HP Storevirtual 4000 Quick reference guide

HP LeftHand Storage Application Aware

Snapshot Manager Deployment Guide

HP Part Number: AX696-96215

Published: November 2012

Edition: 2

1 The Application Aware Snapshot Manager

The HP LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager can be used to create application-managed

snapshots in Windows and VMware environments. In Windows environments, the HP LeftHand

VSS provider is leveraged to quiesce VSS-aware applications before creating the snapshot. In

VMware environments, the HP LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager communicates with

VMware Virtual Center Server to create VMware snapshots of virtual machines whose datastores

reside on SAN/iQ volumes. Both one-time and scheduled snapshots are supported.

NOTE: “Application-managed snapshots” is the term used in the HP LeftHand Centralized

Management Console to designate snapshots that are taken using the Application Aware Snapshot

Manager.

This chapter provides general information about installing and running the Application Aware

Snapshot Manager with HP LeftHand Storage. Detailed information about creating and using

application-managed snapshots is available in the HP LeftHand Storage User Guide or HP LeftHand

Storage Online Help. The HP LeftHand Storage Command Line Interface User Guide contains

commands for scripting the application-managed snapshots. You can find detailed information on

the Microsoft web site about using the Volume Shadow Copy Service.

Application Aware Snapshot Manager and VMware

When hosting VMware virtual machines on SAN/iQ volumes, the Application Aware Snapshot

Manager creates snapshots that contain quiesced virtual machines. The resulting snapshots contain

the virtual machine and its applications in a VMware snapshot. Mounting the application-managed

snapshot allows the VMware snapshot manager to see the VMware snapshot in its history. Rolling

back to the application-managed snapshot restores the virtual machine and its applications to a

known and viable state.

Requirements

•To use the Application Aware Snapshot Manager in VMware environments, the ESX servers

must be managed by VMware Virtual Center. The Application Aware Snapshot Manager must

be installed on the vCenter Server that manages the ESX servers which are connected to the

SAN/iQ volumes. The IP address of the vCenter Server must be configured as the controlling

server in the CMC for all ESX servers for which application-managed snapshots are to be

taken.

•The Application Aware Snapshot Manager only supports single-volume datastores. That is,

application-managed snapshots cannot be taken of volumes that are part of a datastore that

spans multiple volumes.

The Application Aware Snapshot Manager only supports single-volume datastores. That is,

application-managed snapshots cannot be taken of volumes that are part of a datastore that spans

multiple volumes.

Application Aware Snapshot Manager and Windows

The Application Aware Snapshot Manager quiesces applications and takes snapshots of single

volumes and Microsoft Windows Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV), or snapshot sets.

Application Aware Snapshot Manager and VMware 3

Supported versions of Microsoft Windows Server

The Application Aware Snapshot Manager supports the following versions of Microsoft Windows:

•64-bit Windows XP Pro

•Windows Server 2003, 32-bit and 64-bit versions

For transportable snapshots on the Standard version you must install a Microsoft QFE. See

“Using VSS snapshots” (page 5) for details.

•Windows 2008 Server, 32-bit and 64-bit versions, including the following:

Windows 2008 Server R2◦

◦Windows 2008 Server Core

◦Windows 2008 Server R2 Core

•Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

Installing the Application Aware Snapshot Manager

Use the HP LeftHand Application Integration Solution Pack DVD to install the Application Aware

Snapshot Manager on any supported version of Windows Server. If you are installing the

Application Aware Snapshot Manager on Windows 2008 Server Core or Windows 2008 Server

R2 Core, go to the section “Installing on Windows 2008 Server Core or Windows 2008 Server

R2 Core option” (page 5).

Have the port number of the CIM connection ready for use during the installation. The ports used

for SAN/iQ operations are listed in the SANiQ TCP and UDP Port Usage chapter of the HP LeftHand

Storage User Guide and the HP LeftHand Storage Online Help.

Installing on Windows Server

1. Insert the DVD in the DVD drive (either the physical DVD you received or the DVD you created

after downloading the DVD .iso image from the web).

2. Locate the applicable executable and double-click it to begin.

3. From the Home page of HP LeftHand Application Integration Solution Pack installer, click HP

LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager.

4. From the HP LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager page, click Install Application

Aware Snapshot Manager to begin the installer.

