"Lite" Windows OS Client

2010-05-09 12 03 35.png

Edit: 2010-05-11
If you install this via wine, then you will need to modify the shortcut to put mono in the launch shortcut

Things in this version

1.1.4 (Mono Compatibility)
- Remove the code to get the themed icons for the drive tree
- Detect if Mono Does not support the Drives API (DirectoryInfo) and then default to Manual add mode
- Removed splash form and made it part of the MainFrame on start up
- Handle Mono not closing forms correctly

Fixed:
Do Mono

Note:s
- This is not the Mono Installer version - but if you have Wine you might be able to get it to install and then run under *Nix. I do not how or have the test OS's to perform that sequence. If you have success then let me know.
- I am classing this as an Alpha release, so install to test the GUI features and report back please?

- Edit 2010-06-29
I do not class this to be Alpha, As I have been using it for 6 weeks without a problem

Okay the 1.1.5 was short lived so will not bother to include it again here. There was nothing wrong with it, I just was testing and fixing outstanding issues so quickly, that I thought I might as well Release 1.1.6

So.. Old details that made 1.1.5

1.1.5 (Adding Remote Import)
- Add the ability to Import from an existing FlexRaid Setup (Important, make sure that ther Flexraid is not doing anything !!)
- Addition of MRU menu under remote

Fixed:
- Corrected a smelling pistake on one of the toolstips

Smurf-IV wrote:Okay the 1.1.5 was short lived so will not bother to include it again here. There was nothing wrong with it, I just was testing and fixing outstanding issues so quickly, that I thought I might as well Release 1.1.6

Hrmm.. Didn't even see that someone was working on a native client for Flex. Nice work! Want to get it and play around with it. As I understand it, it is a replacement for web UI that allows managing raid configurations.

When will 1.1.6 version be available to download? I understand that is the latest version you have? Hopefully it'll work on 2008R2 server (64 bit). Is it a .NET app?

aay wrote:

Smurf-IV wrote:Okay the 1.1.5 was short lived so will not bother to include it again here. There was nothing wrong with it, I just was testing and fixing outstanding issues so quickly, that I thought I might as well Release 1.1.6

Hrmm.. Didn't even see that someone was working on a native client for Flex. Nice work! Want to get it and play around with it. As I understand it, it is a replacement for web UI that allows managing raid configurations.

1) When will 1.1.6 version be available to download?
2)I understand that is the latest version you have? Hopefully it'll work on 2008R2 server (64 bit). Is it a .NET app?

1)It's in the first post, I am not able to change the title like the site owner to state the latest.
2) Yes it is, Please give it a spin.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 03/07/2010 00:01:22

Smurf-IV wrote:2) Yes it is, Please give it a spin.

Well, took me a few minutes to see that I need to have some config files to use this client. Didn't realize that right away - I thought Flex stores configuration from WebUI somehow somewhere...

I only used WebUI and never touched the command line. Honestly, I was put off by it as I don't want to even bother figuring out all the commands and parameters.. Have hard time understanding the need for that...

So, few questions (might be useful for other users as well):

1. I used WebUI to create configurations, so i don't have config.txt anywhere. Can I just drag and drop drives in the same way I did for the WebUI in your client and use it right away? Will it just work?
2. Not sure how to specify 'advanced' parameters available from WebUI (like number of threads, etc)

Thanks!

aay wrote:So, few questions (might be useful for other users as well):

1. I used WebUI to create configurations, so i don't have config.txt anywhere. Can I just drag and drop drives in the same way I did for the WebUI in your client and use it right away? Will it just work?
2. Not sure how to specify 'advanced' parameters available from WebUI (like number of threads, etc)
Thanks!

1) Yes
a] you can Drag and drop,
b] Right click create,
c] Or even (Needs a bit more testing and can take ages if you have a large Parity area) use the Remote ->New ->Import command to attempt to retrieve the information from the MetaData.
2) Currently there it does not expose them yet. This is one of those things that I have played with (In the WebUI), and then found that they seem to be okay as they are when running rsynch. This is going to be one of those features that starts to make this a more fully fledged (Read complicated) Clients UI, that this will eventually turn into. (The Title states it a "Lite" client - This is not a defense, just something that it is at the moment).
I'm mostly using mine to perform rsynch's, so the only data it really needs is the PPU (Metatdata) location.

I actually just played with it last night and started a validation process for my setup (which is taking for-ev-ar!

. So, I guess, first question I sort of answered myself after playing with the client. Just was worried a bit not to kill the parity data at the beginning.

