This section discusses the following prerequisites and guidelines for using DFS:
The following are required for using Novell Distributed File Services:
Novell eDirectory: Novell eDirectory must be configured and running.
DFS Management Context: You must configure a DFS Management context and let it build the VLDB before you can use DFS to move volumes, split volumes, or create junctions.
For information, see Section 20.3, Creating a DFS Management Context.
VLDB Services: VLDB services must be up and running for junctions to work or to move or split volumes.
Volume Objects: Source and target NSS volumes must have Volume objects in eDirectory.
NSS automatically creates a Volume object in eDirectory when you create the volume in iManager or NSSMU. If the Volume object is not created for some reason, you can force NSS to create it, using the Update eDirectory option on the page. For instructions, see Section 13.5, Updating eDirectory Volume Objects.
Source Volume: Source volumes can be NSS volumes on NetWare 6.5 or OES NetWare.
Target Volume: Target volumes can be NSS volumes on NetWare 6.5, OES NetWare, or OES Linux.
IMPORTANT:If the target NSS volume is on OES Linux, any junctions in the relocated data no longer work because DFS is not supported on OES Linux.
Move or Split Limitation: The Move Volume and Split Volume functions require the source volume to reside on either of the VLDB services replica sites of the DFS management context. You must add the server as a replica site before you can move or split its volume, then leave the server as a replica site until the job ends.
NOTE:The replica site restriction is a known issue for using the Move Volume and Split Volume functions for the Storage plug-in for iManager. It will not be required in the next DFS release (NetWare 6.5 SP7).
Protocol Compatibility: The source volume and target volume must reside on servers that are configured to share the same networking protocol, such as NCP™ or CIFS/Samba.
CIFS Settings: If you are using CIFS on NetWare, you must enable DFS support for CIFS clients.
For information, see Section 20.16, Enabling DFS Junction Support for CIFS Clients.
You also might need for CIFS users to use a Windows logon username that is the same as their eDirectory username. On some earlier builds of Windows 2000/XP, Windows passes the local logon username to the DFS junctions rather than the eDirectory login username.
The following are prerequisites for pointing a DFS junction at an NSS volume on OES Linux:
The target NSS volume on OES Linux must have a Volume object in eDirectory and reside on a device that is managed by EVMS. These options are configured automatically if you create an NSS volume from NSSMU or iManager.
After you create an NSS volume on Linux, make sure to run VLDB Repair on your VLDB server to update the VLDB database to include the volume. For information, see Section 20.12, Repairing the VLDB.
The following are prerequisites for manually creating DFS junctions in ConsoleOne:
The source and target servers must be in the same Novell eDirectory tree.
The source server can either be in the same management context, or it can be in no management context but in the same tree.
The target server must be in a DFS management context within that tree.
Consider the following guidelines for source volumes and target volumes when moving or splitting volumes:
The target volume is typically in a different pool on the same or different server.
For a Move Volume job, the trustee access rights for the source volume are transferred automatically to the target volume.
For a Split Volume job, only the explicit trustee access rights for the source directory are transferred to the target volume. Make sure you record the inherited rights for the source directory, then set up the inherited rights on the target volume afterwards so that your users have the appropriate rights to data on the target volume.
The target volume should be configured with the same volume attributes as the source volume. Review the attribute settings for the source volume before you begin a move or split volume job to be sure you know which attributes to set for the newly created target volume.
Consider the following guidelines for managing your move or split jobs:
If the server crashes during a volume move or split operation, the operation resumes where it left off when the server comes back up.
You can set up as many move or split jobs as you want; however, DFS can run only four active move or split operations at one time. After four requests, any additional requests must wait for one of the running operations to complete, or you must pause a job and start the operation you want to run.
After you move a volume, the VLDB tracks the new location of the volume so that it is not necessary to modify scripts.
When you split a volume, DFS automatically creates a DFS junction at the directory point where you split the volume.
If the source volume or directory contains DFS junctions, the junctions continue to work normally after a move or split only if the target volume is on NetWare 6.5 or OES NetWare. NSS on OES Linux does not support DFS.
If the Data Migration attribute is set for the NSS volume that you want to move or split, some of its data might reside on tertiary storage media as nearline storage. The Move and Split processes demigrate the files from the tertiary storage, then copies the files to the new location. Make sure the original volume and new volume have enough space to incorporate both inline and nearline files during the demigration.