System management Homepage features list

Below are the supported feature list of OpenVMS System  Management Homepage (SMH).

Here I am using traps for indicating the SNMP traps(events). One trap is kind of message sending from SNMP agents to any SNMP trap receiver tools.

·         Storage

1.      Smart Array 6400 Controller

2.      DVD/USB Controller information

3.      SCSI Controller Information

4.      Smart Array p400

5.      SAS HBA

1. SAS Address
2. SAS Model
3. Physical disk Model
4. Physical disk Status
5. Physical disk Capacity
6. No traps for status change
7. Traps from disk removal or insertion

6.      Fiber channel controller (FGA)

1. World Wide Port Name
2. Model

7.      Smart array traps

1. Status change
2. Battery failure traps
3. Spare status traps
4. Physical drive status

8.      Disk information

·         Model

·         Status

·         Capacity

·         Space used

·         Disk threshold monitoring

·         Traps for status change and removal/add

·         Network Controller information

1.      Model

2.      Port information

3.      Status

4.      Receive Statistics & Transmit Statistics

5.      IP Address

6.       Physical Address

7.       Interface Information

·         System Environment

1.      Power Sensors

a.       Power status

b.      Traps for status change

2.      Power On Messages

3.      Cooling and Temperature

a.       Traps for temperature exceeds from system thresholds

b.      Fan status information

c.       Fan status change traps

·         System Board

1.      Number of processors

2.      Processor status

3.      Processor models

4.      Processor threshold monitoring

5.      No traps for processor

·         System Resources

1.      System resources information

2.      Memory utilization and threshold information

3.      Traps for thresholds exceeding and falling

·         System Summary

·         Cluster Monitoring

o       Cluster add and remove traps

 

If you are much eager to see the sample screens of SMH,  please scroll down

OK, Now you can ask any question regarding SMH. Its my pleasure to answer !!!

Multiple Extension problem in OpenVMS

OpenVMS, the veteran Operating system. Still rules many territories in the tech world. Most of the Stock exchanges in world is under this veteran OS. Many Railway corporations are in his influence still. Indian Railway, the world biggest railway system is with him last few decades. Lots of process control systems are served by OpenVMS server. Lots of Steel plants are saved their life with this grandpa.

Oh !!!

Again I started story telling.

Yes, I know our problem is how to handle multiple extensions in OpenVMS.

For Example,

If you have file named ,test.php.en;1

  Don't scared about the ‘;’ and ‘1’ after the file name. Its VMS style of file handling. ‘;1’ tells you that, you are using first version of the file named test.php.en. If you modify the test.php.en, then new version will be created. then its name will be test.php.en;2.

This is the way which VMS helps his users to trace back. The maximum number of VMS file version will be 32767 !!!

Oooops !!!.

You can modify your file more than 30000 and still revert back to first version.

OK, OK.

If you have a file named test.php.en and you wanted to open it.

what you will do?

you will list the files by entering

$ dir

then list of the files will be listed as below:

Directory ALET$DKA100:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.HP.HPSMH]
SMH$SPECIFIC.SAVE;1 SMH$START.COM;1     SMH$STOP.COM;1      SMH$STOP_SNMPAGENTS.COM;1
TEST^.PHP.EN;2      TEST^.PHP.EN;1

 

This name may lead you to a confusion. one extra ‘^’ symbol added with your file name. And if you type the file name as TEST^.PHP.EN; to open the file, Obviously system will not open the file for you.

Its because VMS handles multiple extensions as a special case.

 

This problem will annoy you many places. When you wanted to check the differences between TEST^.PHP.EN;1 and TEST^.PHP.EN;2 , you will get an error message.

 

$ diff TEST^.PHP.EN;2  TEST^.PHP.EN;1

“%DCL-W-PARMDEL, invalid parameter delimiter - check use of special characters  \^\ “

 

So, our problem is defined now !!! .

We need to use the multiple extension files smoothly.

The resolution also very smooth.just declare below command at your telnet/terminal emulator window. That’s it.

 

$ set proces/parse_style=extended

Now everything works fine. you can use any multiple doted file, as usual.

