To create, delete, or enlarge a logical volume, use the volume management options in iManager or the console-based NSSMU.

To mount/dismount, or activate/deactivate a logical volume, use the volume management options in iManager or the console-based NSSMU.

To move or split a logical volume, use the volume management options in iManager.

To mount a server’s DOS partition as a logical volume, load DOSFAT.NSS at the server console.

To manage file compression, use NoRM to set file compression SET parameters.

To limit users’ disk space, use volume management options in iManager.

To salvage or purge deleted files, use the NetWare Utilities option in the Novell client or ConsoleOne.

To display information about files and directories, use ConsoleOne.

To create and manage DFS junctions, use ConsoleOne.

Configure iSCSI partitions with NoRM or the console-based NSSMU.

Configure an iSCSI initiator with the iSCSI Services options in NoRM.

To back up and restore network files, use SBCON from the server console (or a remote RConsoleJ session). For a more comprehensive backup/restore solution, use a third-party backup product that is SMS-compliant.

Use file and pool snapshots to make it much easier to back up network data.

When you install a NetWare server for the first time, there are several directories created by the system with which you should be familiar. These directories contain most of the tools, utilities, and configuration files that you need to configure, monitor, and manage your OES NetWare server. All NetWare system-related directories are created in volume SYS:, including the following:

SYSTEM holds nearly all the NLMs and utilities that you will use to configure, manage, and monitor an OES NetWare server. You will become familiar with SYS:SYSTEM as you look for files, compare file versions, and perform other troubleshooting operations.

PUBLIC holds all the NetWare tools, utilities, and user-related files for an OES NetWare network. Any user created in a NetWare environment will have default access to SYS:PUBLIC so that he can access the tools he needs to set up his client access. Over time, you can add other utilities to this directory if you want all users to have access to them.

ETC is similar to the /ETC file in a Unix environment. It mostly holds configuration files related to network communications, such as protocol configuration, routing tables, DNS and DHCP configuration, audit files, and backup configuration files. It also holds several of the default NetWare log files, such as CONSOLE.LOG.

LOGIN holds those files to which users need access even though they are not yet logged in to the NetWare environment. This includes language-specific files, the graphic elements used with NoRM’s Java-based interface, and the basic utilities necessary to help accomplish a NetWare login.

APACHE2 and ADMINSRV hold the system files related to the Apache Web Server. This includes the Apache admin server (which supports all OES NetWare web-based administrative tools such as Web Manager, NoRM, and iManager) and the Apache Web Server used for creating an actual website and providing web services hosted on OES NetWare. For more information on Apache Web Server, see Chapter 13 “OES Web Foundations.”

TOMCAT holds the system files related to the Tomcat Servlet engine. For more information on Tomcat, see Chapter 13.

There are many other directories related to specific services that you can load on an OES NetWare server, and you can create additional directories and subdirectories in volume SYS.

For files not directly related to NetWare or your network environment, it makes more sense to create a separate file structure. That way there will be fewer chances for problems to be introduced into your core NetWare system through extraneous installation, configuration, or management activities.

You need to consider application and file placement when planning your NetWare file system. By doing so, you can create a file structure in which it is much easier to assign proper trustee rights so that users have access to what they need, without granting them access to things they don’t. For example, general-use applications can be organized in an APPS volume, each in its own subdirectory. That way, rights to these applications can be easily assigned high in the directory structure where they will flow down, through inheritance, to all subdirectories. For more information about file system rights, see Chapter 7.

If an application requires that it be installed at the root of a file system, NetWare gives you the flexibility of installing the application where it makes sense and then creating a root drive mapping to fool the application into thinking it is operating from a root location in the file system. Creating a root drive mapping requires the redirector capabilities of either the Novell client or the NetDrive client. See Chapter 3, “OES NetWare Clients,” for more information on the Novell client. See Chapter 12, “OES NetWare File Access,” for more information on NetDrive.

You can create a map root from the client, but if it is needed for a large number of users, a much better way is to include the map command in the appropriate login script. That way the map operation will be performed automatically when each user logs in and you don’t have to worry about making changes to every workstation. For example, you can add the following command to a container login script to map a root drive for all users within the container:

For more information about login scripts, see Appendix B, “NetWare Login Scripts.”

