heartbeat Datastores
Select two other datastores for storage-based heartbeats between the two SPs.

External Network Mapping
Configure the destination networks the deployed virtual appliance should use.
Configure the network mappings for the data and management ports making sure
that:
• The management network is on a network accessible by the workstation that is
used to access Unisphere.
• The data networks are on networks accessible by the host that will attach to the
Dell EMC UnityVSA.

Internal Network Configuration
Configure the internal network. To deploy UnityVSA HA, both SPs must
communicate over a distributed switch.
You can either create a switch, or select an existing one. Three ports are created,
which are for the Heartbeat 0 (HB0), Heartbeat 1 (HB1), and Common Messaging
Interface (CMI) networks. Each of these ports requires a unique VLAN ID.
If creating a switch, you must provide two uplink ports for each ESXi host for
redundancy.
• Each uplink port should also connect to a different network infrastructure switch.
• Enter unique VLAN IDs for the HB0, HB1, and CMI networks.

If selecting an existing switch, each ESXi host must provide for two uplink ports for
redundancy.
• Enter unique VLAN IDs for the HB0, HB1, and CMI networks.
• The deployment utility automatically chooses an unused VLAN ID for each port
group If the VLAN field is empty.
Management Settings
Enter the UnityVSA system name and IP address information.
For deployments on a dynamic network that includes a DHCP server and a DNS
server, an IP address can be assigned automatically to the management interface.
For a static IPv4 or IPv6 address, select the manual configuration and enter the
network address information.

On the next pages, review the settings and select Deploy to start the process. The
systems are created, and powered on in the vSphere environment. You can then
create the virtual disks for user data.

Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) Systems: Adding Virtual

Disks
After creating the Dell EMC UnityVSA HA system, the user must add at least one
virtual disk for user data. Up to 16 disks (system limit) can be added to the system
as storage for user data is needed.
Virtual Disks must be added to both SPA and SPB virtual machines.
In vSphere, edit the hardware settings on the Dell EMC UnityVSA SPA VM. On the
Virtual Hardware tab, select Add New Device > Hard Disk.
1. Enter the size for the virtual disk. The minimum virtual disk size is 10 GB. The
maximum storage capacity must not exceed the size that the UnityVSA edition
and version allows.

2. Leave at the default value. The virtual disk for user data must can be stored on
the same datastore the VM system configuration data resides.
3. Select the disk provisioning format for the virtual disk. The recommended
setting is Thick Provision or Thick Provision Eager Zeroed.
4. In Sharing, select Multi-Writer.
5. In Disk Mode, select Independent - Persistent.
6. Optionally select the SCSI controller for the disk. Only 10 virtual disks for user
data can be connected to the first VMware paravirtual SCSI controller. Extra
virtual disks must be connected to a second SCSI controller of type VMware
paravirtual.
The same settings must also be applied to the SPB VM when adding existing
virtual disks.
Warning: When a Dell EMC UnityVSA HA (Dual-SP) is deployed, five

virtual disks (.vmdk) are automatically created for each SP VM system
data. These are the virtual disks that are identified as 1 through 5. Do
not modify or delete these disks.

Service Tasks

Storage System Service Tasks Overview
In the example, the Service Tasks tab has been selected from the menu options.
Anytime a menu option is selected, the text is displayed in blue. On this page, there
are several Storage System tasks and some Storage Processor tasks. Let us
first look at the various storage system tasks. To assist with diagnosing and
resolving problems with your system, users should collect service information about
the system and save it to a file. The file can be used by your service provider to
analyze the system. The example shows that the Collect Service Information
task has been selected. (highlighted in blue) To view additional information, select
the More information which will launch a help page in Unisphere. To run the
service task, select the blue Execute button.

Collect Service Information
Executing the Collect Service Information task displays a window from which
administrators can either create a service data collection file or download a service
data collection file from existing collection files if previous collections were already
done. Select the + to create a service data collection file. The Collect Service
Information window opens and a job is created and run. It takes up to 10 minutes
for the data collection to complete. Once completed, you can then choose to open
or Save the file to a location of your choice. By default, selecting Save will save the
file to the logged in users Downloads directory. For example, if I am logged in as
Administrator the file is saved to Administrator > Downloads directory. To
download an existing file, select the file that you want to download and select the
Download icon in the upper left corner. You can then choose to open or Save the
file to a location of your choice.

