Check BitLocker’s Status
1 | C:\Windows\System32>manage-bde -status |
User management - VMware ESXi
Login to the ESXi Host
Create a new user
1 | [root@myvmesxi02:~] esxicli system account add --id=chengman --password=mypassword --description="ESXI admin" |
Assign administrator role
1 | [root@myvmesxi02:~] esxcli system permission set --id=chengman --role=Admin |
Verify the user and permissions
1 | [root@myvmesxi02:~] esxcli system account list |
NOI commands
Check Software Components Version
1 | NCHOME/omnibus/bin/nco_id -v |
HPE 3PAR 8000 commands
Show User
1 | showuser |
Show Network
1 | shownet -d |
Show all LUN assigned in UNIX (AIX)
1 | root@suuxifdb02:/root# /usr/bin/HP3PARInfo -i (HPELUNInfo -i) |
Show CPG (Common Provisioning Group)
1 | susn3par01 cli% showcpg |
Show host group
1 | susn3par01 cli% showhostset |
Show hosts
1 | ppsn3par01 cli% showhost |
Show hosa path
1 | ppsn3par01 cli% showhost -pathsum |
Create a Virtual Volume (VV)
1 | susn3par01 cli% createvv CPG_DSU_SSD_r1 UAT-SSD-AIX-IFDB-raw-13 1G |
Export VV to a hostset (group of host)
1 | susn3par01 cli% createvlun UAT-SSD-AIX-IFDB-raw-13 14 set:suuxifdb_set |
Show Physical Disk (PD)
1 | spsn3par01 cli% showpd -failed |
Dismiss a physical drive
1 | spsn3par01 cli% showpd -failed -degraded |
Show Service Status
1 | spsn3par01 cli% servicemag status |
HPE MSA2060 commands
HPE MSA2060 Command List
1 | help |
Show Maps
1 | show maps |
Show Initiators
1 | show initiators |
Show Volumes
1 | show volumes |
Show System
1 | show system |
Virtual Tape Libraries: Advantages and Disadvantages
Virtual Tape Libraries: Advantages and Disadvantages
Virtual Tape Libraries (VTLs) are long-term storage solutions that simulate data tape hardware while using an array of hard drives (HDDs) for the actual storage.
Many organizations have established processes for handling data archives. Enterprises may be reliant on certain backup software or recovery processes, which makes traditional tape migration impractical or undesirable.
A VTL offers a “best of both worlds” middle ground; the organization can retain their current backup/archival strategy while improving efficiency and reducing the time spent on data restoration. The VTL can be coordinated with traditional tape backups to reduce the physical space utilization of onsite hardware.
Of course, if virtual tape libraries were perfect, there would be no reason to use actual tape cartridges — but physical tape libraries continue to capture market share from HDD-based systems.
But VTLs make sense for many organizations, particularly enterprises with relatively well-defined backup/archive protocols. Below, we’ll discuss some of the major advantages and disadvantages of VTL utilization.
Advantages of Virtual Tape Libraries: Faster Restoration, Lower Deployment Costs
Generally, VTLs have lower initial deployment costs than new tape hardware, although the cost of implementation can vary. VTL solutions can function with all popular backup/archival applications, and the enterprise won’t need to change its practices to put the new system to use.
Other major advantages of VTLs:
- The entire storage capacity of the disk array is available.
- RAID can provide several layers of redundancy, but with optimal data deduplication for better overall storage utilization.
- Hard drives are generally more efficient for read processes than legacy tape cartridges, especially when utilizing RAID.
- VTL can significantly reduce disaster recovery time, particularly when compared with legacy tape formats.
- VTLs support random access, while most legacy tape formats only support sequential data access.
- In crowded datacenters, VTLs may utilize physical space more effectively.
But while virtual tape libraries are effective for many applications, they’re not without their faults — and advances in tape storage technology have nullified some of the benefits.
Disadvantages of Virtual Tape Libraries: Less Resiliency, High Long-Term Costs
One of the major advantages of tape is air-gapping, which provides protection against ransomware and other data security hazards. An air-gapped backup can be isolated from the rest of the data storage infrastructure, ensuring that the enterprise has a recovery option in worst-case scenarios.
VTLs are not air-gapped, nor are they intended to be transported outside of the data center; the VTL essentially acts as an onsite archive. High-capacity tapes can be easily taken off site or offline, so they’re ideal for creating “golden copies,” which are crucial for protecting against malware.
