Updating QLogic HBA Firmware/BIOS using the QFlasher CD

While installing a QLogic Host Bus Adapter(HBA) I needed a QFlasher CD to update the firmware. The associated knowledge base article:
CD-ROM DOS Boot Disk ISO Image for Updating the BIOS and Firmware QLogic Adapters
does not list necessary commands to complete the process through Caldera DR-DOS and the DOS prompt is not self-explanatory.

After booting the x86/64 server I used these commands to get to the update program:

After the system completely boots, the user is in drive A. The drivers are in P. To switch to drive P
A:\> P:

List of available commands
A:\> ?

To read a text file, the filename + extension is required
A:\> type readme.txt

Show files and sub-directories contained in current directory
P:\> dir

Change directory
P:\> cd ISCSI

To run a file, the extension isn't necessary
P:\ISCSI\40XX> iflash

Note: commands & filenames are not case sensitive.

X Windows: XRECORD Extension

X Windows: XRECORD Extension

Abstract:
The X Windows XRECORD Extension allows for a free framework to observe and record graphical activities of an X Windows client program running on an X Server. The XRecord extension may have been released with X11 release 6.1, although documentation was released from with X11 release 6.4. The extenions may be leveraged for security purposes (i.e. auditing), careful watching of an X Server for smoother remote frame buffer implementations, or even for automating testing procedures.

Definition:
[html | pdf] --- XRecord Extension Library - Version 1.13 - X Consortium Standard - X Version 11, Release 6.4 - Copyright © 1994 Network Computing Devices, Inc - Copyright © 1995 X Consortium

Example Uses:
[html | pdf] --- Version 0.7.2beta of x11vnc - The X RECORD extension is used to detect some scrolls.

[html | pdf] --- PyKeylogger is a free open source keylogger written in the python

[html | pdf] --- Xnee is a suite of programs that can record, replay and distribute user actions under the X11 environment. Think of it as a robot that can imitate the job you just did.

[html | pdf] --- AutoKey is a desktop automation utility for Linux and X11. It allows you to manage collection of scripts, and assign abbreviations and hotkeys to these scripts allowing you to execute them on demand in whatever program you are using.

[html | pdf] --- Issues in Fedora 10

[html | pdf] --- X RECORD extension C Code example.

[html | pdf] --- Record keystrokes via Per module.

[html | pdf] --- Apple MacOSX vnc2swf to record vnc and aqua sessions.

[html | pdf] --- vnc2swf, to record vnc sessions in macromedia shockwave files.

[html | pdf] --- vnc2flv, to record vnc sessions in adobe flash files.

[html | pdf] --- screencasting under Solaris.

[html | pdf] --- How to Create a Flash Demo using Vnc2swf.

[html | pdf] --- Recording your screen in Solaris works right out of the box. All you need to install is vncserver and vnc2swf.


Commercial Uses:
[html | pdf ] --- The Pose technology is used for exactly and totally recording (capture) and later or simultaneous playback of X11 sessions or individual applications, optionally together with audio, video, or arbitrary binary data streams. The recording may be converted to video formats

Solaris 10: Changing Your System Language Settings via Console

Abstract: Recently while setting up a new server, I accidentally set the default language to Espanol UTF-8 instead of the intended English UTF-8(hey, it happens). Here's how I resolved the issue.

Extract:

1) Log in as superuser:

$ su
PASSWORD: #####

2) Ensure that the language you want is available(excerpted response follows):

# ls /usr/lib/locale

...
C
POSIX
common
en_US.UTF-8
es
es.UTF-8
geo
en_US

If the language is not installed, consult http://developers.sun.com/global/products_platforms/solaris/reference/faqs/solaris-10-locale-packages.html for more information.

3) Edit the start-up default language settings:

# vi /etc/default/init

...
TZ=US/Eastern
CMASK=022
LC_COLLATE=es.UTF-8
LC_CTYPE=es.UTF-8
LC_MESSAGES=es.UTF-8
LC_MONETARY=es.UTF-8
LC_NUMERIC=es.UTF-8
LC_TIME=es.UTF-8

I changed the file to:

...
TZ=US/Eastern
CMASK=022
LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8
LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8
LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8
LC_MONETARY=en_US.UTF-8
LC_NUMERIC=en_US.UTF-8
LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8

4) Reboot.

Troubleshooting:

When logging in, if you see the error: "couldn't set locale correctly", the language was probably misspelled or miscapitalized. Try the above steps again.

