Tag Archives: emc

Moving on towards the big picture

  By Sean | February 5, 2013 - 8:00 AM | ,
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thebigpictureRecently I celebrated my 3 year mark with working at EMC.  In that time I went through the GSAP program (more info on my blog post of my 2 year anniversary), assisted customers in USD tech support, and most recently helped cultivate a proactive social support model for our team.  Over that time, I’ve only had to change desks once but changed managers 9 times.

 

Well I am proud to announce that as of Monday, February 11th, 2013, I will be changing desks and managers again.  I have accepted an opportunity to join EMC’s Social Media Marketing team!  This is the same great team that my friend Matt Brender joined a year ago and I am extremely excited to be working together again at EMC.

 

I’m not exactly sure what the future will hold with this job, and that is what attracted me to it.  I have been working with the team ad-hoc style for the past year already participating in brainstorming sessions for R.A.M.P and EMC Elect.  I can only imagine what projects and ideas will come in 2013 as a good amount of this job will be brainstorming and creating them.

 

While I am moving away from being dedicated to VNX, I plan to still stay heavily involved with the storage and virtualization communities and blog about new and exciting technologies as well as things I interact with as part of my new role.

EMC Elect 2013 – Thank you!

  By Sean | January 15, 2013 - 8:00 AM |
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imageAround 2 months ago I wrote about EMC Elect.  This new recognition program is similar to Microsoft MVP and VMware vExpert.  When I wrote about the subject initially, I had just received word that I was nominated from a reader.  Fast forward to now, and I received word that I have been accepted as one of the 75 EMC Elect 2013.

 

I want to thank everyone who reads my blog, talks with me on twitter, or interacts with me on ECN or in person.  I am honored that you find my posts and insight so great and I want to keep that going through 2013 and beyond.

 

I ask that everyone please join me in congratulating the other members of EMC Elect 2013.  We have an amazing group of individuals this year and every one of them deserves this recognition.

 

Again, thank you all for making this happen and look forward to more great EMC posts!

My 2012 in review (and a look towards 2013)

  By Sean | December 31, 2012 - 12:10 PM | , , ,
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2012I find myself on this new years eve (after digging out from 10 inches of snow) reflecting back on all that has happened this year.  Checking in with the old Google analytics website, this year I ranked in over 18,000 visits to my website.  That might not seem like much, but that’s a 3x growth over last year and I want to thank all of my readers for being a part of it!

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I think I’ve really started to find my voice for Thulin’ Around and have started to make it my own.  I’ve been leveraging the blog as I can in my role in EMC’s VNX support lab.  This would probably explain why my #1 post is still my LDAP post from 2011 (which was revisited in 2012 with a new post for the latest VNX software).

 

My employer also recognized what I do for the VNX community with my blog and listed me as part of their social media blogging core and I am honored to be in such great company as Chad Sakac and Jeramiah Dooley.

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Towards the end of the year, EMC launched a brand advocacy rewards program called EMC Elect and I was very happy to be nominated by my readers.  Having a great friend like Matthew Brender, I was able to see all that goes in to building out a project of this magnitude and I have a new found respect for the effort that is required behind the scenes.  The founding members that were selected are a great group of individuals and I believe they represent the principles and values that should be recognized as part of EMC Elect.

 

2012 was also a great year for shows and user groups for me.  I was able to travel to EMC World 2012 as part of the Ask the Expert program.  At these events, I was able to demonstrate another passion of mine, Photography.  I published 170 photos from EMC World 2012 and as more events rolled through, I continued to refine my technique and you can see a real difference in my photos from the EMC Forum Boston 2012.

 

Looking forward to 2013

So what does 2013 have in store for me?  Well I’m starting the year off with a long trip to Seattle, Washington.  There I will be assisting the Isilon support team transition over to the EMC Support tools and processes.  If you are in the Seattle area, lets meet up!  Just check my twitter feed to reach out to me.

 

I also expect to use social media more and more in my job role.  Without going into to much detail, I want to say that there is plenty going on behind the scenes to help develop and flesh out a proactive support model as well as a reactive support model.  Stay tuned to the @EMCSupport twitter account for more information and feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns about EMC products or your support experience.

 

I’m also looking forward to the results of EMC Elect nominations to see who was selected for 2013.  Fingers crossed that I am chosen, but if not, I know that those who will be chosen are well deserving of the title.

 

I also hope to be attending more conferences and user group meetings.  I am disappointed that I will miss the NEVMUG Winter Warmer, but there will be plenty more events in 2013 for me to join in on.  I’ve already started planning some ideas EMC World 2013.

 

As always, I like to hear from my readers and followers.  What did you like about 2012?  Was there anything on my blog that you really liked / disliked?  What are you looking forward to in 2013?  Let me know in the comments and have a happy new year!

