HPE2-K45 Using HPE SimpliVity Question and Answers

 The difference between crash consistent and application consistent cloning methods is that the application consistent method ensures that the cloned virtual machine is in a consistent state with respect to the application and database, while the crash consistent method does not guarantee that1. The application consistent method uses the VMware snapshot or the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to quiesce the application and flush the pending I/O operations to the disk before creating the clone, which prevents data corruption or loss2. The crash consistent method does not quiesce the application or flush the pending I/O operations, and creates the clone as if the virtual machine had crashed, which may result in data inconsistency or recovery issues3. The application consistent method is recommended for virtual machines that run database applications, such as SQL Server or Oracle, while the crash consistent method is suitable for virtual machines that run non-database applications, such as web servers or file servers4. The application consistent method is not available only for Linux operating systems (option D), as it also supports Windows Server operating systems that have VMware Tools or VSS installed5. The crash consistent method should not be used only for the virtual machines with Fault Tolerance enabled (option C), as it can be used for any virtual machine that does not require application consistency. Both methods are not the same,and the speed of cloning is not the only difference (option B), as they have different implications for the data integrity and availability of the cloned virtual machine. References:

• 1: Using HPE SimpliVity Official Certification Study Guide (HPE2-K45), HPE Press, 2019, p. 28.
• 2: Clone a virtual machine - techhub.hpe.com, HPE, 2021, 3.
• 3: HPE SimpliVity OmniStack Interoperability Guide 4.2.0, HPE, 2021, p. 8.
• 4: Using HPE SimpliVity Official Certification Study Guide (HPE2-K45), HPE Press, 2019, p. 29.
• 5: HPE SimpliVity OmniStack Interoperability Guide 4.2.0, HPE, 2021, p. 9.
• [6]: Using HPE SimpliVity Official Certification Study Guide (HPE2-K45), HPE Press, 2019, p. 28.
• [7]: Clone a virtual machine - techhub.hpe.com, HPE, 2021, 3.

The Support Capture file is a compressed file that contains diagnostic data from the HPE SimpliVity hosts, such as system status information and log files. The system status information includes the configuration, performance, and health of the host and its components, such as the HPE OmniStack Virtual Controller, the HPE OmniStack Accelerator Card, the datastore, the network, and the virtual machines. The log files include the messages and events that are generated by the host and its components, such as the kernel, the hypervisor, the HPE SimpliVity software, and the HPE SimpliVity hardware1. The Support Capture file is used by the HPE Support team to troubleshoot and resolve issues with the HPE SimpliVity system.

The other options are not included in the Support Capture file. The license entitlement is the information that verifies the customer’s right to use the HPE SimpliVity software and features, but it is not part of the diagnostic data2. The HPE InfoSight connection parameters are the settings that enable the HPE SimpliVity system to connect to the HPE InfoSight cloud-based platform for predictive analytics and proactive support, but they are not part of the diagnostic data3. The security token to access the system remotely is a temporary credential that allows the HPE Support team to access the HPE SimpliVity system via a secure tunnel, but it is not part of the diagnostic data.

References: 1: Simplivity Video - How to gather a SimpliVity Support Capture 2: [HPE SimpliVity License Entitlement] 3: [HPE SimpliVity and HPE InfoSight] : [HPE SimpliVity Remote Support]

 According to the HPE SimpliVity documents and learning resources, the HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 is the only model that can be equipped with the HPE mniStack Accelerator card. The HPE mniStack Accelerator card is a PCIe-based card that provides hardware acceleration for data compression and deduplication. It also enables the HPE SimpliVity RapidDR feature, which automates and simplifies disaster recovery operations. The other models, such as the HPE SimpliVity 2600, the HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 H, and the HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10, do not support the HPE mniStack Accelerator card. They rely on software-based data efficiency and backup features. References: Using HPE SimpliVity Official Certification Study Guide, page 29; HPE SimpliVity networking explained; HPE SimpliVity Releases

HPE SimpliVity 380 Ge10G is a hyperconverged solution that combines compute, storage, and networking in a 2U form factor. It supports up to two NVIDIA GPU accelerators per node, which can enhance the performance and user experience of VDI applications. It also offers high availability, data efficiency, and built-in data protection and disaster recovery. It supports VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisors, and integrates with HPE InfoSight for AI-driven operations and insights. References: HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10; Technical Positioning of HPE SimpliVity for VDI solutions

According to the HPE SimpliVity Administration Guide1, the file level restore option allows you to recover individual files or folders from a backup of a virtual machine. Thisoption is useful when you need to restore a specific file that was accidentally deleted or corrupted, without affecting the rest of the virtual machine. The file level restore option supports both Windows and Linux based virtual machines, and can be performed using the HPE SimpliVity plugin in the vSphere Web Client. The file level restore option creates a temporary virtual machine from the backup, mounts the virtual disks, and copies the selected files or folders to a destination of your choice. The temporary virtual machine is then deleted automatically.

