ESS Quick Deployment Guide

This guide is for system administrators, installers, and programmers of IBM Storage Scale clusters who are experienced with the operating systems on which each IBM Storage Scale cluster is based.

Note: Start of changePOWER 8 or ESS Legacy Systems are not supported in IBM Storage Scale System 6.2.x.x. If you have a P8 or ESS Legacy system in a cluster, go to LTS stream, that is, IBM Storage Scale System 6.1.9.x.End of change

ESS quick deployment sheet

This quick sheet lists concise sets of steps for the ESS deployment procedures. For more information, see respective procedures.
Quick deployment steps

Support matrix

Release OS Runs on Can upgrade or deploy
ESS Utility Node Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 9.2 (PPC64LE) N/A
  • ESS 3500 nodes
  • ESS Utility Node
  • ESS Utility Protocol Node
Start of changeESS 3500 6.2.0.1End of change Start of changeRed Hat Enterprise Linux® 8.8 (x86_64)End of change Start of change
  • POWER9™ EMS
  • x86 EMS (BYOE)1 from 6.2.0
  • Utility node
End of change		 Start of change
  • ESS 3500 nodes
  • POWER9 EMS
  • POWER9 protocol nodes
End of change
ESS 3200 Start of change6.2.0.1End of change Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 (x86_64)
  • POWER9 EMS
  • ESS 3200 nodes
  • POWER9 EMS
  • POWER9 protocol nodes
ESS 3000 6.2.0.1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 (x86_64)
  • POWER9 EMS
  • ESS 3000 nodes
  • POWER9 EMS
  • POWER9 protocol nodes
ESS 5000 Start of change6.2.0.1End of change Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 (PPC64LE)
  • POWER9 EMS
  • ESS 5000 nodes
  • POWER9 EMS
  • POWER9 protocol nodes
1 x86 EMS (BYOE) can only upgrade or deploy the ESS 3500 node(s) and the VM image itself.

Network requirements

Figure 1. 1-Gb network switch
1-Gb network switch
Figure 2. Logical view of two switches
Logical view of the two switches
The orange cable that is shown in this figure must be connected between port 22 of the upper switch and 21 of the lower switch as part of the configuration. This cable works as inter-switch link (ISL) between the two switches.

Code version

All supported ESS nodes are supported within two editions: Data Management Edition and Data Access Edition. An example of package names is as follows:

Start of change
ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dme_ppc64le.tar.xz
ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dae_ppc64le.tar.xz
ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dme_x86_64.tar.xz
ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dae_x86_64.tar.xz
End of change
Note:
  • The versions shown here might not be the GA version available on IBM® Fix Central. It is recommended to go to IBM Fix Central and download the latest code.
  • ppc64le in the package name implies that each container runs on a POWER®-based EMS. For details about functions supported by respective containers, see Support matrix.
  • The x86 packages run on ESS Utility Node EMS or BYOE.
You can download the latest 6.1.x.x code (6.2.0.1 is the latest) from IBM Fix Central by using the following link.
A unified container is offered with two versions (Data management + Data access). Example package names for each container are as follows:
Scale_System_DME_UNIFIED-6.2.0.1-x86_64-EMS.tgz
Scale_System_DAE_UNIFIED-6.2.0.1-x86_64-EMS.tgz
Scale_System_DME_UNIFIED-6.2.0.1-ppc64LE-EMS.tgz
Scale_System_DAE_UNIFIED-6.2.0.1-ppc64LE-EMS.tgz
Note: The container installs and runs on the EMS only. The EMS supported is Power-based only. Running container on a x86-based node is not supported as of now.
Start of change

Upgrade guidance

Review the IBM Storage Scale System (https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibmsearch?tc=STHMCM&dc=D600&&sortby=desc) and IBM Storage Scale (https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibmsearch?tc=STXKQY&dc=D600&&sortby=desc) flashes and advisories before an upgrade to decide which version would be better to upgrade IBM Storage Scale System.

Note: Start of change
  • Upgrades to ESS 6.1.2.x follow the N-2 rule. You can upgrade from ESS 6.1.2.x, 6.1.1.x (that is, 6.1.1.2) or 6.1.0.x.
  • Upgrades to ESS 6.1.5.x follow N-3 rule. You can upgrade from 6.1.2.x, 6.1.3.x, and 6.1.4.x.
  • Start of changeStarting with ESS 6.1.5.x, further jumps adhere to the N-3 ruleEnd of change
End of change
End of change

Node classes

All building blocks have node classes except the EMS node. Instead of a node list, you can use these node classes in the essrun command when the inventory file contains these nodes. (The essrun config load command adds the nodes to the inventory file.)

