Reduce complexity and save money with Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL

APRIL 2015
A PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES REPORT
Commissioned by Dell Inc.
REDUCE COMPLEXITY AND SAVE MONEY WITH DELL ENGINEERED
SOLUTIONS FOR VMWARE EVO:RAIL
Whether you’re embarking on a new venture or refreshing servers, it’s time to
decide on a virtualization solution that fits your IT and business goals. The Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL hyper-converged appliance can provide an
easy-to-set-up and manage solution that reduces complexity and lets you save on initial
setup and ongoing operational costs.
In the Principled Technologies data center, we set up a Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL (virtualization edition) and a do-it-yourself environment
with Cisco UCS blades and NetApp storage, each supporting a VMware vSphere® cluster.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL was vastly easier to deploy, reducing
steps from 683 to 50 compared to the Cisco UCS blades with NetApp storage, which
reduces the opportunity for errors and resulting downtime. Also, Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL provides admins with a single, easy-to-use management
tool, while the Cisco UCS solution has a steep learning curve with four different tools
across three different technologies. Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
took 88.0 percent fewer steps to update software and was easy to scale, taking just five
steps to increase the size of the virtualization environment. We found that it could even
reduce power consumption by as much as 67.8 percent, to help keep operating costs
low.
Because you can avoid adding specialized administrators, Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL could save as much as 63.9 percent over three years
compared to the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution. Reducing complexity for
administrators and freeing up funds makes Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL a solution that both IT staff and executives can feel good about for the long
haul.

A Principled Technologies report 2Reduce complexity and save money with Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
THE BENEFITS OF CHOOSING DELL ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FOR
VMWARE EVO:RAIL
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL is a hyper-converged appliance
for VMware environments that combines computer, storage, and network access
infrastructure into one solution with the goal of easing deployment, management, and
scaling. Designed to power virtual infrastructure, general-purpose workloads, VDI, and
private cloud deployments, the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL solution
combines a 2U, four-node Dell server platform and VMware virtualization software to
provide an integrated user interface to simplify management. Dell Engineered Solutions
for VMware EVO:RAIL (2U) provides 96 logical processors, 768 GB of RAM, and 13.1 TB
of storage in 80 percent less rack space than a similarly configured Cisco UCS chassis
with external storage (10U).
To learn more about Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL, visit
www.dell.com/learn/us/en/04/campaigns/vmware-evo. For information about the
specific systems we used and steps we followed in our tests, see Appendix A and
Appendix B.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE WITH DELL ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FOR
VMWARE EVO:RAIL?
Meet ManuCorp, a hypothetical company we’ll use to illustrate the benefits a
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL solution can deliver. ManuCorp is a
medium-sized company where the majority of employees work on the manufacturing
floor. The company makes some of the best furniture on the market today, but they’re
facing a tech problem: the servers that house their data are aging and starting to fail. It’s
been a while since the servers were replaced, and office staff are excited about what
new technology might bring. ManuCorp has a limited IT staff who have been doing a
good job holding down the fort for day-to-day maintenance, but lack expertise in
advanced infrastructure deployment and management.
ManuCorp is faced with a choice: replace the aging hardware with a virtualized,
do-it-yourself solution featuring Cisco UCS servers and external NetApp storage, or
deploy the needed vSphere cluster using Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL. As our analysis shows, ManuCorp would likely be better off choosing Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL. Deploying a cluster with the Dell solution is
something that their limited, generalist IT staff could do comfortably, because it takes
fewer steps and a single tool. The do-it-yourself solution with Cisco UCS blades and
NetApp storage would require intimate knowledge of multiple technologies across
multiple different tools and in-depth knowledge of Cisco UCS service profiles and

NetApp OnCommand interface to perform a successful deployment. (See Appendices B
and D for details.)
Even better for ManuCorp, the company would save money by not having to re-
train their existing staff or hire expensive, expert systems administrators. ManuCorp
could also reduce the risk of errors with the deployment by leveraging the automation
from Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL versus manually executing a run
book of tasks using the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution. Large companies who want to
free their specialized experts from doing repetitive management tasks could also realize
the value of Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL, because the reduced
complexity would let them instead spend time optimizing performance of mission-
critical applications.
Calculating cost savings
If ManuCorp wanted to purchase a Cisco UCS and NetApp solution with external
storage, they’d have to hire someone with the expertise to set it up and run it. By
forgoing the cost of an expert administrator, the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL could save a company like ManuCorp as much as 63.9 percent over three
years compared to a Cisco UCS and NetApp solution (see Figure 1). Depending on the
scope, what you already have in place, and the choices you make for deployment, this
cost difference could vary—in some cases more, in others less.
Figure 1: Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL could reduce costs
over three years by as much as
63.9 percent vs. a Cisco UCS
and NetApp solution.

The total savings are a result of lower acquisition costs and salary savings over
three years, as Figure 2 shows.
Cost comparison1 Dell Engineered Solutions for
VMware EVO:RAIL
Cisco UCS and NetApp
solution
Total acquisition costs $236,876 $265,859
Total additional salary for 3 years N/A $390,369
Total cost for 3 years $236,876 $656,228
Figure 2: Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL not only has lower acquisition costs, but could allow you to avoid
additional salary costs with the more complex Cisco UCS and NetApp solution.
By choosing Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware: EVO:RAIL, ManuCorp could
keep generalized IT staff on the payroll because they would be able to set up the
solution without additional training; picking the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution would
likely mean adding at least one expensive expert into the mix as well.
See Appendix C for the detailed costs and assumptions we made for this
analysis.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL made deploying a cluster easier
Do-it-yourself blade environments consisting of multiple servers and external
storage can require a lot of work to set up. The plug-and-play model of Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL means that administrators without expertise, like those
on staff at ManuCorp, could deploy end-to-end virtual infrastructure quickly and in just
50 steps by using a single, easy-to-navigate tool.2
They wouldn’t need any additional
training to get a cluster up and running. That’s 92.8 percent fewer steps with Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL than the 683 steps it would take to set up
the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution (see Figure 3). Less complexity through fewer steps
means reduced hands-on time and a smaller chance for human error, which reduces the
risk of expensive downtime.
1
See Appendix C for detailed source information and acquisition cost breakdown.
2
See Appendix D for additional testing details and results.

Figure 3: Deploying end-to-end
virtual infrastructure with Dell
Engineered Solutions for
VMware EVO:RAIL took only
50 steps—92.8 percent fewer
steps than the Cisco UCS and
NetApp solution.
It wasn’t just the quantity of steps that the Dell solution reduced, but also the
complexity. Most steps using the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
consisted of clicking on a guided interface, while the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution
required knowledge that is more advanced. See Appendix B for the detailed steps to
deploy a cluster.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL further reduced complexity
with the single streamlined management interface used to configure the solution. The
Cisco UCS and NetApp solution required four tools to deploy the cluster, while the Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL required administrators to use just a single
tool for configuration and ongoing systems management (see Figure 4).3
3
See Appendix D for details.

Figure 4: Administrators can
take advantage of the Dell
Engineered Solutions for
VMware EVO:RAIL user-
friendly interface for rapid
deployment and
administrative maintenance
tasks.
In contrast to the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL interface, the
Cisco UCS Manager interface is more complicated to navigate, as Figure 5 shows.
Figure 5: The Cisco UCS
Manager interface.
As we noted above, the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution requires administrators
use multiple tools for deployment and management. Figure 6 shows the NetApp storage
interface.

