If you plan to move NSS pools and volumes cross-platform between OES NetWare and OES Linux servers, consider the following guidelines:
OES Linux requires a Linux traditional file system volume for the operating system. The following guidelines apply:
You cannot install the Linux operating system on an NSS volume.
Use NSS on Linux only as data pools and volumes.
You cannot SAN boot cross-platform.
You cannot move Linux traditional file systems cross-platform to a NetWare server.
For OES SP1, you cannot create a mixed cluster if the shared pool resides on software RAID 0 or RAID 5 devices. This configuration is not supported by NSS on Linux.
Do not use the DFS move/split functions for a shared NSS volume in a mixed cluster because DFS is not supported for NSS on Linux.
OES NetWare uses an NSS pool ( sys) and volume ( sys:) for the operating system. Upgraded NetWare systems can optionally keep a NetWare Traditional volume as the system volume. The following guidelines apply:
You cannot install the NetWare operating system on a Linux traditional file system volume or on an NSS volume on Linux.
Use NSS on NetWare for system or data pools and volumes.
You cannot use Linux traditional file systems on a NetWare server.
You cannot SAN boot cross-platform.
When using the move/split functions in a NetWare cluster, perform the move/split only from an active node.
You should not move an NSS system volume cross-platform unless you intend to use it as a data volume, or not at all, while it is on a Linux server.
If you move a non-clustered NSS system pool cross-platform, any volumes it contains function as data volumes on Linux within the Section 6.5.3, Guidelines for Cross-Platform Compatibility of NSS.
You can move non-clustered NSS data pools and volumes cross-platform within the Section 6.5.3, Guidelines for Cross-Platform Compatibility of NSS.
The following features of NSS are available for NSS on NetWare but are not supported for NSS on Linux.
Beginning with OES SP1 NetWare and NetWare 6.5 SP4, a new metadata structure for NSS volumes on NetWare requires a media format upgrade after you upgrade the operating system. For information, see Section 5.1, Guidelines for Upgrading the Media Format of NSS Volumes on NetWare.
The media format upgrade is not supported for NSS volumes on OES SP1 Linux. You should not upgrade an NSS volume on NetWare to the new media format if either of the following conditions exist:
You plan to move one or more devices containing an NSS volume from the NetWare server to a server with OES Linux or later, an earlier version of NetWare 6.5, or OES NetWare
The volume is a shared in a cluster with nodes with OES Linux or later, an earlier version of NetWare 6.5, or OES NetWare.
Beginning with OES SP1 NetWare and NetWare 6.5 SP4, a new metadata structure for NSS volumes on NetWare supports a Hard Links attribute and up to 65,535 hard links for a file, regardless of the length of the filename and the number of name spaces. After you upgrade the operating system, you must upgrade the NSS volume on NetWare to use the new media format. Some restrictions apply. For information, see Section 5.1, Guidelines for Upgrading the Media Format of NSS Volumes on NetWare.
The new NSS media format is not available for NSS on OES SP1 Linux. Hard link support for OES SP1 Linux currently uses the old metadata structure. For information, see Section 21.1.10, Old Metadata Structure Supports Limited Hard Links for a File.
NSS for Linux does not support NSS multiple path I/O to devices. For NSS on Linux, use the same multipath tools you use for Linux traditional file systems.
The devices used by NSS pools can take advantage of multiple path I/O support only when they are assigned to a NetWare server. The NSS multipath priorities and failover preferences do not apply when the devices are on the Linux server.
For information about multiple path I/O for NSS on NetWare, see Section 10.0, Managing Multiple Connection Paths to Devices (NetWare).
NSS on Linux does not support NSS pool snapshots. For NSS on NetWare, pool snapshots preserve a point-in-time copy of specified data in an NSS pool.
NSS pools that are a source pool or a destination pool for NSS pool snapshots on NetWare cannot move cross-platform if you want to keep the pool snapshots. A pool snapshot is no longer available if you move its source pool or destination pool to a Linux server. The snapshot no longer works even after you move the pools back to NetWare.
Before you move an NSS pool cross platform, make sure you delete all of its snapshots stored on other pools and all snapshots for other pools that it might contain.
For information about pool snapshots for NSS on NetWare, see Section 12.0, Managing NSS Pool Snapshots (NetWare).
