Hitachi Virtual SMU Administration Guide

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with NAS

Modules
Hitachi NAS Platform

MK-92HNAS074-01
November 2016
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 Contents
1 System requirements............................................................................. 9
Installation requirements........................................................................................ 10
Considerations when using a virtual SMU................................................................. 10
Memory and CPU resource allocations......................................................................11

2 VMware – Installing and configuring a virtual SMU................................. 13

Installing the vSphere ESXi host.............................................................................. 14
Setting a static IP address...................................................................................... 15
Installing the vSphere Client................................................................................... 17
Deploying the SMU OS............................................................................................18
Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations..................................................... 19
Installing the SMU software.................................................................................... 21
Configuring the SMU software................................................................................. 23
Installing VMware Tools.......................................................................................... 24
Adding an optional eth1..........................................................................................25
Configuring virtual switches.................................................................................... 26

3 Hyper-V – Installing and configuring a virtual SMU................................. 27

Downloading the SMU OS files................................................................................ 28
Deploying the SMU OS............................................................................................28
Renaming the virtual SMU VM................................................................................. 29
Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations..................................................... 29
Installing the SMU software.................................................................................... 30
Configuring the SMU software................................................................................. 31
Guidelines and requirements...................................................................................32

A Advanced features............................................................................... 33
vSphere High Availability features............................................................................34
Guidelines and requirements...................................................................................35

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4
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
NAS Modules
 Preface
This guide provides information about how to install and configure a virtual
System Management Unit (SMU).

Related Documentation
Release Notes provide the most up-to-date information about the system,
including new feature summaries, upgrade instructions, and fixed and known
defects.

Command Line References

The Command Line Reference provides information on the commands used to
manage your system, and includes relevant information on the operation of
your hardware and software. Depending on the model of your server or
cluster node, refer to the Command Line Reference that is appropriate for
your system.
• NAS Module Server Command Line Reference
• Command Line Reference for models 4060, 4080, and 4100
• Command Line Reference for models 3080 and 3090

Administration Guides
• System Access Guide (MK-92HNAS014)—Explains how to log in to the
system, provides information about accessing the NAS server/cluster CLI
and the SMU CLI, and provides information about the documentation, help,
and search capabilities available in the system.
• Server and Cluster Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS010)—Provides
information about administering servers, clusters, and server farms.
Includes information about licensing, name spaces, upgrading software,
monitoring servers and clusters, and backing up and restoring
configurations.
• Storage System User Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS013)—Explains
user management, including the different types of system administrator,
their roles, and how to create and manage these users.
• Network Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS008)—Provides information
about the server's network usage, and explains how to configure network
interfaces, IP addressing, name and directory services.
• File Services Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS006)—Explains about file
system formats, and provides information about creating and managing
file systems, and enabling and configuring file services (file service
protocols).
• Data Migrator Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS005) —Provides
information about the Data Migrator feature, including how to set up
migration policies and schedules.

Preface 5
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
NAS Modules
 • Storage Subsystem Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS012)—Provides
information about managing the supported storage subsystems (RAID
arrays) attached to the server/cluster. Includes information about tiered
storage, storage pools, system drives (SDs), SD groups, and other storage
device related configuration and management features and functions.
• Snapshot Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS011)—Provides information
about configuring the server to take and manage snapshots.
• Replication and Disaster Recovery Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS009)
—Provides information about replicating data using file-based replication
and object-based replication, provides information on setting up replication
policies and schedules, and using replication features for disaster recovery
purposes.
• Antivirus Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS004)—Describes the supported
antivirus engines, provides information about how to enable them, and
how to configure the system to use them.
• Backup Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS007)—Provides information
about configuring the server to work with NDMP, and making and
managing NDMP backups.

Note: For a complete list of Hitachi NAS open source software copyrights and
licenses, see the System Access Guide.

Hardware References
• Hitachi NAS Platform 3080 and 3090 G2 Hardware Reference
(MK-92HNAS017) —Provides an overview of the second-generation server
hardware, describes how to resolve any problems, and replace potentially
faulty parts.
• Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Unified Storage Series 4000 Hardware
Reference (MK-92HNAS030)—Provides an overview of the Hitachi NAS
Platform Series 4000 server hardware, describes how to resolve any
problems, and how to replace potentially faulty components
• Hitachi NAS Platform System Manager Unit (SMU) Hardware Reference
(MK-92HNAS065)—This document describes the usage and replacement
instructions for the SMU 300/400.