Fair enough - this client provides a subset of parameters and it's ok. I was just wondering if there is a way to define some extra parameters to see if I can speed things up. Not sure if it would really help though

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/07/2010 12:31:13

aay wrote:Fair enough - this client provides a subset of parameters and it's ok. I was just wondering if there is a way to define some extra parameters to see if I can speed things up. Not sure if it would really help though

If you go page 2 of the following url you will see mention of the Generic IO test (Link can be found 3/4 way down page 1) that allows buffer sizes to be altered and tested. It also allows you to tune some of the buffers etc to see if you can eek out some extra performance.
http://www.openegg.org/forums/posts/list/26.page

Brahim wrote:What users should focus on when it comes to performance are:
1. the buffer size (makes the biggest difference in performance)
2. the processes count
The difference between the optimal buffer size and the worst possible value can be as drastic as a 10x performance difference.

aay wrote:I actually just played with it last night and started a validation process for my setup (which is taking for-ev-ar! . I was just wondering if there is a way to define some extra parameters to see if I can speed things up. Not sure if it would really help though

Validation is oe of the things that only runs in a single core.
See http://www.openegg.org/referenceFlexRAID.curi#tasks That "X" under verify means that regardless of the setting it will not run faster. It does state that it will use the buffer size tho', so back to the performance tester I mentioned previously.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/07/2010 15:20:58

An Update:

Brahim wrote:What users should focus on when it comes to performance are:
1. the buffer size (makes the biggest difference in performance)
2. the processes count
The difference between the optimal buffer size and the worst possible value can be as drastic as a 10x performance difference.

So I went ahead and added some code to allow these things to be added to the config file that this tool creates on the fly for each command.
Turns out they do not work "as advertised".

So I went back to the command client, and tried the demo txt files that are provided as examples, and they do not work "as advertised" either !!

So it will be a little longer before I am able to get this WinGui Client running against the 1.4 version as there have obviously had some changes in the command files!

Edit 2010-07-05.
Turns out you cannot use the run command and set the advanced settings.

So I have to use the upload command (Which was one of the TODO's), So 2 birds one stone type thingy.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/07/2010 15:09:51

1.1.6 (Tidy Up)
"Expand Status" now returns all actions status results since the raid service was started.

Fixed:
#21 ChangeLog opening via the Help menu stopped working in 1.1.3 (When app launched from the installer)
#22 Exception is thrown when the Log View is open.
#24 Unable to remove th "Undo recovery unit" from the Config file via the GUI delete
- This also meant that the URU remained in template file as well !
#25 Alt+f when "RaidControl" is open does not open the File Menu
#26 No way of closing the Service log window without closing the application
#27 If there are no DRU's specified then an exception of "Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection." is thrown in the config file
#28 Resize of the Raid window only squashes the PPU Area.
#29 When attempting to confirm existnce of target server in the Import screen (In Windows 7) the Ping fails.
#30 Would be better if the logs opened and scrolled to the end of the log file

Latest can be found on Page 1: Post 1

This project has now moved over to http://frwingui.codeplex.com/

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/07/2010 03:20:02

V 1.1.8 has been released with Email notification support and other stuff

Can be found @ http://frwingui.codeplex.com/releases/view/48911

Would love it if you had access to FlexRAID source files to help our busy friend.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 01/08/2010 02:44:10

NLS wrote:Would love it if you had access to FlexRAID source files to help our busy friend.

Same here, but was never given "Access" to anything but an old version of the Cmd Client..
The rest I have had guess, butcher, work-around to get this far..
1.1.9 (It's in Alpha) will probably be the last version for a while..
I think it's time to move onto the Liquesce project..

Possibly.

Pity. Seems the only thing incubating here, are spin-offs?

The Last release for a while

1.1.9 @ http://frwingui.codeplex.com/releases/view/49846

Smurf-IV wrote:The Last release for a while

1.1.9 @ http://frwingui.codeplex.com/releases/view/49846

Arse.. Broke the layout of the email settings
now @ version 1.1.9.1 - you will have to uninstall 1.1.9 otherwise you will end up with 2 version in the "Add-Remove Programs" section under the "control panel"

@Smurf-IV

Can you release the app in a normal zip format? (instead of 7z)
We have some catch up to do.

Thanks.

Brahim wrote:@Smurf-IV
Can you release the app in a normal zip format? (instead of 7z)
Thanks.

Just curious, but Why ?
7Zip runs everywhere and once installed can do Zip and Rar formats as well.
I did it in 7Z as it gets better compression (And appears to be the internet choice - a bit like png for pictures)