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April 3rd, 2014 09:00

How to install and configure VSI for VMware vSphere 5.5

Hi,

I am looking for what has to be done in order to install and configure EMC Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) last version (it seems v6) for VMware vSphere last version too, 5.5, with a VNX5100.

I have downloaded the appliance from EMC named "VSI for VMware vSphere Web Client 6.1" and the OVA file associated "emc_solutions_integration_service_x86_64_OVF10.ova" and I have deployed it.

I have downloaded the documentation but cannot find what I am missing, and I am missing something since when I configure the appliance network (it went fine) and then try to register the appliance in vCenter web client it is "sending my request" ... but never succeed.

And well, i am french, so maybe it is just a language misundertanding.. but I don't think so.

Any help would be gladly welcome!

Best regards,

Torturo

_______________________________

Bonjour,

Je recherche la manière de procéder pour installer et configurer EMC VSI dernière version (à priori la v6) pour VMware vSphere dernière version également, soit la 5.5, avec dans l'infra une baie VNX5100.

J'ai téléchargé l'appliance sur le site support d'EMC, "VSI for VMware vSphere Web Client 6.1" et le fichier OVA associé, "emc_solutions_integration_service_x86_64_OVF10.ova" et je l'ai déployé.

J'ai téléchargé la documentation qui va avec et je me dis que j'ai dû manquer quelque chose, car quand, après avoir configuré la partie réseau de l'appliance, j'essaie d'enregistrer le plugin VSI dans le client Web vSphere, comme le dit la doc, cela ne fonctionne pas et un message "sending your request" reste en attente ad vitam eternam.

Toute sorte d'aide sera bienvenue!

Cordialement,

Torturo

286 Posts

April 3rd, 2014 09:00

My colleague Drew put up a post on configuring VSI 6.1 here that you might find helpful:

http://drewtonnesen.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/emc-vsi-for-vmware-vsphere-web-client-6-1/

It is also possible that you might be running into a firewall issue--there are a number of ports that need to be open for everything to work right. I wrote a post about that myself here:

http://codyhosterman.com/2014/04/01/firewall-requirements-for-emc-vsi-6-1-for-vsphere-web-client/

Let us know if either of those help (or don't).

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20.4K Posts

April 3rd, 2014 14:00

Cody,

with the new VSI, can i restrict what users can do with the plugin ? For example back in the days of classic VSI i only installed the viewer portion. So my VMware admins could see LUN information, FA ..etc but they could not provision storage.

Thanks

3 Posts

April 4th, 2014 00:00

Hi Cody,

well thanks for this really fast answer. In france it was yesterday evening so this morning I have read your links and, even if they are already really interesting and helpfull, my VSI 6.1 (SIS) configuration is stuck at the same point.

I am an EMC partner integrator and this issue is at a customer site : now I will be looking for firewalls blocking rules with my customer, but don't know if there is not another explanation for my issue.

I noticed in your post capture (from your links) that your SIS version is 2.0.0.61, it is weird to me because I downloaded my SIS appliance 2 days before from EMC support site and my version is older...! (2.0.0.46).

If you have another idea, I will read it gladly.

Florian

123 Posts

April 4th, 2014 05:00

You can prevent the user from provisioning by simply denying them any privilege on any storage pool on any array via the user access controls. The only thing your user will be able to do therefore is to see storage details.  Note however that the functionality in the VSI WC when it comes to storage viewing is a subset of what was available in VSI Classic.

123 Posts

April 4th, 2014 05:00

Florian,

Cody and I frequently work with non-GA builds, that's why there is a difference in the version.  Rest assured your version is the correct one.

As Cody mentioned the firewall is probably the place to start.  You could do a quick test and from the box where the vSphere Web Client is installed, try to get to https:// :8443/vsi_usm/ .  If you are using the hostname to register back to SIS, use that instead of the IP in the test.  In that case it could be a DNS issue.

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20.4K Posts

April 4th, 2014 07:00

Drew,

nah, i am not interested in getting into symauth/symacl , i want the VSI plugin to allow that management or just let me install the "view only" plugin as in previous versions.

3 Posts

April 4th, 2014 09:00

Hi Drew,

Thanks to you for your answer.

My customer has a really basic LAN and no ports blocked or whatever in his LAN.

My vCenter (windows 2008R2 sp1) server has a disabled firewall (this is a customer rule).

Finally, I did it from my laptop and it worked immediately...

Well thanks again to everyone, knowing it is the first time I will use VSI I think I would have had others issue after this step, but with the add-on information and links you gave me it will be easier.

Best Regards,

Florian

123 Posts

April 4th, 2014 09:00

Right I’m not talking about symauth or symacl – there are storage access controls (i.e. user access controls) within SIS that allow you to determine whether or not a user has access to storage.  They can’t provision without access.  The plug-in only installs one way – there are not multiple options; however as I say the user cannot provision if they do not have access.  It is not as straightforward as VSI Classic, so I'll give you the general steps:


1.  The admin user registers the vCenter in SIS and then registers an array and takes ownership of it - he now controls complete access to the array for provisioning purposes.

2.  A read-only user "rovsi" logs into the vSphere Web Client. 

3. rovsi registers SIS from the VSI plug-in that is available using his username

3a.  SIS automatically creates that rovsi user in SIS 

4.  The admin user grants the rovsi access to said array in SIS, but not to any thin pools

5.  The rovsi user now has read-only access to the storage but cannot provision storage - note that the menus will still be available for provisioning

2 Intern

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20.4K Posts

April 4th, 2014 11:00

Thank you Drew.

This is probably an overkill for what i am trying to provide to my VMware guys. I want them to be able to click on a datastore and have the plugin display the Symm/VNX LUN id.

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