Save Configuration
The Save Configuration option saves details about the current system
configuration settings to a local file. Your service provider can use this file to assist
you with reconfiguring your system after a major system failure or system
reinitialization. You can also use this file to keep a record of system configuration
changes. Select Save Configuration and Execute. As with the Collect Service
Information option, users have the option to select Create New or Download
Existing files. It is a best practice to save the configuration settings after each
major configuration change to ensure you have a current copy of the storage
system configuration settings. It is also recommended that you save the file to a
remote location as a backup against possible failures. Be aware you can only
request one save configuration at a time. When attempting multiple save
configuration request, allow a request to complete before initiating the next request.
Note that only details about your system configuration are saved to the file and you
cannot restore your system from this file. The save process allows a maximum of
120 minutes in which to complete the capture. The system aborts incompleted
capture requests upon reaching this time limit.

Restart Management Server
There may be times when communications between Unisphere and the storage
system get interrupted. Restarting the management server can resolve this issue.
The restart process takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete. During that
time, alerts are generated indicating the connection and down and once restored,
when the connection is back up. Although the Reboot option for the Storage
Processor can be used as well, the Restart Management Server option is
preferred since data access to the storage system is preserved. You cannot restart
the management software when both Storage Processors (SPs) are in Service
Mode.
Users also have the option to Generate diagnostic data for Management
Software is needed.

Reinitialize
Selecting the Reinitialize option resets the storage system to the original factory
settings. Both Storage Processors (SPs) for a dual SP system or the single SP for
a single SP system must be installed, operating normally, and in Service Mode. To
put the SPs in Service Mode, execute the Enter Service Mode task on each SP
below. Note with physical deployments, if you removed an SP or an SP faulted, you
must replace it before placing it in Service Mode.
Important: Reinitializing will destroy all system configuration settings and stored
data on the storage system. It is recommended that you back up all the data and
configuration settings to an external storage system. Once the system is
reinitialized, copy or restore all the data back to it. The Unisphere may get a
timeout when the system starts reinitializing. Wait for 90 to 120 minutes while the
system is being reinitialized.

Change Service Password
After the storage processor has been initialized, the default password for the
Service account will be Service. When any service operations must be done, such
a placing the SP into Service or Reset and Hold mode, the service password must
be entered. As a best practice, you may want to change the default service
password once the system is available.

Shutdown Storage System
As part of a maintenance procedure or in the case where rebooting or reimaging

the storage processor could not resolve an issue, a power cycle of the storage
system may be warranted. The system that is shut down or power off procedure
involves shutting down the Storage Processors (SPs). When all SPs are down, all
I/O services stop and hosts lose access to the system. Before performing this
procedure, it is recommended that you disconnect all network shares, LUNs, and
VMware datastores from each host to prevent data loss. When the system is fully
powered up, you can reconnect the hosts to these storage resources. The
shutdown process can take between 10 to 20 minutes to complete. During this
time, the connection to the system will be lost and you will not have access to
Unisphere or online help. It is important that you print the power-up instructions
from the help menu to be sure you have all the information you need to power on
the system. You must physically remove power from the SPs and then reconnect
them to power the system back-up. The system has shutdown, and the power can
be removed from the SPs when the Status Fault LED is blinking amber and the
power LED is solid Green.
Important: Ensure to read all instructions before performing this service task.
Users have to enter the service password to complete the power off operation.
Note that the power up procedure must be performed in a particular order. Click
Help to review and print the power on procedure prior to shutting down the system.

Enable or Disable SSH
To connect to the system and perform advanced system maintenance, you must
enable the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol on the storage system. To enable SSH,
select Enable SSH and click Execute. You are prompted for the service password.
This service action allows you to run service tools, such as service actions or
service scripts, on the storage system. Once SSH is enabled, you or your service
provider can run the tools through a service portal. When the service tools have
finished running, disable the SSH protocol to ensure that the system is secure. To
learn more about using service commands, see the Unity Service Commands
Technical Notes document available on support.emc.com.