Figure 6: With the Cisco UCS
and NetApp solution,
administrators have to use
multiple tools, including a
specific tool to manage the
storage.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL made updates easier
The easy-to-use interface and reduced complexity of Dell Engineered Solutions
for VMware EVO:RAIL means that updating is also easier. The fewer steps IT staff must
follow to get the infrastructure up to date, the less chance a mistake gets made during
the update process. Updating on the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
would take just six steps—88.0 percent fewer steps than the Cisco UCS and NetApp
solution (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: Updating virtual
infrastructure took just six
steps with the Dell Engineered
EVO:RAIL.

Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL was easier to scale
Every business, including ManuCorp, hopes to grow at a fast pace. When you
buy hardware now, it’s important to consider how easy it will be to add to your
environment when you need more performance in the future.
We doubled both solutions, adding a single Dell Engineered Solutions for
VMware EVO:RAIL appliance with four nodes and four more Cisco UCS blades with
NetApp storage. Once again, the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL eased
the administrative burden and lowered the chance for error: It took only 17 steps to add
another appliance versus 329 steps to scale the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution (see
Figure 8).
Figure 8: Scaling to two
appliances for eight nodes
took just 17 steps with the
Dell Engineered Solutions for
VMware EVO:RAIL.
Lower operating expenses through increased power efficiency
Operating costs are part of doing business, but it doesn’t mean you can’t keep
them as low as possible. It costs money to power and cool systems, even when they’re
sitting idle. Choosing new, more power-efficient technology can help reduce these costs.
The Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL used 67.8 percent less
power while idle than the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution we tested in our data center
did (see Figure 9), which can mean significant savings whether you’re in manufacturing
like ManuCorp or have a business with an even larger infrastructure.

Figure 9: The Dell Engineered
EVO:RAIL used an average of
67.8 percent less power while
idle than the Cisco UCS and
NetApp solution in our data
center.
The Cisco and NetApp solution we tested in our data center was a different
model than the one we compared for pricing, but based on the power consumption of
the individual components, the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
achieved power savings even without considering the external storage array. See
Appendix D for a breakdown of power consumption for each component along with the
potential savings the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL can deliver.
CONCLUSION
Companies like ManuCorp have seemingly contradictory goals for their
virtualized infrastructure: They want a solution that eases the deployment and
management burden for generalized IT staff while simultaneously saving money over
the long term. According to our analysis, ManuCorp would do well to choose Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL, saving up to 63.9 percent in costs over
three years compared to a solution with Cisco UCS blades and NetApp storage.
Less experienced administrators like ManuCorp already has in house would be
able to plug in the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL and use its single,
easy-to-use interface to deploy end-to-end virtual infrastructure and complete updates
without any additional training or instruction. The Cisco UCS and NetApp solution
required extra tools and a wider skillset, which can mean adding a more experienced
person and inviting the chance for human error. In addition, the hyper-converged Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL appliance reduced power consumption
compared to the do-it-yourself environment with Cisco UCS blades and NetApp, which
can contribute to big operating cost savings.

If your company is like ManuCorp, or if you simply want to free specialized
experts already on staff from doing repetitive tasks, choosing the converged Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL could ease your administration burden
while saving you money over the next three years.

APPENDIX A – SYSTEM CONFIGURATION INFORMATION
Figures 10 through 14 provide detailed configuration information for the hardware we used in our lab tests.
System Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
Power supplies
Number of power supplies 2
Vendor and model number Dell D1200E-S1
Wattage of each (W) 1,400
Cooling fans
Total number of fan modules 4
Vendor and model number Dell FHXGY-A00
Storage
Number of slots 24
Number of disks 20
Model
Dell AL13SXB300N, Dell ST1200MM0007, Intel
SSDSC2BA400G3T
Type HDD, SDD
Size (GB) 4 × 300 GB - 15k, 12 × 1200 GB - 10k, 4 × 400 GB - SSD
Figure 10: Configuration information for the blade enclosure for the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
appliance.
Enclosure
Blade enclosure Dell PowerEdge C6220
General
Number of processor packages 2
Number of cores per processor 6
Number of hardware threads per core 2
System power management policy Default
CPU
Vendor Intel®
Name Xeon®
Model number E5-2620 v2
Stepping S1
Socket type FCLGA2011
Core frequency (GHz) 2.1
Bus frequency (GHz) 3.6
L1 cache 32KB + 32KB (per core)
L2 cache 256 KB (per core)
L3 cache 15 MB

Platform
Vendor and model number Dell PowerEdge C6220 II
Motherboard model number E145483
BIOS version 1.0.14
BIOS settings Default
Memory module(s)
Total RAM in system (GB) 192
Vendor and model number Samsung M393B2G70DB0-YK0
Type PC3L-12800
Speed (MHz) 1,600
Speed running in the system (MHz) 1,600
Size (GB) 16
Number of RAM module(s) 12
Chip organization Double-sided
Rank Dual
USB ports
Number 2 (external)
Type 2.0
Firmware
BIOS 2.4.2
MRC Version 2.0.00002
BMC Version 2.53
ME Version 2.1.7.328
Figure 11: Configuration information for the blade servers in the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL appliance.
System Cisco UCS 5108 blade server chassis
Power supplies
Number of power supplies 4
Vendor and model number Cisco Systems, Inc. N20-PAC5-2500W
Wattage of each (W) 2,500
Cooling fans
Total number of fan modules 8
Vendor and model number Cisco Systems, Inc. N20-FAN5
Chassis firmware
Board Controller 11.0
CIMC Controller 2.2(1d)
IOM firmware 2.2(1d)
I/O modules
Switch Cisco UCS 2208XP
Occupied bay 1, 2
Figure 12: Configuration information for the blade enclosure of the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution.

System Cisco UCS B200 M3 blade server
General
Number of processor packages 2
Number of cores per processor 10
Number of hardware threads per core 2
System power management policy Default
CPU
Vendor Intel
Name Xeon
Model number E5-2680 v2
Stepping M1
Socket type FCLGA2011
Core frequency (GHz) 2.8
Bus frequency (GHz) 4
L1 cache 10 × 32 KB instruction caches, 10 × 32 KB data caches
L2 cache 10 × 256 KB
L3 cache 25 MB
Platform
Vendor and model number Cisco UCS B200 M3
Motherboard model number UCSB-B200-M3
BIOS version B200M3.2.2.1a.0.111220131105
Memory module(s)
Total RAM in system (GB) 384
Vendor and model number SK Hynix HMT42GR7AFR4C-RD
Type PC3-14900R
Speed (MHz) 1,866
Speed running in the system (MHz) 1,866
Size (GB) 16
Number of RAM module(s) 24
Chip organization Double-sided
Rank Dual
RAID controller
Vendor and model number LSI MegaRAID SAS 2004 ROMB RB2
Firmware version 20.11.1-0135
Firmware
CIMC 1.40.40
Board Controller 2.2(1d)
BIOS B200M3.2.2.1a.0.111.220131105
Cisco UCS VIC 1240 2.2(1d)
Figure 13: Configuration information for the blade servers of the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution.

