Comments for The San Geek http://www.thesangeek.com ...helping to speed data through your pipes Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:14:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Comment on God Made an IT Worker by Trevor Roberts Jr http://www.thesangeek.com/2013/02/21/god-made-an-it-worker/#comment-368 Trevor Roberts Jr Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:14:46 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=275#comment-368 Well-done, Brian. Can't believe I'm just seeing this. Well-done, Brian. Can’t believe I’m just seeing this.

]]> Comment on VMAX Hump Day – A discussion on SMC and GUI Design by kc http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/08/24/vmax-hump-day-smc/#comment-262 kc Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:42:58 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=148#comment-262 Although this is Nov 2012, I agree - partially. We use SMC for managing our DMX-2000, DMX-3, DMX-4 and VMax in the near future, SMC is great for checking on information about SRDF, device status, etc, which is better than nothing. Heard from EMC that VMax has a new tool which is better than SMC - almost like Uni/Navisphere? Are you using that? If I did not really look at a VNXe or a VMax, I would have thought - based on looking at the Navisphere and SMC interface, that those arrays are not worth it. But really -- it is like Microsoft producing a crappy version of Skype on their own app store, although they own the frigging app! Hope EMC listens and reads, and improves on the value added services that it provides. Although this is Nov 2012, I agree – partially. We use SMC for managing our DMX-2000, DMX-3, DMX-4 and VMax in the near future, SMC is great for checking on information about SRDF, device status, etc, which is better than nothing. Heard from EMC that VMax has a new tool which is better than SMC – almost like Uni/Navisphere? Are you using that? If I did not really look at a VNXe or a VMax, I would have thought – based on looking at the Navisphere and SMC interface, that those arrays are not worth it. But really — it is like Microsoft producing a crappy version of Skype on their own app store, although they own the frigging app! Hope EMC listens and reads, and improves on the value added services that it provides.

]]> Comment on The Unix Beard [Personality Types in IT] by EMC VNX Fast Cache and Application Performance ; It’s not all Pancakes and Banana Sandwiches. | The San Geek http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/02/11/the-unix-beard-personality-types-in-it/#comment-225 EMC VNX Fast Cache and Application Performance ; It’s not all Pancakes and Banana Sandwiches. | The San Geek Wed, 09 May 2012 17:46:13 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=27#comment-225 [...] two different types temporal and spatial locality. According to some random professor with a huge UNIX Beard, temporal and spatial reference points basically mean that if a value is referenced there is a high [...] [...] two different types temporal and spatial locality. According to some random professor with a huge UNIX Beard, temporal and spatial reference points basically mean that if a value is referenced there is a high [...]

]]> Comment on vSphere 5 Home Lab: Part 1 : Storage and Blue Lights! by jkasal http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/11/15/vsphere-5-home-lab-part-1-storage-and-blue-lights/#comment-133 jkasal Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:50:30 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=175#comment-133 Cool Thanks. Cool Thanks.

]]> Comment on vSphere 5 Home Lab: Part 1 : Storage and Blue Lights! by sangeek http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/11/15/vsphere-5-home-lab-part-1-storage-and-blue-lights/#comment-128 sangeek Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:53:03 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=175#comment-128 I believe Isilon gives out the VSA if you go to training.... But it might be public somewhere. Let me check to see ? I believe Isilon gives out the VSA if you go to training…. But it might be public somewhere. Let me check to see ?

]]> Comment on vSphere 5 Home Lab: Part 1 : Storage and Blue Lights! by jkasal http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/11/15/vsphere-5-home-lab-part-1-storage-and-blue-lights/#comment-127 jkasal Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:41:47 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=175#comment-127 Nice post. What this about an Isilon VSA? Where would one get one of those to kick the tires on? Thanks! Nice post.

What this about an Isilon VSA? Where would one get one of those to kick the tires on?

Thanks!

]]> Comment on VMAX Hump Day – A discussion on SMC and GUI Design by Brandon Riley http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/08/24/vmax-hump-day-smc/#comment-100 Brandon Riley Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:08:45 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=148#comment-100 I completely agree. I'm relatively new to VMAX, and find SMC is not designed well at all. SPA though is fantastic! But I come from an EVA shop where there was zero real time performance statistics. I completely agree. I’m relatively new to VMAX, and find SMC is not designed well at all. SPA though is fantastic! But I come from an EVA shop where there was zero real time performance statistics.

]]> Comment on The Unix Beard [Personality Types in IT] by VMAX Hump Day – A discussion on SMC and GUI Design | The San Geek http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/02/11/the-unix-beard-personality-types-in-it/#comment-55 VMAX Hump Day – A discussion on SMC and GUI Design | The San Geek Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:01:53 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=27#comment-55 [...] so there are some geeks out there that actually like doing command line tasks while stroking their UNIX Beards but I for one like GUIs.  So I decided that while using the SYMCLI guide, I would try to figure [...] [...] so there are some geeks out there that actually like doing command line tasks while stroking their UNIX Beards but I for one like GUIs.  So I decided that while using the SYMCLI guide, I would try to figure [...]

