updated december 2012 - qnap systems, inc.files.qnap.com/news/pressresource/product/qnap_vsp… ·...

© 2012. QNAP Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V1.0

QNAP Plug-in for vSphere Client:

A User’s Guide

Updated December 2012

© 2012. QNAP Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1

Note:

The information presented is subject to change without notice.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DOCUMENT PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................... 3

FUNCTIONALITIES DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................ 3

QNAP vSphere Plug-in introduction and benefits ................................................................ 3

Plug-in installation ............................................................................................................................. 5

NAS Storage .......................................................................................................................................... 6

DATASTORES MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 8

Functions ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Scope ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

USER GUIDE – HOW TO ........................................................................................................................... 10

Create a Datastore ............................................................................................................................ 10

Disconnect/Unmount a Datastore ............................................................................................. 11

DATASTORE DISCONNECTION..................................................................................................... 11

DATASTORE RESCONNECTION .................................................................................................... 12

Destroy a Datastore ......................................................................................................................... 13

Status Monitor ................................................................................................................................... 14

Supported environment .......................................................................................................................... 16

Supported NAS firmware: ............................................................................................................. 16

Supported VMware products (minimum requirements): ............................................... 16

Supported vSphere Client installation environment: ........................................................ 16


DOCUMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to introduce the benefits of the QNAP vSphere plug-in

and to provide a guide for using the major functions of the plug-in.

FUNCTIONALITIES DESCRIPTION

QNAP VSPHERE PLUG-IN INTRODUCTION AND BENEFITS

The vSphere Client Plug-in for QNAP Turbo NAS is an

interface between ESXi and the Turbo NAS.

vSphere client integration allows managing VMware

datastores on the QNAP Turbo NAS directly from the

vSphere client console, and verifying the status of all

QNAP Turbo NAS managed by the QNAP vSphere plug-in.

Benefits:

Easy creation of additional datastores for multiple ESXi hosts in just a few clicks!

Easy status control of the Turbo NAS and datastores.

Support for NFS or iSCSI datastores.


Without the QNAP Plug-in:

- Connect to the NAS

- Create LUN target on the NAS

- Create the LUN on the NAS

- Connect to vSphere Client

- Connect the ESXi #1 to the target

- Rescan all HBA

- Create the datastore

- Connect the ESXi #2 to the target

- Rescan all HBA

- Connect the ESXi #xx to the target

- Rescan all HBA

With the QNAP Plug-in:

- Connect to vSphere Client

- Create a datastore

- Wait for the plug-in to do the job


PLUG-IN INSTALLATION

To install the plug-in simply run the QNAP_vsphere_plug-in_setup.exe from the local

computer where the vSphere client is installed. Follow the instructions to install the

plug-in.

To verify if the plug-in is installed, or to check the plug-in version, open the vSphere

Client console and navigate to the menu “Plug-ins”. The QNAP plug-in is listed in

vSphere Client plug-in manager after installation:

Once the plug-in has been installed, follow the steps below to add a QNAP Turbo NAS to

be managed by the plug-in and create a new datastore.


NAS STORAGE

Add a QNAP Turbo NAS to the plug-in:

1. Select your Datacenter or Cluster. Then click the “QNAP” tab on the right panel.

2. Add a Turbo NAS in the plug-in storages by clicking “Add QNAP Storage”.


Note:

Enable iSCSI Security: Select this option to enable LUN masking on the QNAP Turbo NAS.

All the new LUN created on the datastore by the plug-in will be secured with LUN

Masking, so that only the VMware hosts with access right to the LUN can read and write

data to the LUN.

Enable NFS Security: Select this option to enable NFS host access control, and allow only

the VMware hosts to connect to the NFS shares that will be used as datastore.

Once one or multiple QNAP Storages have been added to the plug-in, you can create,

mount, unmount, or destroy the datastores.


DATASTORES MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION

FUNCTIONS

The plug-in offers different components with specific features. The available functions in

the plug-in are:

- Create a datastore (NFS or iSCSI)

- Un-mount/disconnect a datastore

- Mount/connect a datastore

- Destroy a datastore

SCOPE

The plug-in supports different datastore processes, depending on the user configuration.

If ESXi is used alone without vCenter, the plug-in will operate on the host only. If the

vSphere Client is connected to a vCenter server, the plug-in will be able to operate on

multiple VMware hosts to facilitate each process.

Operations from ESXi host:

o Creation: The datastore will be created only on the selected host.

o Disconnect/Connect: The datastore can be disconnected from or connected to

the selected host.

o Deletion: The datastore will be disconnected from all connected hosts, and will

be destroyed and all the content will be deleted.

Operations from VMware Cluster: The datastore can be created on all members of

the Cluster.

o Creation: By default all the cluster members will be selected in order to create

and connect the new datastore to all hosts. Users can unselect some hosts when

the new datastore is not required on all hosts.

o Disconnect/connect: By default all the cluster members will be selected in order

to disconnect a datastore from or connect it to the selected hosts.




