2.0 Overview
Novell Storage Manager introduces management and structure to an unmanaged and unstructured network storage system. In the process, it automates the full life cycle management of user and group storage. Leveraging directory services (commonly referred to as “the directory”), Novell Storage Manager automates a comprehensive set of storage management tasks based on events, identity, and policies.
The Directory
Novell eDirectory stores the identity information about the users and groups that Novell Storage Manager manages. When Novell Storage Manager is installed, it adds or modifies user and group attributes so that they can be managed through Novell Storage Manager.
Events
When a user in eDirectory is added, moved, renamed, disabled, or deleted, it is known as a directory “event.”
Policies
Policies within Novell Storage Manager indicate what storage-specific actions to enact when an event in eDirectory takes place. These actions include creating user storage when a new user is added to eDirectory, moving storage when a user is moved from one organizational unit or group to another, and archiving or deleting storage when a user is removed.
Novell Storage Manager 3.1.1 for eDirectory lets you create the following types of policies:
User Home Folder: Manages home folders for users who access their storage from an assigned user workstation.
Container: Manages the users located in an organizational unit.
Group: Manages the users that are members of a group.
Auxiliary: Manages additional storage that you can create automatically in association with the User Home Folder policy.
NSM Engine
The NSM Engine performs actions based on events in eDirectory and the defined Novell Storage Manager policies. These include provisioning, moving, grooming, deleting, renaming, and vaulting in the file system. There is only a single NSM Engine per directory tree.
Event Monitor
The Event Monitor monitors changes to eDirectory based on create, move, rename, and delete events. Event monitors should be configured to monitor at least one server per eDirectory partition ring that you care about. That is, servers that hold a replica for each eDirectory partition that contains objects that you wish to receive event data about and for which NSM will consequently manage storage.
NOTE:As a best practice, install two Event Monitors per replica ring.
NSM Agent
NSM Agents perform copying, moving, grooming, deleting, and vaulting through directives from the NSM Engine. For optimum performance, NSM Agents should be installed on all servers with storage managed by Novell Storage Manager.
