Connecting to a Server Group

In this topic:

About connecting to server groups

Credentials

Connecting to a server group

Auto-connect to server (enabling/disabling)

Server Group Connections Panel

Connections Details page

Connection status

About Connecting to Server Groups

The DataCore Management Console allows users to establish a TCP session from any computer running the DataCore Management Console component, which is used to configure and manage DataCore Servers running this software. Once connected to a DataCore Server in a server group, storage configuration and management can be performed for all servers in the server group from a single console.

Multiple server groups can also be managed from the same management console by allowing connections to servers in local and remote server groups. Administrators can easily manage multiple server groups from the same console. All connections made locally from the same console are saved per user and displayed in the Server Group Connections Panel when the same user opens the console.

 DataCore Servers (including Replication partners) require functioning name resolution to resolve computer names to IP addresses. To ensure proper communication and data transfer, verify that correct name resolution exists. If using a HOSTS file, the name in the file should be identical to the computer name, including case.  See Name Resolution for important information about connecting to a local or remote server group and facilitating communications between the servers in the local server group, as well as between local and remote server groups.

Credentials

Windows® operating system credentials are used to connect to DataCore Servers:

o           Credentials can be domain-wide or local (workgroup).

o           When connecting to a server which is part of a group, user credentials will be authenticated on each server in the group. The same user accounts and passwords (domain or local) must exist on all servers running SANsymphony software in a server group. If using the local Administrator account, the Administrator account and passwords must match on all servers in the group. This also applies when connecting between local and remote server groups; to ensure proper functioning of the software, the same user accounts must exist on all servers in both local and remote groups. See Name Resolution.

o           Users must also be registered in the DataCore Management Console with user names that are identical to Windows operating system user accounts. This also applies when connecting between local and remote server groups; users should be registered in both local and remote groups. See Registering Users and Assigning Roles for details.

o             Special notes about connecting after installation for the first time:

·            After installation and before users are registered in SANsymphony software, the Administrator account can be used to connect to a server group and gain access to the DataCore Management Console so that users can be registered. Users must be registered in the software in order to gain access to it. See Registering Users and Assigning Roles for more information.)
Note: The same Administrator account and password should be used for all servers in the server group.  (The DcsAdmin account that was created during installation may also be used to connect, but this account was designed for DataCore Executive (Dcsx) service use only and is not preferred for logging in and connecting to the server group.)

·            During installation, a local server group is automatically created and the server that you connect to is the sole member of that server group. (After connecting to the server group, additional configuration can be performed, such as adding more DataCore Servers to the same server group. See Establishing Server Groups for more information.) 

Connecting to a Server Group

Connection information entered in the Connect to Server Group dialog box below is saved locally per user which eliminates the need to re-enter the information. Passwords can also be remembered if indicated in the dialog box. Remembered passwords are encrypted.

The Connect to Server Group dialog box opens automatically when the DataCore Management Console is opened, or it can be accessed from the console by opened from the Ribbon>Common Actions tab.

The Connect To Server Group dialog box can be used to:

o           Recall saved connection information to connect to a server group. Select the connection from the pull-down menu and click Connect.

o           Change credentials for saved connection information while connecting. Select the connection from the pull-down menu, make changes to the credentials and click Connect. In this case, the updated changes are saved for the connection and older information discarded.

o           Delete saved connections. Selecting the connection from the pull-down menu and click the red X, which appears when there is a saved connection that can be deleted. (The connection to localhost cannot be deleted.)

When a user is logged in the system and opens the DataCore Management Console, connections that have been saved locally for that user are displayed in the Server Group Connections Panel.

Auto-connect

The Auto-connect to server check box in the Connect to Server Group dialog box enables the connection to be made automatically upon opening the console without re-entering server name and credentials each time.

In additional to enabling the Auto-connect feature, indicate in the dialog box which server and user credentials to use when connecting. Either enter specific credentials and select the Remember password check box or select the Use default credentials check box*. (Server and user credentials must be remembered, whether specific credentials are entered or default credentials are used.) The next time the user opens the DataCore Management Console, a connection to the last server for which it has "remembered" credentials will be established automatically without user intervention.