Hardware Upgrade
Hardware upgrades can be done as either an offline or online procedure. Users

select the type of upgrade they want to use the drop-down menu. Ensure you
understand the capabilities of the two upgrade types. While online upgrades are
available, the process takes a longer time to complete. Offline upgrades complete
faster but of course, the system is unavailable for time. Since the Unity being
upgraded is this example is a Dell EMC Unity 300F, users can upgrade to any
higher performing model.

Storage Processor Tasks
The Enter Service Mode task is a Storage Processor service task, meaning it
applies to an individual SP, and not to the storage system as a whole. Entering
service mode may be required to reimage an SP, reinitialize the storage system, or
replace certain hardware components. An SP will also automatically enter service
mode when it is unable to resolve an issue and thus requires intervention.
When an SP enters service mode it stops servicing I/O to hosts and all I/O loads on
the SP failover to the peer SP if it is healthy. Note also one of the SPs will be the
Primary SP as shown next to SPA in the example. Once you select the task and
click Execute, you are prompted for the service password. Wait at least 10 minutes
for the SP to enter service mode and do not attempt any actions in Unisphere until
it has completed. To verify that the SP is in service mode, check that the Mode field
displays Service. Here, both SP Modes are reported as Normal. Note that
Unisphere may not refresh automatically. If prompted, reload Unisphere. If not,
refresh the browser manually. To physically confirm that the SP is in service mode,
ensure that the SP fault LED flashes alternating amber and blue.

Reboot
The Reboot SP task can resolve minor problems with the SP, its components, or
the system software on the SP. This task is also used to reboot an SP that is in
service mode to return it to normal mode, if the SP is healthy enough to do so.
When an SP reboots, it stops servicing I/O to all connected hosts. If the peer SP is
healthy and in normal mode, it services the rebooting SP’s I/O to hosts and it is
write cache will remain enabled. Once you select the task and click Execute, you
are prompted for the service password. After waiting a few minutes and refreshing
Unisphere, confirm that the SP reboot has completed by noting the SP Mode Field.
It should display Normal Mode.

Monitoring the SP Reboot Process
Use the ipmitool to monitor the SP power on process:
C:\ ipmitool.exe –I lanplus –C 3 –U console –P FNM00153100351

–H 128.221.1.252 sol activate
[SOL Session operational. Use ~? For help]
Welcome to Unity 500 48GB- -

upc_Unity_0_201630041453_upcBuilder-4.0.0.7141272-
GNOSIS_RETAIL
spa login:
In order to monitor the SP boot process, you must establish a Serial Over LAN
(SOL) connection to the SP service port. This is accomplished using the IPMI tool.
The IPMI tool can be found on support.emc.com by searching the Dell EMC Unity
Support Tools section. First, install the tool to the C:\ directory of your service
laptop. Next, set your local network adapter to the IP address 128.221.1.250 and
then issue the command that is shown to connect to SP A. If you must connect to
both SP A and SPB, you can connect to the service ports using a small Ethernet
switch. Open another command prompt window and issue the command again to
SP B. It is the same command except that the IP address for the service port for
SP B ends in 253. See the EMC IPMI Tool Technical Notes document available
on support.emc.com for the complete details.

Reimaging the Storage Processor
The Reimage task is used to safely fix problems with the system software that
could not be resolved by rebooting the SP. Reimaging reinstalls the system's root
operating system while leaving the user's data intact. The system configuration
settings and stored files will not be changed. Reimaging an SP requires that it is
first placed in service mode. That is why the Execute button for this task is now
grayed out. Once you have the SP in service mode and execute the reimage task,
wait at least 20 minutes while the system reimages the SP and do not attempt any
actions in Unisphere until it has completed. After it has completed reimaging, it will
boot into service mode.
You can then use the reboot service task to reboot it to Normal Mode. When an SP
is in service mode, it stops servicing I/O to hosts. In physical deployments, all NAS
servers on the SP failover to the other SP, if it is healthy. By default, when
reimaging has completed, the NAS servers fail back to the SP. If the Failback
Policy is disabled, all NAS servers on the SP will not fail back automatically and will
remain on a single SP. Performance can degrade significantly when all NAS
servers reside on a single SP. You can fail back the NAS servers manually.

