If you created a new cluster, you now need to create and configure cluster resources. You might also need to create shared disk partitions if they do not already exist and, if necessary, configure all shared disk system pools and volumes to work with Novell Cluster Services. You might also need to cluster enable the shared disk system pools and volumes.
While ConsoleOne is the recommended tool for creating shared disk partitions, NSS pools, and volumes, NetWare Remote Manager can also be used.
Before creating disk partitions on shared storage (storage area network or SAN), Novell Cluster Services must be installed. You should carefully plan how you want to configure your shared storage prior to installing Novell Cluster Services.
Start ConsoleOne and authenticate to the eDirectory tree where the Cluster object resides.
ConsoleOne runs faster on a client than a server. From a NetWare client, go to the SYS:PUBLIC\MGMT\CONSOLEONE\1.2\BIN directory on a server in the cluster and run CONSOLEONE.EXE.
We recommend running ConsoleOne from the server that is your primary NetWare connection.
In the left pane, right-click the Cluster object or the Server object of a server in the cluster and then click Properties.
On the Media tab, click Devices and then select the Device where you want to create the shared partition. Ensure the Sharable for Clustering check box is checked for the device.
If a device is marked as sharable, all partitions on that device will automatically be sharable.
Device names are not changeable and might be labeled something like 0x2 or 0x1.
If Cluster Services was previously installed and shared disk partitions were already created, the Partitions List field will include this information.
On the Media tab, click Partitions >New, and then select the device where you want to create the partition (the same device you selected in the previous step).
Specify the size of the partition and click OK to create it.
Continue with Create NSS Pools .
On this screen you should also ensure NSS is selected as the partition type (this is the default) and ensure the Hot FixTM and Mirror check boxes are checked and that Create New Mirror Group is selected.
In NetWare Remote Manager, the process for creating a shared disk partition is also used to create an NSS pool, and volume. NetWare Remote Manager will create the partition, NSS Pool, and volume and, if desired, it will also cluster enable the NSS pool all at the same time.
In the left column under the Manage Server section, click Volumes.
This is same screen that appears when you start NetWare Remote Manager.
Under Partition Management, click Disk Partitions.
A screen appears displaying a list of devices that are currently accessible to servers in the cluster. For each device, the list displays the partitions, NSS pools, volumes, and free space on that device.
Find the device that corresponds to your shared storage system and click Create on the free space where you want to create the partition.
Under Novell Storage Services, click Create a New Pool and Volume.
Specify the pool size and name, the volume name, and volume attributes.
Because only one pool exists in each partition, the pool size you specify will be the size of the partition that gets created. The volume that is created will be allowed to grow to the pool size.
Choose whether you want the pool to be cluster enabled when it is created.
The default is to cluster enable the pool at the time it is created. If you want to cluster enable the pool at the same time it is created, leave the Cluster Enable Pool check box checked and continue with Step 7.
If you want to cluster enable the pool at a later date, uncheck the check box, click Create, and continue with Cluster Enable Pools and Volumes .
Specify the Virtual Server Name, Pool IP Address, Advertising Protocols and, if necessary, the CIFS Server Name and whether you want the pool to be activated upon creation.
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 accessing the pool.
You can select one or all of the advertising protocols. NCPTM 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 will cause 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 check the CIFS check box, the CIFS Server Name field will become active. The CIFS server name 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.
The Auto Pool Activate check box is used to determine if the pool you are creating is to be activated as soon as it is created. The Auto Pool Activate check box is checked by default. If you uncheck the check box, you will have to manualy activate the pool later before it can be used.
Click Create to create the partition, NSS pool, and volume and to cluster enable the NSS pool.
The new Storage Pools feature in NSS gives you more flexibility in planning and configuring your storage to work with Novell Cluster Services. More than one cluster-enabled volume can now be part of a single cluster resource, and volumes can dynamically grow as needed to take advantage of free disk space.
