C.4 Configuring an iFolder Server Cluster on NetWare 6.5 and Later

In a NetWare 6.5 cluster, the Novell iFolder server software resides and runs on an external storage location shared by all server nodes in the cluster. You only need to install iFolder on the first server. Copy the software directory and user data directory to the shared location, then update the iFolder 2.1 configuration to support its new location.

Install NetWare with Apache on each of the other servers in the cluster, using the Basic pattern install option. After you install iFolder on the first server, copy the Web server instance of Apache that supports iFolder to the shared location, leaving the admin server instance behind. Update files on each member server to point to the Web server instance of Apache for iFolder support.

This solution assumes that any other Web-based applications for this cluster will also reside in the cluster's shared volume and in the same instance of Apache. By default, the iFolder and Basic installations do not allow the POSIX Semantic Agent (PSA) module (psa.nss) to load because PSA causes problems for iFolder.

IMPORTANT:You must make sure that any other Web-based applications you want to install on the cluster do not load or need the PSA module.

Non-Web-enabled applications can be installed on servers in the cluster. If you cluster the non-Web-enabled applications, they must share the same shared volume that you defined for the cluster. However, if they are not clustered, they do not need to use the shared volume.

C.4.1 Configuring Your iFolder Cluster Solution

To configure Novell iFolder 2.1 on Novell Cluster Services for NetWare 6.5 and later:

  1. On your Domain Name Service (DNS) server, create a Type A Host Resource record with a hostname that you want to assign to your virtual iFolder server. The IP address you associate with this hostname is the IP address that you want to assign to the virtual server that represents the cluster's shared pool.

    For example, you could associate nif.your-company-name.com as the DNS hostname of the virtual iFolder server with 192.168.1.1 as the IP address of the virtual server that represents the cluster's shared pool. Replace nif.your-company-name.com with the actual DNS hostname and 192.168.1.1 with the actual IP address for your implementation.

  2. Using the Novell iFolder 2.1 pattern install for NetWare 6.5, install iFolder on the server that you want to be the primary server in the cluster.

    For instructions, see Section 4.0, Installing iFolder 2.1 on NetWare.

    In Step 8, remember to use the iFolder server's DNS hostname that you assigned to the iFolder server in Step 1. This allows the installation software to write the iFolder DNS hostname to the following locations:

    • The sys:\apache2\ifolder\server\httpd_ifolder_nw.conf file
    • The Novell iFolder client login window
    • The Java applet for Web-based access to iFolder user accounts
    • The PDA HTML for Web-based PDA access to iFolder user accounts

    IMPORTANT:After the install, the iFolder service is configured and is running. Do not allow users to log into the iFolder server to create accounts yet.

  3. On the primary server, stop the iFolder service. To do this, at the server console prompt, enter

    stopifolder

  4. Using the basic install, install NetWare 6.5 on the other servers that you want to be in the iFolder server cluster. This installs Apache 2.0 software along with the NetWare 6.5 operating system.

    Because you are copying the Apache 2.0 software, the Novell iFolder software, and the iFolder user data directory to a shared volume, you only need to install iFolder on the first server.

  5. On each server that you want to include in your iFolder server cluster, modify the sys:\system\admsrvup.ncf file to include the path information for the apache2.nlm file. This is necessary because you modify the sys:\system\autoexec.ncf in Step 15 to remark out the search path. After you copy the Web server instance of Apache to the shared volume in Step 10, explicitly stating the path to the server's copy of Apache enables you to find the administration instance of Apache for that server.

    Make the following changes on each server in the cluster:

    1. Map a drive on your workstation to the sys: volume of the server where you want to make the change. For example, map sys: to drive letter Z:.

    2. Open the z:\system\admsrvup.ncf (sys:\system\admsrvup.ncf) file in a text editor.

    3. Modify apache2.nlm by prepending it with the path to the file:

      sys:\apache2\apache2.nlm
      

      For example, change

      load address space = adminsrv apache2.nlm

      to

      load address space = adminsrv sys:\apache2\apache2.nlm

    4. Save and close the file.

  6. On the primary server, install Novell Cluster Services. For details, see the Novell Cluster Services 1.7 Administration Guide.