Ask me, If you have any more questions

 

 

SMH – System Management Home Page

Availability of proper Manageability solutions is the essential requirement to sell computer servers. Though your server solutions are robust and high available or offers unique features to the customers, lack of server management software may lead you to reduced sales. Since rarely customers think of appointing an expert to manage your server. But, they could buy a moderate server with enough tools available for managing it.

Hewlett-Packard, the king of the server making business(I didn’t forget IBM and DELL), have variety of server solutions. HP-UX is the most famous server Operating system from HP. There are lot many articles available about HP-UX. I like to pick the less rubbed ball from the pot.

OpenVMS, Most aged Operating system in the server world. He is 32 year old now. Still runs 100Km per hour on the thread-mill and takes 200 kg dumbbells on each hands. When he was with Digitals hand, he was less explored muscle man. Now with hp, he used to attend international weight lift championship.

Oh!!!

I am going out of the play ground. We are talking about OpenVMS operating system. Earlier this OS was available only on VAX and Alpha architecture. Last few years its available in Intel’s Itanium processor. I would say, from my experience, its a real robust OS. If you wanted to automate your manufacturing factory, give that job to him and go to bed. You don’t need need to have a night mare about the server failure.

There are lots of free tools available for managing OpenVMS servers. System Management Home Page(predecessor of Insight management Agents) is one among from that. Its SNMP based system hardware monitoring and diagnosing software. It has Web interface, so you can see your server internals from remote Desktop.

SMH offers below features

1. Single place for seeing system components status. Right now it has four statuses as OK, Degraded, Failed and unknown.

2. Displaying information about Network interface cards.

3. Displaying information regarding different storage controllers. Say…

- Smart Array controllers
- SAS Controllers
- FGA

4. Processor information including model, speed, etc. And you can set thresholds for usage. And SNMP traps will be generated if thresholds exceeds

5. Hard disk information including space used . Its is possible to set the thresholds for space usage. And SNMP traps will be generated if thresholds exceeds

6. System board information.

7. Power related information

8. Cooling and temperature information

9. Operating system related information.

SMH designed to collect information from SNMP. So SMH installation will also install number SNMP agents in the server and one user has additional facility to read information directly from these SNMP agents. Apache is the web server using to host the web pages.

Let me conclude my briefing now. Its my pleasure to answer your queries regarding SMH or OpenVMS.

Start and Stop CPU in OpenVMS

Yes, Its not a dream!!! .
You can start or stop a particular Processor in multiprocessor server.If you don't want to involve all of the available processors for the current tasks running in the system, just stop the unwanted CPU. Then server will remove the stopped CPU from active CPU database. This feature will help an organization to reduce much of the power conception by CPU usage.
Currently this feature available only on OpenVMS Operating system running on VAX/Alpha or I64 machines. below are the commands to manage the CPUS.

1.$ show cpu/full

2.$ stop/cpu 2 // this command will stop a CPU of id 2. This id can be see from executing 'show cpu/full command'

3.$ start/cpu 2 // This command will start the stopped CPU of id 2.

More details :

The STOP/CPU command removes a secondary processor from the active set in an OpenVMS multiprocessing system. If the secondary processor is not executing a process when the STOP/CPU command is issued, it enters the STOPPED state. If the secondary is executing a process at the time, it continues to execute the current process until it attempts to schedule another process. When this occurs, the secondary enters the STOPPED state.
The OpenVMS operating system subjects a processor to a set of checks when it is the object of a STOP/CPU command. As a result, you may not be permitted to stop certain processors that are vital to the functioning of the system. In these cases, there is usually a process in the system that can execute only on the processor you intend to stop. You can determine this by issuing a SHOW CPU/FULL command. In unusual circumstances, you can bypass the checking mechanism by using the /OVERRIDE_CHECKS qualifier in the command.
The STOP/CPU command has no effect if its object processor is already in the STOPPED state when it is issued.

