StarWind SMI-S and integrations with SCVMM 2012

[Bohdan (staff)]

Hi guys,

Here is the link to Beta of StarWind SMI-S Provider

http://starwindsoftware.com/tmplink/Sta ... 130301.ZIP

To use it, you need to install the most recent update of StarWind iSCSI SAN. You can find the required build in the SMI-S Provider archive.
Please note, you’ll need to create an empty target on each StarWind iSCSI SAN server that will be used with the SMI-S provider.
After the installation of StarWind SMI-S Agent you need to configure it using StarWindSMISConfigurator utility.
To configure StarWind SMI-S Agent:
1. Press Win+R on your keyboard.
2. In the Run window enter StarWindSMISConfigurator.
3. Click OK.
4. In the StorageSystemName field, define the name for a new disk array.
5. Specify address of a host where StarWind iSCSI SAN is launched. Leave the port number as is.
6. In the Path fields, specify the actual paths to the folders where you want to locate disk device image files. The value in the Path field is defined for a server where iSCSI target is located. This value should have the same format as virtual devices in StarWind iSCSI SAN.
7. After you applied the new settings, restart the StarWind SMI-S Agent service.

[choinga]

Can we please get a better setup guide than this? I'm installing from the bits you provided in the zip file and following the directions that you provided to configure the SMI-S agent but there seems to be some areas you don't discuss - like where do those IP's come from? My IP scheme is 192.168.1.x and I'm showing 172.16.x.x IP's for the sync and HBInterface...where do those come from and what should I change them to? What is "Storage System Name" - is that something we make up or does it have to be the NETBIOS name of the server itself, etc...?

I'm running on both endpoints Windows Server 2012 (the Starwind target server and the VMM server).

Here's what I do to connect via SCVMM 2012 SP1 with the latest cumulative update:

Go to Providers and add storage device
choose add storage device managed by SMI-S
choose SMIS-CIMXML
Enter (tried both hostname and IP) of the Starwind ISCSI target server
selected use cert and selected the runas account I created (domain admin account)
------------------------------------
Could not retrieve a certificate from the hvs4 server because of the error: Unable to connect to the remote server

Specify a valid server name and port.

ID: 20909
Details: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it (0x8007274D)

------------------------------------

VMM defaults to using port 5989 but the configurator shows port 3260 and you say not to change it. What does that mean?

I've checked the disablehttps registry key on the VMM management server and it's set to 1. I never see any dialogue or anything that asks me to import a certificate. The firewall is wide open so it's not an issue with the network as far as I can tell.

I am using .img files on my target server so I don't think I need to change anything else in the configurator.

I have created a target disk on the Starwind server but have not attached any devices to it.

Is there a more detailed setup guide we can use - what's provided here seems very imcomplete.

Thanks.

[Bohdan (staff)]

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In our configuration, Starwind Server and SMI-S Agent are on the same server. But you may specify another server with Starwind Server.
StorageSystemName can be any. It’s name will be present in VMM.

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Enter (tried both hostname and IP) of the Starwind ISCSI target server

You must enter IP of SMI-S agent. First try connect without SSL (port 5988). If successful, you can try with SSL then.

VMM defaults to using port 5989 but the configurator shows port 3260 and you say not to change it. What does that mean?

Port 5989 is used by VMM for connecting to SMI-S Agent.
Port 3260 is used by iSCSI initiator for connecting to Starwind target(data port).
Port 3261 is used by SMI-S Agent for connecting to Starwind Server(management port).

I have created a target disk on the Starwind server but have not attached any devices to it.

It is necessary to create empty target ( requirement from MS. You can't allocate storage pool if there is no targets). Targets with devices will be create automatically when you create device from VMM.

[choinga]

thanks - what if I only have one target server - not doing the HA thing?

[Bohdan (staff)]

Here is the settings for one target server configuration.
You should specify only name (or IP) of Starwind Server and paths for Image file and IBV devices. Ignore all HA settings.

[izareif]

CAN ANY BODY HELP ME IN THIS .

[Anatoly (staff)]

Could you please provide the dtailed description of actions that you`ve performed before getting this issue?

Thank you

[izareif]

Could you please provide the dtailed description of actions that you`ve performed before getting this issue?

Thank you

LIKE WHAT YOU NEED ME TO MENTION

[izareif]

Could you please provide the dtailed description of actions that you`ve performed before getting this issue?

Thank you

Dear Anatoly ,

THANKS FOR ASKING

i made scsi storage in starwind then i went to my scvmm first i add these storage then i foud probllem on it i deleted them .
now when iam trying to add them again its give me this error .

any solution for this?

[Anatoly (staff)]

May I doublecheck with you if you have followed our SMI-S How-To documentation that you can find by using the link below?
http://www.starwindsoftware.com/starwin ... -for-scvmm

[izareif]

May I doublecheck with you if you have followed our SMI-S How-To documentation that you can find by using the link below?
http://www.starwindsoftware.com/starwin ... -for-scvmm

dear yes i followed these steps.

[Anatoly (staff)]

As I said in answer to you in other topic - we need remote session.

[Bohdan (staff)]

Hi.
Here is the fresh guide.

I hope it`ll help you.

I will ask you to keep us posted.

[madmagi]

I am having problems, here is my scenario:
VMM - on box named VMM
Starwind iSCSI & SMI-S on machine called STORAGE

When I follow the guide : Using StarWind-SMI-SAgent with VMM 2012 SP1.PDF

Everything works until i get to page 13 - Step 3 and no matter what i do I cannot get it to work right (select the checkbox and then have only the arrays that are visible to the whole group show up) - the arrays always disappear from the list.

I suspect the issue is in the SMS-S configuration, when I set the IP address it always reverts to localhost instead of the address i put in. Could that cause the other machines not to see it?

Please Help - Thank You

[madmagi]

Ok, update.

I uninstalled the SMI-S from the Starwind iSCSI server. Created a new VM, (VMSAN). On that box (2012), i installed the SMI-S software, pointed to the iSCSI system.

Still cannot get it so that all systems see it, everything else appears to work just like it did when it was on the iSCSI box - however it is very slow.

So appears i am at a standstill. I also tried to allocate some storage to any particular host and none of them seem to be able to see the storage. So not much good being able to create storage but not use it.

Any ideas please?

Thank You