Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:

Administration (Lessons)

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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340: Administration (Lessons)

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Experts

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Table of Contents
Course Introduction
About this course ........................................................................................................................0-2
Education and support resources ...............................................................................................0-8

Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction ..........................................................................................1-4
Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware ................................................................................................1-17
Flex Appliance 5340: Software .................................................................................................1-48
Flex Appliance 5340 Management and Monitoring .................................................................1-68

Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers

Container fundamentals .............................................................................................................2-4
Docker Basics ............................................................................................................................2-10
Flex Appliance 5340: Container implementation .....................................................................2-13
Running NetBackup in a container: Advantages ......................................................................2-18

Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance

Setting up the Veritas Flex Appliance .........................................................................................3-4
Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell .............................................................................3-9
Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Console ......................................................................3-12
Troubleshooting Flex Appliance Web Console errors ..............................................................3-24

Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings

Configuring the network .............................................................................................................4-4

Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users

Working with Tenants ................................................................................................................5-4
Managing Users ..........................................................................................................................5-9
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Using Active Directory user credentials with the Flex Appliance .............................................5-16

Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance

Managing applications and upgrade packages in the repository ...............................................6-4
Creating application instances..................................................................................................6-10
Creating a CloudCatalyst media server instance ......................................................................6-19
Managing application instances ...............................................................................................6-35
Veritas Flex Appliance: Multiple network support ...................................................................6-40
Instance upgrade ......................................................................................................................6-32

Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance

AutoSupport and Call Home .......................................................................................................7-4
Monitoring the hardware from the Flex Appliance Shell............................................................7-9

Table of Contents iii

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Scanning and adding storage ....................................................................................................7-16
Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................7-28

Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance

Performing a factory reset..........................................................................................................8-4

Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

Flex Appliance: Upgrades ...........................................................................................................9-4
Flex Appliance: Rollbacks ..........................................................................................................9-21
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

iv Veritas Flex Appliance 5340: Administration (Lessons)

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All Rights Reserved

Not for Distribution.

Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Course Introduction

© 2018 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Course Introduction lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340: Administration
course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

Intro-1
Topic: About this course

This topic introduces the course, its lessons, and the course prerequisites.

This topic introduces the course, its lessons, and the course prerequisites. This course is
designed to help technical professionals responsible for the design, configuration, operation,
and management of the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Intro-2
Intended audience

This course is designed for Veritas Customers, Veritas Technical Support engineers, and
Veritas support partners.

This course is designed for Veritas Customers, Veritas Technical Support engineers, and Veritas
support partners.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

Intro-3
Course objectives

• Describe the Veritas Flex appliance and its hardware and software components.
• Describe the fundamentals of Flex appliance containers, its implementation, and the
advantages of running NetBackup in container.
• Set up the Veritas Flex appliance.
• Work with the Flex appliance Web console.
• Modify Flex appliance settings using Flex Shell commands.
• Manage Flex appliance tenants and users.
• Create and manage application instances.
• Monitor Flex appliance.
• Perform factory reset and storage reset to reconfigure Flex appliance.
• Upgrade and rollback the Flex appliance.

After completing this course, you will be able to perform the tasks listed on this slide.
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Intro-4
Course prerequisites

• Working knowledge of Veritas NetBackup and Veritas NetBackup Appliances

• Knowledge of Clustering and storage management
• Knowledge of networking
• Experience in Unix system administration

The prerequisite knowledge and skills displayed on the slide are recommended to successfully
complete this course.
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Intro-5
Lessons in this course

1. Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

2. Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
3. Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
4. Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
5. Managing Flex Appliance users
6. Working with the Flex Appliance
7. Monitoring the Flex Appliance
8. Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
9. Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This course includes nine lessons, which are listed on the slide.
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Intro-6
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340: Administration (Lab slide)

ESXi

CONSOLE
ROUTER VM

Windows Server 2012 R2

FLEXNODE1 FLEXNODE2

Flex Appliance 5340 Flex Appliance 5340

Cluster node 1 Cluster node 2

The diagram on this slide shows the lab environment used for the lab exercises performed in
this course.
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Intro-7
Topic: Education and support resources

This topic describes Veritas Education offerings and other Veritas resources
available to help you design, configure, operate, and monitor the Veritas
Flex Appliance 5340.

This topic describes Veritas Education offerings and other Veritas resources available to help
you design, configure, operate, and monitor the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

Intro-8
Veritas Open eXchange
https://vox.veritas.com/

• The latest technology articles from industry

experts
• Easy and fast access to technical content and
product information
• Access to premium content, such as book
previews and free sample chapters
• Peer-to-peer discussion forums
• Training and education resources
Find out more. It’s free!

The Veritas Open eXchange allows customers and users of Veritas products to network, get
help, and learn more about the industry-leading solutions. Veritas Open eXchange is a
customer-focused resource, intended to help you design and implement a utility computing
strategy to provide availability, performance, and automation for your storage, servers, and
applications. Veritas Open eXchange provides the following resources:
• Technical documents such as articles, white papers, and product specs.
• Interactive services such as the discussion forum, where members can discuss current
topics, share tips and tricks, and help one another troubleshoot problems.
Best of all, it is free. Sign up to become a member at https://vox.veritas.com/.
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Intro-9
SORT for NetBackup users
http://sort.veritas.com/netbackup

10

Veritas Services and Operations Readiness Tools (SORT) is a set of Web-based tools that
optimizes the end to end experience for Veritas products, such as Storage Foundation and
NetBackup. SORT for NetBackup provides information on whether your environment is
compatible with a NetBackup installation or upgrade, and gives you links to the latest
documentation and software. SORT for NetBackup is available at
http://sort.veritas.com/netbackup.
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Intro-10
MyVeritas
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US.html

11

MyVeritas is your single destination that allows you to access all of your Veritas enterprise
services and information. Visit https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US.html to view this
page.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Intro-11
Veritas Education Services: Links
https://www.veritas.com/services/education-services.html

• Curriculum Paths: Backup & Recovery, Information Governance, Storage &

Availability

• Get Certified in NetBackup and other Veritas products

• View FAQs about Education Services

• Manage your training transcript and print certificates of completion by signing

in to the Veritas Learning Portal

12

Visit the Veritas Education Services page to learn more about Veritas product training and
certification at: https://www.veritas.com/services/education-services.html. This slide
displays links related to curriculum paths, Veritas certification, and other training related
information.

• Curriculum Paths: Backup & Recovery, Information Governance, Storage & Availability
• Get Certified in NetBackup and other Veritas products
• View FAQs about Education Services
• Manage your training transcript and print certificates of completion by signing in to the
Veritas Learning Portal
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

Intro-12
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

End of presentation

Intro-13
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 01: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340 lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance
5340 Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the first lesson in this course.

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1-2
Lesson objectives
Topic Objective

Veritas Flex Appliance: • Explain the use and functionality of the Flex Appliance 5340.
Introduction • State the benefits and common use cases of the Flex Appliance.
• Describe the NetBackup Appliances family.
Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware • Describe the Flex Appliance primary hardware components.
• Explain the server node characteristics.
• Explain the 5U84 storage shelve characteristics.
• Describe the Flex Appliance integrated redundancy features.
Flex Appliance 5340: Software • Explain the Flex Appliance platform software components.
• Describe Flex containers and their use.
• Describe application instances and the process to create them.
• Explain the Flex Appliance high availability architecture.
Flex Appliance 5340 Management • Describe the Flex Appliance interfaces.
and Monitoring • Describe Veritas AutoSupport Services.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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1-3
Topic: Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the use and functionality of the Flex Appliance 5340.
• State the benefits and common use cases of the Flex Appliance.
• Describe the NetBackup Appliances family.

This is the Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction topic.

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1-4
Problem: Overcoming Data Center Sprawl and Complexity

CONVERGED
SOLUTIONS

• Improve data center agility

• Mitigate costs associated with management, upgrades, and compatibility
• Increase data center performance and efficiency

IT organizations and independent service providers face similar challenges when serving
both their internal user communities and external customers. Corporate IT organizations
may even be viewed as internal service providers. When it comes to providing data
protection and data deduplication services that combine on-premises storage, integrated
with multiple cloud storage vendors, the solutions can be complex and costly. A Flex
appliance is a single, scalable hardware platform that can provide discrete NetBackup
protection services to a broad array of customers. Built on a new container technology, the
Flex Appliance moves beyond hyperconverged architectures and provides a unified
NetBackup environment by making it simple to protect all workloads and scale without
increasing your hardware footprint. With the Flex Appliance, administrators use a simplified
GUI to select which NetBackup architectural elements to deploy. New instances of
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

NetBackup are online with minimal user inputs and without traditional infrastructure
buildout lead times. And, since NetBackup deployments are created 100% in software, data
protection infrastructures can scale within minutes and without adding hardware, for even
greater operational and capital costs savings.

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1-5
What is a Veritas Flex Appliance?

NetBackup Domain 1 NetBackup Domain 2

Container instances Container instances

DATA & NETWORK SEGREGATION

NetBackup Master Server NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Master Server
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Administration Deduplication (MSDP) Administration

NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Media Server

CloudCatalyst Deduplication (MSDP) Deduplication (MSDP)

Flex Appliance 5340 Software Platform

Immutable container images

Flex Appliance 5340 Hardware Platform

Veritas Flex Appliance is a new concept in delivering enterprise data protection services, both
on-premises and in the cloud. Rather than relying on complex and costly data protection
environments consisting of many converged or single function backup, data deduplication,
cloud tiering, and storage silos spread across the enterprise — Veritas Flex Appliance is a
single, highly available, and scalable solution that utilizes microservices to deliver enterprise-
wide Information Defined data protection services on-demand. NetBackup and NetBackup
CloudCatalyst microservices are configured and deployed in the Flex Appliance in minutes and
on-demand providing a robust enterprise data protection solution. Multiple Veritas
NetBackup and NetBackup CloudCatalyst deployments (domains) can be consolidated on a
single Flex Appliance, substantially reducing data center costs and complexity. Now, with the
Flex Appliance, enterprise-wide on-premises and cloud data protection can be delivered on-
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

demand and can be rapidly adapted to meet the changing requirements of the business.
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340 consolidates multiple data management offerings on a
resilient, scalable, and fully integrated solution. Some of the advantages that it offers
are:
• Run multiple NetBackup roles on a single appliance
• Host multiple MSDP Media Servers on a single appliance
• Integrated high availability
• Up to 1,920 TiB storage capacity
• 24x7 hardware monitoring and alerting

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1-6
Benefits of the Flex Appliance
Maximize
Increase Operational Reduce Costs with
Performance and
Efficiency Consolidation
Scalability
• Deploy faster • Lower CapEx by • Optimize performance
combining multiple via tight integration of
• Minimize planned
NetBackup Servers hardware and
and unplanned
on a single software
downtime
appliance
• Reduce bandwidth
• Streamline
• Reduce operating and capacity
management tasks
expenses requirements with
• Improve staff deduplication
• Decrease space,
efficiencies and
cooling, and power • Easily add capacity as
service levels
requirements your environment
grows

Flex Appliance consolidates multiple NetBackup servers onto a single platform as depicted on
the slide. Some of the benefits of using the Flex Appliance are:
• Improve data center efficiency: Consolidating multiple NetBackup and NetBackup
CloudCatalyst deployments on a Flex Appliance drastically reduces the number of server
and storage devices requiring setup, management, maintenance, power, cooling, cabling
and floor space — significantly reducing data center costs.
• On-Demand response to the rapidly changing business environment: Rapidly deploy
infrastructure by configuring application instances into a complete data protection
solution. Build systems to meet the specific information needs of a department or a
business unit.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Easily connect to multiple clouds: Use NetBackup CloudCatalyst application instances to

send deduplicated data for long term retention to the Veritas Access 3340 LTR Appliance
and public clouds.
• Improve uptime with high availability: High availability provides efficient use of hardware
resources in normal operating conditions and higher uptime in case of failure. In a high
availability configuration the Flex Appliance distributes the application instances across two
nodes. In the event of failure, the application instances can be restarted in the surviving
node. The ability to relocate an application instance from one node to another allows for
greater control and efficiency in managing preventive maintenance.
• Proactive monitoring with Veritas AutoSupport: Monitors key hardware components and
notifies the administrator of fault events.

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1-7
Flex Appliance Customer Use Cases
Configuration agility

Increase NetBackup Server Deployment

Speed
• Deploy new NetBackup Master, Media, and CloudCatalyst Servers in a
matter of minutes
• Run multiple NetBackup Servers, in almost any configuration
• Host multiple NetBackup domains
• Consolidate multiple, standalone NetBackup Servers on a single
appliance

Deploying NetBackup Server can be a time-intensive process for administrators. If mistakes

are made during the initial deployment, starting over can exacerbate this problem. With the
Veritas Flex Appliance, new NetBackup Servers can be deployed quickly and efficiently. If
mistakes are encountered, removing NetBackup Servers and redeploying them is very easy. In
addition, NetBackup Servers can be deployed in almost any configuration on a Flex Appliance,
including different NetBackup versions, different NetBackup roles, and even multiple
NetBackup domains.
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1-8
Flex Appliance Customer Use Cases
Expanded deduplication storage benefits

Reduce Secondary Storage Costs with

Expanded Deduplication
• Expand optimization-enabled storage by hosting multiple NetBackup
MSDP Media Servers
• Increase deduplication storage capacity to almost 2 petabytes per Flex
5340 Appliance

The benefits of data optimization and deduplication are well known throughout the industry.
With Veritas Flex Appliance, the current limits on deduplication capacity are greatly expanded
through the ability to run multiple NetBackup MSDP Media Servers on a single Flex Appliance.
This potentially allows customers to utilize almost the entire storage capacity of a Flex
Appliance – almost 2 PB – as deduplication-enabled storage.
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1-9
Flex Appliance Customer Use Cases
Backup-as-a-service capability

A B Secure and Isolate Tenant Backup

C D Information
• Configure NetBackup application instance infrastructure into logical
groups known as tenants
• Secure and isolate tenant backup data
• Secure and isolate tenant network traffic

10

By organizing NetBackup Servers into logical constructs, also known as tenants, Veritas Flex
Appliance enables partners and customers to offer backup-as-a-service to their end users.
This includes the ability to securely separate both backup data and network traffic from
unauthorized access, a key requirement for end users considering services-based solutions to
data protection challenges.
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1-10
Flex Appliance Customer Use Cases
Streamline management, operation, and support

Save Time and Reduce Risk with

Simplified Upgrades
• Streamline and simplify NetBackup application instance upgrade process
• Reduce risks and complexity associated with standard upgrade
procedures
• Reduce support requests

11

Another key benefit to container technology is the ability to simplify and streamline the
upgrade process for NetBackup application instances. Old NetBackup ‘binaries’ can be
swapped-out for newer NetBackup ‘binaries,’ leaving user-generated data in place. Upgrade
events are protected by pre-check and post-check processes, as well as the ability to rollback
an upgrade before it has been committed. This makes NetBackup upgrades much faster and
less risky.
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1-11
Flex Appliance Customer Use Cases
Increase operational efficiency

Reduce Planned and Unplanned

Downtime
• Fully integrated high availability greatly increases uptime per year
• Improves system through-put performance
• Reduces operational costs

12

Operational availability becomes a major concern as the volume of data that an enterprise
depends on grows toward the petabyte scale. Service Level Objectives demand that both
planned and unplanned downtime be minimized. The Flex 5340 Appliance High Availability
(HA) solution provides reliability that is needed to meet the most stringent service level
objectives for large data sets.
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1-12
Consolidating multiple NetBackup deployments in a resilient and scalable
virtual container environment

Server Nodes
NetBackup NetBackup
Master Server Media Server
Storage Shelf

NetBackup NetBackup
Media Server CloudCatalyst
Storage Shelf

Master Server Media Server Media Server CloudCatalyst

Standalone NetBackup Servers Flex 5340 Application Instances

• Servers provisioned manually • Servers provisioned almost instantly

• Servers provisioned on separate hardware • Servers provisioned as virtualized Docker
• Servers provisioned with separate operating containers
systems • Converged, enterprise hardware platform
• Servers configured and managed separately resources shared by container instances
• Redeploying servers is non-trivial • Integrated high availability, redundancy features

13

Veritas Flex Appliance is a customizable data management solution that allows you to
consolidate multiple applications on a single hardware platform. With Flex Appliance, you can
run concurrent instances of the following applications:
• NetBackup master server
• NetBackup media server with the following storage options:
• Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP)
• AdvancedDisk
• CloudCatalyst
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Note: You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application instance.

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1-13
NetBackup Appliances Family Overview

NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup Flex Access

Virtual Appliance 5240 Appliance 5340 Appliance Appliance 5340 3340 Appliance

Deployment Master and/or

simplicity Media Server Dedicated, high Long-term data
Minimize CapEx CloudCatalyst performance retention
Media Server Flexibility and
investment configuration agility 2,544 TiB max
Designed for support 1,920 TiB max storage
storage Multiple
VMware 321 TiB maximum NetBackup roles
storage on one appliance

14

The slide displays NetBackup appliances family and their usage.

• NetBackup Virtual Appliance: Data protection in fully virtual deployments and remote
offices.
• NetBackup 5240 Appliance: Predictable high performance data protection for moderate
workloads.
• NetBackup 5340 Appliance: Predictable highest performance data protection for
enterprise workloads.
• Flex Appliance 5340: Run multiple Veritas software products on a single, flexible, and
converged solution.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Access 3340 Appliance: Long-term data storage and archiving as tape and public cloud
alternative.

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1-14
Flex and Access Appliances for Data Protection and Long-Term Retention
(LTR)

15

Long-Term Retention (LTR) can be achieved using the Flex and Access Appliances for Data
Protection. Veritas Flex Appliances use Docker containers to host multiple Veritas
applications on a single, powerful, and enterprise-grade appliance platform. The
Veritas Access Appliances are purpose-built data management solutions that simplify
long-term data storage while lowering total cost of ownership. The Access 3340
Appliance includes built-in data deduplication technology. Combined with NetBackup
integration, this technology enables NetBackup to duplicate backup images to the
Access 3340 Appliance using a process known as Optimized Duplication, which
increases efficiency and reduces network traffic by only transferring unique data
segments.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-15
Flex Appliance 5340: Functional overview

Primary Server Node

Server
Cluster (HA) NetBackup Domain 1 NetBackup Domain 2
Secondary Server Node
Application instances Application instances

Primary Storage Shelf NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup

MULTITENANT
SEPARATION
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Master Server Media Server Master Server

Expansion Storage Shelf NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup

Media Server CloudCatalyst Media Server

Flex Appliance 5340 Container

Expansion Storage Shelf
Software Platform Images

Flex Appliance 5340

Expansion Storage Shelf

Hardware Platform

16

The Flex Appliance 5340 allows a customer to consolidate multiple NetBackup Servers and
even multiple NetBackup domains on a single, powerful, flexible appliance solution. The Flex
Appliance 5340 comprises an enterprise-grade, resilient, highly available hardware platform,
and a powerful Flex software platform with integrated Docker technology. Customers can use
the Flex Appliance 5340 to quickly provision multiple NetBackup Servers in almost any
configuration including multiple NetBackup domains. NetBackup Servers are organized into
logical constructs known as tenants, which can be configured to run as separate, isolated
server groups with distinct storage and networking attributes. This allows customers to
leverage the Flex Appliance 5340 as the foundation for offering Backup functions as a service
to end users while maintaining multitenant separation and security.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-16
Topic: Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Describe the Flex Appliance primary hardware components.
• Explain the server node characteristics.
• Explain the 5U84 storage shelve characteristics.
• Describe the Flex Appliance integrated redundancy features.

17

This is the Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware topic.

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1-17
Appliance primary components

5340 Appliance Server Nodes

• Hosts Flex software platform
• Manages compute resources for running application instances
Server nodes connect to • Connects to customer infrastructure
primary storage shelf via 16Gb
FC SFP cabling
5U84 Storage Shelves
• Provides redundant, expandable storage for application instances
and associated data
• First storage shelf is required; up to three additional shelves can be
added
• Maximum shelf capacity of 480 TIB, maximum total capacity of
1,920 TiB

18

The Veritas Flex Appliance 5340 is a hardware and software storage system that scales up to
a total of 1920TB of usable backup capacity. It consists of one 2U 5340 Appliance compute
node and one externally attached 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf, which is used for data storage
purposes. The 5340 Appliance compute node does not provide internal disk space for data
storage by itself. Up to three optional 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelves can be added if an
additional data storage space is required. The total usable backup capacity depends on the
hardware configuration purchased. Fibre Channel (FC) cables connect the 5340 Appliance
compute node to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf. SAS3 cables connect the 5U84 Primary
Storage Shelf to the optional 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelves. Veritas also offers high
availability (HA) multi-node solution for Veritas 5340 Appliance systems. Multi-node systems
provide more efficient operation and improved aggregate performance for data protection
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

operations. A multi-node Veritas 5340 Appliance solution consists of multiple intra-

connected compute nodes that connect to common storage, while also running the latest
appliance software versions.

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1-18
Appliance component connections

NETW
1GbE

ORK
Cluster heartbeat
between server
nodes
1GbE 16Gb FC
Used for appliance Server node
management connection to
operations primary storage shelf
SAS-3
10GbE Inter-storage shelf
Connection to connectivity
customer’s network
infrastructure

19

The Appliance component connections are as follows:

• 1GbE NIC – 4x 1GbE ports (per server node) are present in all I/O configurations. Used for
cluster heartbeat monitoring (cluster configurations) and appliance management.
• 10GbE NIC –10x 10GbE Small Form-factor Pluggable ports (per server node) available for
data transfer. Bonding is supported.
• 16Gb FC HBA – 4x 16Gb FC Small Form-factor Pluggable ports (per server node) are
present in all I/O configurations for primary storage shelf connectivity.
• SAS-3 HBA – SAS-3 ports are present on primary and expansion storage shelves, and are
used for storage shelf connectivity when expansion storage shelves are present. SAS-3
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

ports are not used for data transfer.

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1-19
Server node characteristics
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Hardware Overview Software Overview

• 2x Intel Xeon 6138 CPUs @ • Flex software platform
2.0GHz, 20 cores each o VxOS (based on RHEL)
• 768GB – 1.5TB of DDR4 o Veritas InfoScale
memory @ 2666MHz (clustering)
• 10x 10GbE SFP ports (5x dual- o Core container technology
port 10GbE NICs) and 4x 1GbE (Cgroups, Namespaces,
ports etc)
• 2x redundant power modules • Veritas Journaling File System
(VxFS)

20

The Server node characteristics are described on the slide.

Hardware Overview
• 2x Intel Xeon 6138 CPUs @ 2.0GHz, 20 cores each
• 768GB – 1.5TB of DDR4 memory @ 2666MHz
• 10x 10GbE SFP ports (5x dual-port 10GbE NICs) and 4x 1GbE ports
• 2x redundant power modules
Software Overview
• Flex software platform
o VxOS (based on RHEL)
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

o Veritas InfoScale (clustering)

o Core container technology (Cgroups, Namespaces, etc)
• Veritas Journaling File System (VxFS)

Not for Distribution.

1-20
Disk configuration

2 5 8 11
1 4 7 10
0 3 6 9
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

OS Volume Log Volume Hot Spare Not Populated

Disk
• Slots 0, 1 • Slots 2, 3 • Slots 5 – 11
• RAID 1 • RAID 1 (Mirror) • Slot 4
configuration

21

The compute node of Flex Appliance 5340 does not have an Internal disk space to store the
data. Instead, the Flex Appliance 5340 uses the Veritas 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf as the
main data storage device. The 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf connects to the Flex Appliance
5340 Compute Node and uses RAID 6 disk array technology to protect the stored data. RAID 6
is also known as double-parity RAID. It uses two parity stripes on each disk to protect data.
RAID 6 allows for two hard disk failures within the RAID disk array before any data is lost. If
additional data storage space is required, you can connect up to three Veritas 5U84
Expansion Storage Shelves to the existing 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf. The 5U84 Expansion
Storage Shelves connect to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf using SAS3 data cables. After
connecting the shelves, the disk drives in the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf use RAID 6 sets
that are controlled by the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf to protect the stored data. Veritas
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

does not support mixing 4TB and 8TB disk drives within a storage shelf.
The usable Flex 5340 Appliance 5U84 Storage Shelf storage capacities by disk drive
capacities are as follows:
Usable storage capacities (using 4-TB Drives) Usable storage capacities (using 8-TB
Drives)
240TB 480TB
480TB 960TB
720TB 1440TB
960TB 1920TB

Not for Distribution.

1-21
Flex 3340 Appliance software supports up to 916TBs of usable MSDP storage capacity when
using one MSDP storage pool. When multiple MSDP storage pools are used, you can use the
entire amount of usable storage capacity for MSDP storage, if desired. The total amount of
usable storage capacity depends on the number of storage shelves that are connected to the
Flex compute node.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-22
Back panel view

8 8 8
8 8
1 1 7 7
2 3 4 5 6 6 6 6
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Flex Appliance 5340 Back Panel Layout

1. Power modules 7. 16Gb FC HBAs
2. VGA port 8. 10GbE NICs
3. Serial port
4. USB ports
5. IPMI port
6. 1GbE ports

23

The rear panel of the appliance compute node has several access ports and other
features.
1. Power modules: Power Supply 1 and Power Supply 2 - Dual, redundant, and hot-
swappable power supply modules.
2. VGA port: DB-15 VGA monitor connector.
3. Serial port: Serial connection for Veritas Technical Support use only.
4. USB ports: Three stacked USB 3.0 Type A serial ports for general use.
5. IPMI port: An external RJ45 port used for appliance remote management
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

purposes.
6. 1GbE ports: eth0/NIC1 - A 1-GbE port copper connector that is reserved for use during
the initial configuration of the appliance. After completing the initial configuration, you
can connect NIC1 (eth0) to an administrative network that does not provide any backup
data transfer. Veritas does not support forming a NIC bond using eth0/NIC1 with other
eth/NIC ports. eth1/NIC 2 - A 1-GbE port copper connector that you can connect to an
administrative network to manage the Flex 5340 Appliance. eth2/NIC 3 - eth2 ports on
each of the 5340 compute nodes attach to each other using straight through or cross-
over cables. For example, eth2 on first compute node connects to eth2 of the second
compute node. eth3/NIC 4 -The eth3 ports on each of the 5340 compute nodes attach to
each other using straight through or cross-over cables. For example, eth3 on first
compute node connects to eth3 of the second compute node.
7. 16Gb FC HBAs: The QLE2592 dual-port 16Gb Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter
connects the appliance compute node to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf.

