Virtual Storage Console (VSC) 4.1 for VMware Publication Matrix

This matrix contains alerts, news, and documentation for the Virtual Storage Console (VSC) 4.1 for VMware® vSphere release used with IBM® System Storage™ N series storage systems.

ALERTS

  1. Requirement for installation of N series Host Utilities
  2. Misaligned LUN with VMware virtual disk file can cause performance degradation

ATTENTION:

  1. The Virtual Storage Console 4.1 for VMware vSphere, which is an upgrade from Virtual Storage Console 4.0 for VMware vSphere and adds several new feature. These features include the following:
    1. vSphere 5.1 is now supported, but only with the VMware thick (C#) client. This release of VSC for VMware vSphere does not support vSphere 5.1 with the VMware web client.
    2. The VSC for VMware vSphere Application Programming Interface that works in a VMware Director deployment is now available.
    3. A FlexClone license is no longer required for the Backup and Recovery capability if the storage system is running Data ONTAP 8.1 or later operating in 7-Mode.
    4. You can use silent mode to perform unattended installations and uninstalls of VSC for VMware vSphere.
    5. The service name has been changed to Virtual Storage Console for VMware to better align with the product name.
    6. FilerView is not supported with storage systems running Data ONTAP 8.1 or later. To manage LUNs on storage systems running Data ONTAP 8.1 or later operating in 7-Mode, you can download OnCommand System Manager.
    7. A new guest OS timeout script has been added to allow you to set the SCSI I/O timeout value to 60 seconds.
    8. While the NFS plug-in for VMware VAAI is not shipped with VSC for VMware vSphere, you can use the Monitoring and Host Configuration capability to install it.
    9. The Provisioning and Cloning capability adds support for the following:
      1. During cloning operations, you can select a vServer as a target.
      2. You can specify whether the new clones are powered on when the cloning operations completes and, if so, whether they are powered on at once or whether they are powered on in staggered manner.
      3. The Reclaim space feature now restores virtual machines to the powered on or powered off state they were in before the operation started.
    1. The Optimization and Migration capability shows the status of the allignment process.
    2. The Backup and Recovery capability has added support for the following:
      1. Vfiler tunneling on the physical storage system that contains the vFiler units
      2. Restoring virtual machines and VMDKs to the current datastore after you move a virtual machine using Storage vMotion or SDRS.
  1. Refer to the Release Notes for additional information on the new features and descriptions of the problems fixed.
  2. Various software licenses are required to use some features of the VSC 4.1 release. Refer to the Installation and Administration Guide as well as the other administration guides of this release for detailed information on the required software licenses. Refer to the General information for license key management for details about retrieving lost licenses and resolving other licensing issues.

NEWS

The Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere software is obtained from software packages available for download using the "Software Packages ...." link from the Download page of the N series support website. Refer to the important information for N series support for step-by-step instructions explaining how to access software packages as part of the complete instructions for entitlement and registration. When following the step-by-step instructions, select the Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere software package from the N series and related Host Software Downloads - Pick page. Download the files for the version of the Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere and platform required and install them using the installation instructions found in the Installation and Administration Guide.

DATA ACCESS PROTOCOLS

Support for Data ONTAP

Hint: Select a Filer release to view the Data Access Protocols section and read the publications it contains (e.g., "Block Access Management Guide for and FCP").