5 1 0:Novell Cluster

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Docs latest icon.png Welcome to the latest SEP sesam documentation version 5.1.0 Apollon. For previous documentation version(s), check documentation archive.


Overview


The Novell corporate brand has been acquired by Micro Focus. The Novell OES product name is now Micro Focus Open Enterprise Server; however, SEP sesam documentation update (such as names and screenshots) to reflect these changes is being done in a phased manner, therefore Micro Focus OES may still appear under the name Novell OES.

The SEP sesam backup and recovery solution provides a full cluster support for Micro Focus OES Linux/NetWare environments to ensure high availability and manageability of critical network resources. This solutions suits a complex IT environments and requires a profound knowledge of Micro Focus administration.

With SEP sesam you can fully back up NSS volumes (including trustees). If the data is lost or damaged, the volumes can be easily restored using the GUI restore wizard. Also the migration to the similar file structure on the Micro Focus OES platform is possible.

This article describes backup options for Micro Focus OES cluster environments with SEP sesam. For details on connection and backup of Novell Services, see SEP sesam README for Micro Focus OES Linux and OES Netware.

License requirements

SEP sesam recognizes each clustered resource (e.g., GroupWise service, NSS, etc.) as a server and requires a SEP sesam Backup Client license. The number of required client licenses depends on the number of Micro Focus resources that need to be backed up.

Optionally, additional licenses for backup devices and online backup modules can be added to the SEP sesam backup Server to incorporate the Micro Focus cluster backup and disaster recovery into your wider data protection plan and ensure your data is safe.

Depending on the desired response times and required functionality, additional licenses for the storage devices in SAN might also be taken into account.

For details on SEP sesam licensing and the list of licenses, see Licensing.

Configuring a Micro Focus cluster

A Micro Focus cluster consists of several physical cluster nodes sharing common access to the storage device(s) used by the backup server. A cluster should contain 3+ nodes to achieve optimal performance.

In the examples, services such as iPrint, eDirectory, GroupWise and NSS are referred to as resources.

Standard 3-node cluster example

Standard 3nodecluster.jpg

You can configure a Micro Focus cluster in several ways. In practice, the two most often used methods are the automatic failover or load cluster.

With the failover method, the access to a resource can be manually specified or automatically assigned (moved) from one cluster node to another. Typically, node failure is a reason to reassign a resource. In the process, the availability of the desired resource is not interrupted and is fully accessible to system users. To the physical load or main cluster, a task is assigned to ensure that cluster assets are efficiently used. In the event of heavy activity, the load cluster divides processes and shares resources among cluster nodes to provide efficient management of the entire cluster environment and assures uninterrupted availability of the required resources.

To set up a working and efficient data protection plan of the Micro Focus resources, you should analyze your environment and integrate SEP sesam depending on your backup strategy, ensuring uninterrupted access to cluster nodes, optimized backup frequency and data retention. Connection to a Micro Focus service is achieved using the SMS/TSA protocol. Proper set up and correct installation of the Micro Focus cluster TSAs is a prerequisite for successful implementation of any backup solution. For details, see SEP sesam README for Micro Focus OES Linux and OES Netware.

Configuring LAN backup

The following example shows a typical backup configuration. The resources are listed on each node.

The SEP sesam backup Server can be used on a computer running Micro Focus OES2 and automatically assumes direct communication to the desired resources. In this example, the Micro Focus Storage Management Data Register (SMDR) is running on the SEP sesam OES2 server and allows for backup of both NetWare and Linux resources on the Micro Focus OES2 server.

  • On the Micro Focus cluster, access is provided using the Storage Management Services (SMS) architecture, utilizing TSAs to access all running resources.
  • Various SMS Target Service Agents (TSAs) have system access to data from resources, including eDirectory, iFolder, GroupWise or NSS file systems.
  • The SMS architecture allows for communication between the cluster resources to provide failover and fallback functionality.
  • No special installation of programs on the node or within the resource is required and no change in the cluster environments is needed. A cluster backup using NetWare or OES2 is supported.

Cluster LAN backup example

OES-Cluster lan backup.jpg

To test the communication path and the TSA reachability (rights management), see Checking the reachability of the TSA services.

Now you can create a backup task to complete your backup. SEP sesam GUI allows you to configure a complete backup schema for your environment. Every resource that needs to be backed up must be entered in the GUI to become an integral part of the backup. For details, see SEP sesam README for Micro Focus OES Linux and OES Netware.

Cluster LAN data mover backup

In the above example for a standard 3-node cluster, the SEP sesam Server is also the SMDR. The SMDR is designated by SEP sesam as the Micro Focus data mover. This configuration serves as both a backup path and in the event of a node failure or transfer of a resource to a new node, a restore path.

It is also possible to install the Micro Focus SMDR and SMS as standalone services. Such implementation requires another Micro Focus OES server that acts as the data mover. The SEP sesam Server can be used on Windows, Linux or Unix clustered systems.

Cluster LAN data mover backup example

OES-Cluster 2 lan datamover backup.jpg

In the above configuration, an OES2 Linux server is installed with the SEP sesam Client, and designated and used as the Micro Focus data mover. The data stream is transferred to the appointed cluster node and then, using the TSA, to the SEP sesam Client server. Further communication and data transfer are completed using the SEP Transfer Protocol (STP). This configuration is suitable for backing up and restoring the resource data in the event of failover or transfer of the resources.

Alternatively, the Micro Focus cluster nodes can be used as a data mover when the cluster is using OES Linux. In this case, the nodes have to be set up as a SEP sesam Client and configured in the SEP sesam GUI as clients with the Micro Focus data mover functionality.

Information sign.png Note
As the node also acts as a SEP sesam data mover, this is a less reliable backup and restore solution.

Configuring Micro Focus cluster LAN-free backup

TSA is a network protocol which ensures uninterrupted access to the resources by providing, for example, access to the eDirectory, ensuring that the data from the resource is directed to the appropriate data mover and then to the designated backup location on the SEP sesam Server (disk, tape, NAS, SAN, etc.)

A LAN-free backup in a Micro Focus cluster environment is also possible and provides additional performance advantages. In this case, each Micro Focus cluster node from the previous examples has to be configured as a SEP sesam Client. Next, a location has to be specified in the SAN to direct the backup data stream to a new, LAN-free device. This is performed by using the SEP sesam SAN Remote Device Server (RDS).

Using SEP sesam RDS for LAN-free backups

The remote device function (tape or disk) allows the backup of data to a device that is directly attached to the backup client (e.g., Micro Focus cluster node). With this extended functionality, the diverse remote environments can use the attached hardware thus saving time and maximizing ROI of the current hardware. Additionally, the central management simplifies handling of remote data and servers.

The complete data transfer is done via Remote Device Server (RDS) and only the control and protocol (meta)data are transmitted and stored on the main SEP sesam Server. Note that the SEP sesam RDS and SEP sesam Server can run on different operating systems.

The Remote Device and RDS concept is available for implementation in SAN environments for LAN-free backup solutions. SEP sesam SAN environments are defined as data stored within the SAN (the drives within the SAN).

The following example shows the datastream flow and communication paths for LAN-free backup in a Micro Focus cluster.

LAN-free backup in a Micro Focus cluster (SAN) example

OES-Cluster 3 SAN backup.jpg


See also

SEP sesam README for Micro Focus OES Linux and OES NetwareBackup principles using SEP sesam in a Micro Focus OES environment

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