Best Practices
• Hitachi USP-V/VSP Best Practice Guide for HNAS Solutions
(MK-92HNAS025)—The practices outlined in this document describe how to
configure the system to achieve the best results.
• Hitachi Unified Storage VM Best Practices Guide for HNAS Solutions
(MK-92HNAS026) —The system is capable of heavily driving a storage
array and disks. The practices outlined in this document describe how to
configure the system to achieve the best results
• Hitachi NAS Platform Best Practices Guide for NFS with VMware vSphere
(MK-92HNAS028)—This document covers best practices specific to using
VMware vSphere with the Hitachi NAS platform.

6 Preface
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
NAS Modules
 • Hitachi NAS Platform Deduplication Best Practice (MK-92HNAS031)—This
document provides best practices and guidelines for using deduplication.
• Hitachi NAS Platform Best Practices for Tiered File Systems
(MK-92HNAS038)—This document describes the Hitachi NAS Platform
feature that automatically and intelligently separates data and metadata
onto different Tiers of storage called Tiered File Systems (TFS).
• Hitachi NAS Platform Data Migrator to Cloud Best Practices Guide
(MK-92HNAS045)—Data Migrator to Cloud allows files hosted on the HNAS
server to be transparently migrated to cloud storage, providing the
benefits associated with both local and cloud storage.
• Brocade VDX 6730 Switch Configuration for use in an HNAS Cluster
Configuration Guide (MK-92HNAS046)—This document describes how to
configure a Brocade VDX 6730 switch for use as an ISL (inter-switch link)
or an ICC (inter-cluster communication) switch.
• Best Practices for Hitachi NAS Universal Migrator (MK-92HNAS047)—The
Hitachi NAS Universal Migrator (UM) feature provides customers with a
convenient and minimally disruptive method to migrate from their existing
NAS system to the Hitachi NAS Platform. The practices and
recommendations outlined in this document describe how to best use this
feature.
• Hitachi Data Systems SU 12.x Network File System (NFS) Version 4
Feature Description (MK-92HNAS056)—This document describes the
features of Network File System (NFS) Version 4.
• Hitachi NAS 12.1 HDP Best Practices (MK-92HNAS057)—This document
lists frequently asked questions regarding the use of Hitachi Dynamic
Provisioning.
• Hitachi Multi-tenancy Implementation and Best Practice Guide
(MK-92HNAS059)—This document details the best practices for configuring
and using Multi-Tenancy and related features, and EVS security.
• Hitachi NAS Platform v 12.1 HDP Best Practices (MK-92HNAS063)—This
document details the best practices for configuring and using storage
pools, related features, and Hitachi Dynamic Provisioning (HDP).
• Hitachi NAS Platform System Manager Unit (SMU) Hardware Reference
(MK-92HNAS065)—This document describes the usage and replacement
instructions for the SMU 300/400.
• Brocade VDX 6740 Switch Configuration for use in an HNAS Cluster
Configuration Guide (MK-92HNAS066)—This document describes how to
configure a Brocade VDX 6740 switch for use as an ICC (intra-cluster
communication) switch.
• File System Snapshots Operational Best Practice (MK-92HNAS068)—This
document provides operational guidance on file system snapshots.
• Virtual Infrastructure Integrator for Hitachi Storage Platforms Operational
Best Practice (MK-92HNAS069)—This document provides operational
guidance on Hitachi Virtual Infrastructure Integrator for the HNAS
platform.

Preface 7
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
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 • Hitachi NAS Platform Replication Best Practices Guide (MK-92HNAS070)—
This document details the best practices for configuring and using HNAS
Replication and related features.
• Hitachi Virtual SMU Administration Guide (MK-92HNAS074)—This guide
provides information about how to install and configure a virtual System
Management Unit (SMU).
• Hitachi NAS Platform to Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Unified Gx00
Models Migration Guide (MK-92HNAS075)—This best practice guide
describes how to perform a data-in-place migration of the Hitachi NAS
Platform and Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) Gx00 File solution to the VSP
Gx00 platform.