If you decide to host an application from the NetWare server, you should flag the application’s executable files as Shareable, Read-Only (S, Ro). This enables the application to be used by multiple users simultaneously, but prevents users from inadvertently deleting or modifying it. This is an additional layer of protection beyond that provided by restricting access to the files at the directory level. For more information on file system rights, see Chapter 7.

With NSS, you probably won’t have to manage NetWare partitions directly because they are automatically created to support the storage pools you define. However, if you want a partition-level view or you want to create non-NSS partitions, you can do so from NoRM by following these steps:

1. Launch NoRM and select Partition Disks from the Navigation frame.

2. At the Partition Disks page, you can create a new partition by clicking the Create link next to any of the listed available free space (see Figure 10.2).

Figure 10.2. Using partition disks to manage partitions from NoRM.

3. At the File System Creation Operations page, specify the type of volume you want to create and click the creation operation you want to perform. You can choose from NSS, traditional NetWare, and iSCSI partition types. Based on your choice, you will see different options for proceeding with the partition creation process.

It’s easier to work with NSS partitions through iManager because all the tools for pool and volume management are there as well. iSCSI is discussed later in this chapter. For more information on traditional NetWare volumes, see the OES NetWare online documentation.

A storage pool is a specific amount of space you obtain from one or more storage devices in your server. OES NetWare has integrated the partition-creation process into the process for creating storage pools. NSS storage pools provide the flexibility of NSS. They can be created to span one or multiple partitions on the hardware side, and can be divided into one or multiple logical volumes on the user side.

After a pool is created, you can add storage devices to your server and then expand the pool to include the space available on the new storage device. To create a new storage pool, complete the following steps:

1. Launch iManager, open the Storage link, and select Pools in the Navigation frame.

2. At the Pool Management page, specify the server with which you want to work. This will bring up the storage pool information for that server, as shown in Figure 10.3.

Figure 10.3. Managing storage pools from iManager.

3. Click New to create a new storage pool.

4. Specify the name of the storage pool and click Next. Make sure to follow the naming conventions as outlined.

5. At the Select Device and Space page, choose the storage device(s) from which the new storage pool will get its space, specify the amount of space for each device, and then click Finish. Check Activate on Creation if you want the pool to be available as soon as it is created.

After the pool is created, you will be returned to the Pool Management page, from which you can perform various configuration tasks on storage pools and view the characteristics of pools that have been created. Configuration options include the following:

New—Enables you to create new storage pools, as described previously.

Delete—Enables you to delete an existing storage pool. You cannot delete the SYS pool in this way because that would remove the NetWare operating system.

Rename—Enables you to rename an existing storage pool.

Activate—Makes a pool, and all volumes associated with that pool, available for use.

Deactivate—Removes a pool, and all volumes associated with that pool, from service. Users cannot access data on an inactive pool. This might be done so you can perform maintenance on the pool or its associated volumes.

Increase Size—Enables you to add space to a storage pool.

Snapshot—Creates a point-in-time view of an active storage pool. This is very helpful when backing up pool data because your backup application can back up from the snapshot, thereby avoiding potential open file issues that can make backing up network data so difficult. A pool snapshot will be visible from the Pools view in iManager as a separate storage pool. Information about backing up network data with Novell’s Storage Management Services (SMS) is provided later in this chapter.

Update eDirectory—If you have modified or renamed a storage pool, use this option to update the eDirectory pool object with the new information and characteristics.

(Conditional) Deleted Volumes—If you have deleted volumes from a storage pool, you can use this option to salvage or purge those deleted volumes.

(Conditional) Offline—If you select a pool snapshot, this option is available to take the selected snapshot offline.

These options give you granular control over the management and performance of the storage pools on your NetWare server.

After a storage pool has been created, you are ready for NSS logical volumes. NSS volumes can be set to a specific size or set to grow dynamically within the storage pool according to the amount of storage space that is needed over time. When set to grow dynamically, NSS volumes can automatically take advantage of new storage devices after their space is added to their associated storage pool.