Not for Distribution.

1-23
8. 10GbE NICs: The QLE8442 is a dual-port 10GbE network interface card. It supports
simultaneous LAN (TCP/IP) and SAN (Fibre Channel over Ethernet [FCoE] and iSCSI) traffic at
10Gbps Ethernet (GbE) line rate speeds. The card also provides very low host CPU usage by
enabling full hardware offloads.
Veritas appliances may include grounding studs in case your lab environment has such a
requirement. The studs are located on the rear panel of the appliance. You can use standard
grounding practices to connect grounding wires to the studs. The serial number is located on
a vertical bar on the rear panel of the appliance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-24
Storage shelf characteristics

Primary
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Storage Shelf

Expansion
Storage
Shelves

5U84 Storage Shelf, next generation storage array, 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm
SAS-3 drives, 240 TiB/480 TiB capacity
Capacity values are calculated using Base2 (i.e. 1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776
bytes)

25

Veritas offers two external storage shelf models for the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340.
These include:
• Veritas 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf (required)
• Veritas 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf (optional)
Both of the 5U84 Storage Shelf chassis include a set of common internal core
components, along with a set of plug-in modules. The core components include:
• Two sliding disk drawers that contain Disk Drive In Carrier (DDIC) modules
• A front operations panel
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• A front bezel
• Mid-plane printed circuit boards (PCB) that interface with controllers on the 5U84
Primary Storage Shelf and the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf. In addition to the core
components, the storage shelves also incorporate the following plug-in modules:
• Two 16Gb Fibre Channel RAID controller modules (5U84 Primary Storage Shelf only)
• Two Storage Bay Bridge 2.1-compliant Expansion I/O controller modules (5U84
Expansion Storage Shelf only)
• Two power supply units (PSUs)
• Five fan modules
• Up to 84 Disk Drive In Carrier (DDIC) modules with drives installed
• A rail kit for rack mounting

Not for Distribution.

1-25
The 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf and the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf each use a 5U
chassis. Each chassis contains two sliding disk drive drawers that are located in the front of
the storage shelf. Each drawer holds 42 Disk Drive In Carrier (DDIC) modules. The DDIC
modules are installed in the drive drawer slots, which hold a total of 84 disk drives. Each
DDIC module holds SAS3, 7200 rpm hard disk drives, in either 4TB or 8TB capacities. The
disk drives and the DDIC modules are hot-swappable and can be replaced on-site while the
storage shelf is operational. Whether you use 4TB or 8TB disk drives in the storage shelves,
each storage shelf drawer must be populated with disk drives of the same capacities.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-26
Usable storage capacities using 8 TB disk drives

Half populated shelf Fully populated shelf

• 240 TiB (264 TB) • 480 TiB (528 TB)

4
STORAGE SHELVES

240 TiB 480 TiB 720 TiB 960 TiB 1,200 TiB 1,440 TiB 1,680 TiB 1,920 TiB
(264 TB) (528 TB) (792 TB) (1,056 TB) (1,320 TB) (1,583 TB) (1,847 TB) (2,111 TB)

27

In each storage shelf, two disk drives are used as global hot spares. Four of the disk drives
provide storage space for a dedicated RAID 10 metadata volume group. When 8TB disk
drives are used, the storage shelf provides 15.75TBs of metadata storage capacity. The
remaining disks are configured in a storage group that uses RAID 6 disk array technology.
These disks are used for MSDP and AdvancedDisk data storage purposes. Depending on
the storage configuration you purchase, the Flex Appliance 5340 storage system supports
up to 1,920TBs of usable data storage space.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-27
Usable storage capacities using 4 TB disk drives

Half populated Fully populated

shelf shelf
• 120 TiB (132 • 240 TiB (264
TB) TB)

4
STORAGE SHELVES

120 TiB 240 TiB 360 TiB 480 TiB 600 TiB 720 TiB 840 TiB 960 TiB
(132 TB) (264 TB) (396 TB) (528 TB) (660 TB) (792 TB) (912 TB) (1,056 TB)

28

In each storage shelf, two disk drives are used as global hot spares. Four of the disk drives
provide storage space for a dedicated RAID 10 metadata volume group. When 4TB disk
drives are used, the storage shelf provides 7.27TBs of metadata storage capacity. The
remaining disks are configured in a storage group that uses RAID 6 disk array technology.
These disks are used for MSDP and AdvancedDisk data storage purposes. Depending on
the storage configuration you purchase, the Flex Appliance 5340 storage system supports
up to 960TBs of usable data storage space.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-28
Detecting and provisioning newly added storage shelves

• The Flex platform allows users to detect and provision new storage shelves that
have been added to a Flex configuration
• Detection/provisioning done within Flex web user interface
• Possible after new shelves are properly racked and cabled
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

29

The Flex platform allows users to detect and provision new storage shelves that have been
added to a Flex configuration. Detection/provisioning is done within the Flex web user
interface. It is possible after new shelves are properly racked and cabled.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-29
Shelf drawers (front view with bezel)

DRAWER 1 (TOP)
Primary
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Storage Shelf

Expansion
Storage
Shelves
DRAWER 2 (BOTTOM)
5U84 Storage Shelf, next generation storage array, 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm
SAS-3 drives, 240 TiB/480 TiB capacity
Capacity values are calculated using Base2 (i.e. 1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776
bytes)

30

The 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf and the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf each use a 5U
chassis. Each chassis contains two sliding drawers that are accessible from the front of the
storage shelves. Each drawer holds 42 Disk Drive In Carrier (DDIC) modules. The DDIC
modules are installed in each of the drive drawer slots, which can hold a total of 84 disk
drives. Each DDIC module holds one 3.5" SAS3, 7200 rpm hard disk drive, in either 4TB or
8TB capacities. The disk drives and the DDIC modules are hot-swappable and can be
replaced on-site while the storage shelf is operational.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-30
Shelf drawers (bottom drawer, top view)

Storage Shelf Drawers

Configuration
• 2x drawers per storage shelf
• 42x drives per drawer, 84x drives
per shelf
• 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm SAS-3 drives
• SAS-3 host interface and internal
connection

31

The lengths of the Veritas 5U84 Storage Shelves are longer than what a standard IEC-
compliant rack normally supports. Due to the additional length, the rack-based PDU hardware
may need to be installed on the outside of the rack to accommodate the storage shelves.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-31
Shelf drawers (top drawer, top view)

Storage Shelf Drawers

Configuration
• 2x drawers per storage shelf
• 42x drives per drawer, 84x drives
per shelf
• 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm SAS-3 drives
• SAS-3 host interface and internal
connection

32

The lengths of the Veritas 5U84 storage shelves are longer than what a standard IEC-
compliant rack normally supports. Due to the additional length, the rack-based PDU
hardware may need to be installed on the outside of the rack to accommodate the storage
shelves. Each disk drive drawer in a 5U84 storage shelf is divided into three compartments.
The compartments contain the individual drive slots that hold the DDIC modules and the disk
drives. In the top drive drawer, the drive slots are numbered from left to right, beginning
with the first compartment that is closest to the front panel. The drive slots in this
compartment are numbered from 0 to 13. The drive slots in the second compartment are in
the middle of the drive drawer. These slots are numbered from14 to 27. The drive slots in
the third compartment are closest to the rear of the shelf. These slots are numbered from 28
to 41.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

In the bottom drive drawer, the drive slots are numbered from left to right, beginning with
the first compartment that is closest to the front panel. The drive slots in this compartment
are numbered from 42 to 55. The drive slots in the second compartment are in the middle of
the drive drawer. These slots are numbered from 56 to 69. The drive slots in third
compartment are closest to the rear of the shelf. These slots are numbered from 70 to 83.

Not for Distribution.

1-32
Volume layouts (bottom drawer)

Volume Layout
Bottom Drawer
Meta Volume
4 drives (2/drawer), RAID10
Hot Spare
2 drives (1/drawer)
Data2 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6
Data3 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6
Data6 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6

33

The volume layouts of the bottom drawer are displayed on the slide.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-33
Volume layouts (top drawer)

Volume Layout
Top Drawer
Meta Volume
4 drives (2/drawer), RAID 10
Hot Spare
2 drives (1/drawer)
Data1 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6
Data4 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6
Data5 Volume
13 drives, RAID 6

34

The volume layouts of the top drawer are displayed on the slide.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-34
Raid 6 provides high performance and data durability

RAID 6: Striping with dual parity

Volume

BLOCK A1 BLOCK A2 BLOCK A3 BLOCK Ap BLOCK Aq

BLOCK B1 BLOCK B2 BLOCK Bp BLOCK Bq BLOCK B3
BLOCK C1 BLOCK Cp BLOCK Cq BLOCK C2 BLOCK C3
BLOCK Dp BLOCK Dq BLOCK D1 BLOCK D2 BLOCK D3
BLOCK Eq BLOCK E1 BLOCK E2 BLOCK E3 BLOCK Ep

DISK 0 DISK 1 DISK 2 DISK 3 DISK 4

35

Raid 6 - striping with dual parity, provides high performance and data durability, as shown
on the slide.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-35
Back panel views of primary shelf (redundant RAID controllers)

Primary
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Storage
Shelf

5U84 Storage Shelf, next generation storage array, 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm
SAS-3 drives, 240 TiB/480 TiB capacity
Capacity values are calculated using Base2 (i.e. 1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776
bytes)

36

This section describes the rear components of the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf.
A. RAID Controllers : (from left to right) RAID Controller A, RAID Controller B
B. Fan modules: (from left to right) Fan Module 0, Fan Module 1, Fan Module 2, Fan
Module 3, and Fan Module 4
C. Power Supply Units: (from left to right) PSU 0, PSU 1
The 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf uses two Fibre Channel RAID controllers, which are located in
the top two slots of the back panel. The RAID controllers provide RAID data protection
technology for the data that is stored on the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf disk drives. The
RAID controllers also provide RAID data protection technology for the optional 5U84
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Expansion Storage Shelves that you connect to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf. Fiber optic
cables connect the 5340 Appliance compute nodes to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf
through the storage shelf's RAID controllers. Five high performance fan modules connect to
the storage shelf's midplane connector through the middle slots. Each fan module contains
two contra-rotating high performance fans, along with separate power and control circuits
for each internal fan. Two redundant Power Supply Units (PSUs) are located in the slots
beneath the fan modules. The 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf must have at least one functioning
RAID Controller to operate, one functioning power supply unit and four functioning fan
modules.

Not for Distribution.

1-36
Back panel views of expansion shelf
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Expansion
Storage
Shelves

5U84 Storage Shelf, next generation storage array, 4 TB/8 TB 7,200 rpm
SAS-3 drives, 240 TiB/480 TiB capacity
Capacity values are calculated using Base2 (i.e. 1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776
bytes)

37

This section describes the rear components of the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf.
A. Expansion I/O modules: (from left to right) Expansion I/O Module A, Expansion I/O
Module B
B. Fan modules: (from left to right) Fan Module 0, Fan Module 1, Fan Module 2, Fan
Module 3, and Fan Module 4
C. Power Supply Units: (from left to right) PSU 0, PSU 1
The 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf uses two Expansion I/O modules, which are located in the
top two slots of the back panel. The Expansion I/O modules provide SAS3 I/O data transfers
between the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf and the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf. The
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Expansion I/O modules also provide I/O data transfers between the first 5U84 Expansion
Storage Shelf and up to two additional 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelves. SAS3 cables
connect the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf to the 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf through the
5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf's Expansion I/O modules.
SAS3 cables are also used to daisy chain up to two additional 5U84 Expansion Storage
Shelves to the first 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf. Five high performance fan modules
connect to the storage shelf's midplane connector through the middle slots . Each fan
module contains two contra-rotating, high performance fans, along with the separate
power and control circuits for each internal fan. The device must have at least one
functioning RAID Controller, one functioning power supply module, and one functioning fan
module. Two redundant Power Supply Units (PSUs) are located in slots beneath the fan
modules. To operate, the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf must have at least one functioning
Expansion I/O module, one functioning PSU, and four functioning fan modules.

Not for Distribution.

1-37
Integrated redundancy features

Integrated Redundancy Features Integrated Redundancy Features

Server Nodes Storage Shelves
• Highly available architecture – 2x • Redundant RAID controllers (primary
server nodes in a cluster configuration storage shelf)
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Redundant power modules • Redundant power modules

• RAID 1 OS volume • RAID 6 data volumes
• RAID 1 log volume • RAID 10 metadata volumes
• Hot spare disk • Redundant disk power paths
• Redundant disk SAS signal paths
• Hot spare disks

38

The Integrated redundancy features of the Flex Appliance are listed on the slide.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-38
Power

Flex Appliance 5340

Power

Attribute Server Node Each Storage Shelf

Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

AC Power Requirements 220 VAC at 3.1 A 200–240 VAC at 6.67 A

100V–127 VAC
Operating Voltage 200V – 240 VAC
200V–240 VAC
AC Frequency Range 50Hz–60Hz 50Hz – 60Hz
Typical Power
300 watts 1000 watts
Consumption

39

With the required 5U84 Primary Storage Shelf, the compute node operates at 220 VAC at 3.1
A with C13 and C14 connectors. The storage shelves require 200 - 220 VAC at 6.67 A with C19
and C20 connectors.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-39
Rack mounting

Flex Appliance 5340

Rack Mounting

Attribute Details
19" EIA standard
Rack Information The rack rails that are provided for the 5340 Appliance
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

are extensible to 36" (914mm).

Server node:
Height: 8.89cm (3.5") (approximately 2U); width:
48.26cm (19"); depth: 79.38cm (31.25")
Dimensions (IEC Rack Storage Shelves:
Compliant) Height: 22.23cm (8.75") (approximately 5U - shelf,
overall); width: 48.26cm (19") (across the mounting
flange); length/depth: 93.35cm (36.75") (from rear of
the front flanges to the rear extremity of the chassis)

40

The rack-based PDU hardware may need to be installed on the outside of the rack to
accommodate the length (longer than normal) of the storage shelves. The rack rails that are
provided for the 5340 Appliance are extensible to 36" (914mm). This distance is the
maximum depth that is allowed between rack posts. If the distance between rack posts is
longer than 36" (914mm) the rails and the appliance cannot be properly installed.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-40
NetBackup 5340 vs Flex Appliance 5340 high-level comparison

Appliance 8Gb FC
CPU RAM Storage 10GbE (SFP) 1GbE I/O Options
Model (SFP)

• 120TB-1920TB • 0-8 ports • 2-10 ports

VERITAS • 5 options
• Shelf: • Depends • Depends available
NetBackup
• Xeon 6138 120/240/480TB upon upon
5340 • A/B/C/D/E
• 2x CPUs • 768GB- • 1-4 Shelves option option
(2.0GHz) 1.5TB • 4 ports
• 20 cores • DDR4
VERITAS each (40) • 240TB-1920TB • Option A
Flex Appliance • Shelf: 240/480TB • 0 ports • 10 ports • 5x 10GbE
5340 • 1-4 Shelves NICs

41

The NetBackup 5340 and Flex Appliance 5340 solutions include support for two server nodes
in a cluster configuration. The CPU, RAM, and I/O information in the table above is for one
server node only. For example, if a single server node includes 10x 10GbE (SFP) ports, a 2x
server node cluster configuration includes 20x 10GbE (SFP) ports (10 per server node).
NetBackup 5340 Appliance is positioned for data protection for demanding workloads. Flex
Appliance 5340 is positioned for flexibility, agility, and multitenancy.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-41
Flex Appliance 5340 rack unit height

Flex Appliance 5340

20
Rack Unit Heights
RACK UNITS

15 Maximum Capacity Shelves Height

1,920 TiB (2,111 TB) 4 24u
10
1,440 TiB (1,583 TB) 3 19u

5 960 TiB (1,056 TB) 2 14u

480 TiB (528 TB) 1 9u
0
Access 3340 NetBackup
Appliance 5340/Flex 5340
24u maximum height 24u maximum
height
42

The rack installation height is the space occupied by a storage shelf in a rack cabinet. The
shelf fits into a 5U rack space. Install the storage shelf in a rack cabinet that is 19 inches
(483mm) wide. The rack rails that are provided for the 5340 Appliance compute node are
extensible to 36” (91.44cm). This distance is the maximum depth that is allowed between
rack posts. If the distance between rack posts is longer than 36”
(91.44cm) the rails and the appliance cannot be properly installed. The Veritas 5U84 Primary
Storage Shelf and the 5U84 Expansion Storage Shelf are longer than what a standard IEC-
compliant rack normally supports. Due to the additional length, the rack-based PDU
hardware may need to be installed on the outside of the rack to accommodate the storage
shelves.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-42
Server node field replaceable units (FRUs)

1 3 3 3
2
3 3
4 4

Server Node FRUs

1. Chassis
2. RAM
3. 10GbE SFP NIC
4. 16Gb FC HBA

43

Server node field replaceable units (FRUs) include:

1. Chassis
2. RAM
3. 10GbE SFP NIC
4. 16Gb FC HBA
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-43
Server node customer replaceable units (CRUs)

1
1 1
2 2
1 1

Server Node CRUs

1. HDD (3.5”, 2 TB SAS)
2. Power modules

44

Server node customer replaceable units (CRUs) include:

1. HDD (3.5”, 2 TB SAS)
2. Power modules
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-44
Storage shelf field replaceable units (FRUs)

1 3
2 2 4 4

Primary Storage Shelf FRUs Expansion Storage Shelf FRUs

1. Chassis 3. Chassis
2. 16Gb FC/SAS RBOD I/O Module 4. SAS EBOD I/O Module

45

The Primary Storage Shelf FRUs include:

1. Chassis
2. 16Gb FC/SAS RBOD I/O Module
The Expansion Storage Shelf FRUs include:
3. Chassis
4. SAS EBOD I/O Module
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-45
Storage shelf customer replaceable units (CRUs)

2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5

1 4

3 3 6 6

Primary Storage Shelf CRUs Expansion Storage Shelf CRUs

1. 4 TB/8 TB HDD (shelf drawers) 4. 4 TB/8 TB HDD (shelf drawers)
2. Cooling Module 5. Cooling Module
3. Power Supply Unit 6. Power Supply Unit

46

The Primary Storage Shelf CRUs include:

1. 4 TB/8 TB HDD (shelf drawers)
2. Cooling Module
3. Power Supply Unit
The Expansion Storage Shelf CRUs include:
4. 4 TB/8 TB HDD (shelf drawers)
5. Cooling Module
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

6. Power Supply Unit

Not for Distribution.

1-46
Veritas Installation Services – pre-installation requirements

Customer Preparation – Hardware and Software

Hardware:
• Rack with space
•
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Networking ports
• Power
• Cables
Software:
• Necessary ports open
• Contiguous IPs

47

Veritas Installation Services – pre-installation requirements are listed on the slide.

Hardware:
• Rack with space
• Networking ports
• Power
• Cables

Software:
• Necessary ports open
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Contiguous IPs

Not for Distribution.

1-47
Topic: Flex Appliance 5340: Software

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the Flex Appliance platform software components.
• Describe Flex containers and their use.
• Describe application instances and the process to create them.
• Explain the Flex Appliance high availability architecture.

48

This is the Flex Appliance 5340: Software topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

1-48
Flex platform software components
Flex Appliance 5340 Container
Software Platform Images

• Includes Veritas proprietary software and Docker components

• Present on Flex Appliance server nodes
• Based on the Veritas InfoScale software suite
• Runs the Veritas Optimized Operating System (VxOS)
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Includes customized containerization to provide an ecosystem that can run many

discrete instances of NetBackup
• Volume management and the file system - Veritas Volume Manager (VxVM) and
Veritas File System (VxFS)
• Clustering support is provided with Veritas Cluster Server

49

Veritas Flex Appliances are based on the Veritas InfoScale software suite. The Flex Appliance
runs the Veritas Optimized Operating System (VxOS), which is a specially modified version
of Red Hat Linux Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It also includes customized containerization
software to provide an ecosystem that can run many discrete instances of NetBackup. The
Flex Appliance also includes Veritas proprietary software and Docker components. Volume
management and the file system are provided with Veritas Volume Manager (VxVM) and
Veritas File System (VxFS). Clustering support is provided with Veritas Cluster Server (VCS).
The Veritas Flex Appliance 5340 consolidates multiple data management solutions on a
resilient, scalable, fully integrated appliance. By incorporating container technology, the
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340 enables multitenancy, scalability, resiliency, and key
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

requirements for modern end users and partner customers. The Flex Appliance 5340
compliments the Veritas appliance family by offering a highly versatile solution for
customers looking for flexibility and customizability when deploying Veritas solutions in
their environment.

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Container technology

Container Technology

• Implementation: Container technology is optimized by Veritas, integrated into the

Flex platform, and orchestrated with VCS
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Single container per role: All components needed for each NetBackup role are
included in the associated application container image

Flex Appliance 5340 Container

Software Platform Images

50

A container is a standalone software run-time environment together with all of its

dependencies such as tools, libraries, and settings combined into a single package.
Containers unlike virtual machines do not include an operating system. Containers are
platform agnostic, lightweight, and can be run anywhere. Through the implementation of
container technology, the Flex Appliance 5340 abstracts Veritas software solutions from the
appliance’s enterprise hardware platform and operating system. NetBackup server instances
running as containers on a Flex Appliance 5340 are known as application instances.
Container technology is optimized by Veritas, integrated into the Flex platform, and
orchestrated with VCS. All components needed for each role are included in the associated
container image; for example, all NetBackup Master Server ‘parts and pieces’ are in the
Master Server container image. This abstraction allows each application instance to run
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

independently on the Flex Appliance 5340, without the overhead of requiring each
application instance to include its own operating system. The hardware compute resources
available in the Flex Appliance 5340 are automatically shared and balanced across the
application instances running on the Flex Appliance 5340.

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Default Flex Containers

Default Flex Containers (Infrastructure)

Webui Web GUI: Displays Flex GUI web console/interface
DEFAULT CONTAINER
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Mgmtserver Management Server: Application instance orchestration

DEFAULT CONTAINER and web UI operations
Authservice Authentication Server: Web logins and API tokens
DEFAULT CONTAINER

Registry Docker Registry Server: Provides application images to all

DEFAULT CONTAINER nodes
Flex Appliance 5340 Container
Software Platform Images

51

After configuring a Flex Appliance, the following containers are created by default. The
default Flex containers are:

• Web GUI (named webui) - Responsible for displaying the web interface

• Management server (named mgmtserver) - Responsible for application instance

orchestration and web UI operations

• Authentication server (named authservice) - Responsible for web logins and API
tokens
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Docker Registry server (named registry) - Responsible for providing application

images to all nodes

These default infrastructure container instances (also known as ‘infra services’) are
hosted on one Flex server node. If any individual infrastructure container instance fails,
all infrastructure container instances are failed over to the functional node.

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Container Instance Resource Utilization

Container Instance Resource Utilization

• Login to Docker Host (Flex server node) as hostadmin
• Run the following command at the [flex-shell] prompt:
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

show instance performance

NAME CID CPU MEM NET RX/TX IO R/W PIDS

authservice 3a51cebaf437 0% 4M/754.2G 2K/648B 0B/0B 10

autosupport D554f986dd7f 13% 2.77G/754.2G 114K/29K 0B/85M 1722
mgmtserver 9425ec43c74d 0% 4M/754.2G 1K/648B 523M/1023M 10
registry D08886c492e2 0% 6M/754.2G 995M/2M 0B/995M 41
webui ea2784e26b5e 0% 51M/754.2G 1007M/1002M 0B/0B 65

52

To check the resource utilization per container, you need to login onto the docker host (each
node in the cluster individually) as hostadmin. Then run the clish command:

[flex-shell] nbappxxx > show instance performance

This runs the “ctop” command in the background. The hostadmin also has root privileges to
run the docker command. So, you can also run “sudo /usr/bin/docker stats”.
However, to run the standard Linux commands, hostadmin does not have the privileges. In
Flex 1.2, customers would be able to elevate to root and run the commands from clish. In Flex
1.1, a direct root login into the Flex node is possible, but this is not recommended for the
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

customers.

