12.4 Creating Cluster-Enabled Pools and Volumes

After you have installed and configured OES Cluster Services, you can create a pool cluster resource by creating a cluster-enabled NSS pool and volume.

12.4.1 Creating a Cluster-Enabled Pool and Volume with iManager

  1. Ensure that the SAN device is attached to all of the nodes in the cluster.

  2. Log in to iManager as an administrator user.

  3. If you have not already done so, initialize and share the device you want to use for the clustered pool.

    See Section 12.3, Initializing and Sharing a SAN Device. We recommend one device per pool. If you use multiple devices, each device must be marked as Shareable for Clustering.

  4. Create a clustered pool:

    1. In Roles and Tasks, select Storage > Pools.

    2. Browse to select the Cluster object () of the cluster.

      Selecting the Cluster object automatically selects the server that is currently the master node in the cluster. The shared device will be assigned to this server and the pool and volume will be created there. After you create the clustered pool and volume, you can modify the resource’s preferred node order, then cluster migrate the volume to its most preferred node.

    3. Click the New link to open the New Pool wizard.

    4. Specify the new pool name, pool type, select the Upgrade Media to Support AD Users if you want to provision NSS resources to the Active Directory users, then click Next.

      NOTE:In OES 2015 or later, if you want an NSS32-bit pool to support AD users, select Upgrade Media to Support AD Users. All NSS64-bit pools are by default AD media upgraded.

      For more information, see Creating a Pool in the OES 2023: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

    5. Select the check box next to the shared device where you want to create the pool, then specify the size of the pool. We recommend one that you use one device per pool.

    6. Select or deselect the Mount On Creation option.

      The Mount On Creation option determines if the pool you are creating is to be activated (the resource is brought online) as soon as it is created.

      The option is enabled by default. This allows you to create volumes immediately after you create the clustered pool. Default settings apply to the pool cluster resource and scripts, but you can modify them later.

      If you deselect the option, you can configure the resource and modify the scripts before you bring the resource online for the first time. You must bring the pool cluster resource online before you can create volumes on it.

    7. Select the Cluster Enable on Creation check box.

      This option is selected by default if the device is shared.

      If you deselect this option, you are not shown the Cluster Pool Information page. After you create a volume on the non-clustered pool, you can cluster-enable the pool and volume as described in Section 12.5, Cluster-Enabling an Existing NSS Pool and Its Volumes.

    8. Select the Force Create check box, when you are creating a shared cluster pool that is media upgraded to support AD users, all cluster nodes from where the pool may be accessed must be upgraded to OES 2015 or later. If you have a mixed cluster node environment, where all your cluster nodes are not on OES 2015 or later, select the Force Create check box to force the pool creation. This shared cluster pool cannot be loaded on nodes earlier than OES 2015.

    9. On the Cluster Pool Information page, specify the following information:

      Parameter

      Action

      Virtual Server Name

      (Optional) The default virtual server name for the resource is the cluster name plus the cluster resource name. For example, if the cluster name is cluster1 and the pool cluster resource name is POOL1_SERVER, then the default virtual server name is CLUSTER1-POOL1-SERVER.

      You can use the suggested name, or specify a different Virtual Server name for the cluster resource.

      You can modify the cluster resource name after the resource has been created by using the cluster rename command. See Section 10.15, Renaming a Cluster Resource. Changing the resource name does not modify the pool name or the virtual server name.

      CIFS Server Name

      (Optional) If OES CIFS is installed and running, you can use this field to specify the name of the CIFS virtual server that CIFS clients see when they browse the network.

      If OES CIFS is installed and running, but CIFS is disabled as an advertising protocol, this field is not available (dimmed).

      If OES CIFS is not installed and running, this field value is NOT_SUPPORTED.

      CIFS is disabled by default as an advertising protocol. You can select the CIFS check box to enable it. By default, the NCP virtual server name is suggested as the CIFS virtual server name. For more information about how the default name is determined, see Section 12.1.7, OES CIFS for Linux. You can use the suggested name or specify a custom name for the CIFS virtual server name.

      If desired, specify a new name for the CIFS virtual server. The name can be up to 15 characters, which is a restriction of the CIFS protocol.

      IP Address

      Specify an IP address for the pool cluster resource. Tab between the address fields. The address is IPv4 format, such as 10.10.10.243.

      Each pool cluster resource requires its own unique IP address. The IP address assigned to the pool remains assigned to the pool regardless of which server in the cluster hosts the pool.

