How to Download and Run the Isilon On-Cluster Analysis Tool (IOCA)
If you are using an Isilon cluster, you may want to check its health and performance regularly, especially before upgrading to a newer version of OneFS. One of the tools that can help you do that is the Isilon On-Cluster Analysis tool (IOCA). In this article, we will explain what IOCA is, why you need it, how to download it, how to run it, and how to interpret its output.
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What is IOCA and Why You Need It
IOCA is a Perl script that analyzes a running Isilon cluster's health and assists in planning upgrades. It performs various checks on the cluster's configuration, hardware, software, network, storage, performance, security, and compliance. It also provides recommendations for upgrading to a specific OneFS version based on the cluster's current state.
You need IOCA because it can help you identify and resolve potential issues that may affect your cluster's functionality, availability, or performance. It can also help you prepare for a smooth and successful upgrade by ensuring that your cluster meets the requirements and compatibility criteria for the target OneFS version.
IOCA Features and Benefits
Some of the features and benefits of IOCA are:
It runs on the cluster itself, so you don't need to install or configure any external tools or agents.
It supports all OneFS versions from 6.5.x to 9.x.
It can run in two modes: health check only or health check plus upgrade plan.
It generates a comprehensive report that includes detailed information about each health check item, as well as links to relevant Knowledge Base (KB) articles for further guidance.
It can detect common issues such as hardware failures, configuration errors, network problems, storage inefficiencies, performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and compliance violations.
It can suggest optimal upgrade paths based on your cluster's current OneFS version and the target OneFS version you specify.
It can estimate the time required for each upgrade step and the total upgrade duration.
IOCA Requirements and Compatibility
Before you run IOCA on your cluster, you need to make sure that:
Your cluster is running OneFS 6.5.x or later.
Your cluster has internet access or you have access to a computer that can download IOCA from FTP or HTTPS.
Your cluster has enough free space in /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ directory (at least 100 MB).
You have root or administrator privileges on your cluster.
You have read and understood the OneFS Upgrade Planning and Process Guide for your target OneFS version.
How to Download IOCA from FTP or HTTPS
You can download IOCA from either FTP or HTTPS, depending on your cluster's internet access. The latest release of IOCA is always available at these locations:
FTP: [8](ftp://ftp.emc.com/pub/rcm/Isilon/tools/IOCA)
HTTPS: [9](
FTP Access Method
If your cluster has FTP access, you can use the following commands to download IOCA from FTP:
# Log in to the cluster as root or administrator ssh root@<cluster_ip> # Change to the /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ directory cd /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ # Download IOCA from FTP curl -O ftp://ftp.emc.com/pub/rcm/Isilon/tools/IOCA/ioca.pl
If the download is successful, you should see a message like this:
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed 100 302k 100 302k 0 0 302k 0 0:00:01 --:--:-- 0:00:01 302k
HTTPS Access Method
If your cluster does not have FTP access, you can use a computer that has HTTPS access to download IOCA from the Dell Support website and then transfer it to your cluster using SCP or a USB drive. Here are the steps to follow:
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Is there a difference between ioca and isi_healthcheck?
What are the benefits of using ioca over isi_healthcheck?
How often should i run ioca on my isilon cluster?
How long does it take to run ioca on my isilon cluster?
How much disk space does ioca require on my isilon cluster?
How can i update ioca on my isilon cluster?
How can i uninstall ioca from my isilon cluster?
How can i provide feedback or suggestions for ioca?
How can i report bugs or issues with ioca?
Go to [10]( and click on the Download button under IOCA Script.
Save the ioca.pl file to your computer.
Use SCP or a USB drive to copy the ioca.pl file to the /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ directory on your cluster.
How to Run IOCA on Your Isilon Cluster
Once you have downloaded IOCA to your cluster, you can run it using the following steps:
Verify Cluster Connection
Before you run IOCA, you need to verify that your cluster is connected to the internet or has access to the Dell Support website. This is because IOCA needs to download some files and KB articles from Dell Support during its execution. To verify the connection, you can use the ping command:
# Ping the Dell Support website ping support.emc.com
If you see a response like this, it means your cluster is connected:
PING support.emc.com (143.166.135.105) 56(84) bytes of data. 64 bytes from support.emc.com (143.166.135.105): icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=15.6 ms 64 bytes from support.emc.com (143.166.135.105): icmp_seq=2 ttl=54 time=15.6 ms 64 bytes from support.emc.com (143.166.135.105): icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=15.6 ms
If you see a response like this, it means your cluster is not connected:
PING support.emc.com (143.166.135.105) 56(84) bytes of data. From <cluster_ip> icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable From <cluster_ip> icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable From <cluster_ip> icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable
If your cluster is not connected, you need to troubleshoot your network settings or contact your network administrator for assistance.
Create and Change Directory
Next, you need to create a directory where IOCA will store its output files and change to that directory. You can use any name for the directory, but we recommend using a name that includes the date and time of the IOCA run, such as ioca_20230620_1455. You can use the following commands to create and change directory:
# Create a directory under /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ mkdir /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ioca_20230620_1455 # Change to the directory cd /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ioca_20230620_1455
Stage IOCA Script
Then, you need to copy the IOCA script from the /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ directory to the current directory and make it executable. You can use the following commands to do that:
# Copy IOCA script cp /ifs/data/Isilon_Support/ioca.pl . # Make it executable chmod +x ioca.pl
Run IOCA Script with Arguments
Now, you are ready to run the IOCA script with the appropriate arguments. The IOCA script has two mandatory arguments and several optional arguments. The mandatory arguments are:
-t: The target OneFS version you want to upgrade to, such as 9.1.0.0.
