D-VXR-OE-23 Dell VxRail Operate 2023 Questions and Answers

By default, the vSAN Skyline Health check runs every 60 minutes. This regular interval ensures that the health status of the vSAN environment is frequently assessed, allowing administrators to promptly address any issues that may arise.

To upgrade a VxRail cluster to the latest recommended version at a dark site (an environment without internet access), follow these steps:

Log in to VxRail Manager:

Open a web browser and navigate to the VxRail Manager URL.

Log in using the credentials:

Username: root

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Check Current Version and Compatibility:

Once logged in, navigate to the Dashboard to view the current version of VxRail.

Verify compatibility with the target upgrade version by reviewing the VxRail Release Notes or Upgrade Guide for your specific version.

Download Upgrade Bundle:

Since the site is dark, download the necessary upgrade bundle from Dell EMC’s support site using another system with internet access.

Save the upgrade bundle to a portable storage device (USB drive, external HDD, etc.).

Upload the Upgrade Bundle to VxRail Manager:

Connect the portable storage device to a local machine within the dark site.

In VxRail Manager, navigate to the Internet Upgrade section.

Select Local Upgrade and browse to the location of the upgrade bundle on your local machine.

Upload the upgrade bundle.

Perform the Upgrade:

After the bundle is uploaded, follow the on-screen prompts to begin the upgrade process.

The upgrade wizard will guide you through pre-upgrade checks, including verifying compatibility and ensuring cluster health.

Monitor the Upgrade Progress:

The upgrade process will take some time. Monitor the progress via the VxRail Manager interface.

Ensure there are no errors or issues reported during the upgrade.

Post-Upgrade Verification:

Once the upgrade is complete, verify that the VxRail Manager and vCenter report the new version correctly.

Check the health and status of the cluster to ensure all components are operational.

Steps using the Simulator:

Login to VxRail Manager:

Open the simulator and navigate to the VxRail Manager interface.

Use the provided credentials to log in:

Username: root

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Navigate to Upgrade Section:

In the VxRail Manager interface, click on Internet Upgrade or Software Upgrade.

Upload the Upgrade Bundle:

Select Local Upgrade.

Click Browse and select the upgrade bundle from your local machine.

Click Upload to start the upload process.

Initiate the Upgrade:

Once the upload is complete, follow the prompts to start the upgrade.

Confirm the pre-upgrade checks and proceed.

Monitor Upgrade Process:

Monitor the upgrade status in the VxRail Manager interface.

Wait for the upgrade to complete and ensure there are no issues.

Verify Upgrade Completion:

After the upgrade, verify the new version in the VxRail Manager dashboard.

Check the health status of the cluster to ensure everything is running smoothly.

The recommended vSAN automatic rebalancing threshold by VMware is 20%. This threshold ensures that vSAN automatically initiates rebalancing operations when the storage utilization across the disks in the vSAN datastore becomes uneven beyond this threshold, maintaining optimal performance and storage efficiency.

The error code 404 indicates that the requested resource could not be found on the server. In the context of the API call GET/v1/hosts/{sn}, the 404 error is returned because the serial number (sn) provided was not valid or does not exist in the database. This means the server could not find any host that matches the provided serial number.

The resource that enables an administrator to create a procedure for upgrading a VxRail cluster is SolVe Online. SolVe Online is a web-based tool provided by Dell Technologies that offers comprehensive procedures and best practices for various Dell EMC solutions, including VxRail. It provides detailed, step-by-step guidance for a variety of tasks, including upgrades, ensuring that administrators follow the correct procedures to maintain system integrity and minimize downtime.

Using the VxRail plug-in, iDRAC settings can be configured by navigating to "Host > Configure > VxRail > iDRAC Configuration." This path allows administrators to directly manage and configure the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) settings for individual hosts within the VxRail environment, providing essential remote management and monitoring capabilities.

To enable the system LED on vcluster730-esx03.edu.local for identification in the physical rack, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to the Host:

In the vSphere Client interface, navigate to the Hosts and Clusters view.

Expand the VxRail-DC and then the VxRail-Cluster.

Select the host named vcluster730-esx03.edu.local.

Access Host Actions:

Right-click on vcluster730-esx03.edu.local.

From the context menu, select Actions.

Enable System LED:

In the Actions menu, locate and select Enable LED or Turn On Locator LED (the exact wording might vary).

Confirm the action if prompted.

Verify LED Activation:

Check the physical rack to ensure that the system LED on vcluster730-esx03.edu.local is enabled and the node is easily identifiable.

To prepare the system for maintenance mode and avoid unnecessary vSAN re-synchronization, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to the Host:

In the vSphere Client interface, navigate to Hosts and Clusters.

Expand the VxRail-DC and then the VxRail-Cluster.

Select the Host for Maintenance:

Select the host you plan to put into maintenance mode (e.g., vcluster730-esx01.edu.local, vcluster730-esx02.edu.local, etc.).

Enter Maintenance Mode:

Right-click on the selected host and select Enter Maintenance Mode.

