Configuration and Discovery

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The following sections describe how to configure SMI-S storage arrays for monitoring by SL1 using the SMI-S: Array PowerPack:

Prerequisites for Monitoring SMI-S Providers

To configure the SL1 system to monitor an SMI-S Provider using the SMI-S: Array PowerPack, you must have the following information about the SMI-S Provider that you want to monitor:

  • IP address and port for the SMI-S Provider
  • Username and password for a user with access to the SMI-S Provider

The SMI-S Provider will act as the root device during discovery by SL1.

Creating a Credential to Monitor Storage Arrays

To configure SL1 to monitor storage arrays, you must first create a Basic/Snippet credential. This credential allows the Dynamic Applications in the SMI-S: Array PowerPack to connect with an SMI-S Provider. An example Basic/Snippet credential that you can edit for your own use is included in the SMI-S: Array PowerPack.

To create a Basic/Snippet credential to access an SMI-S Provider:

  1. Go to the Credentials page (Manage > Credentials).
  2. Locate the example SNIA SMI-S Example credential, click its Actions icon () and select Duplicate. A copy of the credential, called SNIA SMI-S Example copy appears.
  3. Click the Actions icon () for the SNIA SMI-S Example copy credential and select Edit. The Edit Credential page appears:

  1. Enter values in the following fields:
  • Name.Type a new name for the credential.
  • All Organizations. Toggle on (blue) to align the credential to all organizations, or toggle off (gray) and then select one or more specific organizations from the What organization manages this service? drop-down field to align the credential with those specific organizations.

  • Hostname/IP. Enter "%D".
  • Port. Enter "5989" for an HTTPS connection.
  • Username. Enter the username for a user with access to the SMI-S Provider.
  • Password. Enter the password for the SMI-S Provider account username.
  1. Click Save & Close.

Creating a Credential to Monitor Storage Arrays in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To configure SL1 to monitor storage arrays, you must first create a Basic/Snippet credential. This credential allows the Dynamic Applications in the SMI-S: Array PowerPack to connect with an SMI-S Provider. An example Basic/Snippet credential that you can edit for your own use is included in the SMI-S: Array PowerPack.

To create a Basic/Snippet credential to access an SMI-S Provider:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).
  2. Locate the SNIA SMI-S Example credential and then click its wrench icon (). The Edit Basic/Snippet Credential modal page appears.

  1. Enter values in the following fields:
  • Credential Name. Enter a new name for the credential.

  • Hostname/IP. Enter "%D".
  • Port. Enter "5989" for an HTTPS connection.
  • Username. Enter the username for a user with access to the SMI-S Provider.
  • Password. Enter the password for the SMI-S Provider account username.
  1. Click the Save As button.
  2. When the confirmation message appears, click OK.

Discovering Storage Arrays

To model and monitor your storage system, you must first run a discovery session to discover the SMI-S Provider that SL1 will use as the root device for monitoring the storage system.

The discovery session will discover the SMI-S Provider as a pingable device using the Basic/Snippet credential that you created. You must then manually align the "SMI-S: Array Discovery", "SMI-S: Statistics Cache", and "SMI-S Components Config" Dynamic Applicationsto the SMI-S Provider pingable device. When you do so, SL1 will discover, model, and monitor the remaining component devices in your storage system.

To discover the storage system that you want to monitor, perform the following steps:

  1. On the Devices page () or the Discovery Sessions page (Devices > Discovery Sessions), click the Add Devices button. The Select page appears:

  1. Click the Unguided Network Discovery button. Additional information about the requirements for discovery appears in the General Information pane to the right.
  1. Click Select. The Add Devices page appears:
  2. Complete the following fields:
  • Name. Type a unique name for this discovery session. This name is displayed in the list of discovery sessions on the Discovery Sessions tab.
  • Description. Optional. Type a short description of the discovery session. You can use the text in this description to search for the discovery session on the Discovery Sessions tab.
  • Select the organization to add discovered devices to. Select the name of the organization to which you want to add the discovered devices.
  1. Click Next. The Credentials page of the Add Devices wizard appears:
  2. On the Credentials page, locate and select the Basic/Snippet credential you created.
  3. Click Next. The Discovery Session Details page of the Add Devices wizard appears:

  1. Complete the following fields:
  • List of IPs/Hostnames. Enter the IP address for the SMI-S Provider.

  • Which collector will discover these devices?. Select an existing collector to monitor the discovered devices. Required.
  • Run after save. Select this option to run this discovery session as soon as you click Save and Close.

In the Advanced options section, click the down arrow icon () to complete the following fields:

  • Discover Non-SNMP. Toggle on (blue).
  • Model Devices. Toggle on (blue).

  1. Click Save and Close to save the discovery session. The Discovery Sessions page (Devices > Discovery Sessions) displays the new discovery session.
  2. If you selected the Run after save option on this page, the discovery session runs, and the Discovery Logs page displays any relevant log messages. If the discovery session locates and adds any devices, the Discovery Logs page includes a link to the Device Investigator page for the discovered device.