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Container Instance Status

Container Instance Status

• Login to Docker Host (Flex server node) as hostadmin
• Run the following command at the [flex-shell] prompt:
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

show instance running-instances

NAME CID COMMAND STATUS PORTS

authservice 3a51cebaf437 “/usr/sbin/nginx –g” healthy 443, 80, 8443/tcp

autosupport D554f986dd7f “/bin/sh –c /VRTSapps” healthy 8080/tcp
mgmtserver 9425ec43c74d “/entrypoint.sh /etc/” healthy 5000/tcp
registry D08886c492e2 “/opt/veritas/applian” healthy 8081/tcp
webui ea2784e26b5e “/usr/sbin/init” healthy

53

Many instances ship with a default health check that will display the instance as unhealthy if it
fails. To display a list of running instances and their status, run the following command:

[flex-shell] > show instance running-instances

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Support NetBackup Application Versions

Supported NetBackup Application Versions

NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup Media Server

Version Master Server Media Server CloudCatalyst MSDP
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

7.7.3 
8.1    
8.1.1    
8.1.2    

54

The Flex Appliance 5340 supports NetBackup 7.7.3, 8.1, 8.1.1, and 8.1.2 containers. For
NetBackup 7.7.3, container support is limited to the Master Server role.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Images vs application instances

Images vs Application Instances

NetBackup 8.1 NetBackup 8.1.2
Container Image Container Image
• Docker images (container images) for
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

NetBackup application instances are

NetBackup 8.1 NetBackup 8.1.2
Master Server Master Server
provided by Veritas

NetBackup 8.1 NetBackup 8.1.2

• Images are static and immutable
Media Server MSDP Media Server
• Images can be used to quickly
NetBackup 8.1.2 provision NetBackup application
MSDP Media Server
instances
NetBackup 8.1.2
CloudCatalyst Server

55

Docker images for NetBackup application instances are provided by Veritas. Docker images are
static and immutable. These images can be used to quickly provision NetBackup application
instances. Supported application instances include:
• NetBackup Master Server
• NetBackup Media Server (including MSDP)
• NetBackup CloudCatalyst Server
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Application instances

• Created using the Flex web user interface NetBackup

Application Instance
• Built from static Docker container images
• Include persisted and non-persisted elements
Persisted data: includes elements such as the Master Server catalog, backup images, and configuration
settings
Non-persisted data: includes elements such as base NetBackup software, services, and binaries
• Abstraction of persisted elements from non-persisted elements helps simplify application instance
upgrades

56

You can create application instances from the System topology page of the Flex
Appliance Console. Navigate to the Application instances section and click Create
instance to open a new page that lets you create instances of the following
applications:

• NetBackup master server

• NetBackup media server with the following storage options:
• Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP)
• AdvancedDisk
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• CloudCatalyst
When you create a NetBackup instance, you need to complete additional configuration
steps from within the NetBackup. The NetBackup container instance configuration is done
via Flex Appliance console. It includes container network interface configuration,
NetBackup license key entry, and so on. Media Server/MSDP containers instance creation
and network interface configuration is done also via Flex Appliance console. During this
process the Media Server is connected to a Master Server by entering the server hostname.
Note: You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application
instance.

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Instance upgrade preparation and pre-check

NetBackup Instance NetBackup Image

Current version New version rpm

1. User uploads new application image rpm/s from Veritas to Flex repository
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

2. User selects a NetBackup application instance in Flex web user interface

3. Select ->
4. Upgrade page shows supported NetBackup versions; user selects target version
5. Optional button will analyze compatibility of running application
instance
Note: Additional inputs may be needed, such as a Smart Meter key (Master
Servers)

57

NetBackup application instances are upgraded to new versions using the Flex web user
interface. In many cases, the upgrades are fast and takes only few minutes to complete.
Post-upgrade operations may apply MSDP fingerprint conversions and so on. Standard
rules such as, upgrade the Master Servers before upgrading the Media Servers still apply.
Keeping the instance running will make sure the pre-check is run. If the instance is not
running, the pre-check will not occur. To upgrade an instance:

1. Upload the new application image rpm/s from Veritas to Flex repository.
2. Select a NetBackup application instance in Flex web user interface.
3. Selects Manage -> Upgrade instance
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

4. The Upgrade page shows the supported NetBackup versions. Select target
version.
5. The optional Pre-check button will analyze compatibility of running application
instance.

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Instance upgrade process

NetBackup Instance NetBackup Instance

Current version New version
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

1. Application instance being upgraded is stopped

2. Snapshots of data and configuration volumes created from application
instance being upgraded (not for log volume)
3. Storage pre-check is performed and new volumes – if needed – are
created
4. Upgraded instance is brought online
5. Application configuration on upgraded instance is performed

58

The instance is automatically rolled back if the upgrade process fails. The steps involved in
the upgrade are as follows:
1. Application instance that is being upgraded is stopped.
2. Snapshots of data and configuration volumes are created from the application
instance that is being upgraded (not for log volume).
3. The storage pre-check is performed and new volumes are created, if needed.
4. The upgraded instance is brought online.
5. Application configuration on upgraded instance is performed.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

If the precheck displays any error messages, resolve those issues before continuing with
the upgrade. If the upgrade fails for any reason, the instance automatically rolls back to the
previous version. You can find more detailed information on the failure in the Activity
Monitor. Resolve any issues before restarting the upgrade procedure.

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Text window (24 hours)

Text window (24 hours)

NetBackup Instance NetBackup Instance

Current version New version
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• After a successful upgrade, a 24-hour test window starts

• During this window, the Manage button for the upgraded instance
includes options to Commit or Rollback
• Selecting Commit removes references to old application instance and
snapshots
• After committing an upgrade, rollback is no longer possible
Note: After 24 hour window expires, upgrade is automatically committed

59

Once the upgrade has completed, the instance version remains in a pending state for the
next 24 hours. You must decide within that time period whether you want to commit to
the new version or roll back to the previous version.
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Recovering Flex Appliance storage and Application instances after a
disaster

• Application instances residing on Flex Appliance storage shelves can be

recovered if server nodes become corrupt
• Recovery is performed after server node is repaired or replaced
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• After server node recovery, storage shelves are checked for existing
data
• If data exists, users can import/recover application instances
Note: Flex storage shelf corruption is highly unlikely due to integrated
resiliency and redundancy features

60

The Application instances residing on the Flex Appliance storage shelves can be recovered if
the server node becomes corrupt. Recovery is performed after the server node is repaired
or replaced. After the server node recovery, storage shelves are checked for existing data. If
the data exists, then the users can import or recover the application instances. Flex storage
shelf corruption is highly unlikely due to the integrated resiliency and redundancy features.
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Instance Networking

61

Networking is configured via the Flex GUI while creating an application instance.
VLANs, VLAN tagging, and network bonds are supported. Network segregation is
achieved through the network configuration settings.
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Multiple Networks

NetBackup Clients

Network 1: 10.255.250.xx
Network 2: 10.255.251.xx
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup

Application instance Application instance Application instance

62

Multiple network connections can be configured for an individual application instance,

allowing instances to ‘be seen’ on multiple networks.
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Advanced networking

VLAN 2
VLAN 1

VLAN1 Traffic VLAN2 Traffic

Client Server Flex Appliance 5340 Client Server

VLANs, VLAN Tagging, Network Bonding

63

Advanced networking capabilities such as network interface bonding and VLANs are
supported by the application container instances. Application container instances and clients
can be logically separated within a physical network using VLANs and VLAN tags.
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Resource Management
NetBackup Container Instances

Flex Appliance 5340 Hardware Resources

64

Resources are distributed and balanced automatically among the application

container instances. A performance dashboard displays resource consumption
information at the container level.
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High availability architecture (1/3)

Ownership
Instance

HA Heartbeat
When functioning properly, both
cluster nodes are reachable.

Ownership
Instance

Flex Appliance 5340 Cluster

65

The Flex Appliance 5340 includes InfoScale Availability components enabling high
availability support. When configured with high availability, the Flex Appliance 5340
includes two server nodes in a cluster configuration. The server nodes communicate
through redundant, direct or cross-over 1GbE connections. When functioning properly,
both cluster nodes are reachable.
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High availability architecture (2/3)

Ownership
Instance
!
HA Heartbeat
If a node fails, application instances
are automatically moved to
functioning node.

Ownership
Instance

Flex Appliance 5340 Cluster

66

If a node fails, the Flex Appliance continues to operate if it is configured for high availability. In
this scenario, the container instances are moved to the functioning node and the Flex
Appliance continues to operate in a performance-degraded state until the faulty node is
repaired and the cluster is brought back online.
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High availability architecture (3/3)

Ownership
Instance
!
Application instance
movement is performed by
VCS and Docker via an Ansible
playbook.

Ownership
Instance

Flex Appliance 5340 Cluster

67

Container movement is performed by VCS and Docker via Ansible playbook. When a Flex
server node fails, container instances are automatically moved to the functioning node. The
movement is performed by the VCS and Docker via an Ansible playbook. Veritas Technical
Support should be engaged to facilitate repairing/replacing of a faulty node. The process for
‘failback’ after repairing/replacing the faulty node is manually done.
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Topic: Flex Appliance 5340 Management and Monitoring

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Describe the Flex Appliance interfaces.
• Describe Veritas AutoSupport Services.

68

This is the Flex Appliance 5340 Management and Monitoring topic.

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Flex appliance use and management

Direct Flex Appliance Use/Management

• Flex Web User Interface – Graphical user interface for the Flex Appliance;
accessible via a web browser
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Flex Shell – Command line secure shell for appliance setup, configuration,
and upgrades; manages individual server nodes
• IPMI – BIOS settings configuration, power on/off or power cycle, console
access, appliance reimaging

69

You can access the Flex Appliance to use or manage the appliance, using the
following:

• Flex Web User Interface – Graphical user interface for the Flex Appliance;
accessible via a web browser.

• Flex Shell – Command line secure shell for appliance setup, configuration, and
upgrades; manages individual server nodes.

• IPMI – BIOS settings configuration, power on/off or power cycle, console access,
appliance reimaging.
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Flex Web User Interface

Flex Web User Interface

• Flex web interface users have administrative privileges
• New users can be created, or they can be imported from Active Directory
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Users must login in order to access the Flex Appliance

• Information on managing users can be found here:
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/130821112-130821138-
0/v131293988-130821138

70

After you have configured Flex Appliance, you can sign in to the Flex Appliance
Console to use and manage the appliance software. To access the Flex Appliance
console:
1. Open a web browser on a system that has a network connection to the appliance. Flex
Appliance supports the following browsers:
• Google Chrome version 57 or higher
• Mozilla Firefox version 52 or higher
2. Navigate to https://console.domain, where console.domain is the fully qualified domain
name (FQDN) that you entered for the Flex Appliance Console during the initial
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

configuration. It can also be an IP address.

3. When you sign in for the first time, use the following default credentials:
• Username: admin
• Password: P@ssw0rd
The default password is well documented and available online. For security purposes,
Veritas recommends that you change the admin user password the first time you sign in.

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Flex Shell

Flex Shell
• Only a single user account exists for accessing the Flex Shell
• Account is: hostadmin
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Account has administrative privileges to operate command line tasks, such

as performing Flex platform upgrades

>_
71

You can use the Flex Appliance Shell to perform the initial configuration, monitor the
appliance hardware, and manage some of the settings. To access the Flex Appliance Shell,
open an SSH session to the appliance node and log in with the username hostadmin and the
password that you set during initial configuration. If you have not completed the initial
configuration yet, use the default password P@ssw0rd. When you log in for the first time,
the available commands are limited to those that you can run on an unconfigured
appliance. Complete the initial configuration to gain access to the rest of the command
options.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Veritas AutoSupport Services

• Infrastructures, processes, and systems that enhance the support experience for
customers
• Includes proactive monitoring of Veritas Appliance hardware and software
• Provides automated error reporting and support case creation

72

In today's world of expensive business downtime from unplanned interruptions, information

unavailability, and scheduled maintenance windows, Veritas is committed to simplify and
improve the support experience for its appliance customers. The Veritas AutoSupport
service aims to lower the customer total cost of ownership (TCO) through proactive
identification of issues, automated support case management, and guided workflow for
faster issue resolution. Veritas AutoSupport is a set of infrastructures, processes, and
systems that enhance the support experience through proactive monitoring of Veritas
Appliance hardware and software. AutoSupport also provides automated error reporting
and support case creation. AutoSupport correlates the Call Home data with other site
configuration data held by Veritas for technical support and error analysis. With
AutoSupport, Veritas greatly improves the customer support experience. Call Home
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

provides information regarding appliance component states and status. Call Home is
enabled by default.

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Veritas MyAppliance Portal

• Centralized registration and support experience

• Information store for Veritas Appliances
• View support cases, access knowledge base articles, register administrative contact and location
information

73

The MyAppliance web portal provides a centralized registration and support experience as
well as an Information Store for Veritas appliances. Within the portal, you can view support
cases and additional information about your appliances. You can also access the best practices
and additional knowledge base articles as well as register and maintain administrative contact
and location information for the appliances.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about the use, functionality, and benefits of the Flex Appliance 5340.
– In addition, you learned about the NetBackup Appliances family.
– You also learned about the Flex Appliance primary hardware and software components and the Flex
Appliance integrated redundancy features.
– Finally, you learned about the various Flex Appliance interfaces and the Veritas AutoSupport Services.
• Reference materials
– Veritas 5340 Appliance Product Description Guide
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
– http://www.veritas.com/support

74

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed on
the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-74
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

75

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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1-75
Question 1: Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction
Using the Flex Appliance, you can use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same
application instance.

A. True
B. False

76
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1-76
Answer 1: Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction
Using the Flex Appliance, you can use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same
application instance.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is B. You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application instance.

77
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Question 2: Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction
Which of the following is used for data protection in fully virtual deployments and
remote offices?

A. NetBackup Virtual Appliance

B. NetBackup 5340 Appliance
C. Flex Appliance 5340
D. Access 3340 Appliance

78
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Answer 2: Veritas Flex Appliance: Introduction
Which of the following is used for data protection in fully virtual deployments and
remote offices?

A. NetBackup Virtual Appliance

B. NetBackup 5340 Appliance
C. Flex Appliance 5340
D. Access 3340 Appliance

The correct answer is A. The NetBackup Virtual Appliance is used for data protection in fully virtual deployments and
remote offices.

79
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Question 3: Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware
The maximum usable Flex Appliance 5U84 Storage Shelf storage capacities using 4 TB
Drives is __________ .

A. 960TB
B. 980TB
C. 1440TB
D. 1920TB

80
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Answer 3: Flex Appliance 5340: Hardware
The maximum usable Flex Appliance 5U84 Storage Shelf storage capacities using 4 TB
Drives is __________ .

A. 960TB
B. 980TB
C. 1440TB
D. 1920TB

The correct answer is A. The maximum usable Flex 5340 Appliance 5U84 Storage Shelf storage capacities using 4-TB
Drives is 960TB.

81
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Question 4: Flex Appliance 5340: Software
Which of the following is not a part of the Flex Appliance software?

A. VxOS (based on RHEL)

B. Veritas InfoScale (clustering)
C. Veritas Resiliency Platform
D. Core container technology (Cgroups, Namespaces, etc)
E. Veritas Journaling File System (VxFS)

82
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Answer 4: Flex Appliance 5340: Software
Which of the following is not a part of the Flex Appliance software?

A. VxOS (based on RHEL)

B. Veritas InfoScale (clustering)
C. Veritas Resiliency Platform
D. Core container technology (Cgroups, Namespaces, etc)
E. Veritas Journaling File System (VxFS)

The correct answer is C. The following are part of the Flex Appliance software:
VxOS (based on RHEL), Veritas InfoScale (clustering), Core container technology (Cgroups, Namespaces, etc), and
Veritas Journaling File System (VxFS)

83
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1-83
Question 5: Flex Appliance 5340: Management and Monitoring
Only a single user account exists for accessing the Flex Shell.

A. True
B. False

84
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Answer 5: Flex Appliance 5340: Management and Monitoring
Only a single user account exists for accessing the Flex Shell.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. Only a single user account exists for accessing the Flex Shell.

85
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Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 02: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Understanding Flex Appliance Containers lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance
5340: Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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2-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the second lesson in this course.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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2-2
Lesson objectives

Topic Objective

Container fundamentals Explain the basics of the Flex Appliance container technology.

Docker Basics Explain Docker technology and virtualized Docker containers.

Flex Appliance 5340: Container Describe how to implement containers in the Flex Appliance 5340.
implementation

Running NetBackup in a container: List the benefits of running NetBackup instances in containers on a
Advantages Flex Appliance 5340.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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2-3
Topic: Container fundamentals

After completing this topic, you will be able to explain the basics of the Flex
Appliance container technology.

This is the Container Fundamentals topic.

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2-4
What is a container?

Libraries
Runtime

Settings
What is a Container?

Tools
Code

• Standalone software run-time environment and

dependencies combined into a single package
Container • Does not include a base operating system
• Designed to be platform agnostic; able to be run anywhere
Operating System • Usually comparatively small/lightweight
Hardware Platform • Commonly associated with Docker

Application mobility is a common problem faced by software developers. An application that

successfully runs in one environment, may not successfully run in another because of the
differences in the new environment's hardware, network configuration, or OS platform. A
container is a standard unit of a software that packages the code and all its dependencies so
that the application runs quickly and reliably from one environment to another. Several
containerization solutions have come into existence over the years and one of the most
widely used container software packages today is Docker. The Veritas Flex Appliance provides
container support through use of Docker containerization. A Docker container image is a
lightweight, standalone, and executable package of software that includes everything needed
to run an application such as code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings.
Containers are available for both Linux and Windows based applications. Containers isolate
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

software from its environment and ensure that it works uniformly despite the differences in
the environment.

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Benefits of using containers in a Veritas Flex Appliance

Container Container Container What are the Benefits of Containers?

Container Container Container

• Operational reliability when moved from
location/environment to another
Container Container Container
• Increased modularity
Container Container Container • Simplicity
• Application/process isolation
Operating System
• Improved security
Hardware Platform
• Faster startup and shutdown

Docker containers that run on the Docker engine are an industry standard and hence these
containers are portable anywhere. A container software runs directly on the operating system
of the host system. There is no hypervisor or guest OS layer to install or configure; it is just the
container software running on the host system’s operating system. As a result, containers start
up quicker and are easier to replicate and deploy. Since the containers share the host system’s
operating system kernel, they do not need an operating system per application. This increases
the server’s efficiency and reduces the server and licensing costs.
Containers provide a lightweight, secure environment to run standardized versions of
NetBackup software. Containerization of NetBackup enables administrators to quickly and
easily scale NetBackup’s powerful data protection capabilities to many customers on
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

commodity hardware. With no hypervisor, operating systems or NetBackup to install, new

instances of NetBackup can be deployed within minutes versus days. NetBackup media and
master servers as well as CloudCatalyst servers can be created to provide NetBackup services
to an array of discrete customer needs, all on one, highly flexible appliance. The administrator
can do this through a streamlined administration console, choosing specific NetBackup server
roles and versions from a list of available choices. The appliance runs on a specialized and
highly customized operating system that is developed by Veritas. The software and the
operating system are packaged to run within the containers, on hardware that is optimized for
the task.

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How containers are different from virtual machines

Container Container Container • Key difference is the lack of an operating system within a
Container Container Container container

Operating System • Containers are designed to be lightweight, portable, agile,

and in some cases, disposable
Hardware Platform
• By comparison, VMs are full computing instances, and
include a guest operating system
Virtual • Container vs VMs (Docker blog):
Machine https://blog.docker.com/2016/03/containers-are-not-vms/
Guest Operating System

Hypervisor

Hardware Platform

Containers and virtual machines have similar resource isolation and allocation benefits, but
function differently because containers virtualize the operating system instead of hardware.
Containers are more portable and efficient.
• Containers: Containers are an abstraction at the application layer and packages code and
dependencies together. Multiple containers can run on the same machine and share the
OS kernel with other containers, each running as isolated processes in a user space.
Containers take up less space than VMs (container images are typically tens of MBs in size),
can handle more applications, and require fewer VMs and operating systems.
• Virtual Machines: Virtual machines (VMs) are an abstraction of physical hardware turning
one server into many servers. The hypervisor allows multiple VMs to run on a single
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

machine. Each VM includes a full copy of an operating system, the application, necessary
binaries and libraries - taking up tens of GBs. VMs can also be slow to boot.

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2-7
Can containers be used with virtual machines?

Virtual Machine • Virtual machine technology and container technology can be

used together
Container Container Container

Container Container Container

• For example, a virtual machine can house the Docker host
platform and containers
Operating System
• Applies to most virtual technologies such as VMware and
Hardware Platform Hyper-V
• Container and VMs together (Docker blog):
 VMware vSphere https://blog.docker.com/2016/04/containers-and-vms-together/
 Microsoft Hyper-V
 AWS EC2

Containers and virtual machines when used together provide a great deal of flexibility in
deploying and managing applications. vSphere VMs, Hyper-V VMs, and AWS-ECS instances can
all be used as Docker hosts. Even though the application runs in a docker container, it can still
interact with the VM-based services. The virtual host can host virtual machines, which can in
turn contain Docker hosts. At the same time, the virtual host can also have traditional virtual
machines. By combining virtual machines and containers, the system administrators can get
the maximum utilization out of their physical hardware.
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Container states

Container Instance
Container Images vs Container Instances
Persisted Data
Configuration settings, data
Container Images:
Non-persisted Data
Application base, services • Static and immutable; similar to an VM OVF template
Container Instances:
• Active; launched from container images; include persisted
and non-persisted elements
Container
Persisted data: generated during runtime operations
Image
Non-persisted data: base components, services, and
binaries from container image

A Docker image is built up from a series of layers. Each layer represents an instruction in the
image’s Docker file. Each layer except the very last one is read-only. Each layer is only a set of
differences from the layer before it. The layers are stacked on top of each other. When you
create a new container, you add a new writable layer on top of the underlying layers. This
layer is often called the container layer. All changes made to the running container, such as
writing new files, modifying existing files, and deleting files, are written to this thin writable
container layer. The major difference between a container and an image is the top writable
layer. All writes to the container that add new or modify existing data are stored in this
writable layer. When the container is deleted, the writable layer is also deleted. The
underlying image remains unchanged. Because each container has its own writable container
layer, and all changes are stored in this container layer, multiple containers can share access to
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the same underlying image and yet have their own data state.
Active, running versions of an application container are referred to as instances. An
application container instance includes both persisted and non-persisted elements, allowing
for simplified upgrades of container instances while preserving critical data elements created
during runtime operations. During an upgrade event, a new application container instance is
generated from an updated application container image, and persisted data elements from
the old application container instance are linked to the new application container instance.
Persisted data includes elements such as the Master Server catalog, backup images, and
configuration settings. Non-persisted data includes elements such as base NetBackup
software, services, and binaries.

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Topic: Docker Basics

After completing this topic, you will be able to explain Docker technology
and virtualized Docker containers

10

This is the Docker Basics topic.

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2-10
What is Docker?

• Open platform for developers and sysadmins to build,

ship, and run distributed applications, whether on
laptops, data center VMs, or the cloud
• Company driving the container movement and the only
container platform provider to address every application
across the hybrid cloud

11

Docker is a software platform that allows you to build, test, and deploy applications quickly.
Docker packages software into standardized units called containers that have everything the
software needs to run including libraries, system tools, code, and runtime. Using Docker, you
can quickly deploy and scale applications into any environment and know your code will run.
Docker is installed on each server and provides simple commands you can use to build, start,
or stop containers.
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2-11
What is container orchestration?

Container Container Container • Tools for managing how multiple containers are created
and upgraded
Container Container Container
• Controls how containers are connected to build larger
Container Container Container applications
• Important to DevOps teams who integrate containers into
Container Container Container
CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous
Delivery)workflows
Operating System
• Not yet implemented in Flex 5340
Hardware Platform

12

Applications are typically made up of individually containerized components (often called

microservices) that must be organized at the networking level in order for the application
to run as intended. The process of organizing multiple containers in this manner is known
as container orchestration. While platforms like Apache Mesos, Google Kubernetes, and
Docker Swarm each have their own specific methodologies for container management, all
container orchestration engines allow users to control when containers start and stop,
group them into clusters, and coordinate all of the processes that compose an application.
Container orchestration tools allow users to guide container deployment and automate
updates, health monitoring, and failover procedures. Container orchestration is not
implemented in Veritas Flex 5340.
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Topic: Flex Appliance 5340: Container implementation

After completing this topic, you will be able to describe how to implement
containers in the Flex Appliance 5340.

13

This is the Flex Appliance 5340: Container implementation topic.

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Flex Appliance 5340 overview

Flex Appliance 5340: Resilient, Scalable, Fully Integrated

• Consolidates multiple data management offerings on a resilient, scalable,

Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

fully integrated solution

• Through container technology, multiple NetBackup roles can run on a single
appliance
• For example, a single Flex Appliance can host multiple Media Servers
enabled for deduplication (MSDP)

14

Veritas Flex Appliance is a customizable data management solution that lets you consolidate
multiple applications on a single hardware platform. With Flex Appliance, you can run
concurrent instances of the following roles:
• NetBackup master server
• NetBackup media server with:
o Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP)
o Advanced Disk
o CloudCatalyst
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2-14
Comparing NetBackup Appliances and the Flex Appliance 5340

NetBackup Appliances vs Flex Appliance

NetBackup Appliances
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Each NetBackup 5240 or 5340 Appliance hosts a single NetBackup role:

Master, Media, or combined Master/Media
Flex Appliance
• A Flex Appliance can host multiple NetBackup roles in individual containers
• A single Flex Appliance could host a Master Server and multiple Media
Servers, or even multiple NetBackup domains

15

Deploying a NetBackup Server can be a time-intensive process for administrators. If mistakes

are made during the initial deployment, starting over can aggravate this problem. With the
Veritas Flex Appliance, new NetBackup Servers can be deployed in few minutes. If mistakes
are encountered, removing NetBackup Servers and redeploying them is just as easy. In
addition, NetBackup Servers can be deployed in almost any configuration on a Flex
Appliance, including different NetBackup versions, different NetBackup roles, and even
multiple NetBackup domains. The NetBackup application container instances running on a
Flex Appliance 5340 solution are individual, isolated, and secure instances of Veritas
NetBackup software. Through network configuration features, individual application
container instances or application container instance groups also known as tenants, can be
configured with full multitenancy, securing and segregating data, and network traffic.
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2-15
Flex Appliance and containers

NetBackup Domain 1 NetBackup Domain 2

Container instances Container instances

DATA & NETWORK SEGREGATION

NetBackup Master Server NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Master Server
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

Administration Deduplication (MSDP) Administration

NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Media Server NetBackup Media Server

CloudCatalyst Deduplication (MSDP) Deduplication (MSDP)

Flex Appliance 5340 Software Platform Immutable container images

Flex Appliance 5340 Hardware Platform

16

Historically, the administrators who wanted to deploy the NetBackup data protection services
would take a “build your own” (BYO) approach to build and deploy the solution. This means
building a backup infrastructure from scratch; the server hardware, the operating system, and
then installing NetBackup on top of it all. Administrators who wanted to virtualize NetBackup
within a VM had even more work to do with setting up the hypervisor and another operating
system.
With the advent of NetBackup Appliances and Virtual Appliances, a lot less of the software
installation and configuration is left for the Backup Administrator to perform. NetBackup
Appliances already include an optimized version of NetBackup as well as a highly tuned
operating system running on a dedicated and performant hardware. The concept of running
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

discrete instances of NetBackup within secured containers takes this idea even further and
allows more instances of NetBackup to be converged onto the same hardware. Containers
provide a lightweight, secure environment to run standardized versions of NetBackup
software. Containerization of NetBackup enables administrators to quickly and easily scale
NetBackup’s powerful data protection capabilities to many customers on commodity
hardware. With no hypervisor, operating systems or NetBackup to install, new instances of
NetBackup can be deployed within minutes versus days. NetBackup media and master servers
as well as CloudCatalyst servers can be created to provide NetBackup services to an array of
discrete customer needs, all on one, highly flexible appliance. The administrator can do this
through a streamlined administration console, choosing specific NetBackup server roles and
versions from a list of available choices. The appliance runs on a specialized and highly
customized operating system that has also been developed by Veritas. The software and the
operating system are packaged to run within the containers, on hardware that has been
optimized for the task.

