Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Version 2.0.0

Note

Before using this information and the product it supports, read the general and legal notices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

First Edition (March 2018)

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018. LIMITED AND RESTRICTED RIGHTS NOTICE: If data or software is delivered pursuant a General Services Administration “GSA” contract, use, reproduction, or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in Contract No. GS-35F-05925.

http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/notices.html

http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/notices.html

Contents

Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Summary of changes . . . . . . . . . . ix

Chapter 1. Lenovo XClarity Administrator Overview . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2. Planning for Lenovo XClarity Administrator . . . . . . . . . . 7Free 90-day trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Hardware and software support . . . . . . . . . 7

Supported host systems . . . . . . . . . . 7Supported devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Supported firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Supported web browsers . . . . . . . . . . 9

Firewalls and proxy servers . . . . . . . . . . . 9Port availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Management considerations . . . . . . . . . . 17

Comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator. . . . . . 18Migrating from Flex System Manager . . . . 20Using another management software in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator . . 21

Network considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . 21IP configuration limitations. . . . . . . . . 22Network types . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Network configurations . . . . . . . . . . 22

Security considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Encapsulation management . . . . . . . . 31Cryptographic management . . . . . . . . 32Security certificates . . . . . . . . . . . 33Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34User accounts and role groups . . . . . . . 35User-account security . . . . . . . . . . 35

Performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . 36High availability considerations . . . . . . . . . 36Features on Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Chapter 3. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Nutanix AHV-based environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Step 1: Cable the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 41

Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . . . . 41

Physically separate data and management networks (Nutanix AHV). . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Step 1: Cable the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 47Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 47

Virtually separate data and management network topology (Nutanix AHV) . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Step 1: Cable rack servers to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 53Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 54

Implementing high availability (Nutanix AHV) . . . 58

Chapter 4. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Red Hat KVM-based environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Single data and management network (KVM) . . . 59

Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top- of-rack switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 61Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 63Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 64Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 65

Physically separate data and management networks (KVM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68


Virtually separate data and management network topology (KVM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Step 1: Cable the chassis and rack servers to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . 79Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 80

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 i

Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 82Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 84Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 85

Management-only network topology (KVM) . . . . 88Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top- of-rack switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 90Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 92Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 93Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 93

Implementing high availability (KVM). . . . . . . 97

Chapter 5. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in VMware ESXi-based environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Single data and management network (ESXi) . . . 99


Physically separate data and management networks (ESXi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118


Virtually separate data and management network topology (ESXi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Step 1: Cable the chassis and rack servers to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . 140Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 141Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 143Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 144

Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . . . . 148

Management-only network topology (ESXi) . . . . 159Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top- of-rack switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 161Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 163Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 164Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 164

Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi) . . . 177

Chapter 6. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Microsoft Hyper-V- based environments . . . . . . . . . . 179Single data and management network (Hyper- V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top- of-rack switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 181Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 183Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 184Step 6: Setup the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . . . . 185

Physically separate data and management networks (Hyper-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top- of-rack switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 190Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 192Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 193Step 6. Setup and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 194

Virtually separate data and management network (Hyper-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Step 1: Cable the chassis and rack servers to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . 200Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 201Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 204Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 205Step 6. Set up and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 209

Management-only network topology (Microsoft Hyper-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

ii Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administratorhost to the top-of-rack switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switches . . . . 214Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Step 4: Configure Flex switches. . . . . . . 216Step 5: Install and configure the host. . . . . 217Step 6: Set up and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance . . . . 218

Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper- V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Chapter 7. Accessing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Chapter 8. Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time . . . . 227Creating user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Configuring network access . . . . . . . . . . 228Configuring the date and time . . . . . . . . . 233Configuring service and support . . . . . . . . 234Configuring security . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Managing systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Chapter 9. Uninstalling the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 iii

iv Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Figures

1. Example implementation of a single network for management, data, and operating system deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2. Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the data network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3. Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the management network . . . . . . . . . . 27

4. Example implementation of virtually separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the data network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

5. Example implementation of virtually separate management and data networks with the operating-system network as part of the management network . . . . . . . . . . 29

6. Example implementation of a management- only network with no support for operating-system deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

7. Example implementation of a management- only network with support for operating-system deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

8. Sample single data and management network topology (Nutanix AHV) . . . . . . 40

9. Example cabling for a single data and management network . . . . . . . . . . 41

10. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (Nutanix AHV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

11. Example cabling for physically separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

12. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate data and management network (Nutanix AHV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

13. Example cabling for virtually separate data and management networks . . . . . . . . 53

14. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network . . . . . . . . . . 54

15. Sample single data and management network topology (VMware ESXi) . . . . . . 60

16. Example cabling for a single data and management network . . . . . . . . . . 61

17. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 6418. Sample Network topology - Physically

separate data and management network (KVM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69


20. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 7321. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate

data and management network (KVM) . . . . 78

22. Example cabling for virtually separate data and management networks. . . . . . . . . . 79

23. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network . . . . . . . . . . 80

24. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on both networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

25. Sample Network topology - Management- only network (KVM) . . . . . . . . . . . 89

26. Example cabling for a management-only network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

27. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 9328. Sample single data and management

network topology (VMware ESXi) . . . . . . 10029. Example cabling for a single data and

management network . . . . . . . . . . 10130. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 10431. Network adapter configuration. . . . . . . 10832. Sample Network topology - Physically

separate data and management network (VMware ESXi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119



data and management network (VMware ESXi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

36. Example cabling for virtually separate data and management networks . . . . . . . . 140

37. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network . . . . . . . 141

38. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network . . . . . . . 144

39. Console breakout-cable and front bezel of a server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

40. Example of a remote-control session . . . . 14741. Network adapter configuration. . . . . . . 15042. Sample Network topology - Management-

only network (VMware ESXi). . . . . . . . 16043. Example cabling for a management-only

network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16144. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 16445. Network adapter configuration. . . . . . . 16746. Sample single data and management

network topology (Microsoft Hyper-V) . . . . 18047. Example cabling for a single data and

management network . . . . . . . . . . 18148. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 184

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 v

49. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (Microsoft Hyper-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189



data and management network (Microsoft Hyper- V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199


54. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks

(VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network . . . . . . . 202

55. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on both networks . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

56. Console breakout-cable and front bezel of a server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

57. Example of a remote-control session . . . . 20858. Sample Network topology - Management-

only network (Microsoft Hyper-V) . . . . . . 21359. Example cabling for a management-only

network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21460. Flex switch locations in a chassis. . . . . . 217

vi Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Tables

1. Required Internet connections . . . . . . . . 92. Ports that must be open for the Lenovo

XClarity Administrator server . . . . . . . 123. Ports that must be open for event

management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134. Ports that must be open between Lenovo

XClarity Administrator and managed devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5. Ports that must be available to deploy operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . 17

6. Ports that must be available to deploy Microsoft Windows . . . . . . . . . . . 17

7. Functional comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

8. Role of Eth0 and Eth1 based on network topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

9. Correlation between vNIC IDs and PCIe functions on the servers . . . . . . . . . 83

10. Correlation between vNIC IDs and PCIe functions on the servers . . . . . . . . . 84

11. Role of Eth0 and Eth1 based on network topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 vii

viii Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Summary of changes

Follow-on releases of Lenovo XClarity Administrator management software provides support for new hardware, software enhancements, and fixes.

Refer to the change history file (*.chg) that is provided in the update package for information about fixes.

For information about all supported hardware (including servers, chassis, and Flex switches), see “Supported devices” on page 8.

Version 2.0.0

No new hardware is supported in this version.

Note: Nimble storage devices are no longer supported by Lenovo XClarity Administrator v2.0.0 and later.

This version supports the following enhancements.

Function Description

Planning and installation Lenovo XClarity Administrator supports an iLenovo XClarity Administrator supports an increase in the number of devices that can be managed. For more information, see the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Performance white paper. A minimum of 192 GB of storage is required for use by the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance (see Supported host systems).

Additional ports must be open for forwarding events to the REST Web Service and Microsoft®Azure Log Analytics interfaces (see Port availability).

Version 1.4.0

This version supports the following new hardware:

• Servers and appliances– ThinkAgile HX1320 Appliance (7X83)– ThinkAgile HX2320-E Appliance (7X83)– ThinkAgile HX3320 Appliance (7X83)– ThinkAgile HX1520-R Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX2520-R Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX3520-G Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX5520 Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX5520-C Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX7520 Appliance (7X84)– ThinkAgile HX2720-E Appliance (7X82)– ThinkAgile HX3720 Appliance (7X82)– ThinkAgile VX3320 (7Y13)– ThinkAgile VX5520 (7Y14)– ThinkAgile VX7520 (7Y14)– ThinkSystem SR570 (7Y02, 7Y03)– ThinkSystem SR590 (7X98, 7X99)– ThinkSystem SR860 (7X69, 7X70)

This version also supports the following enhancements.

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 ix

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/docs/UM103612


Installation and setup You can configure service and support settings during the initial setup, including usage data, Lenovo Support (Call Home), Lenovo Upload Facility, and product warranty (see “Configuring service and support” on page 234). You can choose to allow Lenovo XClarity Administrator to collect and send anonymous information about how you use the product to Lenovo (see “Configuring service and support” on page 234).

Version 1.3.1


• Servers and appliances– ThinkSystem SD530 (7X21) – ThinkSystem SN550 (7X16) – ThinkSystem SN850 (7X15) – ThinkSystem SR530 (7X07, 7X08) – ThinkSystem SR550 (7X03, 7X04) – ThinkSystem SR630 (7X01, 7X02) – ThinkSystem SR650 (7X05, 7X06) – ThinkSystem SR850 (7X18, 7X19)– ThinkSystem ST550 (7X09, 7X10)

Version 1.3.0


• Switches– RackSwitch G8332 (CNOS)– RackSwitch NE1032– RackSwitch NE1032T– RackSwitch NE1072T– RackSwitch NE10032

• Storage devices– Lenovo Storage DX8200D (5135)– Lenovo ThinkSystem DS2200 (4599)– Lenovo ThinkSystem DS4200 (4617)– Lenovo ThinkSystem DS6200 (4619)



Installation and setup You can install Lenovo XClarity Administrator on and VMware ESXi 6.5 and Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV) (see “Supported host systems” on page 7 and Chapter 3 “Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Nutanix AHV-based environments” on page 39).

Version 1.2.2


• Servers and appliances– System x3100 M4 Type 2582– ThinkServer RS160 Types 70TD, 70TE, 70TF, 70TG– ThinkServer RS260 Types 70TH, 70TJ

• Switches

x Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

– RackSwitch G8272 (CNOS)– RackSwitch G8296 (CNOS)

• Storage devices

– Nimble Storage AF5000 All Flash Array

– Nimble Storage CS1000 Adaptive Flash Array, Type 6687

– Nimble Storage CS3000 Adaptive Flash Array, Type 6687



Installation and setup You can install Lenovo XClarity Administrator on Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV) (see “Supported host systems” on page 7 and Chapter 3 “Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Nutanix AHV-based environments” on page 39).

Version 1.2.1

There is no additional hardware that is supported in this version.

This version supports the following enhancements.


Planning A minimum of 8 GB of memory is required for the virtual machine (see “Supported host systems” on page 7).

Version 1.2.0


• Servers and appliances– Converged HX1310 Type 8693– Converged HX2310-E Type 8693– Converged HX2710-E Type 8689– Converged HX3310-F Type 8693– Converged HX3510-G Type 8695– Converged HX3710 Type 8689– Converged HX3710-F Type 8689– Converged HX5510-C Type 8695– System x3100 M5 Type 5457– System x3250 M4 Type 2583

• Storage solutions– DX8200C, Type 5120– DX8200N, Type 5128

• Storage devices– Storage S2200– Storage S3200


© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 xi


90-day trial license Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers a free, 90-day trial license that enables you to use all available features (including operating-system deployment, firmware maintenance, and configuration management) for a limited time. After 90 days, you can continue to use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage and monitor your hardware for free; however, you must purchase a license to configure your hardware using Configuration Patterns and to deploy operating systems (see “Free 90-day trial” on page 7).

Installation and setup You can specify IPv6 addresses in the configuration file when setting up Lenovo XClarity Administrator (see Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance and Step 6: Setup the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance).

Version 1.1.1


• Servers and appliances– Converged HX3310 (8693)– Converged HX5510 (8695)– Converged HX7510 (8695)– NeXtScale nx360 M4, Type 5455– NeXtScale sd350 M5, Type 5493– System dx360 M4, Type 7912, 7913– System x3250 M6, Type 3633, 3943– System x3300 M4, Type 7382 – System x3500 M4, Type 7383– System x3530 M4, Type 7160– System x3550 M4, Type 7914– System x3630 M4, Type 7158, 7159– System x3650 M4, Type 5460, 5466, 7915– System x3750 M4, Type 8718, 8722, 8733, 8752, 8753– System x3250 M5, Type 5458– System x3850, x3950 X5, Type 7143, 7145– System x3850, x3950 X6 Type 3837



Requirements Updated firmware requirements for RackSwitch switches (see “Supported firmware” on page 9).

Version 1.1.0


• Servers– System x3550 M5, Type 8869– System x3650 M5, Type 8871– ThinkServer RD350– ThinkServer RD450– ThinkServer RD550– ThinkServer RD650– ThinkServer TD350

• Switches– Lenovo RackSwitch G7028– Lenovo RackSwitch G7052

xii Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

– Lenovo RackSwitch G8052– Lenovo RackSwitch G8124E– Lenovo RackSwitch G8264– Lenovo RackSwitch G8264CS– Lenovo RackSwitch G8264CS SIF– Lenovo RackSwitch G8272– Lenovo RackSwitch G8296– Lenovo RackSwitch G8332– IBM RackSwitch G8052– IBM RackSwitch G8264



Management server You can access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator user interface using the Microsoft Edge browser (see “Supported web browsers” on page 9).

90-day trial license Lenovo XClarity Administrator offers a free, 90-day trial license that enables you to use all available features (including operating-system deployment, firmware maintenance, and configuration management) for a limited time (see “Free 90-day trial” on page 7).

Version 1.0.2


• Servers– x360 M5 Compute Node Type 5465

Version 1.0.1


• Chassis– Lenovo Enterprise Chassis Type 7385

• Servers– Lenovo System x3500 M5 Type 5464



Port availability The DNS names and IP addresses that must be available for call home and update functions has been updated (see “Port availability” on page 11).

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xiv Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

Chapter 1. Lenovo XClarity Administrator Overview

Lenovo XClarity Administrator is a centralized, resource-management solution that simplifies infrastructure management, speeds responses, and enhances the availability of Lenovo® server systems and solutions. It runs as a virtual appliance that automates discovery, inventory, tracking, monitoring, and provisioning for server, network, and storage hardware in a secure environment.

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Managing hardware like software

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Overview

Lenovo XClarity Administrator provides a central interface to perform the following functions for all managed devices.

Hardware managementLenovo XClarity Administrator provides agent-free hardware management. It can automatically discover manageable devices, including server, network, and storage hardware. Inventory data is collected for managed devices for an at-a-glance view of the managed hardware inventory and status.

There are various management tasks for each supported device, including viewing status and properties, and configuring system and network settings, launching the management interfaces, powering on and off, and remote control. For more information about managing devices, see Managing chassis, Managing servers, and Managing switches in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Tip: Server, network, and storage hardware that can be managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator is referred to as devices. Hardware that is under Lenovo XClarity Administrator management is referred to as managed devices.

You can use the rack view in Lenovo XClarity Administrator to group your managed devices to reflect the physical rack setup in your datacenter. For more information about racks, see Managing racks in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

© Copyright Lenovo 2015, 2018 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES0xgSqYtAA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_ILp3p5Rw

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/chassis_manage.html


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/server_manage.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/switches_manage.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/racks_manage.html

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Discovery

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Inventory

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Remote control

Hardware monitoringLenovo XClarity Administrator provides a centralized view of all events and alerts that are generated from the managed devices. An event or alert is passed to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator and is displayed in the events or alerts log. A summary of all events and alerts is visible from the Dashboard and the Status bar. Events and alerts for a specific device are available from the Alerts and Events detail page for that device.

For more information about monitoring hardware, see Working with events and Working with alerts in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Monitoring

Configuration managementYou can quickly provision and pre-provision all of your servers using a consistent configuration. Configuration settings (such as local storage, I/O adapters, boot settings, firmware, ports, and management controller and UEFI settings) are saved as a server pattern that can be applied to one or more managed servers. When the server patterns are updated, the changes are automatically deployed to the applied servers.

Server patterns also integrate support for virtualizing I/O addresses, so you can virtualize Flex System fabric connections or repurpose servers without disruption to the fabric.

For more information about configuring servers, see Configuring servers using the Lenovo XClarity Administrator in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Bare metal to cluster

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Configuration patterns

Firmware compliance and updatesFirmware management is simplified by assigning firmware-compliance policies to managed devices. When you create and assign a compliance policy to managed devices, Lenovo XClarity Administrator monitors changes to the inventory for those devices and flags any devices that are out of compliance.

When a device is out of compliance, you can use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply and activate firmware updates for all devices in that device from a repository of firmware updates that you manage.

Note: Refreshing the repository and downloading firmware updates requires an Internet connection. If Lenovo XClarity Administrator has no Internet connection, you can manually import firmware updates to the repository.

For more information about updating firmware, see Updating firmware on managed devices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.


• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Firmware updates

• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Provisioning firmware security updates

Operating-system deployment

2 Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CwyTnVc3Zk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNzaYpyzLU0

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http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/server_configuring.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnrM33_i_gM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wOtYVvyBQY

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b6pMPdSWfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCOM6jxRMg

You can use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage a repository of operating-system images and to deploy operating-system images to up to 28 servers managed servers concurrently.

For more information about deploying operating systems, see Deploying an operating system image in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.


• Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Operating-system deployment

User managementLenovo XClarity Administrator provides a centralized authentication server to create and manage user accounts and to manage and authenticate user credentials. The authentication server is created automatically when you start the management server for the first time. The user accounts that you create for Lenovo XClarity Administrator can also be used to log in to managed chassis and servers in managed-authentication mode. For more information about users, see Managing user accounts in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator supports three types of authentication servers:

• Local authentication server. By default, Lenovo XClarity Administrator is configured to use the local authentication server that resides on the management node.

• External LDAP server. Currently, only Microsoft Active Directory is supported. This server must reside on an outboard Microsoft Windows server that is connected to the management network.When an external LDAP server is used, the local authentication server is disabled.

• External SAML 2.0 identity provider. Currently, only Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is supported. In addition to entering a user name and password, multi-factor authentication can be set up to enable additional security by requiring a PIN code, reading smart card, and client certificate.

For more information about authentication types, see Managing the authentication server in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

When you create a user account, you assign a predefined or customized role group to the user account to control the level of access for that user. For more information about role groups, see Creating a role group in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator includes an audit log that provides a historical record of user actions, such as logging on, creating new users, or changing user passwords. For more information about the audit log, see Working with events in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Device authenticationLenovo XClarity Administrator uses the following methods for authenticating with managed chassis and servers.

• Managed authentication. When managed authentication is enabled, the user accounts that you create in Lenovo XClarity Administrator are used to authenticate managed chassis and servers.

For more information about users, see Managing user accounts in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation .

• Local authentication. When managed authentication is disabled, the stored credentials that are defined in Lenovo XClarity Administrator are used to authenticate managed servers. The stored credentials must correspond to an active user account on the device or in Active Directory.

For more information about stored credentials, see Managing stored credentials in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Chapter 1. Lenovo XClarity Administrator Overview 3

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SecurityIf your environment must comply with NIST SP 800-131A standards, Lenovo XClarity Administrator can help you achieve a fully compliant environment.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator supports self-signed SSL certificates (which are issued by an internal certificate authority) and external SSL certificates (which are issued by a private or commercial CA).

Firewalls on chassis and servers can be configured to accept incoming requests from only Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

For more information about security, see Implementing a secure environment in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Service and supportLenovo XClarity Administrator can be set up to collect and send diagnostic files automatically to your preferred service provider when certain serviceable events occur in Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the managed devices. You can choose to send diagnostic files to Lenovo Support using Call Home or to another service provider using SFTP. You can also manually collect diagnostic files, open a problem record, and send diagnostic files to the Lenovo Support Center.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator: Service and support

Task automation using scriptsLenovo XClarity Administrator can be integrated into external, higher-level management and automation platforms through open REST application programming interfaces (APIs). Using the REST APIs, Lenovo XClarity Administrator can easily integrate with your existing management infrastructure.

The PowerShell toolkit provides a library of cmdlets to automate provisioning and resource management from a Microsoft PowerShell session. The Python toolkit provides a Python-based library of commands and APIs to automate provisioning and resource management from an OpenStack environment, such as Ansible or Puppet. Both of these toolkits provide an interface to Lenovo XClarity Administrator REST APIs to automate functions such as:

• Logging in to Lenovo XClarity Administrator

• Managing and unmanaging chassis, servers, storage devices, and top-of-rack switches (devices)

• Collecting and viewing inventory data for devices and components

• Deploying an operating-system image to one or more servers

• Configuring servers through the use of Configuration Patterns

• Applying firmware updates to devices

Integration with other managed softwareLenovo XClarity Integrator modules integrate Lenovo XClarity Administrator with third-party management software to provide discovery, monitoring, configuration, and management functions to reduce the cost and complexity of routine system administration for supported devices.

For more information about Lenovo XClarity Integrator, see the following documents: • Lenovo XClarity Integrator for Microsoft System Center• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for VMware vCenter• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for Nutanix Prism

For additional considerations, see “Using another management software in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator” on page 21.

• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for Microsoft System Center overview


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27buntQGoyA

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/documents/lnvo-manage

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/documents/lnvo-vmware

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/documents/lnvo-nutanix

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• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for VMware vCenter

DocumentationThe Lenovo XClarity Administrator documentation is updated regularly online in English See the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation for the most current information and procedures.

Chapter 1. Lenovo XClarity Administrator Overview 5

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Chapter 2. Planning for Lenovo XClarity Administrator

Before installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator, review the following considerations to help you plan for installation and day-to-day management.

Free 90-day trialLenovo XClarity Administrator offers a free, 90-day trial license that enables full use of all available features (including operating-system deployment and configuration management) for a limited time.

You can determine how many days are left in the trial license by clicking the user action menu (

) on the Lenovo XClarity Administrator title bar, and then clicking About.

After 90 days, you can continue to use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage and monitor your hardware for free; however, you must purchase a full-function-enablement license to continue using Lenovo XClarity Administrator to configure your hardware using Configuration Patterns and to deploy operating systems. Lenovo XClarity Pro provides entitlement to service and support and the full-function-enablement license for Configuration Patterns. For more information about purchasing Lenovo XClarity Pro, contact your Lenovo representative or authorized business partner.

For information about installing the license, see Updating the Lenovo XClarity Administrator management serverin the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Note: If the full-function-enablement license is already installed, a new license is not required when upgrading to a new release of Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Hardware and software supportEnsure that Lenovo XClarity Administrator supports the hardware and software that is in your environment.

Supported host systemsThe Lenovo XClarity Administrator management appliance runs in a virtual machine on a host system.

Hypervisor requirements

The following hypervisors are supported for installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator: • Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)• Microsoft Windows Server 2016 with Hyper-V installed• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 with Hyper-V installed• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 with Hyper-V installed• Red Hat v7.x with Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) v1.2.17 installed• VMware ESXi 6.5• VMware ESXi 6.0 U1, U2, and U3• VMware ESXi 5.5 U1 and U2• VMware ESXi 5.1 U1, U2, and U3

For VMware, the virtual machine is available as an OVF template. For Hyper-V and Nutanix AHV, the virtual machine is a virtual-disk image (VHD). For KVM, the virtual machine is available as qcow2 format.

