Engineering White Paper

Overview of SYMCLI Functionality

Date 1/8/2002

DATE: 01/08/02

Copyright 2001 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is
subject to change without notice.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED AS IS. EMC CORPORATION
MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE
INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable
software license.
EMC, EMC , and Symmetrix are registered trademarks and DeltaMark, Fastrax, TimeFinder, SRDF,
SymmAPI, Volume Logix, and where information lives are trademarks of EMC Corporation.
2

All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Part Number C888
Printed 1/8/2002

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Table of Contents
Introduction .........................................................................................................4
Related Documentation................................................................................................................ 4

Symmetrix and SYMCLI Overview .....................................................................5

Symmetrix Architecture ................................................................................................................ 5
Symmetrix Device Architecture .................................................................................................... 6
Storage Devices ........................................................................................................................... 6
Meta Devices................................................................................................................................ 7
Gatekeeper Devices..................................................................................................................... 7
TimeFinder and BCV Devices ...................................................................................................... 7
SRDF Devices .............................................................................................................................. 8
DRV Devices ................................................................................................................................ 8
VCM Devices................................................................................................................................ 8
Device Groups.............................................................................................................................. 8
DeltaMark ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Fastrax.......................................................................................................................................... 8

SYMCLI Structure................................................................................................9
Environment Variables and Naming Conventions.................................................................... 9
Directory Structure.................................................................................................................. 10
Options File............................................................................................................................. 11
Avoidance Files ...................................................................................................................... 11
Using SYMCLI Through a Remote Server ............................................................................. 11
Server Access Security........................................................................................................... 11
Native Client/Server Environment .......................................................................................... 11
SYMCLI Base Commands ......................................................................................................... 13
Configuration Data.................................................................................................................. 13
Device Groups ........................................................................................................................ 13
Devices ................................................................................................................................... 14
Gatekeeper Devices ............................................................................................................... 14
DRV Devices .......................................................................................................................... 15
Performance Statistics............................................................................................................ 15
BCV Devices........................................................................................................................... 15
Data Object Changes ............................................................................................................. 15
Remote SYMAPI Service ....................................................................................................... 16
Labeling Devices for Windows NT.......................................................................................... 16
SYMCLI TimeFinder Commands ............................................................................................... 17
SYMCLI SRDF Commands........................................................................................................ 18
SYMCLI Control Commands ...................................................................................................... 19
Symmetrix Optimizer .............................................................................................................. 19
Quality of Service.................................................................................................................... 19
SYMCLI Configuration Commands ............................................................................................ 20
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SYMCLI Mapping Commands.................................................................................................... 21

Data Object Mapping .............................................................................................................. 21
Database Mapping.................................................................................................................. 21
File System Mapping .............................................................................................................. 21
Logical Volume Mapping ........................................................................................................ 22
SYMCLI Access Control Command ........................................................................................... 23
SYMCLI Checksum Command .................................................................................................. 24

Conclusion.........................................................................................................25
Appendix A: SYMCLI Environment Variables.................................................26
Appendix B:

Referencing Devices and Objects...........................................29

Appendix C:

The Options File .......................................................................30

Appendix D:

Avoidance Files ........................................................................33

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Introduction
This document provides an overview to the functionality and capabilities provided in Version 4.3 of the
components of the EMC Solutions Enabler (known as SYMCLI Symmetrix Command Line Interface).
Version 4.3 of SYMCLI was released in June 2001. While it is expected that such functionality will be
continued and enhanced in later versions of SYMCLI, always consult the latest version of the EMC
Solutions Enabler, SYMCLI Release Notes and relevant component Product Guides for up-to-date
information and any restrictions on functionality and performance.

Related Documentation
The following SYMCLI reference manuals provide more detailed information on SYMCLI functionality
and capabilities:



EMC Solutions Enabler, SYMCLI V4.3 Release Notes (P/N 300-000-054)



EMC Solutions Enabler, Installation Guide (P/N 300-000-047)



EMC Solutions Enabler, SYMCLI Base Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-048)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI Configuration Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-053)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI Control Component Product Guide (P/N 300-999-142-01)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI Mapping Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-051)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI SRDF Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-049)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI TimeFinder Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-050)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI Access Control Component Product Guide (P/N 300-000-069)



EMC Solutions Enabler SYMCLI V4.3 Checksum Release Notes (P/N 300-000-046)

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Symmetrix and SYMCLI Overview

The Solutions Enabler (known as SYMCLI) is a specialized set of formatted commands that can be
invoked to manage the storage complex. SYMCLI commands are invoked from the host operating system
command line (shell), and are used in single command line entries and scripts to map and perform control
operations on devices and data objects. They may also be used to monitor device configuration and the
status of devices that make up the storage environment, which is typically Symmetrix based.
SYMCLI commands are linked with the library functions in the Symmetrix Application Programming
Interface (SYMAPI or SymmAPI). These library functions use system calls that generate low-level
SCSI, Fibre Channel, or ESCON commands to the Symmetrix unit(s). To reduce the number of inquiries
from the host system to the Symmetrix, configuration and status information is maintained in a Symmetrix
host database file (known as the SYMAPI database). The full software architecture from the Operating
System (OS) level to Vendor Applications is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1. SYMCLI may be
regarded as a host application written using the SYMAPI.

THIRD-PARTY
APPLICATIONS

EMC Software
Applications

SYMCLI

SYMAPI
SIL (Symmetrix Interface Layer)
Operating System
Figure 1. Software Architecture

Symmetrix Architecture
Symmetrix is an integrated cached disk array (ICDA) designed for online data storage. A host system and
Symmetrix communicate via one or more SCSI or Fibre Channel interfaces (for MVS, bus and tag channel
connected). Figure 2 illustrates the major functional components of a Symmetrix unit and its connection to
host systems.
A front-end director (SA SCSI, FA Fibre Channel, or EA ESCON) is a card that occupies one slot
on the Symmetrix backplane (multiple directors are often on a single card). The front-end director provides
the front-end connection and interface to Symmetrix cache array. A Symmetrix can have from 2 to 32
front-end directors, depending on the requirements and Symmetrix model.

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Figure 2. Symmetrix Components

Cache memory resides on boards that occupy as many as four slots on a Symmetrix backplane.
Cache memory is a buffer interface between front-end directors and the back-end disk directors that
store the current I/O data transfers.
A disk director (DA) is a card that occupies one slot on the Symmetrix backplane (multiple directors are
often on a single card). Microcode on the card manages access to specific disk drives. The back-end
director transfers data from disk to cache and destages write-bound data from cache to disk. A Symmetrix
can have up to 32 disk directors, depending on the Symmetrix model.