Operations from the VMware Datacenter: The datastore can be created on all

members of the Datacenter.

o Creation: By default all the cluster members will be selected in order to create

and connect the new datastore to all hosts. Users can unselect some hosts on

the new datastore that are not required on all hosts.

o Disconnect/connect: By default all the cluster members will be selected in order

to disconnect a datastore from or connect it to the selected hosts.




USER GUIDE – HOW TO

All the following instructions have to be done after a QNAP Turbo NAS has been added

to the vSphere plug-in. Please refer to “NAS Storage” on page 6.

CREATE A DATASTORE

To create a datastore and add it to all members of your Datacenter, Cluster, or on a

single host:

- Login the vSphere Client.

- Select your Datacenter, Cluster, or Host.

- Right click your Datacenter, Cluster, or Host. Select “QNAP” > “Create a datastore”.

- Follow the Wizard instructions to create a datastore.

The QNAP vSphere plug-in will create the resources on the Turbo NAS, and connect all

the selected hosts to the new datastore.


DISCONNECT/UNMOUNT A DATASTORE

DATASTORE DISCONNECTION

The plug-in allows disconnecting (unmount) the datastores from multiple ESXi hosts

and re-connecting (mount) the datastores to multiple ESXi hosts.

To disconnect a datastore:



- Right click your Datacenter, Cluster, or Host, and select “QNAP” > “Disconnect a

datastore”.

- Follow the instructions to disconnect/unmount a datastore from the selected hosts.

The disconnected datastores will be listed under the “QNAP” tab. Please refer to “Status

Monitor” on page 14.


DATASTORE RESCONNECTION

The QNAP vSphere plug-in allows users to reconnect a previously disconnected

/unmounted datastore to some selected hosts.

To connect a datastore:



- Right click your Datacenter, Cluster, or Host, and select “QNAP” > “Connect

datastores to a new ESX host”.

- All existing datastores that can be connected to the selected host, will be listed.

- Follow the wizard instructions to reconnect a datastore to one or multiple hosts.


DESTROY A DATASTORE

The QNAP vSphere plug-in allows users to destroy a datastore.

To destroy a datastore:



- Right click your Datacenter, Cluster, or Host, and select “QNAP” > “Destroy a

datastore”.

- Note that the “destroy” process will follow the VMware behavior:

o iSCSI: All the data contained in the datastore will be irremediably deleted

without any possible recovery.

o NFS: The datastore will be disconnected from the ESX hosts. All references to

the NFS datastore will be destroyed. The Data contained in the NFS datastore

will remain.


STATUS MONITOR

The QNAP vSphere Plug-in supports reporting the status of each Turbo NAS added to the

plug-in, and the status of the currently connected datastores, and the list of the

previously disconnected datastores using the plug-in.

- Select your Datacenter, Cluster, or ESXi host.

- Navigate to the “QNAP” tab.

The first item (“QNAP Storages”) will display all QNAP Turbo NAS added to the

plug-in, including useful information such as NAS status, firmware version, free

capacity and more.

- Right click an item to display the menu options:

o Set the NAS credentials if they have been changed.

o Remove the NAS from the plug-in. All existing datastores will remain connected

to their existing hosts.

o Quickly open the NAS web administration page.

o Enable storage protocols (NFS and/or iSCSI).


The second item (“QNAP Datastores”) will display all QNAP datastores, both

connected and disconnected.

To remove a disconnected datastore from the list, right click the datastore and select

“Remove entry”.


SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENT

SUPPORTED NAS FIRMWARE:

- Firmware version 3.8.0 and above

SUPPORTED VMWARE PRODUCTS (MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS):

- vSphere Client 4.1 update 3

- vSphere Client 5.0 update 1

- vSphere Client 5.1

- VMware ESX 4.1 update 3

- VMware ESXi 4.1 update 3

- VMware ESXi 5.0, update 1

- VMware ESXi 5.1

- vCenter 4.1 update 3

- vCenter 5.0 update 1

- vCenter 5.1

SUPPORTED VSPHERE CLIENT INSTALLATION ENVIRONMENT:

- Windows 2008 R2, SP1

- Windows 7 x86, 32-bit, SP1

- Windows 7 x86, 64-bit, SP1


This document was created using the official VMware icon and diagram library.

Copyright © 2009 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and

international copyright and intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by

one or more patents listed at http://www.vmware.com/go/patents.

VMware does not endorse or make any representations about third party information

included in this document, nor does the inclusion of any VMware icon or diagram in this

document imply such an endorsement.

updated december 2012 - qnap systems, inc.files.qnap.com/news/pressresource/product/qnap_vsp… ·...

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