]]> Comment on EMC NS-480 with Fast, Fast Cache and how I configured it. by sangeek http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/02/25/emc-ns-480-with-fast-fast-cache-and-how-i-configured-it/#comment-54 sangeek Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:07:28 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=54#comment-54 Hi Joel- The pool we used for exchange was dedicated exclusively for exchange and luns were fully allocated/ pre-populated. So basically it was about as close to traditional RAID groups as we could have gotten. Provisioning was a bit quicker to set up as well. As to FAST Cache, I believe since this particular CX4 was setup with a multitude of applications running on it, it may or may not have helped out specifically Exchange but for other workloads it may have freed up more controller cache for Exchange to do it's tiny loads on. The other pools as noted in my original spec's were split up and letting the FAST algorithmic magic do it's tricks. I believe as the CX4 and now VNX platforms become more mature, they should get better and better with time. But with anything you need to use the Microsoft 50 lbs. Brain people from time to time to help you with your workloads. Luckily 2010 is a bit nicer on disk subsystems but can still be a bear. I'm also currently working with FAST on the VMAX arrays which does things a lot different and more efficiently. It would be nice to see some of this Symmetrix Magic make it down to the mid-range storage arrays eventually as well. Thanks for the comments! Let me know if I can answer anything else. -Brian Hi Joel-
The pool we used for exchange was dedicated exclusively for exchange and luns were fully allocated/ pre-populated. So basically it was about as close to traditional RAID groups as we could have gotten. Provisioning was a bit quicker to set up as well.

As to FAST Cache, I believe since this particular CX4 was setup with a multitude of applications running on it, it may or may not have helped out specifically Exchange but for other workloads it may have freed up more controller cache for Exchange to do it’s tiny loads on.

The other pools as noted in my original spec’s were split up and letting the FAST algorithmic magic do it’s tricks.

I believe as the CX4 and now VNX platforms become more mature, they should get better and better with time. But with anything you need to use the Microsoft 50 lbs. Brain people from time to time to help you with your workloads. Luckily 2010 is a bit nicer on disk subsystems but can still be a bear.

I’m also currently working with FAST on the VMAX arrays which does things a lot different and more efficiently. It would be nice to see some of this Symmetrix Magic make it down to the mid-range storage arrays eventually as well.

Thanks for the comments! Let me know if I can answer anything else.

-Brian

]]> Comment on EMC NS-480 with Fast, Fast Cache and how I configured it. by Joel Ramirez http://www.thesangeek.com/2011/02/25/emc-ns-480-with-fast-fast-cache-and-how-i-configured-it/#comment-53 Joel Ramirez Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:57:30 +0000 http://www.thesangeek.com/?p=54#comment-53 I had a client that had very inconsistent jetstress results. They ran the test several times on a FAST storage pool and the standard deviation for performance was so broad that it couldn't be concluded what the performance expectation should be for Exchange 2010. In fact, we brought in one of the the Exchange Ranger 50-lb brains who recommended that the client simply buy more disk and set it up in a traditional RAID group leveraging metaLUN's. He's been around the block a couple of times though and, after talking with him about it, he let me in on why FAST isn't really that useful for Exchange 2010 workloads. There are a couple of processes that run against the DAG's such that the data is touched at a somewhat regular interval. It's not necessarily predictable, but it negates the statistics that the FAST algorithms use to determine what data is "hot" or "cold". What you get is a varied skew of promotion and demotion when you should see your promoted/demoted data settle in to just tens of gig after a couple of weeks (that's been my experience at a few clients - pretty sweet). Also, due to the random and tiny nature of Exchange I/O, FAST Cache doesn't help that much either. It's nice to have the bigger bucket, and it doesn't hurt to use it for Exchange LUN's, but it tested right around "pointless". I'm sure it's great for backup though. Anyway, I'd love to hear about how you made it work or an update on the pilot. Cheers! JOel I had a client that had very inconsistent jetstress results. They ran the test several times on a FAST storage pool and the standard deviation for performance was so broad that it couldn’t be concluded what the performance expectation should be for Exchange 2010. In fact, we brought in one of the the Exchange Ranger 50-lb brains who recommended that the client simply buy more disk and set it up in a traditional RAID group leveraging metaLUN’s. He’s been around the block a couple of times though and, after talking with him about it, he let me in on why FAST isn’t really that useful for Exchange 2010 workloads.

There are a couple of processes that run against the DAG’s such that the data is touched at a somewhat regular interval. It’s not necessarily predictable, but it negates the statistics that the FAST algorithms use to determine what data is “hot” or “cold”. What you get is a varied skew of promotion and demotion when you should see your promoted/demoted data settle in to just tens of gig after a couple of weeks (that’s been my experience at a few clients – pretty sweet). Also, due to the random and tiny nature of Exchange I/O, FAST Cache doesn’t help that much either. It’s nice to have the bigger bucket, and it doesn’t hurt to use it for Exchange LUN’s, but it tested right around “pointless”. I’m sure it’s great for backup though.

Anyway, I’d love to hear about how you made it work or an update on the pilot.

Cheers!
JOel

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