Symmetrix Device Architecture

All host I/O transactions with the Symmetrix use Symmetrix cache on a front-end director. Because no
physical disks are involved in the I/O protocol, Symmetrix devices are presented to the host with the
following configuration attributes:



Each device has N cylinders. This number is configurable (blocks 960).



Each cylinder has 15 tracks (heads)



For fixed block architecture (FBA) devices, each track has 64 blocks of 512 bytes. For non-FBA
operating systems, the blocks are recognized without regard to the number of bytes.

Storage Devices
From the perspective of software executing on a host system, a Symmetrix appears to be a number of
physical devices connected via I/O buses to one or more I/O controllers. A host application addresses each
of these devices using a physical device name. Each physical device defined in the Symmetrix database has
specific attributes, such as vendor ID, product ID, revision level, and serial ID.
As shown in Figure 3, a Symmetrix device can map to a part of a physical disk or to an entire disk. The part
of a physical disk to which a Symmetrix device is mapped is called a hypervolume or a hyper. Each
hypervolume in a Symmetrix system is assigned a hexadecimal number at the time that the Symmetrix is
configured; this number serves as a unique identifier and is known as the Symmetrix logical volume
number.

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Host

Four
Hyper
Volumes

Standard
DEV001

Standard
DEV002

Standard
DEV003

DEV001

DEV002

DEV003

DEV002 M1
DEV001 M1

M1

Mirrors

DEV002 M2
DEV003

M2

Parity

DEV001 M2

Data
RAID-S Group

Symmetrix

Figure 3. Mapping of Symmetrix Devices

Meta Devices
Meta devices allow individual devices to be grouped (concatenated or striped) to create larger devices.
The meta head is the first device in the meta device sequence and is responsible for receiving incoming
commands. When an incoming command for the meta head is processed, the Symmetrix determines which
meta device member should execute the command.

Gatekeeper Devices
I/O commands executed by SYMAPI are transferred to the Symmetrix via a Symmetrix device that is
designated as a gatekeeper device. The gatekeeper allows SYMAPI functions to retrieve configuration and
status information from the Symmetrix without interfering with normal Symmetrix operations.
By default, one of the available Symmetrix devices is designated as a gatekeeper. Alternatively, specific
devices may be designated as gatekeepers.

TimeFinder and BCV Devices

EMC TimeFinder is a business continuity solution that uses special Symmetrix devices called Business
Continuance Volumes (BCVs). While a BCV is attached (established) to a standard Symmetrix device, it
operates as a mirror of the standard device and holds an up-to-date copy of the production data. In this
mode, the BCV device is inaccessible via its original device address. When the BCV is detached (split)
from the standard device, the user has a point-in-time copy of the production data, and the BCV can be
assigned and mounted by another host through its original device address. Uses for these copies of

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production data can include backup/restore, decision support, data warehouse loading, offloaded
reporting, and applications testing.
Once host processing on the BCV device is complete, the BCV may again be mirrored to a standard
Symmetrix device (either the same device to which it was previously paired, or to a different standard
device).

SRDF Devices
The Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) is an online, host-independent, mirrored data storage
solution that duplicates and maintains production site data on one or more physically separate target
Symmetrix systems. These target systems can be across the room, around the globe, or anywhere in
between. SRDF configurations have at least one source (R1) device mirrored to one target (R2) device.
SDRF provides a recovery solution for component or site failures using remotely mirrored devices.
SRDF lowers backup and recovery costs, significantly reduces recovery time after a disaster, and is
particularly beneficial in disaster recovery scenarios where quick recovery from site failure is essential.
The combination of SRDF and TimeFinder provides the best of both worlds by combining disaster
recovery and remote access to production data.

DRV Devices
A DRV (Dynamic Reallocation Volume) device is a non user-addressable Symmetrix device used internally
by the Symmetrix Optimizer to temporarily hold user enterprise data while the devices are being re-organized.
A DRV functions like a BCV device; it provides a temporary backup to a relocating hypervolume.

VCM Devices
A VCM (Volume Configuration Management) device is a small disk device (such as a 16 cylinder, 8 MB
device) that is designated as a volume gatekeeper by the EMC Volume Logix utility.

Device Groups
Device groups are the primary means of control of Symmetrix devices. A device group represents several
Symmetrix devices, and is established to provide configuration, status, and performance data on the
collective devices within the device group. A Symmetrix device is assigned a logical name when the device
is added to a device group.

DeltaMark
EMC DeltaMark, also known as the Symmetrix Differential Data Facility (SDDF), answers the need for
a more efficient way to process changes that occur in a database or files stored on Symmetrix systems.
It differentiates between data that has changed since the last backup or data movement operation and that
which has not. Backup, extraction, propagation, replication, or other data-movement applications can take
advantage of the identified changes by moving only those changes. Data movement scales in proportion to
the changes rather than the size of the database or file system.
DeltaMark functionality is used in TimeFinder so that only the tracks on the BCVs that have changed since
the last backup are backed up, thereby reducing time and resource use.

Fastrax
The EMC Fastrax data movement platform is a high-performance backup and recovery data movement
solution designed for direct, bi-directional movement of data between Symmetrix systems and high
performance tape or other secondary storage, without any server, application, or network impact.

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SYMCLI Structure
SYMCLI commands are grouped into the following licensed categories:



SYMCLI Base commands. These commands obtain device configuration information, provide
configuration control, and retrieve status data and performance statistics on Symmetrix units.
The SYMCLI Base commands require an EMC Solutions Enabler Base Component license.



SYMCLI TimeFinder commands. The SYMCLI TimeFinder commands extend the basic SYMCLI
command set to manage and perform control operations on BCV devices within a TimeFinder
environment. The SYMCLI TimeFinder commands require an EMC Solutions Enabler TimeFinder
Component license.



SYMCLI SRDF commands. The SYMCLI SRDF commands extend the basic SYMCLI command set
to manage and perform control operations on SRDF devices in a Symmetrix Remote Data Facility
configuration. The SYMCLI SRDF commands require an EMC Solutions Enabler SRDF Component
license.



SYMCLI Control commands. The SYMCLI Control commands provide special controls and
performance features beyond those provided in the Base Component, and enable the storage
environment to be tuned and optimized. The SYMCLI Control commands require an EMC Solutions
Enabler Optimizer license.



SYMCLI Configuration Commands. The SYMCLI Configuration commands extend the basic
SYMCLI command set to manage and perform configuration changes. The SYMCLI Configuration
commands require an EMC Solutions Enabler Configuration Manager license.