-o: The output file name for the IOCA report, such as ioca_report_20230620_1455.txt.
The optional arguments are:
-h: Displays the help message and exits.
-v: Displays the IOCA version and exits.
-c: Runs IOCA in health check only mode, without generating an upgrade plan.
-d: Runs IOCA in debug mode, which provides more verbose output and logs.
-s: Skips downloading files and KB articles from Dell Support, which may speed up the execution time but may result in incomplete or outdated information.
For example, to run IOCA in health check plus upgrade plan mode for OneFS 9.1.0.0 and save the output to ioca_report_20230620_1455.txt, you can use the following command:
# Run IOCA with arguments ./ioca.pl -t 9.1.0.0 -o ioca_report_20230620_1455.txt
The IOCA script will start running and display its progress on the screen. Depending on the size and complexity of your cluster, the IOCA run may take from a few minutes to a few hours. You can monitor the output on the screen or check the log file ioca.log in the current directory for more details.
Gather and Review Output
When the IOCA script finishes running, it will generate two output files in the current directory: ioca_report_20230620_1455.txt and ioca_upgrade_plan_20230620_1455.txt. The first file is the IOCA report, which contains the results of all the health check items and links to relevant KB articles. The second file is the IOCA upgrade plan, which contains the recommended upgrade path, steps, and duration for your cluster based on your target OneFS version.
You can use any text editor or viewer to open and review these files. You can also copy them to another location or device for further analysis or reference. You should carefully read and understand the output files before proceeding with any actions or decisions regarding your cluster's health or upgrade.
How to Interpret IOCA Output and Resolve Issues
The IOCA output files provide a lot of information and guidance for your cluster's health and upgrade readiness. However, you may still need some help to interpret them and resolve any issues that may arise. Here are some tips to help you with that:
Understand Health Check Items and KB Articles
The IOCA report lists all the health check items that IOCA performed on your cluster, grouped by categories such as Configuration, Hardware, Software, etc. Each health check item has a name, a description, a status, and a link to a KB article. The status can be one of four values: PASS, FAIL, WARN, or INFO.
A PASS status means that the health check item passed and no action is required. A FAIL status means that the health check item failed and immediate action is required to fix the issue. A WARN status means that the health check item passed with some warnings and recommended action is required to prevent or resolve potential issues. An INFO status means that the health check item provided some informational messages and optional action is suggested to improve or optimize your cluster's state.
The KB article link provides more details about each health check item, such as what it checks, why it is important, how it works, what are the possible causes and effects of failure or warning, and how to fix or prevent them. You should always refer to the KB article for each health check item that has a FAIL or WARN status before taking any action on your cluster.
Identify FAIL or WARN Messages and Potential Issues
The IOCA report also highlights any FAIL or WARN messages that may indicate serious or potential issues with your cluster's health or upgrade readiness. These messages are displayed in red or yellow color respectively in the output file. They are also summarized at the end of the report under the section "Summary of FAIL/WARN messages".
You should pay close attention to these messages and identify their root causes and impacts on your cluster's functionality, availability, or performance. Some of these messages may be related to each other or have common sources or solutions. You should try to resolve them as soon as possible or contact Dell Support for assistance if needed.
Contact Dell Support for Assistance
If you encounter any problems or questions while running or interpreting IOCA, you can always contact Dell Support for assistance. Dell Support can help you with issues such as:
Downloading or running IOCA.
Understanding or resolving FAIL or WARN messages.
Planning or executing an upgrade to a newer OneFS version.
Troubleshooting or optimizing your cluster's health or performance.
You can contact Dell Support by phone, email, chat, or web. You can also use the Dell EMC Online Support portal to create and manage service requests, access technical documentation and resources, and get the latest updates and news. To contact Dell Support, you will need your cluster's serial number and service tag, which you can find in the IOCA report under the section "Cluster Information".
Conclusion and FAQs
In this article, we have explained how to download and run the Isilon On-Cluster Analysis tool (IOCA) on your Isilon cluster. We have also discussed how to interpret the IOCA output and resolve any issues that may affect your cluster's health or upgrade readiness. IOCA is a useful tool that can help you check and improve your cluster's state and prepare for a smooth and successful upgrade to a newer OneFS version.
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about IOCA:
How often should I run IOCA on my cluster?
You should run IOCA on your cluster at least once every six months, or before any major changes or upgrades to your cluster. This will help you keep your cluster in optimal condition and avoid any unexpected issues or downtime.
Can I run IOCA on multiple clusters at the same time?
Yes, you can run IOCA on multiple clusters at the same time, as long as each cluster has its own copy of the IOCA script and output directory. You can also use different computers to download and run IOCA on different clusters.
Can I run IOCA on a specific node or subset of nodes in my cluster?
No, you cannot run IOCA on a specific node or subset of nodes in your cluster. IOCA runs on the entire cluster and analyzes its overall health and performance. If you want to check the status of a specific node or subset of nodes, you can use other tools such as isi status, isi statistics, isi healthcheck, etc.
Can I customize or modify the IOCA script or output?
No, you cannot customize or modify the IOCA script or output. The IOCA script and output are designed and tested by Dell EMC engineers to provide accurate and consistent information and guidance for your cluster's health and upgrade readiness. Any changes to the script or output may result in errors, inaccuracies, or inconsistencies.
Where can I find more information about IOCA?
You can find more information about IOCA in the following sources:
The Dell EMC Online Support portal: [11](
The OneFS Upgrade Planning and Process Guide for your target OneFS version: [12](
The Isilon Info Hub: [13](
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