Only one NSS pool can be created on a partition. Storage pools can be cluster enabled at the same time they are created or they can be cluster enabled at a later time after they are created. To learn more about NSS pools, see Creating a Storage Pool in the Novell Storage Services Administration Guide.
In ConsoleOne, on the property page of the Server object, click the Media Tab and select NSS pools.
Click New, specify the name and type of pool you want to create, and then click Next.
ZLSS is the default pool (LSS) type and should be the type used with Novell Cluster Services.
Select the partition you just created and then click Next.
Choose whether you want the pool to be activated and cluster enabled when it is created.
The Activate on Creation check box is checked by default. This will cause the pool to be activated as soon as it is created. If you uncheck the check box, you will have to manually activate the pool later before it can be used.
The Cluster Enable on Creation check box is also checked by default. If you want to cluster enable the pool at the same time it is created, leave the check box checked and continue with Step 5. If you want to cluster enable the pool at a later date, uncheck the check box, click Finish, and continue with Create Cluster Volumes .
Specify the Virtual Server Name, IP Address, Advertising Protocols and, if necessary, the CIFS Server Name.
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 accessing 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 will cause 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 check the CIFS check box, the CIFS Server Name field will become active. The CIFS server name 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.
Click Finish to create and cluster enable the pool.
Depending on your network configuration and the size of your eDirectory tree, it could take a while for the pool information to be updated in eDirectory. You can ensure the pool information is updated immediately in eDirectory by selecting the pool from the pools list under the Media tab and then clicking Update NDS.
Repeat the above steps for each additional pool you want to create on shared storage.
Continue with Create Cluster Volumes .
The same procedure for creating shared disk partitions using NetWare Remote Manager is used to create NSS pools. To create an NSS pool on shared storage using NetWare Remote Manager go to Step 1.
If you plan on using a shared disk system in your cluster and need to create new NetWare pools or volumes after installing Novell Cluster Services, the server used to create the volumes should already have NSS installed and running. NSS is the default file system for NetWare 6.
In ConsoleOne, on the property page of the Server object, click the Media tab and select NSS Logical Volumes.
Click New, enter the name of the volume you want to create, and then click Next.
Each shared volume in the cluster must have a unique name.
Select the pool where you want the volume to reside and either enter a quota for the volume or check the check box to allow the volume to grow to the pool size. Then click Next.
The quota is the maximum possible size of the volume. If you have more than one volume per pool, you should enter a quota for each volume rather than allowing multiple volumes to grow to the pool size.
If you attempt to create a volume on shared storage without first creating a pool, or you choose a shared partition to create the volume on instead of a pool you will be prompted to specify clustering information for a pool that will be automatically created for you by Novell Cluster Services. See Step 5 for details on the information you will be required to supply.
Review and change volume attributes as necessary, and then click Finish to create the volume.
You might want to check the Flush Files Immediately check box. This will help ensure the integrity of volume data. Checking the Flush Files Immediately check box will improve file system reliability but will hamper performance. You should consider this option only if necessary.
Depending on your network configuration and the size of you eDirectory tree, it could take a while for the voume information to be updated in eDirectory. You can ensure the volume information is updated immediately in eDirectory by selecting the volume from the volumes list under the Media tab and then clicking the Update NDS button
Repeat the above steps for each cluster volume you want to create.
Depending on your configuration, the new volumes will either mount automatically when resources that require them start or will have to be mounted manually on individual servers after they are up.
IMPORTANT: If you have a volume that is not being managed by Novell Cluster Services, the volume will need to be mounted before you can access it. The MOUNT ALL command in AUTOEXEC.NCF will no longer mount all NSS volumes by default. In the AUTOEXEC.NCF file of the server where the volume is to be mounted, add separate MOUNT commands followed by the volume name for each of the noncluster volumes you want to mount.
The same procedure for creating shared disk partitions using NetWare Remote Manager is used to create cluster volumes. To create a cluster volume on shared storage using NetWare Remote Manager go to Step 1.
