Azure Portal Deployment and Operations Guide with Switchless Networking

• 1

  About using this guide

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  Revision history

• 1

  Deployment Introduction
• 2

  Document overview
• 3

  Audience and scope
• 4

  Known issues

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  Solution introduction
• 2

  Deployment models
  • Switchless storage networking
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  Solution integration and network connectivity

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  Solution Deployment
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  Solution deployment introduction
• 3

  Deployment prerequisites
  • Change operating system to iDRAC pass-through IPs
  • Install Windows Admin Center
  • Install OpenManage Integration with Microsoft Windows Admin Center
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  Predeployment configuration
  • Configuring network switches
  • Configuring iDRAC and BIOS
  • Configure Intel E810 NICs
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  Cabling instructions
  • Two-node, back-to-back connected architecture
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  Operating system deployment
  • Manual operating system deployment
  • Factory-installed operating system deployment
  • Configure host networking
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  Install roles and features
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  Configuration to prepare nodes
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  Change the hostname
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  Registry settings
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  Verifying and updating firmware and software compliance
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  Configuring firewall settings

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  Deploy a cluster with Azure Stack HCI 23H2 operating system
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  Prerequisites
  • Assign deployment user roles
  • Stage SBE package for installation
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  Deploy the cluster
  • Deploy a cluster using Azure portal
  • Deploy Azure Stack HCI using Microsoft ARM template
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  Best practices and recommendations
  • Updating the page file settings
  • Update the hardware timeout for the Spaces port
  • Antivirus exclusions

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  Update Azure Stack HCI clusters using SBE package
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  Prerequisites
• 3

  SBE package update using PowerShell

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  GPU Integration
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  Installing and configuring GPUs on AX platforms
  • AX-650 GPU configuration
  • AX-750 GPU configuration
  • AX-7525 GPU configuration
  • GPU physical installation
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  GPU Discrete Device Assignment (DDA) on Azure Stack HCI
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  GPU partitioning
  • Host and guest driver download and install instructions

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  Registering a Partner Admin Link (PAL) for Azure related solutions
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  Add a PAL through the Azure portal by using Azure PowerShell
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  Add a PAL through the Azure portal using the subscription user ID
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  Dell Technologies Partner IDs for Partner Admin Link

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  Dell OpenManage Integration with Windows Admin Center
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  Overview
• 3

  Prerequisites for managing AX nodes
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  Managing Microsoft HCI-based clusters
  • Overview
  • Prerequisite checks
  • Health status
  • Inventory
  • Locating physical disks and viewing their status
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  Enabling hardware alerts for HCI cluster
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  Secure cluster with Secured-core
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  Enabling operating system features
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  Protect your infrastructure with infrastructure lock
  • Enable or disable infrastructure lock
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  Manage CPU cores in Azure Stack HCI clusters
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  Validate and remediate Azure Stack HCI clusters
  • View HCP compliance summary
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  Onboard Dell policies to Azure Arc from Windows Admin Center
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  View recommendations for storage expansion
  • View node level storage configuration details

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  Updates and maintenance
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  Restarting a cluster node or taking a cluster node offline
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  Expanding the Azure Stack HCI cluster
  • Azure Stack HCI node expansion
  • Storage Spaces Direct storage expansion
  • Extending volumes
  • Repair a server on the Azure Stack HCI cluster
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  Operating system recovery
  • Manual operating system recovery
  • Factory operating system recovery
  • iDRAC Service Module (iSM) for AX nodes and Storage Spaces Direct Ready Nodes
  • FullPowerCycle
  • Configuring RAID for operating system drives

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  References
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  Dell Technologies documentation