Verifying that Every EMC Disk Arrays are Properly Attached to an EMC SMI-S Provider

Just update ViPR SRM to point to the new Windows 2016 with SMI-S provider.  However, SMI-S complains it cannot retrieve the info of the array.  Confirm ECOM is running and symcfg list shows the VMAX array.

Restart ECOM service and ViPR SRM can retrieve the stats from the array.   However, I try to find out how to confirm EMC SMI-S does detect the array. 

Follow the kb.
https://www.sentrysoftware.com/kb/KB1132.html

Below is the kb copied from the link. 

Objective

Monitoring EMC disk arrays requires to configure the EMC SMI-S Provider to make sure that the arrays are being discovered. EMC disk arrays are automatically discovered when they are locally attached to the EMC SMI-S Provider. This article explains how to make sure that the EMC SMI-S Provider discovers all disk arrays by using the TestSmiProvider tool.

Procedure

1. Logon to the server where the EMC SMI-S provider is installed
2. Run the TestSmiProvider.exe which can generally be found under “C:\ProgramFiles\EMC\ECIM\ECOM\bin”
   C:\Program Files\EMC\ECIM\ECOM\bin>TestSmiProvider.exe
   Connection Type (ssl,no_ssl) [no_ssl]:
   Host [localhost]:
   Port [5988]:
   Username [admin]:
   Password [#1Password]:
   Log output to console [y|n (default y)]:y
   Log output to file [y|n (default y)]:
   Logfile path [Testsmiprovider.log]:
   Connecting to localhost:5988
   Using user account 'admin' with password '#1Password'

   ########################################################################
   ##                                                                    ##
   ##                  EMC SMI Provider Tester                           ##
   ##   This program is intended for use by EMC Support personnel only.  ##
   ##   At any time and without warning this program may be revised      ##
   ##   without regard to backwards compatibility or be                  ##
   ##   removed entirely from the kit.                                   ##
   ########################################################################
     slp    - slp urls                     slpv    - slp attributes
     cn     - Connect                      dc      - Disconnect
     disco  - EMC Discover                 rc      - RepeatCount
     addsys - EMC AddSystem                remsys  - EMC RemoveSystem
     refsys - EMC RefreshSystem

     ec     - EnumerateClasses             ecn     - EnumerateClassNames
     ei     - EnumerateInstances           ein     - EnumerateInstanceNames
     ens    - EnumerateNamespaces          mine    - Mine classes

     a      - Associators                  an      - AssociatorNames
     r      - References                   rn      - ReferenceNames

     gi     - GetInstance                  gc      - GetClass

     ci     - CreateInstance               di      - DeleteInstance
     mi     - ModifyInstance               eq      - ExecQuery
     gp     - GetProperty                  sp      - SetProperty

     tms    - TotalManagedSpace            tp      - Test pools
     ecap   - Extent Capacity              pd      - Profile Discovery

     im     - InvokeMethod                 active  - ActiveControls
     ind    - Indications menu             tv      - Test views

     st     - Set timeout value            lc      - Log control
     sl     - Start listener               dv      - Display version info
     ns     - NameSpace                    vtl     - VTL menu

   
   

     q      - Quit                         h       - Help
   ########################################################################
   Namespace: root/emc
   repeat count: 1
3. Run the command eq at the prompt
   (localhost:5988) ? eq
   Query Language[DMTF:CQL]:
4. Run the below query
   Query []: SELECT EMC_ArrayChassis.SerialNumber FROM EMC_ArrayChassis

A working provider will return the following for each disk system attached to this provider:

++++ Testing ExecQuery:  ++++

Instance 0:
ObjectPath : //10.0.10.54/root/emc:Clar_ArrayChassis.CreationClassName="Clar_ArrayChassis",Tag="CLARiiON+CKM00083900053"


Clar_ArrayChassis

CLARiiON+CKM00083900053

CKM00083900053

Number of instance qualifiers: 0
Number of instance properties: 3
Property: CreationClassName Number of qualifiers: 0
Property: Tag Number of qualifiers: 0
Property: SerialNumber Number of qualifiers: 0

ExceQuery 1 instances; repeat count 1;return data in 0.000000 seconds

Retrieve and Display data - 1 Iteration(s) In 0.062400 Seconds

A failing provider will return the following:

++++ Testing ExecQuery:  ++++

Error: Connection closed by CIM Server.