Examples :


$ stop/cpu 2

//Will stop the CPU 2 and State of the CPU will be shown as STOPPED. See the out for the below command. The CPU 2 states is in STOPPED now. All the running CPUs will be in RUN state

$ show cpu/full

System: , HP rx4640 (1.30GHz/3.0MB)

SMP execlet = 3 : Enabled : Streamlined.
Config tree = Version 6
Primary CPU = 0
HWRPB CPUs = 4
Page Size = 8192
Revision Code =
Serial Number = USE44136MR
Default CPU Capabilities:
System: QUORUM RUN
Default Process Capabilities:
System: QUORUM RUN

CPU 0 State: RUN CPUDB: 89020000 Handle: 00005D70
Owner: 000004C8 Current: 000004C8 Partition 0 ()
ChgCnt: 1 State: Present, Primary, Reassignable
Process: SYSTEM PID: 2440042E
Capabilities:
System: PRIMARY QUORUM RUN RAD0
Slot Context: 92B95000
CPU - State..........: RC, PA, PP, CV, PV, PMV, PL
Type...........: Itanium Major = 31, Minor = 1
Speed..........: 1300 Mhz
LID............: 00000000
Variation......: IEEE FP, Primary Eligible
Serial Number..: e52e8e9c01b90000
Revision.......:
Halt Request...: 0
Software Comp..: 5.0
PALCODE - Revision Code..: 1.1
Compatibility..: 0
Max Shared CPUs: 0
Bindings: * None *
Fastpath:
PKD0
PKC0
PEA0
Features:
Autostart - Enabled.
Fastpath - Selection enabled as Preferred CPU.

CPU 1 State: STOPPED CPUDB: 8917AF00 Handle: 00005E80
Owner: 000004C8 Current: 000004C8 Partition 0 ()
ChgCnt: 2 State: Present, In-Console, Reassignable
Process: * None *
Capabilities:
System: QUORUM RAD0
Slot Context: 92B96000
CPU - State..........: BIP, PA, PP, CV, PV, PMV, PL
Type...........: Itanium Major = 31, Minor = 1
Speed..........: 1300 Mhz
LID............: 01000000
Variation......: IEEE FP
Serial Number..: d566f80703b90100
Revision.......:
Halt Request...: 4
Software Comp..: 5.0
PALCODE - Revision Code..: 1.1
Compatibility..: 0
Max Shared CPUs: 0
Bindings: * None *
Fastpath: * None *
Features:
Autostart - Enabled.
Fastpath - Selection enabled as Preferred CPU.

CPU 2 State: STOPPED CPUDB: 8917CD00 Handle: 00005F90
Owner: 000004C8 Current: 000004C8 Partition 0 ()
ChgCnt: 2 State: Present, In-Console, Reassignable
Process: * None *
Capabilities:
System: QUORUM RAD0
Slot Context: 92B97000
CPU - State..........: BIP, PA, PP, CV, PV, PMV, PL
Type...........: Itanium Major = 31, Minor = 1
Speed..........: 1300 Mhz
LID............: 02000000
Variation......: IEEE FP
Serial Number..: a11db90f8ddd0000
Revision.......:
Halt Request...: 4
Software Comp..: 5.0
PALCODE - Revision Code..: 1.1
Compatibility..: 0
Max Shared CPUs: 0
Bindings: * None *
Fastpath: * None *
Features:
Autostart - Enabled.
Fastpath - Selection enabled as Preferred CPU.

CPU 3 State: RUN CPUDB: 8917EC80 Handle: 000060A0
Owner: 000004C8 Current: 000004C8 Partition 0 ()
ChgCnt: 1 State: Present, Reassignable
Process: * None *
Capabilities:
System: QUORUM RUN RAD0
Slot Context: 92B98000
CPU - State..........: RC, PA, PP, CV, PV, PMV, PL
Type...........: Itanium Major = 31, Minor = 1
Speed..........: 1300 Mhz
LID............: 03000000
Variation......: IEEE FP
Serial Number..: 87eae30f7f950300
Revision.......:
Halt Request...: 0
Software Comp..: 5.0
PALCODE - Revision Code..: 1.1
Compatibility..: 0
Max Shared CPUs: 0
Bindings: * None *
Fastpath:
EWA0
BG0
EWB0
Features:
Autostart - Enabled.
Fastpath - Selection enabled as Preferred CPU.



