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SnapCenter Software 5.0
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Add hosts and install Plug-in for Exchange

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You can use the SnapCenter Add Host page to add Windows hosts. The Plug-in for Exchange is automatically installed on the specified host. This is the recommended method for installing plug-ins. You can add a host and install a plug-in either for an individual host or a cluster.

Before you begin

  • You must be a user that is assigned to a role that has the plug-in install and uninstall permissions, such as the SnapCenter Admin.

  • When installing a plug-in on a Windows host, if you specify a credential that is not built-in, or if the user belongs to a local workgroup user, you must disable UAC on the host.

  • The message queueing service must be running.

  • If you are using group Managed Service Account (gMSA), you should configure gMSA with administrative privileges. For information, see Configure group Managed Service Account on Windows Server 2012 or later for Microsoft Exchange Server.

About this task

  • You cannot add a SnapCenter Server as a plug-in host to another SnapCenter Server.

  • You can add a host and install plug-in packages either for an individual host or a cluster.

  • If an exchange node is part of a DAG, you cannot add only one node into the SnapCenter Server.

  • If you are installing plug-ins on a cluster (Exchange DAG), they are installed on all of the nodes of the cluster even if some of nodes do not have databases on NetApp LUNs.

Beginning with SnapCenter 4.6, SCE supports multitenancy and you can add a host using the following methods:

Add host operation 4.5 and earlier 4.6 and later

Add IP-less DAG in cross or different domain

Not supported

Supported

Add multiple IP DAGs with unique names, residing in the same or cross domain

Supported

Supported

Add multiple IP or IP-less DAGs which have same host names and/or DB name in cross domain

Not supported

Supported

Add multiple IP/IP-less DAGs with the same name and cross domain

Not supported

Supported

Add multiple standalone hosts with the same name and cross domain

Not supported

Supported

Plug-in for Exchange depends on SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Windows, and the versions must be the same. During the Plug-in for Exchange installation, SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Windows is selected by default and is installed along with the VSS Hardware Provider.

If SnapManager for Microsoft Exchange Server and SnapDrive for Windows are already installed, and you want to install Plug-in for Exchange on the same Exchange Server, you must unregister the VSS Hardware Provider used by SnapDrive for Windows because it is incompatible with the VSS Hardware Provider installed with Plug-in for Exchange and SnapCenter Plug-ins Package for Windows. For more information, see How to manually register the Data ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider.

Steps

  1. In the left navigation pane, click Hosts.

  2. Verify that Managed Hosts is selected at the top.

  3. Click Add.

  4. In the Hosts page, do the following:

    For this field…​ Do this…​

    Host Type

    Select Windows as the host type.

    SnapCenter Server adds the host and then installs on the host the Plug-in for Windows and the Plug-in for Exchange if they are not already installed.

    Plug-in for Windows and Plug-in for Exchange must be the same version. If a different version of Plug-in for Windows was previously installed, SnapCenter updates the version as part of the installation.

    Host name

    Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or the IP address of the host.

    SnapCenter depends on the proper configuration of the DNS. Therefore, the best practice is to enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

    An IP address is supported for untrusted domain hosts only if it resolves to the FQDN.

    If you are adding a host using SnapCenter and it is part of a subdomain, you must provide the FQDN.

    You can enter IP addresses or the FQDN of one of the following:

    • Stand-alone host

    • Exchange DAG

      For an Exchange DAG, you can:

      • Add a DAG by providing the DAG name, DAG IP address, node name, or node IP address.

      • Add the IP less DAG cluster by providing the IP address or the FQDN of one of the DAG cluster nodes.

      • Add IP less DAG that resides in the same domain or different domain. You can also add multiple IP/IP less DAGs with the same name but different domains.

    Note For a stand-alone host or an Exchange DAG (cross-domain or same domain), it is recommended to provide FQDN or the IP address of the host or DAG.

    Credentials

    Select the credential name that you created, or create the new credentials.

    The credential must have administrative rights on the remote host. For details, see information about creating a credential.

    You can view details about the credentials by positioning your cursor over the credential name that you specified.

    Note Credentials authentication mode is determined by the host type that you specify in the Add Host wizard.

  5. In the Select Plug-ins to Install section, select the plug-ins to install.

    When you select Plug-in for Exchange, SnapCenter Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server is deselected automatically. Microsoft recommends that SQL Server and Exchange server not be installed on the same system due to the amount of memory used and other resource usage required by Exchange.

  6. (Optional) Click More Options.

    For this field…​ Do this…​

    Port

    Either retain the default port number or specify the port number.

    The default port number is 8145. If the SnapCenter Server was installed on a custom port, that port number will be displayed as the default port.

    Note If you manually installed the plug-ins and specified a custom port, you must specify the same port. Otherwise, the operation fails.

    Installation Path

    The default path is C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapCenter.

    You can optionally customize the path.

    Add all hosts in the DAG

    Select this check box when you add a DAG.

    Skip preinstall checks

    Select this check box if you already installed the plug-ins manually and you do not want to validate whether the host meets the requirements for installing the plug-in.

    Use group Managed Service Account (gMSA) to run the plug-in services

    Select this check box if you want to use group Managed Service Account (gMSA) to run the plug-in services.

    Provide the gMSA name in the following format: domainName\accountName$.

    Note gMSA will be used as a log on service account only for SnapCenter Plug-in for Windows service.

  7. Click Submit.

    If you have not selected the Skip prechecks check box, the host is validated to determine whether it meets the requirements to install the plug-in. If the minimum requirements are not met, the appropriate error or warning messages are displayed.

    If the error is related to disk space or RAM, you can update the web.config file located at C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapCenter WebApp to modify the default values. If the error is related to other parameters, you must fix the issue.

    Note In an HA setup, if you are updating web.config file, you must update the file on both nodes.

  8. Monitor the installation progress.