Running Clariion software on virtual machines

Won't you be running Navi Manager and Analyzer on the array itself?

Well, that is what we are trying to figure out since we are ECC users and new to the Navisphere environment. I understand that we can access from the SPs but is there an "ECC-like" component that can be downloaded to a desktop? Also, doesn't running by accessing the SPs directly impact the SPs?

Are you setting the array up yourself, or are you having EMC do it? If they are doing it I believe they will run the initialization from a laptop they bring with them (at least that's how it was always done here).

You will need a system to run the CLARAlert software for dial home though. And if you are using a MODEM I don't see how it would work with a VM. We actually use a dedicated desktop for this though... not a dedicated server.

Typically you would run the Navi components right on the array and access it through a web browser. The only situations I've seen where this is not done is where the network configuration will not allow browser connectivity directly to the array. As far as performance goes, it is not something we have ever had an issue with and I've got 13 arrays ranging from low end to high end CLARiiONs.

So, in essence, we do not need any additional servers for the Clariion software but do you need a specific server to discover the Clariion and then disconnect .. this is quote from planning guide for CX4

"For storage-system initialization, these ports must be connected to a host on the network from which the storage system will be initialized. This host must be
on the same subnet as these ports."

Mainly we are trying to be ready for anything that EMC might ask for when we do the install.

I had imagined that we could just use a dedicated desktop for CLARalert and we are ready for that.

thanks for the help

We had a customer that used a modem connected to a VM. It worked... sometimes. Not recommended.

Ann,

not sure how big the environment is ..maybe it's worth it to take a look at ESRS call-home functionality, no modems involved, more robust alerting ..support loves it and it's free (well ..you need a a couple of old servers)

Home > Support > Technical Documentation and Advisories > Software ~ S ~ Documentation > Secure Remote Support > Secure Remote Support Gateway

Ann,

consider this: if you run monitoring of your storage array in a VM, which by itself resides on that same storage array. What will happen when for some reason the array goes down ? Your VM will get a nice blue screen and won't call home and won't cry out for help. AFAIK running the magagement station virtually isn't supported, but there's 1 possibility to do it I guess: since a physical server running ClarAlert can go down just the same, why not running the VM on the local storage of an ESX host ? So the VM does not reside on the storage array and if the array goes down (and not the ESX host itself) the management server can still call home. However: over a modem to and from a VM doesn't work that great and it's to pinpoint why it doesn't work that god, so I'd go for the email home solution.

Thank you all for your input. We have decided to run CLARalert on a desktop. We are not quite ready to fight through the security hoops to get started on ESRS tho that is definitely something we will address in the future.

that will help with storage maintenance/migration ..not with server maintenance.

It's unfair, why did you get the points when only agreeing to me ?

But on the VMotion point there's another remark: you can do a storage vmotion and move the whole vmdk with the VM to another storage !

We both got point Rob, and dynamox agreed with both of us. I figure having one person agree with two other people in the same thread is worthy of extra points anyway

You in a rush to get to Grandmaster Rob?