The other options are not suitable for recovering a single file from a Linux based virtual machine. Restoring a virtual machine from the backup would overwrite the entire virtual machine with the backup data, which may not be desirable or necessary. Moving a virtual machine from DR site to the primary site would not help if the file was deleted from both sites. Reverting to the SimpliVity snapshot would also overwrite the entire virtual machine with the snapshot data, which may not be the latest or the most relevant version. References:

• 1: HPE SimpliVity Administration Guide, https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=sf000062138en_us&docLocale=en_US, page 76-78

The best way to migrate virtual machines from the existing infrastructure to HPE SimpliVity is to share HPE SimpliVity datastores with standard ESXi hosts, and migrate the virtual machines using VMware vSphere® Storage vMotion®1. This method allows the virtual machines to be moved to the HPE SimpliVity datastores without any downtime or impact on the performance. The HPE SimpliVity datastores are automatically created and managed by the HPE SimpliVity Virtual Controller, and they can be shared with any ESXi host that is in the same vCenter Server® as the HPE SimpliVity cluster2. Connecting VMFS datastores holding the virtual machine files to HPE SimpliVity nodes, and migrating the virtual machines (option A) is not a supported method, as the HPE SimpliVity nodes do not have direct access to the VMFS datastores, and they can only use the HPE SimpliVity datastores3. Mapping VMFS datastores holding the virtual machine files as an RDM to HPE SimpliVity nodes, and migrating the virtual machines (option C) is not a supported method, as the HPE SimpliVity nodes do not support RDM devices, and they can only use the HPE SimpliVity datastores4. Adding ESXi system to the HPE SimpliVity cluster, and migrating the virtual machines to HPE SimpliVity datastores (option D) is not a recommended method, as it requires the ESXi system to be converted to an HPE SimpliVity node, which involves installing the HPE OmniStack software and the HPE SimpliVity Virtual Controller, and reconfiguring the network settings. This method may cause downtime and data loss, and it is only advised for specific scenarios, such as replacing a failed node or expanding the cluster. References:

• 1: Using HPE SimpliVity Official Certification Study Guide (HPE2-K45), HPE Press, 2019, p. 29.
• 2: HPE SimpliVity OmniStack Interoperability Guide 4.2.0, HPE, 2021, p. 8.
• 3: HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 Node Data sheet, HPE, 2019, p. 5.
• 4: HPE SimpliVity OmniStack Interoperability Guide 4.2.0, HPE, 2021, p. 9.
• [5]: HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 Node Installation and Startup Service, HPE, 2019, p. 3.

HPE SimpliVity provides storage HA by creating two copies of each virtual machine data across different nodes in a cluster. This ensures that the virtual machines can continue to run even if one node fails. However, this also consumes twice the storage capacity for each virtual machine. For development virtual machines that do not require storage HA, the customer can save storage capacity by creating a single-replica datastore for these virtual machines. A single-replica datastore is a datastore that has only one copy of the virtual machine data on one node. This reduces the storage consumption by 50%, but also increases the risk of data loss and unavailability in case of node failure. Therefore, the customer should carefully weigh the trade-offs between storage efficiency and data protection when using a single-replica datastore. References: HPE SimpliVity Data Virtualization Platform; HPE SimpliVity User Guide

Before moving a virtual machine to another datastore, you need to take a snapshot of the virtual machine using the HPE SimpliVity plugin in vSphere. This ensures that the virtual machine is in a consistent state and that the data is protected. The snapshot also serves as a backup in case the move operation fails or is interrupted. After taking the snapshot, you can use the HPE SimpliVity move operation to move the virtual machine to the desired datastore, either within the same cluster or across clusters. The move operation preserves the data efficiency and resiliency of the virtual machine, and does not require any downtime or reconfiguration12. References: Move a virtual machine to another datastore - Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HPE SimpliVity frequently asked questions

The Persistent Storage layer is the lowest layer of the HPE SimpliVity Data Visualization Platform. It is responsible for storing and tracking all data and metadata on the HPE SimpliVity nodes. It uses a distributed file system that spans across all nodes in a cluster, and provides high availability, scalability, and performance. The Persistent Storage layer also integrates with the HPE OmniStack Accelerator Card, which enables accelerated data efficiency, global unified management, and built-in data protection12. References: HPE SimpliVity Data Virtualization Platform technical white paper, SimpliVity Data Virtualization Platform Architecture - YouTube