EMC vCenter Plugin Update–VNX/VNXe support

For EMC customers out there, know that our vCenter plugin has been officially updated to include VNX/VNXe support.

EMC Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI) is a plugin framework – one that all EMC vCenter integration happens through.  If you want to learn more about VSI – Mike Laverick gives it a VERY thorough review here. 

… And seriously, if you’re VMware customer using EMC and NOT using it – please tell me why – those who do like it, and it’s free….

The Unified Storage Management module has been updated to 4.1

“The EMC® VSI for VMware vSphere: Unified Storage Management feature can provision Network File System (NFS) datastores on NAS storage and Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) datastores and Raw Device Mapping (RDM) volumes on block storage, and perform array-based compression and array-based cloning of virtual machines in NFS datastores. The cloning functions include Full Clones (copies) and Fast Clones (snaps) of Virtual Machine Disk (VMDK) files. VMware administrators can use the feature to manage NAS and block storage in VMware environments by using the existing vSphere Client user interface.”

LIke all the EMC vCenter plugins, they are free, and fully supported.  

VSI USM 4.1 has been posted on Powerlink, and you can find all the VSI elements here:

Home > Support > Software Downloads and Licensing > Downloads T-Z > Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI)

Updates to this release include:

1. VNX & VNXe platform support
2. Integrated DHSM interface setup support - vastly improved
3. Support for creating Thin LUNs on both VNX and CLARiiON block storage
4. Several bug fixes and improvements in the wizard screens

A shout out to the Unified Storage Management team in Ken Collins team (in particular Joshua Hutt and Scott Penrose) – thanks team!

…And… stay tuned, working on more exciting VSI updates :-)

Comments

[Tomi Hakala]

Chad, I'd really like to use VSI plugin(s) but it causes vSphere Client to freeze randomly.

I have reported this problem to your support and I must admit that you have some seriously committed support persons as they were investigating this issue several weeks back in december and january (thanks to you all at Cork!). Unfortunately this freezing issue still exists with current 4.0.1 VSI plugins. I'd hope that you could prioritize fixing this issue above any new features for next release.

[Jefmes]

Could you give us a run down on the difference between the Virtual Storage Integrator, VSI Unified Storage Managment Plug-in 4.1 here:

https://powerlink.emc.com/nsepn/webapps/btg548664833igtcuup4826/km/appmanager/km/secureDesktop?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=servicesDownloadsTemplatePg&internalId=0b01406680564430&_irrt=true

Versus the Unified Storage Plug-in for VMWare located here?

https://powerlink.emc.com/nsepn/webapps/btg548664833igtcuup4826/km/appmanager/km/secureDesktop?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=servicesDownloadsTemplatePg&internalId=0b014066804cb7f3&_irrt=true

I'm really interested in giving this a look, but I'd like to make sure I'm using the recommended version if you have experience with both!

Thanks,
Jeff

[iwan 'e1' Rahabok]

Thanks Chad,
What's the difference between VSI Storage Viewer, VSI Unified Storage Management, VSI Storage Pool Management, VSI Path Management?

Does VSI USM include the other 3, or do we have to install 4 of them separately?

Thanks from Singapore!
e1

[Tomi Hakala]

VSI USM plugin is for provisioning datastores from CLARiiON, Celerra and VNX using only vSphere Client, VSI Storage Pool Management plugin is same thing for VMAX.

VSI Path Management plugin is for setting NMP settings like round-robin, fixed or MRU for all datastores with a single click, very handy.

VSI Storage Viewer is for viewing storage details such as RAID protection level, metaLUN, thick or thin etc. for each datastore.

You need to install each plugin to get all features.

[Tomi Hakala]

Jeff,

VSI Unified Storage Managment Plug-in 4.1 is the latest release of USM plugin, it is the version you should use. The other is version 2.0.

[Iwan]

Thanks Tomi,

I managed to install the 3 components.
I got the error "Unsupported Block Storage System Model CX3-10f"
when doing the "Add CLARiiON" in my vSphere 4.1 U1 admin client.

Thanks in advance.

e1, VCAP-DCD

[Hector Morantes]

I've been looking to download EMC Celerra VSA, can't find where the link is. looking for hours. can someone help. thanks,

[George Lytle]

Is there an SRM plug in for VNXe? If not will it be out soon?

[George Lytle]

VNXe does not support VMWare Site Recovery Manager and doesn't seem to have plans to do so (according to the EMC support engineer's response) - wish I had purchased EqualLogic.

[Chad Sakac]

@George - I'm sorry you got a shoddy response. that is NOT correct. I will be 100% explicit and clear. VNXe will support SRM.

As you will see shortly, there is news on the SRM front, and that new target is the VNXe SRM target. There will be no SRM 4.x support (less interest about past more about the future), but that doesn't mean no SRM support. Stay tuned, please.

Thank you for being a VNXe customer.

[George Lytle]

Thanks Chad for your quick response - looking forward to support in 5.0 - and REALLY looking forward to VMworld this year!

[Delano]

@Chad... 8 months ago you noted VNXe would be supported by SRM 5.
Today it is not listed on SRM Storage matrix.

Can you comment?

Thanks

[Chad Sakac]

@Delano - I did an update here (http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2012/02/3-really-cool-somethings-and-two-uh-ohs.html) re: SRM support on VNXe.

I'm really bummed, but it has slipped again. See the link for the story and detail.