Yes, you are correct. we will be installing the solution enabler for controlling the DMX4. We want to use a solaris box for this purpose. Can you please let me know the server specifications.

I think you can easily find S.E. requirements in S.E. installation guide .. However S.E. doesn't require either CPU or RAM .. it requires at least an HBA to "see" gatekeepers from your DMX4. You need 500 Mb (yes, Mb) of disk space for both the runtime and supporting databases.. Wow it looks like a real product if you look at "requirements"

Solution Enabler is a thin layer of software we suggest to install on EVERY host if possible, not only on a dedicated "solution enabler server"

i don't know about that, i would only install it on system that have to have it. Otherwise it's another piece of software to keep updated ..as well as other potential security issue with having SE installed on every box.

I said "suggest" and "if possible"

again .. "suggest" .. and "if possible" ..

YMMV

however inq doesn't decode all code pages returned to host from storage when you issue an inquire command .. And inq is almost useless when you grab an emcgrab

And when you have to run emcgrab to dig into issues and to provide EMC customer service better details on your broken host, having S.E. on the host gives a lot more informations that our customer service always appreciate

If I give 4 symdevs to a linux (or AIX or windows) host, how can you find better details on the disk when the OS simply gives /dev/sdX names or /dev/rhdiskX or \\.\physicaldriveX to them???

Generally speaking I love to be able to issue even a plain and simple syminq from all the hosts I'm assigning devices to, just to be able to check if everything is fine, if all paths are working fine.. And I love to be able to use always same commands (symcli commands) regardless of underlying OS

My 2 cents

why is it suggested ?

inq gets the job done. I would like to have full SE installation on every box but then some brave system admin brings a SE license from his former job and decides to "do some storage work" ..i can't allow for that to happen. Until symacl gets more robust ..no full SE installations on my boxes