After you’ve created the volume, you must mount it before network users can access it. To create and mount a new NSS volume, complete the following steps:

1. Launch iManager, open the Storage link, and select Volumes in the Navigation frame.

2. At the Volume Management page, specify the server with which you want to work. This will bring up the volume information for that server, as shown in Figure 10.4.

Figure 10.4. Managing server volumes from iManager.

3. Click New to create a new volume.

4. Specify the name of the volume and click Next. Make sure to follow the naming conventions as outlined.

5. At the Select a Pool and Volume Quota page, provide the required information and click Next:

Storage pool—Check the box next to the storage pool from which the volume will be created. You can also click the New Pool button to create a new storage pool for this volume. Doing this will drop you into step 4 of the storage pool creation process, discussed previously.

Allow Volume Quota to Grow to Pool Size—If you don’t want to specify a volume quota, check this box to let the volume grow dynamically to fit the available pool space.

6. At the Attribute Information page, make your selections and click Finish:

Backup—This option marks the volume data for backup, similar to setting the Archive bit on a file or directory.

Compression—Turns data compression on for this volume. Compression will use volume space much more efficiently at the cost of read performance. If volume data is not used constantly, compression can be a good idea.

Data shredding—Instructs NetWare to overwrite deleted data with random characters to prevent recovery with disk reader software. Specify how many overwrite passes to make (1[nd]7).

Directory quotas—Sets a limit on the amount of space that any directory can occupy. This might be useful for restricting the size of application, log, or user directories you don’t want to grow beyond a certain point.

Flush files immediately—Instructs NetWare to write data to disk immediately upon file close, rather than waiting for the next write cycle.

Migration—Enables support for near-line storage, such as optical subsystems. Migration creates a look-up key in the volume’s File Allocation Table (FAT) that describes how to retrieve the data from the near-line storage system.

Modified file list—Displays a list of files modified since the last backup cycle. This is useful for archive utilities, so they don’t have to scan the entire volume for changed files.

Salvage files—Instructs NetWare to keep deleted files until the space is needed for new data, so they can be recovered if necessary.

Snapshot—file level—Instructs NetWare to keep a copy of the last closed version of each open file in this volume. That way, archive utilities can save the copy to provide some protection in the event of data loss.

User space quotas—Enables you to set usage limits for individual eDirectory users. When a quota is reached, users will be unable to save any more files until they have made space for them by removing other files.

User-level transaction model—Enables NetWare’s Transaction Tracking System (TTS) for the volume. This helps protect databases from corruption that might occur if a failure happens during a database transaction. With TTS turned on, an incomplete transaction is completely backed out and restored to its original state prior to the transaction. TTS protects data by making a copy of the original data before it is overwritten by new data. Then, if a failure of some component occurs in the middle of the transaction, TTS restores the data to its original condition and discards the incomplete transaction.

On creation—Enables you to specify whether to activate and/or mount the new volume upon creation. Activating a volume is what makes it available for use. Mounting a volume is a trivial exercise that sets a pointer in the Volume Mapping Table so that NetWare knows how to access it. If left unchecked, you can activate and mount a volume from the Volume Management page in iManager.

After the volume has been created, you will be returned to the Volume Management page, from which you can perform various configuration tasks on existing volumes and view the characteristics of volumes that have been created. Configuration options include the following:

New—Enables you to create new volumes, as described previously.

Delete—Enables you to delete an existing volume. You cannot delete volume SYS: in this way because that would remove the NetWare operating system. All data on a deleted volume is removed, but salvage and purge options for deleted volumes are available at the storage pool level.

Rename—Enables you to rename an existing volume.

Activate—Makes a volume available for mounting and use by the server.

Deactivate—Makes a volume temporarily unavailable for use by the server. A volume cannot be mounted while it is deactivated.

Mount—Makes a volume available for use by network users, who can then access the volumes through any of the access methods supported by OES NetWare.

Dismount—Makes a volume temporarily unavailable for use by network users.

