Installing HPE SimpliVity (with software v4.1)

Last time I unboxed my two #AMD based #HPE #SimpliVity 325 nodes. This time, I am going to do the installation including cabling and software deployment. I will also give you a few tips how to avoid some of the mistakes I made during the installation.

I got an early access to the freshly released and long anticipated SimpliVity software version 4.1 well before the release so, I'm going to deploy my SimpliVity cluster with this latest software version. Of course, I am also going to talk about the main features of the new software version 4.1.

My take in short: #hyperconvergence in general is a good fit for #edgecomputing environments but a 2-node HPE SimpliVity 325 cluster with one AMD #Epyc CPU is ideal for smaller #edge deployments for it's small physical size, simplicity, ease-of-use and lower cost point. SimpliVity #OmniStack software version 4.1 brings in much anticipated support for #cloud and remote StoreOnce #backups as well as #container and #VMware vSphere 7.0 support.

Tune in an join me with the HPE SimpliVity 325 installation!

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📜 Table of Contents
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0:00 - Intro
1:38 - Required components for HPE SimpliVity installation
2:20 - Network card for SimpliVity 325 Gen10
2:37 - Cabling: direct connect 2 SimpliVity nodes for storage traffic
3:19 - Cabling: iLO for hardware management
3:33 - Cabling: VMware management network
3:47 - Cabling: Power cables
4:06 - Booting up the SimpliVity nodes
4:16 - SimpliVity software installation overview
4:47 - Arbiter installation
5:22 - SimpliVity plug-in for vCenter installation
5:46 - SimpliVity Deployment Manager: Network settings
8:47 - SimpliVity Deployment Manager: Testing the settings
9:15 - Deploying the SimpliVity cluster
9:30 - Lessons learned
11:15 - What's new with SimpliVity software v4.1?

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[TechEnthusiastInc]

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[avinash]

You're legend mate! Thank you for video.

[maha-madpedo-gayphukumber]

This is cooler then anything I've seen in movies. Fact is more cooler then fiction.

[rajinis]

You are an excellent communicator! amazing work 👏👏

[MrCoolwine]

Hello Markus, we are in the process of purchasing two nodes, as a replacement for our current HPE VSA + FOM Solution.
So this video is very helpful to understand the installation Process
THX

[sonicareful]

If you cannot deploy ESX 7 image: you have to update HP Simplivity Installer (> 10.162.1) on every 325 series host!

[idowujohn]

Hello Markus,
I have a question and it's if I am a new customer who just purchased the HCI do I need a deployment server to proceed installation.

[mohamedkerany]

Great video, please could you providena schema before cabling the nodes

[angelg]

I think there is one problem when you're using windows VM's over vmware - you loose the microsoft datacenter activation for virtual machines, so you could end up with very high licensing costs to license every Windows Server VM running.

[dmu]

Hi Markus, so it's not enough to have two Simplivity nodes to run the environment? External vCenter server and arbiter are mandatory?

[drugfree]

Where do you install VCSA before you deploy the Omnistack hosts? Can I deploy Omnistack for 2 hosts first with VCSA on the third? Then install it on the last host after?

[LouisReedijk]

I like the video a lot, but there is one thing I didn't like. never ever ever use IP networks that are not in the private range for deployment. Not in production, or in test / dev. since you are using 10.0.0.x you could have simply used 10.1.0.x & 10.2.0.x for the storage and other stuff. Using 20.x.x.x & 30.x.x.x is just really really bad practice in my opinion. but for the rest I liked the video a lot! thank you!

[richardarcher]

Hi Markus, what is the limitation of running esxi on the simplivity nodes. I am looking for one complete solution and not having to add an external server.

[ricardoduarte]

How is the storage performance of a DL325 XS node?
Is there any place to get some specs about IOPS and/or n# of VMs guidance?

[Supri-adi]

just curious...is it true that now omnistack card is not available for simplivity ?? they change into omni software ??

[ricardoduarte]

Hi Makus.
I wonder what happens if a Simplivity cluster is not shut down cleanly (ex.: power failure).
Is my (existing and already on disk) data safe? Can I get into a situation where OVC do not start and all data is gone?
Also, do you know if disk writes are only committed to the hypervisor when they are physically written to disk and the replica? Or does the OVC acknowledges the write when data is still on OVC RAM?
Thanks.

[sangaw.ismahelcoulibaly]

What's the main difference between nutanix and hpe nimble ?

[jorgeespinozab]

Hi, Is supported Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) on different ESXi hosts with shared disk VMDK?

[csebastian]

It is NOT ok to use 20.0.0.* or 30.0.0.* -- those are public networks.