Requests...

Before going to a full "live" (as you call it) solution, it would be nice if you could utilize the engine you already got in a smarter way to make the Basic host, "semi" live.

IIRC quick-validate, is "light" enough to call during the day (maybe even every hour?). What if quick-validate (or validate) return code, could allow for an rsync to kickstart?
So an rsync could automatically start ONLY if there is (enough) data difference.
Or it can work the opposite way, NOT start a scheduled rsync if the parity is in fact already synced.

I am sure what I describe is maybe (up to a point) already possible with some smart scripting, but in any case it would become better if validate (and/or quick-validate) had a more usable output (like percentage of difference or something).

1---

I am not sure how your log system works now. I think it's just a matter of "live" console output, which someone could just grab by a redirection (>

and put to a file.
Shouldn't the system just have a proper log system? (a log file and in a perfect world also... syslog we can capture in some syslog client)

2---

I would love videos on properly restoring a failed RAID (or even WHS specific case).

3---

I would love to have some ready scripts (even just as an example), not only to create a RAID, but to define a FULL generic RAID's functionality.
More specifically:

- A script to create a RAID (you already have this)

- A script (that must be scheduled) to periodically check that RAID status (verify or validate?)

- A script (again to schedule) to periodically rsync the RAID

- A script to run after resolving a failure (replacing failed disk, wanting to "undelete" something, or whatever) to actually do the restore.

...this would allow n00bs (like me in FlexRAID) have a good start with the system even now that is not yet fully "intuitive".

4---

That is not a request, but a question, but I didn't want to create YET another thread.
I've seen that using webUI it is possible to schedule tasks.
Does this work only while webUI server is running or it uses another method (windows scheduler or cron job in linux), so that everything you set in webUI is actually scheduled "for ever and ever"?
(if it just works while webUI is running, then #4 turns to a request: please make the webUI schedules as system schedules)

5---

Packaging your solution:

- If you ask me, don't give ANY weight to GUI client. It would be one more thing to maintain, for no reason. A more feature-rich webUI is MORE than enough for everybody. I understand that since you use Java, the GUI is not something THAT hard to make (and takes off your hands the inter-OS porting), but still... no point doing it.

- Bundle the command-line client with the host ...single setup. I understand separating the webUI (for now), esp. since many people won't need it, but your command line should be your "beachhead", something to be able to push any user to go (without requesting to install anything extra) when there is something you need to debug or info you need from the system. Plus it will warranty that the user has the proper command-line version, for the host he runs (not an issue now, but could be an issue in the future when there will be newer command line versions etc.).

6---

Consider WHS add-in (yes again). Even if it's just a trick, like just hiding your normal webUI in a normal WHS button. I am saying this because of the much bigger "exposure" this would give to FlexRAID.

7---

Next-gen webUI:

- Add wizards for some common tasks (what I say in #3 above, is a nice example on what a great wizard should help the user configure).

- Prefer the clean interface, over "wow" but incompatible with browsers, interfaces.

---

...well that's all for now. I hope it doesn't look overwhelming. They are just ideas (and I am sure many of those, you already had in mind) ...in fact this gives use request #8:

8---

Make a nice thread that you keep an organized "wishlist". Possibly even with your own comments on how simple (or complex) or how soon (or not) something COULD be added.

Thaaaanks.

NLS wrote:Before going to a full "live" (as you call it) solution, it would be nice if you could utilize the engine you already got in a smarter way to make the Basic host, "semi" live.

IIRC quick-validate, is "light" enough to call during the day (maybe even every hour?). What if quick-validate (or validate) return code, could allow for an rsync to kickstart?
So an rsync could automatically start ONLY if there is (enough) data difference.
Or it can work the opposite way, NOT start a scheduled rsync if the parity is in fact already synced.

I am sure what I describe is maybe (up to a point) already possible with some smart scripting, but in any case it would become better if validate (and/or quick-validate) had a more usable output (like percentage of difference or something).
....

It already works that way.

I think what you are really asking is for a another way to trigger the RAID maintenance tasks (in a file monitoring type of way).
Well, I have been thinking of adding a Callback feature to FlexRAID-View so that you could have a plugin that triggers a FlexRAID Basic tasks under certain events.
FlexRAID Basic will not go away even after Live! comes out as it has its value in being just what it is.
FlexRAID Basic in its core will never change. It is what's around it that will change or need to change.