SYMCLI Mapping commands. The SYMCLI Mapping commands extend the basic SYMCLI
command set to allow the systematic discovery and examination of attributes of various objects on the
host, within a specific relational database, in a file system, or in a Logical Volume Manager (LVM).
These commands are typically non-Symmetrix specific, but support host system tasks when associated
with Symmetrix management operations. The SYMCLI Mapping commands require an EMC
Solutions Enabler Mapping Solution license.



SYMCLI Access Control command. The SYMCLI Access Control command supports Symmetrix
access control (SAC) requirements, allowing the set up and maintenance of an access-controlled
environment over the Symmetrix resource (device pools). The SYMCLI Access Control command
requires an EMC Solutions Enabler Base Component license.



SYMCLI Checksum command. The SYMCLI Checksum command works in conjunction with the
Oracle checksum facility to improve the detection and notification of errors during database write
transfers between an Oracle application running on a host and a Symmetrix storage device. The
SYMCLI Checksum command requires an EMC Solutions Enabler OraclePak license.

The symcli help command provides brief help or descriptions of all of the SYMCLI commands, details
of the version of the SYMCLI installed on the host, and the settings of the environment variables (see
below) for the current SYMCLI command line session.

Environment Variables and Naming Conventions

SYMCLI provides a group of environment variables that can be preset to streamline and expedite the
SYMCLI command line session, eliminating the requirement for repeated key strokes. Appendix A
contains brief descriptions of the environment variables and their function. Appendix B contains brief
descriptions of the naming conventions used in the SYMCLI for referencing devices and objects.

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Directory Structure
Tables 1, 2, and 3 list the various directories on the UNIX, Windows NT / Windows 2000, and Netware
platforms that are installed and required in order to run the SYMCLI environment.
Table 1. SYMCLI Installed UNIX Directories
Contents

Directories

For Use By:

SYMCLI manpages for the commands

/usr/symcli/man
/usr/symcli64/man
/usr/symclimt/man
/usr/symcli64mt/man

32-bit applications
64-bit applications
Multithreaded 32-bit applications
Multithreaded 64-bit applications

SYMCLI binaries for executables (the

command line path)

/usr/symcli/bin
/usr/symcli64/bin
/usr/symclimt/bin
/usr/symcli64mt/bin

32-bit applications
64-bit applications
Multithreaded 32-bit applications
Multithreaded 64-bit applications

Shared SYMAPI libraries

/usr/symcli/shlib
/usr/symcli64/shlib
/usr/symclimt/shlib
/usr/symcli64mt/shlib

32-bit applications
64-bit applications
Multithreaded 32-bit applications
Multithreaded 64-bit applications

SYMCLI/SYMAPI Symmetrix configuration

database file(s)

/var/symapi/db

Any application

SYMCLI environment and system files

(licenses, avoidance, options, and server
network files)

/var/symapi/config

Any application

SYMCLI log files for significant events

/var/symapi/log

Any application

SYMCLI libraries for XML

/usr/symcli/xml

Any application

Table 2. SYMCLI Installed Windows NT / Windows 2000 Directories

Directories

Contents

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symcli\man

SYMCLI manpages for the commands

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symcli\binaries

SYMCLI binaries for executables (the command line path)

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symapi\db

SYMCLI/SYMAPI Symmetrix configuration database file(s)

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symapi\config

SYMCLI environment and system files (licenses, avoidance,

options, and server network files)

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symapi\log

SYMCLI/SYMAPI log files for significant events

C:\Program Files\EMC\Symcli\xml

SYMCLI XML examples

Table 3. SYMCLI Installed Netware Directories

Directories

Contents

sys:\system\EMC\Symcli\man

SYMCLI manpages for the commands

sys:\system\EMC\Symcli\binaries

SYMCLI binaries for executables (the command line path)

sys:\system\EMC\Symapi\db

SYMCLI/SYMAPI Symmetrix configuration database file(s)

sys:\system\EMC\Symapi\config

SYMCLI environment and system files (licenses, avoidance,

options, and server network files)

sys:\system\EMC\Symapi\log

SYMCLI/SYMAPI log files for significant events

sys:\system\EMC\Symcli\xml

SYMCLI XML examples

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On the OpenVMS platform, EMC$ROOT equates to the location picked for installation of the base software
directory. In the following example, SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYMAPI.] is chosen:
[EXAMPLE]
"EMC$ROOT" = "SYS$SYSDEVICE:[SYMAPI.]"
"SYMAPI$ROOT" = "EMC$ROOT"
"SYMAPI$BIN" = "EMC$ROOT:[EXE.OVMS.SDK.REL]"
"SYMAPI$CONFIG" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMAPI.CONFIG]"
"SYMAPI$DB" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMAPI.DB]"
"SYMAPI$LOG" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMAPI.LOG]"
"SYMAPI$SHLIB" = "EMC$ROOT:[SHLIB.OVMS.SDK.REL]"
"SYMCLI$BIN" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMCLI.BINARIES]"
"SYMCLI$HELP" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMCLI.HELP]"
"SYMCLI$SHLIB" = "EMC$ROOT:[EMC.SYMCLI.SHLIB]"

Options File
The options file in the SYMAPI configuration directory (e.g., /var/symapi/config on UNIX
systems, etc.) contains default constants that can be set to change defaults on this host to certain options
that are used in various SYMCLI commands and associated SYMAPI calls. This file can be used to
customize and streamline command line coding to suit the specific storage environment. Appendix C
contains brief descriptions of the options in the options file and their function.

Avoidance Files
The symavoid, gkavoid, and inqfile files are three avoidance files that can exist in the SYMAPI
configuration directory to limit the scope or change the performance of SYMCLI online commands,
particularly symcfg discover and syminq. These files can be used to customize and streamline
command line coding to suit the specific storage environment. Appendix D contains brief descriptions of
the avoidance files and their function.

Using SYMCLI Through a Remote Server

SYMCLI can be run as a client to a remote SYMAPI server in order to manage a remotely-controlled
Symmetrix complex. The SYMAPI installation procedure installs the client server (symapisrv) in the
binaries directory, and also installs two files (netcnfg and symapinlck) in the SYMAPI
configuration directory. On both the client host or server host, the editable netcnfg file lists the network
services available from that local host or from one or more remote hosts. To execute a remote SYMAPI
session across a TCP/IP network connection, both the client and server netcnfg files must have service
entries that map to the same node and port. The symapinlck file is used as a lock file on a server host
to guarantee a single port listener for a network service.

Server Access Security

An optional file (nethost) for trusted-user host access can also be present in the server SYMAPI
configuration directory. When this file exists (maintained by the System Administrator), only the nodes and
users listed in this file are allowed to connect to the server to execute remote SYMCLI commands and
SYMAPI functions. In addition, some settings in the options file can be used to limit the use of certain
functions via the server.