System NetApp FAS2240
Storage
Filer NetApp FAS2240
Power supplies
Total number 2
Shelves
Vendor and model number NetApp DS4243
Total number of shelves 2
Disks
Total number of disks 48 x 400 GB
Total storage capacity (GB) 19,200
Operating system
Name Data ONTAP 8.1
Network
Vendor and model number NetApp X1160A-R6 111-00810 Mezzanine Card 2-port 10Gbps
Figure 14: Detailed configuration information for the storage we used in our tests for the Cisco UCS and NetApp solution.

APPENDIX B – HOW WE TESTED
Setting up the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
Racking and cabling the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
1. Rack the Dell PowerConnect 8164F 10Gb switch.
2. Rack the Force10 S55 1Gb switch.
3. Rack the PowerEdge C6220.
4. The PowerEdge C6220 is comprised of four nodes; each node uses 2 SFP connections to the Dell PowerConnect
10Gb switch. Connect the first node via two SFP cables to ports 17 and 18 of the PowerConnect 10Gb switch.
5. Connect the second node via 2 SFP cables to ports 19 and 20 of the PowerConnect 10Gb switch.
6. Connect the third node via 2 SFP cables to ports 21 and 22 of the 10Gb switch.
7. Connect the fourth node via 2 SFP cables to ports 23 and 24 of the 10Gb switch.
8. Cable port 42 of the PowerConnect 10Gb switch to P0 of the Force10 1Gb switch.
9. Cable port 44 of the PowerConnect 10Gb switch to port 15 of the infrastructure switch (Dell PowerConnect
8024F).
10. Connect power for the C6220.
11. Connect power for the PowerConnect 8164F 10Gb switch.
12. Connect power for the Force10 S55 1Gb switch.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL Configuration and Cluster Building
1. Configure a laptop or management workstation to have the following network settings to communicate with the
vCenter Server Appliance. We used a management workstation connected to the top of rack switch with one NIC
configured with the following settings:
o IP Address: 192.168.10.210
o Netmask: 255.255.255.0
o Gateway: 192.168.10.254
2. And a second NIC configured with the following settings:
o IP Address: 10.128.0.20
o Netmask: 255.255.0.0
o Gateway: 10.128.0.1
o Preferred DNS server: 10.128.0.10
3. This is to ensure that once the new vCenter IP is assigned, the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
appliance can redirect the Web browser to the correct IP.
4. Open a Web browser on the workstation (we used Firefox 35.0.1) and navigate to the default Dell Engineered
Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL IP address: https://192.168.10.200:7443. Accept any certificate warnings.
5. Click Yes, Let’s Go!
6. Click Yes, I do to accept the license agreement.
7. Click Customize Me!
8. At the Hostnames tab name the ESXi hostname prefix (default: host). We used esx.
9. Enter the Top-level domain (default: localdomain.local). We used emerson.local.
10. Enter the vCenter Server hostname (default: vcserver). We used vCenter1.

11. Click the Networking tab.
12. At the ESXi Hosts subtab, enter the Starting address for IP pool (default: 192.168.10.1). We used 10.128.20.100.
13. Enter the Ending address for IP pool (default: 192.168.10.4). We used 10.128.20.110.
14. Enter the Netmask (default: 255.255.255.0). We used 255.255.0.0.
15. Enter the Default gateway (default: 192.168.10.254). We used 10.128.0.1.
16. Click the vMotion subtab.
17. Enter the Starting address for IP pool (default: 192.168.20.1). We used 192.168.200.100.
19. Enter the vSphere vMotion VLAN ID (default: 20). We used 200.
20. Enter the Netmask (default: 255.255.255.0). We used the default Netmask.
21. Click the Virtual SAN subtab.
22. Enter the Starting address for IP pool (default: 192.168.30.1). We used 192.168.201.100.
24. Enter the vSphere vMotion VLAN ID (default: 30). We used 201.
25. Enter the Netmask (default: 255.255.255.0). We used the default netmask.
26. Click the vCenter Server subtab.
27. Enter the vCenter Server IP address (default: 192.168.10.200). We used 10.128.20.60.
28. Click the VM Networks subtab.
29. Enter the VM Network VLAN ID for VM Network A (default: 110). We used 1080.
30. Enter the VM Network VLAN ID for VM Network B (default: 120). We used 1081.
31. Click the Passwords tab.
32. Enter and confirm the ESXi hosts roots password. We used !Password1.
33. Enter and confirm the vCenter Server admin password. We used !Password1.
34. Click the Globals tab.
35. Select the Time zone.
36. Enter the vCenter Log Insight IP address (default: 192.168.10.201). We used 10.128.20.61.
37. Click Validate.
38. When Validation completes, click Build Appliance.
39. Write down the new IP address. Click I wrote down the IP address. Take me to it.
40. Accept any certificate warnings.
41. When you proceed to the new IP address, Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL will deploy.
Adding a Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL appliance (+4 nodes)
1. Open a Web browser on the workstation (we used Firefox 35.0.1) and navigate to the newly configured EVO
RAIL address (https://10.128.20.60:7443). Accept any certificate warnings.
2. Enter the credentials as configured above (root / !Password1), and click Authenticate.
3. In the lower-right corner of the screen, under New EVO:RAIL Appliance Detected, you will see four green
checkmarks. Click Add EVO:RAIL appliance.

4. The system checks to make sure you have a large enough pool of IP addresses. In the Passwords Section, enter
the ESXi Password and vCenter server password you assigned to the first Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL appliance.
5. Click Add EVO:RAIL appliance.
Updating the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
1. Log into http://10.128.20.60:7443 using root/!Password1.
2. Click the Config icon in the left menu bar.
3. On the far right of the screen, click the Upload link to upload the update package into EVO RAIL.
4. Browse to the location of the update file, and click Open.
5. After the upload completes, click the Check Now link to determine whether any updates are applicable.
6. After the check completes, click the slider button beside the update you want to deploy, and click Update.
Setting up the Cisco blade solution
Racking and cabling UCS Chassis and Fabric Interconnect
1. Rack the Cisco UCS 5108 chassis.
2. Rack the first Fabric Interconnect (Cisco 6248UP).
3. Rack the second Fabric Interconnect (Cisco 6248UP). Designate the top Fabric Interconnect as ‘A’ and the
bottom Fabric Interconnect as ‘B’.
4. Cable the heartbeat ports via RJ45 between the Fabric Interconnects:
a. Connect L1 of Fabric Interconnect A to L1 of Fabric Interconnect B.
b. Connect L2 of Fabric Interconnect A to L2 of Fabric Interconnect B.
5. For the first UCS chassis I/OM, connect two SFP cables to ports 1 and 2 of Fabric Interconnect A.
6. For the second UCS chassis I/OM, connect two SFP cables to ports 1 and 2 of Fabric Interconnect B.
7. Connect Fabric Interconnect A port 3 via SFP to port 19 of the infrastructure 10Gb switch (Dell PowerConnect
8024F).
8. Connect Fabric Interconnect B port 3 via SFP to port 20 of the infrastructure 10Gb switch (Dell PowerConnect
8024F).
9. Connect Fabric Interconnect A MGMT0 via RJ45 to port 19 of the infrastructure 1Gb switch (Force10 S60-44T-
AC).
10. Connect Fabric Interconnect B MGMT0 via RJ45 to port 21 of the infrastructure 1Gb switch (Force10 S60-44T-
AC).
11. Connect power for the first Fabric Interconnect.
12. Connect power for the second Fabric Interconnect.
13. Connect power for the Cisco UCS 5108 chassis.
Racking and cabling NetApp Controller and Disk Shelves
1. Rack the NetApp controller.
2. Rack the first NetApp DS4243 storage shelf.
3. Rack the second NetApp D4243 storage shelf.
4. From the first controller node, connect 0b (square) via SAN cable to the 4th
IOM’s SAN circle port.
5. From the first controller node, connect 0a (circle) via SAN cable to the first IOM’s SAN square port.

