Category Archives: maintenance

Cisco MDS CLI commands when checking for defects or signal degradation

Posted by on April 9, 2019 No comments
Cisco MDS

Checking the environment of a switch:

  • show environment temp = what are the temperatures of the intake(s) and outlet(s)
  • show environment power = are the PSUs still working fine?
  • show environment fan = are the fans still working fine?

Checking for errors and signal degradation

  • show interface fc1/10 counters = show all standard counters for port fc1/10
  • show interface fc1/10 counters details = show the detailed counters for port fc1/10
  • show interface counters = show all standard counters for all ports
  • show interface detail-counters = show the detailed counters for all ports
  • show interface detail-counters | i CRC = show the detailed counters for all ports which contain the text “CRC”
  • show interface transceiver calibrations = show the specs of all SFPs
  • show interface transceiver details = show the specs and power details of all SFPs
  • show interface transceiver details | i “x Power” = show the current Rx/Tx power of all SFPs

Common knowledges dictates that fiber optice patches need to be cleaned with proper equipment to prevent unnecessary signal loss. See this blog post for more details on how and why to keep optic cables clean.

Cisco DCNM server unresponsive

Posted by on July 17, 2017 2 comments
Cisco MDS

You’re running a DCNM virtual appliance and when you’re trying to log on, it looks like the appliance’s webserver is no longer active.

Connect to the Linux prompt of the appliance and do the following:

Stop DCNM services:

/usr/local/cisco/dcm/dcnm/bin/stopLANSANServer.sh

Open the psql prompt:

/usr/local/cisco/dcm/db/bin/psql dcmdb

log on with root password (user root is assumed)

Type the command:

VACUUM FULL ANALYZE VERBOSE;

This will produce tons of output, but just let it run and eventually it all ends and you just need to start the DCNM services again.

When done, quit the psql prompt:

dcmdb=> \q

Start DCNM services:

/usr/local/cisco/dcm/dcnm/bin/startLANSANServer.sh

Source: cisco.com

Useful EMC VMAX CLI commands

Posted by on June 8, 2016 No comments
VMAX

Over the years I collected a number of useful CLI commands to control the DMX / VMAX machines I worked with. Even though nowadays Unisphere for VMAX is a useful tool, nothing really beats the command line!
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How to enable SSH on a VMware 5.5 ESXi host using the vSphere client

Posted by on May 26, 2016 No comments
virtual machine

Recently I needed to make some edits on vmdk files in order to get rid of a reference to the change tracking files, as mentioned in Gabrie’s post: Cannot open the disk and could not open change tracking file. An SSH connection to a VMware ESXi host was required. SHH was disabled and I needed to enable it temporarily.

How to enable SSH on an ESXi host using the vSphere client

In vSphere, select the host you want to enable SSH on.

Select the “Configuration” TAB, then “Security Profile”. In the upper right select “Properties.

A new window opens, now select SSH (you may need to scroll down a bit) and in the lower right select “Options”.

Again a new window opens and here you can either “Start” or “Stop” the SSH daemon.

enable SSH

Create and retrieve spcollect files from the command line (VNX)

Posted by on April 21, 2016 4 comments
Hard Drive

Java, it’s a curse. And now you suddenly need to upload the spcollect files to EMC and Java isn’t installed or incompatible and Unisphere won’t start.

Now what?

Make sure you have NAVISECCLI installed and just do it from the CLI!

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