Veritas Flex Appliance Getting Started and Administration Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): Appliances (4.2, 4.1, 4.0)
Platform: Flex Appliance OS
  1. Product overview
    1.  
      Introduction to Veritas Flex Appliance
    2.  
      Flex Appliance terminology
    3.  
      About the Flex Appliance documentation
  2. Release notes
    1.  
      Flex Appliance 4.0 new features, enhancements, and changes
    2.  
      Flex Appliance 4.1 new features, enhancements, and changes
    3.  
      Flex Appliance 4.2 new features, enhancements, and changes
    4.  
      Supported update paths to this release
    5.  
      Operational notes
    6.  
      Flex Appliance 4.0 release content
    7.  
      Flex Appliance 4.1 release content
    8.  
      Flex Appliance 4.2 release content
  3. Getting started
    1.  
      Initial configuration guidelines and checklist
    2.  
      Performing the initial configuration
    3.  
      Adding a node
    4.  
      Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Shell
    5.  
      Accessing and using the Flex Appliance Console
    6.  
      Setting the date and time for appliance nodes
    7.  
      Common tasks in Flex Appliance
  4. Managing network settings for instances
    1.  
      Creating a network bond
    2.  
      Editing a network bond
    3.  
      Deleting a network bond
    4.  
      Configuring or editing a network interface
    5. Managing the appliance Fibre Channel ports
      1.  
        Viewing the devices that are connected to the Fibre Channel ports
  5. Managing users
    1.  
      Overview of the Flex Appliance default users
    2. Managing Flex Appliance Console users and tenants
      1.  
        Adding a tenant
      2.  
        Editing a tenant
      3.  
        Removing a tenant
      4.  
        Adding a local user to the Flex Appliance Console
      5.  
        Connecting a remote user domain to the Flex Appliance Console
      6.  
        Editing a remote user domain in the Flex Appliance Console
      7.  
        Importing a remote user or user group to the Flex Appliance Console
      8.  
        Managing single sign-on (SSO)
      9.  
        Managing identity providers (IDPs)
      10.  
        Importing a single sign-on user or user group to the Flex Appliance Console
      11.  
        Managing user authentication with smart cards or digital certificates
      12.  
        Changing a local user password in the Flex Appliance Console
      13.  
        Expiring local user passwords in the Flex Appliance Console
      14.  
        Unlocking a user account in the Flex Appliance Console
      15.  
        Removing users from the Flex Appliance Console
    3.  
      Changing the password policy
    4.  
      Changing the hostadmin user password in the Flex Appliance Shell
    5.  
      Changing the sysadmin user password in the Veritas Remote Management Interface
    6. Managing multifactor authentication
      1.  
        Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication
      2.  
        Enforcing multifactor authentication
      3.  
        Resetting multifactor authentication
      4.  
        Disabling multifactor authentication
  6. Using Flex Appliance
    1. Managing the repository
      1.  
        Adding files to the repository
      2.  
        Removing files from the repository
    2.  
      Creating application instances
    3.  
      Managing application instances from Flex Appliance and NetBackup
    4. Managing application instances from Flex Appliance
      1.  
        Resizing instance storage
      2.  
        Editing instance network settings
      3.  
        Assigning Fibre Channel ports to an instance
      4.  
        Unassigning Fibre Channel ports from an instance
      5. Managing application add-ons on instances
        1.  
          Installing application add-ons
        2.  
          Uninstalling application add-ons
        3.  
          Changing the application add-on installation order
        4.  
          Updating an application add-on to a newer revision
      6.  
        Viewing instance performance metrics
      7.  
        Clearing a configuration error status on an application instance
      8.  
        Deleting an application instance
    5. Upgrading application instances
      1.  
        Warnings and considerations for instance rollbacks
    6.  
      Updating an application instance to a newer revision
    7. About Flex Appliance updates
      1.  
        Updating Flex Appliance
      2.  
        Updating the firmware
  7. Remote replication
    1.  
      About remote replication
    2.  
      Pairing appliances for remote replication
    3.  
      Creating a replica
    4. Managing remote replication
      1.  
        Remote replication best practices
      2.  
        Monitoring remote replication
      3.  
        Editing the replication network
      4.  
        Repairing a lost connection between paired appliances
      5.  
        Pausing and resuming replication
      6.  
        Resolving discrepancies between an active and a replica instance
      7.  
        Changing the replication role of an instance
      8.  
        Unlinking active and replica instances
      9.  
        Forgetting a paired appliance
  8. Appliance security
    1.  
      Security overview
    2. About lockdown mode
      1.  
        Changing the lockdown mode
    3.  
      Using a sign-in banner
    4.  
      Using an external certificate
    5. Using network access control
      1.  
        Changing the SSH port
  9. Monitoring the appliance
    1.  
      Registering an appliance
    2. Configuring alerts
      1. About AutoSupport and Call Home
        1.  
          Configuring Call Home
      2.  
        Configuring email alerts
      3.  
        Configuring SNMP alerts
      4.  
        Setting the threshold values for disk usage alerts
    3.  
      Monitoring the appliance from the System Health Insights portal
    4. Viewing the hardware status
      1.  
        Viewing node information
      2.  
        Viewing storage shelf information on a Veritas 53xx Appliance
      3.  
        Viewing storage shelf information on a Veritas 52xx Appliance
    5.  
      Viewing hardware faults
    6.  
      Viewing system data
    7.  
      Clearing the hardware status
    8.  
      Forwarding logs
    9.  
      Providing access for external monitoring
    10.  
      Revoking access for external monitoring
  10. Reconfiguring the appliance
    1.  
      Reconfiguring the appliance network
    2.  
      Changing DNS or Hosts file settings
    3.  
      Shutting down the appliance
    4.  
      Performing a factory reset
    5.  
      Performing a reimage
    6.  
      Recovering storage data after a factory reset or a reimage
    7.  
      Performing a storage reset
    8.  
      Removing a node
    9.  
      Viewing or resetting the storage shelf order on a Veritas 52xx Appliance
  11. Troubleshooting guidelines
    1.  
      General troubleshooting steps
    2.  
      Unlocking access in lockdown mode
    3.  
      Gathering logs