6. From the second controller node, connect 0b (square) via SAN cable to the third IOM’s SAN circle port.
7. From the second controller node, connect 0a (circle) via SAN cable to the second IOM’s SAN square port.
8. From the first IOM, connect the circle SAN port to the square SAN port of the third IOM.
9. From the second IOM, connect the circle SAN port to the square SAN port of the fourth IOM.
10. From the first controller node, connect the internal management port (indicated by a wrench icon with a lock)
via RJ45 to the first IOM’s square management port.
11. From the first IOM, connect the circle management port via RJ45 to the third IOM’s square management port.
12. From the second IOM, connect the square management port via RJ45 to the third IOM’s circle management
port.
13. From the second IOM, connect the circle management port via RJ45 to the fourth IOM’s square management
port.
14. From the fourth IOM, connect the circle management port via RJ45 to the internal management port of the
second controller node.
15. From the first controller node, connect e1a via SFP to port 17 of the core 10Gb switch.
16. From the second controller node, connect e1a via SFP to port 18 of the core 10Gb switch.
17. From the first controller node, connect the management port via RJ45 to port 31 of the 1Gb switch.
18. From the second controller node, connect the management port via RJ45 to port 30 of the 1Gb switch.
19. Connect power for the NetApp controller.
20. Connect power for the first NetApp shelf.
21. Connect power for the second NetApp shelf.
Configuring UCS Fabric Interconnect
1. Power on Fabric Interconnect A.
2. Using an Ethernet to serial to USB cable, connect a workstation to the console port of Fabric Interconnect A.
3. Establish a connection to the console port (9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit).
4. Type console and press enter to select the configuration method.
5. Type setup and press enter to the setup mode.
6. Type yes and press enter to confirm the setup of a new Fabric Interconnect.
7. Type no and press enter to not enforce strong password.
8. Type the admin password, and press enter.
9. Type the admin password again, and press enter to confirm.
10. Type yes and press enter to configure the Interconnect as part of a cluster.
11. Type A and press enter to define the Fabric denomination.
12. Type the switch name, and press enter.
13. Type the physical switch Mgmt0 IPv4 address, and press enter (we used 10.128.100.5).
14. Type the physical switch Mgmt0 IPv4 netmask, and press enter (we used 255.255.0.0).
15. Type the IPv4 address of the default gateway, and press enter (we used 10.128.0.1).
16. Type the Cluster IPv4 address, and press enter (we used 10.128.100.50).
17. Type yes and press enter to configure the DNS Server IPv4 address.
18. Type the DNS IPv4 address, and press enter (we used 10.128.0.10).
19. Type yes and press enter to configure the default domain name.

20. Type the default domain, and press enter (we used mp-lab.local).
21. Type no and press enter to skip joining a centralized management environment.
22. Type yes and press enter to apply and save the configuration.
23. Power on Fabric Interconnect B.
24. Connect the workstation to the console port of Fabric Interconnect B.
25. Establish a connection to the console port.
26. Type console and press enter to select the configuration method.
27. Type yes and press enter to add the Fabric Interconnect to the cluster.
28. Type the admin password of the peer Fabric Interconnect, and type enter.
29. Type the Physical Switch Mgmt0 IPv4 address, and press enter (we used 10.128.100.6).
30. Type yes and press enter to apply and save the configuration.
Logging into UCS Manager
1. Navigate to the Cluster IPv4 Address (10.128.100.50). We used Google Chrome. Java was previously installed on
the workstation.
2. Click Launch UCS Manager.
3. A .jnlp file will prompt for download; click Keep.
4. When the download completes, click the download to open it (ucsm.jnlp).
5. Check I accept the risk and want to run this application.
6. Click Run.
7. Log in with the admin credentials (username: admin, password: Password11).
Discovering UCSM Chassis/Blade
1. Assuming USCM launches in the default tab (Equipment), select the Equipment tree item, and click the Policies
subtab.
2. In Global Policies, verify the Chassis/FEX Discovery Policy matches the physical configuration (our test used two
10Gb connections between each Fabric Interconnect and IOM, so we selected 2 Link).
3. Configure the power policy to match the chassis’ configuration (for our test, we selected Grid).
4. Click Save Changes.
5. Click OK.
6. Click the Fabric Interconnects subtab.
7. In the Fabric Interconnects subtab pane, click the topmost + icon to extend all available ports.
8. For Fabric Interconnect A, select the server ports, right-click, and select Configure as Server Port (we used ports
1 and 2 as our server ports for Fabric Interconnect A).
9. Click Yes.
10. Click OK.
11. For Fabric Interconnect A, select the uplink port, right-click, and select Configure as Uplink Port (we used port 3
as our uplink port on Fabric Interconnect A).
12. Click Yes.
13. Click OK.

14. Scroll down to Fabric Interconnect B, select the server ports, right-click, and select Configure as Server Port (we
used Ports 1 and 2 as our server ports for Fabric Interconnect B).
15. Click Yes.
16. Click OK.
17. For Fabric Interconnect B, select the uplink port, right-click, and select Configure as Uplink Port (we used port 3
as our uplink port on Fabric Interconnect B).
18. Click Yes.
19. Click OK.
20. Verify that the Overall Status changes to Up for all configured ports, and the Administrative State changes to
Enabled.
21. Click the + icon in the Equipment tree to expand all items.
Setting up UCSM management pool addressing
1. Click the LAN tab.
2. Under the Pools tree, expand the root organization, and select IP Pools.
3. In the IP Pools pane, right-click IP Pool ext-mgmt, and select Create a Block of IPv4 Addresses.
4. Enter the beginning IP address range (we used 10.128.173.1).
5. Enter the size (we used 32).
6. Enter the Subnet Mask (we used 255.255.0.0).
7. Enter the Default Gateway (we used 10.128.0.1).
8. Enter the Primary DNS (we used 10.128.0.10).
9. Click OK.
10. Click OK.
Setting up UCSM WWNN & WWPN pool addressing
1. Click the SAN tab.
2. Under the Pools tree, expand the root organization, and select WWNN Pools.
3. In the WWNN Pools pane, right-click WWNN Pool node-default, and select Create WWN Block.
4. Enter the first WWN Block (we used 20:00:00:25:B5:00:00:00).
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK again.
8. Under the root organization, select WWPN Pools.
9. In the WWPN Pools pane, right-click WWPN Pool default, and select Create WWN Block.
10. Enter the first WWN Block (we used 20:00:00:25:b5:00:00:00).
12. Click OK.
13. Click OK
Setting up UCSM MAC pool addressing