If the connection is being made from a computer with different credentials than the server being connected to, clear the Use default credentials check box and enter the user name and password of the DataCore Server to connect to and select the Remember password check box. The setting is not globally applied and is only associated with the particular user login Windows account.

*Default credentials are the operating system user account credentials currently used to log into the computer that is running the DataCore Management Console. In this case, it is not necessary to select the Remember password check box as the credentials are remembered by the operating system.

To enable auto-connect, see the following instructions.  Also see Disabling Auto-connect.  

To connect to a server group:

1            When the DataCore Management Console is opened, the Connect to Server Group dialog box opens.   

2           In the dialog box, enter the name or IP address of the DataCore Server to connect to or select it from the pull-down menu. This entry defines how communications will occur between servers, through server name or specific IP address.

·            If the server name or IP address is not provided, a localhost connection is assumed. So if connecting to the same server you are currently using, the name or IP address is not necessary.
 We highly recommend using host names instead of IP addresses. IP addresses can be determined from host names regardless of changes to the IP addresses.

·            For new installations and before users are registered, use the local Administrator account or the DcsAdmin account that was created during the installation. Use the same account for all servers in the server group.

3           To login to the server using the same credentials that were used when logging into Windows, select the Use default credentials check box. Otherwise, clear the check box and enter the required authorized credentials. (If credentials are domain-wide, include the domain with the name for example: DOMAIN\user name.)

4          Select the Remember password check box to remember the password for the user name.

5           Select the Auto-connect to server check box to enable automatically connecting to the last server that was connected to when the console is opened. Note: Either credentials must be entered and the Remember password check box must be selected or the Use default credentials check box must be selected.

6           Click Connect. A message will appear on the dialog box that the management console is attempting to connect to the server. When the connection has been successfully completed the dialog box will close.

To cancel the connection, click Cancel or the ESC key.

Disabling Auto-connect

1            Access the Connect to Server Group dialog box from the console from the Ribbon>Common Actions tab.

2           In the Connect to Server dialog box, clear the Auto-connect to server check box and click Connect.

Server Group Connections Panel

The Server Group Connections Panel displays all connections to server groups that have been made locally per user. The panel enables administrators to connect to different server groups and manage the server groups remotely from the same management console.  

 The Server Group Connections Panel can be used to:

o           Connect to a server group. In the panel, right-click on the connection and click Connect from the context menu.
(Alternatively, double-click on the connection in the panel to connect.)

o           Recall saved connection information.
In the panel, right-click on the connection and click View Details from the context menu. The Connections Details page opens. Passwords are not saved unless the Remember password box is selected during connection or the Password field is entered in the Connections Details page. Saved passwords are encrypted.

o           Change credentials for saved connection information.
In the panel, right-click on the connection and click View Details from the context menu. The Connections Details page opens. Update the credential information and click Apply. In this case, the updated changes are saved for the connection and older information discarded.
 Do not enter a password unless you want to save it.

o           Delete saved connections.
In the panel, right-click on the connection and click Delete from the context menu. (The connection to localhost cannot be deleted.)

Notes:

o           Panel icons reflect the active connection and the disconnected connections . When connected to a server group, all connections for that server group will be active.

o           Changes to server group names will be refreshed when a connection is active.

Connections Details page

The Connections Details page displays the saved connection information for each connection in the Server Group Connections Panel. Credential information can also be changed in the page.

To open the page:

In the panel, right-click on the connection and click View Details from the context menu.  
(Alternatively, click once on the connection in the panel to open the details page.)

To change credential information for a saved connection:

In the panel, right-click on the connection and click View Details from the context menu. The Connections Details page opens. Update the credential information and click Apply. In this case, the updated changes are saved for the connection and older information discarded.

Connection Status

The connection status between the management console and the server is displayed on the left in the status bar at the bottom of the management console.

Status:

o           Connected - Indicates that there is a connection between the management console and the server.

o           Disconnected  - Indicates that there is no communication between the management console and the server. Try reconnecting to the server again. (The Connect to Server Group dialog box can also be opened from the Ribbon>Common Actions tab in the management console.)