Important: For Hyper-V environments that run on Linux guests with a 2.6 kernel base and that use large amounts of memory for the virtual appliance, you must disable the use of non-uniform memory access (NUMA) on the Hyper-V Settings Panel from Hyper-V Manager. Changing this setting requires you to restart


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the Hyper-V service, which also restarts all running virtual machines. If this setting is not disabled, Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance might experience problems during initial startup.

Hardware requirements

The following minimum requirements must be met for the virtual machine. Depending on the size of your environment and your use of Configuration Patterns, additional resources might be required for optimal performance.• Two virtual microprocessors• 8 GB of memory• A minimum of 192 GB of storage for use by the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance.

For more information about minimum hardware recommendations based on the number of managed devices in your environment, see the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Performance white paper.

Note: For information about how to free up disk space by deleting Lenovo XClarity Administrator resources that are no longer needed, see Managing disk space in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Software requirements

A Network Time Protocol (NTP) server is required to ensure that timestamps for all events and alerts that are received from managed devices are synchronized with Lenovo XClarity Administrator. Ensure that the NTP server is accessible over the management network (typically the Eth0 interface).

If you choose to use an external authentication server, only Microsoft Active Directory running on Windows Server 2008 or later is supported.

If you choose to use an SAML identify provider, only Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) versions 2.0 or later running on Windows Server 2012 is supported.

Tip: Consider using the host system on which Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed as the NTP server. If you do, ensure that the host system is accessible over the management network.

Restriction: If the host system on which Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed is a managed compute node, you cannot use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply firmware updates to that host system or to the entire chassis at one time. When firmware updates are applied to the host system, the host system must be restarted. Restarting the host system also restarts Lenovo XClarity Administrator, making Lenovo XClarity Administrator unavailable to complete the updates on the host system.

Supported devicesBefore using Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage your devices, ensure that devices are supported and review any limitations.

For information about the number of devices that can be managed by each Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance, see the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Performance white paper.

For support and limitations information for manageable devices (such as servers, switches, storage, and CMMs) and other I/O devices and options, see the following compatibility pages for each device type: • Flex System and ThinkSystem devices in Flex System chassis• Converged HX, NeXtScale, System x, and ThinkSystem servers• ThinkServer servers• RackSwitch switches• Lenovo Storage, ThinkSystem Storage, and Nimble storage devices



http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/lxca_managediskspace.html


https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503453#FlexNode

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503455#HxServ

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503472#TSServ

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503468#RackTor

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503470#StorDev

There are minimum levels of required firmware for each managed device. During installation and discovery, Lenovo XClarity Administrator prompts when firmware can be updated to enable devices to be managed. For information about firmware requirements, see “Supported firmware” on page 9.

Supported firmwareBefore using Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage your devices, ensure that the firmware on each device is at the minimum required level.

There are minimum levels of required firmware for each managed device. During installation and discovery, Lenovo XClarity Administrator prompts when firmware can be updated to enable devices to be managed. For information about firmware requirements, see the following compatibility pages for each device type: • Flex System devices and ThinkSystem compute nodes• Converged HX, NeXtScale, System x, ThinkAgile and ThinkSystem rack and tower servers• ThinkServer servers• RackSwitch switches• Lenovo Storage, ThinkSystem Storage, and Nimble storage devices

For information about updating firmware on managed devices, see Updating firmware on managed devices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Supported web browsersEnsure that you access Lenovo XClarity Administrator using one of the supported browsers.

The following browsers are supported: • Chrome™ 48.0 or later (55.0 or above for Remote Console)• Firefox® ESR 38.6.0 or later• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 11• Microsoft Edge• Safari® 9.0.2 or later (IOS7 or later and OS X)

Firewalls and proxy serversSome functions of Lenovo XClarity Administrator, including management server updates, firmware updates, service and support, require access to the Internet. If you have firewalls in your network, configure the firewalls to enable Lenovo XClarity Administrator management server to perform these operations. If the management server does not have direct access to the Internet, configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator to use an proxy server.

Firewalls

Ensure that the following DNS names and ports are open on the firewall.

Note: IP addresses are subject to change. Use DNS names when possible.

Table 1. Required Internet connections

DNS name IPv4 address IPv6 address Ports Protocols

Management-server updates, firmware updates, and repository packs

datacentersupport.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https

download.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https

filedownload.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https

Chapter 2. Planning for Lenovo XClarity Administrator 9

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503453#FlexFirm

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503455#HxFirm

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503472#TSFirm

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503468#RackFirm

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht503470#StorFirm


Table 1. Required Internet connections (continued)


support.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https and http

supportapi.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https

Firmware downloads (Flex System x220, x222, x240, x280 X6, x440, x480 X6, x880 X6, some Flex switches, and first-generation CMMs only)

www.ibm.com 129.42.56.216, 129.42.58.216, 129.42.60.216, 129.42.160.51, 207.25.252.197

N/A 443 and 80

https and http

www-03.ibm.com 204.146.30.17 N/A 443 and 80

https and http

download3.boulder.ibm.com 170.225.15.76 N/A 443 and 80

https and http

download3.mul.ie.ibm.com 129.35.224.114 N/A 443 and 80

https and http

download4.boulder.ibm.com 170.225.15.107 N/A 443 and 80

https and http

download4.mul.ie.ibm.com 129.35.224.107 N/A 443 and 80

https and http

delivery04-bld.dhe.ibm.com 170.225.15.104, 129.35.224.104

N/A 443 and 80

https and http

delivery04-mul.dhe.ibm.com 129.35.224.115, 170.225.15.115

N/A 443 and 80

https and http

delivery04.dhe.ibm.com 129.35.224.105, 170.225.15.105

N/A 443 and 80

https and http

eccgw01.boulder.ibm.com 207.25.252.197 N/A 443 https

eccgw02.rochester.ibm.com 129.42.160.51 N/A 443 https

Automatic problem notification to Lenovo Support (Call Home)

esupport.ibm.com, eccgw01. rochester.ibm.com, eccgw02. boulder.ibm.com

129.42.56.189, 129.42.60.189, 129.42.54.189

2620:0:6C0:200:129:4-2:56:189, 2620:0:6C2:200:129:4-2:60:189, 2620:0:6C4:200:129:4-2:54:189

443 and 80

https and http

www-945.ibm.com 129.42.26.224, 129.42.42.224, 129.42.50.224

2620:0:6C0:1::1000, 2620:0:6C2:1::1000, 2620:0:6C4:1::1000

443 and 80

https and http

Lenovo Update Facility

logupload.lenovo.com/BLL/ Logupload.ashx

N/A N/A 443 and 80

https

Warranty information


Table 1. Required Internet connections (continued)


ibase.lenovo.com (worldwide) N/A N/A 443 and 80

https and http

service.lenovo.com.cn (China only) 114.247.140.212 (China only)

N/A 83 http

supportapi.lenovo.com N/A N/A 443 and 80

https and http

Attention: For users in China, to retrieve warranty information for managed devices using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must upgrade to Lenovo XClarity Administrator v1.3.1.

Proxy server

If the management server does not have direct access to the Internet, ensure that the management server is configured to use an HTTP proxy server (see “Configuring network access” on page 228). • Ensure that the proxy server is set up to use basic authentication.• Ensure that the proxy server is set up as a non-terminating proxy.• Ensure that the proxy server is set up as a forwarding proxy.• Ensure that load balancers are configured to keep sessions with one proxy server and not switch between

them.

Port availabilitySeveral ports must be available, depending on how the firewalls are implemented in your environment. If the required ports are blocked or used by another process, some Lenovo XClarity Administrator functions might not work.

To determine which ports must be opened based on your environment, review the following sections. The tables in these sections include information about how each port is used in Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the managed device that is affected, the protocol (TCP or UDP), and the direction of traffic flow between the managed device and Lenovo XClarity Administrator. Inbound traffic flows from the managed device to Lenovo XClarity Administrator. Outbound traffic flows from Lenovo XClarity Administrator to the managed device.

• “Access to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server” on page 11

• “Access between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and managed devices” on page 14

• “Access between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and data network for OS deployment” on page 16

Access to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server

If the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server and all managed devices are behind a firewall, and you intend to access those devices from a browser that is outside of the firewall, you must ensure that the Lenovo XClarity Administrator ports are open. If you are using SNMP and SMTP for event management, you might also need to ensure that the ports that are used by the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server for event forwarding are open.

The Lenovo XClarity Administrator server listens on and responds through the following ports that are listed in the following table.

Note: Lenovo XClarity Administrator can be optionally configured to make outgoing connections to a number of external services, such as LDAP, SMTP, or syslog. These connections might require additional ports that are generally user configurable and not included in this list. They might also require access to a domain name service (DNS) server on TCP or UDP port 53 to resolve external server names.


Table 2. Ports that must be open for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server

Port

TCP or UDP Direction Affected devices Purpose

53 UDP Inbound/ Outbound

Domain name service (DNS) Used for DNS resolution.

83 TCP Inbound/ Outbound

(China only) Warranty service Used when collecting warranty information for devices that were purchased in China. Note: Though not required outside of China, Lenovo XClarity Administrator might attempt to connect to this service in other countries.


External authentication server Used when an external authentication server is configured.


Client computers that access Lenovo XClarity Administrator • Used by HTTPS for web access and

REST communications.

Note: If Call Home is enabled, outbound direction is used.

• Used when forwarding events to the Apple push notifications service and Wi-Fi is behind a firewall or private Access Point Name (APN) for cellular data. A direct, unproxied connection is required to the APN servers on this port. This port is used as a failback on Wi-Fi only, when devices cannot reach the Apple Push Notifications service on port 5223.

IP address range: 17.0.0.0/8

• Used when forwarding events the Google push service.

Domain: android.googleapis.com







Optionally, the ports that are listed in the following table must be open for event forwarding from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator server to other event management tools.


Table 3. Ports that must be open for event management

Port


25 UDP Outbound Email (SMTP) server that is to receive events

Used when email (SMTP) event forwarding is configured. Note: This port number is configurable from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator interface.

80 UDP Outbound REST interface that is to receive events

Used when REST event forwarding is configured. Note: This port number is configurable from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator interface.

161 UDP Inbound / Outbound

SNMP manager that is to receive traps

Used when SNMP event forwarding with user authentication is configured.

162 UDP Inbound SNMP manager that is to receive traps

Used when SNMP event forwarding is configured. Note: This port number is configurable from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator interface.

443 UDP Outbound Microsoft®Azure Log Analytics interface that is to receive events

Used when Azure Log Analytics event forwarding is configured. Note: This port number is configurable from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator interface.

514 UDP Outbound Syslog server that is to receive events.

Used when Syslog event forwarding is configured. Note: This port number is configurable from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator interface.

2195 TCP Outbound Apple push server that is to receive events

Used when forwarding events to the Apple push notifications service and Wi- Fi is behind a firewall or private Access Point Name (APN) for cellular data. A direct, unproxied connection is required to the APN servers on this port. IP address range: 17.0.0.0/8

5223 TCP Outbound Apple push server that is to receive events

Used when forwarding events to the Apple push notifications service and Wi- Fi is behind a firewall or private Access Point Name (APN) for cellular data. A direct, unproxied connection is required to the APN servers on this port. IP address range: 17.0.0.0/8

5228 Outbound Google push server that is to receive events.

Used when event forwarding to the Google push service is configured. IP address range: see Google ASN 15169


Table 3. Ports that must be open for event management (continued)

Port






Access between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and managed devices

If managed devices (such as compute nodes or rack servers) are behind a firewall and if you intend to manage those devices from a Lenovo XClarity Administrator server that is outside of that firewall, you must ensure that all ports involved with communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the baseboard management controller in each managed device are open.

If you intend to install operating systems on managed devices using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, ensure that you review the list of ports in “Access between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and data network for OS deployment” on page 16.

Table 4. Ports that must be open between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and managed devices

Port



Lenovo Storage controllers Used for FTP access when updating the storage device firmware.


• Baseboard management controller in each managed server (except ThinkServer)

• CMMs in each managed chassis

• Flex switches in each managed Flex System chassis

• Flex and RackSwitch switches

Used launch a remote SSH session and for SFTP file transfer (RackSwitch ENOS switches) Used to configure HoS credentials, activate the firmware slot, and clear SSH host keys before SFTP file transfer operations


Management controller in each managed ThinkSystem server

Used to push maintenance mode images to the management controller.


Table 4. Ports that must be open between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and managed devices (continued)

Port



• Flex switches in each managed Flex System chassis

• RackSwitch ENOS switches

Flex switches) Use to enable/disable ports and to configure through configuration patterns. (RackSwitch switches) Used to retrieve inventory and to configure switches through configuration patterns using the SNMP protocolAttention: If Flex or RackSwitch switches are on a different network than Lenovo XClarity Administrator, that network must be configured to allow inbound UDP through port 161 so that Lenovo XClarity Administrator can send/ receive SNMP messages to/from the switch.

162 UDP Inbound • Flex switches in each managed Flex System chassis

• RackSwitch switches

• ThinkServer System Manager (TSM) in each managed ThinkServer server

• Lenovo Storage controllers

Used to receive SNMP traps from Flex System and RackSwitch switches, ThinkServer servers, and storage devices. Attention: If ThinkServer servers and RackSwitch switches are on a different network than Lenovo XClarity Administrator, that network must be configured to allow inbound UDP through port 162 so that Lenovo XClarity Administrator can receive events for those devices.

427 UDP, TCP

Inbound/ Outbound

• Management controller in each managed server (except ThinkServer)

• CMMs in each managed Flex System chassis

• Flex switches in each managed chassis

• TSM in each managed ThinkServer server

• Lenovo Storage controllers

• Flex and RackSwitch switches

Used by Service Location Protocol (SLP) for device discovery and initial management.

443 TCP Inbound/ Outbound • Lenovo Storage controllers

• RackSwitch CNOS switches

• System x M4 server

(M4 servers and storage devices) Used for management (RackSwitch switches) Used for HTTPS communication to retrieve inventory and configuration

623 UDP Outbound Management controller in each managed ThinkServer and System x M4 servers

Used for IPMI communication with the Management controller.


Management controller in each managed server (except ThinkServer)

Used for remote-control tunneling.


Table 4. Ports that must be open between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and managed devices (continued)

Port





Used by HTTP for CIM communication. Note: This port number is configurable from the CMM and management- controller interfaces.




Used by HTTPS for CIM communication. Note: This port number is configurable from the CMM and management- controller interfaces.


CMMs in each managed Flex System chassis

Secure TCP Command Mode port. Note: This port number is configurable from the CMM interface.


Management controller in each managed server (except ThinkServer)

Used by HTTPS for CIM indications.




Used by HTTPS for CIM indications.

50636 TCP Inbound Management controller on each managed server (except ThinkServer)

Used by the authentication server for secure traffic. Receives client certificates.

50637 TCP Inbound • Management controller in each managed server (except ThinkServer)

• CMMs in each managed chassis

Used by the authentication server for secure traffic.

Access between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and data network for OS deployment

To install operating systems on managed devices, ensure that the ports that are listed in the following table are open to the network that is used as the data network (or operating-system deployment network).

Note: Each Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance has a unique Certificate Authority (CA) that is used for only OS deployment. That CA signs a certificate that is used for the target server on ports 3001 and 8443. When OS deployment is initiated, the CA certificate is included in the OS image that is pushed to the target server. As part of the deployment process, that server connects back to ports 3001 and 8443, and verifies the certificate that ports 3001 and 8443 provide during the handshake because they have the CA certificate.


Table 5. Ports that must be available to deploy operating systems

Port



Management controller and host on each managed server (except ThinkServer)

Used for operating-system deployment.


Management controller and host on each managed server (IMM2 only)



Management controller and host in each managed server (except ThinkServer)


For a list of ports that must be available for deploying operating systems, see Port availability for deployed operating systems in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Additionally, if you are deploying Microsoft Windows, the ports that are listed in the following table must also be available.

Table 6. Ports that must be available to deploy Microsoft Windows

Port



Host operating system on each managed server to which Microsoft Windows is deployed

Used for Windows operating-system deployment (SMB client/server communications).






Used for Windows operating- system deployment (SMB client/server communications).




Management considerationsThere are several alternatives to choose from when managing devices. Depending on the devices being managed, you might need multiple management solutions running at the same time.

For a list of hardware that Lenovo XClarity Administrator can manage, see “Supported devices” on page 8.

Consider the following factors that are related to the management of devices by Lenovo XClarity Administrator:

• a device can be managed by only one instance of Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

• You cannot use the following management software to manage devices that Lenovo XClarity Administrator currently manages: – Flex System Manager– IBM Fabric Manager


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– IBM Systems DirectorHowever, you can use other management software (such as IBM device Manager or Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager) in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator to monitor managed devices (see “Using another management software in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator” on page 21).

• You can discover and manage Flex Power Systems compute nodes and Flex System v7000 Storage Node. Using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you can view properties and status. Additionally for storage devices, you can also power on and off a storage device, virtually reseat the storage controllers, and launch the management module. However, you must use other management alternatives to take any management-related actions on the devices, such as updating or configuring the device.

– Use the Flex Power Systems Hardware Management Console to manage Flex Power Systems compute nodes. You can use the Power Systems Hardware Management Console to manage these devices even if you are also managing that chassis in which the devices are installed using Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

– Use either the management controller web interface or the command-line interface (CLI) that is provided with the Flex System v7000 Storage Node to manage that device.

– LAN-over-USB is used when updating firmware. Lenovo XClarity Administrator automatically enables the LAN-over-USB interface.

– Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is used to perform management operations on System x M4 and ThinkServer servers. Disabling IMPI prevents Lenovo XClarity Administrator from managing these servers.

Comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity AdministratorLenovo XClarity Administrator is an optimized hardware manager for Flex System servers. It is also designed to integrate with industry leaders in virtualization management, such as VMware vSphere and Microsoft System Center.

The following table compares the features and functions that are available with the Flex System Manager and with the Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Table 7. Functional comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator

Feature

Flex System

Manager

Lenovo XClarity

Administrator More information

Provide a graphical representation of all supported managed devices.

Support failover of the management server

Lenovo XClarity Administrator is a virtual appliance. Therefore, it can leverage VMware High Availability and Hyper-V clustering for failover. For more information, see:

• “Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)” on page 177

• “Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper- V)” on page 221

Manage rack and tower servers

Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages Converged, NeXtScale, and System x servers. Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages the hardware only. It does not require the installation of agents on the rack or tower servers.


Table 7. Functional comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator (continued)

Feature

Flex System

Manager

Lenovo XClarity


Manage Flex System servers Both Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator manage Flex System servers. Flex System Manager requires the use of agents installed in the servers to discover, inventory, and manage the server and installed operating system.

Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages the hardware only. It does not require the installation of agents on the servers.

Manage Flex Power Systems servers

If you are managing a chassis that contains both Flex System servers and Flex Power Systems servers:

• Use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage the Flex System servers.

• Use the Flex Power Systems Hardware Management Console (HMC) to manage the Flex Power Systems servers.For information about managing a Flex Power Systems server from the HMC, see the Flex System p270 Compute Node Planning and Implementation Guide.

Managing RackSwitch switches

Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages RackSwitch switches. Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages the hardware only. It does not require the installation of agents.

Manage storage devices, such as the Flex System v7000 Storage Node or external devices

If a Flex System v7000 Storage Node is installed in a managed chassis, it is displayed in the graphical chassis view, and you can view properties and status for the storage device. However, management of the storage device must be done through the management controller web interface or command- line interface for the storage device.

Manage virtual addressing for servers

On Flex System Manager, you can define virtual address ranges and allocate those virtual addresses to managed servers using IBM Fabric Manager (IFM). You can choose to configure IFM to distribute an address to a server through the CMM (called push mode), or to distribute the address directly in response to server request (called pull mode). Lenovo XClarity Administrator uses a different approach to define virtual address through Configuration Patterns. Managed servers pull the virtual-address information from Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Update firmware for managed devices

Flex System Manager updates firmware and device drivers. Lenovo XClarity Administrator updates the firmware. Devices drivers are updated through your normal operating-system update processes.

Centrally manage configurations for managed chassis and servers.

Both management applications support the use of configuration patterns to manage configurations for managed chassis and servers.


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Table 7. Functional comparison between Flex System Manager and Lenovo XClarity Administrator (continued)

Feature

Flex System

Manager

Lenovo XClarity


Deploy operating systems to managed servers

Both management applications support the deployment of operating systems to managed servers.

Manage virtualized resources

Lenovo XClarity Administrator can be used with Lenovo XClarity Integrator options (previously known as Upward Integration Modules or UIMs) to integrate with virtualization managers. For more information about Lenovo XClarity Integrator options, see the following Web sites.

• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for Microsoft System Center

• Lenovo XClarity Integrator for VMware vCenter

Script management functions

Lenovo XClarity Administrator includes both REST APIs and Microsoft PowerShell cmdlets to provide scripting capabilities for management functions. For more information about support for REST APIs and Microsoft PowerShell, see Scripting Lenovo XClarity Administrator management functions in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Migrating from Flex System ManagerIf you are planning to manage a chassis with Lenovo XClarity Administrator and that chassis is managed by a Flex System Manager, review these considerations to transition the chassis to Lenovo XClarity Administrator management successfully.

Depending on your configuration, transitioning from management by Flex System Manager to management by Lenovo XClarity Administrator might be disruptive to your running workloads. Therefore, consider doing the transition during a maintenance window to minimize downtime with running workloads.

To ensure that Lenovo XClarity Administrator can manage a chassis that was previously managed by Flex System Manager, complete the following steps:

1. Optional: Prepare the chassis to be removed from management by Flex System Manager.If you are using IBM Fabric Manager (IFM) to virtualize addresses, modify IFM to use push mode to distribute virtual addresses through the CMM. If you are using IFM in pull mode and Flex System Manager is powered off, the virtual addresses will no longer be available after the next restart of the compute node.

Note: IFM supports the concept of a standby node. In the event of a hardware failure, IFM assigns the virtual address of the failed compute node to the standby node so that it can automatically take over the workload from the failed node. Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not support the concept of a standby node. Therefore, if you have implemented the standby node, you must devise a different strategy for continuous availability when there is a failed compute node.

Remember that if virtual addresses are changed, you must adjust infrastructure services as well. For example:

• If the World Wide Port Name (WWPN) is changed for a compute node, adjust SAN zoning and LUN mapping.

• If the MAC address for a port is changed, adjust the MAC-to-IP address binding in the DHCP server or clustering software.

• IFM can configure a virtual boot-target WWN. If you do not migrate correctly, you might lose the ability to start our operating system.


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2. Remove the chassis from management by the Flex System Manager.

3. Manage the chassis from Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For information about managing a chassis, see Managing chassis in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

4. Remove any agents that were installed on devices that are managed by the Flex System Manager. The Lenovo XClarity Administrator implements an agentless management approach. Therefore, you do not need to install agents on managed compute nodes. Although the installed agents have no effect on Lenovo XClarity Administrator management functions, you can choose to remove those agents and reclaim the space on the compute node.

Using another management software in tandem with Lenovo XClarity AdministratorYou can use other management software (such as IBM device Manager or Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager) in tandem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator to monitor devices that Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages.

