VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation

ESCPXD04468 ~ VXRAIL
7.0.XXX
IMPLEMENTATION
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation-SSP
© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page i

Table of Contents
ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation ..................................................................... 1
ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation .................................................... 2

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation Introduction ........................................... 2
Course Content Key Identifiers ............................................................................................ 2
Interaction Instructions ......................................................................................................... 3
Implement VxRail ....................................................................................................... 4

Implement VxRail ................................................................................................................. 4
Generate a VxRail Installation Procedure For Installing and Configuring a VxRail Cluster ... 4
Configure and Validate the Network Environment .............................................................. 24
Deploy a VxRail Cluster ..................................................................................................... 46
Perform Post Deployment Tasks........................................................................................ 71
Perform VxRail Software Upgrade ................................................................................... 132
Perform Cluster Expansion .............................................................................................. 137
Troubleshoot VxRail Implementations .............................................................................. 148
VxRail Certification........................................................................................................... 174
VxRail Co-Skilled Badges ................................................................................................ 174
You Have Completed This Content .................................................................................. 175
Appendix ............................................................................................... 177
Glossary ................................................................................................ 191
Page ii © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc.

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation
© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 1

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation Introduction
This course presents VxRail implementation procedures. It covers validation of the

network environment, system initialization, post-deployment tasks, cluster
expansion, and implementation troubleshooting. Interactive simulations and video
demonstrations are used to provide a step-by-step walkthrough of the key
implementation procedures.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:

→ Generate VxRail installation procedures with SolVe.
→ Validate the network for deployment.
→ Deploy VxRail clusters in various deployment configurations.
→ Perform post-deployment validation tasks.
→ Perform post-deployment configuration tasks.
→ Perform VxRail software upgrade.
→ Perform VxRail cluster expansion.
→ Perform VxRail installation troubleshooting.
Tip: If available, resources such as job aids, reference guides, and

other supplementary materials can be accessed by clicking the
Menu button and navigating to the Resources

tab.
Course Content Key Identifiers
This course uses the following guidelines:
Page 2 © Copyright 2021 Dell Inc

.
• The historic reference to a VxRail Appliance is replaced with a VxRail system or

a VxRail cluster.
• A VxRail node is also referenced as a VxRail host.
• All VxRail nodes are configured as ESXi hosts. References to ESXi host in the
course aligns to a VxRail node.
• The terms Internal vCenter Server, Embedded vCenter Server, VxRail vCenter
Server, and VxRail-managed vCenter Server are synonymous. VxRail
orchestrates the deployment and lifecycle management of this vCenter Server.
• The term Management Domain that is used in this course may also be
referenced as management workload domain, or as Mgmt WLD.
• The term Virtual Infrastructure (VI) workload domain that is used in this course
may also be referenced as VI WLD, tenant workload domain, or as tenant WLD.
• All graphics with no or gold highlights can be clicked to enlarge.
• All graphics with red boxes can be clicked for more information.
• The text appearing in the UI element is in bold font. It includes elements like
wizard titles, window titles, labels, and any other UI text.
• The command-line commands use this style format. For example, review the
output of the ipconfig command.
• The terminology definitions appear in the course as Glossary Term.
• The hot text element1 in the course adds detail about a task or a term.
Interaction Instructions
The Online Course Contains an Interaction Here.
[Detailed description of the Interaction for Guides]
1 Example of a hot text element used in this course.

Implement VxRail
Implement VxRail
Implement VxRail
Generate a VxRail Installation Procedure For Installing and

Configuring a VxRail Cluster
Generate a VxRail Installation Procedure For Installing and Configuring

a VxRail Cluster
Dell Technologies SolVe
Dell Technologies SolVe is an interactive procedure generator that is used to

create procedures for servicing Dell products.
A valid user account is required to access and use SolVe. Customers

and Partners must register for a user account. See KB 000124395 for
details.
SolVe is available as an online or a stand-alone application:

• SolVe Online - Web-based application
− Link to VxRail procedures - https://solve.dell.com/solve/home/48
− Always has the most up-to-date procedures.
• SolVe Desktop - User-installed Windows application
− Download link - https://solve.emc.com/desktopbinaries/setup.exe

− Can be used offline.
− Should be updated regularly to ensure that the procedures are current.

.
Implement VxRail
The list of available procedures depends on the access level of the user: Dell
Employee2, Partner, or Customer.
2 Dell Employees can impersonate all access levels.

Implement VxRail
SolVe Online - Customer View - VxRail SolVe Online - Dell Employee View - VxRail
Procedures Procedures
Generate VxRail Installation Procedures - Common Selections
In SolVe Online, the VxRail installation procedures are located under VxRail
Appliance > VxRail Procedures > Install > Installation Procedures. The
Installation Procedures link is used to generate the VxRail hardware installation
(rack and stack) and the VxRail cluster configuration procedures. The procedure

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Implement VxRail
generator prompts the user with a series of input selections in order to generate the
required procedure.
To learn about the input selections that are the same for the VxRail hardware
installation and VxRail cluster configuration procedures, select each tab:
RPQ Approval
The Request for Product Qualification (RPQ) approval question is only posed to
customers. Select Yes to proceed.
Customer View - RPQ Approval question
Model
Select the VxRail model. The listing in the Customer view is limited to the models
supported for Customer self-deploy.
SolVe highlights relevant knowledge base articles. The informational message

must be acknowledged to proceed. The links to the relevant knowledge base
articles are also documented in the generated procedure.

Implement VxRail
Customer View - Select Model
Dell Employee View - Select Model

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Implement VxRail
Software Version
Select the VxRail software version. The listing in the Customer view is limited to the
software versions supported for Customer self-deploy.
Customer View - Select Software Version
Dell Employee View - Select Software Version

Implement VxRail
Cluster Type
Select the cluster type. Customers can only self-deploy a Normal Cluster.
Acknowledge the informational message to proceed.

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Implement VxRail
Customer View - Cluster Type
Dell Employee View - Cluster Type
Activity
Select the activity. Based on the selected activity, SolVe prompts the user for more
input.

Implement VxRail
Procedure for hardware

installation
Procedure for VxRail cluster

configuration
Procedure for hardware
installation and VxRail cluster
configuration
Select Activity
Generate VxRail Installation Procedures - Standard Cluster

Configuration Selections
To learn about the SolVe input selections required to generate the procedure for
the deployment of a VxRail standard cluster, select each tab:
vCenter Server and VDS Type
Select the vCenter Server and VDS type. Some of the networking options depend
on this selection.

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Implement VxRail
Select vCenter option
Node Discovery Method
Select the node discovery method. If manual discovery is selected, the

configuration steps are documented in the SolVe procedure.

Implement VxRail
Select node discovery method
Number of Ports and VDS
Select the number of ports reserved for VxRail networking. If two ports are
selected, VxRail is implemented with one VDS. If four ports are selected, VxRail
can be implemented with one or two VDS.

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Implement VxRail
Select number of ports and number of VDS for VxRail networking
Link Aggregation Type
Select the link aggregation type. The available options depend on the vCenter
Server, VDS, and port selections.
Link aggregation can be implemented during initial configuration only with a

customer-supplied vCenter Server with customer-supplied VDS. Four ports must
be reserved for VxRail networking.
In the example shown, in an earlier step, a customer-supplied vCenter Server with

the VxRail-deployed VDS had been selected. As a result the link aggregation type
can only be set to None, the other options are unavailable.

Implement VxRail
Select Link Aggregation Type
Logging and Support
Select the logging and support options.
Select Logging and Support options

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Implement VxRail
ToR Content
If using Dell EMC Top of Rack (ToR) switches, the ToR switch configuration guides
can be optionally included with the installation procedure.
If the option to not include the ToR guides is selected, an informational message
with a link to a knowledge base article is displayed. Acknowledge the message to
proceed.
Optionally include ToR content
Generate Procedure
Generate the procedure. The generated procedure is automatically downloaded

and an email with the link to the procedure is also sent. SolVe maintains a history
of the generated procedures for two weeks.

Implement VxRail
Generate Procedure
Generate VxRail Installation Procedures - Rack and Stack Selections
To learn about the SolVe input selections that are required for the Rack and Stack
Hardware only procedure, select each tab:
ToR Switch Topology
Select the ToR switch topology. Dell Technologies recommends two ToR switches.

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Implement VxRail
Select ToR Switch Topology
ToR Content
If using Dell EMC ToR switches, the ToR switch configuration guides can be
optionally included with the installation procedure.
If the option to not include the ToR guides is selected, an informational message
with a link to a knowledge base article is displayed. Acknowledge the message to
proceed.

Implement VxRail
Optionally include ToR content
Generate Procedure
Generate the procedure. The generated procedure is automatically downloaded

and an email with the link to the procedure is also sent. SolVe maintains a history
of the generated procedures for two weeks.

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Implement VxRail
Generate Procedure
Interaction: Generate VxRail Configuration Procedure with SolVe

Online
The web version of this content contains an interactive activity.
Compare VxRail Configuration Procedures (1/4)
Scavenger Hunt Activity
A VxRail implementer wants to compare the SolVe installation procedures for two
different VxRail configurations.

Implement VxRail
Review both procedures and answer the questions. Each procedure opens in a
new browser tab. Keep the procedures open to answer all the questions. The first
question is on this page, the rest of the questions are in the pages that follow.
• Procedure A
• Procedure B
1. Question 1: Review the Selections section on page 1 for both procedures.

Which selection is different between the two procedures?
a. vCenter option
b. Node discovery method
c. Number of ports reserved for VxRail Networking
d. Number of Virtual Distributed Switches for the VxRail Network
2. Question 2: Review and compare the table of contents for both procedures.
Which set of tasks is different between the two procedures?
a. Tasks under Establish connection to VxRail External Management
Network
b. Tasks under Validate Data Center Environment for VxRail
c. Tasks under Change default VxRail network settings
d. Tasks under Perform VxRail Initial Build

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Implement VxRail
3. Question 3: Review the task to Assign permanent IP address to VxRail

Manager in either of the procedures. Which command is used to assign the IP
address?
a. esxcli network vswitch
b. esxcli network vm
c. vxrail-primary
d. vxrail-election
Compare VxRail Configuration Procedures - (4/4)
4. Question 4: Review Task 7 on page 11 for Procedure A (Internal VxRail-
supplied vCenter with VxRail-supplied virtual distributed switch). What is the

proper NIC placement for the predefined 4x10 GbE network profile?
First Switch Second Switch
vmnic0
☒ ☐
vmnic1
☐ ☒
vmnic2
☒ ☐

Implement VxRail
vmnic3
☐ ☒
Configure and Validate the Network Environment
Configure and Validate the Network Environment
Configure Tagged Management VLAN ID on VxRail Nodes
Default Management Network VLAN IDs on VxRail Nodes
New VxRail nodes are configured with the default port groups and VLAN IDs
shown in the graphic:
New VxRail node - Default port group configuration.
Management Network: The port group that is used for external management is
untagged by default and uses the Native VLAN on the ToR switches.
Private Management Network: The port group that is used for automated VxRail
node discovery is configured with the default VLAN ID of 3939. The VxRail
discovery VLAN ID must be configured on the ToR switches to enable discovery
and primary node selection during system initialization.
Private VM Network: The port group that is used for automated VxRail node
discovery by the VxRail Manager VM; same VLAN ID as Private Management
Network.
VM Network: The port group that is used for external management by the VxRail
Manager VM; untagged by default like Management Network.

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Implement VxRail
Important: If required, the default VLAN assignments can be

changed before the VxRail cluster is configured.
Modify Default Management Network VLAN IDs on VxRail Nodes
The default port group VLAN IDs can be modified by running the following ESXCLI
command from the ESXi Shell of the node:
esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup set -p "<Port Group

Name>" -v <VLAN ID>
For a tagged external management network, modify the VLAN IDs of the following
port groups:
• Management Network
• VM Network
In the example below a VLAN ID of 270 is set for the external management port
groups:
Tagged VLAN IDs per requirement
New VxRail node - Modified port group configuration.
For a different VxRail node discovery VLAN ID, modify the VLAN IDs of the
following port groups:
• Private Management Network
• Private VM Network
If the VxRail node discovery VLAN ID is changed, restart the Loudmouth service by
running the following CLI command from the ESXi Shell of the node:

Implement VxRail
/etc/init.d/loudmouth restart
Important: Make the required VLAN ID modifications for all the

VxRail nodes before configuring the VxRail cluster.
Interaction: Modify Default Management Network VLAN IDs on a

VxRail Node
Configure Access to VxRail Manager VM
Network Access to the VxRail Manager VM
To deploy a VxRail cluster, an implementer uses a web browser to access the

VxRail Deployment Wizard running on the VxRail Manager VM. The browser
session must be launched from a jump host or service laptop which has access to
the VxRail management network.
The default IP address of the VxRail Manager for an unconfigured system is

192.168.10.200. Optionally, the IP address of the VxRail Manager can be changed
to the permanent IP address before VxRail is configured.
The VxRail deployment process is initiated by connecting to either the VxRail

Manager default IP address, or the permanent IP address.
If deploying VxRail by connecting to the default IP address, configure the jump host
with dual IP addresses. One IP address on the 192.168.10.x/24 subnet, and the
other on the same subnet as the permanent IP address of the VxRail Manager. The
jump host must be able to connect to the VxRail Manager default IP address at the
start of the VxRail deployment. The VxRail deployment process changes the VxRail
Manager default IP address to the permanent IP address. Hence the jump host
must also be able to connect to the permanent IP address.

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Implement VxRail
If deploying VxRail by connecting to the permanent IP address, there is no

requirement for dual IP addresses on the jump host. The jump host only has to be
able to connect to the permanent IP address.
The example below shows a jump host with dual IP addresses, move the slider to
view before and after images. The before image is at the start of the deployment,
the after image is at the end of the deployment. Pay attention to the IP address of
the VxRail Manager.
Start of deployment - Jump host communicates with VxRail Manager with the default IP Address
192.168.10.200.
End of deployment - Jump host communicates with VxRail Manager with the permanent IP Address
10.127.14.211.

Implement VxRail
Configure Jump Host with Dual IP Addresses
The detailed procedure to configure dual IP addresses on the jump host is

documented in the SolVe VxRail installation procedure. Review Task 1 for details.
High-level steps run from a Windows jump host:

1. Open the TCP/IPv4 properties page for the primary Ethernet adapter.
2. Set an IP address on the same subnet as the permanent address assigned to
the VxRail Manager.
IP Address on the permanent VxRail Manager

subnet.
Jump host - TCP/IPv4 Properties
3. Use the advanced option to add an IP address on the same subnet as the
default VxRail Manager IP address - 192.168.10.x, subnet mask -
255.255.255.0.