Accessing product documentation

Product user documentation is available on Hitachi Data Systems Support
Connect: https://knowledge.hds.com/Documents. Check this site for the
most current documentation, including important updates that may have
been made after the release of the product.

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Include the document title and number, including the revision level (for
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Thank you!

8 Preface
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 1
System requirements

□ Installation requirements

□ Considerations when using a virtual SMU

□ Memory and CPU resource allocations

System requirements 9
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
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 Installation requirements
Before you install the virtual System Management Unit (SMU), check that
your system meets all of the requirements for new installations.

The minimum virtual SMU resource requirements are stated below. The
physical hardware should exceed these minimum requirements so that the
host has resources beyond those allocated to the virtual SMU. In particular,
the host should have more physical RAM than is allocated to the virtual SMU.

• Minimum virtual SMU specifications:

○ 64-bit CPU with at least 2 CPU cores (1 CPU core per managed server or
cluster recommended).
○ 2 GB RAM (1 GB per managed server or cluster recommended).
○ 100 GiB hard drive space.
○ 1 GigE network adapter.
• IP addresses for access to a hypervisor installation, if applicable, and for
connecting to the SMU.

Note: Each SMU virtual machine (VM) you deploy requires at least
one IP address for management UI access.

• An SMU OS install package.

• An SMU software install image.

If you have any questions, please contact your support organizations for
assistance with these products.

Considerations when using a virtual SMU

Before you install and configure the virtual SMU, consider the following:

• A minimum amount of resources must be available for each VM if the

hypervisor is configured to enforce minimum reservations. For more
information, see Memory and CPU resource allocations on page 11.
• The following SMU software versions support up to 10 managed servers or
clusters:
○ VMware: Version 12.5.4038.04 or later.
○ Hyper-V: Version 12.7.4221.xx or later.

Earlier SMU software versions support up to two managed servers or

clusters.
• Open virtual appliance/application (OVA) is the standard distribution
format of a virtual SMU OS for VMware. An OVA is a compressed archive
(tarball) of Open Virtualization Format (OVF) files, including configuration
and sparse disk image files.

10 System requirements
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
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 A zip file containing a Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX) file is the standard
distribution format of a virtual SMU OS for Hyper-V.
• The VMware vSphere® Hypervisor tool is free and permanently licensed.
For more information, go to: http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere-
hypervisor.

Memory and CPU resource allocations

A minimum amount of resources must be available for each VM if the
hypervisor is configured to enforce minimum reservations.

In SMU software version 12.5.4038.04 or later for VMware, and version

12.7.411.xx or later for Hyper-V, the virtual SMU supports up to 10 managed
servers or clusters. The virtual SMU should be allocated 1 GB RAM and 1 CPU
core per managed server or cluster, regardless of the number of nodes in a
cluster. For example, to manage four HNAS clusters, the virtual SMU should
be allocated 4 GB RAM and 4 CPU cores. The virtual SMU’s minimum
requirement is 2 GB RAM and 2 CPU cores, which is the default when it is
deployed.

Sufficient memory and CPU resources allocated to the virtual SMU ensure
that:
• The SMU's quorum device has enough priority on an oversubscribed host
to maintain real-time communication with an HNAS cluster.
• Sufficient resources are available for background monitoring, which the
SMU performs for each managed server cluster.

Important: The quorum device must respond to cluster heartbeats (over

UDP) within five seconds to prevent the possibility of dependent and
degraded HNAS clusters rebooting. Make sure that the SMU VM always has
sufficient resources so that the quorum device is not paused or unresponsive
for more than five seconds.

Resource reservations are less important when the SMU is not used as a
quorum device.

Note: The NAS module in VSP models uses a different mechanism to control
High Availability, so it does not use the SMU's quorum device.

System requirements 11
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12 System requirements
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 2
VMware – Installing and configuring a
virtual SMU

□ Installing the vSphere ESXi host

□ Setting a static IP address

□ Installing the vSphere Client

□ Deploying the SMU OS

□ Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations

□ Installing the SMU software

□ Configuring the SMU software

□ Installing VMware Tools

□ Adding an optional eth1

□ Configuring virtual switches

VMware – Installing and configuring a virtual SMU 13

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 Installing the vSphere ESXi host
If the vSphere ESXi™ host is not already installed and operational, install the
vSphere ESXi host onto the bare-metal host machine for your VM.