2. Under the Pools tree, expand the root organization, and select MAC Pools.
3. Right-click MAC Pool default, and select Create a Block of MAC Addresses.
4. Enter the first MAC Address (we used 00:25:B5:12:00:00).
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK again.
Setting up UCSM UUID pool addressing
1. Click the Servers tab.
2. Under the Pools tree, expand the root organization, and select UUID Suffix Pools.
3. Right-click Pool default, and select Create a Block of UUID Suffixes.
4. Leave the default UUID Suffix, and enter the size (we used 10).
5. Click OK.
6. Click OK.
Creating the UCSM vNIC template and VLAN definitions
2. Under the Policies tree, expand the root organization, right-click vNIC Templates, and select Create vNIC
Template.
3. Name the vNIC Template to match Fabric A (we used vNIC Template A).
4. Check Enable Failover.
5. In the VLANs section, click Create VLAN.
6. Name the management VLAN (we used management).
7. Enter the management VLAN IDs (we used 128 as our management VLAN ID).
8. Click OK.
9. Click OK again.
10. Click Create VLAN.
11. Name the vMotion VLAN (we used vMotion).
12. Enter the vMotion VLAN ID (we used 200 as our hypervisor migration VLAN ID).
13. Click OK.
14. Click OK again.
16. Name the storage VLAN (we used storage).
17. Enter the storage VLAN ID (we used 201 as our storage VLAN ID).
18. Click OK.
19. Click OK again.
21. Name the data VLAN (we used data).
22. Enter the data VLAN ID (we used 1080 as our storage VLAN ID).
23. Click OK.

24. Click OK again.
25. In the VLANs section, check the default, data, management, storage, and vMotion VLANs.
26. Select default as the Native VLAN.
27. Change MTU to 9000.
28. Change MAC Pool to the default pool.
29. Click OK.
30. Click OK.
31. Right-click vNIC Templates, and select Create vNIC Template.
32. Name the vNIC Template to match Fabric B (we used vNIC Template B).
33. Change Fabric ID to Fabric B, and check Enable Failover.
34. In the VLANs section, check the default, data, management, storage, and vMotion VLANs.
35. Select default as the Native VLAN.
36. Change MTU to 9000.
37. Change MAC Pool to the default pool.
38. Click OK.
39. Click OK.
Creating the UCSM vHBA template and VLAN definitions
1. Click the SAN tab.
2. Under the Policies tree, expand the root organization, right-click vHBA Templates, and select Create vHBA
Template.
3. Enter the vHBA Template Name (F-A).
4. Ensure Select VSAN is set to the default VSAN and WWPN Pool is set to the default pool.
5. Click OK.
6. Click OK again.
7. Right-click vHBA Templates again, and select Create vHBA Template.
8. Enter the vHBA Template Name (F-B).
9. Change Fabric ID to B.
10. Ensure Select VSAN is set to the default VSAN and WWPN Pool is set to the default pool.
11. Click OK.
12. Click OK.
Creating the UCSM Service Profile Template
1. Click the Servers Tab.
2. Expand the Servers tree, right-click Service Profile Templates, and select Create Service Profile Template.
3. Name the template (we used b200-template).
4. Click Next.
5. Change the configuration mode from Simple to Expert.
6. Click Add.
7. Name the vNIC for Fabric A (we used 0).

8. Check Use vNIC Template.
9. Change vNIC Template to vNIC Template A.
10. Change Adapter Policy to VMWare.
11. Click OK.
12. Click Add.
13. Name the vNIC for Fabric B (we used 1).
14. Check Use vNIC Template.
15. Change vNIC Template to vNIC Template B.
16. Change Adapter Policy to VMWare.
17. Click OK.
18. Click Next.
19. Change SAN connectivity to No vHBAs.
20. Click Next.
21. Click Next to skip the Zoning configuration screen.
22. Click Next to skip the vNIC/vHBA Placement screen.
23. Click Next to leave the default boot policy.
24. Click Next to skip the Maintenance Policy screen.
25. At the Server Assignment screen, change the selected power state to Down.
26. Click Next.
27. Click Finish.
28. Click OK.
Creating the UCSM Service Profiles
(Continues in the Servers tab from the Service Profile Template creation instructions above.)
1. Select the newly created template (Service Template b200-template), right-click, and select Create Service
Profiles From Template.
2. Enter the Naming Prefix (we used server).
3. Enter the Name Suffix Starting Number (we used 1).
4. Enter the Number of Instances (we used 4).
5. Click OK.
6. Click OK.
Adding servers to the default server pool UCSM
(Continues in the Servers tab from the instructions above.)
1. Expand the Pools tree, expand the Server Pools tree, right-click Server Pool default, and select Add Servers to
Server Pool.
2. Click the first server, shift-click the last server to select all servers, and click the >> arrow to move all servers into
the Pooled Servers section.
3. Click OK.
4. Click OK.

Associating Service Profiles UCSM
(Continues in the Servers tab from the instructions above.)
1. Expand the Service Profiles tree, expand the root tree, select the first Service Profile, shift-click the last Service
Profile to select all service profiles, right-click, and select Associate with Server Pool.
2. Change Pool Assignment to the default pool.
3. Change the power state to be applied when the profile is associated with the server to Down.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Yes to accept any warnings.
6. Click OK.
Installing ESXi [Node 1-4] UCSM
1. Click the Equipment tab.
2. Expand the Equipment tree, expand the Chassis tree, expand the Chassis 1 tree, expand the Servers tree, right-
click Server 1, and select KVM console.
3. When the Security Warning appears, check I accept the risk and want to run this application, and click Run.
4. When the second Security Warning appears, check Always trust this certificate, and click Run.
5. When the Unencrypted KVM Session warning appears, select Accept this session, check Remember this
configuration for future connections to this server, and click Apply.
6. Click the Virtual Media tab.
7. When the Unencrypted Virtual Media Session warning appears, select Accept this session, check Remember this
configuration for future connections to this server, and click Apply.
8. Click Add Image…, and navigate to the folder where the ESXi 5.5 image is stored, select the image, and click
Open.
9. Check the Mapped box next to the newly added image.
10. Click the KVM tab.
11. Click Boot Server.
12. Click OK.
13. Click OK again.
14. When the VMware ESXi 5.5.0 Installation welcome dialog appears, press Enter to continue.
15. Press F11 to accept the EULA.
16. Press enter to select the local storage device.
17. If a previous installation of ESXi exists, use the spacebar to select Install ESXi, overwrite VMFS datastore, and
press enter.
18. Press Enter to select US Default as the keyboard layout.
19. Type and confirm the Root password (Password1), and press Enter.
20. Press F11 to install ESXi.
Rebooting ESXi after installation [Node 1-4]
Continues from the KVM session above.
1. When the installation completes, navigate to the KVM session, and press Enter to Reboot the server.
2. Repeat this process for nodes 2, 3, and 4.