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Implement VxRail
IP address on the default VxRail Manager subnet.
Jump host - Advanced TCP/IP Settings
Configure VxRail Manager VM Permanent IP Address
The detailed procedure to assign the VxRail Manager permanent IP address is

documented in the SolVe VxRail installation procedure. Review Task 25 for details.
To assign the VxRail Manager permanent IP address, run the following command
from the ESXi Shell of the designated VxRail primary node:
vxrail-primary --config --vxrail-address <IP> --vxrail-

netmask <netmask> --vxrail-gateway <gateway> --vlan <vlanid>
In the example below, the VxRail Manager IP address is changed to

10.127.14.211:

Implement VxRail
VxRail Manager permanent IP address has been configured.
Tip: An alternate method to assign the VxRail Manager permanent

IP address is to use the VxRail Pre-Installation PowerShell
Script available on the Dell Technologies Support site.
Interaction: Configure VxRail Manager Permanent IP Address
Validate the Network Environment Manually
Validate VxRail Network Environment
Validating the VxRail network environment before configuring the VxRail cluster is
recommended for a successful deployment. The network validation can be
performed manually, or using the Network Validation Tool (NVT) for VxRail.
The details of the planned VxRail network environment are documented in the
VxRail Configuration Report that is available in the VxRail Configuration Portal.
Example of a VxRail Configuration Report.
The VxRail Configuration Portal Pre-deployment Checklist provides guidance for

performing a manual network validation.
The network validation must be performed on the subnet that is planned for the
VxRail management network.

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Implement VxRail
VxRail Configuration Portal - Pre-deployment Checklist
Perform validations for:

• Switch configuration
• IP address availability and reachability
• Domain Name System (DNS) server readiness
• Firewall port configuration
• Network Time Protocol (NTP) server readiness
Useful links:
• VxRail Configuration Portal - Pre-deployment checklist overview
• VxRail Customer Firewall Configuration spreadsheet
ToR Switch - Confirm VLANs Configured for VxRail Networks
Confirm that all the required VLANs have been created on the ToR switches. Verify
all VLANs are active on all the switch ports that are connected to the VxRail nodes.
Verify that the External Management VLAN tagging is configured as specified in the
VxRail Configuration Report and is active on the uplink port.

Implement VxRail
Dell switch - Configured VLANs.
In this example, ToR switch ports 1 through 16 are connected to VxRail nodes and
port 19 is the uplink port. Five VLANs are configured:
• External_Mgmt3 VLAN ID 1751 is an access VLAN active on ports 1 through 16
and 19.
• VM Customer Network VLAN ID 1761 is a tagged VLAN active on ports 1
through 16 and 19.
• Internal_Mgmt4 VLAN ID 3939, vMotion VLAN ID 10, and vSAN VLAN ID 20 are
all tagged VLANs active on ports 1 through 16.
Important: In a dual ToR configuration, configure the Inter-Switch

Links (ISLs) to allow all VxRail VLANs to pass through.
3 The external management VLAN is used for ESXi host management and for
vCenter Server and VxRail Manager management. On a VxRail deployed VDS the
Management Network port group and the vCenter Server Network port group use
this VLAN ID.
4 The internal management network is used for VxRail node discovery. On a VxRail
deployed VDS the VxRail Management port group uses this VLAN ID.

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Implement VxRail
ToR Switch - Confirm VxRail Node Port Status
The switch ports that are connected to the VxRail nodes and the uplink ports must
have a status of up. Trunk mode5 must be enabled on these ports to support
multiple VLANs.
Dell switch - Interface status.
In the example, the VxRail node ports (1-16) and the uplink port (19) are up. The
VLAN column shows that 1751 is the access VLAN for ports 1 through 16 while the
other VLAN IDs are tagged VLANs.
5 Trunk and Access modes define how tagged and untagged packets are handled.
A tagged packet contains the VLAN ID in the packet header. When a Trunk mode
port receives a tagged packet, it passes the packet to the VLAN ID specified in the
tag. If a Native (Access) VLAN is configured on Trunk mode ports, the ports accept
untagged packets for that VLAN. Access mode ports only accept untagged packets
for a single VLAN.

Implement VxRail
ToR Switch - Spanning Tree Protocol Considerations
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a protocol to prevent network loops. STP

introduces a default 50-second delay before data is allowed to be sent on a port
which causes VxRail problems if there is a path failure.
All VxRail node ports should either:

• Be on a switch with STP disabled.
• Be on a switch with STP enabled, where the ports are configured to rapidly
switch to the forwarding state.
− On Dell switches, set the edge option.

− On Cisco switches, set the PortFast option.
Dell switch - Rapid Spanning Tree enabled.
In this example, rapid spanning tree is enabled. The ports are set as edge ports
and have a status of FWD (forwarding). This configuration prevents STP from
causing problems with the VxRail system.

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Implement VxRail
ToR Switch - Link Aggregation on VxRail Node Ports
VxRail does not support link aggregation for VxRail management traffic. During
initial VxRail deployment, link aggregation for nonmanagement traffic can only be
implemented using an existing VDS on an existing vCenter Server. For all other
cases, link aggregation can be enabled after VxRail has been deployed.
For deployments with the VxRail deployed VDS, confirm that that link aggregation
has not been configured for the VxRail node ports.
On a Dell switch, link aggregation is configured using port channels. In this

example, there are no port channels configured.
Dell switch - Port channel summary.
Confirm IP Address Availability and Reachability
VxRail components must have unique IP addresses. The required IP addresses

depend on the VxRail deployment options and are documented in the VxRail
Configuration Report.
The ping command or the PowerShell equivalent Test-NetConnection can be

used to confirm that there are no IP address conflicts. The ping test should fail for
all the unconfigured components and succeed for all components that exist.
Example 1: VxRail deployed with the VxRail vCenter Server. The IP addresses
reserved for the vCenter Server and the ESXi hosts, should fail the ping test. If the
VxRail Manager permanent IP address has not been configured, it should also fail.

Implement VxRail
Example of an expected failed ping test.
Example 2: VxRail deployed by joining an existing vCenter Server with an external

Syslog server. The vCenter Server and the Syslog server should be reachable.
Example of a successful ping test.
Confirm DNS Readiness
Most VxRail implementations are deployed with an external DNS. The external
DNS must be configured with forward and reverse lookup records for the vCenter

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Implement VxRail
Server, ESXi hosts, and the VxRail Manager VM. Depending on the VxRail
deployment options, DNS records for additional components may also be required.
DNS Server
Forward lookup for a node (ESXi Host)
Reverse lookup for a node (ESXi Host)
Forward lookup for VxRail Manager
Reverse lookup for VxRail Manager
DNS lookup example.
The nslookup command or the PowerShell equivalent Resolve-DnsName can

be used to confirm the existence of the required records.
The FQDN and IP addresses are documented in the VxRail Configuration Report.
Check the DNS records for all the required objects. The records should be verified
for both:
• FQDN to IP address resolution - Forward DNS check
• IP address to FQDN resolution - Reverse DNS check

Implement VxRail
Confirm NTP Server Readiness
Most VxRail implementations use external NTP servers for time synchronization.
Confirm that the NTP servers are reachable and functional with the following
command from a Windows system:
w32tm /stripchart /computer:<NTP Server> /samples:<Number of

samples>
Example of a reachable and functional NTP server.
Firewall Port Configuration
Components external to the VxRail system use different ports for network traffic.
The port information is documented in the VxRail Customer Firewall Configuration
spreadsheet. If a firewall exists between the VxRail system and the external
components, an administrator must configure the firewall for all the relevant traffic.
The example lists the TCP ports that are used when an existing vCenter Server
manages a VxRail cluster. The Firewall Configuration worksheet has been filtered
to show the relevant ports.

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Implement VxRail
VxRail Firewall Configuration - vCenter Server port usage.
Demonstration: VxRail - Manually Validate Network Environment
To learn about manual network validation, watch the video below:
Movie:
The web version of this content contains a movie.
Validate the Network Environment Using the Network Validation Tool

(NVT)
Network Validation Tool for VxRail
The Network Validation Tool (NVT) for VxRail is a Windows-based application that
is used to validate the network configuration before VxRail is deployed.

Implement VxRail
Download NVT for VxRail either from Dell Technologies Central or the Support site.
Search for Network Validation Tool for VxRail.
NVT for VxRail does not require installation, the downloaded ZIP file includes an
executable (EXE) file. Extract and run the EXE file.
The Let's get started page is the NVT for VxRail home page. To learn about the
available documentation and validation services, select each hotspot:
NVT for VxRail - home page
1: The guides are included with the application as PDF files.

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Implement VxRail
NVT for VxRail available documentation
2: NVT for VxRail performs validation tests for network services, ToR switches, and
upstream switches.
Network services validation tests include:
• DNS, NTP, default gateway reachability

• Reserved IP addresses availability
• DNS forward and reverse lookup
Switch validation tests on supported switches include:
• VLAN configuration
• Port mode
• Port channel protocol
• STP mode and bridge priority
NVT for VxRail - Workflow
NVT for VxRail should be run from a workstation that has access to the VxRail
Management network. Import the Cluster Configuration JSON file and switch output
into NVT and run the validation. The validation results are shown graphically as a
pie chart and a table.
To learn about the workflow, select each hotspot:
NVT for VxRail - Workflow

Implement VxRail
3 5 4
1
1: Import the Cluster Configuration JSON file downloaded from the VxRail
Configuration Portal into NVT for VxRail. The JSON file has all the information that
is required for the network services validation. Review and if necessary, edit the
imported data before validation.
Import JSON dialog
2: Collect switch output using the instructions documented in the Switch Output
Collection Guide, and then import the file into NVT. Alternately use the integrated
switch grab utility to connect and retrieve switch output directly from the switch.
Switch output templates are also provided.
Switch details dialog
3: Once the Cluster Configuration JSON file and the switch information have been
imported, click VALIDATE. NVT performs all the validation tests and reports the
results.

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Implement VxRail
If a firewall blocks ICMP Echo Requests, optionally skip ping validations. If the
VxRail cluster has already been deployed, enable VxRail Cluster has been
deployed and then run the validation. NVT tests for IP reachability rather than IP
availability.
Validation options
4: Download the validation report either as a Microsoft Excel document or a PDF

file.
Report download options
5: To create a JSON file with all the input data (the cluster configuration data and
the switch information), click SAVE. Import the saved JSON file into NVT for
revalidation after fixing all the identified issues.
NVT for VxRail - Validation Example
The example shows the results on an NVT validation. The results are classified as
Remediation, Warning, Information, Skipped, and Ready.
The detailed result of each test is shown in the table below the pie chart. In this
example, the data has been filtered to show the tests that require remediation.
To ensure a successful VxRail deployment, fix all remediation items and rerun the
validation.
Example Validation Report - PDF

Implement VxRail
Validation results filtered by Remediation
Interaction: Validate the Network Environment with NVT
Knowledge Check: Configure and Validate the Network Environment

(1/4)
5. A VxRail deployment has the following network requirements:
VxRail external management VLAN ID: 200

VxRail node discovery VLAN ID: 4000
Before deployment, which VLAN IDs should be set on the vSwitch0 port groups
on each node?

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Implement VxRail
VLAN ID 200 VLAN ID 4000

Management Network
☒ ☐
Private Management Network

☐ ☒
VM Network
☒ ☐
Private VM Network
☐ ☒

(2/4)
6. How is the VxRail Manager permanent IP address configured before deploying

the VxRail cluster?
a. Open the ESXi Shell to an unconfigured VxRail node and run the vxrail-
primary command.
b. Open an SSH session to the VxRail Manager VM and run the vxrail-
primary command.
c. Log in to the VMware Host Client of the primary VxRail node and edit the
network settings of the VxRail Manager VM.
d. Log in to the vSphere Client of the vCenter Server and edit the network
settings of the VxRail Manager VM.

(3/4)
7. A VxRail implementer is ready to perform the manual network validation for a

VxRail deployment with an existing vCenter Server. The nodes have been
powered on. The VxRail Manager IP address is unchanged. What is the
expected result of these network validation tests?
Succeed Fail
Ping tests to the ESXi host management IP addresses.
☐ ☒
Ping test to the VxRail Manager permanent IP address.

☐ ☒
Ping test to vCenter Server IP address.

☒ ☐

Implement VxRail
Forward and reverse DNS lookups for the ESXi hosts.

☒ ☐
Forward and reverse DNS lookups for the VxRail Manager.

☒ ☐

(4/4)
8. Which validation tests does NVT for VxRail perform? Select three (3).
a. DNS lookup
b. IP address availability
c. VLAN configuration
d. NIC compatibility
e. Network bandwidth
Deploy a VxRail Cluster
Deploy a VxRail Cluster
Deploy a Standard VxRail Cluster With VxRail-Managed vCenter

Server
Connect to the VxRail Manager VM
To launch the VxRail Deployment Wizard, open a browser session to the VxRail
Manager - <VxRail Manager IP Address>. If configured, connect to the permanent
IP address, else connect to the default IP address 192.168.10.200.

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Implement VxRail
Browser Safety Warning - Chrome
VxRail Deployment Wizard Landing Page
This wizard is a step-by-step guide to configure a VxRail cluster.
To start the VxRail configuration, click GET STARTED.
Deployment Wizard Landing Page

Implement VxRail
Software License and Maintenance Agreement
The second page of the Deployment Wizard is the Dell EMC Software and
Maintenance Agreement. This page includes the Commercial Terms of Sale and
the End User License Agreement (EULA). The EULA must be accepted to continue
the configuration.
End User License Agreement
Selection of the VxRail Cluster Type
On this page, the VxRail Cluster Type and Storage Type for the deployment must
be chosen. A VxRail standard cluster or vSAN 2-Node cluster must use standard
vSAN storage. A dynamic node cluster can use Fibre Channel attached storage or
vSAN HCI Mesh storage.

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Implement VxRail
Cluster Type - Selections for a standard cluster
Selection of Discovered Resources
The Resources page shows the discovered hosts for a cluster configuration. For a
standard VxRail cluster, at least three (3) and a maximum of six (6) nodes must be
selected in order to proceed with the deployment.
If using Dell switches with SmartFabric services, the switches are automatically
discovered in the Top-of-Rack Switch section.

Implement VxRail
Discovered Resources
Tip: For deployments with "Manual Host" discovery, no hosts would

be listed. A plus icon "+" would appear in place of the "refresh"
icon in the top-right area above the hosts to manually discover the
hosts.
Network Confirmation
The Network Confirmation page of the wizard has two prerequisites that must be
completed before continuing.
The statements are acknowledged by selecting the checkbox next to each

statement.

