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vSAN Diagnostics Guide

Overview

This guide provides comprehensive information about the vSAN diagnostic options available in the user interface. These diagnostic tools enable system administrators to monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain vSAN deployments effectively.

Critical Warning

The diagnostic commands detailed in this guide are powerful administrative tools. Improper usage can result in: - System outages - Service interruptions - Potential data loss

Exercise extreme caution and ensure proper understanding before execution.

Prerequisites

To use these diagnostic tools, you must have:

  • Root-level access to your VergeIO cluster
  • Note: Tenants do not have a vSAN.

Accessing vSAN Diagnostics

  1. Navigate to vSAN Diagnostics using either method:
  • From the home screen: Select the vSAN Tiers count box → vSAN Diagnostics (left menu)

  • Alternative path: Home screen → System (left menu) → vSAN Diagnostics 2. Command execution:

  • Select desired command from the dropdown menu

  • Configure available options if applicable
  • Click SEND→ to execute

Command Visibility

Enable the "Show Command" option to view the exact command being executed. This can be valuable for: - SSH execution - BASH script integration - Advanced command automation

Diagnostic Commands

Add Drive to vSAN

Running this command allows you to manually add a drive via the UI. Drives are normally added either during the installation, or via the Nodes > Nodes Drives page. However adding them in that way does not allow for the addition of drives to Tier0.

Prerequisites:

  • Drive must be physically present in the system
  • Drive must be visible from Nodes > Nodes Drives page

Usage Parameters:

  • Selecting Add Drive to vSAN
  • From the right menu, select the Node that we will be adding the drive to.
  • Enter the appropriate path, E.G. `/dev/nvme0n1```<br>
  • You can use the "Click here to view devices" to get the path. !!! warning "The contents of this drive will be overwritten."
  • Select the Tier you want to assign the drive to.
  • Check the Swap box if you want Swap enabled on this drive. !!! info "This will use the cluster settings for the Swap size."
  • Verify. You will need to TYPE Yes I know what I'm doing in the Verify box.
  • Select SEND →

CLI Syntax:

vcmd newdevice --path=PATH [OPTIONS]
  --path=PATH    Path to target device
  --tier=NUM     Tier number assignment

Cancel Integrity Check

Terminates any active integrity check operations. See Integrity Check for additional information.

CLI Syntax:

vcmd cancelintegcheck

Clear Reference Counts

Reference counts are how the vSAN tracks the number of times a file is referenced in the vSAN. Clearing this count will force a full vSAN walk and a refresh of the Reference Counts.

Function:

  • Clears existing reference counts
  • Initiates full vSAN traversal
  • Rebuilds reference count data

Support Authorization Required

Execute only under direct support guidance.

Usage Parameters:

  • Verify. You will need to TYPE Yes I know what I'm doing in the Verify box.
  • Select SEND →

CLI Syntax:

vcmd clearrefcounts

Find Inode

Running this query will allow you to find out what an Inode (Index Node) referrences. Inode is a data structure that stores information about a file or directory, such as its owner, access rights, date and time of creation and modification, size and location on the vSAN. Each file or directory in the system has its own unique index node number (inode number), which can be used to perform various operations with a file or directory. This can be used to troubleshoot errors in the vSAN.

Purpose:

  • Retrieves inode reference information
  • Maps inode numbers to filesystem entities
  • Assists in vSAN troubleshooting

CLI Syntax:

find /vsan -inum inode_number_here -printf /%P\n

Get Cache Info

Retrieves detailed cache information for specified nodes.

Output Information:

  • Total cache capacity
  • Available cache space
  • Cache page statistics
  • Performance metrics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getcacheinfo

Get Clients

Retrieves client connection information for specified nodes.

Output Information:

  • Connected node information
  • IP address mappings
  • Worker thread statistics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getclients

Get Cluster Rates

Retrieves cluster-wide performance metrics.

Output Information:

  • Read/write rates
  • Throttle status
  • Performance statistics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getclusterrates

Get Cluster Usage

Provides cluster-wide storage utilization information.

Output Information:

  • Maximum storage capacity
  • Current utilization
  • Repair operation counts

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getclusterusage

Get Current Master

Retrieves master node information from each cluster member.

Output Information:

  • Master node identification
  • Online status
  • Transaction logging information

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getcurmaster

Get Device Integrity

Retrieves integrity check results for specified nodes.

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getdeviceinteg

Get Device List

Provides comprehensive device inventory.