Native Client/Server Environment

The host in a client/server environment can be configured to return physical device data in the hosts native
format into a pdevfile file instead of the SYMAPI database file. This option is especially useful in
client/server configurations where the client is physically attached to the Symmetrix but the host

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application is relying strictly on a server for communications with the Symmetrix. An example of this is
clients that require a SYMAPI server running on the Symmetrix service processor.
The pdevfile option can be used for two kinds of configurations:



Where a Symmetrix device is mapped to the physical devices both at the client and server



Where a Symmetrix device is mapped to a physical device at the client but not at the server

An advantage of the first configuration is that the PdevNames will be shown in the clients format rather
than the servers format.
The syminq and sympd list commands (see below in SYMCLI Base Commands) have an option
(-pdevfile) to support output listing of physical devices in a device format native to the host.

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SYMCLI Base Commands

The SYMCLI Base Commands are grouped into functional categories.

Configuration Data
The symcfg command displays Symmetrix configuration and status information, director information,
and information about all the Symmetrix devices visible to the host. A description of the symcfg
command is provided in Table 4.
Table 4. Configuration Data Command
Command

Description

symcfg

Performs operations on one or more Symmetrix units. Possible operations are:

 Discover Symmetrix configuration information

 Display configuration information for the following directors:
Channel, Disk, ESCON, RDF, SCSI, and Fibre Channel

 Refresh the Symmetrix database file or remove information from the Symmetrix
database file

 View or release Symmetrix exclusive locks

 Display attributes of the Symmetrix and host environment

 List application registrations and host connections

 Take RA directors and SA ports offline (and online)

The syminq SCSI utility command is used to issue a SCSI INQUIRY and/or SCSI READ CAPACITY
on one or all devices attached to a host, and is described in Table 5.
Table 5. SCSI Utility Command
Command

Description

syminq

Performs operations on a device given its physical device name. Possible operations
are:

 Issue a SCSI INQUIRY and/or SCSI READ CAPACITY on one or all devices
attached to a host

 List Symmetrix standard or BCV devices

Device Groups
The symdg and symld commands group Symmetrix devices for status, monitoring, and control
purposes. For example, a device group can be set up to contain all devices used by a particular host or that
are used in a particular database application. The symdg and symld commands are described in Table 6.
Table 6. Device Group Commands
Command

Description

symdg

Performs operations on a device group. Possible operations are:

 Create a device group

 Delete a device group

 Rename a device group

 List information about all device groups

 Show detailed information about a device group

 Show devices within a device group that have device external locks

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Command

Description

symld

Performs operations on standard devices in a device group (using logical device

names). Possible operations are:

 Add devices to a device group

 List all devices in a device group

 Remove a device from a device group

 Rename a device in the device group

 Show detailed information about a device in a device group

 Issue basic control operations such as write-disable and write-enable devices on
front-end director ports

 Apply a defined label to the device

Devices
Information about devices can be obtained using the symdev and sympd commands, which are
described in Table 7. These commands vary in how the devices are referenced: by physical device name,
logical device name, or Symmetrix device name.
Table 7. Device Commands
Command

Description

symdev

Performs operations on a device given its Symmetrix device name. Possible operations
are:

 List all Symmetrix devices that are configured in one or more Symmetrix units and
which are reachable by this host (locally, or remotely via SRDF links)

 Show detailed information about a Symmetrix device

 List all Symmetrix devices that have SCSI reservations

 List Symmetrix devices that have Symmetrix external locks

 List devices that have device external locks

 Release device external locks

sympd

Performs operations on a device given its physical device name. Possible operations
are:

 List all Symmetrix devices that are visible to the host

 Show detailed information about a Symmetrix device that is visible to the host

 List all Symmetrix devices that are visible to the host and which have SCSI
reservations

Gatekeeper Devices
The symgate command is used to select a Symmetrix device to function as a gatekeeper device and
associate that device with a specific device group. Table 8 describes the symgate command.
Table 8. Gatekeeper Command
Command

Description

symgate

Performs operations on a gatekeeper device. Possible operations are:

 List the currently defined gatekeeper devices

 Define a Symmetrix device as a gatekeeper device by adding it to the gatekeeper
device list

 Associate a gatekeeper device with a device group

 Disassociate a gatekeeper device from a device group

 Undefine a Symmetrix device as a gatekeeper device, which removes it from the
gatekeeper list

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DRV Devices
The symdrv command displays information for selected DRV devices, and is described in Table 9.
Table 9. DRV Command
Command

Description

symdrv

Lists information about DRV devices and their current standard device pairing(s).

Performance Statistics
Counters on each Symmetrix unit accumulate event hits and the status of certain operations.
The symstat command can retrieve these counts and use them to compute performance statistics.
Table 10 describes the symstat command.
Table 10. Performance Statistics Command
Command

Description

symstat

Returns performance statistics for the entire Symmetrix unit, one or all directors of a
specified type, a device, a device group, disks, or the mirrors of a Symmetrix device.

BCV Devices
The symbcv command performs support operations on BCV devices, including associating BCV devices
to specific device groups. Table 11 describes the symbcv command.
Table 11. BCV Device Support Command
Command

Description

symbcv

Performs support operations on BCV devices. Possible operations are:

 Associate one or all BCV devices with an existing device group

 List all BCV devices

 Disassociate one or all BCV devices from a device group

 Associate remotely-attached BCV devices with an existing device group

 Disassociate remotely-attached BCV devices from a device group

Data Object Changes

The symchg command (also known as the ChangeTracker command) monitors changes in the data objects
in the storage environment, and is described in Table 12. This command requires the EMC DeltaMark license.
Table 12. Data Object Change Tracker Command
Command

Description

symchg

Marks areas of Symmetrix disk storage so that objects occupying those areas can be
monitored for changes. Possible operations are:

 Create a DeltaMark (or ChangeTracker) session for data objects

 Delete a DeltaMark (ChangeTracker) session

 Mark an object to be monitored

 List the marked objects

 View the marked objects for changes

 Remove the marked object from the symchg database without session termination

 Generate a report on the amount of change for the specified object in a specified
log file

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Remote SYMAPI Service

The symapisrv command controls the operation of the remote SYMAPI server, which provides a
SYMCLI client/server connection to the Symmetrix subsystems. Table 13 describes the symapisrv
command. This command requires the SYMAPI Server license.
Table 13. SYMAPI Service Command
Command

Description

symapisrv

Starts or stops an executable image, called the SYMAPI server, which provides a
SYMAPI and SYMCLI client-server interface to Symmetrix systems.

