FAQ: Ansible Modules for Dell EMC Unity

Here is a list of questions and answers that are hopefully useful.  They will be updated as needed and as future versions of the modules are released.

To which Ansible modules for Dell EMC Unity version does this FAQ apply?
This FAQ applies to version 1.0 of the module.

 

Where can I get the Ansible modules for Dell EMC Unity?
We have a repository in GitHub: https://github.com/dell/ansible-unity

 

What version of the Unity family are supported?
The Unity, UnityXT, and Unity VSA systems are supported.

 

What are the software pre-requisites?

• Unity OE 5.0 or higher
• Python Library for Unity storops version 1.2.5 or higher
• Ansible 2.7 or higher
• Python 2.7.12 or higher
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.5, 7.6

 

How can I install the Unity storops python library?
The storops library can b installed by simply running

pip install storops

No additional libraries or software is required since the storops library communicates directly with Unity array via the REST API

Additional information on the storops library is available here:
https://pypi.org/project/storops/
https://github.com/emc-openstack/storops

 

What are the supported features for this Ansible module for Dell EMC Unity?
The Ansible Modules for Dell EMC Unity include:

• Gather Facts module
• Volume module
• Storage Pools module
• Consistency Group module Host Module
• Snapshot module
• Snapshot Schedule module

For highlights of functionality, refer to the table below. For further details please see the product guide and release notes.

	Volume	Host	Snapshot	Snapshot Schedule	Storage Pools	Consistency Group
View	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Create	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y
Modify	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Delete	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y

 

How are the Ansible Unity modules installed?
The modules can simply be downloaded or cloned from the GitHub repository and copied to the appropriate library and module_utils folder.

Detailed installation instructions can be found in the product guide

 

Do these modules support any file-based NAS functionality (SMB/NFS)?
No, currently the modules only have support for block storage operations using Fibre Channel and iSCSI protocols.

 

Do these modules support any array initialization or day-0 configuration?
No, the focus of these modules is repetitive storage provisioning operations and not tasks like setting network parameters, adding array management users/group, adding licenses, or software upgrades.

 

Where can I find playbook examples?
Examples are available in the embedded documentation along with each module's python code. They can be viewed using the ansible-doc command.

 

What are the known limitations?
Please refer to the limitations and considerations section in the release notes.

 

How to uninstall the modules?
Uninstallation simply involves deleting the module python files in the the directories in which they were originally copied.

 

I have a question or a problem, where do I submit an issue against the driver?
The Ansible modules for Dell EMC Unity are officially by Dell EMC. Therefore you can open a discussion in the Automation community forum, or open a ticket directly on the support website.

 

Can I run this module in a production environment?
Yes, the module is production-grade. Please make sure your environment follows the pre-requisites and Ansible best practices.