13.3 Coexistence and Migration of Storage Services

The following sections summarize the coexistence and migration issues related to storage services.

13.3.1 Databases

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (SLES 11) SP4 platform on which OES 2015 SP1 services are installed, includes two open source databases:

NOTE:Full Novell support of these databases requires a product-specific Novell support contract. Documentation and support are available through open source communities as outlined below.

MySQL

The SLES 11 platform includes the open source MySQL database server and client. When combined with a Web application and a Web server, MySQL is a very reliable and scalable database for use in hosting e-commerce and business-to-business Web applications. See the documentation on the Web.

For overview of MySQL and for information about configuring it with Novell Cluster Services, see Configuring MySQL with Novell Cluster Services in the OES 2015 SP1: Web Services and Applications Guide.

PostgreSQL

The more powerful PostgreSQL database server also comes with SLES 11. See the PostgreSQL documentation on the Web.

13.3.2 NetWare 6.5 SP8

NetWare 6.5 SP8 supports both the NetWare Traditional file system and Novell Storage Services (NSS).

NetWare Traditional File System

Although NetWare 6.5 SP8 supports Traditional volumes, you must upgrade them to NSS before upgrading from NetWare to OES.

NSS Volumes

To support data migration, NSS volumes are cross-compatible between NetWare and OES servers. During a cluster conversion from NetWare 6.5 SP8 to OES, clustered NSS pools that were originally created on a NetWare server can fail over between kernels, allowing for full data and file system feature preservation when migrating data to OES. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: Novell Cluster Services NetWare to Linux Conversion Guide.

For additional information about coexistence and migration of NSS volumes, as well as access control issues for NSS on OES, see Migrating NSS Devices to OES 2015 SP1 in the OES 2015 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

13.3.3 OES 2015 SP1 File System Options

OES 2015 SP1 provides support for Novell Storage Services (NSS) as well as Linux POSIX file systems.

NSS Volumes

To support migration from NetWare to OES, NSS volumes are cross-compatible between NetWare and Linux.

On OES, you can use NSS volumes only as data volumes.

You configure NSS pools and volumes in iManager or NSSMU after the server installation completes successfully. You can also use the Novell Linux Volume Manager (NLVM) command line interface.

Starting with NetWare 6.5 SP4 (and OES 1), a new metadata structure provided enhanced support for hard links. After you upgrade your operating system to OES, you must upgrade the media format in order to use the new metadata structure; some restrictions apply. For more information, see Upgrading the NSS Media Format in the OES 2015 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

For additional information about coexistence and migration of NSS volumes, as well as access control issues for NSS on Linux, see Cross-Platform Issues for NSS in the OES 2015 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

Beginning with OES 2015 SP1, both eDirectory and Active Directory are supported as identity sources, and OES enables the NSS file system to accept eDirectory and Active Directory identities as trustees. For more information, see Upgrading the NSS Media Format in the OES 2015 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

Linux POSIX File Systems

IMPORTANT:Users can access data storage on OES 2015 SP1 servers through a number of methods. For more information, see Overview of File Services.

OES 2015 SP1 includes tools and services that help bridge the gap between traditional Novell file services and Linux POSIX file services.

Management Tools

Using NSSMU and the Novell Linux Volume Manager (NLVM) command line interface, you can create native Linux POSIX volumes and standalone or clustered Linux Logical Volume Manager 2 (LVM2) volume groups and logical volumes.

NCP Server

OES 2015 SP1 includes NCP Server for Linux. After you create native Linux POSIX volumes, you can use NCP Server to create NCP shares on them. You can then manage the shares as NCP volumes.

This lets Novell Client users map drives to Linux POSIX file system data, with access controls being enforced by NCP. For more information on using NCP Server for Linux in OES, see the OES 2015 SP1: NCP Server for Linux Administration Guide.

Novell Cluster Services

For information about clustering LVM2 volume groups with Novell Cluster Services, see Configuring and Managing Cluster Resources for Shared LVM Volume Groups in the OES 2015 SP1: Novell Cluster Services for Linux Administration Guide.