PowerProtect Data Manager Automation – Lifecycle Management
Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:42:26 -0000
|Read Time: 0 minutes
In this installment of the PowerProtect Data Manager (PPDM) automation series of blogs, we will focus on a new solution that automates PowerProtect Data Manager life cycle management.
For PPDM automation, we have auto-policy creation and ad-hoc VM backup solutions, use-case driven tasks, complete PPDM deployment automation, and so on - all available in the official PowerProtect Data Manager GitHub repository. And now, I am proud to present to you the PPDM life cycle automation solution.
So, let’s take a closer look at the solution.
What does the solution do?
The PowerProtect Data Manager automated life cycle management automates PPDM upgrades with a wide variety of options:
- Upgrade with an upload package
- Performs pre-upgrade checks
- Continuously monitors pre-upgrade checks and upgrade processes
- Includes an option to skip the upload of the upgrade package and use the existing upgrade package
- Can perform only the pre-checks, without performing the actual upgrade
- Supports monitoring only phase where a current upgrade can be monitored
- Allows to skip PPDM VM snapshot. In any case, that snapshot will not be taken if a hosting vCenter is not configured
What is the solution?
It is a Python-based script that operates with the PPDM REST API.
Here is the list of prerequisites:
- Python 3.x (The script supports every platform Python is supported on)
- Python requests module, which can be installed using pip with the command: “pip install requests” or “python -m pip install requests”
- PowerProtect Data Manager 19.13 and later
- Connectivity from the host running the script to PPDM, specifically on tcp ports 8443 and 14443
How do I use the script?
The script accepts the following parameters:
- The PPDM host is represented by the mandatory parameter server and username (defaults to user admin) and a mandatory password parameter
- The parameter file for a full path to the upgrade package or, alternatively the skipupload parameter with the release parameter to determine the PPDM version to be applied
- The parameter onlyprecheck allows to perform precheck and exit without performing the actual upgrade
- Specify skipsnapshot to prevent VM snapshot from being taken on the PPDM VM
- The onlymonitor parameter performs monitoring of active upgrades
Here is the full script syntax:
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -h usage: ppdm_upgrade.py [-h] -s SERVER [-u USERNAME] -p PASSWORD [-f UPGFILE] [-onlyprecheck] [-skipupload] [-release PPDMRELEASE] [-skipsnapshot] [-onlymonitor]
Script to automate PowerProtect Data Manager lifecycle management
options: -h, --help show this help message and exit -s SERVER, --server SERVER PPDM server FQDN or IP -u USERNAME, --username USERNAME Optionally provide the PPDM username -p PASSWORD, --password PASSWORD PPDM password -f UPGFILE, --file UPGFILE Full path to upgrade package -onlyprecheck, --only-pre-check Optionally stops after pre-check -skipupload, --skip-file-upload Optionally skips file upload -release PPDMRELEASE, --ppdm-release PPDMRELEASE Provide PPDM version if skipping package upload -skipsnapshot, --skip-snapshot Optionally skips PPDM VM snapshot -onlymonitor, --only-monitor Optionally only monitor running upgrade |
Use Cases and Examples
Let’s look at some common use cases for automated PPDM life cycle management:
1. PPDM automated upgrade, including file upload:
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -s 10.0.0.1 -p "myTempPwd!" -f /home/idan/dellemc-ppdm-upgrade-sw-19.14.0-27.pkg
2. For cases where there is a need to prepare for an upgrade by uploading the package and run the precheck. It is possible to perform the automated upgrade in two phases.
a. First, only file upload and precheck:
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -s 10.0.0.1 -p "myTempPwd!" -f /home/idan/dellemc-ppdm-upgrade-sw-19.14.0-27.pkg -onlyprecheck
b. Second, perform the upgrade itself:
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -s 10.0.0.1 -p "myTempPwd!" -skipupload -release 19.14.0-27
3. Monitoring a running upgrade from a different workstation:
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -s 10.0.0.1 -p "myTempPwd!" -onlymonitor
Script output
# python ppdm_upgrade.py -s 10.0.0.1 -p "myTempPwd!" -f /home/idan/dellemc-ppdm-upgrade-sw-19.14.0-27.pkg -> Obtaining PPDM configuration information ---> PPDM is upgrade ready -> Performing pre-upgrade version checks ---> Current PPDM version: 19.13.0-20 ---> Checking upgrade to PPDM version: 19.14.0-27 -> Uploading PPDM upgrade package ---> Upload completed successfully in 3 mins and 34 secs -> Monitoring upgrade ID 636cc6a3-2e84-4fb8-bb40-87aefd0f7b96 ---> Monitoring state AVAILABLE -> Performing pre-upgrade checks -> Monitoring upgrade ID 636cc6a3-2e84-4fb8-bb40-87aefd0f7b96 ---> Monitoring state PROCESSING ---> Monitoring state PROCESSING ---> Monitoring state PROCESSING ---> Monitoring state AVAILABLE -> Upgrading PPDM to release 19.14.0-27 ---> Monitoring PPDM upgrade ---> Upgrade status: PENDING ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 3% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Taking Update Snapshot 3% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 11 / 2477 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 3% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Taking Update Snapshot 3% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 41 / 2447 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 3% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Taking Update Snapshot 3% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 53 / 2435 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 3% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Taking Update Snapshot 3% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 64 / 2424 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 10% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Shutting Down Components 10% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 211 / 2004 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 10% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Shutting Down Components 10% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 222 / 1993 ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 266 / 1949 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 21% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Updating The RPMs 21% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 277 / 1720 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 21% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Updating The RPMs 21% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 288 / 1709 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 21% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Updating The RPMs 21% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 299 / 1698 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 21% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Updating The RPMs 21% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 563 / 1486 ---> Polling timed out, retrying... ---> Polling timed out, retrying... ---> Polling timed out, retrying... ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 32% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Starting Components 32% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 688 / 1167 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 35% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Migrating Data 50% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 776 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 52% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Migration Completed 52% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 787 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 55% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Migration Completed 55% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 940 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 55% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Migration Completed 55% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 951 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 57% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Migration Completed 57% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 962 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 66% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1027 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1038 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1049 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1060 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1071 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1083 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1095 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1108 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: current component: eCDM, description: Data Manager Core Services Update Completed. Waiting for Other Components to Update... 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1120 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 71% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1350 / 1038 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 76% ----> Upgrade info: current component: TSDM, description: Transparent Snapshot Data Mover Update Started 76% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1361 / 1034 ---> Upgrade status: RUNNING 94% ----> Upgrade info: current component: TSDM, description: Transparent Snapshot Data Mover Update Completed 94% ----> Upgrade info: seconds elapsed / remaining: 1372 / 138 ---> Upgrade status: COMPLETED 100% ----> Upgrade completed in 22 mins and 56 seconds -> PPDM upgraded successfully -> Making sure PPDM is up and running ---> PPDM is available ---> PPDM is operational on version 19.14.0-27 -> All tasks completed successfully |
Where can I find it?
You can find the script in the official PowerProtect GitHub repository:
https://github.com/dell/powerprotect-data-manager
Resources
Other than the official PPDM repo on GitHub, developer.dell.com provides comprehensive online API documentation, including full API reference, tutorials, and use cases for PPDM REST API.
How can I get help?
For additional support, you are more than welcome to raise an issue in GitHub or reach out to me by email:
Idan.kentor@dell.com
Thanks for reading!
Idan