On NetWare, CDs, DVDs, CD and DVD image files, and DOS partitions are mounted as NSS volumes. Disks in USB floppy drives are mounted as local DOS FAT partitions. For information, see the following:
Section 13.12, Activating and Deactivating CDs and DVDs as NSS Volumes (NetWare)
Section 13.13, Activating and Deactivating CD and DVD Image Files as NSS Volumes (NetWare)
Section 13.14, Activating and Deactivating DOS Partitions as NSS Volumes (NetWare)
Section 13.18, Mounting a USB Disk as a Local FAT Volume or NSS Volume (NetWare)
On Linux, these alternative media and partitions are mounted using Linux traditional file systems options. For information, see “Some Other Supported File Systems” in the SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 Administration Guide.
NSS on Linux does not support Novell Distributed File Services (DFS). For NSS on NetWare, DFS allows you to move and split NSS volumes without modifying scripts and maps with the new physical location of data.
You cannot create a DFS junction on an NSS volume on Linux. NSS for Linux does not recognize DFS junctions. If the device you moved contains an NSS volume with a DFS junction in it, you cannot follow the existing junction while the volume is on a Linux server.
VLDB can include a GUID for an NSS volume on Linux. This allows you to create DFS junctions on NetWare servers that point to the volumes on the Linux machine. If you use DFS anywhere in the same tree as your NSS on Linux volume, run VLDB Repair on the primary VLDB server to add the volume’s GUID to the VLDB.
If you plan dual use of an NSS volume, such as in a mixed cluster with Novell Cluster Services, do not use DFS to move or split NSS volumes while they are on the NetWare server. Perform the physical relocation without using DFS, and update all related scripts and maps with the new path.
For information about DFS for NSS on NetWare, see Section 20.0, Managing Distributed File Services for NSS Volumes (NetWare).
NSS on Linux does not support Novell Archive and Version Services. For NSS on NetWare, Archive and Version Services is used to save interval-based versions of specified files in an archive database and to make the file versions available to users without the assistance of an IT administrator.
Do not move an NSS pool cross-platform if it contains source volumes with data that is subject to versioning for archival with Novell Archive and Version Services. If you move the pool cross-platform, the versioning jobs for its volumes fail. If you move a source volume cross-platform, you should stop the versioning job for the volume, the delete and purge the job to remove the volume’s file versions from the archive database.
Do not move an NSS pool cross-platform if it contains the archive volume (archive database and data) for the archive server. Moving the archive volume, which contains the archive database and archived data, causes the ArkManager and ArkSQL to fail.
For information about Novell Archive and Version Services for NSS on NetWare, see the Novell Archive and Version Services 2.0 for NetWare Administration Guide for OES .
Filesystem events for NSS volumes on OES Linux cannot be audited with Novell Audit 2.0 or Novell NSure Audit 1.0. x. At this time, the Linux versions of the auditing tools are instrumented to audit eDirectory events, but they are not instrumented to monitor filesytem events. This includes filesystem events for NSS volumes on OES Linux, NCP shares, and other Linux filesystems.
For the most recent information about this issue, see TID 10099858 at Novell Technical Support.
You can move devices containing NSS volumes between NetWare servers and OES Linux servers. When you move an unshared device to a different server, you must decommission its volumes in eDirectory for the current server, then recommission them for the new server. For shared NSS pools and volumes, Novell Cluster Services provides this service automatically.
NSS supports device moves between servers with the following platforms:
Table 6-2 Cross-Platform Compatibility of NSS Volumes by Operating Platforms
|
Source Platforms |
Target Platforms |
For Information |
|---|---|---|
|
From NetWare 6.0 servers |
To any of these servers:
|
Section 6.7, Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare 6.0 to OES SP1 Linux or Later Section 6.8, Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare 6.0 to NetWare 6.5 or OES NetWare Section 6.9, Moving Clustered Devices with NSS Volumes Cross-Platform |
|
From any of these servers:
For information about the media format upgrade, see Section 5.1, Guidelines for Upgrading the Media Format of NSS Volumes on NetWare |
To any of these servers:
|
Section 6.6, Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare 6.5 or OES NetWare to OES Linux Section 6.9, Moving Clustered Devices with NSS Volumes Cross-Platform You can generalize these instructions to fit the platforms of the source and destination servers. |
|
From either of these NetWare servers:
For information, see Section 5.1, Guidelines for Upgrading the Media Format of NSS Volumes on NetWare. |
To either of these NetWare servers:
|
Section 6.6, Moving Non-Clustered Devices From NetWare 6.5 or OES NetWare to OES Linux Section 6.9, Moving Clustered Devices with NSS Volumes Cross-Platform You can generalize these instructions to fit the platforms of the source and destination servers. |