Retrieve and Display data - 1 Iteration(s) In 0.053000 Seconds

Please press enter key to continue...

Securely eraseing disk and file

 I used Hiren's Boot Disc and DBAN boot disc to erase my HDD securely most of the time.  I did use dd command but found out there were few other useful commands recommended in this link.  

The first one mentioned in the article is quite useful.  It will overwrite the disk five times and add a final overwrite with zero to hide shredding.

 # shred -n 5 -vz /dev/hda

The command below will use shred and /dev/urandom as the source of random data.

 


shred -v --random-source=/dev/urandom -n1 /dev/sda

 

Another option is to install scrubbing program like scrub in Unix.  You can use it to erase a single file with algorithm.  

scrub -p nnsa|dod|bsi|old|fastold|gutmann|random|random2 fileNameHere

 

Or you can even use it to erase disk with dod standard.  

scrub -p dod /dev/sda

 

*** WARNING: Please test the commands before running it on your data.  Commands mentioned in this article will delete the data permanently.  *** 


  

Installing VMware Workstation Pro in OpenSuSE LEAP 15.4

Now system is up and running fine.  Next is to install VMware Workstation Pro.  Basically, it is my OpenSUSE LEAP 15.4 is my host. 

Make sure system is up to date and install the required packages.  Download the binary and copy it to a tmp folder.  Then add the execute permission to the bundle. 

sudo zypper update
sudo zypper install kernel-source kernel-devel gcc

Download the binary and copy it to a tmp folder.  Then add the execute permission to the bundle.   Run the installation after. 

sudo chmod +x VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.4-20089737.x86_64.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Workstation-Full-16.2.4-20089737.x86_64.bundle

Reboot.  Then I receive the errors below one by one.  

 

  

Do some researches and follow instructions in this video.  

First get the VMware version
vmware -v

Then, download the patches needed to build the VMware host modules against the recent kernel.  You may need to rebuild it if VMware does not start after update.   See https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules

wget https://github.com/mkubecek/vmware-host-modules/archive/workstation-16.2.4.tar.gz

tar -xvzf workstation-16.2.4.tar.gz
cd vmware-host-modules-workstation-16.2.4/
tar -cf vmmon.tar vmmon-only
tar -cf vmnet.tar vmnet-only
sudo cp -v vmmon.tar vmnet.tar /usr/lib/vmware/modules/source
sudo vmware-modconfig --console --install-all

I setup a script to start vmware every time the host boots up.  

/etc/init.d/vmware start

I found out none of the USB devices list under Removable devices of the VM.  So, I suspect the vmware-usbarbitrator is not started up auto.  Add the following line to the start up script.  Now, I can see the USB device.

/usr/bin/vmware-usbarbitrator start 

One issue I found and other ppl complain in other Linux distro too.  If you try to copy from VM and paste on the Linux host, you will get error below.

There seems to be no solution to it.  However, if you check your /home/user/.cache/vmware/drag_and_drop/ directory, you will actually find the file there.  

OpenSUSE LEAP 15.4 as physical host

There are still some issue with USB3 for Debian / Ubuntu on my old Gigabyte GA970A-D3P.  I decide to rebuild that with OpenSUSE LEAP 15.4.  I don't need a lot of power.  So, AMD CPU FX8320 I got back in 2013 is good enough.  I follow the link below.  It is self-explanatory.  

https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/startup/html/book-startup/art-opensuse-installquick.html

For NIC, I just set it up for IPv4.  Enable firewall and disable ssh.  Keep SecureBoot to test Windows 11 as VM in the future.  I don't like the GNOME desktop and it looks like a table to me.  So, I select Xfce instead.  Since it is a physical host, I remove tools I don't need like SAMBA (if need to share files, I will use USB drives instead), Thunderbird, Transmission and Pidgin.  So, I remove them. 

