Using Oracle Explorer

How do I mask my IP addresses?

Oracle Explorer 3.5 and later releases allow for the masking of IPv4 addresses. Oracle Explorer 4.3 and later releases allow for the masking of IPv6 addresses. To mask IP addresses, use the following commands:

• For sh and ksh, use explorer -w !ipaddr

• For csh and bash, use explorer -w \!ipaddr

What's that “defaults” file and can I get rid of it?

The defaults file (/etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default/explorer) is used to gather customer information. This file is created during the installation of package SUNWexplo before the Oracle Explorer 4.3 release. After Oracle Explorer 4.3, the defaults file is created and updated by the explorer -g command.

Oracle Explorer cannot run without the defaults file, and the version of the defaults file must match the version of the package. The file is used to provide valuable information so that the Oracle Explorer data can be retrieved more easily by Field Engineers and System Support Engineers. The defaults file should not be removed. Oracle Explorer notifies you when fields are missing from the defaults file.

More information on the defaults file format is available in the explorer(4) man page.

man -M explorer_install_dir/man -s 4 explorer

My machine locks up when running a script. How do I disable the script?

Because Oracle Explorer can stress the system, it might uncover an operating system bug. In this case, you can disable a module temporarily or permanently.

• For a temporary, one-time change when using the sh or ksh shells, type the following command:

  explorer -options -w default,!module_name

• For a temporary, one-time change when using the csh or bash shells, type the following command:

  explorer -options -w default,\!module_name

  For example, the explorer -v -w default,!nbu command disables the netbackup module.

• For a permanent change, type the following command to open the file in a vi editor:

  vi explorer_install_dir/etc/default/explorer

  Then locate the EXP_WHICH section and modify it to suit your needs.

Is there a way to improve Oracle Explorer's run time?

Oracle Explorer's run time is a function of the server it is running on. Servers with many disks run substantially longer than servers with a small number of disks. Servers under a heavy load also run longer than servers with lighter I/O. Oracle Explorer allows individual data gathering modules to be excluded or groups of modules to be excluded. For data gathering on a scheduled (weekly) basis, if possible, exclude the network and storage modules:

• When using sh or ksh, use explorer -w default,!storage,!network

• When using csh or bash, use explorer -w default,\!storage,\!network

See Oracle Explorer Modules in Oracle Explorer User’s Guide to determine which modules will be skipped.

Why does the t3 module run so long?

The t3 script checks each disk to determine if it is a SUN-T3 model. This check takes longer on servers with a large number of disks than on servers with a small number of disks. This check is done even if no SUN-T3 disks are attached to the server. If the server does not have any SUN-T3 disks attached, this module can be excluded from the Oracle Explorer runs as follows:

• When using sh or ksh, use explorer -w t3

• When using csh or bash, use explorer -w !t3

Why does the t3extended module run so long?

The t3extended script logs in to the T3 array for each command. No alternative other than streaming four to six commands per telnet session is provided. For servers with a large number of T3 arrays attached, this process takes a considerable amount of time. If possible, avoid running the t3extended module as part of the scheduled (weekly) Oracle Explorer run as follows:

• When using sh or ksh, use explorer -w t3extended

• When using csh or bash, use explorer -w !t3extended

Why is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) used by Oracle Explorer and included in the Oracle Explorer output file name?

Oracle Explorer uses the GMT time format to allow processing of Oracle Explorer files from all over the world. Using one time format allows Sun to know exactly when each Oracle Explorer process was run without performing time conversions. Converting the time would require that the Oracle Explorer output file be parsed and the TZ variable extracted.

How will my Oracle Explorer data be used?

Information gathered from customer machines is transmitted to Sun and stored to enable faster, more effective diagnosis and customer support. The data is also reviewed in the aggregate, without reference to individual customers, for planning future offerings and enhancements.

Is my Oracle Explorer data safe and secure?

Data can be transmitted using the secure Net Connect transport (encrypted) or via the HTTPS Oracle Explorer upload tool (see How do I submit my Oracle Explorer output to Sun?).

Once the data is received, Sun protects it to the same high standards it applies to its own information resources. Data storage machines are tightly secured and both physical and electronic access to the machines is restricted to approved support personnel only.

Removal or sharing of any data outside of Sun is not permitted by Sun's Data Stewardship policies. Only internal Sun employees and approved contractors can access the stored Oracle Explorer data, which is controlled by Sun's internal network-access control policy.

I have tools that use the Oracle Explorer output. The format of the output has changed. Why?

The output format from Oracle Explorer is based largely upon the output from system commands. If those commands have different output when a new version or bug fix comes out, then the Oracle Explorer output will also change.

How do I submit my Oracle Explorer output to Sun?

Oracle Explorer output can be submitted to the proactive database using HTTPS, email, or FTP.

For HTTPS transfer, there are two methods:

• Manually submit the Oracle Explorer output file one time.

  To do this, go to https://supportfiles.sun.com/upload and submit the output file using your browser.

• Automatically submit the Oracle Explorer output file every time you run Oracle Explorer.

  To do this, use the explorer -g option to configure Oracle Explorer to send its output automatically by means of HTTPS every time the explorer command is run with the -P option. See Is proxy support available when I configure Oracle Explorer to send its output automatically by way of HTTPS? for information on proxy support.

For email transfer, use one of the following email addresses:

• For APAC: explorer-database-apac@sun.com

• For EMEA: explorer-database-emea@sun.com

• For AMER: explorer-database-americas@sun.com

For FTP transfer, see How do I use FTP to transfer my Oracle Explorer output?

You can also use multiple transport options with explorer, for example:

explorer -transport mailto:explorer-database-americas@sun.com -transport ftp://server-name.sun.com/dest_dir

Is proxy support available when I configure Oracle Explorer to send its output automatically by way of HTTPS?

Yes. Oracle Explorer 5.5 and later uses curl for HTTPS upload support. The HTTPS_PROXY environment variable allows curl to use a proxy server. The following example shows how to use the HTTPS_PROXY environment variable:

HTTPS_PROXY=proxy.example.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY
explorer ...

Explorer 5.7 and later enables you to run the Explorer -g command that asks for proxy server information so you no longer need to set HTTPS_PROXY yourself.

For more information about curl, see http://curl.haxx.se/docs/manpage.html#ENVIRONMENT.

How do I use FTP to transfer my Oracle Explorer output?

To configure Oracle Explorer to use FTP as a transport, the /.netrc file needs to be created and populated with the destination site. The /.netrc file should be mode 600 (-rw-------). Here is an example entry:

machine server-name.sun.com login anonymous password email@domain

For destination sites, see How to Use FTP to Submit Oracle Explorer Files in Oracle Explorer User’s Guide.

The following command transfers the explorer output using FTP:

explorer -transport ftp://server-name.sun.com/dest_dir

Is there a way for me to run an analysis on the Oracle Explorer output myself?

Analysis reports for Oracle Explorer submitted through Sun Net Connect can be obtained with Sun System Analysis, which is a for-fee service.

For Platinum contracts, subscription to Sun System Analysis is included into the contract. Regular Oracle Explorer analysis is also done as a part of Sun Preventive Services program.

Results from Oracle Explorer submissions can also be obtained from your local Field Engineer or System Support Engineer. You can also view the raw text files, which are located at:

explorer_install_dir/output/explorer.hostid.hostname.current_date_ time

What is munpack and why do I need it?

The munpack utility is a freeware utility used to decode MIME messages. Because Oracle Explorer can come in multiple parts, a tool is needed to put the MIME messages together into the original explorer tar file. The munpack utility is available for download at ftp://ftp.andrew.cmu.edu/pub/mpack/.

I received Oracle Explorer output in multiple parts. How do I get the tar file?

Oracle Explorer 3.5 and later splits large Oracle Explorer outputs into multiple parts to pass through mail servers with size limits.

Instructions for dtmail:

1. For each part, from the Message menu, select Copy To Mailbox, and then Select Mailbox.

2. Enter a file name, and then select Copy.

3. Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 until each part is in its own file.

4. Use munpack on the files.

Instructions for other mail readers:

1. Save each part to a file, for example exp.1, exp.2, and exp.3.

2. Use munpack on the files.

   The following is an example of what the output might look like:

   $ munpack exp.? Saving part 1 of 3 7746.989349175@goal Saving part 2 of 3 7746.989349175@goal Saving part 3 of 3 7746.989349175@goal explorer.83085a73.goal-2001.05.08.18.42-tar.gz (application/octet-stream)

What is causing my email submission of Oracle Explorer output to be rejected by Sun external mail servers?

While there a several possible causes, one possibility is a reverse-lookup failure. All email directed to Sun is reverse-address checked. If the sender's return address is not a valid, reachable address, the email is rejected. Before sending an email, verify that your return email address can be accessed externally.

How do I add or edit a Oracle Explorer cronjob?

Run the explorer -gcommand to add or edit a Oracle Explorer cronjob. When prompted about whether you want to schedule running Oracle Explorer in cron, answer yes.

You can choose to schedule running Oracle Explorer on a weekly basis or on a monthly basis. Oracle Explorer adds an entry in the root crontab file. The following are example crontab entries:

• Monthly at midnight on the first day of the month:

  0 0 1 * * /opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -q -e # SUNWexplo

• Weekly at midnight on Sunday:

  0 0 * * 0 /opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -q -e # SUNWexplo

To modify an entry, use the crontab (1) command.

How do I delete a Oracle Explorer cronjob?

Oracle Explorer version 5.4 to 5.13 deletes any crontab entry that contains trailing comment #SUNWexplo during removal of Explorer. Moreover, it deletes old cron entry when you run explorer -g and opt to not schedule the cron job. Explorer 6.0 onwards asks you if you want to save the cron entry for future use during cron entry creation. If you opt to save it, Explorer leaves the cron entry commented out during removal; otherwise, it removes the entry. Explorer looks for the exact executable with full path to identify the cron entry, instead of the trailing comment #SUNWexplo.

How can I set up Oracle Explorer to run weekly, but send a copy of the summary information only to myself?

Modify the superuser's crontab entry with any of the following options (that is, explorer -E myaddress@mycompany.com).

• -e | -mail

  Can be used to automatically email Oracle Explorer output to the recipients specified in the etc/default/explorer configuration file.

• -E email_address| -myemail email_address

  Automatically emails Oracle Explorer output to email-address of your choice.

• -r

  Use User email address in etc/default/explorer file for the address where receipts of Oracle Explorer should go. This feature is not currently implemented on the receiving end.

• -R email_address

  Use email_address for the address where receipts of Oracle Explorer should go.

How can I run a particular module or group in interactive mode?

To run an individual module in interactive mode, use -w <module name>. To run a group in interactive mode, specify the keyword interactive with the group alias.

Interactive mode can be used only if the configuration file (*input.txt) does not contain information.

How do I run all the modules?

Use the explorer -w all command.

Where can I find the output of an IPS command, pkg info -l?

The output can be found in the <explorer output directory>/patch+pkg/pkg_info-l.out file.

How do I run Explorer in OpenSolaris?

In OpenSolaris, Explorer is packaged and installed differently than on other operating systems; however, the commands and various options used to run Explorer remain the same.

Is there a way to push Explorer images in the destination specified by supportfiles.sun.com?

Yes, by using the -hd option:

usage: /opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -hd <destination directory>
eg   : /opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -hd europe-cores/uk/incoming

Can Explorer be installed in alternate path and still be used?

To use Explorer from an alternate path, complete the following steps. For detailed information about installing and using Explorer in an alternate path, see How to Use Explorer from an Alternate Path in Oracle Explorer User’s Guide.

1. Create a default configuration file for alternate root instance as <alternate root>/etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default/explorer running <alternate root>/opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -g.

2. Run Explorer from the alternate path, using -d option to locate the alternate default configuration file:<alternate root>opt/SUNWexplo/bin/explorer -d <alternate root>/etc/opt/SUNWexplo/default/explorer.

Can I install Explorer in pkg(5) form?

Explorer supports pkg (5) standard of packaging mechanism from 6.0 onwards and can be installed using STB for OpenSolaris bundles.

What happens to the legacy packaging mechanism (SVR4) followed by Explorer? Will Explorer be still available in that form?

In addition to being delivered in pkg(5) form, Explorer will continue to be delivered as an SVR4 package.

Can I get an on-disk distribution of Explorer in pkg(5) form?

No. pkg(5) or the Image Packaging System (IPS) does not support on-disk distribution of packages at this time. Explorer must be published first to a Depot server and must be installed from there using the STB for OpenSolaris bundle.

Does pkg uninstall SUNWexplo/SUNWexplu for Image Packaging System (IPS) do the same as pkgrm SUNWexplo/SUNWexplu does in SVR4?

No, IPS packaging mechanism does not support or invoke any script during pkg uninstall, so pkg uninstall cannot remove the cron job for Explorer automatically. A new command line option, explorer -clean has been provided to uninstall Explorer pkg(5), remove all traces of Explorer including configuration files and cron entry. This command should be run to remove the application completely. For upgrading to a higher version of Explorer pkg(5), removal of configuration files and cron entry are not required.

