Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): Appliances (3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3.0)
Platform: Flex Appliance OS
  1. Product overview
    1.  
      Introduction to Veritas Flex Appliance
    2.  
      Flex Appliance terminology
    3.  
      About the Flex Appliance documentation
  2. Release notes
    1.  
      Flex Appliance 3.0 new features, enhancements, and changes
    2.  
      Flex Appliance 3.1 new features, enhancements, and changes
    3.  
      Flex Appliance 3.2 new features, enhancements, and changes
    4.  
      Flex Appliance 3.3 new features, enhancements, and changes
    5.  
      Supported upgrade and update paths to this release
    6.  
      Operational notes
    7.  
      Flex Appliance 3.0 release content
    8.  
      Flex Appliance 3.1 release content
    9.  
      Flex Appliance 3.2 release content
    10.  
      Flex Appliance 3.3 release content
  3. Getting started
    1.  
      Initial configuration guidelines and checklist
    2.  
      Performing the initial configuration
    3.  
      Adding a node
    4.  
      Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell
    5.  
      Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Console
    6.  
      Managing the appliance from the Appliance Management Console
    7.  
      Setting the date and time for appliance nodes
    8.  
      Common tasks in Flex Appliance
  4. Managing network settings
    1.  
      Creating a network bond
    2.  
      Editing a network bond
    3.  
      Deleting a network bond
    4.  
      Configuring or editing a network interface
    5. Managing the appliance Fibre Channel ports
      1.  
        Viewing the devices that are connected to the Fibre Channel ports
    6.  
      Changing DNS or Hosts file settings
  5. Managing users
    1.  
      Overview of the Flex Appliance default users
    2. Managing Flex Appliance Console users and tenants
      1.  
        Adding a tenant
      2.  
        Editing a tenant
      3.  
        Removing a tenant
      4.  
        Adding a local user to the Flex Appliance Console
      5.  
        Connecting a remote user domain to the Flex Appliance Console
      6.  
        Editing a remote user domain in the Flex Appliance Console
      7.  
        Importing a remote user or user group to the Flex Appliance Console
      8.  
        Managing single sign-on (SSO)
      9.  
        Managing identity providers (IDPs)
      10.  
        Importing a single sign-on user or user group to the Flex Appliance Console
      11.  
        Managing user authentication with smart cards or digital certificates
      12.  
        Changing a local user password in the Flex Appliance Console
      13.  
        Expiring local user passwords in the Flex Appliance Console
      14.  
        Unlocking a local user account in the Flex Appliance Console
      15.  
        Removing users from the Flex Appliance Console
    3.  
      Changing the password policy
    4.  
      Changing the hostadmin user password in the Flex Appliance Shell
    5.  
      Changing the sysadmin user password in the Veritas Remote Management Interface
  6. Using Flex Appliance
    1. Managing the repository
      1.  
        Adding files to the repository
      2.  
        Removing files from the repository
    2.  
      Creating application instances
    3.  
      Managing application instances from Flex Appliance and NetBackup
    4. Managing application instances from Flex Appliance
      1.  
        Resizing instance storage
      2.  
        Editing instance network settings
      3.  
        Assigning Fibre Channel ports to an instance
      4.  
        Unassigning Fibre Channel ports from an instance
      5. Managing application add-ons on instances
        1.  
          Installing application add-ons
        2.  
          Uninstalling application add-ons
        3.  
          Changing the application add-on installation order
      6.  
        Viewing instance performance metrics
      7.  
        Clearing a configuration error status on an application instance
    5. Upgrading application instances
      1.  
        Warnings and considerations for instance rollbacks
    6.  
      Updating an application instance to a newer revision
    7. About Flex Appliance updates
      1.  
        Updating Flex Appliance
      2.  
        Updating the firmware
  7. Appliance security
    1.  
      Security overview
    2. About lockdown mode
      1.  
        Changing the lockdown mode
    3.  
      Using a sign-in banner
    4.  
      Using an external certificate
    5. Using network access control
      1.  
        Changing the SSH port
  8. Monitoring the appliance
    1.  
      Registering an appliance
    2. Configuring alerts
      1. About AutoSupport and Call Home
        1.  
          Configuring Call Home
      2.  
        Configuring email alerts
      3.  
        Configuring SNMP alerts
      4.  
        Setting the threshold values for disk usage alerts
    3.  
      Monitoring the appliance from the System Health Insights portal
    4. Viewing the hardware status
      1.  
        Viewing node information
      2.  
        Viewing storage shelf information on a Veritas 53xx Appliance
      3.  
        Viewing storage shelf information on a Veritas 52xx Appliance
    5.  
      Viewing hardware faults
    6.  
      Viewing system data
    7.  
      Clearing the hardware status
    8.  
      Forwarding logs
    9.  
      Providing access for external monitoring
    10.  
      Revoking access for external monitoring
  9. Reconfiguring the appliance
    1.  
      Shutting down the appliance
    2.  
      Performing a factory reset
    3.  
      Performing a reimage
    4.  
      Recovering storage data after a factory reset or a reimage
    5.  
      Performing a storage reset
    6.  
      Removing a node
    7.  
      Viewing or resetting the storage shelf order on a Veritas 52xx Appliance
  10. Troubleshooting guidelines
    1.  
      General troubleshooting steps
    2.  
      Generating a One-Time Password and unlocking access in lockdown mode
    3.  
      Gathering logs

