SC: How to prepare to update a Dell Compellent Storage Center Operating System

This tutorial explains how to prepare for updating a Dell Compellent Storage Center Operating System (or S.C.O.S.). These steps can be followed to ensure that the update process runs smoothly.

 

Steps to follow to prepare for a SCOS update:

1. Review the Best Practices for your storage
2. Perform a Fail Over Test
3. Install Enterprise Manager DSM
4. Update the Firewall Rules
5. Environment Information checklist
    

Step 1: Review Best practices documentation

However, the most important things to check are (depending on the operating system): 

VMware - Dell Compellent Best Practices with VMware vSphere.

Recommended Multipathing: Round Robin
Login Time-Out/Login Retry Count: Set to 5
LUN Queue Depth: 255
Jumbo Frames: 9000 

1. Recommended Multipathing: Round Robin
2. Ensure that the Time-out Value is set to 60 in the following Registry Editor location:

   H_Key_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Disk

3. Microsoft MPIO Recommended Settings in Registry Editor location:

   H_Key_Local_Machine/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/mpio/Parameters

Recommended Multipathing: Round Robin
Login Time-Out/Login Retry Count: Set to 5
LUN Queue Depth: 255
Jumbo Frames: 9000 

Recommended iSCSI Initiator Settings 

H_Key_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E97B-E325-11CEBFC1-08002BE10318}\\Parameters

MaxRequestHoldTime 90
LinkDownTime 45
Jumbo Frames: 9000

Step 2: Fail Over Test

Why is it important to do a failover test before a SCOS update?

A failover test validates the Best Practice configuration for the hosts is correct so that during the update, the hosts remain connected to their Storage. If your configuration is not correct, the impact of a failover test is shorter than the impact would be during the upgrade.

How to perform a failover test?

1. Ensure to complete this during a planned maintenance window if a failover test has not been completed previously.
    
2. Put the system in maintenance mode (This avoids generating unnecessary Support incidents when the controllers reboot). 
   • In the management interface, right click the system to be put in maintenance mode.
   • Click the following options Edit Settings > General > Operation Mode > Maintenance (Figure 1 below (in English only))
     
     
     Figure 1: Change Operation Mode to maintenance mode.
     
      
3. Perform a sequential reboot of the controllers (one after the other)
   • In the management interface, right click the system to perform the failover test on
   • Click the following options Action > System > Shutdown/Restart
   • In the new menu window, choose Restart and Restart in Sequence (for the Restart Options). (Figure 2 below (in English only))
     
     
     Figure 2: Restart options to restart in sequence.
     
      
4. During the Failover test, monitor the hosts and ensure they have access to the volumes
   1. Connect to the host and check that the volumes stay online and that the data is accessible
   2. In DSM, the connectivity status should be partial. If the connectivity status is down, then the best practice configuration must be reviewed. (Figure 3 below (in English only))

Figure 3: Connectivity status on the Host
 

1. Once the test is complete, be sure to put the system back into production mode
   • In the management interface, right click the system to put into production mode
   • Click the following options Edit Settings > General > Operation Mode > Production (Figure 1 above (in English only))
2. Rebalance the ports following the controllers completing the reboots

If issues are encountered during the test, note the symptoms or error messages and contact Technical support.

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Step 3: Enterprise Manager/Dell Storage Manager (DSM) Installation

If an external database being used, it is recommended to backup the SQL database or take a snapshot of the Virtual Machine before upgrading DSM. If the internal database within the data collector is used, there is no backup needed.
How to backup the SQL Database:

1. Go to SQL Server and open SQL Server Management Studio
2. Click New Query and run the command

   Backup Database YourDatabaseName TO Disk='D:\yourbackupfilename.bak'

   
     (Figure 4 below, in English only)

Figure 4: SQL Database back-up command and result


How to install DSM:

Download the latest version of Dell Storage Manager (DSM) on the Dell support site under the category Drivers & Downloads.
All the documentation related to DSM is also available in the Documentation section.

First launch the data collector wizard. The wizard installs visual C++ and reboot.

• Once the system reboots, relaunch the data collector if it did not do so automatically
• The restart may take up to 10 minutes
• Once it has reached the login screen, the installation is completed
• Close data collector

Then install the DSM Client.

• Launch the setup of DSM CLIENT
• Visual c++ is also installed and the system completes a reboot
• After Visual++ completes installation, it will continue to the DSM install
• The install could last for 20 minutes before it reaches the login screen
• Once the login screen appears, it means that the installation has been completed

The settings are automatically injected into the new DSM.

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Step 4: Firewall Rules updates

The most current set of firewall requirements can be found by referencing article# 000130450 -  Dell Compellent: Network requirements to enable Dell SupportAssist Enterprise and Secure Console with Storage Center.

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Step 5: Environment Information checklist

• Are the following applications in use?
  • CompCU (used to setup SNMP traps for Nagios monitoring for example)
  • Bridgehead backup appliance
  • Replay Manager or Application Protection Manager
  • Dell Storage API PowerShell SDK
  • RestAPI
  • SRA (VMware)
  • Dell Storage vSphere Web Client Plugin
  • Dell Storage Integration Tools for VMware (DSITV)
  • License FC FLUID Cache (To use SSD as cache)
• Is there a NAS FluidFS connected to your Dell Compellent?
• Do your hosts meet the minimum driver and firmware requirements?

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Not Applicable

Not Applicable