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SnapCenter Software 4.5
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Quick start to install SnapCenter Plug-in for SQL Server

Contributors netapp-nsriram
PDFs

Provides a condensed set of installation instructions for installing the SnapCenter Server and the SnapCenter Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server.

Prepare for installation

Domain and workgroup requirements

SnapCenter Server can be installed on systems that are either in a domain or in a workgroup.

If you are using an Active Directory domain, you should use a Domain user with local administrator rights. The Domain user should be a member of the local Administrator group on the Windows host.

If you are using workgroups, you should use a local account that has local administrator rights.

License requirements

The type of licenses you install depends on your environment.

License Where required

SnapCenter Standard controller-based

Required for FAS or AFF storage controllers

SnapCenter Standard license is a controller-based license and is included as part of the premium bundle. If you have the SnapManager Suite license, you also get the SnapCenter Standard license entitlement. If you want to install SnapCenter on a trial basis with FAS or AFF storage, you can obtain a Premium Bundle evaluation license by contacting the sales representative.

SnapCenter Standard capacity-based

Required with ONTAP Select and Cloud Volumes ONTAP

If you are a Cloud Volumes ONTAP or ONTAP Select customer, you need to procure a per TB capacity-based license based on the data managed by SnapCenter. By default, SnapCenter ships a built-in 90-day 100 TB SnapCenter Standard capacity-based trial license. For other details, contact the sales representative.

SnapMirror or SnapVault

ONTAP

Either SnapMirror or SnapVault license is required if replication is enabled in SnapCenter.

Additional licenses (optional)

See SnapCenter licenses.

SnapCenter Standard licenses (optional)

Secondary destinations

Note It is recommended, but not required, that you add SnapCenter Standard licenses to secondary destinations. If SnapCenter Standard licenses are not enabled on secondary destinations, you cannot use SnapCenter to backup resources on the secondary destination after performing a failover operation. However, a FlexClone license is required on secondary destinations to perform clone and verification operations.

Additional requirements

For ONTAP and application plug-in minimum requirements see Interoperability Matrix Tool

Hosts Minimum requirements

Operating System (64-bit)

See Interoperability Matrix Tool

CPU

  • Server host: 4 cores

  • Plug-in host: 1 core

RAM

  • Server host: 8 GB

  • Plug-in host: 1 GB

Hard drive space

Server host:

  • 4 GB for SnapCenter Server software and logs

  • 6 GB for SnapCenter repository

  • Each plug-in host: 2 GB for plug-in installation and logs, this is required only if plug-in is installed on a dedicated host.

Third-party libraries

Required on SnapCenter Server host and plug-in host:

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 or later

  • Windows Management Framework (WMF) 4.0 or later

  • PowerShell 4.0 or later

Browsers

Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge
Port type Default port

SnapCenter port

8146 (HTTPS), bidirectional, customizable, as in the URL https://server:8146

SnapCenter SMCore communication port

8145 (HTTPS), bidirectional, customizable

Repository database

3306 (HTTPS), bidirectional

Windows plug-in hosts

135, 445 (TCP)

In addition to ports 135 and 445, the dynamic port range specified by Microsoft should also be open. Remote install operations use the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service, which dynamically searches this port range.

For information on the dynamic port range supported, see Service overview and network port requirements for Windows.

SnapCenter Plug-in for Windows

8145 (HTTPS), bidirectional, customizable

ONTAP cluster or SVM communication port

443 (HTTPS), bidirectional; 80 (HTTP), bidirectional

The port is used for communication between the SnapCenter Server host, plug-in host, and SVM or ONTAP Cluster.

SnapCenter Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server requirements

You should have a user with local administrator privileges with local login permissions on the remote host. If you manage cluster nodes, you need a user with administrative privileges to all the nodes in the cluster.

You should have a user with sysadmin permissions on the SQL Server. The plug-in uses Microsoft VDI Framework, which requires sysadmin access.

If you were using SnapManager for Microsoft SQL Server and want to import data from SnapManager for Microsoft SQL Server to SnapCenter, see Import archived backups

Install SnapCenter Server

Download and install SnapCenter Server

Steps

  1. Download the SnapCenter Server installation package from the NetApp Support Site and then double-click the exe.

    After you initiate the installation, all the prechecks are performed and if the minimum requirements are not met appropriate error or warning messages are displayed. You can ignore the warning messages and proceed with installation; however, errors should be fixed.

  2. Review the pre-populated values required for the SnapCenter Server installation and modify if required.

    You do not have to specify the password for MySQL Server repository database. During SnapCenter Server installation the password is auto generated.

    Note The special character “%” is not supported in the custom path for installation. If you include “%” in the path, installation fails.

  3. Click Install Now.

Log in to SnapCenter

Steps

  1. Launch SnapCenter from a shortcut on the host desktop or from the URL provided by the installation (https://server:8146 for default port 8146 where SnapCenter Server is installed).

  2. Enter the credentials.

    For a built-in domain admin username format, use: NetBIOS\<username> or <username>@<domain> or <DomainFQDN>\<username>.

    For a built-in local admin username format, use <username>.

  3. Click Sign In.

Add a SnapCenter Standard controller-based license

Steps

  1. Log in to the controller using the ONTAP command line and enter:

    system license add -license-code <license_key>

  2. Verify the license:

    license show

Add a SnapCenter capacity-based license

Steps

  1. In the SnapCenter GUI left pane, click Settings > Software, and then in the License section, click +.

  2. Select one of two methods for obtaining the license:

    • Enter your NetApp Support Site login credentials to import licenses.

    • Browse to the location of the NetApp License File and click Open.

  3. On the Notifications page of the wizard, use the default capacity threshold of 90 percent.

  4. Click Finish.

Set up storage system connections

Steps

  1. In the left pane, click Storage Systems > New.

  2. In the Add Storage System page, perform the following:

    1. Enter the name or IP address of the storage system.

    2. Enter the credentials that are used to access the storage system.

    3. Select the check boxes to enable Event Management System (EMS) and AutoSupport.

  3. Click More Options if you want to modify the default values assigned to platform, protocol, port, and timeout.

  4. Click Submit.

Install the Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

Set up Run As Credentials to install the Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

Steps

  1. In the left pane, click Settings > Credentials > New.

  2. Enter the credentials.

    For a built-in domain admin username format, use: NetBIOS\<username> or <username>@<domain> or <DomainFQDN>\<username>.

    For a built-in local admin username format, use <username>.

Add a host and install the Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

Steps

  1. In the SnapCenter GUI left pane, click Hosts > Managed Hosts > Add.

  2. On the Hosts page of the wizard, perform the following:

    1. Host Type: Select Windows host type.

    2. Host name: Use the SQL host or specify the FQDN of a dedicated Windows host.

    3. Credentials: Select the valid credential name of the host that you created or create new credentials.

  3. In the Select Plug-ins to Install section, select Microsoft SQL Server.

  4. Click More Options to specify the following details:

    1. Port: Either retain the default port number or specify the port number.

    2. Installation Path: The default path is C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapCenter. You can optionally customize the path.

    3. Add all hosts in the cluster: Select this check box if you are using SQL in WSFC.

    4. Skip preinstall checks: Select this check box if you already installed the plug-ins manually or you do not want to validate whether the host meets the requirements for installing the plug-in.

  5. Click Submit.