      Advertising Protocols

      Select the check boxes of the advertising protocols (CIFS, NCP) that you want to enable for data requests to this shared pool. NCP is required to support authenticated access to data via the OES Trustee model.

      Selecting a protocol causes commands to be added to the pool cluster resource’s load and unload scripts to activate the protocol for the resource. This lets you ensure that the cluster-enabled pool is highly available to users via the specified protocol.

      If the OES CIFS protocols are not installed and running, selecting the corresponding CIFS check box has no effect.

      Online Resource after Create

      The check box is deselected by default and dimmed so that you cannot change the setting.

      The pool is currently active on the server. You must deactivate the pool from the server before attempting to bring the resource online. You should also configure the resource load, unload, and monitor scripts before you bring the resource online.

      Define Additional Properties

      Select the Define Additional Properties check box.

      This allows you to configure the resource policies for the start, failover, and failback modes, and to configure the preferred nodes.

    10. Click Finish.

      Typically, the pool creation takes less than a minute. However, if you have a large tree or if the server does not hold an eDirectory replica, the create time can take up to 3 minutes.

      The pool cluster resource should be online and active on the master node if the Mount on Creation option was enabled in Step 4.f.

  5. Create a volume on the clustered pool.

    Repeat the following procedure for each cluster volume that you want to create on the shared pool. We recommend using only one volume per shared pool.

    1. In iManager, select Storage, then select the Volumes.

    2. Browse to select the Cluster object () of the cluster.

      Selecting the Cluster object automatically selects the server that is currently the master node in the cluster.

    3. Click New.

    4. Specify the new volume name, then click Next.

      Each shared volume in the cluster must have a unique name across all nodes.

    5. Select the check box next to the cluster pool where you want to create the volume, select Allow the volume to grow to the size of the pool, then click Next.

    6. Review and change volume attributes by selecting or deselecting the check boxes next to the attributes.

      The Backup and Salvage Files attributes are selected by default.

      For information about volume attributes, see Volume Attributes in the OES 2023: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

    7. Choose whether you want the volume activated and mounted when it is created, then click Finish.

      Typically, the volume creation takes less than 10 seconds. However, if you have a large tree or if the server does not hold an eDirectory replica, the create time can take up to 3 minutes.

  6. Verify that the pool cluster resource was created and is online.

    1. In iManager, select Clusters > My Clusters.

    2. Select the cluster.

      If the cluster is not in the list, click Add, browse to select its Cluster object, then click OK.

    3. On the Cluster Manager page in the Cluster Objects list, view the pool cluster resource, such as POOL1_SERVER.

      If the resource is online, the state is Running.

  7. Continue with Section 12.6, Configuring a Load Script for the Shared NSS Pool.

12.4.2 Creating a Cluster-Enabled Pool and Volume with NSSMU

  1. Ensure that the SAN device is attached to all of the nodes in the cluster.

  2. On the master node, log in as the root user, then open a terminal console.

  3. If you have not already done so, initialize and share the device you want to use for the clustered pool.

    See Section 12.3, Initializing and Sharing a SAN Device. We recommend one device per pool. If you use multiple devices, each device must be marked as Shareable for Clustering.

  4. Start NSSMU by entering nssmu at the command prompt.

  5. Create a clustered pool:

    1. From the NSSMU Main Menu, select Pools.

    2. On the Pools page, press Insert, select a pool type, type a name for the new pool you want to create, then press Enter.

    3. From the list of available devices, select the shared device where you want the pool created (such as sdc), then press Enter.

      Select the device you marked as shared for this purpose in Section 12.3, Initializing and Sharing a SAN Device.

    4. Specify the amount of space (in MB) to use, then press Enter.

    5. Press F3 to accept the device and size settings.

      The Cluster Pool Information page opens automatically because the selected device is shared.

    6. For the Activate On Creation option, specify whether you want the pool to be activated when it is created, then continue to the next field by pressing Enter.

      The Activate On Creation option determines if the pool you are creating is to be activated (the resource is brought online) as soon as it is created.

      The option is set to Yes (enabled) by default. This allows you to create volumes immediately after you create the clustered pool. Default settings apply to the pool cluster resource and scripts, but you can modify them later.

      If you set the value to No (disabled), you can configure the resource and modify the scripts before you bring the resource online for the first time. You must bring the pool cluster resource online before you can create volumes on it.

    7. Specify Yes for the Cluster Enable on Creation option.

      This option is selected by default if the device is shared.