Labeling Devices for Windows NT

In certain situations, relabeling devices is required when devices are under the control of Windows-type
volume manager. If a BCV (TimeFinder) device holds an identical copy of its standard (paired) device,
when the BCV becomes ready to the operating system, the volume manager will detect two (2) identical
volumes with different mount points. This can cause the volume manager to exit and crash the system.
For Windows NT V4.0 only, the symlabel and symld relabel commands allow the creation of a
separate serial number on either the primary (standard) volume or the TimeFinder copy. The devices are
required to have a current valid Windows NT V4.0 label on them or the symld relabel command
will fail. Running the Windows Disk Administrator once and writing a signature (symlabel) qualifies the
device. Table 14 describes the symlabel command.
Table 14. Device Label Command
Command

Description

symlabel

Performs device label (signature) definitions on device(s) in a device group.

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SYMCLI TimeFinder Commands

The symioctl and symmir commands perform control operations on BCV device pairs or a device
group. Table 15 lists the BCV device control commands.
Table 15. BCV Device Control Commands
Command

Description

symioctl

Sends I/O control commands to a specified server application. Possible operations are:

 Place objects into and take objects out of hot backup mode

 Freeze or thaw I/O to a specified database application

 Issue a checkpoint to the RDBMS

 Archive the current log

 Begin a snapshot backup on SQL Server 2000 and higher

 Save snapshot meta-data and resume writes on SQL Server 2000 and higher

 Restore previously saved snapshot meta-data on SQL Server 2000 and higher

 Terminate the snapshot operation without saving meta-data and resume writes on
SQL Server 2000 and higher
The symioctl command is provided with the EMC Solutions Enabler TimeFinder
Component, SRDF Component, and Mapping Solution licenses.

symmir

Performs control operations on BCV device pairs. Possible operations are:

 Establish (mirror) one or all standard devices in a device group with one or more
BCV devices that are associated locally or remotely with the group. The operation
can be a full or incremental establish.

 Restore one or all standard devices in a device group from one or more BCV
devices that are associated locally or remotely with the group. The operation can
be a full or incremental restore.

 Split one or all BCV devices from the standard device(s) in a device group

 Return information about the state of mirroring of one or all BCV device pairs in a
device group

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SYMCLI SRDF Commands

The SYMCLI SRDF commands perform SRDF control operations on devices and device groups in
Symmetrix units in an SRDF configuration. Table 16 lists the SRDF control commands.
Table 16. SRDF Control Operations
Command

Description

symcg

Performs control operations on a Symmetrix SRDF consistency group. Possible

operations are:

 Create and delete consistency groups

 Add and remove devices in a consistency group

 Show detailed information about a consistency group

 Enable or disable the consistency mode (state) of a consistency group

symioctl

Sends I/O control commands to a specified server application (see above under
SYMCLI TimeFinder Commands).

symrdf

Performs control operations on SRDF devices. Possible operations are:

 Establish (mirror) an SRDF pair by initiating a data copy from the source (R1) side
to the target (R2) side. This operation can be a full or incremental establish.

 Restore remote mirroring. Initiates a data copy from the target (R2) side to the
source (R1) side. The operation can be a full or incremental restore.

 Split an SRDF pair, which stops mirroring for the SRDF pair(s) in a device group

 Failover from the source (R1) side to the target (R2) side, switching data
processing to the target (R2) side

 Failback from the target (R2) side to the source (R1) side, switching data
processing to the source (R1) side

 Update the source (R1) side after a failover, while the target (R2) side may still be
operational to its local host(s)

 Swap R1 and R2 designations between the target and source

symreplicate

Invokes a replicate session that generates automated, recurrent, background copies of

the standard data following a patch across SRDF links and cascading BCVs. You can
start a replicate session, stop it, and restart the replicate session. The symreplicate
command requires the EMC Solutions Enabler TimeFinder Component and SRDF
Component licenses.

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SYMCLI Control Commands

The SYMCLI Control commands provide special controls and performance features.

Symmetrix Optimizer
The symoptmz command performs operations that set the tunable thresholds of the Symmetrix
Optimizer algorithm. A description of the symoptmz command is provided in Table 17.
Table 17. Symmetrix Optimizer Command
Command

Description

symoptmz

Performs operations on the Symmetrix Optimizer. Possible operations are:

 Display a list of information about the Optimizer-specific attributes of Symmetrix
devices that are configured in one or more Symmetrix units connected to this host

 Show specific information about the current Optimizer parameters

 Enable the Optimizer algorithm processing

 Disable the Optimizer algorithm processing

 Set the values of the parameters that control the Optimizer algorithm

Quality of Service
The symqos command provides Quality of Service (QoS) controls on specified devices. A description of
the symqos command is provided in Table 18.
Table 18. Quality of Service Command
Command

Description

symqos

Invokes Quality of Service (QoS) controls on certain devices. Possible operations are:

 Display a list of QoS priorities assigned to devices and mirrors

 Set the values and parameters for QoS priorities on the devices and mirrors

 Query the QoS copy priorities for members of a specified group

 List the least recently used (LRU) cache assignments

 Set the LRU cache assignments for a device or device group

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SYMCLI Configuration Commands

The SYMCLI Configuration commands perform powerful control operations that manage various types of
configuration changes on devices in the Symmetrix environment. Table 19 lists the configuration
commands.
Table 19. Configuration Commands
Command

Description

symconfigure

Performs control operations that manage major configuration changes. Possible

operations are:

 Create new Symmetrix devices

 Convert devices to other configuration types by adding/removing RDF, BCV, or
DRV attributes

 Form/dissolve meta devices

 Add/remove meta device members

 Map/unmap a Symmetrix device to front-end ports

 Swap SRDF source/target attributes for an RA group

 Set/reset SCSI or Fibre Channel port flags

 Increase device protection by adding additional mirrors

 Set device attributes

 Set selective Symmetrix metrics (e.g., maximum number of hypers that can be
created on a physical disk)

symrdf swap

Performs a control operation to swap SRDF personality (R1 designated devices become
R2, and R2 designated devices become R1).

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SYMCLI Mapping Commands

The SYMCLI Mapping commands focus on the open system tasks of mapping and examining the various
objects on the host system, their relational databases, and the attached Symmetrix storage units.