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Implement VxRail
Network Confirmation
Configuration Method
The Configuration Method page is where the selection on how to get the VxRail
configuration settings implemented. There are two ways, a Step-by-step user
input or by Upload a configuration file.
If the Step-by-step user input is selected, all the fields in the wizard are blank and
require user input.
If the Upload a Configuration File method is selected, the JSON file that is
previously created using the VxRail Configuration Portal is uploaded.
Tip: The Deployment Wizard allows changes after the configuration

file has been uploaded.
In this example, the Upload a Configuration File method was selected.

Implement VxRail
Configuration Method
Global Settings
The Global Settings page of the wizard is where the following settings are
entered:
• Top-level DNS Domain
• Chosen vCenter Implementation
• DNS Server type and IP Addresses
• Optional NTP and Syslog Servers information
Tip: A comma separated list of IP addresses (DNS, NTP, Syslog)

or Hostnames (NTP and Syslog) can be used if entering multiple IP
addresses.

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Implement VxRail
Global Settings
VDS Settings
The Virtual Distributed Switch (VDS) Settings page is where the VDS and NIC
configuration that is to be used during a step-by-step configuration is selected.
There are two types of configurations for a VDS:
1. The Predefined VDS Configuration allows for the choice of predefined NIC
configurations.
2. The Custom VDS Configuration allows flexibility in the virtual network
configuration.

Implement VxRail
VDS Settings
vCenter Server Settings
The vCenter Server Settings page is where the vCenter Server FQDN, vCenter
login credentials, and vCenter Management credentials are verified. In a step-by-
step configuration, this information must be completed. In this example, the
information was imported from the configuration file.
Important: The configuration file will not have the passwords and
would require manual entry.

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Implement VxRail
Host Settings
The Host Settings page is where the rack and host information is entered.
There are two Host Configuration Methods:

1. The Autofill method enables hostnames to be generated based on a pattern
and IP addresses are assigned sequentially from a starting IP address.
2. The Advanced method allows flexibility in the specification of the host
configuration details, for example unique names or nonconsecutive IP
addresses.
Tip: The Host Configuration Method defaults to Advanced when

using a configuration file.

Implement VxRail
Host Settings
VxRail Manager Settings
The VxRail Manager Settings page is where the hostname, IP address, and
account passwords for the VxRail Manager is entered.
Important: Dell support uses the VxRail Manager Service

Account (mystic) to access the VxRail Manager VM. The root
account does not allow SSH login access, support logs in as mystic
first. The root and mystic user account passwords must be
different.

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Implement VxRail
VxRail Manager Settings
Virtual Network Settings
On the Virtual Network Settings page, the VxRail Management Network, vSAN,
and vMotion network information are entered. If a Guest Network is to be used, that
network information is entered as well.
Tip: The Virtual Networking Settings default to Advanced when

using a configuration file.

Implement VxRail
Virtual Network Settings
Validate Configuration
The Validate Configuration page is where a validation process is completed that

checks the the physical environment - DNS, IP, and VLAN configurations.
The validation process may require several minutes depending on the cluster size
and type.
Important: If an error occurs, fix the identified issue by going to the

applicable wizard page by using the navigation menu on the left
side of the wizard.

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Implement VxRail
Validation Configuration
Apply Configuration
When the configuration is successfully verified, the deployment process is ready to

begin.
If using the default IP to start configuration, when notified, redirect

to the new VxRail Manager IP to complete the deployment.

Implement VxRail
Apply Configuration
Deployment Complete
After a successful configuration, you will land on this page. The final configuration
file and certificate can be downloaded for use later.
To verify that the cluster was properly deployed and configured, launch vCenter to
begin the post-deployment verification process.

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Implement VxRail
Deployment Complete
Interaction: Deploy a Standard VxRail Cluster with an Internal vCenter

Server
Deploy a Standard VxRail Cluster With Existing vCenter Server
Prepare Existing vCenter Server for VxRail Deployment
The details of the existing vCenter Server are documented in the VxRail
Configuration Report that is available in the VxRail Configuration Portal. Example
of a VxRail Configuration Report.
Log in to the vSphere Client, review the vCenter Server version, and verify the
existence of or create the required data center and vCenter Server accounts. To
learn more about these tasks, select each tab:
vCenter Server Version
Confirm that the vCenter Server version is at the recommended version as

documented in the VxRail and external vCenter interoperability matrix. For
example, the recommended vCenter Server version for VxRail 7.0.241 is 7.0 U2d
(7.0.2.00500) or later1.

Implement VxRail
vCenter Server Version
1 The interoperability matrix does not list the build number that is displayed in the
vSphere Client. View VMware KB 2143838 for the correlation between vCenter
Server versions and build numbers. For example, vCenter Server 7.0 U2d
(7.0.2.00500) correlates to build 18455184.
Data Center
Confirm that the required data center exists. If the data center exists, confirm that it
does not contain a cluster with the new VxRail cluster name. The VxRail
deployment process creates the cluster.
If the data center does not exist, create the data center.
vCenter Server - Data Center created

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Implement VxRail
User account for VxRail Management
Confirm that the VxRail Management user account exists and is assigned either the
VMware HCIA Management role or no roles. The VxRail Management user must
be part of the tenant SSO domain.
If the VxRail Management user does not exist, create the user account with no role
assignments. The VxRail deployment process assigns the VMware HCIA
Management role. Review Task 11 of the example SolVe procedure.
VxRail Management User
User account for VxRail Configuration
Confirm that the vCenter Server user account that is used for the VxRail
configuration exists. While the existing vCenter Server administrator account can
be used, if security is a concern, create a VxRail configuration user account for the
deployment.
The VxRail configuration user account requires roles with specific privileges.
Review Task 12 of the example SolVe procedure.
Create and assign the following roles to the new VxRail configuration user:
• VxRail Initial Global
• VxRail Datacenter Global
Interaction: Prepare Existing vCenter Server for VxRail Deployment

Implement VxRail
VxRail with Existing vCenter Server and Custom VxRail VDS -

Deployment Wizard Settings
The Deployment Wizard settings that are specific to a VxRail cluster with an
existing vCenter Server and a custom VxRail VDS are in the following pages:
• Global Settings
• vCenter Server Settings
• VDS Settings
Global Settings
For an existing vCenter Server, select Customer-Provided vCenter Server. DNS

Server is automatically set to External.
Global Settings for an existing vCenter Server.

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Implement VxRail
vCenter Server Settings for an existing vCenter Server.
Settings for an existing vCenter Server:

• vCenter FQDN Server Hostname - Fully qualified name of the existing vCenter
Server
• vCenter Server Username - User account with sufficient privileges for VxRail
configuration
• vCenter Server Management Username - VxRail Management user account
• Datacenter Name - Existing data center
• Cluster Name - Unique name for new VxRail cluster
Custom VxRail VDS Settings
For customized VDS configurations, the VDS Settings page has a General section
and sections for each VDS.
To learn how to set the VDS Settings for a customized VxRail deployed VDS,
select each tab:

Implement VxRail
VDS Settings - General
For a customized VxRail deployed VDS, in the General section, set the VDS
Configuration to Custom, VDS Type to New, and specify the Number of VDS.
VDS Settings - VDS
In the VDS section, set the MTU, the number of Host NICs, NIC configuration,
and VDS Port Group Teaming and Failover policies.
In the example, MTU is set to 1500 and four NICs are selected. vSAN and vMotion
traffic is on uplink3 and uplink4. The rest of the network traffic is on uplink1 and
uplink2. All the port groups are configured as active/active.

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Implement VxRail
Custom VxRail VDS
Interaction: VxRail Deployment with Existing vCenter Server and

Custom VxRail VDS
VxRail Deployment with Existing VDS
The details of the existing VDS are documented in the VxRail Configuration report
and in the VxRail Configuration JSON file. Excerpt of JSON with VDS details.
Before deploying the VxRail cluster, log in to the vCenter Server and review the
VDS settings. The existing VDS settings must match the details in the VxRail
Configuration report. Excerpt of SolVe procedure to review VDS settings.
Key settings to review:

• Names of VDS, uplinks, and port groups

Implement VxRail
• Number of uplinks
• Details of each port group
Existing VDS - Four uplinks, port groups for external management, VxRail discovery, vSAN,
vMotion, and VxRail system VMs.
Important: VMware object names are case-sensitive.
Existing VDS - Deployment Wizard Settings
The VDS Settings page of the Deployment Wizard has settings that are specific for
a VxRail cluster that is deployed with an existing VDS.
To learn how to set the VDS Settings, select each tab:
For an existing VDS, in the General section, set the VDS Configuration to
Custom, VDS Type to Existing, and specify the Number of VDS.

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Implement VxRail
VDS Settings - VDS
In the top part of the VDS section, specify the VDS Name, set the number of Host
NICs, and if applicable VDS LAG.
Under NIC configuration, specify the uplink names and select NICs.
Under VDS Port Group Teaming and Failover, specify the port group names and
the VMkernel MTU. The MTU value cannot exceed the MTU configured on the
VDS.

Implement VxRail
Existing VDS - Four NICs, no LAG.
Knowledge Check: Deploy a VxRail Cluster
Knowledge Check: Deploy a VxRail Cluster (1/2)
9. The VxRail implementer is deploying a VxRail cluster using the step-by-step

user input option of the VxRail Deployment Wizard. Use the simulator below
and enter the Global Settings that are documented in the VxRail Configuration
Report. Click NEXT in the simulator, before you submit your solution.
1648887285

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Implement VxRail
Knowledge Check: Deploy a VxRail Cluster (2/2)
10. The VxRail implementer is deploying a VxRail cluster using the VxRail
Deployment Wizard. The Configuration JSON file has already been uploaded.
Use the simulator below and complete the vCenter Server Settings. Review
the implementer notes for additional information. Click NEXT in the simulator
before you submit your solution.
1870624878
Perform Post Deployment Tasks
Perform Post Deployment Tasks
Verify VxRail Cluster Deployment Using the VxRail Plugin
VxRail Manager Plugin for vCenter
Menu > Administration > Solutions > Client Plugins
vSphere Client Plugins

Implement VxRail
VxRail Manager functionality in the vSphere Client is provided by the VxRail

Manager Plugin. The VxRail Manager Plugin for vCenter is automatically installed
during the VxRail deployment process.
After a successful VxRail deployment, log in to the vSphere Client:

• Confirm that the VxRail Plugin is deployed and enabled.
• Use the VxRail Plugin to validate:
− Overall system health with the VxRail Dashboard.

− VxRail installed versions at a system and component level.
− VxRail physical views at the cluster and host level.
Tip: There are KB articles to help troubleshoot issues that are

related to the VxRail Plugin, for example KB 193869.
VxRail Dashboard
The VxRail Dashboard provides a centralized location to view information about

VxRail. The VxRail Dashboard is found in the vSphere Client under the Menu >
VxRail.
To learn about the VxRail Dashboard, select each hotspot.
VxRail Dashboard

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Implement VxRail
4
1
1: System Health provides a quick reference for overall system health status. The
health status aggregates health metrics from iDRAC, vCenter, and VxRail
Manager.
Clicking the health status link takes you to the Issues and Alarms view of the
VxRail Cluster in the vSphere Client.
The health status can be shown as:

• Healthy - System normal, no major problems to address.
• Error - System has an error that should be addressed when possible.
• Warning - System needs attention. For example, disk space limit has been
reached, or an online support heartbeat cannot be sent.
• Critical - Immediate action is required. Events that could cause downtime or
data loss unless they are addressed immediately.
2: The Support section of the dashboard is useful for checking the status or
configuring the Secure Remote Service on the VxRail system. It is also useful for
engaging Dell Support resources through opening a Service Request (SR) or
chatting with Support. You can also download useful resources that are associated
with VxRail.

Implement VxRail
A valid Dell Support account that is associated with the VxRail system is required
to engage Support resources. Clicking the Configure SRS link brings you to the
VxRail Support page shown below. Use this page to configure the support account
and Secure Remote Service.
Configure > VxRail > Support
3: The VxRail Dashboard displays the overall system health, support resources,
VxRail community information, and Knowledge Base articles.
To access the VxRail Dashboard, click Menu > VxRail.

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Implement VxRail
Menu > VxRail

Implement VxRail
4: The VxRail Community section of the dashboard provides web links to articles
within the VxRail community space. The VxRail online community is a collection of
insights and community discussions from VxRail users and VxRail experts. It can
be a useful resource in managing the VxRail.
VxRail Community page - https://www.dell.com/community/VxRail/bd-p/vxrail
5: The Dell Knowledge Base is another resource for information regarding VxRail
systems. The Knowledge Base section lists web links to popular or useful KB
articles for quick reference. To access the KB articles, the VxRail Manager VM
must be able to access the Dell Support site with a valid Dell Support account.
Verify VxRail Version and vCenter Mode
VxRail Cluster > Configure tab >
The Convert vCenter Mode option is only

visible on VxRail systems deployed with the
VxRail System Information page
The VxRail code version is displayed on the VxRail > System page in the vSphere
Client.
For VxRail Clusters deployed with the VxRail-managed vCenter Server, the page
also shows the Convert vCenter Mode section.
The vCenter Mode can be converted from VxRail-managed to a Customer-supplied

vCenter Server.

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Implement VxRail
After the conversion, the vCenter Server Appliance continues to reside in the
VxRail vSAN datastore. However, VxRail Manager does not manage the LCM of
the vCenter Server.
Caution: The vCenter mode conversion is a one-way operation.

Once the vCenter mode is converted to external, it cannot be
converted back to VxRail-managed. The nontransferable standard
vCenter license that is included with the VxRail-managed vCenter
Server cannot be used anymore, a valid vCenter license must be
provided.
VxRail Updates and Compliance Report
VxRail Updates page - COMPLIANCE tab.
The installed components and versions are displayed on the COMPLIANCE tab of
the VxRail > Updates page.
The compliance report includes information about each component and

subcomponent compliance state. By clicking the CREATE NEW REPORT button,

Implement VxRail
an administrator can create a report verifying the compliance of the cluster

components.
The compliance report will run automatically every 24 hours.
VxRail Cluster Health Monitoring Status
Cluster > Configure > VxRail > Health Monitoring
Health Monitoring Status
The VxRail Cluster Health Monitoring is enabled by default, and should remain
enabled under normal circumstances. The setting can be disabled during cluster
maintenance operations to prevent false alarms. For example, health monitoring is
automatically disabled during VxRail upgrade operations or when adding a VxRail
node to the existing cluster.

