9.2 NSS Management Utility (NSSMU) Quick Reference

The Novell Storage Services Management Utility (NSSMU) is a console-based utility for managing NSS storage media on a server. You can use NSSMU at any time as an alternative to the browser-based iManager Storage plug-in.

9.2.1 NSSMU for Linux Quick Reference

For OES Linux, NSSMU is installed when you install NSS. The Linux install creates symlinks in the /opt/novell/nss/sbin folder for common NSS utilities, including NSSMU. Symlinks allow the path to NSSMU to become part of the root user’s path, which allows you to run nssmu from a terminal console as the root user.

Table 9-12 identifies key functions available in NSSMU for Linux. This quick reference is also available in the nssmu(8) man page. To access the man page, enter the following at a terminal console prompt:

man 8 nssmu

Table 9-12 Summary of Management Options in NSSMU for Linux

Management Options

Description

Devices

  • F3 = Initialize EVMS-managed device (Do not initialize your system device.)
  • F5 = Refresh display
  • F6 = Share (shareable/not shareable for clustering)
  • Enter = Show partitions
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to initialize and maintain physical storage devices and software RAID devices available to this server. Use the Software RAID Devices option to create, repair, or delete RAIDs.

Initialize the selected device by erasing its partition table, effectively destroying all of its data. If devices are present but not showing up for creating pools and volumes, you should initialize the disk.

Partitions

  • Ins = Create an NSS partition (disabled)
  • Del = Delete an NSS partition
  • F3 = Mirror partition (that contains an existing pool)
  • F5 = Refresh details of the partition
  • F6 = Label
  • Enter =Show volumes
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to display details about partitions. All types of partitions are displayed, including those for Linux file systems.

The Create option is disabled. NSS partitions are automatically created for you as you define NSS pools or software RAIDs.

You can delete a single partition at a time when repairing a failed software RAID partition. To delete all partitions for a software RAID, you should delete the RAID itself from the Software RAIDs page; otherwise, the RAID is not cleanly deleted.

The Mirror option lets you specify 1 to 3 partitions to mirror an existing partition that contains an NSS pool. Effectively, you are creating a RAID1 mirror device for the pool. Each segment of the defined RAID is a complete mirror of the original pool and is the same size as the original partition. After you mirror the partition, manage the RAID from the Software RAIDs page.

Pools

  • Ins = Create a pool
  • Del = Delete a pool
  • F3 = Expand a pool (by adding space)
  • F4 = Update NDS™/eDirectory
  • F5 = Refresh details of a pool
  • F6 = Rename a pool
  • F7 = Activate/deactivate a pool
  • F8 = More (list more options)
  • F9 = Show/Hide deleted volumes (then salvage, purge, or pause/resume autopurging)
  • Enter = Show volumes for a pool
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to create, delete, rename, and expand NSS storage pools to efficiently use all free space in the available devices.

After you create a pool, you can expand it by adding free space from the same or different device to increase its size. Select from the available free space to allocate it to the pool. Each device can contribute a different amount of space to the pool. Devices that contribute space must be in the same share state as the pool, that is, Shared or Not Shared. You can increase the size of a pool, but you cannot reduce it.

Volumes

  • Ins = Create a new volume
  • Del = Delete a volume
  • F2 = Rename mount point for the volume (new path with volume name)
  • F3 = Rename volume
  • F4 = Update NDS/eDirectory
  • F5 = Refresh details of the volume
  • F6 = View compression statistics
  • F7 = Dismount/mount a volume. If it is encrypted, the volume prompts for a password on the first mount after a system boot or reboot.
  • F8 = More (list more options)
  • F9 = Name Space - choose Long (default), UNIX, DOS, or Macintosh
  • Enter = Set or view volume properties
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to create, delete, rename, activate/deactivate, and mount/dismount NSS volumes and to set their attributes.

To store data in encrypted format, specify a password when you create the volume. This enables the Encryption attribute. The encryption setting persists for the life of the volume. The encryption password can be 2 to 16 standard ASCII characters, with a suggested minimum of 6. The password generates a 128-bit NICI key for encryption. You must supply the password on the first volume activate after a system reboot.

On Linux, you can mount encrypted volumes only from NSSMU on the first time after a system reboot. Provide the password when needed. Until you provide a password for encrypted volumes, you cannot mount multiple encrypted volumes at a time.

RAID Devices

  • Ins = Create a software RAID
  • Del = Delete a software RAID device
  • F3 = Expand a RAID device (add partitions)
  • F4 = Rename a RAID device
  • F5 = Refresh details of the software RAID device
  • F6 = Restripe (resume restriping for paused RAID 0)
  • Enter = Show segments (list member partitions for selected device)
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to create and manage NSS software RAID devices. A software RAID device emulates a hardware RAID device. RAID devices combine partitioned space on multiple physical devices into a single virtual device that you manage like any device. Each member device contributes an equal amount of space and only a single partition to the RAID.

Snapshot

  • Ins = Create a pool snapshot
  • Del = Delete a pool snapshot
  • F5 = Refresh display
  • F7 = Mount or dismount the pool snapshot as an active pool. The snapshot functions continue whether the snapshot is mounted or dismounted.
  • Esc = Previous menu

Use this option to create, delete, mount, and dismount pool snapshots for NSS pools. Up to 15 snapshots of a pool are allowed to concurrently coexist.