Discovering Storage Arrays in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To model and monitor your storage system, you must first run a discovery session to discover the SMI-S Provider that SL1 will use as the root device for monitoring the storage system.

The discovery session will discover the SMI-S Provider as a pingable device using the Basic/Snippet credential that you created. You must then manually align the "SMI-S: Array Discovery" Dynamic Application to the SMI-S Provider pingable device. When you do so, SL1 will discover, model, and monitor the remaining component devices in your storage system.

To discover the storage system that you want to monitor, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (System > Manage > Classic Discovery or System > Manage > Discovery in the classic user interface).
  2. In the Discovery Control Panel, click the Create button.

  1. The Discovery Session Editor page appears. On this page, define values in the following fields:
  • IP Address Discovery List. Enter the IP address for the SMI-S Provider.

  • Other Credentials. Select the Basic/Snippet credential you created for the SMI-S Provider.
  • Discover Non-SNMP. Select this checkbox.
  • Model Devices. Select this checkbox.
  1. Optionally, you can enter values in the other fields on this page. For more information about the other fields on this page, see the Discovery & Credentials section.
  2. Click the Save button to save the discovery session and then close the Discovery Session Editor window.
  3. The discovery session you created appears at the top of the Discovery Control Panel page. Click its lightning-bolt icon () to run the discovery session.
  4. The Discovery Session window appears. When the SMI-S Provider is discovered, click its device icon () to view the Device Properties page for the SMI-S Provider.
  5. From the Device Properties page for the SMI-S Provider, click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.

  1. Click the Actions button and then select Add Dynamic Application from the menu. The Dynamic Application Alignment page appears.

  1. In the Dynamic Applications field, select SMI-S: Array Discovery, SMI-S: Components Config, and SMI-S: Statistics Cache.
  2. In the Credentials field, select the Basic/Snippet credential you configured for the SMI-S Provider.
  3. Click the Save button.

  1. The "SMI-S: Array Discovery" Dynamic Application appears on the Dynamic Application Collections page and begins auto-aligning the other Dynamic Applications in the SMI-S: Array PowerPack to the SMI-S Provider and discovering the other component devices in the storage system.

It might take several minutes after manually aligning the discovery Dynamic Application for SL1 to discover and model the remaining component devices in the storage system.

Troubleshooting

If you have installed a simulator or an EMC: VNX device on the same server as the SMI-S: Array, SL1 aligns the EMC: VNX and discovers its component devices at the same time as the SMI-S: Array component devices. However, some of the EMC: VNX component devices move to the SMI-S: Array component devices, which causes the topology to change. You can avoid this disruption in one of two ways:

  • Before running the discovery session for an SMI-S: Array device, remove the EMC: VNX PowerPack, since it is included in SL1 up to version 11.3.0.

  • If you have already run discovery and do not want to remove the EMC: VNX PowerPack, you can delete the discovered component devices and disable the collection of the EMC: VNX applications on the root device.

To delete the discovered component devices:

  1. Navigate to the Device Components page (Devices > Device Components).

  2. Locate the EMC: VNX component devices and select the check box next to each you want to delete.

  3. Select DELETE Selected Devices from the Select Action drop-down menu.

  4. Select the Go button. SL1 will apply the selected option to the selected devices.

To disable the collection of EMC: VNX applications on the root device:

  1. Navigate to the Device Components page (Devices > Device Components).
  2. Locate the root device and select the Device Properties icon ().
  3. Click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
  4. Select the checkbox next to the following Dynamic Applications:
    • EMC: VNX Array Discovery
    • EMC: VNX Components Configuration
    • EMC: VNX LUN Cache
  5. Select Disable All Collection Objects from the Select Action drop-down menu.
  6. Select the Go button. SL1 will apply the selected option to the root device.

Viewing Storage Devices

In addition to the Devices page, you can view the SMI-S Array and all of its component devices in the following places in the user interface:

  • The Device Investigator Map page (click Map in the Device Investigator page) displays a map of a particular device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the listed devices reloads the page to make the selected device the primary device.

  • The Device Components page (Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1. The Device Components page displays all root devices and component devices in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with an SMI-S: Array, find the device and click its plus icon (+).

  • The Component Map page (Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Component Map as new component devices are discovered. The platform also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for an SMI-S: Array, go to the Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Component Map page, see the section on Maps.

Viewing Storage Devices in the SL1 Classic User Interface

When SL1 discovers your storage system, SL1 will create component devices that represent each component in your storage system.

In addition to the Device Manager page, you can view the storage system and all associated component devices in the following places in the user interface:

  • The Device View modal page (click the bar-graph icon [] for a device, then click the Topology tab) displays a map of the selected device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices listed reloads the page, with the selected device as the primary device.

  • The Device Components page (Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1 in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with your storage system, find the root device and click its plus icon (+).

  • The Component Map page (Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Component Map as new component devices are discovered. The platform also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for your storage system, go to the Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Component Map page, see the section on Views.