Installation runs fine.  nouveau is used for the NVIDIA GT630 and Realtek 8812BU WiFi adapter is not working.  

So, I decide to use NVIDIA driver instead of nouveau driver.  After installing G05 driver, the resolution drops to 640 x 480.  Exactly as what's described in this post below.

https://forums.opensuse.org/t/leap-15-2-nvidia-driver-does-not-work/141453

I decide to go with G04, and everything works as expected.  I don't follow the instructions found in https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers. 

Instead, I go to https://opensuse-guide.org/3d.php and install the GeForce 400 series drivers.  The 1 click option will add NVIDIA repository.  Once installation completed, reboot and open NVIDIA X server settings to confirm installation is successful.
 

 

 

 

 

 

For 8812bu adapter, since mine is USB, I run lsusb to confirm the model number. 

Then, follow instructions in https://github.com/morrownr/88x2bu-20210702  If driver fails after system update, please follow instructions in the link to fix it.   I copy the steps from the link. 

1) confirm system is up-to-date by running

sudo zypper update

Then, reboot after update completes.

2) Install required packages

sudo zypper install -t pattern devel_kernel dkms

3) Create a directory to hold the downloaded drivers and move to the newly created directory

mkdir -p ~/src

cd ~/src

4) Download the driver

git clone https://github.com/morrownr/88x2bu-20210702.git

 

5) Move to the newly created driver directory

cd ~/src/88x2bu-20210702

 

6) Run the installation script but it complains about missing iw package.  So, install iw package first then run the script.  

 

 

 

sudo zypper install iw

sudo ./install-driver.sh

7) Reboot

There is a warning about kernel update.  If you decide to upgrade to a new version of kernel such as 5.15 to 5.19, you need to remove the driver you have installed and install the newest available before installing the new kernel. Use the following commands in the driver directory:

$ sudo ./remove-driver.sh
$ git pull
$ sudo ./install-driver.sh

For the 8812BU WiFI, I see another similar link https://www.fastoe.com/blog/install-rtl8812bu-usb-wifi-dongle-on-linux with driver build and installation steps. 

smartmon tool is installed during the SUSE installation.  So, I just need to run the smartctl -a /dev/sdX to look for any disk errors.  Or install gsmartcontrol if you want a GUI.

I have an USB drive to store my documents and pictures.  On the safe side, I have a 2nd USB drive as a backup of backup.  To sync them up, Grsync is used.  

When I open the yast2 firewall, I do not see the wireless adapter listed.  So, I wonder if it is protected by firewall.  Going thru the documentation, firewalld replaced SuSEfirewall2 in SUSE 15.  I run the command below to confirm the wireless adapter is assigned to the public zone.  

firewall-cmd --get-zone-of-interface=wlan0

How to find HBA WWPN in Windows 2008, 2012 and 2016

Checking a lot of site and see others suggest to use fcinfo.  For Windows 2008, you can use Storage Explorer.  It will not only show you the WWPN on the servers, but also the zoneset if it is connected to Cisco FC switch. 

For Windows 2012 and 2016, I see other option like powershell.  However, there is a command built-in which is very convenient.  Just run get-initiatorport and it will return the WWPN and WWNN. 

=========================================================================

Update doc 2022 Aug to include Windows 2016

Raspberry pi Desktop for Lenovo T400

Other than running Puppy Linux, I decided to try the Raspberry pi Desktop on Lenovo T400 laptop.  Now, I can use my old laptop for browsing and checking email.  Speed is acceptable.  Still hard to believe my T400 is still working fine.  