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Container upgrades

Upgrading Container Instances

• Original container instance is shut down, new instance based on the new
container image is started
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Persisted data is mounted to the upgraded container instance

NetBackup 8.1 NetBackup 8.1.1

Master Server Instance Master Server Instance

Flex Appliance 5340 Software Platform

Flex Appliance 5340 Hardware Platform

17

Upgrading container instances in the Veritas Flex appliance is very easy. The original container
instance is shutdown and the new instance based on the new container image is started.
Persisted data is mounted to the upgraded container instance.
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2-17
Topic: Running NetBackup in a container: Advantages

After completing this topic, you will be able to list the benefits of running
NetBackup instances in containers on a Flex Appliance 5340.

18

This is the Running NetBackup in a container: Advantages topic.

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2-18
Container isolation and security

19

When providing NetBackup services to a discrete set of customers using a single platform,
administrators need to be able to protect their customers by isolating them from one
another. Flex uses the container isolation and security technology to ensure that the users
are kept separate from one another when using different instances of NetBackup on a
single appliance. Between the kernel features built into VxOS and tight control over the
network access to the container, consumers of NetBackup services are effectively firewalled
from one another. Isolation and security for containers comes from several important
features of VxOS.

• Kernel support for namespaces

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Kernel support for control groups (cgroups)

• Kernel support for Secure Computing Mode (seccomp)
• Container network Isolation

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Namespaces

Container
Container Container Container
pid
net
Container Container Container
ipc
mnt
Operating system uts
cgroups
Hardware Platform container
namespace

20

Namespaces is a technology that provides isolated workspaces called containers. When a

container is executed, a set of namespaces for that container are created. These namespaces
provide a layer of isolation. Each aspect of a container runs in a separate namespace and its
access is limited to that namespace. Namespaces ensure that a group of processes only sees
its own set of assigned resources while another group of processes only has access to its own,
discrete services. Neither group of processes can see the resources assigned to the other. It is
using namespaces that process isolation is provided to containers.
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2-20
Control groups

Container
Container Container Container
pid
net
Container Container Container
ipc
mnt
Operating system uts
cgroups
Hardware Platform container
namespace

21

Control groups (or cgroups) is another technology that limits an application to a specific set of
resources. Control groups allow the Docker Engine to share available hardware resources with
the containers and optionally enforce limits and constraints. For example, you can limit the
memory, CPU, disk, I/O, and networking available to a specific container. The use of cgroups
protects an appliance from going down in case a container consumes all available resources
on the physical system. Though cgroups do not provide direct security for the containers, they
can be used as a defend against denial of service attacks on the appliance.
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2-21
Secure computing mode

Restricts the actions available within a container

Secure
computing
mode (seccomp)
Limits the system calls a process can make through secure one-way
transactions.

22

The secure computing mode or seccomp is a kernel feature that restricts the actions available
within the container. The seccomp feature limits the system calls a process can make through
secure, one-way transactions. The Veritas Flex appliance makes use of seccomp and controls
the security of the NetBackup containers running on the Flex appliances through a seccomp
profile. Each profile represents a list of privileged system calls that are blocked within the
container.
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2-22
Container network isolation

Container Container Container

Container Container Container

Operating system

Hardware Platform

23

Containers are isolated from each other and the outside world until they are connected
through a network. The way that a container receives network support is through using
network drivers. Flex Appliances use the Macvlan network stack to provide the networking
services to the containers. What makes the Macvlan driver especially useful for a container is
that a unique media access control address (MAC address) is assigned to each container, and
each MAC address is bound directly to the physical network interface. This provides external
connectivity to and from the containers as well as network isolation between them. Macvlan
is used because it provides the best network isolation for containers and allows NetBackup to
use an actual IP address.
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2-23
Multiple software versions

https://vems.community.veritas.com/vems/login

24

Different versions of an OS or application software can be made available to the container.

OS functions are virtualized and provided as services to each container. Software can also be
virtualized and provided to the container as services or as full applications. Each service and
application provide the same, consistent service to every container on the system. The Flex
Appliance runs the same full versions of NetBackup within each container that can be
purchased separately for a BYO system.
Adding support for multiple versions of NetBackup is easy with a Flex Appliance. It is done
by using a web browser to log onto the Veritas Entitlement Management System (VEMS)
web site. On the web site, RPM files specific to the version of NetBackup that you want to
run can be downloaded. Currently supported images that can be added to the repository
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

are:
• NetBackup 7.7.3
o NBU Master Server only
• NetBackup 8.1
o NBU Master Server
o NBU Media Server
• NetBackup 8.1.1 and NetBackup 8.1.2
o NBU Master Server
o NBU Media Server
The VEMS web site can be accessed here: https://vems.community.veritas.com/vems/login

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2-24
Many virtual NBU systems running on one piece of hardware
• Flex Appliances consolidate multiple NetBackup servers onto a single platform

Server Nodes
NetBackup NetBackup
Master Server Media Server
Storage Shelf

NetBackup NetBackup
Media Server CloudCatalyst
Storage Shelf

Master Server Media Server Media Server CloudCatalyst

Standalone NetBackup Servers Flex 5340 Application Instances

• Servers provisioned manually  Servers provisioned almost instantly

• Servers provisioned on separate hardware  Servers provisioned as virtualized Docker
• Servers provisioned with separate operating containers
systems  Converged, enterprise hardware platform resources
• Servers configured and managed separately shared by container instances
• Redeploying servers is non-trivial  Integrated high availability, redundancy features
25

Since each container is provided OS services, a full OS or version of the application is not
needed. Containers are more flexible, and it is therefore easy to scale an appliance to include
many containers on the same hardware platform. When NetBackup containers are deployed,
they will perform consistently across the same physical appliance. Several NetBackup roles
are available within the container and a single Flex Appliance can provide the following
enterprise-wide data protection services to one or more customers:

• NetBackup master server

• NetBackup media server with: o Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP)
o Advanced Disk
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

o CloudCatalyst
Note: Only the NBU Master Server role is available in the NetBackup 7.7.3 image.

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2-25
Easy to deploy

26

Creating a new NetBackup instance can be started right from the Flex Appliance console.
There is relatively little configuration to perform beyond providing the networking and storage
information to be used by the NBU instance and the configuration is performed using a
streamlined software interface.
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2-26
Easy to test new software versions

27

Backup administrators often test new software versions prior to deploying them in service.
This can often mean that the administrator must locate physical hardware or a virtual
machine on which to run the software; and then, the administrator still needs to install an
operating system and software and then configure it all. Flex totally streamlines this process
and enables backup administrators to rapidly bring new versions of NetBackup online for
testing almost as soon as the RPM package is downloaded into the appliance.
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2-27
Separation of administration

28

A single Flex Appliance can run many NetBackup instances within unique NBU domains.
Each instance is almost a like a discrete appliance and is managed directly using the
NetBackup Remote Administration Console. Role Based Access Control
(RBAC) is used within each NetBackup domain to grant privileges to NetBackup
administrators. Support for RBAC began with NetBackup version 8.1.2. Container and
network isolation prevent unauthorized access to the container from other customers and
users.
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2-28
Lesson summary

• Key points
– This is lesson you learned about the basics of containers and Docker.
– In addition, you learned how to implement containers using the Flex Appliance 5340.
– Finally, you learned about running NetBackup in containers and its advantages.
• Reference materials
– Veritas Flex Appliance Product Page: https://www.veritas.com/product/backup-and-recovery/flex-
appliance
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/doc/130821112-132517531-0/index
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide Release 1.2
– http://www.veritas.com/support

29

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed
on the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
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2-29
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

30

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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2-30
Question 1: Container fundamentals
What is a Container?

A. Standalone software run-time environment

B. Same as Virtual Machines
C. Include an operating system
D. Platform Dependent

31
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2-31
Answer 1: Containers fundamentals
What is a Container?

A. Standalone software run-time environment

B. Same as Virtual Machines
C. Include an operating system
D. Platform Dependent

The correct answer is A. Container is a standalone software run-time environment and its dependencies combined into
a single package.

32
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2-32
Question 2: Docker Basics
What is Docker?

A. A containerization platform
B. Open-source project for automating the deployment of applications
C. Portable, self-sufficient containers
D. All of above

33
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2-33
Answer 2: Docker Basics
Question: What is Docker

A. A containerization platform
B. Open-source project for automating the deployment of applications
C. Portable, self-sufficient containers
D. All of above

The correct answer is D. Docker is a containerization platform that packages applications and all its dependencies
together in the form of a docker container to ensure that your application works seamlessly in any environment.

34
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2-34
Question 3: Flex Appliance 5340: Container implementation
Container implementation in Flex Appliance is based on?

A. Multiple instances
B. Data management on distributed solution
C. Container technology
D. Multiple container instances running on multiple appliances

35
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2-35
Answer 3: Flex Appliance 5340: Container implementation
Container implementation in Flex Appliance is based on?

A. Multiple instances
B. Data management on distributed solution
C. Container technology
D. Multiple container instances running on multiple appliances

The correct answer is C. Flex Appliance 5340 uses optimized container technology. It allows multiple data
management solutions to be consolidated as individual application container instances running on a single
appliance.

36
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2-36
Question 4: Running NetBackup in a container: Advantages
With no hypervisor and no operating systems or NetBackup to install, new instances of
NetBackup can be deployed in short time.

A. True
B. False

37
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2-37
Answer 4: Running NetBackup in a container: Advantages
With no hypervisor and no operating systems or NetBackup to install, new instances of
NetBackup can be deployed in short time.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is True. With no hypervisor, operating systems or NetBackup to install, new instances of NetBackup
can be deployed within minutes versus days. Containerization of NetBackup enables administrators to quickly and easily
scale NetBackup’s powerful data protection capabilities to many customers on commodity hardware.

38
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2-38
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2-39
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 03: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex

Appliance

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance lesson in the Veritas Flex
Appliance 5340 Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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3-1
Lesson introduction

1. Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

2. Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
3. Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
4. Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
5. Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
6. Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
7. Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
8. Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
9. Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the third lesson in this course.

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3-2
Lesson objectives
Topic Objective

Setting up the Veritas Flex Appliance • List the initial configuration guidelines and perform an initial configuration of
the Flex Appliance.
• List the benefits of using a multi-node appliance deployment and add a
second node to a existing node.

Accessing and using the Flex Appliance • Access and navigate the Flex Appliance Shell.
Shell
Accessing and using the Flex Appliance • Access and navigate the Flex Appliance Console.
Console

Troubleshooting Flex Appliance Web • Perform basic troubleshooting for some common Flex Appliance Web
Console errors Console issues.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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3-3
Topic: Setting up the Veritas Flex Appliance

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• List the initial configuration guidelines and perform an initial
configuration of the Flex Appliance.
• List the benefits of using a multi-node appliance deployment and add a
second node to a existing node.

This is the Setting up the Veritas Flex Appliance topic.

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3-4
Initial configuration guidelines and checklist (1/2)
Parameter Description

Network Cabling The following ports must be connected to the network for initial configuration:
• IPMI
• host1 or host0 (labeled ETH0 and ETH1 on the node)
• privnic1 and privnic0 (multi-node appliances only, labeled ETH2 and ETH3 on the nodes)
• One to ten 10Gb NICs per node

Connectivity during The computer that you use to configure the appliance should be set up to avoid the
initial configuration following events:
• Conditions that cause the computer to go to sleep
• Conditions that cause the computer to turn off or to lose power
• Conditions that cause the computer to lose its network connection

Required names Before the configuration, gather the following information:

and addresses • Hostname and IP address for the Flex Appliance Console
• Hostname and IP address for each node in the appliance
• Default gateway, Netmask, DNS server IP address, DNS domain, and Search domain

The table on this slide lists the Flex Appliance configuration guidelines.
Network Cabling: The following ports must be connected to the network for initial
configuration:
• IPMI
• host1 or host0 (labeled ETH0 and ETH1 on the node)
• privnic1 and privnic0 (multi-node appliances only, labeled ETH2 and ETH3 on the nodes)
• One to ten 10Gb NICs per node
Connectivity during initial configuration: The computer that you use to configure the
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

appliance should be set up to avoid the following events:

• Conditions that cause the computer to go to sleep
• Conditions that cause the computer to turn off or to lose power
• Conditions that cause the computer to lose its network connection
Required names and addresses: Before the configuration, gather the following
information:
• Hostname and IP address for the Flex Appliance Console
• Hostname and IP address for each node in the appliance
• Default gateway, Netmask, DNS server IP address, DNS domain, and Search domain

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3-5
Initial configuration guidelines and checklist (2/2)
Parameter Description

Default username New appliances are shipped with the following default login credentials:
and password • Username: hostadmin
• Password: P@ssw0rd

Firewall port usage Make sure that the following ports are open if a firewall exists between the appliance and
the network:
• 22 (SSH) must be allowed to each node
• 443 (HTTPS) must be allowed to the Flex Appliance Console

Default username and password: New appliances are shipped with the following
default login credentials:
• Username: hostadmin
• Password: P@ssw0rd
Firewall port usage: Make sure that the following ports are open if a firewall exists
between the appliance and the network:
• 22 (SSH) must be allowed to each node
• 443 (HTTPS) must be allowed to the Flex Appliance Console
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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3-6
Performing initial configuration

Access the Flex

Review the initial Log in to the Flex
Appliance Shell from
configuration Appliance Shell with Configure the host
the Veritas Remote
guidelines and the default network
Management
checklist credentials
Interface

Change the Add hostname

Set the date and
hostadmin resolution
time for the Configure the Flex
password from the information to the
appliance (if Appliance Console
known default appliance Hosts
required)
password file (if required)

To configure the Flex Appliance:

1. Review the initial configuration guidelines and checklist to make sure that you have all the
necessary information to complete the configuration.
2. Log in to the Veritas Remote Management Interface using the default credentials and
change the sysadmin password from the known default password.
3. Access the Flex Appliance Shell from the Veritas Remote Management Interface and log
in to the Flex Appliance Shell with the default credentials. A welcome message is
displayed in the Flex Appliance Shell with the available commands setup and system.
4. Run the setup configure-network command and follow the prompts to enter
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the host network information to configure the host network. Note: To bypass DNS for
specific hosts, add the hostname resolution information to the appliance Hosts file.
5. Run the setup configure-console command and follow the prompts to enter
the console network information to configure the Flex Appliance Console. Depending on
the number of storage shelves that are connected to the appliance, this step may take up
to 15 minutes. When it is complete, the shell refreshes with new command options.
6. Run the set user password command and follow the prompts to change the
hostadmin password from the known default password.
7. Optionally, run the set date command to set the date and time for the appliance.
For single-node appliance deployments, the initial configuration process is now complete.

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3-7
Adding a node
Flex Appliance supports up to two nodes on the Veritas 5340 Appliance. You can add a second node during
initial configuration or any time after.
Node 1
Increased efficiency with a shared
workload

Automatic failover for a single-

node failure
Node 2

Adding a second node consists of the following tasks:

Perform the host network Complete the initial
configuration on the new node. configuration on the new node.

From the existing node, add the

new node to the appliance.

Flex Appliance supports up to two nodes on the Veritas 5340 Appliance. A multi-node
appliance provides the following benefits:
• Increased efficiency with a shared workload.
• Automatic failover for a single-node failure.
You can add a second node during initial configuration or any time later. Adding a
second node consists of the following tasks.
• Perform the host network configuration on the new node.
• From an existing node, run the following command to add the new node to the
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

appliance:
setup add-node with-response new_node=<hostname>, where
<hostname> is the hostname of the node that you want to add.
Note: Do not perform any other tasks on the appliance until the add-node
operation is complete.

• Complete the initial configuration on the new node.

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3-8
Topic: Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell

After completing this topic, you will be able to access and navigate the Flex
Appliance Shell.

This is the Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell topic.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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3-9
Accessing the Flex Appliance Shell
The Flex Appliance Shell can be used to perform the initial configuration, monitor the appliance hardware, and manage
some of the settings.

To access the Flex Appliance Shell, open an SSH session to the appliance node and log in with the username hostadmin
and the password that you set during initial configuration or use the default password if the initial configuration is not
yet complete.

10

The Flex Appliance is shipped with default users for the Flex Appliance Console, the Flex
Appliance Shell, and the NetBackup application instances. The following list describes the
default users and their functions:

• The admin user: This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Console. Use this user
to sign in to the console for the first time.
• The hostadmin user: This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Shell. Use this user
to perform the initial configuration and for any other tasks that involve the shell.
• The appadmin user: This user is the default user for all of your NetBackup application
instances. Use this user to open SSH sessions to the instances. The appadmin user has the
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

NetBackup security administrator role and access to the NetBackup Web UI.

The default password for these users is well documented and available online. For security
purposes, Veritas recommends that you change the passwords the first time that you use
the accounts.

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3-10
Navigating the Flex Appliance Shell
The Flex Appliance Shell includes the following command views:
Setup
• Includes all commands for initial configuration

System
• Includes commands used to monitor the appliance hardware or access
privileged operations.

Show
• Includes commands used to show the current appliance settings.

Set
• Includes commands used to modify appliance settings.

Delete
• Includes commands used to remove appliance settings.

11

The Flex Appliance Shell includes the following command views:

• setup – Includes commands used for performing an initial configuration of the Flex
Appliance.
• system – Includes commands used to monitor the appliance hardware or access
privileged operations, including security settings, upgrades, and factory reset.
• show – Includes commands used to show the current appliance settings.
• set – Includes commands that can be used to modify appliance settings.
• delete – Includes commands used to remove appliance settings.
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3-11
Topic: Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Console

After completing this topic, you will be able to access and navigate the Flex
Appliance Console.

12

This is the Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Console topic.
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3-12
Accessing the Flex Appliance Console
Default Flex Console address:
https://console.domain

Default Username: admin

Default Password: P@ssw0rd

13

The Flex Appliance Console is available for use after you have configured the Flex Appliance.
To access the Flex Appliance Console:
1. Open a web browser on a system that has network connectivity to the appliance.
2. Navigate to https://console.domain, where console.domain is the fully qualified domain
name (FQDN) that was used for the Flex Appliance Console during the initial
configuration. It can also be an IP address.
3. Sign in using the default credentials.
Note:
• Veritas recommends that you change the admin user password the first time you sign in as
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the default password is well documented and available online.

• All users are signed out after one hour for security reasons. Sign back in if you need to
continue using the console.

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3-13
Navigating the Flex Appliance Console
The Flex Appliance Console includes the following pages:

SYSTEM ACTIVITY
HOME REPOSITORY
TOPOLOGY MONITOR

USER NETWORK
TENANTS
MANAGEMENT INTERFACES

14

The left navigation bar is used to navigate through the Flex Appliance Console. The navigation
bar uses icons to indicate the various pages. To display the page names, hover over the icons
or use the >> icon at the top to expand the entire bar. The Flex Appliance Console includes the
Home, System Topology, Activity Monitor, Repository, Tenants, User Management, and
Network Interfaces pages.
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3-14
Home page

15

The Home page shows a small overview of the system topology and a getting-started flow for
first-time users. To return to the Home page at any time, click the Home icon in the left
navigation bar.
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3-15
System topology page

Appliance nodes

Storage shelves

Allocated and Available

Storage Capacity

Application Instances

16

The System topology page shows a complete overview of the appliance nodes, storage
shelves, and instances. To access this page, click the System topology box on the home page
or click the System topology icon in the left navigation bar. The System topology page shows
the full storage capacity of the appliance storage shelves. However, not all of the storage is
available for use. You can see the usable storage capacity when you create or resize and
instance.
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3-16
Activity Monitor page

Tasks
Task details

Filters

17

The Activity Monitor page shows the tasks that have been performed on the Flex Appliance
Console and their current status. To access this page, click the Activity Monitor icon in the left
navigation bar.
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3-17
Repository page

Add an application package

Application
packages

Add/Remove an upgrade package

Upgrade packages

18

The Repository page lets you manage the applications and upgrade packages for the Flex
Appliance. To access this page, click the Repository icon in the left navigation bar.
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3-18
Tenants page

• Create a tenant
• Remove an existing tenant
• View configured tenants
• Search tenants

19

The Tenants page lets you manage tenants. To access this page, click the Tenants icon in the
left navigation bar.
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3-19
User management

• Create or import a new user

• Remove an user
• Configure Active directory
domain
• View configured users
• Search users

20

The User management page lets you manage users for the Flex Appliance Console. To access
this page, click the User management icon in the left navigation bar.
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3-20
Network interfaces page

• Add and Remove a VLAN tag

• Remove settings
• View configured network
interfaces
• Search network interfaces

21

The Network interfaces page lets you view and configure the appliance’s network interfaces.
To access this page, click the Network interfaces icon in the left navigation bar.
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3-21
Global notifications and the Notifications icon

Global Notifications

Notifications pane

22

Global notifications appear on the global header and show the status of a task. The same
information is displayed in the Notifications pane. Clicking on a notification in the
Notifications pane opens the activity details for that task. The Notification pane can also be
used to mark all notifications as read.
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3-22
Permissible operations on containers

ONLINE

Stop, Relocate, and

Upgrade.

OFFLINE
Start, Relocate, Upgrade,
Resize storage, and
Delete.

23

The Flex Appliance Console can be used to perform a number of operations on a container
depending on the container state. If a container is online, the permissible operations include:
stopping, relocating, and upgrading a container. If a container is offline, the permissible
operations include: starting, relocating, upgrading, resizing storage, and deleting a container.
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3-23
Topic: Troubleshooting Flex Appliance Web Console errors

After completing this topic, you will be able to perform basic

troubleshooting for some common Flex Appliance Web Console issues.

24

This is the Troubleshooting Flex Appliance Web Console errors topic.

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3-24
Troubleshooting: Internal server error occurred

Internal server error

reported in the Flex
Appliance Console.

Management_server.log

systemctl status hostagent command

shows that the hostagent service is not running

25

Internal server error is a very general HTTP error that can occur if one or more services have
failed or is not running. To identify the exact cause of the problem, check the
/log/management_server.log
Any web UI related errors are recorded in the management_server log. Troubleshooting
will vary depending on the error message recorded in the management_server log. In
this example, the management_server log shows that the internal server error has
occurred because none of the hostagents are reachable. To resolve this error, log in to the Flex
Appliance Shell, run the system security elevate command to enter the elevate
mode, and then run the systemctl start hostagent command to start the
hostagent service.
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3-25
Troubleshooting: Error 502 – Bad Gateway

docker ps
command shows that
the mgmtserver is not
running

26

Error 502 – Bad Gateway can occur if the infrastructure services are not running or if the web
server is not reachable. This slide shows an example of Error 502, which occurred because the
mgmtserver service was not running. To resolve this issue, run the command to start the
mgmtserver service and refresh the web UI.
Note: The infrastructure containers are monitored by VCS and switch from one node to
another (in case of a multi-node deployment) for load balancing. This switch might take about
30 seconds to 1 minutes to complete. Any operations performed while the switch is in
progress might fail with Error 502.
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3-26
Troubleshooting: Operations failing in Activity Monitor

/log/hostagent.log

27

All messages related to a task are displayed in the task details pane can be used to
troubleshoot a failed task. This slide shows an example of a relocate application instance task
that has failed because the appliance has only one node. Relocation tasks are work only in a
multi-node environment. Detailed messages related to the tasks failed or successful are
logged in /log/hostagent.log and hence this log might prove to be helpful in
troubleshooting failed tasks.
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3-27
Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about the initial configuration guidelines and how to perform an initial
configuration of the Flex Appliance.
– In addition, you learned how to access and navigate the Flex Appliance Shell and the Flex Appliance
Console.
– Finally, you learned how to perform basic troubleshooting of some common Flex Appliance Web
Console errors.
• Reference materials
– Veritas 5340 Appliance Product Description Guide
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
– http://www.veritas.com/support

28

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed on
the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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3-28
Lab 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance

• Exercise A: Performing an initial configuration of Flex Appliance node1

• Exercise B: Performing network configuration of Flex Appliance node2
• Exercise C: Adding Flex Appliance node2 as an additional node to Flex Appliance node1
• Exercise D: Accessing and navigating the Flex Appliance Shell
• Exercise E: Accessing and navigating the Flex Appliance Console

29
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3-29
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

30

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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3-30
Question 1: Initial configuration guidelines and checklist
Which of the following ports must be connected to the network for performing an initial
configuration of a multi-node appliance deployment?

A. IPMI
B. host1 or host0
C. privnic1 and privnic0
D. At least one 10Gb NICs per node
E. All of the above

31
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3-31
Answer 1: Initial configuration guidelines and checklist
Which of the following ports must be connected to the network for performing an initial
configuration of a multi-node appliance deployment?

