The initialization process requires a desktop with:

• An operating system such as Windows that can reach the VxRail external management network.
• A supported web browser that can access VxRail management interface.

There are two options that can be used for this purpose:

• A workstation or laptop that can plug into an open Ethernet port on one of the top-of-rack switches
• A jump host (Jump Server Description) in your data center that can reach the VxRail external management network

You may choose to plug a workstation or laptop into an open Ethernet port on a switch, and choose a VLAN other than the default “native” VLAN for the VxRail external management network. If so, first configure the port to enable connectivity to the VxRail management interface.

Once the VxRail initialization process is complete, the switch port or jump host is no longer required to manage VxRail.

Note: Do not try to plug your workstation or laptop directly into a VxRail server node to connect to the VxRail management interface for initialization. It must be plugged into your network or switch, and the workstation or laptop must be logically configured to reach the necessary networks.

A supported web browser is required to access VxRail management interface. The latest versions of Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer 10 or above are all supported. If you use Internet Explorer 10 or above and an administrator has set your browser to “compatibility mode” for all internal websites (local web addresses), you get a warning message from VxRail.

To access the VxRail management interface to perform initialization, you must either:

• Use either the temporary, preconfigured VxRail initial IP address: 192.168.10.200/24, or:
• Have Dell Services apply the permanent IP address to VxRail Manager.

This temporary IP address automatically changes during VxRail initialization to your preferred permanent address and assigned to VxRail Manager during cluster formation.

Your workstation or laptop must be able to reach both the temporary VxRail initial IP address and the permanent VxRail Manager IP address (row 15 from Appendix A: VxRail Network Configuration Table). VxRail initialization reminds you that you might have to reconfigure your workstation or laptop network settings to access the new IP address.

A best practice is to give your workstation or laptop, or your jump server, two IP addresses on the same network port. This configuration enables a smoother experience. Depending on your workstation or laptop, this setup can be implemented in several ways (such as dual-homing or multihoming). Otherwise, change the IP address on your workstation or laptop when instructed to, and then return to VxRail Manager to continue the initialization process.

If you cannot reach the VxRail initial IP address, the Dell Technologies Support team can configure a custom IP address, subnet mask, and gateway on VxRail Manager before initialization.

The following table provides an example of how to set the IP addresses on the Ethernet port. The IP address settings on the jump host, workstation, or laptop should be in the same subnet range as the temporary and permanent IP addresses that are planned for VxRail Manager.

Table 7.      Ethernet port IP address settings