Registering the EQL HIT Kit to a New vCenter
Instead of the planned upgrade we were going to perform, we decided to start from scratch and do a full reinstall of our environment. So that entailed registering the Dell EqualLogic HIT Kit to a new VirtualCenter.
Start off by opening up the console on the VM and logging in. (Default Username: root Default Password: eql) Once logged in, select Option 8 to unregister it from the old vCenter.
From there, select Option 4 to configure vCenter. Enter in the credentials for the new vCenter (IP, admin account, password, EQL HIT Kit Appliance IP, and an admin email addres), confirm the credentials and the appliance should connect to vCenter and be successful.
Once back to the main screen, select Option 7 to register the appliance with vCenter and then reboot the appliance
After the appliance is back at the login prompt, check back to the vCenter "Solutions and Applications" section and make sure that the EqualLogic utilities are there. For good measure, login to one of the utilities and ensure the configuration is correct.
Upgrading vCenter from 4.1 to 5…
Finally, after months of waiting... vSphere 5 has been released. After upgrading one of my dev hosts to ESXi 5, it was time to address the Virtual Center.
Here's what I'm starting with:
Start by heading out the the VMware site and downloading the vCenter software: http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/5_0
If you grabbed the zip, extract it and run the "autorun.exe". If you grabbed the ISO, either mount it in your VM (if your vCenter is virtualized) or burn it and toss it in the drive. You'll be met with this screen:
Click on the "vCenter Server" installer, select your preferred language and select "OK"
You should be greeted with a message that "An earlier version of vCenter Server is already installed on this computer and will be upgraded to vCenter Server 5.0", click "Next", click "Next" on the Patent Agreement screen, agree to the EULA and click "Next"
Enter the User Name, Org, and License Key (if you have one). You'll next receive a message about the new licensing keys for vSphere 5 and how using your old key won't work, either acknowledge or grab your new license key from the VMware License Portal.
I used SQL server on my previous install, verify the database information and click "Next"
With the new install of vCenter, a new version of vSphere Update Manager is required. You should now see a message about that reading: This vCenter Server is being used by the following registered extension(s). This essentially just says that you need to upgrade these programs as well.
Now it's time to upgrade the Database, make sure to backup the existing DB and the SSL certs associated with it
The vCenter Agent will need upgraded on each host the vCenter manages. Note: if you select "Manual", all of the hosts will disconnect and it will be up to you to reconnect them. I chose "Automatic".
Enter the password for the account that the service runs as and the fully qualified domain name
Verify the locations to install the vCenter Server and Inventory Service, verify the ports the vCenter uses, and verify the ports the Inventory Service uses
Set the Java VM Memory setting for the WebService to what fits your environment and click "Next", then click "Install", and sit back and watch it install.
Once it's done, you'll see a nice screen you can click "Finish" on
Pop open your vSphere client and connect to the vCenter and you should be greeted with it reading version 5.
You're not quite done yet though, there's still the VMware vSphere Web Client (Server) to install. Which the installer indicates that "New improvements in license reporting require installation of hte VMware vSphere Web Client". So click on the link to the Web Client and then click "Install"
Select the preferred language, click "Next" to start the installer, click "Next" to agree to the Patent Agreement, and click "Next" to agree to the EULA
Enter the customer information, verify the port settings, verify the install folder, and click "Install"
The installer will start and then you'll reach a completed screen, click on "Finish"
Upon clicking finish, a webpage will pop up (which requires an install of Adobe Flash) going to the Web Client Admin Tool (https://localhost:9443/admin-app/)
The page should display a message: vSphere Web Client is not ready to use as there are no vCenter Server Systems registered with this vSphere Web Client. Under that message, click on the "Register vCenter Server". Enter the vCenter name or IP, a username & password to authenticate with, and the name or IP to the vCenter's Web Client server, then click "Register"
If you haven't already added an SSL cert, it will give you a warning. This can be ignored.
You'll return back to the Admin Tool's main page and be able to see that a new vCenter Server has been added
Now you can go to the Web Client page (https://localhost:9443/vsphere-client/), the drop down box should show the recently added vCenter Server, then enter a username/password for an account whom can authenticate to the vCenter Server and click "Login"
You'll be greeted with a page explaining where everything is click on the circular "X" button on the top right, and you'll see a rather comprehensive view of your environment in a web browser
Adding the MEM to ESXi Hosts with Update Manager
Tossed up a new Equallogic unit, and wanted to experiment with installing the Multipathing Extension Module. I heard at a recent VMUG event that you could install the MEM via the Update Manager, so I figured I would give it a shot.
Now there's nothing wrong with the Round Robing multipathing option, it actually works quite well. Here's how the connections are setup from the beginning:
First things first, head out to the Equallogic Support site and download the MEM zip through the VMware Integration link. Once it's downloaded, extract it.
Now in your Virtual Center, go to your Update Manager, then select the "Patch Repository" tab, and then select the "Import Patches" link".
Browse for the MEM Patch you downloaded, select the zip file, select "Next":
Let the patches upload and confirm that's the version you want installed:
Once completed, go back through and verify that it was added (Note: it will be bold since you imported it).
Now you'll need to create an Host Extension Baseline. If you already have one, skip this part. You'll want to go back to the "Baselines and Groups" tab and then select "Create".
Add a name and then select "Host Extension" for the Baseline Type.
Next, add the Dell Equallogic Extension, and click Finish.
With the baseline added and then the extension added to the baseline, go back to the ESXi host and then to the Update Manager tab and select the "Attach".
Check the new Extension Baseline that was created and select "Attach".
Now scan the host and make sure to include the "Patches and Extensions" check box.
You should see that your host is "Non-Compliant" and there is at least an Extension that is missing.
Click on the "Stage" button, which will bring up the wizard. Ensure that the Extension Baseline is selected and select "Next".
Make sure that the extension you loaded is selected to be staged.
Click on "Finish" and allow the system to stage the updates on the host, you'll also notice the missing extension now says that it's "staged".
Click on the "Remediate" button to bring up the next wizard. Ensure the Baseline you want is selected for the host you want and select "Next".
Similar to the staging step, ensure the Extension you wish to install is selected and choose "Next". Then give the task a name and schedule it. Also if it's part of a Cluster, select any kind of options that work with your cluster, and finally verify that everything is correct and click on "Finish"
You'll see the host enter maintenance mode, install the extension, and then reboot. Once it boots back up, it will exit maintenance mode automatically.
Now your host will be updated on the storage paths to be "DELL_PSP_EQL_ROUTED" which will allow the plugin to choose the best way to route the traffic between ESXi host and SAN.
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