Reset and Hold
The Reset and Hold service task attempts to reset and hold the selected SP so
that users can replace one or more faulty I/O Modules on that SP.
The process can take several minutes to complete. While in the Reset and Hold
state, the SP stops I/O services. All storage resources and NAS servers on the SP
failover to the peer SP, if healthy. When the SP returns to the Normal Mode, by
default, the storage resources and NAS servers fail back to it with minimal
disruption to hosts and I/O services resume. An SP that is held in reset cannot be
rebooted from Unisphere unless Unisphere can communicate with the peer SP. If
the peer SP is not running, the SP that is held in reset would must be physically
power that is cycled in order to reboot it.

Alerts and Logs

Understanding Unity Events - Alerts
• Alerts are events that require attention from the system administrator.
• For example, you might receive an alert telling you that a disk has faulted or
that the Unity system is running out of space.
• There are several ways to view alerts on a Unity XT storage system:
a. On the left Dashboard menu, go to the EVENTS section and select Alerts.
Unisphere displays all alerts and a brief description of the alert in the right
window.
b. Click the Bell icon from the top menu.
Unisphere displays a window showing recent alerts with links to Search the
Knowledge Base or View All Alerts.

Alert Severity Levels
You can customize the Dashboard view and add a System Alerts view block.
• When you select Unisphere Dashboard, the view block on the dashboard shows
alerts that are categorized by Info, Notice, Warning, Error, and Critical.
• To open the Alerts page showing the records that are filtered by the chosen
severity level, click one of the icons:
Info and Notice - An event has occurred

that does not impact system functions. No
action is required.
Warning - An error has occurred that does

not have a significant impact on the system.
For example, a component is working, but its
performance may not be optimum.
Error - An error has occurred that has a

minor impact on the system and should be
remedied, but not immediately. For example,
a component is failing and some or all its
functions may be degraded or not working.
Critical - An error has occurred that has a

significant impact on the system and should
be remedied immediately. For example, a
component is missing or has failed and
recovery may not be possible.
System alerts with their severity levels are

recorded on the System Alerts page. The Dashboard shows an icon with the
number of alerts for each recorded severity category. The link on these icons
opens the Alerts page filtered by the selected severity level. Alert levels are not
configurable.

Alert Details
To view detailed information about a system alert, select the alert from the Alerts
page. Details about the selected alert are displayed in the right pane.
The information includes:

• The time that the event was logged.
• The severity level
• Alert message
• Description of the event
• Acknowledgment flag
• Whether the alert has been acknowledged
• Affected Component
• Current state of the alert
You can change the view to see active and inactive alerts by selecting the State
column and filtering by the alert states:
• Active_Manual: Status when the alert is active and must be manually cleared.
• Active_Auto: Status when the alert is active but is automatically cleared when
the issue is resolved.

• Inactive: Status when the alert is no longer active because it has been
resolved.
• Updating: Status when the alert is transitioning between the other states.

Alerts with Unity XT Dial Home Feature
• Dial home feature of Secure Remote Services automatically sends data to Dell
Technologies.
− Critical alerts, configuration data, diagnostic data
• You can specify a Dialhome suppression time.
− Suppression time is a window where Dialhome events are not sent.
− CloudIQ data is still sent when using suppression.
− Between 1 and 48 hours
− Can be changed or disabled at any time.
• Secure Remote Services must be implemented as a prerequisite.

Receive New Alert Remotely from Support
Overview
If critical issues are identified after the release of the OE version:

• Dell Technologies Support manually sends a new alert to customers from the
Secure Remote Services backend server.
• Customers who have not experienced the issues are not aware of them.
Because they are not aware of them, they may cause a Data Unavailable (DU)
or Data Loss (DL) condition.
• With Unity operating system v5.1 and newer, Dell Technologies Support can
send an alert to the customer array (Dell EMC Unity, UnityVSA) remotely.
− Support can identify affected hardware models and OE version range so it

only sends relevant alerts.
− For example, newly supported drives or a precaution action with a KB
article.
Receive Remote Alert
1. To enable this feature, ensure that Secure Remote Services is enabled. Select
SYSTEM > Service > Overview in Unisphere.
2. The alert details are displayed on the Alerts page..
Ensure that the customer system has Secure Remote Services that are enabled so that they can
receive alerts.

