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ESRS VE Call home alerting monitoring setup help
Frustration
Can you clarify the proper way to setup call homes on our various arrays? I assumed that the installation of ESRS VE would be a complete support solution with all of the abilities to monitor and support our EMC hardware. In terms of our hardware notifying EMC with alerts when a problem is detected, I assumed that with the installation of the ESRS VE solution our hardware, once managed by ESRS would be monitored and automatically alert EMC when a problem was detected. In return EMC would investigate.
Its now my understanding that I need to configure our hardware to alert EMC when events occur. There is a lot of confusion because of the various options to configure each array to connect home. I’d like to know the correct approach to setup all of our hardware to notify EMC with alerts. Do we set up alerting using the ESRS Virtual Edition Server? If so what are the specific instructions to setup a VNX to alert home? Our VNX7500 has a Connect Home option, Manage ESRS option, Templates, etc…. But I’ve found nothing that is a straight forward explanation of how to set up monitoring. Doing my research I got more confused when I read some documentation about configuring VNX. I read instructions that said I need to still install an ESRS IP Gateway to monitor the hardware? Is this true? I was hoping our ESRS VE server would be used to alert EMC without setting up additional servers?
This is not very straight forward and confusing.
Our Arrays
VNX7500
VNX5500
CX4-960
Data Domain
Centera
Connectrix
scrape1
1 Message
1
January 29th, 2015 08:00
Completely agree with your question. Our EMC hardware (multiple devices) is all ESRS capable as ESRS is built into the firmware now on them, but additionally we also have ESRS VE installed too at each site. We currently have all hardware devices reporting back to the VE which then talks with EMC Support. We have not configured the firmware based ESRS screens. I think in our case VE allows for one place to manage all Remote Support details for all devices, instead of having to set ESRS details up on every individual hardware device. I assume its one or the other in terms of choices for the end user,,,,manage everything ESRS related once via VE configuration or manage multiple hardware devices ESRS device screens individually and skip VE alltogether. If we only had one EMC hardware device I would skip VE altogether. Since we have multiple EMC devices at a site, it is easier to manage one VE and have all the hardware point to that than manage each hardware device's settings individually. Hope that makes sense in the way we use it.
gaharley
119 Posts
1
January 29th, 2015 09:00
There is no single document that explains how to configure connect home on all these devices. The method to use for connect home is device-dependent. If you open a service request, your local account team should be able to assist you with that. ESRSVE will receive all the connect home files transmitted by the various EMC arrays but you still have to configure connect home on all the EMC arrays that will use the ESRSVE for connect home. The ESRSVE performs the same basic functions as the ESRS Gateway but the ESRS Gateway is ESRS version 2 and the ESRSVE is ESRS version 3. So since you have an ESRSVE, you wouldn't use the ESRS Gateway. This is made more confusing because while we have an ESRS Gateway or ESRSVE, we also have embedded ESRS products that run directly on the EMC arrays like Symmetrix Device Client, ESRS IP Client for VNX, VNX Control Station Device Client, VNX Storage Processor Device Client, etc. I hope this helps. Let me know if you still have questions.
twehmeier
30 Posts
0
January 29th, 2015 11:00
Both of your replies reinforce my thoughts about how confusing they make this. I would think if they can monitor all the devices via a heartbeat they could surely code the software to retrieve alerts without having to configure each device as a separate task. Another complaint I have is after assuming your configuration is correct getting confirmation from EMC that they are receiving the alerts based on your config changes. It's as if you are shooting from the hip and hoping what you setup works. I can send test events all day but rarely if ever had someone confirm that EMC received them.
gaharley
119 Posts
0
January 30th, 2015 09:00
Regarding your second complaint, since you are using ESRSVE, you can confirm that connect home files reached the ESRSVE server and be confident that those connect home files will open a service request if the contents of the files warrant that. Make sure you have enabled failover FTPS and Email connect home in case there is a connectivity issue from the ESRSVE server to EMC (Configuration tab, Connect Home selection).
To confirm a successful connect home:
1. Log onto the ESRSVE GUI and click the Logs tab.
2. Double-click the Connectemc folder.
3. Double-click the Connectemc VE folder.
4. Click the ConnectEMCVE.log and save or open it.
5. The most recent entries are at the bottom of the file, so go to the end.
6. Locate the approximate date and time (the first column) when the connect home file should have reached the ESRSVE server.
7. Scroll to the right and you should be able to identify the file that corresponds to the array that sent the connect home.
