[EVA 5000/8000] Possible to query EVA configuration?

[wrkoppen]

As the administrator of multiple EVA 5000 and 8000 systems I often find myself wondering whether it is possible to query the EVA configuration information?

Example1: I might be interested in an overview of all disks that are not presented to any host.
Example2: I'd like to see whether there are hosts that are connected to the san by merely one port (finding out which servers are not connected redundantly).

Command View EVA offers the information in a certain format, but doens't allow you to alter the way the information is displayed, eventhought it isnt always what i'm looking for.

The SSSU provides a commandline way of approacing the information but does nothing more than list the complete set of info you requested. It doesn't allow for any conditional statements.

Is there anyway I can substract information from the EVA like I can with a SQL database?

SELECT * FROM 'Virtual Disks' WHERE vdisk_size > 100GB;

P.S. This thread has been moved from  Disk Array to HP Storage System Scripting Utility (SSSU). -HP Forum Moderator

[IBaltay]

Hi,
yes you can run the sssu commands create the output file and then parse it via perl or any other scripting language

[wrkoppen]

Ofcourse, great idea.

Thought I was hoping for a more flexible and direct way to acces and filter the info.

Anyone else?

[Uwe Zessin · Accepted solution]

Parsing SSSU native output is a lot of work and a moving target, beleive me...

Even using SSSU's "XML" output and writing your own reporting is a lot of work, beleive me...


However, after some minor modifications of SSSU's XML, you can use Microsoft's LogParser.
The trick is to enclose the "object" tags, e.g.:





Then you can write a simple query, e.g. to find out which disk drive module number is at which position:
+-----one-line:
"C:\Programme\Log Parser 2.2\LogParser.exe" -i:XML "SELECT DISTINCT shelfnumber,diskbaynumber,modelnumber FROM disks.xml ORDER BY shelfnumber,diskbaynumber"
+-----


Or list all virtual disks larger than 10 GBytes, largest first:
+-----
"C:\Programme\Log Parser 2.2\LogParser.exe" -i:XML "SELECT DISTINCT objectname,allocatedcapacity INTO vdisks.lis FROM vdisks.xml WHERE allocatedcapacity > 10 ORDER BY allocatedcapacity DESC" -o:NAT
+-----

I've put the output into an attachment to retain the formatting.

[Uwe Zessin]

Do you have a boss? I'm sure you have.
Does he like graphics? I bet!

Lets give him one:
+-----
"C:\Programme\Log Parser 2.2\LogParser.exe" -i:XML "SELECT DISTINCT SUBSTR(objectname,15),allocatedcapacity INTO vdisks.gif FROM vdisks.xml WHERE allocatedcapacity > 10 ORDER BY SUBSTR(objectname,15)" -o:CHART -chartType:Column3D -chartTitle:"Virtual Disks larger than 10GB"
+-----

Again, see attachment for the output.

[wrkoppen]

Oh this is really nice.

Far better then trying to select the information from the xml file with JavaScript and XSL.

Thnx

[Uwe Zessin]

Yes, it is very nice, however, there is a limitation if you want more advanced queries:

E.g. if you use "SELECT ... FROM vdisk.xml, host.xml" - it will just append the data as LogParser cannot create a
'cartesian product' ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_product ).

[Tom O'Toole]

I've posted elsewhere some xslt examples I use to create web page output. With some minor modes you could make a web page to do various queries... xslt is kind of a PITA to use however, if you ask me.

Also, as Uwe alluded to, they keep changing the format of SSSU's output which breaks anything that anyone writes to process it. Annoying!

[wrkoppen]

Question about the use of the Log Parser 2.2.

I'm having dificulty selecting certain attributes, suchs as a hosts' port wwn. The problem here lies with nested architecture of the xml file. Since the wwn is to be found at object\fcadapterport\port\portwwn\

Therefor the ports are not one the valid field for the Log Parser to work with. Can anyone tell me how to overcome this?

[Uwe Zessin]

Hm, I don't see this problem.

LogParser.exe -i:XML -rtp:-1 -stats:OFF "SELECT DISTINCT objectname,portwwn FROM host.xml"

...gives me a nice listing of the Host-path and WWNs. I've tried it with SSSU V6 and V8 outputs and single vs. dual-ports.

[NK_forumuser]

I might be interested in an overview of information of hosts.

I want to present the xml-file to (custom)-html.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/tools/logparser/lpexamples.mspx

I want the twice example.

Need I the code, xls:, to make the custom-HTML-reports?

[Denver Osborn]

I've found that when using LogParser.exe to parse SSSU's XML output, I had to run LogParser with the '-fMode Tree' option to get the report output displayed correctly.

Hope this helps anyone else who stumbles upon this thread.

-denver

[Herfkens]

Uwe,

Can you explain what you mean with:

However, after some minor modifications of SSSU's XML, you can use Microsoft's LogParser.
The trick is to enclose the "object" tags, e.g.:





Cause I can't get your scripts working, and i guess it's because of this..

[Herfkens]

That wasn't to hard just an at the top of the file and a at the end.

But know the following:

LogParser.exe -i:XML -rtp:-1 -stats:OFF "SELECT DISTINCT objectname,portwwn FROM host.xml"

-rtp isn't an option anymore it seems in logparser?

[Chris Rasmussen [FAU]]

Dang Uwe, you rock man! Old article but only just found it - exactly what I needed.

Thanks!

[Van Kerckhove Piet]

All,

these solutions looks like the thing i'm searching for...
However I have still a question

how do you produce the XML files you use

FROM disks.xml
FROM vdisks.xml
FROM vdisk.xml, host.xml


an other question is if anyone has experience with collection real snapshot sizes into an XML file?

[susanta_dutta]

These are output of "ls xx full xml" command out, where xx is Vdisk, Disk & Host

Ex:
EVA> ls vdisk full xml > vdisk.xml

[Van Kerckhove Piet]

Is there really no tutorial for this?

How should querry this for example every nigth?
How should I collect and store these XML?
How should I use the data for grafics so I can mail the growth of snapshots to the end user automaticly?

I think SSSU could be a very powerfull tool, but with this amount of examples, it will not work!

thanks for any help!

[McCready]

Van Kerckhove Piet,

There are many undocumented ways those of us managing EVA's have found that are useful that HP *could* decide to help us with, but does not want to (we agree their support is stretched already). XML use of SSSU, too few RSM templates and EVAPERF are but a few examples.

[Herfkens]

Indeed there are no good examples from HP.

But with some Google searches on LogParsers and the SSSU command reference, I've created a scripts that dumps the vdisk, disk and host information every night in some csv files. :)

Great for administration.