Navisphere Analyzer misunderstanding?

Question

Hi,

I've started to work with an EMC VNX5300 array around 6 months ago so I'm far from being an expert.

I seem to struggle to understand how the analyzer actually supposed to work.

If I enable performance logging and leave everything as default a week later I have the NAR files and I can analyze.

What I cannot do though is seeing any real-time performance via the analyzer, nor to see specific time ranges.

For example two nights ago I have enabled performance loggin for a day so the day after I could analyze what happaned overnight.

The analyzer started at 23:xx on the 17th of November and finished on the 18th of Nov 23:xx. This morning 19th I retrieved the NAR file to analyze and realized the NAR files starts at 10:26 on the 18th in the morning. There is missing data in the anayzer from 23:xx 17th till 10:26 on 18th... There were no more NAR files just this one.

Also real-time analyzis seem impossible with analyzer. I have the enabler installed and I can right click on any SP and run analyzer but it never shows any data even if the logging is enabled.

Currently my only working workaround to get real-time data from any LUNs if to setup a goal-less QoS policy and enable measuring which does not help to monitor overnight 02:00am till 06:00am period as analyzer data is missing from the NAR.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? I have the "latest" 5.32.000.5.011/7.1.55-3.

RRR · Answer

You can run it indefinately. You don't have to just run it 1 to 7 days! I have Analyzer always running, so I never have to worry about not having NAR files. Furthermore if you have the screen in front of you: in the lower left corner, you'll see a few option you can click and when you do, this will present you a 'live' view on your array. Updates aren't that fast, but consider that a lot of metrics will need to be pulled, so gathering this data takes a bit of time, but if you keep this window open, you definately will see lines appearing representing what your array is doing at that time!

jamesrpbh · Answer

Previously I've also tried to enable periodical archiving with 3600s and expected to have hourly generated NAR files, but that did not work either just had only one NAR from the whole day.

I have also left the performance summary window open to see if anything turns up, but did not. Maybe I was just simply unpatient.

Anyway I'll try to leave logging constantly on and see how it works, also having the "live" window open for longer.

Thanks for your suggestion.

RRR · Answer

The periodic archiving option shouldn’t be set to 1 hour, since it will only record (out of the top of my head) 155 points in time, so setting it to 2 or 3 minutes or so is better. There is a formula to calculate what this should be set to, but I’m hoping the one who actually knows this formula will drop by and mention it

dynamox · Answer

i had issue with real-time as well, try connecting to another SP and start it from there.

jamesrpbh · Answer

Ah OK, for now I have left everything at the default 5min (300s) and hoping it work as expected. Unfortunately the real-time monitor windows do not show any data even after an hour...

jamesrpbh · Answer

Yep, that did the trick! Thank you.

RRR · Answer

Not sure, but would restarting the management server help?

RRR · Answer

There you go! If you have GUI issues of any kind, restarting the management servers in the setup page of each SP does help most of the times. Not always, but it's worth a shot.

dynamox · Answer

worth a shot

RRR · Answer

This isn't enterprise stuff , VNX is midrange. DMX and VMAX is enterprise stuff

You shouldn't need to leave the Analyzer window open.

Ok, check the following:

Under "system management" / "system properties" check if the "statistics logging" is "on"

Under "performance data logging" if the logging is running. And yes, periodic archiving is set to on on my arrays.

I have set the the real time and archive intervals set to 60 seconds, but I know those are a bit too small, but they do work for me!

jamesrpbh · Answer

I'm just not used to enterprise stuff

I have now running analyzer for more than 24hrs and it still did not generate any nar files. The help says it will dump files around every 24hrs.. Would that periodic archive option help to convince creating archives?

jamesrpbh · Answer

Thank you very much, it is all working fine just fine!

Josue_Robinet · Answer

RRR is correct that a full nar file gathers 155 polls if you let it run to completion. If periodic archiving is checked it will gather 155 polls, terminate the current nar file, and than start a new nar file. If this is not checked it will wait until data logging is stopped or until the "Create New" button is clicked in the "Retrieve Archive" section in the top right quadrant. When either of those is completed it will gather up to the last 155 polls and create a nar file. Any additional polls prior to the last 155 polls are lost.

If you are not seeing data show up in the real-time graphs in the lower left quadrant or if it not showing up quickly enough you can go into "Performance Data Logging" in the top left quadrant and change the "Real-Time Interval" to a lower number. This number represents the frequency in seconds that a new point in the graph will be generated.

Along those same lines - the "Archive Interval" number represents the frequency in which a poll will be generated in your nar file. So if you have that set to 120 seconds, a new point/poll will be generated every two minutes. Given that we expect each nar file to contain 155 polls, at 120 seconds a full nar file will generate in 155 x 120 seconds = 18,600 seconds = 310 minutes = 5 hours and 10 minutes.

Likewise, if the archive interval is set to 600 seconds we would expect a new file in 155 x 600 seconds = 93,000 seconds = 1,550 minutes = 25 hours and 50 minutes.

VNX

Navisphere Analyzer misunderstanding?

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