$ start/cpu 2

//Will start the CPU 2

HP Instant Capacity Software

HP's Instant CAPacity (iCAP) software product provides the ability to instantly increase or decrease computing capacity on cell-based HP enterprise servers.
Its like a dream. You are purchasing cell based server box with 32 CPU cores, with a price of 16 CPU cores!!!. Yes, your business is growing fast, but not sure how much CPU capacity is actually required to finish your computational tasks near future. In a mission critical business, nobody can compromise the performance the computer server. But you are not sure, how much we will be required tomorrow. Now you wanted 16 cores and your business grows fast and within months you may need 24 cores. Its not so easy to upgrade your server box with additional 8 more CPU cores. And it may not be possible to buy another server box to fulfill the increased requirement.
The solution will be HP iCAP. You buy 32 cores with the cost of 16 CPU cores. Whenever you wanted to increase the number of cores, just to buy the iCAP license from hp and apply the license on your server. See, now your server box is equipped with 24 CPU cores!!!. That's the wonder story with hp iCAP.

The HP product number for Instant Capacity software is B9073BA. Instant Capacity is a part of the HP Utility Pricing Solutions (UPS) program and was formerly known as iCOD.

With Instant Capacity, you initially purchase a specified number of active system components (cores, cell boards, and memory) and a specified number of inactive (iCAP) components without usage rights. Prior to activation of an inactive component, additional usage rights must be obtained by purchasing a component-specific Right to Use (RTU) codeword from HP. When the codeword is applied to the system, the component usage rights are increased on the system, and an inactive component can be instantly activated. For example, inactive cores can be activated to increase the active processing capacity on the system. The action can be taken without waiting for new hardware to arrive because the Instant Capacity cores are already plugged into the system.

Instant Capacity is available for the following HP enterprise servers:

• HP Integrity servers running HP-UX 11i v2 (11.23), or HP-UX 11i v3 (11.31) or OpenVMS 8.31H1 or 8.4(not yet released):
  • Superdome
  • rx8640
  • rx8620
  • rx7640
  • rx7620
• HP 9000 servers running HP-UX 11i v1 (11.11), HP-UX 11i v2 (11.23), or HP-UX 11i v3 (11.31):
  • Superdome
  • rp8440
  • rp8420
  • rp8400
  • rp7440
  • rp7420
  • rp7410

The Instant Capacity software is free of charge and is required to be running on all HP-UX or OpenVMS partitions. It has a very small footprint and adds negligible overhead to the system.
iCAP CPUs are unlicensed CPUs. The unlicensed CPUs may be shown as available CPUs in the vparstatus -A output. To use iCAP CPUs, you must first purchase them; then, you can activate and assign them to a virtual partition.

giCAP

TiCAP

With Instant Capacity, you initially purchase an HP enterprise server with a specified amount of active processing capacity, and a specified amount of inactive processing capacity.
Processing capacity consists of the system components:

• Processors containing cores

• Cell boards

• Memory

For each type of component, the number that can be active is equal to the number of usage rights applied to the complex for that type of component. Components purchased with a part number identifying them as “Instant Capacity” and without the label “Right to Use” come without usage rights. Components which are not labeled as Instant Capacity implicitly include usage rights that can be applied to any component of that type installed on the complex.

Prior to activation of an inactive component, additional usage rights must be obtained. The
fundamental method is to purchase usage rights by purchasing the appropriate Instant Capacity products that include the label “Right to Use (RTU)”. HP then supplies a Right to Use (RTU) codeword. When the codeword is applied to the HP Enterprise server, the inactive component can be activated.

Additional methods for activating components for which usage rights have not been purchased include:

• If an HP-UX server is a member of a Global Instant Capacity Group (GiCAP), and if extra
capacity is available from other members of the group, capacity may be “borrowed” from
another member of the group. Global Instant Capacity is described in Chapter 7.

Ooops!!! I got a big order from my client. I need higher capacity server than my current server. But I am not sure the client always wanted this kinds of big tasks from me. Buying new server never gave me profit out from this current order. This client wanted a temporary work from me. I cant miss this client because of the capacity problems in my server. hooray!!! hp TiCAP will give you temporary higher capacity in a temporary time period.

• You may purchase additional Temporary Instant Capacity (TiCAP) and apply the temporary capacity codeword in order to activate one or more cores for a temporary period of time.