If you have a shared disk system that is part of your cluster and you want the pools and volumes on the shared disk system to be highly available to NetWare clients, you will need to cluster enable those pools and volumes. Cluster enabling a pool or volume allows it to be moved or mounted on different servers in the cluster in a manner that supports transparent client reconnect.
With this release of Cluster Services, cluster-enabled volumes no longer appear as cluster resources. NSS pools are resources, and load and unload scripts apply to pools and are automatically generated for them. Each cluster-enabled NSS pool requires its own IP address. This means that each cluster-enabled volume does not have an associated load and unload script or an assigned IP address.
NSS pools can be cluster enabled at the same time they are created. If you did not cluster enable a pool at creation time, the first volume you cluster enable in the pool automatically cluster enables the pool where the volume resides. Once a pool has been cluster enabled, you will need to cluster enable the other volumes in the pool if you want them to be mounted on another server during a failover.
When a server fails, any cluster-enabled pools being accessed by that server will fail over to other servers in the cluster. Because the cluster-enabled pool fails over, all volumes in the pool will also fail over, but only the volumes that have been cluster enabled will be mounted. Any volumes in the pool that have not been cluster enabled will have to be mounted manually. For this reason, volumes that aren't cluster enabled should be in separate pools that are not cluster enabled.
If you want each cluster-enabled volume to be its own cluster resource, each volume must have its own pool.
Some server applications don't require NetWare client access to volumes, so cluster enabling pools and volumes might not be necessary. Pools should be deactivated and volumes should be dismounted before being cluster enabled.
Browse and select the Cluster object.
Click File > New > Cluster > Cluster Volume.
Browse and select a volume on the shared disk system to cluster enable.
Enter an IP address for the volume.
This is only required for the first volume to be cluster enabled in the pool. This IP address will be assigned to the pool where the volume resides.
Checking the Online Resource after Create check box will cause the volume to automatically mount once it is created.
(Optional) Change the default name of the virtual Server object.
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.
If you are cluster enabling a volume in a pool that has already been cluster enabled, the virtual Server object has already been created, and you can't change the virtual Server object name.
(Optional) Change the default name of the cluster-enabled Volume object.
When you cluster enable a volume, a new object is automatically created and given the name of the Cluster object and the volume name. For example, if the cluster name is cluster1 and the volume name is vol1, then the default cluster-enabled Volume object name will be cluster1_vol1.
Ensure the Define Additional Properties check box is checked, click Create and then continue with Set Start, Failover, and Failback Modes .
In NetWare Remote Manager, in the left column under the Clustering section, select Cluster Config.
At the bottom of the screen under Create New Objects, click New Cluster Volume.
Select the volume you created in the previous section and click Select.
Enter the IP address you want to assign to the cluster-enabled volume.
All other fields on this screen should be automatically updated. You can change or edit the information in the fields as desired. See Step 5 and Step 6 for more information.
This is only required for the first volume to be cluster enabled in the pool. This IP address will be assigned to the pool where the volume resides.
Checking the Auto-Online check box will cause the resource to automatically start once it is created.
Click the Save button to create the volume resource and then continue with Set Start, Failover, and Failback Modes .
When the volume resource is brought online, the pool will automatically be activated. You don't need to activate the pool at the server console.
If you delete a cluster-enabled volume, Novell Cluster Services will automatically remove the volume mount command from the resource load script. If you delete a cluster-enabled pool, Novell Cluster Services will automatically remove the pool resource object and the virtual server object from eDirectory. If you rename a cluster-enabled pool, Novell Cluster Services will automatically update the pool resource load and unload scripts to reflect the name change. Also, NSS will automatically change the pool object name in eDirectory.
Templates simplify the process of creating similar or identical cluster resources. For example, templates are helpful when you want to create multiple instances of the same resource on different servers. You can create templates for any server application or resource you want to add to your cluster.
Novell Cluster Services currently provides templates for DHCP, GroupWise®, and NetWare Enterprise Web Server, as well as a generic IP SERVICE template. The generic IP SERVICE template can be used when configuring certain server applications to run on your cluster. You can edit and customize any of the templates for your specific needs.