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Implement VxRail
VxRail Cluster - Appliances View
VxRail Monitoring
Verifying that the Appliances view of the cluster is functioning correctly and
displaying the expected information is an important step in validating the
deployment. The Appliances view of the Cluster is accessed by Cluster > Monitor
tab > VxRail > Appliances. This view shows the physical view of all the VxRail
chassis and the nodes they contain.
In the example shown, the cluster has three VxRail E560F nodes.
VxRail Node - Physical View
Validate the physical view of an individual node by selecting it from the inventory
list. Then select the Monitor > VxRail > Physical View.
The graphic shows the details of a VxRail E560F node. To learn about the physical
view of an individual node, select each hotspot.
Appliance View

Implement VxRail
5
2
3 4
1: The top of the display shows specific node identification information. This
information is where an indication of a unhealthy state would be seen. If the node is
in an unhealthy state, look under Alerts to identify the issue discovered.
2: OVERVIEW
The OVERVIEW tab displays the power status, system LED status, health,
hostname, node PSNT, serial number, location data, firmware versions, and
component versions.

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Implement VxRail
Node 1 Overview
3: BOOT DEVICE
The BOOT DEVICE tab displays details about the boot device. The example that is
shown is an E560F node.

Implement VxRail
Node 1 Boot Device
4: ALERTS

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Implement VxRail
The ALERTS tab lists the triggered VxRail alerts specific to the node. All VxRail
alerts start with VXR.
Example - A G560 node with three active alerts.
5: Disk Information
By clicking on any of the active disks, an implementer can find information on the
disk health and monitoring. The Disk Information section would be used to replace
an unhealthy drive.

Implement VxRail
Example - A E560F node with a healthy status
6: NIC Details
The MAC address of the NIC, link speed, and the link status is displayed in the
INFORMATION section. The DRIVER VERSION section shows the NIC driver
versions.

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Implement VxRail
Node 1 NIC Information
Node 1 NIC Driver Version
7: Power Supply Information
The power supply details are displayed. The ALERTS section displays any power
supply related alerts.

Implement VxRail
Node 1 Power Supply Information
8: The ACTIONS menu is used to initiate maintenance tasks:
Node 1 Alerts
Interaction: Verify VxRail Deployment Using VxRail Plugin

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Implement VxRail
Perform a vSAN Health Check
Perform vSAN Health Check
Checking the health of the vSAN Cluster after a VxRail deployment is

recommended. Skyline Health is used to monitor the status of cluster components
and troubleshoot problems. To access Skyline Health, first select the VxRail
cluster in the Hosts and Clusters view. Then select vSAN > Skyline Health on
the Monitor tab.
Skyline Health checks are divided into several categories. Each category contains
individual component tests. Categories with issues appear at the top as shown in
the graphic. To learn about Skyline Health, select each hotspot.
Skyline Health
2
1
1: The vSAN Skyline Health check runs every 60 minutes by default. The date and
time of the last check is displayed here.
2: Skyline Health can be run on demand by clicking the RETEST button. The
purpose of the RETEST option is to ensure that changes made to the cluster did
not have a negative impact.

Implement VxRail
3: The vSAN Build Recommendation category has been expanded to show the
related heath checks. In a VxRail environment, vSAN Build Recommendation
warnings can be ignored because the VMware vCenter Update Manager is not
used for Life Cycle Management (LCM).
vSAN Build Recommendation Engine Health
4: A warning status for Performance service is not unusual soon after the VxRail
deployment because Performance service is disabled by default.
Healthy Performance service
5: A warning status for Online health is expected after the VxRail deployment
because vSAN Support Insight is disabled by default. vSAN Support Insight is
part of the VMware vCenter Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
Joining CEIP enables vSAN Support Insight. Once enabled, vSAN Support

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Implement VxRail
Insight collects vSAN log information and sends the data to the VMware Analytics
Cloud on a regular cadence.
Online Health
6: vSAN attempts to balance the load between disks in the vSAN cluster, but at any
given moment the load per disk varies. The vSAN disk balance test checks each
healthy disk in the vSAN cluster. The results provide a summary of the average
disk usage, maximum disk usage, average load variance, and maximum load
variance.
If some of the disk's load variance exceeds the threshold, the load balance is not
properly achieved. A tab shows the detailed information for the disks. This
information includes the percentage exceeding the threshold and data which
should be moved to bring the variance below the threshold.
Interaction: vSAN Health Check
Add VMware Licenses
VxRail Licensing
The VxRail-managed vCenter Server comes with a vCenter Server Standard

license.
The VxRail system is shipped with 60-day evaluation licenses for vSphere and
vSAN. The vSphere evaluation period starts when the VxRail nodes are first
powered on. New licenses must be applied before the end of the evaluation period
to avoid impact. Examples of impact due to license expiration include:

Implement VxRail
• ESXi host license expires: The host is disconnected from the vCenter Server.
All powered on virtual machines continue to work, but you cannot power on
virtual machines after they are powered off.
• vSAN license expires: Cannot add capacity to a disk group or create disk
groups.
• Licensing purchased through Dell is provided via Partner Activation Codes and
must be activated through the VMware Customer Connect account.
Licenses are viewed and added through the vSphere Client. The hotspots in the
image provide more information on how to navigate licensing.
2 3
1: New vSphere and vSAN licenses can be obtained through an existing Enterprise
License Agreement (ELA) or by purchasing them through Dell, VMware, or an
authorized Dell partner.
2: The Products tab displays the available product licenses.

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Implement VxRail
Example displays the Products tab with available licenses.
3: The Assets tab displays the license status of various assets like vCenter Server
Systems, Hosts, vSAN Clusters, Supervisor Clusters, and Solutions. The Asset
page is also used to assign available license to the various assets. To assign an
available license, select the asset and click Assign License.
Example presenting the Assets > HOSTS tab.
4: From the Menu drop down, select Administration. From the Administration
page, expand Licensing to view the licensing options.

Implement VxRail
Example presenting the Menu dropdown options available in the vSphere Client.
Additional information:
• Software Licensing Options for VxRail
• VMware vSphere and vSAN Editions Feature Comparison
• About ESXi Evaluation and Licensed Modes
• Considerations about the vSAN License
• How to activate Partner Activation Codes (PAC) for vSphere
License

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Implement VxRail
Example: Add and Assign a License
In this example, the vSphere Client is used to add and assign a vSAN license to a
VxRail cluster. To learn about the step-by-step process, select each tab below.
View Expiring License
When a license is about to expire, a notification is displayed at the top of the

vSphere Client page. Clicking the MANAGE YOUR LICENSES button launches
the Licenses page, which can also be accessed at Administration > Licensing
page. The expiring vSAN license is displayed.
Top banner displaying a notification about expiring

licenses. Click on the MANAGE YOUR LICENSES button
to manage the licenses.
In this example the vSAN license for

the VxRail cluster is about to expire.
Manage Licenses
Add License
There are multiple ways to add a license. One of the ways is to browse the
Licenses tab and select Add New Licenses.

Implement VxRail
The ADD button allows you to add multiple licenses

for multiple ESXi hosts, clusters and solutions.
Clicking ADD launches the New Licenses wizard.
The Licenses tab lists all the available licenses. A vSAN license
to replace the evaluation license has not been added yet.
View and add Licenses.
Add New License
Clicking the Add launches a New Licenses wizard. Follow the wizard to enter
license keys.

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Implement VxRail
The New License wizard allows you to add license

keys. In this example a VMware vSAN Enterprise
license is added with the name VMware vSAN
Enterprise License.
New Licenses wizard
View Newly Added License
The newly added license can be viewed from the Licenses tab.

Implement VxRail
The License tab displays the details

of the newly added VMware vSAN
Enterprise license details.
View newly added License.
Assign License
After the license keys are added, browse to the Assets tab. Select VSAN
CLUSTERS and then VxRail-vSAN cluster. Clicking ASSIGN LICENSE launches
the Assign License window. Assign the newly added vSAN license key to the
VxRail vSAN cluster.

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Implement VxRail
The available license(s) can be

assigned through the Assets tab.
In this example, the newly added vSAN license is being

assigned to the VxRail vSAN cluster.
Assign License
Alternate Way To Add and Assign License
Alternatively, licenses can also be added from the Assets tab. Select one or more
assets and click ASSING LICENSE. From the Assign License window, go to the
NEW LICENSE tab to add the asset license key and provide a name for the
license.

Implement VxRail
In this example, a new vSAN License is being added and

assigned to the VxRail cluster.
1. Select Assign License to launch the Assign License Window.
2. From the Assign License window, select the NEW.

3. Provide a License key and a License name
to add a license.
4. Review the Assignment

Validation section. 5. Click OK to add
and assign this
license.
6. View the updated license in the Assets > vSAN CLUSTERS tab.
Alternate way to assign License
Enable vSAN Performance Service
Enable vSAN Performance Service
The vSAN Performance service is disabled by default. For VxRail deployments

performed by Dell or Dell partners, the vSAN Performance service is manually
enabled during the deployment process as required in the Test Plan6.
6A document completed by Dell or Dell partner implementation teams after a

VxRail deployment. The Test Plan is handed off to the customer at the conclusion
of the implementation.

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Implement VxRail
The vSAN performance data is used for troubleshooting and performance analysis.
Once enabled, performance data is stored in a database on the vSAN datastore.
To manage the vSAN Performance service, select the VxRail cluster, and go to
Configure > vSAN > Services. The Performance service is disabled by default
as shown in the graphic:
Select ENABLE to modify the

Performance Service settings.
Configure > vSAN > Services
OR

Implement VxRail
The vSAN Performance service can also be enabled from the vSAN > Skyline
Health view of the Performance service status warning, as shown in the
graphic:
Monitor > vSAN > Skyline Health
The vSAN Default Storage Policy is adequate for the vSAN performance
history database. The vSAN Performance Service Settings dialog is shown in
the graphic:

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Implement VxRail
Enable vSAN Performance service
Interaction: Enable vSAN Performance Service
Enable vSAN Space Efficiency Services
vSAN Space Efficiency Options
For more information about the vSAN Space Efficiency options, go to:
Using Deduplication and compression

Implement VxRail
vSAN supports two space efficiency options on all-flash systems:

• Compression only
• Deduplication and compression
While both options reduce redundant data that is stored on your physical disks,
space efficiency features are only supported for all-flash disk groups.
Enabling space efficiency options at initial setup is recommended to avoid the

overhead and potential performance impact of the reformatting operations.
Compression only Deduplication and

compression
Failure domain Disk - If a capacity disk fails, Disk Group - If a capacity

only the disk is affected. disk fails the entire disk
group is affected.
Capacity disk Disk group reformatting is Disk group reformatting is

addition to disk not required. not required, but
group recommended for maximum
space savings.
Capacity savings Moderate High

potential 7
Resource Minimal High

overhead
Differences between Compression only and Deduplication and compression
Enable vSAN Space Efficiency
vSAN Space efficiency options are disabled by default. The options are enabled
at the vSAN cluster level from the vSAN Services page.
7 Capacity savings are workload-dependent and not guaranteed.

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vSAN Services page with vSAN Services dialog
Important: vSAN performs a rolling reformat of all the disk groups

on every host when space efficiency options are enabled or
disabled. vSAN evacuates the disk group, removes the disk group,
and then re-creates the disk group with a new format.
Verifying Space Savings from Deduplication and Compression
The storage savings depend on different factors such as the datatype and the
number of duplicate blocks. A larger disk group potentially provides a higher
deduplication ratio. Space efficiency and capacity savings are monitored from the
vSAN Capacity page in the CAPACITY USAGE section.
To learn about capacity usage, select each tab.
Capacity Overview
The Capacity Overview section displays the space savings. The ratio is based on
the required logical capacity before applying Deduplication and compression,
compared to the physical capacity required after applying Deduplication and

Implement VxRail
compression. It might take several minutes for capacity updates to be reflected in

the capacity usage window as the disk is reclaimed and reallocated.
The Compression savings ratio is calculated as follows: (Actually written +

Compression savings) / Actually written = Rounded-off Ratio.
Example based on screenshot: (607.09+100.05)/607.09=1.1648 which rounds to

1.2.
vSAN Capacity Overview
What if analysis
vSAN What if analysis
The What if analysis displays what the effective free space would be for a new
workload without deduplication and compression, with the selected storage policy.
In terms of "free space," does the space saved offset the CPU and RAM used to
compress and dedupe the data in the first place.

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Usage breakdown
vSAN Usage breakdown
The Usage breakdown before compression section displays the logical space
that is required before deduplication and compression are applied. You can further
expand each usage category.
Interaction: Enable vSAN Space Efficiency Services
Enable vSAN Encryption Services
vSAN Encryption
vSAN supports Data-in-Transit and Data-at-Rest encryption. The two encryption

options are unrelated and can be enabled or disabled independently at the cluster

Implement VxRail
level. vSAN encryption is supported in hybrid, All-flash, stretched, and 2-Node

cluster configurations.
To learn about some of the differences between vSAN Data-in-Transit and Data-At-
Rest encryption, see the table.
• Using Encryption in a vSAN Cluster
vSAN Data-in-Transit Encryption vSAN Data-At-Rest Encryption (D@RE)
Data and metadata is encrypted as it Data that is written to the vSAN datastore
moves between data hosts and is encrypted.
witness host8.
A key provider is not required. A key provider is required.

vSAN uses symmetric keys that are vSAN uses asymmetric (public) keys. The
generated dynamically and shared vCenter Server requests encryption keys
between hosts. Hosts generate an from an external Key Management Server
encryption key when they establish a (KMS). The KMS generates and stores
connection and they use the key to the keys, and the vCenter Server obtains
encrypt all traffic between the hosts. the key IDs from the KMS and distributes
them to the ESXi Hosts.
Data and metadata is encrypted Data is encrypted using XTS AES 256
using AES 256-bit encryption. cipher, in both the cache and capacity
tiers of the vSAN datastore.
8A Witness host applies only to vSAN 2-node and vSAN stretched cluster
architectures.

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File service data traffic is encrypted Data is encrypted after all other
between the vSAN Virtual Distributed processing, such as deduplication and
File System (VDFS) proxy and compression, is complete.
server.
Key Provider Requirement
Data-At-Rest Encryption requires a key provider be added to the vCenter Server.

Once a key provider is added, a trust must be established between the vCenter
Server and the KMS before the encryption service is enabled.
Add Key Provider
To add a key provider, in the left navigation pane, select the vCenter Server. Then
select the Configure tab. In the middle pane, scroll down to Security, select Key
Providers, and click ADD.
There are two options for setting up a key provider:
• A vSphere Native Key Provider (NKP) is an internal key provider.