A. IPMI
B. host1 or host0
C. privnic1 and privnic0
D. At least one 10Gb NICs per node
E. All of the above

The correct answer is E. The IPMI, host1 or host0 (labelled eth0 and eth1 on the node), privnic1 and privnic0 (labeled
ETH2 and ETH3 on the nodes), and at least one 10Gb NIC should be connected to the network before performing an
initial configuration of a multi-node appliance deployment.

32
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3-32
Question 2: Navigating the Flex Appliance Shell
The Flex Appliance Shell includes which of the following command views?

A. System
B. Storage
C. Setup
D. Manage
E. All of the above

33
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3-33
Answer 2: Navigating the Flex Appliance Shell
The Flex Appliance Shell includes which of the following command views?

A. System
B. Storage
C. Setup
D. Manage
E. All of the above

The correct answers are A and C. The Flex Appliance Shell includes the setup, system, show, set, and delete command
views.

34
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3-34
Question 3: Navigating the Flex Appliance Console
Which of the following page shows a complete overview of the appliance nodes, storage
shelves, and instances?

A. Repository
B. System topology
C. Network interfaces
D. Tenants

35
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3-35
Answer 3: Navigating the Flex Appliance Console
Which of the following page shows a complete overview of the appliance nodes, storage
shelves, and instances?

A. Repository
B. System topology
C. Network interfaces
D. Tenants

The correct answer is B. The System topology page shows a complete overview of the appliance nodes, storage shelves
and instances.

36
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3-36
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3-37
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 04: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance
5340 Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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4-1
Lesson introduction

1. Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

2. Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
3. Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
4. Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
5. Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
6. Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
7. Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
8. Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
9. Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the fourth lesson in this course.

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4-2
Lesson objectives
Topic Objective

Configuring the network • Explain network bonding.

• Create and delete a network bond.
• Configure a network interface with and without VLAN tagging.
• Change the date, time, DNS, and Hosts file settings.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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4-3
Topic: Configuring the network

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain network bonding.
• Create and delete a network bond.
• Configure a network interface with and without VLAN tagging.
• Change the date, time, DNS, and Hosts file settings.

This is the Configuring the network topic.

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4-4
Network bonding: Overview

• Veritas Flex Appliance 1.2 allows administrators to bind multiple network interfaces together into a
single bonded channel.
• Channel bonding enables two or more network interfaces to act as one, simultaneously increasing the
bandwidth and providing redundancy.

eth0

bond0
eth1

Bonding example

Veritas Flex Appliance 1.2 allows administrators to bind multiple network interfaces together
into a single bonded channel. Channel bonding enables two or more network interfaces to
act as one, simultaneously increasing the bandwidth and providing redundancy.
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4-5
Creating a network bond

Interfaces to add
Bond mode Bond name
to the bond

Post successful creation, the new

bond is displayed in the Flex
Appliance Console

To create a network bond:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell as the hostadmin user, and type the following
command:
set network bond slaves=<slave name,slave name>
bond_mode=<name of the bonding mode> bond_name=<name of the
bond>
The slaves parameter is required. The bond mode and the bond name are optional. A
bond name (if entered) cannot be more than ten characters. If a bond name is not
entered, “bondX”, where X is the lowest number available, is the default name. If
bond mode is not specified, the default mode that is 802.3ad is used. The following
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

bond modes are available:

• 802.3ad
• balance-rr
• active-backup
• balance-xor
• broadcast
• balance-tlb – This bond mode is not supported due to a known issue in Red Hat.
However, Veritas does not block this bond mode. See
https://access.redhat.com/solutions/67546 before using this bond mode.
• balance-alb - This bond mode is not supported due to a known issue in Red Hat.
However, Veritas does not block this bond mode. See
https://access.redhat.com/solutions/67546 before using this bond mode.
2. Press Enter to create the network bond.

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4-6
Configuring a network interface

1 3

A network interface should exist before an instance can be created. To configure a network
interface:
1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the Network interfaces icon, in the left navigation
bar, to open the Network interfaces page.
2. Click the Network interface to configure. In this example, the network interface selected
is bond0
3. Enter an IP address for the bond along with the subnet mask in CIDR format and a
Gateway IP.
4. Click Save to save the configuration.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

5. Do one of the following to enter the network information:

Note: The network information you enter here is used to populate the network
information fields when you create a new instance.
1. If you want to use VLAN tagging, select the check box next to the name of the
network interface, click VLAN tag, and then enter the VLAN ID, subnet mask, and
default gateway.
Note: If you have more than one node, you must set the VLAN tag for each node.
2. If you do not want to use VLAN tagging, click the name of the network interface, and
then enter the subnet mask and gateway.
Note: Use CIDR format for the subnet mask and gateway.
6. Click OK to configure the network interface.

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4-7
Configuring a network interface with VLAN tagging

1
4

To configure a network interface with VLAN tagging:

1. On the Flex Appliance Console, click the Network interfaces icon, in the left navigation
bar, to open the Network interfaces page.
2. Select the Network interface to configure. In this example, the network interface selected
is bond0
3. Click Add VLAN tag. The Add VLAN tag window is displayed.
4. Enter a VLAN ID, an IP address for the bond along with the subnet mask in CIDR format
and a Gateway IP.
5. Click Add to save the configuration.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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4-8
Setting the date and time for appliance nodes

Select continent

Configuring NTP server

Setting date and time

manuallyy
Select country

Verify and confirm

Setting timezone

To set the date and time using the NTP server, perform the following steps on all appliance
nodes:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following command:
set date ntp ntp_server=<IP address or hostname of the NTP
server>
2. Press Enter to save the settings.
To set the date and time by entering the date and time manually, perform the following steps
on all appliance nodes:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following command:
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

set date manual-date

2. Press Enter, type the date and time, and press Enter again to save the settings.
To set the time zone, perform the following steps on all appliance nodes:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following command:
set date timezone
2. Press Enter.
3. Type the number that corresponds to your country, and then press Enter.
4. Type the number that corresponds to your time zone, and then press Enter.
5. Type 1 to verify that the time zone is correct, and then press Enter to save the settings.

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4-9
Changing DNS settings

Current DNS Settings

Enter the DNS server IP address and the Search domain. To

remove DNS settings leave these fields blank

10

The DNS and Hosts file settings can be changed after initial configuration. To change the DNS
server IP address or the search domain, perform the following steps:
1. From the Flex Appliance Shell, run the system set-DNS command.
2. Follow the prompts to change the DNS settings as follows:
a) To replace the existing settings with new parameters, enter the new information in
the appropriate fields.
b) To remove the DNS settings, leave the fields blank.
Note: If you remove existing DNS settings, you must add the hostname resolution
information to the appliance Hosts file.
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4-10
Changing Hosts file settings
Add host to the Hosts file

Hosts file before

adding the host Remove host from Hosts file

Hosts file before

removing the host

Enter IP address, short

name, and domain of
the host to be added

Hosts file after adding IP address of the

the host host to be removed

Hosts file after

removing the host

11

If you do not want to use DNS or want to bypass the DNS for specific hosts, you can use the
appliance Hosts file to manage the hostname resolution information. To add entries to the
Hosts file, perform the following steps:
1. Gather the following information for all appliance nodes and for the Flex Appliance
Console:
 IP address
 Hostname
 Domain
2. From the Flex Appliance Shell - Run the system add-host command.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

3. One at a time, enter the required information for the nodes and the Flex Appliance
Console.
To remove a entry from the Hosts file, perform the following steps:
1. From the Flex Appliance Shell - Run the system remove-host command.
2. Enter the IP address of the host that you want to remove.

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4-11
Editing instance network settings

2 4
8
6
7

12

To edit the instance network settings of an existing application instance, perform the
following steps:
1. From the System topology page of the Flex Appliance Console, navigate to the
Application instances section.
2. Locate and select the radio button next to the instance that you want to edit.
3. Click Stop to stop the instance.
4. Click the instance name to open the Instance Details page.
5. At the top of the details page, click Edit network.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

6. Click Manage pairs to add or remove IP address and interface pairs. The Manage pairs
window is displayed.
7. Select a Network interface to add, enter an IP address and click Add pair to add the
interface to the application instance.
8. To remove an existing instance click ‘X’ next to the interface.
9. Click Confirm to save the settings.

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4-12
Deleting a network bond

3
2

1
4

A network bond can be delete only if it is not in

use by any of the application instances. If the 5
bond is in use by any of the application
instances, edit the instance network and
remove the bond to be deleted.

13

To delete a network bond, perform the following steps:

1. Click Network interfaces icon in the left navigation pane to open the Network interfaces
page.
2. Select the radio button next to the bond that is to be deleted.
3. Click Remove settings to remove the subnet and gateway.
4. In the Remove subnet and gateway dialog box, click Remove.
5. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following command.
delete network bond bond_name=<bond name>
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

6. Press Enter to delete the network bond.

Note: A network bond can be deleted only if it is not in use by any of the application
instances. If the bond is in use by any of the application instances, edit the instance network
and remove the bond to be deleted.

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4-13
Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about network bonding and how to create and delete a network bond.
– In addition, you learned how to configure a network interface with and without VLAN tagging.
– Finally, you learned how to change date, time, DNS, and Hosts file settings.
• Reference materials
– Veritas 5340 Appliance Product Description Guide
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
– http://www.veritas.com/support

14

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed on
the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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4-14
Lab 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings

• Exercise A: Creating a network bond – bond0

• Exercise B: Creating a network bond – bond1
• Exercise C: Configuring a network interface: bond0
• Exercise D: Configuring a network interface with VLAN tagging: bond1
• Exercise E: Configuring NTP server on Flex Appliance nodes
• Exercise F: Adding and removing a node from the Hosts file
• Exercise G: Deleting a network bond – bond1

15
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4-15
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

16

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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Not for Distribution.

4-16
Question 1: Network bonding: Overview
Channel bonding enables two or more network interfaces to act as one.

A. True
B. False

17
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4-17
Answer 1: Network bonding: Overview
Channel bonding enables two or more network interfaces to act as one.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. Channel bonding enables two or more network interfaces to act as one, simultaneously
increasing the bandwidth and providing redundancy.

18
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4-18
Question 2: Creating a network bond
Which of the following parameter is required when creating a network?

A. List of slave interfaces

B. The bond mode.
C. The bond name.
D. All of the above

19
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4-19
Answer 2: Creating a network bond
Which of the following parameter is required when creating a network?

A. List of slave interfaces

B. The bond mode.
C. The bond name.
D. All of the above

The correct answer is A. bond_slaves parameter is the only required parameter when creating a network bond. If
bond_mode and the bond_name parameters are not specified the bond is created using the default values.

20
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4-20
Question 3: Changing DNS settings
Which of the following parameter is not required when changing DNS settings using the
system set-DNS command?

A. IP address of the DNS server

B. Search domain
C. Domain
D. None of the above

21
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4-21
Answer 3: Changing DNS settings
Which of the following parameter is not required when changing DNS settings using the
system set-DNS command?

A. IP address of the DNS server

B. Search domain
C. Domain
D. None of the above

The correct answer is C. IP address of the DNS server and the search domain are the only parameters required when
changing DNS settings using the system set-DNS command.

22
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4-22
Question 4: Deleting a network bond
Which of the following statements is not true?

A. A network bond cannot be deleted if it is in use by an application instance.

B. A network bond can be deleted if it is in use by an application instance.
C. A network bond cannot be deleted with a subnet and a gateway assigned to it.
D. Bond name is the only required parameter when deleting a network bond using the
delete network command.

23
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4-23
Answer 3: Deleting a network bond
Which of the following statements is not true?

A. A network bond cannot be deleted if it is in use by an application instance.

B. A network bond can be deleted if it is in use by an application instance.
C. A network bond cannot be deleted with a subnet and a gateway assigned to it.
D. Bond name is the only required parameter when deleting a network bond using the
delete network command.

The correct answer is B. A network bond can be delete only if is not in use by an application instance and does not have
a subnet and a gateway assigned to it.

24
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4-24
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4-25
Not for Distribution.
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 05: Managing Flex Appliance Users

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Managing Flex Appliance Users lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340
Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

5-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the fifth lesson in this course.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-2
Lesson objectives
Topic Objective

Working with Tenants • Describe Flex Appliance tenants.

• Perform add, edit and remove operations on tenants.

Managing Users • Explain the roles of the Flex Appliance default users.
• Describe the types of Flex Appliance users.
• Change the admin user password on the Flex Appliance Console.
• Change the hostadmin user password in the Flex Appliance Shell.

Using Active Directory user • Connect to the Active Directory domain.

credentials with the Flex Appliance • Import users to the Flex Appliance from Active Directory.
• Troubleshoot common Flex Appliance - Active Directory issues.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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5-3
Topic: Working with Tenants

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Describe Flex Appliance tenants.
• Perform add, edit and remove operations on tenants.

This is the Working with Tenants topic.

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5-4
Tenants: Overview

A tenant is a separate space that a super administrator

creates for a specific group of users and for a specific
use.
User Super Administrator
Different tenants can be allocated for different user
groups.

After you add a tenant, you can assign instances to it.

In this version of Flex, all users are assigned to a tenant

Tenant and are super administrators.
Tenant Tenant
Group

A tenant is a separate space that a super administrator creates for a specific group of users
and for a specific use. Different tenants can be allocated for different user groups. After
you add a tenant, you can assign instances to it. In this version of Flex Appliance, all users
are assigned to a tenant and are super administrators. Users are assigned to the tenants.
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5-5
Adding a tenant
Click Add tenant. Enter a tenant
name and location.

Domain name Search domains Name servers Hosts file entries

To add a tenant, perform the following steps:

1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the Tenants icon in the left navigation bar to
open the Tenants page.
2. Click Add tenant.
3. Enter a tenant name and location.
4. Complete the following network configuration settings. The network configuration
information that you enter here is used to populate the network information fields
when you create a new instance. You can also enter this information when you create
an instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Domain name: Type the domain name for this tenant. You can enter only one
domain name.
• Search domains: To enter multiple search domains, type a comma and a space
after each search domain.
• Name servers: Type the IP addresses for the name servers for this tenant. To enter
multiple name servers, type a comma and a space after each name server.
• Hosts file entries: Type the Hosts file entries for this tenant if you do not want to use
DNS or want to bypass DNS for specific hosts. Include entries for all hosts that you
want your instances to communicate with.
5. Click Save.
After you add a tenant, you can assign instances to it.

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5-6
Editing a tenant

Click the name of the tenant that you want

to edit. Change the appropriate settings.

To edit a tenant, perform the following steps:

1. On the Flex Appliance Console, click the Tenants icon in the left navigation bar.
2. Click the name of the tenant that you want to edit.
3. Change the appropriate settings.
4. Click Save.
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5-7
Removing a tenant
Select the tenant that you want
to remove, then click Remove.

To remove a tenant, perform the following steps:

1. On the Flex Appliance Console, click the Tenants icon in the left navigation bar.
2. Select the tenant that you want to remove, and then click Remove.
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5-8
Topic: Managing users

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the roles of the Flex Appliance default users.
• Describe the types of Flex Appliance users.
• Change the admin user password on the Flex Appliance Console.
• Change the hostadmin user password in the Flex Appliance Shell.

This is the Managing users topic.

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5-9
Flex Appliance default users
admin user

• This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Console.
• Use this user to sign in to the console for the first time.

hostadmin user

• This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Shell.
• Use this user to perform the initial configuration and for any other tasks that involve the
shell.

appadmin user

• This user is the default user for all of your NetBackup application instances.
• Use this user to open SSH sessions to the instances.
• The appadmin user has the NetBackup security administrator role and access to the
NetBackup Web UI.

10

The Flex Appliance is shipped with default users for the Flex Appliance Console, the Flex
Appliance Shell, and the NetBackup application instances. The following list describes the
default users and their functions:
• The admin user: This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Console. Use this
user to sign in to the console for the first time.
• The hostadmin user: This user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Shell. Use this
user to perform the initial configuration and for any other tasks that involve the shell.
• The appadmin user: This user is the default user for all of your NetBackup application
instances. Use this user to open SSH sessions to the instances. The appadmin user has
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the NetBackup security administrator role and access to the NetBackup Web UI.
The default password for these users is well documented and available online. For
security purposes, Veritas recommends that you change the passwords the first time
that you use the accounts.

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5-10
User types
User management page

The following types of users are supported on the Flex Appliance Console:
• Local users
• Active Directory users

In this version of Flex Appliance, only the super administrator role is available, which has access to
all areas of the Flex Appliance Console and can perform all operations.

11

You can manage all of your Flex Appliance Console users from the User management page.
To access the User management page, sign in to the console and click the User
management icon in the left navigation bar. Users are assigned to tenants. A tenant is a
separate space for a specific group of users and for a specific use. Different tenants can be
allocated for different user groups. In this version of Flex Appliance, all users are assigned to
all tenants. The following types of users are supported on the Flex Appliance Console:
• Local users
• Active Directory users
In this version of Flex Appliance, only the super administrator role is available. A super
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

administrator has access to all areas of the Flex Appliance Console and can perform all
operations.

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5-11
Adding a local user

Click Create/import user >

Add local user.

12

To add a local user, perform the following steps:

1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the User management icon in the left
navigation bar to open the User management page.
2. Click Create/import user > Add local user.
3. Enter a username, the user's full name, and a password.
4. Click Save.
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5-12
Removing a local user

Select the user that you

want to remove, then click
Remove.

13

The default admin user cannot be removed, and users cannot remove their own user
accounts. To remove a user, perform the following steps:
1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the User management icon in the left
navigation bar.
2. Select the user that you want to remove, and then click Remove.
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5-13
Changing the admin user password on the Flex Appliance Console

Sign in to the Flex Appliance In the top-right corner of the

Console from the user screen, click the black circle
account that you want to icon that includes the user’s
change the password for. initials.

Fill in the required fields and

Click Change password.
click Save.

14

Active Directory user passwords cannot be changed from the Flex Appliance Console.
They must be changed from the server on which they reside. To change a user password,
perform the following steps:
1. Sign in to the Flex Appliance console from the user account that you want to change the
password for.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the black circle icon that includes the user’s
initials. For example, if the user’s full name is Default User, the icon includes the
initials DU.
3. Click Change password.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

4. Fill in the required fields and click Save.

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5-14
Changing the hostadmin user password in the Flex Appliance Shell

Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following:
set user password

Press Enter.

Type a new password.

15

To change a hostadmin user password, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and then type the following: set user
password

2. Press Enter.
3. Type a new password.
A password must be between 8 and 512 characters, and must contain at least one
upper-case letter and one number.
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5-15
Topic: Using Active Directory user credentials with the
Flex Appliance

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Connect to the Active Directory domain.
• Import users to the Flex Appliance from Active Directory.
• Troubleshooting common Flex Appliance - Active Directory issues.

16

This is the Using Active Directory user credentials with the Flex Appliance topic.
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5-16
Connecting to the Active Directory domain
Click Connect Active Directory
domain. Fill in the required
parameters and click Save.

17

In Flex 1.2, customers can use their Active Directory user credentials to manage Flex
Appliance Web user interface dashboard. Users can now integrate with their Active
Directory server, and import AD users or groups. Note that only imported users and
groups can operate the Flex Appliance web user interface dashboard. Removing AD users
and groups, which were imported is also supported. Users can edit the AD server
configuration. The Administrator has the required permissions to add these Active
Directory users/groups. All the imported users and groups will have Admin privileges.

To connect an Active Directory domain, perform the following steps:

1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the User management icon in the left
navigation bar to open the User management page.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

2. Click Connect Active Directory domain.

3. Fill in the required parameters and click Save.
Once the Active Directory domain is connected, you can import Active Directory users
and user groups to grant them access to the Flex Appliance console.

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5-17
Importing Users to a Flex Appliance from Active Directory

AD server name or IP address

Port number of the AD server

User which has privilege to search other user/group

Base DN of the AD server

18

A Flex Appliance can connect to an Active Directory domain and import users or groups.
Imported users/groups can access the Flex web user interface and have administrator
privileges. Active Directory server name or IP address, port number, user credentials, and
base DN are required to enable integration.
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5-18
Importing Active Directory users
On the Flex Appliance Console, click the
User management icon

Connect the Active Directory domain that

the user or the user group belongs to.

Click Create/import user > Import

Active Directory users.

Select User or User group.

Depending on your selection, enter the

username or the group name.

Click Import.

19

Nested user groups are not supported. To import the users of a nested group, you must
perform this procedure for the group that they directly belong to. To import an Active
Directory user or user group:
1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the User management icon in the left
navigation bar.
2. If you have not done so already, connect the Active Directory domain that the user or
the user group belongs to.
3. Click Create/import user > Import Active Directory users.
4. Select User or User group.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

5. Depending on your selection, enter the username or the group name. Do not
include the domain name.
6. Click Import.
After you have imported the user or the user group, you can view the details on the User
management page. You cannot view the members of a user group from the Flex Appliance
Console. Use the Active Directory server to manage the users within a group.

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5-19
Active Directory Integration: Limitations

Active Directory Integration Notes and

Limitations
• A single Active Directory domain is supported; Flex can be
reconfigured to point to different domain if needed
• Secure connection to the Active Directory server is not
supported
• Users in nested Active Directory groups cannot log in to the Flex
web user interface
• No OpenLDAP or other LDAP systems are supported

20

Some of the Active Directory integration limitations are as follows:

• A single Active Directory domain is supported; Flex can be reconfigured to point to
different domain if needed.

• Secure connection to the Active Directory server is not supported.

• Users in nested Active Directory groups cannot log in to the Flex web user interface. For
example, if a user “Bill” belongs to a group called “sub_group” and “app_group” belongs
to “super_group”. If the group “super_group” is imported, then “Bill” can not login to the
Flex UI.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• No OpenLDAP or other LDAP systems are currently supported.

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5-20
Removing users and groups

21

The default admin user cannot be removed, and users cannot remove their own user
accounts. To remove a users and groups, perform the following steps:
1. On the Flex Appliance console, click the User management icon in the left
navigation bar.
2. Select the user or group that you want to remove, and then click Remove.
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5-21
Web console authentication using AD user or group

22

Customers can use their Active Directory user credentials to login and manage Flex
Appliance Web user interface.
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5-22
Troubleshooting: Unable to contact AD server (1/2)
Issues Error message Reasons and solution

Login issues This AD user has not been imported. Sign in as a The entered AD user has not been imported and so does not
different user and import the requested user to grant have access to the Flex Appliance Console.
access.

Invalid user credentials • Username and password are not matching in the database.
• Wrong username format. For AD user, it should be
Domain\username.
Configuration Unable to contact AD server • Active Directory server is down.
issues • Wrong server name or IP address.
• Active Directory server is up and running, but it is not
listening on the port which the user provided for
configuration.

Invalid AD username or password The entered AD username and/or the password does not
match those on the AD server.

Invalid Base DN The entered Base DN does not exist on the AD server.

23

Some common Active Director issues are listed on the slide along with their possible
solutions.
Login issues:
• This AD user has not been imported. Sign in as a different user and import the requested
user to grant access. - The entered AD user has not been imported and so does not have
access to the Flex Appliance Console.
• Invalid user credentials:
1. Username and password are not matching in the database.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

2. Wrong username format. For AD user, it should be Domain\username.

Configuration issues
• Unable to contact AD server
1. Active Directory server is down.
2. Wrong server name or IP address.
3. Active Directory server is up and running, but it is not listening on the port which the
user provided for configuration.
• Invalid AD username or password - The entered AD username and/or the password
does not match those on the AD server.
• Invalid Base DN - The entered Base DN does not exist on the AD server.

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5-23
Troubleshooting: Unable to contact AD server (2/2)
Issues Error message Reasons/Solution

Configuration Error occurred while validating the AD The entered AD parameters do not match those on the
issues parameters. Check your AD configuration and AD server, or an unknown error occurred.
try again.

One or more of the parameters are invalid. The entered AD parameters do not match those on the
AD server.

Importing issues The requested user does not exist on the AD The entered AD username does not exist on the AD
server. server.

The requested group does not exist on the AD The entered AD group name does not exist on the AD
server. server.

24

Some common Active Director issues are listed on the slide along with their possible
solutions.
Configuration issues
• Error occurred while validating the AD parameters. Check your AD configuration and try
again. - The entered AD parameters do not match those on the AD server, or an
unknown error occurred.
• One or more of the parameters are invalid. - The entered AD parameters do not
match those on the AD server.
Importing issues
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• The requested user does not exist on the AD server. - The entered AD username does not
exist on the AD server.
• The requested group does not exist on the AD server. - The entered AD group name
does not exist on the AD server.

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5-24
Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about Flex Appliance tenants and the different operations that you can
perform on them.
– In addition, you learned about Flex Appliance default users and the types of Flex Appliance users.
– Finally, you learned how to connect the Flex Appliance to the Active Directory domain and import users
to the Flex Appliance from Active Directory.
• Reference materials
– Veritas 5340 Appliance Product Description Guide
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
– http://www.veritas.com/support

25

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources
listed on the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-25
Lab 5: Managing Flex Appliance Users

• Exercise A: Working with tenants

• Exercise B: Managing Flex Appliance console users

26
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-26
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

27

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-27
Question 1: Working with Tenants
Different tenants can be allocated for different user groups.

A. True
B. False

28
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-28
Answer 1: Working with Tenants
Different tenants can be allocated for different user groups.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. Different tenants can be allocated for different user groups.

29
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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5-29
Question 2: Managing users
Which user account should be used to perform the initial configuration and any other
tasks that involve the shell.

A. admin user
B. hostadmin user
C. appadmin user

30
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5-30
Answer 2: Managing users
Which user account should be used to perform the initial configuration and any other
tasks that involve the shell.

A. admin user
B. hostadmin user
C. appadmin user

The correct answer is B. The hostadmin user is the default user for the Flex Appliance Shell. Use this user to perform the
initial configuration and for any other tasks that involve the shell.

31
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5-31
Question 3: Using Active Directory user credentials with the Flex
Appliance
After you have imported a user group from Active directory, you can view the members
of the user group from the Flex Appliance Console.

