Preparing Servers for Installation

To ensure a smooth installation, please read through this topic to prepare the DataCore Servers that will run DataCore SANsymphony or DataCore SANsymphony software and the hosts that will utilize the virtual storage resources.

Preparing DataCore Servers

• Ensure servers meet or exceed the system requirements. Install all important Microsoft Windows operating system software service packs and updates.
• It is assumed that DataCore Servers always have the most up-to-date “Root Certificates” (used for verifying signed drivers). If DataCore Servers have unknown or expired ca-certificates, download and install the most recent “DigiCert Assured ID Root CA” from here: https://www.digicert.com/kb/digicert-root-certificates.htm
• See the FAQs on the DataCore Technical Support Portal for additional important operating system configuration instructions for DataCore Servers.
• Enable firewall rules on all servers. In Server Manager>Configuration>Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, select Inbound Rules and enable the following:
  • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI-In)
  • Windows Management Instrumentation (ASync-In)
  • Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In)
  • Remote Volume Management (RPC-EPMAP)
  • Remote Volume Management - Virtual Disk Service (RPC)
  • Remote Volume Management - Virtual Disk Service Loader (RPC)
  • File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In)
  • File and Printer Sharing (SMB-In) – TCP 445
  • File and Printer Sharing (NB-Session-In) – TCP 139

  Next, select Outbound Rules and enable the following:

  • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI-Out)
• To allow this software to function properly and DataCore Servers to communicate, certain Windows operating system settings are automatically changed during the software installation.

  Port 3793 and port 3260 must be open for the software to function properly.

• If using firewalls, please ensure these ports are open. See DataCore Server Settings Disclosure for additional setting changes.
• Disable the following Microsoft Windows Features on servers:
  • iSCSi Target Server
  • iSCSi Target Storage Provider (VSS and VDS)
• It is not recommended to use the storage pools functionality of Microsoft Windows as they now enable the storage spaces feature by default.
• Do not install the software on domain controllers.
• A server name is limited to 15 ASCII characters. Fully qualified domain names (FQDN) are limited to 64 characters.
• DataCore Servers "broker" all storage resource allocations and paths from hosts (servers utilizing virtual storage) to physical disks.
  • Connect DataCore Servers to hosts and physical storage to the network via FC HBAs, NICs for iSCSI, or a hybrid of both.
  • IP to FC routers that enable IP/iSCSI connectivity to the Fibre Channel and iSCSI storage resources are supported.
  • Internet Protocol Version 4 is supported for NICs. NICs should be connected with a valid IPv4 address.

    This must be done prior to software installation or the DataCore iSCSI drivers will not install at that time.

  • Ensure storage and hosts are accessible to DataCore Servers.
  • Storage devices, from JBOD enclosures to storage arrays, are supported. Basic vendor-specific configuration and installation of these storage devices should be performed according to manufacturer instructions. Any physical disks that are un-partitioned can be managed. After the physical devices are discovered by this software, no further device-specific configuration is necessary other than for hardware maintenance or failure correction. (Disks marked as "Removable" in Windows Disk Management cannot be used as storage devices.)
  • Physical disks with existing file systems and disk formats (for example NTFS, VMware VMFS, UFS, and JFS) can be migrated into the architecture of this software without modifying the structure. Access to current disk contents can be maintained during the migration process. Do not alter these disks in any manner. See Pass-through Disks for details.
• An Ethernet connection is required between DataCore Servers running this software. This connection is required for communications between the servers such as various messaging, relaying configuration changes, and collecting status information.
• IP addresses are used to communicate and transfer data between DataCore Servers (including Replication partners), as well as to communicate and transfer information between DataCore Servers and remote SQL Servers recording performance data and computers running the DataCore Management Console. To make a network connection using hostnames, all machines must be able to resolve the host names of DataCore Servers to their IP address. DataCore Servers (including Replication partners) and DataCore Management Consoles require functioning name resolution to resolve computer names to IP addresses.

  To ensure correct communication and data transfer, verify that name resolution exists among all DataCore Management Consoles and servers used in local and remote server groups. See Name Resolution in the DataCore SANsymphony Help for more information.

• To achieve optimal Cyber Resiliency, configure the server locality correctly. The Cyber Resiliency Rating is influenced by how your virtual disks are distributed across different server locations.

  It is recommended to avoid placing all virtual disks within the same locality. Spreading virtual disks across multiple localities ensures that the system remains functional even if a failure occurs in one location.

• To achieve high availability, two DataCore Servers with two FC HBAs or NICs are required. This will achieve automatic failover if I/O directed to one path fails when a virtual disk is served to a host with multi-pathing capabilities.
• Product license keys are not necessary to install and evaluate this software. However, software activation with valid product license keys is required within 30 days. Failing to activate the software within the trial period will prohibit all configuration operations. See Activating the License in the DataCore SANsymphony Help to activate new licenses or activate new license capacity or features.

  Certain software features are disabled or limited in trial mode.

• If using iSCSI:
  • Ensure Microsoft iSCSI Initiator is enabled in the operating system.
  • If using an iSNS server, attach the iSNS server to the iSCSI SAN and install the iSNS software. Microsoft iSNS Server software can be downloaded from the Download Center on the Microsoft Web site.
• If planning to replicate virtual disks to a remote location:
  • TCP/IP connections are required between local and remote servers. Use Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) for iSCSI targets on DataCore Servers.
  • The best practice when replicating between sites is to use a network card that is dedicated to replicating virtual disks and not used for other functions such as iSCSI or LAN management. Sharing the network card for various uses may impact replication performance.
• If planning to record performance data on a remote SQL Server:
  • Microsoft SQL Server® 2012 and 2014 (Standard, Enterprise, Developer, or Express editions) are supported.
  • The SQL Server instance must be created before configuring the remote SQL Server in this software. See the Help topic Recorded Performance for more information, including additional remote SQL Server requirements.
• If installing DataCore SANsymphony software on a Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) node:
  • Ensure Virtualized SANsymphony servers meet or exceed the Virtualized SANsymphony system requirements.
• Time synchronize all DataCore Servers and hosts. DataCore recommends configuring the built-in Windows Internet Time Settings (NTP) to synchronize the time.