Move—Made possible by the NetWare Distributed File System (DFS), the Move option enables you to move an existing volume from its current storage pool to another pool, either on the same server or a different server in the same eDirectory tree. After a move operation, all data is moved automatically, but users can continue to access the data as if it were still in its original location. DFS performs a transparent redirection of requests to the new volume location. DFS is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

Split—Also leveraging DFS, the Split option enables you to select any portion of an existing volume, at the directory level, and install it into a new volume, either on the same server or on another server in the same eDirectory tree. After a split operation, all data is moved automatically, but users can continue to access the data as if it were still in its original location. DFS performs a transparent redirection of requests to the new volume location. DFS is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

Properties—This option enables you to make changes to volume attributes, as defined when the volume was created. Volume attributes were discussed previously, during the volume creation process.

User quotas—If you have enabled the User Space Restrictions attribute on a volume, use this option to set those space restrictions. This is often useful for limiting the amount of space available to users’ home directories. For more information on user home directories, see Chapter 7.

Update eDirectory—If you have modified or renamed a volume, use this option to update the eDirectory volume object with the new information and characteristics.

These volume configuration options give you granular control over the management and performance of the volumes on your NetWare servers.

You can mount a server’s DOS partition as an NSS volume so that you can access its files like any other network volume. To do this, load DOSFAT.NSS on the OES NetWare server. Type the following command at the server console:

This command loads the necessary NLMs to support the DOS partition as a logical volume. It also mounts the DOS partition as a volume with the name DOSFAT_x, where x is the drive letter of the DOS partition—usually C.

When a problem occurs in the NSS environment, repairs are made at the storage pool level rather than at the volume level. This is a change for those of you familiar with VREPAIR.NLM from older versions of NetWare. NSS provides two tools to perform these repair operations:

VERIFY—This utility checks the file system integrity for an NSS pool by searching for inconsistent data blocks or other errors. This utility indicates whether there are problems with the file system.

REBUILD—This utility actually makes repairs to the NSS storage pool should they prove necessary. You need to deactivate pools (and all the volumes in the pools) before you run REBUILD so that users do not attempt to access the volumes you are rebuilding. When you deactivate a storage pool, all the volumes in the pool automatically deactivate. REBUILD also copies errors and transactions into an error file called volume_name.RLF at the root of the DOS drive on your server. Every time you rebuild a particular NSS volume, the previous error file is overwritten. If you want to keep old error files, move them to another location. You can check the error file whenever an NSS volume does not come up in active mode after a rebuild.

To run VERIFY, which is an assessment of the storage pool, type the following command at the server console:

NSS provides a list of pools from which you can select. The VERIFY operation will return a summary screen of storage pool information, as shown in Figure 10.5.

Figure 10.5. Summary report from the console-based VERIFY.

Should it become necessary, you can run REBUILD by typing the following command at the server console:

NSS provides a list of pools from which you can select. REBUILD verifies and accounts for all data blocks in the storage pool. If there are any errors, the errors appear on the screen; otherwise, it reverts to the active state. You must reactivate the pool and remount volume(s) before users can access them again.

File compression typically can save up to 63% of the server’s hard disk space by compressing unused files. Compressed files are automatically decompressed when a user accesses them, so the user doesn’t necessarily know that the files were compressed.

Volumes are automatically enabled to support compression should you enable that attribute when the volume is created. You can also enable support for compression after the fact by modifying a volume’s properties with iManager.

After compression is enabled on a volume, it cannot be disabled, except at the server level, using the following SET parameter:

This parameter can be set using NoRM and selecting Set Parameters. It is found in the Common File System section. Changing this SET parameter to OFF will suspend compression activities only. There is no way to remove compression capabilities from a volume, except to delete and re-create the volume.

By default, after the volume is enabled and compression is turned on, files and directories are compressed automatically after they’ve been untouched for 14 days.

You can change several aspects of file compression, however, such as how long the files wait before being compressed, the time of day the compression activity occurs, and which files never get compressed. To control file compression, you can use two file and directory attributes and several SET parameters.

To specify compression for specific files or directories, you can assign them the following file and directory attributes with NoRM. To do this, select the Volumes link in the Navigation frame, and browse to the directory or file for which you want to set the compression attributes:

Don’t Compress—Instructs NetWare to never compress the file or directory, even if compression is turned on for a parent directory.