A. True
B. False

32
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5-32
Answer 3: Using Active Directory user credentials with the Flex
Appliance
After you have imported a user group from Active directory, you can view the members
of the user group from the Flex Appliance Console.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is B. After you have imported the user or user group, you can view the details on the User
management page. You cannot view the members of a user group from the Flex Appliance Console. Use the Active
Directory server to manage the users within a group.

33
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5-33
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5-34
Not for Distribution.
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 06: Working with the Flex Appliance

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Working with the Veritas Flex Appliance lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340
Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the sixth lesson in this course.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-2
Lesson objectives
Topic Objective

Managing applications and upgrade Add and remove applications and Flex Appliance upgrade packages in the
packages in the repository Flex Appliance repository.

Creating application instances Create NetBackup master and media server instances.

Creating a CloudCatalyst media server Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance.

instance
Managing application instances • Start, stop, relocate, and delete application instances.
• Resize instance storage.

Veritas Flex Appliance: Multiple network Configure multiple network connections for an application instance.
support

Instance upgrade • Add a new application image.

• Upgrade the master and media server instances.
• Commit and roll back the upgrade.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-3
Topic: Managing applications and upgrade packages in
the repository

After completing this topic, you will be able to add and remove applications
and Flex Appliance upgrade packages in the Flex Appliance repository.

This is the Managing applications and upgrade packages in the repository topic.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-4
Add files to the repository (1/2)

Before you can create an application instance or upgrade the appliance software, you must
first add the applicable files to the repository. To manage your applications and upgrade
packages for the Flex Appliance, use the Repository page in the Flex Appliance Console. To
access the Repository page, sign in to the Flex Appliance console and click
the Repository icon in the left navigation bar. Select the Applications or the Flex Appliance
upgrade packages tab to view the applicable files. The following information is displayed for
each of the files that you currently have in the repository:
• Application or Name
• Version
• Type and Size (upgrade packages only)
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for adding files to the repository:

• Only add files that have been downloaded from the Veritas Entitlement Management
System (VEMS).
• Do not change or modify the file names.

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6-5
Add files to the repository (2/2)

Adding files to the Flex Appliance repository consists of the following tasks:
1. Download the file from the Veritas Entitlement Management System (VEMS).
2. From the Flex Appliance console, locate the downloaded file and add it to the repository.

To download and add files to the repository, perform the following steps:
1. From a computer within your appliance domain, download the appropriate file from
VEMS.
2. From the same computer, sign in to the Flex Appliance console and click
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the Repository icon, in left navigation bar, to access the Repository.

3. On the Repository page, navigate to the Applications tab or the Flex Appliance upgrade
packages tab, depending on the type of file that you want to add.
4. Click Add Image or Add Package. The File Upload dialog box is displayed.
5. In the File Upload dialog box navigate to the location of the downloaded file.
6. Select the downloaded file and then click Open. The appliance software adds the selected
file to the repository and installs it so that it is available for use. The uploaded file is
displayed at the top of the list on the Repository page.

Not for Distribution.

6-6
Remove Flex Appliance upgrade package (1/3)

Users can permanently remove upgrade packages from the Flex Appliance repository.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-7
Remove Flex Appliance upgrade package (2/3)

To permanently remove upgrade packages from the repository, perform the following
steps:
1. Sign in to the Flex Appliance console and click the Repository icon in the left
navigation bar.
2. On the Repository page, navigate to the Flex Appliance upgrade packages tab.
3. Select the files that are no longer needed.
4. Click Remove.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-8
Remove Flex Appliance upgrade package (3/3)

Package deleted
successfully

The Repository page displays the Package deleted successfully message upon successful
deletion of the rpm from the repository.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-9
Topic: Creating application instances

After completing this topic, you will be able to explain how to create
NetBackup master and media server instances.

10

This is the Creating application instances topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-10
Create a NetBackup master server instance (1/3)

11

You can create application instances from the System topology page of the Flex Appliance
console. Navigate to the Application instances section and click Create instance to open a
new page that lets you create instances of the following applications:
• NetBackup master server
• NetBackup media server with the following storage options:
o Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP)
o AdvancedDisk
o CloudCatalyst
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-11
Create a NetBackup master server instance (2/3)

12

To create a NetBackup master server instance, perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that the NetBackup master server application is listed in the repository.
2. Before you create the application instance, ensure that the following tasks are performed:
• Configure at least one network interface. You can configure a physical interface, add a
VLAN tag, or create a bond.
• Add at least one tenant.
3. Gather the following information for the new instance. Note: The hostname and IP
address must not be in use anywhere else in your domain.
• Tenant that you want to assign it to
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Hostname (maximum of 63 characters including the domain name)

• IP address
• Network interface
• Domain name
• Name servers
• Search domains
• Smart Meter customer registration key (NetBackup 8.1.2 and later)
• NetBackup license key (optional)

Not for Distribution.

6-12
Create a NetBackup master server instance (3/3)

13

Note: If the evaluation key expires before you create the instance, the instance creation fails.
Ensure that you have a valid license key before you create an instance.
4. From the System topology page of the Flex Appliance console, navigate to the Application
instances section.
5. Click Create instance.
6. Select the appropriate master server application from the repository list, and then
click Next.
7. Enter the required information like Hostname, IP address, Network interface, Tenant,
Smart Meter customer registration key, and then click Next. You can view the progress in
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

the Activity Monitor while the instance is being created.

8. Once the instance has been created successfully, you must change the password from the
known default password.
9. To change the password, open an SSH session to the instance and log in with the following
credentials:
• Username: appadmin
• Password: P@ssw0rd
Follow the prompt to enter a new password.
Note: Do not configure AdvancedDisk storage on a NetBackup master server instance. The
NetBackup Administration Console lets you create an AdvancedDisk storage server on a
master server instance, but Flex Appliance does not support storage configuration on master
server instances. Create a separate NetBackup media server instance if you want to use
AdvancedDisk storage.

Not for Distribution.

6-13
Create a NetBackup media server instance (1/4)

14

To create a NetBackup media server instance, perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that the NetBackup master server application is listed in the repository.
2. Before you create the application instance, ensure that the following tasks have been
performed:
• Configure at least one network interface. You can configure a physical interface, add a
VLAN tag, or create a bond.
• Add at least one tenant.
3. Gather the following information for the new instance. Note: The hostname and IP
address must not be in use anywhere else in your domain.
• Tenant that you want to assign it to
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Hostname (maximum of 63 characters including the domain name)

• IP address
• Network interface
• Domain name
• Name servers
• Search domains
• Master server hostname
• CA certificate fingerprint
• Token for host ID-based certificate (optional)
• Password for host name-based certificate (optional)
• NetBackup license key (optional)

Not for Distribution.

6-14
Create a NetBackup media server instance (2/4)

15

Note: If the evaluation key expires before you create the instance, the instance creation fails.
Ensure that you have a valid license key before you create an instance.
4. Add the hostname for the new media server instance to the Media Servers list on the
master server as described below:
• Use the NetBackup Administration console to connect to the NetBackup master
server. Use appadmin and the updated password to login.
• Click NetBackup Management > Host Properties > Master Servers. In the right pane,
right-click the master server and select Properties. Select Server > Media Servers, and
add the hostname of the new media server.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Click Ok.
5. If a firewall exists between the master server and the new instance, open the following
ports on the master server to allow communication:
• vnetd: 13724
• bprd: 13720
• PBX: 1556
• If the master server is a NetBackup appliance that uses TCP, open the following ports:
443, 5900, and 7578.
6. From the System topology page of the Flex Appliance console, navigate to the Application
instances section.
7. Click Create instance.

Not for Distribution.

6-15
Create a NetBackup media server instance (3/4)

16

8. Select the appropriate media server application from the repository, and then click Next.
9. Enter the hostname, IP address, network interface, tenant, master server hostname, CA
certificate fingerprint, and then click Next. You can view the progress in the Activity
Monitor while the media server instance is being created.
Note: If you do not want to use DNS or want to bypass DNS for certain hosts, verify that
the hostname resolution information is included in the Hosts file entries field. You must
include entries for the master server and any other NetBackup hosts that you want to
communicate with the instance.
10. Once the instance is created successfully, you must change the password from the known
default password. To change the password, open an SSH session to the media server
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

instance and log in with the following credentials:

• Username: appadmin
• Password: P@ssw0rd
11. Follow the prompts to enter a new password.

Not for Distribution.

6-16
Create a NetBackup media server instance (4/4)

17

12. Create the storage servers for your selected storage, as follows:
• Log on to the NetBackup Administration console and select either NetBackup
Management or Media and Device Management.
• If you selected AdvancedDisk or Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP) storage for
the instance, click Configure Disk Storage Servers and follow the prompts to create
the storage servers. Enter the following storage information for AdvancedDisk and
MSDP:
o AdvancedDisk storage volume: /mnt/advanceddisk/vol*
o MSDP storage path: /mnt/msdp/vol0
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Note: If the MSDP disk pool spans multiple volumes, only select vol0.
• If you selected a CloudCatalyst cache for the instance, click Configure Cloud Storage
Servers and follow the prompts to create the storage servers. Enter the following local
cache directory for CloudCatalyst: /mnt/cloudcatalyst
• If you did not select MSDP storage for the instance, the instance creation is now
complete. You can skip the remaining steps in this procedure.
• If you selected MSDP storage for the instance, tune the NetBackup parameters as
follows:
o Log in to the instance and run the following command: sudo
/opt/veritas/vxapp-manage/tune -s

Not for Distribution.

6-17
• From the appadmin home or tmp directory, restart the pdde-
storage and mtstrmd processes with the following commands:
sudo /etc/init.d/pdde-storage force-stop
sudo /etc/init.d/pdde-storage start
sudo /usr/openv/pdde/pdag/bin/mtstrmd -terminate
sudo /usr/openv/pdde/pdag/bin/mtstrmd
Warning: Tuning the NetBackup parameters optimizes backup performance and memory
usage for the instance. If you skip this step, you may experience backup failures and other
performance degradation.
13. If you allocated more than 80 TB of MSDP storage for the instance, you need to resize the
MSDP storage partition. Run the following command:
sudo /opt/veritas/vxapp-manage/resize
Note: You also need to perform this step if you provision more than 80 TB of storage for
MSDP at a later time. You do not need to perform this step if you resize a smaller amount
of existing MSDP storage over 80 TB after you create the instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-18
Topic: Creating a CloudCatalyst media server instance

After completing this topic, you will be able to create a CloudCatalyst media
server instance.

19

This is the Creating a CloudCatalyst media server instance topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-19
NetBackup CloudCatalyst

• NetBackup 5240 CloudCatalyst Appliance.

Deployment
• NetBackup 5340 Flex Appliance.
types
• NetBackup CloudCatalyst as a build-your-own media server.

• Uses optimized duplication from CloudCatalyst to cloud in its native duplication format.
Benefits • Recovery performed directly from CloudCatalyst to NetBackup clients.
• Stores recent deduplicated data in a local cache to minimize data transfer and reduce costs.

• Many web vendors including: Amazon, AT&T, China Mobile, Cloudian, EMC ECS, Google Cloud
Storage, Hitachi, IBM, Microsoft Azure, Oracle CloudService, SwiftStack, and many others.
Support
• Refer to most recent Hardware Compatibility List at
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/article.100040093.html

20

NetBackup CloudCatalyst is a solution that provides deduplication in the data center, and
extends the data to the cloud in its duplicated format without rehydration or staging. In
addition, recovery of data can be performed directly from the NetBackup CloudCatalyst to
the NetBackup Client. With optimized data reduction, it has the fastest end-to-end dedupe
performance in the industry with a dramatic reduction in time, cost, and network bandwidth
for cloud storage. The NetBackup CloudCatalyst has flexible features to manage both on-
premise and in-cloud environments with capabilities to support third party cloud providers
such as AWS. Support for new cloud providers can be added without requiring a new
software release. For the most recent NetBackup Hardware Compatibility List refer to:
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/article.100040093.html
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-20
CloudCatalyst 5240 example

WAN LAN
Cloud storage
vendor
OST Flex 5340 Appliance

Cloud Media
storage servers
server (MSDP)

Direct backups
Optimized / client-side Clients Clients
deduplication (Direct only) (Direct and client-side)

21

The primary use case for CloudCatalyst is to act as a gateway to a cloud provider for data
protected by other NetBackup media servers. NetBackup clients send their data to a media
server, as usual. The media servers then use optimized duplication to copy the data to the
CloudCatalyst media server. The deduplicated data resides temporarily on a local cache and is
then sent to the cloud storage provider, creating a second copy of that backup image. The
data remains deduplicated the entire time, and restores are possible from either the copy –
the original local image or the cloud image. It is also possible for NetBackup clients to send
their data directly to the CloudCatalyst media server. This is a less optimal solution because
there is no support for client deduplication to a CloudCatalyst media server, so more data will
pass across the network. Note the following restrictions:
• A NetBackup CloudCatalyst media server can only be configured with one cloud storage
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

provider. For example, the media server cannot be used with Amazon S3 and Amazon
GovCloud at the same time.
• CloudCatalyst is not supported with AIR (source or target) currently.
• CloudCatalyst does not currently support IPv6.

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6-21
Configuration overview

1 2 3 4
Add the
CloudCatalyst Create a
Configure an MSDP
Deploy host name- media server to the CloudCatalyst
storage server
based certificates. additional servers media server
(source).
list on the Master instance.
server.

8 7 6 5
Ensure that a
Configure a
common media
Configure a SLP and Protect the MSDP CloudCatalyst
server is configured
a backup policy. data and Catalog. storage server
to allow optimized
(target).
duplication.

22

This slide lists the configuration steps for deploying a CloudCatalyst media server instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-22
Deploying host name-based certificates

Execute the below command based on your master server operating

system to generate a host name-based certificate:
For Linux-based master servers:
sudo /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpnbat –addmachine
flexcc.example.com P@ssw0rd

For Windows-based master servers:

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin\ bpnbat –
addmachine flexcc.example.com P@ssw0rd

23

Before deploying a CloudCatalyst instance, a host name-based certificate should be

generated for the CloudCatalyst media server. To generate a host name-based certificate,
open a SSH or a RDP session to your master server and execute the following command
based on your master server operating system to generate a host name-based certificate.
For Linux-based master servers:
sudo /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpnbat –
addmachine flexcc.example.com P@ssw0rd
For a Windows-based master servers:
C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin\bpnbat –
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

addmachine flexcc.example.com P@ssw0rd

Note: The hostname for the CloudCatalyst media server, in this
case flexcc.example.com should be known before configuring the instance. The arbitrary
password used while generating the host name-based certificate will be used to verify the
host name-based certificate later in the configuration process.

Not for Distribution.

6-23
Configuring access to the master server

Before deploying the CloudCatalyst

media server instance, it is important
to add the CloudCatalyst media
server name to the Additional
Servers list on the Master server.

24

Another pre-requisite before deploying the CloudCatalyst instance is to add the CloudCatalyst
media server to the Additional Servers list on the Master server. To do this, perform the
following steps:
1. Add the hostname for the CloudCatalyst media server instance to the Additional
Servers list on the master server as described below:
• Use the NetBackup Administration console to connect to the NetBackup master
server. Use appadmin and the updated password to login.
• Click NetBackup Management > Host Properties > Master Servers. In the right pane,
right-click the master server and select Properties. Select Server > Media Servers, and
add the hostname of the new media server.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Click OK.
2. If a firewall exists between the master server and the CloudCatalyst media instance, open
the following ports on the master server to allow communication:
• vnetd: 13724
• bprd: 13720
• PBX: 1556
• If the master server is a NetBackup appliance that uses TCP, open the following ports:
443, 5900, and 7578.

Not for Distribution.

6-24
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (1/7)

Ensure that the NetBackup

Media server application is
listed in the Repository.

25

Create a NetBackup CloudCatalyst media server instance, perform the following steps:
1. Ensure that the NetBackup media server application is listed in the repository.
2. Before you create the application instance, ensure that the following tasks have been
performed:
• Configure at least one network interface. You can configure a physical interface, add a
VLAN tag, or create a bond.
• Add at least one tenant.
3. Gather the following information for the new instance. Note: The hostname and IP
address must not be in use anywhere else in your domain.
• Tenant that you want to assign it to
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Hostname (maximum of 63 characters including the domain name)

• IP address
• Network interface
• Domain name
• Name servers
• Search domains
• Master server hostname
• CA certificate fingerprint
• Token for host ID-based certificate (optional)
• Password for host name-based certificate
• NetBackup license key (optional)

Not for Distribution.

6-25
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (2/7)

Click Create Instance

26

4. From the System topology page of the Flex Appliance console, navigate to the Application
instances section and click Create instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-26
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (3/7)

Select the appropriate media server

application from the repository, and
then click Next.

27

5. Select the appropriate media server application from the repository, and then click Next.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-27
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (4/7)

Enter the Hostname Enter CloudCatalyst

and a IP address cache size

Note: Do not enter a value for MSDP storage size. CloudCatalyst and MSDP
cannot coexist on the same server.

28

6. Enter the Hostname, IP address, and specify the CloudCatalyst cache size.

Note: Do not enter a value for MSDP storage size. CloudCatalyst and MSDP cannot coexist
on the same server.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-28
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (5/7)

Select a Network Interface, Tenant and enter the Master

server hostname, and a CA certificate fingerprint.

29

7. Select a network interface, tenant, enter the master server hostname, and a CA certificate
fingerprint.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-29
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (6/7)

Enter Password for host name-

based certificate and a NetBackup
license key

30

8. Enter the Password for host name-based certificate and a NetBackup license key.

Note: If the evaluation key expires before you create the instance, the instance creation fails.
Ensure that you have a valid license key before you create an instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-30
Create a CloudCatalyst media server instance (7/7)

Review the Configuration summary that is displayed and click

Create to create the instance.

31

9. Review the Configuration summary that is displayed and click Create to create the media
server instance. You can view the progress in the Activity Monitor while the media server
instance is being created.
Note: If you do not want to use DNS or want to bypass DNS for certain hosts, verify that the
hostname resolution information is included in the Hosts file entries field. You must include
entries for the master server and any other NetBackup hosts that you want to communicate
with the instance.
10. After the instance is created successfully, you must change the password from the known
default password. To change the password, open an SSH session to the media server
instance and log in with the following credentials:
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

• Username: appadmin
• Password: P@ssw0rd
11. Follow the prompts to enter a new password.

Not for Distribution.

6-31
Create a CloudCatalyst storage server

Media and Device Management > Configure Cloud Storage Server

32

After changing the instance password, create CloudCatalyst storage, as follows:

• Log on to the NetBackup Administration console and select either NetBackup
Management or Media and Device Management.
• Click Configure Cloud Storage Servers and follow the prompts to create the storage
servers. Enter the following local cache directory for CloudCatalyst:
/mnt/cloudcatalyst
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-32
Configuring a storage lifecycle policy for NetBackup CloudCatalyst

The first operation must be a Backup operation. In

the Destination storage field, select the storage
unit that was created for the MSDP storage server.

The second operation must be a Duplication operation and a child of

the backup operation. In the Destination storage field, select the
storage unit that was created for the CloudCatalyst storage server.

33

The first operation must be a Backup operation. In the Destination storage field, select the
storage unit that was created for the MSDP storage server. The second operation must be
a Duplication operation and a child of the backup operation. In the Destination storage
field, select the storage unit that was created for the CloudCatalyst storage server.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-33
Configuring a backup policy

Configure a new backup policy and

change the Policy storage to the
NetBackup CloudCatalyst SLP
configured in the previous step.

34

Configure a new backup policy and change the Policy storage to the NetBackup
CloudCatalyst SLP configured in the previous step.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-34
Topic: Managing application instances

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Start, stop, relocate, and delete application instances.
• Resize instance storage.

35

This is the Managing application instances topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-35
Start or stop application instances

36

You can manage your application instances from the System topology page of the Flex
Appliance console. To access your existing instances, click the System topology icon in the left
navigation bar, and then navigate to the Application instances section. Under Application
instances, select the instance that you want to start or stop and then Start or Stop that
instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-36
Relocate instance to another node

If you want the instance to run on a specific node, you can relocate it after it starts.

37

When you start an instance, the Flex Appliance automatically determines which node to start
it on for optimal load balancing. Therefore, it may not start on the same node that it was
located on when it was stopped. If you want the instance to run on a specific node, you can
relocate it after it starts.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-37
Delete instance

38

To delete an existing application instance, perform the following steps:

1. Click the System topology icon from the left navigation bar, and then navigate to
the Application instances section.
2. Under Application instances, select the instance that you want to delete, expand Manage
and then select Delete instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-38
Resize instance storage

39

To change the storage allocations on an existing application instance in Flex Appliance,

perform the following tasks:
1. In the left pane of the Flex appliance console, click System topology and then scroll down
to the Application instances section.
2. Locate the instance whose storage needs to be modified. If the instance is running, select
the instance, and then click Stop.
3. Once the instance has stopped, select the instance, and then click Manage > Resize
instance storage.
4. Follow the prompts to enter new storage allocations for each volume, then click Resize.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

You can monitor the progress of the resize activity in the Activity Monitor. When the resize is
complete, you can view the new storage allocations by clicking the instance name
under System topology > Application instances.

Not for Distribution.

6-39
Topic: Veritas Flex Appliance: Multiple network support

After completing this topic, you will be able to configure multiple network
connections for an application instance.

40

This is the Veritas Flex Appliance: Multiple network support topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-40
Network configuration (1/2)

NetBackup Clients

Network 1: 10.255.250.xx
Network 2: 10.255.251.xx
Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

NetBackup NetBackup NetBackup

Application instance Application instance Application instance

41

Multiple network connections can be configured for an individual application instance

allowing instances to be seen on multiple networks.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-41
Network configuration (2/2)

42

To configure multiple networks, perform the following steps:

1. In the Flex Appliance console, in the left navigation bar, click Network interfaces. The
Network interfaces page is displayed.
2. Click an unconfigured Network interface to edit it, and enter the Subnet Mask and
Gateway information. Save the interface settings.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-42
Instance details

43

3. In the Veritas Flex Appliance console, in the left navigation bar, click System topology.
4. Under the Application instances section, click the name of instance for which multiple
networks need to be configured. The instance details page is displayed.
5. In the instance details page, click Edit network.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-43
Stopping instance to edit the network

44

6. In the Stop instance to edit network dialog box, click Stop.

7. Once the instance has stopped, in the left navigation bar, click System topology, and then
under Application instances, click the instance name that needs multiple networks. The
instance will be OFFLINE.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-44
Editing the network: Manage pairs

45

8. In the instance details page, click Edit network. The Manage pairs dialog box is displayed.
9. In the Manage pairs dialog box, select the network interface which was edited earlier and
enter the IP address.
10. Click Add pair and then click Confirm.
Note: Ensure that there are no duplicate IP addresses or NICs for one instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-45
Saving the instance configuration

46

11. The instance details page now displays two pairs in the IP address and interface pairs
section. On the bottom right corner of the instance details page, click Save.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-46
View updated network configuration

From the Flex shell

From the instance node

47

You can view the updated network configuration from the Flex Shell by issuing the command:
show instance application-networks. You can also view this information from
the instance node. Use PuTTy to login to the instance node and then issue the command: ip
a.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-47
Topic: Instance upgrade

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Add a new application image.
• Upgrade the master and media server instances.
• Commit and roll back the upgrade.

48

This is the Instance upgrade topic.

Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-48
Adding a new version of the application

49

To add a new version of the application, perform the following tasks:

1. In the left pane of the Flex Appliance console, click Repository.
2. In the Repository page, select Applications or the Flex Appliance upgrade
packages tab, depending on the type of file that you want to add.
3. Click Add Image or Add Package. The File Upload dialog box is displayed.
4. In the File Upload dialog box, navigate to the location of the downloaded image or
package file.
5. Select the downloaded file, and then click Open. The appliance software adds the
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

selected file to the repository and installs it so that it is available for use. The uploaded
file is displayed at the top of the list on the Repository page.

Not for Distribution.

6-49
Selecting the application instance for upgrade

50

To select the application instance for upgrade, perform the following steps:
1. Ensure that the new version of the application is located in the repository.
2. From the System topology page of the Flex Appliance Console, navigate to the
Application instances section.
3. Locate the instance that you want to upgrade. If it is stopped, select it and click Start
before you begin the upgrade so that the upgrade precheck can run.
4. From the Application instances section, select the instance, then click
Manage > Upgrade instance.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

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6-50
Stopping the running jobs

51

The instance upgrade stops all processes. The user can choose to stop the critical
processes manually as well.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-51
Selecting the version to be upgraded to

52

The application, that the instance needs to be upgraded to, needs to be added to the
repository. The version to which an instance can be upgraded to will then be displayed in the
Upgrade instance page.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-52
Performing a pre-check

53

The precheck stage of the upgrade process performs a version compatibility check of the
application instance; if the media server instance is upgraded before the master server
instance the precheck fails. If the precheck is successful, click Next to continue.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

6-53
Adding any additional parameters

54

If the application needs any additional configuration parameters, you are prompted to enter
them. Enter the parameters, and then click Next.
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Viewing the summary and confirming upgrade

55

Verify the selection summary and then click Upgrade to begin the upgrade process.
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Upgrading the master server

1. Application instance stopped

2. Snapshots of existing volumes are created
Auto roll back if upgrade fails.
3. Storage precheck completed
Reverses all the changes and
restores old instance
4. Created additional volumes, if any
5. Upgraded instance comes online

6. Application configuration started No auto roll back, if any failures

after instance is online.
Log in to the instance and fix the
7. Upgrade complete
issue.

