2 Using Oracle Explorer Data Collector

This chapter provides details for using Oracle Explorer Data Collector and how to submit output files to Oracle Support.

Using Oracle Explorer Data Collector from an Alternate Path

Follow the procedure below to install and use Oracle Explorer Data Collector from an alternate path after you have downloaded the latest installer (see "Download Oracle Explorer Data Collector"):

Complete steps 1 through 7 in "Extracting Individual Packages".

Note:
The Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA) needs to be installed, too, in order for Oracle Explorer to be able to collect all information.
As superuser, install Explorer. Run:

pkgadd -R <alternate root> -d . SUNWexplo SUNWexplu
Create default configuration file for alternate root instance as <alternate root>/etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default/explorer running <alternate root>/opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -g
To run Explorer from alternate path, use the -d option to locate the alternate default configuration file:

<alternate root>opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -d <alternate root>/etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default/explorer

Run Oracle Explorer Data Collector with NFS

Installing Oracle Explorer on multiple servers can be a time-consuming task. To reduce the installation time, install Oracle Explorer on one system and then use NFS mount to share the install directory with other systems.

Create an Oracle Explorer Data Collector defaults file for the NFS client by performing the following substeps on the NFS server with the tool installed:

Note:
Most values in the NFS server's Oracle Explorer Data Collector defaults file are valid for all servers in the environment.
1. Record the NFS client's host name and host ID.
2. Become superuser.
3. Go to the Oracle Explorer default directory.
  
  cd /etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default
4. Copy and rename the defaults file to associate it with the host (for example, explorer.hostname).
  
  cp explorer nfs_dir/explorer.hostname
5. Edit the new explorer.hostname file to reset the following variable (where hostid is the client's hostid):
  
  EXP_SERIAL_$hostid="Client's serial number"
Reference the client's Oracle Explorer Data Collector defaults file.
Note:
When using the explorer command on an NFS client, you must specify the Oracle Explorer Data Collector defaults file as input, and you must specify the output directory location. If you do not specify the client's Oracle Explorer defaults file, the NFS server's defaults file is used. If you do not specify the output directory location, an attempt is made to write the output to the NFS server's explorer_install_dir/output directory. The NFS mounted file system might not allow writing over the NFS mount.
Use the following Oracle Explorer options:
- Specify the defaults file with -d nfs_client_accessible_dir/explorer.host-name
- Specify the directory in which to write the output with -t /var/tmp (which is a local writable directory)
Direct output to a local, writable directory by performing the following substeps on the NFS client:
1. Become superuser.
2. Mount the explorer_install_dir directory from the NFS server
3. Change directories into the mount point.
4. Execute the following command to send output to the client's /var/tmp/output directory:
  
  # explorer -d nfs_dir/explorer.hostname -t /var/tmp
Do the following to schedule Oracle Explorer Data collector to run on an NFS client using cron:
1. Verify that the NFS server is available.
2. Verify that the explorer_install_dir directory is mounted on the NFS server.
3. Do not send messages to standard output or to standard error.
4. Redirect to specific files or /dev/null

Use FTP to Submit Oracle Explorer Data Collector Files

This section describes the procedure to manually submit a Oracle Explorer output file to the Oracle Explorer database (ConfigDB).

AMER and APAC Submissions

Open a terminal window and type: ftp supportfiles.sun.com
Type the following user name and password to log in:

Username: anonymous Password: your_email_address
Type the following commands at the ftp prompt:
```
ftp> cd /explorer 
ftp> bin 
ftp> hash
ftp> put explorer.filename
```
Note:
The title explorer.filename is the name of the file to upload. Use explorer as the file name prefix.
For example: explorer.80a711xy.abcdf-2002.04.01.12.40-tar.gz

EMEA Submissions

Open a terminal window and type: ftp sunsolve.sun.co.uk
Type the following user name and password to log in:

Username: anonymous Password: your_email_address
Type the following commands at the ftp prompt:
```
ftp> cd cores/uk/incoming 
ftp> bin 
ftp> hash
ftp> put explorer.filename
```
Note:
The title explorer.filename is the name of the file to upload. Use explorer as the file name prefix.
For example: explorer.80a711xy.abcdf-2002.04.01.12.40-tar.gz

Use HTTP/HTTPS to Submit Oracle Explorer Data Collector Files

This section describes the procedure to manually submit an Oracle Explorer Data Collector output file to the database (ConfigDB).

