vSphere with cx3-30 host registration

You'll need ip connectivity between the storage processors and the hosts: is that working ok ?

I have IP connectivity.  Previously with navisphere, I had to open up ports in the ESX firewall, however, I haven't seen any instructions that require that this be done with vsphere.

Once a host is manually registered to change back you need to shut down the host, remove the host from the Storage Group, de-register the host in Connectivity Status (all paths listed), then turn on the host.

The issue with NaviAgent use to be finding the correct NIC to use to communicate with the array, EMC agent uses the first bound NIC, so for example, on a Windows host if you have 4 NICs and the one that you use to communicate with the array is the second NIC bound, Agent will push to the array the first NIC bound and Agent on the array will attempt to talk to the host using the wrong NIC. It might be the same for the agent in V4.

glen

So I followed your procedure.  I shut down the vsphere system, removed the host from all storage groups, went into Connectivity status and deregistered the host.  Then I powered the host back on.  The host has only one nic in it that is connected to the network and configured with an IP address.  When the host came back on, I received the expected event that two unregistered hbas logged into the fabric.  However, when I went to the hosts tab, I saw once again the host and it was listed as Manually registered.

Is it also expected that you cannot do things like "Server Update now" since there's no agent on the vsphere?

The Agent on the host that's included in V4 is suppose to act the same way that the Navisphere host Agent works - the array contacts the host agent using TCP port 6389 (check that these ports are open and no firewall), and the host agent is suppise to respond.

You may need to open a case with VMware to see what's going on if the TCP port is open and still not working.

glen

Ok.. so I hooked up a brand new server today with HBAs that have never been seen by the clarrion and made an interesting observation.

The new host (2 hbas) automatically appeared as "manually registered".

The other hosts which were upgraded from ESX3.5 to vsphere4, which previously had automatic registration via the agent, all show "U" icons for agent not reachable.  Seems that the clariion thinks that an agent should be there where there isn't an agent anymore and that the clarrion can't switch from agent to no agent when you upgrade from esx3.5 to 4.

Odd behavior.

I've been looking at this issue on and off for a while and I found a Primus article from November 2009 (can't remember the ID - sorry) stating that with vSphere 4, the kernel will auto-register with the Clariion array but that on FLARE revisions 28 or less, the host will display "Manually registered; Host agent not reachable" in the Navisphere storage management GUI - on FLARE 29 it should read as fully registered.

Regards,

George.

Take a look at EMC Knowledgebase solution emc228353, this related to release28 but may also be needed for release29.  If this is the case, I would suggest you notify EMC via a service request that the article needs to be updated for R29 if still affected or an alternate registration process is needed.

Please see Primus emc241869 for a list of all Primus articles about ESX4 and registering on the array.

Also Primus emc220412 or emc229699 - both copied below -  may be what you're seeing

The following is a Primus(R) eServer solution:

ID:  emc220412
Domain: EMC1
Solution Class: 3.X  Compatibility

Goal       Do you need to install Navisphere host  agent on ESX4.0 VSphere hosts?

Fact       Product: CLARiiON CX4  Series

Fact       Product: CLARiiON CX3  Series

Fact       OS: VMware VSphere ESX  4.0

Fact       EMC SW: Navisphere Host  Agent

Symptom    ESX 4.0 Hosts are shown as unmanaged in  Navisphere Manager for a CX4 Series  array with FLARE Release  28.

Fix        For ESX4, the ESX kernel will perform an auto  registration to a CLARiiON array of all releases. Navisphere Agent or Navisphere  server utility will not push registration from ESX4 Console to all releases of  CLARiiON arrays. Navisphere Host Agent is NOT supported on ESX4i or ESX4.x.

If you are using Release 28 or earlier Navisphere on the array, Navisphere  will display unmanaged for the ESX server (ESX3i, ESX4) which uses ESX kernel  auto push/registration. But actually Navisphere does show the device mappings  for the ESX server. This behavior is changed in Navisphere Release 29, where  they are shown as managed now.

So regardless of the revision of Navisphere that you are using on the array,  Navisphere agent should not be installed on the ESX4  console.

Note       Navisphere host agent should not be  installed on ESX 4.0 hosts and is not supported.

The following is a Primus(R) eServer solution:

ID:  emc229699
Domain: EMC1
Solution Class: 3.X  Compatibility

Fact       Product: CLARiiON CX4  series

Fact       Product: CLARiiON CX3  series

Fact       Product: CLARiiON CX  series

Fact       System: VMware ESX  4

Fact       System: VMware ESXi 4

Fact       EMC  Firmware: FLARE Release 26 Patch 005

Symptom    Navisphere GUI  shows the operating system of the ESX host as 'unknown' and no LUN Status  information.

Symptom    ESX Server operating system is shown as  "unknown".

Symptom    No LUN mappings shown for ESX server  LUNs

Cause      The customer installed a new ESX4 server.  The  array was running FLARE Release 26 Patch 005. When viewing host properties  from Navisphere Manager, the customer saw that the operating system was listed  as "unknown" and the LUN Status did not show host/LUN mappings. Navisphere Host  Agent on the ESX4 hosts is not supported.

Fix        FLARE Release  29 has improved functionality with ESX4 servers. These functions have been  back-ported to other versions of FLARE. In this case, upgrading the array to  FLARE Release 26 Patch 016 resolved the issue.

Note       This  same functionality has been back-ported to these FLARE releases as well: 

• FLARE Release 23 == Patch 707 or later
• FLARE Release 26 == Patch 016 or later
• FLARE Release 28 == Patch 008 or later
• FLARE Release 29 == All versions   
• FLARE Release 22 and Release 24 == No ESX4 added support

See solutions emc220412 and emc241869 for additional information.

glen

Glen,

The article ID emc241869 does not return a valide primus article.