Performing the initial configuration

The following procedure explains how to configure the Veritas Flex Appliance software on a new appliance.

Note:

If more than the Veritas-tested number of Fibre Channel devices or paths are connected to the appliance, Veritas recommends that you disable the ports or disconnect the devices before you begin this procedure. When the procedure is complete, reenable or reconnect them. You may need to rescan the ports from the Fibre Channel interfaces page.

See Managing the appliance Fibre Channel ports.

To configure Flex Appliance

  1. Review the initial configuration guidelines and checklist to make sure that you have all of the necessary information to complete this procedure.

    See Initial configuration guidelines and checklist.

  2. Use the following steps to access the Flex Appliance Shell from the Veritas Remote Management Interface:
    • Open a supported web browser on a system that has a network connection to the appliance. Flex Appliance supports the following browsers:

      • Google Chrome version 94 or later recommended (minimum version 80 or later)

      • Mozilla Firefox version 93 or later recommended (minimum version 80 or later)

    • Enter the IP address that is assigned to the remote management (IPMI) port of the appliance node. If you have a multi-node appliance, select one of the nodes to use to begin the initial configuration.

    • Log in to the Veritas Remote Management Interface with the following default credentials:

      • Username: sysadmin

      • Password: P@ssw0rd

    • Change the sysadmin password from the known default password as follows:

      • Navigate to Configuration > Users and select the sysadmin user.

      • Click Modify User.

      • Select the Change Password check box and enter a new password.

    • Do one of the following to launch the Flex Appliance Shell:

      • Navigate to Remote Control > Console Redirection and click Launch Console.

      • If available, navigate to Remote Control > iKVM over HTML5 and click Launch Console over HTML5.

      Note:

      Availability of the HTML5 option depends on the appliance firmware version. You can check the version from the System > System Information page. The BIOS ID must show version 00.01.0016 or later.

  3. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell with the following default credentials:
    • Username: hostadmin

    • Password: P@ssw0rd

    See Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell.

  4. Enter the following command to change the password for the hostadmin user:

    set user password

  5. Enter the following command to configure the host network:

    setup configure-network

    Follow the prompts to enter the host network information. You can enter multiple DNS server IP addresses or search domains using a comma-separated list. You can enter up to three DNS server IP addresses. If you need to add more, you can use the set network dns command after initial configuration.

    Note:

    The Flex Appliance Shell does not support changing host network settings other than the DNS and Hosts file settings after initial configuration has been completed. If you need to change any of the other host network settings, you must perform a factory reset and then restart the initial configuration process.

  6. If you did not fill in the optional DNS parameters or want to bypass DNS for specific hosts, you must add the hostname resolution information to the appliance Hosts file. Use the following steps:
    • Enter the following command:

      system add-host

    • One at a time, enter the required hostname information for the following:

      • The node

      • The Flex Appliance Console if the setup configure-network prompts asked for it

      You can also add the information for the other node if you have a multi-node appliance, as well as any instances you plan to create, or you can add that information later.

  7. Use the set date commands to set the date and time. See Setting the date and time for appliance nodes.
  8. Enter the following command to configure the Flex Appliance Console:

    setup configure-console

    Follow the prompts as applicable to your appliance to enter the console network information.

    Note:

    Depending on the number of storage shelves you have in the appliance, this step may take up to 15 minutes to complete. When it is complete, the shell refreshes with new command options.

  9. If you have a single-node appliance, the initial configuration process is now complete. Proceed to the next steps that are listed at the end of this topic.

    If you have a multi-node appliance, add the second node. Then proceed to the next steps that are listed at the end of this topic.

    See Adding a node.

Note:

If any part of the initial configuration fails, refer to the error message to resolve the issue and try again. If you resolve the error but experience the same failure, perform a factory reset and a storage reset to return the appliance to its factory configuration. Then restart the initial configuration process.

See Performing a factory reset.

See Performing a storage reset.

Next steps

After you have completed the initial configuration, you must perform the following tasks before you can create an application instance and start using Flex Appliance:

Once all of these tasks have been completed, you are ready to create an instance and start using Flex Appliance.