DFM Controller Options Custom Configurations

[leroy]

Do we have plans for operations manager to provide the ability to configure *all* configurable options in a NetApp controller?

IHAC that would like to use the deployment feature of Operations Manager however they require multiple profiles and changes on advanced options.

If this is not available, would this be a feature that could be implemented with a RFE?

Thanks!

[leroy]

How are other customers using DFM to configure NetApp controllers?

Have any other customers asked for additional options to be available in the past, and if so, were they addressed?

[rshiva]

Hi,

I believe you are referring to Configuration Management feature in Operations Manager. Can be a bit more specific about these advanced options (Is it connected to changing the priv mode of filer)?

Thanks and regards

Shiva Raja

[sinhaa]

I'm not clear what do you mean by "configure *all* configurable options". Does it mean the option value be set to *all* for all the options in filer storage system configurations? All options don't accept *all* as valid entity. So I assume you me be talking about  for the ones that do.

[leroy]

Thank you for the reply, and yes I am referring to the configuration management feature in operations manager.

The customer would like to set IP address, hostname, etc.. on the filers that are deployed globally.  However, here are some additional settings that are not able to be configured:

·         How to create user/group/roles to multiple hosts?
·         Push and monitor /etc/rc, /etc/hosts files?

 

Output after the first push of the /etc/rc:

 

The following options could not be set on the storage system:

options.autosupport.support.to=autosupport@netapp.com

file.contents.hosts=\\

#Do not change this file manually!

#Contact global storage team for any changes!

127.0.0.1  localhost

144.203.88.35  gipnas006 gipnas006-vif1

#EOCON

\\

options.wafl.group_cp=default

file.contents.rc.conf=\\

#Do not change this file manually!

#Contact global storage team for any changes!

hostname gipnas006

vif create single vif1 e0a e0b

ifconfig vif1 `hostname`-vif1 mediatype auto netmask 255.255.255.128 partner vif1

route add default 144.203.88.1 1

routed off

savecore

#EOCON

\\

 

[leroy]

To add, here is the customers full wish list for the configuration management:

• Wants to be able to store, protect, edit, compare, monitor, and push all configuration files for each controller. The compare function is particularly important for HA pairs and clustered systems. The files to be controlled includes, but are not limited to: /etc/rc; /etc/hosts.
• Monitoring these files includes generating an event if the files are modified outside OpsMgr's control.
• Wants all configuration information stored in the OpsMgr database and available via export or API/SDK/ODBC to be linked to customers CMDB (Configuration Management Database).
• Wants the configuration info stored in the database to be able to be pushed onto the controllers. Likes existing template functionality, but wants it extended to be able to use template + unique information and to be able to be pushed to the controllers, and reported upon.
• Wants to be able to configure the RLM/BMC file in OpsMgr and push the configuration onto the controllers.
• Wants to be able to set registry options through OpsMgr.
• Wants OpsMgr to monitor all options, configuration files, and registry and to generate an event when any are changed outside of OpsMgr.

[leroy]

Here is the customer's proposal for configuration management.

It is more like a result of a brainstorming so there are so many question unanswered and I am sure more will come later if this idea would be implemented.
 
1.      Possibility to edit all configuration files


2.      Usage of templates.

Template is contains informations:
- directly edit options
- indirectly edit options throught an abstraction layer
- edit configuration files
- execute ONTAP commands
- variables
- other templates can be included


3.      Replace interactive command like ‘cifs setup’, ‘securadmin setup’ etc with non-interactive version. Possibly create the abstraction layer to execute these task. I have no information if
it is documented anywhere how to add a filer to the domain without manual intervetion.
                

An example:
 
Global_config.template:
$global_dns=40.40.40.1

Budapest_config.template:
$sitecode=”BDP”
$hostname=”filer1”
$ip1=1.1.1.1
$ip1_netmask=255.255.255.0
$ip2=1.20.20.1
$gw1=1.1.1.1
$local_dns: 1.1.1.2
$local_ntp: 1.1.1.2

Simple_network_config.template:
<config_file: /etc/rc>
Ifconfig e0a $ip1 netmask $ip1_netmask
</config_file>
<config_file: /etc/hosts>
127.0.0.1 localhost
$ip1 $hostname
               <config_file:/>
 
VIF_network_config.template:
<config_file: /etc/rc>
  # VIF config comes here
</config_file>

DNS_conf.template:
<config_file: /etc/resolv.conf>
nameserver $local_dns
nameserver $global_dns
</config_file>
run options dns.enable on
 
vol0_snap_config.template:
run snap reserve vol0 5
run snap sched vol0 10 1 1
 
The template below assigned to the server which is about to configure:
 
filer1_config.template:
include Global_config
include Budapest_config
include VIF_network_config
include DNS_conf
run options cifs.comment “Ready”
run vol size vol0
 
 
Actually this development would lead to a complex configuration management software but it would be very useful for the customers especially if the additional abstraction layer would be inserted between the template files and the NetApp configuration. (example: configure the network interface but the abstraction layer knows which file/options to modify)

[adaikkap]

·         How to create user/group/roles to multiple hosts?

Use the Host User under Control Center -> Management of OM web UI to create modify and push groups,users & roles to multiple host.

          Push and monitor /etc/rc, /etc/hosts files?

We thought that those or some of the file specify parameters which are not common.

If you still need to do that today using the dfm run cmd <cmd > to group.

Config Mgmt doesn't do that.

regards

adai

[leroy]

Is it on the roadmap to integrate all of the "uncommon" options to the Configuration Management tool through operations manager?

The customer has multiple controllers located globally with each requiring different host configuration.  They would like for the CM tool to encompass all options available via OnTap rather than needing to configure each through OM then on the filer.

If this is not on the roadmap, how could we see this get added?

[Harry_Redl]

Hello,

have you got any answer for this request? Seems it is still not there now. I have started using DFM/OnCommand Core for our customers and this is exactly what I miss. It is kind of ... disappointing ... something you can manage, something not ..... although the options seem equal in importance.

Regards

Jindrich

[adaikkap]

Hi Jindrich,

     Nothing much has changed in the way Configuration Management feature works in the recent releases. Are you trying to manage the /etc/hosts file using config mgmt ?

I thought they contain filer specific information. Can you help me understand the reason why you want to manage /etc/hosts file ?

Regards

adai

[Harry_Redl]

Hello Adai,

thanks for response - the reason for the request (managing /etc/hosts via config mgmt) - we want the (NetApp filer) environment to be as independent of the rest of the infrastructure (DNS here) as possible - FOR ITS OWN FUNCTIONS (like SnapMirror replication etc). So we put all names/IPs of our filers/vfilers to the /etc/hosts.

Another think would be you can check the content for changes.

Makes more sense now?

Jindrich