Configuring ESXi Static IP [Node 1-4] UCSM
1. From Node 1’s KVM session, press F2 to Customize System.
2. Enter the Root password (Password1).
3. Select Configure Management Network, and press enter.
4. Select VLAN (optional), and press enter.
5. Enter the management network VLAN (we used 128), and press enter.
6. Select IP Configuration, and press enter.
7. Select Set static IP address and network configuration, and press the spacebar.
8. Change IP Address to 10.128.15.201 for Node 1 (Node 2: .202, Node 3: .203, Node 4: .204).
9. Leave the default Subnet Mask, and change the Default Gateway to 10.128.0.10, and press Enter.
10. Press escape, and press Y to restart the management network.
11. Press escape again to log out.
12. Repeat this process for nodes 2, 3, and 4.
Deploying vSphere vCenter Server Appliance
1. From the management workstation, open the VMware vSphere client.
2. Enter the IP address for Node 1 (10.128.15.201).
3. Enter the user name (root) and Password (Password1) and log in.
4. Ignore any certificate warning dialogs.
5. Click OK to close the Evaluation notice.
6. Click File, and select Deploy OVF Template.
7. Navigate to the VMware vCenter Server Appliance .ova file (VMware-vCenter-Server-Appliance-5.5.0.10000-
1624811_OVF10.ova), and click Open.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Next again.
10. Leave the default name, and click Next.
11. Select Thin Provision.
12. Click Next.
13. Check power on after deployment, click Finish.
Configuring vSphere vCenter Server Appliance Network
1. When the appliance boots, in the vSphere client, select the Console tab.
2. Click in the console field to lock the cursor, select Login, and press enter.
3. Type the login name (root), and press enter.
4. Type the default root password (vmware), and press enter.
5. Type /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net and press enter.
6. Type 6 and press enter to configure the IP Address Allocation for eth0.
7. Type n and press enter to skip configuring an IPv6 address for eth0.
8. Type y and press enter to configure an IPv4 address for eth0.
9. Type n and press enter to configure a static IP address.

10. Enter the IPv4 Address (10.128.15.75), and press enter.
11. Enter the Netmask (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
12. Verify the information is correct, type y and press enter.
13. Type 2 and press enter to set the global default gateway.
14. Type 0 and press enter to associate the default gateway with eth0.
15. Enter the default gateway (10.128.0.1), and press enter.
16. Press enter to leave the IPv6 Default Gateway blank.
17. Type 4 and press enter to set the DNS.
18. Enter DNS Server 1 (10.128.0.10) and press enter.
19. Press enter to leave DNS Server 2 blank.
20. Type 1 and press enter to exit the program.
Setting up vCenter Server
1. On the management workstation, open a browser and navigate to the IPv4 address (https://10.128.15.75:5480).
2. Accept any certificate warnings.
3. Log in with the default username (root) and password (vmware).
4. At the vCenter Server Setup dialog, check Accept license agreement, and click Next.
5. Select Set custom configuration, and click Next.
6. Leave the Database type as embedded, and click Next.
7. Enter and confirm the administrator password (Password1).
8. Click Next.
9. Do not check Active Directory Enabled; click Next.
10. Leave time synchronization at No synchronization, and click Next.
11. Click Start.
Creating vSphere vCenter Datacenter and cluster
1. From the management workstation, open the VMware vSphere client.
2. Enter the IP address for the vCenter Server Appliance (10.128.15.75).
3. Enter the user name (root) and Password (vmware) and log in.
4. Ignore any certificate warning dialogs.
5. Click OK to close the Evaluation notice.
6. Click Create a datacenter.
7. Enter the datacenter name (TestUCS).
8. Right-click the newly created datacenter, and select New Cluster…
9. Enter the new cluster Name (UCSCluster).
10. Check Turn On vSphere HA, check Turn on vSphere DRS, and click Next.
11. Leave the Automation Level Fully automated, and click Next.
12. Leave Power Management Off, and click Next.
13. Leave the default vSphere HA options, and click Next.
14. Leave the default Virtual Machine Options, and click Next.

15. Leave the default VM Monitoring settings, and click Next.
16. Leave EVC disabled, and click Next.
17. Leave the default Swapfile Policy for Virtual Machines, and click Next.
18. Click Finish.
Adding hosts to cluster vSphere
1. Select the newly created Cluster, and click Add a host.
3. Enter the Username and Password for Node 1 (root/Password1).
4. Click Next.
5. Click yes to accept the certificate Security Alert.
6. Review the Host Summary, and click Next.
7. Leave the Evaluation Mode license, and click Next.
8. Do not enable Lockdown Mode, and click Next.
9. Click Finish.
10. Right-click the Cluster, and click Add Host…
13. Click Next.
14. Click Yes to accept the certificate Security Alert.
16. Leave the Evaluation Mode license, and click Next.
18. Click Finish.
19. Right-click the Cluster, and select Add Host…
22. Click Next.
25. Leave the Evaluation Mode, and click Next.
27. Click Finish.
28. Right-click the Cluster, and select Add Host…
31. Click Next.

34. Leave the Evaluation Mode, and click Next.
36. Click Finish.
Configuring vSphere iSCSI Host Network [Node 1-4]
1. Select the host (10.128.15.201, 202, 203, or 204), and click the Configuration tab.
2. Click the Networking link.
3. Click Add Networking…
4. Select VMkernel Connection Type, and click Next.
5. Select Use vSwitch0, and click Next.
6. Change the VLAN ID to the storage network VLAN (201).
7. Click Next.
8. Enter the VMkernel IP Address and Subnet Mask (192.168.201.161, .162, .163, .164 / 255.255.255.0).
9. Click Next.
10. Review the Summary, and click Finish.
11. Click the Storage Adapters link.
12. Click Add…
13. Click OK to add a Software iSCSI Storage Adapter.
14. Click OK.
15. Right-click the newly created iSCSI Software Adapter, and select Properties.
16. Click the Network Configuration tab.
17. Click Add…
18. Select the VMkernel (vSwitch0) Port Group, and click OK.
19. Click Close.
20. Click Yes to rescan the adapter.
21. Repeat this process for all nodes.
Configuring NetApp Controller
1. Using an Ethernet to serial to USB cable, connect a workstation to the console port of the storage array
controller.
2. Establish a connection to the console port (9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit).
3. Log in with the administrator password.
4. Type setup and press enter.
5. Type yes and press enter.
6. Enter the hostname, and press enter (testcontroller).
7. Type no and press enter to skip IPv6 setup.
8. Type no and press enter to skip configuring interface groups.
9. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e0a (192.168.201.201), and press enter.
10. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e0a (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
11. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e0a.

12. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e0a.
13. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e0a.
14. Type no and press enter to not support jumbo frames for e0a.
15. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e0b (192.168.201.202), and press enter.
16. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e0b (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
17. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e0b.
18. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e0b.
19. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e0b.
20. Type no and press enter to not support jumbo frames for e0b.
21. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e0c (192.168.201.203), and press enter.
22. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e0c (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
23. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e0c.
24. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e0c.
25. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e0c.
26. Type no and press enter to not support jumbo frames for e0c.
27. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e0d (192.168.201.204), and press enter.
28. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e0d (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
29. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e0d.
30. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e0d.
31. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e0d.
32. Type no and press enter to not support jumbo frames for e0d.
33. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e1a (192.168.201.101), and press enter.
34. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e1a (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
35. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e1a.
36. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e1a.
37. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e1a.
38. Type yes and press enter to support jumbo frames for e1a.
39. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e1b (192.168.201.102), and press enter.
40. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e1b (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
41. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e1b.
42. Type auto and press enter to set the media type for e1b.
43. Type full and press enter to set the flow control for e1b.
44. Type yes and press enter to support jumbo frames for e1b.
45. Enter the IP address for Network Interface e0M (10.128.60.51), and press enter. This will be the dedicated
management network address.
46. Enter the netmask for Network Interface e0M (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
47. Type no and press enter to skip configuring failover for e0M.
48. Type no and press enter to skip finishing configuration through the Web interface.

