Dell PowerFlex v3.6.x Security Configuration Guide

Log management and retrieval

The logs can be managed and retrieved in various ways.

• Log roll-over (REST):
  • In the configuration of the log’s behavior (logback.xml—see below), each log is defined to be no greater than 10 MB. Once it reaches this size, a new log file is created. Once the maximum (10) is reached, the oldest log is overwritten (roll-over). The log files are: name_xxx.log, name_xxx.1.log.zip, … name_xxx.10.log.zip.

• Configuration of an external Syslog server:
  • During PowerFlex installation, you can use the PowerFlex Installer web client to configure Syslog event reporting. You can also configure these features after installation, using the CLI.For more information, see "Viewing Events" in the Monitor Dell PowerFlex.

• Configuration of logging levels:
  • PowerFlex Gateway (REST)—The log can be configured by editing the file: <gateway installation folder>\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF\classes\logback.xml
  • PowerFlex Installer—The log can be configured by editing the file: <gateway installation folder>\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF\classes\logback.xml

• vSphere Web Client logging
  • To enable debug logging for the vSphere Web Client service:
    NOTE: Take a backup of the serviceability.xml file before modifying it.
    1. Stop the vSphere Web Client service.
    2. Navigate to the configuration folder:
       • For vCenter Server 6.x—C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\runtime\vsphere-client\server\configuration
       • For vCenter Server Virtual Appliance 6.x—/usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-client/server/configuration
    3. Open the serviceability.xml file using a text editor.
       NOTE: Take a backup of the serviceability.xml file before modifying it.
    4. Edit the root level logging parameter by replacing the default INFO with DEBUG. For example, change the serviceability.xml default configuration from:

       <root level="INFO">
       <appender-ref ref="SIFTED_LOG_FILE"></appender-ref>
       <appender-ref ref="LOG_FILE"></appender-ref>
       </root>

       to:

       <root level="DEBUG">
       <appender-ref ref="SIFTED_LOG_FILE"></appender-ref>
       <appender-ref ref="LOG_FILE"></appender-ref>
       </root>

    5. To add a logging section for the PowerFlex plugin, create a section to increase logging to Debug levels:

       <logger level="DEBUG" additivity="false" name="com.emc">
       <appender-ref ref="SIFTED_LOG_FILE" />
       <appender-ref ref="Log_FILE" />
       </logger>

    6. Save and close the file.
    7. Start the vSphere Web Client service. Additional logs will be written to the C:\ProgramData\VMware\vSphere Web Client\Logs folder

• SRS feature (Secure Remote Support)—SRS support enables secure, high-speed, 24x7, remote connection between Dell and customer installations, including:
  • Remote monitoring
  • Remote diagnosis and repair
  • Daily sending of system events (rsyslog output), alerts, and PowerFlex topology. For more information, see "Perform other SRS configuration activities" in the Configure and Customize Dell PowerFlex.

• Viewing events locally—Use the showevents.py command, using filter switches to control the severity of alerts. For more information, see "Viewing Events" in the Monitor Dell PowerFlex.

• Configuration for external log management tools like envision—NA

• Configuration of time synchronization with an external source (e.g. via NTP, Windows Time Service, etc.)—NA
• Get Info—Get Info allows you to assemble a ZIP file of system logs for troubleshooting. You can run this function from a local node for its own logs, or by using the PowerFlex Installer to assemble logs from all MDM and SDS nodes in the system. For more information, see "Retrieving logs for PowerFlex components" in the PowerFlex Log Collection Technical Notes.