• A Standard Key Provider is an external key provider.
Add Encryption Key Providers

Implement VxRail
Establish Trust
A trust must be established between the KMS and the vCenter Server after adding
a key provider. Use the appropriate product documentation for setting up the KMS.
Configure Key Provider
• Set up the Standard Key Provider
• Set up a Native Key Provider
• VMware Certified Key Management Servers list
Enable vSAN Encryption
vSAN encryption can be enabled during initial configuration or later. The best
practice is to enable the Data-At-Rest encryption service right after the initial
build.
vSAN encryption is enabled from the vSAN Services page. In the example, both
Data-at-Rest encryption and Data-in-Transit encryption are disabled.
To learn more about enabling vSAN encryption, select each hotspot:

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vSAN Services page with the vSAN Services dialog
1: Data-at-Rest encryption initiates a rolling disk reformat. Review the warning at

the top of the page.
vSAN Services dialog with warning.
The Wipe residual data check box erases residual data from devices before
enabling encryption. Keep this box cleared unless you want to wipe existing data
from the storage devices when encryption a cluster containing VM data.
The Key provider defaults to the key provider that has been added to the vCenter
Server.
2: vSAN initiates the rekey process to generate new keys at the scheduled
intervals. The default rekey interval is set to one day. The Rekey interval can be
changed to match corporate compliance requirements.

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Default Rekey interval options
You can also set a CUSTOM Rekey interval by manually entering the values
between 30 to 10080 minutes.
Custom Rekey interval
3: Clicking EDIT launches the vSAN Services dialog.
Additional Information: vSphere Encryption and vSAN Encryption

Differences.
Create vSAN Storage Policies
Create a VM Storage Policy with vSAN Specific Attributes
VM policies have vSAN specific attributes. A VM policy can be assigned to a vSAN

datastore as the default policy.
VM Storage Policies are created from the VM Storage Policies page of the
vSphere client.

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Implement VxRail
To learn more about the creating a VM storage policy using the Create VM
Storage Policy wizard, select each tab. In the example, the intent is to create a
RAID-5 VM Storage Policy.
Name and description
On the Name and description step, create a unique name and a description for
the new policy.
Name and description
Policy structure
In the Policy structure page, check Enable rules for "vSAN" storage. A vSAN
page is added to the wizard after enabling the rules for vSAN storage.

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Policy structure
vSAN Availability
Specify the required Site disaster tolerance and Failures to tolerate in the vSAN
Availability page.
vSAN Availability
Site disaster tolerance provides options for standard and stretched clusters.
Failures to tolerate provides options for No data redundancy, Mirroring, and

Erasure Coding.

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Mirroring supports one, two, or three Fault Domain failures. For N failures tolerated,
N+1 copies of the object are created.
Erasure coding supports one Fault Domain failure with RAID-5 or two Fault Domain
failures with RAID-6. Erasure coding is supported on All-flash systems only.
The required minimum number of fault domains depends on the Failures to

tolerate setting.
vSAN Storage rules
An All-flash configuration is required when using RAID-5/6 (Erasure Coding).
The example below places VMs on datastores which are on an all-flash storage
tier, with no preference for encryption services, or space efficiency.
vSAN RAID-5/6 must be All-flash
vSAN Advanced Policy Rules
Under the Advanced Policy Rules, additional rules can be configured. In this
example, the default values have been selected.

Implement VxRail
Object space reservation is the percentage of the virtual machine disk object
capacity that must be reserved for VM use. The default is Thin provisioning (0%
reservation). The Thick provision option fully reserves storage for the VM (100%
space reservation). Space reservation can also be set at the percentage values of
25%, 50%, or 75%. If deduplication or compression is enabled, the space
reservation must be set to either 0 or 100. If set to 100, no data reduction is
attempted.
For additional vSAN policy rules, see the vSAN Advanced Policy Rules.
Storage compatibility
The Storage compatibility page lists the datastores compatible with the defined
vSAN rules. In this example, there is only one vSAN datastore that meets the
requirements of the configured storage policy.

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Implement VxRail
Storage compatibility
Incompatible datastores can be located by selecting INCOMPATIBLE.
Review and finish
Review the defined policy. Clicking FINISH creates the policy.
Review and finish

Implement VxRail
Change vSAN Datastore Default Storage Policy
If a storage policy is not specified while creating a VM, the system uses a default
storage policy that is associated with the datastore. The default storage policy for a
vSAN datastore is the vSAN Default Storage Policy.
However, the default storage policy for the vSAN datastore can be changed. For
space efficiency, administrators with All-flash VxRail systems, may choose to
implement a storage policy with RAID-5 erasure coding as the default policy. In the
example, a storage policy that is named RAID5 Policy has been created. This
policy can be designated as the new default storage policy for the vSAN datastore.
Changing the vSAN datastore default storage policy has no impact on currently
assigned storage policies.
VxRail vSAN Datastore - Configure tab
Interaction: Create a New VM Storage Policy

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Implement VxRail
Configure Dell Support Account and Secure Remote Services
Configure VxRail Support Account and Secure Remote Services
An active Dell Support Account is required for configuring Dell Secure Remote
Services (SRS). The support account and Secure Remote Services are configured
from the VxRail Support page.
To access the Support page from the vSphere Client, select the Configure tab for
the VxRail-Cluster, then scroll down to VxRail > Support. To learn more about the
configuration of Secure Remote Services support, select the hotspots.
VxRail Support page
1:
Enter the support account credentials on this screen to link the account with the
VxRail system and allow access to support services. Before installation, obtain a
support account from https://www.dell.com/myaccount/. The support account is
used to:

Implement VxRail
Edit Dell EMC Support Account
• Register the VxRail system.

• Obtain product license files.
• Update system software
• Download VxRail documents
• Access the VxRail Marketplace
• Browse VxRail community and support resource.
2: The Secure Remote Services Status is Not Configured.

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Secure Remote Services status window
Clicking EDIT launches the Edit Dell Secure Remote Services (SRS) window.
Use this window to configure connectivity to an External or Internal Secure Remote
Service system.
An External Secure Remote Services configuration leverages an already deployed

SRS.
An Internal Secure Remote Services configuration deploys a new SRS instance.
Edit Dell Secure Remote Services (SRS)

Implement VxRail
Internal - Secure Remote Services Configuration Process
To learn about the prerequisites and installation steps for Internal Secure Remote
Services, select the tabs.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for Internal Secure Remote Services:
• The VxRail system status is set to 'installed' in the Dell Install Base (IB)
database.
• The VxRail system is installed using the Site ID/Party ID of the customer e-
Service account used to deploy and configure the system. The same account is
used to configure the Secure Remote Services instance with the system. The
Site ID and Contact information are autopopulated based on the support
account authentication.
• The IP address for the Secure Remote Services Gateway is on the same
subnet as the VxRail Manager.
• The hostname is to be defined on the DNS server before a hostname for the
'SRS VM Address' is entered in the VxRail Manager's Configure SRS wizard.
• The active Dell Support account credential is obtained before configuration.
Installation Steps
Follow the VxRail Installation Solve Procedure to register the VxRail system with
the Secure Remote Services system. Review the 'Connect VxRail to Internal
Secure Remote Services Gateway' tasks from a downloaded copy of the Solve
Procedure.
High-level tasks:
• Log in to the vSphere Client with administrative privileges.

• Verify that Secure Remote Services is not already enabled on the VxRail.
• Log in to the VxRail Support page using the support account.
• Configure Internal Secure Remote Services. 1
• Monitor the deployment status of Secure Remote Services.

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• Activate Internal Secure Remote Services by entering the access code that is
sent to the email defined in the Dell EMC Support account profile.
• Verify that the Secure Remote Services deployment and activation was
successful.
1The Site ID and Contact information are autopopulated based on the support
account authentication. The Site ID used must be the same as the VxRail system
was shipped under. If not, the deployment and activation of Secure Remote
Services fail.
External - Secure Remote Services Configuration Process
To learn about the prerequisites and installation steps for External Secure Remote
Services, select the tabs.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for External Secure Remote Services:
• The VxRail system is configured, deployed, operational, and connected to the

Internet or intranet.
• The IP address for the Secure Remote Services is on the same subnet as the
VxRail Manager.
• The Secure Remote Services is defined on the DNS Server if registering the
system with a hostname but not an IP address.
• The active External Secure Remote Services is deployed. 1
• The active Dell Support account credential is obtained before configuration.
1 For supported Secure Remote Services versions, see the VxRail Support Matrix.
If Secure Remote Services is not installed, go to the Dell support page to download
the installation files. The Secure Remote Services can be installed on the VxRail
cluster or any other non-VxRail vSphere node.
Installation Steps
Once the prerequisites are met, follow the Solve Procedure to register the VxRail
system with Secure Remote Services system. Review the 'Connect VxRail to

Implement VxRail
Existing External Secure Remote Services Gateway' tasks from a downloaded

copy of the Solve Procedure.
High-level tasks:
• Log in to the vSphere Client with administrative privileges.

• Go to the VxRail Support page. Log in to the Support account using the Dell
Support Account credentials.
• Configure External Secure Remote Services.
• Verify that the Secure Remote Services deployment was successful.
Configure VxRail Manager File-Based Backup
VxRail Manager File-Based Backup and Restore - Overview
The VxRail Manager file-based backup and restore mechanism is designed to help
recover from a catastrophic failure of the VxRail Manager VM. The benefit is that
there is no requirement for any data protection product.
To learn about the VxRail Manager file-based backup and recovery process, select
each hotspot:
VxRail Manager file-based backup and recovery process
5 2
4 3

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1: The VxRail Manager backup and restore script is a Python script available on
the VxRail Manager VM. The backup script archives VxRail Manager configuration
files, database tables, and optionally the log files.
For a standard VxRail cluster, the backup archives are stored in a folder on the
VxRail vSAN datastore. The script can be run manually or set up for automatic
backups on a scheduled basis.
To setup the automated backup, follow the 'How To' Perform VxRail Manager File-
Based Backup SolVe procedure.
2: The restoration of the VxRail Manager VM may become necessary under certain
circumstances. For example, the accidental deletion of the VxRail Manager VM or
an unrecoverable failure of the VxRail Manager VM.
Customers must engage Dell Support for assistance with the restore process.
3: The restore process starts with the deployment of a new VxRail Manager VM
that matches the version of the current VxRail Manager.
4: During the restore, the backed-up configuration is applied to the newly deployed
VxRail Manager VM.
The VMware vCenter Server and the vSAN cluster must be healthy for a successful
restore.
5: The VxRail Manager VM and the VxRail cluster must be operational and healthy
in order to setup VxRail Manager file-based backup.
The backup can be configured after the initial deployment of a VxRail system, or
after the VxRail Manager VM has been restored from a file-based backup.
SolVe procedure - 'How To' Perform VxRail Manager File-Based Backup
Important: Customers must engage Dell Support for assistance

with the VxRail Manager file-based restore process.

Implement VxRail
VxRail Manager Backup and Restore Script
The script is on the VxRail Manager VM in the /mystic/vxm_backup_restore

folder. To run the script, open a console or a secure shell (SSH) session to the
VxRail Manager VM. The script must be run as the root user.
VxRail Manager backup and restore script - Syntax
Tip: There are two versions of the script -

vxm_backup_restore.py and
vxm_backup_restore_limited_bandwidth.py. The limited
bandwidth script is designed for use cases such as VxRail 2-Node
Cluster in remote offices with Internet bandwidth limitations. The
two scripts are identical from a procedural point of view.

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Implement VxRail
Manual Backup Example
To learn about the options used, and the steps the script performs, select each
hotspot:
Example of running the backup script manually
1: The -b option is used to backup VxRail Manager. The --keeplog option is

used to include the VxRail Manager logs in the backup archive.
2: The script maintains a catalog of all the backups in the vxmbackup.json file on
the VxRail vSAN datastore. The catalog file is created when the backup script is
run for the first time. Then, each time the script runs, the catalog file is downloaded
from the vSAN datastore and updated with the latest information. The updated
catalog file is uploaded back to the datastore after the backup operation is
complete.
3: The script creates the backup archive locally on the VxRail Manager VM and
then uploads the archive to the VxRail vSAN datastore.
4: Once the backup archive has been successfully uploaded to the VxRail vSAN
datastore, the local archive on the VxRail Manager VM is deleted.

Implement VxRail
Schedule Periodic Backup
The scheduled backup frequency can be daily, weekly, or monthly. The backup
schedule uses the operating system time zone that is set on the VxRail Manager
VM. To learn about determining the time zone setting, the options for scheduling a
backup, and the steps the script performs, select each hot spot:
Example of scheduling a periodic backup
1
2
1: Determine the VxRail Manager operating system time zone with the date
command. In this system, the time zone is UTC.
2: In this example, the VxRail Manager backup schedule is set to daily at 01:00
UTC. The time is specified in the 24-hour format. The rotation is set to 7 (retain up
to seven backup files), and the VxRail Manager logs are included.
3: The script updates the Cron job on the VxRail Manager VM with the requested
schedule. The schedule information is updated in the vxmbackup.json file. The
updated vxmbackup.json file is uploaded to the VxRail vSAN datastore.
Best Practice: In addition to the periodic backups, Dell Technologies

recommends doing a manual backup immediately after a service
procedure such as a node addition, removal, or replacement.

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Implement VxRail
Copy Recovery Bundle to vSAN Datastore
VxRail systems include a Recovery Bundle on the VxRail Manager VM. The
Recovery Bundle contains code that is used during the VxRail node add process. If
the node is at a lower version than the VxRail cluster, the Recovery Bundle is use
to upgrade the node to the version of the cluster.
The Recovery Bundle must be backed up to the vSAN datastore for a successful
VxRail Manager file-based restore. The Recovery Bundle is in the
/data/store2/recovery folder.
Use the scp command to copy the bundle from the VxRail Manager VM to the
vSAN datastore.
Example of copying the Recovery Bundle to the VxRail vSAN datastore
Before running the scp command, enable SSH on the VxRail node that is used for
the copy process. In the example shown, the VxRail node in question is esx-270-
vxrail1.vsb.edu (10.127.14.201). The scp command challenges for the root
password of the specific VxRail node.
Important: A VxRail software upgrade creates a version-specific

Recovery Bundle. The new bundle should be backed up to the vSAN
datastore after the software upgrade.
VxRail vSAN Datastore - VxRail Backup Folder
The backup archives, the backup catalog, and the Recovery Bundle are all stored
in the VxRail vSAN datastore in a folder named VxRail_backup_folder. The
example shows the Recovery Bundle, the vxmbackup.json file, and two backup
archives.

Implement VxRail
VxRail vSAN datastore - VxRail backup folder
Interaction: Configure VxRail Manager File-Based Backup
Use the CLI Simulator to log in to the VxRail Manager VM and configure VxRail
Manager file-based backup.
CLI Simulator capabilities:
The CLI Simulator has limited capabilities. Enter the commands in the order
described in the instruction panel.
Some command-line options have an abbreviated and a long form, use the
abbreviated form in this simulation. For example, in a live environment the -b or --
backup options can be used to create a backup, in the simulator use the -b
option.
The simulator does not obfuscate passwords, nor does it support tab completion of
commands.
The simulator supports copying and pasting, and using the up arrow to retrieve
previous commands.
Knowledge Check: Post Deployment Tasks
Knowledge Check: Post Deployment Tasks (1/8)
A VxRail cluster has been deployed. Use the simulator to determine the VxRail
installed components and versions. Then, below the simulator, choose the correct
version for each component from the dropdown.

