RecoverPoint

Version 4.4

boxmgmt Guide
302-002-829
REV 01

Copyright 2016 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA.
Published April, 2016
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www.EMC.com

RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CONTENTS

Tables

Chapter 1

Installation Manager (boxmgmt)

Chapter 2

Installation

Chapter 3

Setup

11

Modify settings............................................................................................. 12
Enter cluster details......................................................................... 12
Number of virtual ports per port....................................................... 12
WWN node/port pair addresses....................................................... 12
Enable/disable initiator-only mode.................................................. 12
Number of VMware ITLs needed....................................................... 12
MTU configuration............................................................................12
Configure repository volume .........................................................................13
Get remote settings....................................................................................... 13
Retrieve previous settings............................................................................. 13
Apply settings............................................................................................... 13
View settings.................................................................................................13
Reset settings changes..................................................................................13
Advanced options......................................................................................... 13
Clear reservations............................................................................ 13
Unregister reservations.................................................................... 13
Reboot Regulation............................................................................14
Security options............................................................................... 14
Appliance Config Params................................................................. 15
Run Scripts...................................................................................... 15
Remove host from SSH known host file............................................ 15
Storage device customizations.........................................................15
Register with ESRS gateway..............................................................16
Set time via NTP............................................................................... 16
Enable/Disable logging of incoming FC headers............................... 16
Clear reservations............................................................................ 16
Unregister reservations.................................................................... 16
BMC support.................................................................................... 16
Console configuration .................................................................................. 17

Chapter 4

Diagnostics

19

IP diagnostics................................................................................................20
Cluster connectivity tests................................................................. 20
View IP details................................................................................. 20
View routing table............................................................................ 20
Test throughput............................................................................... 20
Ports diagnostics............................................................................. 20
System connectivity......................................................................... 20
SAN diagnostic..............................................................................................21
Run SAN diagnostics........................................................................ 21
RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CONTENTS

View RPA ports................................................................................. 21

View target LUNs.............................................................................. 21
Perform I/O to a LUN........................................................................ 21
Synchronization diagnostics......................................................................... 22
Collect system information............................................................................ 22
Run internal command..................................................................... 23

Chapter 5

Cluster operations

25

Detach/Attach RPA from/to cluster................................................................26

Prepare this cluster for connection to an existing cluster............................... 26
Connect a new cluster to this system.............................................................26
Remove a cluster from the system................................................................. 26
Configure connection types to the other clusters in the system......................26
Remove the link between two clusters...........................................................26

Chapter 6

Shutdown/Reboot operations

27

Reboot RPA................................................................................................... 28
Shutdown RPA...............................................................................................28

RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

TABLES

BMC interface ports....................................................................................................... 16

RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

TABLES

RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 1
Installation Manager (boxmgmt)

The Installation Manager, also known as boxmgmt, allows you to modify and manage
existing RPA configurations and test and diagnose the settings and connectivity of RPAs
before and after they are attached to RPA clusters.
Accessing Installation Manger
To access the Installation Manager, use an ssh client. Create an ssh session to the IP
address of the RPA, user = boxmgmt.
Using Installation Manager
To select a menu option, enter the number of the desired selection. To accept the current
value or the default if there is no current value, press Enter.

Installation Manager (boxmgmt)

Installation Manager (boxmgmt)

RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 2
Installation

Installation through the Installation Manager is intended for use in troubleshooting by

authorized EMC personnel only. Only Deployment Manager is supported for RecoverPoint
installations. For RecoverPoint with VNX or RecoverPoint with VNXe, using SE licenses,
the RecoverPoint Customer Installation Kit is available on the EMC Online Support site
(https://support.emc.com/).

Installation

Installation

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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 3
Setup

The Setup menu allows you to execute deployment activities independent of the various
Deployment Manager wizards.
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Modify settings..................................................................................................... 12
Configure repository volume .................................................................................13
Get remote settings............................................................................................... 13
Retrieve previous settings..................................................................................... 13
Apply settings....................................................................................................... 13
View settings.........................................................................................................13
Reset settings changes..........................................................................................13
Advanced options................................................................................................. 13
Console configuration .......................................................................................... 17

Setup

11

Setup

Modify settings
To change RPA setting, first detach the RPA from the RPA cluster. You must apply (or
reapply) the modified configuration to each of the RPAs in the installation. If you have
changed the cluster name or time zones, you must format (or reformat) the repository
volume in both clusters. Then re-attach the RPA to the RPA cluster.