Attention: Extra care must be taken when using multiple management tools to manage your devices to prevent unforeseen conflicts. For example, submitting power-state changes using another tool might conflict with configuration or update jobs that are running in Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Flex System devices

If you intend to use another management software to monitor your managed devices, and if that management software uses SNMPv3 or IPMI communication, you must prepare your environment by performing the following steps for each managed CMM:

1. Log in to the management controller web interface for the chassis using the RECOVERY_ID user name and password.

2. If the security policy is set to Secure, change the user authentication method.a. Click Mgt Module Management ➙ User Accounts.b. Click the Accounts tab.c. Click Global login settings.d. Click the General tab.e. Select External first, then local authentication for the user authentication method.f. Click OK.

3. Create a new local user with the correct SNMP or IPMI settings from the management controller web interface.

4. If the security policy is set to Secure, log out and then log in to the management controller web interface using the new user name and password. When prompted, change the password for the new user.

You can now use the new user as an active SNMP or IPMI user.

Note: If you unmanage and then manage the chassis again, this new user account becomes locked and disabled. In this case, repeat these steps to create a new user account.

ThinkSystem, ThinkServer and System x devices

If you intend to use another management software to monitor your managed devices, create a new local user with the correct SNMP or IPMI settings from the IMM interface. Ensure that you grant SNMP or IPMI privileges, depending on the your needs.

Network considerationsWhen planning the Lenovo XClarity Administrator installation, consider the network topology that is implemented in your environment and how Lenovo XClarity Administrator fits into that topology.



Important: Configure the servers and chassis components in ways that minimize IP address changes. Consider using static IP addresses instead of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). If DHCP is used, ensure that IP address changes are minimized.

IP configuration limitationsFor the following functions and managed devices, network interfaces must be configured with an IPv4 address. IPv6 addresses are not supported. • Firmware updates for Lenovo Storage devices• ThinkServer servers• Lenovo Storage and Nimble storage systems

Network address translation (NAT), which remaps one IP address space into another, is not supported.

Network typesIn general, most environments implement the following types of networks. Based on your requirements, you might implement only one of these networks or you might implement all three.

• Management network

The management network is typically reserved for communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the management processors for managed devices. For example, the management network might be configured to include Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the CMMs for each managed chassis, and the baseboard management controller of each server that Lenovo XClarity Administrator manages.

• Data network

The data network is typically used for communications between the operating systems that are installed on the servers and the company intranet, the Internet, or both.

• Operating-system deployment network

In some cases, an operating-system deployment network is set up to separate out the communications that are required to deploy operating systems on servers. If implemented, this network typically includes Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all server hosts.

Instead of implementing a separate operating-system deployment network, you might choose to combine this functionality in either the management network or the data network.

Network configurationsAttention:

• Changing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator IP address after managing devices might cause the devices to be placed in offline state in Lenovo XClarity Administrator. Ensure that all devices are unmanaged before changing the IP address.

• You can enable or disable checking for duplicate IP addresses in the same subnet by clicking the Duplicate IP address checking toggle. It is disabled by default.

When enabled, Lenovo XClarity Administrator raises an alert if you attempt to change the IP address of Lenovo XClarity Administrator or manage a device that has the same IP address as another device that is under management or another device found in the same subnet.

• If the network interface for the management network is configured to use the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), the management-interface IP address might change when the DHCP lease expires. If the IP address changes, you must unmanage the chassis, rack and tower servers, and then manage them again. To avoid this problem, either change the management interface to a static IP address, or ensure that the DHCP server configuration is set so that the DHCP address is based on a MAC address or that the DHCP lease does not expire.


Lenovo XClarity Administrator has two separate network interfaces (Eth0 and Eth1) that can be defined for your environment, depending on the network topology that you implement.

• When only one network interface (Eth0) is present:

– The interface must be configured to support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMMs and Flex switches in each managed chassis, the baseboard management controller in each managed server, and each RackSwitch switch.

– If you intend to acquire firmware updates using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the Eth0 interface must also have connectivity to the Internet, typically through a firewall. Otherwise, you must manually import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

– If you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, the network interface must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and must be configured with an IPv4 address.

• When two network interfaces (Eth0 and Eth1) are present:

– The Eth0 interface must be connected to the management network and used to discover and manage hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMMs and Flex switches in each managed chassis, the management controller in each managed server, and each RackSwitch switch.

Important: Do not connect Eth1 to the management network.

– If you intend to acquire firmware updates using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the Eth0 interface must also have connectivity to the Internet, typically through a firewall. Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

– The network interface that you chose to use to deploy operating-system images to the managed servers must have IP-network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and must be configured with an IPv4 address.

– If you implemented a separate network for deploying operating systems, you can configure Eth1 to connect to that network instead of the data network. However, if the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, when you install the operating system on a managed server, you must define an additional I/O interface on that server so that the server host has access to the data network.

The following table shows possible configurations for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator network interfaces based on the type of network topology that has been implemented in your environment. Use this table to determine how to define Eth0 and Eth1.

Table 8. Role of Eth0 and Eth1 based on network topology

Network topology Eth0 role Eth1 role

Converged network (management, data, and operating system deployment)

• Management• Operating-system deployment

None

Management network and separate data/operating-system deployment network

Management Operating-system deployment

Management network and separate data network (operating-system deployment not supported)

Management None


Table 8. Role of Eth0 and Eth1 based on network topology (continued)


Separate networks for management, data, and operating-system deployment

Management Operating-system deployment Note: If the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the servers to the data network, if needed.

Management/operating-system deployment network and separate data network.


None Note: Configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the server to the data network, if needed.

Single data and management networkIn this network topology, management communications, data communications, and operating-system deployment occur over the same network. This topology is referred to as a converged network.

Important: Implementing a shared data and management network can cause disruptions in traffic, such as packets being dropped or management-network connectivity issues, depending on your network configuration (for example, if traffic from servers have a high priority and traffic from the management controllers have a low priority). The management network uses UDP traffic in addition TCP. UDP traffic can have a lower priority when the network traffic is high.

When you install Lenovo XClarity Administrator, define network settings using the following considerations:

• Eth0 must be configured to support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMM of each managed chassis, with the baseboard management controller of each managed server, and with the Flex switches that are installed in each managed chassis.

• Optionally, if you intend to acquire firmware updates from the Lenovo XClarity Support website, Eth0 must also have connectivity to the Internet (typically through a firewall). Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

• Optionally, if you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, Eth0 must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and it must be configured with an IPv4 address.

• You can set up Lenovo XClarity Administrator on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, including a managed server only when you implement either a single data and management network topology or a virtually separate data and management network topology; however, you cannot use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply firmware updates to that managed server. Even then, only some of the firmware is applied with immediate activation, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator forces the target server to restart, which would restart Lenovo XClarity Administrator as well. When applied with deferred activation, only some firmware is applied when Lenovo XClarity Administrator host is restarted.

You can also configure Eth1 to connect to the same network from Lenovo XClarity Administrator to support redundancy.

The following figure shows an example implementation for a converged network topology.


https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/products/solutions-and-software/software/lenovo-xclarity/solutions/HT115665

Figure 1. Example implementation of a single network for management, data, and operating system deployment

For installation procedures that are related to this network topology, see the following information:

• VMware ESXi: “Single data and management network (ESXi)” on page 99

• Microsoft Hyper-V: “Single data and management network (Hyper-V)” on page 179

Physically separate data and management networkIn this network topology, the management network and the data network are physically separate networks, and the operating-system deployment network is configured as part of either the management network or the data network.


• Eth0 is configured to support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMM of each managed chassis, with the baseboard management controller of each managed server, and with the Flex switches that are installed in each managed chassis. If you intend to acquire firmware updates from Lenovo XClarity Support website, this interface must also have connectivity to the Internet (typically through a firewall). Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

• Eth1 is typically configured to communicate with an internal data network, a public data network, or both.

• If you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, either the Eth0 interface or the Eth1 interface must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and it must be configured with an IPv4 address.

Note: If you implement a separate operating-system deployment network, Eth1 might be configured to connect to that network instead of the data network. Remember that if the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, you must define an additional I/O interface on that server when you install the operating system so that the server host has access to the data network.



Figure 2 “Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the data network” on page 26 shows an example implementation of separate management and data networks in which the operating-system deployment network is configured as part of the data network.

Figure 2. Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the data network

Figure 3 “Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the management network” on page 27 shows another example implementation of separate management and data networks in which the operating-system deployment network is configured as part of the management network. In this implementation, Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not need connectivity to the data network.

Note: If the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the server to the data network, if needed.


Figure 3. Example implementation of physically separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the management network


• VMware ESXi: “Physically separate data and management networks (ESXi)” on page 118

• Microsoft Hyper-V: “Physically separate data and management networks (Hyper-V)” on page 188

Virtually separate data and management networkIn this topology, the data network and management network are virtually separate. Packets from the data network and packets from the management network are sent over the same physical connection. VLAN tagging is used on all management-network data packets to keep the traffic between the two networks separated.

Note: If Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a host running on a managed server in a chassis, you cannot use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply firmware updates to that entire chassis at one time. When firmware updates are applied, the host system must be restarted.


• Eth0 is configured to support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMM of each managed chassis, with the baseboard management controller of each managed server, and with the Flex switches that are installed in each managed chassis.

• If you intend to acquire firmware updates from Lenovo XClarity Support website, this interface must also have connectivity to the Internet (typically through a firewall). Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

• Eth1 is typically configured to communicate with an internal data network, a public data network, or both.



• If you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, either the Eth0 interface or the Eth1 interface must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and it must be configured with an IPv4 address.

Note: If you implement a separate operating-system deployment network, Eth1 might be configured to connect to that network instead of the data network. Remember that if the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, you must define an additional I/O interface on that server when you install the operating system so that the server host has access to the data network.

• You can set up Lenovo XClarity Administrator on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, including a managed server only when you implement either a single data and management network topology or a virtually separate data and management network topology; however, you cannot use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply firmware updates to that managed server. Even then, only some of the firmware is applied with immediate activation, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator forces the target server to restart, which would restart Lenovo XClarity Administrator as well. When applied with deferred activation, only some firmware is applied when Lenovo XClarity Administrator host is restarted.

Figure 4 “Example implementation of virtually separate data and management networks with the operating- system network as part of the data network” on page 28 shows an example implementation of virtually separate management and data networks in which the operating-system deployment network is configured as part of the data network. In this example, Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a managed server in a chassis.

Figure 4. Example implementation of virtually separate data and management networks with the operating-system network as part of the data network

Figure 5 “Example implementation of virtually separate management and data networks with the operating- system network as part of the management network” on page 29 shows an example implementation of virtually separate management and data networks in which the operating-system deployment network is


configured as part of the management network, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a managed server in a chassis. In this implementation, Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not need connectivity to the data network.

Note: If the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the server to the data network, if needed.

Figure 5. Example implementation of virtually separate management and data networks with the operating-system network as part of the management network


• VMware ESXi: “Virtually separate data and management network topology (ESXi)” on page 137

• Microsoft Hyper-V: “Virtually separate data and management network (Hyper-V)” on page 198

Management-only networkIn this topology, Lenovo XClarity Administrator has access to only the management network. It does not have access to the data network. However, Lenovo XClarity Administrator must have access to the operating- system deployment network if you intend to deploy operating-system images from Lenovo XClarity Administrator to managed servers.

When you install Lenovo XClarity Administrator and define network settings, Eth0 must be configured to:

• Support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMM of each managed chassis, with the baseboard management controller of each managed server, and with the Flex switches that are installed in each managed chassis.

• Optionally, if you intend to acquire firmware updates from Lenovo XClarity Support website, Eth0 must also have connectivity to the Internet (typically through a firewall). Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.



• Optionally, if you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, Eth0 must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and it must be configured with an IPv4 address.

You can also configure Eth1 to connect to the same network from Lenovo XClarity Administrator to support redundancy.

Figure 6 “Example implementation of a management-only network with no support for operating-system deployment” on page 30 shows an example implementation for a management-only network in which operating-system deployment from Lenovo XClarity Administrator is not supported.

Figure 6. Example implementation of a management-only network with no support for operating-system deployment

Figure 6 “Example implementation of a management-only network with no support for operating-system deployment” on page 30 shows an example implementation for a management-only network in which operating-system deployment from Lenovo XClarity Administrator is supported.


Figure 7. Example implementation of a management-only network with support for operating-system deployment


• VMware ESXi: “Management-only network topology (ESXi)” on page 159

• Microsoft Hyper-V: “Management-only network topology (Microsoft Hyper-V)” on page 212

Security considerationsPlan for the security of Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all managed devices.

Encapsulation managementWhen you manage Lenovo chassis and servers in Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you can configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator to change the firewall rules for the devices so that incoming requests are accepted only from Lenovo XClarity Administrator. This is referred to as encapsulation. You can also enable or disable encapsulation on chassis and servers that are already managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

When enabled on devices that support encapsulation, Lenovo XClarity Administrator changes the device encapsulation mode to “encapsulationLite,” and changes the firewall rules on the device to limit incoming requests from only Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

When disabled, the encapsulation mode is set to “normal”. If encapsulation was previously enabled on the devices, the encapsulation firewall rules are removed.

Attention: If encapsulation is enabled and Lenovo XClarity Administrator becomes unavailable before a device is unmanaged, necessary steps must be taken to disable encapsulation to establish communication with the device. For recovery procedures, see Recovering chassis management with a CMM after a management server failure and Recovering rack or tower server management after a management server failure in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Notes:


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/chassis_recovercmmaftermanagementnodefailure.html


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/server_recoveraftermanagementnodefailure.html

• Encapsulation is not supported on switches, storage devices, and non-Lenovo chassis and servers.

• When the management network interface is configured to use the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and when encapsulation enabled, managing a rack server can take a long time.

For more information about encapsulation, see Enabling encapsulation in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Cryptographic managementCryptographic management is composed of communication modes and protocols that control the way that secure communication is handled between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the managed devices (such as chassis, servers, and Flex switches).

The cryptographic mode determines the mode to use for secure communications. There are two options:

• Compatibility. This mode is the default. It is compatible with older firmware versions, browsers, and other network clients that do not implement strict security standards that are required for compliance with NIST SP 800-131A.

• NIST SP 800-131A. This mode is designed to comply with the NIST SP 800-131A standard. Lenovo XClarity Administrator is designed to always use strong cryptography internally and, where available, to use strong cryptography network connections. However, in this mode, network connections using cryptography that is not approved by NIST SP 800-131A is not permitted, including rejection of Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates that are signed with SHA-1 or weaker hash.

If you select this mode:

– You must also select TLSv1.2 for the minimum TLS client and server versions

– Event notifications might not be successfully pushed to some mobile-device subscriptions (see Forwarding events to mobile devices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation). External services, such as Android and iOS, present certificates that are signed with SHA-1, which is an algorithm that does not conform to the stricter requirements of NIST SP 800-131A mode. As a result, any connections to these services might fail with a certificate exception or a handshake failure.

For more information about NIST SP 800-131A compliance, see Implementing NIST 800-131A compliancein the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

The minimum TLS client mode determines the minimum TLS protocol version to use for client connections to other servers (such as the LDAP client). There are two options:

• TLSv1. TLS v1.0 and later can be used.

• TLSv1.2. TLS v1.2 and later can be used.

This option enforces TLS v1.2 or later cryptography protocols on both Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all managed endpoints. If you choose NIST SP 800-131A for the cryptographic mode, this option must be selected.

The minimum TLS server mode determines the minimum TLS protocol version to use for server connections (such as the web server). . There are two options:

• TLSv1. TLS v1.0 and later can be used.


This option enforces TLS 1.2 cryptography protocols on both Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all managed endpoints. If you choose NIST SP 800-131A for the cryptographic mode, this option must be selected.

The minimum TLS OS-deployment mode determines the minimum TLS protocol version to for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator operating-system deployment server. There are two options:


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/encapsulation_enable.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/events_setupforwarding_mobile.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/nist800131A_implement.html

• TLSv1. TLS v1.0 and later can be used. You can deploy operating systems to servers through Lenovo XClarity Administrator, even if the OS-image installer does not support the restricted settings that NIST SP 800-131A requires.


Only operating systems with an installation process that supports TLS 1.2 and strong cryptographic algorithms can be deployed through Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

When you change the cryptographic mode in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the cryptographic mode for all CMMs and baseboard management controllers in the managed devices are changed to the same setting automatically. Consider the following implications of changing the cryptographic mode:

• If you switch from compatibility mode to NIST SP 800-131A mode and the current certificate authority on the managed CMMs and baseboard management controllers use RSA-2048/SHA-1 (the default), an RSA- 2048/SHA-256 certificate is regenerated on each managed chassis and server, which causes a mismatch between the newly generated server certificates on the CMMs and baseboard management controllers and the server certificate that is stored in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator trust store. To resolve this issue, go to the Chassis page and Servers page, and click All Actions ➙ Resolve Untrusted Certificate for each device (see Resolving an untrusted server certificate in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Not all Flex switches support NIST SP 800-131A mode. If a Flex switch does support NIST SP 800-131A mode, you might need to change the configuration for the switches through the Flex switch interface. For information about support for NIST SP 800-131A and about switching Flex switches between compatibility mode and NIST SP 800-131A mode, see the product documentation that is available for the Flex switches. For more information, see CMM Reset in the Flex Systems online documentation.

For more information about cryptography, see Setting the cryptography mode and communication protocols in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Security certificatesLenovo XClarity Administrator uses certificates to establish secure, trusted communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and its managed devices (such as chassis and service processors in the System x servers) as well as communications with Lenovo XClarity Administrator by users. By default, Lenovo XClarity Administrator, CMMs, and baseboard management controllers use Lenovo XClarity Administrator-generated certificates that are self-signed and issued by an internal certificate authority.

The default server certificate, which is uniquely generated in every instance of Lenovo XClarity Administrator, provides sufficient security for many environments. You can choose to let Lenovo XClarity Administrator manage certificates for you, or you can take a more active role and customize or replace the server certificates. Lenovo XClarity Administrator provides options for customizing certificates for your environment. For example, you can choose to:

• Generate a new server key and certificate that uses values that are specific to your organization.

• Generate a certificate signing request (CSR) that can be sent to your choice of certificate authority to create a signed certificate that can then be uploaded to Lenovo XClarity Administrator trust store.

• Download the certificate to your local system so that you can import that certificate into your web browser's list of trusted certificates.

For more information about certificates, see Working with security certificates in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/certificates_server_resolve.html

http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.acc.cmm.doc/service_reset_cmm.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/cryptography_setmode.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/certificates_workwith.html

Authentication

Supported authentication servers

The authentication server is a Microsoft Active Directory Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server that is used to authenticate user credentials. Lenovo XClarity Administrator supports three types of authentication servers:

• Local authentication server. By default, Lenovo XClarity Administrator is configured to use the local authentication server that resides on the management node.

• External LDAP server. Currently, only Microsoft Active Directory is supported. This server must reside on an outboard Microsoft Windows server that is connected to the management network.When an external LDAP server is used, the local authentication server is disabled.

Attention: To configure the Active Directory binding method to use login credentials, the baseboard management controller for each managed server must be running firmware from September 2016 or later.

• External SAML identity provider. Currently, only Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is supported. In addition to entering a user name and password, multi-factor authentication can be set up to enable additional security by requiring a PIN code, reading smart card, and client certificate. When an SAML identity provider is used, the local authentication server is not disabled. Local user accounts are required to log in directly to a managed chassis or server (unless Encapsulation is enabled on that device), for PowerShell and REST API authentication, and for recovery if external authentication is not available.

You can choose to use both an external LDAP server and an external identity provider. If both are enabled, the external LDAP server is used log in directly to the manage devices, and the identity provider is used to log in to the management server.

For more information about authentication servers, see Managing the authentication server in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Device authentication

By default, devices are managed using Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication to log in to the devices. When a rack server is managed, you can choose to use managed authentication or local authentication to log in to the devices.

• When managed authentication is used for a device (other than switches, System x M4, and ThinkServer, servers), Lenovo XClarity Administrator configures the device and its installed components to use a specific authentication server for centralized management. If a local or external LDAP server is used, user accounts that are defined in the authentication server are used to log in to Lenovo XClarity Administrator, CMMs and baseboard management controllers in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator domain. Local CMM and management controller user accounts are disabled. If an SAML 2.0 identity provider is used, SAML accounts are not accessible to managed devices. However, when using an SAML identity provider and an LDAP server together, if the identity provider uses accounts that exist in the LDAP server, LDAP user accounts can be used to log into the managed devices while the more advanced authentication methods that are provided by SAML 2.0 (such as multifactor authentication and single sign-on) can be used to log into Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

For ThinkServer servers, the specified authentication server is not used. Instead, an IPMI account is created on the device with the prefix “LXCA_” followed by a random string. (The existing local IPMI user accounts are not disabled.) When you unmanage a ThinkServer server, the “LXCA_” user account is disabled, and the prefix “LXCA_” is replaced with the prefix “DISABLED_”. To determine whether a ThinkServer server is managed by another instance, Lenovo XClarity Administrator checks for IPMI accounts with the prefix “LXCA_”. If you choose to force management of a managed ThinkServer server, all the IPMI accounts on the device with the “LXCA_” prefix are disabled and renamed. Consider manually clearing IPMI accounts that are no longer used.



Note: When devices are centrally managed, you can edit user accounts only in Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

• When local authentication is used for rack servers, Lenovo XClarity Administrator uses a stored credential to authenticate to the device. The stored credential can be an active user account on the device or a user account in Active Directory.

Recovery user account

If you specify a recovery password, Lenovo XClarity Administrator disables the local CMM or management- controller user account and creates a new recovery user account (RECOVERY_ID) on the device for future authentication. If the management server fails, you can use the RECOVERY_ID account to log in to the device to take recovery actions to restore account-management functions on the device until the management node is restored or replaced.

If you unmanage a device that has a RECOVERY_ID user account, all local user accounts are enabled, and the RECOVERY_ID account is deleted.

• If you change the disabled local user accounts (for example, if you change a password), the changes have no effect on the RECOVERY_ID account. In managed-authentication mode, the RECOVERY_ID account is the only user account that is activated and operational.

• Use the RECOVERY_ID account only in an emergency, for example, if the management server fails or if a network problem prevents the device from communicating with Lenovo XClarity Administrator to authenticate users.

• The RECOVERY_ID password is specified when you discover the device. Ensure that you record the password for later use.

For information about recovering a device management, see Recovering chassis management with a CMM after a management server failure and Recovering rack or tower server management after a management server failure in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

User accounts and role groupsUser accounts are used to log in and manage Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all managed chassis and servers. Lenovo XClarity Administrator user accounts are subjected to two interdependent processes: authentication and authorization.

Authentication is the security mechanism by which a user's credentials are verified. The authentication process uses the user credentials that are stored in the configured authentication server. It also prevents unauthorized management servers or rogue managed-system applications from accessing the resources. After authentication, a user can access Lenovo XClarity Administrator. However, to access a specific resource or perform a specific task, the user must also have the appropriate authorization.

Authorization checks the permissions of the authenticated user and controls access to resources based on the users membership in a role group. Role groups are used to assign specific roles to a set of user accounts that are defined and managed in the authentication server. For example, if a user is a member of a role group that has Supervisor permissions, that user can create, edit, and delete user accounts from Lenovo XClarity Administrator. If a user has Operator permissions, that user can only view user-account information.

For more information about the user accounts and role groups, see Managing user accounts in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

User-account securityUser-account settings control the password complexity, account lockout, and web-session inactivity timeout. You can change the values of the account-security settings.







For more information about the account-security settings, see Changing the user-account security settings in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Performance considerationsFor information about the number of devices that can be managed by each Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance and minimum hardware recommendations based on the number of managed devices in your environment, see the Lenovo XClarity Administrator Performance white paper.

