Get started

SANtricity 11.7
NetApp
August 24, 2022

This PDF was generated from https://docs.netapp.com/us-en/e-series-santricity/san-getstarted/santricity-

overview.html on August 24, 2022. Always check docs.netapp.com for the latest.
Table of Contents
Get started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
 

SANtricity software overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 

Supported browsers and operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

 

System Manager setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

 

Unified Manager setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

 
Get started
SANtricity software overview
E-Series systems include SANtricity software for storage provisioning and other tasks.
This site describes how to use the following SANtricity management interfaces:

• System Manager — a web-based interface used for managing one controller in a storage array.
• Unified Manager — a web-based interface used for viewing and managing all storage arrays in your
network.

EF600 and EF300 storage arrays do not support mirroring, thin volumes, or SSD Cache
features.

SANtricity System Manager

System Manager is web-based management software embedded on each controller. To access the user
interface, point a browser to the controller’s IP address. A setup wizard helps you get started with system
configuration.

System Manager offers a variety of management features, including:

View up to 30 days of performance data, including I/O

latency, IOPS, CPU utilization, and throughput.

Performance

Provision storage using pools or volume groups, and

create application workloads.

Storage

Perform backup and disaster recovery using

snapshots, volume copy, and remote mirroring.

Data protection

Check component status and perform some functions

related to those components, such as assigning hot
spare drives.
Hardware

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 Notify administrators about important events occurring
on the storage array. Alerts can be sent through
email, SNMP traps, and syslog.
Alerts

Configure user authentication that requires users to

log in to the system with assigned credentials.
Access Management

Configure other system performance features, such

as SSD cache and autoload balancing.

System Settings

View diagnostic data, manage upgrades, and

configure AutoSupport, which monitors the health of a
storage array and sends automatic dispatches to
technical support.
Support

SANtricity Unified Manager

Unified Manager is web-based software used for managing your entire domain. From a central view, you can
see status for all newer E-Series and EF-Series arrays, such as the E2800, EF280, EF300, E5700, EF570, and
EF600. You can also perform batch operations on selected storage arrays.

Unified Manager is installed on a management server along with the Web Services Proxy. To access Unified
Manager, you open a browser and enter the URL pointing to the server where the Web Services Proxy is
installed.

Unified Manager offers a variety of management features, including:

Find and add the storage arrays you want to manage

in your organization’s network. You can then view the
status of all storage arrays from a single page.

Discover storage arrays

Open an instance of System Manager to perform

individual management operations on a particular
storage array.

Launch

Perform a batch import from one storage array to

multiple arrays, including settings for alerts,
AutoSupport, and directory services.
Import Settings

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 Configure asynchronous or synchronous mirrored
pairs between two storage arrays.

Mirroring

Organize storage arrays into groups for easier

management.

Manage Groups

Upgrade the SANtricity OS software on multiple

storage arrays.

Upgrade Center

Create certificate signing requests (CSRs), import

certificates, and manage existing certificates for
multiple storage arrays.
Certificates

Configure user authentication that requires users to

log in to Unified Manager with assigned credentials.
Access Management

Supported browsers and operating systems

SANtricity software supports several types of browsers and operating systems.

Browsers
The following browsers and versions are supported.

Browser Minimum version

Google Chrome 79

Mozilla Firefox 70

Safari 12

Microsoft Edge 79

Microsoft Edge Legacy 18

Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) 11

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 For Unified Manager, the Web Services Proxy must be installed and available to the browser.
For more information, see SANtricity Web Services Proxy overview

Operating systems
The following operating systems and versions are supported.

Operating system Minimum version/architecture

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.x, 8.x / 64-bit

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 12.x, 15.x / 64-bit

Oracle Linux (OL) 7.x, 8.x / 64-bit

Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 / 64-bit

Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04 / 64-bit

System Manager setup

Access System Manager
To access the System Manager user interface, you point a browser to the controller’s IP
address. A setup wizard helps you get started with system configuration.
Before you begin
• Install and configure your hardware, as described in one of the express configuration guides:
◦ Linux express configuration
◦ VMware express configuration
◦ Windows express configuration
• Configure a management station that meets the following requirements:
◦ Connected to a network that is 1 Gbps or faster.
◦ Attached to the same subnet as the storage management ports.
◦ Used as a separate station, rather than a host (I/O attached) used for data management.
◦ Set up for out-of-band management, in which a storage management station sends commands to the
storage system through the Ethernet connections to the controller.
◦ Set up with a supported browser. See Supported browsers and operating systems.

