Setup Guide-NOS v4 0

Setup Guide

NOS 4.014-May-2015

Copyright | Setup Guide | NOS | 2

Notice

CopyrightCopyright 2015 Nutanix, Inc.

Nutanix, Inc.1740 Technology Drive, Suite 150San Jose, CA 95110

All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual propertylaws. Nutanix is a trademark of Nutanix, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marksand names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

License

The provision of this software to you does not grant any licenses or other rights under any Microsoftpatents with respect to anything other than the file server implementation portion of the binaries for thissoftware, including no licenses or any other rights in any hardware or any devices or software that are usedto communicate with or in connection with this software.

Conventions

Convention Description

variable_value The action depends on a value that is unique to your environment.

ncli> command The commands are executed in the Nutanix nCLI.

user@host$ command The commands are executed as a non-privileged user (such as nutanix)in the system shell.

root@host# command The commands are executed as the root user in the hypervisor host(vSphere or KVM) shell.

> command The commands are executed in the Hyper-V host shell.

output The information is displayed as output from a command or in a log file.

Default Cluster Credentials

Interface Target Username Password

Nutanix web console Nutanix Controller VM admin admin

vSphere client ESXi host administrator nutanix/4u

Copyright | Setup Guide | NOS | 3

Interface Target Username Password

SSH client or console ESXi host root nutanix/4u

SSH client or console KVM host root nutanix/4u

SSH client Nutanix Controller VM nutanix nutanix/4u

Version

Last modified: May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14 16:32:49 GMT-7)

4

Contents

Setup Overview................................................................................................................ 5Nonconfigurable Components..............................................................................................................5Network Requirements.........................................................................................................................6Three Node Cluster Considerations.................................................................................................... 6

1: Cluster IP Address Configuration..........................................................8Preparing to Set IP Addresses............................................................................................................8Configuring the Cluster......................................................................................................................10

2: Storage Configuration...........................................................................13Creating the Datastore.......................................................................................................................13

3: Final Configuration................................................................................16Making Optional Settings...................................................................................................................16Confirming Setup............................................................................................................................... 17

4: Nutanix Virtual Computing Platform Licenses................................... 18Installing a New License on a Connected Cluster............................................................................ 18Installing a New License on an Unconnected Cluster...................................................................... 19

Setup Overview | Setup Guide | NOS | 5

Setup OverviewBefore you begin:

• Unpack and rack cluster hardware. Refer to the documentation for your hardware model.• Connect network and power cables. Refer to the documentation for your hardware model.• Confirm network settings. Refer to Network Requirements on page 6.

1. Configure IP addresses and create the cluster.The procedure differs depending on whether the nodes have the desired hypervisor pre-installed.

→ If the nodes do not have the desired hypervisor pre-installed, image the nodes with the desiredhypervisor and create the cluster. Refer to the Nutanix Field Installation Guide.

→ If the nodes do have the desired hypervisor pre-installed, create the cluster. Refer to Cluster IPAddress Configuration on page 8.

2. Configure storage for the cluster. Refer to Storage Configuration on page 13.

3. Make optional configurations. Refer to Making Optional Settings on page 16.

4. Check that the cluster is configured properly. Refer to Confirming Setup on page 17.

5. License the cluster. Refer to Nutanix Virtual Computing Platform Licenses on page 18.

What to do next: Add the hosts to the appropriate management interface.

• vCenter: Refer to the Nutanix vSphere Administration Guide.• SCVMM: Refer to the Nutanix Hyper-V Administration Guide.

Nonconfigurable Components

The components listed here are configured by the Nutanix manufacturing and installation processes. Donot modify any of these components except under the direction of Nutanix Support.

Warning: Modifying any of the settings listed here may render your cluster inoperable.

In particular, do not, under any circumstances, use the Reset System Configuration option ofESXi, delete the Nutanix Controller VM, or take a snapshot of the Controller VM for backup.

