VxRail 7.0.240 introduced Dynamic Node architecture which allows compute nodes to be deployed without local storage drives. Storage is provided by external arrays connected via Fibre Channel or using HCI Mesh. The document provides release notes on Dynamic Node support in subsequent VxRail releases, including protocols supported and integration with PowerStore, PowerMax, and Unity storage arrays. It also describes the differences in deployment process compared to standard VxRail clusters, such as not requiring vSAN licensing and using an external vCenter Server. The initial deployment is similar except certain settings like storage type and vCenter configuration must be customized.

1. Dell VxRail Dynamic Node 設定記錄 2023/02/08
[不適用小白，需具備完整正常佈署知識]
VxRail 7.0.240 開始支援 Dynamic Node 架構，此一架構型式伺服節點內不含儲存
裝置（無需使用 SSD cache 與 capacity drives）只有開機的 BOSS/S2。
最終目的共用儲存採行兩種方案
A： FC Storage
B： HCI MESH 或 External Storage
請參照 Release Note Dell VxRail™ 7.0.x Release Notes Version 7.0.x January
2023
7.0.400
External Storage
○ Support for the Dell Technologies NVMe-oF/TCP solution with VxRail dynamic nodes
and PowerStore.
○ Added support for dynamic node clusters with a VxRail-managed VMware vCenter
Server. Previously only a customermanaged
VMware vCenter Server was supported.
○ Support for dynamic nodes with vVols as primary storage instead of just for
secondary storage
7.0.350
External Storage: VxRail with PowerStore, PowerMax, and Unity provides a powerful
solution that Dell Technologies is
improving by expanding the protocol support with NFS and iSCSI with dynamic nodes.
Dell Technologies also provides
Physical View UI Support for Fibre Channel HBAs in the VxRail Manager.
7.0.300
Expanded storage option for VxRail dynamic nodes:
You can deploy VxRail dynamic nodes as part of a PowerFlex 2-layer architecture.
Deploy VxRail dynamic nodes cluster as
compute only node leveraging PowerFlex storage for hosting the workload VMs.
● Protocol support for VxRail dynamic nodes:
NVMe-FC is supported with PowerStore and PowerMax storage arrays that are
attached to dynamic nodes.

2. 7.0.240
External storage support:
● Support for dynamic nodes.
○ The VxRail E560F, P570F, and V570F can be ordered with no internal data storage.
Instead of internal storage, the
VxRail E560F, P570F, and V570F can be configured with traditional Dell FC arrays,
including PowerStore, Dell Unity XT,and PowerMax storage.
○ Support for Emulex and QLogic 16 Gb and 32 Gb host bus adapters (HBAs), which
are available on dynamic nodes and
supported by life cycle management starting with the VxRail 7.0.240 release.
VxRail Dynamic Node 架構下一樣包含眾多原 VxRail 相關 LCM 特性
VxRail Dynamic Node 與一般架構差異如下：
 無需 vSAN Networking，故架構中無需 vSAN 授權
 VxRail Dynamic Node 不同於一般三節點或二節點內含 vCenter（二節點於版
本 7.0.400 之後可採行內置 vCenter; 另二節點 witness 一樣要外置 ）故
VxRail Dynamic Node 需先有 External / 客端提供 vCenter。
初始佈署方式同一般方式；差異點如下
1. 以下搭配畫面說明 https://vxrailconfiguration.dell.com/ 佈署從業人員務必使
用 VxRail Configuration Portal 預先進行腳本配置
2. Edit Cluster Configuration: 2 Solution Type
VxRail Cluster Type
Standard Cluster (3 or more hosts) vSAN 2-Node Cluster (2 hosts only)
Dynamic Node Cluster (2 or more hosts)
解釋
Standard Cluster (3 or more hosts)Contains three or more hosts and scales for data center
environments. A standard cluster is required for the VCF on VxRail solution type.

3. vSAN 2-Node Cluster (2 hosts only)Contains two hosts only and works well for smaller
environments, including remote or branch offices.
Dynamic Node Cluster (2 or more hosts)Contains two or more hosts and scales storage
and compute independently.至少要 2 節點起跳
Storage Type
Fibre Channel Array vSAN HCI Mesh
解釋
Standard vSAN Use the local capacity drives in the cluster hosts to create the vSAN
datastore.標準項是會反灰不可點選
Fibre Channel Array Connect to an external fibre channel array to create the vSAN
datastore.[適合使用 PowerMAX,PowerStore,Unity 系列儲存設備 FC Protocol 連接 ]
SolveOnline 只有列出 FC 的操作參考文件，如採行此一方式請參照 SolveOnline 文件作業
vSAN HCI Mesh Mount a remote cluster vSAN after the cluster is deployed. [ 適用 HCI Mesh
Datastore share 存取（推薦使用原來已經有 VxRail Cluster 採 HCI Mesh datastore share） ;
NFS , iSCSI 型式的外部儲存連接 ( 原廠在此部份無特別解釋；請自行發揮一般 vSphere 新
增外部 Datastore 型式;本文件操作範例採用一般 NFS Server 與 Unity VSA Block Storage
iSCSI 供應操作 ) ]
3. Edit Cluster Configuration: 3 Resources 同一般佈署填入選項
4. Discovery Settings 同一般佈署填入選項
5. Switch Settings 同一般佈署填入選項
6. Configuration Method 同一般佈署填入選項
7. Global Settings
vCenter Server Customer-Provided vCenter Server
DNS Server External
其它填項自己乖乖照辦該要就要
8. VDS Settings 依照實際看著辦 同一般佈署填入選項
9. vCenter Server Settings
vCenter FQDN Server Hostname 自己填
vCenter Server Username administrator@vsphere.local
vCenter Server Management Username vxrailmanager@vsphere.local
Datacenter Name 需要在 vCenter 先建
Cluster Name 同 external vCenter 方式不需要在 vCenter 事先建
vxrailmanager@vsphere.local 要在外部的 vCenter 先建立，ADD 之後無任何