    Make sure to add all the NetWare 6.5 servers that you want to be members of the iFolder cluster.

  7. Create an NSS volume in a pool in the shared devices in your storage area network. For example, create nifvol in the nifpool.

    The basic steps are listed below; see the Novell Storage Services Administration Guide for NetWare 6.5 for detailed instructions.

    1. (Optional) For a fault-tolerant shared-disk solution, create software RAID 1 or RAID 5 devices to use as virtual devices for the shared pool.

    2. Enable sharing on each of the devices that contributes space to the pool that you want to share among the cluster server nodes.

    3. Create a pool, using the shared devices and cluster-enable the pool. For example, create a new pool named nifpool.

      NSS creates a virtual server for the cluster-enabled pool that has its own IP address. When you cluster-enable the pool, you must assign an IP address for this purpose. Because you want this virtual server to assume the role of the iFolder server for the cluster, you assign it the same IP address that you used in Step 1.

    4. Create a volume on the cluster-enabled pool. For example, create a new volume named nifvol.

      Volumes in a cluster-enabled pool are cluster-enabled by default. This NSS volume becomes the central repository for all iFolder software and the iFolder user data. The size of this volume will vary, based on the number of iFolder users you plan to support and the storage quota allocated per user.

  8. On your workstation, map the primary server's sys: volume to a drive on your workstation.

    For example, map sys: to drive E:, where E is the drive letter you assign.

  9. On your workstation, map the primary server's shared volume that you created in Step 7 to a drive on your workstation.

    For example, map the nifvol: volume to drive F:, where nifvol is the shared volume's name and F is the drive letter you assign.

  10. Using a directory browser, copy the Apache2 directory (physically located at sys:\apache2) and its contents from the mapped sys: volume to the mapped shared volume.

    1. In a directory browser, select e:\apache2 on the system volume.

    2. Click Edit > Copy.

    3. Select the mapped drive of the shared volume F:.

    4. Click Edit > Paste.

      A copy of the apache2 directory now resides at f:\apache2, which is actually the storage area nifvol:\apache2. This enables the Web software to be shared by all the servers in the iFolder server cluster.

      You need to leave the original contents of the Apache 2 software on the sys: volume so that the administrative services of Apache 2 work properly.

  11. Using a directory browser, move the iFolder user data directory (physically located by default at sys:\iFolder) and its contents from the mapped sys: volume to the mapped shared drive.

    1. In a directory browser, select e:\iFolder, where iFolder is the name of the directory on the system volume that you gave to the iFolder user data path in Step 8 of the iFolder installation.

    2. Click Edit > Cut.

    3. Select the mapped drive of the shared volume F:.

    4. Click Edit > Paste.

      The iFolder directory is now at f:\iFolder, which is the storage area nifvol:\iFolder shared by designated servers in the iFolder server cluster.

  12. Edit the nifvol:\apache2\conf\httpd.conf file you copied to the shared volume in Step 10.

    1. In a directory browser, select f:\apache2\conf\httpd.conf.

    2. Open f:\apache2\conf\httpd.conf (nifvol:\apache2\conf\httpd.conf) in a text editor.

    3. Modify all occurrences of sys:/apache2 to nifvol:/apache2, where nifvol is the name of your shared volume.

      For example, search for sys:\apache2 and replace it with nifvol:/apacheā€ so that the Include directive points to the shared volume for the iFolder configuration file. For example, change the following statement:

      Include sys:/apache2/ifolder/server/httpd_ifolder_nw.conf
      

      to this:

      Include nifvol:/apache2/ifolder/server/httpd_ifolder_nw.conf
      

      Make sure to search, using forward slashes and search again, using back slashes in case the usage varies within the file. For example, you must also search for sys:\apache2 and replace it with nifvol:\apache2.

    4. Save and close the file.

  13. Edit the nifvol:\apache2\iFolder\server\httpd_ifolder_nw.conf file you copied to the shared volume in Step 10.

    1. In a directory browser, select f:\apache2\iFolder\server\httpd_ifolder_nw.conf.

    2. Open f:\apache2\iFolder\server\httpd_ifolder_nw.conf (nifvol:\apache2\iFolder\server\httpd_ifolder_nw.conf) in a text editor.

