topic Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network in Array Setup and Networking

dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:36:25 GMT

I'm working with a customer to initialize a dHCI cluster.

VMWARE:

We created a Cluster in vCenter and attached to HPE DL380 Gen10 servers is ESXi and NCM. We configured the management network, and two additional vswitches for iSCSI-A and iSCSI-B. The standard "VM Network" portgroup that is always installed with VMware is on the same vSwitch as the Management port.

In the stack-setup wizard on the Nimble array, we are stuck at server validation, on a rule called "Same VM Network Rule"

Description - "Checks if same VM Network exists on all ESXi hosts in the cluster"

Message - "ESXi hosts do not have a common VM Network"

Can anyone share how the "VM Network" is supposed to be configured fir dHCI.?

A screenshot of vSwitches in a working dHCI solution would be greatly apprecieated.

Thanks,

Kevin

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Sheldon Smith — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 03:24:39 GMT

Search for "dHCI" at HPE InfoSight > Resources > Nimble Storage Documentation.

Check out the HPE Nimble Storage dHCI and VMware vSphere Deployment Guides

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

VijayK-NimDCS — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 06:44:20 GMT

Hi Kevin

The Rule checks for a Virtual Machine portgroup with the same name on all the hosts. The standard portgroup called "VM Network" created during ESXi install (that you mentioned) will suffice.

Thanks

Vijay

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Nick_Dyer — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 08:34:19 GMT

If these are new hosts (what we refer to as a greenfield solution) then there’s no requirement to configure any vswitches in vSphere whatsoever, nor build a cluster or add anything to vCenter - the stack setup will do that work for you.

Also, recommend to check out the Welcome Center - which details the whole installation procedure in detail with accompanying videos.
It’s great resource to have when doing installs of Nimble or dHCI. https://InfoSight.hpe.com/welcomecenter

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:05:06 GMT

We tried the "Greenfield" method, but server validation fails because ESXi is on an SD card. The message says that ESXi can't be running on local datastores backed by SD card or USB. These hosts were ordered without disks, we have run ESXi on SD cards for 10 years.

When we used the "Brownfield" method (create cluster add the hosts, then select that cluster in the wizard), the "ESXi local datastore rule" is just a warning, not an error.

In Brownfield, our last error is the "Same VM Network Rule".

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:09:10 GMT

We have that default "VM Network" port group. Must be another piece of configuration that we are missing?

It would be great if anyone could provide details on what is actually happening in that check.

It makes sense to me that the data network (iSCSI) is checked with vmkping from the hosts to the storage array. However, I have no idea how the wizard can check for a "common vm network" (other than checking that the same port group exists on both servers). There is no vmk attached to the port group to use vmkping.

Feels like magic, and I want to understand the magic.

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:11:01 GMT

I have read all the documentation I can find, including the links you sent. Nothing specific about installing ESXi on disks instead of SD cards, nor anything specific about the "COmmon VM network".

Documentation is still lacking specifics.

Supposedly 57 rule checks in server validation. Those need to be outlined with specifics.

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

VijayK-NimDCS — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:22:43 GMT

Your observations are correct.

I am able to trigger/fail that rule when the port group has different names on the 2 hosts I tried. One was named VM network and the other VM network 1. Renaming both to the same (does not have to be VM Network) resulted in a PASS on that rule.

Heres what I have on my hosts

Host 1 esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup list Name Virtual Switch Active Clients VLAN ID ------------------ -------------- -------------- ------- Management Network vSwitch0 1 0 VM Network vSwitch0 0 0 iSCSI Network 1 iSCSI1 1 0 iSCSI Network 2 iSCSI2 1 0 Host 2 esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup list Name Virtual Switch Active Clients VLAN ID ------------------ -------------- -------------- ------- Management Network vSwitch0 1 0 VM Network vSwitch0 0 0 iSCSI Network 1 iSCSI1 1 0 iSCSI Network 2 iSCSI2 1 0

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:44:03 GMT

That example helps a ton, thank you. By "Active Clients" on the VM Network, does that mean you have 0 VMs? We don't have any storage attached yet, so I can't make a VM (the whole point is to create storage from Nimble later in the wizard).

If you could check one more test for me, it would be appreciated. What happens if your VLAN ID is different between the VM Network and the Management Network?

Normally, our management and VM use different VLAN. I tested a couple of minutes ago making them the same VLAN, and it still failed. I also created a new VM portgroup, as simple as possible "VM" making sure they matched, and it still fails.

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Nick_Dyer — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:49:34 GMT

"We tried the "Greenfield" method, but server validation fails because ESXi is on an SD card. The message says that ESXi can't be running on local datastores backed by SD card or USB. These hosts were ordered without disks, we have run ESXi on SD cards for 10 years."

That's correct - Greenfield mandates the requirement for local drives in hardware RAID 1 - it doesn't support USB. In fact, if the servers were ordered via the Greenfield method then this would've been mandated in the quote tools and it wouldn't be possible to order USBs for local storage.

Don't forget you can call HPE NImble Support and get real-time help to resolve this problem, rather than having to rely on intermittent forum posts

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

VijayK-NimDCS — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 18:36:30 GMT

The rule passes when I had the same VLAN ID on both VM network portgroups (else triggers "same VLAN ID rule")

However, I cannot set a different VLAN ID on the management network as my setup is not setup for it and since I am remote and not in the lab I will lose connectivity. But looking at your comments it looks like you already tried the same VLAND ID for Management and VM Network.

Would it be possible for you to list the outputs of the portgroups ?

Also, we don't need any active VMs on the portgroups. We do support migrating the existing VMs as part of the brownfield setup i.e storage motion of those VMs from existing storage to the Nimble array

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 19:57:41 GMT

Thanks again for the help.

I only have browser access on the weekend. I assume you are looking for PowerCLI output of the port group.

I did test with VLAN 110 set for both VM Network port groups, but it still fails.

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 20:00:41 GMT

This order has been odd from the start. The Nimble was one of the first ever ordered with dHCI, back in August, and there has been nothing but problems. Too long of a story, but hosts were ordered separately. This week is the first ever mention of a RAID 1 requirement for the host.

I love Nimble support, they are great. We spent 8 hours on the phone with them yesterday and still don't have a resolution.

Re: dHCI initialization - common VM Network

Labmaster — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:02:26 GMT

Finally got confirmation today that there is a bug in the VM check. Check was designed to check the entire datacenter, and checking every possible VM network needed to be on the hosts being validated.

There are 4 clusters, plus the brownfield dHCI cluster, and of course, the VM networks were not configured on the hosts being validated.

Suggested work-around (not validated, the patch is being installed) - create a completely new datacenter in VMware, then a cluster for dHCI, add the hosts and run the validation again.

AS-104293 - dHCI - Change brownfield Common VM network check

AS-104291 - dHCI - Customer issue - Brownfield validation error