Does Explorer collect write cache status data?

No, starting from 6.1 Explorer does not collect write cache status data. Though the write cache status data is important in the diagnosis of data integrity and performance issues, it causes unwanted failover behavior in some Veritas DMP configurations. Hence, this function collect_writecache has been commented out. If this data is important in some user specific need, you can collect the write cache status data by un-commenting the function call, collect_writecache in the disks module located under tools/disks.

What should I do if Explorer fails to capture ILOM snapshot data on T5120/T5140/T5220/T5240 systems?

Explorer needs a user with admin privileges in order to connect to ILOM to execute snapshot command. For information on how to create such user in ILOM kindly refer to "Managing User Accounts" section of "Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM) Administration Guide

Can explorer handle output files that are of 2GB or more in size?

Yes, Explorer 6.3 and higher versions bundle large file aware gzip binary (gzip 1.3.9). This gzip binary is capable of handling large files that contains 2GB or more data.

If system already has a gzip installed, the bundled gzip utility will not be installed on the host.

I have the most recent version of Explorer installed on my system. The rprtfru output (prtfru_-x.out) on my system shows "unrecognized value" for some vendors. Why?

Explorer 6.3 has updated the bundled rprtfru binary. It recognizes all of the vendors who are listed in the recent libfrureg.so.1 library. rprtfru will not detect other unregistered vendors and will thus tag them as 'unrecognized value'.

Can I run Explorer on sparc 7 machine?

Explorer 6.3 (and higher) does not support sparc 7. However you can run explorer by installing gzip on your system.

Why is the 'System Type' field in the Explorer README file is empty on my machine?

You are probably running explorer X86 9 or below. smbios command output, which explorer uses for parsing system type, may return empty string in these architectures.

I have read that explorer now has its own module for collecting serial number. What is the module and where is this serial number stored?

Explorer 6.3 and higher versions has a new module 'platform_serial' which attempts gathering serial data from various data sources. The output is stored in sysconfig/platform_serial file on the explorer output directory.

Can Explorer preserve configurations for extended modules?

Yes, Explorer 6.4 and above can migrate the existing configuration files for extended modules to the latest format available, preserving the active configurations.

For sanextended module, if Explorer finds the configuration file in old format (with parameters SWITCH, LOGIN and PASSWORD), data will be migrated to new format, value of newly introduced parameter SWITCHTYPE will be mentioned as '-' and data lines will be kept commented. User will have to uncomment data and replace '-' with appropriate SWITCHTYPE value to run the module.

For ilomsnapshot module, value of newly introduced DATASET will be mentioned as '-'. If user does not replace '-' with a valid dataset before running the module, snapshot data will be collected for default dataset 'fruid'.

Explorer 6.4 multi-platform SVR4 packages only support the automatic upgrade of configuration files for extended modules.

Does Explorer support encryption for ILOM snapshot data collection? How to encrypt and decrypt snapshot data collected from ILOMs?

Yes, Explorer ilomsnapshot module supports encryption for snapshot data collection on ILOMs in interactive mode. In non-interactive mode (using configuration file), encryption is not supported. User will be prompted to opt for encryption and subsequently will be asked to provide encryption password. Data will be collected in *.zip.e format in explorer output. User will have to run the following commands to decrypt and unzip data.

Decrypt:

openssl aes-128-cbc -d -in <input file *.zip.e> -out <output file *.zip>

enter aes-128-cbc decryption password:

Unzip:

unzip -q <input file *.zip>

Why does Oracle Explorer no longer run the 'prometheus' module?

The prometheus module has been renamed RAIDmanager with Oracle Explorer 6.5. All collectibles of the prometheus module are now collected under RAIDmanager.

Why has a new '-sr' option been introduced in Oracle Explorer when we already have '-C/-case' for IBIS case numbers?

Oracle recognizes only service request numbers and not the case numbers. Starting with Oracle Explorer 6.5, users should use the -sr option to provide service request numbers for reactive Explorers instead of -C/-case options. The -C/-case options are now deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

Why does Oracle Explorer no longer run the 'cst' and 'netconnect' modules?

Since CST and NetConnect have been EOL'd, Oracle Explorer 6.5 (and later) no longer collects data for them.