    3. Modify all occurrences of sys: to nifvol:, where nifvol is the name of your shared volume.

      If the User Data path you set up in the iFolder install is not on the sys: volume, you must also search for that volume name and replace it with nifvol:.

    4. Save and close the file.

  14. Edit the sys:\system\ap2webup.ncf file so that the Apache 2.0 software starts the instance of Apache that is on the shared volume, then move the modified ap2webup.ncf file and ap2webdn.ncf to the apache2 directory on the shared volume (nifvol:\apache2\ap2webup.ncf).

    1. In a directory browser, select e:\system\ap2webup.ncf.

    2. Open e:\system\ap2webup.ncf file in a text editor.

    3. Modify sys:\apache2 to nifvol:\apache2.

    4. Save and close the file.

    5. In the directory browser, select e:\system\ap2webup.ncf and e:\system\ap2webdn.ncf.

    6. Click Edit > Cut.

    7. Navigate to the f:\apache2 (nifvol:\apache2) directory.

    8. Click Edit > Paste.

  15. On each server that you want to include in your iFolder server cluster, edit the sys:\system\autoexec.ncf file so that Apache 2 does not start by default when the servers come up. Otherwise, each server tries to start the iFolder services. You want only Novell Cluster Services to have control over starting iFolder for the cluster.

    IMPORTANT:If you later install additional software on the cluster that also uses Apache, you might need to repeat this step.

    Make the following changes on each server in the cluster:

    1. Map a drive on your workstation to the sys: volume of the server where you want to make the change. For example, map sys: to drive letter X:.

    2. In a directory browser, select x:\system\autoexec.ncf.

    3. Open x:\system\autoexec.ncf in a text editor.

    4. Comment out the following commands by placing a pound sign (#) in front of them, as shown.

      #search add sys:\apache2
      
      #ap2webup
      

      You will only see the ap2webup command on the primary server where you installed iFolder. The other server nodes in the cluster will not have the ap2webup line in their autoexec.ncf files.

    5. Save and close the file.

  16. Set up Novell Cluster Services to start iFolder by default on reboot of the cluster.

    1. In the ConsoleOne Properties dialog box, click Scripts > Cluster Resource Load Script.

    2. Add the following commands to the end of the existing load script:

      delay 2
      
      search add nifvol:\apache2
      
      ap2webup
      
    3. Click Apply.

  17. Set up Novell Cluster Services to stop iFolder services by default on the server down command.

    1. In the ConsoleOne Properties dialog box, click Scripts > Cluster Resource Unload Script.

    2. Add the following commands to the beginning of the existing unload script:

      ap2webdn
      
    3. Click Apply > Close.

  18. You must offline the cluster resources, then online the cluster resources by restarting each of the servers in the cluster. For information, see the Novell Cluster Services 1.7 Administration Guide.

    When the servers come back up, the Novell iFolder primary server will be running iFolder and the hot-standby servers will be live, waiting to be called to action.

Novell iFolder is now configured for Novell Cluster Services.

C.4.2 Upgrading Cluster Setup to OES NetWare

To upgrade the cluster setup for iFolder to OES NetWare, complete the following:

  1. Upgrade iFolder on the primary server in the cluster node.This is the server where iFolder is installed.

  2. After upgrade, get the cluster resource on the primary node.

  3. Stop iFolder service by executing stopifolder at the system console.

  4. Back up the following:

    • The cluster volume nifvol:/apache2/iFolder/server/httpd_ifolder_nw.conf
    • The cluster volume nifvol:/apache2/conf/httpd.conf
    • The files ap2webup.ncf and ap2webdn.ncf in the nifvol1:/apache2 directory

    nifvol: = shared volume

  5. Copy the sys:\apache2\ifolder directory to nifvol:/apache2/ifolder.

  6. Replace the httpd_ifolder_nw.conf and nifvol:/apache2/conf/httpd.conf file with the one that you have backed up in Step 4.

  7. Get the cluster resource offline, and then make it online.

    iFolder server starts with the latest version. You can verify this at the Apache console screen on the server.