Immediate Compress—Instructs NetWare to compress the file or directory immediately, without waiting for the standard inactivity period.

The SET parameters that affect file compression enable you to control compression characteristics for all enabled volumes on the server. You can set options such as when compression happens, how many files can be compressed at the same time, how many times a file must be accessed before it is decompressed, and so on. The easiest way to view and change these parameters is with NoRM, but you can also use MONITOR.NLM or the appropriate SET console command at the server console.

To change the SET parameters, complete the following steps:

1. Launch NoRM and click the Set Parameters link in the Navigation frame.

2. In the Set Parameter Categories window, click Common File System.

3. Modify any of the following compression-related SET parameters by clicking the value currently associated with that parameter.:

Compression Daily Check Stop Hour=HOUR—Specifies the hour when the file compressor stops searching volumes for files that need to be compressed. If this value is the same as the Compression Daily Check Starting Hour value, the search starts at the specified starting hour and goes until all compressible files have been found. The default is 6 (6:00 a.m.). Values range from 0 (midnight) to 23 (11:00 p.m.).

Compression Daily Check Starting Hour=HOUR—Specifies the hour when the file compressor begins searching volumes for files that need to be compressed. The default is 0 (midnight). Values range from 0 to 23 (11:00 p.m.).

Minimum Compression Percentage Gain=NUMBER—Specifies the minimum percentage that a file must be able to be compressed to remain compressed. The default is 20. Values range from 0 to 50.

Enable File Compression=ON|OFF—When set to On, file compression is allowed to occur on volumes that are enabled for compression. If set to Off, file compression won’t occur, even though the volume is still enabled for compression. The default is On.

Maximum Concurrent Compressions=NUMBER—Specifies how many volumes can compress files at the same time. Increasing this value can slow down server performance during compression times. The default is 2. Values range from 1 to 8.

Convert Compressed to Uncompressed Option=NUMBER—Specifies how a compressed file is stored after it has been accessed. The default is 1. Values range from 0 = always leave the file compressed; 1 = leave the file compressed after the first access within the time frame defined by the Days Untouched Before Compression parameter, and then leave the file uncompressed after the second access; 2 = change the file to uncompressed after the first access.

Decompress Percent Disk Space Free to Allow Commit=NUMBER—Specifies the percentage of free disk space that is required on a volume before committing an uncompressed file to disk. This helps you avoid running out of disk space by uncompressing files. The default is 10. Values range from 0 to 75.

Decompress Free Space Warning Interval=TIME—Specifies the interval between warnings when the volume doesn’t have enough disk space for uncompressed files. The default is 31 min 18.5 sec. Values range from 0 sec (which turns off warnings) to 29 days 15 hours, 50 min 3.8 sec.

Deleted Files Compression Option=NUMBER—Specifies how the server handles deleted files. The default is 1. Values range from 0 = don’t compress deleted files; 1 = compress deleted files during the next day’s search; 2 = compress deleted files immediately.

Days Untouched Before Compression=DAYS—Specifies how many days a file or directory must remain untouched before being compressed. The default is 14. Values range from 0 to 100000.

These SET parameters give you robust control over the compression process. However, you should always remember that enabling compression can lead to slower file system performance due to the processor-intensive nature of file compression/decompression.

You can restrict how much disk space a user can fill up on a particular volume. This can help prevent individual users from using an excessive amount of disk space. NSS volumes enable you to enable/disable this support through the User Space Restrictions attribute.

To set space restrictions, open the Volumes page in iManager (in the Storage group.) Click User Quotas to open a page from which you can select users and assign them a maximum amount of disk space they can use on a given volume (see Figure 10.6). You can also see how existing restrictions have been set and how much space users have available in their quota.

Figure 10.6. Using iManager to set and view user volume quotas.

When files are deleted from a NetWare server, they are not actually removed from the server’s hard disk. Instead, they are retained in a salvageable state. Deleted files are usually stored in the same directory from which they were originally deleted. If, however, the directory itself was also deleted, the deleted files are stored in a special directory called DELETED.SAV at the volume’s root.