Steps
1. From your browser, enter the following URL: https://<IPAddress>

IPAddress is the address for one of the storage array controllers.

The first time System Manager is opened on an array that has not been configured, the Set Administrator

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 Password prompt appears.

2. Enter the System Manager password for the admin role in the Set Administrator Password and Confirm
Password fields, and then click Set Password.

The Setup wizard launches on first-time login.

3. Use the Setup wizard to perform the following tasks:

◦ Verify hardware (controllers and drives) — Verify the number of controllers and drives in the storage
array. Assign a name to the array.
◦ Verify hosts and operating systems — Verify the host and operating system types that the storage
array can access.
◦ Accept pools — Accept the recommended pool configuration for the express installation method. A
pool is a logical group of drives.
◦ Configure alerts — Allow System Manager to receive automatic notifications when a problem occurs
with the storage array.
◦ Enable AutoSupport — Automatically monitor the health of your storage array and have dispatches
sent to technical support.

For more information on the Setup Wizard, see Setup Wizard overview.

Setup wizard overview

Use the Setup wizard to configure your storage array, including hardware, hosts,
applications, workloads, pools, alerts, and AutoSupport.

First-time setup

When you open System Manager for the first time, the Setup wizard launches. The Setup wizard prompts you
to perform basic configuration tasks, such as naming your storage array, configuring your hosts, selecting
applications, and creating pools of storage.

If you cancel the wizard, you cannot manually relaunch it. The wizard automatically relaunches when you open
System Manager or refresh your browser and at least one of the following conditions is met:

• No pools and volume groups are detected.

• No workloads are detected.
• No notifications are configured.

Terminology

The Setup wizard uses the following terms.

Term Description
Application An application is a software program, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft
Exchange.

Alert Alerts notify administrators about important events that occur on the storage
arrays. Alerts can be sent via email, SNMP traps, or syslog.

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Term Description
AutoSupport The AutoSupport feature monitors the health of a storage array and sends
automatic dispatches to technical support.

Hardware The storage system hardware includes storage arrays, controllers, and drives.

Host A host is a server that sends I/O to a volume on a storage array.

Object An object is any logical or physical storage component. Logical objects include
volume groups, pools, and volumes. Physical objects include the storage array,
array controllers, hosts, and drives.

Pool A pool is a set of drives that is logically grouped. You can use a pool to create one
or more volumes accessible to a host. (You create volumes from either a pool or a
volume group.)

Volume A volume is a container in which applications, databases, and file systems store
data. It is the logical component created for the host to access storage on the
storage array.

A volume is created from the capacity available in a pool or a volume group. A

volume has a defined capacity. Although a volume might consist of more than one
drive, a volume appears as one logical component to the host.

Volume group A volume group is a container for volumes with shared characteristics. A volume
group has a defined capacity and RAID level. You can use a volume group to
create one or more volumes accessible to a host. (You create volumes from either
a volume group or a pool.)

Workload A workload is a storage object that supports an application. You can define one or
more workloads, or instances, per application. For some applications, the system
configures the workload to contain volumes with similar underlying volume
characteristics. These volume characteristics are optimized based on the type of
application the workload supports. For example, if you create a workload that
supports a Microsoft SQL Server application and then subsequently create
volumes for that workload, the underlying volume characteristics are optimized to
support Microsoft SQL Server.

FAQs

What if I don’t see all of my hardware components?

If you do not see all your hardware components on the Verify Hardware dialog box, it
could mean that a drive shelf is not connected correctly, or that an incompatible shelf is
installed in the storage array.
Verify that all drive shelves are connected correctly. If you are uncertain about which drive shelves are
compatible, contact technical support.

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What if I don’t see all of my hosts?