Nutanix Software

• Local datastore name• Settings and contents of any Controller VM, including the name and the virtual hardware configuration

(except memory when required to enable certain features)

ESXi Settings

Important: If you create vSphere resource pools, Nutanix Controller VMs must have the topshare.

• NFS settings• VM swapfile location• VM startup/shutdown order• iSCSI software adapter settings


• vSwitchNutanix standard virtual switch• vmk0 interface in port group "Management Network"• SSH enabled• Host firewall ports that are open

Hyper-V Settings

• Cluster name (using the web console)

Note: The cluster name can be changed using setup_hyperv.py.

• External network adapter name• Internal switch settings

KVM Settings

• Hypervisor configuration, including installed packages• iSCSI settings• Open vSwitch settings

Network Requirements

When configuring a Nutanix block, you will need to ask for the IP addresses of components that shouldalready exist in the customer network, as well as IP addresses that can be assigned to the Nutanix cluster.

Existing Customer Network

You will need the following information during the cluster configuration:

• Default gateway• Network mask• DNS server• NTP server• (Hyper-V only) Active Directory server

You should also check whether a proxy server is in place in the network. If so, you will need the IP addressand port number of that server when enabling Nutanix support on the cluster.

New IP Addresses

Each node in a Nutanix cluster requires three IP addresses, one for each of the following components:

• IPMI interface• ESXi host• Nutanix Controller VM

Three Node Cluster Considerations

A Nutanix cluster must have at least three nodes. Minimum configuration (three node) clusters provide thesame protections as larger clusters, and a three node cluster can continue normally after a node failure.However, one condition applies to three node clusters only.


When a node failure occurs in a cluster containing four or more nodes, you can dynamically remove thatnode to bring the cluster back into full health. The newly configured cluster will still have at least threenodes, so the cluster is fully protected. You can then replace the failed hardware for that node as neededand add the node back into the cluster as a new node. However, when the cluster has just three nodes,the failed node cannot be dynamically removed from the cluster. The cluster continues running withoutinterruption on two healthy nodes and one failed node, but the failed node cannot be removed when thereare only two healthy nodes. Therefore, the cluster is not fully protected until you fix the problem (such asreplacing a bad root disk) for the existing node.

Cluster IP Address Configuration | Setup Guide | NOS | 8

1

Cluster IP Address Configuration

NOS includes a web-based configuration tool that automates assigning IP addresses to clustercomponents and creates the cluster.

Requirements

The web-based configuration tool requires that IPv6 link-local be enabled on the subnet. If IPv6 link-local isnot available, you must configure the Controller VM IP addresses and the cluster manually. The web-basedconfiguration tool also requires that the Controller VMs be able to communicate with each other.

All Controller VMs and hypervisor hosts must be on the same subnet. The hypervisor can be multi-homedas long as one interface is on the same subnet as the Controller VM. If the IPMI interfaces are connected,Nutanix recommends that they be on the same subnet as the Controller VMs and hypervisor hosts.

Guest VMs can be on a different subnet.

Preparing to Set IP Addresses

Before you configure the cluster, check that these requirements are met.

• Confirm that IPv6 link-local is enabled on the subnet.IPv6 link-local is required only for discovery of nodes. It is not required after cluster creation except toadd nodes to an existing cluster.

• Confirm that the system you are using to configure the cluster meets the following requirements:

• IPv6 link-local enabled.• Windows 7, Vista, or MacOS.• (Windows only) Bonjour installed (included with iTunes or downloadable from http://

support.apple.com/kb/DL999).

• (Hyper-V only) Confirm that the hosts meet the following network requirements:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999


• Hyper-V hosts can have only one type of NIC (10 GbE or 1 GbE) connected during cluster creation.If the nodes have multiple types of network interfaces connected, disconnect them until after you jointhe hosts to the domain.

• Hyper-V hosts must be connected to a switch that has jumbo frames enabled. Cluster creation willfail if the switch does not support jumbo frames or does not have jumbo frames enabled.

