XIOS 4.0.10 And XMS 4.2.0 Are Here, Here’s What’s New

Hi,

I’m so proud to finally announce the GA of XIOS 4.0.10/ XMS 4.2, this release contains couple of features that so many of you, our customers have been asking for so let’s highlight them and then deep a little bit deeper to each one of them

XtremIO PowerShell support
SMI-S support
Serviceability enhancements
REST API Improvements
VSS enhancements
XMS Simulator
WebUI Tech Preview
the usual bug fixes.

XtremIO PowerShell support

Supported with XMS 4.2.0
• PowerShell Supported versions: 4.0 and 5.0
• Based on XtremIO REST API version 2.0
• Supports all storage management commands

Installation

XtremIOPowerShell.msi package – available on support page
• Verify PowerShell ISE version 4 and above is installed
• Installation package imports the module to PowerShell path

Connecting To The XMS

New-XtremSession
• Connect to single cluster or all clusters manages by the XMS

Powershell Commands

Supports storage management REST commands
• XtremIO command structure:
Action-Xtrem<Object>
Supported actions:
Get
New
Set
Remove
Example: Get-XtremVolumes

Capabilities

Ability to list a subset of attributes (-Properties)
• Filtering logic support (-Filters)
• gt
• lt
• like
• eq
• ne
• -CLImode: avoid user confirmation in session level (for scripting)
• -Confirm: user confirmation for single command
• -ShowRest: returns the command in json format
• -Full: list all object attributes

–PROPERTIES: EXAMPLE

–FILTERS EXAMPLE

–SHOWREST: EXAMPLE

–FULL: EXAMPLE

SMI-S Integration

What is an SMI-S Provider?

– SNIA developed standard intended to facilitate the management of storage devices from multiple vendors in storage area networks.
– Enables broad interoperable management of heterogeneous storage vendor systems
• Multiple ‘Profiles’ can be implemented
– We have implemented the profiles required for Microsoft SCVMM and Microsoft Azure platforms
• All SCVMM operations can be done in the GUI or through CMDlets
– More profiles would be implemented in future based on field requirements and roadmap features

SMI-S PROVIDER – IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS

SMI-S Provider implemented directly on the XMS
– No external component needs to be installed
– Better and consistent performance guaranteed
• Array operations possible
– Create/delete a volume
– Create an XtremIO Virtual Copy – XVC (aka Snapshot)
– Mount the volume on a host
• The entire array is considered as a single pool
• Internally uses RestAPI calls
• Completely stateless and does not cache any data

SMI-S PROVIDER – USER CREATION
• ECOM needs a new Read Only user on XMS
– Needs to be defined on ECOM (for non-default password usage)
• Same user to be defined on ECOM and XMS for adding
SCVMM
– Provide the same credentials in SCVMM
– LDAP users also supported

SMI-S PROVIDER – IMPLEMENTED PROFILES
• The following profiles have been implemented:
– Array
– Masking and Mapping
– Software
– Disk Drive Lite
– FC Target Ports
– iSCSI Target Ports
– Physical Package
– Multiple Computer System
– Location
– Block Services Package
– Thin Provisioning
– Replication Services (Snapshots)

SMI-S PROVIDER – COMMAND FLOW

ADDING XMS IN SCVMM

Fabric Tab -> Add
Resources -> Storage
Devices
– Specify the “Run As” account as defined in ECOM
and XMS
– Go to the ‘Jobs’ tab to see operation status
– ‘Providers’ option will show the XMS information and current status

VIEWING STORAGE DETAILS

ADDING LUN IN SCVMM
Create Logical Unit’
allows to create new volumes
– Right click on volume name to delete

MOUNTING LUN IN SCVMM
Right Click on Host -> Properties

SNMP HEARTBEAT
• Allow active clusters to send SNMP keep alive trap to SNMP manager
• Can be sent between 5 min to 24 hours , customer configurable
• Working via CLI require two commands
1. Enable the feature and frequency on XMS level:
• modify-snmp-notifier enable-heartbeat heartbeat-frequency=15
2. Enable the feature on cluster level (default is enabled for all):
• modify-clusters-parameters enable-heartbeat

EXPORT/IMPORT XMS CONFIGURATION

GUI and CLI now support the option to export and
XMS configuration for back-up and restoration
The following configuration elements are exported
– XMS: User Account, Ldap Config, Syr Notifier, Syslog Notifier, Snmp Notifier, Email Notifier, Alert Definition
– Cluster: Cluster Name, X-Brick Name, SC Name, Target Ports, iSCSI Portal & Routes, IG, Initiator, Volume, CG, LUN Mapping, Tag, Scheduler

Snapshot Enhancements
Native VSS support for application aware snapshots
Snapshot Enhancements
• The new VSS supports working inside the VM guest using RDM volumes.

WebUI Technical Preview

Yea..that’s the one you have all been waiting for but couple of disclaimers, it’s a technical preview which means we ask you to test and provide feedback for, it’s not the final Web UI and It’s likely to change before GA and again, the reason we are releasing it is that you can contact us and let us know your opinion about it, good, bad, ugly, it’s all good! Please note that the classic Java is still working and provides the full functionality, so it’s

WEB BASED BROWSER ACCESS
100% pure HTML5 (no Java) !!!
Just enter XMS WebUI URL
Enter your standard XMS User credentials
Nothing to install J

HOMEPAGE OF WEBUI
In Multi-cluster setup: Multi-Cluster Overview
In Single cluster setup: Single-Cluster Overview
To access WebUI Homepage: Click on WebUI Logo

CLUSTER/S HOMEPAGE
• Single cluster homepage

MULTIPLE CLUSTERS HOMEPAGE

NAVIGATION
2 main navigation
components:
– Menu bar
– Context selector

CONTEXT SELECTOR
Only object types supported
by the selected menu items will appear in the Context Selector
• Filtering capabilities:
– Direct: Text, selected properties, tags
– Indirect: Filter based on relationship to other objects