If you use a volume manager other than EVMS to manage devices, some capabilities of NSS are not available. However, you can create and manage NSS pools and volumes on those devices, using the guidelines in this section.
Make sure to leave unformatted free disk space so that you can create partitions for NSS after the install, using the Linux mkfs command.
NSS is not installed by default. To add NSS to the Software list at install time, open the Software setup option, search for the NSS package, select the NSS check box, then click Accept.
You can optionally install NSS after the initial install, using the feature in YaST.
If you want to create NSS pools and volumes on devices managed by non-EVMS volume managers, consider the following management differences:
Use the volume manager’s tools or Linux commands and utilities to manage devices, software RAID devices, and partitions. The NSS tools, utilities, or commands that manage devices, software RAID devices, and partitions are not available without EVMS.
Use the Linux mkfs command to create an NSS pool, then use NSSMU create its storage objects in Novell eDirectory™. You cannot create pools with NSS tools, utilities, or commands without EVMS. For information, see Section 22.2.1, Using the Linux mkfs Command to Create NSS Pools.
Manage existing NSS pools and create and manage NSS volumes with NSSMU and NSS commands and utilities.
For information, see the following:
File system management tools are unaffected; they work with any volume manager.
For information, see the following:
The following NSS capabilities are unavailable when the device is managed by a non-EVMS volume manager:
Management Tools: The following NSS management tools are affected:
The Storage plug-in to iManager requires that EVMS; it does not work with other volume managers. It recognizes only NSS pools and volumes created on devices managed by EVMS.
NSSMU works only for the Volume management options and on existing pools that you created from the server’s command line interface. It requires EVMS to manage partitions, to manage devices, to create and manage software RAIDs, and to create pools.
NSS Software RAIDS: NSS requires EVMS to create and manage software RAID devices. If you want to create software RAIDs, you must use the capability in whatever non-EVMS volume manager you use.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Pools created on devices managed by non-EVMS volume managers cannot be moved to a NetWare server.
Clusters: Novell Cluster Services™ (NCS) for Linux requires EVMS for clustering. Pools created on devices managed by non-EVMS volume managers cannot be used in NCS clusters. Third-party clustering systems that integrate with third-party cluster volume managers should be able to work fine with NSS volumes.