5. Accept the terms of the license agreement and click Next.

6. Choose the location for the software and click Next.

7. Enter the user name and company for the installation and click Next.

8. Enter the port number for the CIM server connection and click Next.

9. Click Next to continue the installation.

10. Read the message titled Important that describes the requirement to enter management group

credentials to finish configuring the Application Aware Snapshot Manager.

11. Click Next when you have finished reading the message.

12. Click Finish to complete the installation.

13. Click Documentation on the installer Home page to review or save the documentation for the

HP LeftHand Application Integration Solution Pack, and then close the installer.

4 The Application Aware Snapshot Manager

Installing on Windows 2008 Server Core or Windows 2008 Server R2 Core option

Prerequisites

32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 2008 Server or Windows 2008 Server R2 installed with the

Server Core option.

To install the HP LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager:

1. Copy the HP LeftHand Application Aware Snapshot Manager installer file to the Windows

2008 server that has the Server Core option installed.

2. Run the installer from the command prompt.

3. Click Next to finish the installer.

The installation wizard progresses through the steps for installing the Application Aware

Snapshot Manager.

After the Application Aware Snapshot Manager is installed, a reminder window opens, with

a message to configure user names and passwords for management groups.

4. Click Next to finish the installation wizard.

5. Continue with the procedure for setting management group credentials.

Setting management group credentials

The credentials required for using the Application Aware Snapshot Manager include:

•Management group name

•Management group user name and password

Before using the Application Aware Snapshot Manager, set the management group credentials

one of two ways:

•Open the Authentication Console and enter the management group credentials. For more

information, see “ Setting credentials to authenticate management groups” (page 7).

•Use the CLI commands cacheCredentials and clearCredentials on the application

server to set credentials for management groups. For more information, see HP LeftHand

Storage Command Line Interface User Guide.

Using VSS snapshots

The Application Aware Snapshot Manager uses the VSS Provider to create a VSS snapshot as a

persistent target in the MS iSCSI initiator. The VSS snapshot also appears in the CMC with the

naming convention of VSS-<unique id>. The snapshot is available as needed to the backup

application. When the snapshot is no longer needed, it is deleted from both the CMC and the

iSCSI initiator.

In the SAN/iQ software all snapshots are created as thinly provisioned.

Viewing a VSS-named snapshot in the CMC

When working with other backup products, all VSS snapshots remain in the CMC until processing

is complete, and then they are deleted. If they are not deleted, you can delete them manually when

you are certain that the backup process is finished.

Transportable snapshots

VSS snapshots can be used as transportable snapshots; that is, they can be mounted on a different

server for backup. Transportable snapshots are persistent, which means they remain in the CMC

and the iSCSI initiator until the backup is finished.

To use transportable snapshots on Windows Server 2003 Standard, you must install the Microsoft

QFE referenced in Microsoft Knowledge Base article listed at:

Setting management group credentials 5

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913648

Deleting transportable snapshots

To cleanly delete a transportable snapshot from the system, use the requestor application to perform

the deletion.

For example, a CommVault QR job requests a transportable snapshot from the VSS Provider. When

the snapshot is no longer needed, you can log in to the CommVault application and delete the

snapshot that is associated with the job that created it.

Troubleshooting the Application Aware Snapshot Manager

The Application Aware Snapshot Manager VSS Provider runs as an NT service. You can view

both the Volume Shadow Copy service and the VSS Provider service in the Computer Management

window under Services and Applications > Services.

Restarting the VSS Provider service

The VSS Provider service starts automatically. If you check in the Services list and it is not started,

you can start it manually.

Viewing the event log messages

The event log reports issues with the VSS Provider, the iSCSI initiator, and Volume Shadow Copy.

Open the event log to view messages about those applications.

Uninstalling the Application Aware Snapshot Manager

Uninstall the Application Aware Snapshot Manager using Start→Control Panel→Programs and

Features.

6 The Application Aware Snapshot Manager

2 Authenticating management groups on the SAN

Authenticating management groups on the SAN using management group credentials is required

for using the Application Aware Snapshot Manager. Authenticate management groups by setting

credentials in the Authentication Console. This authentication is normally a one-time process. You

only need to redo or update the authentication if you changed any of the following:

•IP addresses of storage systems

•User name and password for logging in to storage systems

•Which storage systems are in the management group, that is, you added or removed storage

systems

If you are using Windows 2008 Server Core or Windows 2008 Server R2 Core installation, you

add the management group credentials using the CLI. See “Setting credentials using the HP LeftHand

Command-Line Interface” (page 9).

