This article provides information about the utilities available from LSI to manage LSI MegaRAID, LSI SAS IR, LSI SAS IR2 and MegaSR controllers. This article helps you understand the extent to which your preferred storage adapter supports ESXi 5.0 and thus how the vSphere-enabled servers are ready to be migrated to 5.0.

Note: The partner products referenced in this article are software modules that are developed and supported by a partner. Use of these products is also governed by the end user license agreement of the partner. You must obtain the application, support, and licensing for using this product from the partner.

Plan for Supporting the vSphere 5.0 ESXi Architecture

MegaCLI provides a command-line interface for managing MR controllers. MegaRAID Storage Manager (MSM) is a GUI application, the backend of which runs as a daemon installed in the ESX Console OS.

MegaCLI

On ESXi 5.0, MegaCLI runs in the technical support shell as a userworld application. This approach was selected to maximally retain the existing user experience and MegaCLI commands. MegaCLI on ESXi 5.0 retains the string-in/string-out data format to avoid breaking existing OEM/customer scripts that parse current CLI output.

For MegaCLI support, see:

• Product documentation
• Contact information
• Downloads
  
  Note: The preceding links were correct as of August 3, 2012. If you find a link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.

MegaRAID Storage Manager

The MegaRAID Storage Manager cannot be installed directly in VMware ESXi 5.0 host. However, remote management of ESXi 5.0 host is possible from MegaRAID Storage Manager installed on a Linux or Windows host.

VMware ESXi comes with the Small Footprint CIM Broker (CFCB) CIM Object Manager (or CIMOM). A CIMOM manages the communication between providers, which interact with the hardware, and a CIM client, where the administrator manages the system. SFCB supports Common Manageability Programming Interface (CMPI)-style providers. CMPI defines a common standard used to interface Manageability Instrumentation (providers, instrumentation) to Management Brokers (CIM Object Manager). CMPI standardizes Manageability Instrumentation, which lets you write and build instrumentation once and run it in different CIM environments (on one platform). Network communication is a key element for a proper communication between the ESXi CIM provider and the LSI management software.

Discovery and login

You can start the MegaRAID Storage Manager from a remote Windows/ Linux machine that has the MegaRAID Storage Manager installed in Complete mode.

1. On the Host View window that appears, click Configure Hosts. The Configure Host window appears:
   
   
   
2. Select Display all the systems in the network of local server.
3. Click Save Settings. A confirmation dialog appears asking you to confirm your settings. Click OK in the confirmation dialog to start the discovery process. The ESXi host appears in the list of hosts:
   
   Note: In the IP Address field of Host View screen (see Fig 2), provide the IP of the local machine (can be the actual IP or loopback address) or the IP of any Windows/Linux machine that has MSM installed. Do not provide the VMware ESXi host’s IP here.
   
   
   
   
4. Double-click your ESXi host. On the screen that appears, enter the root account name and password of the ESXi host.
5. Click Login.
6. When logged in, the dashboard view provides an overview of the system:
   
   

Limitations of Installation and Configuration

• No status information is available for the controller.
• Events are collected only from the point in time in which a client logs in to the ESXi host for the first time.

For more information about these limitations, see Differences in the MegaRAID Storage Manager for VMware ESXi.

Differences in the MegaRAID Storage Manager for VMware ESXi

These are some of the differences in the MegaRAID Storage Manager utility when you manage a VMware ESXi host:

• These limitations apply to the system information exposed through the application:
  
  
  • Only the IP address and the host name are displayed.
  • The operating system type and the operating system architecture are not displayed.
  • No support is available for the controller health information.

• Authentication support:
  
  
  • The MegaRAID Storage Manager allows the CIMOM server authentication with the user ID and the password for VMware.
  • Access to VMware ESXi hosts is controlled based on the user privileges. Only root users can have Full Access while the non-root users can have only View Only access.
  • Multiple root users can simultaneously login using Full Access mode to access the VMware ESXi host.
    

• Event logging:
  
  
  • Event logging support is available for the VMware ESXi operating system, but it works differently than the normal MegaRAID Storage Manager framework mode. The event logging feature for the MegaRAID Storage Manager Client connected to a VMware ESXi system behaves like this:
    
    
    • The support for retrieving initial logs is limited to 30 events. Only those events that occur after a client logs in for the first time to an ESXi host appear in the event logger dialog. System logs are not displayed.
    • The Save log feature is not supported. However, the Save Log as Text feature is supported.
    • The View Log option allows you to view the logs saved in a text file on the event logger dialog.
    • Refreshing of the MegaRAID Storage Manager GUI after any updates on the firmware is slower for a client connected to VMware ESXi hosts, compared to one connected to a Windows/Linux/Solaris host.

• It takes few moments to discover the CIMOM servers
• VMware ESXi is supported only in a complete installation of the MegaRAID Storage Manager on MS Windows, RHEL or SLES operating systems.

CLI Tools for SAS3G and SAS6G Raid Management and Configuration

• CFGGEN - CLI tool for SAS3G integrated RAID management and configuration
• DDCLI - CLI tool for SAS6G SSD PCI-E cache card management and configuration
• SASFlash - CLI tool for SCD SAS 3G controllers running IT /IR firmware
• SAS2IRCU - CLI tool for SAS6G integrated RAID management and configuration
• SAS2Flash - CLI tool for SCD SAS6G controllers running IT/IR firmware

Support information

• LSI product documentation
• LSI downloads site
• LSI contact information
  
  Note: The preceding links was correct as of November 11, 2011. If you find a link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.