• Determine the IPv6 service name of any Controller VM in the cluster.

The service name depends on a unique identifier for the system.

Nutanix Serial Number

IPv6 service names are uniquelygenerated at the factory and have thefollowing form (note the final period):NTNX-block_serial_number-node_location-CVM.local.

On the right side of the block toward the frontis a label that has the block_serial_number (forexample, 12AM3K520060).

The node_location is A for one-node blocks, A-B for two-node blocks, and A-D for four-nodeblocks.

If you do not have access to get the node serialnumber, see the Nutanix support knowledge basefor alternative methods.

Dell Service Tag

IPv6 service names are uniquelygenerated at the factory and have thefollowing form (note the final period):NTNX-system_service_tag-node_location-CVM.local.

On the front left side of the system is a slide-outlabel that contains the system_service_tag (forexample, B57PW12).

The node_location is A for one-node blocks.


Configuring the Cluster

Before you begin: Check that the cluster is ready to be configured by following Preparing to Set IPAddresses on page 8.

Video: Click here to see a video (MP4 format) demonstration of this procedure. (The video maynot reflect the latest features described in this section.)

Figure: Cluster IP Address Configuration Page

1. Open a web browser.Nutanix recommends using Internet Explorer 9 for Windows and Safari for Mac OS.

Note: Internet Explorer requires protected mode to be disabled. Go to Tools > InternetOptions > Security, clear the Enable Protected Mode check box, and restart the browser.

2. In the browser, go to http://cvm_ipv6_addr:2100/cluster_init.html.Replace cvm_ipv6_addr with the IPv6 service name of any Controller VM that will be added to thecluster.Following is an example URL to access the cluster creation page on a Controller VM:

http://NTNX-12AM3K520060-A-CVM.local.:2100/cluster_init.html

If the cluster_init.html page is blank, then the Controller VM is already part of a cluster. Connect to aController VM that is not part of a cluster.

3. Type a meaningful value in the Cluster Name field.

http://download.nutanix.com/guides/additional_releases/videos-NOS_v4_0/cluster_creation.mp4


This value is appended to all automated communication between the cluster and Nutanix support. Itshould include the customer's name and, if necessary, a modifier that differentiates this cluster from anyother clusters that the customer might have.

Note: This entity has the following naming restrictions:

• The maximum length is 75 characters (for vSphere and KVM) and 15 characters (for Hyper-V).

• Allowed characters are uppercase and lowercase standard Latin letters (A-Z and a-z),decimal digits (0-9), dots (.), hyphens (-), and underscores (_).

4. Type a virtual IP address for the cluster in the Cluster External IP field.

This parameter is required for Hyper-V clusters and is optional for vSphere and KVM clusters.

You can connect to the external cluster IP address with both the web console and nCLI. In the eventthat a Controller VM is rebooted or fails, the external cluster IP address will be relocated to anotherController VM in the cluster.

5. (Optional) If you want to enable redundancy factor 3, set Cluster Max Redundancy Factor to 3.

Redundancy factor 3 has the following requirements:

• Redundancy factor 3 can be enabled only when the cluster is created.• A cluster must have at least five nodes for redundancy factor 3 to be enabled.• For guest VMs to tolerate the simultaneous failure of two nodes or drives in different blocks, the data

must be stored on containers with replication factor 3.• Controller VMs must be configured with 24 GB of memory.

6. Type the appropriate DNS and NTP addresses in the respective fields.

Note: You must enter NTP servers that the Controller VMs can reach in the CVM NTP Serversfield. If reachable NTP servers are not entered or if the time on the Controller VMs is ahead ofthe current time, cluster services may fail to start.

For Hyper-V clusters, the CVM NTP Servers parameter must be set to the Active Directory domaincontroller.

The Hypervisor NTP Servers parameter is not used in Hyper-V clusters.