If you have an environment with a large number of devices and a large number of concurrent user sessions, and you experience reduced system performance, reduce the number of concurrent user sessions to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface or increase the virtual CPU resources that are allocated to the virtual appliance.

High availability considerationsTo set up high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, use the high availability features that are part of the host operating system (VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V).

VMware ESXi

In a VMware high-availability environment, multiple hosts are configured as a cluster. Shared storage is used to make the disk image of a virtual machine (VM) available to the hosts in the cluster. The VM runs on only one host at a time. When there is an issue with the VM, another instance of that VM is started on a backup host.

VMware high availability requires the following components:

• A minimum of two hosts on which ESXi is installed. These hosts become part of the VMware cluster.

• A third host on which VMware vCenter is installed.

Tip: Ensure that you install a version of VMware vCenter that is compatible with the versions of ESXi that are installed on the hosts to be used in the cluster.

VMware vCenter can be installed on one of the hosts that is used in the cluster. However, if that host is powered off or not usable, you lose access to the VMware vCenter interface as well.

• Shared storage (datastores) that can be accessed by all hosts in the cluster. You can use any type of shared storage that VMware supports. The datastore is used by VMware to determine if a VM should fail over to a different host (heartbeating).

For details about setting up a VMware high availability cluster (VMware 5.0), see the Setting up HA for VMware webpage.

For information about implementing high-availability, see “Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)” on page 177.

Microsoft Hyper-V

For information about implementing high-availability, see “Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper-V)” on page 221.

Features on DemandFeatures on Demand activates features without requiring the installation of hardware or the purchase of new equipment. This activation is done by acquiring and installing the corresponding Features on Demand key.


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/users_changesecuritysettings.html


http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/topic/com.vmware.vsphere.avail.doc_50/GUID-B53060B9-2704-4EE2-B97A-AE6FEBCE3356.html

http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/topic/com.vmware.vsphere.avail.doc_50/GUID-B53060B9-2704-4EE2-B97A-AE6FEBCE3356.html

To use the remote-control and operating-system deployment operations in Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must enable XCC Enterprise level or MM Advanced Upgrade for servers that do not come with these features already activated by default. These operations also require that a Features on Demand key for remote presence is installed on ThinkSystem, Converged, and System x servers.

Some advanced server functions are activated using Features on Demand keys. If features have configurable settings that are exposed during UEFI setup, you can configure the setting using Configuration Patterns; however, the resulting configuration is not activated until the corresponding Features on Demand key is installed.

Note: You cannot install or managed Features on Demand keys from Lenovo XClarity Administrator; however, you can view the list of Features on Demand keys that are currently installed on managed servers. For more information about viewing installed Features on Demand keys, see Viewing Feature on Demand keysin theLenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

To acquire and install Features on Demand keys:

1. Purchase the Features on Demand upgrade using the appropriate part number.

You can purchase keys from the Features on Demand web application. When your purchase is complete, you will receive an authorization code by e-mail.

2. On the Features on Demand web application, enter the authorization code that you received, along with the unique system identifier of the server that you intend to upgrade.

3. Download the activation key in the form of a .KEY file.

4. Upload the activation key to the management controller for the server.

5. Restart the server. When the restart is complete, the feature is activated.

For more information about Features on Demand keys, see Using Lenovo Features on Demand.


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/using_fod.html

http://fod.lenovo.com

http://fod.lenovo.com

https://lenovopress.com/redp4895

Chapter 3. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Nutanix AHV-based environments

Use the information in this section as a guide to setting up rack servers and installing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance in a Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV) based environment, depending on the network topology that is implemented in your environment.

This section describes how to set up several common topologies. This section does not cover every possible network topology.

Attention: To manage rack servers, Lenovo XClarity Administrator must have access to the management network.

Single data and management network (Nutanix AHV)In this topology, both the data network and management network are the same network. All communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. The Lenovo XClarity Administrator Eth1 network interface is not enabled.

Before you begin

Ensure that all appropriate ports are enabled, including ports that Lenovo XClarity Administrator requires (see “Port availability” on page 11).

Ensure that the minimum required firmware is installed on each device that you intend to manage using Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For information about firmware requirements, see “Supported firmware” on page 9.

Important: Configure the servers in ways that minimize IP address changes. Consider using static IP addresses instead of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). If DHCP is used, ensure that IP address changes are minimized.

About this task


The following figure illustrates one way to set up your environment if the data network and management network are the same network. The numbers in the figure correspond to the numbered steps in the following sections.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up a single data/management network.


Figure 8. Sample single data and management network topology (Nutanix AHV)

Important: You can setup Lenovo XClarity Administrator on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, including a managed server. If you use a managed server for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host:

• You must implement either a virtually separate data and management network topology or a single data and management network topology.

• You cannot use Lenovo XClarity Administrator to apply firmware updates to that managed server. Even when only some of the firmware is applied with immediate activation, Lenovo XClarity Administrator forces the target server to restart, which would restart Lenovo XClarity Administrator as well. When applied with deferred activation, only some firmware is applied when the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host is restarted.

If you intend to install Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage an existing rack server that has already been configured, proceed to “Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance” on page 41.

For additional information about planning for this topology, including information about network settings and Eth1 and Eth0 configuration, see “Single data and management network” on page 24.

Step 1: Cable the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switchesCable rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches to enable communications between the devices and your network.

Procedure


Cable each rack server and the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in the top-of-rack switches.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up a single data/management network.

Figure 9. Example cabling for a single data and management network

Step 2: Configure top-of-rack switchesConfigure the top-of-rack switches.

Before you begin

In addition to typical configuration requirements for top-of-rack switches, ensure that all appropriate ports are enabled, including the external ports to the rack servers and network.

Procedure

The configuration steps might vary, depending on the type of rack switches that are installed.

For information about configuring Lenovo top-of-rack switches, see RackSwitch guides in the System x online documentation. If another top-of-rack switch is installed, see the documentation that came with that switch.

Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the Nutanix AHV host.

Before you begin

You must be logged in to Nutanix AHV as a user with admin privileges to install the virtual appliance.

Ensure that the network is configured before installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure

To install the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance, complete the following steps.

Step 1. Download the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual-appliance image from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator download webpage to a client workstation. Log on to the Web site, and then use the access key that was given to you to download the image.

For Nutanix AHV, download the image in virtual-disk image (VHD) format.

Step 2. Install and configure the virtual appliance on the host.

Chapter 3. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Nutanix AHV-based environments 41

http://systemx.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.systemx.common.nav.doc/overview_rack_switches.html


https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/solutions/LNVO-LXCAUPD


a. Log in to the Nutanix AHV cluster.

b. If you are not using a DHCP server, upload the virtual disk image and eth0_config.iso image to the Nutanix AHV cluster.

1. Click the Settings menu ( ), and then click Image configuration to display the Image Configuration dialog.

2. Click Upload Image to display the Create Image dialog.

a. Specify a name for the virtual disk image, such as Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

b. Select DISK for the image type.

c. Select Upload a file, click Choose File, and select the virtual disk image.

d. Click Save to upload the file.

3. If you are not using a DHCP server, click Upload Image to display the Create Image dialog again.

a. Specify a name for the ISO image.

b. Select ISO for the image type.

c. Select Upload a file, click Choose File, and select the eth0_config.iso image.


4. Click Close to close the Image Configuration dialog.

c. Wait until the upload processes are completed before continuing. The status circle in the menu indicates when the processes are complete.

d. Create the virtual machine.

1. Click Home ➙ VM.

2. Click +Create VM in the upper-right corner to display the Create VM dialog.

3. Specify a name for the virtual machine.

4. Specify at least 2 for the number of VCPUs.

5. Specify least 8192 MB or the memory.

6. Scroll down to the Disk section.

7. Add a disk for the virtual disk image:

a. Click the Add New Disk to display the Add Disk dialog.

b. Select Clone from Image Service for the operations.

c. Select the virtual disk image in the image list.

d. Click Add.

8. If you are not using a DHCP server, add a disk for the eth0_config.iso image:

a. Click the Edit icon for the CDROM disk to display the Edit Disk dialog.


c. Select the ISO image that you created earlier from the image list.

d. Click Update.

9. Scroll down to the Network Adapters NIC section and add the data/management network:

a. Click Add New NIC to display the Create NIC dialog.

b. Select the appropriate VLAN for the network.

c. Click Add.

10. Click Save in the Create VM dialog.


11. Wait until the virtual machine is created before continuing. The status circle in the menu indicates when the process is complete.

12. Start the virtual machine.

a. Select the Table view in the upper left corner.

b. Select the virtual machine that you just created.

c. Click Power On Actions.

d. Click Launch Console.

When the virtual machine is started, the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are listed for each interface, as shown in the following example.

The Lenovo XClarity Administrator eth0 management port uses a DHCP IP address by default. At the end of the Lenovo XClarity Administrator boot process, you can choose to set a static IP address for the eth0 management port by entering 1 when prompted, as shown in the example below. The prompt is available for 150 seconds, until the login prompt is displayed. To proceed to the login prompt without delay, enter x at the prompt.

Important:

• When changing the static IP address settings, you have a maximum of 60 seconds to enter the new settings. Ensure that you have the required IP information before continuing.– For IPv4 settings, you must have the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway IP address– For IPv6 settings, you must have the IP address and prefix length

• If you are not using a DHCP server, you can use a configuration file to specify the IP settings for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator eth0 management port. that you want to use to access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For more information, see the “What to do next” section below.

• If you change the IP address settings from the console, Lenovo XClarity Administrator is restarted to apply the new settings.

• No action is required to log in. Ignore the console login message. The console interface is not for customer use.

• You might see the message TCP: eth0: Driver has suspect GRO implementation, TCP performance may be compromised on the console. The performance of the virtual machine is not impacted, and you can ignore this warning.

Attention: Changing the IP address of the Lenovo XClarity Administrator management port after managing devices might cause the devices to be placed in offline state in Lenovo XClarity Administrator. If you choose to change the IP address after Lenovo XClarity Administrator is up and running, ensure that all devices are unmanaged before changing the IP address.

------------------------------------------ Lenovo XClarity Administrator Version x.x.x ------------------------------------------

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 2001:db8:65:12:34:56 inet addr: 192.0.2.10 Bcast 192.0.2.55 Mask 255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: 2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3/64 Scope:Link

eth1 Disabled

=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

You have 150 seconds to change IP settings. Enter one of the following: 1. To set a static IP address for Lenovo XClarity virtual appliance eth0 port


2. To use a DHCP address for Lenovo XClarity virtual appliance eth0 port x. To continue without changing IP settings ... ...

(Optional) Using a configuration file to set the IP settings

If you are not using a DHCP server, you can optionally use a configuration file to specify the IP settings that you want to use to access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface using the Eth0 network interface.

The configuration file (eth0_config) is contained in an ISO file that you create and mount to the virtual machine before Lenovo XClarity Administrator is started for the first time. When Lenovo XClarity Administrator starts the first time, it configures the IP address for the Eth0 network using the static IP address that is defined in the eth0_config file and displays the web interface to set up initially and configure the appropriate settings (see Chapter 8 “Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time” on page 227).

Restriction: Only the Eth0 network can be configured using this method. Creating a configuration file named eth1_config does not configure the Eth1 network.

To use a configuration file, perform the following steps before powering on the virtual appliance

1. Create a file named eth0_config (with no file extension) that contains the following IPv4 parameters that you want the virtual machine to use at startup. • IPV4_ADDR=• IPV4_NETMASK=• IPV4_GATEWAY=• IPV6_ADDR=• IPV6_GATEWAY=

You can use the echo command to create the file, for example: ECHO IPV4_ADDR=1.1.1.1 > ./eth0_config ECHO IPV4_NETMASK=255.255.255.05 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV4_GATEWAY=1.1.1.5 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV6_ADDR=1001:1002:1003:1004::2 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV6_GATEWAY=1001:1002:1003:1004::1 >> ./eth0_config

Note: The IPV6_ADDR and IPV6_GATEWAY parameters are supported in Lenovo XClarity Administrator v1.1.1 and later.

2. Create an ISO image that contains the eth0_config file.

To create an ISO image on Windows, use your favorite ISO software. On Linux, use the mmkkiissooffss command, for example:mkisofs -V IP4ADDR -J -o ./boot.iso ./eth0_config

where -V is the volume label, -J is for Joliet format, -o is the output file name, and ./eth0_config is the file to be included in the ISO image.

3. Upload the ISO image to a suitable location using the Datastore Browser.

4. Mount the .ISO image to the virtual machine. The ISO file must reside in the datastore of the ESXi host so that it can be mounted as a CD/DVD drive on the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual machine.a. Right click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.b. Click Add to display the Add Hardware wizard.c. Click CD/DVD Drive, and click Next.d. Select Use ISO image, and click Next.e. Select the ISO image, and click Next.f. Select the virtual device node, and click Next.g. Click Finish.


Note: You can unmount the drive and delete the ISO image after you log in to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface and finish configuring the appropriate settings.

What to do next

Log in and configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator (see Chapter 7 “Accessing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface” on page 223 and Chapter 8 “Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time” on page 227).

Physically separate data and management networks (Nutanix AHV)In this topology, the data network and management network are physically separate networks. Management communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. Data communications occurs over the Eth1 network interface.

Before you begin




About this task

The following figure illustrates one way to set up your environment when the data and management networks are physically different networks. The numbers in the figure correspond to the numbered steps in the following sections.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up physically separate data and management networks.

Tip: Instead of setting up two physical switches that are connected to each network for redundancy (for a total of four switches), you can set up a single physical switch that is connected to each network (for a total of two switches). In that case, each switch would be connected to both networks, and you would implement two VLANs: one for the data network and one for the management network, to segregate data traffic.


Figure 10. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (Nutanix AHV)


For additional information about planning for this topology, including information about network settings and Eth1 and Eth0 configuration, see “Physically separate data and management network” on page 25.

Step 1: Cable the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switchesCable rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches to enable communications between the devices and your networks.

Procedure

Cable each rack server, and the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in the top-of-rack switches.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the rack servers and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up physically separate data and management networks.

Tip: Instead of setting up two physical switches that are connected to each network for redundancy (for a total of four switches), you can set up a single physical switch that is connected to each network (for a total


of two switches). In that case, each switch would be connected to both networks, and you would implement two VLANs: one for the data network and one for the management network, to segregate data traffic.

Figure 11. Example cabling for physically separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi)


Before you begin


Procedure



Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the Nutanix AHV host.

Before you begin



Procedure




































d. Click Add.





d. Click Update.




c. Click Add.











Important:









eth1 Disabled

=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

You have 150 seconds to change IP settings. Enter one of the following: 1. To set a static IP address for Lenovo XClarity virtual appliance eth0 port 2. To use a DHCP address for Lenovo XClarity virtual appliance eth0 port x. To continue without changing IP settings ... ...
















What to do next



Virtually separate data and management network topology (Nutanix AHV)In this topology, the data network and management network are virtually separate. Packets from the data network and packets from the management network are sent over the same physical connection. VLAN tagging on all management-network data packets is used to keep the traffic between the two networks separate.



Ensure that VLAN IDs are set up for the data network and management network. Optionally, enable VLAN tagging the top-of-rack switches if you implement tagging from the top-of-rack switches.


About this task

The following figure illustrates one way to set up your environment so that the management network is separated from the virtual network. The numbers in the figure correspond to the numbered steps in the following sections.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up virtually separate data and management networks.


Figure 12. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate data and management network (Nutanix AHV)

In this scenario, Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a server in a Flex System chassis that is being managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.




Also in this scenario, all data is sent over the same physical connections. The separation of the management network from the data network is accomplished through VLAN tagging, in which specific tags corresponding to the management network are appended to incoming data packets to ensure that they are routed to the appropriate interfaces. The tags are removed from outgoing data packets.

VLAN tagging can be enabled on the top-of-rack switches. VLAN tags corresponding to the management network are added to packets as they enter the top-of-rack switch and are passed through the Flex switches and on to the servers in the Flex System chassis. On the return route, VLAN tags are removed as they are sent from the top-of-rack switch to the management controllers.

The choice of whether to implement VLAN tagging is based on the needs and complexity of your environment.



For additional information about planning for this topology, including information about network settings and Eth1 and Eth0 configuration, see “Virtually separate data and management network” on page 27.

Step 1: Cable rack servers to the top-of-rack switchesCable rack servers to the same top-of-rack switch to enable communications between the devices.

Procedure

Cable each rack server to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in that top-of-rack switch.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the rack servers to the top-of-rack switches when Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a server that will be managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment,. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements as they relate to setting up a virtually separate data and management networks.

Figure 13. Example cabling for virtually separate data and management networks


Before you begin


You can implement VLAN tagging in the Flex switches or top-of-rack switches, depending on the needs and complexity of your environment. If you implement tagging from the top-of-rack switches, enable VLAN tagging from the top-of-rack switches.

Ensure that VLAN IDs are set up for the management and data networks.

Procedure


The following figure is an example scenario that illustrates VLAN tagging that is implemented in the top-of- rack switches and enabled on only the management network. The management VLAN is set up as VLAN 10.


In this scenario, you must define the ports to which the CMMs are connected as belonging to the management VLAN.

Note: You can also enable VLAN tagging on the data network to configure a data VLAN.

Figure 14. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network


Step 3. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host, and configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin



Procedure




































d. Click Add.





d. Click Update.




c. Click Add.











Important:









eth1 Disabled

=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next



Implementing high availability (Nutanix AHV)To implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, use the Virtual Machine High Availability function that is provided for the Nutanix AHV environment.

To enable the Virtual Machine High Availability with reserved resources, click the Settings menu ( , and then click Manage VM High Availability. For more information about high availability in Nutanix AHV, see Acropolis Virtual Machine High Availability Resources website.


https://next.nutanix.com/t5/Nutanix-Connect-Blog/Acropolis-Virtual-Machine-High-Availability-Resources/ba-p/6365

Chapter 4. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Red Hat KVM-based environments

Use the information in this section as a guide to setting up chassis and rack servers and installing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance in a Red Hat KVM-based environment, depending on the network topology that is implemented in your environment.


Attention: To manage chassis and servers, Lenovo XClarity Administrator must have access to the management network.

Single data and management network (KVM)In this topology, both the data network and management network are the same network. All communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. The Lenovo XClarity Administrator Eth1 network interface is not enabled.

Before you begin



Attention: If you intend to manage CMMs that are running a firmware level of Flex stack release 1.3.2.1 2PET12K through 2PET12Q, that have been running more than three weeks, and that are in a dual-CMM configuration, you must virtually reseat the CMMs before updating firmware using Lenovo XClarity Administrator.


About this task



Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment, depending on the rack servers and components in the chassis that you might have. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements for the Flex switches, CMMs, and rack servers as they relate to setting up a single data/management network.


Figure 15. Sample single data and management network topology (VMware ESXi)




• If you use a server in a Flex System chassis, ensure that the server is set to automatically power on. You can set this option from the management controller web interface for the chassis by clicking Chassis Management ➙ Compute Nodes, then selecting the server, and selecting Auto Power for the Auto Power On Mode.

If you intend to install Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage existing chassis and rack servers that have already been configured, proceed to “Step 5: Install and configure the host” on page 64.


Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switchesCable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches to enable communications between the devices and your network.


Procedure

Cable each Flex switch and CMM in each chassis, each rack server, and the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in the top-of-rack switches.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the chassis (Flex switches and CMMs), rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches.




Before you begin

In addition to typical configuration requirements for top-of-rack switches, ensure that all appropriate ports are enabled, including the external ports to the Flex switches, rack servers, and network, and internal ports to the CMM, rack servers, and network.

Procedure



Step 3: Configure Chassis Management Modules (CMMs)Configure the primary Chassis Management Module (CMM) in your chassis to manage all devices in the chassis.

About this task

Chapter 4. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Red Hat KVM-based environments 61



For detailed information about configuring a CMM, see configuring chassis components in the Flex System online documentation.

Also, refer to steps 4.1 - 4.5 on the instruction poster that was provided with your chassis.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to configure the CMM.

If two CMMs are installed, configure only the primary CMM, which automatically synchronizes the configuration with the standby CMM.

Step 1. Connect an Ethernet cable from the CMM in bay 1 to a client workstation to create a direct connection.

To connect to the CMM for the first time, you might need to change the Internet Protocol properties on the client workstation.

Important: Ensure that the client workstation subnet is the same as the CMM subnet. (The default CMM subnet is 255.255.255.0). The IP address chosen for the client workstation must be on the same network as the CMM (for example, 192.168.70.0 - 192.168.70.24).

Step 2. To launch the CMM management interface, open a web browser on the client workstation, and direct it to the CMM IP address.

Notes:

• Ensure that you use a secure connection and include https in the URL (for example, https:// 192.168.70.100). If you do not include https, you will receive a page-not-found error.

• If you use the default IP address 192.168.70.100, the CMM management interface might take a few minutes to be available. This delay occurs because the CMM attempts to obtain a DHCP address for two minutes before falling back to the default static address.

Step 3. Log in to the CMM management interface using the default user ID USERID and password PASSW0RD. After you log in, you must change the default password.

Step 4. Complete the CMM Initial Setup Wizard to specify the details for your environment. The Initial Setup Wizard includes the following options:

• View chassis inventory and health.

• Import the configuration from an existing configuration file.

• Configure the general CMM settings.

• Configure the CMM date and time.

Tip: When you install Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all chassis managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator to use an NTP server.

• Configure the CMM IP information.

• Configure the CMM security policy.


http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.acc.cmm.doc/cmm_ui_config_chassis_components.html


• Configure domain name system (DNS).

• Configure the event recipients.

Step 5. After saving the setup wizard settings and applying changes, configure the IP addresses for all of the components in the chassis.

Refer to step 4.6 of the instruction poster that was provided with your chassis.

Note: You must reset the System Management Processor for each compute node and restart the Flex switches to show the new IP addresses.

Step 6. Restart the CMM using the CMM management interface.

Step 7. As the CMM is restarting, connect a cable from the Ethernet port on the CMM to your network.

Step 8. Log in to the CMM management interface using the new IP address.

What to do next

You can also configure the CMM to support redundancy. Use the CMM help system to learn more about the fields that are available on each of the following pages.

• Configure failover for the CMM in case there is a hardware failure in the primary CMM. From the CMM management interface, click Mgt Module Management ➙ Properties ➙ Advanced Failover.

• Configure failover as a result of a network problem (uplink). From the CMM management interface, click Mgt Module Management ➙ Network, click the Ethernet tab, and then click Advanced Ethernet. At a minimum, ensure that you select Failover on loss of physical network link.

Step 4: Configure Flex switchesConfigure Flex switches (I/O modules) in each chassis.

Before you begin

Ensure that all appropriate ports are enabled, including external ports from the Flex switch to the top-of-rack switch and internal ports to the CMM.

If the Flex switches are set up to get dynamic-network settings (IP address, netmask, gateway, and DNS address) over DHCP, ensure that the Flex switches have consistent settings (for example, ensure that the IP addresses are in the same subnet as the CMM).

Important: For each Flex System chassis, ensure that the fabric type of the expansion card in each server in the chassis is compatible with the fabric type of all Flex switches in the same chassis. For example, if Ethernet switches are installed in a chassis, all servers in that chassis must have Ethernet connectivity


through the LAN-on-motherboard connector or an Ethernet expansion card. For more information about configuring Flex switches, see Configuring I/O modules in the Flex Systems online documentation.

Procedure

The configuration steps might vary, depending on the type of Flex switches that are installed. For more information about each of the supported Flex switches, see Flex System network switches in the Flex Systems online documentation.

Typically, you must configure the Flex switches in Flex switch bays 1 and 2.