Note: The vSphere ESXi host must be version 5.1 or later.

Before you begin

Make sure that you have the ESXi ISO installer image on one of the
following:
• USB flash drive
• CD or DVD

The following example uses a bootable USB flash drive to install the ESXi ISO
image file.

Procedure

1. Navigate to the server BIOS and verify that the USB flash drive is the
first device in the boot order. For information about how to change the
boot order, see the documentation provided with your server hardware.
2. Plug the USB drive into an available USB port.
3. Power on the bare-metal host machine.
The system boots to the USB drive.
4. When prompted, select the ESXi ISO image file.
5. When the welcome screen appears, press Enter to start the installation.

6. To accept the End User License Agreement, press F11.

7. Select a disk on which to install the ESXi host, and then press Enter.

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 8. Select your preferred keyboard layout, and then press Enter.
9. Type a root password for the account, and then press Enter. Note that
the root password must have a minimum of seven characters.

Note: If you see a warning that the CPU does not have Hardware
Virtualization enabled, press Enter to continue. You will need go
into the BIOS later to enable Hardware Virtualization.

10. To start the ESXi installation, press F11.

11. When the installation is complete, remove the USB drive, and then press
Enter to reboot the server.

Next steps

When the server has rebooted, you will need an IP address to install the
vSphere Client. Either use the IP address on the ESXi home screen (if DHCP
is enabled), or set up a static management IP address (recommended).

Setting a static IP address

Set up a unique static management IP address for managing the vSphere
host with the vSphere Client.

Procedure

1. On the ESXi home screen, press F2.

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 2. Type the login name root and the root password, and then press Enter.
3. Select Configure Management Network > IP Configuration, and
then press Enter.
4. Select Set Static IP IP address and network configuration, and
then press Enter.
5. Type the following static IP configuration in the corresponding text boxes,
and then press Enter.
• IP Address: The static IP address for the ESXi host.
• Subnet Mask: The subnet mask of the network to which the static IP
address belongs.
• Default Gateway: The gateway for the subnet.

6. Press Esc to return to the main menu.

7. In the Configure Management Network: Confirm dialog box, select
Yes to apply your changes and restart the management network.
ESXi configures the management network with the new static IP address.

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 Installing the vSphere Client
You use the vSphere Client to connect to and manage the vSphere ESXi host,
and to operate its virtual machines.

Procedure

1. On your laptop or desktop, open a web browser and point it to the

vSphere host management network IP address (as configured after the
vSphere ESXi host installation).
2. On the welcome screen, click Download vSphere Client, and then click
Save File.

3. When the download is complete, navigate to the location of the

downloaded installer file.
4. Double-click the installer file to open the vSphere Client installation
wizard.
5. Click Next, follow the prompts, and then click Install.
6. When the installation is complete, click Finish.
7. Navigate to the location of the vSphere Client file, and then open it.
8. In the VMware vSphere Client dialog box, type the user name root
and the root password, and then click Login.

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 You can now manage the vSphere host with the vSphere Client.

Deploying the SMU OS

Deploy and map the pre-configured SMU OS template.

Note: If you are using SMU software version 12.5.4038.04 or later, and the
SMU OVA 2.2 file, eth0 is the default network adapter and eth1 is optional.

Procedure

1. In the vSphere Client, click File > Deploy OVF Template to start the
deployment wizard.
2. Click Browse, and then locate the SMU OS OVA file.
3. Click Next to select the defaults, and then type your desired SMU name.
4. In the disk format dialog box, select Thin Provision.
Note that you can select Thick Provision if you want to guarantee that
the host will immediately allocate sufficient disk space, or if the virtual
SMU will be used with features that require thick provisioning, such as
VMware vSphere Fault Tolerance. You can also manually "inflate" a thinly
provisioned disk if required.

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 5. Click Finish to deploy the OVA. Note that this process may take a few
moments to complete.

Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations

Before you add extra managed servers or clusters to the virtual SMU,
increase the memory and the CPU resource allocations to reserve sufficient
resources for each VM.

