Category Archives: Configuration tuning hosts

How to list the naa-numbers of LUNs and VMware VMFSs on a Dell EMC Unity system

EMC Unity

In the Unity the naa numbers (wwn) are listed in the “block” section, but not in the VMware section. If you view the LUNs from the host perspective, the naa numbers are visible, but in the list of LUNs  would have been easier. You can list all details from LUNs and datastores on the CLI by using the uemcli commands:

uemcli -d 10.11.12.13 -u Local\admin -p [password] /stor/prov/luns/lun show -detail > unity.txt
uemcli -d 10.11.12.13 -u Local\admin -p [password] /stor/prov/vmware/vmfs show -detail >> unity.txt

Now simply open the unity.txt file and voila: there they are!

Format of CSV on Hyper-V hosts is very slow

Hard Drive

When formatting a newly added disk (LUN) to Hyper-V, often you’ll notice the formatting takes forever. Dell EMC therefore advises to disable VAAI on VMware hosts for the same issue, however modern VMware hosts don’t seem to have this problem. Hyper-V however still have this issue. To disable the UNMAP / TRIM from happening, use the following command:

fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 1

After formatting was performed, you’ll need to re-enable UNMAP / TRIM by issuing the following command:

fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0

 

Optimizing performance using VAAI and the ESX MaxHWTransferSize setting

xcopy transfer size

If you’re running an EMC VNX using a lower version than block OE version 05.32.000.5.209, you might want to upgrade to the latest and greatest version (patch 209 or newer). The 209 offers EMC’s latest fixes and enhancements for VAAI performance. Many of the found performance issues have been fixed in the 209 code. However, in some environments sub-optimal performance has been detected with xcopy operations, or in some cases with the performance of non-xcopy IO during xcopy operations to the same pool.

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Gridstore – Virtualization changes everything and nothing

GridStore

George Symons, Gridstore

Gridstore as a storage company is obviously focussing on SDS. Virtualization has changed the way storage vendors need to look at their storage solutions, because their storage now needs to react on how applications work to be able to provide an optimal performance. And of course cost. How customers want their storage solutions is about cost. It needs to be cheaper, perform better and provide more insight in what the data is actually doing there.

Virtualization changes everything and nothing

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Reaching USPEED – EMC Walhalla

It sure took me a while to read through the tons of performance related materials, but I admit that having done the Clariion IE Expert, Clariion TA and of course the latest VNX IE Expert and VNX TA Expert exams also helped. I got my invitation to join the USPEED gang a little over a year ago, in early 2013 and just like my fellow colleagues I was swamped in work and unable to even start reading through all the material.

During a beta I did for EMC in February ’14 I became interested again in actually getting that certification and all the goodies that come with it and I started reading and testing myself. For a test I just did the free VNX IE Specialist and Expert test exams as well as the TA specialist and expert exams: these are wonderful exams that can prepare you to actually enter the major league of storage gods (ahem).

EMC Walhalla!

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