11.2 Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare Servers to OES 2 Linux Servers

This section describes how to move devices cross-platform from a NetWare 6.5 SP7 or OES 2 NetWare server to an OES 2 Linux server. NSS supports moves of devices containing NSS volumes between any servers that support a compatible media format. For information, see Section 11.1, Guidelines for Moving Devices Cross-Platform.

IMPORTANT:Similar handling is necessary when moving devices with NSS pools between any two OES servers (NetWare to Linux, NetWare to NetWare, or Linux to Linux).

To preserve the NSS pool and volumes on the device when you move it, you must modify the volumes’ Storage objects in eDirectory. You decommission the volume by removing its related Storage object from eDirectory for the original server. You recommission the volume by creating a new Storage object in eDirectory for the destination server. When moving clustered devices cross-platform, such as in a mixed cluster configuration, Novell Cluster Services automatically manages the Storage object updates to eDirectory.

NOTE:The decommission and recommission terminology is used only to illustrate the process; it does not represent a particular technology or tool.

11.2.1 Prerequisites

The prerequisites in this section apply to moving multiple devices from a NetWare 6.5 SP7 or OES 2 NetWare server to an OES 2 Linux server.

IMPORTANT:When moving a non-clustered device, you must also move any other devices that contribute segments to the NSS pools on the device you are moving.

Compatibility Issues for Using NSS Volumes Cross-Platform

Before you begin, make sure you understand the Section 7.2, Cross-Platform Issues for NSS Volumes.

Original NetWare Server

You can move NetWare 6.5 SP 4 or later NSS media to an OES 2 Linux server if the operating platform can support the NSS media format. NetWare 6.5 SP3, OES 1 SP2 Linux, and earlier servers do not support the new media format.

For information, see Section 4.1, Guidelines for Upgrading the Media Format of NSS Volumes.

Destination OES 2 Linux Server

11.2.2 Setting Up File Access For Users on the OES 2 Linux Server

Before or after you move an NSS volume from NetWare to Linux, you need to set up file access for users on the OES 2 Linux server.

Set Up Users in eDirectory

The original server and the destination server can be in the same or different eDirectory trees.

If the destination server is in the same tree as the original server, the file system trustees and trustee rights continue to work after the move.

If the destination server is in a different tree, use eDirectory to enable or reassign affected users for access in the destination tree. For information, see the Novell eDirectory 8.8 Administration Guide.

Set Up Protocols and Services

To provide access for users on the OES 2 Linux server, do one or more of the following, depending on your network environment:

For guidelines about users and access, see Section 5.5, Access Control for NSS on Linux.

11.2.3 Decommissioning Each NSS Pool and Its Volumes on the Original Server

For each NSS pool, decommission the pool and its volumes from the original server.

  1. If you use non-NCP protocols or Linux services for user access on the destination OES 2 Linux server, you must Linux-enable the current users of the volumes before you move the devices.

    IMPORTANT:If you use only NCP Server and NCP services for user access, this step is not necessary.

    Use one of the following methods to Linux-enable users of the volumes on the device:

    • To enable multiple users at once, use the nambulkadd command.

      User IDs are automatically refreshed after the enabling process ends.

    • To enable a single user at a time, use iManager.

    For information, see the OES 2 SP2: Novell Linux User Management Technology Guide.

  2. Deactivate the pool on the device.

    1. In iManager, click Roles and Tasks Roles and Tasks Icon.

    2. Click Storage > Pools.

    3. Browse to select the original server where the NSS pool resides.

    4. Select the pool you want to decommission, then click Deactivate.

  3. Remove the eDirectory Storage objects for the NSS pool and each of its volumes.

    1. In iManager, click Roles and Tasks Roles and Tasks Icon.

    2. Click eDirectory Administration > Delete Object.

    3. Specify the name and context of the object or objects you want to delete.

    4. Click OK.

  4. Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 for each pool on the devices you plan to move.