The following example is for four managed servers.

Procedure

1. Power off the VM.

2. In the vSphere Client, right-click the VM and select Edit Settings to
open the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.
a. Under Hardware, select Memory.
b. In the Memory Size box, increase the memory to 4 GB.
c. Under Hardware, select CPUs.
d. Change either the Number of virtual sockets or the Number of
virtual cores per socket so that the Total number of cores is 4.

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 3. (Best practice*) Click the Resources tab.
a. Under Settings, select Memory.
b. Under Resource Allocation, set Reservation to 4096 MB, and then
click OK.
c. (Optional) Although CPU reservation is not required, you should
increase the CPU reservation if the host supports it.
d. (Optional) If other VMs on the host could starve the virtual SMU of
resources, under the Resources tab you can set Shares for CPU,
Memory, and Disk to High. This prioritizes the virtual SMU over VMs
with a Normal or Low setting.
4. Click OK to save your changes, and then close the dialog box.
5. Right-click the VM and select Edit Settings again to verify that your
memory and CPU settings are correct.

*Best practice
Although resource reservations are not required, it is best to reserve a
portion of the host's physical RAM to guarantee the responsiveness of the
virtual SMU and its quorum device. Ultimately, if you oversubscribe the host,
do so responsibly to ensure that the virtual SMU is not starved of resources.

The critical virtual SMU requirement is that the quorum device must respond
to cluster heartbeats (over UDP) within five seconds to prevent the
possibility of dependent and degraded HNAS clusters rebooting. Resource
reservations are just one way of achieving this requirement. VMware also
provides other mechanisms to ensure VM responsiveness and to protect
against resource starvation.

20 VMware – Installing and configuring a virtual SMU

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 Installing the SMU software
The SMU software is a virtual solution that runs on the vSphere ESXi server.
After you install the SMU OS template, set up and connect the SMU software
image to the newly created guest virtual machine.

Procedure

1. In the vSphere Client, click the Summary tab and check that the VM is
powered off.
2. In the Resources pane, right-click datastore1 and select Browse
Datastore.
3. On the Command menu, click the Upload button , and then select
Upload File.

4. Select the SMU software ISO file, and then click Open.
5. When the file has uploaded, close the Datastore Browser window.
6. Right-click the VM and select Edit Settings to open the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.
a. Under Hardware, select the CD/DVD drive.

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 b. Under Device Type, select Datastore ISO File, and then click
Browse.
c. Select the recently uploaded SMU software ISO file, and then click
Open.
d. Verify that the Connect at power on check box is selected, and then
click OK.
7. On the toolbar, click the Power On button to start the VM, and then
click the Console button .
8. Log in as root (default password: nasadmin).

Note: Press Ctrl+Alt whenever you want to release focus from

the console and return to other windows.

9. Run mount /media/cdrecorder.

10. Run /media/cdrecorder/autorun to start the installation. Note that the
installation may take a few minutes to complete, after which the system
reboots.

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 Configuring the SMU software
After you have installed the virtual SMU software, configure the virtual SMU
network settings.

Procedure

1. In the console, log in as root (default password: nasadmin).

2. Run smu-config, and then follow the prompts to configure the network.
3. Review all of the settings, and then type Y to confirm.
The script sets up the network interfaces and the default properties, and
then the SMU reboots.
4. On your laptop or desktop, open a web browser and point it to one of the
SMU IP addresses.
5. Log in to NAS Manager with the User ID admin and the Password
nasadmin.
The NAS Manager GUI opens.

6. Before you set up the server, navigate to Home > SMU Administration
> SMU Setup Wizard to configure the SMU settings.

Note: For more information about using the SMU Setup Wizard,
see the Server and Cluster Administration Guide.

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 Installing VMware Tools
VMware Tools™ is an optional package that provides useful tools for managing
the virtual SMU. The main benefit of VMware Tools is its ability to shut down
or restart the VM cleanly.
Without VMware tools installed, the hard Power Off option is equivalent to
removing the power cords from the outlet. However, with VMware Tools
installed, Power Off provides a cleaner shutdown.

Tip: For an alternative cleaner shutdown, either enter the shutdown-h

command from a console session, or in NAS Manager, navigate to Home >
SMU Administration > SMU Shutdown / Restart, and then click shut down.

