Novell Cluster Services 2.1 supports OES 11 SP1 services and file systems running on 64-bit SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2. In addition to bug fixes, Novell Cluster Services provides the following enhancements and behavior changes in the OES 11 SP1 release:
In the Clusters plug-in to iManager, when you cluster-enable an existing Novell Storage Services (NSS) pool, the Online Resource after Creation option on the Cluster Pool Information page is available and deselected by default. If the pool is deactive when you cluster-enable it, you can select this option to automatically bring the resource online, which activates the pool on a preferred node and mounts the pool’s volumes.
Previously, the option was deselected and dimmed, the resource was automatically placed in an offline state, and no action was taken for the state of the pool and its volumes.
For information, see Cluster-Enabling an Existing NSS Pool and Its Volumes
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
When you enable Novell CIFS as an advertising protocol for a cluster-enabled pool, the default name is based on the NCP virtual server object name. If you change the NCP virtual server name in NSSMU or in the Storage plug-in for iManager, the CIFS virtual server name is updated accordingly. For information, see Novell CIFS for Linux
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
When you create a cluster-enabled Linux POSIX volume group with NSSMU or with the nlvm create linux volume command, you can use the ncp option to enable users to access the Linux POSIX file system on the volume with the NetWare Core Protocol (NCP). Previously, the NCP volume (share) was created manually after the resource was created and brought online.
For information, see Configuring an LVM Volume Group Cluster Resource with NSS Management Tools
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
The SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2 operating system supports the Btrfs file system. The btrfsprogs package must be installed.
Novell Cluster Services supports using the Btrfs file system when you create a clustered Linux LVM volume group by using the NSS Management Utility (NSSMU) or Novell Linux Volume Manager (NLVM) commands. If you use Linux commands to create the LVM volume group, you can use the mkfs.btrfs(8) command to add the Btrfs file system to the volume. You specify btrfs as the file system type for the LVM volume group cluster resource. You can enable NCP file access for the Btrfs volume.
For information, see Configuring an LVM Volume Group Cluster Resource with NSS Management Tools
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
The cluster migrate command now offers the -list, -most, and -next options. For information, see MIGRATE
in the Cluster Management Commands table of the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
The Clusters plug-in for iManager 2.7.5 has been reorganized. In Roles and Tasks under Clusters, the Cluster Manager, BCC Manager, Cluster Event Log, and Cluster Options menu items have been replaced with two options: My Clusters and My Resources. Links on the these pages take you to the familiar cluster options presented as tabs: Cluster Manager, BCC Manager, Cluster Event Log, and Cluster Options.
My Clusters:
The logged-in cluster administrator can set up a personalized list of clusters to manage. This allows an administrator to view at a glance the status of multiple clusters. An administrator can also customize the display to sort the entries, modify the columns, or filter the entries. The list of clusters and display preferences persist between the administrator’s logins to iManager on the same server. For information, see Setting Up a Personalized List of Clusters to Manage
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
My Resources:
The logged-in cluster administrator can set up a personalized list of cluster resources to manage. This allows an administrator to view at a glance the status of multiple cluster resources for multiple clusters. An administrator can also customize the display to sort the entries, modify the columns, or filter the entries. The list of cluster resources and display preferences persist between the administrator’s logins to iManager on the same server. For information, see Setting Up a Personalized List of Resources to Manage
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
The Clusters plug-in supports the management of OES and NetWare clusters and resources. It cannot be installed on a NetWare server.
If you use Role-Based Services (RBS), upgrading the Clusters plug-in does not automatically update the RBS settings. The RBS Configuration page reports that the Clusters plug-in is out-of-date. The plug-in must be reinstalled on the RBS Configuration page in order to pick up the My Clusters and My Resources menu options. For information, see Updating Role-Based Services for the Clusters Plug-in for OES 11 SP1
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
A comparison of the old and new interface is available in Clusters Plug-In Changes for Novell iManager 2.7.5
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
Availability for prior releases: January 2013 Scheduled Maintenance for OES 11
The STONITH (shoot-the-other-node-in-the-head) capability allows Novell Cluster Services to kill a suspect node by using remote power control. Unlike a poison pill, it does not require a response from the suspect node. STONITH is used after a poison pill is issued; it does not replace the poison pill. For information, see Configuring STONITH
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.
Novell Cluster Services for OES 11 SP1 introduces some intelligence in the master election process when the master leaves a cluster (voluntarily or involuntarily). The same master is elected under both the old and new algorithms, but the conclusion is reached sooner, especially for larger clusters. The new algorithm substantially reduces the time needed for master election in some cases.
For information about the old and new algorithms, see Electing a Master Node
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services NetWare to Linux Conversion Guide.
Availability for prior releases: September 2012 Scheduled Maintenance for OES 11
When you convert NetWare 6.5 SP8 clusters to OES 11 SP1, if the AFP or CIFS protocols are configured as advertising protocols for an NSS pool cluster resource on the NetWare cluster, the corresponding monitoring commands are automatically added to the monitor script for the resource on OES 11 SP1. Monitoring is not available for NetWare clusters and is disabled while the cluster is in mixed mode. Monitoring can be enabled for the resource after the final cluster conversion is complete. For information, see File Access Protocols for Monitor Scripts
in the OES 11 SP1: Novell Cluster Services NetWare to Linux Conversion Guide.
The DHCP process ID file location was changed from /var/run/dhcpd.pid to /var/lib/dhcp/var/run/dhcpd.pid. During a cluster upgrade from OES 11 to OES 11 SP1, you must modify the location of the dhcpd.pid file in the DHCP cluster resource’s unload script. After you modify the script, you should bring the resource online only on OES 11 SP1 nodes. This is necessary to ensure a graceful shutdown of the dhcpd.pid process when the DHCP resource fails over to a different node. For information, see Path Change for dhcpd.pid
and Changing the Path for dhcpd.pid
in the OES 11 SP3: Novell DNS/DHCP Services for Linux Administration Guide.
The default sequence of commands has changed for the load script and unload script of newly created NSS pool cluster resources. In the load script, the secondary IP address is added after the volumes are mounted. In the unload script, the secondary IP address is removed before the pool is deactivated.
The new sequence improves the handling of client reconnects because it leverages the clients’ auto-reconnect mechanisms. With the previous order, clients might attempt to connect to the IP address before the data is ready or after the data is unavailable, which results in an Object Not Found error. Some clients might automatically try again to connect, but some do not. Thus, it is more efficient to add the IP address after data is available and remove it before the data is not available.
Newly created pool cluster resources use the following sequence for commands in a load script. The order is reversed in an unload script.
Existing scripts are not modified during a cluster upgrade. We recommend that you modify the command sequence accordingly in your existing load scripts and unload scripts for pool cluster resources.