6.12 Server-Based Processing

The server-based processing feature gives you the flexibility of running the file copy portion of the utility as a scripted process on the server, instead of having the workstation monitor the process. When this feature is enabled, the Server Consolidation Utility does not control or monitor the actual data copying or do any error handling. You must load an agent on each server to process the project.

This feature is primarily designed to be used in remote consolidation scenarios where the servers are located across a WAN link from the workstation. In such a scenario, there is a higher likelihood of losing the connection with the servers, which causes normal workstation-based consolidation projects to fail.

NOTE:Server-based processing does not support projects that include printer migrations. Use this feature only for data copy projects.

Because this feature is meant to be used only in specific situations, you must enable the feature in order to use it.

6.12.1 Enabling Server-Based Processing

Server-based processing is enabled from the Project Window by clicking Project > Enable Server-Based Processing and answering Yes to the prompt.

After the feature is enabled, continue to model your project as you normally would.

6.12.2 Verifying a Project for Server-Based Processing

After modeling your project, proceed with the precopy verification. With server-based processing enabled, you see an additional server-based processing dialog box that explains more about this feature. The dialog box asks you whether or not you want this project to run as a server-based process.

To have your project run as a server-based process, click Yes.

Two of the usual verification screens do not appear in a server-based processing project. One is the Synchronize Files and Folders dialog box, and the other is the Compare Files and Folders dialog box. If you want to perform the synchronization or comparison, you can do so after the process has run on the server. See Section 6.12.5, Performing Synchronization or Comparison after a Server-Based Process Project for more information.

After the verification completes successfully, click Proceed in the Start Novell Server Consolidation Utility dialog box. Instead of copying data, the utility creates the files necessary for server-based processing on all appropriate servers.

When the files are ready, a dialog box displays that allows you to view the log files and close the project.

View the success log for a list of the commands you need to run on which servers. The syntax for the command is:

nuwagent -a "ProjectName"

When consolidating to a NetWare server, you run the command on the destination server. When copying data from a NetWare server to an OES Linux server, you run the command on the source server.

Click Close to exit the Server Consolidation Utility.

6.12.3 Launching a Server-Based Process

Consult the project’s success log file for a list of which commands you need to run on which servers. The success log is located in the project folder (by default, project folders are created as subdirectories under My Documents).

The information you need is found in the “End Project Options and Warnings” section of the file. An example is shown below:

*****************************************************************
End Project Options and Warnings.
*****************************************************************
Server-based process files created on server TEST2. Launch this process at the server console with the command: NUWAgent -a "Project01"

At the console of the specified server, enter the command as shown. Be sure to include the quotation marks around the project name. The command is not case sensitive.

Upon completion of the processing, you can check the status in the sys:scu/migerror.log file on the destination server.

IMPORTANT:Allow each server-based process to run to completion before starting another server-based process.

For security, after the processing is completed you should delete the XML script that is stored in the same folder as the project file. The script contains the administrator passwords in obfuscated form. Although the passwords are not written to the file in clear text, a knowledgeable hacker could derive the passwords from the obfuscated versions.

6.12.4 Aborting a Server-Based Process

If you need to halt a server-based process after it has started, enter these commands at the server console:

nuwagent kill

unload nuwagent

If you stop a server-based process that was copying data from NetWare to OES Linux, you must manually delete the matchup.txt file from the Linux server before you can rerun the server-based process.

6.12.5 Performing Synchronization or Comparison after a Server-Based Process Project

If you want to perform a post-copy file and folder synchronization, reopen the project and click Project > Synchronized Dropped Folders. This deletes files and folders on the destination server that do not now exist on the source server.

If you want to perform a post-copy file comparison, reopen the project and click Project > Compare Copied Data. This compares files and folders between the source and destination servers to ensure an accurate copy.