Enter cluster details

The Configure ETH auto-negotiation option is used to adjust the Ethernet
speed of the RPAs WAN and LAN interfaces. Log in to each RPA to enable, disable, or
change the auto-negotiation values. Valid values are 10 Mb Full duplex, 100 Mb Full
duplex, or 1 Gb full duplex.
To prevent communication problems between RPAs, ensure that all RPAs in all clusters
are configured to the same setting. The values set for the RPAs and the values on the
switches to which the RPAs are connected must also be identical. First change the LAN
speed for all of the RPAs in the environment. Then change the LAN speed on the relevant
ports on the switch. Configuring the value for an RPAs LAN interface may disable the
RecoverPoint session momentarily.

Number of virtual ports per port

To associate an RPA Fibre Channel port with multiple storage groups simultaneously, use
the Number of virtual ports per port option to specify the number of virtual
ports (up to 16) per actual port for each RPA. Every switch port to which a RecoverPoint
port is connected must be set to FL (Fibre loop or public loop) topology.

WWN node/port pair addresses

Generally, you do not need to change the WWN node and port addresses. WWN node/
port pair addresses can also be changed through the Deployment Manager RPA
Replacement wizard.

Enable/disable initiator-only mode

The Enable/disable initiator-only mode option is used to designate some of the RPA ports
as initiator-only (rather than target or initiator), which is required when working with
certain types of storage.

Number of VMware ITLs needed

To support replicating VMware data volumes with RecoverPoint (physical) using splitters
running on virtual machines, you must set the option Number of VMware ITLs .
This option must be set to the largest number of VMware virtual machines that will be
running on any one ESX server in this cluster. Refer to the Replicating VMware with EMC
RecoverPoint Technical Notes for details. If you set the number too low, you will not be able
to replicate all the desired virtual machines. If you set it too high, you may trigger
unnecessary system discovery, which may affect system performance.

MTU configuration
The MTU configuration option is used to view or change the maximum transmission
unit (MTU) packet size (in bytes) of an RPAs LAN, WAN, and iSCSI interfaces. To prevent
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Setup

communication problems, the MTU value must be the same on all RPAs in the
environment. The default MTU value is set by the RPA operating system.

Configure repository volume

Using this option is not supported.

Get remote settings

To copy the settings of another RPA, follow the instructions on screen.

Retrieve previous settings

After upgrading software, instead of entering all system parameters again, run Retrieve
previous settings to restore all previous settings. Then, execute the following commands:
Run SAN Diagnostics, Apply, and Attach.
It is preferable to use Auto-Upgrade instead of this command.

Apply settings
To set a machine's configuration, you must apply the settings that you type in or retrieved
from an installed RPA.

View settings
Displays cluster settings.

Reset settings changes

To cancel any changes that you have made to settings, but which you have not yet
applied.

Advanced options
Clear reservations
This command is useful if the reservation is preventing the RPAs from communicating
with that volume.
Once you select the command, the Installation Manager presents a list of all volumes
available to the RPA. Select the volume from which you want to clear the reservation. The
Installation Manager returns a notification stating whether the action has succeeded or
failed.

Unregister reservations
The Unregister reservations option is for use by EMC Customer Service.

Configure repository volume

13

Setup

When the storage array supports the SCSI-3, the RPA automatically registers with the
storage array so that it can perform I/O operations. The RPA also unregisters
automatically.
In exceptional cases, it may be necessary to unregister manually. To unregister manually,
select Unregister reservations. All LUNs that are accessible to the RPA are listed. Select
the one you wish to unregister.

Reboot Regulation
If Reboot Regulation is enabled, frequent RPA reboots or failures will cause the RPA
automatically to detach from its cluster.
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Use the Set parameters command to configure the number of reboots and the
time interval.

The default values are 6 reboots within 120 minutes. Use Restore default
parameters command to reset the parameters to these default values.

After you have identified and corrected the problem, reactivate the RPA by re-attaching it
to its RPA cluster.

Security options
Change web server mode options
https and http
The RPA listens both on the HTTP port (port 80) and HTTPS port (port 443).
https only
The RPA listens only on the HTTPS port (port 443). The RPA will present a certificate
when a connection is made. To enforce a consistent security policy requiring HTTPS,
HTTPS only must be set on every RPA in the entire system.
Change web server certificate
To enforce a consistent security policy, Change web server certificate must be used to
change to a non-default certificate on every RPA in the entire system. Follow directions on
screen. If your certificate is not in Base64 format, you must use FTP.
Enable/disable remote connection
To enable or disable the use of secure shell (SSH) to connect to this RPA. Only affects the
admin and boxmgmt users. To manage remote access of other users to the RPA, change
their privileges.
Log-on banner options
Display log-on banner text
The text appears before the user logs on.
Enter log-on banner text
Enter the text that will appear before the user logs on.
Disable log-on banner text
To remove the text displayed before the user logs on.
Change appliance communication security level
Relevant only on RPAs running RecoverPoint 4.1.1 or later. When the RPA is attached to a
cluster, this command changes the MPI security level of the entire system. The following
MPI security levels are available:
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Setup

