D.1 Creating and Mirroring NSS Pools on Shared Storage

NSS provides a software RAID 1 configuration option that mirrors NSS pool partitions. The partitions are automatically created by the NSS management tools when you create a pool and when you mirror the pool. NSS supports two to four segments in a software RAID 1. To ensure disaster recovery, the device you select to mirror should be in another storage array in the other data center.

For example, you create the original pool in one cluster, then create mirrors for that pool in the other peer clusters, for a total two to four segments.

Prior to creating and mirroring NSS pools on shared storage, ensure that you have the following:

  • All servers in the cluster are connected to a shared storage system.

  • One or more drive arrays are configured on the shared storage system.

  • The drives on the shared storage system have been initialized.

  • NSS is installed and running. For information, see Installing and Configuring Novell Storage Services in the OES 2018 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

  • CIFS for Linux and AFP for Linux are available as advertising protocols for NSS pool cluster resources. If you plan to mark CIFS or AFP as an advertising protocol for the NSS pool resource, ensure that these protocols are installed and running when you create the pool resource. If you install the protocols after you create the pool, you can use the Clusters plug-in for iManager to add CIFS or AFP as advertising protocols.

  • You need a static IP address for the pool resource. It must be in the same subnet as the cluster master IP address.

IMPORTANT:NSS pool snapshot technology is not supported for pool resources in a Novell Cluster Services cluster, and also does not work in a business continuity cluster.

To create and mirror NSS pools:

  1. Start NSSMU by entering nssmu at the server console of a cluster server.

  2. Select Devices from the NSSMU main menu and mark all shared devices as sharable for clustering.

    On Linux, shared disks are not by default marked sharable for clustering. With a device marked as sharable for clustering, all partitions on that device are automatically sharable.

    You can press F6 to individually mark devices as sharable.

  3. From the NSSMU main menu, select Pools, press the Insert key, then type a name for the new pool you want to create.

  4. Select the device on your shared storage where you want the pool created.

    Device names might be labelled something like /dev/sdc.

  5. Choose whether you want the pool to be activated and cluster-enabled when it is created.

    The Activate on Creation option is enabled by default. This causes the pool to be activated as soon as it is created. If you choose not to activate the pool, you need to manually activate it later before it can be used.

    The Cluster Enable on Creation option is also enabled by default. If you want to cluster-enable the pool at the same time it is created, accept the default entry (Yes) and continue with Step 6. If you want to cluster-enable the pool at a later date, change the default entry from Yes to No, select Create, and then go to Creating NSS Volumes.

  6. On the Cluster Pool Information page, specify the following information:

    Parameter

    Action

    Virtual Server Name

    (Optional) The default virtual server name for the resource is the cluster name plus the cluster resource name. For example, if the cluster name is cluster1 and the pool cluster resource name is POOL1_SERVER, then the default virtual server name is CLUSTER1-POOL1-SERVER.

    You can use the suggested name, or specify a different Virtual Server name for the cluster resource.

    You can modify the cluster resource name after the resource has been created by using the cluster rename command. Changing the resource name does not modify the pool name or the virtual server name.

    CIFS Server Name

    (Optional) If CIFS is installed and running, you can use this field to specify the name of the CIFS virtual server that CIFS clients see when they browse the network.

    If CIFS is installed and running, but CIFS is disabled as an advertising protocol, this field is not available (dimmed).

    If CIFS is not installed and running, this field value is NOT_SUPPORTED.

    CIFS is disabled by default as an advertising protocol. You can select the CIFS check box to enable it. By default, the NCP virtual server name is suggested as the CIFS virtual server name. You can use the suggested name or specify a customized name for the CIFS virtual server name.

    If desired, specify a new name for the CIFS virtual server. The name can be up to 15 characters, which is a restriction of the CIFS protocol.

    IP Address

    Specify an IP address for the pool cluster resource. Tab between the address fields. The address is IPv4 format, such as 10.10.10.243.

    Each pool cluster resource requires its own unique IP address. The IP address assigned to the pool remains assigned to the pool regardless of which server in the cluster hosts the pool.

    Advertising Protocols

    Select the check boxes of the advertising protocols (AFP, CIFS, NCP) that you want to enable for data requests to this shared pool. NCP is required to support authenticated access to data via the OES Trustee model.

    Selecting a protocol causes commands to be added to the pool cluster resource’s load and unload scripts to activate the protocol for the resource. This lets you ensure that the cluster-enabled pool is highly available to users via the specified protocol.

    If the CIFS or AFP protocols are not installed and running, selecting the corresponding CIFS or AFP check box has no effect.

    Online Resource after Create

    The check box is deselected by default and dimmed so that you cannot change the setting.

    The pool is currently active on the server. You must deactivate the pool from the server before attempting to bring the resource online. You should also configure the resource load, unload, and monitor scripts before you bring the resource online.

    Define Additional Properties

    Select the Define Additional Properties check box.

    This allows you to configure the resource policies for the start, failover, and failback modes, and to configure the preferred nodes.

  7. Select Create to create and cluster-enable the pool.

  8. Repeat Step 3 to Step 7 for each additional pool you want to create on shared storage.

  9. Select Partitions from the NSSMU main menu.

  10. Select the partition you want to mirror (this is the partition that was created when you created the pool), then press F3.

  11. Enter a name for the software RAID 1 device that will be created.

    For more information on configuring software RAID for NSS, see Managing NSS Software RAID Devices in the OES 2018 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

  12. Select the shared device with free space that you want to use as the mirror, then select YES to mirror the partition.

    To ensure disaster recovery, the device you select to mirror should be in another storage array in the other data center. You can select up to three shared devices.

  13. Repeat Step 9 through Step 12 for each additional shared pool that you want to mirror.

  14. Continue with Creating NSS Volumes.