49. Type the default gateway (10.128.0.1), and press enter.
50. Type all and press enter to accept all IP addresses as administrative hosts.
51. Type EST and press enter to set the time zone.
52. Press enter to leave the filer location blank.
53. Press enter to leave the language for multi-protocol files unset.
54. Press enter to leave the default root director for HTTP files.
55. Type yes and press enter to run DNS resolver.
56. Enter the DNS domain name (PT), and press enter.
57. Enter the IP address for the first name server (10.128.0.10), and press enter.
58. Type no and press enter to skip setting up another nameserver.
59. Type no and press enter to skip running the NIS client.
60. Type yes and press enter to configure the SP LAN interface.
61. Type no and press enter to skip enabling DHCP on the SP LAN interface.
62. Enter the IP address for the SP (10.128.60.41), and press enter.
63. Enter the netmask for the SP (255.255.0.0), and press enter.
64. Enter the IP address for the SP gateway (10.128.0.1), and press enter.
65. Enter the name or IP address of the mail host (mailhost), and press enter.
66. Type reboot and press enter for the changes to take effect.
NetApp OnCommand Discovery
1. From the management workstation, launch NetApp OnCommand.
2. Click Discover to launch the Discover Storage Systems wizard.
3. Enter the NetApp controller IP Address (10.128.60.51).
4. Click Discover.
5. When discovery completes, select the storage system, and click Add Selected Systems.
6. Select the newly added system, and click Login.
7. Log in with the appliance credentials (admin; Password1). Check Save my credentials.
Creating NetApp OnCommand Initiator Group
These steps assume the vSphere client is open from previous steps.
1. Expand the Controller and Storage tree, and click LUNs.
2. Click the Initiator Groups subtab.
3. Click Create.
4. Name the Initiator Group (UCS-IG).
5. Change the Operating System to VMware.
6. Click the Initiators tab.
7. Click Add.
8. Open the vSphere client window, and select the first host.
9. Click the Configuration tab.
10. Click the Storage Adapters link.

11. Assuming the iSCSI Software Adapter is selected, copy the iSCSI Name to the clipboard.
12. Paste the iSCSI Name into the NetApp OnCommand Add Initiator Name dialog.
13. Click OK.
14. Click Add.
15. Open the vSphere client window, and select the second host.
18. Click OK.
19. Click Add.
20. Open the vSphere client window, and select the third host.
23. Click OK.
24. Click Add.
25. Open the vSphere client window, and select the fourth host.
28. Click OK.
29. Click Save and Close.
Creating NetApp OnCommand LUN
1. Click the LUN Management tab.
2. Click Create to launch the Create LUN Wizard.
3. Click Next.
4. Enter the LUN name (UCS-LUN).
5. Change the Type to VMware.
6. Change the size to 20 TB.
7. Click Next.
8. Leave the default flexible volume settings, and click Next.
9. Check the UCS-IG Initiator Group Name.
10. Click Next.
11. Review the LUN Summary, and click Next.
12. Click Finish.
vSphere iSCSI Dynamic Discovery
These steps assume the vSphere client window has been left open from previous steps.
2. From the Storage Adapters pane, select the iSCSI Software Adapter, right-click, and select Properties.
3. Click Dynamic Discovery.
4. Click Add…

5. Enter the iSCSI Server IP address (192.168.201.101).
6. Click OK.
7. Click Close.
8. Click Yes to rescan the host bus adapter.
9. Select the second host.
12. Click Add…
14. Click OK.
15. Click Close.
17. Select the third host.
20. Click Add…
22. Click OK.
23. Click Close.
25. Select the fourth host.
28. Click Add…
30. Click OK.
31. Click Close.
Adding datastore to hosts vSphere
2. From the Configuration tab, select Storage.
3. Click Add Storage…
4. Leave Disk/LUN selected, and click Next.
5. Select the NETAPP iSCSI Disk.
6. Click Next.
7. Leave the VMFS-5 File System Version selected, and click Next.
8. Review the Current Disk Layout, and click Next.
9. Enter a datastore name (UCSDatastore).

10. Click Next.
11. Leave Maximum available space selected, and click Next.
12. Review the Ready to Complete screen, and click Finish.
Updating the Cisco blade solution
Installing vCenter Server Update Manager
We created a new Windows VM (Windows Server 2012 R2) to house the vCenter Server Update Manager. The
Update Manager installation can be installed on the same server as the vCenter Server or on a different server. This
methodology begins in a vSphere Client logged into the vCenter Server that will issue updates, and assumes the vCenter
Server prerequisites have been installed on the designated Update Manager VM.
1. From the vSphere Client, select the host to house the vCenter Server Update Manager, right-click, and select
Open Console.
2. Assuming the VM is powered on, log into the Windows VM with the administrator credentials.
3. Click the Disk + Wrench icon, hover over CD/DVD Drive 1, and select Connect to ISO Image on Local Disk…, and
locate the VMware vCenter Server installation media (VMware-VIMSetup-all-5.5.0-1750795-20140201-
update01.iso). Click Open.
4. If the installer does not start automatically, manually start the VMware vCenter Installer from the DVD drive.
5. At the VMware vCenter Installer screen, assuming the necessary vCenter Server components have already been
installed, select vSphere Update Manager.
6. Click Install.
7. Leave English (United States) selected, and click OK.
8. At the VMware vSphere Update Manager Welcome screen, click Next.
9. Accept the license agreement, and click Next.
10. Leave Download updates from default sources immediately after installation checked, and click Next.
11. Enter the IP Address of the vCenter Server that will be able to administer Update Manager (10.128.0.60).
12. Enter the credentials for the vCenter Server (root/vmware).
13. Click Next.
14. Leave Install a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express instance selected, and click Next.
15. Leave the default IP naming schema, the default SOAP, Web, and SSL ports, and check Yes, I have Internet
connection and I want to configure proxy settings now.
16. Click Next.
17. Uncheck Configure Proxy Settings.
18. Click Next.
19. Leave the default Destination Folders, and click Next.
20. At the Ready to Install the Program screen, click Install.
21. When installation completes, click Finish.
22. Close the VMware vCenter Installer window, and exit from the console session.
Installing vSphere Client Update Manager Plug-In
1. From the vSphere Client, select the Plug-ins dropdown, and click Manage Plug-ins…