Accessible
Communication between RPAs is not authenticated or encrypted. RPAs can
communicate with each other only by adhering to the RecoverPoint proprietary
protocol.
Authenticated
RPA clusters use certificates to authenticate each other before communicating. This
option minimally impacts RPA performance.
Authenticated and encrypted
RPA clusters use certificates to authenticate each other before communicating. All
communication between RPA clusters is also encrypted. This option moderately
impacts RPA performance. This security level is FIPS compliant.
When the WAN connection between clusters is down, changing the RPA communication
security level of the cluster will only succeed when cluster isolation mode is enabled.
When cluster isolation mode is enabled, changing the RPA communication security level
will succeed only at the RPA cluster on which the command is run. The RPA
communication security level at the other RPA clusters must be manually changed to
match the local RPA cluster security level.
View certificate
Relevant only on RPAs running RecoverPoint 4.1.1 or later.
Change cluster certificate
Relevant only on RPAs running RecoverPoint 4.1.1 or later. To change the authentication
certificate of the remote RPA clusters. Paste the new remote cluster certificate here.
Enable/disable cluster isolation
Relevant only on RPAs running RecoverPoint 4.1.1 or later.
Enable cluster isolation mode when you need to regenerate a new certificate or change
the RPA communication security level and the WAN connection between RPA clusters is
down. After enabling cluster isolation, run the CLI command
regenerate_encryption_keys. In boxmgmt, select View the certificate. Then log in
to boxmgmt at the other cluster and select Change cluster certificate to paste the
certificate from the other cluster. Then disable cluster isolation mode.

Appliance Config Params

For use by authorized EMC personnel only.

Run Scripts
To run a signed script provided by EMC Customer Service. Scripts run only for the
designated customer in the designated time period. Paste the entire script exactly as
received from EMC Customer Service.

Remove host from SSH known host file

As shown

Storage device customizations

For use by EMC Customer Service only.

Appliance Config Params

15

Setup

Register with ESRS gateway

EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) allows EMC Customer Service representatives to
securely connect to customer RPAs registered with the ESRS gateway, and to provide
hands-on support, monitoring and auditing, in the following cases:
l

Customers call EMC Customer Service and request to open a Service Request.

When a Service Request is automatically opened by the RecoverPoint system alerts

mechanism.

How to enable ESRS server

To enable ESRS support, register each RPA, in each RPA cluster, with the ESRS gateway as
prompted.
You will only need to re-register RPAs in the gateway in the following cases:
l

An RPA box management IP address is modified.

The cluster management IP is modified.

An RPA is added or replaced.

This option is not enabled for EMC OEMs.

Set time via NTP

Before selecting the Set time via NTP command, you must apply settings.

Enable/Disable logging of incoming FC headers

To enable or disable Fibre Channel data tracking.

Clear reservations
Do not use this command unless instructed to do so by authorized RecoverPoint
Customer Service. This command is useful if the reservation is preventing the RPAs from
communicating with that volume.

Unregister reservations
The Unregister reservations command is for use by EMC Customer Service.
When the storage array supports the SCSI-3, the RPA automatically unregisters
reservations. In exceptional cases, it may be necessary to unregister manually.

BMC support
BMC support is available for Gen5 and Gen6 RPAs. By default, BMC support is disabled.
The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) may be accessed through the following
BMC interface ports:
Table 1 BMC interface ports

RPA hardware BMC interface ports

Gen5

WAN, LAN, Dedicated BMC port

Gen6

Dedicated BMC port, eth0 (WAN)

The BMC support command has the following options:

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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

Setup

View BMC settings

Configure BMC

Enable/Disable BMC network access

Note

If the LAN or WAN port is shared by the RPA and the BMC server, network issues may
affect BMC access.

Console configuration
To configure the boxmgmt console.

Console configuration

17

Setup

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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 4
Diagnostics

The Diagnostic menu allows you to test the functionality and connectivity of your RPA
configuration before and after attaching it to the RPA cluster.
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IP diagnostics........................................................................................................20
SAN diagnostic......................................................................................................21
Synchronization diagnostics................................................................................. 22
Collect system information.................................................................................... 22

Diagnostics

19

Diagnostics

IP diagnostics
Cluster connectivity tests
The following connectivity tests are performed:
l

Gateways - for a single vRPA only

Primary DNS server

Secondary DNS server

NTP server

Other host

View IP details
As shown

View routing table

As shown

Test throughput
For a single cluster, the Test throughput option does not appear.
The system uses iperf to test throughput to another RPA. Enable the iperf server
before testing throughput. Disable the iperf server after testing throughput.