On Linux, snapshots are stored on a separate partition that you specify, not another pool. After it is created, the partition for the snapshot pool cannot be expanded.

9.2.2 NSSMU for NetWare Quick Reference

NSSMU is the interface you use to set up your basic NSS storage solution during the NetWare installation. For example, you must use NSSMU to create the sys pool and sys: volume. NSSMU allows limited creation and management of the following NSS components: devices (including software RAIDs 0, 1, 5, 10, and 15), partitions (NSS and iSCSI), pools, and volumes.

To set up NetWare iSCSI partitions, use the Partitions option in NSSMU. You must have NetWare iSCSI target software loaded to make your server into an iSCSI disk server. You cannot create iSCSI devices during the initial installation. For information, see the NW 6.5 SP8: iSCSI 1.1.3 Administration Guide.

IMPORTANT:NSSMU is not meant to replace iManager or any other NetWare file system management utilities. However, it is the only management tool that can access your NetWare server if you accidentally delete or rename the sys: volume.

Load the NSSMU module (nssmu.nlm) from the command line of the server console by entering 

nssmu

IMPORTANT:Use iManager to manage pool snapshots on NetWare. With a server selected, go to Storage > Pools, select the pool, then click Snapshots.

The following table identifies key functions available in NSSMU for NetWare. This quick reference is available as help by pressing F1 while working in NSSMU. Help is localized according to the languages supported by the OES 2 release.

Table 9-13 Summary of Management Options in NSSMU for NetWare

Function Keys

Description

Devices

  • F1 = Help
  • F2 = Scan for devices
  • F3 = Initialize device (do not use for the sys pool or sys: volume)
  • F4 = Multipath (available only if there are multiple paths for the device)
  • F5 = Select/deselect one or more devices for Initialize or Share actions
  • F6 = Share (shareable/not shareable for clustering)
  • F9 = Refresh details of the device
  • Enter = Show partitions

Use this option to initialize and maintain a wide selection of physical storage devices and software RAID devices available to this server. Use the Software RAID Devices option to create, repair, or delete RAIDs.

Initialize the selected device by erasing its partition table, effectively destroying all of its data. If devices are present but not showing up for creating pools and volumes, you should initialize the disk.

Pools

  • Ins = Create a pool
  • Del = Delete a pool
  • F3 = Expand a pool (add partitions)
  • F4 = Update NDS/eDirectory
  • F5 = Refresh details of the pool
  • F6 = Rename a pool
  • F7 = Activate/deactivate pools
  • F8 = More (list more options)
  • F9 = Show/hide deleted volumes (then salvage, purge, or pause/resume autopurging)
  • F10 = List devices (that a pool resides on)
  • Alt+F8 = Update NDS/eDirectory
  • Enter = Show volumes (on a server or pool)

Use this option to create, delete, rename, and expand NSS storage pools to efficiently use all free space in the available devices.

Volumes

  • Ins = Create an encrypted or unencrypted NSS volume
  • Del = Delete a volume
  • F3 = Rename a volume
  • F5 = Refresh details of the volume
  • F6 = Deactivate/activate the volume. If it is encrypted, the volume prompts for a password on the first activation after a system boot or reboot.
  • F7 = Dismount/mount a volume
  • F8 = More (list more options)
  • F9 = Name Space - choose Long (default), UNIX, DOS, or Macintosh
  • Alt+F8 = Update NDS/eDirectory
  • Enter = Properties (set volume properties)

Use this menu option to create, delete, rename, activate/deactivate, and mount/dismount volumes and to set volume attributes.

To store data in encrypted format, specify a password when you create the volume. This enables the Encryption attribute. The encryption setting persists for the life of the volume. The encryption password can be 2 to 16 standard ASCII characters, with a suggested minimum of 6. The password generates a 128-bit NICI key for encryption. Supply the password on the first volume activate after a system boot or reboot.

Software RAIDs

  • Ins = Create a software RAID (0, 1, or 5)
  • Del = Delete a software RAID device
  • F3 = Expand a RAID device (add segments)
  • F5 = Refresh details of the software RAID device
  • F6 = Restripe (resume restriping for paused RAID 0 or 5 device)
  • F8 = Show pools (list pools on selected RAID 0 or 5; for RAID 1, its single member pool appears in device details)
  • Enter = Show segments (list member partitions for selected device)

A software RAID device emulates a hardware RAID device. RAID devices combine partitioned space on multiple physical devices into a single virtual device that you manage like any device. Each member device contributes an equal amount of space and only a single partition to the RAID.

Create a software RAID 10 device by mirroring software RAID 0 devices. Create a software RAID 15 device by mirroring software RAID 5 devices.

Partitions

  • Ins = Create an NSS or an iSCSI partition
  • Del = Delete an NSS or an iSCSI partition
  • F3 = Mirror (create a software RAID-1 device)
  • F5 = Refresh details of the partition
  • Enter =Show volumes

Use this option to create and manage NSS partitions and iSCSI partitions. To create iSCSI partitions, the server must run iSCSI target software and be the server you plan to make your iSCSI disk server.