56

After the application instance being upgraded is stopped, snapshots of the data and
configuration volumes are created. Storage pre-check is then performed and new volumes if
needed are created. The upgraded instance is then brought online and application
configuration is performed on the upgraded instance.
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Instance pending a commit/rollback or auto-commit

57

After a successful upgrade, a 24-hour test window starts. During this window, the Manage
button for the upgraded instance includes options to Commit or Rollback. The user is given
limited space for testing backups (25 GB). An instance that is pending commit cannot be
deleted or upgraded. Start, Stop and Relocate is possible on an instance pending commit.
Selecting Commit removes references to the old application instance and snapshots. Once an
upgrade is committed, a rollback is not possible. After the 24-hour window expires, the
upgrade is automatically committed.
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Upgrading the media server (1/2)

58

To upgrade the media server instance, perform the following steps:

1. Select the version that you want to upgrade to and click Precheck.
2. If the Precheck is successful, click Next to continue. If the application needs any additional
configuration parameters, you are prompted to enter them. Enter the parameters and
then click Next.
3. Verify the selection summary and then click Upgrade to begin the upgrade process. If the
Precheck fails with any error messages, resolve the issues before continuing with the
upgrade.
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Upgrading the media server (2/2)

59

Once the media server appliance instance is stopped, snapshots are created. Storage
precheck is then performed and new volumes if needed are created. The upgraded instance is
then brought online and application configuration is performed on the upgraded instance.
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Committing the master server upgrade (1/3)

60

To commit the instance upgrade, perform the following steps:

1. In the Flex Appliance console, click System topology > Application instances and perform
the following tasks:
a. To commit the new version upgrade, select the instance name and then
click Manage > Upgrade instance > Commit.
b. You can also click the instance name to open the instance details page, and then
click Commit at the top of the screen.
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Committing the master server upgrade (2/3)

61

Once the upgrade has completed, the instance version remains in a pending state for the next
24 hours. You can choose to commit the new version upgrade, or rollback to the previous
version within this 24 hour window.
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Committing the master server upgrade (3/3)

62

Once an upgrade instance is committed, the older version of the instance and the
storage snapshots are deleted. The instance is then upgraded.
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Rolling back a media server upgrade (1/3)

63

To roll back the media server instance, perform the following steps:
1. In the Flex Appliance console, navigate to System topology > Application instances and
perform the following tasks:
a. Select the instance name and then click Manage > Upgrade instance > Roll back.
b. You can also click on the instance name to open the instance details page, and then
click Roll back at the top of the screen.
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Rolling back a media server upgrade (2/3)

64

Caution: Do not rollback the master server instance if the media server instance is still at a
higher version.
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Rolling back a media server upgrade (3/3)

65

A media server application instance rollback involves stopping the instance, restoring data
from the storage snapshots, deleting the new instance, and then starting the old instance.
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Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned how to manage applications and upgrade packages in the repository.
– In addition, you learned how to create and manage application instances.
– Finally, you learned about multiple network support and how to perform instance upgrades in Flex
Appliance 5340.
• Reference materials
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/130821112-132517533-0/v131644506-
132517533

66

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed on
the slide and remember to check the Veritas Support Web site frequently.
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Lab 6: Working with the Flex Appliance

• Exercise A: Add application packages in the repository.

• Exercise B: Create a NetBackup master and media server instance.
• Exercise C: Upgrade application instances.
• Exercise D: Create a NetBackup CloudCatalyst media server instance.
• Exercise E: Configuring and performing backups to CloudCatalyst
• Exercise F: Manage application instances.

67
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What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

68

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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Question 1: Managing applications and upgrade packages in the
repository
Before you can create an application instance or upgrade the appliance software, you
must first add the applicable files to the:

A. Tenant
B. Repository
C. Network
D. User Management

69
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Answer 1: Managing applications and upgrade packages in the
repository
Before you can create an application instance or upgrade the appliance software, you
must first add the applicable files to the:

A. Tenant
B. Repository
C. Network
D. User Management

The correct answer is B. Before you can create an application instance or upgrade the appliance software, you must first
add the applicable files to the repository.

70
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Question 2: Creating application instances
You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application instance.

A. True
B. False

71
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Answer 2: Creating application instances
You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application instance.

A. True
B. False

The answer is A. With Flex Appliance, you can run concurrent instances of the following applications: NetBackup
master server, NetBackup media server with Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP), AdvancedDisk and
CloudCatalyst. You cannot use both MSDP and CloudCatalyst storage in the same application instance.

72
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Question 3: Managing application instances
When you start an instance, it starts on the same node that it was located on when it
was stopped.

A. True
B. False

73
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Answer 3: Managing application instances
When you start an instance, it starts on the same node that it was located on when it
was stopped.

A. True
B. False

The answer is B. When you start an instance, Flex Appliance automatically determines which node to start it on for
optimal load balancing. Therefore, it may not start on the same node that it was located on when it was stopped.

74
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Question 4: Creating application instances
After 24 hours, the instance upgrade is auto committed.

A. True
B. False

75
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Answer 4: Instance upgrade
After 24 hours, the instance upgrade is auto committed.

A. True
B. False

The answer is A. Once the upgrade has completed, the instance version remains in a pending state for the next 24
hours. You must decide within that time period whether you want to commit to the new version or roll back to the
previous version. If you do not commit or roll back within 24 hours of the upgrade, the new instance version is
committed automatically.

76
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Question 5: Instance upgrade

________ is allowed on instance in pending commit state.

A. Delete
B. Upgrade
C. Relocate

77
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Answer 5: Instance upgrade

________ is allowed on instance in pending commit state.

A. Delete
B. Upgrade
C. Relocate

The correct answer is C. Instance in pending commit state cannot be deleted or upgraded. Start/Stop/Relocate is
allowed on instance in in pending commit state.

78
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administra on

Lesson 07: Monitoring the Flex Appliance

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Monitoring the Flex Appliance lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration course.
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7-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Se ng up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance se ngs
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the seventh lesson in this course.

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7-2
Lesson objectives

Topic Objective
AutoSupport and Call Home • Provide an overview of AutoSupport and Call Home.
• Configure Call Home settings and view the Call Home
information.
• Describe how to delete and disable Call Home settings.

Monitoring the hardware from the • View node, primary storage shelf, and expansion storage shelf
Flex Appliance Shell information.
• View system data and hardware faults.

Scanning and adding storage Describe the process flow and working of the scan and add feature.
Troubleshooting Troubleshoot failures encountered during the scan and add
operation.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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7-3
Topic: AutoSupport and Call Home

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Provide an overview of AutoSupport and Call Home.
• Configure Call Home settings and view the Call Home information.
• Describe how to delete and disable Call Home settings.

This is the AutoSupport and Call Home topic.

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7-4
AutoSupport and Call Home: Overview

Case Management

Ticketing

Internet
Parts replacement
vendor
Call Home 24*7 monitoring
Diagnostics
Secure SSL
Veritas Secure Operations Center
connection

The Veritas AutoSupport service enables proactive monitoring, management, and

support of an appliance's health and performance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
AutoSupport also provides automated error reporting and support case creation. It
correlates the Call Home data with other site configuration data held by Veritas, for
Technical Support and error analysis. With AutoSupport, Veritas greatly improves the
customer support experience. Call Home provides information regarding appliance
component states and status. It is enabled by default.
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7-5
Viewing Call Home Information
Command Description
callhome Shows the current Call Home settings
callhome- Shows Call Home registration information
registration node- based on the node hostname
name=<node_name>
callhome-test Sends a test to verify that Call Home is
functional
email Shows the email and the SMTP settings
email-test Tests SMTP and sends an email about
hardware data
Usage
Show alerts <command>

An appliance has the ability to send an email to a local administrator when a hardware
failure is detected. You can configure the email address that you want to use for
hardware failure notifications from the Flex Appliance Shell. The contents of the email
identifies the type of hardware failure that occurred and the status of the failure.
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Configuring Call Home Settings
Command Description
callhome Enable the Call Home feature

callhome-proxy Enable the Call Home proxy server

callhome-proxy-server Enter the Call Home proxy server settings

callhome-proxy-tunnel Enable the Call Home proxy tunneling

email-smtp smtp_account=<smtp_account> (Optional) Enter the name of the account that is used for authentication to the
SMTP server
email-smtp smtp_password=<smtp_password> (Optional) Enter the password for authentication to the SMTP server

email-smtp smtp_server=<smtp_server> Enter the SMTP server that is used to send email

email-notification-interval interval=<interval> Enter the time (in minutes from 1 to 44640) between alert emails that are sent to
the administrator. The default value is 1440 minutes.
email-sender-id email_address=<email_address> Enter an email ID or account for emails that are received from the appliance

email-hardware email_address=<email_address> Add hardware administrator email accounts

To configure Call Home settings, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell.
2. Enable Call Home:
set alerts callhome
3. Set the Call Home proxy, proxy server, and proxy tunnel:
set alerts callhome-proxy
set alerts callhome-proxy-server
set alerts callhome-proxy-tunnel
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

4. Set the SMTP server

set alerts email-smtp smtp_server=<smtp_server>
5. Set the SMTP account and password (optional).
set alerts email-smtp smtp_account=<smtp_account> set
alerts email-smtp smtp_password=<smtp_password>

6. Set the interval in minutes between email notifications: set

alerts email-notification-interval
interval=<interval>
7. Set the sender and hardware administrator email addresses:
set alerts email-sender-id email_address=<email_address>
set alerts email-hardware email_address=<email_address>

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Deleting and disabling Call Home settings
Command Description

callhome Disable the Call Home feature

callhome-proxy Disable the Call Home proxy server

callhome-proxy-tunnel Disable Call Home proxy tunneling

email-sender-id Delete the email ID for emails that are

received from the appliance

email-smtp Delete the SMTP server that is used by the appliance

email-hardware Delete hardware administrator email accounts

email_address=<email_address>

Call Home is enabled by default. You can delete or disable Call Home settings as needed.
Call Home is not required, but it serves as a critical step to proactive customer support and
incident response for failures.
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance shell.
2. Disable the Call Home alerts:
delete alerts callhome
3. Disable the Call Home proxy settings:
delete alerts callhome-proxy delete
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

alerts callhome-proxy-tunnel

4. Delete the appliance sender ID and the SMTP settings:

delete alerts email-sender-id
delete alerts email-smtp

5. Delete the hardware administrator email address:

delete alerts email-hardware email_address=<email-
hardware>

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7-8
Topic: Monitoring the hardware from the Flex Appliance
Shell

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• View node, primary storage shelf, and expansion storage shelf
information.
• View system data and hardware faults.

This is the Monitoring the hardware from the Flex Appliance Shell topic.
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7-9
Viewing hardware information

10

You can use the Flex Appliance Shell to obtain information about hardware components.
This interface provides tab-completed items to monitor your Flex appliance. Before you
configure the appliance and your network, the systemcommand is available to provide
hardware monitoring information. To view the hardware monitoring information, perform
the following steps:

1. Login to the compute node

2. Enter system<tab> ?to view available options.
3. Use one of the following strings.
system hardware-health node
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

node_component=<component>
system hardware-health primaryshelf
primaryshelf_component=<component>
The parameter primaryshelf_component is required.

system hardware-health expansionshelf

expansionshelf_component=shelf_id=<Expansion_shelf_id>
The parameter shelf_id is required.
system hardware-errors

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Viewing node information
system hardware-health node node_component=<component>

<component> can take the following values:

All (components)
Fan
CPU
Disk
Fibre Channel
RAID
Power
Temperature
Product
PCI
Network
Firmware
Connection - between the appliance and the Primary Storage Shelf CPU
Storage Status
DIMM

11

To view node component health, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and type the following command:
system hardware-health node node_component=<component>
2. Press Enter to view the data.
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7-11
Viewing Primary Storage Shelf information

system hardware-health primaryshelf primaryshelf_component=<component>

<component> can take the following values:

All (components)
Fan
Disk
Power
Temperature
Product
Firmware
BBU (battery backup unit)
Controller
Volume
Volume group

12

You can view data about the following Primary Storage Shelf components from the shell. To
view Primary Storage Shelf component status, perform the following steps:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and type the following command:
system hardware-health primaryshelf
primaryshelf_component=<component>
2. Press Enter to display the information.
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7-12
Viewing Expansion Storage Shelf information

system hardware-health expansionshelf

expansionshelf_component=shelf_id=< Expansion shelf ID >

*shelf_id is a required parameter

<Expansion shelf ID> can take the following values:

All (components)
Fan
Disk
Power
Temperature
Product
Volume
Volume group

13

You can view data about the Expansion Storage Shelf components from the shell. To
view Expansion Storage Shelf status, perform the following steps:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and type the following command:
system hardware-health expansionshelf
expansionshelf_component=shelf_id=<Expansion shelf ID>
2. Press Enter.
Note that shelf_idis a required parameter.
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Viewing hardware faults

system hardware-errors

14

From the Flex Appliance Shell you can run a command that shows only hardware
component faults. To view hardware faults, perform the following steps:
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and type the following command:
system hardware-errors
2. Press Enter to display the data.
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7-14
Viewing system data
Command Description
disk Shows the current status of the storage array.
software Shows the current status of the various appliance software components.

hardware Shows the current status of the various appliance hardware components.
network Shows the current status of the network connections.

Usage
system self-test <command>

15

In addition to individual hardware component data, you can obtain information about
the appliance system. The self-test command captures more data than the hardware-
health command. It includes a health check all the way to the NetBackup application
layer.
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell, and type any of the following as needed:
system self-test disk
system self-test software
system self-test hardware
system self-test network
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

2. Press Enter after each string to view the data.

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7-15
Topic: Scanning and adding storage

After completing this topic, you will be able to describe the process flow
and working of the scan and add feature.

16

This is the Scanning and adding storage topic.

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7-16
Requirements and prerequisites

• Flex 1.2- appliance model 5340 introduces the scan and

add feature.
• Allows users to expand storage by scanning and adding
new expansion storage shelves.

Requirements and prerequisites

System Flex 1.2, appliance model 5340
Application Platform feature, no application requirement

Dependencies No dependencies
Licensing Part of the Flex platform, no additional licensing requirements

17

Flex 1.2 in its appliance model 5340 introduces the scan and add feature. This feature
can be used to expand the current storage by scanning and adding new expansion
shelves. This feature has no dependencies and does not need any additional licenses.
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7-17
Architectural overview
This feature is only supported in Flex 1.2 which uses appliance model 5340.

Appliance 5340 uses the Seagate APIs to configure LUNs.

The controller does not reside in the head node but in the storage shelves, hence LUNs are not created
automatically.

LUN creation runs on the first node. Any new disks are detected and setup, added to vxosdg, tagged and
then renamed.

On the second node(two node cluster), SCSI is rescanned and vxvm is updated to detect newly added disks
to disk group.

All operations are run through the GUI.

18

The scan and add feature is only supported in Flex 1.2 Appliance model 5340, which uses
Seagate APIs to configure LUNs. The controller does not reside in the head node but in the
storage shelves, hence LUNs are not created automatically. LUN creation runs on the first
node. Any new disks are detected and setup, added to vxosdg, tagged and then renamed.
On the second node (two node cluster), SCSI is rescanned and vxvm is updated to detect
newly added disks to disk group. All operations are run through the GUI. This is a new
feature which was not supported prior to Flex 1.2.
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7-18
Process flow of the scan and add feature
NODE 1
1. Activity Monitor displays the Add New Storage
activity.
2. Node 1 checks if another scan and add
operation is in progress.
3. Appliance model is checked.
4. LUNS are created, and SCSI rescanned.
5. Following tasks are performed:
a. VXVM updated with newly created LUNs
b. LUNs added to vxosdg
c. LUNs tagged
d. Device name renamed

NODE 2
1. Activity monitor displays the Scan new storage
activity.
2. Appliance model checked
3. The following tasks are performed:
a. SCSI rescanned.
b. VXVM updated with newly created LUNs
c. Device name renamed.

19

The slide displays the process flow of the scan and add feature. Login to the Veritas Flex
Appliance console. In the Home screen, click System topology. In the System topology
page, under Storage shelves, click Add storage. The following tasks are performed on node
1:
1. Activity Monitor displays the Add New Storage activity.
2. Node 1 checks if another scan and add operation is in progress.
3. The appliance model is checked.
4. LUNS are created, and SCSI is rescanned.
5. The following tasks are performed:
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

a. VXVM is updated with newly created LUNs.

b. LUNs are added to vxosdg.
c. LUNs are tagged.
d. Device name is renamed.
In a two node cluster, the following tasks are performed on node 2:
1. Activity monitor displays the Scan new storage activity.
2. Appliance model is checked.
3. The following tasks are performed:
a. SCSI is rescanned.
b. VXVM updated with newly created LUNs
c. Device name renamed.

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7-19
Installation
Installation

• Pre-installed in Flex 1.2

• Triggered from System topology in the Veritas Flex Console.

Verifying installation

• On a 1-node cluster, Activity Monitor displays the Add new storage task.
• In a 2-node cluster, the Activity Monitor of node 1 displays the Add new storage task ,while the Activity Monitor
of node 2 displays Scan new storage.
• The vxdisk list and vxdisk listtag commands on either node display all the LUNs added to vxosdg
and tagged as either DATA or CONFIG.

Uninstallation

• If there are no volumes created on the newly added LUNs, then run the command /var/scan_add_luns , remove
the tag for the LUN and remove it from the disk group.

20

The scan and add feature is pre-installed in Flex 1.2. It is triggered from the System
topology tile in the Veritas Flex console. The successful addition of a LUN in a one-node
cluster will display the Add new storage task in the Activity Monitor, while in a two-node
cluster, the first node displays the Add new storage task and the second node displays the
Scan new storage task in the Activity Monitor. Running the vxdisk list and vxdisk
listtagcommands on either node displays all the LUNs added to vxosdg and tagged as
either DATA or CONFIG. To remove a LUN, ensure that no volumes are created on it. Run
the command /var/scan_add_luns, remove the tag for the LUN, and then remove it
from the disk group.
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7-20
Configuration

The scan and add feature does not need configuration.

The cabling for the expansion shelf should be done correctly so that the scanning and
addition of the new LUN is successful.

Run the scan and add feature when no application instances are running. This is
because the VXVM blocks the disk IO when new disks are getting added to disk groups.

The expansion shelf cabling should be done as described in the Veritas 5340 Appliance
Hardware Installation Guide

21

The scan and add feature does not need any configuration. The cabling for the expansion
shelf should be done correctly so that the scanning and addition of the new LUN is
successful. Run the scan and add feature when no application instances are running. This is
because the VXVM blocks the disk IO when new disks are getting added to disk groups. The
expansion shelf cabling should be done as described in the Veritas 5340 Appliance
Hardware Installation Guide.
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc-viewer.126506423-126506481-
0.index.html
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7-21
Unsupported configuration

The Flex 1.2 scan and add feature only applies to the Appliance model 5340.
This feature is unavailable for the other appliance models.

22

The Flex 1.2 scan and add feature only applies to the Appliance model 5340. This
feature is unavailable for the other appliance models.
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7-22
Performance and sizing considerations
1

Ensure that no application container instances are running. The scan and
add feature blocks disk IO and any running backup applications will not
have volume access.

The scan and add feature slows down running container instances in the
cluster.

Veritas recommends running the scan and add operation when no

application container instances are running.

23

Before running the scan and add operation, ensure that no application container
instances are running. The scan and add operation blocks disk IO, so the backup
applications will not have access to volumes for as long as scan and add runs. The scan
and add features slows down the running container instances in a cluster. Veritas
recommends running the scan and add when no application container instances are
running.
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7-23
Usability and supportability
The Add storage operation can be executed from the
1
Flex Appliance console.

Users can track progress while the operation is

2
running via the Activity Monitor.

After every step of the process, a success or failure

3
message is recorded in the Activity Monitor.

Every task is recorded in the

4
/log/hostagent.log file

24

The Add storage operation can be executed from the Flex Appliance console. Users can
track progress while the operation is running via the Activity Monitor. After every step of
the process, a success or failure message is recorded in the Activity Monitor. Every task is
recorded in the /log/hostagent.log file.
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7-24
Step by step demonstration of the scan and add feature
Add storage

25

The slide above illustrates the Add storage operation.

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7-25
Step by step demonstration of the scan and add feature
Confirmation

26

In the Add storage dialog box, click Continue to confirm addition.

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7-26
Step by step demonstration of the scan and add feature
Add new storage and scan new storage

27

The Activity Monitor displays two tasks- Add new storage and Scan new storage. The
Activity monitor also displays the status of each step of the scan and add operation.
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7-27
Topic: Troubleshooting

After completing this topic, you will be able to troubleshoot failures

encountered during the scan and add operation.

28

This is the Troubleshooting topic.

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7-28
Troubleshooting installation and configuration (1/3)
NODE 1
1. Activity Monitor displays the Add New Storage
activity.
2. Node 1 checks if another scan and add
operation is in progress.
3. Appliance model is checked.
4. LUNS are created, and SCSI rescanned. Any failure in the scan and add operation is displayed in
5. Following tasks are performed: the Activity Monitor.
a. VXVM updated with newly created LUNs
b. LUNs added to vxosdg
c. LUNs tagged
d. Device name renamed

NODE 2
1. Activity monitor displays the Scan new storage
activity.
2. Appliance model checked
3. The following tasks are performed:
a. SCSI rescanned.
b. VXVM updated with newly created LUNs
c. Device name renamed.

29

Any failure in the scan and add operation is displayed in the Activity Monitor. The
sequence of operations on a 2 node cluster are displayed on the slide.
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7-29
Troubleshooting installation and configuration (2/3)
Points of failure Course of action

Appliance model is not 5340 The scan and add storage is only supported for Appliance model 5340. The
operation will fail for other models. Check the log /etc/vxos-release for
the model number.
Failure during scan and add Two tasks – Add new storage and Scan new storage are displayed in the Activity
Monitor including the node name where the tasks are getting executed. Check
the logs on the node where the error has occurred. The logs are in
/log/hostagent.log
Triggering a scan and add If a scan and add operation is in progress, the newly triggered scan and add
operation when another is in operation will fail. Check the Activity monitor to determine if a previous
progress operation is still in progress.
LUN creation fails To check why LUN creation failed, check the /var/Seagate_raid_log

If SCSI rescan fails Check /var/log/messages log

30

The slide displays the points of failure in the scan and add process and how to fix them.
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Troubleshooting installation and configuration (3/3)

Points of failure Course of action

No new disk found error This is because of either a cabling issue or the fact that no new LUNs were
created by the Seagate API. In the shell, elevate to the root user and check if
there are any new devices which are not part of the DG vxosdg

VxVM and VxDctl re-enable issues These are related to Infoscale and the relevant logs are in /var/VRTSvcs/log

31

The slide displays some more points of failure in the scan and add process and how to fix
them.
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7-31
Known limitation

If an Add storage operation fails after adding the newly created LUNs to vxosdg, then the
newly added LUN needs to be removed from the vxosdg before the scan and add operation
can be retried.

Disks that are added to disk groups are listed in the log file /var/scan_add_luns. Use
this information to remove the disk from the disk group and then retry the scan and add
operation.

32

If an Add storage operation fails after adding the newly created LUNs to vxosdg, then the
newly added LUN needs to be removed from the vxosdg before the scan and add
operation can be retried. This is a known limitation. Disks that are added to disk groups
are listed in the log file /var/scan_add_luns. Use this information to remove the disk
from the disk group and then retry the scan and add operation.
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7-32
Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about the AutoSupport and Call Home features.
– In addition, you learned how to monitor the hardware from the Flex Appliance Shell.
– Finally, you learned about the scan and add feature and how to troubleshoot it.
• Reference materials
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/130821112-132517533-0/v130876537-
132517533

33

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources
listed on the slide and remember to check the Veritas Support Web site frequently.
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7-33
Lab 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance

• Exercise A: Viewing and configuring Call Home settings

• Exercise B: Deleting and disabling Call Home settings
• Exercise C: Viewing appliance status
• Exercise D: Viewing appliance storage information
• Exercise E: Gathering device logs

34
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7-34
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

35

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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7-35
Question 1: AutoSupport and Call Home
What is Veritas AutoSupport?

A. Proactive monitoring, management and support of an appliance.

B. Identifies issues in the appliance and alerts the customer and support.
C. Creates support cases automatically
D. AutoSupport is provided by registering and enabling Call Home.
E. All of the above.

36
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7-36
Answer 1: AutoSupport and Call Home
What is Veritas AutoSupport?

A. Proactive monitoring, management and support of an appliance.

B. Identifies issues in the appliance and alerts the customer and support.
C. Creates support cases automatically
D. AutoSupport is provided by registering and enabling Call Home.
E. All of the above.

The correct answer is E, all of the above.

37
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7-37
Question 2: Scanning and adding storage
For which models of the Flex appliance is the scan and add feature available?

A. 5340
B. 5420
C. 5330
D. 5240

38
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7-38
Answer 2: Scanning and adding storage
For which models of the Flex appliance is the scan and add feature available?

A. 5340
B. 5420
C. 5330
D. 5240

The correct answer is A. The scan and add feature is only available for Flex appliance 1.2 with appliance 5340.

39
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7-39
Question 3: Scan and add storage
In a two node cluster, where does the LUN creation job run while adding storage?

A. On the first node

B. On the second node

40
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7-40
Answer 3: Scan and add storage
In a two node cluster, where does the LUN creation job run while adding storage?

A. On the first node

B. On the second node

The correct answer is A. LUN creation runs on the first node while the SCSI rescanning runs on the second node.

41
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7-41
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7-42
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration

Lesson 08: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340
Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

8-1
Lesson introduction

1. Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

2. Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
3. Lesson 3: Setting up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
4. Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance settings
5. Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
6. Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
7. Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
8. Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
9. Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the eighth lesson in this course.

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8-2
Lesson objectives

Topic Objective

Performing a factory reset • Perform a factory reset.

• Recover storage data after a factory reset.
• Perform a storage reset.
• Remove a node from a multi-node appliance deployment.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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8-3
Topic: Performing a factory reset

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Perform a factory reset.
• Recover storage data after a factory reset.
• Perform a storage reset.
• Remove a node from a multi-node appliance deployment.

This is the Performing a factory reset topic.