Making CAVA work with SMB2 on your VNX

  By Sean | May 9, 2012 - 9:00 AM | ,
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vnx-promo-bannerAs more and more people start to deploy a new VNX and switch to an advanced windows server operating system, I am seeing a higher utilization of the SMB2 protocol for cifs.  With this increase, comes new problems.  Recently I had noticed a rather peculiar notification in the server logs in regards to CAVA.  CAVA was reporting the error “FILE_NOT_FOUND” on scans when the file existed.  It would present itself as something like this:

 

2012-04-29 08:49:47: 81878122528: VC: 3: 32: Server ’192.168.1.156′ returned error ‘FILE_NOT_FOUND’ when checking file ‘\root_vdm_2\CIFS\Test\1234.exe’

 

The standard troubleshooting confirmed that the file did exist.  I even back traced it from the CAVA server through the “check$” share and did not have any problems with the file.  So why was CAVA reporting errors like this so often?  It turns out the problem was not with CAVA itself, but with an “enhancement” introduced as part of SMB2.

 

As part of the SMB2 protocol, the Microsoft Redirector uses a local cache for directory metadata.  This cache is usually cleared after 10 seconds.  What this does, in instances of file systems with a high rate of change, is cause an inconsistency with what the CAVA server sees when it goes to scan a file.  The CAVA server will actually read from the cache and error out when the file is not found in it.  This then causes the error that I pasted above.

 

Of course with a problem, comes a work around.  This was identified and placed into the latest VNX Event Enabler release notes, but I will provide it for you here:

 

  1. Open the Windows Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SystemCurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters.
  2. Right-click Parameters and select New > DWORD Value.
  3. For the new REG_DWORD entry, type a name of DirectoryCacheLifetime.
  4. Set the value to 0 to disable DirectoryCacheLifetime.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Restart the machine.

 

A simple registry change on each CAVA server and a reboot will allow you to set the cache lifetime value to 0 and thus there will be no more caching.  After this change you should not see any more problems caused by SMB2.

I Tech Therefore I Tool Around – Episode 04 – EMC World 2012

  By Sean | May 7, 2012 - 7:51 PM | ,
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EMCWorldIts been a while since Matt and I teamed up to do another installment of the I Tech Therefore I Tool Around Podcast.  With EMC World right around the corner, we decided to preview the upcoming event!  Being located near the EMC Headquarters has it’s benefits, and one of those is that many people were in town working on projects for the show.  We invited two vSpecialists Jase McCarty and Dave Robertson to join us in talking about the show.

 

In this podcast we talk about several different subjects revolving around EMC World.  We started off by talking about the vLabs, what went into them last year, and what we can look forward to this year.  Jase is going to be head of operations this year at the vLabs and will be the man to make sure things get done.  Dave has been up here working on a VMAX VSA that will be used as vLab demo this year.

 

Next we moved on to Project R.A.M.P.  Matt takes us through the first big public result of his new role at EMC.  For those of you who don’t know, Matt has transferred from Engineering to the Social Media team here at EMC.  As of this blog post, Project R.A.M.P has gone live on the EMC Community Network but there will be mission for those attending EMC World.

 

New this year are BUZZ sessions.  These short 20 – 30 minute gatherings are modeled after the TED Talks and will encompass a variety of subjects.  Matt, myself, and several of the support forum legends will be having a BUZZ session on Wednesday, May 23rd @ 10:30 AM PST.  Be sure to join us both in person and online (more on that later).  In addition to the buzz talk, you will find myself and several other ECN members at the EMC eServices / Social Media booth and around the show conducting interviews and reports.  And be sure to come check out the Bloggers Lounge and catch up with other bloggers.

 

While at this years show, be sure to visit the EMC Proven Professional area where they are offering 50% off the price of exams.  The show floor will always have some great swag to give away, so be sure to bring an extra bag to fill up.  Closing out the show this year will be another live episode of Chad’s World as well as a special concert by Maroon 5!!!!!!!  I look forward to seeing as many people there again this year.

 

Click HERE to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Or click HERE (or on the icon) to download the MP3 directly!

I Tech Therefore I Tool Around – Episode 03 – Community

  By Sean | February 6, 2012 - 9:00 AM | ,
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Community pinned on noticeboardA new year, a new installment of #ITTITA!  This time we decided to take a new approach to the podcast.  Instead of picking a technical topic and doing a deep dive, we are going to review the past year.  One of the biggest influences of our year was this theme of “Community” it was everywhere and played a big part in our lives.

 

Community has been a big factor at some of the different conventions I’ve been to this year.  At EMC World we held a virtual #nerdherd and invited the community to interact with us at the convention as well as online via a live video and chat feed.  At the New England VMware User Group meeting a few weeks ago, community was also present with the great conversations as well as user presentations.

 

2012 is also going to be a great year of community.  We started the year by launching the “Ask the Expert” forum on the EMC Community Network.  In the first event of the year on there, Matt partnered up with Henri to tackle the tough questions about VNXe VMware integration.  There was some excellent conversation as well as a storage deep-dive and we had a record number of views on this single thread.

 

All in all I think that 2011 was a great year for me.  I launched my blog, I linked up with some great and knowledgeable people, and I even started a podcastwith one of my best friends.  2012 looks to be an even greater year!

 

Click HEREto subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Or click HERE (or on the icon) to download the MP3 directly!