For HTTP, the upload link is: http://supportfiles.sun.com/upload

For HTTPS, the upload link is: https://supportfiles.sun.com/upload

Oracle Explorer Data Collector files need to be uploaded to the following destinations for automatic submission to the correct configdb.

AMER - explorer-amer
APAC - explorer-apac
EMEA - explorer-emea

Run Explorer for Different Modules/Groups

Explorer can be run for the following modules/groups:

explorer -w all

Runs all modules.
explorer -w all,interactive

If the modules tagged to the group all require user interaction, the user is prompted for input.
explorer -w default

Runs modules tagged to default
explorer -w default,interactive

Runs modules tagged to default group. If the modules tagged to the group default require user interaction, the user is prompted for input.
explorer -w extended

Runs modules tagged to extended group.
explorer -w extended, interactive

Runs all modules tagged to extended group using interactive mode if the corresponding *input.txt file is not populated.
explorer -w <module name>

If the <module name> requires user interaction, it runs in interactive mode.
explorer -w default,<module name>

Modules tagged under the group default and module_name are executed. Even if the modules tagged under the group default require user interaction, the user is NOT prompted for input. If the module_name requires user input (the corresponding configuration file *input.txt is not populated with relevant information), the user is prompted for input; if the module_name does not require user input, it is executed if hardware compatibility is met.

Troubleshooting Explorer

This section addresses known issues and workaround solutions for the Oracle Explorer Data Collector.

ACT Truncated Output

Oracle Explorer Data Collector Release 6.6 may truncate the ACT output on certain Solaris 10 systems that has ACT versions between 8 and 8.14 installed. This truncation is done to avoid file system overflow described in ACT bug 6897128.

Work around: Download and install the latest version of ACT into the system.

Running Oracle Explorer Data Collector in the Background

If you attempt to run Oracle Explorer Data Collector as a background process in a terminal without -SR, -esc, or -case options, then the tool may wait for you to input (on Explorer type) at the background. In such cases, the tool will not complete its execution and will wait on your input.

Work around: You may note a stopped message on the terminal indicating the suspended process at the background. You will need to bring the suspended process to foreground and then provide the appropriate response to all the Oracle Explorer Data Collector to continue its run.

IPS Actions, Triggered by STB Installation (Solaris 11)

For systems running Solaris 11, most installation tasks are done through the Image Packaging System (IPS). The steps taken for IPS are:

Publish the file-based IPS repository, extracted from install_stb.sh. Run:
```
pkg set-publisher –g <ips repository> solaris
```
For software that is in IPS format, the installer will launch:
```
ips install <software>
```
When all the software is installed, the file-based repository is unpublished with:
```
pkg set-publisher –G <ips-repository> solaris
```

Note:

The individual IPS actions can take time, which might give the impression that the STB installer on Solaris 11 is slow or even hanging.

Failing IPS Actions during an STB Install

In some cases, you may get errors such as:

STB-02004: Cannot publish the IPS repository
STB-02023: IPS installation of support/sneep failed
STB-02023: IPS installation of support/act failed
STB-02013: Cannot unpublish the IPS repository

If you get such an error message, the most likely cause is that there is an active IPS repository on the system, which can no longer be reached. To list the active IPS repositories, run:

# pkg publisher

Output should look like:

PUBLISHER             TYPE     STATUS   URI
solaris               origin   online   file:///var/tmp/stb/extract/ipsrepo/

In this case, we see a file based IPS repository point to /var/tmp/stb/extract/ipsrepo. If someone has removed this file, the IPS actions, triggered by the STB installation, will all fail.

A similar case can happen when an HTTP-based repository can no longer be reached.

The remedy in this cases is to “de-activate” the non-reachable IPS repository by “pkg set-publisher –G <ips repository> <publisher>”.

Tracing an STB Installation

You might find the STB installation slow or might even think the installation is hanging.

If you thing this is the case, start by using the “-verbose” option with “./install_stb.sh” so that you get more information of what the installer is doing currently.

If you are still convinced that the installer is hanging, please send a full trace to Oracle. You can do this by:

./install_stb.sh –trace –verbose >/tmp/trace 2>&1

Do not forget to type “I(install)” to start the actual installation.