Getting EMC SAN configuration information - SNMP, PowerShell, other...?

Question

Hello, We're looking to add EMC SAN support to our IT Documentation Tool so that people can document the configuration of their SAN. We took a quick look at the SNMP output from a VNX5400 and there's basically nothing there other than the standard MIB-II information. If you're looking to get hold of the model, serial number, controller software version numbers, disks, disk serial numbers etc what API can you use to get this information? Obviously we want to avoid parsing text from NaviCli like it's the 1970s. Are the ESI PowerShell commands the answer? Or are these just for provisioning LUNs etc rather than getting the full configuration from the SAN? EMC Storage Integrator PowerShell Toolkit Any help is much appreciated! Thanks, Dave

ZaphodB · Answer

You can run naviseccli from within powershell.

One way to jump-start your efforts would be to get a SPCollect.

If you look in the zipped folder you will find an embedded folder ending in '_sus'.

Within that folder is a text document named SPx_cfg_info.

If you examine its contents you should find the data that you are looking for, and you will see the navicli commands that produced the information.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

I think navicli is the simplest choice

Arrayconfig for example can output in xml or csv

See the VNX Command Line Interface Reference for Block

Or get and parse a SPcollect

I don’t think the Powershell commandlets contain everything

Rainer

P.S.: If you have a mitrend account you can see if you find inspiration there on how they do it – mitrend is more performance oriented but does also capture config

davidjhomer · Answer

Thanks for the reply, so these devices are pretty primitive then in terms of management?

kparrotte · Answer

Hi...

Using your EMC Community Network account credentials you should be able to download API Help resources from the following page....

https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-19626?attachmentName=XML_API_WebHelp_7.1.zip&attachmentURL=/servlet/JiveServlet/download/19626-3-53964/

Best Regards.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

you could use SMI-S - but typically customers dont have the SMI-S block provider enabled.

The VNX file (NAS) side has a XML API - but that is only for VNX file/unified systems and will not contain much of the block config.

Starting with the newer VNXe1600/3200 the strategic direction for API is to use a REST API that is new there.

kelleg · Answer

One of the CLI commands is the 'arrayconfig' - this outputs the complete array configuration in XML format. Not sure if it includes serial numbers or not. glen

Rainer_EMC · Answer

kparrotte wrote:

Hi...

Using your EMC Community Network account credentials you should be able to download API Help resources from the following page....

https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-19626?attachmentName=XML_API_WebHelp_7.1.zip&attachmentURL=/servlet/JiveServlet/download/19626-3-53964/

Best Regards.

keep in mind that is primarily a VNX file (Celerra) API that runs on the control station.

So if you have a block only VNX it will not be available since they dont have a control station.

In terms of SAN config it does have some info about SP and disks - but not about SAN ports or clients.

see the Clariion.xsd schema file for details

VNX

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