Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack

Readme

September 10, 2010

1.0 Overview

The Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack creates a new Synchronizer system that consists of the Synchronizer services, the GroupWise Connector, and the Mobility Connector on a single server. This Synchronizer system enables you to easily synchronize GroupWise data to mobile devices.

For information about specific mobile devices, see the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Connector Wiki.

2.0 System Requirements

System requirements are listed in the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation Guide.

3.0 Mobility Pack Installation Instructions

  1. Make sure that the Linux server where you plan to install the Mobility Pack meets the system requirements.

    For additional planning assistance, see the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Best Practices Wiki.

  2. If a Web server is currently running on the Synchronizer server, stop it, and preferably disable it.

  3. Download the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack ISO file from Novell Downloads to a convenient temporary directory:

    novell-data-synchronizer-mobility-pack-x86_64-build_number.iso
    
  4. On your Linux desktop, click Computer > YaST, then enter the root password.

  5. Under Groups, click Software, then click Add-On Products.

  6. Install the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack as an add-on product.

Complete installation instructions are available in the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation Guide.

NOTE:If you need to uninstall and reinstall the Mobility Pack, follow the instructions in Uninstalling the Mobility Pack in the Novell Data Synchronizer Installation Guide. See also Section 4.8, Thorough Uninstallation Required

4.0 Installation Issues

4.1 GroupWise Trusted Application Creation

Before you run the Mobility Pack Installation program, you must create a GroupWise trusted application so that the GroupWise Connector can log in to a GroupWise Post Office Agent (POA) in order to access GroupWise mailboxes without needing personal user passwords. When you set up the GroupWise Connector as a trusted application, you only need to fill in three fields in the Create Trusted Application dialog box in ConsoleOne: Name, Location for Key File, and Name of Key File. Do not fill in any other fields. If you fill in additional fields, the trusted application does not work correctly with the GroupWise Connector.

4.2 YaST Proposal Error

When you run the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation program in YaST, you might see the following error:

The proposal contains an error that must be resolved before continuing

This error indicates that you clicked Next without providing the configuration information for your Synchronizer system. Instead of clicking Next, click Change > Mobility Pack Configuration, then provide the configuration as prompted. After you provide the configuration information, click Next.

4.3 YaST Hangs When Browsing Files in the Installation Program

When you run the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation program on SLES 11 SP1, if you browse to and select a file, the Installation program might hang. This can occur if you try to browse to and select any of the following files during installation:

  • Mobility Pack ISO file

  • GroupWise trusted application key file

  • Certificate file

As a workaround, type the full path and filename for the file instead of browsing to it.

4.4 Required Python Package Version

If you already have Python packages installed on the server where you are installing the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack, the Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation program needs to update the existing packages, rather than install new packages. This does not happen by default.

When you run the Installation program, you are prompted if packages need to be updated. Enter 1 for Solution 1 to update each package.

4.5 Mobility Pack Installation Program Fails on a 32-Bit/x86 Processor

The Mobility Pack must be installed on a server with a 64-bit/x86 processor. If you try to install it on a server with a 32-bit/x86 processor, the Mobility Pack Installation program does not detect the problem. It tries to run, but it cannot run correctly.

If the behavior of the Mobility Pack Installation program does not match the installation instructions provided in the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation Guide, make sure that you are installing the Mobility Pack on a server that meets the documented system requirements.

There are currently no plans to make the Mobility Pack available in a 32-bit version.

4.6 Overhead of Extraneous Users

When you add users to your Synchronizer system, data is automatically synchronized from GroupWise to the GroupWise Connector before users connect their mobile devices to your Synchronizer system. Do not add users to your Synchronizer system who do not have mobile devices. Extraneous users create unnecessary synchronization traffic in your Synchronizer system.

4.7 Database Password Restriction

Use only alphanumeric characters in the Synchronizer database password. Do not include special characters. The Sync Engine does not start if the database password includes special characters.

4.8 Thorough Uninstallation Required

The standard uninstallation procedures provided in Uninstalling the Mobility Pack in the Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Installation Guide occasionally fail to completely uninstall the Mobility Pack because of various server-specific issues. When the Mobility Pack software is not completely uninstalled, the next installation does not proceed normally. For example, you might encounter problems configuring LDAP access during installation. To ensure that the Mobility Pack software has been completely uninstalled, perform the following checks:

  • In YaST, click Software > Add-On Products. The Mobility Pack should not be listed. If it is still listed, select it, then click Delete.

  • In YaST, click Software > Software Repositories. The Mobility Pack repository should not be listed. If it is still listed, select it, then click Delete.

    IMPORTANT:If you do not remove the existing Mobility Pack repository, you cannot successfully install the next version of the Mobility Pack software.

  • In YaST, click Software > Software Management. In the Filters drop-down list, select Patterns. Under the Primary Functions heading, the Mobility Pack should not be listed. If it is still listed, select it. Review the Packages list for any packages that were not successfully uninstalled and uninstall them.

  • In YaST, click Software > Software Management. In the Search field, specify datasync, then click Search. The Packages list should be empty. If any Data Synchronizer packages are still listed, uninstall them.

  • Log in as root in a terminal window, then check for Data Synchronizer RPMs:

    rpm -qa | grep datasync
    

    If any Data Synchronizer RPMs are still installed, uninstall them:

    rpm -e rpm_name.rpm
    
  • Make sure that none of the following directories still exist on your server:

    /opt/novell/datasync
    /etc/datasync
    /etc/init.d/datasync*
    /var/lib/datasync
    /var/log/datasync
    /var/run/datasync
    /var/lib/pgsql
    

    If any of these directories still exist, delete them.