FYI, FlexRAID will soon be one product (the Basic, Live!, and View suffixes are going away) with 3 core features:
- Snapshot RAID (what's known as FlexRAID Basic today)
- Real-time RAID (what I have been calling FlexRAID Live!)
- Storage cloud / Unified View / JBOD (haven't decided on exact term - what's known as FlexRAID-View today)

1. Not sure what you are asking, but you could "tail" the server log if you wanted more information than was given to the client.
Logging is expensive and performance is key in FlexRAID.

2. There are going to be many videos... once I am done with Live!.
However, I am really hoping that users will start to chime in and create tutorial guides.
End users that understand a product tend to explain it much better than those who created the product.

3. You already have that.
In the guide for "dummies", I explained how to setup your OS scheduler to do the task scheduling.
It is very simple and straight forward to schedule any of the tasks.
Users wanting more simplicity should use the WebUI, which even includes e-mail notifications.
Users wanting even more simplicity should wait for Live! or the NAS version.

4. Yes, the WebUI must be running to do the scheduling.
An option could be added to the WebUI to dispatch the scheduled jobs to the OS, but that would have to be a separate feature update.

5. True. If I spend any time on a desktop client, it would be far after I fully enhance the WebUI.
I prefer to keep the Command Line client as a separate product. It is nice being able to install it just by itself on another box for remote management.
I can foresee most users never ever using it going forward (once the WebUI gets updated).

6. Sure. Makes sense.

7. That's always been a hard one. Look and feel does count for a lot.
Frankly, I only plan to support Firefox and nothing else.
This is not a website but rather a niche product.
Therefore, I can afford to be restrictive on the browser support.

8. Working on the wiki. It will have all that.
In fact, the official www.flexraid.com site will be hosted on the wiki as FlexRAID is getting ready to move out of incubation.

Thanks man.
Clear as always.

I hope the "system schedule" function of the webUI got in your "to do" shortlist.

(now going to look for the extra info in the "for dummies" post... must have missed it)

Brahim wrote:

NLS wrote:IIRC quick-validate, is "light" enough to call during the day (maybe even every hour?). What if quick-validate (or validate) return code, could allow for an rsync to kickstart?
So an rsync could automatically start ONLY if there is (enough) data difference.
Or it can work the opposite way, NOT start a scheduled rsync if the parity is in fact already synced.

I am sure what I describe is maybe (up to a point) already possible with some smart scripting, but in any case it would become better if validate (and/or quick-validate) had a more usable output (like percentage of difference or something).
....

It already works that way.

How? I must have missed this... Are you saying that if I run quick-validate and inconsistencies are found an automatic rsynch is going to be launched? I don't follow you.

gorman wrote:
...

How? I must have missed this... Are you saying that if I run quick-validate and inconsistencies are found an automatic rsynch is going to be launched? I don't follow you.

No.
It is more that rsynch does what quick-validate does before running.

So, running quick-validate to determine whether to run rsynch is redundant.

If you want to control the threshold before rsynch runs by using quick-validate, then you will need to write your own script that parses the summary report passed to the client or parse the log output of the host.

So what you are saying is that rsynch does a quick-validate before running?

I really don't understand what you are saying, I'm sorry...

gorman wrote:So what you are saying is that rsynch does a quick-validate before running?

...

Yes.

Brahim wrote:
8. Working on the wiki. It will have all that.
In fact, the official www.flexraid.com site will be hosted on the wiki as FlexRAID is getting ready to move out of incubation.

I started.. Not really allowed (By Wikipedia rules) to copy this site directly, as I did not write the original content.
So I have paraphrased etc.
I also have to learn how to use the editing stuff in the wiki sense.
Not much there yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlexRAID

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 07/03/2010 04:53:28

Smurf-IV wrote:
I started.. Not really allowed (By Wikipedia rules) to copy this site directly, as I did not write the original content.
So I have paraphrased etc.
I also have to learn how to use the editing stuff in the wiki sense.
Not much there yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlexRAID

As for adding HowTo's, User experiences and thing's,
I have created a free hosted wiki @ http://flexraid.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page
It's a bit bare in there...

So what would you all like to see put into this as I get it up and running (Well editing

)