Data Object Mapping

SYMCLI Data Object Mapping allows examination of the mapping of Symmetrix storage devices and the
characteristics of data files and objects. The symrslv command displays the extent of data files and
objects, and how they are mapped on Symmetrix and non-Symmetrix devices. A description of the
symrslv command is provided in Table 20.
Table 20. Data Object Mapping Command
Command

Description

symrslv

Displays logical to physical mapping information about a logical object. Possible

operations are:

 Display logical to physical mapping information about any physical device

 Display logical to physical mapping information about a logical volume

 Display logical to physical mapping information about a regular host file or a
Symmetrix file

 Display logical to physical mapping information about a directory

 Display logical to physical mapping information about a host file system

Database Mapping
SYMCLI Database Mapping commands allow examination of host database mapping and characteristics of
a database. These command provide listings and attributes that describe various databases, their structures,
files, tablespaces, and user schemas. Typically, the SYMCLI Database Mapping commands work with
Oracle, Informix, SQL Server, Sybase, MVS DB2, and DB2/UDB database applications. A description of
the SYMCLI Database Mapping commands is provided in Table 21.
Table 21. Database Object Mapping Commands
Command

Description

symrdb

List various physical and logical database objects. Possible operations are:

 Current relational database instances available

 Tablespaces, files, tables, or schemas of a database

 Files, segments, or tables of a database tablespace or schema
Show information about a database object. Possible operations are:

 Tablespace, file, table, or schema of a database

 File, segment, or a table of a specified tablespace or schema
Other possible operations are:

 Translate the devices of a specified database into a device group or a consistency
group

 Translate the devices of a specified tablespace into a device group or a consistency
group

symioctl

Sends I/O control commands to a specified server application (see above under
SYMCLI TimeFinder Commands).

File System Mapping

SYMCLI File System Mapping allows investigation of the file systems that are in use on the operating
system. The following operating systems and file types are supported: HP-UX [hfs, VxFS (jfs)], IBM AIX
(jfs), Sun Solaris (ufs, VxFS), Digital UNIX and Compaq Tru64 UNIX (ufs, AdvFS), and MS Windows

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NT and Windows 2000 (NTFS). The symhostfs command provides listings and attributes that describe
file systems, directories, and files, and their mapping to physical devices and extents. A description of the
symhostfs command is provided in Table 22.
Table 22. File System Mapping Command
Command

Description

symhostfs

Displays mapping information about file systems, directories, and regular files that are
defined on the host system. Possible operations are:

 Display a list of file systems, files, or directories

 Display more detail information about a file system or file system object

Logical Volume Mapping

SYMCLI Logical Volume Mapping commands allow mapping of logical volumes to a detailed view of host
and Symmetrix disk usage. Logical volume architecture defined by a Logical Volume Manager (LVM) is a
means for organizing physical disk storage for optimal use by host applications. The following LVMs are
currently supported: HP LVM for the HP-UX operating system, AIX LVM for the IBM AIX operating
system, VERITAS VxVMfor the Sun Solaris and HP-UX operating systems, Sequent Volume Manager
(ptx/SVM) for the DYNIX/ptx operating system, Logical Storage Manager (LSM) for Digital UNIX and
Compaq Tru64 UNIX (DEC OSF/1), Disk Administrator (DiskADM) for Windows NT/2000, and Logical
Disk Manager (LDM) for Windows 2000. A description of the SYMCLI Logical Volume Mapping
commands is provided in Table 23.
Table 23. Logical Volume Mapping Commands
Command

Description

symvg

Displays mapping information about one or more logical volume groups that are
defined by the specific platforms LVM. Possible operations are:

 Display a list of volume groups defined on the host system by the LVM

 Display more detailed information about a volume group, listing its logical
volumes

 Translate a logical volume group to a Symmetrix device group

 Translate a logical volume group to a consistency group

symlv

Displays mapping information about one or more logical volumes that are defined in a
specified LVMs volume group. Possible operations are:

 Display a list of logical volumes on a specified volume group

 Display detail information (including extent data) about a logical volume

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SYMCLI Access Control Command

The symacl command sets up access control mechanisms and changes access control entries in an access
control database, allowing an administrator of the Symmetrix storage site to set up and restrict host and
user access control operations to defined sets of devices (device pools) across the various Symmetrix units.
A description of the symacl command is provided in Table 24.
Table 24. Access Control Command
Command

Description

symacl

Performs management operations on the Symmetrix access control environment.

Possible operations are:

 List all access control entries (ACEs), access pools, or access groups

 Show the state of the access control environment on a Symmetrix

 Show detail information about the access group or pool

 Release or abort any pending access control session lock

 Preview or verify the contents of an access control command file for proper syntax
and correctness

 Prepare or check an access control command file for appropriateness of the
requested access control entries against the current state of the Symmetrix

 Commits all access control commands as entries to the access control database

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SYMCLI Checksum Command

The symchksum command performs checksum error checks on data pages written by an Oracle database
as they are written to the disk. The check takes place before the write command is acknowledged. Errors
are immediately detected within the blocks of the extent and logged in the Symmetrix error log facilities,
and can be rejected and/or reported in a phone-home connection. A description of the symchksum
command is provided in Table 25.
Table 25. Checksum Command
Command

Description

symchksum

Performs Symmetrix checksum operations on one or all of the RDBMS tablespaces

residing on Symmetrix devices. Possible operations are:

 Enable or disable Symmetrix checksum operations on the extents of a specified
database instance or tablespace

 List all devices that have checksum checking enabled

 Show the extents of a specified device that are having checksum checking
performed

 Validate that a specified database or tablespace is able to have checksum checking
enabled

 Verify devices of a database or tablespace that have checksum enabled

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Conclusion
The EMC Solutions Enabler kit is the software that provides an application programming interface (the
SYMAPI shared library) and the Symmetrix Command Line Interface (SYMCLI). The SYMCLI is a
special command set that works on Windows and various open systems UNIX platforms, and which
performs a variety of control and management operations. The SYMCLI commands are grouped into
categories as follows:
Base

TimeFinder

SRDF

Control

Access Control

Mapping

symapisrv

symioctl

symcg

symoptmz

symacl

symhostfs

symbcv

symmir

symioctl

symqos

symioctl

symcfg

symrdf

symlv

symchg

symreplicate

symrdb

symcli

symrslv

symdev

symvg

symdg
symdrv
symgate
syminq
symlabel
symld
sympd
symstat

Configuration

Checksum

symconfigure

symchksum

The SYMCLI provides command-line users and script programmers with an interface for managing the
Symmetrix units and their devices in an enterprise storage environment.

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Appendix A: SYMCLI Environment Variables

This appendix provides a brief description of the environment variables that can be preset to streamline and
expedite the SYMCLI command line session. The symcli env command displays what environment
variables can be set, while the symcli def command displays the environment variables that have
been set for the SYMCLI command line session. The environment variables are described in Table 26.
Table 26. Environment Variables
Variable Name

Description

Default

SYMCLI_ACCESS_PIN

For symacl with ADMIN privileges, this variable must

be set to the ADMIN PIN (4 to 12 characters) to enable the
commit, prepare, and release actions. If this is
not set, you will always be prompted for a PIN.

