IBM (Tivoli, actually I think) has a tool for tracking & managing SSA drives called StorWatch Serial Storage Expert (StorX). You can read a bit about it at a high level at their main site at http://www.ibm.com/storage/storwatch/storx, which takes you to http://www.storage.ibm.com/software/storwatch/storx/index.htm. To get their 60-day try & buy copy, I followed their "How to buy" links, filled out a form, and got to http://ssddom01.storage.ibm.com/software/storwatch/storx/storx.nsf/offers/downloadinstall which had these links on the page, - The StorX Manager at ftp://index.storsys.ibm.com/storwatch/storx/try-buy/download/trybuy.MWXXV1R1M2F1.exe This I downloaded onto my Windows 98 machine and installed. It put a link to itself under the Start -> Programs -> Serial Storage Expert menus, and installed itself in c:\Program Files\IBM\IBM StorWatch Serial Storage Expert - The StorX SSA network agents. They say, "The StorX Manager polls the StorX SSA Network Agent to gather information about the storage network. The StorX SSA Network Agent receives the Manager's polling request and reports the status of the devices in the SSA storage network. Thus, in order to run the StorX Live Viewer, you need to download and install SSA network agents on each AIX and Windows NT host system in the SSA storage networks that you want to discover and monitor." They have links for AIX 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, as well a version for Windows NT. I got the AIX 4.2 and 4.3 versions from ftp://index.storsys.ibm.com/storwatch/storx/try-buy/download/trybuy.AA42V1R1M2F1.tar and ftp://index.storsys.ibm.com/storwatch/storx/try-buy/download/trybuy.AA43V1R1M2F1.tar (I didn't bother with the AIX 4.1 or Windows NT versions). This contained 1 fileset, devices.ssa.network_agent at the 4.2.1.11 level, which on the surface (i.e. lslpp -f devices.ssa.network_agent.rte) only gives you /usr/sbin/rpc.ssalld and /usr/sbin/ssanetd, but it also added this line to /etc/inetd.conf ssalld sunrpc_tcp tcp wait root /usr/sbin/rpc.ssalld rpc.ssalld 300667 1 Will this show up on a NSA scan? I dunno. And this I.P traffic probably isn't allowed through patgate. - The refreshstorx tool is for AIX only. They say "This tool must be run after every SSA topology change. When you make changes to your system that affect your SSA topology, some of the device attributes may be incorrect or missing. To ensure device attributes are correct, you must run cfgmgr from root. After you run cfgmgr, you must always run refreshstorx. refreshstorx resets the cache data in the StorX SSA Network Agent on AIX, similar in concept to clearing out your cache on your Web browser." The URL is ftp://index.storsys.ibm.com/storwatch/storx/try-buy/download/refreshstorx10.tar All this tool does is kill the rpc.ssalld and /usr/sbin/ssanetd processes. They want this tool in /usr/bin, but maybe something like /local/bin is better. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Some tidbits on getting this to work: - Since this uses RPC, I had to remove the code that shut off portmap in /etc/rc.tcpip, from my lockdown.sh script. I then had to uncomment it out of /etc/rc.tcpip myself, start portmap (/usr/sbin/portmap &), then refresh -s inetd so that the rpc.ssalld process can start correctly. - Running the portmapper, turns on port 111 (sunrpc), both TCP & UDP (altho' I don't see it with a lsof -i -n. Hmmmmm. Why not? I thought I saw it yesterday.) - A rpcinfo -p shows program 300667 (from rpc.ssalld line in /etc/inetd.conf) registered with the portmapper, with port # 48318 (this port # varies). - A lsof -i -n shows inetd listening to TCP port 48318. - When you do a "Full Discovery" from the StorX GUI client, it goes out to the machine and queries the "Network Agent" (ssanetd) and gets back the expected SSA adapter & pdisk config info, but also returns info on other ethernet adapters (or maybe it was the hostname). The GUI then wants to be able to talk to that other interface, that is it tried to get to as0202e0. Previously, the Windows/NT machines had no need to talk to the nodes on the private interface, so I had never defined a route to them. I had to learn the syntax of the NT route add command, using the persistent (-p) option, from a DOS command shell window, thusly route -p add 192.168.55.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.56.65 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get around the 60-day try 'n buy timebomb, I looked in callup to see where StorX was supported from, and found Duane Baldwin in Rochester, department 2C6A, tieline 8-553-0894, or outside line, 507-253-0894. He referred me to Jon Schmidt (x 5941), also in dept. 2C6A, who sent me this note. To: Rick Jasper/Almaden/IBM@IBMUS From: Jon Schmidt/Rochester/IBM@IBMUS Subject: StorX License Diskette... Rick, Here is a .zip version of the License diskette... Unzip this to a floppy diskette, and run setup to register the software... You'll need to use a multiple of 16 when asked about the number of disks you are licensed for (16,64,128,etc.) If you have any problems, let me know. Jonathan Schmidt Tivoli Storage Management Voice: (507)253-5941 T/L 553-5941 Fax: (507)253-2880 I unzip'd it to a floppy as he said, stuck it into the machine, and ran a:\setup.exe. This gets you into the Install Shield and at one point, asks you for the maximum number of disks you'll be managing. This number must be a multiple of 16. I put in 1024. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I came across this scrap of paper. I think I was looking for someone to talk to one day while I was still at IBM. I'm guessing I scanned through the IBM phone books, looking for anybody with StorWatch Serial Storage Expert or StorX. Dallas Sherri Corning 8-442-7009 Internet Michael Griese 8-553-1853 Rochester Duane Baldwin 8-553-0894 Dept. 2C6A ------------------------------------------------- Rochester John Schmidt 8-553-5941