Installing the Authentication Console

The Authentication Console is installed automatically when you install the HP LeftHand Application

Aware Snapshot Manager. During the installation for the Application Aware Snapshot Manager,

a reminder message opens, stating that you must first run the Authentication Console before creating

LUNs or snapshots.

Figure 1 Reminder to run Authentication Console

Opening the Authentication Console

Open the Authentication Console from the Start→Programs→HP→HP LeftHand menu.

The first time you open the Authentication Console, a message opens describing your choices for

entering credentials.

Setting credentials to authenticate management groups

The following information is required to authenticate each management group for the Application

Aware Snapshot Manager:

•Management group name

•User name and password for logging in to the management group

Set default credentials that work for all management groups or set credentials for individual

management groups.

NOTE: With the latest version of the Application Aware Snapshot Manager, the credentials may

be already configured because the system may automatically discover authentication from the

SAN.

Installing the Authentication Console 7

Using the Credentials Wizard to set credentials

The Credentials Wizard discovers all of the management groups on the subnet where you installed

the Application Aware Snapshot Manager. You can then set default or individual credentials for

each management group as appropriate, and test the credentials to confirm they are set correctly.

Figure 2 Opening the Credentials Wizard

1. From the Action menu, click Credentials Wizard.

The wizard may take a few minutes to discover the management groups on the subnet.

2. To use default credentials for one or more management groups, enter the credentials in the

first window of the credentials wizard, select Use default credentials, and click Next.

3. For each management group that opens, do one of the following:

•Use the default credentials by leaving the Use default credentials checkbox selected.

•Clear the checkbox to enter individual credentials for the management group.

4. Click Test to verify the credentials for that management group.

If the credentials test fails, verify the correct credentials for that management group in the HP

LeftHand Centralized Management Console and try again.

5. Click Next to continue, repeating steps 3 and 4 for each management group.

6. When you have finished adding credentials, click Done.

Changing default credentials

Use the New Default Credentials dialog box to set default credentials or to change the current

default credentials.

1. From the Action menu, click Set Default Credentials.

2. Enter the user name and password, and confirm the password.

3. Click OK to save the default credentials.

4. (Optional) To easily apply changed default credentials to management groups, do one of the

following:

•To change the default credentials for all management groups on the subnet, use the

Credentials Wizard, described in “Using the Credentials Wizard to set credentials”

(page 8).

•To change the default credentials for one or more specific management groups:

8 Authenticating management groups on the SAN

a. Click Properties from the Action menu, and select Use default credentials.

b. Click Test to verify the credentials.

c. In the Test window, enter the IP address of any storage system in the management

group.

If the test succeeds, the credentials are correct, and the management group is listed

in the management group pane.

If the test fails, verify the correct credentials for that management group in the CMC

and try again.

d. Click OK to finish.

Setting credentials for a management group on a different subnet

1. From the Action menu, click New Management Group Credentials.

2. Enter the management group name and the user name and password.

3. Click Test.

4. In the Test window, enter the IP address of any storage system in the management group.

If the test succeeds, the credentials are correct, and the management group is listed in the

management group pane.

If the test fails, verify the correct credentials for that management group in the CMC and try

again.

Setting credentials using the HP LeftHand Command-Line Interface

Use the CLI commands cacheCredentials and clearCredentials on the application server

to set credentials for management groups. For more information, see HP LeftHand Storage Command

Line Interface User Guide.

Upgrading the Authentication Console

Upgrading the Authentication Console happens with an upgrade to the Application Aware Snapshot

Manager. Management group credentials remain in place after an upgrade.

Deleting a management group or default credentials from the console

1. Select from the list in the right pane the management group or default credentials to delete.

2. Right-click and select Delete from the right-click menu.

Upgrading the Authentication Console 9

3 Documentation feedback

HP is committed to providing documentation that meets your needs. To help us improve the

documentation, send any errors, suggestions, or comments to Documentation Feedback

([email protected]). Include the document title and part number, version number, or the URL

when submitting your feedback.

10 Documentation feedback

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