  • After performing all these checks, reboot the Synchronizer server.

  • Remove the Synchronizer certificate from any workstations where you have run Synchronizer Web Admin. For example, in Firefox, click Tools > Options > Advanced > Encryption > View Certificates. Select the certificate named DataSync Web Admin, then click Delete.

5.0 Data Synchronizer Issues

5.1 LDAP Server Restart Issue

If the LDAP server is restarted while Synchronizer is running, Synchronizer loses its connection to the LDAP server. Occasionally, the connection to the LDAP server is lost for other reasons. To reestablish the connection, restart the Synchronizer services.

5.2 Sync Engine Restart Stops All Connectors

When the Sync Engine is stopped or restarted, it forces all connectors to stop. After the Sync Engine is restarted, restart the Connector Manager service. After the Connector Manager service is restarted, restart each connector in Synchronizer Web Admin or configure the connectors to start automatically.

5.3 Users and Groups Not Displayed Correctly in Synchronizer Web Admin

When you add or delete a large number of users or groups, the Manage Users page or the Manage Groups page might not correctly display the presence or absence of the users or groups. Refresh the page in your browser to correctly display the users or groups.

5.4 Synchronizer Web Admin Responsiveness

After you add a large number of users to the GroupWise Connector, the responsiveness of Synchronizer Web Admin might diminish each time you restart the GroupWise Connector. For example, it might take longer to log in to Synchronizer Web Admin or you might not be able to navigate easily between pages while the GroupWise Connector is starting. This occurs because the GroupWise Connector verifies all of the users each time it starts. After the user verification process is completed, Synchronizer Web Admin behaves normally.

5.5 Usernames with Spaces

If a user’s LDAP username includes a space, the user cannot log in to the Data Synchronizer User Options page.

5.6 Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility

If you use Synchronizer Web Admin on Internet Explorer 8, you must enable Compatibility View in order to display the Sync Engine Advanced options on the Engine Settings page.

  1. In Internet Explorer 8, click Tools, then select Compatibility View.

Even with Compatibility View enabled, the Maintenance section on the Engine Settings page sometimes disappears when you mouse over it. However, with persistent mousing, it is still possible to click Clear Cache.

5.7 GroupWise Mobile Server Compatibility

Novell Data Synchronizer is the replacement for GroupWise Mobile Server (GMS). These two synchronization solutions can coexist successfully, as long as users are transitioned from GMS to Synchronizer in a timely manner. An issue with GMS can cause a user whose mobile device is configured to use both synchronization solutions to occasionally receive a large quantity of extraneous items. As you add users to Synchronizer, you should delete them from GMS. You can continue to run GMS indefinitely to support users with older mobile devices that are not supported by Synchronizer.

6.0 Connector Issues

6.1 General Connector Issues

6.1.1 User Deletion

In order to delete users from a connector, the connector must be running. If the connector is not running, some user event data is not properly deleted.

6.1.2 Connector Does Not Stop

When you stop a connector in Synchronizer Web Admin and then start it again immediately, the status might indefinitely remain as Starting. This can happen because the connector did not completely stop before you tried to restart it. The connector might have been completing a polling cycle before shutting down, even though Synchronizer Web Admin displayed the status as Stopped. When you try to start a connector that is still shutting down, it cannot start normally.

To restart the connector when this situation has occurred:

  1. Restart the Connector Manager on the command line:

    rcdatasync-connectors restart
    

    This should change the connector status in Synchronizer Web Admin from Starting to Stopped.

  2. Start the connector in Synchronizer Web Admin.

  3. Start any other connectors that stopped as a result of restarting the Connector Manager.

    Some connectors restart automatically when the Connector Manager restarts.

If this problem occurs repeatedly, wait a few seconds between the time when you stop the connector and when you start it again to allow the connector to shut down completely before restarting.

6.1.3 Multiple Instances of the Same Connector

Synchronizer Web Admin allows you to manually create multiple instances of the same connector. However, this configuration is not currently supported.

If you have more users than a single connector can service, you can install one or more additional instances of the Mobility Pack until all users are being successfully serviced. Users can be organized on multiple instances of the Mobility Pack based on various schemes such as the location of the users, the location of the synchronized applications, or the desired quality of service (executives vs. regular employees, for example). Instances of the Mobility Pack do not need to mirror the structure of your GroupWise system.

6.2 Connector-Specific Issues

Refer to the Readme for each connector on the Novell Data Synchronizer Connectors Documentation Web site.

7.0 GroupWise 8.0.2 Issues

The Mobility Pack depends on the GroupWise Connector and a GroupWise POA for much of its functionality. GroupWise 8.0.2 is required for use with the Mobility Pack. However, GroupWise 8.0.2 was released with some issues that impact Mobility Pack functionality. Fixes for these issues will be available as hot patches or in the next GroupWise release. For a list of GroupWise 8.0.2 issues, see the GroupWise Connector Readme.

8.0 Documentation

Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack documentation is available at the Novell Data Synchronizer Documentation Web site:

  • Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack Readme

  • Novell Data Synchronizer installation and administration guides

Novell Data Synchronizer connector documentation is available at the Novell Data Synchronizer Connector Documentation Web site

  • Connector Readmes

  • Connector Quick Starts

  • Connector installation and configuration guides

In addition to the Data Synchronizer product documentation, the following resources provide additional information about Data Synchronizer: