How to map iSCSI interface of XenServer 6.0.2 to EMC VNX 5500

I am starting series of blog with hastag "DellEMCXEN "which will talks about integrating XenServer with EMC VNX 5500. XenServer is installed on Dell Power Edgem710 HD with Chassis M1000e connected via Nexus 5500 and Dell switch M8024.

First define storage interface on XenServer and for that choose configure under "Management Interface " and then select "New Interface" . Now specify the name and then choose the NIC which will be configure for storage traffic. Supply IP address. This needs to be repeated for all the interface which is connected to the storage.

Once this is done then perform discovery of the nic for the logging into EMC. This can be perform via CLI as well as via XenCenter. To perform via XenCenter select new storage and choose "Software iSCSI". Choose "Name" and then under location provide information as follows :

Target host: This will be IP address of target Storage Processor or controller . Specify all the IP address with ,

Target IQN: Here you will find IQN of the target storage processor . If it has 4 ports then you will see 4 IQN. We need to choose the one which is highlighted (*)

This will log all the targets on the EMC VNX box to mapped .

From the command line following  needs to be run from the host in order to login.

Once all the message says successfully login , open EMC Unixshpere and select "Connectivity status "  on left hand side under "Hosts ". This will popup Host initiators window. You will find one name with just IQN as shown below. This is the new targets which has logged in . Select "Edit " from bottom and then provide information about "host name" "IP address" . IP address is of  XenServer  management IP . Make sure you choose initiator type as "clarion open " and Fail Over mode as "ALUA 4". ALUA is the latest fail over mode as per EMC and other storage vendors.

With this host will be connected to to EMC storage. In the next series , I will explain process of creating lun and attaching it to the storage group.

Forcibly take control of Dell -IDRAC console access

Some people have a bad habit of taking control of DRAC access and locking their workstation . If someone want to have access they have to wait till gentleman comes back and provide him so. One way its good but other way its frustrate other.

We can forcibly take control of session by resetting the console access . You can do this at your own risk :) . Launch the weblogin and press the tab "Reset iDRAC6"

Install XenServer 6.0.2 on Dell PowerEdge M710HD using Integrated Remote Access Controller

Installing XenServer is quite simple but option on Dell remote control access controller is little tricky. First we should insure that virtual media is attached by default it will be Detach as shown below.

Launch the Dell virtual console in order to map the ISO .

Attach the media virtual media using "Virtual media wizard" as shown below

Browse and assign the media using ISO image

Change the boot order to boot from the "Virtual CD"

This will bring the boot menu which will guide step by step to install XenServer 6.0.2

Select the Keymap which is mostly US

This will bring welcome screen

Accept the license agreement .

It depends what you want to . We are performing clean installation

This will detect the local hard drive where you want to install the XenServer . Choose thin provisioning if you want to enable intellicache for XenDesktop.

Installation media will be local media.

Supplement packs are required if you are planning to host linux as a guest VM's or else choose NO.

If you doubts the install media choose to verify or else skip it.

Type the password as Test123  :)

Here you are going to choose management interface. This can be bonded once it is added to the pool using XenCenter.

Choose the timezone which server belongs to not YOU :)

Select the correct country which server is located not YOU :)

Define the NTP server which you have or else choose the manual time entry

Specify the NTP server name or IP address.

Specify the host name and DNS server and continue with XenServer install .

You are all set.

How to create public SSL certificate for NetScaler .

Creating public SSL certificate is 3 step process.

Step 1. Create RSA key:  a) Login to NetScaler webpage using 'nsroot' and navigate to SSL section. Highlight 'certificate' and select 'Create RSA key' under SSL keys.

                             b)  This will pop up a window asking for various information :

                                         Key Filename: Can be anything and if you doing for first time no need to select browse .

                                          Key Size : Can be anything in multiple of 1024 but most of the public site accept key size beyond 2048

                                          Public Exponent value: Leave it to default F4

                                         Key Format : Should be PEM unless you want DER format

                                         PEM Encoding Algorithm : DES.

                                          PEM/Verify Passphrase : Can be anything which should be remembered for future use.

                                       

                                    

Step 2. Create SSL Certificate request : a)  Under SSL certificate page ,select  'Create Certificate Request' and this will popup other page

                                              b) This will pop up a window asking for various information :

                                                     Request File Name : Can be anything and don't select 'Browse ' or 'View'

                                                     Key File Name: Will be from Step 1 (b) .

                                                      Key Format : Should be same as step 1 (b)

                                                       PEM Passphrase : Should be same as step 1 (b)

                                                      Supply rest of the info  under "Distinguished Name fields"  as required.

                                                     Noting is required for "Attribute Fields "

                                                     

                                                      c)  Click Create to create the certificate request file.

                                                      d) Click Close to close the Create Certificate Request window.

                                                     e)  Use a program such as WinSCP (http://winscp.net) to copy the CSR to the Local

                                                          computer.    The CSR file is located in the /nsconfig/ssl directory. This file need to send to

                                                        certificate authority like Verizon /Entrust/or Star .

File received from one of the certificate authority as shown below . Select download all the certificate.

 

Step 3.  Navigate through certificate tab and select add . This will pop up the box asking for information like

Certificate-Key Pair name: Provide friendly name

Certificate File name : Which you have received from CA provider . This can be PEM format . You can browse and select upload from local

Private Key File name :  This would be from appliance as you have created in Step 1(b) .

Password : Same as step 1 (b) /2(b)

Certificate Format : PEM

You can choose to notify when this certificate is expired .

That's all you have to for creating and installing SSL public certificate. In next blog I will discuss about linking with Virtual servers.

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XenServer management not shown under xsconsole

By mistake if you have made changes to management IP address of XenServer while it was in pool , you will land up in weird situation where xsconsole will not show any nic to be configured for management interface as shown below

and this

Where as ifconfig will list all the NIC listed out

Restarting xe-toolstack-restart does not help either and running xe network-list will give message "The host toolstack is still initializing . Please wait "

Infcact running any xe command will throw weird error like "htto_client. Http_request_rejected"

First  check the out of   xe host-is-in-emergency-mode. If the output is "True" then that is the whole reason of problem. Change this from "True " to "False" by running  "xe pool-emergency-transition-to-master".

Rerun " xe host-is-in-emergency-mode" and make sure out is "False". Restart xe-toolstack-restart and wallah you will see all the NIC is back

To me it looks like if you make any changes inside the pool , this my result in .

Following link did provided help.