Browse and select the Cluster object where you want to create a cluster resource template.
From the menu bar, click File > New > Cluster > Cluster Resource.
Enter a name for the new cluster resource template.
Check the Create Resource Template check box.
This option lets you create a cluster resource template instead of a cluster resource.
Check the Define Additional Properties check box, and then continue with Configure Load Scripts .
To finish creating a cluster resource template, you need to configure load and unload scripts, set failover and failback modes and, if necessary, change the node assignments for the resource template.
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
At the bottom of the screen above Create New Objects, click New Cluster Resource.
Enter a name for the new cluster resource template.
Check the Create Resource and the Define Additional Properties check boxes and then click Apply.
Continue with Configure Load Scripts .
Cluster resources must be created for every resource or application you run on servers in your cluster. Cluster resources can include Web sites, e-mail servers, databases, and any other server-based applications or services you want to make available to users at all times.
Browse and select the Cluster object you want to create resources for.
Click File > New > Cluster > Cluster Resource.
Enter a name for the new cluster resource.
IMPORTANT: Do not use periods in cluster resource names. NetWare and NetWare clients interpret a period as a delimiter.
If a template exists for the resource you are creating, enter the template name in the Inherit From Template field, or browse and select it from the list. If a template does not exist, check the Define Additional Properties check box.
(Conditional) Check the Online Resource after Create check box if you want the resource to automatically start on the master node as soon as it is created and configured.
Click Create.
(Conditional) If you are not using a template for the resources, continue with Configure Load Scripts .
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
At the bottom of the screen under Create New Objects, click New Cluster Resource.
Enter a name for the new cluster resource.
If a template exists for the resource you are creating, select it from the list and then click Apply. If a template does not exist, check the Define Additional Properties check box and then click Apply.
The default selection for this field is No Template.
(Conditional) If you are not using a template for the resource, continue with Configure Load Scripts .
If you are not using a template, you must complete the process for creating the cluster resource by configuring load and unload scripts, setting failover and failback modes and, if necessary, changing the node assignments for the resource.
If you are using a template for this resource, additional resource configuration is performed automatically by the template.
More information on configuring GroupWise, NDPS®, NetWare Enterprise Web Server and many other applications is available at Novell's documentation Web site.
A load script is required for each resource, service, or disk pool in your cluster. The load script specifies the commands to start the resource or service on a server, or to mount the volume on a server.
You can use any commands in the load script that would be used in a .NCF file run from the server console. If you don't know which commands to add to your load script, consult the documentation for the application or resource.
Load scripts are automatically created for disk pools when you cluster enable them. Because of this, it might not be necessary to configure or change the load script for a pool.
Select the Load Script tab on the resource property page.
Edit or add the necessary commands to the script to load the resource on the server.
Some commands may require command line input. You can add << to a command to indicate command line input. For example, a script command might read
LOAD SLPDA <<Y
This means that when SLPDA is loaded, it will receive a Y at the command line, presumably to a question that needs a Yes answer. If more inputs are required, they can be continued on subsequent lines, as follows:
LOAD SLPDA <<Y
<<Y
<<N
The string can be up to 32 characters.
Specify a timeout value.
The default is 600 seconds, or 10 minutes. The timeout value determines how much time the script is given to complete. If the script does not complete within the specified time, the resource becomes comatose.
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
From the list of Resources, select the desired resource or resource template.
On the Resource Information screen, click Loading.
Edit or add the necessary commands to the script to load the resource on the server.
For more details on load script commands see the instructions above on configuring load scripts using ConsoleOne.
Specify the Load Timeout and click Apply to save the script.
This is the same as the timeout value described in the above instructions on configuring load scripts using ConsoleOne.
Depending on your cluster application or resource, you can add an unload script to specify how the application or resource should terminate. An unload script is not required by all resources or applications, but it can ensure that during a failback or manual migration, a resource unloads before it loads on another node. Consult your application vendor or documentation to determine if you should add commands to unload the resource.