Install UDoctor Packs
UDoctor Package Alert
• UDoctor Packs are customer-installable update packages that are used to apply
targeted critical updates, workarounds, and configuration changes.
• When a new UDoctor Pack is available, an alert notification is displayed in
Unisphere if you are connected through Secure Remote Services (two-way).
• Select Settings > Software and Licenses > UDoctor Packs.
A list of available Packs for installation is displayed.
• Review the description of each individual UDoctor Pack for information about
what it contains.
• Click the message: Click here to run or schedule package installation.
Pack Description
Click here to run or

schedule installation.
A list of available UDoctor packs is displayed in Unisphere.
Install UDoctor Package
The system displays a list of new and scheduled UDoctor packages in the top
section. It displays a list of previously installed UDoctor packages in the bottom
section.

In the example, in addition to the new package, one package is scheduled to be

installed, and three packages are already installed.
To install the package now:

1. Select the new package.
2. Click the Install icon.

3. The Confirm UDoctor Package Installation wizard opens.
a. To install the package now, select Install Now from the dialog box. Or:
b. To install later, select Install at a selected time and then select a time from
the drop-down.
4. Click OK.
3a
1 Or
:
3b
Install the package now.
Reschedule Installation
To reschedule installation for a different time:

1. Select a pack that is scheduled for installation.

2. Select More Actions > Reschedule

3. Specify the date and time for installation in the dialog box.
4. Click OK.

Understanding Unity XT Events - Jobs
Double-click the job to display the job

properties.
Click to get active and

failed jobs.
Jobs are displayed in EVENTS > Jobs.
To get a history of Jobs, including both active and failed that have run on the
system, review the Unisphere UI. To view the failed job properties, double-click the
job. To get further detailed information about a system job, click the Failed text.
Jobs can have the following statuses:

• Queued
• Running
• Completed
• Failed

Understanding Unity XT Events - Logs
Logs are displayed in EVENTS > Logs.
Use the Logs option to view information about events that have been logged by
Unisphere. By default, logged events are sorted by the time the event was posted,
from most recent to oldest. You can customize the view and sort, filter, and export
data. The event log list can be sorted by Date and Time in ascending or
descending order.
Before configuring remote logging, configure a remote system running syslog to

receive log information from the storage system. A root user or administrator on the
receiving system can configure the remote syslog server to receive log
information by editing the syslog configuration file. For example, the
/etc/syslog.conf file on a remote Linux system.

License and Software Upgrades

Dell EMC Unity XT License Upgrade
The example displays the available options under the Software and License
settings option. Navigate and select the Settings icon in the upper right corner of
Unisphere to launch this window. One selected, the Software and Licenses menu
is displayed. Use the bar to scroll down and view all licenses. A green check mark
icon identifies an installed license for the respective feature or function. A red X
icon indicates that the license for the feature or function is not installed or valid.
Users have the option of selecting the blue text to Install License of Get License
Online. In the example, the issued license does not include Data at Rest
Encryption. Unity XT storage systems are orderable as either encrypted or
unencrypted. The encryption state is set the first time that a license is applied, and
you cannot apply another license later to enable or disable. A destructive
reinitialization would be required to change the encryption state. Select Install
License and follow the wizard to locate and install the requested license. To use
Get License Online, you must have a valid support account to download the
license.

Dell EMC Unity OE Software Upgrades
Updates are available when a new version or patch is released, or when new
information is discovered. Depending on the implementation, you can obtain
updates from online support or from your service provider. It is a best practice to
perform a system health check about a week before installing an upgrade. This
health check ensures you have time to resolve underlying problems that may
prevent a successful update. Select Perform Health Check to launch the script.
Selecting Start Upgrade prompts you to select a file to upload to the server. You
can use the Browse option to search for the location of the file. When you upload a
new upgrade file onto your system, it replaces the previous version. There can only
be one upgrade candidate on the system at a time. In the example, the current
version of the code is displayed along with the release date of the version.