NULL

SYMCLI_BCV_PAIR_POLICY

Specifies the BCV pair cancel policy that SYMCLI

subsequently uses when incrementally establishing a new
BCV pair or when the maximum number of BCV pairs is
reached. Possible values are:
CANCEL_OLDEST (the default)
CANCEL_NEWEST
DONT_CANCEL

CANCEL_OLDEST

SYMCLI_CG

Specifies a default consistency group name.

None

SYMCLI_CONNECT

Specifies the service name when running the client server

symapisrv.

NULL

SYMCLI_CONNECT_TYPE

Defines the local or remote mode of the host or client

connection to the Symmetrix. Possible values for the client
are:
REMOTE
Defines a client operation in which all the remote
commands are strictly executed on the server, and
the Symmetrix database is strictly read and
updated remotely.
REMOTE_CACHED
Defines a client operation in which the remote
Symmetrix database is modified remotely but
cached in memory locally. Those functions that are
control operations or which modify the database are
executed remotely. These modifications to the
remote database are then cached locally.
LOCAL
Defines a local connection to the Symmetrix. (Not
used for a client-server connection.)

NULL

SYMCLI_CTL_ACCESS

Specifies how to obtain a lock on the Symmetrix database

file before starting a Symmetrix control operation. Possible
values are:
EXCLUSIVE
PARALLEL

EXCLUSIVE

SYMCLI_DB_FILE

Specifies the default database file for Symmetrix

configuration data.

symapi_db.bin

SYMCLI_DG

Specifies a default device group name.

None

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Variable Name

Description

Default

SYMCLI_LDEV_NAMING

Specifies a default device naming convention other than

logical device names. Possible values are:
DEFAULT (= LdevNaming)
SYMDEV
PDEV
SYMDEV or PDEV are for Symmetrix device names or
physical device names respectively.

DEFAULT
(LdevNaming)

SYMCLI_LOG

Specifies a single file to be used as the log file where all

new entries are appended to the file.

SYMCLI_MAX_BCV_PAIRS

Normally, SYMCLI allows up to 8 BCV device pairs that

can be incrementally established with standard devices.
The maximum number of pairs can be custom adjusted
from 1 to 16 pairs with this variable.

SYMCLI_MODE

Specifies the command output reporting style to be

compatible with prior SYMCLI versions. Possible values
are:
V32
V40
V41
V42

None

SYMCLI_NOLOGGING

When set to 1, disables logging.

SYMCLI_NOPROMPT

When set to 1, disables verification prompts.

SYMCLI_OFFLINE

When set to 1, disables online access to Symmetrix device

status (Symmetrix database access only).

SYMCLI_OSM_VERSION

Specifies the version reported by the SYMCLI OSM

SRDF Compatibility mode.

4.0.0

SYMCLI_PDEV_FILE

The physical device filename to be used in lieu of the

Symmetrix database.

NULL

SYMCLI_RDB_CONNECT

Specifies a user name, password, and remote service name

for a users relational database account
(user/password@service).

NULL

SYMCLI_RDB_NAME

Specifies the default relational database name (DbName).

NULL

SYMCLI_RDB_TYPE

Specifies a specific type (DbType) of database. Possible

values are:
Oracle
Informix
SQLServer
Sybase
MVSDB2

NULL

SYMCLI_RETURN_MODE

When set to FORMATTED for Unisys platforms only,

prints return code mnemonics and error strings following
the execution of each SYMCLI command. DEFAULT
disables this feature.

DEFAULT

SYMCLI_SCHEMA_NAME

Specifies a relational database schema name

(SchemaName).

NULL

SYMCLI_SID

Specifies a default Symmetrix ID.

None

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Variable Name

Description

Default

SYMCLI_SKIP_ON_FAILURE

When set to 1, causes the symcfg discover

command (which scans all bus-connected devices) to skip
over any Symmetrix unit encountered in an error state.
This allows the command to complete the scan of the
remaining units. (Otherwise, the command faults and will
fail to complete the interrogation of all the Symmetrix
units.)

SYMCLI_TBS_NAME

Specifies a relational database tablespace name

(TblSpName).

NULL

SYMCLI_UPPERCASE

When set to 1, specifies that any user input in lowercase is

entered as uppercase.

SYMCLI_VERBOSE

When set to 1, enables the verbose response mode.

SYMCLI_VG

Specifies a default logical volume group name.

None

SYMCLI_WAIT_ON_DB

When set to 1, causes the SYMCLI to wait for Symmetrix

database access when locked by another user. Otherwise, a
busy database will cause an error.

SYMCLI_WAIT_ON_GK

When set to 1, causes the SYMCLI to wait for the retrieval

of Symmetrix information when all gatekeepers are busy.
Otherwise, a busy gatekeeper will cause an error.

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Appendix B: Referencing Devices and Objects

The SYMCLI commands use a number of different types of names to specify a Symmetrix device:
PdevName or pd
SymDevName or dev
LdevName or ld

Indicates a Physical (host) device name

Indicates a Symmetrix device name
Indicates a Logical device name

Other Symmetrix objects require certain notation to identify them in the command line, and these notations
and conventions are listed in Table 27.
Table 27. Naming Conventions
Parameter/Reference

Description

Examples

CgName (cg)

Consistency group name.

mycg1

DbName (db)

Relational database name.

HR

DgName (dg)

Device group name.

prod_1

FileName

Relational database file name.

EMP_HIST.dbf

LdevName (ld)

Logical device name, either given at the command line or

assigned automatically when a device is added to a device
group.

DEV001
BCV001

LvolName (lv)

Logical Volume Managers (LVMs) logical volume

name.

logvol1

PdevName (pd)

Hosts physical device name.

/dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s2
(See note below)

SchemaName

Relational database schema name.

SCOTT

SegmentName

Relational database segment name.

EMP_SEG

SymDevName (dev)

Symmetrix device name, unique for each Symmetrix unit.

00C

SymmID (sid)

Symmetrix unit identifier number.

010012392173

TableName

Relational database table name.

EMP

TblSpName

Relational database tablespace name.

tbl_space1

VgName

LVMs volume group name.

vol1

Note: For Windows NT, the physical device name is of the form: \\.\physicaldevice2

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Appendix C: The Options File

The options file is an editable text file that can be used to change the default behavior of certain
SYMCLI or SYMAPI command options on this host. The file contains editable default constants set to
certain optional defaults in the line entries. If the options file does not exist, it may be created using an
editor in order to add options to it.
The possible options in the options file are listed in Table 28.
Table 28. Options In The options File
Option

Description

Default

Used By

SYMAPI_CTRL_OF_NONVISIBLE_DEVS

Set to DISABLE to block the

SYMAPI/SYMCLI control commands
from targeting devices that are not
visible to this host.

