For further details on the ESI Suite and all of its components click here
Click here to download a copy of ESI 3.5
EMC Microsoft Community site | https://www.emc.com/everythingmicrosoft
Great review of ESI 3.5 by Karsten Bott (@HyperV_Guy) | https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-36696 | ESI and RecoverPoint http://youtu.be/fuNP0Ph3Kps
Excellent ESI overview videos by David Lloyd (@davlloyd) | http://www.youtube.com/user/davlloyd69 | http://youtu.be/9effRPY7uLU | http://youtu.be/CveZDDBf6pE | http://youtu.be/VVdOA7LsZw0 | http://youtu.be/0Vy3uNlAbsc | http://youtu.be/_22OiKxsV_Y
ESI and VNX | http://youtu.be/rL3o9hG72HI
EMC Storage Integrator (ESI) for Windows is the ultimate set of tools to ease storage provisioning for the Windows administrator. In addition, ESI will provision application level components (such as Exchange databases, SharePoint sites, and SQL databases). With ESI, the Windows admin will no longer have to wait for other teams to perform tasks on their behalf in order to provision storage for their applications.
The Windows admin will use familiar tools (such as MMC, PowerShell, and System Center) to work with storage. ESI combines the functionality of many desperate tools into one GUI interface and one set of PowerShell scripts. This will ease the learning curve and streamline the process for systems management.
Example process improvement:
Should you be a PowerShell scripter, ESI includes a rich set of PowerShell libraries for provisioning and managing of EMC storage.
In addition, the ESI suite includes full integration of EMC products into System Center (SCOM, SCVMM, and SCO)
Storage monitoring with ESI Management Packs (SCOM)
Storage management from within Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)
ESI System Center Orchestrator Integration Pack
Best of all, EMC Storage Integrator (ESI) for Windows is at no cost..!
Product Overview
EMC Storage Integrator (ESI) for Windows Suite is a set of tools for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft applications administrators. ESI for Windows provides the ability to view, provision, and manage block and file storage for Microsoft Windows, Exchange, SQL, and SharePoint.
The suite includes:
- ESI for Windows and ESI PowerShell toolkit
- Storage System adaptors
- ESI hypervisor support
- ESI adaptors for: SharePoint, Exchange, SQL, Appsync, RecoverPoint
- ESI SCOM Management Packs
- EMC Hyper-V VSS requestor
EMC Storage Integrator (ESI) for Windows has a UI based on Microsoft Management Console (MMC). ESI can be run as a stand-alone tool or as part of an MMC snap-in.
ESI supports storage provisioning and discovery for Windows virtual machines (VMs) running on Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and VMWare vSphere and vCenter.
Hyper-V
- Create VHD and VHDX files, and pass-through SCSI disks
- Create hosts disks and cluster shared volumes (CSVs)
VMWare
- Create VMDK files and raw device mapping (RDM) disks with or without virtual compatibility mode
- Create SCSI disks
- View datastores
XenServer
- Create VHD files and storage repositories
ESI supports the EMC Symmetrix® VMAX® series, EMC VNX® series, EMC VNXe® series, and EMC CLARiiON® CX® fourth generation (CX4) series of storage systems. ESI requires that you install the applicable adapter for your specific storage systems.
Summary of the key New Product Features included in this release (3.5):
- Support for Microsoft SQL Server
- Integrated Microsoft Active Directory role based access (RBAC)
- Support for RecoverPoint and/or Appsync
- Support for Linux servers
- VPLEX Health Monitoring
This release adds the following new functionality:
- ESI SQL Server Adaptor to view and manage SQL Server databases and provision storage for SQL Server
- ESI VPLEX Adaptor to monitor health of VPLEX systems in SCOM
- ESI AppSync Adaptor to automate application protection with EMC AppSync
- Use Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) with ESI to persist connection settings in a central location for all supported applications and systems
- ESI Linux Adaptor to manage Linux hosts
- ESI VNXe Adaptor to manage LUN groups and unified snapshots for EMC VNXe 3200 systems
- ESI RecoverPoint Adaptor to manage EMC RecoverPoint Bookmarks
- ESI Exchange Integration to update HA Extension with the ESI GUI for easy DAG and database failover operations
Storage System and hypervisor software prerequisites