NSS provides a software RAID 1 configuration option that mirrors NSS pool partitions. The partitions are automatically created by the NSS management tools when you create a pool and when you mirror the pool. NSS supports two to four segments in a software RAID 1. To ensure disaster recovery, the device you select to mirror should be in another storage array in the other data center.
For example, you create the original pool in one cluster, then create mirrors for that pool in the other peer clusters, for a total two to four segments.
NSS partitions must be mirrored after they are created. If you have an existing partition that you want to mirror, you can either create another partition of equal size on another device to mirror the first partition to, or let the mirroring software automatically create another partition of equal size on another device.
Prior to creating and mirroring NSS partitions on shared storage, ensure that you have the following:
All servers in the cluster connected to a shared storage system
One or more drive arrays configured on the shared storage system
The drives on the shared storage system marked as shared.
NSS is installed and running. For information, see Installing and Configuring Novell Storage Services
in the NW 6.5 SP8: NSS File System Administration Guide.
You can add CIFS or AFP as advertising protocols for the NSS pool resource when you create the resource, or add them later by using the Clusters plug-in for iManager.
You need a static IP address for the pool resource. It must be in the same subnet as the cluster master IP address.
To create and mirror NSS pools:
Start NSSMU by entering NSSMU at the server console of a cluster server.
Select from the NSSMU main menu.
Press the Insert key and select the device on your shared storage system where you want to create a partition.
With a device marked as sharable for clustering, all partitions on that device are automatically sharable.
Device names are not changeable and might be labeled something like 0x2 or 0x1.
Select as the partition type, then specify the partition size and, if desired, an NSS pool name and label.
If you specify a pool name, a pool by that name is automatically created on the partition. If no pool name is specified, you need to create a pool on the partition later.
If you chose to create a pool, choose whether you want the pool to be activated and cluster-enabled when it is created.
The option is enabled by default. This causes the pool to be activated as soon as it is created. If you choose not to activate the pool, you need to manually activate it later before it can be used.
The option is also enabled by default. If you want to cluster-enable the pool at the same time it is created, accept the default entry () and continue with Step 4.b. If you want to cluster-enable the pool at a later date, see the NW6.5 SP8: Novell Cluster Services 1.8.5 Administration Guide for more information.
Specify the , , and, if necessary, the .
When you cluster-enable a pool, a virtual Server object is automatically created and given the name of the Cluster object plus the cluster-enabled pool. For example, if the cluster name is cluster1 and the cluster-enabled pool name is pool1, then the default virtual server name will be cluster1_pool1_server. You can edit the field to change the default virtual server name.
Each cluster-enabled NSS pool requires its own IP address. The IP address is used to provide access and failover capability to the cluster-enabled pool (virtual server). The IP address you assign to the pool remains assigned to the pool regardless of which server in the cluster is hosting the pool.
You can select one or all of the advertising protocols. NCP™ is the protocol used by Novell clients, CIFS is the protocol used by Microsoft clients, and AFP is the protocol used by Macintosh clients. Selecting any of the protocols causes lines to be added to the pool resource load and unload scripts to activate the selected protocols on the cluster. This lets you ensure that the cluster-enabled pool you just created is highly available to all your clients.
If you select CIFS as one of the protocols, a is also required. This is the server name CIFS clients see when they browse the network. A default server name is listed, but you can change the server name by editing the text in the field.
Select to create and cluster-enable the pool.
Select the partition you want to mirror (this might be the partition you just created) and press the F3 key.
Select the device with free space or the partition you want to mirror to, then select to mirror the partition.
To ensure disaster recovery, the device you select to mirror should be in another storage array in the other data center.