11.3 Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare 6.5 SP8 to OES 11 SP3

NSS supports moving the devices containing NSS volumes from a NetWare 6.5 SP8 server to an OES 11 SP3 server. For information, see Section 11.1, Guidelines for Moving Devices from NetWare 6.5 SP8 to OES 11 SP3.

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, while converting the cluster from NetWare to Linux, 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.

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).

This section describes how to move devices cross platform from a NetWare 6.5 SP8 server to an OES 11 server:

11.3.1 Prerequisites

The prerequisites in this section apply to moving multiple devices from a NetWare 6.5 SP8 server to an OES 11 SP3 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 Section 7.2, Cross-Platform Issues for NSS Volumes.

11.3.2 Setting Up File Access For Users on the OES 11 SP3 Server

Before or after you move an NSS volume from NetWare 6.5 SP8 to OES 11 SP3, you need to set up file access for users on the OES 11 SP3 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 eDirectory website.

Set Up Protocols and Services

To provide access for users on the OES 11 SP3 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.

11.3.3 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. On the NetWare 6.5 SP8 server, if the device you want to move contains any mirrored partitions, you must first break the mirror (remove all but 1 segment) before upgrading.

  2. If you use non-NCP protocols or Linux services for user access on the destination OES 11 SP3 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 11 SP3: Novell Linux User Management Administration Guide.

  3. Deactivate the pool. Issue the following command at the Linux terminal console.

    nss /pooldeactivate=pool

  4. 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.

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

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

    At the command prompt on the primary VLDB server, enter

    vldb repair

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

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

11.3.4 Recommissioning Each NSS Pool and Its Volumes on the OES 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. Issue the command at the Linux terminal console.

    nss /poolactivate=pool

  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.

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

    vldb repair

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

  7. Make sure the devices are up and working as expected on the Linux System.