Unload scripts are automatically created for disk pools when you cluster enable them. Because of this it might not be necessary to configure or change the load script for a pool.
Select the Unload Script tab on the resource property page.
Edit or add the necessary commands to the script to unload the intended resource on the server.
You can use any commands used in a .NCF file run from the server console. If you don't know which commands to add, consult the documentation for the application or resource you want to unload.
Specify a timeout value and click Apply to save the script.
The default is 600 seconds, or 10 minutes. The timeout value determines how much time the script is given to complete. If the script does not complete within the specified time, the resource becomes comatose.
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
From the list of Resources, select the desired resource.
On the Resource Information screen, click Unloading.
Edit or add the necessary commands to the script to unload the intended resource on the server.
Specify the Load Wait Time and click Apply to save the script.
You can configure the start, failover, and failback of cluster resources to happen manually or automatically. With the resource Start Mode set to AUTO, the resource automatically starts on a server when the cluster is first brought up. If the resource Start Mode is set to MANUAL, you can manually start the resource on a server when you want, instead of having it automatically start when servers in the cluster are brought up.
With the resource Failover Mode set to AUTO, the resource automatically starts on the next server in the Assigned Nodes list in the event of a hardware or software failure. If the resource Failover Mode is set to MANUAL, you can intervene after a failure occurs and before the resource is moved to another node.
With the resource Failback Mode set to DISABLE, the resource does not fail back to its most preferred node when the most preferred node rejoins the cluster. If the resource Failback Mode is set to AUTO, the resource automatically fails back to its most preferred node when the most preferred node rejoins the cluster. Set the resource Failback Mode to MANUAL to prevent the resource from moving back to its preferred node when that node is brought back online, until you are ready to allow it to happen.
The preferred node is the first server in the list of the assigned nodes for the resource.
In ConsoleOne, right click the resource object and select Properties, then select the Policies tab on the property page.
(Conditional) Check the Ignore Quorum check box if you don't want the cluster-wide timeout period and node number limit enforced.
The quorum default values were set when you installed Novell Cluster Services. You can change the quorum default values by accessing the properties page for the Cluster object.
Checking this box will ensure the resource is launched immediately on any server in the Assigned Nodes list as soon as any server in the list is brought online.
Choose the Start, Failover, and Failback modes for this resource.
The default for both Start and Failover modes is AUTO, and the default for Failback mode is DISABLE.
Check the Master Only check box to ensure the resource runs only on the master node in the cluster.
If the master node in the cluster fails, the resource will fail over to whichever node becomes the master.
Click Apply to save changes.
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
From the list of Resources, select the desired resource.
On the Resource Information screen, click Policies.
Check or uncheck the Ignore Quorum check box as desired.
See the instructions above on setting resource Start, Failover, and Failback modes using ConsoleOne for more details.
Select the Start, Failover, and Failback modes for this resource.
Check or uncheck the Master Only check box.
If the Master Only box is checked, the resource will run only on the server designated as the Master node in the cluster.
Click Apply.
When you create a resource on a cluster or cluster enable a volume or pool, the nodes in the cluster are automatically assigned to the resource or the volume or pool. The order of assignment is the order the nodes appear in the resource list. You can assign or unassign nodes to the resource or the volume or pool, or change the failover order.
Select the Nodes tab on the resource property page.
From the list of unassigned nodes, select the server you want the resource assigned to and click the Right-arrow button to move the selected server to the Assigned Nodes list.
Repeat this step for all servers you want assigned to the resource. You can also use the Left-arrow button to unassign servers from the resource.
Click the Up- and Down-arrow buttons to change the failover order of the servers assigned to the resource or volume.
Click Apply to save node assignment changes.
On the left column under the Clustering section, click Cluster Config.
From the list of Resources, select the desired resource.
On the Resource Information screen, click Nodes.
Select or type in the nodes that you want assigned to this resource.
Click Apply to save node assignment changes.