Selecting Download New Software brings you to the support page where the
latest released version of the Dell EMC Unity OE upgrade file is located. You
cannot use Unisphere or the CLI to make configuration changes to the system
while the upgrade is in progress. Also note that Unisphere is temporarily
disconnected during the upgrade when the primary storage processor reboots. It
may take a few minutes to automatically reconnect.
Note: Automatic Reboot of SPs: The default option during a software upgrade is
to automatically reboot both storage processors, when the software upgrade image
is staged and the system is prepared for the upgrade. You can clear this option so
that upgrade can be started and staged, but neither storage processor reboots until
you are ready. Doing so reduces the duration of the window (approximately 10-
20%) when the storage processors could be rebooting. It makes it easier to plan for
a time of reduced activity during the upgrade. If that window is not a factor, leave
the default option of rebooting the storage processors automatically. This option
avoids delays with the upgrade completing. To summarize, selecting this option
automatically reboots your storage processors during the upgrade and finalize the
new software. Clearing this option pauses the upgrade after all nondisruptive tasks
have finished. User input is required to manually reboot the storage processors and
finish the upgrade.

Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT OE Software Upgrades
Movie:

Automated Software Downloads
• The system automatically downloads a new Dell EMC Unity OE version when
available.
− Once the download is complete, an alert is displayed in Unisphere.
• The feature requires Secure Remote Services to be implemented as a
prerequisite.
• Users still have to option to manually upload a different Dell EMC Unity OE
image is needed.
• Dell EMC remote service team handles the upgrade process.
− Decreases the time that is spent for connecting and uploading code to each
system to upgrade.
With the latest Dell EMC Unity OE v5.1, you can use the Automated Software
Download (ASD) feature. When a new version of the OE is available, the system
can automatically download the new version. When the download is finished,
Unisphere generates an alert. In order to use this feature, two-way Secure Remote
Services must be implemented on the system. You can manually upload a
different image. The remote service team handles this process which should
decrease the time for connecting and uploading code to each system to upgrade.

Automated Software Download Staging Process
1. Remote service team receives a request to upgrade the Unity XT OE.

The process identifies the system to be upgraded by the serial number.
2. The remote service team targets the serial number of each system with the Dell
EMC Unity XT OE through the Secure Remote Services FTP server.
3. The system detects the code and automatically downloads it within a specified
period of 24 hours.
Once the download finishes, an Alert is generated in Unisphere and the

upgrade is started.

Dell EMC Unity XT Upgrades - Drive Firmware
At times, drive firmware must be updated for compatibility with the Dell EMC Unity
OE version. From the Drive Firmware option, verify the version under the
Firmware Version column. If a new version is available, use the Obtain Drive
Firmware Online option that is shown on the bottom. This option links to the
support page and display any new drive packages.
Drive Firmware
In this example, a new Unity_Drive_Firmware_Package-V9 is available for the

existing drives in the array. Click the package and download to a directory of your
choice, then use the Upgrade Drive Firmware option to load it.

Firmware Embedded with OE
Drive firmware can also be embedded into the latest Operating Environment (OE).
If drive firmware must be updated, use the Upgrade Drive Firmware option that is
shown on the bottom left. This option initiates the Upgrade Drive Firmware
wizard. The first page of the wizard suggests that you must perform a Health Check
on the array before updating any drive firmware. The Select Drive Firmware page
presents the options to Use firmware package included with the OE software
upgrade bundle or Upload a File. Once you have the file on the array, you receive
a Summary page with a warning of how long the upgrade may take. The time may
be from minutes to several hours, depending on how many drives are being
upgraded. After clicking Next, the upgrading starts and lastly you will receive a
Results page.

Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT Drive Firmware Upgrade
Movie:

Dell EMC Unity XT Language Packs Upgrade
Locating and downloading Language Packs follows the same process a drive
firmware. If a new version is available, use the Obtain Language Pack Online
option that is shown on the bottom. This option links to the support page and
display any available Language packages. In the example, several Language
Packs are available. Click the package to download and select a directory. Then
use the Install Language Pack option to load it.