Note: You may need to reinstall VMware Tools each time the SMU software is
updated.

Procedure

1. Power on the VM.

2. Click the Console button .
3. On the toolbar, click VM, and then select Guest > Install/Upgrade
VMware Tools.
4. Log in as root.
5. Run mount /media/cdrecorder.
6. To change to the /tmp directory and then extract the contents of the tar
file into a new directory called vmware-tools-distrib, run:
cd /tmp
tar –zxpf /media/cdrecorder/VMwareTools*.tar.gz
7. To change the directory to vmware-tools-distrib and then start the
installer, run:
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
8. Follow the prompts and confirm the default settings.
9. When the script is complete, type reboot.
10. To confirm that VMware Tools has installed, click the VM Summary tab.

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 Adding an optional eth1
If you are using SMU software version 12.5.4038.04 or later, and the SMU
OVA 2.2 file, you can add an optional eth1 in addition to the default single
eth0.

In general, SMUs need only a single Network Interface Card (NIC). Add a
second NIC only if there a clear requirement for it.

Before you begin

• Make sure that a vSwitch is configured. For more information, see
Configuring virtual switches on page 26.
• Note that the optional eth1 does not apply to embedded SMUs.

Procedure

1. Power off the VM.

2. In the vSphere Client, right-click the VM and select Edit Settings to
open the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.
3. On the Hardware tab, click Add.
4. Select Ethernet Adapter, and then click Next.
5. Under Adapter Type, from the Type list, select E1000.

6. Under Network Connection, from the Network label list, select

Private network eth1, and then click Finish.

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 Configuring virtual switches
In SMU software version 12.5.4038.04 or later, the virtual SMU requires only
one NIC. If you are using only eth0, skip the following vSwitch configuration.
If you require a private network, configure a virtual switch (vSwitch) to avoid
placing the private network for the SMU onto the public NIC. The second
network adaptor to be used for the private network should reside in a
separate vSwitch.

Procedure

1. In the vSphere Client, click the Configuration tab.

2. In the Hardware pane, select Networking.

3. Click Add Networking to start the wizard.

4. Select the Virtual Machine default for the Connection Type, and then
click Next.
5. Select Create a vSphere virtual switch and an unused NIC such as
vmnic1 (also known as eth1), and then click Next.
6. In the Network Label box, type Private network eth1.
7. Click Next, and then click Finish.

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 3
Hyper-V – Installing and configuring a
virtual SMU

□ Downloading the SMU OS files

□ Deploying the SMU OS

□ Renaming the virtual SMU VM

□ Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations

□ Installing the SMU software

□ Configuring the SMU software

□ Guidelines and requirements

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 Downloading the SMU OS files
Download the Hyper-V SMU zip file from which you can install the SMU OS.

Before you begin

Verify that you have a suitable Microsoft Hyper-V environment installed and
ready to use, such as Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Hyper-V
role added.

Procedure

1. Copy the SMU-OS-HYPERV-2.2.zip file to the windows server.

2. Extract the contents of the zip file to a location that is easy to find, such
as C:\VSMU.

Deploying the SMU OS

Deploy the pre-configured SMU OS template.

The following example uses Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Hyper-V role
added.

Before you begin

• Create a unique folder in which to store the VM files. The following

example uses C:\vSMU\smu1\.

Note: Each virtual SMU that you create needs its own unique ID and its own
unique folder.

Procedure

1. In Hyper-V Manager, in the Actions pane, select Import Virtual

Machine.
2. In the Import Virtual Machine dialog box, click Next.
3. Click Browse, and then locate the folder that contains the contents of
the Hyper-V SMU zip file (C:\vSMU).
4. Click Select Folder, and then click Next.
5. Select the SMU OS file, and then click Next.
6. Select Copy the virtual machine (create a new unique ID), and
then click Next.
7. Select Store the virtual machine in a different location.