Tip: Flex switch bay 2 is the third module bay when looking at the rear of the chassis.

Figure 17. Flex switch locations in a chassis

Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install KVM on any server that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin

If you intend to implement a high-availability environment, see “Implementing high availability (KVM)” on page 97 for more information about setting up the KVM cluster.

Ensure that the host meets the prerequisites that are defined in “Supported host systems” on page 7.

Ensure that the host system is in the same network as the devices that you want to manage.




• If you use a server in a Flex System chassis, ensure that the server is set to automatically power on. You can set this option from the CMM web interface by clicking Chassis Management ➙ Compute Nodes, then selecting the server, and selecting Auto Power for the Auto Power On Mode.

Procedure


http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.acc.8721.doc/configuring_io_modules.html

http://flexsystem.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.acc.networkdevices.doc/network_iomodule.html


Install and configure KVM on the host using instructions that are provided by Red Hat.

During installation, you are prompted to select a disk drive where the image is to be installed. If you intend to run Lenovo XClarity Administrator from a local disk drive, ensure that the disk drive has a minimum of 192 GB of space plus the size of the KVM installation image.

Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed.

Before you begin

You must be logged in to KVM as a user with root privileges to install the virtual appliance.

Ensure that the virtual network virbr0 is configured before installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

When connecting to KVM console, you have a choice of connecting to a serial or graphical console. To see and change the IP address during the startup of Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must be connected to the graphical console. To use the graphical console, click View ➙ Text Consoles ➙ Graphic Console VNC from the Virtual Machine Manager.

Procedure



For KVM, download the image in qcow2 format.


a. Download the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance image to a client workstation from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator download webpage.

Log in to the Web site, and then use the access key that was given to you to download the image.

Note: Ensure that the client workstation is on the same network as the host.

b. Log in to the server.

c. Copy the virtual disk image to the server.

d. From the Virtual Machine Manager window, click QEMU/KVM, and then click New. The New VM dialog is displayed.

e. Select Import existing disk image, and click Forward.

f. Browse to the location where you copied the Lenovo XClarity Administrator image. Select that image.

g. Select Generic for the OS type and version.

h. Click Forward.

i. Select at least 8192 MB for the memory.

j. Select at least 2 processors.

k. Click Forward.

l. Enter a name for the new virtual machine, such as Lenovo XClarity Administrator





m. If you are not using a DHCP server, select Customize configuration before install.

n. Expand Advanced options and configure the following settings:

1. Specify virbr0 for the bridge name.

2. Select kvm as the virtual type.

3. Select x86_64 for the architecture.

o. Click Finish.

p. If selected Customize configuration before install, a customization dialog is displayed.

1. Select Storage in the left menu. The Storage page is displayed.

2. Select Select managed or other existing storage, and select the ISO image that you created in step1.

3. Select IDE cdrom for the device type.

4. Select None for the cache mode.

q. Click Finish.



Important:








eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 2001:db8:65:12:34:56 inet addr: 192.0.2.10 Bcast 192.0.2.55 Mask 255.255.255.0


inet6 addr: 2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3/64 Scope:Link


=========================================================================== ===========================================================================














4. Mount the .ISO image to the virtual machine. The ISO file must reside in the datastore of the ESXi host so that it can be mounted as a CD/DVD drive on the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual machine.


a. Right click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.b. Click Add to display the Add Hardware wizard.c. Click CD/DVD Drive, and click Next.d. Select Use ISO image, and click Next.e. Select the ISO image, and click Next.f. Select the virtual device node, and click Next.g. Click Finish.


What to do next


Physically separate data and management networks (KVM)In this topology, the data network and management network are physically separate networks. Management communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. Data communications occurs over the Eth1 network interface.

Before you begin





About this task


Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment, depending on the rack servers and components in the chassis that you might have. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements for the Flex switches, CMMs, and rack servers as they relate to setting up physically separate data and management networks.



Figure 18. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (KVM)



Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switchesCable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches to enable communications between the devices and your networks.

Procedure









Before you begin


Procedure




About this task



Procedure












Notes:





















What to do next




Step 4: Configure Flex switchesConfigure the Flex switches in each chassis.

Before you begin



Important: For each Flex System chassis, ensure that the fabric type of the expansion card in each server in the chassis is compatible with the fabric type of all Flex switches in the same chassis. For example, if Ethernet switches are installed in a chassis, all servers in that chassis must have Ethernet connectivity through the LAN-on-motherboard connector or an Ethernet expansion card. For more information about configuring Flex switches, see Configuring I/O modules in the Flex Systems online documentation.

Procedure









Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install KVM on any server that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin




Procedure




Before you begin



When connecting to KVM console, you have a choice of connecting to a serial or graphical console. To see and change the IP address during the startup of Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must be connected to the graphical console. To use the graphical console, click View ➙ Text Consoles ➙ Graphic Console VNC from the Virtual Machine Manager.

Procedure















h. Click Forward.



k. Click Forward.


m. Select Customize configuration before install





o. Click Finish. A customization dialog is displayed.

p. Configure the second virtual network: 1. Select Network in the menu.2. Select Bridge virbr1: Host device vnet2 for the network source.3. Specify the MAC accress for the second virtual network.4. Select Hypervisor default for the device model.

q. If you are not using a DHCP server, mount the configuration ISO image:


2. Select Select managed or other existing storage, and select the ISO image that you created in step 1.



r. Click Finish.







Important:










=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next



Virtually separate data and management network topology (KVM)In this topology, the data network and management network are virtually separate. Packets from the data network and packets from the management network are sent over the same physical connection. VLAN tagging on all management-network data packets is used to keep the traffic between the two networks separate.




Ensure that VLAN IDs are set up for the data network and management network. Optionally, enable VLAN tagging from the Flex switches if you implement tagging from the Flex switches or enable from the top-of- rack switches if you implement tagging from the top-of-rack switches.

Ensure that you define the ports to which the CMMs are connected as belonging to the management VLAN.


About this task


Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment, depending on the rack servers and components in the chassis that you might have. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements for the Flex switches, CMMs, and rack servers as they relate to setting up virtually separate data and management networks.


Figure 21. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate data and management network (KVM)







VLAN tagging can be enabled on one of the following devices:


• Top-of-rack switches. VLAN tags corresponding to the management network are added to packets as they enter the top-of-rack switch and are passed through the Flex switches and on to the servers in the Flex System chassis. On the return route, VLAN tags are removed as they are sent from the top-of-rack switch to the management controllers.

• Flex switches. VLAN tags corresponding to the management network are added to packets as they enter the Flex switches and are passed to the servers in the Flex System chassis. On the return route, VLAN tags are added by the server, and passed to the Flex switches, which remove them when forwarding to the management modules.




Step 1: Cable the chassis and rack servers to the top-of-rack switchesCable the chassis and rack servers to the same top-of-rack switch to enable communications between the devices.

Procedure

Cable each Flex switch and CMM in each chassis and each rack server to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in that top-of-rack switch.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the chassis (Flex switches and CMMs) and rack servers to the top-of-rack switches when Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a server in a chassis that will be managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.





Before you begin




Procedure





Figure 23. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network



About this task






Procedure







Notes:























What to do next





Before you begin


You can implement VLAN tagging in the Flex switches or top-of-rack switches, depending on the needs and complexity of your environment. If you implement tagging from the Flex switches, enable VLAN tagging from the Flex switches.


Important: For each Flex System chassis, ensure that the fabric type of the expansion card in each server in the chassis is compatible with the fabric type of all Flex switches in the same chassis. For example, if


Ethernet switches are installed in a chassis, all servers in that chassis must have Ethernet connectivity through the LAN-on-motherboard connector or an Ethernet expansion card. For more information about configuring Flex switches, see Configuring I/O modules in the Flex Systems online documentation.

Procedure


The following figure is an example scenario that illustrates VLAN tagging that is implemented in the Flex switches and enabled on the management and data networks. The management VLAN is set up as VLAN 10 (Ext1), and the data VLAN is set up as VLAN 20 (Ext2).

Figure 24. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (KVM) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on both networks

Complete the following steps to configure the Flex switches for this scenario:

Step 1. Configure the Flex switch in Flex switch bay 1:

a. Define the management VLAN (in the example, we chose VLAN 10) to contain the external port where the cable is routed to the top-of-rack management switch (Ext1).

b. Assign a virtual Network Interface Card (vNIC) function from the compute node on which Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed to the management VLAN (VLAN 10). The following table provides information about how vNICs on the compute node are mapped on the Flex switch:

Table 9. Correlation between vNIC IDs and PCIe functions on the servers

PCIe Function (UEFI)

Com-pute node phys-ical port

Flex swi-tch bay vNIC ID

0

0 1

x.1 (7.1 in this example)

2 x.2 (7.2 in this example)







Tip: Typically, x.1 is reserved for data; therefore, use x.2, x.3, or x.4

c. Define an internal port where the host is to reside to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that the VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.

d. Define an internal port that is to be part of VLAN 20 (data VLAN).


Tip: Flex switch bay 2 is actually the third module bay if you are looking at the back of the chassis:

a. Define the management VLAN (in the example, we chose VLAN 10) to contain the external port where the cable is routed to the top-of-rack management switch.

b. Assign a virtual Network Interface Card (vNIC) function from the compute node on which Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed to the management VLAN (VLAN 10). The following table provides information about how vNICs on the compute node are mapped on the Flex switch:

Table 10. Correlation between vNIC IDs and PCIe functions on the servers

PCIe Function (UEFI)

Com-pute node phys-ical port

Flex swi-tch bay vNIC ID

1 0 1 x.1 (7.1 in this example)




Tip: Typically, x.1 is reserved for data; therefore, use x.2, x.3, or x.4

c. Define an internal port where the host is to reside to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that the VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.

d. Define an internal port that is to be part of VLAN 20 (data VLAN).

Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install KVM on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin









Procedure



Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host, and configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin


Ensure that the virtual networks virbr0 and virbr1 are configured before installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure


















h. Click Forward.



k. Click Forward.


m. Select Customize configuration before install





o. Click Finish. A customization dialog is displayed.

p. Configure the second virtual network: 1. Select Network in the menu.2. Select Bridge virbr1: Host device vnet2 for the network source.3. Specify the MAC accress for the second virtual network.4. Select Hypervisor default for the device model.

q. If you are not using a DHCP server, mount the configuration ISO image:


2. Select Select managed or other existing storage, and select the ISO image that you created in step 1.



r. Click Finish.



Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next


Management-only network topology (KVM)In this topology, Lenovo XClarity Administrator has only the management network. It does not have the data network.

Before you begin

Ensure that all appropriate ports are enabled, including: • Ports that Lenovo XClarity Administrator requires (see “Port availability” on page 11)• External ports to the network• Internal ports to the CMM





About this task

The following figure illustrates one way to set up your environment if Lenovo XClarity Administrator has only the management network (and not the data network). The numbers in the figure correspond to the numbered steps in the following sections.

Note: This figure does not depict all cabling options that might be required for your environment, depending on the rack servers and components in the chassis that you might have. Instead, this figure shows only the cabling-option requirements for the Flex switches, CMMs, and rack servers as they relate to setting up a management-only network.

Figure 25. Sample Network topology - Management-only network (KVM)


For additional information about planning for this topology, including information about network settings and Eth1 and Eth0 configuration, see “Management-only network” on page 29.


Procedure





Figure 26. Example cabling for a management-only network


Before you begin


Procedure




About this task








Procedure







Notes:





















What to do next





Before you begin




Procedure







Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install KVM on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin




Procedure




Before you begin



When connecting to KVM console, you have a choice of connecting to a serial or graphical console. To see and change the IP address during the startup of Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must be connected to




the graphical console. To use the graphical console, click View ➙ Text Consoles ➙ Graphic Console VNC from the Virtual Machine Manager.

Procedure














h. Click Forward.



k. Click Forward.


m. If you are not using a DHCP server, select Customize configuration before install.





o. Click Finish.

p. If selected Customize configuration before install, a customization dialog is displayed.


2. Select Select managed or other existing storage, and select the ISO image that you created in step1.



q. Click Finish.







Important:










=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next



Implementing high availability (KVM)To implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator in a RedHat KVM environment, you can use OpenStack. If you already have a high-availability environment, you can continue to use your internal processes.

For more information about OpenStack high availability, see Introduction to OpenStack high availability website.


https://docs.openstack.org/ha-guide/intro-ha.html

https://docs.openstack.org/ha-guide/intro-ha.html

Chapter 5. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in VMware ESXi-based environments

Use the information in this section as a guide to setting up chassis and rack servers and installing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance in a VMware ESXi-based environment, depending on the network topology that is implemented in your environment.



Single data and management network (ESXi)In this topology, both the data network and management network are the same network. All communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host.

Before you begin





About this task





Figure 28. Sample single data and management network topology (VMware ESXi)








Procedure







Before you begin


Procedure




About this task


Chapter 5. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in VMware ESXi-based environments 101






Procedure







Notes:





















What to do next




Step 4: Configure Flex switchesConfigure Flex switches (I/O modules) in each chassis.

Before you begin




Procedure







Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install VMware ESXi on any server that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin

If you intend to implement a high-availability environment, see “Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)” on page 177 for more information about setting up the VMware ESXi cluster.







Procedure

Install and configure ESXi on the host using instructions that are provided by VMware. See your ESXi documentation for more information.

Note: You can also use ESXi with Lenovo customization. For information about obtaining that image, see the VMware Support – Downloads webpage.




http://vmware.lenovo.com

During installation, you are prompted to select a disk drive where the image is to be installed. If you intend to run Lenovo XClarity Administrator from a local disk drive, ensure that the disk drive has a minimum of 192 GB of space plus the size of the ESXi installation image.

Tip: After you complete the Lenovo XClarity Administrator setup and manage your chassis and rack servers, you can deploy ESXi to the managed servers from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface. For information about deploying an operating system, see Deploying an operating system image in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 6. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed. You can use either the vSphere Web Client or vCenter Client for deployment.

Step 6a. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using VMware vSphereInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vSphere deployment wizard.

Procedure



For ESXi, download the image in OVF format.

Step 2. Install the virtual appliance on the host.

a. Connect to the host through the VMware vSphere Client.

b. Right-click the host, and click File ➙ Deploy OVF Template.

To deploy the virtual appliance, keep the following considerations in mind as you progress through the virtual-appliance deployment wizard.

• OVF Template Details. Select the OVA file for Lenovo XClarity Administrator

• Name and location. Choose an appliance name that is unique to this host.

• Deployment configuration. Choose the configuration size based on the size of your environment. – Small (up to 100 managed endpoints). 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM– Medium (up to 400 managed endpoints). 6 CPUs and 12 GB RAM– Large (up to 600 managed endpoints). 8 CPUs and 16 GB RAM– Extra Large (up to 1000 managed endpoints). 12 CPUs and 24 GB RAM

You can change the CPU and RAM settings in VMware. For information about more granular configuration-recommendations based on the number of devices in your environment, see Lenovo XClarity Administrator Performance white paper.

• Storage. Choose a datastore that has a minimum of 192 GB of storage available.

• Disk Format. Choose the disk format that meets the needs of your organization. If you are not sure which format to choose, select Thin Provision.

• Network Mapping. Choose Bridge to VM Network. You will modify this setting when you associate the virtual machine with the network.






Important: Lenovo XClarity Administrator includes the VMXNET 3 driver. You can ignore any VMware errors that say that the driver is not supported.

• Properties. This page is ignored when using vSphere deployment.

• Ready to complete. Clear the Power on after deployment option.

The following figure show example configuration settings when the wizard is complete.

Step 3. Associate the virtual machine with the management network.

a. Click the host to display the host details in the content pane of the VMware vSphere Client.


b. Click the Configuration tab.

c. Click Networking, and then click the Add Networking link.

d. On the Connection Types page, click Virtual Machine.

e. On the Virtual Machines - Network Access page, click Use vSwitch0, select vmnic0, and click Next to create a port group.

f. Update the Port Group properties.

• Enter a label, such as VM Network for the network label.

• Optional: Enter the VLAN ID that was set up for the network.

g. Associate Network adapter 1 with the network that you just added.

1. In the left navigation pane, right-click the virtual machine, and then click Edit Settings.

2. Click the Hardware tab, click Network adapter 1, and then select the network label that you defined as the network connection for the Port Group properties.

Important: Ensure that Lenovo XClarity Administrator network adapter 2 is connected to a different port group than network adapter 1.


Figure 31. Network adapter configuration

Step 4. Set up NIC teaming to provide failover capability between the two Flex switches installed in the chassis.

a. From the host Configuration tab, and click the vSwitch0 Properties link.

b. Click the Network Adapters tab, and then select vmnic0.

c. Click Add.

d. Follow the steps in the Add Adapter Wizard to add vmnic1.

In the Policy Failover page, move vmnic1 down to the Standby Adapters.


e. To complete the setup, continue through the Add Adapter Wizard.

Step 5. Power on the virtual machine:

a. Right-click the virtual machine, and click Power ➙ Power on.

b. Click the Console tab.



Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next


Step 6b. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using VMware vCenter Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vCenter deployment wizard.

Procedure





a. Connect to the host through the VMware vCenter Client.

b. Right-click the vCenter node, and click Deploy OVF Template.

To deploy the virtual appliance, keep the following considerations in mind as you progress through the deployment wizard.

• Select source. Select the OVA file for Lenovo XClarity Administrator

• Select name and folder. Choose an appliance name that is unique to this host.

• Select configuration. Choose the configuration size based on the size of your environment. – Small (up to 100 managed endpoints). 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM




– Medium (up to 400 managed endpoints). 6 CPUs and 12 GB RAM– Large (up to 600 managed endpoints). 8 CPUs and 16 GB RAM– Extra Large (up to 1000 managed endpoints). 12 CPUs and 24 GB RAM


• Select resource. Choose the ESXi host that you want to use for this virtual appliance.

• Select storage. Choose a datastore that has a minimum of 192 GB of storage available, and choose the virtual disk format that meets the needs of your organization. If you are not sure which format to choose, select Thin Provision.

• Select networks. Choose Bridge to VM Network. You will modify this setting when you associate the virtual machine with the network.


• Customize templates. – If you are using DHCP, specify “no” in the field.– If you are using a static IP address for Lenovo XClarity Administrator management port,

specify “yes” in the Configure initial IP setting field, and then specify the static IP protocols, addresses, netmasks, DNS servers, and gateways.

Notes:

– You can also choose to use a configuration file to specify the IP address setting before powering on the virtual appliance (see “Using a configuration file to set the IP address” below).

– The order of fields on this page might vary depending on your web browser and version of ESXi.





c. Click Finish to complete the initialize and deploy Lenovo XClarity Administrator. This might take several minutes.

Attention: Do not power on the virtual appliance until after completing the next three steps. Otherwise, the Lenovo XClarity Administrator is booted with the default DHCP IP setting.

d. If you are configured static IP addresses for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator management port, complete these steps before powering on the virtual appliance:

1. From the vCenter client, select the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance in the VMWare VMs view, right-click the Manage tab, and click Edit. The Edit Settings dialog is displayed.

2. Click the vApp Option tab, and then click OVF environment transport in the navigation pane.

3. Ensure that the VMware Tools and Enable options are selected, and then click OK.


Step 3. Right-click the virtual appliance, and click Power ➙ Power on.



Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================


Step 4. If you chose to use static IP settings for the Lenovo XClarity Administrator management port in the network template (in step 2) and you changed the IP settings from the console, perform the following steps. This ensures that the IP settings that you specified from the console (and not the settings that you specified on the network template) are used each time the virtual appliance reboots.

1. From the vCenter client, select the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance, right-click the Manage tab, and click Edit. The Edit Settings dialog is displayed.


3. Ensure that the VMware Tools and Enable options are cleared, and then click OK.

(Optional) Using an installation script

You can create a script, such as the following example, to install Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using the VMware ovftool (version 4.2.0 or later). You must include the following parameters in the script• prop:guestinfo.ipv4.bootproto. The IPv4 boot protocol. This can be dhcp or static.• prop:guestinfo.ipv4.dns1. Domain name space• prop:guestinfo.ipv4.gateway. Gateway address• prop:guestinfo.ipv4.ipaddr. IPv4 address• prop:guestinfo.ipv4.netmask. Netmask• prop:guestinfo.ipsetting. Indicates whether to set the IP address. This can be yes or no.• prop:guestinfo.ipv6.bootproto. The IPv4 boot protocol. This can be auto, dhcp or static.• prop:guestinfo.ipv6.ipaddr. IPv6 address

Note: You must power off and then power on the virtual machine to clear the OVF environments after the Lenovo XClarity Administrator deployment is complete.

#!/bin/bash


# XCLARITY virtual appliance ova file name LXCA_OVA="lnvgy_sw_lxca_331-2.0.0_vmware_x86-64.ova"

# ESXi IP, ID and Password ESXI_HOST="1.2.3.4" ESXI_USERNAME="userid" ESXI_PASSWORD="userpasswd" # ESXi virtual switch and datastore to store the # XClarity virtual appliance ESXI_VM_NETWORK="VM Network" ESXI_VM_DATASTORE="datastore2"

# XCLarity ETH0 static ip info IPV4_BOOTPROTO="static" LXCA_VMNAME="lxca-vm" LXCA_DEPOPT="small" LXCA_OVERWR="--overwrite" LXCA_HOSTNAME="dt.labs.lenovo.com" LXCA_IP="1.2.3.5" LXCA_NETMASK="255.255.240.0" LXCA_GATEWAY="1.2.0.1" LXCA_DNS="1.2.0.10" LXCA_CHGIP="yes"

LXCA_IP6="0::0" IPV6_BOOTPROTO="auto"

##### Using ovftool version 4.2.0 ### ##### '--X:injectOvfEnv' and '--powerOn' are the key parameters /usr/bin/ovftool --acceptAllEulas --X:waitForIp --skipManifestCheck ${LXCA_OVERWR} --X:injectOvfEnv --powerOn "--net:bridged=${ESXI_VM_NETWORK}" --datastore=${ESXI_VM_DATASTORE} --diskMode=thin --name=${LXCA_VMNAME} --deploymentOption=${LXCA_DEPOPT} --prop:guestinfo.ipv4.bootproto=${IPV4_BOOTPROTO} --prop:guestinfo.ipv4.dns1=${LXCA_DNS} --prop:guestinfo.ipv4.gateway=${LXCA_GATEWAY} --prop:guestinfo.ipv4.ipaddr=${LXCA_IP} --prop:guestinfo.ipv4.netmask=${LXCA_NETMASK} --prop:guestinfo.ipsetting=${LXCA_CHGIP} --prop:guestinfo.ipv6.bootproto=${IPV6_BOOTPROTO} --prop:guestinfo.ipv6.ipaddr=${LXCA_IP6} ${LXCA_OVA} "vi://${ESXI_USERNAME}:${ESXI_PASSWORD}@${ESXI_HOST}/"

if [[ "$?" -eq 0 ]]; then exit 0

else exit 999

fi

The example script returns the following output [root@localhost dtest]# ./depl.sh Opening OVA source: lnvgy_sw_lxca_331-2.0.0_vmware_x86-64.ova Opening VI target: vi://[email protected]:443/ Deploying to VI: vi://[email protected]:443/ Transfer Completed Powering on VM: lxca-vm Task Completed Received IP address: 1.2.3.5
















What to do next



Physically separate data and management networks (ESXi)In this topology, the data network and management network are physically separate networks. Management communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. Data communications occurs over the Eth1 network interface.