Dell EMC Unity XT System Limits
The System Limits option provides users with a table of limits for the Dell EMC
Unity OE version. Be aware these limits may change between versions. The SolVe
pocket reference guide is also a good source for the limits. Use the scroll bar to
view all limits.

CRU Replacements
Dell EMC Unity Installation and Service-SSP

Dell EMC Unity XT Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs)
Hot Plug-able CRUs Non Hot Plug-able CRUs
15 drive DAE LCC

15 drive DAE Power Supply
25 drive DAE Power Supply
DPE Cooling Module
25 drive DAE LCC
80 drive DAE LCC DPE Memory Module (DIMMS)
80 drive DAE Power Supply and Cooling Module
DPE internal M.2 devices (SSDs)
DPE Power Supply
Storage Processor DPE Expansion IO Modules
SPF
DPE Embedded IO Module (IOPM)
2.5-inch Disk Drive
DPE 4-port Mezz Module
3.5-inch Disk Drive
The slide shows both hot plug-able and non-hot plug-able CRUs. * See KB article
496672 and contact technical support before replacing this part. Always refer to the
CRU replacement procedures for guidelines when performing the swap of a part.
Dell EMC Unity Installation and Service-SSP

Dell EMC Replacement Documents on the Support Page
Once a component is identified for replacement, maintenance personnel will need

to locate and download the proper replacement procedures from Dell EMC
support or SolVe. From the Dell EMC support landing page, click on Support By
Product and type in the name of the product you are working on. For example,
Unity. Select Documentation, then select Manuals and Guides under the
Content Type menu. Locate the component that you are replacing and click on the
document to download the procedure. Always follow the guide and adhere to the
proper procedures for ESD and component care. For returning parts, use the
Unisphere Support option.

SolVe CRU Replacement Procedures
SolVe Desktop can be used to generate CRU procedures for Dell EMC products.
In this example, SolVe has been launched and Unity is selected as the product. To
generate a procedure for CRUs, select CRU procedures from the menu then
select the procedure for the component replacement you are going to perform.
Note that SolVe is updated periodically so it is a good idea to load the latest version
when prompted to do so. Always try to maintain the most current version.

Dell EMC Unity Info Hub
http://bit.ly/unityinfohub
Documentation can be located at the Dell EMC Unity All-Flash and Hybrid Info
Hub. The site provides a one-stop page for all things Unity. Click on any of the
useful links for details.

Identifying Storage System and CRU Status Using Unisphere

- Summary Page
To determine the health status of a storage system, view the System View >
Summary page. Any Hardware issues (physical deployments only) are displayed.
There is also vital information available that is used when a component needs to be
replaced. The health of any storage system is determined by viewing the health
icon explained in the next slide.

Identifying Storage System and CRU Status Using Unisphere

- Enclosures
Select the enclosure
Select the array view
To identify, locate, and view the status of CRUs and FRUs on Dell EMC XT Unity
storage system, users can select the System View option under the System
menu. From this page, users can select the Enclosures tab then use the
Enclosures dropdown to select the appropriate display. Users can also choose the
way in which the selected component is displayed by clicking on Front, Rear, or
Top. The SP, DPE, or DAE containing the faulted part that needs attention is
identified with a health icon. There are several components that are located within a
DPE or DAE. For example, drives, I/O modules, SFPs and so forth. If one of those
components fails, the component displays a health icon and is highlighted in the
chassis to display its location. Once identified for replacement, users can click on
the component to display details such as the Storage system serial number
located in Summary details and Product ID/Serial Number (SN) - located on
the Enclosures page in the component's description.

Demonstration: Introduction to Dell EMC Unity XT Using

Unisphere
Movie:

Demonstration: Dell EMC Unity XT UEMCLI and Unisphere

Component Identification
Movie:

Demonstration: SolVe Desktop CRU Procedures
Movie:

Appendix

Secure Remote Services (Secure Connect Gateway)

