Deploy Dell PowerFlex v3.6.x

Start the customized installation

Start the customized installation process for a PowerFlex system.

1. On the Installation Configuration page, Credentials Configuration section, for MDM Password, enter a new MDM password in the password field, and enter it again in the confirm password field.

   The MDM password is a password that is configured for the MDM during the installation. It must meet the following criteria:

   • Between 6 and 31 ASCII-printable characters
   • Includes at least 3 of the following groups: [a-z], [A-Z], [0-9], special chars (!@#$ …)
   • Contains no white spaces
2. For LIA Authentication, select Native for local authentication, or LDAP for LDAP authentication.
   NOTE: When using the PowerFlex Installer to extend (rather than to install) a system, enter the LIA credentials that you entered during the initial installation.
   • If you selected Native, for LIA Password, enter a password in the password field, and enter it again in the confirm password field.

     The LIA password is a new password that will be used to authenticate communication between the PowerFlex Installer and the Light Installation Agent (LIA). It must meet the same criteria as the MDM password, as listed in the previous step.

   • If you selected LDAP, you can add the credentials for one LDAP server. After deployment, up to seven more LDAP servers can be added. For more information, see the Dell PowerFlex User Roles and LDAP Usage Technical Notes.

     Enter the required information in the additional fields that are displayed:

     • LDAP Server URI
     • LDAP Group and LDAP BaseDN
     • LDAP User Name and LDAP Password
   Example for a Windows-based LDAP server:

   • LDAP Server URI: ldaps://win12r2-dc.ldaps.local
   • LDAP Group: CN=SIO_GRP_1,OU=SIO_OU_1,dc=ldaps,dc=local
   • LDAPBaseDN: DC=ldaps,DC=local
   • LDAP User Name: sio_1@ldaps.local
   • LDAP User Password: P$assword123
   Example for a Linux-based LDAP server:

   • LDAP Server URI: ldaps://server.ldap.com
   • LDAP Group: cn=scaleio_users,ou=People,dc=ldap,dc=com
   • LDAPBaseDN: dc=ldap,dc=com
   • LDAP User Name: sio_1@ldap.com
   • LDAP User Password: P$assword123
3. Review the end user license agreement and select the check box to accept the license agreement.
   For complete information on licensing, see the "Licensing" section of this guide.
4. Advanced options can be configured now. The following list describes the available options. Click Set advanced options to access these options and configure them.

   Option type	Option	Description
   Skip options	Skip upload	Do not upload packages. You can use this if the packages were already uploaded.
   	Skip installation	Do not install packages. You can use this if the packages were already installed.
   	Skip configuration	Do not configure PowerFlex components. You can use this option if you only want to upload and install packages now.
   	Skip Linux devices validation	Do not validate Linux device names. Use case: during the PowerFlex Installer validate stage, errors in the entering of Linux device names (such as /dev/sdbb instead of /dev/sdb) will prevent the continuation of the installation. This can be a problem if you want to add valid devices that do not meet the /proc/partitions standard (such as aliases and logical names). Therefore, when this option is selected, the validate stage will be completed, but the affected node will show a completed (warning) status. You can click Details to see the error, and you can choose to proceed with the installation. Continue with the remainder of the installation procedures.
   Configuration options	Enable alert service and create lockbox	Enable the alert service required for SNMP and Secure Remote Services reporting. This also creates and configures the lockbox. The lockbox is also required for CloudIQ reporting. This is the best practice method for creating the lockbox. NOTE: It is also possible to manually create the lockbox later, but the manual method involves security considerations. If you select this option, the Traps Receiver IP/Hostname field is displayed. Enter up to two (comma-separated) IP addresses or host names of the SNMP trap receiver servers.
   Security options	Disable secure communication with the MDMs	Disable the need for secure communication mode between management clients and the MDM cluster members. NOTE: Non-secure communication has security implications, and should be used with caution. For more information about this mode, see "Use SCLI in non-secure mode" in the Configure and Customize PowerFlex Guide.
   	Disable secure communication with the LIAs	Disable the need for secure communication mode between management clients and the LIAs. NOTE: Non-secure communication has security implications, and should be used with caution. For more information about this mode, see "Use SCLI in non-secure mode" in the Configure and Customize PowerFlex Guide.
   	Disable authentication between internal components	Disable the need for authentication between SDSs and MDMs.
   	Use only the following trusted IP addresses for LIA (in addition to this gateway IP address)	Limit which PowerFlex Gateway can communicate with the LIAs. If you select this option, enter a comma-separated list of the IP addresses to trust (up to 32 IP addresses, including the IP address of this PowerFlex Gateway). The PowerFlex Gateway IP address is automatically added to the list and does not have to be explicitly mentioned. If the PowerFlex Gateway uses multiple IP addresses, enter all the addresses.

5. You can use the PowerFlex Installer to configure Syslog event reporting. You can also configure these features after installation, using the CLI. To configure Syslog reporting now, select Configure the way Syslog events are sent, and enter the following parameters:
   1. Syslog Server
      The host name or IP address of the syslog server where the messages should be sent. Enter up to two server names or addresses, comma-separated.
   2. Port
      The port of the syslog server (default 1468)
   3. Syslog Facility
      The facility level (default: Local0)
6. Review the displayed information, by scrolling through the tables, and by hovering over the blue hyperlinks. To view the password that will be configured for a specific component, click show.
   If you have not done so yet, keep a record of all the passwords that you have assigned to the system components.
7. Scroll down to the Storage Pool Configuration section of the table, select values for the following items. If the CSV file contained values in the Storage Pool Configuration section, the values will already appear here. These values are mandatory.
   • The expected Device Media Type
   • The External Acceleration type (if used):
     • none—No devices are accelerated by a non-PowerFlex read or write cache
     • read—All devices are accelerated by a non-PowerFlex read cache
     • write—All devices are accelerated by a non-PowerFlex write cache
     • read_and_write—All devices are accelerated by both non-PowerFlex read and write cache

     This input is required in order to prevent the generation of false alerts for media type mismatches. For example, if an HDD device is added which the SDS perceives as being too fast to fit the HDD criteria, alerts might be generated. External acceleration/caching is explained in the Getting to Know Dell PowerFlex Guide.

   • Data Layout type (use with caution; data layout type cannot be changed after Storage Pool creation)
   • If Fine Granularity data layout is selected, select a Fine Granularity ACCP (Acceleration Pool), and a Compression Method
   • If Medium Granularity data layout is selected, the Zero Padding option is available for selection. Use with caution, because the zero padding setting can only be changed in Storage Pools without any storage devices.
   • Replication Journal Capacity Percentage must be defined if SDRs are deployed in the system. For more information about calculating the appropriate value for your system, refer to the Getting to Know Dell PowerFlex Guide.
   NOTE: Fine Granularity can only be selected if the Storage Pool contains NVDIMMs and SSDs.
8. Click Start Installation.
9. Select the Monitor tab.