Comments on: NetApp and EMC: Startup and First Impressions http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/ An attempt to decipher the complex topics around enterprise storage systems, technology, and trends in the industry. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:26:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: storagesavvy http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/#comment-148 storagesavvy Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:51:25 +0000 http://storagesavvy.com/?p=92#comment-148 Actually, you discovered correctly... There is no equivalent command to pipe or grep in the command line of ONTap. For grep functionality, you pretty much have to use an SSH tool like PuttySSH (for windows) or similar clients on other platforms to capture the output into a text file while it's displaying on screen, then open that file on your desktop. Further, you can't edit a config file directly either, you will need to use "rdfile" to display the current file, then edit it in another tool on your desktop, and use "wrfile" to write a new version of the file and paste the edited copy from your desktop. There are other, more advanced methods, you can use though. NetApp has a PowerShell tool for Windows savvy admins, or you can use Perl to script things and possibly leverage RSH to run remote commands against the filer. Hope that helps. Actually, you discovered correctly… There is no equivalent command to pipe or grep in the command line of ONTap. For grep functionality, you pretty much have to use an SSH tool like PuttySSH (for windows) or similar clients on other platforms to capture the output into a text file while it’s displaying on screen, then open that file on your desktop.

Further, you can’t edit a config file directly either, you will need to use “rdfile” to display the current file, then edit it in another tool on your desktop, and use “wrfile” to write a new version of the file and paste the edited copy from your desktop.

There are other, more advanced methods, you can use though. NetApp has a PowerShell tool for Windows savvy admins, or you can use Perl to script things and possibly leverage RSH to run remote commands against the filer. Hope that helps.

]]> By: Sebastian Kayser http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/#comment-147 Sebastian Kayser Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:23:05 +0000 http://storagesavvy.com/?p=92#comment-147 Just taking my first steps on the NetApp CLI and - coming from a *nix background - tried to pipe&grep the extensive output of "wafl_susp -w" ... only to find out that piping doesn't seem to work on the NetApp CLI. Just like you mentioned in your comment. Neither does command autocompletion ... seriously??! Or am I missing some hidden command or special syntax. Just taking my first steps on the NetApp CLI and – coming from a *nix background – tried to pipe&grep the extensive output of “wafl_susp -w” … only to find out that piping doesn’t seem to work on the NetApp CLI. Just like you mentioned in your comment. Neither does command autocompletion … seriously??! Or am I missing some hidden command or special syntax.

]]> By: storagesavvy http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/#comment-82 storagesavvy Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:35:07 +0000 http://storagesavvy.com/?p=92#comment-82 Systems Manager is miles ahead of FilerView as a user-interface, but it's even less feature-rich than FilerView, forcing you to go to the CLI, or back to FilerView, to perform many tasks. That is really the only thing I didn't like about Systems Manager. As you said, Operations Manager is an additional cost, as is Provisioning Manager, and Protection Manager (all components of DataFabric Manager), and that is why I left it out. I did have DFM with Ops, Provisioning, and Protection Manager running in the environment and found the reporting quite useful but the management features sorely lacking, again forcing me back to FilerView, Systems Manager, or the CLI. I'm sure NetApp coming from a Linux/UNIX/NFS background is the reason it's management tools are the way they are, and for many people that is great. For others, it is not so great. I'm merely pointing out the difference, and my personal opinion on that difference. The CLI for ONTap is fast but misses some really key things that UNIX admins (and myself) would like to see. Being able to edit a file would be a big benefit for example. The ability to pipe output to MORE or GREP would also be nice when dealing with lots of output. For all it's faults, NaviCLI allows you to use any CLI tools that your workstation provides, and CelerraCLI runs on EMC Linux which has VI, MORE, GREP, CRON, etc. Systems Manager is miles ahead of FilerView as a user-interface, but it’s even less feature-rich than FilerView, forcing you to go to the CLI, or back to FilerView, to perform many tasks. That is really the only thing I didn’t like about Systems Manager. As you said, Operations Manager is an additional cost, as is Provisioning Manager, and Protection Manager (all components of DataFabric Manager), and that is why I left it out. I did have DFM with Ops, Provisioning, and Protection Manager running in the environment and found the reporting quite useful but the management features sorely lacking, again forcing me back to FilerView, Systems Manager, or the CLI.
I’m sure NetApp coming from a Linux/UNIX/NFS background is the reason it’s management tools are the way they are, and for many people that is great. For others, it is not so great. I’m merely pointing out the difference, and my personal opinion on that difference.
The CLI for ONTap is fast but misses some really key things that UNIX admins (and myself) would like to see. Being able to edit a file would be a big benefit for example. The ability to pipe output to MORE or GREP would also be nice when dealing with lots of output. For all it’s faults, NaviCLI allows you to use any CLI tools that your workstation provides, and CelerraCLI runs on EMC Linux which has VI, MORE, GREP, CRON, etc.

]]> By: Ben Di Qual http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/#comment-77 Ben Di Qual Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:01:01 +0000 http://storagesavvy.com/?p=92#comment-77 I agree filer view is average. System Manager is much better - particuarly for the EMC based people out there who want a GUI. You also did neglect to mention NetApp operations manager which has been out a fair while and performs all the features of system manager but with trend analysis and other features - this costs money of course. That said you have to remember the space that NetApp and Clariion have come from. NetApp came from a NAS serving NFS - Most of it's users were Linux/Unix based and did not want a GUI - that is why it is based on freeBSD On the other hand clariion was used more by windows based staff where GUI was the norm. I actually like the command line for NetApp over navisphere and (oh my god it is terrible) Celerra Manager, especially when you want to do bulk LUN/volume creations - takes a fraction of the time I agree filer view is average. System Manager is much better – particuarly for the EMC based people out there who want a GUI.

You also did neglect to mention NetApp operations manager which has been out a fair while and performs all the features of system manager but with trend analysis and other features – this costs money of course.

That said you have to remember the space that NetApp and Clariion have come from. NetApp came from a NAS serving NFS – Most of it’s users were Linux/Unix based and did not want a GUI – that is why it is based on freeBSD

On the other hand clariion was used more by windows based staff where GUI was the norm.

I actually like the command line for NetApp over navisphere and (oh my god it is terrible) Celerra Manager, especially when you want to do bulk LUN/volume creations – takes a fraction of the time

]]> By: NetApp and EMC: ESX and Exchange 2007 CCR « The StorageSavvy Blog http://storagesavvy.com/2009/10/22/netapp-and-emc-startup-and-first-impressions/#comment-63 NetApp and EMC: ESX and Exchange 2007 CCR « The StorageSavvy Blog Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:51:53 +0000 http://storagesavvy.com/?p=92#comment-63 [...] NetApp and EMC: Startup and First Impressions [...] [...] NetApp and EMC: Startup and First Impressions [...]

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