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 a. In the Virtual Machine configuration folder, Checkpoint store,
and Smart Paging folder boxes, enter your folder path (C:\vSMU
\smu1\), and then click Next.
8. In the Location box, again enter your folder path, and then click Next.
9. On the Connect Network page, an error may indicate that the
configuration “Could not find the External Virtual Switch” (a switch that
connects through a physical network adapter to a physical network). The
template file looks for a virtual switch with a specific name, but it needs
only a virtual switch with an external connection type. Either:
• Select an existing virtual switch with an external connection type from
the Connection list.
• Create a new virtual switch with the Virtual Switch Manager in the
Actions pane.
10. Click Next, review the settings on the Summary tab, and then click
Finish.
A progress bar appears while the system sets up the virtual SMU.

Renaming the virtual SMU VM

Give the virtual SMU VM a unique name.

Note: Hyper-V allows more than one VM to have the same name, so give
each VM a unique name to avoid any confusion.

Procedure

1. In Hyper-V Manager, under Virtual Machines, right-click the new VM

and select Rename.
2. Give the VM a unique name, such as SMU1-v2.2.

Increasing memory and CPU resource allocations

Before you add extra managed servers or clusters to the virtual SMU,
increase the memory and the CPU resource allocations to reserve sufficient
resources for each VM.

The following example is for four managed servers.

Procedure

1. In Hyper-V Manager, under Virtual Machines, right-click the VM and

select Turn Off.
2. Right-click the VM again and select Settings.
3. (Best practice*) In the left pane, under Hardware, select Memory.
a. Change the Startup RAM to 4096 MB.

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 b. Select Enable Dynamic Memory. This ensures that Hyper-V receives
accurate information about the memory architecture of the host when
the VM starts.
c. Change the Minimum RAM to 4096 MB.
4. Under Hardware, select Processor.
a. Change the Number of Virtual Processors to 4.
b. Click Apply, and then click OK.
5. Right-click the VM and select Start.
6. At the bottom of the Hyper-V Manager dialog box, click the Memory
tab and check that all of your settings are correct.

*Best practice
Although resource reservations are not required, it is best to reserve a
portion of the host's physical RAM to guarantee the responsiveness of the
virtual SMU and its quorum device. Ultimately, if you over provision the
host, do so responsibly so that the virtual SMU is not starved of resources.

The critical virtual SMU requirement is that the quorum device must respond
to cluster heartbeats (over UDP) within five seconds to prevent the
possibility of dependent and degraded HNAS clusters rebooting.

Installing the SMU software

The SMU software is a virtual solution that runs on the Hyper-V server. After
you install the SMU OS template, set up and connect the SMU software image
to the newly created guest virtual machine.

Procedure

1. In Hyper-V Manager, under Virtual Machines, right-click the VM and

select Settings.
a. In the left pane, under Hardware, select DVD drive.
b. Under Media, select Image File.
c. Click Browse, and then locate the folder that contains the contents of
the Hyper-V zip file.
d. Select the SMU setup ISO file, and then click Open.
e. Click Apply, and then click OK.
2. Under Virtual Machines, right-click the VM, and then select Connect.
3. On the toolbar, click the Start button to start the VM console.
4. Log in as root (default password: nasadmin).
5. Run mount /media/cdrecorder.
6. Run /media/cdrecorder/autorun to start the installation. Note that the
installation may take a few minutes to complete, after which the system
reboots.

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 Configuring the SMU software
After you have installed the virtual SMU software, configure the virtual SMU
network settings.

Procedure

1. In Hyper-V Manager, under Virtual Machines, Right-click the VM and

select Connect.
2. On the toolbar, click the Start button to start the VM console.
3. Log in as root (default password: nasadmin).
4. Run smu-config, and then follow the prompts to configure the network.
5. Review all of the settings, and then type Y to confirm.
The script sets up the network interfaces and the default properties, and
then the SMU reboots.
6. On your laptop or desktop, open a web browser and point it to one of the
SMU IP addresses.
7. Log in to NAS Manager with the User ID admin and the Password
nasadmin.
The NAS Manager GUI opens.

8. Before you set up the server, navigate to Home > SMU Administration
> SMU Setup Wizard to configure the SMU settings.

Note: For more information about using the SMU Setup Wizard,
see the Server and Cluster Administration Guide.

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 Guidelines and requirements
Follow these guidelines when you use Hyper-V to ensure that your system
operates correctly.