Output Information:

  • Device identifiers
  • System paths
  • Tier assignments

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getdevicelist

Get Device Status

Retrieves detailed device status information.

Output Information:

  • Device paths
  • Operational status
  • Capacity metrics
  • Performance statistics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getdevicestatus

Get Device Usage

Provides device utilization metrics.

Output Information:

  • Total capacity
  • Current utilization
  • Usage trends

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getdeviceusage

Get File Status

Retrieves detailed file metadata.

Output Information:

  • Inode information
  • File type
  • Tier assignment
  • Hash key data

CLI Syntax:

vcmd stat /path/to/file.raw

Get Fuse Info

Retrieves FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) statistics.

Output Information:

  • Mount point information
  • Thread statistics
  • Throttling metrics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getfuseinfo

Get Integrity Check Status

Retrieves results from the most recent integrity check.

Output Information:

  • Check status
  • Path information
  • Temporal data
  • Verification results

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getintegcheckstatus

Get Journal Status

Retrieves journal system status information.

Output Information:

  • Operational status
  • Redundancy status
  • System metadata

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getjournalstatus

Get Node Device List

Retrieves detailed hardware information for storage devices.

Output Information:

  • Driver information
  • Model specifications
  • Firmware versions
  • Physical attributes

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getnodedevicelist

Get Node Info

Retrieves comprehensive node configuration data.

Output Information:

  • Node identification
  • Cluster configuration
  • System parameters
  • Operational status

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getnodeinfo

Get Node List

Provides cluster-wide node inventory.

Output Information:

  • Node identification
  • Online status
  • Version information
  • Tier utilization

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getnodelist

Get Path from Inode

Resolves filesystem paths from inode numbers.

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getpathfromino $1

Get Read Ahead

Retrieves read-ahead buffer statistics.

Output Information:

  • Queue statistics
  • Thread utilization
  • System status

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getreadahead

Get Repair Status

Monitors ongoing repair operations.

Output Information:

  • Device repair status
  • Operation progress
  • System health

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getrepairstatus

Get Running Configuration

Retrieves active system configuration.

Output Information:

  • Worker thread allocation
  • System throttles
  • Operational parameters

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getrunningconf

Get Sync List

Monitors synchronization operations.

Output Information:

  • Operation frequency
  • Start times
  • File processing status

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getsynclist

Get Tier Device Maps

Retrieves tier-to-device mapping information.

Output Information:

  • Physical device mappings
  • Tier assignments
  • System configuration

CLI Syntax:

vcmd gettierdevicemaps

Get Tier Node Maps

Retrieves tier-to-node mapping information.

Technical Details:

  • Base-0 indexing (0=Node1, 1=Node2, etc.)
  • 65536 buckets per tier map
  • Primary (tier_x.0) and redundant (tier_x.1) mappings

CLI Syntax:

vcmd gettiernodemaps

Get Tier Status

Retrieves comprehensive tier health information.

Output Information:

  • Redundancy status
  • Walk statistics
  • Transaction data
  • Health metrics

CLI Syntax:

vcmd gettierstatus

Get Top Usage Rates

Monitors real-time I/O statistics.

Real-time Data

Multiple executions may be necessary for trend analysis.

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getfhlist | grep -Eo '(ino|rrate|wrate)\b.*'

Get Volume Usage

Retrieves detailed volume utilization statistics.

Parameters:

  • Path specification (optional)
  • Recursive flag
  • Human-readable output
  • Preferred tier display

CLI Syntax:

vcmd getvolusage --path=/ --recursive=1 --human=1

Integrity Check

Initiates system integrity verification.

Parameters:

  • Path specification (required)
  • Recursive operation
  • Fix mode (destructive)
  • Meta-tier only option

Data Loss Risk

Fix mode zeros bad blocks. THIS IS DESTRUCTIVE. Use only under support guidance.

CLI Syntax:

vcmd integcheck /vol

Integrity Check Device

Performs device-level integrity verification.

Parameters:

  • Node selection
  • Device ID (-1 for all devices)

CLI Syntax:

vcmd integcheckdevice --id=x

Summarize Disk Usage

Generates storage utilization summaries.

Parameters:

  • Path specification
  • Recursive operation
  • Preferred tier display
  • Deduplication analysis
  • Fast deduplication option

CLI Syntax:

vcmd du /vol

Additional Resources

Feedback

Need Help?

If you need further assistance or have any questions about this article, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.