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Implement VxRail
11. What is the VMware vCenter Server Appliance version?
12. What is the VxRail Manager version:
13. Why would a VxRail implementer use the retest option of Skyline Health?
Select two (2).
a. To ensure that changes that are made to the cluster are not causing a
negative impact.
b. To ensure that vSAN Disk Balancing is configured.
c. To ensure successful network connectivity between nodes.
d. To ensure that only valid information that is sent to VMware is stored for
audit.
14. A customer deployment requires Compression only to be enabled on their

vSAN cluster. However, during the disk reformatting that will occur when
enabling Compression only, the customer's vSAN cluster may not have
enough resources for the disk group to be fully evacuated. Which option would
help in this situation?
a. Allow reduced redundancy
b. Wipe residual data
c. Object repair timer
d. Thin swap

Implement VxRail
15. What is required to set up a Standard Key Provider for vSAN encryption?
Select two (2).
a. A Key Provider must be added to vCenter Server.
b. A trust must be established with the KMS.
c. A trust must be established with VxRail Manager.
d. A virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) must be created on your virtual
machines.
Scavenger Hunt Exercise Question - Post Deployment Tasks (5/8)
Use the linked documentation to locate the answer to the following question:
VMware Certified Key Management Servers list
16. A customer is running vSphere 7.0 U3 and wants to implement vSAN Data-At-
Rest Encryption. Which Key Management Servers are compatible with the
vSphere version that the customer is running? Select three (3).
a. Dell CloudLink 6.9
b. Entrust HyTrust KeyControl 5.1.1
c. Thales eSecurity CipherTrust Manager 2.7
d. Zettaset Key Manager 8.4
e. Fornetix Key Orchestration 2.1
17. Using the simulation, make the correct selections for a RAID-5 Storage policy
in a Standard VxRail cluster.
1823025307

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Implement VxRail
18. Which tasks require a Dell Technologies Support Account to be configured?

Select three (3).
a. Configure Secure Remote Services and Secure Connect Gateway
connectivity.
b. Perform Internet Upgrades.
c. Download Composite Upgrade Metadata .zip files.
d. Add hosts to a cluster.
e. Assign product license files.
Use the CLI simulator to review the syntax of the vxm_backup_resptore.py

script. After reviewing the syntax, answer the questions.
19. The VxRail implementer must setup a backup schedule that runs every
Monday at 2:00 AM. The VxRail Manager logs must be included, and 10
backup files should be retained.
What should the period option be set to?
20. What should the weekday option be set to?
21. What should the hour option be set to?
22. What should the rotation option be set to?

Implement VxRail
Perform VxRail Software Upgrade
Perform VxRail Software Upgrade
Upgrade Overview
The VxRail software upgrade is initiated from the VxRail Plugin. To initiate a
software upgrade, select the Configure tab for a cluster. In the middle pane, select
VxRail > Updates. The Updates page has COMPLIANCE, INTERNET UPDATES,
LOCAL UPDATES, and SETTING tabs.
Compliance reports run daily. Manually create a report before performing an

update.
VxRail Updates - Compliance Status
The Compliance Status report is used to:
• Compare versions of installed VxRail components against the source of truth

listing for the installed VxRail software.
• Identify non-Compliant components that fall outside of the accepted version

range.

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Implement VxRail
Local and Internet Updates
VxRail software updates can be performed either as a local update or an Internet

update. Local update is the only option when the VxRail Manager has no Internet
connectivity.
To perform a local update, download the software upgrade bundle from the Dell
Support Site, select the LOCAL UPDATES tab, and click BROWSE.
The Internet update is used when the VxRail Manager has Internet connectivity. A
valid Dell support account is required to perform an Internet update.
VxRail Updates - INTERNET UPDATES
INTERNET UPDATES tab has an option for creating an advisory report which is
used to:
• Compare the installed version against the selected future VxRail version.
• Display impacts of an upgrade at a component level.
• Produce reports without the requirement of the full VxRail update bundle being
downloaded.

Implement VxRail
Updates Settings
Review the How does vSphere LCM compare with VxRail LCM? blog for
more information on vLCM.
VxRail lifecycle management (VxRail LCM) enables administrators to mix node

configurations and generations in a single cluster, minimizing the need for
technology migration.
vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) is an enhanced version of vSphere Update

Manager (VUM). Clusters must have nodes that have identical hardware
configurations in order to use vLCM.
VxRail Updates - SETTINGS
Enabling vLCM is beneficial in VxRail environments with custom components like

FC HBAs. vLCM facilitates the upgrades of the custom components.
Administrators can choose to enable vLCM immediately or enable it later. vLCM is

disabled by default.
Once vLCM is enabled, there is no going back to VxRail LCM.

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VxRail Software Upgrade Considerations
The graphic shows the VxRail Updates page for a system at version 7.0.241.
Specific VxRail software versions allow direct upgrade to VxRail version 7.0.xxx.
See the VxRail version 7.0.x Release Notes for exact version information.
The release notes also provide details of the features and fixes in each release
compared to previous releases, these details help drive the decision to upgrade.
Current VxRail version installed on the system
Consider the following before performing a VxRail Software upgrade to version

7.0.xxx:
• The external vCenter Server should be at the supported version level before
upgrade. See the VxRail and External vCenter interoperability Matrix for more
information.
• VMware Horizon and other integrated VMware solution software should be at

the supported version. Check the specific solution release notes before
upgrading.

Implement VxRail
High-Level Steps: Perform VxRail Software Upgrade
The following steps are used for a VxRail software upgrade.
Standard VxRail cluster with version 7.0.241
An implementer performs the following steps to upgrade VxRail software:
• Download the appropriate SolVe procedure.

• Ensure that the following passwords are available:
• VxRail Manager root
• vCenter Administrator
• VCSA root
• Run VxVerify for identifying and fixing the defects.
• Ensure cluster, and vSAN are healthy.
• Take a snapshot of each service VM.
• Perform the upgrade.
Interaction: Perform a VxRail Software Upgrade

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Implement VxRail
Knowledge Check: VxRail Software Upgrade
Knowledge Check: VxRail Software Upgrade
23. What are the high-level steps for the VxRail software upgrade? Select three
(3).
a. Run VxVerify for identifying and fixing the defects.
b. Export cluster configuration report.
c. Take a snapshot of each service VM.
d. Download the latest cluster configuration file.
e. Ensure cluster, and vSAN are healthy.
Perform Cluster Expansion
Perform Cluster Expansion
VxRail Cluster Expansion - Add Node to Same Rack
Planning Considerations for Scalability
The initial deployment of a VxRail cluster is limited to six nodes. Nodes can be
added to the cluster in one to six node increments. For VxRail deployments with
more than six nodes, build the VxRail cluster with six nodes, and then add the rest
of the nodes.
While a VxRail cluster can be extended beyond a single physical rack, the typical
use case is for cluster expansion within the same rack. When adding nodes within
the same Layer 2 segment, the IP addresses must be on the same subnets as the
existing cluster.

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Considerations for node addition:

• Node discovery method
− If existing cluster used manual discovery, continue to use manual discovery.
− If existing cluster used automatic discovery, use either automatic or manual
discovery.
• Use the VxRail Node Addition Matrix to verify that the new node versions are
compatible.
The add node process checks for compatibility after the new nodes are discovered.
Hardware compatibility checks ensure that the VxRail models are compatible.
Software compatibility checks ensure that the ESXi, drivers, firmware, and the
vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) versions on the new node are at the supported
version levels. Compatible nodes at an older version are automatically upgraded to
the cluster version during the node add process.
Contact Dell support for assistance with incompatible nodes.
Cluster Expansion - Add Node Procedure
A standard VxRail cluster with E560F nodes has been deployed. The automatic
node discovery method was used during initial configuration.
To add a E560F node to the cluster in the same rack, use SolVe to generate the
Compute Node Expansion procedure for Layer 2.
SolVe procedure selections for adding a node to the same Layer 2 segment.
Follow the procedure to complete the node add process. High-level steps:
• Mount the node in the rack.

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• Connect the node to AC power.

• Connect the node to the ToR switches.
• Power on the node.
• Configure iDRAC for the node.
• Verify date and time settings on the node.
• Adjust the VLAN IDs of the port groups on the node if necessary.
• Add the node to the VxRail cluster.
Example: Compute Node Expansion procedure for Layer 2.
Using the VxRail Plugin to Add a Node
For VxRail clusters configured with automatic node discovery, the VxRail
Dashboard displays a notification when new nodes are discovered.
VxRail Dashboard - New hosts detected
Selecting Add to cluster redirects to the Hosts page of the VxRail cluster.
Alternately, from the Hosts and Clusters view, select the VxRail cluster, and then
select the Configure tab. Expand the VxRail section and select Hosts.
To initiate the node add process, select ADD.

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VxRail Hosts page
Add VxRail Hosts Wizard
Selecting ADD on the VxRail Hosts page launches the Add VxRail Hosts wizard.
To learn how to use the Add VxRail Hosts wizard, select each tab:
Discovered Hosts
For VxRail clusters configured with automatic node discovery, the discovered
nodes and compatibility status are listed. Relevant warnings are also shown. For
VxRail clusters configured with manual node discovery, the hosts must be manually
discovered.
Select the nodes that should be added to the cluster. In the example, one
compatible node has been discovered. Click NEXT.

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Discovered Hosts
vCenter User Credentials
Provide the vCenter user credentials. Click NEXT.
vCenter User Credentials

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NIC Configuration
Map the physical NICs to the uplinks on the VDS. The NIC to uplink mapping
defaults to that of the first node in the VxRail cluster. Click NEXT.
NIC Configuration
Host Settings
Provide the hostname, IP address, management username, management

password, and root password. For VxRail implementations with an external DNS
server, ensure that the forward and reverse Type A records have been added.
Click NEXT.

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Host Settings
Host Location
Optionally provide the rack name and position. Click NEXT.
Host Location

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Network Settings
Provide the vSAN and vMotion network information. Click NEXT.
Network Settings - vSAN and vMotion
Validate
Validate the input settings before adding the node to the cluster. The validation
process is similar to the validation performed by the VxRail Deployment Wizard
during the initial configuration. The validation process could be used to determine
the readiness of the environment for node addition without adding the nodes.
To start the validation process, click VALIDATE.

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Validate
Finish
After a successful validation, add the node to the cluster.
The host can be left in Maintenance Mode after the node add process completes.
The default setting is No. In the example, the Yes option is selected.
To start the node add process, click FINISH.

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Successful validation
Node Added Successfully
A node has been successfully added to the VxRail cluster. In this example, the
node was left in maintenance mode.
The node resources are available to the cluster when the node is taken out of
maintenance mode. Taking the node out of maintenance mode could lead to DRS
or vSAN disk rebalance activities. Take the node out of maintenance mode when
the cluster activity is low.

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Node added successfully to the VxRail cluster
Interaction: Expand VxRail Cluster - Add Node
Knowledge Check: VxRail Cluster Expansion
Knowledge Check: VxRail Cluster Expansion
24. An existing vCenter Server manages a six-node VxRail E560F cluster. The
cluster must be expanded by adding four nodes to the same Layer 2 segment.
The cluster was deployed with the default node discovery option. What are the
considerations for cluster expansion in this scenario? Select three (3).
a. The IP addresses for the new nodes must be on the same subnets as the
existing cluster.
b. The IP addresses for the new nodes can be on any subnet. The addresses
must be reachable by the existing cluster.
c. The automatic or the manual discovery method can be used.
d. The manual node discovery method must be used.
e. The DNS server records for the new nodes must be manually created

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before node addition.

f. The DNS server records for the new nodes are automatically created
during node addition.
Troubleshoot VxRail Implementations
Troubleshoot VxRail Implementations
VxRail Implementation Process Troubleshooting
VxRail Implementation Process Troubleshooting Overview
VxRail Deployment Wizard Configuration Failure
The VxRail Deployment Wizard displays the status, warnings, and errors for
configuration tasks that are part of the implementation process.
Troubleshooting hints:
• Retry the installation to resolve issues that may be the result of a timeout during
execution.

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• Verify that the configuration wizard has the expected values after uploading a
JSON file.
• Use the vSphere Client if vCenter is available, to determine the root cause and
resolve issues.
• Use the VMware Host Client and iDRAC to determine the root cause and
resolve issues.
• Reimage nodes if necessary with assistance from Dell Support.
− Determine the root cause of the failure before reimaging.

− Collect logs before reimaging.
VxRail Implementation Process Troubleshooting Example
This following scenario describes an example of troubleshooting a validation error

during deployment. To learn more about this scenario, select each tab below.
Review the Error
Review the error in the validation step of the VxRail Deployment Wizard.
VxRail Deployment Wizard Validation Error

Implement VxRail
Locate the Configuration Details
Notice that the Global Settings tab shows a red exclamation and that once clicked
also shows which field has an issue.
VxRail Deployment Wizard Global Settings Error
Perform Troubleshooting Steps
For this error, perform the following troubleshooting steps.
• Review the NTP Server(s) field and confirm that the IP address originally
entered is the correct IP.
• If the IP address is correct, ping the NTP Server to check availability.
• If ping is successful, validate the NTP service is running on the machine.
Update the VxRail Deployment Wizard
• If a field in the Deployment Wizard needs an update, go to the appropriate page

and manually correct the field with the incorrect value.

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Changed from
192.168.10.10
VxRail Deployment Wizard Global Setting Corrected
• If required, save the changes to a new VxRail cluster configuration file.
Changed from
192.168.10.10
Cluster Configuration File Setting Corrected
VxRail Log File Locations
For VxRail, operations are broken into categories. Day 1 operations are cluster
initialization tasks. Day 2 operations are tasks that are performed after initialization,
like expansion and upgrades.

Implement VxRail
The table lists VxRail Manager VM log files that are useful when troubleshooting
both categories.
Log Files Description Location on the VxRail Manager

VM
dayone.log Consolidated /var/log/microservice_log

first run (Day
1)
configuration
messages
and
information
short.term.log Micro service /var/log/microservice_log

long.term.log information
(Day 1)
lcm-web.log VxRail /var/log/mystic

lcm-migration.log upgrades
lcm-do.log information
(Day 2)
loudmouth.log Node /var/log/vmware/loudmouth

discovery
information
(Day 1 and 2)
localhost_access_log.txt HTTP /var/log/vmware/marvin/tomcat/logs

request
information
(Day 1 and 2)

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marvin.log Scale out and /var/log/vmware/marvin/tomcat/logs

node
replacement
(Day 2)
messages
and
information
VxRail Manager Access
One method to view log files on the VxRail Manager VM, is to use an SSH client.
When logging in, use the mystic account since root access is disabled for SSH.
The IP address and password combination that is used during an SSH client
session depends on the stage of the VxRail cluster installation:
• IP Address:
− Unconfigured VxRail Manager VM = default (192.168.10.200)
− Configured VxRail Manager VM = IP address defined during first run
• mystic Password:
− Unconfigured VxRail Manager VM = default (VxRailManager@201602!)