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication

Flex Appliance supports multifactor authentication for local, Active Directory (AD), and LDAP users in the Flex Appliance Console and the hostadmin user in the Flex Appliance Shell.

The following authenticator apps are supported:

  • Microsoft Authenticator version 6.5.12 and later

  • Google Authenticator

  • Okta Verify

    Note that when you scan the QR code with this app, the authentication process could take up to a minute.

  • Symantec VIP Access 4.3.3 and later

Note:

Multifactor authentication may affect integrations like APIs, automation, and third-party Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions.

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Console

Before you can configure multifactor authentication for a user in the Flex Appliance Console, the following prerequisites must be met:

  • The appliance date and time must be set with NTP.

  • At least one user must have the security administrator role. If you are the user with the security administrator role, at least one additional user must also have the security administrator role.

  • You must have a supported authenticator app installed on your mobile device.

To configure or reconfigure multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Console

  1. From the Flex Appliance Console, click your user icon in the top-right corner and click Configure multifactor authentication.
  2. On the Configure multifactor authentication page, click Configure or Reconfigure.

    Note:

    The Reconfigure option is only available if multifactor authentication is enforced, and the start date has passed. For other scenarios, click Disable and then click Configure.

  3. Follow the prompts to add your Flex Appliance account to the authenticator app.

    If you have already configured multifactor authentication for another appliance and want to use the same authenticator account to sign in to this appliance, select the option Use a custom key. Enter the key from the appliance that is already configured.

    You can also create and enter your own key with the custom key option. If you create your own key, note that some authenticator apps may not support pad characters. Confirm compatibility with your app if you want to use them.

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Shell

Before you can configure multifactor authentication for the hostadmin user in the Flex Appliance Shell, the following prerequisites must be met:

  • The appliance date and time must be set with NTP.

  • You must have a supported authenticator app installed on your mobile device.

To configure or reconfigure multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Shell

  1. From the Flex Appliance Shell, run the following command:

    set user mfa

  2. Follow the prompts to add the hostadmin account to your authenticator app.

    If you have already configured multifactor authentication for another appliance and want to use the same authenticator account to sign in to this appliance, respond yes to the question Do you want to specify an existing key? Enter the key from the appliance that is already configured. You can view the key on the other appliance with the show user mfa key command.

    You can also create and enter your own key with the existing key option. If you create your own key, note that some authenticator apps may not support pad characters. Confirm compatibility with your app if you want to use them.

  3. Share the QR code or the key with anyone else who requires access to the Flex Appliance Shell so that they can also add the hostadmin account to their authenticator app. You can view the QR code and the key at any time with the following command:

    show user mfa key

  4. If you have a multi-node appliance, repeat these steps on the other node.