Document Information

  • Last Updated: 2024-12-27
  • VergeOS Version: 4.13.2

Adding Tier 0 to an Existing System

Overview

Key Points

  • Tier 0 is normally configured during initial installation
  • This procedure is for special cases requiring post-installation configuration
  • Requires careful attention to device paths and hardware compatibility

This guide outlines the process for adding Tier 0 storage to an existing VergeOS system. While Tier 0 is typically configured during installation, these steps provide a method for adding it to production systems that cannot be reinstalled.

Critical Warning

  • This procedure should only be performed by qualified VergeOS engineers or under direct support guidance
  • Selected devices will be formatted and all existing data will be destroyed
  • Incorrect device path selection can seriously damage your system

Prerequisites

Before beginning this procedure, ensure:

  • Storage devices are physically installed in the system
  • Tier 0 devices are consistent across controller nodes
  • Hardware meets specifications from the Node Sizing Guide

Steps

1. Identify Device Paths

  1. Navigate to System > vSAN Diagnostics from the Main Dashboard
  2. Select Get Node Device List from the Query dropdown
  3. Click Send
  4. Identify unused devices (marked as "vsan = false")
  5. Note the device paths (/dev/sd*) for each controller node

Tip

Verify current vSAN drive assignments by checking vSAN Tiers > [select tier] > Drives to avoid selecting drives already in use.

2. Add Drives to Tier 0

For each drive:

  1. In vSAN Diagnostics:
    • Set Query to Add Drive to vSAN
    • Select the appropriate Node (node0 or node1)
    • Enter the correct Path for the device
    • Set Tier to Tier 0
    • Configure Swap setting

Swap Configuration

  • Enable swap on only ONE storage tier
  • If swap is enabled on another tier, disable it for Tier 0
  • Contact VergeOS Support for guidance on swap configuration if needed
  1. Enter the verification phrase: Yes I know what I'm doing
  2. Click Send to execute

3. Verify Configuration

  1. Monitor the system dashboard for tier status - Status will show "online-no redundancy" during meta migration
  2. Refresh node information: - Navigate to each controller node's dashboard - Select Refresh > Drives & NICs

Post-Configuration

Monitor the vSAN tier status in the system dashboard. The tier should transition from "online-no redundancy" to "online" once meta migration completes.

Additional Resources

Document Information

  • Last Updated: 2024-11-25
  • VergeOS Version: 4.13

Setting Up Storware on VergeOS

This guide outlines the steps for configuring Storware on VergeOS to protect your virtual machines.

For more comprehensive information on Storware's capabilities and additional backup configuration options, visit the Storware Backup and Recovery Documentation.

Prerequisites

  • VergeOS on version 4.13 or higher.
  • Access to a Storware Backup and Recovery instance on version 7 or higher.
  • Credentials for an account with the appropriate permissions to configure both VergeOS and Storware.

Setup a dedicated Verge NAS Service for Storware

  1. Deploy the NAS Service:
  1. Configure NFS Settings:
  • Before powering on the NAS service, click on Edit NFS Settings.
  • Enable NFSv4 by selecting the checkbox for this option.
  • Click Submit to save the changes.
  • Power on the NAS service.

Depending on the size of your environment you may want to increase the amount of CPU and RAM for the NAS Service. Storware recomends 8 cores and 12 GB of RAM as a good starting point

Adding Your VergeOS System to Storware

  1. Log in to Storware:
  • Access the Storware Backup and Recovery management console.
  1. Add VergeOS as a Virtual Environment:
  • Navigate to Virtual Environments > Virtualization Providers and click Create.
  • Select VergeOS as the Virtualization Provider.
  1. Configure the Connection Details:

  • General Tab:

    • URL: Enter the VergeOS URL in the format https://<VERGE_IP>.
    • Username: Provide the username for VergeOS.
    • Password: Enter the password for the specified user.
    • Verge Settings Tab:
    • Enter the name of the NAS service created in the previous step.
  1. Test the Connection:
  • Select the newly added Verge system from the list
  • Click Test Connectivity to verify that Storware can successfully communicate with the VergeOS environment.

Important Notes

NFS Version Selection

Enabling NFSv4 on VergeOS ensures compatibility with modern backup solutions like Storware, providing improved security and performance.

Snapshot Optimization

Using Storware's snapshot management in conjunction with VergeOS’s built-in vSAN capabilities allows for efficient incremental backups, reducing the time and storage required for VM protection.

Feedback

Need Help?

If you have any questions or encounter issues while setting up Storware on VergeOS, please reach out to our support team for assistance.

Document Information

  • Last Updated: 2024-11-07
  • VergeOS Version: 4.13