7. Type the appropriate subnet masks in the Subnet Mask row.

8. Type the appropriate default gateway IP addresses in the Default Gateway row.

9. Select the check box next to each node that you want to add to the cluster.All unconfigured nodes on the current network are presented on this web page. If you will be configuringmultiple clusters, be sure that you only select the nodes that should be part of the current cluster.

10. Provide an IP address for all components in the cluster.Ensure that all components satisfy the cluster subnet requirements. See Cluster IP AddressConfiguration on page 8.

Note: The unconfigured nodes are not listed according to their position in the block. Ensurethat you assign the intended IP address to each node.

11. Click Create.Wait until the Log Messages section of the page reports that the cluster has been successfullyconfigured.Output similar to the following indicates successful cluster configuration.Configuring IP addresses on node 13SM71450003/A...


Configuring IP addresses on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring IP addresses on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring IP addresses on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor DNS settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor DNS settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor DNS settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor DNS settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor NTP settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor NTP settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor NTP settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring the Hypervisor NTP settings on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring Zeus on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring Zeus on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring Zeus on node 13SM71450003/A...Configuring Zeus on node 13SM71450003/A...Initializing cluster...Cluster successfully initialized!Initializing the CVM DNS and NTP servers...Successfully updated the CVM NTP and DNS server list

The cluster is started automatically after creation.

12. Log on to any Controller VM in the cluster with SSH.

13. Verify that all services are up on all Controller VMs.

nutanix@cvm$ cluster status

If the cluster is running properly, output similar to the following is displayed for each node in the cluster:

CVM: 10.1.64.60 Up Zeus UP [2334, 2347, 2348, 2352, 2433, 2453] Scavenger UP [3106, 3119, 3120, 3145] ConnectionSplicer UP [3173, 3186] Hyperint UP [3190, 3203, 3204, 3215, 3223, 3228] Medusa UP [3406, 3418, 3419, 3420, 3523] DynamicRingChanger UP [3623, 3635, 3636, 3676] Pithos UP [3638, 3650, 3651, 3673] Stargate UP [3653, 3666, 3667, 3745] Cerebro UP [3846, 3858, 3859, 3963] Chronos UP [3861, 3873, 3874, 3905] Curator UP [3876, 3888, 3889, 4062] Prism UP [3891, 3903, 3904, 3942] AlertManager UP [3913, 3925, 3926, 4012] Arithmos UP [3928, 3940, 3941, 4077] StatsAggregator UP [3949, 3973, 3974, 4029] SysStatCollector UP [3991, 4010, 4011, 4123] Tunnel UP [4028, 4048, 4049] ClusterHealth UP [4051, 4064, 4066, 4290, 4303, 4304]

Storage Configuration | Setup Guide | NOS | 13

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Storage ConfigurationAfter creating the cluster, you need to create the following entities:

• one storage pool that comprises all physical disks in the cluster.• one container that uses all available storage capacity in the pool.

A single storage container comprising all available cluster storage will suit the needs of most customers. Ifthe customer requests additional datastores during setup, you can create the necessary containers, andthen mount them as appropriate for the hypervisor with which you are working.

Creating the Datastore

Clusters handle containers differently depending on the hypervisor.

• vSphere: Each hypervisor host mounts the container as an NFS datastore.• Hyper-V: Each hypervisor host accesses the container as an SMB share.• KVM: Nutanix VM management scripts create and manage each virtual disk as an iSCSI target stored

on the container.

To create the datastore, do the following:

1. Sign in to the Nutanix web console.

2. In the Storage dashboard, click the Storage Pool button.The Create Storage Pool dialog box appears.

3. Enter the storage pool parameters.

a. Name: Enter a name for the storage pool.

b. Capacity: Check the box to use the available unallocated capacity for this storage pool.

c. When all the field entries are correct, click the Save button.


4. In the Storage dashboard, click the Container button.The Create Container dialog box appears.

Figure: Create Container (vSphere) Figure: Create Container (KVM)

Figure: Create Container (Hyper-V)

5. Create the container.Do the following in the indicated fields:

a. Name: Enter a name for the container.