If you do not see your connected hosts, then automatic detection has failed, the hosts are
improperly connected, or no hosts are currently connected.
You can configure hosts later, once you are done with the setup. You can create hosts either automatically or
manually as follows:

• If you installed the Host Context Agent (HCA) on your hosts, the HCA pushes the host configuration
information to the storage array. System Manager automatically configures these hosts and displays them
in the Initial Setup wizard. (HCA does not apply to NVMe over Fabrics hosts.)
• You can manually create hosts and associate the appropriate host port identifiers by going to Storage ›
Hosts. Hosts that have been created manually also display in the Initial Setup wizard.
• The target and host must be configured for the host port type (for example, iSCSI or NVMe over RoCE),
and a session to the storage established before automatic detection will work.

How does identifying applications help me manage my storage array?

When you identify applications, System Manager automatically recommends a volume

configuration that optimizes storage based on application type.
Optimizing volumes by application can make data storage operations more efficient. Characteristics such as
I/O type, segment size, controller ownership, and read and write cache are included in the volume
configuration. In addition, you can view performance data by application and by workload to assess the latency,
IOPS, and MiB/s of applications and their associated workloads.

What is a workload?

For some applications in your network, such as SQL Server or Exchange, you can define
a workload that optimizes storage for that application.
A workload is a storage object that supports an application. You can define one or more workloads, or
instances, per application. For some applications, the system configures the workload to contain volumes with
similar underlying volume characteristics. These volume characteristics are optimized based on the type of
application the workload supports. For example, if you create a workload that supports a Microsoft SQL Server
application and then subsequently create volumes for that workload, the underlying volume characteristics are
optimized to support Microsoft SQL Server.

During volume creation, the system prompts you to answer questions about a workload’s use. For example, if
you are creating volumes for Microsoft Exchange, you are asked how many mailboxes you need, what your
average mailbox capacity requirements are, and how many copies of the database you want. The system uses
this information to create an optimal volume configuration for you, which can be edited as needed.

How do I configure the delivery method for AutoSupport?

To access configuration tasks for AutoSupport delivery methods, go to Support ›

Support Center, and then click the AutoSupport tab.
The following protocols are supported: HTTPS, HTTP, and SMTP.

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How do I know if I should accept the recommended pool configuration?

Whether you accept the recommended pool configuration depends on a few factors.
Determine the type of storage that is best for your requirements by answering the following questions:

• Do you prefer multiple pools of smaller capacities, rather than the largest pools possible?
• Do you prefer RAID volume groups over pools?
• Do you prefer to manually provision your drives, rather than having a configuration recommended for you?

If you answered Yes to any of these questions, consider rejecting the recommended pool configuration.

System Manager has not detected any hosts. What do I do?

If you do not see your connected hosts, then automatic detection has failed, the hosts are
improperly connected, or no hosts are currently connected.
You can configure hosts later, once you are done with the setup. You can create hosts either automatically or
manually as follows:

• If you installed the Host Context Agent (HCA) on your hosts, the HCA pushes the host configuration
information to the storage array. System Manager automatically configures these hosts and displays them
in the Initial Setup wizard. (HCA does not apply to NVMe over Fabrics hosts.)
• You can manually create hosts and associate the appropriate host port identifiers by going to Storage ›
Hosts. Hosts that have been created manually also display in the Initial Setup wizard.
• The target and host must be configured for the host port type (for example, iSCSI or NVMe over RoCE),
and a session to the storage established before automatic detection will work.

Unified Manager setup

Install Unified Manager
Unified Manager is included with the Web Services Proxy, which is a RESTful API server
installed separately on a host system to manage NetApp E-Series storage systems.
To install the Web Services Proxy and Unified Manager, see the following instructions in the E-Series and
SANtricity documentation center:

1. Review installation and upgrade requirements

2. Download and install Web Services Proxy file

Access Unified Manager

After you install the Web Services Proxy, you can access Unified Manager to manage
multiple storage systems in a web-based interface.

For supported browsers, see Supported browsers and operating systems.

Steps

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1. Open a browser and enter the following URL:

http[s]://<server>:<port>/um

In this URL, <server> represents the IP address or FQDN of the server where the Web Services Proxy is
installed, and <port> represents the listening port number (defaults to 8080 for HTTP or 8443 for HTTPS).

The Unified Manager login page opens.

2. For first-time login, enter admin for the user name, and then set and confirm a password for the admin
user.

The password can include up to 30 characters.

For further information about users and passwords, see How Access Management works.

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