In the Enter Maintenance Mode window, you will have several options for vSAN data migration. To avoid unnecessary re-synchronization, choose Ensure Accessibility.

Ensure Accessibility: This option makes sure that the data remains accessible during maintenance but does not immediately trigger full data migration. It is the best choice to avoid unnecessary re-synchronization during a short maintenance window.

Confirm Maintenance Mode:

Click OK to confirm the selection and put the host into maintenance mode.

Verify the Host Status:

Monitor the status to ensure the host enters maintenance mode without triggering excessive re-synchronization.

To create the required vSAN storage policy in the vSphere Client for a VxRail stretched cluster, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to Storage Policies:

From the home screen, go to Policies and Profiles in the left-hand navigation pane.

Click on VM Storage Policies.

Create a New Storage Policy:

Click Create VM Storage Policy.

Enter the name as vSAN Stretched Cluster.

Click Next.

Configure Policy Rules:

In the Policy Structure section, choose Enable tag-based placement rules if needed.

Click Next.

Add vSAN Rules:

In the Storage Compatibility section, click Add rule and select vSAN.

Configure the following:

Primary level of failures to tolerate (PFTT): 1 failure - RAID 1 (Mirroring)

Secondary level of failures to tolerate (SFTT): 1 failure - RAID 1 (Mirroring)

Failures to Tolerate: 1

Provisioning type: Thick Provisioning

Ensure "Force Provisioning" is enabled. This allows the VM to be provisioned even if the current resources do not satisfy the policy.

Set Data Services:

Skip the Data Services section if not applicable.

Click Next.

Review and Finish:

Review the policy settings.

Click Finish to create the storage policy.

Apply the Storage Policy to VMs:

Navigate to the VMs section.

Select the VMs that need the new storage policy.

Right-click and select VM Policies > Edit VM Storage Policies.

Choose the vSAN Stretched Cluster policy for the applicable disks.

To resolve the issue of health monitoring being disabled and enable the relevant service, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to VxRail Manager:

In the vSphere Client interface, expand VxRail-DC and then VxRail-Cluster.

Select VxRail Manager.

Access VxRail Health Monitoring Settings:

Click on the Configure tab.

Under VxRail, select Health.

Enable Health Monitoring:

Find the option for Health Monitoring.

If it is disabled, click Edit or the relevant button to enable it.

Ensure that Enable Health Monitoring is checked.

Click Apply or OK to save the changes.

Verify Health Monitoring Status:

Go back to the Summary tab or the appropriate section in VxRail Manager.

Verify that the health monitoring status is now enabled and shows as healthy.

Steps using the Simulator:

Login to vSphere Client:

Open the simulator and navigate to the vSphere Client interface.

Log in using the credentials:

Username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Password: VMw@r3!123.

Navigate to VxRail Manager:

In the vSphere Client interface, expand VxRail-DC and then VxRail-Cluster.

Select VxRail Manager.

Enable Health Monitoring:

Click on the Configure tab.

Under VxRail, select Health.

Click Edit to modify the health settings.

Check the box for Enable Health Monitoring.

Click Apply or OK to save the changes.

Verify:

Go back to the Summary tab in VxRail Manager.

Ensure that the warning message about health monitoring being disabled is no longer present and that health monitoring is active.

To configure active-active teaming and set the failover order for the vSAN and vMotion port groups on a distributed switch using the vSphere Client, follow these steps:

Log in to vSphere Client:

Open the vSphere Client.

Enter the username: administrator@vsphere.local.

Enter the password: VMw@r3!123.

Click Login.

Navigate to Networking:

From the home screen, click on Networking in the left-hand navigation pane.

Select the Distributed Switch:

Locate and select the distributed switch that the vSAN and vMotion port groups are using.

Edit vSAN Port Group Settings:

Right-click on the vSAN port group and select Edit Settings.

In the Edit Settings window, click on Teaming and Failover.

Configure Active-Active Teaming for vSAN:

In the Teaming and Failover section, you will see the list of uplinks.

Ensure that both uplinks are set as Active Uplinks.

To do this, drag the uplinks from the Unused Uplinks or Standby Uplinks section to the Active Uplinks section if necessary.

Ensure that no uplinks are in the Standby Uplinks section (all should be in Active Uplinks).

Set Failover Order for vSAN:

Ensure the failover order is correctly set to use both uplinks for active-active teaming.

Click OK to save the changes.

Edit vMotion Port Group Settings:

Right-click on the vMotion port group and select Edit Settings.

In the Edit Settings window, click on Teaming and Failover.

Configure Active-Active Teaming for vMotion:

In the Teaming and Failover section, ensure that both uplinks are set as Active Uplinks.

Drag the uplinks from the Unused Uplinks or Standby Uplinks section to the Active Uplinks section if necessary.

Ensure that no uplinks are in the Standby Uplinks section (all should be in Active Uplinks).

Set Failover Order for vMotion:

Ensure the failover order is correctly set to use both uplinks for active-active teaming.

Click OK to save the changes.

Verify Configuration:

Check the Networking section to verify that the changes have been applied correctly and that both port groups are using active-active teaming with the appropriate failover order.