Novell Open Enterprise Server and recommended anti-virus configuration

After installing or updating a 3rd party Linux anti-virus solution on a Novell Open Enterprise Server, odd things (anomalies) may occur, including:

• File transfers via ftp may stop.
• Management of the cluster from a terminal session may not complete.
  (for example: running "cluster view" or "cluster status" may not return with out pressing Ctrl+C)
  
• Management of the cluster from iManager may not be possible.
• NSS Pool (de)activation problems.
• NSS Volume (dis)mount problems.
• NCP Trustee problems.
• Cluster resource fail-over problems.
• Cluster status checking (via terminal session)
• Cluster management (via iManager)
  
• DST (Dynamic Storage Technology) policy execution problems.
• System crashes (kernel cores).

Stopping the anti-virus solution/service resolves the anomaly/malfunction.

If stopping the anti-virus software fixes the matter but you need to still run the anti-virus software, then adding "exclusions" to the directories that are scanned or protected for "on-access" or "on-demand" use.  The recommended place to start is to exclude the following:

Base linux directories (and sub-directories):

/bin
/boot
/dev
/etc
/home
/lib
/lib64
/mnt
/opt
/proc
/root
/sbin
/selinux
/srv
/sys
/usr
/var

Novell Open Enterprise Server specific directories (and sub-directories):

/admin           (owned/used by Novell Clustering)
/_admin          (owned/used by Novell NSS)
/.*/\._NETWARE   (owned/used by Novell NCP and found on the root of every NSS volume)

When not using OES services listed here, it may not be needed to exclude all of the above directories.

However when a Linux based anti-virus solution is in place and erratic system behavior at any level is observed; one of the first trouble shooting steps should be to either

1. stop the anti-virus solution, or
2. ensure the above mentioned directories are excluded in the anti-virus solution

and then reproduce the issue.  If the issue subsides, then the cause is likely contention of a file being held by the anti-virus solution, and exclusions are needed.