Secure Remote Services or Secure Connect Gateway is a secure, bi-directional
connection between the Dell EMC products in user environments and the Dell
Support infrastructure. It enables Dell support to remotely monitor configured
systems by receiving system-generated alerts and to connect into the customer
environment for remote diagnosis and repair activities. It also provides a high-
bandwidth connection for large file transfers and enables proactive Service
Request (SR) generation and usage license reporting. The service operates on a
24x7 basis.
Secure Connect Gateway options available with the Dell EMC Unity systems
include an embedded version and the Secure Connect Gateway Virtual Edition
(VE).
Secure Connect Gateway options available with the Dell EMC Unity systems
include an embedded version and the Secure Connect Gateway Virtual Edition
(VE).
• The embedded version runs on the Dell EMC Unity XT storage systems
(physical systems). The user can configure one way (outbound) or two way
(outbound/inbound) communication. One-Way Secure Connect Gateway is
available for users who have security concerns but still want to take advantage
of CloudIQ. Two-way Secure Connect Gateway is the recommended
configuration.
• The Centralized Secure Connect Gateway Virtual Edition (VE) is a gateway
version that is installed as an off-array virtual machine. It can be managed with
Unisphere, UEMCLI, and REST API. Dell EMC Unity XT storage systems also
support Secure Connect GatewayE VE servers that are configured in a cluster
for service resiliency.
Software Licensing Central is a Dell EMC-wide service which enables the Dell EMC
products to send electronic licensing and usage information to Dell EMC. This
information is visible to both Dell EMC and end users. Dell EMC Unity XT systems
automatically send the information about licensed features after a week using
Secure Connect Gateway VE. This feature is enabled automatically when remote
support is enabled.

Secure Connect
Secure Connect
Gateway
Gateway Infrastructure
HTTPS
Inbound Outbound
Public
Internet
two-way communication
Dell Customer
Support
Secure Centralized
Connect
User Environment Dell Secure Connect Gateway
Environment
Software Licensing Central


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DELL EMC UNITY

Install and Initialize ................................................................................... 6

Dell EMC Unity XT Storage Systems ....................................................... 6

Procedure Overview ............................................................................................................ 7

Deploying a Dell EMC UnityVSA ............................................................ 42

Dell EMC UnityVSA Architecture........................................................................................ 43

Page ii © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Product Offerings and Deployment Types .......................................................................... 46

Service Tasks .......................................................................................... 77

Storage System Service Tasks Overview .......................................................................... 78

Alerts and Logs....................................................................................... 92

Understanding Unity Events - Alerts................................................................................... 93

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page iii

Receive New Alert Remotely from Support ........................................................................ 98

License and Software Upgrades .......................................................... 104

Dell EMC Unity XT License Upgrade ............................................................................... 105

CRU Replacements ............................................................................... 116

Dell EMC Unity XT Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs) ................................................ 117

Appendix ............................................................................................... 126

Page iv © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 5

Install and Initialize

Page 6 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Install DPE in cabinet Attach SPs to network

Install optional DAEs Power up the system

Cable DAEs to DPE Verify status LEDs

1. Use the Dell EMC Unity XT Hardware Installation Guide, available on

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 7

Locating Installation Documentation

Download Installation documents from SolVe, under Customer Support

Page 8 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Racking, Cabling and Power-Up Dell EMC Unity XT

The web version of this content contains a movie.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 9

Step 1 Download the Unity Connection Utility

Discovers Unity system and configures IP information

Step 2 Install the Connection Utility on a Windows host

Includes 32-bit Java SE update 60

Step 3 Locate and record the PSNT on the configuration worksheet

• If you have an enabled DHCP, the storage system automatically acquires an IP

Page 10 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 11

To discover the Dell EMC Unity XT system to be configured on the network.

Initcli discover [-output <nvp | csv>] [-timeout <value>]

C:\> initcli discover –output

Configure the discovered Dell EMC Unity system.

Initcli configure –id <value> -ipv4 <static -addr <value> [-

C:\> initcli configure –id FNM00153100351 –ipv4 static –addr

Page 12 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Dell EMC Connection Utility and initCLI Utilities

The web version of this content contains a movie.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 13

Dell EMC Unisphere Initial Configuration Wizard

On systems with the appropriate Fast Cache license, there is also a

Page 14 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 15

Admin and Service Password

It is a recommended practice to change the Admin and Service passwords when

Tip: The default passwords are admin/Password123# and

Page 16 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 17

Page 18 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

Configure a Proxy Server to receive important service information for storage