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1.10

Validate your environment with Active IQ Config Advisor

Contributors amgrissino netapp-yvonneo netapp-dbagwell
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Before you rack NetApp HCI hardware and perform the installation of NetApp HCI, you need to verify that your environment meets NetApp HCI networking requirements. Active IQ Config Advisor runs checks on your environment by validating network, switch, and VMware vSphere configurations. The tool generates a report which you can use to help you resolve issues, and you can forward the report to your Professional Services engineer to prepare and schedule an installation.

Install Active IQ Config Advisor

Download and install Active IQ Config Advisor on a PC that has access to the NetApp HCI networks.

Steps

  1. In a web browser, select Tools from the NetApp Support menu, search for Active IQ Config Advisor, and download the tool.

    NetApp Support Site > Tools.

    After you agree to the End User License Agreement (EULA), the Download page appears. Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac binaries are available in the Client Tool pane.

  2. Run the executable.

  3. Select a language, and click OK.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Read the EULA and click I Agree.

  6. Click Install.

  7. Ensure that Run Active IQ Config Advisor is selected, and click Finish.

    After a short delay, the Active IQ Config Advisor UI opens in a new browser window or tab.

Use Active IQ Config Advisor

Active IQ Config Advisor runs in a browser window, collects information about your network and environment, and generates a report you can use to resolve any network or configuration issues that might interfere with NetApp HCI deployment.

Before you begin

You have installed Active IQ Config Advisor on a device that can access the management network, VMware vCenter Server networking (if you are joining an existing VMware installation), and switches that will be used for NetApp HCI.

Note If you are using Mellanox switches and NetApp Professional Services is configuring them as part of deployment, you do not need to provide switch information.
About this task

Active IQ Config Advisor performs only read-only checks to gather information. No configuration is modified as part of the collection.

Steps

  1. Open Active IQ Config Advisor.

    Config Advisor appears with the Basic Settings window in a web browser. Here, you can define global collection settings and encrypt the collection results.

  2. Enter a passphrase in the Encryption Settings section to encrypt the collection project.

    This ensures that only you are able to load this collection project after it is created.

  3. Identify this collection report as yours by entering your name and email address in the User Verification section.

  4. Click Save.

  5. Click Create a new data collection.

  6. Select Solution Based in the Collection Type drop-down menu.

  7. Select NetApp HCI Pre Deployment in the Profile drop-down menu.

  8. For each type of device in the Type column, select the number of that type of device in your NetApp HCI network in the Actions drop-down menu.

    For example, if you have three Cisco switches, choose 3 from the Actions column drop-down menu in that row. Three rows appear, one for each Cisco switch you identified.

    Note If you are using Mellanox switches and NetApp Professional Services is configuring them as part of deployment, you do not need to provide switch information.

  9. For any switches that you identified, enter the management IP address and administrator credentials.

  10. For any VMware vCenter Servers you identified, do one of the following:

    • If you are deploying a new vCenter Server, provide the IP address or Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) that is planned for the server.

    • If you are joining an existing vCenter Server, provide the IP address or FQDN and the administrator credentials for the server.

  11. Optional: If you added information for switches, enter the number of compute and storage nodes in the Switch Validation section.

  12. Choose which compute node cabling configuration you plan to use in the Compute node network section.

  13. Enter individual switch ports and any VLAN tags you plan to use for the management, vMotion, and storage networks for any switches in the Compute node network section.

  14. Enter individual switch ports and any VLAN tags you plan to use for the management and storage networks for any switches in the Storage node network section.

  15. In the Network Settings Check section, enter the IP addresses and gateway IP address for the management network, followed by lists of servers for DNS, NTP, and vCenter Server (if you are deploying a new vCenter Server with NetApp HCI).

    This section enables Active IQ Config Advisor to ensure that the management network is available for use, and also ensures that services such as DNS and NTP are working properly.

  16. Click Validate to ensure all of the IP address information and credentials you have entered are valid.

  17. Click Save or Collect.

    This starts the collection process, and you can see the progress as the collection runs along with a real-time log of the collection commands. The Progress column shows color-coded progress bars for each collection task.

    Active IQ Config Advisor job progress bar

    The progress bars use the following colors to show status:

    • Green: The collection has finished with no command failures. You can see the deployment risks and recommendations by clicking the View & Analyze icon in the Actions menu.

    • Yellow: The collection has finished with some command failures. You can see the deployment risks and recommendations by clicking the View & Analyze icon in the Actions menu.

    • Red: The collection has failed. You need to resolve the errors and run the collection again.

  18. Optional: When the collection is complete, you can click the binocular icon for any collection row to see the commands that were run and the data that was collected.

  19. Select the View & Analyze tab.

    This page shows a general health report of your environment. You can select a section of the pie chart to see more details about those specific checks or descriptions of problems, along with recommendations on resolving any issues that might interfere with successful deployment. You can resolve these issues yourself or request help from NetApp Professional Services.

  20. Click Export to export the collection report as a PDF or Microsoft Word document.

    Note PDF and Microsoft Word document outputs include the switch configuration information for your deployment, which NetApp Professional Services uses to verify the network settings.

  21. Send the exported report file to your NetApp Professional Services representative.

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