4. 動作與權限，同 external vCenter 方式
10. Host Settings 同一般佈署填入選項
11. VxRail Manager Settings 同一般佈署填入選項
Mystic 的密碼要跟別人不一樣這是基本常識
12. Virtual Network Settings 沒有 SAN 網路;其它同一般佈署填入選項
13. Validate Configuration File 要先建好 vCenter 與以上相關設定
以上佈署的密碼規則務必參照 KB000158231
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/zh-tw/000158231/vxrail-account-and-
password-rules-in-vxrail
/ ? ; , . | ' " & $ = ` < # 密碼絕對禁用包含以上字元
Config JSON File SAMPLE
{"version": "7.0.410", "global": {"ip_version": "IPV4", "cluster_type":
"DYNAMIC_NODE", "ntp_servers": [], "is_internal_dns": false, "dns_servers":
["192.168.100.254"], "syslog_servers": [], "top_level_domain": "vxrlab.local",
"cluster_management_netmask": "255.255.255.0", "cluster_management_gateway":
"192.168.100.254", "cluster_vmotion_netmask": "255.255.255.0"}, "storage":
{"primary_storage_type": "EXTERNAL"}, "hosts": [{"hostname": "vx21", "accounts":
{"root": {"username": "root", "password": ""}, "management": {"username":
"esxmgmt", "password": ""}}, "geo_location": {"rack_name": null, "position": null},
"network": [{"type": "MANAGEMENT", "ip": "192.168.100.146"}, {"type":
"VMOTION", "ip": "10.10.101.1"}], "host_psnt": "DE400183700056"}, {"hostname":
"vx22", "accounts": {"root": {"username": "root", "password": ""}, "management":

5. {"username": "esxmgmt", "password": ""}}, "geo_location": {"rack_name": null,
"position": null}, "network": [{"type": "MANAGEMENT", "ip": "192.168.100.147"},
{"type": "VMOTION", "ip": "10.10.101.2"}], "host_psnt": "DE400183700057"}],
"vcenter": {"customer_supplied": true, "customer_supplied_vc_name":
"vc2n.vxrlab.local", "datacenter_name": "Datacenter", "cluster_name": "vc2n",
"accounts": {"administrator": {"username": "administrator@vsphere.local",
"password": ""}, "management": {"username": "vxrailmanager@vsphere.local",
"password": ""}}, "auto_accept_vc_cert": true}, "network": {"nic_profile":
"TWO_HIGH_SPEED", "vds": [{"portgroups": [{"type": "MANAGEMENT", "vlan_id":
0}, {"type": "VMOTION", "vlan_id": 101}]}], "systemvm_portgroup_binding_type":
"EPHEMERAL", "management_portgroup_binding_type": "STATIC_BINDING"},
"vxrail_manager": {"name": "vx2n", "accounts": {"root": {"username": "root",
"password": ""}, "service": {"username": "mystic", "password": ""}, "support":
{"username": "service", "password": ""}}, "ip": "192.168.100.158"}}
以上 Day 1 佈署完成進入 vCenter
Day 2 操作之後此頁才會正常顯示
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/KB%C2%A0000185917
Day 2 操作任務
a. host 節點事先新增加入 datastore (無論是 NFS iSCSI)
b. KB000185917 操作

6. ssh 進 vxrail manager VM
curl 因憑證問題會產生報錯 60 需加 -k 參數
mystic@vx2n:~> curl -k -u "administrator@vsphere.local:P@ssw0rd" --request POST
'https://192.168.100.158/rest/vxm/v1/system/primary-storage' --header 'Content-
Type: application/json' --data-raw '{"primary_stora ge_type":
"VSAN_HCI_MESH/EXTERNAL","primary_storage_name": "VX-DISK" }'
第一次會比較久 如有重覆下指令 回應訊息
{
"status": 500,
"message": "There is another storage provision process running!"
}
以下回應訊息才是正常作業
{
"status": 200,
MESH
EXTERNAL
二者選其一就好
不用全下

7. "message": "SUCCESS"
}
mystic@vx2n:~>
回到 vCenter >Cluster >Configure> VxRail >System
VxRail Plug-in 顯示頁面回到正常，請同一般方式遂一填入設定與檢查
VxRail Dynamic Node & External Storage 佈署程序完成
 VxRail Dynamic Node 節點新增 同一般操作方式
差異在於不用（無）指定 vSAN Networking

9. 各項照表填，請先確認 名稱解析、節點狀態、網路組態都正常
Validate 會跑一陣子

10. 請指選 Place Hosts in Maintenance Mode Yes

11. 新成員節點請去做 Day 2 的準備動作加 External Storage
https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-vSphere-Discussions/How-to-
add-the-number-of-vSphere-HA-heartbeat-datastores-for-the/td-p/1415119
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2004739#:~:text=To%20resolve%20the%20Th
e%20number,to%20allow%20for%20datastore%20heartbeating.
SolveOnline Dynamic node 文件有提到相關

12. Dell VxRail Dynamic Node 設定記錄 ==結束==