Before you begin





About this task





Figure 32. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (VMware ESXi)




Procedure









Before you begin


Procedure




About this task



Procedure












Notes:





















What to do next





Before you begin




Procedure









Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install VMware ESXi on any system that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin




Procedure






Step 6a. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using the vSphere ClientInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vSphere deployment wizard.




Procedure

Complete the following steps to install the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance:






















Step 3. Associate the virtual machine with the data and management networks.






e. Define port group 0.

1. On the Virtual Machines - Network Access page, click Use vSwitch0, select vmnic0, and click Next to create a Port Group.

2. Update the Port Group properties.

• Enter a label, such as VM Management Network for the network label.

• Optionally, enter the VLAN ID that was set up for the network.

3. Associate the network adapters for the management VLAN to the network that you just added.

a. In the left navigation pane, right-click the virtual machine, and then click Edit Settings.

b. Click the Hardware tab, select each network adapter, and then select the network label that you defined as the network connection for the Port Group properties.

Important: Ensure that each Lenovo XClarity Administrator network adapter is connected to a different port group.

4. Set up NIC teaming to provide failover capability between the two Flex switches that are installed in the chassis.

• From the host Configuration tab, click the vSwitch0 Properties link.

• Click the Network Adapters tab, and then select vmnic0.

• Click Add.

• Follow the steps in the Add Adapter Wizard to add vmnic1.

In the Policy Failover page, move vmnic1 down to the Standby Adapters section.

• Continue through the Add Adapter Wizard to complete the setup.

f. Define port group 1.


1. On the Virtual Machines - Network Access page, click Use vSwitch0, select vmnic1, and then click Next to create a port group.






Notes: For Lenovo XClarity Administrator v1.2.0 and earlier, perform the following steps before powering on the management server for the first time:

a. Click the virtual machine, and select Edit Virtual Machine Settings. The virtual machine properties dialog is displayed.

b. Click Network Adapter 2.

c. Clear Connect at power on.

d. Click OK to save.

After Lenovo XClarity Administrator is configured to use the eth1 port, repeat the previous steps to select Connect at power on.






Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next


Step 6b. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using the vCenter ClientInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vCenter deployment wizard.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to install the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance:









• Select configuration. Choose the configuration size based on the size of your environment. – Small (up to 100 managed endpoints). 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM– Medium (up to 400 managed endpoints). 6 CPUs and 12 GB RAM– Large (up to 600 managed endpoints). 8 CPUs and 16 GB RAM– Extra Large (up to 1000 managed endpoints). 12 CPUs and 24 GB RAM











Notes:







Step 3. Associate the virtual machine with the data and management networks.






e. Define port group 0.

1. On the Virtual Machines - Network Access page, click Use vSwitch0, select vmnic0, and click Next to create a Port Group.



• Optionally, enter the VLAN ID that was set up for the network.


In the left navigation pane, right-click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings. Then, from the Hardware tab, select each network adapter, and select the network label that you defined for this port group.


• From the host Configuration tab, click the vSwitch0 Properties link.

• Click the Network Adapters tab, and then select vmnic0.

• Click Add.

• Follow the steps in the Add Adapter Wizard to add vmnic1.

In the Policy Failover page, move vmnic1 down to the Standby Adapters section.

• Continue through the Add Adapter Wizard to complete the setup.

f. Define port group 1.

1. On the Virtual Machines - Network Access page, click Use vSwitch0, select vmnic1, and then click Next to create a port group.







Notes: For Lenovo XClarity Administrator v1.2.0 and earlier, perform the following steps before powering on the management server for the first time:

a. Click the virtual machine, and select Edit Virtual Machine Settings. The virtual machine properties dialog is displayed.

b. Click Network Adapter 2.

c. Clear Connect at power on.

d. Click OK to save.

After Lenovo XClarity Administrator is configured to use the eth1 port, repeat the previous steps to select Connect at power on.




Important:








eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 2001:db8:65:12:34:56


inet addr: 192.0.2.10 Bcast 192.0.2.55 Mask 255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: 2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3/64 Scope:Link


=========================================================================== ===========================================================================









#!/bin/bash



# XCLarity ETH0 static ip info IPV4_BOOTPROTO="static" LXCA_VMNAME="lxca-vm"


LXCA_DEPOPT="small" LXCA_OVERWR="--overwrite" LXCA_HOSTNAME="dt.labs.lenovo.com" LXCA_IP="1.2.3.5" LXCA_NETMASK="255.255.240.0" LXCA_GATEWAY="1.2.0.1" LXCA_DNS="1.2.0.10" LXCA_CHGIP="yes"



if [[ "$?" -eq 0 ]]; then exit 0

else exit 999

fi

















What to do next


Virtually separate data and management network topology (ESXi)In this topology, the data network and management network are virtually separate. Packets from the data network and packets from the management network are sent over the same physical connection. VLAN tagging on all management-network data packets is used to keep the traffic between the two networks separate.








About this task




Figure 35. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate data and management network (VMware ESXi)










• Flex switches. VLAN tags corresponding to the management network are added to packets as they enter the Flex switches and are passed to the servers in a Flex System chassis. On the return route, VLAN tags are added by the servers, and passed to the Flex switches, which remove them when forwarding to the management controllers.





Procedure

Cable each Flex switch and CMM in each chassis and each rack server to both top-of-rack switches. You can choose any ports in that top-of-rack switch.

The following figure is an example that illustrates cabling from the chassis (Flex switches and CMMs) and rack servers to the top-of-rack switches when Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed on a server in a chassis that will be managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.





Before you begin




Procedure





Figure 37. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on the management network



About this task






Procedure







Notes:























What to do next





Before you begin




Important: For each Flex System chassis, ensure that the fabric type of the expansion card in each server in the chassis is compatible with the fabric type of all Flex switches in the same chassis. For example, if


Ethernet switches are installed in a chassis, all servers in that chassis must have Ethernet connectivity through the LAN-on-motherboard connector or an Ethernet expansion card. For more information about configuring Flex switches, see Configuring I/O modules in the Flex Systems online documentation.

Procedure


The following figure is an example scenario that illustrates VLAN tagging that is implemented in the Flex switches and enabled on only the management network. The management VLAN is set up as VLAN 10.

Note: You can configure a data VLAN by enabling VLAN tagging on the data network.





b. Define an internal port to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.




b. Define an internal port to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.


Before you begin












About this task

Note: Install VMware vSphere after you have completed the installation and configuration of ESXi.


Procedure

To install ESXi locally on a managed server, you can use an externally powered DVD-ROM drive. To install ESXi remotely, use the remote-control function that is provided through the baseboard management controller on the managed server.

Complete the following steps to install and configure ESXi on the host.

Additional instructions are provided by VMware. See your ESXi documentation for more information..

• To install ESXi locally:

Complete the following steps to access the managed server and install ESXi locally.

1. Download the ESXi image, and burn a DVD-ROM of the image.


2. Connect the console-breakout cable to the KVM connector on the server.




Figure 39. Console breakout-cable and front bezel of a server

3. Attach an externally powered DVD-ROM drive, keyboard, mouse, and console to the console- breakout cable.

4. After inserting the DVD-ROM, power on the server.

5. From the splash screen, press F12, and select the device from which to boot the server (such as management controller: CD/DVD), and continue the installation process.

6. When prompted to select a disk drive to install:

– If you are installing to a local disk drive, select a disk drive with a minimum of 192 GB of space plus the size of the installation image.

– If you are implementing a high-availability solution for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, which uses the high-availability function that is provided by VMware ESXi, see “Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)” on page 177 for considerations about the storage to be chosen. You must set up that storage before you continue with the installation process.

7. When installation is complete, restart the server to see the IP address of the host.

8. Ensure that the client workstation is on the same network as the host. Point your web browser to the IP address of the host, and download and install the VMware vSphere Client on the client workstation.

• To install ESXi remotely:

Complete the following steps to access the managed server and install ESXi remotely.

1. Download the ESXi image, and burn a DVD-ROM of the image.


2. Start a remote-control session to the server from the management-controller interface.

a. Point a web browser to the management-controller IP address for the server.

b. Log on to the management-controller interface.

c. From the System Status page, click Remote Console.

d. Follow the instructions to start a remote-console session:



Figure 40. Example of a remote-control session

e. For more information using remote control, see the Integrated Management Module II online documentation

3. Click Tools ➙ Virtual Media.

4. Click Add Image, and browse to find the location of the .ISO image on the client workstation. Then, click Open to mount the image.

5. Click Tools ➙ Power ➙ On to start the server.




– If you are implementing a high-availability solution for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, which uses the high-availability function that is provided by VMware ESXi, see “Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)” on page 177 for considerations about the storage to be chosen. You must set up that storage before you continue with the installation process.


9. Ensure that the client workstation is on the same network as the host. Point your browser to the IP address of the host, and download and install the VMware vSphere Client on the client workstation.


http://systemx.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.sysx.imm2.doc/product_page.html

http://systemx.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.sysx.imm2.doc/product_page.html


Step 6a. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using the vSphere ClientInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vSphere deployment wizard.

Procedure






































c. Click Add.










Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================


Step 6b. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using VMware vCenter Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vCenter deployment wizard.

Procedure










• Select configuration. Choose the configuration size based on the size of your environment. – Small (up to 100 managed endpoints). 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM– Medium (up to 400 managed endpoints). 6 CPUs and 12 GB RAM– Large (up to 600 managed endpoints). 8 CPUs and 16 GB RAM– Extra Large (up to 1000 managed endpoints). 12 CPUs and 24 GB RAM











Notes:










Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================









#!/bin/bash







if [[ "$?" -eq 0 ]]; then exit 0

else exit 999

fi

















What to do next



Management-only network topology (ESXi)In this topology, Lenovo XClarity Administrator has only the management network. It does not have the data network.

Before you begin





About this task




Figure 42. Sample Network topology - Management-only network (VMware ESXi)




Procedure







Before you begin


Procedure




About this task



Procedure












Notes:





















What to do next





Before you begin




Procedure










Before you begin




Procedure






Step 6a. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using VMware vSphereInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vSphere deployment wizard.

Procedure




















c. Click Add.










Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next


Step 6b. Install and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance using the VCenter ClientInstall and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that was just installed using the VMware vCenter deployment wizard.

Procedure










• Select configuration. Choose the configuration size based on the size of your environment. – Small (up to 100 managed endpoints). 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM




– Medium (up to 400 managed endpoints). 6 CPUs and 12 GB RAM– Large (up to 600 managed endpoints). 8 CPUs and 16 GB RAM– Extra Large (up to 1000 managed endpoints). 12 CPUs and 24 GB RAM








Notes:










Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================









#!/bin/bash







if [[ "$?" -eq 0 ]]; then exit 0

else exit 999

fi

















What to do next



Implementing high availability (VMware ESXi)To implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator in a VMware ESXi environment, use the high- availability function that is provided for the ESXi environment.

About this task

The following figure illustrates one way to implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator in an ESXi environment. In this scenario, the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance is installed on the shared storage and accessed by the cluster.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to set up a high-availability environment.

Step 1. Set up shared storage that is to be accessible from all hosts in the cluster.

Step 2. Install ESXi on two servers, each with static IP addresses. Ensure that VMware vCenter is configured on a separate server.

Step 3. Start VMware vCenter.

Step 4. Configure the other two hosts to work with VMware vCenter.

a. Create the cluster.

b. Add the hosts to the cluster.

c. Add both datastores to the hosts in the cluster.

Note: You need the second datastore for heatbeating.

Step 5. Deploy Lenovo XClarity Administrator to the cluster.


Chapter 6. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Microsoft Hyper-V-based environments

Use the information in this section as a guide to setting up chassis and rack servers and installing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance in a Microsoft Hyper-V-based environment, depending on the network topology that is implemented in your environment.



Single data and management network (Hyper-V)In this topology, both the data network and management network are the same network. All communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host.

Before you begin





About this task





Figure 46. Sample single data and management network topology (Microsoft Hyper-V)








Procedure







Before you begin


Procedure




About this task


Chapter 6. Installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator in Microsoft Hyper-V-based environments 181






Procedure







Notes:





















What to do next





Before you begin




Procedure







Step 5: Install and configure the hostYou can install Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 on any server that meets the requirements for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Before you begin

If you intend to implement a high-availability environment, see “Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper-V)” on page 221 for more information about setting up the Microsoft Hyper-V cluster.



Ensure that you configure failover for the network adapters using the tools that are provided by the vendor who supplies the network adapters.





Procedure

To install and configure Hyper-V Server on the host, complete the following steps.

Additional instructions are provided by Microsoft on the Install Hyper-V Server website.




https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj647783.aspx

Step 1. Download Microsoft Windows 2012 or higher, and burn a DVD-ROM of the image.

Step 2. Install Microsoft Windows 2012 or higher on a host system that has network connectivity to the devices that you want to manage.

Step 3. When installation is complete, restart the host system.

Step 4. Optional: To support failover between redundant adapters, configure NIC teaming.

For information about setting up NIC teaming in Microsoft 2012, see the NIC Teaming Overview website.

1. Enable NIC teaming on the server:

a. From Server Manager, click Local Server.

b. In the Properties sections, set NIC Teaming to Enabled.

2. Configure NIC teaming:

a. From the NIC Teaming page, click the server.

b. In the Teams section, click Tasks ➙ New Team.

c. Fill in the team name, and select the new adapters to include in the team.

Step 5. Add the Hyper-V feature to this server:

a. From the Server Manager Dashboard, click Add roles and features.

b. Ensure that the installation type is role-based or feature-based installation.

c. Ensure that this server is selected.

d. Select the Hyper-V server role, and click Next.

e. Select the Ethernet adapter to create a virtual switch for the adapter.

f. Continue through the wizard. When complete, click Install.

g. Restart the server to apply the changes.

When you log back in, the Hyper-V role is displayed in the server navigation pane of the Server Manager Dashboard.

Step 6. From Virtual Switch Manager, create the virtual switch and assign the virtual switch to the NIC team that you defined.

a. From Administrative Tools, start Hyper-V Manager.

b. Under Actions, click Virtual Switch Manager.

c. Click Create Virtual Switch, and follow the wizard.

Tip: The adapter is listed under Connection Type as Microsoft Network Adapter Multiplexor Driver.

Step 6: Setup the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceSet up the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host that you just installed.

Procedure



For Hyper-V, download the image in virtual-disk image (VHD) format.


https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831648.aspx





Step 2. Copy the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual disk to the host.

a. Log in to the server.

b. Copy the virtual disk image to the server.

c. From the Server Manager Dashboard, click Hyper-V.

d. Right-click the server, and click Hyper-V Manager.

e. Under Actions, click New ➙ Virtual Machine to begin the New Virtual Machine Wizard, and click Next.

f. On the Specify Name and Location page, enter a name for the new virtual machine, such as Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

g. On the Specify Generation page, select Generation 1.

h. On the Assign Memory page, enter 8192 MB.

i. On the Configure Networking page, choose the virtual switch that you created when you installed and configured the host.

j. On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk page, click Use an existing virtual hard disk, and browse to the location where you copied the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual disk image. Select that image.

k. Complete the wizard.

Step 3. Configure the virtual machine.

a. Ensure that the virtual machine is turned off.

b. Right-click on the virtual machine that you just created, and click Settings.

c. Select Processor, and change the number of virtual processors to 2.

d. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: You can optionally set a static MAC address for each network adapter by expanding the Network Adapter selection for the virtual switch, clicking Advanced Features, clicking Static under the MAC address, and then specifying the MAC address.

Step 4. Start the virtual machine by right-clicking the virtual appliance and clicking Start.



Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================








You can use the echo command to create the file, for example:


ECHO IPV4_ADDR=1.1.1.1 > ./eth0_config ECHO IPV4_NETMASK=255.255.255.05 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV4_GATEWAY=1.1.1.5 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV6_ADDR=1001:1002:1003:1004::2 >> ./eth0_config ECHO IPV6_GATEWAY=1001:1002:1003:1004::1 >> ./eth0_config








What to do next


Physically separate data and management networks (Hyper-V)In this topology, the data network and management network are physically separate networks. Management communications between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the network occurs over the Eth0 network interface on the host. Data communications occurs over the Eth1 network interface.

Before you begin






About this task




Figure 49. Sample Network topology - Physically separate data and management network (Microsoft Hyper-V)





Procedure







Before you begin


Procedure





About this task



Procedure







Notes:

























What to do next





Before you begin





Procedure






Before you begin





Procedure


































Step 6. Setup and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceSet up the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host and configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to install the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance.

























d. Expand the Network Adapter selection for each of the virtual switches, and assign adapters to each of the virtual switches (one management network virtual switch and the data network virtual switch).

e. For the management network virtual switch:

1. Select Add Hardware ➙ Network Adapter.

2. Click Add, and connect to the same virtual switch.

3. Click Apply, and then click OK.

f. For the data network virtual switch:

1. Select Add Hardware ➙ Network Adapter.

2. Click Add, and connect to the same virtual switch.

3. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: You can optionally set a static MAC address for each network adapter by expanding the Network Adapter selection for the virtual switch, clicking Advanced Features, clicking Static under the MAC address, and then specifying the MAC address. Ensure that the MAC address for the data VLAN has a value that is higher than the MAC address that is specified for the management VLAN.







Important:










=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next



Virtually separate data and management network (Hyper-V)In this topology, the data network and management network are virtually separate. Packets from the data network and packets from the management network are sent over the same physical connection. VLAN tagging on all management-network data packets is used to keep the traffic between the two networks separate.







About this task




Figure 52. Sample Network topology - Virtually separate data and management network (Microsoft Hyper-V)










• Flex switches. VLAN tags corresponding to the management network are added to packets as they enter the Flex switches and are passed to the servers in a Flex System chassis. On the return route, VLAN tags are added by the servers, and passed to the Flex switches, which remove them when forwarding to the management controllers.


If you intend to install the Lenovo XClarity Administrator to manage existing chassis and rack servers that have already been configured, proceed to “Step 5: Install and configure the host” on page 205.



Procedure








Before you begin




Procedure









About this task



Procedure












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What to do next





Before you begin





Procedure


The following figure is an example scenario that illustrates VLAN tagging that is implemented in the Flex switches and enabled on the management and data networks. The management VLAN is set up as VLAN 10 (Ext1), and the data VLAN is set up as VLAN 20 (Ext2).





Figure 55. Example configuration for Flex switches on virtually separate data and management networks (VMware ESXi) in which VLAN tagging is enabled on both networks




b. Define an internal port where the host is to reside to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that the VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.

c. Define an internal port that is to be part of VLAN 20 (data VLAN).




b. Define an internal port where the host is to reside to be part of VLAN 10 (management VLAN). Ensure that the VLAN trunking is enabled on that port.

c. Define an internal port that is to be part of VLAN 20 (data VLAN).


Before you begin










Procedure

To install Hyper-V locally on a managed server, you can use an externally powered DVD-ROM drive. To install Hyper-V remotely, use the remote-control function that is provided through the management controller on the managed server.

Complete the following steps to install and configure Hyper-V Server on the host.


• To install Hyper-V locally:

Complete the following steps to access the managed server, and install Hyper-V locally.

1. Download the Microsoft Windows 2012 r2 image, and burn a DVD-ROM of the image.

2. Connect the console-breakout cable to the KVM connector on the server.

Figure 56. Console breakout-cable and front bezel of a server

3. Attach an externally powered DVD-ROM drive, keyboard, mouse, and console to the console- breakout cable.

4. After inserting the DVD-ROM, power on the server.




6. Complete the installation, ensuring that you configure an administrator password for the server.

7. When installation is complete, restart the server.

8. Optional: To support failover between redundant adapters, configure NIC teaming.


Enable NIC teaming on the server:



Configure NIC teaming:




Note: For this scenario, do not specify VLAN IDs at this point because it would apply VLAN tags to the host interface (and all packets would get the same tag). Because we are implementing a virtually separate management and data network, the VLAN tags (one set for data package and one set for management packets) must be applied to the virtual interfaces.

9. Add the Hyper-V feature to this server:







g. Restart the server to apply the changes. When you log back in, the Hyper-V role is displayed in the server navigation pane of the Server Manager Dashboard.

10. From Virtual Switch Manager, create the virtual switch, and assign the virtual switch to the NIC team that you defined.





• To install Hyper-V remotely:

Complete the following steps to access the managed server, and install ESXi remotely.

1. Download the Microsoft Windows 2012 r2 image, and burn a DVD-ROM of the image.

2. Start a remote control session to the server from the management-controller interface.

a. Point a browser to the management-controller IP address for the server.

b. Log on to the management-controller interface.

c. From the System Status page, click Remote Console.

d. Follow the instructions to start a remote-console session:




Figure 57. Example of a remote-control session

3. Click Tools ➙ Virtual Media.

4. Click Add Image, and browse to find the location of the .ISO image on the client workstation. Then, click Open to mount the image.

5. Click Tools ➙ Power ➙ On to start the server.




– If you are implementing a high-availability solution for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, which uses the high-availability function that is provided by Hyper-V, see “Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper-V)” on page 221 for considerations about the storage to be chosen. You must set up that storage before you continue with the installation process.


9. Optional: To support failover between redundant adapters, configure NIC teaming.


a. Enable NIC teaming on the server:

1) From Server Manager, click Local Server.

2) In the Properties sections, set NIC Teaming to Enabled.




b. Configure NIC teaming:

1) From the NIC Teaming page, click the server.

2) In the Teams section, click Tasks ➙ New Team.

3) Fill in the team name, and select the new adapters to include in the team.

Note: For this scenario, do not specify VLAN IDs at this point because it would apply VLAN tags to the host interface (and all packets would get the same tag). Because we are implementing a virtually separate management and data network, the VLAN tags (one set for data package and one set for management packets) must be applied to the virtual interfaces.

10. Add the Hyper-V feature to this server:







g. Restart the server to apply the changes. When you log back on, the Hyper-V role is displayed in the server navigation pane of the Server Manager Dashboard.

11. From Virtual Switch Manager, create the virtual switch, and assign the virtual switch to the NIC team that you defined.





Step 6. Set up and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceSet up the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host, and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to install the virtual appliance.























d. Select Network Adapter, select Enable Virtual LAN Identification, and specify the management VLAN ID (in this scenario, the VLAN ID is 10).

e. Select Add Hardware ➙ Network Adapter, and click Add.

f. Connect to the same virtual switch.

g. Select Network Adapter, select Enable Virtual LAN Identification, and specify the data VLAN ID (in this scenario, the VLAN ID is 20).

h. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: You can optionally set a static MAC address for each network adapter by expanding the Network Adapter selection for the virtual switch, clicking Advanced Features, clicking Static under the MAC address, and then specifying the MAC address. Ensure that the MAC address for the data VLAN has a value that is higher than the MAC address that is specified for the management VLAN.






Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================







1. Create a file named eth0_config (with no file extension) that contains the following IPv4 parameters that you want the virtual machine to use at startup. • IPV4_ADDR=• IPV4_NETMASK=


• IPV4_GATEWAY=• IPV6_ADDR=• IPV6_GATEWAY=









What to do next


Management-only network topology (Microsoft Hyper-V)In this topology, Lenovo XClarity Administrator has only the management network. It does not have the data network.

Before you begin






About this task



Figure 58. Sample Network topology - Management-only network (Microsoft Hyper-V)




Step 1: Cable the chassis, rack servers, and Lenovo XClarity Administratorhost to the top-of-rack switchesCable the chassis, rack servers, and the Lenovo XClarity Administrator host to the top-of-rack switches to enable communications between the devices and your network.