PURGING AND SALVAGING FILES

You, or any user, can use the Novell client utilities to either purge or salvage a deleted file or directory. To do so, right-click the red N in the system tray, select NetWare Utilities, and choose either Salvage or Purge.

You can also use ConsoleOne to salvage and purge files by completing the following steps:

1. Launch ConsoleOne and browse to the directory containing the files or directories you want to salvage or purge.

2. From the View menu, select Deleted File View.

3. In the View window (right side), select a file or directory.

4. Click either the Salvage or Purge button on the ConsoleOne toolbar, as shown in Figure 10.7.

Figure 10.7. Using ConsoleOne to salvage or purge deleted files.

5. If you salvage files from an existing directory, the files are restored to that directory. If you salvage files from a deleted directory, the files are restored into the DELETED.SAV directory at the root of the volume.

This provides both users and administrators with a tool for recovering deleted files.

Note

If you have data shredding enabled, it will occur when a file is purged, not when it is deleted. If you have very sensitive materials on which you want to use data shredding, it might be a good idea to enable the Immediate Purge attribute for the file or directory where such data is stored.

OES NetWare does not include a web-based interface for performing DFS management, so you have to use ConsoleOne if you are going to use DFS. There are a few tasks associated with using DFS, described next.

Moving and splitting volumes provides unsurpassed flexibility in managing the location of data on your NetWare servers. Moving a volume involves transferring all the data associated with a given NetWare volume to another location, which can be on the same server or a different server in the same directory tree. When a volume is moved, a junction is left behind to point to the new location of the data.

Splitting a volume enables you to move some portion of an NSS volume to a different location, which can be on the same server or a different server in the same directory tree. When a volume is split, a junction is left behind to point to the new location of the data.

A few caveats exist with moving and splitting volumes. They include the following:

You can move or split volumes only to a destination NSS volume. The source volume for a split must be NSS, but for a move it can be either NSS or traditional.

When you specify the context for a source volume, use the full context with both leading and trailing dots.

DFS supports the capability to resume an operation if a server crash or some other type of event interrupts it. When the server restarts, the DFS operation will continue where it left off.

If at all possible, DFS operations should only be performed during off hours when files in the affected volume are closed. DFS cannot transfer open files, although it can keep track of them and enable you to deal with them manually. For more information, see the OES NetWare online documentation.

Volume moves and splits are performed from iManager. To move a volume, complete the following steps:

1. Launch iManager, open the Storage link, and select Volumes in the Navigation frame.

2. Specify the server that holds the volume you want to Move.

3. Select the volume you want to move and click Move.

4. Specify the name of the server to which you want to move the volume and click Next. If you want to schedule the move operation to take place at some later time, you can specify that as well.

5. Specify the name of the moved volume on the new server and click Next. The volume name must be unique on the destination server and follow all standard volume naming conventions.

6. Specify the storage pool into which the new volume will be created and click Next. You can also create a new storage pool.

7. Select the appropriate volume attributes for the new volume and click Finish.

At this point, all volume data, attributes, and access controls are moved to the new server. To split a volume, complete the following steps:

1. Launch iManager, open the Storage link, and select Volumes in the Navigation frame.

2. Specify the server that holds the volume you want to split.

3. Select the volume you want to move and click Split.

4. At the Split Volume page, specify the name of the server to which you want to move the split portion of the volume, and then specify the directory at which the split should occur. Click Next. If you want to schedule the move operation to take place at some later time, you can specify that as well.

5. Specify the name of the split volume and click Next. The volume name must be unique on the destination server and follow all standard volume naming conventions.

6. Specify the storage pool into which the split volume will be created and click Next. You can also create a new storage pool.

7. Select the appropriate volume attributes for the new volume and click Finish.

At this point, the split portion of the volume will be moved to the location specified. A DFS junction is left at the point of the split so that the data from the split volume will still be accessible as if it were still in its original location.

There are two main components to the OES NetWare iSCSI environment. The software necessary to use an OES NetWare server is installed with the OES NetWare operating system. You don’t have to do any special installation routine to use iSCSI.