Temporary Instant Capacity : If a server is a member of a Global Instant Capacity Group, temporary capacity can be shared between members of the group.

• You may temporarily activate one or more inactive cores using the Instant Access Capacity (IAC) provided with the initial purchase of the Instant Capacity component. Instant Access Capacity is exactly the same as Temporary Instant Capacity except it is automatically provided with an Instant Capacity component and is not separately purchased. It provides an immediate buffer of temporary capacity in case extra capacity is needed before there is time to purchase an RTU codeword, a TiCAP codeword, or to setup a GiCAP group on an HP-UX system.

On OpenVMS server, there are possible to stop and start CPU using DCL commands.

‘$stop cpu’ command can stop a particular CPU core manually. I don't know any other Operating system has such a facility. Similarly one can start the CPU too.
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking to hack the OpenVMS iCAP !!!.
I will explain, if one server has 32 CPU cores and it has applied an iCAP license of 16 cores. If Start CPU and Stop CPU commands are available in OpenVMS, why cant I  start 17th CPU Core?
Yes, you can!!!. But iCAP will stop one CPU among the active CPU cores. So total active CPUs are remains same :).

More details about the iCAP will post soon. Till then bye…

Store and retrieve Unicode characters with MySQL using PHP

 

Newcomers to web programming world may face some very common issues related to Unicode and local language support.
Here I am pointing some generic queries that you might be asked to your colleagues in many days.
1. How to store Unicode characters in a database
2. How php can store/retrieve Unicode characters to and from Mysql database
3. How Indian languages like Malayalam or Hindi or Tamil can be stored in database.

There are some significant difference between Unicode and Ansi fonts (visit : http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~bfriesen/software/builds.html for difference between them). Since local language computing become much popular and even laymen starts using internet. So storing local languages(Malayalam, Hindi, etc ) will be a necessary feature for the web sites. This can be a big problem to web programmers as most might not be aware of the techniques required for storing the Unicode languages in a database.

Here I am using MySql as DB and PHP as programming language.

Design of the database tables :

when creating a table, you should ensure your table can receive Unicode characters. below are the steps to create a table, which supports Unicode.

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `doc_test` (
`id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
`unicodeText` varchar(450) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 AUTO_INCREMENT=30 ;

Here you have to make sure below things :
1. Your database encoding/collation should be utf8_general_ci.
2. Make sure your designed table(here doc_test ) should be having collation as utf8_general_ci.
3. Or even you can check the fields collation settings and make sure its utf8_general_ci.
4.Below image will help you to understand about what I meant.
I have taken a screen shot of table structure from phpmyadmin
 
(Click on the image to view in bigger size)

Here note the the circled part.
5. If your database is not having the proper collation settings, visit below link to convert it into utf8_general_ci.
http://bogdan.org.ua/2008/02/08/convert-mysql-database-from-one-encodingcollation-into-another.html.
Or install phpmyadmin software, which will help you to convert the collation settings by some mouse clicks.
6. Hope you have converted your collation settings.

Now We need PHP code to insert or retrieve the Unicode character.

1. Script to insert Unicode text to table. Here $txt is a variable which will be filled from a submit action. so user should have a text area in HTML page with a name of 'ta'.

(Eg : <textarea name="ta" rows="10" cols="80”>)

<?php
$txt= $_POST['ta']; // get the unicode text from a submit action.
$unicodeText = $txt;
@mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'",$id); /// Its very inportant to display or insert unicode characters in db
$cQry= "insert into document (unicodeText) values ('".$unicodeText."')" ;
$cresult = @mysql_query($cQry,$id);
?>
2. PHP code to Display the Unicode text from MySQL database:

PHP CODE :
<?php
@mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'",$id); /// Its very inportant to display or insert unicode characters in db
$cresult = @mysql_query("SELECT unicodeText FROM document",$id);
while ($crow = @mysql_fetch_array($cresult,MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
echo ( $crow['unicodeText']);
}
?>
Note: SET NAMES 'utf8' is an important command to work with Unicode texts. Don't forget to include that in your code.
3. Finished !!!
Hope you have enjoyed by seeing your local language visible in your web page.