All the instructions can be found in https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/install-raspberry-pi-desktop

You use the same update command to update the OS periodically.  

sudo apt update

sudo apt full-upgrade

I install 2 additional tools to check HDD status.  

sudo app-get install smartmontools 

sudo app-get install gsmartcontrol

All the hardware are discovered and functioning correctly including the old built in wireless card Intel 5300.  Surprisingly, my old Target USB docking station ACP50US is working with Raspberry pi while there is no driver for Windows 7.  At least, the ethernet port and the sound cards in ACP50US are working fine.  

Isilon replication performance issue II

We have no issue with replication on those 2 big shares for about half a yr.  Replication is setup to run every 4 hours.  They normally complete within 20 min.  Suddenly one day, I receive email alert on the target Isilon.

"PDM degraded, too many operations alert"  

It will take longer and longer for the incremental replication to complete for the share with lots of files and deep folder structure.  Other shares are not affected.  Open a support ticket and confirm it is affected by bug 132337.   Support provided the workaround to the issue.  After applying the workaround, replication is back to normal.  

Final fix should be on OneFS 9.2.1.13 / 9.1.0.20.  

Isilon replication performance issue I

We do have couple of shares required replication to target Isilon.  They consist of hundreds of millions of files within the share, and one of them is setup with deep folder structure.  We only setup limits on resource usage for replication but this is not good enough.  CPU is setup 25%.  Confirm only 10% can be consumed on the trunk for replication.  Worker is set to 33% Max all the time as recommended by vendor during initial setup.  

First, we made a mistake at the beginning and did not read through every word in the replication document.  

If the source share contains lots of files and / deep directory structure, Domain Mark job can consume a lot of resources on the first sync.  It is recommended to setup replication first and run initial sync with the box checked on “Prepare Policy for Accelerated Failback Performance” before migrating data to the share in the source.  

However, we do the complete opposite.  We migrate share from Veritas cluster to the source Isilon share.  Then, setup replication and enable sync for first time.  Once data copy completes and Domain Mark job starts, it starts to take away resource.  The application using the share is very sensitive to performance.  It will complain when it exceeds 25ms.  Sometimes, share performance jumps to 40ms.  We receive complaints from the application owner.  

The workaround suggested by support is to Set vfs.vnlru_reuse_freevnodes to 1.  This can be run on any nodes.  We see significant decrease in resource usage after.  (Pls check with support to confirm the cause before running any command)

 # isi_sysctl_cluster vfs.vnlru_reuse_freevnodes=1  

Once first sync and the first Domain Mark job completed successfully, we didn't have issue after.  

SNMP for Isilon

Try to setup SNMP for Isilon but don't see much document.  Hardware issue is monitored by vendor through eSRS and also alert us through SMTP.  

We try to use SNMP to monitor the share usage for NFS.  We run a few test to confirm the message Tivoli see when it exceeds the advisory and soft limit.  Also, the message it will see when it continue violating the limit.  

Main issue we discover is Tivoli does not receive the alert all the time.  Later on, we find out it can send out SNMP from any of the node in the cluster.  With our Isilon setup, we have at least 5 zones on different subnet.  Because of firewall rules, not all of the subnet can be reached by SNMP manager.  Because we have 3 types of nodes, Flash nodes (serving FE traffic), Hybrid nodes (serving some less critical application and replication) and Archive nodes (backup traffic only), we decide to use Archive nodes for monitoring.  We confirm SNMP can reach backup subnet.  Then, modify Isilon Alert section.  Create a SNMP Monitoring channels.  

Modify only Archive nodes can send out SNMP alerts (see below).  In my setup, it is nodes 1 - 4.  Now, SNMP alert will only be sent through archive nodes which has no issue reaching the SNMP manager.  

CertUtil to verify MD5 and SHA256 checksum

When we download files from vendor, we use 3rd party tool to verify the checksum. With Windows 10, you can use CertUtil. 

1) Open Command Prompt in Windows Desktop 

2) Then, enter command CertUtil -hashfile "path to the file" hash-function-type 

Below show the example of MD5 and SHA256. No need to download 3rd party tool to verify the checksum.