Initiator software is installed on each server that will use the shared iSCSI storage. The initiator software enables an OES NetWare server or cluster to communicate with an iSCSI storage server or other iSCSI target over a normal TCP/IP network. At this time, the initiator software is supported only on OES NetWare.

Target software is installed on a NetWare server that will act as a disk controller for the shared iSCSI storage. A shared disk subsystem is attached directly to the OES NetWare server running the target software. The target software enables external initiators to access the shared disk system.

Alternatively, a dedicated iSCSI router can be used for the target, in which case the OES NetWare target software is unnecessary. The iSCSI router must comply with iSCSI Internet Draft Specification 20. A shared disk subsystem is attached directly to the iSCSI router according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When you have determined the best iSCSI architecture for your needs, you are ready to configure the iSCSI environment. If you have chosen to use an iSCSI router as an iSCSI target, refer to the iSCSI storage router documentation for configuration details.

Planning is critical to developing an effective backup strategy. A well-planned backup strategy will avoid those headaches associated with finding and restoring files should that be necessary. It will reduce the time it takes to perform data backups and help keep your network humming along. When planning your backup strategy, consider the following:

How frequently should you make backups?

What type of medium are you going to use to back up your data?

How should you rotate your backup media?

Where will your backup copies be stored?

How and when will you test the restore procedure?

SBCON is a console-based utility included in OES NetWare that can be used to back up all the different file formats that can be stored on your server: DOS, Macintosh, Windows NT/2000/XP, Windows 95/98, and Unix.

There are five major steps involved in configuring the OES NetWare backup system for use:

1. Install the Storage Management Services (SMS) on an OES NetWare server. SMS is the collection of files and utilities that comprise the NetWare backup solution. It also provides a foundation and common interface for third-party vendors that enable their backup applications to communicate with NetWare.

2. Install a backup device and load the device’s drivers on a server. This server will be the host server (the backup server).

3. Load the necessary backup NLMs on the host server.

4. Load the appropriate Target Service Agents (TSAs) on any servers or workstations whose files you want to back up. These servers and workstations are called targets.

5. Launch the Storage Management Engine (SME) on either the host server or a workstation. The SME is the interface from which you will run backup and restore operations. SBCON is the OES NetWare SME.

You will perform the first three steps in this process whether you choose to use SBCON or some other utility as your preferred SME. Several third-party vendors offer backup/restore utilities that function as SMEs. They have designed their systems to integrate with the NetWare SMS so that they don’t have to re-create the low-level interface with the operating system.

When these steps are completed, the host server is prepared, and the target server is ready to be backed up.

After you’ve loaded the necessary NLMs on the host server and loaded a TSA on the target server or workstation, you are ready to back up the target’s files. OES NetWare provides SBCON.NLM as a console-based utility for backing up network data.

SBCON enables you to select the type of backup you want to perform. There are three choices (all of which can be customized for your particular needs):

Full backup—This option backs up all network files. It removes the Archive file attribute—assigned to a file whenever the file is changed—from all files and directories. When the file is backed up, most backup products can remove the attribute so that the next time the file is changed, the attribute is once again assigned.

Incremental backup—This option backs up only files that were modified since the last full backup. It does not remove the Archive attribute from these files.

Differential backup. This option backs up only files that were modified since the last full or incremental backup. It removes the Archive attribute from these files.

SMS is cluster-enabled, meaning that it can run on a server cluster. It is also capable of backing up cluster-enabled pools by using the same procedure outlined next for regular SMS targets. For more information on Novell Cluster Services (NCS), see Chapter 8, “Multiprocessor and Cluster Support.”

To use SBCON to back up files, complete the following steps:

1. Load SBCON from the server console. You can also perform these tasks remotely using RConsoleJ. For more information on RConsoleJ, see Chapter 4, “OES Management Tools.”

2. From the main menu, choose Job Administration and then choose Backup.

3. At the Backup Options screen, configure the backup session (see Figure 10.8). When finished, press Esc to save your options:

Target service—Select the target server to back up. Enter a suitable username and password for the target. Specify the user’s full name, with context and a leading dot.