      If you set the value to No, the values you set on the Cluster Pool Information page are ignored, and a pool cluster resource is not created. After you create a volume on the non-clustered pool, you can cluster-enable the pool and volume as described in Section 12.5, Cluster-Enabling an Existing NSS Pool and Its Volumes.

    8. On the Cluster Pool Information page, specify the following information:

      Parameter

      Action

      Virtual Server Name

      (Optional) You can use the suggested name or specify a custom name for the NCP Virtual Server name. The default NCP virtual server name for the resource is the cluster name plus the cluster resource name. For example, if the cluster name is cluster1 and the pool cluster resource name is POOL1_SERVER, then the default virtual server name is CLUSTER1-POOL1-SERVER.

      To modify the resource’s virtual server name, select the default name, press Enter, specify a new NCP Virtual Server name for the cluster resource, then press Enter.

      You can modify the cluster resource name after the resource has been created by using the cluster rename command. See Section 10.15, Renaming a Cluster Resource. Changing the resource name does not modify the pool name or the virtual server name.

      CIFS Server Name

      (Optional) If OES CIFS is installed and running, you can use this field to specify the name of the CIFS virtual server that CIFS clients see when they browse the network.

      This field is blank by default if OES CIFS is installed and running, but CIFS is disabled (set to No) as an advertising protocol.

      If OES CIFS is not installed and running, this field value is NOT_SUPPORTED.

      CIFS is disabled by default as an advertising protocol. To enable CIFS as an advertising protocol, press the down-arrow to go to the CIFS field, then press y (Yes) to enable CIFS. By default, the NCP virtual server name is suggested as the basis for CIFS virtual server name. For more information about how the default name is determined, see Section 12.1.7, OES CIFS for Linux. You can use the suggested name or specify a custom name for the CIFS virtual server name.

      To modify the name, press the up-arrow to go the CIFS Server Name field, press Enter to select the suggested name, specify a new name for the CIFS virtual server, then press Enter. The name can be up to 15 characters, which is a restriction of the CIFS protocol.

      IP Address

      Press enter to select the field, specify an IP address for the pool cluster resource, then press Enter. Specify the address in IPv4 format, such as 10.10.10.243

      Each pool cluster resource requires its own unique IP address. The IP address assigned to the pool remains assigned to the pool regardless of which server in the cluster is accessing the pool.

      Advertising Protocols

      Press y (Yes) to enable an advertising protocol (CIFS, NCP) that you want to enable for data requests to this shared pool. Do not disable NCP; NCP is required to support authenticated access to data via the OES Trustee model.

      Selecting a protocol causes commands to be added to the pool cluster resource’s load and unload scripts to activate the protocol for the resource. This lets you ensure that the cluster-enabled pool is highly available to users via the specified protocol.

      If the OES CIFS protocols are not installed and running, enabling the corresponding CIFS option has no effect.

    9. Select Apply to create and cluster-enable the pool.

      Typically, the pool creation takes less than a minute. However, if you have a large tree or if the server does not hold an eDirectory replica, the create time can take up to 3 minutes.

  6. Press Esc to return to the NSSMU Main Menu.

  7. Create a volume on the clustered pool.

    Repeat the following procedure for each cluster volume that you want to create on the shared NSS pool. We recommend using only one volume per shared pool.

    1. On the NSSMU Main Menu, select Volumes.

    2. On the Volumes page, press Insert, type a name for the new volume you want to create, then press Enter.

      Each shared volume in the cluster must have a unique name across all nodes.

    3. Specify Y(es) to encrypt volume or N(o) to create a regular volume.

    4. From the list of available pools, select the clustered pool where you want the volume to reside, then press Enter.

      The new volume appears in the list of volumes.

      Typically, the volume creation takes less than 10 seconds. However, if you have a large tree or if the server does not hold an eDirectory replica, the create time can take up to 3 minutes.

    5. (Optional) From the list of volumes, select the newly created volume, press F8 to view more options, press Enter to open the Properties page to review and change volume attributes, then select Apply and press Enter to save any changes.

      The Backup and Salvage Files attributes are selected by default.

      For information about volume attributes, see Volume Attributes in the OES 2023: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

  8. Exit NSSMU.

  9. Verify that the pool cluster resource was created and is online.

    1. In iManager, select Clusters > My Clusters.

    2. Select the cluster.

    3. On the Cluster Manager page in the Cluster Objects list, view the pool cluster resource, such as POOL1_SERVER.

      If the resource is online, the state is Running.

  10. Continue with Section 12.6, Configuring a Load Script for the Shared NSS Pool.