It is necessary to run the Novell Cluster Services installation program when you
Create a new cluster
Add new nodes to an existing cluster
Upgrade cluster software on servers being upgraded from NetWare 5.1 to NetWare 6.5
If you are running the Novell Cluster Services installation program to create a new cluster, the program automatically
Creates a new Cluster object in eDirectory
Installs Novell Cluster Services software on the servers you specify to be part of your cluster
You can install up to 32 nodes in each cluster.
Before you begin, make sure your solution meets the Requirements for Novell Cluster Services.
If you are installing Novell Cluster Services on the first node of the cluster, you need a shared device where you can create a small partition of 20 MB to use for the split-brain detector during the install. If you plan to mirror the SBD, you need two of them.
If the device is a new uninitialized disk, you must initialize it and enable it for sharing.
WARNING:Initializing a disk destroys all data on it.
At the server console prompt of the first node, enter
nssmu
In NSSMU, select from the main menu, then press Enter.
Select the device, press F3 to initialize the disk, select to confirm, then press Enter.
Scroll to highlight the device, press F5 to select the device, then press F6 to share the disk.
The value changes from to Yes.
Press Esc twice, then select and press Enter to exit NSSMU.
Prior to running nwdeploy.exe to install Novell Cluster Services, you must have a client connection established from the workstation running the Novell Deployment Manager to each server where Novell Cluster Services will be installed or upgraded.
The easiest way to do this is to use Windows Explorer to browse the eDirectory tree to the sys: volume of each server in your cluster to be upgraded or installed. Opening the sys: volume folder on a server automatically creates a connection to that server.
The first server that you configure for the cluster automatically becomes the master node in the cluster. Subsequent servers that you add to the cluster become slave nodes.
To install Novell Cluster Services, insert the NetWare 6.5 Operating System CD in a NetWare client workstation and run nwdeploy.exe from the root of the CD to launch the NetWare Deployment Manager, then complete the following steps:
In the NetWare Deployment Manager, open the Post-Install Tasks folder, click , and then click or .
Continue through the installation screens until you get to the screen that prompts you to create a new cluster, add new nodes to an existing cluster, or upgrade software in an existing cluster.
Click , , or , and then click .
The check box is selected by default and prevents Novell Cluster Services files from being copied during the installation. The NetWare 6.5 installation program automatically copies all Novell Cluster Services files to every NetWare 6.5 server. If you want to refresh Novell Cluster Services files on cluster servers you should deselect the check box. Even though Novell Cluster Services files already exist on each NetWare 6.5 server, you still need to run the Novell Cluster Services installation program to configure and set up cluster nodes.
Leaving the check box deselected causes existing Novell Cluster Services files to be copied over, but will not otherwise affect the installation.
Do one of the following:
(If creating) Type the name for the new Cluster object you are creating and specify the Directory tree and context where you want it created. Then click and continue with Step 5.
Cluster names must be unique. You cannot create two clusters with the same name in the same eDirectory tree.
NOTE:Do not use periods in cluster names. NetWare and NetWare clients interpret a period as a delimiter.
You must specify an existing context. Specifying a new context does not create a new context.
(If adding new nodes) Specify the eDirectory tree, context, and name of the cluster you will add servers to. If you don't know a cluster name or its context, browse and select one. Then click and continue with Step 5.
(If upgrading software) Specify the Directory tree, context, and name of the cluster where software will be upgraded. Then click and go to Step 6.
NOTE:When running the Cluster Services installation, you occasionally might be unable to see the Novell eDirectory tree you want to install into from the installation browser. If this happens, type the name of the tree in the browser address (URL) field: treename/cluster.context.
Type the name of the server you want to add to the cluster, or browse and select one from the list, then click . Repeat this step for every server you want to add to the cluster, then click .
You can also remove servers you just added to the cluster by selecting them from the list and clicking .
When you add a server to a cluster, Novell Cluster Services automatically detects the server's IP address. If the server you are adding has more than one IP address, you will be prompted to select the IP address you want Novell Cluster Services to use.
Specify a unique IP address for the cluster.
The cluster IP address is separate from the server IP address and is required for certain external network management programs to get cluster status alerts. The cluster IP address provides a single point of cluster access for NetWare Remote Manager. A Master IP Address resource is created automatically during the Cluster Services installation that makes this possible.
The cluster IP address will be bound to the master node and will remain with the master node regardless of which server is the master node.
(Conditional) If you are creating a new cluster, specify whether your cluster has a shared disk system and, if so, select the drive where you want the small cluster partition created. Then click .
Novell Cluster Services requires a small cluster partition on the shared disk system. You are also given the option of mirroring the partition for greater fault tolerance.
If the disk where you plan to create the cluster partition is not on list, you must abort the installation, initialize the disk, then run the installation program again.
IMPORTANT:You must have at least 20 MB of free space that is not part of an NSS partition on one of the shared disk drives to create the cluster partition. If no free space is available, the shared disk drives can't be used by Novell Cluster Services.
If you previously installed Novell Cluster Services and created a cluster with the same name, the installation program will detect that a cluster partition has already been created and this screen does not appear.
Choose whether or not you want the servers you are upgrading or adding to your cluster to start Novell Cluster Services software after the installation. Then click .
If you choose to not start Novell Cluster Services software on each server that you upgrade or add to your cluster, you will need to manually start it after the installation or you will need to reboot cluster servers to automatically start it.
You can manually start Novell Cluster Services by running LDNCS at the server console on each cluster server.
If you are installing or upgrading a two-node cluster or not adding additional nodes to a two-node cluster, continue with Step 10.
(Conditional) Specify the location of the Cluster Server License files or browse and select a path, then click .
Because licenses for a two-node cluster are included with NetWare 6.5, this screen only appears if you are installing or upgrading a three-node or larger cluster.
You are given the option of installing without licenses. If you choose to install without licenses and you have a cluster with more than two nodes, you will need to manually install the licenses at a later date using iManager. If you install licenses at a later date, after installing the licenses you must reboot each cluster server that you have added a license to. This will ensure that cluster licensing functions properly. Novell Cluster Services will not function without the proper licenses in place.
Continue through the final installation screen.
If you are creating a new cluster, the installation program will create a new Cluster object in eDirectory and install Novell Cluster Services software on the servers you specified to be part of your cluster.
If you are adding new nodes to an existing cluster, the installation program will install Novell Cluster Services software on the servers you are adding to your cluster.
If you are upgrading Novell Cluster Services software on an existing cluster, the installation program will upgrade cluster software on all servers in the cluster.
If you chose to have Novell Cluster Services software start automatically after installation, you might encounter a problem with Cluster Services software starting on some servers immediately after the installation. This problem is due to Cluster Services software starting prior to cluster-related eDirectory objects being created and replicated.
To resolve this problem, wait for a few minutes and then manually start Cluster Services software by entering ldncs at the server console.