What to back up—Press Enter to open the List Resources box. Press Ins and browse the list of volumes, directories, and files until you locate what you want to back up. Press Enter to select the item and Esc to move it to the List Resources box. When you have selected all the resources you want to back up, press Esc to return to the Backup Options menu.

Description—Enter a descriptive name for this backup session. This description will be used during a restore process, so be as specific as possible. Include dates and specific paths included in the backup session if possible.

Device/media name—Choose the backup device and medium you will use. If only one device is available, the backup program will choose it for you. Specifying wildcard characters (*.*) will select the default device.

Figure 10.8. The Backup Options screen in SBCON is used to create a new backup job.

4. Open the Advanced Options menu to select specific session characteristics for the backup. Press Esc to save your choices:

Backup type—Specify Full, Differential, or Incremental backup.

Subsets of what to back up—Specify Include and Exclude options to customize what you want to back up. Use Exclude options when you want to back up most of the file system while omitting only a small part. Everything that you don’t specifically exclude is backed up. Use Include options when you want to back up only a small portion of the file system. Everything you don’t specifically include is excluded.

Scan options—Specify what types of data to exclude from the backup process. Options include subdirectories, trustee rights, hidden files, and the like.

Execution time—Specify the time you want the backup to occur. If you don’t modify this, it will start immediately.

Scheduling—Specify a schedule for the job you are creating, if you want it to run on a regular basis without having to reconfigure it each time.

5. Next to Append Session, select Yes if your backup device enables you to put multiple sessions on a medium, and if one or more sessions are already on the medium you’re using. Select No to overwrite any existing sessions.

6. When asked whether you want to submit a job, select Yes to submit it to the SMS queue.

When the job is submitted, SBCON runs the backup session as configured, at the time specified.

To restore files from a backup, you need to prepare the host server and targets the same way you did for the backup procedure.

After you’ve loaded the necessary NLMs on the host server and loaded a TSA on the target server or workstation, use SBCON to restore files. To use SBCON to restore files to an SMS target server, complete the following steps:

1. Load SBCON from the server console.

2. From the main menu, choose Job Administration and then choose Restore.

3. At the Restore Options screen, configure the restore session (see Figure 10.9). When finished, press Esc to save your options:

Target service—Select the target server. Enter a suitable username and password for the target. Specify the user’s full name, with context and a leading dot.

Description—Specify the name for this restore session. This name can be used to identify the restore session in the SBCON job queue.

Device/media name—Choose the backup device and medium from which you will restore the data. If only one device is available, the backup program will choose it for you. Specifying wildcard characters (*.*) will select the default device.

Session to Restore—Specify the name of the session that you want to restore. Press Enter to see a list of all available sessions on the device/media you have chosen. You will see the description names you specified when each backup session was created.

Figure 10.9. The Restore Options screen in SBCON is used to restore a backup to an SMS target.

4. Advanced Options is the last option on the Restore Options screen. Use it to configure the specific session characteristics for the restore operation. Press Esc to save your choices:

Rename data sets—If you want to restore the data to a different location, specify the specific path here.

Subsets of what to restore—Specify Include and Exclude options to customize what you want to restore. Use Exclude options when you want to restore most of the file system while omitting only a small part. Everything that you don’t specifically exclude is restored. Use Include options when you want to restore only a small portion of the file system. Everything you don’t specifically include will not be restored.

Open mode options—Specify what types of data to exclude from the restore process. Options include data streams, trustee rights, space restrictions, and the like.

Overwrite parent—Specify whether you want to overwrite existing data that might exist for parent objects, which include servers, volumes, and directories.

Overwrite child—Choose whether to overwrite files without regard for last backup time or date of existing file.

Execution time—Specify the time you want the restore operation to occur. If you don’t modify this, it will start immediately.

Scheduling—Specify a schedule for the job you are creating if you want it to run on a regular basis without having to reconfigure it each time.

When asked whether you want to submit a job, select Yes to submit the restore operation to the SMS queue.

As with the backup process, upon submission, SBCON runs the restore session as configured, at the time specified.