2011 April 03-09: Articles of Interest

ZFS, Flash, Database, and industry Articles of Interest


2010-09 - Oracle Database Cloning Solution Using Oracle's Sun ZFS Storage Appliance And Oracle Data Guard

This document describes how the Oracle Data Guard feature is deployed in conjunction with the snapshot and cloning features of the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance, enabling easy and efficient database cloning of a standby database. This document also includes Oracle-validated best practices and scripting to automate the database cloning operation.

2010-11 - Solid State Storage Performance Test Specification

The Storage Networking Industry Association’s (SNIA) Solid State Storage Technical Work Group (SSS TWG) has developed a very important document: The Solid State Storage Performance Test Specification (SSS PTS).

The SSS PTS sets forth a standard methodology and nomenclature for measuring the
performance of solid state storage devices. Participation in the SSS TWG came from a number of solid state storage (SSS) industry companies and stakeholders from all parts of the SSS industry, including the designers and manufacturers of SSS devices, computer systems, controller chips, test labs, and end users.

2011-04 - Oracle Database Cloning Solution Using Oracle Recovery Manager
and Sun ZFS Storage Appliance

This paper describes how to use the Oracle RMAN incrementally updated backup feature to back up a SAN-based ASM database into a Network File System (NFS) protocol-based database stored on the Sun ZFS Storage Appliance.

The snapshot and cloning features of the storage appliance are then used to duplicate or clone the Oracle RMAN backup. The cloning procedure explained in this document is performed at the production site.

2011-04-08 - Verizon iPad 2s suffer 3G blindness

Apple iPhone/iPad users had stressed the AT&T wireless backbone. Verizon is now next on the list of carriers to have their infrastructure stressed.

Last Saturday, a user with the handle of nixxon2000 began a thread on Apple's iPad discussion board saying that he or she was unable to get a 3G connection. Since that initial posting, 83 other users (and counting) have chimed in, prompting nearly 13,500 page views.

Another poster, Dambuilder, reported that after navigating up Verizon's support ladder, he or she was told that "the constant roaming indication is a bug that they presently have no solution for."

SunRay is now Citrix Certified!

It is official!

Citrix Ready Sun Ray Clients:

• Sun Ray 3 Client
• Sun Ray 3i Client
• Sun Ray 3 Plus Client

Deleting a locked partition table with Windows XP

Partition tables are lockable, for instance GUID Partition Tables (GPT) will do this, and even though you can see that the disk is attached and activated you may not be able to format it or see its contents. When using Windows XP, if you no longer need the data, the easiest way to get around this is to use the default installed tool DiskPart.exe to remove the disk's Master Boot Record(MBR).

From the XP desktop:
go to Start> Run...> cmd

C:\>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565 Copyright (C) 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ---------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 37 GB 0 B
Disk 1 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 2 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 3 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 4 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 5 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 6 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 7 Online 34 GB 0 B
Disk 8 Online 34 GB 0 B

DISKPART> select disk 8

Disk 8 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> clean

DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.

DISKPART> exit

The disk is now ready to format.

Solaris 11: Setting Up Mirrored Root Disks

Thanks to Constantin for the Mirrored Root How-To! under Solaris 11 Express!

Oracle Solaris On-Line Forum

2011 April 14 --- Don't Miss... Solaris On-Line Forum

Agenda

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

All times are listed in US Pacific.

9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. PT

Oracle Solaris Strategy Overview

Bill Nesheim, VP Oracle Solaris Engineering

Live online chat available for this session

Add this event to your Outlook calendar

9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. PT

An Industry Analyst's View of the Operating System Market

Gary Chen, IDC

Live online chat available for this session

Add this event to your Outlook calendar

10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. PT

Manage Your Deployments With Image Packaging System and the Automated Installer

Bart Smaalders, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Dave Miner, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Glynn Foster, Oracle Solaris Product Management

Isaac Rozenfeld, Oracle Solaris Product Management

Live online chat available for this session

Add this event to your Outlook calendar

10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. PT

Get More out of Your Oracle Solaris Environments With Virtualization

Dan Price, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Nicolas Droux, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Duncan Hardie, Oracle Solaris Product Management

Live online chat available for this session

Add this event to your Outlook calendar

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. PT

Learn How All New Features in Oracle Solaris 11 Raise The Bar For Operating Systems

Markus Flierl, Sr. Director Oracle Solaris Engineering

Liane Praza, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Joost Pronk, Oracle Solaris Product Management

Live online chat available for this session

Add this event to your Outlook calendar

Details:

Oracle Solaris Strategy Overview It's been about six years since Solaris 10 was released, and it's been about one year that Sun Microsystems is part of Oracle. Bill will explain what has happened in Oracle Solaris Engineering since then, highlighting some of the major engineering projects and innovations that will be part of Oracle Solaris 11.

In addition, you will hear about how Oracle Solaris fits into the overall strategy of engineering hardware and software to work together.

An Industry Analyst's View of the Operating System Market Oracle today is a multi-OS vendor that is adjusting to the opportunities presented with a significantly expanded product portfolio. The company has a long history of supporting Unix operating systems with its broad product portfolio, and the main difference today is Oracle now has direct control over the destiny of the Solaris operating system.

Manage Your Deployments With Image Packaging System and the Automated Installer IPS is a new network-based package management system, that allows you to install, remove, update, or in short, manage, your software. Learn how this new technology will eliminate certain difficulties with software patching, and how it is possible to build your own, internal, package repositories. With the combination of Oracle Solaris ZFS, and Boot Environments, planned downtime for upgrade operations will be drastically reduced. In addition, new installation mechanisms for the upcoming Oracle Solaris 11 release are available, from simple text-based install, to modern LiveCD or LiveUSB images, to more sophisticated automated installation capabilities.

Get More out of Your Oracle Solaris Environments With Virtualization Virtualization is beyond an industry buzzword by now. Whereas there are several hypervisor-based solution in the market place, both from Oracle and other vendors, Oracle Solaris provides built-in operating system virtualization capabilities through Oracle Solaris Zones. Learn about what improvements have been made to this already well-adopted technology. In addition, Oracle Solaris Zones can take great advantage of the enhanced Solaris networking stack, including new network virtualization features and network resource controls.

Learn How All New Features in Oracle Solaris 11 Raise The Bar For Operating Systems Oracle Solaris 10 introduced many new key technologies for the operating system market, from modern filesystem, built-in virtualization, hardware failure detection, to a new service management framework, and much more. In this session, hear about how enhancements to all those areas, in addition to brand new technologies you heard about earlier in this forum, raise the bar for operating systems, thanks to the innovative integration of those technologies in the upcoming Oracle Solaris 11 release.

Speakers:

Bill Nesheim

VP Oracle Solaris Engineering

Bill Nesheim is currently Vice President - Solaris Platform Engineering in Oracle's Hardware Systems group. Bill joined Oracle as part of the Sun acquisition in 2010. Over his 16 years at Sun Bill held a variety of systems software technical leadership positions within Sun's Solaris and Systems organizations, working across microelectronics, software and systems hardware divisions to deliver critical system software in support of Sun's systems and Solaris businesses. Before joining Sun Bill designed and developed systems software at massively parallel supercomputer manufacturer Thinking Machines Corporation. A graduate of Cornell University, Bill holds several patents in the area of cluster interconnect technology, system software support for NUMA systems, massively parallel systems and high performance I/O. Bill is based at Oracle's Burlington, MA engineering center.

Gary Chen

Research Manager, Enterprise Virtualization Software, IDC

Gary Chen is Research Manager for IDC's Enterprise Virtualization Software. In this role, Mr. Chen focuses on server virtualization and its transformational effect on the larger datacenter ecosystem of systems management, networking, storage, and security. His research also examines the extension of virtualization technology into cloud computing. Prior to joining IDC, Mr. Chen was a Senior Analyst at Yankee Group, focusing on small and medium enterprise infrastructure, including virtualization, cloud computing, security, Linux/open source, and channel strategies. Mr. Chen also has 10 years of IT and software development experience, having served as the Director of IT at RIC International, a translation services company, as well as the Director of Engineering at EMUMAIL, a messaging applications and services company. Mr. Chen has consulted extensively at numerous businesses in the retail, e-commerce, healthcare, and publishing industries, helping them make and execute crucial IT decisions. Well known in the industry, Mr. Chen has spoken regularly at industry events and is also frequently quoted in industry and business publications. Mr. Chen holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Miami and completed a two year LEAP graduate program for computer systems engineering at Boston University.

Glynn Foster

Oracle Solaris Product Management

Glynn Foster is a Principle Product Manager for Oracle Solaris, based in New Zealand. Glynn joined Oracle in 2010 as part of the acquisition of Sun Microsystems. At Oracle, Glynn is current Oracle Solaris 11 product management lead. Glynn has a background in engineering with nearly a decade working on the GNOME open source desktop environment, and has a BA Hons in Mathematics from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Isaac Rozenfeld

Oracle Solaris Product Management

Isaac Rozenfeld recently joined the Solaris Product Management group with, first and foremost, a focus on Oracle Solaris Installation technologies. Previously serving as a Financial Services Industry Architect and having joining Oracle from the Financial Services industry group at Sun Microsystems, Isaac focused on architecting solutions for Sun customers and partners in Capital Markets and Insurance segments. Since joining Sun in 1998, he has held many technical lead roles, projecting Sun's relevance and thought leadership into the Financial Services industry. At Sun, Isaac has been a Solaris Ambassador since 2004 and New York's OpenSolaris user group lead since 2007. He is a co-author of a Sun Blueprint entitled "Slicing and Dicing Servers: A Guide to Virtualization and Containment Technologies" and has been a speaker and presenter at numerous internal and external events. Isaac received a B.Sci degree in Computer Science from Queens College, City University of New York. Isaac lives in New York city with his wife and their 2 kids. He maintains a blog at http://blogs.sun.com/unixman

Bart Smaalders

Oracle Solaris Engineering

Bart Smaalders is a senior contributor in the Solaris kernel group. Since joining Sun in 1989, he has worked on a wide variety of projects in various parts of Solaris, with a principle focus on performance-related work. He is a co-author of "Programming with Threads", has several patents and tends to meddle in other people's projects. For the last three years Bart has been working on the Image Packaging System, which is completely changing the way Solaris customers install and maintain software on their machines. While not writing software, he enjoys working on his steam launch, rebuilding an old Airstream trailer and in general making things one can actually see.

Dave Miner

Oracle Solaris Engineering

Dave is the Architect for the Solaris Installation technologies. Prior to Oracle's purchase of Sun, he held similar positions at Sun, where he worked for 19 years. He is also a co-author of the book, OpenSolaris Bible (http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470385480.html) (Wiley, February 2009). His background is in networking and system administration. During his time at Sun, some of the things Dave worked on include the original Solaris admintool and sysidtool, a product related to PC-NFS called SolarNet PC-Admin, the Solaris DHCP server and DHCP Manager management tool, and the Service Management Facility (SMF). Dave graduated from Michigan State University in 1987 with a B.S. in Computer Science. While there he worked as a system administrator and programmer for the College of Engineering computer facilities.

Duncan Hardie

Oracle Solaris Product Management

Duncan Hardie is a Solaris Product Manager with responsibility for Solaris Virtualization and Networking. Joining Oracle as part of the Sun acquisition, he started in engineering working on device drivers for fault tolerant products he has moved through the company spending his time in customer facing roles positioning and delivering solutions in monitoring, high performance computing and currently virtualization. In his role as a Solaris Product Manager, Duncan works to help define, deliver and position Solaris virtualization and networking products. Dan PriceOracle Solaris EngineeringDan Price joined the Oracle Solaris kernel team in 1998, and leads the Oracle Solaris Zones team. He has worked on I/O frameworks, Oracle Solaris Zones, Oracle Solaris Legacy Containers, Solaris 11 Image Packaging, and other projects. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Brown University.

Nicolas Droux

Oracle Solaris Engineering

Nicolas Droux is a Senior Principal Software Engineer with the Solaris Core Operating System group at Oracle. He has led, architected, and implemented several kernel projects in the areas of networking, virtualization, I/O, security, and high performance computing. His blog is at http://blogs.sun.com/droux, and he can be reached at nicolas.droux@oracle.com. Joost PronkOracle Solaris Product ManagementJoost Pronk currently is the CTO for Oracle Solaris Product Management at Oracle, where he leads the team of product managers responsible for the different Oracle Solaris areas. Until recently he was the Virtualization Strategist where he worked on unifying and communicating Sun Microsystem's end to end virtualization strategy and offerings across desktops, servers, storage, networking. Previous to this role, Joost spent several years in Sun's Solaris product team driving product management for virtualization in Sun's flagship operating system. Joost is a frequent speaker at industry conferences for virtualization, security, and systems management.

Liane Praza

Oracle Solaris Engineering

Liane Praza is a Principal Software Engineer in Solaris. She joined Oracle in 2010, when the company acquired Sun. Before that, Liane was with Sun for more than 10 years. She has worked extensively in many areas of Solaris, including high availability, filesystems and devices, and resource management, service management, and system management. She has a BS in Computer Science from Purdue University.

Markus Flierl

Sr. Director, Oracle Solaris Engineering

Markus is leading the Solaris Core Technology development organization. This includes the key Solaris technologies like kernel, networking, virtualization, security etc. Markus has spent almost a decade in Solaris development managing development projects in different areas of core technology including the Crossbow Network Virtualization and Resource Control project as well as the Service Management Facility (smf) which was introduced in Solaris 10.