Revision 578 – NetApp msosmsql Pseudo-Protocol Adds Fabric Suffix as HBA A/B

For a specific customer, I added a basic cut-n-paste customization of a different bnapsql:// or osmsql:// query that that appends the final character of the fabric nickname to the hostname and the WWPN such that hosts in “XX_FAB_A” or “XX_FAB_1” or “XX_FAB_a” become appended with “_A”; “_B”, “_2”, or “_b” become appended with “_B”. Anything else gets a “_X”.

This is done using a protocol “msosmsql”, for example:

java -jar vict.jar --nickname=msosmsql://server/

or

vict.bat -N msosmsql://server/

or since the customer has non-standard password (and the -n to store the result)

vict.bat -N msosmsql://user:pass@server/ -n A:\VirtualWisdomData\DeviceNickname\bna.csv

This allows a single query to produce nicknames on a different schema; also highlights a non-portability in the code that can be improved… but this is in production today. The customer’s response was “oh, that’s it? I thought that would be more difficult. How anti-climatic…” How can “easier than expected” be bad?

Revision 567 – VM Estimator via JNLP

Completed the VM Estimator but need to ensure it will deliver via JNLP. The VM Estimator is a simple GUI that can reach out and discover the ESX count on a vCenter. Currently only tested with https:// on a local 5.1 vCenter, seems to function. The key goal is to provide a quick estimate of the ESX counts of a number of vCenters in an organization to better estimate a rate-based cost where the number of ESX servers relates to a recurring license/usage/permit cost.

I’ll post a URL when it’s available.

Revision 564 – (weak) Suggested Nicknames for Dot Hill Systems Modular Storage Array

Expanded the option “-w” from Suggested Nicknames for Known WWN Patterns to vict.jar such that vict.jar -w 217000c0ff012345 shows “P2000-012345-A2” giving suggested nicknames to (HP -rebadged) Dot Hill Systems Modular Storage Array P2000. This WWN Descriptor is not very precise, but is empirically-based. Additional WWPN samples would help guide a better, more precise solution.

Revision 562 – Suggested Nicknames for Pillar SLM WWN Patterns

Expanded the option “-w” from Suggested Nicknames for Known WWN Patterns to vict.jar such that vict.jar -w 2100000b08123450 shows “Axiom-12345-c0p0” giving suggested nicknames to (Oracle) Pillar Axiom (SLM). This WWN Descriptor is not very precise, but is empirically-based. Additional WWPN samples would help guide a better, more precise solution.

Revision 558 – phc-Nicknames.csv Offers Generated Nickname Suggestions

In revision 558, I added a logic to PHC that exercises the “-w” from Revision 555: VMax Nickname Suggestion back to Suggested Nicknames framework so that for missing nicknames, a phc-Nicknames.csv file attempts ot provide suggested nicknames for the WWNs of missing nicknames that it understands.

In short, PHC now provides suggestions for missing nicknames, making it possible to have nicknames for hosts the customer may not even be aware are visible by the VW Platform.

Revision 551 – Suggested Nicknames for Known WWN Patterns

In deployments, very often customers zone their storage based only on a zone-name and WWPN members. Typically this causes a need for the Zone-Vote Algorithm to be used, but that’s an approximation that requires the user to be consistent in Zone names, consistent in zone membership (ie anywhere one FA or HBA is used for an entity, all the others need to be used at the same time).

There are some cases where the WWN is entirely predictable; in such cases, the option “-w” to vict.jar (such as vict.jar -w 50060482B82F9654) shows a suggested nickname or alias such as “Symm-182500953-05bA” (per http://www.emcstorageinfo.com/2007/08/how-to-decode-symmetrix-world-wide.html) which can be leveraged to provide for missing nicknames.