  5. If you are using DFS in the tree where the original server is located, run the vldb repair command.

    On the primary VLDB server, at the command prompt, enter

    vldb repair

    This removes a GUID entry from the VLDB for each of the decommissioned volumes.

  6. Remove or reallocate the devices from the original server. Depending on your storage configuration, this might require a server shutdown.

11.2.4 Recommissioning Each NSS Pool and Its Volumes on the Destination Server

For each NSS pool, recommission the pool and its volumes on the destination server.

  1. Relocate or reassign the devices to the destination server.

  2. Reboot the destination server to mount the devices.

  3. If a pool on the devices you moved is not automatically activated, activate the pool.

    1. In iManager, click Roles and Tasks Roles and Tasks Icon.

    2. Click Storage > Pools.

    3. Browse to select the destination server.

    4. Select the pool, then click Activate.

  4. Create the eDirectory Storage objects for the NSS pool and each of its volumes.

    1. In iManager, click Roles and Tasks Roles and Tasks Icon.

    2. Click Storage > Pools.

    3. Browse to select the destination server.

    4. Select the pool, then click Update eDirectory.

    5. In the lower right, select View Volume Details to view all volumes on the selected pool.

      iManager opens to the Volumes page with the server and pool preselected.

    6. For each volume in the selected pool, select the volume, then click Update eDirectory.

    7. Repeat Step 4.d through Step 4.f for each NSS pool and its volumes.

  5. Allow the eDirectory tree to stabilize.

    This can take several minutes.

  6. Run the vldb repair command.

    At the server command prompt on the primary VLDB server, enter

    vldb repair

    This adds a GUID entry to the VLDB for each of the recommissioned volumes.

11.2.5 Using Scripts to Decommission and Recommission NSS Volumes

Scripts are available to automate the process of decommissioning and recommissioning NSS volumes that are not cluster-enabled, see Decommissioning Script and Recommissioning Script for moving NSS devices cross-platform. This decom_recom.zip file contains two Perl scripts:

  • decom.pl: The decommissioning script deactivates the specified pool, removes eDirectory Storage objects for a specified NSS pool and each of its volumes on the original server, then it repairs the VLDB, if it exists, to remove the volumes’ information from the VLDB. You provide the pool name, and the script automatically gets the list of volumes on the pool.

  • recom.pl: The recommissioning script activates the specified pool, creates eDirectory Storage objects for a specified NSS pool and each of its volumes on the destination server, then it repairs the VLDB, if it exists, to add the volumes’ information to the VLDB. You provide the pool name, and the script automatically gets the list of volumes on the pool.

The scripts support moving NSS volumes on OES 1 NetWare or NetWare 6.5 to OES 2 Linux. You can modify the scripts to move volumes between any two non-clustered OES servers:

  • NetWare to Linux

  • Linux to NetWare

  • NetWare to NetWare

  • Linux to Linux

Decommissioning NSS Pools on the Original Server with decom.pl

For each NSS pool, decommission the pool and its volumes from the original server.

  1. If you use non-NCP protocols or Linux services for user access on the destination OES 2 Linux server, you must Linux-enable the current users of the volumes before you move the devices.

    IMPORTANT:If you use only NCP Server and NCP services for user access, this step is not necessary.

    Use one of the following methods to Linux-enable users of the volumes on the device:

    • To enable multiple users at once, use the nambulkadd command.

      User IDs are automatically refreshed after the enabling process ends.

    • To enable a single user at a time, use iManager.

    For information, see the OES 2 SP2: Novell Linux User Management Technology Guide.

  2. For each NSS pool on the device you are moving, run the decom.pl script and specify the name of the pool to decommission.

  3. Remove or reallocate the devices from the original server. Depending on your storage configuration, this might require a server shutdown.

Recommissioning NSS Pools on the Destination Server with recom.pl

For each NSS pool, recommission the pool and its volumes on the destination server.

  1. Relocate or reassign the devices to the destination server.

  2. Reboot the destination server to mount the devices.

  3. For each NSS pool on the device you moved, run the recom.pl script and specify the name of the pool to recommission.