Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Solaris - DMI error

We kept getting the following error on a number of servers (all running Solaris 10 update 10):

snmpXdmid: Registration with DMI failed. err = 831

After hunting around I found that the error is related to one of two issues:
1. Missing patch (138361-02 or later), or
2. Database files need clearing out

Having checked that the patch was there:
# patchadd -p | grep 138361-02
Response:
Patch: 138361-02 Obsoletes: 128415-01 137019-02 Requires: Incompatibles: Packages: SUNWsacom SUNWsadmi

(Checked MOS to see if this was the latest patch, which it was).

Which left clearing down the snmpXdmid database:
# svcadm disable dmi
# rm /var/dmi/db/*
# svcadm enable dmi

Once cleared down the error disappeared......

References:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19082-01/819-2379/swmgrpatchconcepts-30/index.html
https://forums.oracle.com/thread/2242176



Friday, 2 August 2013

Azure - Accessing the first VM from work

Well, we have gone and bought some Azure time/space and as one of the Consultants said "It's like leaving some money behind the bar". If that's the case, I'll have a Guinness......

First of all getting access seemed a bit long winded - someone has to gain access to the account and then delegate some sort of server admin role so VMs can be created.

Deploying a VM is pretty easy - New > Virtual Machine > Quick Create (or From Gallery).

Once the VM created you click on the Connect icon down the bottom of the screen and a RDP shortcut is downloaded.

Double clicking on the shortcut, at work, produced the normal failure to connect due to Firewall rules.....

What we needed to do was:

1. Double click on the machine name.
2. In the new Window click on Endpoints links.
3. Change the *PUBLIC PORT to 3389 (same as the PRIVATE PORT).
4. Change the Firewall rules so that 3389 is open to (and from) the *MS Datacentres IP ranges that we use.

* By default MS Windows Azure assigns a port in the dynamic range (49152–65535) for Remote Desktop
* A list of IP ranges per Datacentre can be found here