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8-4
Factory reset: Overview
A factory reset will reset the Appliance operating system, Appliance software, and
networking configuration but does not affect the storage data.

Appliance Operating
System Appliance Software

Network Storage
Configuration Configuration

The purpose of a factory reset is to return a node to a clean, unconfigured, and factory
state. A factory reset will reset the appliance operating system, appliance software, and
networking configuration but does not affect the storage data.
Note: If you have a multi-node appliance, a factory reset only affects the node that you
run this procedure from. If you want to reset both nodes, repeat the procedure on the
other node.
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8-5
Performing a factory reset

To perform a factory reset, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell from the node that you want to reset and run the
following command:
system factory-reset
2. A warning stating that the configuration will be reset to factory defaults is displayed.
Type Yes and press Enter to start the factory reset.
3. After the reset is complete, the Do you want to restart this node now?
message is displayed. The factory reset is not complete until after the system is
restarted. Type Yes and press Enter to restart the node and complete the factory reset.
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Storage recovery: Overview
Storage recovery feature is used when the Flex computer node(s) are corrupt and cannot
be recovered but the data on the storage shelf is intact.

Operating system Recovered head

corrupt unit

Storage data Existing storage

intact data imported

The Storage Recovery feature is used when the Flex computer node or nodes are corrupt
and cannot be recovered but the data on the storage shelf is intact. Users can import the
data from the storage shelf after reimaging or replacing the head node or nodes. With
this feature, original application instances can be recreated and their original data can be
imported.
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8-7
Recovering storage data after a factory reset
Configure network
1

Perform Storage recovery

2

3
Verify recovered instances

After a factory reset operation is complete, you can decide to perform a storage reset or
recover storage data. In cases where the factory reset was performed to resolve issues with
the operating system, the storage data can be recovered by performing the following tasks:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell from the node and run the following command to
configure the network:
setup configure-network
2. After completing the network configuration, run the following command to perform the
storage recovery:
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

system appliance-recover
3. Verify that all the application instances are recovered successfully.
The recovery for a single-node deployment is now complete. In case of a multi-node
deployment, perform the following steps in addition to the steps above.
1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell from the second node and run the following
command to configure the network:
setup configure-network
2. Run the setup add-node command on the first node to add
the second node.

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8-8
Storage reset: Overview
The purpose of a storage reset is to remove existing data and instances. In most cases,
you should perform a storage reset after a factory reset.

Storage data
Storage data
removed

Storage reset

Note: If you have a multi-node appliance, resetting the storage from one node removes
the data for both nodes.

The purpose of a storage reset is to remove the existing data and instances. In most
cases, you should perform a storage reset after a factory reset. Make sure that the factory
reset completed successfully on all appliance nodes before you begin a storage reset.

Note: If you have a multi-node appliance, resetting the storage from one node removes
the data for both nodes.
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8-9
Performing a storage reset

10

To perform a storage reset, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell and run the following command:
system storage-reset
2. A warning stating that the storage data will be deleted is displayed, type Yes and
press Enter to continue.
3. Type DELETE DATA and press Enter at the Enter DELETE DATA to confirm prompt to
start the reset.
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Removing a node

Note: Do not perform any other tasks on the appliance until the remove-node operation is complete.

11

To remove a node, perform the following steps:

1. From the Flex Appliance console, make sure that there are no instances running on the
node that you want to remove. Use the System Topology page to view all of the
running instances and relocate them if necessary.
2. Log in to the Flex Appliance Shell on the node that you to keep in the appliance and
enter the following command:
setup remove-node with-response remove_node=<hostname>,
where <hostname>is the hostname of the node that you want to remove.
Note: Do not perform any other tasks on the appliance until the remove-node
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

operation is complete.

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8-11
Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned how to perform a factory reset and a recover storage data after a factory
reset.
– In addition, you learned how to perform a storage reset and remove a node from a multi-node
appliance deployment.
• Reference materials
– Veritas 5340 Appliance Product Description Guide
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
– http://www.veritas.com/support

12

For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources
listed on the slide and remember to check the Veritas support web site frequently.
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8-12
Lab 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance

• Exercise A: Removing an existing node from a multi-node appliance setup

• Exercise B: Performing a factory reset
• Exercise C: Performing a storage reset

13
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8-13
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

14

The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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8-14
Question 1: Factory reset: Overview
Which of the following configuration will be retained during a factory reset?

A. Appliance operating system

B. Appliance software
C. Network Configuration
D. Storage Configuration
E. All of the above

15
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8-15
Answer 1: Factory reset: Overview
Which of the following configuration will be retained during a factory reset?

A. Appliance operating system

B. Appliance software
C. Network Configuration
D. Storage Configuration
E. All of the above

The correct answer is D. The purpose of a factory reset is to return a node to a clean, unconfigured, factory state. A
factory reset will reset the Appliance operating system, Appliance software, and networking configuration but does not
affect the storage data.

16
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8-16
Question 2: Storage recovery: Overview
Storage recovery feature is used when the Flex computer node or nodes are corrupt and
cannot be recovered but the data on the storage shelf is intact.

A. True
B. False

17
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8-17
Answer 2: Storage recovery: Overview
Storage recovery feature is used when the Flex computer node(s) are corrupt and cannot
be recovered but the data on the storage shelf is intact.

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. Storage recovery feature is used when the Flex computer node(s) are corrupt and cannot be
recovered but the data on the storage shelf is intact.

18
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8-18
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8-19
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Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administra on

Lesson 09: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

© 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved. Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC
or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This is the Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks lesson in the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340:
Administration course.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Not for Distribution.

9-1
Lesson introduction

• Lesson 1: Introducing the Veritas Flex Appliance 5340

• Lesson 2: Understanding Flex Appliance Containers
• Lesson 3: Se ng up and working with the Veritas Flex Appliance
• Lesson 4: Modifying Veritas Flex Appliance se ngs
• Lesson 5: Managing Flex Appliance users
• Lesson 6: Working with the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 7: Monitoring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 8: Reconfiguring the Flex Appliance
• Lesson 9: Flex Appliance: Upgrades and rollbacks

This lesson is the ninth lesson in this course.

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9-2
Lesson objectives

Topic Objective

Flex Appliance: Upgrades • List the prerequisites for upgrading the Flex Appliance.
• Explain the upgrade workflow.
• Describe the upgrade architecture.

Flex Appliance: Rollbacks • Explain the concept of rollback and when is it required.
• Describe the rollback workflow and methodology.

The table on this slide lists the topics and objectives for this lesson.
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9-3
Topic: Flex Appliance: Upgrades

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• List the prerequisites for upgrading the Flex Appliance.
• Explain the upgrade workflow.
• Describe the upgrade architecture.

This is the Flex Appliance: Upgrades topic.

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9-4
Introduction

Node 1 Platform Node 2 Platform

Applications Applications

The Flex platform and the applications can be upgraded separately.

The node remains available for

NBU remains online and available
high availability during the upgrade
during the upgrade in a 2-node
except for a brief duration during
cluster
reboot

The Veritas Flex Appliance, de-couples the platform upgrade from the application upgrade.
The platform and applications can now be upgraded separately. In a two node Flex Appliance,
the applications (NBU) remain online and available. The node also remains highly available
during most of the upgrade process, except for a brief period when it reboots. Users can
prepare the upgrade on a node at any time and trigger the node to boot into the newly
upgraded platform at their convenience. Some upgrade failures do not affect a running node.
In case of critical failures, the node can be rolled back to the previous platform version.
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9-5
Requirements and prerequisites
Upgrade RPM

The Flex upgrade RPM package

(VRTSflex-upgrade-x.x-
####.x86_64.rpm) is available
locally and can be uploaded via the
Flex web console.

Dependencies

Flex infrastructure services need to be

healthy/ONLINE.

Application

NBU instances can continue to run

while the upgrade RPM installs.

The Flex Appliance upgrade RPM package (VRTSflex-upgrade-x.x-

####.x86_64.rpm) is available locally and can be uploaded to the Flex Appliance via the
Veritas Flex Appliance console. The Flex infrastructure services need to be healthy or in the
ONLINE state for the upgrade to proceed. The NetBackup instances can continue to run while
the upgrade RPM installs.
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9-6
Upgrade workflow

1 2 3 4
Upload the RPM Ensure appliance is
using Flex Appliance in a healthy state Install upgrade RPM Reboot node
console before upgrade

7 6 5

Upgrade second Verify upgrade

Commit upgrade
node (if any) succeeded
Veritas Flex Appliance

The slide displays the step-by-step process flow for the Flex platform upgrade. The high level
steps are as follows:
1. Upload the upgrade RPM (VRTSflex-upgrade-x.x-####.x86_64.rpm) using
the Veritas Flex Appliance console.
2. Ensure that the Flex Appliance is in a healthy state before the upgrade begins.
3. Install the upgrade RPM.
4. Reboot the node.
5. Verify that the upgrade was successful.
Copyright @ 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

6. In a two node setup, upgrade the second node.

7. Commit the upgrade.

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9-7
Workflow
1
Upload the upgrade RPM package (1/2) Upload the RPM
using Flex Appliance
console

Upload the upgrade RPM using the Veritas Flex Appliance Console via Settings > Repository > Flex Appliance
Upgrade packages, and then click Add Package.
8

Upload the upgrade RPM using the Veritas Flex Appliance Console via Settings > Repository >
Flex Appliance Upgrade packages, and then click Add Package.
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9-8
Workflow 1
Upload the upgrade RPM package (2/2) Upload the RPM
using Flex Appliance
console

Wait until the package upload completes.

Do not navigate away from the page until the

RPM upload completes.

The page will automatically reload and the

package will be listed under Name.

Wait until the package upload completes. Do not navigate away from the page until the RPM
upload completes. The page will automatically reload and the package will be listed under the
Name field.
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9-9
Workflow
2
Infrastructure services online (1/2) Ensure appliance is
in a healthy state
before upgrade

Ensure that the infra_svc is ONLINE in

the cluster (any node) and not in a
faulted state on any mode.

Upgrade operation can only be

performed from an appliance in a
healthy state.

10

Ensure that the infrastructure service is ONLINE in the cluster (any node) and not in a FAULTED
state on any mode. The upgrade operation can only be performed from an appliance that is in
a healthy state.
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9-10
Workflow
2
Infrastructure services online (2/2) Ensure appliance is
in a healthy state
before upgrade

At this stage, you can also verify that the RPM can now be seen in the shared storage from both nodes.

11

At this stage, the RPM is visible in the shared storage from both nodes. The slide displays the
command to display the shared storage contents.
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9-11
Workflow
3
Install the upgrade RPM
Install upgrade RPM

Start the upgrade using the Flex shell on any of the nodes.

12

Start the upgrade using the Flex Shell on any of the nodes. Use the command: system
upgrade.
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9-12
Workflow
4
Reboot node
Reboot node

• The RPM installation takes about 30 minutes after

which the system prompts for a reboot.
• The user can reboot immediately or choose to reboot
later.
• Instances can be moved to another node to minimize
downtime during reboot.
• The new partition has already been set as the default
partition before the reboot. A node reboot causes the
system to boot into the new partition and proceed
with the remaining upgrade tasks.

There is no impact on the older partition until the reboot has been triggered. The reboot can be
delayed for as long as the user requires.

13

The RPM installation takes about 30 minutes after which the system prompts for a reboot.
The user can reboot immediately or choose to reboot later. Application instances can be
moved to the other node to minimize downtime during the reboot. The new partition has
already been set as the default partition before the reboot. A node reboot causes the system
to boot into the new partition and proceed with the remaining upgrade tasks.
NOTE: There is no impact on the older partition until the reboot has been triggered. The
reboot can be delayed for as long as the user requires. This is helpful if NetBackup jobs need
time to complete before the application can be relocated to the other node.
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9-13
Workflow 5
Verify upgrade succeeded (1/4) Verify upgrade
succeeded

• The post upgrade reboot tasks take approximately

10 minutes to complete.
• To determine the status of these tasks, use the
command /usr/bin/systemctl status ansible-
playbook@common_config.service

14

Wait until the node reboots. The post upgrade reboot tasks take approximately 10 minutes to
complete. To determine the status of these tasks, use the command /usr/bin/systemctl
status ansible-playbook@common_config.service
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9-14
Workflow
5
Verify upgrade succeeded (2/4) Verify upgrade
succeeded

• The infra_svc may switch between ONLINE and

OFFLINE a few times before the node comes
ONLINE and completes the post reboot upgrade
tasks.
• After the node successfully boots into the new
partition, the infrastructure images will be
upgraded and they will come ONLINE on the
upgraded node.
• At this time, the infra_svc will not be able to
failover to the other node.

15

The infra_svc may switch between ONLINE and OFFLINE a few times before the node comes
ONLINE and completes the post reboot upgrade tasks. After the node successfully boots into
the new partition, the infrastructure images will be upgraded and they will come ONLINE on
the upgraded node. At this time, the infra_svc will not be able to failover to the other node.
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9-15
Workflow
5
Verify upgrade succeeded (3/4) Verify upgrade
succeeded

Notice that the docker

images of the infrastructure
images are updated and
the tag latest now refers to
those updated images.

16

At this time, notice that the docker images of the infrastructure images are updated and the
tag latest now refers to those updated images.
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9-16
Workflow 5
Verify upgrade succeeded (4/4) Verify upgrade
succeeded

Login to the Flex Appliance console to see

the updated GUI.
The yellow banner displays the message
The nodes are not running on same Flex
software version. Don't perform any other
actions until the nodes are on the same
Flex
. software version.

Application provisioning is disabled until

both the nodes have been upgraded and
the system upgrade-commit
command has been executed.

17

Login to the Flex Appliance console to see the new GUI. A yellow banner at the top states that
“The nodes are not running on same Flex software version. Don't perform any other actions
until the nodes are on the same Flex software version”. Note the version mismatch between
the two nodes. Application provisioning is disabled until both the nodes have been upgraded
and the system upgrade-commit command has been executed.
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9-17
Workflow 7 6

Upgrade second node and commit upgrade Upgrade second

Commit upgrade
node (if any)

Commit the system upgrade

The create instance is enabled again after the upgrade
is committed
18

Upgrade the second node, if there is one and then commit the upgrade for the system. Use
the command system upgrade-commit. After the upgrade is committed, the Create
instance gets re-enabled.
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9-18
Upgrade architecture

/bin

/etc
Flex uses the dual boot partition architecture to install
/proc the upgraded platform on a new partition without
affecting the current running partition.
/ /boot

/log
/config
This is used as the new root to install the new
/system /volume
upgraded platform
/upgrade
repository Yum repo that stores RPMs from the ISO that
will be used during upgrade

19

The Veritas Flex Appliance uses the dual boot partition architecture to install the upgraded
platform on a new partition without affecting the current running partition. The
/system/upgrade/repository is the yum repository used to store RPMs from the
ISO to be used during the upgrade. The /system/upgrade/volume is used as new root
to install the new upgraded platform.
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9-19
Upgrade high level steps
The installation of the Flex platform upgrade mounts the ISO as a yum repository at
Install upgrade RPM /system/upgrade/repository

Install Flex platform in chroot Vuf installs the new ISO in the shadow partition in /system/upgrade/volume

Node is rebooted into the new partition where the remaining configuration is applied to
Reboot the running system

Commit upgrade After successful upgrade of all nodes, run system upgrade-commit from Flex shell

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The Veritas Flex upgrade comprises the following high level steps:
1. The Flex platform upgrade installation mounts the ISO as a yum repository at: /
system/upgrade/repository.

2. VUF (Veritas Upgrade Framework) installs the new ISO in the shadow partition in
/system/upgrade/volume. Some of the existing configurations are applied in the
new partition before the reboot. Grub is also updated to mark this new partition as the
default boot partition.

3. The node reboots into the new partition where the remaining configuration is applied to
the running system.
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4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for a second node in a two node configuration. After all the
nodes have successfully upgraded, run system upgrade-commit from the Flex
Shell.

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Topic: Flex Appliance: Rollbacks

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the concept of rollback and when is it required.
• Describe the rollback workflow and methodology.

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This is the Flex Appliance: Rollbacks topic.

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Introduction to rollbacks
Rollback the platform upgrade in the event of a failure.

Possible to rollback the Flex platform even after a successful upgrade.

Veritas Flex Appliance

Not all upgrade failures need a rollback.

Rollback needed when the upgrade fails during the reboot.

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The Veritas Flex Appliance allows users to rollback the platform upgrades in the event of a
failure. The Flex platform can be rolled back even if the upgrade is successful. Not all upgrade
failures need a rollback to recover. It is only required if the upgrade fails during the reboot.
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Upgrade failure categories

Failures before reboot Failures after reboot

Non-critical: Does not affect the running system. Critical: Appliance maybe in an unusable state.

Failures that occur before the appliance goes down

Failures that occur during the boot up and in the
for a reboot. These are failures during the RPM
post reboot upgrade tasks.
install or shadow partition preparation.

No rollback/cleanup operation needed. Upgrade

Requires a system rollback in most cases.
operation can be retried with minimal risk.

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Upgrade failures can be divided into two categories: failures before reboot and failures after
reboot. Failures before reboot are non-critical and do not affect the running system. These
occur before the machine goes down for a reboot. These are failures during the RPM install
or shadow partition preparation. In these cases, rollback or a cleanup operation are not
required and the upgrade can be retried with minimal risk. Failures after reboot are critical
because the appliance maybe in an unusable state. These failures occur during the appliance
boot-up and during post reboot upgrade tasks. These failures need a system rollback in most
cases.
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Rollback workflow

Rollback is a Flex shell driven operation.

• Step 1: Initiate rollback with the Flex-

shell command system rollback.
• Step 2: Reboot the node into the old
root partition.

NOTE: Veritas recommends manually

turning off all application instances before
starting the system rollback.

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Rolling back the appliance is a Flex shell driven operation. It is a two step process where
the rollback is initiated with the system rollback command. After the rollback
completes, the node needs to be rebooted into the old root partition.
Note: It is recommended that all application instances must be manually turned
OFFLINE before starting the system rollback.
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Architecture overview

A Flex platform rollback essentially performs the following tasks:

Reverts configurations that are common to both boot partitions; got upgraded during the
1 upgrade.

2 Reboots into the old partition.

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A Flex platform rollback essentially performs the following tasks:

1. Reverts configurations that are common to both boot partitions, which got upgraded
during the upgrade.
2. Reboots into the old partition.
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Rollback precheck
The prerequisites to performing a system rollback are:

The upgrade operation should

either be successful or failed.

The upgrade should not be

committed.

Node A Node B
upgraded upgrade failed
successfully
Only Node B can
be rolled back first
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To perform a platform rollback on a node, the upgrade should be successful or should have
failed and the upgrade should not be committed. In a two node setup, if the upgrade
succeeded on one node and failed on the other, the node where the upgrade failed can be
rolled back first. If you rollback the successfully upgraded node before rolling back the failed
node, the rollback attempt is aborted.
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Update VCS SystemList for infra_svc (1/2)

The infra_svc cannot failover if the This is because the infra /mnt/data
nodes are running two different is incompatible between different
Flex versions. Flex versions.

Before restoring the snapshot, the

Upgrade the current node after a
vcs systemList for infra_svc is
rollback.
updated.

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The infrastructure service cannot failover to the other node until the other node is also
upgraded and running the same version as the upgraded node. This is because the
infra /mnt/data incompatibility between infrastructure services in two Flex versions.
Before restoring the snapshot, the vcs systemList is updated. Veritas recommends upgrading
the current node again after a rollback. By skipping the snapshot revert, the other node will
continue to function as an upgraded Flex node with newer infrastructure services.
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Update VCS SystemList for infra_svc (2/2)
For example, if Node A is being rolled back from Flex 1.2 to Flex 1.1, the System List for infra_svc will be
updated depending upon the state of the nodes.

Node A Node B SystemList after Node A

rollback
Upgrade failed Flex 1.1 Node A, Node B

Upgrade failed Upgraded to Flex Node B

1.2

Upgrade succeeded Upgraded to Flex Node A

1.2
Upgrade succeeded Flex 1.1 Node A, Node B

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For example, if Node A is being rolled back from Flex 1.2 to Flex 1.1, the System List for
infra_svc will be updated depending upon the state of the nodes, as displayed on the slide.
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Restore snapshot

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3
Infra_svc and Restore the
data_vol should be snapshot and Bring data_vol
OFFLINE on all cleanup (delete ONLINE on all nodes
nodes snapshot)

• All application instances should be turned OFFLINE before performing the system
IMPORTANT
rollback.
• If any instances are running during the rollback, they enter a FAULTED state. This is
required because the data_vol which is shared between infra images and the
application needs to be OFFLINE during snapshot restore.

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Restoring a snapshot involves the following steps:

1. Turn the Infra_svc and data_vol OFFLINE on all the nodes.
2. Restore the snapshot and cleanup (delete snapshot).
3. Bring data_vol ONLINE on all nodes.
Note: All application instances should be turned OFFLINE before performing the system
rollback. If any instances are running during the rollback, they enter a FAULTED state. This is
required because the data_vol which is shared between the infra images and application
needs to be OFFLINE during snapshot restore.
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Why is a snapshot needed?
The configuration data that infra services depend upon is located in /mnt/data.

The data schema used for Flex 1.2 Infra services is not backwards compatible with Flex 1.1.

During the upgrade, the data is migrated when the new infra services come online for the first time.

Thus, during the upgrade, a snapshot is created of this volume (/mnt/data) just before data migration
occurs.

When a Flex platform is rolled back from 1.2 to 1.1, this snapshot needs to be reverted so that the older
Flex 1.1 infra services and the data config volume are compatible again.

If the upgrade fails before the snapshot has been created (before data migration), there is no need to
revert the snapshot during a rollback, because the Flex 1.1 schema still exists.

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The configuration data that infra services depend upon is located in /mnt/data. Thedata
schema used for Flex 1.2 Infra services is not backward compatible with Flex 1.1. During the
upgrade, the data is migrated when the new infra services come ONLINE for the first time.
Thus, during the upgrade, a snapshot is created of this volume (/mnt/data) just before data
migration occurs. When a Flex platform is rolled back from 1.2 to 1.1, this snapshot needs to
be reverted so that the older Flex 1.1 infra services and the data config volume are
compatible again. If the upgrade fails before the snapshot has been created
(before data migration), there is no need to revert the snapshot during a rollback, because the
Flex 1.1 schema still exists.
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Is the snapshot revert required?

Does the snapshot exist? State of the other node

• If the snapshot does not exist then • The other node has successfully
this step is skipped during rollback upgraded, is healthy and the current In both of
node is in upgrade failed state these
• The other node was rolled back and situations, the
the current node is second node to system will
be rolled back skip reverting
the snapshot

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The system will skip reverting the snapshot in the following situations:
• When the snapshot does not exist.
• The other node has successfully upgraded, is healthy, and the current node is in
upgrade failed state.
• The other node was rolled back and the current node is second node to be rolled back.
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Retag the infrastructure images

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Since the registry is shared between both partitions, the rollback job needs to delete the new
images and retag the older images as “latest". If the upgrade job had failed before the newer
images were tagged as latest, then this step will skip the retagging but will still delete newer
images from the registry.
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Update GRUB

Finally just before prompting for a reboot, the GRUB is updated to delete the entry for the
current (upgraded) boot partition and the older Flex 1.1 partition is set as default boot
partition.

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Finally just before prompting for a reboot, the GRUB is updated to delete the entry for the
current (upgraded) boot partition and the older Flex 1.1 partition is set as default boot
partition.
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Reboot
• As with upgrade, the rollback only takes effect after rebooting into the older boot partition.
• Depending on the state of the other node in the cluster and the state of the SystemList, the infra_svc
may or may not come ONLINE on this rolled back node.
• Infra_svc will be ONLINE on this node after reboot if this node is in the SystemList AND if it is not already
ONLINE on the other node.

Status before Rollback Status after Rollback of Node A

Node A Node B SystemList after rollback Infra_svc version
Upgrade failed Flex 1.1 Node A, Node B Flex 1.1
Upgrade failed Upgraded to Flex 1.2 Node B Flex 1.2
Upgrade succeeded Upgraded to Flex 1.2 Node A Flex 1.1
Upgrade succeeded Flex 1.1 Node A, Node B Flex 1.1

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As with upgrade, the rollback only takes effect after rebooting into the older boot partition.
Depending on the state of the other node in the cluster and the state of the SystemList, the
infra_svc may or may not come ONLINE on this rolled back node. Infra_svc will be ONLINE on
this node after reboot if this node is in the SystemList AND if it is not already ONLINE on the
other node. The slide displays the status before and after rollback.
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Lesson summary

• Key points
– In this lesson, you learned about the prerequisites for upgrading the Flex Appliance.
– In addition, you learned about the upgrade workflow.
– Finally, you learned about rollbacks, when they are required, and their internal implementation.
• Reference materials
– Upgrading Flex Appliance
– https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/130821112-132517533-0/v135014038-
132517533
– Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/130821112-132517533-0/v130876537-
132517533

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For more information about the topics discussed in this lesson, refer to the resources listed on
the slide and remember to check the Veritas Support Web site frequently.
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9-35
What did you learn?
You are about to be asked a series
of questions related to the current
lesson.

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The next section is a quiz. In this quiz, you are asked a series of questions related to the
current lesson.
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Question 1: Upgrades
Can the Veritas Flex platform and the applications be upgraded separately?

A. True
B. False

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Answer 1: Upgrades
Can the Veritas Flex platform and the applications be upgraded separately?

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. The Veritas Flex Appliance, de-couples the platform upgrade from the application upgrade. The
platform and applications can now be upgraded separately

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Question 2: Rollbacks
The Veritas Flex platform can be rolled back even if the upgrade was successful?

A. True
B. False

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Answer 2: Rollbacks
The Veritas Flex platform can be rolled back even if the upgrade was successful?

A. True
B. False

The correct answer is A. The Veritas Flex platform can be rolled back even if the upgrade was successful provided the
upgrade has not been committed.

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