Procedure






Before you begin


Procedure







About this task



Procedure







Notes:























What to do next





Before you begin





Procedure






Before you begin





Procedure


































Step 6: Set up and configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual applianceSet up the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance on the host, and configure Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure


























d. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: You can optionally set a static MAC address for each network adapter by expanding the Network Adapter selection for the virtual switch, clicking Advanced Features, clicking Static under the MAC address, and then specifying the MAC address.

Step 4. Start the virtual machine by right-clicking the virtual appliance and clicking Start.



Important:











=========================================================================== ===========================================================================

















What to do next


Implementing high availability (Microsoft Hyper-V)To implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator in a Microsoft Hyper-V environment, use the high-availability function that is provided for the Hyper-V environment.

The following illustration provides a high-level overview of one way to implement high availability for Lenovo XClarity Administrator in an Hyper-V environment.


In this example, the Lenovo XClarity Administrator image is installed on the shared storage and accessed by the cluster.

Complete the following steps to set up a high-availability environment:

1. Set up the domain controller:

a. Perform the initial DHCP setup.

b. Set up DNS.

c. Set up Active Directory - Domain Services (AD-DS).

d. Complete the DHCP setup.

2. Set up the first host:

a. Install Microsoft Windows 2012 r2.

b. Join the AD-DS domain.

c. Add the following features: • Hyper-V• Failover clustering

3. Set up the second host:

a. Install Microsoft Windows 2012 r2.

b. Join the AD-DS domain.

c. Add the following features: • Hyper-V• Failover clustering

4. Configure the shared storage (such as iSCSI) on the domain controller and both hosts.

5. Configure failover clustering.

6. Add the Lenovo XClarity Administrator image.


Chapter 7. Accessing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface

You can launch the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface from any computer that has network connectivity to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual machine.

Before you begin

Ensure that you are using one of the following supported web browsers: • Chrome™ 48.0 or later (55.0 or above for Remote Console)• Firefox® ESR 38.6.0 or later• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 11• Microsoft Edge• Safari® 9.0.2 or later (IOS7 or later and OS X)

Note: Launching the management-controller interfaces from Lenovo XClarity Administrator using the Safari web browser is not supported.

Ensure that you log in to the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface from a system that has network connectivity to Lenovo XClarity Administrator management node.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface for the first time.

Step 1. Point your browser to the IP address of Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Note: If you have Eth0 and Eth1 networks on separate subnets, and if DHCP is used on both subnets, use the Eth1 IP address when accessing the web interface for initial setup. When Lenovo XClarity Administrator starts for the first time, both Eth0 and Eth1 get a DHCP-assigned IP address, and the Lenovo XClarity Administrator default gateway is set to the DHCP-assigned gateway for Eth1.

Tip: Access to the web interface is through a secure connection. Ensure that you use https.

• If you specified an IPv4 address in eth0_config, use that IPv4 address to access Lenovo XClarity Administrator using the following URL:https://<IPv4_address>/ui/login.html

For example: https:/192.0.2.10/ui/login.html

• If a DHCP server is set up in the same broadcast domain as Lenovo XClarity Administrator, use the IPv4 address that is displayed in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual-machine console to access Lenovo XClarity Administrator using the following URL:https://<IPv4_address>/ui/login.html

For example: https://192.0.2.10/ui/login.html

• If a DHCP server is not set up in the same broadcast domain, use the IPv6 Link-Local Address (LLA) that is displayed for eEth0 (the management network) in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual-machine console to access Lenovo XClarity Administrator, for example:------------------------------------------ Lenovo XClarity Administrator Version x.x.x ------------------------------------------

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 2001:db8:65:12:34:56 inet addr: 192.0.2.10 Bcast 192.0.2.55 Mask 255.255.255.0


inet6 addr: 2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3/64 Scope:Link


=========================================================================== ===========================================================================


Tip: The IPv6 link local address (LLA) is derived from the MAC address of the interface.

Attention: If you are configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator remotely, you must have connectivity to the same layer 2 network. It must be accessed from a non-routed address until the initial setup is complete. Therefore, consider accessing Lenovo XClarity Administrator from another VM that has connectivity to Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For example, you can access Lenovo XClarity Administrator from another VM on the host where Lenovo XClarity Administrator is installed.

Firefox:To access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface from a Firefox browser, log in using the following URL. Note that brackets are required when entering IPv6 addresses. https://[<IPv6_LLA>/ui/login.html]

For example, based on the previous example shown for Eth0, enter the following URL in your web browser:

https://[2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3]/ui/login.html

Internet Explorer:To access the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface from an Internet Explorer browser, log in using the following URL. Note that brackets are required when entering IPv6 addresses. https://[<IPv6_LLA>%25<zone_index>]/ui/login.html

where <zone_index> is the identifier for the Ethernet adapter that is connected to the management network from the computer on which you launched the web browser. If you are using a browser on Windows, use the iippccoonnffiigg command to find the zone index, which is displayed after the percent sign (%) in the Link-Local IPv6 Address field for the adapter. In the following example, the zone index is “30.”

PS C:> ipconfig Windows IP Configuration

Ethernet adapter vEthernet (teamVirtualSwitch):

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : 2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3%30 Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 192.0.2.30 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

If you are using a browser on Linux, use the iiffccoonnffiigg command to find the zone index. You can also use the name of the adapter (typically Eth0) as the zone index.


For example, based on the examples shown for Eth0 and the zone index, enter the following URL in your web browser:

https://[2001:db8:56ff:fe80:bea3%2530]/ui/login.html

Step 2. You might receive security or certificate warnings the first time that you access Lenovo XClarity Administrator. You can ignore the warnings.

Results

The Initial Setup page is displayed.

What to do next

Complete the initial setup steps to configure the Lenovo XClarity Administrator (see Chapter 8 “Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time” on page 227).

Chapter 7. Accessing the Lenovo XClarity Administrator web interface 225

Chapter 8. Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time

When you access Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time, there are several steps that you must complete to initially set up Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to set up Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time.

Step 1. Read and accept the license agreement.

Step 2. Create user accounts that have supervisor authority.

Tip: Consider creating at least two user accounts with supervisor authority so that you have a backup, if needed.

Step 3. Configure network access, including IP addresses for the data and management networks.

Step 4. Configure the date and time.

Step 5. Configure service and support settings, including usage data, Lenovo Support (Call Home), Lenovo Upload Facility, and product warranty.

Step 6. Configure security settings, including authentication server, user groups, server certificates, and cryptography mode.

Step 7. Manage your chassis, servers, switches, and storage devices.

Step 8. We appreciate your feedback. Please take a minute to comment on your experience setting up Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Creating user accountsUser accounts are used to manage authorization and access to Lenovo XClarity Administrator and to devices that are under managed authentication.

About this task

The first user account that you create must have the role of Supervisor and must be activated (enabled).

As an added measure of security, create at least two user accounts that have the role of Supervisor. Ensure that you record the passwords for these user accounts, and store them in a secure location in case you must restore the Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Procedure

To create user accounts, complete the following steps.

Step 1. Fill in the following information in the Create New Supervisor User dialog.


• Enter a user name and description for the user.

• Enter the new and confirm new passwords. The rules for the passwords are based the current account-security settings.

• Select one or more role groups to authorize the user to perform appropriate tasks.For information about role groups and how to create custom role groups, see Creating a role group in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

• (Optional) Set Change password on first access to Yes if you want to force the user to change the password the first time the user logs in to Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Step 2. Click Create.

Step 3. Click the Create icon ( ) and repeat the previous steps to create additional users.

Step 4. Click Return to Initial Setup.

Configuring network accessTo configure network access, you must define the Eth0 interface. Optionally, you can define the Eth1 interface, if available, and define the hostname for Lenovo XClarity Administrator and DNS servers to be used.

About this task

Lenovo XClarity Administrator has two separate network interfaces (Eth0 and Eth1) that can be defined for your environment, depending on the network topology that you implement.

• When only one network interface (Eth0) is present:

– The interface must be configured to support the discovery and management of hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMMs and Flex switches in each managed chassis, the baseboard management controller in each managed server, and each RackSwitch switch.

– If you intend to acquire firmware updates using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the Eth0 interface must also have connectivity to the Internet, typically through a firewall. Otherwise, you must manually import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

– If you intend to deploy operating-system images to managed servers, the network interface must have IP network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and must be configured with an IPv4 address.

• When two network interfaces (Eth0 and Eth1) are present:

– The Eth0 interface must be connected to the management network and used to discover and manage hardware. It must be able to communicate with the CMMs and Flex switches in each managed chassis, the management controller in each managed server, and each RackSwitch switch.

Important: Do not connect Eth1 to the management network.

– If you intend to acquire firmware updates using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the Eth0 interface must also have connectivity to the Internet, typically through a firewall. Otherwise, you must import firmware updates into the firmware-updates repository.

– The network interface that you chose to use to deploy operating-system images to the managed servers must have IP-network connectivity to the server network interface that is used to access the host operating system, and must be configured with an IPv4 address.

– If you implemented a separate network for deploying operating systems, you can configure Eth1 to connect to that network instead of the data network. However, if the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, when you install the operating system on a managed server, you must define an additional I/O interface on that server so that the server host has access to the data network.



The following table shows possible configurations for Lenovo XClarity Administrator network interfaces based on the type of network topology that has been implemented in your environment. Use this table to determine how to define Eth0 and Eth1.

Table 11. Role of Eth0 and Eth1 based on network topology


Converged network (management, data, and operating system deployment)


None

Management network and separate data/operating-system deployment network

Management Operating-system deployment

Management network and separate data network (operating-system deployment not supported)

Management None

Separate networks for management, data, and operating-system deployment

Management Operating-system deployment Note: If the operating-system deployment network does not have access to the data network, configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the servers to the data network, if needed.

Management/operating-system deployment network and separate data network.


None Note: Configure an additional interface on the servers to provide connectivity from the host operating system on the server to the data network, if needed.

For more information about Lenovo XClarity Administrator network interfaces, see “Network considerations” on page 21.

Procedure

To configure the network access, complete the following steps.

Step 1. From the Initial Setup page, click Configure Network Access. The Edit Network Access page is displayed.

Chapter 8. Configuring Lenovo XClarity Administrator for the first time 229

Step 2. Specify the network interface to be used for operating-system deployment if you intend to deploy operating-systems using Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

• If only one interface is defined for Lenovo XClarity Administrator (Eth0), choose whether that interface is to be used to discover and manage hardware only, or whether it is also to be used to deploy operating-system images.

• If two interfaces are defined for Lenovo XClarity Administrator (Eth0 and Eth1), determine which interface is to be used to deploy operating-system images. If you choose “None”, you cannot deploy operating-system images to managed servers from Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Step 3. Specify the IP Settings.

a. For the Eth0 interface, specify the IPv4 address, IPv6 address, or both.

• IPv4. You must assign an IPv4 address to the interface. You can choose to use a statically assigned IP address or obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.

• IPv6. Optionally, you can assign an IPv6 address to the interface using one of the following assignment methods: – Use statically assigned IP address– Use stateful address configuration (DHCPv6)– Use stateless address auto configuration

Note: For information about IPv6 address limitations, see “IP configuration limitations” on page 22.

b. If the Eth1 interface is available, specify the IPv4 address, the IPv6 address, or both.

Note: The IP addresses that are assigned to this interface must be in a different subnet from the IP addresses that are assigned to the Eth0 interface. If you choose to use DHCP to assign IP addresses for both interfaces (Eth0 and Eth1), the DHCP server must not assign the same subnet for the IP addresses of the two interfaces.

• IPv4. You can choose to use a statically assigned IP address or obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.

• IPv6. Optionally, you can assign an IPv6 address to the interface using one of the following assignment methods:


– Use statically assigned IP address– Use stateful address configuration (DHCPv6)– Use stateless address auto configuration

c. Specify the default gateway.

If you specify a default gateway, it must be a valid IP address and must use the same network mask (the same subnet) as the IP address for one of the interfaces (Eth0 or Eth1). If you use a single interface, it must be on the same subnet as Eth0.

Tip: The default gateway must use the same network mask (the same subnet) as at least one enabled interface. Therefore, if you assign the default gateway to be on the same subnet as Eth1 and then change the IP address assignment method or disable the Eth1 interface, the default gateway might not be reachable.

If either interface uses DHCP to obtain an IP address, the default gateway also uses DHCP.

Step 4. Optional: Configure the advanced settings.

a. Click the Advanced Settings tab.

b. Specify one or more route entries in the Advanced Route Settings table to be used by this interface.

To define one or more route entries, complete the following steps. 1. Choose the interface.2. Specify the route type, which can be a route to another host or to a network.3. Specify the destination host or network address to which you are directing the route.4. Specify the subnet mask for the destination address.5. Specify the gateway address to which packets are to be addressed.

Step 5. Optionally, modify the Internet settings.

a. Click the Internet Settings tab.


b. Specify the hostname and domain name to be used for Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

c. Define one or more Domain Name System (DNS) servers to be used.

Note: If you choose to use a DHCP server to obtain the IP address, any changes that you make to the DNS Server fields are overwritten the next time Lenovo XClarity Administrator renews the DHCP lease.

d. Specify whether access to the Internet is a direct connection or HTTP Proxy (if Lenovo XClarity Administrator has access to the Internet).

Notes: • Ensure that the proxy server is set up to use basic authentication.• Ensure that the proxy server is set up as a non-terminating proxy.• Ensure that the proxy server is set up as a forwarding proxy.• Ensure that load balancers are configured to keep sessions with one proxy server and not

switch between them.

If you choose to use an HTTP proxy, complete the required fields:1. Specify the proxy server hostname and port.2. Choose whether to use authentication, and specify the user name and password if

required.3. Specify the proxy test URL.4. Click Text Proxy to verify that the proxy settings are configured and working correctly.

Step 6. Click Save.

Step 7. Click Test Connection to verify the network settings.


Configuring the date and timeAlthough you can manually set the date and time for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, a better approach is to set up a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server that can be used to synchronize timestamps between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and all managed devices.

Before you begin

You must use a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server to synchronize the time stamps for all events that are received from managed devices with Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

The NTP server must be accessible over the management network (typically the Eth0 interface). Consider setting up the NTP server on the host where Lenovo XClarity Administrator is running.

If you change the time on the NTP server, it might take a while for Lenovo XClarity Administrator to synchronize with the new time.

Attention: The Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance and its host must be set to synchronize to the same time source to prevent inadvertent time sync between the Lenovo XClarity Administrator and its host. For Lenovo XClarity Administrator running on ESXi hosts, you must disable the ESXi host time sync to Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For more information, see the VMware – Disabling Time Synchronization webpage.

Procedure

To set up an NTP server for Lenovo XClarity Administrator, complete the following steps.

Step 1. From the Initial Setup page, click Configure Date and Time Preferences. The Edit Date and Time page is displayed.

Step 2. Fill in the date and time dialog.

1. Choose the time zone where the host for Lenovo XClarity Administrator is located.

If the selected time zone observes daylight saving time (DST), the time is automatically adjusted for DST.


https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1189

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1189

2. Specify the hostname or IP address of the NTP server within your network.

3. Determine whether v3 authentication between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the NTP server is required.

Note: Set this toggle to Required if managed CMMs and baseboard management controllers have firmware that require v3 authentication. Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not support NTP v3 authentication.

If you enable NTP v3 authentication, you must set the authentication key and index for M-MD5 or SHA1 or both.

• For the M-MD5 key, specify an ASCII string.

• For the SHA1 key, specify a 40-character ASCII string, including only 0–9 and a-f.

• The key index and authentication key must match the key ID and password values set on the NTP server. See the documentation for your NTP server for information about setting the key ID and password.

Step 3. Click Save.

Configuring service and supportYou can configure service and support settings, including usage data, Lenovo Support (Call Home), Lenovo Upload Facility, and product warranty.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to configure security.

Step 1. From the Initial Setup page, click Configure Service and Support Settings. The Service and Support page is displayed.

Step 2. Optionally choose to allow Lenovo XClarity Administrator to collect information about how you use the product, and click Apply.

Important: Only anonymous usage data is collected; no personal data is collected or sent to Lenovo. For more information about how Lenovo collects, uses, and protects information about your devices, see the Lenovo Privacy Statement website.


http://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/privacy/software/

When usage data is sent to Lenovo, an event is recorded in the audit log.

You can download the last archive that was collected and sent to Lenovo using the link on the Usage Data page.

You can disable this option at any time by clicking Administration ➙ Service and Support, and then clicking the Usage Data tab.

Step 3. Optionally click Call Home Configuration to setup automatic problem notification to Lenovo Support (Call Home). Then, click Apply & Enable to create the Default Call Home service forwarder, or click Apply only to save the contact information.

For more information about setting up automatic problem notification to Lenovo Support, see Setting up call home in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 4. Optionally click Lenovo Upload Facility to setup automatic problem notification to the Lenovo Upload Facility. Then, click Apply & Enable to create the Default Lenovo Upload Facility service forwarder, or click Apply only to save the settings information.

For more information about setting up automatic problem notification to the Lenovo Upload Facility, see Setting up automatic problem notification to the Lenovo Upload Facility in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 5. Optionally click Warranty to enable external connections that are needed to collect warranty information for your managed devices.

For more information about viewing the warranty status (including extended warranties) of the managed devices, see Viewing warranty information in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 6. Click Return to Initial Setup.

Configuring securityYou can configure security, including role groups, authentication server, user-account security settings, cryptography, and certificates.

Procedure

Complete the following steps to configure security.

Step 1. From the Initial Setup page, click Configure Additional Security Settings. The Security page is displayed.


http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/support_setupcallhome.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/support_setupuploadfacility.html

http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/support_viewwarranty.html

Step 2. Create customized role groups to manage authorization and access to resources (see Creating a role group in Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

A role group is a collection of one or more roles and is used to assign those roles to multiple users. The roles that you configure for a role group determine the level of access that is granted to each user that is a member of that role group. Each Lenovo XClarity Administrator user must be a member of at least one role group.

Step 3. Configure the authentication server (see Managing the authentication server in Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation ).

The authentication server is a Microsoft Active Directory (LDAP) server that is used to authenticate user credentials. Lenovo XClarity Administrator uses a single authentication server for central user management of all managed devices (except Flex switches). When a device is managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator, the managed device and its installed components (except Flex switches) are configured to use the Lenovo XClarity Administrator authentication server. User accounts that are defined in the authentication server are used to log in to Lenovo XClarity Administrator, CMMs, and baseboard management controller.

You can choose to use an external authentication server instead of the local authentication server on the management node.

Step 4. Configure the user-account security settings, which control the password complexity, account lockout, and web-session inactivity timeout (see Changing the user-account security settings in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).





http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/com.lenovo.lxca.doc/users_changesecuritysettings.html

Step 5. Configure the cryptography setting that defines the communication modes and protocols that control the way that secure communications are handled between Lenovo XClarity Administrator and the managed devices (see Setting the cryptography mode and communication protocols in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation)

Step 6. If you plan to manage rack servers using local authentication instead of Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication, create one or more stored credentials that correspond with active user accounts on the device or in Active Directory that can be used to log in to the devices during the management process. For more information about stored credentials, see Managing stored credentials in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 7. If you plan to use a customized server certificate that includes your own information or use an externally-signed certificate, generate and deploy the new certificate before you begin managing systems. For information about generating your own security certificate, see Working with security certificates in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Step 8. From the vertical menu on the Security page, click Return to Initial Setup.

Managing systemsLenovo XClarity Administrator can manage several types of systems, including the Flex System chassis, rack and tower servers, and RackSwitch switches. Lenovo XClarity Administrator can discover manageable systems that are in your environment by probing for manageable devices that are on the same IP subnet as Lenovo XClarity Administrator, by using a specified IP address or range of IP addresses, or by importing information from a spreadsheet.

Before you begin

Chassis components (such as CMMs, compute nodes, switches, and storage devices) are discovered and managed automatically when you manage the chassis that contains them. You cannot discover and managed chassis components separate from the chassis.

Certain ports must be available to communicate with the CMMs in the chassis and baseboard management controllers in the servers. Ensure that these ports are available before you attempt to manage systems. For more information about ports, see “Port availability” on page 11.

Ensure that the minimum required firmware is installed on each system that you want to manage using Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For information about firmware requirements, see “Supported firmware” on page 9.

Ensure that there are at least three TCP command-mode sessions set for out-of-band communication with the CMM. For information about setting the number of sessions, see tcpcmdmode command in the CMM online documentation.

Consider implementing either IPv4 or IPv6 addresses for all CMMs and Flex switches that are managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator. If you implement IPv4 for some CMMs and Flex switches and IPv6 for others, some events might not be received in the audit log (or as audit traps).

Note: Ensure that you enable multicast SLP forwarding on the top-of-rack switches, as well as the routers in your environment. See the documentation that was provided with your specific switch or router to determine whether multicast SLP forwarding is enabled and to find procedures to enable it if it is disabled.

Important: Depending on the firmware version of the RackSwitch switch, you might need to enable multicast SLP forwarding and SSH on each RackSwitch switch manually using the following commands before the switch can be discovered and managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For more information, see the RackSwitch guides in the System x online documentation.







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Important: Multicast SLP forwarding must be enabled on each storage device before it can be discovered by Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

If you plan to use a customized server certificate that includes your own information or use an externally signed certificate, generate and deploy the new certificate before you begin managing systems. For information about generating your own security certificate, see Working with security certificates in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Important: If you intend to use other management software in addition to Lenovo XClarity Administrator to monitor your chassis, and if that management software uses SNMPv3 communication, you must first create a local CMM user ID that is configured with the appropriate SNMPv3 information and then log in to the CMM using that user ID and change the password. For more information, see Using management software other than the Lenovo XClarity Administrator in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

About this task

Lenovo XClarity Administrator can discover systems in your environment by probing for manageable devices that are on the same IP subnet as Lenovo XClarity Administrator, by using a specified IP address or range of IP addresses, or by importing information from a spreadsheet.

By default, devices are managed using Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication to log in to the devices. When a rack server is managed, you can choose to use managed authentication or local authentication to log in to the devices.

• When managed authentication is used for a device (other than switches, System x M4, and ThinkServer, servers), Lenovo XClarity Administrator configures the device and its installed components to use a specific authentication server for centralized management. If a local or external LDAP server is used, user accounts that are defined in the authentication server are used to log in to Lenovo XClarity Administrator, CMMs and baseboard management controllers in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator domain. Local CMM and management controller user accounts are disabled. If an SAML 2.0 identity provider is used, SAML accounts are not accessible to managed devices. However, when using an SAML identity provider and an LDAP server together, if the identity provider uses accounts that exist in the LDAP server, LDAP user accounts can be used to log into the managed devices while the more advanced authentication methods that are provided by SAML 2.0 (such as multifactor authentication and single sign-on) can be used to log into Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

For ThinkServer servers, the specified authentication server is not used. Instead, an IPMI account is created on the device with the prefix “LXCA_” followed by a random string. (The existing local IPMI user accounts are not disabled.) When you unmanage a ThinkServer server, the “LXCA_” user account is disabled, and the prefix “LXCA_” is replaced with the prefix “DISABLED_”. To determine whether a ThinkServer server is managed by another instance, Lenovo XClarity Administrator checks for IPMI accounts with the prefix “LXCA_”. If you choose to force management of a managed ThinkServer server, all the IPMI accounts on the device with the “LXCA_” prefix are disabled and renamed. Consider manually clearing IPMI accounts that are no longer used.

Note: When devices are centrally managed, you can edit user accounts only in Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

• When local authentication is used for rack servers, Lenovo XClarity Administrator uses a stored credential to authenticate to the device. The stored credential can be an active user account on the device or a user account in Active Directory.

