6.2 Configuring Clusters for Business Continuity

The following tasks must be performed on each separate Novell Cluster Services cluster that you want to be part of the business continuity cluster:

NOTE:Identity Manager must be configured and running before configuring clusters for business continuity.

6.2.1 Enabling Clusters for Business Continuity

If you want to enable a cluster to fail over selected resources or all cluster resources to another cluster, you must enable business continuity on that cluster.

  1. Start your Internet browser and enter the URL for iManager.

    The URL is http://server_ip_address/nps/iManager.html. Replace server_ip_address with the IP address or DNS name of the server that has iManager and the Identity Manager preconfigured templates for iManager installed. This server should be in the same eDirectory tree as the cluster you are enabling for business continuity.

  2. Specify your username and password, specify the tree where you want to log in, then click Login.

  3. Ensure that the BCC-specific Identity Manager drivers are running:

    1. In the left column, click Identity Manager, and then click the Identity Manager Overview link.

    2. Search the eDirectory Container or tree for the BCC-specific Identity Manager drivers.

    3. For each driver, click the upper right corner of the driver icon to see if a driver is started or stopped.

    4. If the driver is stopped, start it by selecting Start.

  4. In the left column, click Clusters, then click the Cluster Options link.

  5. Specify a cluster name, or browse and select one.

  6. Click the Properties button, then click the Business Continuity tab.

  7. Ensure that the Enable Business Continuity Features check box is selected.

  8. Repeat Step 1 through Step 7 for the other cluster that this cluster will migrate resources to.

  9. Continue with Adding Cluster Peer Credentials.

6.2.2 Adding Cluster Peer Credentials

In order for one cluster to connect to a second cluster, the first cluster must be able to authenticate to the second cluster. To make this possible, you must add the username and password of the user that the selected cluster will use to connect to the selected peer cluster.

IMPORTANT:In order to add or change cluster peer credentials, you must access iManager on a server that is in the same eDirectory tree as the cluster you are adding or changing peer credentials for.

  1. In the Connections section of the Business Continuity Cluster Properties page, select the peer cluster, then click Edit.

    In order for a cluster to appear in the list of possible peer clusters, the cluster must have the following:

    • Business Continuity Clustering software installed.

    • Identity Manager installed and running.

    • The BCC-specific Identity Manager drivers configured and running.

    • Be enabled for business continuity.

  2. Add the administrator username and password that the selected cluster will use to connect to the selected peer cluster.

    When adding the administrator username, do not include the context for the user. For example, use bccadmin instead of bccadmin.prv.novell.

    Rather than using the Admin user to administer your BCC, you should consider creating another user with sufficient rights to the appropriate contexts in your eDirectory tree to manage your BCC. For information, see Section 4.3, Configuring a BCC Administrator User.

  3. Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 for the other cluster that this cluster will migrate resources to.

  4. Continue with Adding Search-and-Replace Values to the Resource Replacement Script.

6.2.3 Adding Search-and-Replace Values to the Resource Replacement Script

To enable a resource for business continuity, certain values (such as IP addresses) specified in resource load and unload scripts need to be changed in corresponding resources in the other clusters. You need to add the search-and-replace strings that are used to transform cluster resource load and unload scripts from this cluster to another cluster. Replacement scripts are for inbound changes to scripts for objects being synchronized from other clusters, not outbound.

HINT:You can see the IP addresses that are currently assigned to resources by entering the display secondary ipaddress command at the NetWare server console of cluster servers.

The search-and-replace data is cluster-specific, and it is not synchronized via Identity Manager between the clusters in the business continuity cluster.

To add resource script search-and-replace values:

  1. In iManager, click Clusters > Cluster Options, select the Cluster object, click Properties, then select the Busines Continuity.

  2. In the Resource Script Replacements section of the Business Continuity Cluster Properties page, click New.

  3. Add the desired search-and-replace values.

    The search-and-replace values you specify here apply to all resources in the cluster that have been enabled for business continuity.

    For example, if you specify 10.1.1.1 as the search value and 192.168.1.1 as the replace value, the resource with the 10.1.1.1 IP address in its scripts is searched for in the primary cluster and, if found, the 192.168.1.1 IP address is assigned to the corresponding resource in the secondary cluster.

    You can also specify global search-and-replace addresses for multiple resources in one line. This can be used only if the last digits in the IP addresses are the same in both clusters. For example, if you specify 10.1.1. as the search value and 192.168.1. as the replace value, the software finds the 10.1.1.1, 10.1.1.2, 10.1.1.3 and 10.1.1.4 addresses, and replaces them with the 192.168.1.1, 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, and 192.168.1.4 addresses, respectively.

    IMPORTANT:Make sure to use a trailing dot in the search-and-replace value. If a trailing dot is not used, 10.1.1 could be replaced with an IP value such as 192.168.100 instead of 192.168.1.

  4. (Optional) Select the Use Regular Expressions check box to use wildcard characters in your search-and-replace values. The following links provide information on regular expressions and wildcard characters:

    You can find additional information on regular expressions and wildcard characters by searching the Web.

  5. Click Apply to save your changes.

    Clicking OK does not apply the changes to the directory.

  6. Verify that the change has been synchronized with the peer clusters by the Identity Vault.

  7. Continue with Section 6.2.4, Adding SAN Management Configuration Information.

6.2.4 Adding SAN Management Configuration Information

You can create scripts and add commands that are specific to your SAN hardware. These scripts and commands might be needed to promote mirrored LUNs to primary on the cluster where the pool resource is being migrated to, or demote mirrored LUNs to secondary on the cluster where the pool resource is being migrated from.