ENABLE

Base, (All)

SYMAPI_CTRL_VIA_SERVER

Set to DISABLE to block the client

SYMAPI/SYMCLI control commands
from executing at the SYMAPI server.

ENABLE

Base, (All)

SYMAPI_DATED_LOGFILE_NAME

Set to DISABLE to allow the creation

of undated SYMAPI log files.

ENABLE

Base, (All)

SYMAPI_LOGFILE_DATE_FORMAT

Set to FORMAT2 to change the date

format in the log entries to yyyy-mm-dd.

FORMAT1

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Base,
(All Control)

Adjusts the limit of the number of

clients to allow in a client/server
environment.

100 clients on

Client/Server

SYMAPI_MAX_CLIENTS

a regular host,
10 on a
Symmetrix
service
processor

SYMAPI_ALLOW_SCRIPTS_VIA_SERVER

Set to ENABLE to allow pre-action

and post-action scripts for TimeFinder
commands to be run via the SYMAPI
server.

DISABLE

TimeFinder

SYMAPI_DEFAULT_BCV_ESTABLISH_TYPE

Controls how a BCV establish is

executed. Possible values are:

PARALLEL

TimeFinder

SINGULAR

Devices (including meta device

members) are established one at
a time. The next device establish
action will not be initiated until
a servicing DA has accepted the
previous device establish action.
SERIAL

Devices are passed to the

Symmetrix as fast as they can be
accepted. They will be placed in
the Symmetrix queue and
serviced by the DAs from this
queue.
PARALLEL

Devices are passed in parallel to

the servicing DAs. SYMAPI will
ensure that no more than one
establish per the servicing DA
will be outstanding at any one
time.

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Option

Description

Default

Used By

SYMAPI_DEFAULT_BCV_RESTORE_TYPE

Controls how a BCV restore is

executed. Possible values are:

PARALLEL

TimeFinder

SINGULAR

Devices (including meta device

members) are restored one at a
time. The next device restore
action will not be initiated until
a servicing DA has accepted the
previous device restore action.
SERIAL

Devices are passed to the

Symmetrix as fast as they can be
accepted. They will be placed in
the Symmetrix queue and
serviced by the DAs from this
queue.
PARALLEL

Devices are passed in parallel to

the servicing DAs. SYMAPI will
ensure that no more than one
restore per the servicing DA will
be outstanding at any one time.
SYMAPI_BCV_SINGULAR_INTERVAL

Causes the SINGULAR restore

process (see above) to pause (sleep)
for an interval of time (0 30 secs)
between each device operation in the
restore sequence. DEFAULT equals
0 secs, effectively turning off the
interval parameter.

DEFAULT

TimeFinder

SYMAPI_DEFAULT_BCV_SPLIT_TYPE

The instant (-instant) option for

the symmir command improves the
performance of a typical split
operation by performing a quick
foreground BCV split. Set to
INSTANT to make this option the
default split mode.

REGULAR

TimeFinder

SYMAPI_TF_COUNT_MODIFIED_TRACKS

This option can be used to count the

standard track changes when a query
action is performed and the BCV pair
is in a split state. Set to TRUE to turn
the track count behavior on. However,
note that performance might be
degraded if you have a sizeable group
of devices.

FALSE

TimeFinder

SYMAPI_WAIT_FOR_BCV_BG_SPLIT

This option can be used when you

want the SYMAPI/SYMCLI instant
split command to wait for the
background split operation to
complete before returning to the
command prompt. Set to TRUE to
make this option the default behavior
of the instant split operation.

FALSE

TimeFinder

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Option

Description

Default

Used By

SYMAPI_WAIT_FOR_BCV_SYNCH

Controls how a BCV establish or

restore is executed. Possible values
are:

FALSE

TimeFinder

TRUE

The command will not return to

the command prompt until the
establish or restore action has
been completed and the devices
are synchronized.
FALSE

The command will issue the

establish or restore action and
return to the command prompt
without waiting for the devices to
complete synchronization.
SYMAPI_SYNC_DIRECTION

Confines TimeFinder and SRDF

operations to establish or restore
actions.

BOTH

TimeFinder
SRDF

SYMAPI_ALLOW_RDF_SYMFORCE

Set to TRUE to allow users to specify

the -symforce option when
performing SRDF control operations.

FALSE

SRDF

SYMAPI_PARALLEL_RA_GROUPS

Set to ENABLE to allow the locking

of RA groups during SRDF control
actions, instead of applying
Symmetrix locks. This enables SRDF
control actions to be done at the same
time (i.e., parallel) across different RA
groups.

DISABLE

SRDF

SYMAPI_ACC_ADMIN_VIA_SERVER

Set to DISABLE to disable the client

SYMAPI/SYMCLI access control
commands for prepare, release, and
commit actions from executing at the
SYMAPI server.

ENABLE

Access Control

SYMAPI_ACC_DISPLAY_VIA_SERVER

Set to DISABLE to disable the client

SYMAPI/SYMCLI access control
displays commands for list and show
actions from executing at the
SYMAPI server.

ENABLE

Access Control

As shown in Table 28, a parameter may affect all components or just certain SYMCLI component areas.

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Appendix D: Avoidance Files

The avoidance files are editable text files containing physical (host) device names (PdevNames) or
Symmetrix IDs (SymmIDs) that can be used to limit SYMCLI from seeing certain Symmetrix units,
devices, or gatekeepers that would otherwise be affected by various commands.
symavoid The symavoid file affects the operation of symcfg discover so that is skips
over looking for devices that belong to the Symmetrix units identified in this file. This
may be useful if you wish SYMCLI to avoid multiple Symmetrix units connected to the
host. The symavoid file is formatted with 10- to 12-character SymmIDs, with one
SymmID per line.
inqfile

The inqfile file affects the operation of syminq and symcfg discover,
which will find only the physical devices specified in this file. This may be useful to limit
these commands to affect only certain Symmetrix devices connected to the host. The
inqfile file is formatted with PdevNames, with one PdevName per line.

gkavoid

The gkavoid file affects various online-type SYMCLI commands that use a
gatekeeper to communicate to a Symmetrix unit. A gatekeeper whose PdevName matches
any of the entries specified in the gkavoid file, will not be chosen as a gatekeeper to
communicate with the Symmetrix. This may be useful to designate certain Symmetrix
devices that should not be used as gatekeepers. The gkavoid file is formatted with
PdevNames, with one PdevName per line.

Overview of SYMCLI Functionality

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