(Optional) Building a Remote Maintenance Environment

Prerequisites

• Before building a remote maintenance environment, ensure that PSTN phones and external modems have been configured in equipment rooms.
• Each controller is equipped with one serial port connected to one modem. Select the external modem based on your requirements.

Context

You can log in to the CLI through the storage system's serial port to perform remote management and maintenance. This section uses two 56 K modems that remotely access the storage system in PSTN dialup mode (in Windows) as an example to describe how to configure modems for remote maintenance.

The PSTN enhances data security by transmitting data over a telephone line instead of Internet. To further improve security, you are advised to power off the modem when you are not performing remote maintenance.

To implement remote maintenance, one remote modem and one local modem are required.

Figure 5-21 shows the network topology.

Figure 5-21 Remote maintenance network topology

In Figure 5-21, note the following information:

• Remote modem

  The remote modem is connected to the storage system's serial port as an answer end.

• Local modem

  The local modem is connected to the maintenance terminal's serial port as a call end.

On this network, a remote maintenance request is handled in this sequence: maintenance terminal's serial port —> local modem —> PSTN —> remote modem —> storage system's serial port.

Procedure

1. Configure a remote modem as the answer end.

   To configure the remote modem, connect the remote modem to a maintenance terminal temporarily.

   1. Connect the remote modem to the power supply. Connect the remote modem's serial port to the maintenance terminal's serial port using a serial cable. Connect the remote modem LINE port to the PSTN with a telephone cable.
   2. Run PuTTY.

      The PuTTY Configuration dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 5-22.

      Figure 5-22 PuTTY Configuration dialog box
      

   3. In Connection type, select Serial. In Speed, enter 115200.
   4. Click Open.
   5. Type at and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

   6. Run the following AT commands in a sequence:

      Type ats0=1 and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

      Type at&d0 and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

      Type at&k0 and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

      Type at&w and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

2. Configure a local modem as the call end.
   1. Connect the modem to the nearest power supply. Connect the local modem's serial port to the maintenance terminal's serial port using a serial cable. Connect the local modem LINE port to the PSTN with a telephone cable.
   2. Run PuTTY, and perform Step 1.2 to Step 1.4.
   3. Type at and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

   4. Set initial parameters for the local modem.

      Type at&f&w and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

3. Set up a connection.

   Before setting up a connection, ensure that the remote modem is disconnected from the storage device. Otherwise, the storage system's serial port will stop responding because a large amount of data is sent from the remote modem during modem dialup. When dialup tasks on both the remote modem and the local modem are successful, connect the remote modem to the storage device using a serial cable.

   1. Run PuTTY on the maintenance terminal, and perform Step 1.2 to Step 1.4.
   2. Type at and press Enter. The screen displays:

      OK!

   3. Type atdt XXX-YYYYYYYYY and press Enter for dialup.

      If dialup tasks on both the remote modem and the local modem are successful, the baud rate is CONNECT. (For modems of different manufacturers, the screen displays vary.)

      • XXX-YYYYYYYYY (area code+phone number) indicates the telephone number of the remote site. This phone number must allow direct dialup.
      • During dialup, the OH indicator of the local modem is steady on.
      • If error messages are displayed, such as NO CARRIER, BUSY, NO ANSWER, and ERROR after the atdt command is executed, check the remote modem configurations and then retry the dialup.
   4. After the local modem is connected to the remote modem, connect the remote modem to the storage device using a serial cable. Then press any key to go to the CLI.
   5. Enter the correct user name and password as prompted.
      • For security reasons, the entered password is not displayed.
      • You are advised to change the default login password immediately after you log in to the storage system for the first time and periodically change the password since then. This reduces password leakage risks. For details about how to change a password, see the Administrator Guide specific to your product model and version.

      Authorized users only. All activity may be monitored and reported. 
       
      WARNING: You have accessed the system operated by Huawei. 
      You are required to have a personal authorisation from the system administrator before you use this computer. Unauthorised access to or misuse of this system is prohibited. 
       
        System Name     : xxxx 
        Health Status   : Normal 
        Running Status  : Normal 
        Total Capacity  : 4.247TB 
        SN              : xxxx 
        Location        :  
        Product Model   : xxxx 
        Product Version : xxxx 
        Time            : 2014-08-26/14:33:34 +08:00

   6. The CLI login succeeds. The storage device can now be remotely managed and maintained.