You can also add commands and Perl scripts to the resource scripts to call other scripts. Any command that can be run at the NetWare server console can be used. The scripts or commands you add are stored in eDirectory. If you add commands to call outside scripts, those scripts must exist on every server in the cluster.

IMPORTANT:Scripts are not synchronized by Identity Manager.

To add SAN management configuration information:

  1. Start your Internet browser and enter the URL for iManager.

    The URL is http://server_ip_address/nps/iManager.html. Replace server_ip_address with the IP address or DNS name of the server that has iManager and the Identity Manager preconfigured templates for iManager installed.

  2. Specify your username and password, specify the tree where you want to log in, then click Login.

  3. In the left column, click Clusters, then click the Cluster Options link.

  4. Specify a cluster name, or browse and select one.

  5. Under Cluster Objects, select a cluster resource that is enabled for business continuity, then click Details.

    Cluster resources that are enabled for business continuity have the BCC label on the resource type icon.

  6. Click the Business Continuity tab, then click SAN Management.

  7. Create BCC SAN management load and unload scripts:

    1. Under BCC Load Scripts, click New to bring up a page that lets you create a script to promote mirrored LUNs on a cluster.

      You can also delete a script, edit a script by clicking Details, or change the order that load scripts execute by clicking the Move Up and Move Down links.

    2. Specify the values on the SAN Management Script Details page.

      Descriptions of the information required for the page fields and options include:

      • Name and Description: Specify a name, and if desired, a description of the script you are creating.

      • CIMOM IP/DNS: If you are not using a template and if you selected the CIM Client check box on the previous page, specify the IP address or DNS name for your SAN. This is the IP address or DNS name that is used for SAN management.

      • Namespace: If you selected the CIM Client check box on the previous page, accept the default namespace, or specify a different namespace for your SAN.

        Namespace determines which models and classes are used with your SAN. Consult your SAN documentation to determine which namespace is required for your SAN.

      • Username and Password: If you selected the CIM Client check box on the previous page, specify the username and password that is used to connect to and manage your SAN.

      • Port: If you selected the CIM Client check box on the previous page, accept the default port number or specify a different port number. This is the port number that CIMOM (your SAN manager) uses. Consult your SAN documentation to determine which port number you should use.

      • Secure: If you selected the CIM Client check box on the previous page, select or deselect the Secure check box depending whether you want SAN management communication to be secure (HTTPS) or non-secure (HTTP).

      • Script Parameters: If desired, specify variables and values for the variables that are used in the SAN management script.

        To specify a variable, click New, then provide the variable name and value in the fields provided. Click OK to save your entries. You can specify additional variables by clicking New again and providing variable names and values. You can also edit and delete existing script parameters by clicking the applicable link.

      • Script Parameters Text Box: Use this text box to add script commands to the script you are creating.

        These script commands are specific to your SAN hardware. You can add a Perl script, or any commands that can be run on Linux or NetWare (depending on your platform). If you add commands to call outside scripts, those scripts must exist on every server in the cluster.

      • CIM Enabled: Select this box if your SAN supports SMI-S and you did not select the CIM Client check box on the previous page. This causes the CIM-specific fields to become active on this page.

      • Synchronous: If this check box is not selected, multiple scripts can be run concurrently. Selecting the box causes scripts to run individually, one after another. Most SAN vendors do not support running multiple scripts concurrently.

      • Edit Flags: This is an advanced feature, and should not be used except under the direction of Novell Support.

    3. Click Apply and OK on the Script Details page, then click OK on the Resource Properties page to save your script changes.

      IMPORTANT:After clicking Apply and OK on the Script Details page, you are returned to the Resource Properties page (with the Business Continuity tab selected). If you do not click OK on the Resource Properties page, your script changes are not saved.

IMPORTANT:The CIMOM daemons on all nodes in the business continuity cluster should be configured to bind to all IP addresses on the server.

Business Continuity Clustering connects to the CIMOM by using the master IP address for the cluster. Because the master IP address moves to other nodes during a failover or migration, the CIMOM must be configured to bind to all IP addresses (secondary and primary), rather than just the primary IP address of the host.

You can do this by editing the openwbem.conf file. See Changing the OpenWBEM CIMOM Configuration in the NW 6.5 SP8: OpenWBEM Services Administration Guide.

6.2.5 Verifying BCC Administrator User Trustee Rights and Credentials

You must ensure that the user who manages your BCC (BCC Administrator user) is a trustee of the Cluster objects and has at least Read and Write eDirectory rights to the All Attributes Rights property. For instructions, see Assigning Trustee Rights for the BCC Administrator User to the Cluster Objects.

You must also ensure that the BCC Administrator user has file system rights to the _ADMIN:\Novell\Cluster directory of all nodes in your BCC. This is necessary because the_ADMIN volume is virtual, and is created each time the server starts. For this reason, you cannot assign eDirectory trustee rights to the _ADMIN volume. For instructions, see Assigning Trustee Rights for the BCC Administrator User to the _ADMIN Volume.

You must also ensure that the BCC Administrator user has Read, Write, Create, Erase, Modify, and File Scan access rights to the sys:/tmp directory on every node in your clusters. For instructions, see Assigning Trustee Rights for the BCC Administrator User to the sys:\tmp Directory.