Start of changeWhere node classes are as follows:
  • 5000: ess_ppc64le
  • 3000: ess_x86_64
  • 3200: ess3200_x86_64
  • 3500: ess3500_x86_64
  • Start of changeProtocol Power9: ces_ppc64leEnd of change
  • 6000: s6k_x86_64
Update all node classes for all building blocks except EMS. End of change

Deployment/upgrade instructions

  1. Log in to the EMS (over management) and set root password.
    1. Check whether the campus connection is set by using nmtui to set an address.
    2. Set the EMS hostname.
  2. Log out and log in over the campus connection.
  3. Set up the /etc/hosts file.
    127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.localdomain.local localhost4 localhost4.localdomain4

## Management IPs 192.168.45.0/24
192.168.45.20 ems1.localdomain.local ems1
192.168.45.21 essio1.localdomain.local essio1
192.168.45.22 essio2.localdomain.local essio2
192.168.45.23 prt1.localdomain.local prt1
192.168.45.24 prt2.localdomain.local prt2

## High-speed IPs 10.0.11.0/24
10.0.11.1 ems1-hs.localdomain.local ems1-hs
10.0.11.2 essio1-hs.localdomain.local essio1-hs
10.0.11.3 essio2-hs.localdomain.local essio2-hs
10.0.11.4 pr1-hs.localdomain.local prt1-hs
10.0.11.5 pr2-hs.localdomain.local prt2-hs


## Protocol CES IPs
10.0.11.100 prt_ces1.localdomain.local prt_ces1
10.0.11.101 prt_ces1.localdomain.local prt_ces1
10.0.11.102 prt_ces2.localdomain.local prt_ces2
10.0.11.103 prt_ces2.localdomain.local prt_ces2
  4. Copy the GA code into the /home/deploy directory.
  5. Decompress the inner xz file.
    xz --decompress ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dme_ppc64le.tar.xz
    Note: You can choose a DME or DAE file according to the configuration.
  6. Extract tar file.
    tar xvf ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dme_ppc64le.tar.xz
  7. Run the installer.
    1. Start the container.
      sh ess_6.2.0.1_0430-19_dme_ppc64le
    2. Before the upgrade from a lower version than IBM Storage Scale System 6.1.8.x, run a cleanup, and use a container name that is not resolvable. Complete the following steps for the cleanup:
      1. Check whether the current EMS FQDN essems1.gpfs.net correct.
      2. Provide the desired and resolvable container hostname.
      3. Provide the FSP container IP of the container.
      4. If an inventory file exists, clean up it.
Configuration in the container
  1. Run Config load.
    essrun -N ems1,essio1,essio2 config load -p
    Attention: Protocol nodes in the container need not to be updated. Therefore, do not select protocol nodes when you issue this command.
  2. Run update --precheck.
    essrun -N ems1,essio1,essio2 update --precheck
  3. Update EMS.
    When you upgrade ESS 5000 nodes, you cannot upgrade the firmware because of a restriction. For example,
    essrun -N ess5kio1,ess5kio2 updateLe
    Add the --offline option for an offline upgrade and the --online option an online only upgrade.
    1. Update EMS offline.
      essrun -N ems1 update --offline
    2. If you are prompted to reboot then run the command again.
    3. If you need to restart the container after reboot run the following command: 
      ./essmkyml --restart
    4. Update the EMS again.
      essrun -N ems1 update --offline
  4. Update I/O nodes.
    • Update I/O nodes online.
      essrun -N <Node List/Node Name> update
    • Update I/O nodes offline.
      essrun -N <Node List/Node Name> update --offline
  5. Update POWER firmware. For more information see, Upgrading POWER9 firmware appendix in ESS Deployment Guide.
  6. Create network bonds.
    essrun -N ems1,essio1,essio2 network --suffix=-hs
  7. Run network test.
    ssh essio1
    ESSENV=TEST essnettest -N essio1,essio2 --suffix=-hs
  8. Create a cluster.
    essrun -N <Node List/Node Name> cluster --suffix=-hs
  9. Add EMS.
    essrun -N essio1 cluster --add-ems ems1 --suffix=-hs
  10. Create a file system.
    essrun -N ess3500_x86_64 filesystem --name fs1 --suffix=-hs
    Note: For ESS 3500, you must keep 1.5 TB or more space free if future capacity MES is planned (performance to hybrid). Thus, it is recommended to not use all available space when you create a file system for the performance model. The default allocation is 80% of available space when you use the essrun filesystem command (for x86 nodes).
  11. Final installation check per node.
    essinstallcheck -N localhost
  12. Check whether all nodes performance.
    gnrhealthcheck
    mmhealth node show -a
  13. Set up Chrony/NTP.
  14. Set up call home.
  15. Enable added security (SELinux/firewall/sudo/admin central).
  16. Configure the GUI/collectors.
    essrun -N ems1,essio1,essio2 gui --configure
  17. Set up conserver.
  18. Set up protocol services (3500 or P8/P9 Protocol nodes or ESS Utility Protocol Node).
  19. Set up client nodes.
Note: If you want to add a building block, see the Adding additional nodes or building block(s) appendix in the ESS Deployment Guide.