Ports diagnostics
Procedure
1. Verify that none of the ports used by the RPAs are blocked (for instance, by a firewall).
You must test each RPA individually by designating each RPA in turn to be the server.
2. Before selecting the server option, detach the RPA that you intend to designate as the
server.
3. After you have designated one RPA as a server, go to another RPA, designated it as a
client, and use it to test throughput to the server RPA.

System connectivity
Only relevant for physical RPAs
System connectivity test
l

Full mesh network check test communication between any RPA to any other RPA in
the system.

Check from local RPA to all other RPAs

Advanced connectivity test

Tests the connection from a specific IP address on the local appliance to an IP address
and port on another RPA anywhere in the system.
Show all results from last connectivity check
Shows the messages returned by the connectivity test tool.
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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

Diagnostics

Message

Meaning

Machine is down

No communication at all with RPA:

<appliance> is down

Verify that the firewall permits ping (ICMP

echo) to the RPA.

Ensure RPA is connected and operating.

Verify that required ports are open. For a list

of ports that must be open for the RPA to
operate correctly, refer to the EMC
RecoverPoint Security and Networking
Technical Notes.

Host connection exists, but RPA is not

responding:
l

Verify that the RPA is attached to an RPA

cluster.

Verify that required ports are open. For a list

of ports that must be open for the RPA to
operate correctly, refer to the EMC
RecoverPoint Security and Networking
Technical Notes.

Connection to link: <link>

protocol: <protocol> FAILED.

No connection to host using <protocol>.

Link <link> (<type of

connection>) FAILED.

The checked connection failed.

All OK

The system connectivity is fine.

SAN diagnostic
Run SAN diagnostics
As shown

View RPA ports

As shown

View target LUNs

As shown

Perform I/O to a LUN

As shown

SAN diagnostic

21

Diagnostics

Synchronization diagnostics
Output similar to the following appears.
remote
refid
st t when poll reach delay offset jitter
======================================================================
========
*10.10.0.1
10.254.140.22 4 u 2
64
377
0.141 18.094 4.571

The meaning of columns in this output are as follows:

remote
Host names or addresses of the servers and peers used for synchronization
refid
Current source of synchronization
st
The stratum
t
The type (u = unicast, m = multicast, l = local, - = not known)
when
Time, in seconds, since the peer was last heard
poll
Poll interval, in seconds
reach
Status of the reachability register (see RFC-1305) in octal
delay, offset, jitter
Shown in milliseconds
The symbol in the left margin displays the synchronization status of each peer
*
Signifies the currently selected peer
+
Signifies additional peers acceptable for synchronization
Peers marked * and + are included in the weighted average computation to set the local
clock, while the data produced by peers marked with other symbols is discarded. The
LOCAL(0) entry represents the values obtained from the internal clock on the local
machine.

Collect system information

Failure to establish an IP connection between RPAs to switches will prevent splitter log
retention and prevent EMC Customer Service from being able to collect system logs from
customers and provide timely and effective support.
GMT is not adjusted for daylight saving (summer) time.
The maximum collection time interval is 3 days.
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Diagnostics

If the entered interval is from more than 30 days ago, some logs may not be available
for collection.
When collecting system information, the following error conditions apply
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If connection with an RPA is lost while info collection is in process, no information is

collected.

If the collection from the remote cluster failed because of a WAN failure, run the
process locally in the remote cluster.

In the event of simultaneous info collection from the same RPA, only the collector that
established the first connection can succeed.

FTP failure results in failure of the entire process.

Run internal command

Depending on user privileges, Run internal command displays the list of available
internal commands you are allowed to use.

Run internal command

23

Diagnostics

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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 5
Cluster operations

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Detach/Attach RPA from/to cluster........................................................................26

Prepare this cluster for connection to an existing cluster....................................... 26
Connect a new cluster to this system.....................................................................26
Remove a cluster from the system......................................................................... 26
Configure connection types to the other clusters in the system..............................26
Remove the link between two clusters...................................................................26

Cluster operations

25

Cluster operations

Detach/Attach RPA from/to cluster

The RPA will be rebooted once it is attached.

Prepare this cluster for connection to an existing cluster

Only relevant to vRPAs.

Connect a new cluster to this system

As shown

Remove a cluster from the system

As shown

Configure connection types to the other clusters in the system

As shown

Remove the link between two clusters

As shown

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RecoverPoint 4.4 boxmgmt Guide

CHAPTER 6
Shutdown/Reboot operations

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Reboot RPA........................................................................................................... 28
Shutdown RPA.......................................................................................................28

Shutdown/Reboot operations

27

Shutdown/Reboot operations

Reboot RPA
As shown

Shutdown RPA
As shown

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