Configuring Pool Management
You can configure a pool for managing up to 32 (physical or virtual) Cores from a single UI. You no longer have to log in to each individual Core to manage configuration of LUNs, Edges, or storage arrays. In addition, you can view reports on Edge data from the pool manager UI.
Note: All Cores must be running version 3.0 or later.
Pool management enables you to create and provide a consolidated access point for Cores, organized along logical, departmental, or geographic lines. In addition, the Core that is the pool manager can view and edit the configuration of any other Core in its pool.
Note: You can view the details of only one Core at a time from the manager’s UI.
The pool is a single-level hierarchy with a flat structure, in which all members of the pool except the manager have equal priority and cannot themselves be managers of pools. Any Core can be the manager of the pool, but the pool manager cannot be a member of any other pool.
The pool has a loose membership, in which pool members are not aware of one another, except for the manager. The pool is dissolved when the manager is no longer available (unless the manager has an HA peer). Only a manager can dissolve a pool. However, a pool member can release itself from a pool.
Management of a pool can be taken over by a failover peer. However, a member’s failover peer cannot be managed by the member’s pool manager through the member, even if the failover peer is down.
The SteelFusion Edge Trends, LUN I/O, and SAN I/O graphs show data from pool members on the pool manager’s pages. When a pool manager tries to select one of its members from the drop-down list, if that pool member is unavailable, a warning header appears, explaining that the member cannot be reached.
The pool management feature is implemented using the SteelHead REST API framework. For detailed information about enabling REST API access, see
Configuring REST API Access.
Pool management is available only in the UI (not in the CLI). This implementation is a one-directional on-demand query/action system. It does not maintain a persistent connection between pool members and the manager: that is, a member cannot proactively send data to its manager.
If you configure pool management, all Storage configuration and Reports pages include a link to pool management details. Click the link to jump to the Configure > Pool Management: Edit Pool page and the current settings.
To create a pool
1. Choose a manager.
You can choose any manager you like—the role requires minimal to no resource overhead.
2. Choose Configure > Pool Management: Edit Pool to display the Edit Pool page.
3. Enter the pool name and click Create Pool.
5. On the pool manager’s Edit Pool page, click Add a Pool Member.
6. Add the Hostname and API Access Code for each pool member.
7. Click Add Pool Member.
8. Continue adding members to the pool until you are done.
The pool manager shows key statistics on the Edit Pool page about each member added.
To manage a pool member
1. Choose Configure > Pool Management: Edit Pool to display the Edit Pool page.
You can also access the Edit Pool page by choosing a Configure > Manage or Configure > Storage Array page on the pool manager’s web UI: for example, Configure > Manage: LUNs.
2. Choose the pool member from the drop-down list.
The configuration for the selected pool member appears.
3. Make the desired changes and click Save.
To dissolve a pool (as a manager)
1. Choose Configure > Pool Management: Edit Pool.
You then have two options:
– Click the trash icon under Remove to remove a member.
– Click Dissolve Pool to dissolve the entire pool.
The pool manager sends a reset pool message to any removed pool member. However, if the member is down or the authorization code has been revoked, you must reset the pool membership on the member’s UI to allow management again.
To request release from a pool (as a member)
1. Choose Configure > Pool Management: Edit Pool.
2. Click Release From Pool.