2. Right-click VMware vSphere Update Manager Extension from the list of Available Plug-ins, and click Download
and Install.
3. Click Run when the Open File Security Warning prompt appears.
4. Leave English (United States) selected, and click OK.
5. At the VMware vSphere Update Manager Client 5.5. Update 1 Welcome screen, click Next.
6. Accept the License Agreement, and click Next.
7. Click Install to begin the installation.
8. When Installation completes, click Finish.
9. When the certificate security warning appears, check Install this certificate and do not display any security
warnings for “10.128.15.20”, and click Ignore.
Administering vSphere Update Manager
1. From the vSphere Client, click Home.
2. Under the Solutions and Applications category, click Update Manager.
3. Click the Configuration tab.
4. Click Download Settings from the Settings vertical navigation menu.
5. Ensure Direct connection to Internet is selected, the default VMware repositories are checked
(hostupdate.vmware.com), and click Download Now.
6. Click OK. View the download task progress in the Recent Tasks pane.
7. Click Compliance View in the upper right hand corner. Ensure the host you wish to update is selected in the
vcenter host tree.
8. Click Attach…
9. At the Attach Baseline or Group window, check the Critical Host Patches (Predefined), and any other necessary
updates.
10. Click Attach.
11. Click Scan…
12. Check Patches and Extensions, and Upgrades.
13. Click Scan.
14. When Scanning completes, click Remediate…
15. Leave the default Individual Baselines by Type selected, and the default Baselines selected, and click Next.
16. Leave all patches and extensions selected, and click Next.
17. Leave the Scheduling parameters default, and click Next.
18. Leave the Host Remediation Options default, and click Next.
19. Click Finish to Remediate the selected hosts.

APPENDIX C – COST CALCULATIONS
For our cost calculation, we used configurations that would host approximately 100 virtual machines for the
purpose of easy comparison. Figure 15 shows the acquisition costs and three-year salary costs that come with a four-
blade Cisco UCS and NetApp solution and the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL with four nodes. The Dell
Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL lowers costs over three years by letting you avoid the cost of hiring an
expensive system administrator.
One Dell Engineered
EVO:RAIL appliance with four
nodes
One Cisco UCS chassis with four
Cisco UCS blades and NetApp
storage
Compute
$209,6684
$59,8325
Fabric Interconnect $41,2306
Storage $33,4347
VMware Software and Services Costs $69,8858
Networking $25,7489
$59,93010
Cables $1,46011
$1,54812
Total acquisition costs $236,876 $265,859
Total additional salary for 3 years13
N/A $390,369
Total cost for 3 years $236,876 $656,228
Savings with the Dell solution 63.90%
Figure 15: Costs for the two solutions.
4
It includes vSphere Enterprise Plus + LogInsight + VSAN and EVO RAIL Management + Full Hardware+ Software Support + Hardware
Support
5
1 x UCS 5108 Blade Chassis with 4 x UCS B200 M3 Blade Servers (dual Intel Xeon Processor E5-2640 V2, 192GB memory (12x16GB),
costs include 3-year NBD support
6
2 x UCS 6200 Fabric Interconnects with 12 port licenses each (8 ports total used per chassis),costs include 3-year NBD-critical
support
7
For 4 blades, 1x FAS 2552 mixed shelf with 4x 400GB drives and 20 900GB drives. 16.2 TB total HDDs, excluding hot spares; costs
include 3-year NBD support
8
8 x VMware vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus and VMware vRealize Log Insight CPU licenses and 1 x VMware vCenter 5 Server license.
Costs include 3-year basic technical support.
9
2 x N4032F SFP+ Network Switches
10
2 x Cisco Nexus 5548UP switch 3-year NBD support
11
Mix of Copper Twinax and Cat6 cables
12
Copper Twinax Cable to connect all components
13
Based on the cost of a System Administrator III yearly salary of $130,123. Source: National averages from Salary.com (4/5/2015).

APPENDIX D – ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL took little hands-on administrator time to complete the tasks
we tested (see Figure 16). This frees up staff so they can innovate elsewhere and focus on more strategic projects.
Hands-on administrator time
(minutes:seconds)
Time to deploy 12:24
Time to add an additional appliance 0:30
Time to update 03:21
Figure 16: Hands-on administrator time to complete the tasks we tested with Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware
EVO:RAIL.
Figure 17 details the tools that the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL and the Cisco UCS and
NetApp solution used. Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL completed all the tasks from a single interface,
which can make life easier for administrators.
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL Cisco UCS and NetApp solution
EVO:RAIL interface Fabric Interconnects
UCS Manager
UCS KVM x4 (once for each node)
NetApp OnCommand
VMware vSphere client
Figure 17: The tools required for deployment, scaling, and updating with each solution.
Figure 18 shows that the reduced power consumption of the Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
can save on operating costs over three years.
Calculations for 1,000 hours of power usage while idle
Four-node estimate14,15
Quantity Average idle watts
Dell Engineered Solutions for VMware EVO:RAIL
Force10 S55 2 170.4
Dell PowerConnect 8164F 0 0.0
Dell C6220 (EVO RAIL Appliance) 1 609.2
Total average idle watts 779.6
Cisco UCS and NetApp solution
Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect A (6248UP) 1 366.1
Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect B (6248UP) 1 335.3
UCS 5108 Chassis (with four blades) 1 286.8
14
Assuming a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio of 1.7. Source: www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/06/02/survey-
industry-average-data-center-pue-stays-nearly-flat-four-years/.
15
Assuming energy cost of $0.1074 per kWh. Source: www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/pdf/epm.pdf.

Calculations for 1,000 hours of power usage while idle
Four-node estimate14,15
Quantity Average idle watts
NetApp Cable Controller 10GbE 1 183.7
NetApp DS4243 Shelf 1, Node 1 1 237.3
Total average idle watts 2,424.3
Savings with the Dell solution 1,644.7
3-year savings for power and cooling (per 1,000 hours idle) $900.84
Figure 18: Three-year power consumption while idle (for 1,000 hours) estimates.

ABOUT PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES
Principled Technologies, Inc.
1007 Slater Road, Suite 300
Durham, NC, 27703
www.principledtechnologies.com
We provide industry-leading technology assessment and fact-based marketing
services. We bring to every assignment extensive experience with and expertise
in all aspects of technology testing and analysis, from researching new
technologies, to developing new methodologies, to testing with existing and new
tools.
When the assessment is complete, we know how to present the results to a
broad range of target audiences. We provide our clients with the materials they
need, from market-focused data to use in their own collateral to custom sales
aids, such as test reports, performance assessments, and white papers. Every
document reflects the results of our trusted independent analysis.
We provide customized services that focus on our clients’ individual
requirements. Whether the technology involves hardware, software, Web sites,
or services, we offer the experience, expertise, and tools to help our clients
assess how it will fare against its competition, its performance, its market
readiness, and its quality and reliability.
Our founders, Mark L. Van Name and Bill Catchings, have worked together in
technology assessment for over 20 years. As journalists, they published over a
thousand articles on a wide array of technology subjects. They created and led
the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, which developed such industry-standard
benchmarks as Ziff Davis Media’s Winstone and WebBench. They founded and
led eTesting Labs, and after the acquisition of that company by Lionbridge
Technologies were the head and CTO of VeriTest.
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability:
PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF ITS TESTING, HOWEVER,
PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE TEST RESULTS AND
ANALYSIS, THEIR ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR QUALITY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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