− Configured VxRail Manager VM = mystic password defined during first run
If unable to use the SSH client, connect to VxRail Manager console. If the VxRail
Manager VM was added to vCenter, use the vSphere client, otherwise use the
VMware Host client on the primary VxRail node. Log in to the console for the
VxRail Manager VM to view log files.

Implement VxRail
Log Files Error Example
VxRail Deployment Wizard Validation Error
In this example, the VxRail validation failed with a "vmnic1 is down" error. The error
information that is shown is also in the VxRail Manager logs. Since the issue is with
first run, start by examining dayone.log.
Example search commands:
• cat /var/log/microservice_log/dayone.log | grep ERROR

Using this general search criteria displays all errors, which can make it hard to
find the correct error message in the output.
• cat /var/log/microservice_log/dayone.log | grep "vmnic1 is
down"
Using more exact search criteria displays a more helpful output.
Search Dell Knowledge Base for VxRail Implementation Errors
VxRail Knowledge Base (KB) Articles
Links to KB articles that supplement the VxRail ecosystem can be found in SolVe
procedures, VxRail Manager, and the Dell Support site. The Documentation tab

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on the VxRail Support page displays KB articles that are related to VxRail
Manager.
To access VxRail related KB articles from the Dell Support site, go to the VxRail
Support page. After a successful login, you should see the following:
VxRail Support page
Select Documentation on the VxRail Support page. Select KNOWLEDGE BASE

ARTICLES from the left panel, or scroll down the page to view the
Knowledgebase Articles section and click See All.

Implement VxRail
Knowledge Base Article list
Searching a Knowledge Base (KB)
To access a KB from the Dell Support site, use the search box at the top of the
page. Alternately select the Documentation tab to get a search box. In the search
box, type the error message or the Article ID and click enter, and then select the
KB.
Example: VxRail cluster deployment fails with the message "failed to add host into
cluster."

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Knowledge Base Article search
Perform Log Collection
VxRail Log Collection
On a VxRail system, logging is enabled on multiple layers of the Dell and VMware
software stack. The VxRail Plugin provides a simple process to collect and
download all the required log bundles. CLI scripts for log collection are available on
the VxRail Manager. The VxRail API provides ways to automate and schedule the
process of generating and downloading the log bundles.
The VxRail SolVe Procedure - How to Collect Log Bundle, details the log collection
steps with the VxRail Plugin and with the VxRail Manager VM CLI scripts.

Implement VxRail
VxRail SolVe procedure - How to Collect Log Bundle
VxRail Plugin Create Log Bundle
To access the Log Collection page in the vSphere client, select the VxRail cluster
Configure tab, and then select the Troubleshooting option under VxRail.
Selecting CREATE opens the Create Log Bundle dialog box as shown in the
graphic.
Create Log Bundle

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1 2
1: Data to Collect
The Data to Collect section is used to select the required log bundles: VxRail
Manager, vCenter, ESXi, iDRAC, and Platform.
For 2-Node VxRail clusters, the Witness log bundle can also be collected.
2: Host Selection
The Host Selection section becomes visible and required when ESXi, iDRAC, or
Platform are selected.
VxRail Plugin Download Log Bundle
When the log bundle generation process is complete, the log bundle is available to
download. To download the log bundle, select the bundle and click DOWNLOAD.
The log bundle can be sent to the Dell support team for troubleshooting and
diagnosis.

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Log bundle generated successfully. Ready for download.
VxRail Manager VM - Log Collection CLI
VxRail provides scripts on the VxRail Manager VM for log collection. To run the log
collection scripts, open a console or a secure shell (SSH) session to the VxRail
Manager VM. The scripts can be found in the /mystic folder.
Script for collecting VxRail logs - Syntax.
The generateLogBundle.py script is used to collect the log bundles for specific
components:
• VxRail Manager: -v, --vxm

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• vCenter Server: -c, --vcenter

• Node-specific bundles - use the --nodes option to pick specific nodes
− ESXi: -e, --esxi
− iDRAC: -i, --idrac
− Platform: -p --platform
• Witness in a 2-Node VxRail cluster: -w, --witness
The generateFullBundle script collects log bundles for all components on all
nodes; it does not collect the witness log bundle.
The generated log bundles are located under /tmp/mystic/dc.
VxRail APIs for Gathering Logs
Custom scripts and applications can be built with the VxRail API to automatically
generate and download the required logs. The VxRail API base URL is:
https://<VxRail Manager IP Address or FQDN>/rest/vxm/.
The table lists the relevant VxRail APIs for gathering and downloading logs.
Task Example Body Method Successful

Endpoint Path Response
Request to support/logs Types - POST 202 Accepted with

generate a vxm, Request ID
new log vcenter,
bundle esxi,
iDrac
Nodes - List
of serial
numbers
Autoclean -
true/false

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Monitor requests/<Request GET State of request –

request ID> Monitor until
complete.
Completed state
returns Log ID,
name, and location
of log bundle.
Detailed support/logs/<Log GET Detail log bundle

information ID> information - Log
about log ID, location, name,
bundle size....
Download support/logs/<Log GET Binary stream of

log bundle ID>/download log bundle
VxRail PowerShell cmdlets make the VxRail API accessible using a scripting
interface that is familiar to PowerCLI users. The VxRail API PowerShell Modules
complement VMware PowerCLI.
vCenter Server, ESXi, and vSAN Support Bundles
Dell Support or VMware Support may request diagnostic information that is related
to the vCenter Server or the ESXi nodes to diagnose issues. The vSphere Client
can be used to export the system logs for the ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, and
vSphere Client. Performance data from the ESXi nodes can be optionally included.
The vSAN support logs are contained in a normal ESXi support bundle in the form
of vSAN traces. As vSAN is distributed across multiple ESXi hosts, it is best
practice to gather the ESXi support logs for all hosts that are configured for vSAN.
vCenter Server Support Bundle
To export system logs from the vSphere Client, right-click the vCenter server in the
inventory list and select Export System Logs.

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Export System Logs

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vSphere Client Export System Logs
In the Export System Logs dialog, select the relevant ESXi hosts. Optionally,
select the Include vCenter Server and vSphere UI Client logs box. Click
NEXT.
Export System Logs - Select hosts
vSphere Client Select System Logs
In the Select logs page, select the specific system logs and optionally include
performance data in the log bundle. Typically, the support representative specifies
the logs that are required. To generate and download the log bundle, click
EXPORT LOGS.

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Export System Logs - Select logs
Interaction: Perform Log Collection
Troubleshoot vSAN Using vSphere Client and ESXCLI
vSAN Troubleshooting
vSAN troubleshooting is typically performed using one or more of the following

resources:
• vSphere Client
− All Issues View
− vSAN Skyline Health
− vSAN Proactive Tests
• esxcli vsan commands
• Documentation
− vSAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Implement VxRail
− Dell VxRail Event Code Reference

• Dell and VMware knowledge base
− Dell Support - VxRail Knowledge Base

− VMware Knowledge Base
VxRail Cluster - All Issues
The All Issues view shows all triggered alarms relevant to the cluster. vSAN
alarms start with vSAN, and VxRail related alarms have VXR in the event code.
vSAN health alarms described in detail in the vSAN Skyline Health view
Triggered alarms
Investigate vSAN Alarms in Skyline Health
Skyline Health can be used to monitor and sometimes remediate vSAN health.
Each Skyline Health test has an Info tab with details of the test. The Info tab also
has a link to the relevant VMware knowledge base article.
To learn more about Skyline Health select each hotspot.
Skyline Health

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1: Hosts with connectivity issues
Review the Info tab in the graphic below:
Info tab
2: vSAN Object Health
Review the Info tab in the graphic below:
Info tab
3: Stats DB object
Review the info tab in the graphic below
Info tab

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Investigate VXR Event Codes
VXR event codes are documented in the VxRail Event Code Reference and in the
Alarm Definitions within vCenter Server.
To learn about VXR event codes and alarm definitions select each tab.
VxRail Event Code Reference Example
The VxRail Event Code Reference lists all the VXR alarms, severity level,
message, added in version, and a link to the related Dell KB article if applicable.
This example from the VxRail Event Code Reference shows the information for the
VXR014020 event:
Event code reference example
VXR Alarm Definition in vCenter Server Example
VXR Alarm Definitions are shown on the Alarm Definitions page for all triggered
VXR Alarms. To view VXR alarm definitions, filter the Alarm Name column by VXR
or vxr as the filter is case insensitive.
The example shows the information for the VXR010001 alarm.

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Filter by VXR
Filtered VXR Alarm Definitions example
vSAN Proactive Tests
vSAN includes two proactive tests to validate the cluster: the VM Creation Test
and the Network Performance Test. The vSAN proactive tests are available under
the Monitor tab of the VxRail cluster. To learn about vSAN Proactive Tests select
each tab:
VM Creation Test
The VM Creation Test creates a VM on every host and then deletes it. If the
creation and deletion tasks succeed, it can be concluded that many aspects of
vSAN are operational. This active test only takes a few seconds to run and can find
issues that cannot be found with passive tests such as node isolation, cluster
segmentation, and other configuration issues.
Go to the Monitor tab of the VxRail cluster. Select Proactive Tests. Select VM
Creation Test. Click RUN TEST.
Virtual machine creation test

Implement VxRail
Network Performance Test
The Network Performance Test is designed to assess the network connectivity

and bandwidth of the hosts. The test is performed in a ring structure; every host
sends packets to its next host while receiving from the previous host. The test
examines the network bandwidth that can be achieved between hosts and reports
warnings if the bandwidth is less than 850 Mbps. Low network bandwidth can
negatively impact vSAN performance.
Go to the Monitor tab of the VxRail cluster. Select Proactive Tests. Select
Network Performance Test. Click RUN TEST.
Network performance test
Investigate vSAN Health Using CLI
ESXCLI commands can be used to troubleshoot vSAN issues. The commands are
documented in the VMware vSAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting guide.

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To learn more about investigating vSAN health using the CLI select each tab
below:
Overall vSAN Health
Example - the ESXi shell has been enabled and the following command has been
issued: esxcli vsan health cluster list
Overall vSAN Health - status red
Cluster Partition Health
Example - Status of cluster partition health test - esxcli vsan health

cluster get -t clusterpartition
Cluster partition health - status red

Implement VxRail
vSAN Object Health
Example - Status of the health of vSAN objects - esxcli vsan debug object
health summary get
vSAN Object Health - reduced availability
Knowledge Check: Troubleshoot VxRail Implementations
Knowledge Check: Troubleshoot VxRail Implementations (1/3)
25. A VxRail implementer is deploying a cluster using the VxRail Deployment

Wizard. The validation is successful, however the cluster configuration fails. A
retry is also unsuccessful. Which log file should the implementer examine to
troubleshoot the issue?
a. dayone.log
b. marvin.log
c. loudmouth.log
d. lcm-web.log
26. Which tools can be used to collect VxRail and vSphere logs in a VxRail
system? Select three (3).

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a. VxRail Plugin
b. VxRail Manager VM Shell script
c. VxRail API
d. VxVerify
e. vSAN Support Interface
27. Which of the following resources can be used to troubleshoot vSAN issues?
Select three (3).
a. vSAN Proactive Tests
b. esxcli vsan commands
c. Skyline Health
d. VxVerify
e. Network Validation Tool

Implement VxRail
VxRail Certification
This Information presents the entirety of the learning activities which support the
VxRail certifications.
For more information, go to: http://dell.com/certification
VxRail Co-Skilled Badges
The VxRail co-skilled badges are issued in recognition of achieving a Dell

Technologies Proven Professional certification and another related technical
certification.

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For more information, go to: http://dell.com/certification
You Have Completed This Content
Click the Save Progress and Exit button in the course menu to record this
content as complete.
Go to the next learning or assessment, if applicable.

Appendix
Port Type Set to Edge

This example shows an excerpt of the show running-configuration
spanning-tree command from a Dell switch. The VxRail node ports are set to
edge.
Dell switch - VxRail node ports set to edge.

Appendix
VxRail Configuration JSON - Existing VDS Details
VDS name
Uplink names and physical NICs
Port group names, types, VLAN

IDs, and MTU
Page 178 © Copyright 2020 Dell Inc.

Appendix
VMware Licensing Options for VxRail

Listed below are licensing options and considerations for VxRail:
vCenter Server
vSphere ESXi
vSAN
vRealize Log Insight
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
VxRail included software licenses.
• VxRail includes 60-day evaluation licenses for vSphere ESXi and vSAN
however, permanent licenses must be purchased separately.
• Customers can bring their own vSphere and vSAN licenses or licenses can be
purchased from Dell, VMware channel partners, or directly from VMware.
• VxRail supports several vSphere licenses including Standard, Enterprise Plus,
and Remote Office Branch Office (ROBO).
• VxRail supports flexible vSAN licensing options including Standard, Advanced,
Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus.
• The vCenter Server license in VxRail is for the included VxRail-managed
vCenter Server and is not transferable to a customer-supplied vCenter Server.
• VxRail includes a standard license for VMware vRealize Log Insight which is
used with a VxRail-managed vCenter Server.