For KVM clusters, if you name the storage pool anything other than default you will need to use the--container parameter with the VM management scripts.


b. Storage Pool: Select the storage pool you created in step 3 on page 13 from the drop-down list.The following field, Max Capacity, displays the amount of free space available in the selectedstorage pool.

c. (vSphere only) NFS Datastore: Select the Mount on all hosts button to mount the container on allhosts.

d. (Optional) If the cluster was created with redundancy factor 3, click Advanced Settings and setReplication Factor to 3.

e. When all the field entries are correct, click the Save button.

Final Configuration | Setup Guide | NOS | 16

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Final ConfigurationThe final steps in the Nutanix cluster setup are to confirm email alerts, make optional configurations, andconfirm that it is running.

Warning: The Nutanix cluster can only tolerate a single node down at any time.

• Never shut down or restart multiple Controller VMs or hosts simultaneously.• Always run the cluster status command to verify that all Controller VMs are up before

performing a Controller VM or host shutdown or restart.

Note: If the cluster was installed with a lower version of NOS than desired, you may want toupgrade NOS right away. For the upgrade to succeed, first stop the cluster with the cluster stopcommand, restart all Controller VMs, and then start the cluster with the cluster start command.

Making Optional Settings

You can make one or more of the following settings if necessary to meet customer requirements.

• Add customer email addresses to alerts.Web Console

> Alert Email Contacts

nCLI ncli> cluster add-to-email-contacts email-addresses="customer_email"

Replace customer_email with a comma-separated list of customer email addressesto receive alert messages.

• Specify an outgoing SMTP server.Web Console

> SMTP Server

nCLI ncli> cluster set-smtp-server address="smtp_address"

Replace smtp_address with the IP address or name of the SMTP server to use foralert messages.

• Specify the timezone of the cluster.nCLI ncli> cluster set-timezone timezone=cluster_timezone

Replace cluster_timezone with the timezone of the cluster (for example, America/Los_Angeles, Europe/London, Asia/Tokyo).

• If the site security policy allows the remote support tunnel, enable it.

Warning: Failing to enable remote support prevents Nutanix support from directly addressingcluster issues. Nutanix recommends that all customers allow email alerts at minimum becauseit allows proactive support of customer issues.

Final Configuration | Setup Guide | NOS | 17

Web Console > Remote Support Services > Enable

nCLI ncli> cluster start-remote-support

• If the site security policy does not allow email alerting, disable it.Web Console

> Email Alert Services > Disable

nCLI ncli> alerts update-alert-config enable=false

Confirming Setup

1. Log on to any Controller VM in the cluster with SSH.

2. Run the Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC).

nutanix@cvm$ ncc health_checks run_all

If the check reports a status other than PASS, resolve the reported issues before proceeding. If you areunable to resolve the issues, contact Nutanix support for assistance.

3. Send a test email.

nutanix@cvm$ ~/serviceability/bin/email-alerts \ --to_addresses="[email protected], customer_email" \ --subject="[alert test] `ncli cluster get-params`"nutanix@cvm$ ~/serviceability/bin/send-email

Replace customer_email with a customer email address that receives alerts.

Nutanix Virtual Computing Platform Licenses | Setup Guide | NOS | 18

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Nutanix Virtual Computing Platform LicensesThe Nutanix Virtual Computing platform includes a variety of features to enable you to administer yourenvironment according to your current and future needs. You can use the default feature set of NOS,upgrade to a richer feature set, update your license for a longer term, or reassign existing licenses tonodes or clusters as needed.

Starter License

Each Nutanix node and block is delivered with a default Starter license, which does not expire. You arenot required to register this license on the Nutanix Customer Portal account assigned to you when youpurchased your nodes.

