Registering Spectrum Control as a storage provider in vCenter server

To use the IBM® Storage Provider for VMware VASA solution component, you need to register IBM Spectrum Control Base Edition as a storage provider on VMware vCenter server.

Before you begin

  • When the IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA and the IBM Tivoli® Storage Productivity Center (TPC) storage provider are registered on the same VMware vCenter server, while the same storage array is configured for both, vCenter uses IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center provider as the only source of information for that array's storage views on vSphere Client.

    In such a case, determine whether the IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center capabilities are sufficient for replacing the IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA. If the IBM Storage Provider for VMware VASA is still needed, IBM TPC 5.2 (or later) provides a method of excluding storage arrays from a specific storage provider, allowing you to remove the array association with the IBM TPC provider.

  • The date and time that are defined on both the vCenter server and on Spectrum Control must be identical. To accurately synchronize the date and time between the two servers, you can connect both to a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server.

About this task

The following procedure describes how to register Spectrum Control on a single vCenter server by using vSphere Client.

Procedure

To register Spectrum Control in VMware vCenter Server, complete the following steps.

  1. In vSphere Client, click vCenter > vCenter Servers, and click on vCenter server, which has been already conencted to Spectrum Control.
  2. On the Manage tab, click Storage Providers.
  3. Click the plus sign to add a new storage provider.
    Figure 1. vSphere Client – Storage Providers list
    This screen capture shows the storage providers list in vSphere Client.
    The New Storage Provider dialog box is displayed.
  4. Enter the name, URL, and pre-configured username and password (VASA Secret) for accessing Spectrum Control (the VASA Secret is predefined as explained in GUI – Adding a new user). The URL should be entered in the ip:port format, specifying the relevant IP address and port number of Spectrum Control:
    • https://[Spectrum Control IP address]:8443/services/vasa1 for VASA 1.0
    • https://[Spectrum Control IP address]:8443/services/vasa for VASA 2.0
    Figure 2. New Storage Provider dialog box for VASA 2.0
    This screen capture shows the vCenter New Storage Provider dialog box
  5. Click OK. A security alert dialog box is displayed.
    Figure 3. vCenter certificate thumbprint dialog box
    This screen capture shows the vCenter certificate thumbprint dialog box
  6. Click Yes to accept the certificate. Spectrum Control is added to vCenter Server.
    Figure 4. Storage Providers list displaying Spectrum Control
    This screen capture shows Spectrum Control added to the Storage Providers list.