Other advantages of data tape cartridges over VTLs:
- Current tape cartridge formats are significantly less expensive per-gigabyte than hard drives. At the time of writing, LTO-9 has a cost of about $0.0058/GB, and that price will continue to decrease in future generations.
- Modern tape cartridges can utilize file systems such as LTFS to mimic random access (though it’s worth noting that “mimic” is a key phrase — LTFS, while powerful, is still limited to the physics of the tape cartridge).
- In most operations, VTLs are not a full replacement for tapes; they’re intended as a complement to tape infrastructure. As a result, disaster recovery may not be any faster with a VTL in place — and the complexity of VTL implementation may actually add to the time needed for recovery.
Creating a Strategy for Data Archiving and Disaster Recovery
Ultimately, most enterprises require a combination of VTLs and physical tapes. To optimize the benefits of VTLs or physical tapes, the storage infrastructure must be designed for the organization’s specific needs. Any new implementation must be planned carefully, particularly if the goal is to limit tape hardware or to migrate away from a certain tape format.
If you’re considering a switch to VTL, or if you’re looking for ways to optimize your backup/archival processes.
With an extensive library of tape hardware, access to hundreds of current & legacy backup applications, and decades of experience, we create sustainable, cost-efficient strategies for data migration. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Clone rootvg (alt_disk_copy)
List all rootvg disks
1 | root@temp02:/ # lspv |
List all file system across rootvg, hdisk0, and hdisk1
1 | root@temp02:/ # lsvg -l rootvg |
Unmirror rootvg (remove hdisk0)
1 | root@temp02:/ # unmirrorvg rootvg hdisk0 |
Verify the file system in hdisk0
1 | lspv -l hdisk0 |
Remove hdisk0 from rootvg
1 | reducevg rootvg hdisk0 |
Clone rootvg from hdisk1 -> hdisk0
1 | alt_disk_copy -d hdisk0 |
Verify the boot order
1 | bootlist -m normal hdisk[1] |
Destroy altinst_rootvg / old_rootvg
1 | lspv |
Re-form AIX mirror
1 | extendvg -f rootvg hdisk1 |
What is CrowdStrike, and what happened?
The cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike brought down thousands of systems after pushing a faulty update to Windows machines.
On Friday (19, July, 2024) morning, some of the biggest airlines, TV broadcasters, banks, and other essential services came to a standstill as a massive outage rippled across the globe. The outage, which has brought the Blue Screen of Death upon legions of Windows machines across the globe, is linked to just one software company: CrowdStrike.
CrowdStrike plays an important role in helping companies find and prevent security breaches, billing itself as having the “fastest mean time” to detect threats. Since its launch in 2011, the Texas-based company has helped investigate major cyberattacks, such as the Sony Pictures hack in 2014, as well as the Russian cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee in 2015 and 2016. As of Thursday evening, CrowdStrike’s valuation was upwards of $83 billion.
It also has around 29,000 customers, with more than 500 on the list of the Fortune 1000, according to CrowdStrike’s website.
But that popularity put it in the position to wreak havoc when something went wrong, with systems using CrowdStrike and Windows-based hardware falling offline in droves this morning. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said on Friday that the company is “actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts” while emphasizing that the issue isn’t linked to a cyberattack. It also doesn’t affect Mac or Linux machines.
The July 19th outage is tied to CrowdStrike’s flagship Falcon platform, a cloud-based solution that combines multiple security solutions into a single hub, including antivirus capabilities, endpoint protection, threat detection, and real-time monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to a company’s system.
The update in question appears to have installed faulty software onto the core Windows operating system, causing systems to get stuck in a boot loop. Systems are showing an error message that says, “It looks like Windows didn’t load correctly,” while giving users the option to try troubleshooting methods or restart the PC. Many companies, including this airline in India, have resorted to the good old-fashioned way of doing things by hand.
“Our software is extremely interconnected and interdependent,” Lukasz Olejnik, an independent cybersecurity researcher, consultant, and author of the book Philosophy of Cybersecurity, tells The Verge. “But in general, there are plenty of single points of failure, especially when software monoculture exists at an organization.”
Although CrowdStrike has deployed a fix, getting things up and running won’t be a simple task. Olejnik tells The Verge that this issue could take “days to weeks” to resolve because IT administrators may have to have physical access to a device to get them working again. How fast that happens depends on the size and resources of a company’s IT team. “Some systems in certain specific circumstances may be unrecoverable, but I assume that the majority will be recovered,” Olejnik adds.