After systems are managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator, Lenovo XClarity Administrator polls each managed system periodically to collect information, such as inventory, vital product data, and status. You can view and monitor each managed system and perform management actions (such as configuring system settings, deploying operating-system images, and powering on and off).



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A system can be managed by only one Lenovo XClarity Administrator at a time. Management by multiple managers is not supported. If a system is managed by one Lenovo XClarity Administrator, and you want to manage it with another Lenovo XClarity Administrator, you must first unmanage the system on the current Lenovo XClarity Administrator. Then, you are can manage the system with another Lenovo XClarity Administrator. For information about unmanaging a system, see Managing chassis, Managing servers, and Managing switches in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

Note: The Lenovo XClarity Administrator does not modify the security settings or cryptographic settings (cryptographic mode and the mode used for secure communications) during the management process. You can modify the cryptographic settings after the system is managed (see Setting the cryptography mode and communication protocols in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

Note: Lenovo XClarity Administrator can be pre-populated with hardware inventory for a demo chassis (including CMM, compute nodes, and switches) and a demo rack or tower server that simulates real hardware. The demo devices are populated in the web interface pages and can be used to demonstrate management operations; however, the management operations will fail. For example, you can create a configuration pattern and deploy the pattern to a demo server, but the deployment will fail. You can remove the demo devices by unmanaging them (see Unmanaging chassis and Unmanaging servers in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation). After the demo devices are deleted, they cannot be managed again..

Procedure

To manage your systems using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, complete one of the following procedures.

• Discover and manage systems that are on the same IP subnet as Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

1. From the Lenovo XClarity Administrator menu bar, click Hardware ➙ Discover and Manage New Devices. The Discover and Manage New Devices page is displayed.

You can sort the table columns to make it easier to find the servers that you want to manage. In addition, you can enter text (such as a name or IP address) in the Filter field to further filter the servers that are displayed.

Use the browser refresh button to discover all manageable devices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator domain. Discovery might take several minutes.







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2. Click the Refresh icon ( ) to discover new devices.

3. Click the Enable encapsulation on all future managed devices checkbox to change the firewall rules on all devices during the management process so that incoming requests are accepted from only Lenovo XClarity Administrator.

Encapsulation can be enabled or disabled on specific devices after they are managed.


4. Select one or more systems that you want to manage.

5. Click Manage Selected. The Manage dialog is displayed.

6. For rack servers, choose to use Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication or local authentication for this device. Managed authentication is selected by default. To use local authentication, clear Managed Authentication.

Note: Managed and local authentication are not supported for ThinkServer and System x M4 servers.

7. Choose the type of credentials to use for the device and specify the appropriate credentials:

– Use manually entered credentials

– For chassis, specify the user ID and password with supervisor privileges for authenticating to the CMMs and optionally specify a new password for the local user account if the password is currently expired on the device.

– For rack servers, specify the user ID and password with supervisor privileges for authenticating to the management controllers, and optionally specify a new password for the local user account if the password is currently expired on the device.

Note: For ThinkServer and System x M4 servers, specify only the user ID and password for the authenticating to the server.

– For RackSwitch switches, specify the user ID and password for the authenticating to the switch.

If set, also specify the "enable" password that is used to enter Privileged Exec Mode on the switch. When you manage a RackSwitch, access to Privileged Exec Mode on the switch is required. This is used by Lenovo XClarity Administrator when issuing the "enable" command to the switch. By default, there is no password set for this command on the switch. However, if the switch administrator configured a password for this command for added security, it must be specified for Lenovo XClarity Administrator to successfully manage the switch.

– For Lenovo Storage devices, specify the user ID and password for the authenticating to the storage device.

– Use stored credentials

Select the stored credential with supervisor privileges to use for this managed device. You can add stored credentials by clicking Manage Stored Credentials.

Note: If you choose to use local authentication for rack servers, you must select a stored credential to manage the device.

For more information about normal and stored credentials, see Managing user accounts and Managing stored credentials in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

8. Specify the recovery password.

When a password is specified, the recovery account (RECOVERY_ID) is created on the device, and all local user accounts are disabled. If there is a problem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator, and it stops









working for some reason, you cannot log in to the device using normal user accounts. However, you can log in using the RECOVERY_ID account..

Notes:

– For chassis, the recovery password is required.

– For servers, the recovery password is optional if you choose to use managed authentication and is not allowed if you if you choose to use local authentication.

– Ensure that the password follows the security and password policies for the device. Security and password policies might vary.

– Ensure that you record the recovery password for future use.

– The recovery account is not supported for ThinkServer and System x M4 servers.

For more information about the recovery ID, see Managing the authentication server in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

9. Optional: Click Force management if:

– If the servers are currently managed by another management system, such as another Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance or Flex System Manager.

– If Lenovo XClarity Administrator was taken down but the server was not unmanaged before it went down.

– The servers were not unmanaged correctly, and the CIM subscription was not cleared.

10. Click Manage.

A dialog is displayed that shows the progress of this management process. To ensure that the process completes successfully, monitor the progress.

11. When the process is complete, click OK.

• Discover and manage systems that are not on the same IP subnet as Lenovo XClarity Administrator by manually specifying IP addresses.

1. From the Lenovo XClarity Administrator menu bar, click Hardware ➙ Discover and Manage New Devices. The Discover and Manager page is displayed.




3. Select Manual Input.

4. Specify the IP addresses of the systems that you want to manage:

– Click Single System, and enter a single IP address.

– Click Multiple Systems, and enter a range of IP addresses. To add another range, click the Add icon ( ). To remove a range, click the Remove icon ( ).

5. Click OK.

6. For rack servers, choose to use Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication or local authentication for this device. Managed authentication is selected by default. To use local authentication, clear Managed Authentication.







Note: Managed and local authentication are not supported for ThinkServer and System x M4 servers.

7. Choose the type of credentials to use for the device and specify the appropriate credentials:

– Use manually entered credentials

– For chassis, specify the user ID and password with supervisor privileges for authenticating to the CMMs and optionally specify a new password for the local user account if the password is currently expired on the device.

– For rack servers, specify the user ID and password with supervisor privileges for authenticating to the management controllers, and optionally specify a new password for the local user account if the password is currently expired on the device.

Note: For ThinkServer and System x M4 servers, specify only the user ID and password for the authenticating to the server.

– For RackSwitch switches, specify the user ID and password for the authenticating to the switch.

If set, also specify the "enable" password that is used to enter Privileged Exec Mode on the switch. When you manage a RackSwitch, access to Privileged Exec Mode on the switch is required. This is used by Lenovo XClarity Administrator when issuing the "enable" command to the switch. By default, there is no password set for this command on the switch. However, if the switch administrator configured a password for this command for added security, it must be specified for Lenovo XClarity Administrator to successfully manage the switch.

– For Lenovo Storage devices, specify the user ID and password for the authenticating to the storage device.

– Use stored credentials

Select the stored credential with supervisor privileges to use for this managed device. You can add stored credentials by clicking Manage Stored Credentials.

Note: If you choose to use local authentication for rack servers, you must select a stored credential to manage the device.

For more information about normal and stored credentials, see Managing user accounts and Managing stored credentials in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

8. Specify the recovery password.

When a password is specified, the recovery account (RECOVERY_ID) is created on the device, and all local user accounts are disabled. If there is a problem with Lenovo XClarity Administrator, and it stops working for some reason, you cannot log in to the device using normal user accounts. However, you can log in using the RECOVERY_ID account..

Notes:






For more information about the recovery ID, see Managing the authentication server in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

9. Optional: Click Force management if:

– If the servers are currently managed by another management system, such as another Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance or Flex System Manager.






– If Lenovo XClarity Administrator was taken down but the server was not unmanaged before it went down.

– The servers were not unmanaged correctly, and the CIM subscription was not cleared.

10. Click Manage.

A dialog is displayed that shows the progress of this management process. To ensure that the process completes successfully, monitor the progress.

11. When the process is complete, click OK.

• Import information about the systems that you want to manage using a spreadsheet.

1. From the Lenovo XClarity Administrator menu bar, click Hardware ➙ Discover and Manage New Devices. The Discover and Manage page is displayed.


Notes:

– Encapsulation is not supported on switches, storage devices, and non-Lenovo chassis and servers.

– When the management network interface is configured to use the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and when encapsulation enabled, managing a rack server can take a long time.



3. Click Bulk Import. The Bulk Import dialog is displayed.

4. Click one of the links in the dialog to download the template file in Excel or CSV format.

Important: The template file might change from one release to the next. Ensure that you always use the latest template.

5. Fill in the data worksheet in the template file, and save the file in CSV format.

Tip: The Excel template file includes a readme worksheet and a data worksheet. The readme worksheet provides information about how to fill in each field on the data worksheet, including which fields are required and several examples.

– (Columns A - C) For basic discovery, you must specify at least the device type and the current IP address or serial number. The following types are supported:

– filler. Placeholders for an unmanaged device. In the rack view, this device is shown as generic filler graphic. See the spreadsheet for additional filler types.

– flexchassis. 10U Flex System chassis

– server. Rack and tower servers that are supported by Lenovo XClarity Administrator

– rack. 25U, 37U, 42U, 46U, 48U, 50U, and 52U racks. Other rack heights are not supported. 42U is assumed by default.

– storage. Lenovo Storage device

– switch. RackSwitch switches

– (Columns D - H) You can optionally specify user credentials for each device in the bulk-import file. This is useful if the credentials are different for some devices. If you do not specify credentials for






one or more devices in the bulk-import file, the global credentials that you specify in the Bulk Import dialog are used instead.

Notes:

– Some fields do not apply to some devices.

– (For chassis) You must specify the RECOVERY_ID password either in column G of the bulk import file or in the Bulk Import dialog.

– (For rack servers) If you choose managed authentication (in column AA or in the Bulk Import dialog), you can optionally specify a recovery password either in column G of the bulk import file or in the Bulk Import dialog. If you choose local authentication, the recovery password is not allowed; do not specify the recovery password in column G of the bulk import file or in the Bulk Import dialog.

– (Columns I -U) You can optionally provide additional information if you want to apply changes to the device upon successful management.

Note: Some fields do not apply to some devices. These fields do not apply to RackSwitch switches.

– (Columns V- X) You can optionally provide information for rack creation and assignment. The following rack heights are supported: 25U, 37U, 42U, 46U, 48U, 50U, and 52U.

– (Column Y) You can optionally force management of each device if:

– If the devices are currently managed by another management system, such as another Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance or IBM Flex System Manager.

– If Lenovo XClarity Administrator was taken down but the devices were not unmanaged before it went down.

– The devices were not unmanaged correctly, and the CIM subscription was not cleared.

Note: If the device is managed by another Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance, the device appears to be managed by the original instance for a period of time after the forced management occurs. You can unmanage the device to remove it from the original Lenovo XClarity Administrator instance.

– (Column Z) You can optionally choose to use stored credentials instead of manually entered credentials (in columns D - H) by specifying a stored credential ID. You can find the stored credential ID on the Stored Credentials page by clicking Administration ➙ Security from the Lenovo XClarity Administrator menu and then clicking Stored Credentials from the left navigation. For more information about manually entered and stored credentials, see Managing user accountsand Managing stored credentials in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

– (Column AA) For rack servers, you can optionally choose to use local authentication instead of Lenovo XClarity Administrator managed authentication by specifying FALSE in this column. For more information about managed and local authentication, see Managing the authentication serverin the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

The following figure shows an example bulk-import file:





6. From the Bulk Import dialog, enter the name of the CSV file to upload file for processing. You can click Browse to help you find the file.


7. Optional: Enter global credentials for the desired devices.

The global credentials are used to log in to all devices that do not have credentials specified in the bulk-import file. If you choose to use the global credentials to log in, the credentials for a specific device type must be the same for devices of the same type. For example, CMM credentials must be the same for all chassis, and the storage-management credentials must be the same for all Lenovo Storage devices. If the credentials are not the same, you must enter credentials in the bulk-import file. If the credentials are not the same, you must enter credentials in the bulk-import file.

Information that you specify in the spreadsheet overrides similar information that you specify in the dialog.

You can optionally choose to force manage each type of device. If you force manage servers and chassis, use the RECOVERY_ID account and password for authentication.

– Server Management Module. Specify the authentication mode and credentials type. Specify current credentials for logging in to all rack and tower servers that are defined in the bulk import file. Specify new password to use if the current credentials have expired.

– Chassis Management Module. Specify the credentials type. Specify current credentials for logging in to all chassis that are defined in the bulk import file. Specify new password to use if the current credentials have expired..

– Server/Chassis Recovery. Specify recovery password for logging in to all servers and chassis that are defined in the bulk import file.

When a password is specified, the RECOVERY_ID account is created on the device, and all local user accounts are disabled.






– Switch Credentials. Specify current credentials for logging in to all RackSwitch switches that are defined in the bulk import file. If set, specify the "enable" password that is used to enter Privileged Exec Mode on the switch.

– Storage Management Module. Specify current credentials for logging in to all Lenovo Storage devices that are defined in the bulk import file.

If Lenovo XClarity Administrator cannot log in to a device using the credentials that are specified in the bulk-import file or the global credentials that are specified in the dialog, the management of that device fails, and Lenovo XClarity Administrator moves on to the next device in the bulk-import file.

Note: Flex System compute nodes, switches, and storage devices are considered part of the chassis discovery and management process.

8. Click OK.

A job is created for the management process, and the process runs in the background. You can monitor the status of the management process from the jobs log. For information about the jobs log, see Monitoring jobs in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.

9. If the bulk-import file includes a new chassis, validate and change management network settings for the entire chassis (including compute nodes and Flex switches) and to configure the compute node information, local storage, I/O adapters, boot targets, and firmware settings by creating and deploying server patterns. For more information, see Modifying the management-IP settings for a chassis and Configuring servers using the Lenovo XClarity Administrator in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation.


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What to do next

After you manage one or more systems, you can perform the following actions:

• Discover and manage additional systems.

• Configure the system information, local storage, I/O adapters, boot settings, and firmware settings by creating and deploying server patterns (see Configuring servers using the Lenovo XClarity Administrator in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Deploy operating-system images to the servers that do not already have an operating system installed (see Deploying an operating system image in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Update firmware on devices that are not in compliance with current policies (see Updating firmware on managed devices in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Add the newly managed systems to the appropriate rack to reflect the physical environment (see Managing racks in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Monitor hardware status and details (see Viewing the status of a managed server in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

• Monitor events and alerts (see Working with events and Working with alerts in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).






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Chapter 9. Uninstalling the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance

Procedure

To uninstall the Lenovo XClarity Administrator virtual appliance, complete the following steps.

Step 1. Unmanage all devices that are currently managed by Lenovo XClarity Administrator (see Managing chassis, Managing servers, and Managing switches in the Lenovo XClarity Administrator online documentation).

Step 2. Uninstall Lenovo XClarity Administrator, depending on the operating system:

• KVM

– Connect to the host using the KVM Virtual Machine manager.

– Right-click the virtual machine, and click Shut Down ➙ Force off.

– Right-click the virtual machine again, and click Delete. The Delete confirmation dialog box is displayed.

– Select all check boxes, and click Delete.

• ESXi

1. Connect to the host through the VMware vSphere Client.

2. Right-click the virtual machine, and click Power ➙ Power Off.

3. Right-click the virtual machine again, and click Delete from Disk.

• Hyper-V 1. From the Server Manager Dashboard, click Hyper-V. 2. Right-click the server, and click Hyper-V Manager. 3. Right-click the virtual machine, and click Shut down. 4. Right-click the virtual machine again, and click Delete.






Index

90-day trial license 7

Aauthentication server

considerations 31, 34

Cchassis

cabling management only network (ESXi) 160management only network (Hyper-V) 214management only network (KVM) 89physically-separate data and management network

(ESXi) 119physically-separate data and management network

(KVM) 69physically-separate data and management network

(Nutanix AHV) 46physically-separate data and management networks

(Hyper-V) 190single data and management network (ESXi) 100single data and management network (Hyper-V) 180single data and management network (KVM) 60single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 40virtually-separate data and management network (Hyper-

V) 200virtually-separate data and management networks

(ESXi) 140virtually-separate data and management networks

(KVM) 79virtually-separate data and management networks (Nutanix

AHV) 53firmware requirements 9management considerations 17managing 237number of supported 36port availability 11support limitations 8supported types 8

CMM cabling

management only network (ESXi) 160management only network (Hyper-V) 214management only network (KVM) 89physically-separate data and management network








AHV) 53

configuring management only network (ESXi) 161management only network (Hyper-V) 215management only network (KVM) 90physically-separate data and management networks

(ESXi) 120physically-separate data and management networks

(Hyper-V) 191physically-separate data and management networks

(KVM) 70single data and management network (ESXi) 101single data and management network (Hyper-V) 181single data and management network (KVM) 61virtually-separate data and management network (Hyper-



(KVM) 80considerations

authentication server 31, 34cryptography 31–32, 35management 17management software 21network 21performance 36role group 31, 35security certificates 31–33security settings 31, 35user account 31, 35

cryptography considerations 31–32modes 31–32

Ddate, configuring 233DHCP 21Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, See DHCP

Eencapsulation mode 31ESXi, See VMware ESXi

high availability 177events

port availability 11

FFeatures on Demand

installing 36obtaining 36

features, Lenovo XClarity Administrator 1firmware requirements for devices 9Flex switches



(KVM) 69


physically-separate data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 46

physically-separate data and management networks (Hyper-V) 190

single data and management network (ESXi) 100single data and management network (Hyper-V) 180single data and management network (KVM) 60single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 40virtually-separate data and management network (Hyper-




AHV) 53configuring

management only network (ESXi) 163management only network (Hyper-V) 216management only network (KVM) 92physically-separate data and management networks



(KVM) 72single data and management network (ESXi) 103single data and management network (Hyper-V) 183single data and management network (KVM) 63virtually-separate data and management networks

(ESXi) 143virtually-separate data and management networks (Hyper-


(KVM) 82firmware requirements 9support limitations 8supported types 8

Flex System firmware requirements 9

Flex System Manager, migrating from 20

Hhigh availability

considerations 36ESXi 177Hyper-V 221KVM 97Nutanix AHV 58

host installing and configuring

management-only network (ESXi) 164management-only network (Hyper-V) 217management-only network (KVM) 93physically-separate data and management networks



(KVM) 73single data and management network (ESXi) 104single data and management network (Hyper-V) 184single data and management network (KVM) 64virtually-separate data and management networks

(ESXi) 144virtually-separate data and management networks (Hyper-


(KVM) 84host systems, supported 7Hyper-V

high availability 221

Hyper-V, installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator 179, 198

IIPv6 address limitations 22

KKVM, See VMware ESXi

high availability 97KVM network topologies 59KVM, installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator 59, 68, 77

management-only network 88

LLegacy security mode 31–32Lenovo XClarity Administrator

accessing the web interface 223comparison with FSM 18features 1hardware requirements 7installing on Hyper-V

single data and management networks 179virtually-separate data and management networks 198

installing on KVM management-only network 88physically-separate data and management networks 68single data and management networks 59virtually-separate data and management networks 77

installing on Microsoft Hyper-V management-only network 212physically-separate data and management networks 188

installing on Nutanix AHV physically-separate data and management networks 45single data and management networks 39virtually-separate data and management networks 51

installing on VMware ESXi management-only network 159physically-separate data and management networks 118single data and management networks 99virtually-separate data and management networks 137

logging on for the first time 223migrating to 20overview 1planning 7port availability 11supported operating systems 7supported web browsers 9

license, 90-day trial 7logging on for the first time 223

Mmanagement considerations 17management software, preparing to use 21management-only network

planning for 29management-only network topology

KVM 88Microsoft Hyper-V 212VMware ESXi 159

Microsoft Hyper-V high availability considerations 36

Microsoft Hyper-V network topologies 179Microsoft Hyper-V, installing Lenovo XClarity

Administrator 188 management-only network 212


NNAT limitations 22network

configurations 22considerations 21Eth0 and Eth1 interfaces 22IPv6 address limitations 22NAT limitations 22topologies 22types of 22

network access configuring 228

Network Time Protocol server 7network topologies

KVM 59management-only

KVM 88Microsoft Hyper-V 212VMware ESXi 159

Microsoft Hyper-V 179Nutanix AHV 39physically-separate data and management

KVM 68Microsoft Hyper-V 188Nutanix AHV 45VMware ESXi 118

single data and management Hyper-V 179KVM 59Nutanix AHV 39VMware ESXi 99

virtually-separate data and management Hyper-V 198KVM 77Nutanix AHV 51VMware ESXi 137

VMware ESXi 99network topology, See management-only network, See

physically separate data and management network, See single data and management network, See virtually separate data and management networks

NTP server, configuring 233Nutanix AHV

high availability 58Nutanix AHV network topologies 39Nutanix AHV, installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator 39, 45,

51

Ooperating systems

supported by Lenovo XClarity Administrator 7operating-system deployment

port availability 11overview, Lenovo XClarity Administrator 1

Pperformance considerations 36physically separate data and management network

planning for 25physically-separate data and management network topology

KVM 68Microsoft Hyper-V 188Nutanix AHV 45VMware ESXi 118

physically-separate data and management networks 45, 68, 118, 188

port availability device management 11event management 11

Lenovo XClarity Administrator server 11operating-system deployment 11

RRackSwitch switches

firmware requirements 9role group


Ssecurity certificates

considerations 31, 33security considerations 31, 33security settings

considerations 31, 35security, configuring 234–235server

cabling management only network (ESXi) 160management only network (Hyper-V) 214management only network (KVM) 89physically-separate data and management networks



(KVM) 69physically-separate data and management networks

(Nutanix AHV) 46single data and management network (ESXi) 100single data and management network (Hyper-V) 180single data and management network (KVM) 60single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 40virtually-separate data and management network (Hyper-




AHV) 53servers

Features on Demand keys 36firmware requirements 9management considerations 17managing 237number of supported 36port availability 11support limitations 8supported types 8

single data and management network planning for 24

single data and management network topology Hyper-V 179KVM 59Nutanix AHV 39VMware ESXi 99

single data and management networks 39, 59, 99, 179SSL/TLS mode 31–32supported

host systems 7switches

firmware requirements 9System x servers

firmware requirements 9


Ttime, configuring 233top-of-rack switches









AHV) 53configuring

management only network (ESXi) 161management only network (Hyper-V) 214management only network (KVM) 90physically-separate data and management networks




(Nutanix AHV) 47single data and management network (ESXi) 101single data and management network (Hyper-V) 181single data and management network (KVM) 61single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 41virtually-separate data and management network (Hyper-




AHV) 53

Uuser account


Vvirtual appliance

configuring 227installing

management-only network (ESXi) 164, 170management-only network (Hyper-V) 218management-only network (KVM) 93physically-separate data and management networks

(ESXi) 123, 129physically-separate data and management networks



(Nutanix AHV) 47single data and management network (ESXi) 65, 105,

111single data and management network (Hyper-V) 185single data and management network (Nutanix AHV) 41virtually-separate and management (Hyper-V) 209virtually-separate and management networks (ESXi) 148,

152virtually-separate and management networks (KVM) 85virtually-separate and management networks (Nutanix

AHV) 54uninstalling 249

virtually separate data and management network planning for 27

virtually-separate data and management network topology Hyper-V 198KVM 77Nutanix AHV 51VMware ESXi 137

virtually-separate data and management networks 51, 77, 137, 198

VMware ESXi high availability considerations 36

VMware ESXi network topologies 99VMware ESXi, installing Lenovo XClarity Administrator 99, 118,

137 management-only network 159

Wweb browsers

supported 9


Lenovo XClarity Administrator Planning and Installation Guide

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