Pro and Ultimate Licenses

The Pro and Ultimate license types require you to download a license file from the Customer SupportPortal and install it on your cluster. When you upgrade to a Pro or Ultimate license or add nodes or clustersto your environment with these licensed features, you must generate the license file, download it, andinstall it.

Viewing License Status

The most current information about your licenses is available at the Nutanix Support Portal. You can viewinformation about license types, expiration dates, and any free license inventory (that is, unassignedavailable licenses).

Installing a New License on a Connected Cluster

This procedure describes how to:

• Generate a cluster summary file and upload it to the Nutanix support portal• Generate and download a license from the support portal• Install the license on a cluster connected to the Internet

Video: Click here to see a video (MP4 format) that demonstrates how to install a new license ona cluster connected to the internet. (The video may not reflect the latest features described in thissection.)

Note: Internet Explorer [all versions] does not support successfully uploading and downloadingcluster summary files or license files. Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or nCLI instead of InternetExplorer.

1. Generate a cluster summary file in the web console.

a.Open Licensing from the gear icon in the web console for the connected cluster.

http://download.nutanix.com/guides/additional_releases/videos-NOS_v4_0/licensing_install_new.mp4


b. Click Manage Licenses in the dialog, then click Generate to create and download a clustersummary file.The cluster summary file is saved to your browser's download directory or directory you specify.

2. Upload the cluster summary file to the Nutanix support portal.

a. Click Support Portal, log on to the Nutanix support portal, and click My Products > Licenses.

b. Click License a New Cluster and the Upload Cluster Summary File pop-up is displayed.

c. Click Choose File, then browse to the cluster summary file you just downloaded, select it, and click

the Next arrow .

The portal automatically assigns the license required according to the information contained in thecluster summary file.

3. Generate and apply the downloaded license file to the cluster.

a. Click Generate License File to download the license file created for the cluster to your browser'sdownload folder or directory you specify.

b. In the web console, click the upload link in the Manage Licenses dialog.

c. Browse to the license file you downloaded, select it, and click Save.

Results: The Licensing dialog shows the license key as successfully uploaded and also all license detailsfor the cluster.

Installing a New License on an Unconnected Cluster

This procedure describes the manual process to:

• Generate and upload a cluster summary file to the Nutanix support portal


• Generate and download a license from the support portal• Install the license on the cluster that is not connected to the Internet.

Video: Click here to see a video (MP4 format) that demonstrates how to install a new license on acluster not connected to the internet. (The video may not reflect the latest features described in thissection.)

Note: Internet Explorer [all versions] does not support successfully uploading and downloadingcluster summary files or license files. Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or nCLI instead of InternetExplorer.

1.Open Licensing from the gear icon in the web console for the unconnected cluster.

2. Click Manage Licenses in the dialog, then click Follow the manual licensing process.The dialog displays information you will need to upload to the support portal on an internet-connectedsystem. Copy this information needed to complete this procedure.

Cluster UUID String indicating the unique cluster ID

Signature Cluster security key

Model Nutanix block model name

Count Number of available licenses for this model

3. On a system connected to the Internet, enter the cluster summary file info, then generate and downloadthe license file at the Nutanix support portal.

a. Log on to the Nutanix Support Portal and click My Products > Licenses.

b. Click License a New Cluster, then click No Cluster summary file? Follow manual licensingprocess.

c. Type and select the cluster information you gathered from the Follow manual licensing process

link, then click the Next arrow .

d. Click Generate License File to download the license file created for the cluster to your browser'sdownload folder or directory you specify.Save the license file to a USB stick or other media.

4. Apply the downloaded license file to the cluster.

a. Open Licensing from the gear icon in the web console for the unconnected cluster.

b. Click Manage Licenses, then click the upload link.

c. Browse to the license file you downloaded, select it, and click Save.

Results: The Licensing dialog shows the license key as successfully uploaded and also all license detailsfor the cluster.

http://download.nutanix.com/guides/additional_releases/videos-NOS_v4_0/licensing_install_new_unconnected.mp4

Setup Guide-NOS v4 0

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