• Do not manually install or change Linux Integration Services (LIS) on the

virtual SMU. Red Hat LIS is set up automatically in software version
12.7.411.xx or later.
• Avoid using checkpoints (formerly snapshots), as doing so will affect the
virtual SMU’s performance.
• The virtual SMU is a generation 1 VM. The SMU OS does not support
generation 2 VMs.
• The virtual SMU has not been tested with a System Center Virtual Machine
Manager (SCVMM) or a VMM guest agent. Use these options at your own
risk.

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 A
Advanced features

Caution: Before you use any advanced features, verify that the system is
configured correctly and that it can operate with advanced features installed.

□ vSphere High Availability features

□ Guidelines and requirements

Advanced features 33
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
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 vSphere High Availability features
VMware High Availability (HA) monitors all virtualized servers and detects
physical server and operating system failures. HA can improve the availability
of the virtual SMU and make HNAS deployments more robust.

vSphere Fault Tolerance (FT) provides continuous availability for applications

if a server fails.

The main HA and FT configuration options when used with virtual SMUs are
as follows:
• vSphere vMotion® and Storage vMotion®: Provide Manual and
automatic migration of compute and storage without service interruption.
The three vMotion scenarios are:
○ Host-only migration (with shared storage): Moves VM execution
from one host to another.
○ Storage-only migration (single host access to two storage
pools): Moves a VM’s disk image from one storage pool to another
storage pool.
○ Host and storage migration: A combination of both host and storage
migration.

Risk of losing quorum: none to minimal. However, vMotion does not

protect against an ESXi host loss.
• Cold standby SMU: In an ESXi HA cluster, if the ESXi host running the
primary virtual SMU fails, a new instance of the primary virtual SMU starts
on another ESXi host. The new instance uses the last updated disk image
from the shared storage. Although recovery is fast, it requires starting the
VM, which is not fast enough to prevent a quorum loss. If the HNAS cluster
is healthy, an SMU HA failover does not affect its availability, but it does
prevent access to NAS Manager and the CLI while the new instance of the
SMU starts.
Risk of losing quorum: high to certain.
• Hot standby SMU: With FT on, a secondary virtual SMU (on a different
ESXi host) takes over immediately from a primary virtual SMU if the
primary SMU fails. This requires a 10 Gbps FT logging network in addition
to the normal network that connects the ESXi hosts and the HNAS nodes.
If the SMU serves as a quorum device, the failover should be within the
five-second requirement before a quorum loss occurs. In this case, an SMU
HA failover can occur without affecting the HNAS cluster, even if one of the
HNAS nodes is down.
Risk of losing quorum: none to minimal.

In summary, HA provides a highly available virtual SMU, but failovers will

cause a short-term loss of quorum. FT provides a highly available virtual SMU
with a negligible chance of losing quorum.

34 Advanced features
Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
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 Guidelines and requirements
Follow these guidelines when you use vSphere High Availability (HA) or Fault
Tolerance (FT) to ensure that the system operates correctly.

• Use vSphere ESXi host version 6.0 or later.

• Verify that VMware Tools is installed.
• Test that vSphere vMotion, HA, or FT configurations are robust and
operate correctly.
• Do not host the virtual SMU on the same HNAS cluster for which the SMU
is providing quorum to avoid creating a circular dependency. A quorum
loss could prevent access to the SMU's disk image
• Follow guidelines for CPU and memory allocations. Make sure that the SMU
VM always has sufficient resources so that the quorum device is not
paused or unresponsive for more than five seconds.
• Use 10 Gbps for the FT logging network. Do not use 1 Gbps for the FT
logging network as doing so will affect the virtual SMU's performance.
• Use a larger ESXi license when required rather than limit the number of
virtual CPUs. FT configurations with ESXi 6.0 or later allow a maximum of
two or four virtual CPUs, depending on the ESXi license installed. If you
have more than two or four managed entities, verify that operation is
sufficient with less than one virtual CPU per managed entity.
• Set up HA or FT configurations with the vSphere Web Client to receive
more informative error messages.

For more information about vSphere High Availability, including features,

license options, and pricing, visit: www.vmware.com.

Advanced features 35
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36 Advanced features
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Virtual SMU Administration Guide for Hitachi NAS Platform and Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform Gx00 and Fx00 with
NAS Modules
Hitachi Data Systems

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