Appendix
• VxRail includes five VM licenses per node for RecoverPoint for Virtual
Machines.
• A vSAN license is not required for Dynamic nodes.
VMware vSphere and vSAN Editions VxRail Feature

Comparison
To learn about vSphere and vSAN editions VxRail feature comparisons, select
each tab below.
vSphere Editions VxRail Feature Comparison
VxRail features with vSphere VxRail features with vSphere

Enterprise Plus edition Standard edition
Automated workload rebalancing Manual workload balancing (no

(Distributed Resource Scheduler) and Distributed Resource Scheduler)
affinity rules
Automated maintenance mode Manual maintenance mode (no

(Distributed Resource Scheduler) Distributed Resource Scheduler)
Automated, one-click software updates Automated, one-click software updates
Dynamic nodes support No dynamic nodes support
vGPU support No vGPU support
For more information about VMware vSphere licensing, see the VMware vSphere
Compute Virtualization - Licensing, pricing and packaging guide
vSAN Editions VxRail Feature Comparison

Appendix
Feature vSAN vSAN vSAN vSAN

Standard Advanced Enterprise Enterprise
Edition Edition Edition Plus Edition
Deduplication
and
Compression
RAID 5/6
Erasure
Coding
vRealize
Operations
within vCenter
Data-at-Rest
Encryption
Stretched
Cluster with
Local Failure
File Services
VMware HCI
Mesh
vROPS 8
Advanced
Services

Appendix
For more information about VMware vSAN licensing, see the VMware vSAN -
licensing, pricing, and packaging guide.
vSphere Encryption and vSAN Data-At-Rest Encryption

Differences
The table presents the key differences between vSphere encryption and vSAN
Data-At-Rest encryption.
vSphere Encryption vSAN Data-At-Rest Encryption
vSphere Encryption
vSAN Data-At-Rest Encryption
• Applied on a VM basis • Applied to entire datastore

• Supported with vSAN deduplication • Supported with vSAN deduplication
and compression (minimal space and compression
savings for encrypted VMs)

Appendix
Minimum Number of Fault Domains

The tables show the minimum number of fault domains that are required to support
various Failures to tolerate settings.
Number of failures to Mirror copies Minimum number of

tolerate fault domains
1 2 3
2 3 5
3 4 7
Number of Failures to Erasure Coding Minimum Number of

Tolerate Fault Domains
1 RAID 5 4
2 RAID 6 6
Number of disk stripes per object Minimum number of capacity drives across
which each replica of a virtual machine
object is striped. Default is one
(recommended). Maximum value is 12.
IOPs limit for object IOPs is calculated as the number of I/O

operations using a weighted size. If the
system uses the default base size of 32 KB,
a 64 KB I/O represents two I/O operations.

Appendix
Object space reservation The percentage of the logical size of the

virtual machine object that must be reserved
when deploying a virtual machine. Default is
Thin Provisioning.
Flash read cache reservation (%) Flash capacity reserved as read cache for
the virtual machine object. The value is
specified as a percentage of the logical size
of the virtual machine disk object. Other
objects cannot use the reserved flash
capacity. Unreserved flash is shared among
all objects. Flash read cache reservation (%)
is only applicable for hybrid configurations
and should only be changed with input from
support
Disable object checksum The setting is disabled by default; the object

calculates checksum information to ensure
the integrity of its data. If enabled, the object
does not calculate checksum information.
Force Provisioning The setting is disabled by default. If enabled,

the object is provisioned even if the
datastore is incompatible with the storage
policy.
VxVerify
VxVerify is a tool for checking the health of the nodes and the service VMs. It is
designed to detect issues which could cause complications or failures during VxRail
LCM upgrades. VxVerify unpacks a Python program called 'minion' which is sent to
each ESXi host that runs through a series of checks. This tool is regularly updated,
hence the lifespan of the encoded file is only two weeks. Acquire the latest version
of the tool before using it. Follow the KB 21527 article for instructions on how to run
VxVerify.

Appendix
In the below example, the VxVerify tool is copied over to the VxRail Manager virtual
machine. A user with root credentials runs the python script. Any issues that the
script identifies must be resolved before performing an LCM upgrade.
Output of VxVerify python script
VxRail System Health Check

Before performing the upgrade, ensure that the VxRail system is healthy. Address
any issues before starting the upgrade process.
Review the alarms by selecting the Monitor tab for a cluster and then selecting
Issues and Alarms > All issues.

Appendix
Issues and Alarms
Review the overall vSAN health by selecting the Monitor tab for a cluster and then
selecting vSAN > Skyline Health.
Skyline Health
Planning Considerations for Scalability

The balance and flexibility of a VxRail protects the initial investment. Start with what
is needed and then expand by adding nodes and or drives to increase performance
and capacity as needed.
• All systems in a cluster must be running the same version of VxRail software.

Appendix
• All-flash, all-NVMe, and Hybrid nodes cannot be mixed in the same cluster.
However, mixing of all-flash and all-NVMe nodes in a cluster is allowed.
• All G Series nodes in a chassis must be identical. A G series chassis can be
partially populated.
• All systems in the cluster must run the same base network speed (25 GbE, 10
GbE, or 1 GbE).
• A cluster can have a varied number of drives, CPU, memory, and model types.
• A cluster can have between 2-64 nodes.
− If 1 GbE base networking speed is used, there is a limit of a maximum of
eight nodes in the cluster.
− 1 GbE base networking speed is only supported with hybrid single
processor nodes.
• AMD-based nodes and Intel-based nodes cannot be mixed in the same cluster.
Search Results for All Errors in Dayone.log

Appendix

Appendix
Dayone.log results for all errors.
Search Results for "vmnic1 is down" Errors in Dayone.log
Dayone.log results for "vmnic1 is down" error.

Glossary
Affinity Rules
The Affinity rule is used to specify which site (Preferred or Secondary) a vSAN
object resides on. It is only honored when a Primary Failures to Tolerate rule is set
to 0. Since the Affinity rule is a Storage Policy rule, it only pertains to vSAN objects
and not virtual machine placement.
Application Virtual Network (AVN)

Application Virtual Network (AVN), also known as NSX-T Virtual Network Segments
are software defined overlay networks that can span a defined zone of clusters.
The AVNs provides connectivity for the vRealize suite of management applications
and enables connectivity to the upstream external network.
Bearer Authentication
HTTP authentication method that uses a token instead of a username and
password combination.
Dell Security Advisory (DSA) and Dell Technical Advisory (DTA)

A Dell Security Advisory (DSA) and a Dell Technical Advisory (DTA) may map to
multiple publicly known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). CVEs
includes items from both Dell, VMware, Open software, so on consisting of a VxRail
solution. When you signs-up for DSA notifications, you are alerted accordingly. You
see these same CVEs on VMware's site if applicable.
Dell Upgrade Packages (DUPs)

Dell Upgrade Packages (DUPs) are upgrade packages for the BIOS, iDRAC,
Network Controller firmware, RAID Controller firmware, and so on. The DUPs are
included as part of the VxRail RASR images. The required firmware is updated as
needed, as part of the RASR or factory reset process of a VxRail node.
Fault Domain
A fault domain consist of one or more vSAN hosts grouped according to their
physical location in the data center. Fault domains enable vSAN to tolerate failures
of entire physical racks and failures of a single host, capacity device, network link,
or a network switch dedicated to a fault domain. When fault domains are not
configured, hosts behave as individual fault domains.
Glossary Term

Example of a glossary term used in this course.
JSON
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a lightweight, text-based, language-
independent data interchange format. JSON uses human-readable text to store
and transmit data objects consisting of attribute-value pairs and array datatypes.
Go to https://www.json.org/json-en.html for more information.
LZ4
LZ4 is a lossless data compression algorithm that is focused on compression and
decompression speed.
Network Validation Tool (NVT)

The Network Validation Tool (NVT) for VxRail automates validation of network
readiness at the customer site before deployment of the VxRail system. New
deployments require a set of reserved IP addresses for VMware ESXi hosts and
service virtual machines. The customer should also configure fully qualified domain
names in their DNS server and complete the top-of-rack switch configuration (if
customer is bringing their own switch). This tool ensures that there is no missing
configuration. If there is any missing configuration, customer can complete it before
scheduling deployment.
NIC Port Aliases

On a VxRail node physical NIC, ports start at number zero and go up to four,
depending on the port count on the NIC. ESXi assigns aliases to these ports. The
aliases are assigned first to the integrated NIC and then the PCI NICs in order of
location on the PCI bus. The aliases start with "vmnic" and count from "vmnic0" to
"vmnicX" where X is the total number of ports across all NICs.
NSX-T Federation
NSX-T Federation enables administrators to manage multiple NSX-T deployments,
create global networking with failover capabilities, and enable disaster recovery
solution. NSX-T Federation includes Global Manager. The NSX-T Global Manager
a central component that is deployed as a cluster which has global reach and
manages one or more Local Managers.
Pre-engagement Questionnaire (PEQ)

The PEQ is a macro enabled spreadsheet that is used to document the VxRail
deployment parameters. It is used to hand-off information between Presales,
Project Management and the Delivery staff. The PEQ version maps to a specific
VxRail version. It improves deployment accuracy, efficiency, and customer
satisfaction. It creates a configuration file that is used to configure the VxRail
cluster.
Preferred and Secondary Site

The Preferred site is the site that must remain active when there is a failure and the
site can no longer communicate. In an active/active configuration, the virtual
machines can run on any of the two data sites. When network connectivity between
the sites is lost, but both the sites have connectivity to the Witness. The Witness
chooses the Preferred site to remain active. The components of the Preferred site
remain active while the Secondary site is marked down and its components are
marked as absent.
RAID 1 Mirroring
Mirroring can accommodate an FTT setting of 1, 2, or 3. If FTM is set to mirroring,
for the N number of failures that are tolerated, N+1 copies of the object are created.
Mirroring requires witness components. The number of witnesses is equal to the
FTT setting. RAID 1 with FTT setting of 1 requires a minimum of 3 hosts. RAID 1
with FTT setting of 2 requires a minimum of 5 hosts and, RAID 1 with FTT setting of
3 requires a minimum of 7 hosts.
RAID 5/6 Erasure Coding

Erasure coding can only accommodate FTT=1 (RAID 5) or FTT=2 (RAID 6).
Erasure coding does not require a witness disk stripe per object. Objects are
objects on disk like snapshots, VMDK files, and witnesses. VMware recommends
leaving the default value of one. Force provisioning can be used to override select
variables. RAID 5 (Erasure coding) with FTT setting of 1 requires a minimum of 4
hosts.
RAID 6 Erasure Coding

RAID 6 (Erasure Coding) with FTT setting of 2 requires a minimum of 6 hosts.
Remaining write endurance

SSDs have a finite number of program and erase cycles. Each SSD is warranted to
a maximum amount of data that is written to the device in total bytes written. The
SSD self-monitors for the remaining write endurance limits. Software management
applications can provide notifications on the remaining write endurance limits.

RESTful API
A useful analogy for APIs is human language. Language enables humans to
communicate with each other by providing structure for how that communication
takes place. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) function in a similar
manner.
APIs establish rules that enable a client and server to communicate data that would
otherwise be unmanageable. Representation State Transfer (REST) API is a
specific design methodology for API communications. REST API is an architectural
style for client/server communications because it promotes scalability, simplicity of
interface, and independence of communications.
Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-1)

SHA-1 is a cryptographic hash function standard that is used for data integrity
verification (and digital signatures). SHA-1 produces a 20 bytes (160-bit) signature.
SmartFabric Service
VxRail systems that are configured with SmartFabric Services automatically detect
VxRail nodes during expansion. VxRail nodes advertise NIC port information,
system name, and description via the LLDP protocol to the SmartFabric. The
SmartFabric uses the internal management network to apply network state
changes to the top-of-rack (ToR) switches. SmartFabric configuration includes
creating and configuring L2 VLANs and bonded port channels.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

STP is protocol to prevent network loops as defined in the IEEE 802.1d standard.
STP forces the ports to go into five different states: Blocked, Listen, Learn,
Forward, and Disabled. All ports start in the blocked mode to prevent the switch
from creating a loop.
STP runs by default on all ports of the switch. STP makes each port wait up to 50 s
before data can be sent on the port. This delay in turn can cause problems with
some applications or protocols including VxRail nodes.
STP was revised to include the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) as specified
in the IEEE 802.1w standard.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

STP is a network protocol that builds a logical loop-free topology for Ethernet
networks. The basic function of STP is to prevent bridge loops and the broadcast
radiation that results from them. During the execution of the Spanning-Tree
Algorithm, STP forces the ports to go into five different states: Blocked, Listen,
Learn, Forward and Disabled. All ports start in the blocked mode to prevent the
switch from creating a loop.
STP is running by default on all ports of the switch. STP makes each port wait up to
50 s before data can be sent on the port. This delay in turn can cause problems
with some applications or protocols including VxRail nodes.
Cisco devices implemented PortFast to alleviate problems that are related to this
delay. The terminology might differ between different vendor devices. PortFast
causes a port to enter the forwarding state almost immediately by dramatically
decreasing the time of the listening and learning states. PortFast minimizes the
time that it takes for the server to come online, thus preventing problems with
applications such as DHCP and DNS. The use of PortFast should only be
implemented when the port on the switch is directly connected to a server and
never to another switch.
Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol that encrypts data that is
shared between applications over the Internet.
VxRail RASR ISO

VxRail version-specific ISO package is used to reset Dell PowerEdge based VxRail
nodes to a factory state. The RASR ISO package for different VxRail versions can
be downloaded from the Dell Support site by authorized personnel -
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/vxrail-appliance-
series/drivers.
VxRail RASR USB

USB drive with version and model-specific VxRail software image that is used to
reset VxRail nodes to factory state. The VxRail RASR USB is created from the
version-specific VxRail RASR ISO. Follow the SolVe procedure to create version
and model-specific VxRail RASR USB.
VxRail-managed vCenter
A vCenter that is deployed during an initial VxRail cluster build and is upgraded
using VxRail Manager.

Witness Traffic Separation (WTS)
Witness Traffic Separation (WTS) allows an alternate VMkernel interface to be
designated to carry Witness traffic. This feature supports more flexible network
configurations by allowing separate networks for node-to-node and node-to-witness
traffic.


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© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page i

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation ..................................................................... 1

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation .................................................... 2

Implement VxRail ....................................................................................................... 4

Appendix ............................................................................................... 177

Glossary ................................................................................................ 191

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation-SSP

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ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation-SSP

© Copyright 2021 Dell Inc. Page 1

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation

ESCPXD04468 ~ VxRail 7.0.XXX Implementation Introduction

This course presents VxRail implementation procedures. It covers validation of the

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Tip: If available, resources such as job aids, reference guides, and

Menu button and navigating to the Resources

Course Content Key Identifiers

This course uses the following guidelines:

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• The historic reference to a VxRail Appliance is replaced with a VxRail system or

The Online Course Contains an Interaction Here.

[Detailed description of the Interaction for Guides]

1 Example of a hot text element used in this course.

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Generate a VxRail Installation Procedure For Installing and

Generate a VxRail Installation Procedure For Installing and Configuring

Dell Technologies SolVe

Dell Technologies SolVe is an interactive procedure generator that is used to

A valid user account is required to access and use SolVe. Customers

SolVe is available as an online or a stand-alone application:

− Download link - https://solve.emc.com/desktopbinaries/setup.exe

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2 Dell Employees can impersonate all access levels.

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Generate VxRail Installation Procedures - Common Selections

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Customer View - RPQ Approval question

SolVe highlights relevant knowledge base articles. The informational message

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Customer View - Select Model

Dell Employee View - Select Model

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Customer View - Select Software Version

Dell Employee View - Select Software Version

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Acknowledge the informational message to proceed.

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Customer View - Cluster Type

Dell Employee View - Cluster Type