2 Years at EMC

  By Sean | January 18, 2012 - 8:00 AM |
28 Comments

EMCToday marks my 2 year anniversary at EMC.  Back in January of 2010, I literally graduated from college on a Friday and started at EMC on a Monday.  I was enrolled in the Global Services Associate program (GSAP) which started off with a 10 week intensive training program known as “Bootcamp”.  During this great opportunity I learned a lot about all the different products and services EMC has to offer.

My first 3 weeks were dedicated to passing my first certification known as EMC Technology Foundations (Now replaced by Information Storage Management).  This was a tough challenge as I had no experience with enterprise storage being fresh out of college.  After this I began my deeper training in CLARiiON, SAN, and networking protocols.  This program was a great experience and gave me a good foundation for my job in the NAS support lab.

It was decided quickly that my focus within the NAS support lab would be with CIFS, Active Directory, and anti virus.  With roughly 90% of our install base using CIFS, this was going to be a an important part of the organization.  I quickly excelled in this area and have become a subject matter expert.

At EMC World 2011 in Las Vegas, I passed my NAS Specialist certification and then shortly after that I earned my VMware Certified Professional 4 during the summer.  I’ve been out to Utah to train our new employees and participate on the EMC Community Network as well.

So far these first two years have been great for me.  I’ve met a lot of great people and have participated in some great events.  I only see good things to come from the next 2 years.

Introducing EMC Ask The Expert

  By Sean | January 16, 2012 - 8:00 AM | , ,
2 Comments

AskTheExpertLogoA few months ago Mark Browne approached Matt Brender and I with a new idea for the EMC Community Network.  Mark is very big on ECN and if you’ve visited the site, you’ve probably interacted with things Mark has had a hand in.  So Mark pitched us the idea of starting an “Ask the Expert” section on the support forums.  In this space, we would gather a couple of subject matter experts to answer questions on a related topic for about two weeks at a time and maybe follow up with a video recap.

 

Matt and I both thought this was a great idea and over the next few months we helped Mark flesh out the idea in preparation to present to the approving management structure.  With the help of our friend Michael Chelotti, we recorded a teaser video.  This video will be very similar to a video recap idea where we will talk about some of the topics during the discussion.  You can watch our video below:

 

I’m proud to report that this idea was well received and Ask the Expert is a go.  Starting today, we launch our first event!   Matt will be joined by Henri Hamalianen and they will talk about configuring and troubleshooting the VNXe front end connections with VMware.  These two weeks are open for anyone to ask Matt and Henri about using their VNXe in a VMware environment this post on ECN.  I urge everyone to checkout the discussion and get involved.  Keep an eye on the schedule for a discussion on the VNX that may be hosted by yours truly.

I Tech Therefore I Tool Around – The Podcast

  By Sean | December 5, 2011 - 8:52 AM | , ,
2 Comments

I think the title says it all. If you’ve been paying attention to my twitter feed, it’s no secret that Matt Brender and I have been working on a Podcast. We have always had great banter between the two of us and now we have the chance to share it with the rest of you. In this first episode, we cover the subject of certifications. We debate how worth while it is to get certifications in todays job market and how a resume looks to perspective employers.

This is our first podcast, so the editing might be a little rough, but the content is pure gold.  I had a great time debating with Matt and i think it showes in the content.  I learned a lot about the creative process and planning that goes into a podcast and i hope to put it to good use in future episodes.  Let me know what you think about it in the comments below and be sure to tune into our next podcast where Matt and I talk about home labs.

Matt has also written a blog post on this which can be read here.

Click HERE to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

DOWNLOAD BELOW:
I Tech Therefore I Tool Around – Episode 01

Reflections on the Utah Call Center

  By Sean | November 14, 2011 - 8:31 AM | ,
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So my two week stay in Utah has come to a close and it has been a great experience.  Our new recruits are well on their way and they are understanding the inner workings of the VNX a lot faster than I did when I started at EMC.   In the short time I was there I watched them grow from handling simple dial home cases to complex issues and high severity situations.  They work well with each other as well as with customers and I sensed a great deal of comradery amongst the group.  While most of them did work together at a previous employer, they worked well with the other people who were new to them.  There are some clear leaders in the group and you could tell that the other coworkers would gravitate towards them when they needed assistance.

 

The interaction with the culture of Utah allowed me a greater understanding of how the Mormon religion effects the daily lives of the citizens.  It’s not all that we see on TV shows like “Big Love” and “Sister Wives”.  In fact, polygamy goes against the church’s teachings.  Most of the my new coworkers are in fact Mormon.  Some are more religious than others but they aren’t there to preach to me about their faith.  Some have done their missionary work already and have settled down and started a family, while other aren’t as active with the church.

 

My stay here allowed me a great deal of freedom to travel and see the sights.  I was able to see what was left of the 2002 Olympic games as well as many geological landmarks and formations.  Coming from the east coast, we don’t get mountains like they do out here and I took every chance I got to enjoy the majestic beauty of them.  If you haven’t already, please check out my photos from my trip on my google+ page.

 

All in all this was a great trip.  I understand that several of my colleagues will be traveling up to visit Hopkinton, MA soon and I hope to be able to offer them the same experience they offered me here.  I think that great things will come from this new group in Utah and I hope to get out here again soon.