For example, here is an entry in the log where Symmetrix serial number 1234 send a connect home on January 30, 2015 (013015). The entry is easier to read in the log file. I know it was an HTTPS or FTP file because of the .xml file extension. An Email connect home would have had a .eml file extension.
************* New Service Transaction ********************
2015-01-30T11:28:24 217 Info EMAAPI3.4.20-0 RSCServiceTransactionFound() Info. Working directory: /opt/connectemcVE
2015-01-30T11:28:24 508 Info EMAAPI3.4.20-0 ConnectEMCReadConfigFile() Reading ConnectEMC config file. /opt/connectemcVE/ConnectEMC_config.xml
2015-01-30T11:28:24 217 Info EMAAPI3.4.20-0 RSCServiceTransactionFound() Info. Tx Filename: /opt/connectemcVE/poll/incoming/RSC_194901234_013015_180431734.xml, Size 2078
twehmeier
30 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2015 10:00
Block Only. We have four, all of which are block only. VNX7500, 5500, CX4960 x 2.
gaharley
119 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2015 10:00
What kind of VNX is it, Unified, File Only or Block Only?
twehmeier
30 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2015 10:00
Thanks for the information.
I have another question. How would I invoke a test from my vnx to verify connecthome is working? When using a Notification Template you have the ability to Send Test Event, if you have the email setting configured with a valid smtp server I will get an email from the test. However, if using ConnectEMC how would you invoke a test to confirm its working?
Here is a screenshot of my Manage ConnectEMC configuration. I want to generate an test to confirm the message is generated via the ESRSVE server and sends to EMC.
gaharley
119 Posts
1
February 2nd, 2015 11:00
For VNX Block Only, if you are not using Centralized Monitoring, ESRS connect home should be implemented using the ESRS Device Client on Storage Processor product. See the reference to "New Demo CUSTOMER-INSTALLABLE EMC SECURE REMOTE SUPPORT (ESRS) FOR CLARIION, VNX, & VNXE" on the Overview tab. After it is set up properly, you would test connect home the same way you would if you were using a Call Home Template, by Send Test Event.
twehmeier
30 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2015 12:00
James,
I currently have each array using Distributed Monitoring not Centralized Monitors. The way I understand this is the initial configuration is done by as follows. In Unisphere, select System and from the Service tasks menu choose the Manage ConnectEMC option "as shown in my previous post screen capture". After I enter the details and hit apply ConnectEMC chooses a Notification Template "Call_Home_Template_7.33.0.9" and assigns the template to be used for monitoring SPA and SPB on the chosen VNX. With that being said I'll attempt to explain my confusion. Recall that in the ConnectEMC configuration I am using the IP address of my ESRSVE server as my SMTP, I was told that the ESRSVE server can be used and is pre-configured to be used for mail relay. When I go into my Notification Templates the tabs that are configured are the General Tab, and the ConnectEMC Tab "checkbox checked". The E-Mail tab is blank, should I configure this tab? I've read some things that state do no fill in anything with the template that ConnectEMC doesn't choose. So I am no certain if I should add the E-Mail information or leave blank. Assuming I leave the email tab blank and I issue a Test event, what should I expect to happen? Because without filling in the email fields in the email tab I'm not getting any type of email from the array. Which leads me to beleive that either I need to populate the e-mail tab or connectEMC isn't working properly. Hopefully this makes sense and you are willing to clarify and shed some light.
gaharley
119 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2015 13:00
Beginning with R32 P215 you can no longer use the Call Home template to send connect home files to EMC. As a matter of fact, the EMC E-Mail Home tab is grayed out. You can still use the E-Mail tab to send mail to yourself. So with this version of FLARE code and later you have to use the ESRS Device Client on Storage Processor for connect home to EMC. During the process of configuring the Device Client, the correct information is entered into the Call Home Template. After you Insert the Test Event, you will see the 2004 Test Event in the Event Log. Then an entry is written to the Response Log. I would recommend you open an SR and let EMC assist you with this.
ryanbrancel1
53 Posts
1
February 2nd, 2015 13:00
In the Call Home Template properties, feel free to populate the E-Mail tab with your email address and your SMTP server. This will allow you to receive notifications from the array. Please make sure to use your SMTP here, not the ESRS server. The ESRS server will only process emails with an @emc.com recipient.
The Manage ConnectEMC option is where you would specify alerts to go to EMC, using the emailalert@emc.com address, and either your SMTP or the ESRS SMTP.